TOMMY LOUGHRAN
To paraphrase, "That's not a cigar. This. Is a cigar." I've only time for one smoke to-day, so why not make it two? Rich and lively brown leather shoe even complected with a heady burnt-sienna under-hue riding high and nigh to the top. Some espresso marblings over-top of that and under a quite healthy and well-distributed oil-sheen. Zilch in regards to heavy veins; couple a' light ones and some good spiderweb stuffs happening along the shaft. Seams ain't super tight, but tight and verily even. Cap is flawless. Foot tobacco peeks out at a rich brownette with ticks down to red high-lighted brunette. Packing density eyeballs to a -full. So much tobacco...
Born in Philadelphia on November 29, 1902 and passing on July 7, 1982 in Altoona, PA -- Mr. Loughran's legacy sees its way from Jack Dempsey sparring partner to our current era via serving as a prototype for modernus pugilistica. Through fancy foot-work, defensive slickery, counter-punching, and generally superb ring generalship; Loughran was named Ring Magazine's Fighter of the Year twice. Once in 1929 whilst defeating Jim Braddock, Ernie Schaaf, Mickey Walker, Joe Lohman, and Armand Emanuel -- and going the distance with each. He lost only once that calendar year to Mr. Jack Sharkey in his only shorter than scheduled prize-fight. In 1931, his second Fighter of the Year honoring he bested, from January to December: Jack Gross, Max Baer, Ernie Schaaf, Tuffy Griffiths, Victorio Campolo, Jack Gross, Johnny Risko, Paulino Uzcudun -- and in turn was bested only by -- Joe Sekyra and King Levinsky.
He fought a lot, is the take-away here gentlepersons. Oft on notice measured better in days and even hours than weeks. Too, he exhibited, for all his defensive wizardry, a nigh masochistic appreciation of being slugged or at the very least, pushed. On top of which, he did not sport the toughest of all beards; nor the most robust knuckle structure ever there was -- but was in possession of one heckuva great mind. It can be said his aforementioned prototypical nature was self preservation writ for the ages.
First hot pull is [on this T52 Drew Estate offering]peppery as heck under-neath... this is restrained to allow a creamy spiced cedar and neat leather, the spotlight. Very full o' earth middlings. Hard to spot an under-belly for all the laid back peppers. Second hottie is a black pepper clove mix of eye-watering proportions. Drops to palate in a very sharp creamy cedar note, seasoned natch. Then comes a tick of floral. Third hot pull is a growing spicy and influx of caramelized sugar and black cherry. Pepper is black and red. Spices are clove and a new cinnamon led melange of reddish. Earthiness has a great espresso poured in. Oy [vey iz mir].
Throughout his career, Loughran fought many champions in the Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight divisions. Defeating Georges Carpentier, Max Baer, and James J. Braddock. Too, fighting Gene Tunney to a draw and trading victories with Jack Sharkey. He carried a 1-4-1 record against the great Harry Greb as a regular dance partner to he, and once gave up eighty-four pounds to Primo Carnera in a fifteen round unanimous decision loss of a bid for the Heavyweight crown. All told, retiring with a professional record of 95-24-9 (17 KO, 45 ND, 1 NC) Mr. Loughran too reigned as the Light Heavyweight King from October 10, 1927 until abdicating on July 18, 1929.
Let's see. Woods and creamy spice zetz are primary. Said woods are cedar-first. Middling is a espresso-front earth core. Mulling spice is there, chocolate, honey. Underneath is a leather. That seems vastly over-simplified. Almost every note has a sweet creamy and spiced counter-balance. Rye malt is mingling on the leather. Cherry and caramelized sugar are game-planning.
Caramelized sugar goes to espresso and voila! -- Cuban coffee. Cherry is attaching to a new and separate dark chocolate and voila! -- cherry cordial. These occurrences doth occur in the upper middlings. Profile is a 'soft' -full, strength is medium and up-ticking loometh nigh. Hesitancy of draw is gone and smoke-hole is again filled upon a sipping.
Post in-ring career he worked as a commodities (sugar) broker on Wall Street, a speaker whose mission was to promote and strengthen the image of boxers and boxing during a dill pickle of a time for each. He also acted as the third man in the ring on occasion, most notably when Floyd Patterson successfully defended his crown against Pete Rademacher in Seattle, Washington. A bout which kept Ref. Mr. Loughran quite busy, as there were several knock-downs in the six rounds of action. Busy and popular, too, as many an eye-ball was glued to the action of a man challenging for the Heavyweight crown in his debut performance. Loughran also lent color commentary to at least one championship bout, when Carlos Ortiz took on Johnny Bizarro in Pittsburgh, June 20, 1966.
BoxRec has Tommy Loughran ranked at seventh insofar as all-time Light Heavyweights, and the legendary Nat Fleischer placed him in fourth. He was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1956, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in '91.
The remainder of the [Liga Privada] Double Corona's middle act is a softening of delivery and strength. Enjoyable, but lack of zetz leads to a dipping down of complexities. Flavors ain't fallen off, but some delineation has. I'm kinda all dreamy and stuff, gentlepersons. Smooth. I doth foretell a picking up in --
However, the two year-old campaign of Equipoise was not all winner's circles, champagne, and roses. In the Belmont Futurity, he was bested by Jamestown; a colt whom also bested our pony a month earlier as well, at the Saratoga Special. Unlike with Twenty Grand, there'd be no two year-old revenge -- as Jamestown didn't race again that year.
Equipoise would prove no stranger to the lay-off himself, both during his three year-old season and too, his career in its entirety. 1931 was begun with him winning his season debut at Havre de Grace, then pulling up lame in the Chesapeake Stakes. He was scratched from the Kentucky Derby after running fourth in the Preakness (which was then the first jewel in the Triple Crown), again pulling up therein. Kaput for the year, at that point, he. As already noted and notated, his career was greatly and sadly restricted by hoof problems. The fragile hands of Mr. Loughran? Oh, what might have been, gentlepersons.
Cedar and milk chocolate primaries are delivered on sweet cream and smooth textures. Middling is earth with less espresso and a subdued mulling spice. Leather has become suede in the under-belly. Nuances are mottled whispers of floral and honey notes. Strength has become a -medium and profile, a robust medium.
The four year-old Equipoise debuted with a win at Bowie, followed up by three others at the Harford, Toboggan, and Metropolitan Handicaps. Equipoise then shipped to Chicago's Delavan Handicap, beating rival Jamestown by three lengths -- while spotting him ten pounds. As if that weren't 'nuff -- he also set a new world record for a mile.In the Stars and Stripes and Alington Gold Cup, the horse carried back-breaking weights and and still found the wire first. In the Arlington Hcp, he was barely nostril'd out by Plucky Play -- he carried 134 pounds as opposed to PP's feathery 111. Equipoise was named Champion Handicap Horse and Horse of the Year as well, having won seven straight races, an additional three wins, two places and a show -- earning $107,375 along the way.
Back to the grind in '33, Equipoise was placed under the new tutelage of trainer Mr. Thomas J. Healey. At the year's start, he won the Philadelphia, Metropolitan, and Suburban Hcps. After the Suburban romp, he was saddled with carrying 135 pounds in the Arlington -- and won by a length and a half. He carried this win-streak to seven races, culminating in the Saratoga Cup. The easy wins growed harder when Equipoise yet again was hampered on account of the chronic quarter crack which plagued his entire career. He was eased-up, finishing third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
He raced only a half-dozen times in 1934 due to his hoof woes. Winning the Philadelphia Hcp and The Dixie. In the Suburban Handicap he was assigned 134 pounds, and finished behind Ladysman at the wire. He then ran show in the Narragansett Invitational, and won the Whitney Trophy Handicap. For the third consecutive year, Equipoise was named champion of the handicap division.
Draw evens at a medium tension. Pack softens a tick or two. Burn-line is an even 'nuff ribbon. Ash pales and regains lost silver flecks. There is a cut in the top-leaf, which is cosmetic only. Very cedar/chocolate. Body is creamy and verily. Molasses and a heavy aromatic tobacco flow in. Meatiness, which I've not seen awhile, is back in the mix. Suede under-belly gets a barley touch. Peat hits the earth core middlings. Mouth-feel is a bit parched. Nuts come back and are roasted more heavily. Still -- not a lot of zetz and/or delineations. Oh, what might have been, gentlepersons.
Draw evens at a medium tension. Pack softens a tick or two. Burn-line is an even 'nuff ribbon. Ash pales and regains lost silver flecks. There is a cut in the top-leaf, which is cosmetic only. Very cedar/chocolate. Body is creamy and verily. Molasses and a heavy aromatic tobacco flow in. Meatiness, which I've not seen awhile, is back in the mix. Suede under-belly gets a barley touch. Peat hits the earth core middlings. Mouth-feel is a bit parched. Nuts come back and are roasted more heavily. Still -- not a lot of zetz and/or delineations. Oh, what might have been, gentlepersons.
Racing only thrice in more '35, he was retired to stud mid-campaign. Equipoise was again here, as he was on-track, hampered by fragile happenstances. Beginning his second career as a promising sire, he managed only four crops prior to his untimely 1938 passing. In 1942, he was posthumously deemed America's leading sire with prodigy earnings of $437,141.00. Equipoise became a Hall of Famer in '57, and was placed twenty-first in Blood-Horse's ranking of the century's top horses.
"Here is a living harmony in horseflesh; an embodiment of rhythm and modulation, of point and counterpoint, that sang to the eye and made music in the heart." John L. Hervey, writing as Salvator, on Equipoise.
"I'm on a carousel ride, gentlepersons. A carousel ride of an damp earth core. The horsies are so ornate and the music drones on..." Me, writing as me, on the Drew Estate Liga Privada T52.
"Here is a living harmony in horseflesh; an embodiment of rhythm and modulation, of point and counterpoint, that sang to the eye and made music in the heart." John L. Hervey, writing as Salvator, on Equipoise.
"I'm on a carousel ride, gentlepersons. A carousel ride of an damp earth core. The horsies are so ornate and the music drones on..." Me, writing as me, on the Drew Estate Liga Privada T52.
Cigar content first published HERE, where ya can read the full review.