Weekly Horse Racing Review for 5.19.16 - Isabela Sparkle

THE CIGAR

Isabela Cigar Co.
"Sparkle"
Robusto 5 x 52
w. Ecuadorian des Flor
b. Nicaraguan Media Tiempo
f. Nicaraguan

LIBATION

(as this is not a review, per se)

Tully's Coffee
Espresso Roast
Pour-over brewing method
w/ Stevia packet

NYQUIST DRAWS 3 AT PREAKNESS

Whilst only vaguely listening to TVG yesterday, I heard from the corner of my ear a poll. Seems the TV announcer, I missed which/whom, put up on his Twitter a voting opportunity -- Question: what is Nyquist's largest stumbling point in the Preakness (bad paraphrasing)? Options if memory serves included: rain, Exaggerator, Lani, Stradivari... the co-announcer added in, then sheepishly took back, "Nyquist."

I shouldn't be smoking this Isabela, darn my impetuousness. It was delivered to me yesterday as a kind offering from brand owner and gentleman, Johnny Piette. It was delayed as to USPS on-line admittance. The box was open irl upon receipt. Bags therein were gone through. A very nice cigar gift, missing. My mail-lady with the nice legs shrugged, wished me and it well.

A pepper mini-blast is on you upon lighting, but in a different sorta manner than is common -- cushioned in cream and sugar. Sugar from the Cuban method employed of affixing cap, cream from a somewhat almond paste flavor note origin. Draw is smooth and even. Combustion matches draw.

It struck me that there very well might not be a point of stumble for Nyquist. He's beaten Exaggerator handily each of the four times they've met -- can a hero be a hero sans nemesis? The latest news is of starting position... I don't feel it matters. To be clear: not specifically the 3, but post writ large. I don't think any horse can catch the Derby victor. Regardless of weather. Can he beat himself? It's a funny thing, that; another entrant still needs to step up.

Lani was mentioned. Granted, the Japanese visitor, is the oddest factor -- but odd don't cut it. Lest I'd move to Portland and be done with it. His post position sets him up betwixt Nyquist and Exaggerator, but the horse broke so slow outta the gate in Kentucky that I don't think that particularly matters. So what makes him odd? He's a nut-job. Trainer Mikio Matsunaga elaborately walked his charge for ten whole minutes around Churchill's mile chute prior to when the other race participants were called to the track. He wore full blinkers throughout this all. Then exited the paddock well-ahead of the post parade; walking the track before heading to the gate. Then they were off. Well, except Lani, who finished last. Feh!

Back to Exaggerator. In those four opportunities to be a suitable nemesis to the 3-5 Preakness favorite Nyquist, he's come up short of tantalizing. I don't foresee this changing come Saturday. Stradivari has been bandied about as an X-factor. He remains my leading pick for an impediment, but I won't be putting my moolah where my mouth is. Not on a pony whom has raced only twice. Albeit for two wins by a combined distance of some 25 lengths.

The second jewel of the Triple Crown seems a foregone conclusion, and that is well within the confines of being an historical truth. See ya at Belmont, I sez ominously. The Belmont stretch, to my mind, may be Nyquist's long-lost potential foil.

Caramel joins in the middlings with a medium roasted diner-style loaded cup o' joe. Almond paste is stirred into a bright earth under-belly. Mouth-feel is smooth and clean to the point of being fresh. Some alfalfa with floral vibings is on the immediate draw. Finish is that under-belly with a black pepper zetz which too, livens up the mouth-feel.

ON BOLD FORBES

Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown in 1977, followed by Affirmed 1978. Will Nyquist in turn follow American Pharoah into the annals of horsetory? Maybe. But it got me thinking of AP's just-missing 2014 predessesor, California Chrome. What happened back in '76? I thought this back as I toasted the foot on this Isabela to a Wonder Bread aroma.

Currently, a salted butter sets on my lips. The sweetness of tip is nigh gone now. Construction and combustion hum along. There is a white toast note which ebbs and flows. What is most notable in the core Isabela line I've smoked, is an incredible "smokeability." It's akin to the drinkability of Bud or Coors, even begrudgingly admitted by frou-frou craft beer enthusiasts. Ya just wanna keep pulling. Smoke out-put is full and thick off both ends, and enticingly sweet and smooth on both draw and room-note.

Bold Forbes was a stallion who won the 1976  San Jacinto Stakes, Wood Memorial Stakes and Bay Shore Stakes. Then the Kentucky Derby via a blistering pace under Angel Cordero. In the Preakness, humsoever, his pace was met by the Derby fave Honest Pleasure -- and both tired. Elocutionist won Act II. At Belmont, Bold Forbes was again victorious, that time by a neck. At year's end, Bold Forbes was voted American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse.

He sired 13 crops through 1990: 304 winners, 30 of whom became stakes winners. His offspring have won over $18 million. Meanwhiles, poor Chromie with his tricky stud future, keeps running.

WORLD'S BEST RACEHORSE RANKINGS

Lemon zest laced white pepper, sauteed in clarified butter? Yes, please and thank ya. White bread soars as black pepper calms. Caramel toasts lightly. I'm nigh band now, and smoke stays cool. There is a tick of a vegetal note upping. Packing never overly softened. Combustion and draw stayed true to form. Classic medium profile with a gentlemanly strength to match. Not a belly laugh, but a fun smoke, nonetheless.

Longines recently released their "World's best racehorse rankings." It doth reads as doth follows:

1. California Chrome (USA) 126 rating
1. Winx (AUS) 126 rating
3. Maurice (JPN) 124 rating
3. Nyquist (USA) 124 rating

HERE is a link to the full list. I really and honestly don't overly care, gentlepersons. It seemed like a nice thing to include, though. I sure ain't certain about the whole "1,1,3,3" formatting. I ain't a math guy, though.

Through the band, we are still cucumber cool, although a seam loosens a tick on this Sparkle. I realize now that I have not touched my coffee. It's cold. I'm cold. It's mid-May and April has left its showers behind. If you see April, tap it on the shoulder, wil ya gentlepersons? HARD. Oy vey iz mir, I'm still wearing Long Johns.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
Appearance O
Construction W
Combustion W
Flavors/Body W
Strength O

Project X: Offering 3 Serie II - Blind Cigar Review (Saint Luis Rey Reserva Especial)

'Natch by now, I will break down flavors into categories as you will see below. I then shall note any flavor which arises. Too, I will grade according to my K A P L O W I T Z Scale guidelines. This all shall be noted and notated at each 1/2.

In a noted addition of notating, I too will note any other thing (typically construction, combustion, and uncharted notes) at the time in which those noting needs arise.

I will then offer a final grade ruling. THEN, on ye next THE GENTLEPERSONS SHOW (check yer local listings), Mr. Darryl Martin shall reveal what it is that I reviewed. We'll kibbitz 'bout it.

Blind review, yes? Oh, yes. Blind review.

THE CIGAR

*classified*

Light-medium brown corona
Saint Luis Rey Reserva Especial

ACT I

FLAVORS

Sweet: Coffee and cream. Honey. Sugar. Caramelized sugar. Buttery. Vanilla.
Spicy: Cinnamon. Nutmeg. White pepper. Black pepper. Orange peel.
Woody: Oak wood. Toasted.
Vegetal: Alfalfa. Citrus. Floral. Nuts, raw.
Earthy: Dirt/earth. Wet cardboard.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE

K being the least, Z the greatest

Appearance O
Construction O
Combustion L
Flavors/Body W
Strength P

NOTES

• Lemonheads and peppers?
• Lotsa smoky!
• Imperfected but even line. Dark ash. 
• Is there a DR in the house?
• Sweet and tany earth under-belly.
• Citrus and sugar/caramelized sugar play great.
• Toasted Wonder Bread.
• Slight hesitant combustion, then near run.
• Nutmeg and cinnamon dial down.
• Buttery sweetness with cleansing citrus soar.
• Tango wango! (Tangy.)

ACT II

FLAVORS

Sweet: Coffee and cream. Honey. Sugar. Caramelized sugar. Buttery. Vanilla. Toffee.

Spicy: Cinnamon (less). Nutmeg (less). White pepper (more). Black pepper. Orange peel.
Woody: Oak wood. Toasted (sweeter)
Vegetal: Alfalfa. Citrus. Floral. Nuts, raw. Hay, fresh
Earthy: Dirt/earth.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE

Appearance O
Construction O
Combustion L
Flavors/Body W
Strength P

NOTES

• White leads peppers. Black on finish and mouth-feel.
• Cream mounts via hay.
• Now I taste Flintstones Vitamins.
• Burn has corrected shy of perfection.
• Packing softens a tick unevenly. Lumpy shaft.
• Re-touch of top-leaf.
• Smoke heats up. 
• Simple and quite pleasant fare.
• Verily peanut toward the band.
• Rest of flavor profile doth taper.
• Tasted expensive.
• Clean sweet light finish. Nice.

SMOKE TIME

60mins

FINAL GRADE

****B+****

REMEMBER: Tune into the next THE GENTLEPERSONS SHOW (check local listings) for the reveal.

POSTSCRIPT: In the interest of uniformity, I will be working from a flavor chart via Stogie Fresh. ("Malt" added by moi.)

Weekly Boxing Review for 5.18.16 - Fratello Cigars Corona

Lit pre-click in over-powering anticipation.

THE CIGAR

Fratello Cigars 

Corona 5 1/2 x 46

w. Nicaraguan Habano

b. Ecuadorian Sumatra

f. Nicaraguan and Peruvian

Sampling courtesy (thank ya, sir) Omar de Frias

LIBATION

(as this is not a review, per se)

12oz Can of Diet Pepsi

POVETKIN - WILDER POSTPONED

If you saw Rocky IV, this comes as no surprise. Drago is juicing. Lo, he doth say he ain't. Regardless, the WBC has postponed champ Mr. Dentay Wilder's mandatory Balboa against Mr. Alexander Povetkin. 

Wilder has broke camp for the now not gonna happen May 21st fisticuffs; but Povetkin's Don Kingovich figure, Andrey Ryabinsky of World of Boxing -- has already threatened legal action should the fight be officially cancelled. For what it's worth, Deontay still wants " ... to be an active heavyweight champion and it is still my goal to collect all the belts and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world."

Mr. Fury currently, and Mr. Joshua, futurely -- were last seen not shaking in their boots. This story has bearing with a Manolo Estate Heavyweight Maduro contest I am running. This is to say I know the implications -- not that I have any idea what to do. Stay tuned, gentlepersons, as I sort. Seems I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

Salted sweet butter is set upon my lips. Notes on the draw are quite driven from the rear by chocolate. Upfront is a seasoned cedar and red spice-rack. Some black pepper with an under-belly of red occupy middlings. Underneath is an earthiness laced with an Americano. Burn has a slight waver, ash is a tick flaked, but makes most of an inch; wearing 'nuff white to be in a P Diddy video.

I must say I did not like this match for Wilder, and I feel it is best now for him to bemoan it not occurring and brag upon his intent. Stylistically 'twas a no-no. Best for Wilder's crew as a no-go. Next up for Mr. Wilder? Perhaps learning to not loopty-loo his punches.

MAYWEATHER COURTING GARCIA

Floyd Mayweather continues to settle and apparently entrench into his new role of pugilstic promoter. Currently in his sights therein is 28 year old undefeated WBO world super-featherweight champion Mikey Garcia (34-0-0-28). If you ask me, the possibilities here are far more exciting than in Money-Pacman II. Don't even talk at me, gentlepersons about that lay and pray tattooed fella... whom has lost.

Here in the Fratello offering, chocolate becomes fudgy and then distant and then wrapped in a supple and oil seeping leather. Profile is -full and strength a medium. Draw is a bit tense, say a voluptuous medium+ resistance, but I nibbled the end and ain't never minded sipping. I sip through a still densely packed 3/3. I need to really work off an inch+ of solid ash. Surprisingly, rest of packing has softened and noticeably so. Flavor notes hold fast. Chocolate is on retro-hale under pepper-play and is brief.

Possibilities For Mr. Mikey Garcia include and are, really quite limited to, a ressurrection of sorts in a somewhat stalled career post Top Rank entanglements and picking his crown up via a January 25th 2014 bout with Juan Carlos Burgos. Mr. Money, proprietor of Mayweather Promotions LLC Promotional Firm closed a presser with “I do want Mikey Garcia, I do. We going to take him to that next level. We going to get him the fights he really wants.”

RIGO RECROWNED BY WBA

Burn-line has reached a dead even-steven on its own slowing accord. Fresher notes of grass and alfalfa are sneaking into the profile. Soaring black pepper pulls way ahead of its red cohort and leaves a heavy tobacco on my tingly palate.

Mr. Guillermo Rigondeaux was stripped of his two junior featherweight world titles late last year. The WBA has just today decided to deem him once again their crown-holder. The 35 year-old Rigo who has a lightesque professional record of 16-0-0-10 after a stellar Cuban amateur record which included gold in '04 and '08, now faces mandatories and interims and blah. Next up is the latter against an as of yet unnamed opponent. The former, upon reinstatement, interim titleholder Moises Flores (24-0-0-17)  in a mandatory fight by Aug. 1. Mandatories, interims, oh my.

I taste a ton of leather. Some ebbing and flowing dried red to purple fruits. Smoky smoke mounts.

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ BACK TO ROACH FOLD

Former world champ JCCjr. (49-2-1-32) is touting a return to the ring whilst under the tutelage of Tiburcio Garcia, with an eye toward training under Freddie Roach. In-ring eyes forward, he has in them sights a possible July/August yearning for Gabriel Rosado at 168. Jr. is flagging down Mr. Roach as per his legendary Sr.'s instructions. 

A neat white pepper comes into the salted sweet butter. Shaft and smoke heat up a tick toward the band. Creaminess mounts and mounts. Lush and toasted. It brings up a nice coffee drink note. Burn doth waver here and there, never egregiously. Strength stays a gentleperson, gentlepersons.

As of late, Jr. has been hard on Canelo re: his fighting Amir Khan. Julio Cesar Chavez and Saul Alvarez walk into a restaurant -- they proceed to eat an awful lot. Why does Mr. Roach make the best milk shakes? He uses only the finest ingredients.

"Fright Night" (1947)

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE

K=least; Z=greatest

Appearance I
Construction W
Combustion W
Flavors/Body I
Strength O

Covadonga Figurado - Cigar Review

PROLOGUE

Fresh off the phone with an old friend. We talked about events of some 20 years ago. I don't want to talk now. Seems my spirit animal has always been a Dachshund.

THE CIGAR

Covadonga Cigars

Cova Figurado 6 1/2 x 62

w. Nicaraguan Oscuro

b. Undisclosed

f. Nicaraguan
Sample courtesy of Rolando Reyes, Brand Owner.

PRE-LIGHT

It's a bowling pin. Fun. Coloring is dark. Espresso bean with a bit of far underneath dark chocolate. Smooth complexion. Some visual lumpiness and loose seams. Veins, but mainly of spider varietals. Cap is a tick sloppy. Nipple-foot is cut a bit uneven. Looks somewhat hurried, actually. Some glue from the band is on the surrounding top-leaf. Nice thick sheen over-top.

Hand-feel is a bit light in heft, but quite balanced given the format. Charmin squeeze shows a mainly even and medium density of packing. Texture is smooth and oily. Very rich chocolate schnoz along the shaft. Dark tobacco well underneath. Some cedar and leather betwixt.

I cut with a freebie cutter... has anyone seen my Xikar? A -tight draw tension surprises me. Very chocolatey to fudge. Some black bread and leather. Compost. Topsoil. I'm still surprised at the tension.

LIGHT

I don't toast the nipple. First hot aroma is leather, chocolate, and wood on an earthen under-belly. That's fairly the first hot pull, too. Swap the placement to chocolate, leather. Very straight-forward. Once lit, the draw tension dials down to a medium+, but I'm not getting a very full smoke-hole. Second hottie is retro-haled to a black pepper zetz and a black bread palate. Under-belly is topsoil; compost is drying up to meet it there. Primary is chocolate and leather on the third hot pull, and smoke is fleshing out well. Black bread is toasting in the middlings of wood and black pepper. The foot is really pouring off the white dense stuffs now.

Coming off the nipple to the bulbous part is a bit of slow burn-work. Mainly even, but some waver. Ash is white and forming a flaky sheath. Line is thin and evening out. Packing doesn't seem to have softened off the light. There's a slight mineral note that's short-lived on the immediate draw. It lingers in a sharp quick jab on the rich chocolate room-note. Lots of bread and earth there in the room, a well.

ACT I

The tension on draw is now all the way down to a medium as the burn-line wraps around the fatter part of the ring gauge. Lots of smoke from both ends. I was a bit worried about the loose seams at the onset of this Covadonga Figurado loosening further, but, if anything, they seem tighter now. Line is finding even more and more. Floral vibe and a slight graham note come in.

Still the primaries are a forefront chocolate that's becoming something of a brownie mix, backed by a nice simple leather. Middlings and under-belly are lock-step. Molasses is sidling up now to the bread. That bread, pumpernickel, is a tick more crusty on the retro. Line ribbons a bit, and is still not straight-even-stevens. Profile is a medium, lettuce say -- and strength has not moved the needle yet.

There's now both some crema and cream added in. Crema a bit bitter and cream somewhat toasted. Mouth-feel is erring toward dry, but not requiring of libation aid as yet. Generic wood note is sticking to the leather and while nice, isn't opening up very much or evolving. Burn pace has stepped up a good bit. Ash is a pale grey loose sheath and clings in its entirety to a razor thin line. Pumpernickle toasts more. Graham hides having never fully been seen.

Finish is fairly short and toasty forefront with a backdrop of cocoa sweetness. Mineral dalliances have fallen off the draw and room-note. Topsoil under-belly lifts up noticeably so throughout. I don't know why, but I dab at my nose with the "showin'" schmatta pulled from my suit jacket, and not my "blowin'" schmatta -- still folded in my back pocket. I've been sorta outta sorts today, gentlepersons. 

Chocolate and leather each dial back to upper middling and at the end of the opening act, there's a vacancy up-top. Topsoil comes way up to just under this and meets the pumpernickel there. I roll all the accumulated ash off in my $0.99 Walmart tray and it's a good bit more thick in its core than is indicated by its exterior. I also even out the Cova's burn with a quickish re-touch. New ash is coming on very white and smooth. Profile unchanged, as is strength.

ACT II

Shaft oils up now and burn seems hotter and definitely paced quicker. Draw is the same. All pre-light looser seams have either tightened or been smoked through as we taper down. Crema is a bit more bitter now. Chocolate is a baker's thing. Black pepper smooths some. Burn won't even, but doesn't seem to need any further helpings. Flavor notes chug along. Wood, though charring some, seems to be becoming enveloped by the leather.

Now a new dark tobacco note comes to fill the vacancy atop the profile. Fairly earthy, somewhat sharply so. Smoke of the foot is a tick irritating to my kind yet mischievous green eyes. Strength is registering at say a -medium now. Body is getting more warm toasted cream and is up to a medium+ alongside flavors. Finish is lengthening off the tobacco, dark. There's a slight purple dried fruit therein. Palate is somewhat arid. Chocolate is now a burnt cookie, and re-entering the top-notes spectrum. Lower middlings show a roasted almond vibing and slight charcoal.

Burn needs some Djeep love. Smoke pours. Pours, I sez. Under-belly gets a sarsaparilla addition. All's quite toasty to charred. Charcoal is falling back to off. Draw sees a tick more tension, now. Notes are somewhat sharpened. Dark uncomplicated tobacco reins supreme and with an iron fistful of black earth. I'm sitting in a garsh-durned cloud. Band glue schmeared onto top-leaf heats and lets loose as the final act loometh nigh. Nigh, I sez. Re-touch. A nice-sized one.

ACT III

Espresso been addition to the middlings. Chocolate falls off. Pumpernickle, too. Topsoil stays. Wood don't. Pretty much topsoil and espresso bean. Crema remounts. Mouth-feel loses cream and sharpens. Finish pulls in its legs. Burn needs another touch-up. Profile and strength meet up at medium. draw is a tick restrictive. Foot-smoke pours, smoke-hole not fuly satiated. See ya later, flowery bits.

At the band, it's predominantly a toasted topsoil affair, this Figurado. Some bite under tongue. On the retro-hale, there is still black pepper, but not in a gentlemanly manner. It does drop some trace of espresso bean and pumpernickel to palate, humsoever. Profile bounces back up to a somewhat outta whack -full. Throat catches.

I'm assured that Indiana is now unrecognizable. I can't imagine. Won't.

SMOKE TIME

75mins

NOTES

Now I know why I wanna get lost in the Midwest. 

Cigar was OK. The wood was a hickory which never done happened.

PAIRINGS
Cola. Spiced tea. Blackberry Manischewitz.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE

K being the least, Z the greatest

Appearance O
Construction O
Combustion L
Flavors/Body W
Strength O

FINAL GRADE

****B-****

EPILOGUE

My head is elsewhere today, gentlepersons. Thanks, as always, for the loaning of yer eyes and giving of yer time.