New Beer Friday, Perdomo Double Aged Edition (Jan 26)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

I am pleased to announce that Siciliano’s Market is now one of only four Michigan retailers carrying a rare line of premium cigars manufactured by Tabacalera Perdomo.

The Perdomo Double Aged 12 Year Vintage is a blend of the company’s finest and rarest tobacco that was bale aged for ten years and then aged for an additional two years in charred, white oak bourbon barrels. This proprietary double aging process gives the fillers, binders and wrappers a unique color, texture, aroma and flavor resulting in a well-balanced and multi-layered smoke.

I had the opportunity to try one of these rare beauties last week during a visit to Perdomo’s manufacturing facility in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Sungrown Churchill was a smooth, spicy-sweet hour and a half smoke that went very well with a tumbler of single malt scotch. The full-flavored blend will pair just as well with bourbon, rye and barrel-aged rum.

We are stocking the Perdomo Double Aged 12 Year Vintage in the Connecticut wrapper in the following sizes:

• Robusto 5 ½ x 54 
• Epicure 6 ½ x 54 
• Churchill 7 x 54 
• Gordo 6 x 60 

New and Returning Beer

• Abita Bad Mother Shucker, $2.39/12oz - "Deep in the oyster beds of Louisiana surfaces one Bad Mother Shucker - Abita's Oyster Stout. This big, bold oyster stout brings pale, caramel, roasted and chocolate malts to the party, balanced by crisp Willamette hops and the sweet, full flavor of oats. The magic happens near the finish, when we add fresh Louisiana oysters to infuse a sea-salty essence that really rounds things out. Pair this bad boy with a chilled dozen on the half-shell or even as a satisfying after-dinner brew" (source).
• Abita Bourbon Street Baltic Porter, $9.99/22oz  - "Baltic Porter aged in Bourbon barrels" (source).
• Alesmith San Diego Pale Ale .394, $2.89/12oz  - "In early 2014, Tony Gwynn’s team approached AleSmith to create a distinctive beer for the baseball legend. A meeting was called at the Gwynn household, which included a sampling of AleSmith beers to identify Tony’s preferences. He wanted the beer to be “light with a kick” which he elaborated further to mean full of hop character and light in body and color. The result of the Gwynn family’s feedback on test batches rendered a golden pale ale full of American hop flavor and aroma, with a subdued bitterness and a malty sweet finish. AleSmith San Diego Pale Ale .394 pays tribute to the city that Tony loved and the career high batting average that he achieved in ‘94. Discover what happens when a Hall of Fame perfectionist crafts a beer with a world-class brewery. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation (TAG)" (source).
• Arcadia 21 Anniversary Ale, $17.39/750ml - "This golden, bright, funky sour ale is a celebration of flavors as well as Arcadia Brewing Company's 21st Anniversary! This unique ale started with a base of strong golden and brown ales, blended with barrel-aged sour ale, and a multi-strain culture pitched after primary fermentation. The addition of peaches and apricots during the aging process gives this ale strong flavors of tropical fruit, as well as a pleasant acidity, mild barrel flavor, and warming character. Funk aromas mimic fermented peaches and apricots, paired with a mild oak and alcohol heat. A dry mouthfeel with bright carbonation rounds out this unique and delightfully complex wild ale" (source).
• Bell's Larry's Latest Sour, $2.19/16oz  - "The name “Larry’s Latest” is a nod to the spirit of innovation and experimentation that Larry started in 1985 and continues within the brewery to this day. Our latest sour recipe has a refreshingly bright, citrusy tartness combined with pungent tropical aromas" (source).
• Boulevard Barrel Aged Stout, $4.49/12oz - "Over-the-top but surprisingly approachable, this twist on the classic style starts with several types of malted barley, rye, oats and wheat. Robust flavors of vanilla, espresso, whiskey, chocolate and roasted grain are balanced by hints of date and plum, with just enough hops to round it all out. Roughly one-third of the final blend is freshly brewed beer; the rest is aged for up to a year (or more!) in both first and second use whiskey casks" (source).
• Boulevard Rye on Rye, $4.49/12oz - "Why Rye? This assertively flavorful grain is more often associated with whiskey than with ales. Even in that arena, it has largely been eclipsed by corn and barley, the sources of bourbon and scotch. But when we procured some seasoned barrels from our friends at Templeton Rye, we asked ourselves, “Why not?” Why not brew a rich, tawny rye ale, then mellow it in the warmth of charred oak rye whiskey casks? Two kinds of malted rye provide spicy sweetness, giving way to notes of vanilla, charred oak and the citrusy tang of Citra and Styrian Golding hops before easing into a dry, lingering finish" (source).
• Dogfish Head Romantic Chemistry, $2.79/12oz - "What you have here is a serious India Pale Ale shacking up and hunkering down with mango and apricots. At the same time! Romantic Chemistry is brewed with an intermingling of mangos, apricots and ginger, and then dry-hopped with three varieties of hops to deliver a tropical fruit aroma and a hop-forward finish" (source).
• Kickstand Birch Bark Porter, $3.19/16oz - "Brewed with an abundance of seven varieties of specialty malt, this porter is rich with notes of fresh roasted coffee and decadant chocolate. Named after the famed Birch Bark Canoe of Union Lake lore" (source).
• Kickstand Pontoon Pale, $2.19/12oz - "This pale ale is well balanced with an ample malt and citrusy hop flavor. Perfect boat beer leaving us longing for summer" (source).
• Mikkeller SD Hazed and Amused, $3.29/16oz - "Hazy Pale Ale with Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic, Hall Blanc. A portion of the Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic are lupulin powder. Bright citrus, pine and tropical aroma, with the flavor to match. Medium body with a crisp finish that negs for another sip" (source).
• Mikkeller SD Supah Sik Spells, $5.49/16oz - "American Imperial India Pale Ale" (source).
• Mitten Brewing Country Strong IPA, $1.99/12oz - "This beer is Country Strong! An American IPA with a Country Strong citrus taste" (source).
• Odd Side Diggity Dank, $2.39/12oz - "Our hazy IPA with a new, fancy blend of hops! Denali, Amarillo, El Dorado, and Simcoe makes this one super good" (source).
• Odd Side Pineapple IPA, $2.39/12oz - "Fresh cut pineapples brewed in an IPA…need I say more?" (source).
• Right Brain Imperial CEO Stout, $9.09/22oz (1 per) - "Classic CEO Stout Recipe, but brewed with 40% more malt. Thick, chocolately mouth feel, with a sweet coffee finish" (source).
• Saugatuck Bourbon Barrel Aged Blueberry Maple Stout, $5.39/12oz - "A rich, sweet stout with classic malt characteristics with a bold, unique twist. This beer tastes like you crammed a fat stack of blueberry pancakes into a pint glass and smothered it with maple syrup. Channel your inner lumberjack, because it’s in for a real treat" (source).
• Short's Machu Beechu, $2.59/12oz - "Machu Beechu is a Double India Pale Ale brewed with passion fruit and honey in collaboration with Rare Bird Brewpub. At first sniff this beer is an explosion of tropical fruit scents from mango to pineapple. Brewed with Vic Secret, El Dorado, and Mandarina hops, this beer is super dank and juicy. Initial tart and fruity flavors are followed by a dry and slightly bitter finish. With final flavors of mouth-coating honey, this IPA is a must taste" (source).
• Southern Tier Concord Grape, $4.09/12oz - "The brewery is located just a short drive over the Chautauqua Ridge from Lake Erie, arguably the most ideal Concord grape growing region in the world.  So, it made sense for us to brew a beer with the juice of these classic grapes. The finished beer is a slightly cloudy, deep reddish purple color with a persistent white head, and durable lacing thanks to a large portion of wheat in the grist. The nose is defined by equal parts bright lactic acidity and grape aroma with a hint of coriander. On the palate, the strong lacto acidity is balanced by the natural sweetness of the Concord grapes" (source).
• Victory Sour Monkey, $2.79/12oz - "Sour Monkey puts a tastefully tart twist on our Golden Monkey’s sweet, fruity essence. A sharp, citrus-laden tang makes this brew a Monkey all its own" (source).

Video of the week | Glengarry Glen Mitten

In honor of the Mitt's first canned beer, we're reposting

their ingenious spoof of Glengarry Glen Ross (mildly NSFW).

Cheers!