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Top 6 Favorite Cigar Shops / Cigar Bars of 2009

11 Jan

Today, we have the fifth and final list of 2009 here on The Weekly Cigar. First, I’d like to take a second and thank everyone for checking out the site. The site has been getting an incredible number of visits from these lists, and I’m guessing a lot of you are new visitors to the site. I hope all you new readers or viewers are enjoying the site, and please feel free to leave any feedback you might have for me. Anyway, today, I have a list of my favorite cigar shops or cigars bars that I have visited over the past year. There were a lot to choose from, but I’ve picked my favorites. What I generally look for in a shop is a great selection, reasonable prices, and a comfortable lounge. All of the shops on this list offer that, and some of them even offer a bar, which is just icing on the cake. If you are ever in Miami or Atlanta, make sure to check out the shops below.

puff n stuff cigars (more…)

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Cigar Lists
Author Johnny Brooke, Craft Beer Drinker

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This week, Ryan and I review the Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA. This was one of the beers the folks over at Bear Republic were nice enough to send us. The Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA has received a lot of great reviews, and we were both excited to try it. To see if we liked it or not, watch the video below. Thanks and, until next time, happy drinking!
Bear Republic Brewery – Brewery Of The Week

This week, we received a package from Bear Republic Brewery. Bear Republic Brewery is a brewery based in Healdsburg, California. Their Racer 5 India Pale Ale has received great ratings from the craft beer community. They are also the 2006 Great American Beer Festival Small Brewery of the Year. Below is some information about their brewing process from Bear Republic’s website. Stay tuned for reviews of the Racer 5 India Pale Ale, the Hop Rod Rye Ale, and the Red Rocket Ale!

The process begins by selecting the specific grains for the day’s brew. The malted grains are cracked in our malt mill, and then augured to the mash tun. The cracked malt or grist is then mixed with hot water, and a natural enzymatic reaction occurs converting starches to sugars. Next, water is run through the grain in the mash tun creating a sweet liquid called wort. This wort is collected in the brew kettle where it is brought to a rolling boil. During this boil, hops are added which impart on the brew a special taste and aroma.

The brew is then pumped through the wort chiller where it is cooled and transferred to the fermenter.Yeast is added and naturally converts the sugars in the wort into carbon dioxide and alcohol. after primary fermentation occurs, the temperature is lowered and the beer is allowed to age. The beer is then filtered and served to you fresh from the serving tanks-Cheers!

The foundation of any batch of beer is the grain. This batch of Wine Country Wheat calls for nearly 900 pounds of wheat malt to produce a finished batch of 16 barrels (that’s a technical measurement which means a very large amount of wonderful beer!)

Like most good things, a batch of great beer requires planning and hard work. In the quiet of the early morning, long before the city of Healdsburg wakes up, Head Brewer, Joel Johnson checks his notes and recipes to plan for today’s brew. Instead of a batch of IPA, as originally planned, Joel and Master Brewer Richard Norgrove have switched to Wine Country Wheat, a lighter beer that’s been extra-popular during recent warm weather.

What does “Cask Conditioned” mean?

Cask Conditioning is the process of the secondary fermentation the ale undergoes before it reaches your glass. You know — just a little before you go “Oo-o-oh! This is really good!”

The young ale continues to ferment to its final gravity in the vessel (or cask) from which it will be dispensed. Since we generally have both the cask conditioned ale and its more familiar Yankee version, you can try them side by side to fully appreciate the difference. You’ll find the cask ale’s texture, looks, and taste will be noticeably different from its Yankee cousin — the malt and hops characters will be distinctly different.
Some people think the difference is quite subtle. Others find it very pronounced. You’ll just have to try them yourself and decide (that’s the fun part!).

Here’s a brief explanation to help you understand the differences. A clean and prepared firkin (cask) is filled with fermenting ale. At this point,the brewer adds gyle (unfermented wort or sugars), dry hops, and any auxilliary finings to the cask. The cask is then set aside for a while to complete the secondary fermentation.

Then the brewer preps the cask for dispensing. He broaches the cask with a tap and hammer, venting any excess pressure. All this is managed at cellar temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The secondary fermentation process changes the flavors and look of this ale.

But don’t be taken aback by its unique qualities. It’s all natural. CHEERS!
Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian IPA Beer Review

Welcome to the first official beer review on Beer Review Dude! This week, Ryan and I review the Flying Dog Raging Bitch, a Belgian IPA from Flying Dog Brewery. The Raging Bitch is a seasonal release, and is part of Flying Dog’s Canis Major series. We hope you enjoy the review, and stay tuned for more reviews.
To The Readers of The Weekly Cigar

To the readers of The Weekly Cigar,

It saddens me to say that this post marks the end of my cigar blogging career. Over the past months, I have become more and more involved in the cigar industry, and feel as though this involvement could lead many to question my objectivity. I now work in the cigar industry, and think that this retirement from cigar blogging is the best choice for all parties involved.

I will continue to blog, but will change my focus to the craft beer world. I love craft beer, and have wanted to review more beer for quite some time. The new site will be called Beer Review Dude, and will be located at http://beerreviewdude.com. I encourage all of you craft beer lovers out there to continue to visit the site. I will be posting something new almost every day, and hope to build this site into a great craft beer resource.

For all of the cigar lovers, I will continue to host the numerous reviews, interviews, and news items available on this site now. I still want this site to be a resource for the cigar smoker.

Is this the last mention of cigars on this site? No. I will continue to enjoy fine cigars, but feel as though it wouldn’t be right to continue posting about cigars at this time.

Lastly, I’d like to thank all of the people who have supported this blog, including the fans, the manufacturers, and anyone else who has helped me in any way. Without you, none of this would have been possible.

Well, I think that’s it. Thanks again and, until next time, happy smoking…