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Johnny-O! True Story

Kingantz

Growing too fast.
Joined
Oct 6, 2007
Messages
7,648
Johnny-O!  True Story
6 ¼ x 50
 
It’s been a very busy day at work, down a collector, so having to take up a good bit of slack until I can get another in.  But hey, makes the time fly!  I have a buddy at work that is into beer, so he and I exchange brews every so often.  I took him a mixed four pack yesterday, and he brought me a Beertender with an untapped keg of New Castle.  Pretty darn cool I have to say.  This evening he shoots me an email right before time to leave saying he has some beer for me, so I head down and oh man.  He hands me a mixed four pack of Dragon’s Milk, The Poet, and one I’ve never heard of before, Rodenbach.  He tells me it’s a sour, which I’ve heard of but had never tried.  Awesome!
 
Ah finally home, Casey’s off at school tonight, so I decide to grab a stogie, the sour, and head outside with the pups in tow.  Man oh man it feels good to just sit back and relax for a bit.  I crack open the Rodenbach, take a whiff, and it actually has a bit of sour smell, like a wine/beer mixture, I actually like it.  I take a slow pull of the liquid and yep, it’s a sour alright, but actually not all that sour.  My first impression is of a muscadine grape, black and juicy picked right off the vine.  It’s actually really good, and I have to take another taste just to make sure.  :laugh: 
 
I grabbed a Johnny-O! True Story to smoke, which I honestly am not sure if that’s what this stick is as John hit me with a fiver unlabeled.  He did give me a list of his cigars they might be, and this is my best guess based on that.  This stogie has been sitting in the humi for several weeks now, so I’m hoping it hasn’t gone into the sick period just yet.  The wrapper is a medium to dark brown with very small veins throughout, and as I hold it in the sunlight the oils glisten.  It has that barnyard smell to it as I run it under my nose.  I punch the cap, and the taste in the cold draw is of straightforward fresh tobacco.  I toast the small, tapered foot, and then begin puffing to get the fire going. 
 
Of course the draw is quite tight at first, but once the fire passes into the larger part of the foot, it opens up nicely.  Huge billows of white smoke pours out as I puff, thinking I could make some smoke signals here.  I take a long draw and let the smoke slowly escape through both mouth and nose.  There’s a good bit of pepper in the nose, really making the nostrils burn a bit, so I take another draw and this time just let the smoke come from the mouth, and oh man this thing is good!  At first I get sweet fresh bread with a clean finish that is rather short.  Another draw and there’s a flavor there I just can’t seem to put my finger on, and then it comes to me.  It’s just downright really good straightforward tobacco.
 
As the burn get to about a quarter inch, I find myself puffing a good bit, and smoke is coming through well, but the burn isn’t going anywhere.  This tells me there’s some tunneling going on.  As soon as I quit puffing, the smoke completely goes away and it’s as if the cigar has gone out, yet as soon as I puff some more smoke flows in abundance.  Finally, after a bit, the fire starts to move and it burns normally.  I can definitely say it hasn’t hit it’s sick period as the flavor is really good; sweet, delicious tobacco, but with a very short finish that’s clean on the palate. 
 
The medium dull gray ash holds well almost to about halfway, and just before I can snap a pic it falls off.  Dang.  There’s a slight chill in the air as the sun begins its descent, shadows forming all around.  Casey calls to tell me she loves me, and not to forget my leg meds later.  Love that girl.  Soon as I hang up with her, my buddy Lance calls wanting me to ride over, they’re all just sitting around drinking.  I decline as I’m just too tired, and am already chillin’ at the house. 
 
I finish up the cigar and can say I really enjoyed it with perfect draw and excellent flavor.  I can say without doubt though, that a sour beer does not pair well with a sweet cigar!  LOL!  Many thanks as always to John for sending me this fine cigar, giving me the opportunity to have a go at it.  Hope everyone’s hump day is as good as mine! 
 
Sorry the photos aren't that great, was using my phone this time. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Greg, Awesome to be seeing your reviews again.  I have a few Johnny-O sticks buried in my humi, this is giving me some inspiration to dig them out.  Hopefully they're as good as your experience.
 
I was enjoying the narrative. I agree. You paint awesome pictures.
 
Great review. I have several from him and I think they are great! I might have to go grab one now. It is cigar time for me!
 
I just smoked one for '05 or '06. It was terrible! They were excelent when they were fresh. These do not age well.
 
JHolmes763 said:
Yeah, Rodenbach is a bit of an acquired taste. I like it too, but it's an odd pairing with a cigar. :)

You should try Verboden Vrucht if you can get your hands on it. http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/83/2844/. It's very unique, too, although not a sour.

Nice review on the smoke, too.

-John
Agreed! A sour is definitely not to go with a cigar. I'll have to check out the Verboden, thanks!
atuck said:
I just smoked one for '05 or '06. It was terrible! They were excelent when they were fresh. These do not age well.
That's too bad Alan. I know I've smoked a few of John's cigars with some age on them and they were really good, but there have been some that never did come around.
 
Smoked another one around lunch time. It was terrible too! I am really disappointed in these cigars which I thought would age so well. I have some others that are from different years. But these from '05 or '06 leave a lot to be desired! I will post response to newer years ASAP. I remember them to be awesome when they were fresh!
 
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