BEER REVIEW
Suds & Smoke is back at it with a dive into Kettlehead Brewing Company out of Tilton, Meredith, Franklin and Nashua, New Hampshire.
As I’ve stated in the past, my relationship with IPAs is one of love and mostly hate, but my amazing experience at the Meredith location (with the a couple Pulpy IPAs and Maple Buffalo Hog Wings) lead me to pick up a 4 pack of Hazeomania for review. This Hazy IPA comes in at 7% ABV, which is right at my upper limit where beer can turn into something I don’t quite consider beer. Right off the rip this IPA delivers with blasts of grassy and citrusy notes. The citrusy side leans a bit into the realm of sour lemons and it’s thoroughly enjoyable. It has a perfect level of hoppy bitterness and for an IPA the finish is very short, which I appreciate. Further into the journey a Tropical Fruit note makes an appearance and really rounds out the whole the experience. I really can’t recommend this beer enough, but that was the easy part; now it’s time to find a cigar worthy of pairing with such a stellar beer.
My beverage of choice to accompany a cigar has always been a cold beer. Bourbon and Coffee get a lot of love, but for me it’s Beer. I wanted something that wouldn’t wage war with the beers flavor profile, but team up with it. My first thought was something of Cuban origin. The Cuban “Twang” would go beautifully with Hazeomania, but I feared it would be too mild and would likely get lost in the mix. All roads lead me to the Cuban Link by Espinosa Cigars released through Privada Cigar Club. Despite it’s name, it does not contain Cuban tobacco; but it carries a lot of Cuban-esque flavor notes. In my experience, it outperforms any Cuban cigar I’ve smoked (and it’s not even close). The Cuban Link has grassy and citrusy notes right in line with the Hazeomania. It also adds a dash of nuttiness which marries with the beer perfectly. The cigar also offers a bit of creamy sweetness that helps balance out the bitter/sour aspect of the IPA. This just may be the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen combo of IPA and cigar. (Or to be more regionally appropriate, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski)
True to Description (20): 17
Appearance (5): 5
After Taste (10): 10
Drinkability (10): 8
Aroma (5): 4
Versatility (20): 18
Overall Enjoyability (30): 30
Final Score: 92
Andrew Nagle
My name is Andrew Nagle and I live in a small town in New Hampshire. I spend my days working Quality Control for an Aerospace manufacturing company. I’m an avid Boston sports fan. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife, son and two dogs.