It is 79% in the Islands today and mostly sunny. Wilma’s passing to the northwest created evening squalls most evenings during the week, but was over by the weekend. High season in the Caribbean gets into swing in about 5 weeks and activity around the harbor is picking up. The Virgin Islands get nearly 3 million visitors a year and about 2.2 million of them come through this harbor (which on sunny days, as I’ve noted, before produces some of the best bikini post cards in the world).
Coffee this morning was Arabian Mocha-Java. This is one of the world's most famous coffee blends; full-bodied with bittersweet chocolate notes enhance the coffee’s rich, complex flavors. IMO, Mocha-Java might be the world's most famous coffee blend. When somebody first thought of combining these two beans, it was before coffee was widely grown around the world. These two coffees were much different from those produced by Yemen and Indonesia today, although Yemen still produces its coffee under very primitive conditions. With coffee and especially blended coffee, everything depends on the quality of the beans used; when done right, the result is a delicious full-bodied coffee. IMO, many Americans associate the word mocha with chocolate, and in doing so reverse the facts: when cocoa was first refined and sold in Europe, it reminded people of Mocha coffee from Yemen.
The cigar was a Bolivar Royal Coronas (the vitola is robusto). The oily dark wrapper is very elegant, and after torching the stick, you can see oils running from the hot tip. Bolivar’s as a rule have strong, well aged tobacco flavors and combining that with notes of strong black coffee and strong dark chocolate. A friend who is staying with us while here on business brought some Bolivar Fuerte smokes from the Dominican Republic. IMO these are very good for Non-Cubans; having a unique aroma almost like Cubans. However, with Cuban Bolivars the aroma is intoxicating (that’s probably a pretty racy description for an early morning smoke, but FuManChu rarely expresses opinion’s on cigars, and my wife’s opinions would take up pages and probably get off subject onto other behaviors which are better left alone; which leaves me. As Mae West said: “When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before.”
This weekend we had a 16-year-old bottle of Lagavulin. The color is a full amber. The nose has the Islay intensity (salt, peat, iodine, and smoke), but is softened by a hint of sherry sweetness. The finish is big, dry, and peaty. To fans of Islay whiskies the flavor is the perfect balance of sensations. The older whiskies have a wonderful depth, softness and complexity. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Le Madame harrumphs (IMO, this sound is a sinus condition some women develop in their 30’s) while watching us consume cigars and Scotch. Winston Churchill, when asked why he drank so much, said: “Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” Le Madame then pointed out that rationalizing about consumption of alcohol and cigars with quotations from men with the same problems, is not a defense. I shrugged and pointed out to my wife that no less a luminary than W.C. Fields noted: “I certainly do not drink all the time. I have to sleep you know.” Le Madame simply glared at me and made that sinus sound.
cian
Coffee this morning was Arabian Mocha-Java. This is one of the world's most famous coffee blends; full-bodied with bittersweet chocolate notes enhance the coffee’s rich, complex flavors. IMO, Mocha-Java might be the world's most famous coffee blend. When somebody first thought of combining these two beans, it was before coffee was widely grown around the world. These two coffees were much different from those produced by Yemen and Indonesia today, although Yemen still produces its coffee under very primitive conditions. With coffee and especially blended coffee, everything depends on the quality of the beans used; when done right, the result is a delicious full-bodied coffee. IMO, many Americans associate the word mocha with chocolate, and in doing so reverse the facts: when cocoa was first refined and sold in Europe, it reminded people of Mocha coffee from Yemen.
The cigar was a Bolivar Royal Coronas (the vitola is robusto). The oily dark wrapper is very elegant, and after torching the stick, you can see oils running from the hot tip. Bolivar’s as a rule have strong, well aged tobacco flavors and combining that with notes of strong black coffee and strong dark chocolate. A friend who is staying with us while here on business brought some Bolivar Fuerte smokes from the Dominican Republic. IMO these are very good for Non-Cubans; having a unique aroma almost like Cubans. However, with Cuban Bolivars the aroma is intoxicating (that’s probably a pretty racy description for an early morning smoke, but FuManChu rarely expresses opinion’s on cigars, and my wife’s opinions would take up pages and probably get off subject onto other behaviors which are better left alone; which leaves me. As Mae West said: “When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before.”
This weekend we had a 16-year-old bottle of Lagavulin. The color is a full amber. The nose has the Islay intensity (salt, peat, iodine, and smoke), but is softened by a hint of sherry sweetness. The finish is big, dry, and peaty. To fans of Islay whiskies the flavor is the perfect balance of sensations. The older whiskies have a wonderful depth, softness and complexity. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Le Madame harrumphs (IMO, this sound is a sinus condition some women develop in their 30’s) while watching us consume cigars and Scotch. Winston Churchill, when asked why he drank so much, said: “Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” Le Madame then pointed out that rationalizing about consumption of alcohol and cigars with quotations from men with the same problems, is not a defense. I shrugged and pointed out to my wife that no less a luminary than W.C. Fields noted: “I certainly do not drink all the time. I have to sleep you know.” Le Madame simply glared at me and made that sinus sound.
cian
