An Old Stand-by and a First Timer

Sometimes you just get the urge to cook delicious meats over an open flame mid-week. And usually when I have dead animals on my grill, I also tend to jones for a brew and a stogey. Texas style sirloin tips from McKinnons in Salem were incredible. I've had baby back ribs that were tougher than these things, but prior that I also treated myslef.

The Old Stand-by

18 year aged Cusanos are my favorite. The double connecticut in the single robusto is usually what I go with, but I also love a good maduro, and if I know I'm gonna have ample time to puff, I'll go with something a bit bigger too, but this fella tends to be about perect for most occasions. Flavored enough that you know you're not just smoking a 99 cent philly, but not harsh or bitter at all.

First Timer
I almost passed on this simply because I haven't ever been too impressed by shipyard in the past, but I'm glad I had a "eh what the hell" moment. Real good and well balanced classic dry stout. Most stouts are either real irony tasting and weak (i.e. Guiness, sorry poser beer snobs) or borderline overpowering (oatmeal stouts and the like). Now a real thick strong oatmeal stout has it's place. Ipswich makes a real good one I've only ever had out of a growler but I can't hang out and toss that back at bbq on a summer day. Anyway, bluefin stout = very good. taking a backseat only to Rogue's shakespear stout and Sin City's stout in my book.