The combination of a good cigar, a favorite beer, and a good book can't be beat. And I've begun enjoying this combination once every weekend, usually on Sunday. I thought I'd share my thoughts on the particular combination each week and shed a little insight on my world. Here's this week's combination:
The cigar: Cuvee Blanc robusto -
The Cuvee Cigar company has an interesting perspective. They approach cigar-making like a premium vineyard, taking into account the soil, water table, etc. The resulting combinations are pretty good, some achieving a rating of 90+ by cigar magazines. This Blanc robusto (5" by 50 ring gauge) is very pleasant and perfect for a summer day. I believe it would be considered a "blonde" cigar, because it's fairly light and not at all overpowering. It's woody with some light spicy tastes like cinnamon. Because of the cigar's gentle taste, it's easy to smoke quickly. The burn starts off a bit hot, slightly harsh. But after a short time it evens out a bit more. The heat doesn't return until more than halfway through the smoke. Even then, however, the cigar is only medium-bodied at most. It also goes nice with a light summer beer.The beer: Samuel Adams Honey Porter - Okay, so Sam Adams has a reputation for pretentiousness, evidenced by their commercials. But if you make a good product, you have every right to brag. I like every Sam Adams I've ever tasted, and this Honey Porter is no exception. It's light but heavy, if that makes any sense. The flavor coats the tongue. It's distinctly sweet and easy to drink. This beer could easily become my summer beer of choice.
The book: The Eden Express by Mark Vonnegut - Vonnegut. That's all that had to be said for me to pick up this one. Granted, the author is the son of Kurt, my favorite author. But I figure a little of the old man's talent had to rub off... The subtitle of this book is "A Memoir of Insanity." The author gives an account of his path to schyzophrenia in the early 70s, as the progenitor and leader of a hippie commune in British Columbia. The book is divided into very short vignettes about aspects of Mark's experience: travel, friends met along the way, his dog, drugs, etc. It makes for a very readable book that unfolds extremely fast. Before I knew it, I was on page 60 and flipping ever-faster. Because he disects his journey into such easily consumed filets of experience, the author paints a strikingly vivid collage that is funny, despairing, and disturbing, all at the same time. Though I've not finished the book, I'm both dreading and anticipating the end.
The combination: With a light, tasty cigar and beer keeping my senses occupied, I started this session on an upbeat. The birds are singing in my backyard, and the sunlight is shaded by our numerous trees. I was relaxed, to put it simply. But Mark Vonnegut's retelling of his various run-ins with his lover, Virginia, and the tribulations experienced by his little commune family strike a disturbing note at the same time. I imagine the sweetness of his victory: finding the land in B.C. to make his commune a reality and bringing together his friends as his new extended family. But it's offest by this struggles of his mind, the inevitable downward spiral that the reader senses through his adept use of foreshadowing. It's an interesting sensation, to enjoy the corporeal pleasures of the senses while also witnessing another person's unruly decent into insanity. The beer is gone, and the cigar is burning down to its nub; both serving as a reminder of how easy it is for one man to love everything and lose everything at the same time.
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