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Relaxing at the Cigar Lounge

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jun 7th, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

I decided to go over to the cigar lounge to enjoy an afternoon of smoking inside for a change. Feeling free from any interruptions from my (former) employer, I sat down with a Aganorsa Leaf La Validación Habano.

The lounge was pretty empty in the early weekday afternoon. Instead of conversation, I spent the time reading. (Kindle app on my phone for the win.) The Aganorsa Leaf La Validación Habano is a cigar I've not tried previously. This 6 1/4 x 52 Toro is smoothly wrapped in an Ecuador Habano leaf, with Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The double gold-accented, colorful bands make for a showy presentation.

The first few puffs are a robust black pepper wake up. The smoke quickly gets slightly more balanced with the addition of leather and some sweet chocolate. As I smoked I occasionally detected nuts and a dry earthiness. The cigar kept its full bodied and spicy personality throughout. The burn was even and slow, giving a full two hours of enjoyment.

In a bit of irony, I received a text message from my old boss. It was not unwelcome though, as we had also developed a non-work related friendship. He also recently left the company and was just checking in to chat. That was certainly more preferred than a work interruption.

Cheers!

AVO Unexpected Celebration and Courage & Conviction Double Cask Reserve

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jun 5th, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

I don't try to age cigars for long periods in general. The oldest cigars in my humidor are around five years old. Most are two years old or less. "Smoke 'em if you got 'em" I say. There was one AVO Unexpected Celebration in there from my purchase in August 2019.

When the AVO Unexpected line was released it was touted as a new line of specially crafted cigars. In reality the cigars appear to be rebranded prior releases. The Celebration is the same as the AVO XO. Probably not the best PR that AVO could do, but that marketing technique is probably not unique to them.

The Celebration is rolled with an Ecuadoran wrapper, and binder and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic. The cigars were aged for six years before being released. So I'll see what 10 years of aging bring.

This cigar was about the same as I remember. Mild, with sweet chocolate and cedar. Probably the last time I smoked the AVO Celebration was the fall of 2020. I recall it was a smooth, mild cigar, that went well with my morning coffee. This time I decided to pair an American Single Malt Whisky that I had never tasted. I had an airplane bottle Courage & Conviction Double Cask Reserve from Virginia Distilling on hand. I had grabbed the bottle to try out the whiskey before investing in a larger bottle.

The Double Cask Reserve consists of a blend of 50% Bourbon cask aged, 25% Sherry cask, and 25% Cuvée cask aged whisky. (Whisky is the distiller's preferred spelling.) The flavor made me think of a scotch or irish whisky. It had a mild flavor, with hints of hay, oak, with a hint of pepper and fruit sweetness. The 96 proof was easy on the palate.

I enjoyed the Courage & Conviction Double Cask Reserve quite a bit. It was well-matched with the cigar's profile. I lamented not having a bit more than the little 50 ml bottle. Coincidently about the same time I was preparing to enjoying this pour, a friend messaged me about the Px Sherry finish Courage & Conviction he was enjoying. It would appear I need look for some more offerings in this lineup.

Cheers!

El Septimo Sacred Arts Collection Da Vinci

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jun 3rd, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

For an afternoon smoke recently I grabbed an El Septimo Sacred Arts Collection Da Vinci. This was one of the "special" cigars I picked up recently as I prepared for the great relaxing (aka, retirement.) It hasn't been in the humidor long, but I was anxious to try it out.

The Da Vinci is part of the Sacred Arts Collection by El Septimo. The 7 1/2 x 40 Lancero has a dark chocolate maduro wrapper. The wrapper leaf is toothy with a slightly dry look, though it did not feel dry.

The cigar had a tighter draw than I prefer, which it retained throughout the 95 minute smoke. I had to retouch the bun a couple times when the smoke production wavered. The smoke was dry and earthy, with bit of cedar and black pepper. The spice was joined by cocoa and nuts as the smoke progressed. It was a medium bodied smoke that I enjoyed despite the extra effort required for the draw.

For the sunny afternoon smoke, I paired the El Septimo Sacred Arts Collection Da Vinci with a couple glasses of beer. I started with a leftover Lights Out Holiday Ale from Blue Mountain Brewery. The malty, slightly spiced beer proved a good match. I followed it with a malty Smithwick's Irish Red Ale. Again, the malt rich beer prove a nice compliment to the El Septimo. A pleasant afternoon all around.

Cheers!

Retirement, Padrón, and Little Book Chapter 6

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jun 1st, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

After a life of chasing a paycheck, twenty-five years of it spent at one company, I am done. Now we can truly get on with enjoying life and the rewards of a successful career. I had been thinking about a starting pairing for the occasion, and even picked up some "special" cigars as options with which to celebrate. I opted to start the next phase with a Padrón 1926 Serie No. 1 Maduro. Perusing my whiskey selections, the Little Book Chapter 6 "To The Finish" struck me as a fitting first toast drink.

The Padrón 1926 Serie No. 1 was a two and a half hour pleasurable and flavorful smoke. I began that time deleting all the work-related apps from my phone. After that, the evening was spent relaxing, knowing there were to be no more emails from work, no more Slack messages, and no more phone calls to interrupt the peace.

Cheers!

Your Bourbon Has Been "Discarded"

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • May 30th, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

I was excited for the bottle of a newly released bourbon to arrive in time for the weekend. But alas.

Is this the UPS version of a "Thank you" card?

The shipper was very responsive and issued an immediate refund of the charge. I am now taking my chance on a reorder.

Cheers!

Almond Old Fashioned and Perdomo 20th Anniversary Connecticut

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • May 29th, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

After the enjoyable Perdomo the previous day, I was reminded of the Perdomo 20th Anniversary Connecticut that's been in my humidor since August 2019. I decided it was high time to smoke it. To complete the pairing I mixed up a couple Almond Old Fashioned cocktails to enjoy for our "traditional" Sunday Cocktails on the Deck.

Almond Old Fashioned

2 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Amaretto
3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Mix the ingredients over a large ice rock.

Express an orange peel over the top and add as a garnish.

The cocktail is sweet but at the same time has a balanced bitterness. I used Laws Four Grain Bourbon which I think adds a touch of sweet citrus to the mix.

The Perdomo 20th Anniversary Connecticut Epicure is a 6" x 56 Toro. It boasts an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper which was aged for eight years and then spent another eight months aging in bourbon barrels. The binder and fillers hail from Nicaragua.

Despite nearly five years of life in the humidor and jostling from adding and removing cigars, the Perdomo stick was in excellent shape. It was still quite pliable and undamaged. The medium-bodied smoke is buttery, with sweet honey and citrus notes. There's a mild cedar spice in the background throughout the smoke. The cigar burned evenly and without issue. When I came back to it after being inside to mix another round of cocktails the cigar was still fully lit and required no touchups at any point.

The Almond Old Fashioned and Perdomo 20th Anniversary Connecticut cigar each complicated the other quite well.

Cheers!

Vixen Red Ale and Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Sun Grown

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • May 28th, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

I spent Saturday morning finally getting around to potting up some plants for the deck that had been waiting for my attention for a while. Afterwards, it was time to sit and enjoy the plants and the warm sun. A Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Sun Grown, a local Red Ale, and a "book" was the order of the Memorial weekend Saturday afternoon.

The Old Bust Head Vixen Irish Style Red Ale is a very nice ale, rich in malt with a hint of hop bitterness. It's one I seek out when shopping for Irish Ales in the Spring. This lone bottle was found in the back of the refrigerator, left since last year. It was still in fine condition.

The Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Sun Grown in the 5 x 54 Robusto proved a most satisfying accompaniment. The cigar spent just four weeks resting in my humidor but the smoke was near flawless. The cigar features a milk chocolate colored Nicaraguan Sun Grown wrapper over Nicaraguan binders and fillers. This wrapper leaves were aged for 6 years, followed by an additional 10 months aging in used bourbon barrels.

The 10th Anniversary Sun Grown is a medium to full bodied cigar. Starting off with sweet caramel and cedar, the smoke is thick and full. As it progresses, caramel, molasses, and coffee join the mix. The spice morphs to a light black pepper. This is a very flavorful smoke. My only disappointment being that it's been so long since I've picked up a supply to have on hand.

I generally prefer to use the Kindle for reading when smoking. It's easy to manage with one hand, and any ashes dropped on the screen can be easily blown off. Sitting on the deck, reading with a good beer and cigar was a most enjoyable way to pass the time.

Cheers!

Memorial Day

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • May 27th, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

As we begin the unofficial start of Summer, it is necessary to take a moment to pray for those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. We may choose to celebrate the holiday with food, drink, fun and friends, but must do so remembering the reason behind it. Without the sacrifice of our fallen heroes this great country, and indeed the world, would be a much different and lesser place.

It is those sacrifices that helped to preserve the freedoms we value and enjoy today. As we pause to remember our lost heroes, may we also vow to be steadfast in our opposition of those who wish to destroy that which has been so hard won.

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." -- John 15:13

Virginia Beach 2024

Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • May 26th, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

Trip: 42
Nights: 140-143

What better place for the unofficial start of summer than the beach?

We left after work on Thursday, as it's only a 2-hour drive, so we can beat the Friday traffic and get an extra night of camping. When I made the reservation last fall and our site was the only W/E site available this weekend. I was a little concerned that the site would kind of suck, but instead it was kind of perfect. It's across from the camp host and bathrooms, meaning no noisy neighbors across the road. And the neighbors to the sides of us were far enough away and shielded by vegetation that we barely knew they were there. The ocean was a 5 minute walk.

Friday featured a lot of rain, so we went to the Virginia Military Aviation Museum, where we saw an amazing collection of flight capable WW1 and WW2 planes. We got lucky and timed it just right to be there as their P-38 Mustang took off for a maintenance flight.

The volunteers there are super knowledgeable and happy to spend hours talking about military aviation. I'd call it a must visit if you are vacationing in the VA Beach area. Right at the entrance to the museum there is a small park with aver a dozen dinosaur sculptures or models. I didn't see a sign or any explanation about why that park exists, but it was a 5 10-minute diversion and dino obsessed kids could probably spend an hour there. (edit - it is Jerrassic Park.) After the museum we visited a local microbrewery on the way back to the campground. I only had one beer at Reaver Beach Brewing, and it was a nicely balanced IPA. On Friday night we met a high school buddy for dinner. Not a bad day for a beach rainout day. After dinner we sat around the campfire for a bit.

Image collage

Saturday was A+ perfect beach weather, sunny, breezy, and about 76F. We got out early and spent a couple of hours chasing birds through the park. I don't think I added any lifers but I did check off a bunch of shorebirds as seen in 2024. After that, we spent the majority of the day relaxing on the beach and reading, before heading out to dinner at our favorite local seafood joint. After dinner it was back to the beach for sunset and then back to the campfire. After campfire I won our gin rummy match and got my ass kicked in Boggle.

Image collage

Sunday was mostly the same as Saturday, except we skipped the AM birding and took our time getting out of the camper for the day. After dining out at local seafood joints the previous two nights we brought our average dollars per meal number down a bit my cooking at the camper.

First Landing State Park had a different vibe than I've seen in the past. It was very international. I'm not exaggerating when I say english may not have been the predominant language spoken by campers over the weekend. I heard a lot more Spanish than English. I also heard German, Russian, French, and multiple Asian languages. I joked to Michelle that it felt like we were back in Puerto Rico with all the salsa music and Spanish we were hearing around us on the beach. It made for a very festive and fun environment.

We had planned to go birding again on Monday morning, but there was a line of heavy storms on the way so we packed out and headed home.

Woodford Reserve Double Oak With My Father El Centurion H-2K-CT

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • May 25th, 2024
Category: Blog Entries.Local

It's been a busy week around the house, filled with contractors doing work, interspersed by medical appointments, and other necessary business. I was looking forward to some down time with much anticipation. There's been a bottle of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon sitting on my shelf since a friend gifted it to me at Christmas. It was high time to open it. I selected an El Centurion H-2K-CT by My Father Cigars to enjoy with the smooth Double Oaked.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is one of those libations that I like to keep around. It's a great bourbon to serve to both the new bourbon drinker and the experienced aficionado. I don't believe I've run across someone who does not enjoy it.

The nose has a pleasing sweet aspect of vanilla and corn. As expected moderate oakiness is present. Sipping coats the palate with rich impressions of sweet vanilla, caramel, oak, and dark fruit. The flavors are robust but not harsh or overwhelming. There's a mild heat of pepper in the finish to top off the enjoyment. There's a reason Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is a staple of many home and restaurant selections. The price tag isn't bad either.

My Father El Centurion H-2K-CT is a cigar I've paired with success to a variety of libations in the past -- bourbon, stout, wine. The 6 x 52 Toro has a rounded box-press shape with an oily, caramel colored H-2K-CT Connecticut wrapper. The H-2K-CT leaf is Cuban-seed strain of tobacco grown in open sunlight and cultivated in the Connecticut River Valley. The binder and fillers are Nicaraguan.

This cigar has been resting in my humidor for about 10 months now. The medium bodied smoke comes across as creamy, with a mild pepper warmth. The flavor profile is complex, with vanilla, nuts, caramel, roasted coffee, and dark fruit note detected. The cigar is consistent from start to finish with no transitions over the 90 minute smoking time.

I enjoyed the time spent on the deck with the drink and cigar. The down time was used to reflect on a too long list of friends who have coincidently all passed in the past two months. In addition, this was the kickoff of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. It was time to pause and give thanks to all of those who gave their lives defending the liberty that allows me to sit and enjoy some of my favorite pastimes in safety and freedom. May we never forget their sacrifices, or allow them to have been in vain.

Cheers!

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