Archives for the ‘Blog Entries.Local’ Category

Sweet Pairings: Angels Envy Rye and Rocky Patel A.L.R. 2

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 17th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
I kicked off my the weekend on the screened porch enjoying a good drink and cigar. So what else is new you ask? You got me, most weekends start that way around here. But repetition does not mean boredom. There's a never ending option for new beverages, cigars, and pairings. 

I had enjoyed a delightful summer meal of spiced steamed shrimp and local corn on the cob. A relaxing dessert drink and smoke was the cap on the day. This night's choice was a Rocky Patel A.L.R 2nd Edition, which is a frequent source of enjoyment for me. And with it, Angels Envy Rye, which was anything but "usual." I found this to be a unique and interesting libation.


Angels Envy finds their niche in finishing aged whiskey using interesting barrels previously holding other beverages. Their standard bourbon is finished in Port barrels. The Angels Envy Rye spends 18 months in Caribbean Rum casks and is bottled at 90 proof. Immediately upon nosing the glass I was struck by memories of Colleen baking gingerbread cookies in the kitchen. Aromas of ginger and molasses come first. Notes of caramel and butterscotch are detected as well. The taste follows suit presenting those same flavors. The influence of the rum casks is strong, and I can almost imagine I'm sipping on a sweet, dark rum. So much so that I found the bottle of Myers rum left over from Christmas baking and poured a taste. Yep, there's rum in that rye. A soft molasses sweetness is left to coat the palate in the finish. Despite the high 95% rye mash bill, there is little of the expected rye spiciness. Angel's Envy Rye is a flavorful dessert in a bottle.

The Rocky Patel A.L.R. (Aged, Limited, Rare) 2nd Edition I selected for this pairing was the 6 1/12" x 52 box-pressed Toro vitola. I chose one of the larger sizes I have in this stick mainly for the long smoke time I was looking for. The 120 minute burn time did not disappoint. 

A Mexican San Andrés wrapper, a Honduran binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua combine to make a very fitting match to the rye. It starts out with a bold pepper kick, which mellows and merges with espresso and cocoa. A touch of sweetness lingers on the tongue in the finish. The whole flavor profile compliments the dark sweetness of the rum influenced rye.

Some pairings work, some pairings excel. This was the latter. Enjoying the approaching dusk, and watching the lightning bugs come out to do their dances added to the experience of a pleasant summer evening.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Sunday Thought

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 16th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
Quite the paradox.


Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Another Quick Range Trip

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 15th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
I managed to get a late morning escape to the range on Friday. I typically try for mid-week outings, but it didn't work out this week. I timed it just right since as soon as I parked a stream of cars drove in -- 5 minutes later and I would have been shut out.


My plan for the morning was simple draw and shoot -- as required by the range rules. But figured I might as well work on getting that shot, or two, off quickly. I also wanted to try out the new Talon Grips I had put on the gun. The rubber Talon grip previously in place was getting worn and ineffective when my hands were very sweaty at the last match. This time I went with their Pro version which combines the more aggressive granulate texture with the rubber. It seems very secure, but not overly uncomfortable. We'll see next time the match conditions create a suitable test.

My first 60 rounds were done at the 15 yard line. Draw and shoot one or two carefully aimed shots. Repeat. And repeat again. Everything else was shot from 10 yards, drawing and getting off two accurate shots as quickly as possible. Sadly, my shot timer has died so I couldn't take advantage of the random beep start nor record any times. Body only, head only, and body to head transitions, repeated five times for each drill. On the bright side, I fully called those two missed heads shots when they happened.


I finished the quick session with some 10 yard strong hand only shots, followed by support hand only from seven. I wasn't quite as successful as last time, but still hitting about 80% -0 for each while shooting quickly.

Time was limited so I called it a day. Barely had time to break a sweat but it was still enjoyable and a welcome break.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Five O’Clock Friday: Weekend Toast

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 14th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
Here's to the weekend.


Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Whiskey Wednesday: New Riff Bourbon and HVC 10th Anniversary

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 13th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
Here's another edition of "Whiskey Wednesday" for my enjoyment, and yours if you'd like. Since we were out of town last week, the mid-week pleasure was skipped. My work day on Wednesday this week was frequented by trips to the humidor and whiskey shelf mulling over what was to provide the evening's entertainment.

I first selected the HVC 10th Anniversary Toro that has had its 4 week rest in the humidor. Now to the bourbon. Eventually I spied the bottle of New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon I picked up in Maryland last fall.


The HVC 10th Anniversary is a 2021 release marking the first 10 years for the company. I've seen many mentions over the years online, but had never tried it until now. The complex blend of this Nicaraguan puro features a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper, with a Nicaraguan binder. The filler tobaccos are Aganorsa Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98 tobaccos, with Corojo 2012, which is a Cuban-seed tobacco. 

Upon lighting I was immediately struck by the copious smoke production. A peppery spice kicked off the experience. That lessened somewhat but its presence remained throughout the smoke. An earthy, creamy, tobacco flavor along with some cedar added to the mix. After the first inch or so, the smoke production decreased noticeably, and the flavors became muted. For the rest of the smoking time, the cigar required double, and even triple puffs to keep the smoke and flavor production up. Despite the extra effort, I did need to apply to flame the cigar numerous times to keep it going. Sadly the cigar also burned very unevenly so the touching up also included trying to keep the burn balanced. It was always the front of the band side that lagged behind. The main body of the ash held on until knocked off, but it did persistently release small bits of ash that floated to my lap and floor. The ash stack was quite disorderly. Perhaps the cigar needed more to rest in my humidor for more than four weeks. I do have several more so will see how they perform in the future. Other than the burn issues, I enjoyed the cigar.


Although I had poured a small "fresh crack" drink of the New Riff last fall, I really did not remember much about it. This pour gave me a sharp kick in sinuses when I stuck my nose to the glass. It was very sharp and almost unpleasant. Subsequent trials were done with less enthusiasm. Sipping I got a mix of caramel, vanilla, citrus, general spiciness, all backed with a slight alcohol burn. Not an unpleasant pour, but I was expecting a bit more from this one as I have enjoyed New Riff bourbons in the past. The reviews I subsequently saw online were mixed for the Single Barrel, which should be expected I suppose. This particular bottle is Barrel #12099, checking in at 110.3 proof. In retrospect, I should have tried a small bit of water to see if that muted some of the bite. Next time perhaps.

Okay, so this mid-week repast was not the most exemplary, but still provided a welcome period of relaxation. This hobby deals with handmade products of leaves, and hand crafted beverages, from plants as well. Variations are to be expected. 

Maybe I'll make #whiskeywednesday a regular thing. At the very least, I don't mind trying, even if the posts are delayed until Thursday.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

First Landing State Park 2023

Author: From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Jul 10th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local

Trip: 36
Nights: 114-116

I didn’t really mean to schedule a 3-day weekend at the beach the weekend following a 3-day weekend in the mountains. It does highlight the advantage of our locale though, mountains 2 hours west, ocean two hours east.

It was a chill beach weekend. We got in around 8 PM on Thursday evening. It was very hot and humid, so we opted to play cards in the air-conditioned camper versus sit by a fire outside. On Friday, we made our way to the beach around 10:30 AM and stayed until about 3:30 PM, when we headed back to the camper to clean up for dinner with friends. I was sitting under the sun shade the entire time, with maybe 10 minutes total of sun exposure when I jump in the ocean to cool off. And I had sunscreen on. Somehow, both my shoulders still burned.

Saturday was a repeat of Sunday, including dinner with other friends. Saturday evening, I was sitting by the campfire in the dark when I heard a bird call directly above in a live oak tree that I did not recognize. Merlin identified it as a Chuck Will’s Widow, a nocturnal bird that most people see and not hear. I double-checked the library recordings of the call in Merlin, and it was definitely a Chuck Will’s Widow. So I fired up E-bird and added it to my life list. It was too dark to see the bird, though.

On Sunday, we intended to spend most of the day on the beach before heading home in the late afternoon. However, the forecast was for heavy storms starting early afternoon, and I didn’t want to get caught towing the camper is a severe storm, so we headed back early and were home by 2 PM.

It was brutally hot both days, with the Accuweather ‘Real Feel” temp at 109F on an actual air temp of around 85F. We are headed to the Outer Banks for Labor Day weekend, hopefully it’ll be cooler there.

photo collage from beach weekend


An Easy End to Vacation

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 10th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
The end of vacation is bittersweet. The thought of going back to the daily grind haunts me at the end. But at the same time, I look forward to eating normally, sleeping in my own bed, and after this trip, enjoying a cigar. We spent the week at a horticultural convention, enjoying conversations and lectures from enthusiasts and jungle-traveling botanists. It was a homecoming of sorts, as it's a world we were very involved in a couple decades ago. We saw many old friends and met new ones. 

But it was also a busy week in a hotel, with events from dawn to late, with no time or place to enjoy a cigar. After spending a lot of Sunday processing all the new acquisitions to our collection, it was finally time to relax with a smoke. I grabbed one of the cigars that had spent the week in the unopened travel humidor I had brought along, Powstanie Habano in the Corona Gorda vitola.


I've mentioned this new vitola for the Powstanie core line previously. Like the Broadleaf version, I find the Habano in Corona Gorda is the near perfect size for a relaxing 60 -75 minute smoke. Larger than a Robusto, but not quite a Toro.

The after dinner smoke provided the perfect transition moment from vacation to work. The cigar was pleasurable as a I contemplated the work week to come, as well as the grass in the yard in desperate need of mowing.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Five O’Clock Friday: Old Age Remediation

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 7th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
The weekends are for recovery. Happy Friday.


Fortunately bourbon helps too.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Humidor Thoughts

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 6th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
The proper storage of cigars is a frequent topic of discussion among enthusiast. It's also something that people may fret over too much, especially new smokers. I was telling someone recently about my "custom" setup, and thought I'd share here as well. 

If you're buying a few cigars to smoke in the near term, the plastic bag they came in from the shop, along with a Boveda pack is sufficient and economical. But if the cigars are more than a few in number, more long term protection is required. Plastic storage containers with good seals are a nearly perfect solution and are available in various sizes. In fact, if one searches for "cigar storage" on Amazon, several of these containers are included in the results, along with the more traditional options. For a long while, this was my choice. I still use them for some boxes that don't fit in my "main" humidor.

Eventually I wanted a bit more though. Wooden desktop humidors seemed too unreliable for long term, so I opted for one of the many mid-size "wineadoor" offerings. These electronic storage units typically provide cooling and sometimes heating, and many of the newer models contain built-in humidification systems. A few years ago I purchased a (now discontinued) 250 count NewAir unit. The unit is unobtrusive enough that was deemed okay to keep in the dining room. In the years since, it's undergone several modifications to fit my needs and preferences.


One of the first things I did was replace the two shelves with drawers. The slats on the shelves were oriented across the width of the unit and allowed cigars to roll out when the drawer was opened. The original unit came with an analog hygrometer. Those cheap units are not accurate and serve more as decoration than functionality. An electronic replacement required only minor modification of the opening. A Dremel tool made easy work in the soft Spanish cedar. In the larger space at the bottom, two trays are stacked to add even more storage. 

For humidification, I have 8 60 gram 69% Boveda packs spread out among the shelves. This keeps the humidity between 67% and 69% consistently even with frequent opening of the door, akin to standing in front of the open refrigerator deciding what to eat, or in this case, smoke. How did I come top with 8? Simple, the Boveda are sold in packs of 4.

The biggest "customization" made involves the cooling functionality. I originally kept the unit set to 69°. That's pretty close to an average house setting as well. The unit worked, and though fairly quiet, still had the persistent hum of the fan going. On day I noticed the temperature setting had gone to the default of 64°. I thought maybe I had inadvertently hit the adjustment button, or perhaps we had experienced a brief power outage. I reset it to my preference, and a few days later noticed the same. Again I made the adjustment back. A few days later we were sitting in the living room and heard a beep. I went in search for the source and saw the unit was lowering the temperature setting -- all on its own! Must be a glitch in the circuit board or the push button switch. I unplugged the humidor, and it has been like that for a couple years now. To no ill effect.

The temperature in my house sits at a perfectly acceptable level for the cigars. If you are comfortable, your cigars will likely be as well. The NewAir serves now as a well-sealed environment to maintain the humidity of my cigar collection. No hum from fans, and a moderately attractive piece of furniture.  

Though rated for 250 cigars, that rating represents a tighter stuffing than practical. My collection averages between 100-150 at any time. I find that getting down to 100 or lower makes the humidity slower to adjust and maintain. (Or maybe that's just my justification for buying more.) I buy few full boxes, preferring the variety of buying in singles or 5 packs. (How or why 5 became to standard small pack offering is a mystery to me.)

I keep the plastic containers on hand for the occasional box purchase, until the number of cigars left in gets down to 5 or less. I also frequently keep a few from the box in the humidor for easy access. I often think that if I hear of someone disposing of a non-functioning, but intact unit like mine, I'd attempt to acquire it specifically for box purchases. I actually saw a very inexpensive one for sale online recently but the seller was a couple states away. Naturally, I still dream of a large cabinet humidor someday.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Whiskey Wednesday – And a Cigar

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 5th, 2023
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
The #whiskeywednesday hashtag is commonly used on Instagram. It's one of my favorites to use, since when I do it means I'm marking the midweek with a drink, and typically a cigar. A recent Wednesday indulgence included Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon and the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary (2021) cigar.


Interestingly, in all of my previous mentions of the Oktoberfest, the cigar was enjoyed with a beer, as the maker reportedly intended, though not always an Oktoberfest style ale. It's an annual release, with the blend specifics and vitola varying. My selection for the evening smoke was motivated by seeing a press release regarding the upcoming 2023 release. After a couple years in the humidor this cigar is smoking wonderfully.

The Smoke Wagon bourbon is one that's been on my wishlist for sometime, and has very limited availability in Virginia. I finally managed to acquire a bottle a couple months ago. The brand comes from the Nevada Distilling Company in Las Vegas. Uncut Unfiltered is released in different batches throughout the year. This particular bottle is batch 173, bottled on March 2, 2023 at 115.9 proof. The profile is rich in oak and maple notes. There's a bit of cinnamon, and some candy sweetness. The heat is there for some interest but not at all harsh. It paired nicely with the ale-themed cigar.

"Whiskey Wednesday" isn't a weekly celebration for me. However, by the time Wednesday rolls around I'm often ready for a bit of diversion and relaxation. 

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

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