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Elegance & Power: H. Upmann 180th Anniversary Meets Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Aug 19th, 2025
Category: Blog Entries.Local

I first smoked the H. Upmann 180th Anniversary Churchill back in May. The cigar impressed me then, and I suspected it would only improve with some rest in the humidor. After nine months of humidor rest, it was time to find out.

Released in July 2024, this limited edition celebrates 180 years of the H. Upmann legacy, a brand founded in 1844 by German banker Herman Upmann in Havana, Cuba. The Churchill is an elegant 7 x 50 cigar dressed in a chocolate-hued Nicaraguan medio tiempo wrapper — a rare leaf that appears on only about two percent of plants. Typically used sparingly in filler blends, medio tiempo is prized for its concentrated strength and flavor, making it a unique choice for a wrapper. The binder and fillers are also Nicaraguan, lending further depth and character.

From the first draw, the cigar opened with rich notes of chocolate and dark raisins, soon joined by a complex medley of black coffee, pepper, and cinnamon, underpinned by a creamy fruit sweetness. Full-bodied, flavorful, and refined, it proved worthy of the 180-year milestone it commemorates.

For the pairing, I reached for Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye Whiskey, bottled at 113 proof. Knowing this would be a long smoke, I wanted a spirit that could keep pace. Introduced in July 2024, this “Bourye” blend combines 30% 9-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon with 70% 7-year-old Kentucky straight rye. On the nose, rye spice and caramel sweetness greet you, while the palate leans rye-forward — bold pepper and cinnamon backed by brown sugar and dark fruit. I’ve enjoyed it neat before and find it a hearty pour on its own.

As the cigar progressed, I noticed the whiskey’s palate-coating spice was starting to overshadow some of the cigar’s subtle sweetness. A few drops of water changed the equation. After resting a moment, the whiskey softened, allowing more fruit and brown sugar to emerge — and that’s when the pairing truly clicked.

The H. Upmann 180th Anniversary Churchill delivered nearly two hours of steady, satisfying smoke with a flawless burn that needed no touch-ups. The extra time also left room for a second pour of the Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye, making for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Cheers!

12,420 Days

Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Aug 18th, 2025
Category: Blog Entries.Local

This went off the rails. It's either the worst anniversary poetry that I have ever written, or the best. I guess she gets to decide.

One start up, two jobs
Three expensive car repairs
It has been a year

34 years strong
3,308 months
12,420 days

The country has fallen
Fascism has won
The rules of haiku

Like the rule of law
No longer matters
Chaos reigns supreme

Truth is fiction
Fiction is truth
I know one thing for sure

We win at marriage
And I would do it again
again, and again

How it started

wedding photo

How it is going 34 years later

34 years later

Diagnosing “Gun Derangement Syndrome”

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Aug 18th, 2025
Category: Blog Entries.Local

I recently received a tongue-in-cheek message from the Virginia Citizens Defense League. While humorous, it also carries more than a little truth, so I thought it worth sharing in full.

Do you know someone suffering from Gun Derangement Syndrome?

Gun Derangement Syndrome, or GDS, is a severe mental disorder characterized by irrational beliefs and behaviors despite objective evidence. There is no age, sex, race, or other demographic characteristics that predispose someone to this disorder. This insidious disorder can affect anyone. However, individual susceptibility can occur with other irrational beliefs such as: criminals are the victims, the police cause crime, the First Amendment includes government censorship, or disarming someone makes them safer.

To receive a diagnosis of GDS one must meet 3 of the following diagnostic criteria for at least 21 days.

A belief that merely owning a gun can turn any good, honest person into a deranged killer.
A belief that a gun can plan a crime and carry it out by walking to a victim’s location, aiming itself, and pulling its own trigger.
An obsession with firearms such that they use a gun-centric vocabulary. For example, if they use “gun violence,” but not machete violence, beating violence, or strangling violence. Or they use “gunman,” but not macheteman, beatingman, or stranglingman.
A belief that the gun, and not the criminal holding the gun, is responsible for shooting someone, while also believing that a police officer, and not his gun, is responsible for shooting someone.
A belief that all gun owners are “gun nuts.”
A belief that guns are so easily obtained that guns are found lying in the street. Or they believe that guns are easier to obtain than a book. Or they believe that guns are only designed to kill humans as fast as possible.
Having anger-management issues and falsely projecting that character flaw onto peaceful gun-owners.
Knowing absolutely nothing about guns, including how they work, but claim to be an expert on “gun safety.” They usually believe that guns “just go off” on their own. They often call for a ban on “assault weapons” or “barrel shrouds”, but they can’t give you a definition of either one. They use gun word-salads, like banning “high-velocity magazine clips,” to attempt to hide their ignorance.
Stating that an openly carried gun makes them afraid but then say that a gun carried concealed makes them afraid.
Holding innocent gun owners to blame for the misuse of guns by criminals, while not holding themself to blame for owning a car, which drunk drivers use to create horrible carnage on our roads.
Stating a magazine limitation of “X” rounds is safe, but they are unable to explain how having “X+1” rounds would be dangerous.
Complaining about the loud noise coming from a neighbor’s shooting range but stating that suppressors should be outlawed because they make guns quieter.

Additional Note: This diagnosis may coincide with other personality disorders and maladaptive personality traits. Individuals meeting the diagnosis of Gun Derangement Syndrome may be strongly influenced by other irrational sub-cultural beliefs. Resistance may be very strong during treatment.

The good news is that GDS is not necessarily a lifetime disorder! A person with GDS can cure themself by getting to know a few gun owners, getting educated on guns and gun safety, and making a trip to the range! Alternatively, you can reach out to someone with GDS to help free them from GDS’s grip.

GDS is also commonly referred to as “Hoplophobia.”

For more information on the VCDL, and the good work they do for Virginia gun owners, visit the organization's web site at vcdl.org.

Cheers!

Diagnosing “Gun Derangement Syndrome”

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Aug 18th, 2025
Category: Blog Entries.Local

I recently received a tongue-in-cheek message from the Virginia Citizens Defense League. While humorous, it also carries more than a little truth, so I thought it worth sharing in full.

Do you know someone suffering from Gun Derangement Syndrome?

Gun Derangement Syndrome, or GDS, is a severe mental disorder characterized by irrational beliefs and behaviors despite objective evidence. There is no age, sex, race, or other demographic characteristics that predispose someone to this disorder. This insidious disorder can affect anyone. However, individual susceptibility can occur with other irrational beliefs such as: criminals are the victims, the police cause crime, the First Amendment includes government censorship, or disarming someone makes them safer.

To receive a diagnosis of GDS one must meet 3 of the following diagnostic criteria for at least 21 days.

A belief that merely owning a gun can turn any good, honest person into a deranged killer.
A belief that a gun can plan a crime and carry it out by walking to a victim’s location, aiming itself, and pulling its own trigger.
An obsession with firearms such that they use a gun-centric vocabulary. For example, if they use “gun violence,” but not machete violence, beating violence, or strangling violence. Or they use “gunman,” but not macheteman, beatingman, or stranglingman.
A belief that the gun, and not the criminal holding the gun, is responsible for shooting someone, while also believing that a police officer, and not his gun, is responsible for shooting someone.
A belief that all gun owners are “gun nuts.”
A belief that guns are so easily obtained that guns are found lying in the street. Or they believe that guns are easier to obtain than a book. Or they believe that guns are only designed to kill humans as fast as possible.
Having anger-management issues and falsely projecting that character flaw onto peaceful gun-owners.
Knowing absolutely nothing about guns, including how they work, but claim to be an expert on “gun safety.” They usually believe that guns “just go off” on their own. They often call for a ban on “assault weapons” or “barrel shrouds”, but they can’t give you a definition of either one. They use gun word-salads, like banning “high-velocity magazine clips,” to attempt to hide their ignorance.
Stating that an openly carried gun makes them afraid but then say that a gun carried concealed makes them afraid.
Holding innocent gun owners to blame for the misuse of guns by criminals, while not holding themself to blame for owning a car, which drunk drivers use to create horrible carnage on our roads.
Stating a magazine limitation of “X” rounds is safe, but they are unable to explain how having “X+1” rounds would be dangerous.
Complaining about the loud noise coming from a neighbor’s shooting range but stating that suppressors should be outlawed because they make guns quieter.

Additional Note: This diagnosis may coincide with other personality disorders and maladaptive personality traits. Individuals meeting the diagnosis of Gun Derangement Syndrome may be strongly influenced by other irrational sub-cultural beliefs. Resistance may be very strong during treatment.

The good news is that GDS is not necessarily a lifetime disorder! A person with GDS can cure themself by getting to know a few gun owners, getting educated on guns and gun safety, and making a trip to the range! Alternatively, you can reach out to someone with GDS to help free them from GDS’s grip.

GDS is also commonly referred to as “Hoplophobia.”

For more information on the VCDL, and the good work they do for Virginia gun owners, visit the organization's web site at vcdl.org.

Cheers!

Spice, Sweetness, and Smoke: Mizunara Meets Maestranza

Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Aug 16th, 2025
Category: Blog Entries.Local

Purely by happenstance, this alliterative pairing came together. “Mizunara and Maestranza” was simply the result of scanning my humidor and whiskey shelf and grabbing what caught my fancy. But it turned out to be more than a pleasing caption — the combination of Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Mizunara and the RoMa Craft Maestranza Caballeria Valencia cigar proved equally pleasing to the palate.

The Maestranza line from RoMa Craft debuted in fall 2024. I’ve smoked a few of the sizes and found them consistently flavorful and enjoyable. The 6 x 53 Caballeria Valencia I lit up on a recent afternoon had been resting in my humidor for about six weeks, and it did not disappoint.

The cigar wears a dark, reddish Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper over a Brazilian binder and a filler blend from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Neatly box-pressed with a mild oily sheen, the cigar is somewhat heavy in the hand.

From the first draw, the profile settles comfortably into the medium-to-full range. A core of dark chocolate, spice, citrus, and black pepper drives the flavor, with subtle transitions adding depth. Notes of cocoa, wood, and nuts drift in and out, rounded by a hint of creamy sweetness that keeps the smoke engaging from start to finish.

On the pour side, I reached for Barrell Bourbon Mizunara Cask Finish. I’ve revisited this bottle often since picking it up in summer 2024, though I’ll admit my first impressions were mixed. The grassy, woody influence of the Japanese Mizunara oak struck me as unexpected. Yet, as the half-empty bottle now attests, it grew on me quickly.

Bottled at a cask strength of 116.42 proof, the bourbon makes a bold introduction. The nose opens with sweet butterscotch and fruit, leading into a palate rich with vanilla and butterscotch, accented by dark cherries, dry nuts, and honey. It’s almost reminiscent of a boozy Christmas cookie, with cinnamon and ginger trailing pleasantly into the long, warming finish.

Together, the cigar and whiskey played beautifully — the Maestranza’s chocolate and spice dovetailing with the Mizunara bourbon’s sweet and woody complexity. Add in a cool, low-humidity evening on the deck, a good conversation with my wife, and it was about as fine a way to close the day as one could hope for.