Happy Holidays 2025
Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Dec 25th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
On to bigger and better things in 2026. If you are celebrating something, happy holidays! If not, happy Thursday!
Archives for the ‘Blog Entries.Local’ Category
Category: Blog Entries.Local
A Christmas Eve Eve Smoke: Oliva Serie V 135th Anniversary
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Dec 24th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
It’s the calm before the storm. The evening before Christmas Eve is a moment I especially look forward to and savor. Once the Feast of Christmas arrives, the house comes alive with activity — family, food, drink, and all the merriment that accompanies the celebration. On this “Eve of the Eve,” I try to slow things down with a relaxing cigar while anticipating the days ahead. It’s also a reminder that there are still a few gifts left to wrap, though that’s only a brief distraction.
This Christmas Eve Eve, I decided to crack open a box of Oliva Serie V 135th Anniversary Edición Limitada that I’d picked up last month. I’ve always enjoyed the Serie V line, and this anniversary release offers a fun variation.
The 135th Anniversary is a limited-edition take on the standard Serie V, released to honor the Oliva family’s 135-year legacy in tobacco farming, which began in Cuba. First released in November 2021, the cigar is now a recurring limited release. The 5 1/2” x 54 vitola features a tapered foot, with the ring gauge narrowing from 54 down to roughly 30 at the tip. The blend remains familiar: an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, just as in the regular-production Serie V.
I paired the cigar with a seasonally appropriate Christmas Ale from Bell’s Brewery. Styled as a traditional Scotch Ale, it delivers rich toasted malt and caramel notes. Despite its lighter appearance, the beer is full-bodied and warming, clocking in at a robust 7.5% ABV. It’s a fitting sipper for a cool winter evening, and one I look forward to picking up each year. Its malt-forward profile stands apart from the spiced “Christmas Ales” that dominate the shelves this time of year.
An 80-minute burn time lined up perfectly with the pacing of the Christmas Ale. The cigar burned evenly, if a bit faster than expected. While milder at the outset, the Serie V 135th Anniversary quickly settled into its familiar richness. Notes of cocoa, coffee, and roasted nuts paired perfectly with the beer’s deep malt character.
A special cigar, a seasonal beer, and the quiet anticipation of the holiday combined for a relaxing and flavorful smoke and sip. With the rush of Christmas just around the corner, it was an ideal way to wind down before ramping up.
Is Christmas Eve Eve officially noted on the calendar? It certainly should be.
A Christmas Eve Eve Smoke: Oliva Serie V 135th Anniversary
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Dec 24th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
It’s the calm before the storm. The evening before Christmas Eve is a moment I especially look forward to and savor. Once the Feast of Christmas arrives, the house comes alive with activity — family, food, drink, and all the merriment that accompanies the celebration. On this “Eve of the Eve,” I try to slow things down with a relaxing cigar while anticipating the days ahead. It’s also a reminder that there are still a few gifts left to wrap, though that’s only a brief distraction.
This Christmas Eve Eve, I decided to crack open a box of Oliva Serie V 135th Anniversary Edición Limitada that I’d picked up last month. I’ve always enjoyed the Serie V line, and this anniversary release offers a fun variation.
The 135th Anniversary is a limited-edition take on the standard Serie V, released to honor the Oliva family’s 135-year legacy in tobacco farming, which began in Cuba. First released in November 2021, the cigar is now a recurring limited release. The 5 1/2” x 54 vitola features a tapered foot, with the ring gauge narrowing from 54 down to roughly 30 at the tip. The blend remains familiar: an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, just as in the regular-production Serie V.
I paired the cigar with a seasonally appropriate Christmas Ale from Bell’s Brewery. Styled as a traditional Scotch Ale, it delivers rich toasted malt and caramel notes. Despite its lighter appearance, the beer is full-bodied and warming, clocking in at a robust 7.5% ABV. It’s a fitting sipper for a cool winter evening, and one I look forward to picking up each year. Its malt-forward profile stands apart from the spiced “Christmas Ales” that dominate the shelves this time of year.
An 80-minute burn time lined up perfectly with the pacing of the Christmas Ale. The cigar burned evenly, if a bit faster than expected. While milder at the outset, the Serie V 135th Anniversary quickly settled into its familiar richness. Notes of cocoa, coffee, and roasted nuts paired perfectly with the beer’s deep malt character.
A special cigar, a seasonal beer, and the quiet anticipation of the holiday combined for a relaxing and flavorful smoke and sip. With the rush of Christmas just around the corner, it was an ideal way to wind down before ramping up.
Is Christmas Eve Eve officially noted on the calendar? It certainly should be.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Dec 24th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
I finished Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil last night. It ends up being a good book, but it takes a while to get there. It's a narrative non-fiction story covering an alleged murder in Savannah, GA. The book is highly atmospheric in a Southern Gothic way, representing Savannah as a quirky town full of genteel Southerners, but also a place where anything goes.
I really don't understand how it's one of the longest-running NYT bestsellers of all time. The murder that drives the story doesn't happen until about 40% into the book. Before that, it's a meandering story of a NY writer moving to Savannah and the hijinks he gets into with a too-crazy-to-believe but 100% real cast of characters. Once the (alleged) murder happens, the story picks up through the trials of the alleged murder.
All I can think is that in 1990, before travel videos on YouTube and Vloggers, 98% of America knew absolutely nothing about Savannah and thus were just totally captivated by the atmospheric storytelling in this book. When I visited Savannah a couple of years ago, the local tour guide referred to Savannah as Slowvannah, and I have to admit, I was a little underwhelmed by the city. Also, I lived in Atlanta from 1989 to 1998 and never once visited Savannah. I thought about Saint Patrick's Day in the city a couple of times, but it never worked out.
So I'm glad to have knocked off a "classic." If you have not read it, I would not necessarily jump it to the top of your TBR list. The exception is if you are planning to visit Savannah. I would definitely read it first in that case. I read South of Broad before visiting Charleston, and it added to the experience.
Best Books of 2025
Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Dec 24th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
I have 46 books on the books page for 2025. Several are DNFs, and there are probably 5 more in-progress books that never made it to the page. These were my favorites. Reviews are all on the 2025 books page, so I'm not repeating them here.
Fiction
- What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
- Everything Burns by S.A. Cosby
- Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario
- When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
- The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
- The Life Impossible - Matt Haig
- The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings
Non-Fiction
- Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen
- Touching My Father's Soul by Jamling Tenzy Norgay
- Stolen by Richard Bell
- The Girl From the Tar Paper School by Teri Kanefield
Smoke and Stillness at Advent’s End
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Dec 22nd, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
Advent unfolds with a familiar rhythm — candles lit, days counted down, anticipation slowly building. And yet, when Christmas week arrives, it always seems to come sooner than expected.
Here we are, just a few days out from the big day. Despite the usual last-minute to-do lists, there’s still time to pause and enjoy a good smoke and sip. Even the weather is cooperating — at least by December standards — with comparatively warmer temperatures.
From the humidor, I selected a Black Label Trading Company Bishops Blend in the Corona Largo vitola. The Bishops Blend line is one of my all-time favorites, and my humidor typically holds a selection of sizes. This 6 1/4? × 46 cigar offers an enjoyable 90 minutes or more of flavorful smoking.
Released annually in limited numbers, the Bishops Blend consistently hits my preferred flavor profile and often finds its way into these Musings. The blend features an Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper, an Ecuadorian Habano binder, and a filler combination of Nicaraguan tobacco along with Connecticut and Pennsylvania Broadleaf. Medium-full bodied, the cigar delivers rich, complex notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, pepper, and espresso, balanced by a touch of sweet earthiness.
The accompanying pour for the evening was a Virginia ABC single-barrel selection of Sazerac Rye. This is a rye I frequently use in Old Fashioneds and other rye-forward cocktails. It’s budget-friendly, moderately spicy, and also quite enjoyable neat. This particular single barrel carried the familiar Sazerac profile, though I noticed a distinct spearmint-like note on the finish.
With Advent nearly complete and Christmas close at hand, the brief stillness lingered as the evening came to a close — offering a moment of reflection and relaxation before the season turns fully toward celebration.
Cheers!
Smoke and Stillness at Advent’s End
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Dec 22nd, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
Advent unfolds with a familiar rhythm — candles lit, days counted down, anticipation slowly building. And yet, when Christmas week arrives, it always seems to come sooner than expected.
Here we are, just a few days out from the big day. Despite the usual last-minute to-do lists, there’s still time to pause and enjoy a good smoke and sip. Even the weather is cooperating — at least by December standards — with comparatively warmer temperatures.
From the humidor, I selected a Black Label Trading Company Bishops Blend in the Corona Largo vitola. The Bishops Blend line is one of my all-time favorites, and my humidor typically holds a selection of sizes. This 6 1/4? × 46 cigar offers an enjoyable 90 minutes or more of flavorful smoking.
Released annually in limited numbers, the Bishops Blend consistently hits my preferred flavor profile and often finds its way into these Musings. The blend features an Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper, an Ecuadorian Habano binder, and a filler combination of Nicaraguan tobacco along with Connecticut and Pennsylvania Broadleaf. Medium-full bodied, the cigar delivers rich, complex notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, pepper, and espresso, balanced by a touch of sweet earthiness.
The accompanying pour for the evening was a Virginia ABC single-barrel selection of Sazerac Rye. This is a rye I frequently use in Old Fashioneds and other rye-forward cocktails. It’s budget-friendly, moderately spicy, and also quite enjoyable neat. This particular single barrel carried the familiar Sazerac profile, though I noticed a distinct spearmint-like note on the finish.
With Advent nearly complete and Christmas close at hand, the brief stillness lingered as the evening came to a close — offering a moment of reflection and relaxation before the season turns fully toward celebration.
Cheers!
Crossing the Rubicon: A New Direction for Cohiba
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Dec 20th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
I was excited to see the Cohiba Rubicon included in the October Cigar & Pipes Cigar of the Month shipment. The Rubicon is a new line from Cohiba, which General Cigar Company began shipping in August of this year. After a 10 week rest in the humidor, I lit up the 5 1/2? x 55 box-pressed Robusto on a warm evening earlier this week.
The Rubicon is a budget-friendly, regular-production offering from a brand better known for premium — and typically pricey — cigars. The Robusto retails for around $8.00, which, if the quality is there, makes it quite a bargain — especially in today’s market, where many mid-range cigars start in the $12–$15 range.
The Cohiba Rubicon is a good-looking stick, even if the orange-and-black band borders on a bit gaudy. The box-pressed cigar feels substantial in the hand, likely due to the wide 55 ring gauge along its flat edge. The blend is composed of six tobaccos from five countries, featuring a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and fillers of Dominican Piloto Cubano, Honduran tobaccos from La Entrada and Jamastran, and Estelí, Nicaragua. In addition to the Robusto, the line includes Toro and Gigante vitolas, all priced under $10.
The cigar opens at medium body with notes of sweet nuts and coffee, accented by a light touch of cedar — a profile that feels almost like a morning smoke. As it progresses, both body and complexity build steadily. By the midpoint, the Rubicon ramps up into the medium-full range, bringing darker flavors of molasses, dark chocolate, and espresso. The spice evolves as well, settling into a well-integrated black pepper. The transitions over the roughly 85-minute smoke were both noticeable and enjoyable.
Overall, I found the Cohiba Rubicon to be a flavorful and fairly complex cigar with excellent construction and burn. While it may not go head-to-head with Cohiba’s higher-end offerings — or other premium-priced cigars — it delivers a satisfying experience at a very approachable price point.
When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in northern Italy, he reportedly declared alea iacta est — “the die is cast.” Perhaps this welcome entry from Cohiba signals a similar commitment, setting a new standard for premium cigar makers by offering genuinely enjoyable smokes at everyday prices.
Cheers!
Crossing the Rubicon: A New Direction for Cohiba
Author: David From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Dec 20th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
I was excited to see the Cohiba Rubicon included in the October Cigar & Pipes Cigar of the Month shipment. The Rubicon is a new line from Cohiba, which General Cigar Company began shipping in August of this year. After a 10 week rest in the humidor, I lit up the 5 1/2? x 55 box-pressed Robusto on a warm evening earlier this week.
The Rubicon is a budget-friendly, regular-production offering from a brand better known for premium — and typically pricey — cigars. The Robusto retails for around $8.00, which, if the quality is there, makes it quite a bargain — especially in today’s market, where many mid-range cigars start in the $12–$15 range.
The Cohiba Rubicon is a good-looking stick, even if the orange-and-black band borders on a bit gaudy. The box-pressed cigar feels substantial in the hand, likely due to the wide 55 ring gauge along its flat edge. The blend is composed of six tobaccos from five countries, featuring a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and fillers of Dominican Piloto Cubano, Honduran tobaccos from La Entrada and Jamastran, and Estelí, Nicaragua. In addition to the Robusto, the line includes Toro and Gigante vitolas, all priced under $10.
The cigar opens at medium body with notes of sweet nuts and coffee, accented by a light touch of cedar — a profile that feels almost like a morning smoke. As it progresses, both body and complexity build steadily. By the midpoint, the Rubicon ramps up into the medium-full range, bringing darker flavors of molasses, dark chocolate, and espresso. The spice evolves as well, settling into a well-integrated black pepper. The transitions over the roughly 85-minute smoke were both noticeable and enjoyable.
Overall, I found the Cohiba Rubicon to be a flavorful and fairly complex cigar with excellent construction and burn. While it may not go head-to-head with Cohiba’s higher-end offerings — or other premium-priced cigars — it delivers a satisfying experience at a very approachable price point.
When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in northern Italy, he reportedly declared alea iacta est — “the die is cast.” Perhaps this welcome entry from Cohiba signals a similar commitment, setting a new standard for premium cigar makers by offering genuinely enjoyable smokes at everyday prices.
Cheers!
Weekend Update 35
Author: Chris ODonnell From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Dec 20th, 2025Category: Blog Entries.Local
So, I've apparently gone from not writing weekly updates to only writing weekly updates. Is that an improvement?
My big achievement this week was to redesign my consulting website. The previous one was a placeholder. It held the place for about 6 months. Otherwise it was another week of not even putting on shoes M-F since all I did was work. It was sunny and comfortable today so we spent the afternoon in Carytown, where I had a truly fabulous cup of tea (a hot buttered rum flavored herbal tea) as we wandered in and out of the shops. The shops were very busy on this last weekend before Christmas, so I guess that is a good sign for the local economy.
I'm looking forward to taking it easier the next couple of weeks. I'm working Monday and Tuesday this week, although probably not the full day, and 1 or 2 days the following week.
Today was my book club's annual celebration of Jolabokaflod, the Icelandic tradition of giving gifts of books and chocolate on Christmas Eve. We do it as a white elephant gift exchange, at a brewery. It's always a lot of fun. I came home with The Worst of All Possible Worlds by Alex White. I acquired it via steal because the back cover blurb starts with, "If you miss Firefly..."
Also, I've been using Waterfox as my primary browser, and so far I'm impressed. It seems nice and speedy and the default settings just seem to work.
Watching
We watched another heartwarming and romantic Christmas movie - Gremlins. We also watched Stand By Me, as a tribute to Rob Reiner. I had forgotten that Wil Wheaton was the star of that movie. I remembered that he was in it, obviously, but I remembered it more as 4 co-stars. But nope, the story really revolves around Wheaton's character.
Reading
Reading has been slow. I'm reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It was kind of a slog for the first half of the book, but now that the murder has occurred the pace of the story has picked up and I'm enjoying it much more. I'm probably going to have several new additions to the TBR pile after Thursday morning, so I need to break this reading slump that I am in.
Links
One of my favorite bloggers with some thoughts on the true meaning of Christmas.
Thin desires are eating your life.
The writers at Pencilstorm have some thoughts on Kiss kissing up to Trump.
Is Christmas Vacation actually an anti-capitalism movie?
And with that, this is likely my last weekly-ish updae for 2025. However, I still need to write my favorite books of the year post, and my annual year-end posts on 12/31, which is this website's birthday. The site will be 30 years old. I will have much more to say on that later.
I wish you a joyful and peaceful holiday season, whatever you may be celebrating. Or if you are not celebrating anything at this time of year, I hope the last days of 2025 are good for you, for whatever definition of good you choose.
And that is it for this week. Remember, in a world where you can choose to be anything, you can choose to be kind.
