Archives for the ‘Blog Entries.Local’ Category

Root Beer and RomaCraft

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Aug 1st, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
Heading to the deck one afternoon to enjoy some reading in the warm weather, I opted for a rare indulgence in pouring a glass of root beer. We rarely drink sodas, but had the bottle of root beer on hand from a recent gathering. It seemed just the thing for an afternoon refreshment.


I decided to enjoy the soft drink with RoMa Craft Intemperance Volstead VO 1920 Roy Olmstead. The 5"1/2 X 54 Belicoso was part of the May Luxury Cigar Club mailing. It has been resting in my humidor for about 10 weeks. 

The Intemperance Volstead VO 1920 features an oily Ecuadorian Sumatra hybrid wrapper over a Mexican San Andrés binder. Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan tobaccos make up the filler. The binder is exposed at the last bit near the foot. Combined with the white and brown labels and the tapered cap, the cigar is quite attractive.


The smoke starts off with mild pepper and coffee flavors. Leather notes along with baking spices join in as the burn progresses. There are also some mild sweet notes in the finish. The flavorful smoke and the sweet root beer made for a delightful pairing.

Enjoying a nonalcoholic beverage with this afternoon smoke was fitting. The Intemperance Volstead is named for the Volstead Act implemented in 19020 which started the United States down the dark path of Prohibition. Roy Olmstead was a very successful bootlegger in the Pacific Northwest during Prohibition. 

Cheers!



Root Beer and RomaCraft

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Aug 1st, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
Heading to the deck one afternoon to enjoy some reading in the warm weather, I opted for a rare indulgence in pouring a glass of root beer. We rarely drink sodas, but had the bottle of root beer on hand from a recent gathering. It seemed just the thing for an afternoon refreshment.


I decided to enjoy the soft drink with RoMa Craft Intemperance Volstead VO 1920 Roy Olmstead. The 5"1/2 X 54 Belicoso was part of the May Luxury Cigar Club mailing. It has been resting in my humidor for about 10 weeks. 

The Intemperance Volstead VO 1920 features an oily Ecuadorian Sumatra hybrid wrapper over a Mexican San Andrés binder. Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan tobaccos make up the filler. The binder is exposed at the last bit near the foot. Combined with the white and brown labels and the tapered cap, the cigar is quite attractive.


The smoke starts off with mild pepper and coffee flavors. Leather notes along with baking spices join in as the burn progresses. There are also some mild sweet notes in the finish. The flavorful smoke and the sweet root beer made for a delightful pairing.

Enjoying a nonalcoholic beverage with this afternoon smoke was fitting. The Intemperance Volstead is named for the Volstead Act implemented in 19020 which started the United States down the dark path of Prohibition. Roy Olmstead was a very successful bootlegger in the Pacific Northwest during Prohibition. 

Cheers!



Five O’Clock Friday: Growlery

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 26th, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
I need this in my home.


Frederick Douglass had one too.

Have a great weekend.

Cheers!


Five O’Clock Friday: Growlery

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 26th, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
I need this in my home.


Frederick Douglass had one too.

Have a great weekend.

Cheers!


Still Austin Single Barrel Cask Strength

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 23rd, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
During our recent trip to St. Louis, I stopped by a Total Wine to shop for distilled spirits and Still Austin Whiskey was at the top of my list. It's a brand that's been on my wishlist for some time. I had read online Total Wine was the only St. Louis seller. I didn't verify that by shopping around, as the Total Wine had more than enough selection to fill my needs. The seemingly endless shelves of interesting bourbon and other whiskey was a sight to behold compared to the pathetically poorly selection at VA ABC stores.

As we were buying a number of bottles of desired spirits, I limited myself to one Still Austin, selecting the Single Barrel Cask Strength. I finally had a chance to crack it open on a recent evening. The bourbon is a very bright and dark amber color in the glass. Strong brown sugar and dark fruit notes emenate from the glass. I am reminded of sherry in a way. There's a hint of the 116 proof in the nose. 

The first taste on the palate is warm and tingly. The heat is quickly moderated by flavorful notes of raison, plum, caramel, molasses, cinnamon, and maple. The profile is complex and richly satisfying. The flavors coat the mouth and linger for an extended time. 


The Still Austin Single Barrel Cask Strength belies its two year age statement. So often, I find bourbons in the two to three year age range simply come across as unfinished and unpolished. Not so with the Still Austin product. It has the richness and maturity one might expect from a more mature age statement.


I initially spent some time tasting the whiskey from a Glencairn glass to get an impression of the full profile. This led me to select a full bodied cigar to go along with it — the Southern Draw Kudzu Axil Lancero.

The Southern Draw Kudzu Axil Lancero has been in my humidor for close to a year now. The 6 1/2 x 40 stick features a small pigtail cap and closed foot. A dark brown Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper holds Nicaraguan Ometepe binder and Nicaraguan fillers.

The full bodied cigar starts off with cinnamon and black pepper. The spice notes are soon joined by leather and wood. In juxtaposition to the spice, there's also a creaminess to the smoke. I found the cigar and bourbon to be quite complimentary.

The evening air as I smoked on the porch was thick with humidity. The sky was cloudy and intermittent rain added to the heaviness of the air. My glass stayed coated with moisture. The cigar burn suffered a bit as it took on the moisture of the air. Attentiveness was required to keep a strong burn going. Still, it was a pleasant 80 minutes of smoking and sipping despite the less than agreeable weather.

Cheers!


Still Austin Single Barrel Cask Strength

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 23rd, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
During our recent trip to St. Louis, I stopped by a Total Wine to shop for distilled spirits and Still Austin Whiskey was at the top of my list. It's a brand that's been on my wishlist for some time. I had read online Total Wine was the only St. Louis seller. I didn't verify that by shopping around, as the Total Wine had more than enough selection to fill my needs. The seemingly endless shelves of interesting bourbon and other whiskey was a sight to behold compared to the pathetically poorly selection at VA ABC stores.

As we were buying a number of bottles of desired spirits, I limited myself to one Still Austin, selecting the Single Barrel Cask Strength. I finally had a chance to crack it open on a recent evening. The bourbon is a very bright and dark amber color in the glass. Strong brown sugar and dark fruit notes emenate from the glass. I am reminded of sherry in a way. There's a hint of the 116 proof in the nose. 

The first taste on the palate is warm and tingly. The heat is quickly moderated by flavorful notes of raison, plum, caramel, molasses, cinnamon, and maple. The profile is complex and richly satisfying. The flavors coat the mouth and linger for an extended time. 


The Still Austin Single Barrel Cask Strength belies its two year age statement. So often, I find bourbons in the two to three year age range simply come across as unfinished and unpolished. Not so with the Still Austin product. It has the richness and maturity one might expect from a more mature age statement.


I initially spent some time tasting the whiskey from a Glencairn glass to get an impression of the full profile. This led me to select a full bodied cigar to go along with it — the Southern Draw Kudzu Axil Lancero.

The Southern Draw Kudzu Axil Lancero has been in my humidor for close to a year now. The 6 1/2 x 40 stick features a small pigtail cap and closed foot. A dark brown Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper holds Nicaraguan Ometepe binder and Nicaraguan fillers.

The full bodied cigar starts off with cinnamon and black pepper. The spice notes are soon joined by leather and wood. In juxtaposition to the spice, there's also a creaminess to the smoke. I found the cigar and bourbon to be quite complimentary.

The evening air as I smoked on the porch was thick with humidity. The sky was cloudy and intermittent rain added to the heaviness of the air. My glass stayed coated with moisture. The cigar burn suffered a bit as it took on the moisture of the air. Attentiveness was required to keep a strong burn going. Still, it was a pleasant 80 minutes of smoking and sipping despite the less than agreeable weather.

Cheers!


Camping at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park

Author: From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Jul 21st, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local

Trip:45
Nights: 152-153

It had been a month since we went camping. Real life intervened and forced the cancellation of two camping trips in July. We originally planned to spend last week camping near Knoxville and Nashville, TN. Then we changed it to a quiet week at a State Park, and ultimately it ended up as a weekend in Shenandoah National Park. Not that I'm complaining about living within weekend trip distance of Shenandoah National Park.

On another note, if you divide what I paid for the camper new in 2020 ($16,500) by the nights we've camped in it (152) you get $108.55 per night of camping, before campground fees, gas, etc. I'm saving so much money with this camper!

I regret nothing.

NPS saves some campsites for short notice (2 weeks) and last minute (4 days) reservations at Big Meadows, so we were able to book a site on only a couple of days notice. The heatwave in RVA broke on Thursday, and it was only 88F here on Friday. It was 74F at the campground, and that was the warmest it would be all weekend. Friday night was a campfire and chill night. Saturday AM we got up and did a couple of hours of birding on the Appalachian Trail, followed by some time in Big Meadow before the rain hit at noon. After lunch and some cards in the camper, we headed over to the lodge to read in the tap house with a tasty IPA. At 4 PM there was an author event from a guy that wrote a book about his through hike 25 odd years ago. He was entertaining enough, but his stories were all kind of the same as I've read in a few other through hike journals, so I wasn't motivated to buy the book. The rain had stopped by the time we left the lodge, so Saturday night was another campfire and chill night. On Sunday we went back over to Big Meadow, and the birding was more productive in the early morning hours. We were on the way home by 11 AM.

After two weeks of unrelenting heat, a weekend at 74F and below was just what I needed.

photo collage



Five O’Clock Friday: To Whiskey or Not To Whiskey

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 19th, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
The choice is easy.


Have a great weekend. Stay safe.

(Meme makers don't proofread. It's humorous nonetheless.)

Cheers!


Five O’Clock Friday: To Whiskey or Not To Whiskey

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 19th, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
The choice is easy.


Have a great weekend. Stay safe.

(Meme makers don't proofread. It's humorous nonetheless.)

Cheers!


A Brief Stop in Frankfort, KY

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Jul 18th, 2024
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
We spent the first week of July in St. Louis, MO attending a convention unrelated to my bourbon and cigar interests. Driving from Virginia by way of an overnight in Frankfort, Kentucky, we arrived after closing time for the local distilleries. We did enjoy dinner and a few drinks at Bourbon on Main in downtown Frankfort before retiring for an early morning start on the next leg of our trip. After an appetizer of Deviled Eggs and a cocktail, we enjoyed robust dinner of Kentucky Hot Chicken Strips and fries. I had a pour of E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye with my dinner. Never having tried the rye from this producer, I was curious. I found it enjoyable, not as much as the bourbons from Eh.H Taylor.


Returning home to Virginia by the same route, we again stopped overnight in Frankfort, KY. This time we planned to do some local sightseeing in the morning before continuing our journey.

Upon checking in to the hotel, we noticed there was a Big Boy restaurant next door. We walked over to it for a nostalgic dinner. Of course, a double decker smash burger with crinkle cut fries made up the enjoyable, even if not heart healthy, dinner.

Returning to the hotel I poured a bit of bourbon from my travel flask and sat down to plan the next morning's adventure.


Buffalo Trace Distillery is located in Frankfort. It's one of the few local distilleries open for visitors on a Monday. There were a few other sights nearby we wanted to see as well. The Buffalo Trace visitor center offers three bourbons on a daily basis; Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Traveller Whiskey, and Sazerac Rye Whiskey. They also offer a rotation of four brands, with one selection being offered each day; Weller Special Reserve, Eagle Rare, E.H. Taylor Small Batch, or Blanton’s Single Barrel. The daily offerings, and stock status are posted in the morning on the Buffalo Trace website

I was hoping that E. H. Taylor would be the pick of the day. Alas, it was not. Blanton's Single Barrel got the nod that day. The distillery opens at 9:00AM. Arriving around 8:20AM we joined a line of about 100 fans.


The distillery rules state that a person may buy just one bottle of each variety on the limited list within a 90 period. Apparently some folks did not check the website before arriving in the morning. When one of the guides announced the picked of the day a number of folks left the line since they happened to be in "Blanton's jail" already.


The first stop is to have or ages verified. Our driver's licenses were scanned, and we were issued wrist bands tied to our ID. This process both confirms a legal age for any tasting, and serves as the monitoring system for the limited purchases. 

We did not have time for a tour on this trip, so we went right into the gift shop. After perusing the many shelves of Blanton's, we each selected a bottle that contained needed topper letters, we continued shopping. We left with new glassware, a bar mat, t-shirts, and some miniatures of Buffalo Trace for fun. The bottles of Buffalo Trace are not bound by limited purchases, unlike in Virginia, but we passed on them. The car was extremely packed and I do have several backup bottles on hand. I saw visitors stocking up with carts full of that popular, and reasonably priced bourbon. I also saw one person being denied his purchase of Blanton's when the cashier scanned his wrist band and noted he had already purchased a bottle within 90 days.


We had not planned to do any tasting this trip, but the lines at the tasting bars were short so we opted to indulge. It just 10:00AM, but the pours were small. We enjoyed a guided tasting for just the two of us before getting back on the road.


On the outbound leg of the trip, we noted a few other stops in Frankfort we wanted to make. The first was a Frank Lloyd Wright house. The Reverend Jesse R. Zeigler Residence is a private home in a quiet neighborhood. We made brief stop to take photos. I am sure the residents are used to it.


I also wanted to see the Daniel Boone Monument in a local cemetery. After a winding drive around the large, old cemetery we finally came upon the monument. I had in my mind that this was the grave of Daniel Boone and his wife Rebecca. I later learned that Rebecca is indeed buried there. However there is controversy over the final resting place of her husband.

Apparently when the cemetery first opened, the remains of the couple were meant to be transferred to the new cemetery from the original resting place in Missouri. It later arose that the body buried next to Rebecca, and presumed to be Daniel, may in fact be another person. It is said that when Daniel died years after Rebecca, he was actually buried at her feet due to space availability. So it may be some other person under the monument, while Daniel Boone remains back in the Missouri site. A historical mystery that remains yet unresolved.


While in the cemetery we saw signs for the Kentucky Memorial for the Unborn. We made a brief stop to offer our prayers and respects.


After these stops, we continued our journey towards home. Stops for lunch, dinner, and stretching, made for a long day of travel. The trip was enjoyable and we saw many old friends gathered in St. Louis. We also caught up a cousin we had not seen in 25+ years for lunch. We already are thinking about when we will return to "Bourbon Country" for a longer, planned tour.

Cheers!