Have a guilt-free weekend.

While there are some limitations, discussed later, I find Cigar Scanner to be a useful tool. A while back the app was pulled from the App Store when Apple declared it a threat to the well being of the public. Like most liberal "woke" companies, Apple deems they knew better than their adult users how they should conduct themselves and what legal activities they should participate in. However, in what might be considered an improvement the developers recognized that the iPhone has the ability to convert any web page into an application. When visiting the Cigar Scanner website on an iPhone one is prompted to add Cigar Scanner to the Home Screen. Doing so creates an icon that runs the website as a standalone app. It's actually quite a handy featured for many web-based utilities. Since it's online, the app can be updated by the developer easily and often. It also gives Neptune the ability to provide links to purchase specific cigars directly from links in the app and to advertise promotions.

The My Cigars tab simply shows a running list of cigars smoked. Any cigar is listed just once, so each time it is repeated the entry is updated to the current date. Clicking through to a cigar presents a screen with pictures of the cigar, user ratings, pricing info, a description, and various specifications like manufacturer and leaf stats, all from Neptune's database. There are also places to add personal notes and ratings, as well as smoking time. The pricing information reflects Neptune's price but can be edited as well if you really want to closely track the cost of your hobby. (Sometimes ignorance is bliss.)

The My Humidors tab is where you create lists to track what is in your humidor, with the ability to set up more than one collection if needed. It is here that I get most of my use of Cigar Scanner. All cigars I acquire are added along with the quantity on hand. I have also started tracking where the cigar was purchased in case I happen to want more later. When a cigar is smoked, I reduce the count and also add the entry to My Cigars. I reference the humidor listing frequently since I prefer to give a cigar at least a month, if not more, to rest at "home" before lighting up. Being able to easily check when a cigar was purchased is useful to deter over eagerness.

If a cigar is not found in the Neptune data, it can be added manually. This is a somewhat convoluted process but once figured out is doable. The search screen offers a place to enter the name of the cigar, and if it's not found then shows a link to "Add your cigar." The next screen requires the name to be entered again and then provides a link labeled "Create custom cigars." On the following screen you once again enter the cigar name, along with a required description. There are also pull down menus to enter various other bits of info. A limit is that only a single choice in each stat is selectable. If a cigar has multiple fillers for example, only one of the listed options is useable. As such, and to save time, I simply put all the info I want to save in the description. Clicking "Create" then adds the cigar to your journal.

If you are adding a cigar you've smoked, you are finished. However, if you need to add the new listing to your humidor list there are a few more steps. Selecting the newly added cigar from your journal list will give you the option to then add it to your humidor list. Afterwards you locate the listing on the humidor page and adjust the quantity as needed. The original entry can then be deleted from the journal list if the cigar has not actually been smoked yet. Cigars that are in the database already, even if Neptune doesn't sell them do not require any of these custom steps, and are simply added to any of the lists right from the cigar's description page. Just remember to update any quantity info in the humidor if needed. Cigars that are purchased online from Neptune can be added directly, complete with quantity info, right from the order confirmation page. There is a also a feature to identify a cigar from a picture of the label, but I have had mixed success with that process.

Over the past few years, it seems like more and more cigars are found in the database, even if Neptune doesn't sell them currently. The application is also updated in the background frequently. The lists can be sorted by date, rating, and name. As your lists get longer, scrolling through them can take time as they load. However, there is a Filter by Name feature that can speed it up if you are looking for a specific cigar. Any one time I believe there was a feature to filter other attributes but that is no longer present.

Despite the limitations, I find Cigar Scanner very handy for managing my cigar collection. I am not sure if the convenience of the Home Screen App feature is offered by non-iOS devices, but the web page functionality is the same. 

Hardly a day goes by when we aren't informed that yet another part of life considered by the woke to be racist, or damaging to the climate, or some other imagined offense. Not too surprisingly, even wildfires are deemed both climate damaging AND racist. 

So I wasn't shocked, amused actually, to find out a German "environmentalist" group is warning about the dangers to our health created by blogging.

Adding to my concern, even this meager blog generated 45,000 visits last month, tripling the alert threshold of the European group.

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!

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.