Sunday, June 22, 2025

Summer Solstice: A Smoke, a Beer, and Spicy Shrimp

While running errands on June 20 — the Summer Solstice — conversations everywhere seemed to center on the approaching heat wave. Like clockwork, the first truly warm days of the year shift everyone’s focus to “keeping cool.” My usual response is something along the lines of, “Well, it is summer… in Virginia.” I typically follow up with a contrarian remark about my dislike of cold weather.

To mark the glorious end of chilly days, I enjoyed lunch out on the sunny deck. A plate of steamed shrimp and a cold beer made for a delightful Friday afternoon meal. It was warm, yes, but hardly oppressive. I’ll admit the black arms of my chair were scorching from the sun, and when I tried to read a bit on my phone, I was greeted with an alert: iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it. Even my phone was joining the chorus of complaints about the heat.



After finishing my meal, I grabbed another beer from the fridge and selected a cigar from the humidor. Back in my seat, I lit up and continued soaking in the warmth.

I had chosen the Foundation Aksum — a cigar I often reach for when I want something smaller and quicker. This 5 x 50 Robusto is wrapped in a dark Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf, with a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan fillers from the Jalapa and Estelí regions. 



The Aksum offers a bold smoking experience, led by rich notes of sweet espresso and dark chocolate. Hints of black pepper, dark cherry, and raisin make their way in as well, all tied together by a lingering spicy finish. It paired beautifully with the hoppy Sierra Nevada Pale Ale — a fitting dessert after a spicy meal.

Eventually, I moved to the covered screen porch to get out of the direct sun. There, I finished my beer and cigar while enjoying a bit of reading in the breeze from the fans — a most relaxing afternoon.

Cheers!

Friday, June 20, 2025

Five O'Clock Friday: Live Wisely

Life is full of decisions. Make the right ones.



Enjoy the weekend.

Cheers!

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Humidor Review: Early Impressions of the Yohtron YC-488

Over the years, I’ve used a variety of plastic “tupperdors” and a small electric “wineador” humidor from NewAir to store my cigars. Most recently, the NewAir housed my loose sticks, while the plastic containers held the few boxes I’d acquired. Boveda humidification packs did their part to keep everything in good condition. Still, I’ve long desired a large display cabinet humidor — something that could bring all my cigars together in one place.

As my collection grew, the NewAir unit became increasingly crowded, and its electronics had long since failed. Finding a specific cigar often meant opening every drawer and sifting through layers — sometimes repeating the hunt more than once before finding what I was after. More frustratingly, I began passing on deals — especially on full boxes — simply because I had nowhere to put them.

For the past year, I’d been researching the new generation of electronic all-in-one humidors. These modern units heat, cool, and humidify — a true turnkey solution. After reviewing the latest offerings and comparing features that mattered most to me, I settled on the Yohtron YC-488. Yes, I went big. This luxurious unit is rated for up to 2,500 cigars — ten times the capacity of my NewAir 250, though I expect the real-world number to be a bit less.


Getting this beast into the house was no small feat. It’s bulky and weighs over 200 pounds. With a friend’s help, we managed to get it inside. After letting it sit for the required 24 hours to let the compressor oil settle, I powered it on, set the humidity level 5% higher than my target of 69%, and waited. I let it run at that level for three days to allow the Spanish cedar interior to properly season. It’s now been running for a little over week with the cigars inside, and I wanted to share my early impressions.

First off, the construction is impressive. The unit is fully lined with Spanish cedar. (Trivia: “Spanish cedar” isn’t actually cedar — it’s in the mahogany family and native to Central and South America.) The seven cedar drawers are mounted on smooth cabinet rails. They lock into place when pushed in and, crucially, don’t tip when pulled out fully. The generous spacing between drawers makes it easy to see the contents, and there’s ample room to stack boxes if needed. Interior LED strips run the full length of both sides of the cabinet, making it easy to browse — something many units lack.


The 5-liter water reservoir for the humidification system is located at the bottom of the cabinet and is very easy to refill with distilled water — no funnel needed. The drawer includes water level markings on the front to prevent overfilling. One note of caution: the reservoir drawer isn’t on rails, so you’ll need to open it carefully to avoid spills. Above the reservoir is an accessory drawer of sorts — though it seems like filler space to conceal internal electronics.

Temperature and humidity control in the Yohtron have proven impressively stable. I installed three Govee WiFi hygrometer/thermometer sensors, along with a couple of other digital hygrometers, to verify the onboard display. I found that the unit’s display reads about 1.5% to 2% lower than actual humidity. 

That quirk sorted, I was able to adjust the settings to reach an average humidity holding steady around my 69% target. The Govee sensors show less than 2% variation throughout the day, with consistent readings from top to bottom — exactly the kind of stability I was looking for. I suspect the environment would be even more stable if the humidor were fully stocked with cigars. Before using the Govee units, I had never even considered measuring humidity in tenths of a percent. The temperature in the cabinet remains just as steady. 


This inside consistency throughout the unit is aided by the four circulation fans behind the shelves, which evenly distribute air from bottom to top. That airflow ensures a uniform environment regardless of how many, or how few, cigars are stored — a critical factor, especially since I don’t plan to ever fill the cabinet to its max capacity. 

The Yohtron provides an attractive display, and selecting a cigar has never been easier. I still use the Cigar Scanner app to track my inventory and browse my options, but I no longer need to open every drawer and dig around to find my choice. Even better, I can simply turn on the lights and browse before opening the door. To be honest, sometimes I turn on the lights just to admire the cigars inside. The cabinet currently sits in our dining room, across from my bourbon shelves. Despite its size, its clean design keeps it from feeling overly obtrusive — at least in my somewhat biased opinion.

Initially, I was leaning toward one of the smaller Yohtron units — they all share the same core features. But my wife made the most compelling case for going big: “You won’t have to worry about filling it.” I believe she’s right. And now, I can take advantage of cigar deals without wondering where I’ll store new additions.

Cheers!

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked & Herrera Estelí Norteño Toro Especial

For a recent porch smoke, I reached for the Herrera Estelí Norteño Toro Especial by Drew Estate. It had also been a while since I paired a cigar with a pour of bourbon, so I looked forward to revisiting an old favorite: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.

The evening was warm — one of those early Virginia summer nights that require some adjustments to the cigar setup. More fans, shorter sticks, later sessions. I’m not complaining; I love warm weather. But after five minutes on the porch, I realized I needed to crank up the fan speed. With the air moving and a playlist queued, I settled in.



Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is a staple on my shelf. It’s flavorful, bold, yet accessible — something I can pour confidently for both the bourbon novice and the seasoned aficionado. I’ve never had anyone turn it down, let alone dislike it.

The nose opens with rich caramel, toasted oak, and vanilla, with just a touch of ethanol tingle. The palate follows through with layers of caramel, dark chocolate, seasoned wood, and ripe dark fruit. The finish is long and warming, blending lingering sweetness with a subtle spice.

At just 90.4 proof, it’s an easy sipper — perfect for pairing with a long smoke.



The cigar had been resting in my humidor for about eight weeks. It arrived in April as part of the Luxury Cigar of the Month Club, and I hadn’t smoked the Norteño Especial in a couple of years. Truth be told, I couldn’t remember much about it, which made the revisit feel like a first-time experience.

The 6 1/4 x 54 cigar sports a rough, oily Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Estelí and Jalapa. It’s softly box-pressed and had a draw slightly more open than I prefer, but it still produced generous smoke.

Right out of the gate, this is a medium-to-full-bodied cigar. No warmup required. The profile is bold and flavorful, delivering notes of black pepper, cocoa, dark-roast coffee, roasted nuts, and cedar. The retrohale brings a strong hit of black pepper, adding to the spice-forward impression.

Though robust, the Herrera Estelí Norteño Toro Especial maintains balance and complexity, never overwhelming the palate. I did find the draw became a bit too loose at times, and the smoke production dipped — requiring a few relights — but overall, the burn stayed even.

This pairing leaned heavily into bold, spicy territory. At times, it seemed the cigar even coaxed out more spice from the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. Whether imagined or real, the result was a lively, well-matched flavor fusion.

This pairing featured both familiarity and rediscovery — exactly what a good evening on the porch should be.

Cheers!

Saturday, June 14, 2025

June 14: A Day Rich with “Made in America” Celebrations

June 14 is a day rich with truly “Made in America” celebrations. It’s Flag Day — a time to honor our Nation’s flag and everything it represents. It’s also National Bourbon Day, recognizing one of our country’s most iconic and officially recognized spirits.

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress resolved: “That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Our flag has evolved over the centuries, but today it still bears those 13 stripes along with 50 stars. I firmly believe it remains the most striking flag of any nation.

Sadly, some today label our flag as a symbol of oppression or racism. Ironically, many of those critics enjoy freedoms — speech, protest, and dissent — that are rare or outright denied in the very regimes they claim to admire. In those systems, expressing such views could easily lead to imprisonment — or worse.

National Bourbon Day came later. On May 4, 1964, Congress declared bourbon a “distinctive product of the United States.” While the exact origins of National Bourbon Day are unclear — perhaps more marketing than history — June 14 has become the day to celebrate our native beverage. A popular legend holds that on this day in 1789, in Georgetown, Kentucky, the Reverend Elijah Craig — a Baptist minister and entrepreneur — first produced bourbon. His distillery is said to be the birthplace of this remarkable spirit. Whatever the origin, it’s fitting to toast an American-made tradition on the same day we honor our flag.



So, raise the flag and raise a glass. Celebrate what makes this Nation great—its history, its symbols, and yes, even its spirits. Be thankful for them all.

Cheers!

Friday, June 13, 2025

Five O'Clock Friday: I'm Just Drinkin'

Some music from the great Albert Collins to kick off the weekend.


Cheers!

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Cigar Review: Powstanie San Andrés with Still Austin Single Barrel

I’ve long been a fan of Powstanie cigars. Both the Habano and Broadleaf lines, in multiple vitolas, make frequent appearances in these Musings. I often joke that Powstanie is my vacation cigar — I always seem to bring a few along on my travels. So when I read that the company was adding a San Andrés blend as a new core line, I was eager to give it a try. 

The Powstanie San Andrés hit shelves in January of this year. I finally picked up a few in April but let them rest in the humidor for a bit before lighting one up — though I did sneak a preview by smoking one at the cigar lounge a few weeks ago. That little tease only whetted my appetite for the ones waiting patiently at home.



This cigar features a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder, with a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The line currently comes in four vitolas, with a fifth coming later. For this evening’s repast, I selected the 5 x 50 Robusto.

The smoke opens with notes of semi-sweet cocoa and nuttiness. As it develops, flavors of espresso and dark chocolate come forward, underpinned by a steady hum of pepper spice that broadens the profile. The burn was even requiring no touchups, and the smoke remained cool down to the nub. The Powstanie San Andrés delivers a rich, medium-bodied, and flavorful experience.



I paired it with Still Austin Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon. At 116 proof, this bourbon has a surprising smoothness for its minimal two-year age. The strength is apparent on the nose — especially when concentrated in a Glencairn glass — but the palate opens with cinnamon spice that quickly mellows into brown sugar sweetness. Notes of raisin, plum, caramel, and molasses soon follow, creating a layered and satisfying pour.

The cigar’s bold profile complemented the bourbon’s sweetness and lingering spice beautifully. While strongly spiced bourbons can sometimes overpower medium-bodied cigars, the Powstanie San Andrés held its own — robust without being overpowering.

Cheers!

Friday, June 6, 2025

Five O'Clock Friday: Cliff Claven the Sage

It's hard to argue with logic like that.



Cheers!  (No pun intended.)