Bourbon, Cigars and Reclaim Arcade

Last week I attended a bourbon and cigar event that left me wondering, “How did I not know about this place?”

Reclaim Arcade is an entertainment venue featuring more than 70 vintage pinball and arcade games, all available for free play. I knew about the pinball arcade, but what I learned this week is that their bar also features an impressive selection of amazing and sought-after bourbons. Reclaim hosted a cigar and bourbon evening in conjunction with Olde Towne Tobacconist.

The cost to attend was simply the cost of admission to the arcade, which includes free play on all the machines. In truth, I intended to try my hand at some old-school pinball, but I enjoyed my cigar and bourbon so much that I never got around to it.

The highlight of the evening for me, of course, was the bourbon selection. For the event, the owner had pulled out an array of bottles that were being offered at reduced prices per pour. Some were nearly empty, with only a few pours available, while others were newly opened. Most were allocated or otherwise hard-to-find bottles.

After perusing the bottle selection, I settled on a pour of Elijah Craig Single Barrel Bourbon 15 Year. This is an expression I’ve long wanted to try. Taking my glass out to the back patio, I selected an El Titan de Bronze Nicaragua Gigante from the Olde Towne Tobacconist table.

The 6 x 60 cigar is a larger ring gauge than I typically select, but the cigar actually felt smaller than those dimensions would suggest. A U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper encloses a Mexican binder and Nicaraguan filler. Despite its dark appearance, I found the cigar to be solidly in the medium-bodied range. Cedar, pepper, leather, and dark chocolate notes were consistent throughout the smoke.

The cigar paired quite nicely with the Elijah Craig 15 Year. At 108 proof, the aged bourbon sips surprisingly easily. Dark fruit and tobacco notes came to mind first. Despite its age, the oak was present but not overwhelming. There were sweet caramel notes on the finish, but the overall profile was more savory than sweet. It’s no wonder that when I went back to the bar later to grab another drink, the initially full bottle was nearly empty.

For the next round, I elected to have a pour of Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon. This is another expression I’ve yet to acquire for my shelves, although I have enjoyed it in the past at other venues. I believe this bottle was labeled Batch #454.

The Joseph Magnus was a bolder pour than the Elijah Craig. This one had a rich, toasted character with notes of toffee and dried fruit, particularly cherry and apricot. It paired well with the latter portion of the El Titan de Bronze, which had picked up more roasted notes as the cigar progressed. The two bourbons were quite different, but both worked well with the cigar at different points in the smoke.

I spent much of the evening chatting with a friend I knew from other cigar lounge visits. He had attended the event on a whim and was as surprised as I was by the variety and quality of the bourbon selection.

Reclaim Arcade regularly hosts bourbon tasting events through its Quarter Barrel Bourbon Club. Some are blind tastings, while others are guided tastings featuring a particular distillery. The ticketed events apparently sell out quite quickly, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next one. Reclaim has a very loyal following of bourbon fans, and many were attending the event even though they weren’t cigar smokers, although plenty of them did partake. Reclaim also has food available, which I’m told is very good.

I never did get around to the pinball, but I’m already thinking about another visit. A few classic pinball games, followed by a good bourbon and a cigar on the patio, sounds like a pretty good way to spend an evening. Apparently, I had just been overlooking a great local destination.

Cheers!