Saturday, Chores Then A Relaxing Smoke and Drink

We've been trying to make the most of this 3-day holiday weekend -- at least before the expected rain kicks in Sunday evening and Monday. This is a weekend we avoid shopping, taking trips, and even the calls from work will slow. Side thought, why is rain on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends such standard fare in Virginia? 

Saturday morning we spent some time grooming the 20+ year old Japanese Maple tree in front of our house. We planted the then small ornamental not too long after we moved in. At the time it seemed an extravagant purchase (it was) but it's provided a lot of enjoyment and aesthetics for a couple of decades now. It had accumulated a lot of dead branches and was looking a little dull as a result. The grooming brightened the display.

Next it was time to do some dreaded window outside cleaning. The front windows were done, with a noticeable brightening of the front yard. The rest will wait for a whole house wash to remove the winter grime and spring pollen.

We then moved on to the more pleasurable activities of the day, starting with some delicious ground chuck and brisket patties from the grill. I tried something new and cooked them using indirect heat until near done, then moved over high heat to finish and sear. It took longer than the typical grilling over high heat, but they were moist with a delightful light char. 

And at last, the feature event, a cigar and bourbon on the deck. I selected Horse Soldier Reserve Bourbon and a Southern Draw Manzanita. 

Horse Soldier bourbon seemed like an appropriate choice for the day. The story behind the bourbon is fascinating as it was founded by part of the original team of "horse soldiers," the Green Beret team that was the first to enter Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States. Their start is summarized in this article, "The Green Berets Who Went From Elite Warriors to Elite Bourbon Makers." 

"The Green Berets Who Went From Elite Warriors to Elite Bourbon MakersDays after 9/11, while many Americans were watching the news in a state of shock and horror, a team of 12 Green Berets took action. They covertly entered Afghanistan and began to wage war against the Taliban … on horseback.

"It wasn’t until 48 hours before their insertion that the men were informed they would have to traverse the steep and treacherous landscape of Afghanistan on horses. It was the first of many aspects of this mission, code-named Task Force Dagger, that they would have to figure out as they went along. 

"Despite being often cut off from communications with command headquarters and outnumbered forty to one, these men, The Horse Soldiers, fought in a series of intense battles side-by-side with militia allies and successfully captured the city of Mazar-i-Sharif from the Taliban, a strategic stronghold.

"The Horse Soldier’s story inspired a book, a movie and a monument that can be seen at the 9/11 Memorial in New York. Nearly 20 years after Task Force Dagger’s success, retired Special Operators Scott Neil, Rob Schaefer, Mark Nutsch, Bob Pennington, Tyler Garner and John Koko, along with Elizabeth Pritchard-Koko, found a new mission: they founded American Freedom Distillery. The all-American company’s signature offering is the award-winning Horse Soldier Bourbon, which is sold in bottles pressed in molds made from steel salvaged from the World Trade Center site."

The Horse Soldier Reserve is the distillery's Barrel Strength expression. The proof varies between batches, the bottle I have is labeled 124 proof. The nose has dark caramel, sweet maple, along with hint of vanilla and fruit. When sipping I get charred wood, dark fruit, molasses, and a cinnamon like spice. In the finish an interesting fruit note comes up, reminiscent of dark cherries and plums. The 124 proof imparts some heat to mouthfeel, but it is very balanced by the flavor notes, and not overwhelming in the least. Summarize all that to say it's right on target for my flavor preferences.

Horse Soldier isn't just a "celebrity bourbon" using a name for marketing. With so many name-only marketing projects in the market it's easy to be cynical. These are award winning, well crafted and flavorful whiskies. While I naturally gravitated to the barrel strength version, I will make an effort to pick up their other expressions as well. 

The Manzanita from Southern Draw is one I've mused on a couple times previously. It's a smoke that stays at the top of my list, and consistently pairs well with bourbon. The cigar sports an attractive reddish-brown Habano wrapper over a Habano binder, and Corojo and Ligero fillers. The smoke has an earthy base with bold dark chocolate and cedar notes. The note of pepper helps it keep up with the demands of the bourbon.

The cigar, the bourbon, along with some good blues coming from the speaker, made for an extremely pleasant evening. As an added attraction our local fox momma made an appearance trotting through the yard on the way to the woods. We see her frequently bringing home food and hope she'll show us the kits someday soon.

Cheers!

Kicking Off The Long Weekend

It seems the longest weeks are the ones leading up to a long weekend. But finally Friday arrived and preparations for the evening got underway. I finished the lawn maintenance chores early, and prepped the fire pit before dinner. 

I was looking forward trying out the Calumet Farm 10 Year Bourbon I had picked up a few weeks ago. That, along with a Padrón 1926 Serie 9 Natural were set in place, so once the fire got going the sipping and smoking commenced. 

This is my first exploration of Calumet Farm bourbon. When I was shopping out of state a few weeks ago, the store had the 8, 10, and 16 year expressions. I've read mixed reviews of the Calumet line but have been interested, so opted to go with the 10. The ten year was of average price for the age, and ten year bourbon is often a sweet spot. I was pleasantly surprised. I found moderately bold notes of charred wood, caramel, and some honey sweetness. The finish was a little spicy bit not overwhelming. My impression was of an enjoyable "classic" bourbon. Now the 16 year expression is tempting me.

Colleen inquired if I'd make a Mint Julep for her to sip while we enjoyed the fire. Of course! She had picked up a few fresh herbs for cocktails this weekend. It's a simple drink, so even when it was time for a refill, setting the cigar down to go inside and mix another didn't even require touch up to the smoke. (Even if I did accidentally use some whole ice cubes instead of chipped.)

The Padrón was a fine smoke as always. I don't smoke them frequently enough, still there are often a few in my humidor. The 1926 Serie 9 Natural is a Nicaraguan puro in a 5 1/4" x 56 box press format. It's a well-constructed cigar with a moderately firm pack. The 1926 is medium to bold smoke with creamy notes of coffee, nuts, and chocolate. The burn is razor sharp throughout with a persistent ash.

It's was a beautiful evening, and since we had an early dinner and were outside in the very early evening, we got to enjoy a lot of bird activity at the edge of the wood. It also meant there was time for another smoke and a bit more sipping. The second smoke for the evening was the Liga Undercrown 10 by Drew Estate. 

The Undercrown 10 features a Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper, Habano Connecticut binder, with Brazil Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Habano leaves as fillers. The creamy smoke features rich espresso, some cocoa sweetness, and a hint of dark fruit. As a medium-bodied smoke, the cigar paired well with the bourbon also.

I don't think I could have asked for a more enjoyable evening. The weather was great, as were the cigars and drinks. Of course the company could not have been better. And there are still a few more days to do more of the same.

Cheers!

Scenes From the Weekend

We treated ourselves to a long, four day weekend and headed off to our (current) favorite spot near Buchanan, VA. What had earlier been predicted to be a wet, cold weekend, turned out to be a fairly dry, but still cool weekend. For most of the weekend it was perfect for afternoon and evenings spent outside enjoying the view, good drink, and of course, cigars.

The roads were crowded on the drive to southwest Virginia Thursday, and the trip a little longer than usual, but before the sunset I was on the porch enjoying a refreshing beer and smoke. The cigar was Black Label Trading Company Viaticum, paired with Blue Mountain Lights Out Winter Ale.

The scenery of the surrounding pastures and mountains in the distance added to the blissful feeling. 

After lunch on Friday, the winds heralding an approaching cold front diminished significantly and we were able to enjoy some time by the fire pit. Over the course of the next five hours or so, we burned a lot of wood, while I sipped some whiskey, and enjoyed a couple fine cigars.

The first pairing included Few Bourbon and the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2021. 

Watching the stars come out by the glow of the fire is an experience that never fails to set a man's heart at ease. 

After a quick dinner inside, it was time to return to the fire and enjoy another good cigar. I closed the evening with the 2021 Black Label Trading Company Bishops Blend. And naturally, a few more sips of the Few bourbon were in order. 

Saturday afternoon brought us to the "main event" of the weekend, the VA Tech Hokies football game against Duke. The cold front arrived in force, with brisk winds and rapidly falling temps — classic football weather I suppose. Due to the high winds, I opted to skip my customary tailgate cigar before the game.

Well-bundled against the cold, although the efficacy of the multiple layers diminished as the evening wore on, we enjoyed an exiting game and a Hokies win.

I really could not have hoped for a more relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

CAO Brazilia Box Press - A Square Chimney

With temperatures in the upper 70's last weekend, sitting inside was out of the question. Sunday afternoon started with washing the car in the driveway, just like in the summer. Then Colleen and I did a short hike through the woods of a local National Battlefield park. Shorts and t-shirts were the order of the day, and I even worked up a sweat. Later in the day it was finally time to settle in for some proper relaxation on the deck.

After grabbing a couple of cold ciders from the fridge, I selected a CAO Brazilia Box Pressed while we watched the sun slowly sink. The Brazilia is one of CAO's most popular lines if social media is to be believed. I've enjoyed it many times, but this was my first time smoking the box pressed version.

The wrapper leaf is Brazilian Arapiraca, with a dark chocolate shiny appearance. The binder and filler leaves are Nicaraguan. The Brazilia is a full-bodied smoke, but it's not harsh at all. The flavor profile has a creamy aspect to it. I get hints of cocoa and coffee, with a sweet nuttiness and mild spice in there as well.

The box pressed nature of this cigar is stunning. This one in particular features the most extreme corners I think I've encountered. One side and corner were especially sharp. I suspect this stick may have been on the bottom corner of the box. 

The draw on the stick was loose and somewhat airy. Not unexpectedly, the burn needed regular maintenance to keep straight. I am somewhat compulsive when it comes to touching up even a mildly irregular burn line, so this one did have me reaching for the lighter frequently. That didn't detract from the enjoyment though. And the smoke output was prolific. Even at rest the cigar put off copious smoke. We have a couple tower fans on the screened porch, both for air circulation, and to create an "air curtain" to help block the smoke from drifting into others who may not want to be sitting in it. Colleen, who's not often bothered by wafts of cigar smoke, fired up a second fan on high speed to help clear the air. 

After an hour or so of enjoying our cold beverages and some salty snacks, the cigar was finished. For me it was an exceptional end to a bonus November weekend of warm weather. I don't think we'll get many more of those this year.

Ending the Week, or Starting the Weekend?

Friday evening I jumped in the car to head over to the brewery to enjoy some music, a beer, and a cigar. The sun was shining overhead. As soon as I started west I could see dark clouds ahead. A quick check of the Dark Sky app on my phone showed storms approaching. So I changed course and headed back home. 

Moving to the porch I lit up a Fratello D.M.V. District of Columbia, made myself a Rye Old Fashioned and waited. I didn't have to wait long. Soon I actually needed to turn on a light on the porch, as the rain and lightening started in force and sunlight vanished.

Turning up the music, I sat back and enjoyed the quickly cooling temps, as well as the light and sound show. The Fratello D.M.V. is one of my favorite smokes. This one was released in 2018 and has aged to perfection. To my knowledge, this vitola and blend was a one-time release; the 2019 release changed the blends for all sizes. I have five four, left in my humidor that I am slowly going through. The medium bodied smoke has notes of leather and spice. It's a great pairing with the drink, and the nearly two hour smoke allows for a couple of glasses of the cocktail.

The storm passed relatively quickly, and I was thankful for the soaking rain for the lawn. As I enjoyed the evening, I got to thinking, was this a fine ending to the work week, or a fitting start to the weekend? I guess it was really both. I'm not sure what happened out at my original destination, but there's a whole weekend ahead to allow for another try.

A Wee Bit of Normality

Around our house we are especially pleased to see the month of May be done. Was it really only 31 days? Seems much longer. Like everyone else of course, we've been dealing with the "COVID-1984" restrictions. On top of that, we've had work being done on our house for the last several weeks. A kitchen renovation was planned long before the Chicom virus was in the news, but the work commenced in May. It's bad timing to be kitchen-less at the same time restaurants are closed. It's bad timing to have construction going on in your house when you are locked down at home. Once the kitchen work was done, we had painters in to refresh the entire first floor. Surprisingly, the painting was more disruptive to life (and work from home) around the house than the kitchen activity. But, that's all done now. This will be the first week in a month we had our house to ourselves. Of course, there's a lot left for us still to do, as we haven't fully moved all our stuff back into place yet.

On Saturday, after some work sorting house out, I picked up a friend and we headed over to the Olde Towne Tobacconist outpost at 1781 Brewing for an afternoon of visiting, beer, and cigars. It was extremely pleasant to sit outside, talk to other humans, and just enjoy the nice weather. Saturday evening, Colleen and I sat in our refreshed living space and enjoyed a relaxing dinner, all the while making plans for the next projects.

Sunday was glorious by virtue of finally being able to go to Mass, as the governor has now granted permission for worship to resume in our part of the state. We had to wear uncomfortable face masks, but it was Mass nonetheless. Even though the church was sparsely populated, we were able to celebrate live and in-person, rather than via an online stream.

In the afternoon we took advantage of the weather to enjoy the outdoor setting at 1781 Brewing. I believe it was the first time in 2020 that Colleen and I were able to get away from the house for an afternoon of relaxation. There was no live music playing as so often happens in the warmer months, but the sun was shining and the beer was good. And there were smiling humans out and about. Patrons were limited to two inside at a time when ordering beer or wine, but the outdoor space was full of "physically separated" families and dogs. 

The cigar lounge is closed on Sunday for sales so I had brought along my own options for smoking. After grabbing a mug of 1781 Brewing Farmhouse Pale Ale, I lit up a Rocky Patel Vintage 2006 Sixty. 

I typically enjoy darker beers with cigars; stouts, dopplebocks, even a red ale, are frequent choices. But I do enjoy hoppy beers, though they aren't always the best cigar pairings. The Farmhouse Pale Ale is a moderately hopped ale that strikes a nice balance of citrus and fruitiness. The hop notes leave a clean, short finish on the palate.

The cigar is one of my favorites, the Vintage 2006 in the 6" x 60 vitola. A Mexican San Andrés wrapper,  USA Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and Nicaraguan fillers combine to make a flavorful but not overpowering smoke. Dark chocolate, oak, leather and a mild sweetness predominate. It all works extremely well with the mild hop and fruit notes of the beer. It's a long smoke too, requiring a refill of my mug. 

We were later joined by some friends who happened to be out taking advantage of the beautiful environs and new freedoms as well. We enjoyed catching up with them as we wound down the afternoon.

Yes indeed, the weekend brought a bit of normality to our lives, despite the news of the anarchists around the country using a tragedy as an excuse to bring their cowardly violence to bear on innocent people. Let's pray that we are soon able to get back to peaceful living, and the restrictions on free movement and free enterprise will soon be a thing of the past. 

Cigars of the Weekend

And for something a little different, some cigar updates…

I'm tired of winter. (Actually that feeling emerged months ago.) So I was thrilled when this past  weekend we saw moderately warm and sunny days here in Virginia, when thermometer cracked 60°.

Admittedly the Friday prelude to the weekend saw temps shy of 30°, so I found myself at the Olde Towne Tobacconist lounge at 1781 Brewery. There, the wood stove, a pint of the brewery's Tough Kiltie Wee Heavy, and a L'Atelier LAT56 by Tatuaje Cigars gave me my first chance to sit and chill after a long week. The bold cigar paired well with the malty beer.

On Saturday afternoon, the sun eventually warmed things up to around 55°. I grabbed a quick smoke after lunch, enjoying an Oliva Serie G Maduro. The small 4 1/2  x 50 stick, with some black coffee and a little fun reading, provided a 30 minute break from chores.

After finishing the aforementioned chores, I opted to enjoy another small stick, RoMa Craft Neanderthal HoxD. Though a diminutive 4 x 46 vitola, the cigar packs a lot of flavor and strength in a small package.

After a Sunday afternoon hike in the woods, Colleen and I retired to the back porch to enjoy the sun and warmth, with a couple pints of Guinness Drought Nitro. I also lit a Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 from Foundation Cigars. This was a cigar I'd been wanting to try for some time. I enjoyed the original Tabernacle at the beach last summer, but had never had this much heralded variety. The full-strength cigar did not disappoint, though I will need to go back and revisit the original to get a better comparison.

After a couple very busy weeks of work-related travel and meetings, to finally have a relaxing, warm weekend respite at home was most welcome. That there was time to enjoy multiple good cigars was an added bonus.

As a final note, for those interested, there is more cigar-related content over on Instagram

The Weekend: Beer, Cigars, & Friends

While there were sadly no shooting activities on my schedule last weekend, I was thankful for some fun times with friends and family, along with good beer and good cigars.

Our monthly "men's group" meeting was on Friday. Each month we meet at a local pub or brewery for beer, banter, and other conversation. This month we opted for an outdoor gathering at 1781 Brewing Company. A bunch of of the guys took advantage of the cigar-friendly location and enjoyed fine smokes with their beer. My selection for the evening was a Camacho Imperial Stout Barrel Aged which paired quite nicely with the 1781 Brewing L'automne Imperial Red Ale.

The fun of the evening left me thinking about the possibility of organizing another gathering, with the specific intent of including cigars. A future herf group perhaps.

Later in the weekend, Colleen and I got out for our irregular Sunday afternoon "date." We too opted to head over to 1781 Brewery. The scheduled events at the brewery included live music and food served by a Jamaican-themed food truck. We arrived a little before the music started and settled at a table in the shade of trees.

Heading over to the food truck, we ordered both curried chicken and jerk chicken dishes. The meals included cooked cabbage, rice and fried plantains. The 1781 Extra Special Better (ESB) helped offset some of the heat from the jerk chicken, and offered a nice pairing

Finishing the food, it was time for a smoke. For this outing I brought along a Rocky Patel Sun Grown Maduro. This is one of my "goto" cigars, at least currently. I try to keep some of the Robusto vitola on hand, but this time enjoyed a longer smoke in Toro. Naturally, another pint was called for.

After a few hours of July afternoon heat, we called it a day. Sitting inside the cool house later that evening had me day dreaming about the next outing, and the possibilities of other craft beer and handmade cigar pairings to be enjoyed in the future. 

Five O'Clock Friday: Time to Relax

And suddenly it was Friday. It's been a busy week. I squeezed in a trip to the range. We attended an amazing Joe Bonamassa concert. I had a checkup with my cardiologist, with all good news. I celebrated my birthday with a few good friends. With the doctor's blessing, I resumed the cardiac rehab sessions. In between it all, I've essentially returned to work full time.

Sitting here Friday afternoon and I realized, I am tired. But, the weekend is coming. I am planning to shoot an IDPA match on Saturday. The weather looks like it will be suitable for spending time outside at a local brewery on Sunday. I think a preparatory nap is in order this afternoon.

Friday Beer and Smoke

We're getting an extended break from days, no weeks, of rainy weather. After finishing work and errands Friday, Colleen suggested that we do a fire. I uncovered the wood pile and hoped it was dry enough to burn. It wasn't long before we had a nice fire going as we watched the sun set.

I opted to enjoy O'Fest from Devils Backbone. Despite gravitating to the hoppy beers in general, I always look forward to the Oktoberfest beers that fill the shelves and draft lines this time of year. The Devils Backbone offering pours an attractive dark amber color with a thin white head. The aroma has notes of sweetness, bread, and caramel. Rich, malty sweetness, bread, and a hint of grassiness greet the palate. I found this to be quite a tasty lager.

I grabbed an Ave Maria Immaculata to smoke with the malt-forward beer. The flavors of the beer and the cigar were in harmony and were very fitting for fireside enjoyment. Soon enough I had to go inside to get a refill for my glass. Imagine my disappointment when I realized that the six-pack was empty and there were no more to be had.

Sticking with the style, I did find a Sierra Nevada Octoberfest in the fridge. This one is, in my opinion, not quite as good as the Devils Backbone but certainly enjoyable. Soon the fire burned down, and our glasses were empty. With the approach of fall, I'm looking forward to many more evenings sitting outside around the fire pit.

Five O'Clock Friday: Healthy Libation Advice

I was told...

When you drink vodka over ice, it can give you kidney failure.

When you drink rum over ice, it can give you liver failure.

When you drink whiskey over ice, it can give you heart problems.

When you drink gin over ice, it can give you brain problems.

Apparently, ice is very bad for you.

Ergo, drink neat.

Have a refreshing, healthy, weekend.

Saturday Fire and Whiskey

After shooting a quick, fun IDPA match Saturday morning, I got some chores around the house taken care of. Not the least of which was getting the spare grill tank refilled to ensure successful completion of Sunday's steaks. Despite the after-dinner temperature on Saturday hovering around 80°, I threw a couple logs in the fire pit and we enjoyed a relaxing, but warm, evening sipping a bit of rye whiskey around the fire. The birds were singing in trees and there were even a few fireflies making an early appearance.

We are expecting a much more oppressive heat blast to come through the next few days, so it was good to get in one more fire before summer truly arrives.

'Twas a Rainy Saturday

Saturday plans were rained out. The IDPA match I was very much looking forward to was cancelled. After careful consideration, I opted out of doing brewery visits since I didn't feel like driving through the predicted heavy rains. (And I saw reports of numerous accidents around the area.) So I did this...

My son had come home for the weekend to go to a local event with friends. That event that was also cancelled. On the plus side, we had an enjoyable day just visiting.

Sunday looks to be even wetter. I'll be catching up on some reading.

Five O'Clock Friday: Just. Stop. Raining.

Please. I have plans this weekend.

The IDPA match I planned to shoot on Saturday has already been cancelled due to expected storms. Perhaps I'll hit the pub instead.

H/T Wirecutter for the pic.

Scenes From A Relaxing Saturday

It's been a tiring few weeks in these parts, and by the time Saturday morning rolled around, I found I simply needed some down time. So after sleeping in, albeit just a bit, I enjoyed a few invigorating cups of coffee and the happy reality that I had no place else to be.

I had opted out of shooting an IDPA match this morning, a lack of energy combined with bitter cold made that an easy, though lamentable, decision. However once refreshed, I still had the desire to get in some trigger time. To quench that need, I made a spontaneous trip down to Winding Brook Indoor Range. At least the temperature indoors was quite pleasant.

I brought along the SIG P320's, both the full size and the compact. Starting out, I shot each gun at 10 and 12 yards. It was interesting jumping back and forth between the two, actually noting very little difference. I then decided to have some fun with the timed turning target. Shooting from low ready at 10 yards with a 2 second exposure gave me some practice at quick sight acquisition and fast followup shots.

Even the drive to and from the range was relaxing, with a bright sun in the sky, very little traffic, and good blues emanating from the car speakers.

This is how you reenergize.

Five O'Clock Friday: Time to Relax

There's no better way to wind down after a long week than with a bit of smoke and noise. Especially when that's followed by good beer or two.

I'm looking forward to both this weekend.

Image via Twitter.

Weekend Activities

Decisions, decisions.

Options are good to have.

Michigan Beer Chair

A perfect weekend project...

Just to be clear, the perfect weekend "project" would be sitting in the chair all weekend, not building the thing.

Here's to a relaxing weekend!

Five O'Clock Friday The 13th

That can only mean one thing....

It's the weekend!

Nothing Significant To Report

It's been a long week. Work and family commitments kept us busy. No good beers were consumed. No lead was put down range. Hence, the dearth of blog posts.

But, have no fear. I've got range time and brewery visits planned for the weekend. There will be fun times to report soon.