Rocky Patel A.L.R. 2, Again and Again

The Rocky Patel A.L.R. Second Edition is a cigar I find myself coming back to time and time again. The name stands for Aged, Limited, and Rare, though mentions of it in my musings are anything but rare. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed this cigar in several vitolas and with a variety of drinks. On a recent evening, I paired one with a glass of Sazerac Rye for a perfect wind-down.

The vitola for this smoke was a 6 1/2 x 52 Toro. It’s a box-pressed cigar, wrapped in a rich, dark chocolate brown Mexican San Andrés wrapper. Underneath, you’ll find a Nicaraguan binder and filler made up of Nicaraguan tobaccos from Estelí and Jalapa. Most of the cigar’s beauty is hidden behind a large informational band and a shiny, embossed gold label. This particular stick had been aging in my humidor for nearly two years.

As for the pairing, I opted for Sazerac Rye. It’s a go-to for cocktails in my house, but since the bottle was nearly empty, I decided to finish it off with the smoke. Sazerac Rye is an easy-drinking 90-proof whiskey, reportedly aged for around six years, though the bottle lacks an official age statement. It offers flavors of sweet, dark fruit, caramel, and vanilla, with a finish full of rye spice, char, and a touch of cinnamon.

The aged A.L.R. cigar burned beautifully. Espresso, cocoa, and roasted nuts dominated the flavor profile, with a bit of the signature cedar spice still present, though mellowed by time. The nearly two-hour smoking experience paired wonderfully with the Sazerac Rye, making for a relaxing and flavorful evening.

Cheers!

Rocky Patel DBS With Larceny Barrel Proof

I’d been eagerly waiting for a few months to try the Rocky Patel DBS. After letting it rest for a few months in the humidor, I couldn’t hold off any longer and decided to light it up on a Friday evening, pairing it with a glass of Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon.

The 5x50 Robusto has a distinctive appearance, decked out with three separate cigar bands—a bit of the usual “glitz” you’d expect from Rocky Patel. While it’s not as over-the-top as the A.L.R. 2, the deep brown Mexican San Andrés wrapper is still about half-covered by the bands.

The “DBS” stands for “Double Broadleaf Selection,” likely referring to the dual Nicaragua and Pennsylvania Broadleaf binders, or perhaps the Honduran and Nicaraguan Broadleaf fillers. From the start, I got a hit of black pepper that quickly mellowed into wood and earthy flavors, all complemented by a creamy sweetness on the finish. As the cigar progressed, cocoa and nuts joined the mix, making for a rich and evolving flavor profile. The draw was a little more resistant than I prefer, but there were no burn issues throughout.

For my pairing, I chose the Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon, specifically the Batch B522 at 123.8 proof. When I first opened this bottle a couple of years ago, I found the proof a bit sharp but still enjoyable. While I personally prefer the newer Batch B523, the B522 offers flavors of brown sugar and cinnamon, with a hint of sweet bread. It finishes with warmth, pepper, and spice, and the bold flavors of the cigar helped to balance out the intensity of the alcohol.

Overall, the Rocky Patel DBS was a thoroughly enjoyable smoke. Despite its $20 price tag, I’d consider buying more for special occasions. It was a perfect companion for a laid-back fall evening.

Cheers!

Celebrating 17 Years of Musings

Today marks the 17th anniversary of this blog. It all began on a lazy afternoon, experimenting with Blogger. I was looking for a place to share my thoughts—and, occasionally, my rants—about the growing “craft beer” scene, especially in my local area and across the state. At the time, I traveled frequently to Denver, CO, where small breweries were thriving far more than in Virginia. But I had a feeling Virginia would soon catch up. The original title, Musings Over a Pint, caught the attention of fellow enthusiasts and small breweries alike.

Of course, no one lives by beer alone. Over time, my other interests found their way into the blog. Topics like shooting sports, and even faith and politics, began to sneak in. Unsurprisingly, that led to some hate mail, and I even earned a brief ban on Facebook—for reasons that were never fully explained. In 2008, as the blog evolved, the title shifted to Musings Over a Barrel to reflect the broader scope, including whiskey and cigars.

Nowadays, most of my posts focus on cigar and beverage pairings—usually whiskey or beer. Although cigars and bourbon appeared in earlier years, I’ve had more time and resources lately to dive deeper into those passions. Unfortunately, various factors have kept me from visiting the shooting range as often as I’d like, so that topic has taken a back seat for now. I’m hopeful that will change in the coming year.

The blog doesn’t have the readership it once did. I suspect part of that is the decline in personal blogs overall, along with the more niche and personal nature of my posts. The topics I cover can be polarizing, especially in today’s hyper-sensitive climate. I even had some cigar content removed by Blogger recently—though it was restored after an appeal—for allegedly violating their “Regulated Goods and Services policy.”

So, what’s next? Honestly, I write for myself more than anything. I enjoy looking back and revisiting the experiences recorded here. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. If others enjoy what they read, all the better. Not every experience becomes a full blog post, though; for more frequent updates, feel free to check out my mini-blog on Instagram.

Seventeen years is a long time, and so much has changed—not just with this blog, but with the world and life in general. While the frequency of my posts may vary depending on time and activities, I have no plans to stop sharing my musings anytime soon, for my enjoyment—and hopefully yours too.

Happy Blog Birthday to me!

Cheers!

Center of the Universe Oktoberfest and AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata

Our annual celebration of "all beers Oktoberfest" continued with beer, a cigar, and a fire. Despite a late afternoon temperature of 80°, it wasn't raining for a change, so we decided to get in the first fire of the season. Center of the Universe Oktoberfest Märzen and a AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata made for a wonderful pairing.

We have enjoyed the Center of the Universe Oktoberfest Märzen on a few occasions this season. The copper-hued beer has a thin, short-lived white head and a bread-like aroma. The flavor profile is malt forward, with biscuit and caramel notes. There's a hint of hop bitterness rounding out the sweet notes. This is an enjoyable Märzen that is as well done as some the "native" Oktoberfests.

The AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata was something I picked up a couple months ago on a whim. I've not smoked too many AVO releases but this one did intrigue me. The 6 x 54 Torpedo sports an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 Clara wrapper with a Mexican San Andrés binder underneath. The filler is a complex blend of Dominicana Yamasa viso, Dominican Piloto, Dominican San Vicente ligero, Nicaraguan Esteli ligero, Nicaraguan Condega viso, and Nicaraguan Ometepe tobaccos. With that many interesting leaves, not to mention syllables in the recipe, it's got to be good.

The Fogata kicks off with a bit of pepper as I expected from the binder variety. As the cigar heats up, the profile morphs into one featuring cedar, an interesting toasted caramel, and sweat cream. There's an also somewhat of a malty bread undertone. 

Strength falls to the high side of medium. This is a quite flavorful smoke that kept my interest all the way through — just like the first one I smoked recently. The flavor notes of the Oktoberfest beer and the cigar complimented one another very well.

Soon the fire, the cigar, the beers, were finished. It was a fun afternoon repast, enjoying one of the rare sunny days we've seen in the past couple weeks.

Cheers!

Maltese Brewing Oktoberfest Celebration

It's that time of the year when the local craft breweries put on their Oktoberfest celebrations. I haven't gone to many of them in recent years so was glad when our schedule made this one doable. I do have fond memories of the events held by Blue and Gray Brewing in years past. 

Last weekend we went over to Maltese Brewing (FB Link) for their Octoberfest event. Maltese recently relocated to a new, expanded location. Coincidently, they are now located in the same industrial complex where the long-gone, and greatly missed, Blue and Grey brewery and taproom was located. 

We arrived at the event early to take advantage of the breakfast menu. While simple, the meal of scrambled eggs, bratwurst, and pancakes was a tasty and a fun way to start the day. Of course, it was enjoyed with a pint of Maltese Oktoberfest Märzen.

After eating, we moved to an outside table to enjoy the pleasant weather. We had plans to attend another, non-beer event later in the afternoon but there was still time for another beer and a smoke. As we sat, the afternoon food trucks arrived and we debated perhaps staying for a quick lunch before leaving.

I enjoyed an Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Maduro with the beer. This cigar is the result of a collaboration between chef and cigar lover Guy Fieri and Erik Espinosa. I've enjoyed this one in the past. The dark coffee, cocoa, dark fruit, and mild white pepper flavors make for a pleasant smoke.

After a bit, a couple of friends arrived to enjoy the festivities as well and we enjoyed catching up. It wasn't long before we were getting hungry again. We were having fun, so decided to just stay for the afternoon. Another beer, and a "german grilled hotdog" sandwich from one the food trucks capped off the now long afternoon.

It was a fortuitous and fun way to spend Saturday afternoon.

Cheers!

L'Atelier LAT56 and Peerless Small Batch Bourbon

The L'Atelier Cigar line from Pete Johnson of Tatujaje Cigars are consistently enjoyable smokes. One I've not had until late, to my recollection, is the L'Atelier LAT56. The highly rated line has been out for over a decade. 

The 6 1/2 x 56 LAT56 features a smooth, dark wrapper of an Ecuadorian hybrid leaf called Sancti Spiritus. The wrapper is slick with a shrink-wrapped tightness to the roll. The binder and filler tobaccos are Nicaraguan. A simple gold band completes the well-manicured look.

The smoke started off with nutty cocoa and a touch of pepper. Nuttiness and wood flavors held consistent, with the cocoa notes fading slightly, until returning in the final third. This was a most enjoyable smoke. The cigar had been resting in my humidor for just a few weeks. I need not have been concerned about the short rest time as the cigar produced a near perfect burn throughout. The line was sharp and the ash was solid without flaking. I did make one minor correction that surely would have fixed itself, but I get a bit OCD at times on the burn line.

The other half of this pairing consisted of Peerless Small Batch Bourbon. Even at 115.4 proof, I find this one to be a surprisingly easy sipper. The bourbon shines a dark mahogany color in the glass. There is a bit of alcohol on the nose, but it is minimal on the palate. Sweet notes of caramel and cinnamon arise first. Creamy butterscotch and brown sugar join in the short and clean finish. 

The L'Aterlier LAT56 and Peerless Small Batch combine for a flavorful, and even aesthetically pleasing, pairing. The long smoke time called for a couple extra splashes in the glass. As darkness fell, the cool fall-like air added to the ambiance of the evening of conversation with my wife on the porch. I smile still as I reminisce about it.

Cheers!

Oktoberfest Season and Cigars

Bourbon and other whiskies make up the usual partnering with cigars on these Musings. But, I'm a long-time craft beer fan. (This blog had its birth during the infancy of the craft beer "movement.") I especially enjoy the malt-forward beers. To that end, St. Patrick's and Oktoberfest seasons are some of my favorite times each year when it comes to beer enjoyment. It's then when the malty red ales and märzens hit the shelves in force. Oktoberfest in Munich officially kicks off September 21, but the Oktoberfest beers are here now. 

As noted previously, I recently picked up some Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen to enjoy at a tailgate event. I opened another on a relaxing Saturday on the deck. When it comes to beer and cigars, malty and roasted notes go better than the more intense citrus and hop flavor of an IPA. (Although I do enjoy such pairing at times.)

For this pairing I selected a La Aurora 115th Anniversary cigar. I bought some of these on a whim recently, and they've been resting in the humidor for about 5 weeks. The 5 3/4 x 54 Toro feels hefty in the hand. The rough Ecuadorian wrapper conceals a Brazilian binder, which in turn holds Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Brazilian fillers.  

La Aurora 115th is a medium bodied smoke giving off notes of nuts and citrus, with a cinnamon spice added in the finish. The smoke is full and creamy. Towards the end of the smoke some roasted coffee replaces the cinnamon. 

I've been enjoying the Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen for the past week or so — always with a cigar. The beer has a pleasing malt aroma that entices even before the taste. This classic märzen lager brings rich notes of toffee, toasted bread, and sweet biscuit to the palate.

I enjoyed the pairing quite a bit. Though, interestingly, as I was sipping and smoking, my mind was also running through the bourbon options that would pair well with the cigar. But I have more La Aurora 115th Anniversary cigars in the humidor, so that's an experiment for another day.

Cheers!

Weekend Road Trip

It was a beautiful weekend for football and tailgating. We headed down to Blacksburg for the first Virginia Tech home football game of the season and had a wonderful time. We started our weekend at the new home of J. H. Bards Spirit Company. Their new, expanded tasting room is located in downtown Blacksburg. The new location has more seating, indoors and out, as well as nearby food options for carry-in or delivery. 

We enjoyed a couple of the house special Smoked Old Fashioneds, as well as some pasta and pizza ordered from Not Your Momma's Pasta. The food was delivered quickly and was quite tasty. J. H. Bard's is a fairly regular stop for us when in the area, and since it's no longer so far out of town, we'll probably stop by even more often.

Friday evening continued enjoying the pleasant weather on the outside patio of our hotel. I had brought along a travel flask of Michter's US*1 Small Batch Bourbon, as well as a selection of cigars to enjoy.

The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Sun Grown is a medium bodied cigar. The flavor kicks off with sweet caramel and cedar from the thick and copious smoke. As the cigar warms, caramel, molasses, and coffee join the mix. The dark fruit, vanilla, oak, and pepper notes of the bourbon pair nicely.

Saturday morning threatened some light rain, but that soon passed. We headed over to our tailgate space early, to enjoy the afternoon before the 4:30 PM kickoff. Colleen had prepared a selection of delicious "brunch" foods and we enjoyed a nice meal to start off the festivities. For me, the main tailgate event is relaxing with a nice cigar while enjoying conversation with family.

We had picked up some Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen to enjoy as well. I especially enjoy the selections of  malty Oktoberfest beers that hit the shelves this time of year, and the Paulaner is a classic, and one of my favorites. I selected a Veritas 412 to enjoy with the Märzen. This is a cigar that I find pairs nicely with a malty beer.

The Veritas 412 features a dark Pennsylvania Maduro wrapper, a San Andrés binder, and Nicaraguan Double Ligero and Pennsylvania fillers. It's a full flavored, yet smooth smoke with semi-sweet chocolate, black pepper, and roasted nuts in the profile. The Veritas 412 is bold and dark, but with a mild sweet toasted underpinning. The 6 x 54 Toro gave about an hour and 45 minutes of smoking pleasure.

Finally it was game time. And the Hokies win at home!

Cheers!