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Since 2007
Ramblings on cigars, whiskey, craft beer, shooting sports, and life.
Monday, November 11, 2024
A Perfect Pairing for a Mild Fall Evening: Southern Draw and Wilderness Trail Bourbon
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Thursday, November 7, 2024
An 80° Fall Sunset: Still Austin Bourbon and Rocky Patel Anniversary Pairing
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Friday, November 1, 2024
An Evening of Flavor: Skipper’s Select Bourbon and Crowned Heads Le Carême
The well-aged cigar was exceptionally enjoyable. The cigar burned beautifully, releasing rich, flavorful smoke. The creamy chocolate and cedar flavors of the Le Carême paired wonderfully with the bourbon’s caramel and char notes. Beside the Crowned Head La Carême being one of my favorite cigars, I believe the Skipper's Select Toast Barrel Finish just might be my favorite J. H. Bards spirit yet.
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Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Weekend Escape: Family, Football, and Bourbon
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Thursday, October 24, 2024
Enjoying Cigars in Italy
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Rocky Patel A.L.R. 2, Again and Again
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Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Rocky Patel DBS With Larceny Barrel Proof
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Sunday, October 6, 2024
Celebrating 17 Years of Musings
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Thursday, October 3, 2024
Center of the Universe Oktoberfest and AVO Syncro Nicaragua Fogata
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Thursday, September 26, 2024
Maltese Brewing Oktoberfest Celebration
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Monday, September 23, 2024
L'Atelier LAT56 and Peerless Small Batch Bourbon
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.
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Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Oktoberfest Season and Cigars
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Thursday, September 12, 2024
Weekend Road Trip
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
September 11: Some Have Forgotten
It's been twenty-three years. Memories fade for some. Some choose to forget. There's a whole generation that didn't experience the reality of that day and never learned history. The events of September 11, 2001 brought horrors to our shores that the world should never be permitted to forget. The same ideology that fomented the horrors of that morning continues to bring violence across Europe and throughout the world on a daily basis. It still brings evil to our shores regularly. Yet, so many remain complacent and blind. Appallingly, many in our own government continue to aid and placate those who threaten us.
We stand on a precipice. Remember what was done to us that sunny September day, and stand fast against it. The evil one and his minions have not given up. The threat remains.
Monday, September 9, 2024
International Buy a Priest a Beer Day
This festive holiday traces its origins back to the pious deed of St. Hopswald of Aleyard, the first man to buy his priest a beer. The legend goes that St. Hopswald, a master brewer by trade, was a Teutonic pagan who was converted and baptized by a zealous Catholic priest.
One day, St. Hopswald committed a grievous sin. Without wasting a moment, he ran quickly to his priest and confessed. Later that day, as he was particularly enjoying the peace of a clean conscience, St. Hopswald was so filled with gratitude for his priest’s sacramental ministry that he rushed to the rectory and offered to buy his priest a beer.
Okay, if you haven’t figured it out by now, St. Hopswald wasn’t real, but your priest is, and without priestly ministry, getting to heaven would be well nigh impossible!
Believe it or not, priests are real people, and they enjoy socializing over good food and drink as much as anyone. They also have a thankless and difficult job, a job that we couldn’t get to heaven without. Priests are the lifeblood of the Church, and they deserve some appreciation.
Even if you aren't able to buy a round or two for your favorite priest today, raise a pint today in honor of the men who devote their lives to the Church.
The late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI celebrates his 88th birthday. |
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Monday, September 2, 2024
Wise Man Maduro With Bulleit 95 Rye
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Friday, August 23, 2024
Abraham Bowman French Oak Series Lottery Win
The Abraham Bowman collection of experimental, limited-edition whiskies began in 2010 with the release of Abraham Bowman Rye Whiskey. Since, A. Smith Bowman Distillery has released 22 experiments that have challenged whiskey-making methodologies and captivated fans.Recently, ASB has put a specific focus on exploring oak varietals with its latest collection, The Abraham Bowman Oak Series. For the series inaugural release, the experimental distillery is sharing its take on whiskey aged in French Oak barrels. This is the first of multiple releases that explores oak varietals and its impact on American whiskey maturation.
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Wednesday, August 21, 2024
A Patronal Feast Day for Cigar Smokers
Reading of his [Pius X] defense of cigars as not being a vice, I was reminded of a story that a cigar smoking priest of the Diocese of Tulsa, who is now in training for the Vatican diplomatic corps, told me. When he was a seminarian in Rome, he learned that Pius X, who was the pope from 1903 to 1914, called a bishop onto the carpet to reprimand him for his scandalous misbehavior with wine, women and song, and to correct his wrongs patiently.The pope offered the errant bishop a cigar from the papal humidor on his desk. The bishop declined the offer with the protestation, "I do not have that vice, Your Holiness," to which His Holiness replied, "If cigars were a vice, I would not offer you one, for you have quite enough vices already."
Pope Pius X It's easy to imagine a cigar in that hand |
Saturday, August 17, 2024
Eight Shires Accomak Shire Spiced Rum with Blackened S84 Shade to Black
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Sunday, August 11, 2024
Liga Privada H99, Rye, and the Humidity
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Monday, August 5, 2024
Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Gran Reserva GT20 and Heaven Hill BiB
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Thursday, August 1, 2024
Root Beer and RomaCraft
Friday, July 26, 2024
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Still Austin Single Barrel Cask Strength
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Friday, July 19, 2024
Five O'Clock Friday: To Whiskey or Not To Whiskey
Thursday, July 18, 2024
A Brief Stop in Frankfort, KY
Returning home to Virginia by the same route, we again stopped overnight in Frankfort, KY. This time we planned to do some local sightseeing in the morning before continuing our journey.
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