Cheers!
Since 2007
Ramblings on cigars, whiskey, craft beer, shooting sports, and life.
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Too Hot for the Porch: AVO Syncro Nicaragua in the Lounge
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Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Port, Spice, and Smoke: Isaac Bowman Meets the Oliva Melanio
For a recent cigar and bourbon pairing, I reached for a couple of familiar old friends: Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon and the Oliva Serie V Melanio.
The Isaac Bowman is produced by A. Smith Bowman Distillery, located right here in Fredericksburg, VA. Despite the distillery’s proximity, their core expressions can be surprisingly hard to come by — even here in Virginia. The Isaac Bowman Port Finish, fortunately, is generally found on store shelves, but that doesn’t make it any less desirable.
I’ve long been a fan of port-finished bourbons as companions to full-flavored cigars, and the Isaac Bowman is no exception. The bottle bears no age statement but is believed to be aged in oak for 4 to 5.5 years, followed by a 3 to 6 month finish in port barrels sourced from both Virginia and Portugal (using a mix of American and French Limousin oak). It’s bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV).
The port influence is immediately evident on the nose, offering notes of dark cherry, sweet apple, and vanilla. The palate carries those same port-aged qualities forward — delectable hints of sweet fruit, brown sugar, creamy vanilla, and a touch of mild spice. The finish is long, warm, and very satisfying.
The Oliva Serie V Melanio has made more than a few appearances in these Musings and on my Instagram feed. I can’t recall a time when I didn’t have either the Serie V or Serie V Melanio — usually in several vitolas — resting in my humidor. It’s a versatile, well-rounded cigar that pairs just as well with whiskey as it does with beer or coffee.
This cigar features an Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, including Jalapa-grown ligero. Medium to full in body, it delivers a beautifully balanced profile of peppery spice, caramel, coffee, sweet nuts, and chocolate. The lingering mouthfeel is creamy and smooth.
This particular stick was from a box of Robustos I purchased in April 2024. It was brimming with the expected rich flavors and maintained an excellent, cool burn from start to finish.
The combination of the cigar and the port-finished bourbon was an absolute delight — perhaps one of the best pairings I’ve enjoyed in recent memory.
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Friday, July 4, 2025
Five O'Clock Friday: The Hazy Craze
Here's hoping your weekend beer options are numerous.
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Celebrate Freedom, Defend Liberty
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“For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Bold Flavor in a Small Package: Dunbarton Polpetta Petit Puros
I typically drink my coffee hot and black, even on warm days. But on this particular afternoon, the heat had me craving something cooler — so I brewed up iced coffees for my wife and myself. Then I reached into the humidor for a quick smoke.
The Dunbarton Polpetta Petit Puros is a cigar I hadn’t tried before. It recently showed up in two different cigar-of-the-month subscriptions, so it had definitely caught my attention.
Cheers!
Monday, June 30, 2025
Smoke and Spirit: La Madonna Negra and the Legacy of Uncle Nearest
I’ve enjoyed the Black Label Trading Co. La Madonna Negra numerous times over the past couple of years, and recently revisited one that had been resting in my humidor for nearly two years — left from my original pre-release order.
Cloaked in a rich U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, the cigar features an Ecuadorian Habano binder and fillers from Nicaragua and Pennsylvania. It boasts a soft box press and is dressed with striking black, white, and gold-accented bands that contrast beautifully against the reddish-chocolate hue of the wrapper.
This well-aged stick burned evenly and delivered a medium- to full-bodied experience. Dark chocolate, espresso, and dark cherry took center stage, while subtle notes of black pepper and cedar added depth and complexity in the background.
That said, this particular cigar did present a tight draw initially. After a few minutes of struggling, I reached for the PerfecDraw tool and extracted a sizable stem that had clearly been restricting airflow. Once cleared, the draw opened up nicely, producing copious smoke and allowing the cigar’s full flavor profile to shine through.
As I enjoyed the La Madonna Negra, I reached for a nearly depleted bottle of Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey — a bottle I realized I’ve somehow never written about in these Musings.
Uncle Nearest is a Tennessee distillery named in honor of Nathan “Nearest” Green, the formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel the craft of distillation. The “1856” marks the earliest documented involvement of Nearest Green as the master distiller for the operation that would eventually become the Jack Daniel's Distillery
While technically not a bourbon due to Tennessee whiskey's legal classification requirements, Uncle Nearest 1856 is extremely close in profile. It undergoes the Lincoln County Process, which involves filtering the spirit through sugar maple charcoal before aging — an essential characteristic of Tennessee whiskey. In every other respect, it meets the legal standards of a bourbon. Whether Tennessee whiskey is bourbon remains a long-running (and mostly semantic) debate — one I’ll leave to others.
On the nose, the 1856 offers notes of vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak. The palate brings brown sugar, maple syrup, charred oak, and a touch of spice, all carried with a gentle heat from its 100-proof strength.
Compared to the Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, the “classic” example of Tennessee whiskey, Uncle Nearest is richer, bolder, and more layered — closer to a classic bourbon than its softer Tennessee sibling. One reason my bottle’s nearly empty: I've found it makes a fine Old Fashioned and has often been in my rotation for that cocktail.
As for the pairing, La Madonna Negra was an ideal companion to the whiskey. The cigar’s dark chocolate and espresso notes harmonized with the whiskey’s vanilla and caramel, while the 100-proof backbone of the Uncle Nearest stood up well to the cigar’s bold character.
Cheers!
Saturday, June 28, 2025
A Summer Sobremesa: Wine, Smoke, and Setting Sun
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Friday, June 27, 2025
Action Item From Cigar Rights of America
Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL), joined by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, has introduced H.R. 2111 – the CIGAR Act. This commonsense legislation would establish a clear exemption for premium cigars from FDA regulation, ensuring they are treated distinctly from mass-market tobacco products and protected from future regulatory overreach.Why H.R. 2111 Matters:✅ Protects Consumer Choice: Premium cigars are handcrafted products, enjoyed occasionally by informed adults. H.R. 2111 puts in place protections that ensures they’re not swept up in regulations meant for entirely different products.✅ Prevents Future Overreach: While a federal court vacated FDA authority over premium cigars, that protection isn’t permanent. This bill codifies a clear definition and exemption into law, guarding against future regulatory reversal and preventing FDA from regulating premium cigars again.✅ Supports Small Businesses: Family-owned manufacturers and specialty retailers face crushing compliance costs under FDA regulation. H.R. 2111 shields them from red tape that threatens their survival.Take action now! Contact your representatives in Washington today, and tell them to support H.R. 2111 and stand up for common sense protections for premium cigars!
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Thursday, June 26, 2025
Joya de Nicaragua Cuatro Cinco and a Perplexing Angel's Envy Triple Oak
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Aperol Spritz & the Liga Undercrown Shade: A Summer Pairing
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Sunday, June 22, 2025
Summer Solstice: A Smoke, a Beer, and Spicy Shrimp
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Friday, June 20, 2025
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
Saturday, June 14, 2025
June 14: A Day Rich with “Made in America” Celebrations
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Friday, June 13, 2025
Five O'Clock Friday: I'm Just Drinkin'
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Sunday, June 8, 2025
Cigar Review: Powstanie San Andrés with Still Austin Single Barrel
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Friday, June 6, 2025
Monday, June 2, 2025
A Storm, A Smoke, and A Sip: Belgian Blue and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
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Sunday, June 1, 2025
Retirement: One Year In
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I like the AI-bot impression! |
Friday, May 30, 2025
A Toast to John B. Keane
Thursday, May 29, 2025
It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again — With Smoke
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
H. Upmann 180th Anniversary Churchill Cigar Review – A Bold & Elegant Smoke
Monday, May 26, 2025
Memorial Day: Gratitude and Vigilance
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Porch Reflections: With Rocky Patel A.L.R. 2 and Green River Bourbon
Friday, May 23, 2025
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Mid-Week Cigar Break: Enjoying the Powstanie San Andrés at Hogshead
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Celebrating Recovery: Liga Privada H99 and Basil Hayden's Dark Rye
Friday, May 16, 2025
Five O'Clock Friday: Bourbon Math
Thursday, May 15, 2025
A Rainy Morning at John B. Hayes Tobacconist
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