June 14: A Day Rich with “Made in America” Celebrations

June 14 is a day rich with truly “Made in America” celebrations. It’s Flag Day — a time to honor our Nation’s flag and everything it represents. It’s also National Bourbon Day, recognizing one of our country’s most iconic and officially recognized spirits.

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress resolved: “That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Our flag has evolved over the centuries, but today it still bears those 13 stripes along with 50 stars. I firmly believe it remains the most striking flag of any nation.

Sadly, some today label our flag as a symbol of oppression or racism. Ironically, many of those critics enjoy freedoms — speech, protest, and dissent — that are rare or outright denied in the very regimes they claim to admire. In those systems, expressing such views could easily lead to imprisonment — or worse.

National Bourbon Day came later. On May 4, 1964, Congress declared bourbon a “distinctive product of the United States.” While the exact origins of National Bourbon Day are unclear — perhaps more marketing than history — June 14 has become the day to celebrate our native beverage. A popular legend holds that on this day in 1789, in Georgetown, Kentucky, the Reverend Elijah Craig — a Baptist minister and entrepreneur — first produced bourbon. His distillery is said to be the birthplace of this remarkable spirit. Whatever the origin, it’s fitting to toast an American-made tradition on the same day we honor our flag.

So, raise the flag and raise a glass. Celebrate what makes this Nation great—its history, its symbols, and yes, even its spirits. Be thankful for them all.

Cheers!

Five O'Clock Friday: I'm Just Drinkin'

Some music from the great Albert Collins to kick off the weekend.

Cheers!

Cigar Review: Powstanie San Andrés with Still Austin Single Barrel

I’ve long been a fan of Powstanie cigars. Both the Habano and Broadleaf lines, in multiple vitolas, make frequent appearances in these Musings. I often joke that Powstanie is my vacation cigar — I always seem to bring a few along on my travels. So when I read that the company was adding a San Andrés blend as a new core line, I was eager to give it a try. There is also a Powstanie Connecticut in their core lineup that has not yet tempted me.

The Powstanie San Andrés hit shelves in January of this year. I finally picked up a few in April but let them rest in the humidor for a bit before lighting one up — though I did sneak a preview by smoking one at the cigar lounge a few weeks ago. That little tease only whetted my appetite for the ones waiting patiently at home.

This cigar features a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder, with a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The line currently comes in four vitolas, with a fifth coming later. For this evening’s repast, I selected the 5 x 50 Robusto.

The smoke opens with notes of semi-sweet cocoa and nuttiness. As it develops, flavors of espresso and dark chocolate come forward, underpinned by a steady hum of pepper spice that broadens the profile. The burn was even requiring no touchups, and the smoke remained cool down to the nub. The Powstanie San Andrés delivers a rich, medium-bodied, and flavorful experience.

I paired it with Still Austin Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon. At 116 proof, this bourbon has a surprising smoothness for its minimal two-year age. The strength is apparent on the nose — especially when concentrated in a Glencairn glass — but the palate opens with cinnamon spice that quickly mellows into brown sugar sweetness. Notes of raisin, plum, caramel, and molasses soon follow, creating a layered and satisfying pour.

The cigar’s bold profile complemented the bourbon’s sweetness and lingering spice beautifully. While strongly spiced bourbons can sometimes overpower medium-bodied cigars, the Powstanie San Andrés held its own — robust without being overpowering.

Cheers!

Five O'Clock Friday: Cliff Claven the Sage

It's hard to argue with logic like that.

Cheers!  (No pun intended.)

A Storm, A Smoke, and A Sip: Belgian Blue and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

As I prepped to enjoy a cigar on the porch Friday evening, my phone alerted me that we were under a Storm Warning and a Tornado Watch. Undaunted, I grabbed a Crowned Heads Belgium Blue LE 2024 from the humidor and headed out.

The Belgian Blue is a limited-edition cigar released in 2024 by Crowned Heads — only 2,000 boxes of 12 were produced. It’s a 6x54 box-pressed Toro, featuring a Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper over an Ecuadorian binder. The filler is comprised of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos, 75% of which are ligero leaves — the strongest part of the tobacco plant. Fittingly, the cigar is named after a breed of Belgian cattle known for their strength and sculpted muscularity. Coincidentally, we had recently watched an episode of Clarkson’s Farm where Jeremy was buying a Belgian Blue bull. That reminded me I still had a few of these cigars in the humidor, and it influenced the evening’s selection.

As I began to enjoy the smoke, I heard a roar in the distance, growing louder. It wasn’t a tornado approaching, nor a noisy truck as I first thought, but a wall of heavy rain moving swiftly through the trees. I quickly shifted my setup from the outer edge of the porch to the inner wall — just in time. The rain hit hard and loud. Colleen stepped out and said she’d heard the roar inside and wondered what it was.

At that point, I turned off the music I’d been listening to, as it was impossible to hear. In a twist of fate, the last song that played was “Storm Warning” by Charlie Musselwhite, from his new Look Out Highway album released just a couple of weeks ago.

With only a light mist reaching me now, I was able to continue my smoke. The Belgian Blue opens with bold pepper and sweet mocha notes. As it progresses, it evolves into a full-bodied experience featuring a medley of caramel, roasted nuts, and oak. The smoke is copious, rich, and creamy.

I paired the nearly hour and 45-minute cigar with a pour of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon (Batch A124). Elijah Craig releases three barrel-proof editions each year, and A124 is the first of 2024. It clocks in at 119 proof, with a 10-year, 9-month age statement — one of the lower-proof and younger releases in the series.

This bourbon brings a robust profile of brown sugar, caramel, and charred oak, with a distinct cinnamon spice kick. The sweet and spicy finish is long and satisfying. I typically enjoy bourbon neat, and I’ve had this one that way. But for this pairing, I opted for a large ice cube. The slight chill and dilution smoothed some of the proof’s bite and opened up more sweetness. It paired nicely with the cigar, though eventually the bourbon became too diluted, muting the flavor.

Surprisingly, the sky turned blue as the storm front moved on. I restarted the music and enjoyed the rest of the cigar in unexpectedly pleasant, spring-like weather.

Cheers!

Retirement: One Year In

It’s now been a year since I retired. Though much of the past year has been marked by pain and limited activity, it has also been filled with joy and countless blessings.

It took a couple of months for the reality of retirement to truly sink in. At first, my thoughts were mostly centered around one simple truth: I no longer had to deal with the stress. The joy came from repeatedly thinking, “It's not my problem anymore.”

There is no peace of mind quite like walking away from an environment that left you drained, burned out, and exhausted. But that initial relief was only a distraction from the deeper, truer joy of retirement — knowing that my wife and I can now enjoy the life we spent so many years working for. I spent fifty years chasing a paycheck. No more.

Now, with healing well underway after back surgery — along with the relief it has brought — we are beginning to embrace this new chapter. It finally feels like the culmination of a successful career. And then there are the little things — like not having to spend Saturdays on chores, and enjoying our favorite lunch spots and avoiding the weekend crowds.

These days, I look forward to waking up in the morning. Interestingly, I rarely set an alarm, yet I still rise around the same time I did during my working years. Sometimes even earlier — probably because I can finally look forward to the day ahead. And sometimes, I just smile, roll over, and go back to sleep.

I like the AI-bot impression!

Cheers!

Five O'Clock Friday: Incoming Call

Excuse me, I have to get this.

Cheers!

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A Toast to John B. Keane

Irish playwright, poet, and pub owner John Brendan Keane (21 July 1928 – 30 May 2002) expressed his love for drink with a wit and passion few could match. On the anniversary of his passing, let’s lend an ear to his words once more — then promptly raise a glass, as he surely would’ve insisted.

 

Cheers!

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