A Toast to 10 Million Hits

Musings Over a Barrel is not the most prolific blog on the internet. It has always been a niche blog — that niche being me. Part review site, part experience log, and mostly a journal for me to reminisce over.

One of the most popular pages is the search link, and it’s quite likely many of those hits are my own.

To my surprise, sometime in the last 24 hours, the blog recorded its 10 millionth hit. Granted, that took more than 18 years, but still, it’s a cool milestone.

18+ years and 3,718 posts later, I offer a hearty “thank you” to everyone who spends a few moments of their time reading these ramblings.

Cheers!

2025: A Year of Recovery and Small Pleasures

It’s time for the requisite year-in-review post. Although 2025 marked my first full year of retirement, it was a low-key and, at times, frustratingly sedentary one. After a previous year marked by chronic pain and ineffective treatments, I underwent back surgery — including a spinal fusion — in February. Healing from the procedure and recovering from months of severely limited physical activity has been slow and, to some degree, remains ongoing. Only in the final months of the year was I able to be a bit more active, and even now there is some lingering pain and restricted movement.

Unsurprisingly, that reality is reflected in my shooting journal. In 2025 I managed a meager four trips to the range for practice and just two IDPA matches. On the bright side, that represents a meaningful improvement over the zero outings logged in 2024. I fired my first shots since December 2023 in August and finally made a tentative return to competition in October. With luck — and continued progress — I’m truly hoping for more shooting sports participation in 2026.

Travel plans were also shaped by recovery with most travel in 2025 limited to weekend or overnight outings. We did attend several Virginia Tech Hokies football games. Weekends in Blacksburg, joined by our son and daughter-in-law, were enjoyable, even if the final scores were seldom in our favor.

We did get away for a week centered around a horticultural-focused convention that helped feed my indoor gardening passion. The event was held in New Jersey, which isn’t typically high on my vacation destination list, but I was pleasantly surprised — and pleased — to do a bit of bottle shopping and return home with a couple of excellent store-pick bourbons. Among them was a Wegmans Private Selection of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, a bottle that may well be my favorite find of 2025.

On the upside, one doesn’t need to be especially mobile to enjoy good cigars and fine whiskey. Despite other limitations, I’ve been able to maintain a fairly regular “smoke and sip” routine, usually on the screened porch that we renovated into a three-season room over the summer. That space has quickly become one of my favorite places to slow down and enjoy an evening.

The one true vacation of 2025 was a week at the beach, taking in the surf and sand, good food, and cigars by the sea. During our stay on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, I paid a couple of visits to the OBX Cigar Lounge. Being able to pair a cigar with a beer or whiskey — while smoking indoors — was a particular pleasure. Under Virginia’s nanny-state regulations, that combination is nearly impossible, save for a handful of exceptions.

We managed to squeeze in two very different musical outings this year. May brought Metallica to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, while December closed things out with a Tab Benoit show in Leesburg, Virginia — about as big a genre shift as one could ask for.

On the blogging and social media front, I remained fairly active. Despite the limited activity, I managed 156 posts in 2025. In addition to these blog posts, I regularly share cigar and beverage pairings on Instagram. I also added an option for readers to receive these Musings by email, providing another way for readers who follow along to stay connected.

One final note for those who care about such things: my favorite cigar of 2025 was El Pulpo by Artesano del Tobacco. It’s not often I reorder a cigar while I still have some on hand — make of that what you will.

All told, 2025 wasn’t a year of big adventures or bold accomplishments, but it was a year of recovery, small pleasures, and quiet progress. If nothing else, it helped lay the groundwork for a more active and engaged 2026 — and I’ll gladly raise a glass and light a cigar to that hope.

Happy New Year!

Marking Eighteen Years of Musings Over a Barrel

It’s hard to believe, but today marks eighteen years since I clicked “publish” on the very first post of this blog. What began as a simple outlet for thoughts on the emerging craft beer scene — then called Musings Over a Pint — has grown and evolved into a space where I now share reflections on cigars, whiskey, beer, faith, family, shooting sports, with the occasional detour into other interests.

Over time, this blog has become part journal, part review, part reflection — and yes, at times, a bit of rambling. Some posts have been serious, others lighthearted, and many written simply because the words needed to get out of my head and onto the page. Along the way, I’ve connected with fellow enthusiasts, kindred spirits, and friends I might never have met otherwise.

Eighteen years is a long stretch in “internet years,” and I’ve occasionally wondered if it was time to stop. Yet each time I consider stepping away, something draws me in again — a good pour, a fine cigar, a day at the range, or a story worth recording. And so, 3,641 posts later, the musings continue.

To those who’ve read, commented, or quietly followed along over the years: thank you. Here’s to more sips, more smokes, and more reflections still to come.

AI-generated image

Cheers!

Stay Updated: Get Musings Over a Barrel Delivered to Your Inbox

In the early days of blogging, RSS feeds were a popular way to stay updated on blogs and news sites. I still rely on RSS to follow most of the blogs I read. Even if a site doesn’t advertise it, most publish an RSS feed that can be accessed through a news aggregator or even some web browsers. It’s a convenient way to keep up with multiple sources without visiting dozens of individual websites. You can subscribe to the Musings Over a Pint RSS feeds by using the "Subscribe Via A Feed" menu in the sidebar.

However, I know that some readers prefer to receive new content via email. To make things easier, I’ve added an option to get new Musings Over a Barrel posts delivered straight to your inbox. You can choose to receive updates immediately when new posts are published or opt for a daily or weekly summary. Plus, you can adjust your delivery preferences or unsubscribe anytime.

Signing up is easy—just use the “Subscribe Via Email" form in the sidebar or click the follow.it logo below.

Get Musings Over a Barrel In Your Inbox

Note, Musings will be infrequent as I recover from surgery. But, I have some new bourbons and cigars waiting to be enjoyed in due time.

Cheers!

Virginia Blues: Cigars, Spirits, and Winter’s Chill

Talk of the weather, especially when cold, often finds its way into these Musings—usually as an observation, though sometimes a gripe. Unfortunately when the cold turns extreme, many activities are curtailed, and there’s less musing to be done.

Looking at the upcoming week’s forecast, it doesn’t appear ideal for enjoying a smoke on the deck. Even with the two portable heaters at my feet and the infrared table lamp overhead, my tolerance for the cold wanes. Not entirely, just somewhat. If I’m honest, it’s often the thought of venturing into the chill that deters me more than the cold itself. Once settled, no matter the thermometer’s reading, it’s rarely unpleasant.

That does look cozy

“What about cigar lounges?” you might ask. Before my retirement, I frequented the Hogshead Cigar Lounge near my office, balancing work visits with a smoke nearby. These days, the idea of a 30-minute drive when I feel like lighting up holds less appeal.

The Olde Towne Tobacconist lounge at nearby 1781 Brewery was another favorite haunt, but it closed abruptly in May. While the brewery and winery remain cigar-friendly, the lack of a dedicated, heated lounge means my deck with heaters is often the more comfortable option. Still, I miss the camaraderie of fellow cigar enthusiasts who frequented the lounge.

Speaking of cigar lounges, Virginia isn’t particularly accommodating toward “cigar bars”—much like its restrictions on alcohol sales. Smoking a cigar inside a well-ventilated restaurant while enjoying a good drink or meal remains more of a dream than a reality. Under current Virginia law, establishments serving alcohol must derive at least 45% of their revenue from food sales. Maybe that will change some day. Technically, there are no “bars” in Virginia, only restaurants with alcohol on the menu. 

The situation becomes even more prohibitive for businesses seeking to allow indoor smoking while serving alcohol. Adding to the complexity, smoking sections in food establishments must be entirely separated from non-smoking areas, with dedicated rooms, separate entrances, and unconnected ventilation systems. Moreover, also providing a non-smoking section is mandatory, effectively barring a cigar-friendly restaurant catering exclusively to smokers. Non-smokers must have a choice, while smokers do not—a disparity that feels inequitable. A tobacconist once lamented to me that they'd love to open a proper cigar bar, but they did not want to manage a full (non-smoking) restaurant in order to do so. 

In short, to serve alcohol, you must serve food. If you serve food, you cannot allow smoking without prohibitive restrictions. Ergo, no cigar bars. A loss particularly felt during the winter months.

A restaurant may choose to allow smoking in outdoor seating areas, but only "at such times when such outdoor area is not enclosed in whole or in part by any screened walls, roll-up doors, windows or other seasonal or temporary enclosures." (Code of Virginia § 15.2-2825)

Of course, I still enjoy fine whiskeys and beers indoors during the colder months, and musings on those pairings will occasionally appear. However, my focus tends to center on the interplay between the smoke and the sip, so those lone pours don't often get mentioned.

Lastly, there’s been a lamentable lack of range time this year—none, to be exact. Structural anomalies in my spine have kept me sidelined. I am still hoping that by the spring shooting season, those "barrel" stories might make a reemergence here. At least now that it’s winter, I wouldn’t be shooting outdoors anyway — a minor condolence. 

So there's the situation. All that said, it's time to fire up the heaters.

Cheers!

A Refresh for Musings Over a Barrel: New Look, Same Spirit

I’ve been gradually updating and tweaking Musings Over a Barrel over the past couple of weeks. The colder weather has meant more time spent indoors, perfect for refining this space. However, within the limitations of the Blogger platform, there’s only so much I can do—after all, you get what you pay for. If you’re reading on a mobile device, you may not notice the design changes as much. Curious? Scroll to the bottom of your phone screen and click “View web version,” but be ready to squint a bit.

In addition to refreshing the look, I’ve focused on updating the link compilation pages in the sidebar. While reviewing the blogs and sites I link to, it’s clear that fewer people are blogging these days. Many of the links I’d previously shared are inactive or gone. Platforms like YouTube and Rumble seem to have taken over. (And let’s not even start on the mind-numbing content on China's TikTok.)

Back in the early blogging days, reciprocal link networks were all the rage. Content creators worked to build communities by sharing links. These days, bloggers seem to prefer a more insular approach, often limiting links to paying sponsors. Personally, I enjoy sharing interesting sites I frequent—no strings attached—for the enlightenment of my readers.

For those of us feeling “old school,” RSS feeds are still around. I rely on an RSS reader daily to browse through roughly 100 feeds that interest me. If you’re similarly inclined, you can subscribe to an RSS feed of Musings Over a Barrel via the sidebar. Sadly, Google has done away with the subscribe-by-email functionality.

Speaking of sponsors, this blog remains a hobby, not a source of income. While I occasionally review products, I only do so if they genuinely interest me and might appeal to my readers. At times, I’ll use an Amazon or other sponsored link to offset minor costs—Blogger might be free, but domain registrations and related services are not.

Lastly, photo sharing on Instagram has become quite popular among cigar and whiskey enthusiasts. My Instagram account gets frequent, in-the-moment updates. If photos of cigars, whiskey, and craft beer pique your interest, I invite you to check it out!

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!

Sixteen Years of Blogging

Today marks 16 years of writing this blog. The collection of ramblings began as "Musings Over a Pint" on October 6, 2007. As I sorted out the "identity" of the Musings, the title eventually changed to "Musings Over a Barrel." I stated in that first post, "I have no idea what this will turn in to" and still today the topics continue morph with my interests and the times.

Heck, I'm not even sure anyone reads this stuff, except me. And I re-read it frequently. As with looking through a photo album, it's fun to reminisce. Writing the blog gives me an excuse to seek out new cigars and bourbons to try. (Yeah, that's it.) I also find writing the posts to be relaxing, most are written with my morning coffee. Which might explain the typos.

To those of you who may check in here on occasion, thanks for stopping by. Tell your friends. ;-) 

I might as well plug my related Instagram posts as well.

Cheers!

This Blog Belches Carbon

Hardly a day goes by when we aren't informed that yet another part of life considered by the woke to be racist, or damaging to the climate, or some other imagined offense. Not too surprisingly, even wildfires are deemed both climate damaging AND racist. 

So I wasn't shocked, amused actually, to find out a German "environmentalist" group is warning about the dangers to our health created by blogging.

According to a study by Alexander Wissner-Gross, PhD, physicist at Harvard University and environmental activist, an average website causes about 0.02g (0,0008oz.) of carbon dioxide for each visit. Assuming an average blog gets 15,000 visits a month, it has yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 3,6kg (8lb.). 

Adding to my concern, even this meager blog generated 45,000 visits last month, tripling the alert threshold of the European group.

Thanks to Borepatch for alerting us to the danger.

Cheers!

Comments Found. Logic Missing.

Wow. Sunday morning while enjoying my coffee on the deck, I was clicking around the comments section of the Blogger admin page. I brought up the spam section in the comments page and there I saw one of my own replies to a reader's comment. "That's odd," I thought, especially since I commented as the logged in owner of these Musings. I get an email anytime someone comments, at least that's what is configured in the settings. The more I scrolled through pages and pages of "spam" comments, I came across more of the same. Most of the spam comments are indeed spam, but I saw a lot my own replies, and even a bunch of comments from friends -- all awaiting release.

It's logic only a Google engineer would understand. Why they send an email stating a comment been posted, but make no mention that they randomly held it for moderation or flagged it as spam? Or why would my own comments to my posts would require moderation -- by me!?!

I've released a bunch of those mis-flagged comments, but I also finally deleted all the old stuff. I'll pay closer attention going forward. My apologies to those who took the time to comment, but never saw their comments posted.

Cheers!

Will This Thing Start?

I've been trying to get back to posting with some regularity. Obviously, that has not been successful. It's not that I haven't been penning posts. I have been drafting Musings fairly regularly. I never committed to publishing them, and soon they seemed too "in the past," or were deemed to be thoughts or opinions best kept to myself.

Yet, I've missed it. I frequently note that this blog is primarily for my own enjoyment. It's a way of reliving interesting occurrences in my average life. Yet, it seemed that there was little variety in the content. These days, that reminiscing purpose has somewhat been supplanted by Instagram. Just about all my cigar, bourbon, and beer experiences get logged there. Check it out.

Surprisingly, over the past month I've had three folks mention to me in person that they noted the absence of content. Frankly I was shocked. First, I rarely talk about this blog to friends, yet some knew. Second, I didn't think there were that many readers!

I've got a few posts in draft, and some ideas for others in mind. It felt odd to just jump back in without some intro though. I don't know to whom it will be interesting, but it will be to me. That's what matters.

Cheers!

It's Been a Minute

I recently received an email from a reader making note of my absence from posting. My web browser landing pages set to these Musings, so I am constantly made well-aware of the stale post. Rest assured reader, I am still here. The break has been by design due to a busy schedule, and a lack of inspiration. 

For those wondering, the shooting, cigar, beer, whiskey, and travel activities have not ceased. To illustrate, since my last post on April 10, 2022, I've actually participated in 10 local monthly IDPA matches. I do plan to go back to some match write-ups in the future as an expansion of the brief notes I make for my own benefit.

There have been some 42 different cigars enjoyed in that time too. I opted to not take notes, even for the new or limited releases. Many of those cigars were obviously enjoyed with good bourbon or craft beer. This is a good place to mention that many of those smokes, and other subjects, are illustrated on my Instagram feed.

Speaking of whiskey, my spreadsheet shows I've added 26 whiskeys, mostly bourbons, to my stock since April. That number shocks me a bit -- hopefully my wife isn't reading this. Although she is well aware of the new shelf in the dining room. There are still half a dozen I need to open.

The above statements reveal my OCD, or nerd factor, around the logging and journaling I do across my interests. 

Speaking of travel, we've been to Montana, and to Central Europe for a great Danube River cruise. And, once fall arrived, Hokies football has added several weekend trips to the schedule. 

Wait, I forget where I was going with all this.

Chat soon!. . . 

Still Kicking

Hello friends,

It's been a while since I've posted here. I figured I owed the one or two of you who visit here an update.

No, I haven't succumbed to the Wuhan Flu, nor even had a taste of it. Despite the lack of content the last two months, I'm still enjoying good beer and bourbon, smoking cigars regularly, and we're frequently traveling over long weekends to do fun stuff. Unfortunately, I haven't been shooting as much as I would like, but that should change after college football season.

So why the lack of posts? Honestly, and frankly, I ran out of things to say. Here's a cigar and the beverage I enjoyed with it. Here's a description of the match I shot. It all got repetitive. Let's face it, life has been a bit of a broken record of late.

On top of that, work is busy -- in a good way. But after living on the laptop all day, tapping on it during my relaxation time became a bit uninspiring. 

October 6 marked the 14 year anniversary of these Musings. I'm a bit disappointed that it wasn't celebrated with a post. But, that is what it is. There will be more posts coming at some point, so the blog isn't dead.

Meanwhile, I am still quite active on Instagram. It's quick and easy for me to check in over there. That feed is focused mainly on cigars, craft beer, and bourbon. If that interests you click the link here or the graphic over in the sidebar.

That's the update. It's Friday and I'm headed out for a cigar and a beer or two.

Cheers,

David

Still enjoying life.

Thirteen Years of Blogging

It's been thirteen years since I started rambling in these Musings. That seems like forever in blog years. What started as Musings Over a Pint eventually expanded to include much more than just beer interests. 

It's been a fun adventure, and remains so after all these years. I still consider it mainly an exercise for my own enjoyment, and I regularly go back and reminisce on older posts. Every so often I get a hint that a few other people enjoy it too. The post count pales in comparison to that of some blogs I read, but the 3,114 posts made here so far represent no small amount of time spent with a computer on my lap.

I'm looking forward to many more years of jounaling this adventure, assuming the prohibitions and added taxes against alcohol, tobacco, and firearms continually pushed by democrats don't squelch the fun in the future.

Cheers!

I Offended The Twitter

I don't read Twitter that often. For me, it's mainly a consolidation point from which to share blog posts, my beer check-ins on UnTappd, and the cigar pictures I upload to Instagram. As such it took me a few days to realize something was amiss.

I got an error when I tried to share the Glenlivet post but didn't think much about it at the time. Then I kept seeing the same posts at the top of my feed. At first, it didn't stand out, as there is a lot of repeated sharing on the platform. Then I noticed that the timestamps of the posts I saw had stopped on August 26. That's when I noticed that my Following count was zero, down from about 400. Well, that would explain why I saw no new content, but not why I was locked out from posting.

The mystery remain unsolved until I mentioned the issue to Colleen and she tried to view my Twitter feed. That's when I learned the account was "restricted."

I am not sure what caused the outrage. This is a screenshot of the last post Twitter allowed. Do the censors dislike Rocky Patel cigars or scotch?

After that post Twitter blocked me from posting anything further. They also will not allow me to follow anyone. Apparently alcohol, tobacco and firearms melt the Twitter-flakes. Of course, no notification came from Twitter, and my profile page gives me notice of the restriction. I've inquired via their customer support form, but expect no support whatsoever.

Truth be told, for the past week I haven't really missed Twitter either.

Hiatus

And suddenly it's September. Sorry friends, I realized that the last Musings were posted on July 31. I'm still here, but have taken a bit of a break from the blog. Not to fear, craft beer, whiskey, and cigars are still being enjoyed, frequently. I even managed to shoot a couple of IDPA matches in August. I just happen to be enjoying living life more than writing about it, for the time being anyway.

Life changes abound. Our son has graduated from college, and is working and living on his own. Colleen and I are enjoying the chance to live a bit more "on a whim." Sometimes that means an unplanned trip. Sometimes it just means more time spent doing nothing. And not thinking about writing while I'm doing it is a refreshing break.

This isn't a "blog closed" announcement. Consider it a hiatus.

Now on Instagram

A few months ago, I succumbed and opened an Instagram account. My motivation for adding another social media account was to follow some cigar-related accounts. As such, most of my Instagram activity will be focused on cigars. I'll include some shooting, beer, and whiskey posts on occasion too. After all, they do go hand in hand at times.

Click the logo above to see the content. And follow if it interests you.

For those interested, I'm also active on Twitter.

An Update on Blog Updates (or lack thereof)

Figured I better rattle this thing to see if it still works. It's been an interesting couple of months, but not necessarily interesting in a blogging manner.

Once fall arrives, many of our weekends are taken up by college football. Those events do lead to some opportunities to enjoy a good drink and cigar, as mentioned here. Although the games and tailgating events are fun, they do conflict with shooting events. To my chagrin, it's been over two months since I was able to shoot a match. Even more regrettable, even a quick trip to the range is a nearly month old memory at this point.

I've had a few work-related trips of late as well. Those do take time away from the more pleasurable activities. On the bright side, those trips also offer opportunities to enjoy interesting food and drink in new spots. However, the excursions are also time consuming which limits my time, and energy, to muse about them.

As mentioned previously, cold weather can be the bane of my existence as times. I set up a new humidor recently, and spent some effort and money stocking it. All that came together about the same time the weather turned cold. That has severely limited the time I'm able, and willing, to sit outside and enjoy a cigar. Instead I'm spending some time at a local cigar shop that has decent lounge, in addition to a well-stocked humidor. Perhaps I'll share tales of some events there in the future.

Looking forward, my match schedule for 2019 is coming together. Or at least I have some ideas on IDPA sanctioned matches to consider. I do expect to shoot some fun events in the coming year, assuming I can also get in a reasonable amount of practice. Meanwhile, I am doing some, but not enough, dry fire.

We don't get out to as many beer-related events as we used to. Frankly, I prefer my alcohol consumed at home. There are however, a couple of beers waiting in the wings for review when the schedule allows.

So there it is, my post about not posting. In retrospect, there's lots of stuff happening, I'm just remiss in putting it to paper, so to speak.

Cheers, until next time...

The Brown Truck Delivered

As did the purple one. And the white one too.

The package tracking app on my phone had me rushing home on Tuesday.

I took advantage of sales over the holiday weekend to stock up on ammunition and cigars. There was also a beer sample delivered that's queued up for a future review. Having everything show up on the same day was like a mini-Christmas. Also in the pile by the door was a portable propane heater to extend the back porch smoking season.

If anyone needs me, I'll be over here enjoying the fruits of online shopping.

Musing For Eleven Years

Today marks the 11th birthday of these Musings. I think that's something like 77 in blog years. It's been a fun journey so far. The blog has been through some changes, with varying amounts of activity over the years. Since the summer, posting has slowed due time constraints. I did manage to keep up the shooting related posts, mainly for my own use in journaling the range trips and matches. I'm looking forward to some recreational time this fall to explore more beer, bourbon, cigars, and of course, more shooting.

Thanks for playing along the last 1.1 decades.

October 6 also marks the date of the first train robbery in the United States in 1866. Take that for what it's worth.

Cheers!