Porch Reflections: With Rocky Patel A.L.R. 2 and Green River Bourbon

Memorial Day weekend, despite marking the traditional start of summer, so often arrives cloaked in cool and rainy weather. At least, that seems to be the pattern around here. When our son was in high school, he worked as a lifeguard at the local pool and eagerly anticipated the start of swim season — mainly for the money-making opportunities. Yet, more often than not, it was too cold or stormy for the pool to open, much to his disappointment.

This year’s holiday brought another drop in temperature, with the thermometer dipping into the 60s. At least the rain held off. To kick off the weekend, I settled onto the porch to relax and enjoy a few of my favorite pastimes — cigars, bourbon, and music.

For the evening, I chose my last Rocky Patel A.L.R. Second Edition Bala. The A.L.R. Second Edition is one of my all-time favorite smokes. This particular cigar, an approximately 5 3/4 x 58 Perfecto, was the last of the stash I picked up at the Rocky Patel event held at Hogshead Cigar Lounge in November 2022 — where I was thrilled to meet both Rocky and Nish Patel.

The Bala vitola features a mostly closed foot and narrows towards the cap. After removing the slightly yellowed cello, I used my PerfecPunch to open the cap. Even after the foot burned open, the draw remained a bit tight, so I followed up with a straight cut. That did the trick — smoke production became copious and flavorful.

The blend is the signature A.L.R. Second Edition combination: a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Honduran binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. The cigar delivers well-integrated notes of coffee and espresso, with pepper and cedar spice, all underpinned by a dark fruit sweetness. The A.L.R. Second Edition consistently provides a flavorful and satisfying experience. Although this was my last Bala, I typically keep Robusto or Toro sizes in my humidor.

To complement the cigar, I poured the last bit from my bottle of Green River Kentucky Bourbon. Well, truth be told, it made for two good pours.

Green River offers a classic, easy-sipping bourbon profile: caramel, oak, and a touch of brown sugar, all well-balanced. There’s a hint of spice on the palate that fades quickly. At under $40, it’s a great value for a 90-proof bourbon aged over five years. With this bottle now empty, I’ll likely be picking up a replacement soon.

Despite a constant cool breeze drifting through the porch, the 90-minute session was quite pleasant. I had a Joe Bonamassa blues album blaring through the outdoor speaker, adding to the evening’s atmosphere. I spent much of the time reflecting on this time last year — when I was approaching my final week of work. It doesn’t feel like that long ago, and yet so much has happened since — adjusting to retirement and recovering from back issues.

With the bulk of that now behind me, I have a good feeling about the summer ahead.

Cheers!

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A Weather Delay, Green River Bourbon, & Tatuaje Cigar

The Father's Day weekend got off to an odd start. Well, maybe not so odd for Virginia. Windy and cloudy most of the morning, before the sun actually appeared mid-afternoon. That meant it was time to squeeze in cutting the grass. That overdue chore done, and dinner consumed, it was time to think about the evening's entertainment. Then . . . 

The sky darkened, the wind howled, and the house was pelted by hail. Half inch hail, and lots of it. The storm went on for about 20 minutes, after which I discovered the furniture on the screen porch was all wet due to the blowing rain. Fortunately the love seat along the house had been covered with pillows, and while they were wet, they protected the seat cushions. After dumping the water from an ashtray I was in business.

I looked in the humidor for a larger cigar since I was planning a longer, relaxing evening and picked the Tatuaje Avion 13 Broadleaf Double Perfecto. The  6 7/8" x 52 stick would give a couple hours of pleasure. The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler creates delightful notes of sweet chocolate, coffee, later adding a bit of cocoa mild pepper. I've had these cigars in my humidor for a couple years and there's still one left. It's worthy of restocking.

The Green River Kentucky Bourbon was a picked up in Maryland a few weeks ago. I saw it on the shelf and recollected hearing the name, but knew nothing about it. The $36.99 price tag made it an easy chance to take. According to the distillery, the 90 proof bourbon is aged a minimum of five years.  The flavor profile is pretty much what is to be expected in a classic bourbon -- caramel, oak, some brown sugar, all well-balanced.  There's a bit of spice heat on the tongue but it fades quickly and is not felt in the swallow.

This is a truly enjoyable bourbon. It's an easy sipper, it's flavorful, with enough body to be interesting. The price point makes it suitable as an everyday sipper, but it should not be relegated to the bottom shelf. I don't have too many under $40 bourbons on my shelves, and Green River proves good whiskey does not have to be expensive. The distillery is one of the oldest in Kentucky. It was renovated and brought back to life in 2014 after being abandoned for years. This is a brand I'll keep an eye out for when next shopping out of state. I don't expect this bottle to be around here long.

Cheers!