A Birthday Celebration: Good Food, Drink, Cigars, and Friends

At this stage of life, birthday celebrations tend to be quiet and laid back. Still, a few extra touches this year elevated the day and made it feel just a bit more special.

The day began as most do, with a relaxing morning and coffee. Instead of a traditional cake, I requested something we could enjoy alongside that first cup. Colleen delivered with a delicious Almond Honeycomb Cake — one that will happily stretch across several mornings in the days ahead.

Later, we headed out for lunch, settling in at the bar at Capital Ale House, a once-regular stop we hadn’t visited in a couple of years. I opted for a Killanny Red from Brehon Brewhouse in Inniskeen, County Monaghan, Ireland. The deep ruby-red ale, served on nitro, offered plenty of biscuity malt character. At a modest 4.5% ABV, it allowed for a second pour alongside a flatbread pizza. As a birthday bonus, loyalty points covered more than half the bill.

The evening was capped with a visit to the home of good friends. We began lakeside, enjoying cigars and Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey on the dock. My friend had picked up a couple of Andalusian Bull cigars by La Flor Dominicana for the occasion. It had been about five years since I’d last had one, which made the experience all the more special.

The Andalusian Bull was an enjoyable as I remembered — rich and full-bodied, with notes of earth, warm spice, and a touch of sweetness that lingered on the finish. The whiskey’s sweet fruit and gentle spice complemented the cigar beautifully, softening some of its intensity while amplifying the sweeter undertones.

After the cigars, we headed out for a delicious dinner and more drinks. The food was excellent, but as always, the real highlight was the company.

It was an ideal way to celebrate not just another trip around the sun, but also good health and the enduring gifts of family and friendship. There’s not much more one could ask for. Even the steady stream of texts and social media messages added to the day and was sincerely appreciated.

Looking back, I was struck by how naturally the day unfolded. Planned moments and small surprises came together to create a celebration filled with food, drink, and laughter. Thoroughly enjoyed — though once a year is probably enough.

Cheers!

La Flor Dominicana Cabinet Oscuro: Ligero Before Noon

During a visit to Winchester, VA, I dropped into the John B. Hayes Tobacconist to enjoy a morning smoke. Lately, when I've visited this lounge, I’ve found myself lingering over the La Flor Dominicana section of the humidor cabinets. Despite the early hour, I was in the mood for something robust, so I grabbed a pair of La Flor Dominicana Ligero Cabinet Oscuro L-400s — one to enjoy on the spot, and one to take home.

The 5 ¾″ × 54 stick wears a very dark Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper, glistening with an oily sheen. The binder and filler are Dominican, including hearty ligero leaves grown at LFD’s La Canela farm. It had been a few years since I last smoked one of these, though it was once a favorite companion to a dark — often high-ABV — stout when visiting the now-fondly-remembered Olde Town Tobacconist Lounge at 1781 Brewing. This time, coffee was to provide accompaniment for the morning smoke.

The La Flor Dominicana Ligero Cabinet Oscuro starts off boldly, delivering a solid medium-to-full-bodied blast of flavor. Thick clouds of smoke pour forth, carrying notes of dark coffee with a touch of black pepper. As the cigar progresses, the profile deepens into an earthy, woody richness, underpinned by a subtle sweetness that keeps everything in balance. Though never harsh or excessively spicy, around the halfway point the ligero tobaccos begin to assert themselves. The strength is unmistakable — not overwhelming, and without ill effect — but certainly more noticeable in a morning smoke.

Unlike my last visit, the lounge this morning was busy and the shop keeper pulled out an extra chair to provide me a seat. After a week of the extreme cold dissuading me from smoking on the porch, the indoor smoke provided some welcome pleasure. 

Cheers!

A Morning of Smoke and Silence

Most of my enjoyment of cigars takes place at home on the enclosed porch. In the colder months, I am usually alone (not lonely). So when I found myself sitting by myself in John B. Hayes Tobacconist in Winchester this week, it didn’t feel all that odd — surprising, perhaps, but not unusual.

When I arrived for a morning smoke, the familiar early morning crowd was present. They lingered only briefly before heading out, right on schedule. I can be confident it wasn’t me; this group tends to disperse around the same time most mornings, though there’s usually at least one other patron who remains. Even the proprietor spent most of the hour tucked away in his office, leaving the shop unusually quiet.

I selected a La Flor Dominicana Air Bender in the distinctive 6½ × 54 “Chisel” format. I hadn’t smoked anything from the Air Bender line in five or six years and couldn’t recall ever trying the Chisel vitola, so curiosity won out. The dark, oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper looked especially inviting, while the ligero-heavy Dominican binder and filler promised a suitably robust morning smoke.

The Chisel shape — flattened and wedge-like — does indeed resemble a woodworker’s tool or perhaps the mouthpiece of a reed instrument. The end comes already open, and I’ve read that some smokers simply pinch it to create a larger opening rather than cutting. I opted to cut it anyway, though airflow remained somewhat restricted. After a few minutes, I took a bit more off the tip. Even then, the thin, flattened mouthfeel never felt entirely natural — despite my brief stint with the clarinet in my youth.

The Air Bender delivered exactly what it promised: a bold, flavorful smoke that never crossed into overwhelming territory, despite it being several hours before lunch. Peppery spice led the way, joined by cedar, dark chocolate, and coffee notes in a well-balanced profile. I had stopped for a creamy, vanilla-flavored chain coffee on the way in and its sweetness paired surprisingly well with the cigar’s darker character.

After about seventy-five minutes, it was time to set the cigar down — though it easily had another fifteen or twenty minutes left — and head out for lunch with my wife and a friend before the long drive home. Sitting there in the quiet shop, cigar in hand, watching the steady rhythm of people and cars pass outside, I was struck by how refreshing the moment felt. No conversation, no distractions — just good tobacco, and a pleasant morning stillness. It was a pause that was memorable long after the smoke has cleared.

Cheers!

When There's Cigar Lounge at the Brewery

It's been quite a while since I spent an evening sipping good beer and enjoying a cigar at the Olde Towne Tobacconist lounge located onsite at 1781 Brewery and Wilderness Run Vineyards. Having beer, wine, and cigars all in one spot makes an excellent outing, but still I most often enjoy my cigars in the convenience of my home. It makes partaking in a few drinks easier as well. I did venture out on a recent weekend evening for a change of scenery.

I enjoy the beers at 1781, especially their porters, dunkleweizens, and stouts. They are well-done, fresh, and pair up very well with cigars. On this evening I selected the Belsnickel Dunkleweizen. This is a low, 4.7% ABV dark wheat beer. The bready wheat and malt flavor has a good balance of sweet and bitter that pairs well with a cigar.

Speaking of old friends, as I was perusing the walk-in humidor I spied a box of La Flor Dominica La Box. I haven't smoked on of these in several years. The La Now is a 6 1/2 x 50 toro with a very dark, oily Brazilian wrapper. Under the beautiful wrapper lies a Mexican San Andrés binder and Dominican fillers. The flavor profile is rich with cocoa, espresso, and sweet nuts. While there's a strong bitter espresso component, it's balanced with a creamy sweetness. It's a full bodied and robust cigar. 

The La Nox and the Belsnickel paired very well. The cool mid 70° temperature, clear night, and friendly conversations added to the fun. Hopefully, there will be more such outings as we move into fall weather in the next couple months.

Cheers!

And then it was Friday…

After another seemingly endless week, Friday finally arrived. I'd been looking forward to a cigar in a warm setting for a couple weeks. While I've enjoyed some smokes on the deck, at some point the propane and electric heaters just don't keep up. So after dinner Friday, I headed over to the Olde Towne Tobacconist lounge located at 1781 Brewing. 

As usual, I stopped first in the brewery to fill my mug. This evening I selected Irish Hen Red Ale. This imperial red ale checks in at a moderate 8% ABV. It has a deep red color and appears nearly black in the opaque mug. The ale has a sweet roasted malt backbone with a hint of bitterness in the finish. I sipped as I perused the lounge's humidor for a fitting cigar.

After selecting a La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Maduro DL-700, I took a comfortable seat in the enclosed "front porch" of the lounge. This is a cigar I've enjoyed a number of times at the lounge and is popular with many of the shop's patrons. The big 6½ x 60 stick offers about two hours of pleasurable smoking. The good looking cigar features an Ecuadoran wrapper with Dominican binder and fillers. The DL-700 is a full bodied, bold smoke. Rich notes of dark coffee and chocolate are predominate. A hint of pepper persists throughout the smoke. Despite the large ring gauge, the burn was even until the very end. 

The only inconvenience of the fun evening was the cold walk across the yard to the brewery when it was time for a beverage refill. A warming stop next to the wood stove quickly removed the affects of that brief outing.

The clear vinyl enclosed space was a little cool. Nonetheless, it was still much warmer than my back porch. As the evening progressed, and more folks arrived, the fun conversations, flavorful beer, and good cigars helped to move the chill from the mind. 

Tailgating 2020 Style: Cigars, Beer, Back Porch

There's no college football tailgating this year thanks to the Chinese virus, but we can still make do with pregame cigars and beer. After a morning spent splitting and stacking wood for the fire pit, I prepped for Saturday's Virginia Tech football game by relaxing with a cigar and beer on the deck. The cigar of choice was the somewhat apropos La Flor Dominicana Special Football Edition 2020 Miami edition. I grabbed some tame New Belgium Fat Tire ale for my afternoon glass. 

The La Flor Dominica stick was one I picked up last January. The annual special release is created especially for the market hosting the Super Bowl, and is made available only in the market hosting that game. Fortunately, I know somebody who knows somebody… Even though I have chosen to not watch any NFL for several years, I grabbed a couple of the sticks with the intent of adding them to our tailgate menu.

The 2020 football edition is a beefy 6 ½ x 50 stick with a mixed Ecuadorian Habano and Maduro wrapper used to create the artistic football design. The binder and filler is from the Dominican Republic. The flavor profile ranges in the medium range, with creamy notes of nuts and toasted bread. The burn was decent, but needed a couple touchups.

Fat Tire Amber Ale is a fitting afternoon beer at 5.2% ABV. The creamy caramel and toasted bread flavors are a nice match for the cigar. 

In truth, we wouldn't have been tailgating in Blacksburg for the afternoon's Virginia Tech vs. Louisville game since it was an away game. That doesn't diminish the disappointment of missing the fun fall activity this year. The time spent sipping and smoking was an acceptable substitute. And it was a Hokies win!

Blade and Bow Bourbon & LFD Double Ligero

It was an uncommon weekday evening when we ate an early dinner, probably because lunch was missed, which allowed for a slow drink and smoke in the early evening. I poured a bit of Blade and Bow Bourbon, and lit a La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero.

I suspect this bottle of Blade and Bow will need to be replaced soon. I've become quite enamored with this whiskey. The caramel, white fruit, oak, and subtle spice make this a pleasant sipper, alone or with a cigar.

The LFD Double Ligero is one of my favorite smokes. This particular one was a Crystal Tubo vitola which comes individually packed in a glass tube. The Double Ligero is typically a bold, strongly flavored smoke with notes of pepper, dark wood, and coffee. As I smoked this particular stick, I noticed that the flavors seemed somewhat subdued. Still full flavored for sure, but not quite what I was used to. The stick was acquired as part of a monthly cigar shipment some months back. I wonder if it was from older, more aged and therefore mellowed stock. Of perhaps it simply had to do with the size. This particular vitola measures a slim 5 ⅜ x 52. Most of the LFD Double Ligero sticks I've smoked were up to 7 x 60 in size. I suspect the larger vitolas allow for more prominent ratios of the flavorful ligero leaf.

Despite the ramblings of this blog, while I frequently enjoy a weekday cigar, rarely is it paired with a strong drink. This weekday diversion was most welcome and enjoyed. The cigar lasted just under an hour and the time was simultaneously spent with with leisure reading.

LFD 50th Maduro & German Chocolate Cake Lager

I've been eyeing a couple large vitola cigars in my humidor, waiting for the time to enjoy them. With no trips planned, no major errands lined up, and (sadly) no shooting last weekend, the opportunity arose to spend some time with some of those more time consuming smokes.

I kicked off the weekend with a La Flor Dominicana TAA 2019 50th Anniversary Maduro. The cigar is a limited-edition release available only to retailers who are part of the Tobacconists' Association of America (TAA). I obtained it a couple months ago as part of a LFD sample from a local shop. This 6½ x 54 stick features an extreme rectangular box press shape. The dark Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper encases a Dominican binder and Dominican Criollo filler. The two large gold bands give the cigar a striking appearance. 

The beverage of choice this evening was Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery German Chocolate Cake Lager. This flavorfully-named beer starts life as a traditional German-style Doppelbock. The classic German-style lager is then conditioned over cocoa nibs, toasted coconut, vanilla, and pecans. The aroma is dark chocolate, vanilla, and a hint of coconut. The base dopplebock is the predominate flavor with a mild caramel sweetness. The added cocoa and nuttiness that come through are a pleasing addition. The vanilla aspect is on the mild side. The 8% ABV is muted with little alcohol presence in the flavor.

When I first saw this bottle I assumed it was a stout, and was intrigued to read the label further to find otherwise. The LCCB variation of the style was done very well. Oft times augmented beers tend to come off cloying or candy-like, especially went comes to vanilla additions. 

The 50th Anniversary Maduro was a medium-bodied smoke. The tightly packed stick gave off notes of cocoa, coffee, and earth. The flavor profile has a creamy, sweet aspect to it as well. The box-press presented some issues with the burn, requiring several touchups to keep it even, though that was not unexpected. The flavor profiles of the beer and the cigar were quite compatible and played well together. This large stick burned for a long two hours and 15 minutes. The bottle of beer I split with Colleen gave out well before that. Fortunately, the beer fridge offered many more options, all stories for later.

1781 Fimbulvinter & LFD Double Ligero

Last weekend I was happy to see that 1781 Brewing had their Fimbulvinter Stout back on tap and I picked up a growler to enjoy over the holiday. On Sunday, while Colleen baked cookies, I poured myself a glass of the Imperial Stout and lit up a smoke. 

Fimbulvinter pours deep black color with a short lived beige head. Aromas of dark chocolate and coffee greet the nose. The flavor profile follows the nose, with bitter chocolate, espresso, and molasses featured. The mouthfeel is thick with a lingering bitterness.

The La Flor Dominica Double Ligero offers a delightful flavor mate to the stout. The dark Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper, and Dominican binder and filler combine to produce a rich, bold smoke. The dark Ligero leaves featured in the blend give the cigar an extra kick of flavor and strength.

Soon, her baking done, Colleen joined me on the porch as we enjoyed the flavorful Stout and the warm evening air. It wasn't a half bad way to wind down the long Independence weekend.

Sadly, when I returned to 1781 this weekend with my empty growler, the limited Fimbulvinter was no longer available for fills to go. So, it's a fond memory until the next batch is ready.

A Slew of Weekend Treats

The weekend was mostly more of the same, although there were a few niceties thrown in to the mix. Lord Northam has granted a few freedoms to his subjects in some areas of the state, so we saw a bit of normality. I had already squeezed in mowing the lawn on Friday, which left my Saturday morning a little more open, so I drove over to the local chain coffee franchise and treated Colleen and myself to a cup of frou-frou coffee. As I sat in the drive-thru line that wrapped twice around the building, I anticipated what I predicted to be a great cigar pairing.

I had first smoked the new Rocky Patel Number 6 last fall at a local lounge. I found the cigar to have an enjoyable flavor, but not the robust bold notes to which I typically gravitate. However, as a morning cigar with coffee, it held great promise.

Coffee, earth, and a touch of sweetness come through in this smoke. As predicted the pairing with the creamy coffee was delightful. The one cup of coffee was insufficient for the two hour smoke from this toro size cigar. I made my myself a mug of rich, french roast to enjoy. The cigar was just as pleasant with the coffee black as it was with the milk-rich version. Though one of the mildest cigars from Rocky Patel, the Number 6 has plenty of flavor to remain interesting to the very end.

Saturday's other treat, was the arrival of a summer fun care package from Tröegs Brewing. Samples of four of their summer ales were included. It's been a while since we were able to review some beers, so it's with much anticipation that I look forward to cracking those in the near future.

On Sunday, we shopped for, and then planted some new ornamentals around the house. The labor done, Colleen and I decided to take advantage of the government "permission" for restaurants to serve patrons at outdoor seating. We headed over a local ice cream stand and treated ourselves to some good ol' fashioned banana splits. These were the real deal; three flavors of ice cream, strawberry and pineapple toppings, whipped cream, cherries on top, and even some peanut sprinkles. We sat outside, at tables, and there were other people at nearby tables, and for a moment we could all forget about the plan-demic. And the splits were delicious!

Photo by Colleen

Coming home, we decided we weren't hungry for dinner. No surprise there. So I retired to the porch with a cigar. Going to the extreme flavor opposite of Saturday morning's cigar I opted for a La Flor Dominica Double Ligero Maduro. This LFD is a full-bodied, full-strength smoke, and one I enjoy regularly. Since I was still stuffed from the afternoon "dessert" I opted for only my bottle of water to accompany.

As is obvious from the above photo, my beverage choice soon changed. After smoking the cigar for a bit, I realized it really needed a pairing stronger than water. I grabbed a bottle of Woodford Reserve Double Oak and poured a wee dram. Perfect. In fact, I added a few more pours before the smoke was complete. The strong espresso, dark chocolate and cedar notes complimented the oaky richness of the Bourbon in a wholly satisfying manner.

Despite ongoing pandemic pandering, there are signs of a return to normalcy and commonsense appearing. Getting out and about, though to a limited extent, and enjoying a number of my guilty pleasures over the weekend was a welcome respite. The upcoming week looks to be cooler and wetter, which will be beneficial to the new plantings. I am stuck inside working anyway. Here's looking forward to next weekend, which happens to be a three day break. There might even be a return to shooting in store!