A Perfect Pairing for a Mild Fall Evening: Southern Draw and Wilderness Trail Bourbon

Another fall weekend, another road trip. This time we were headed to Blacksburg to catch the VA Tech football game. In Southwest Virginia, nights can get chilly this time of year, but Friday evening’s mild weather let me comfortably enjoy a cigar on the hotel patio after dinner.

I had packed a travel humidor with a selection of cigars for the evening and the next day's tailgate activities. For this evening, I lit a Southern Draw Manzanita and poured a glass of Wilderness Trail Bottled in Bond Bourbon.

Southern Draw Manzanita is a cigar that consistently pairs well with bourbon. This 6x52 Toro, features a reddish-brown Habano wrapper encasing a Habano binder and Corojo and Ligero fillers. I was surprised this one has been resting in my humidor for 7 months. A purchased a 5 pack in April and surprisingly had not smoked them all yet.

The Manzanita produces a rich smoke with deep notes of earth and leather, complemented by bold dark chocolate and cedar. A touch of black pepper intensifies as the cigar progresses. The combination of bitter chocolate and spice makes for a satisfying flavor combination when enjoyed with a robust bourbon.

The Wilderness Trail Bottled in Bond Bourbon I had put into my travel flask was quite enjoyable with the Southern Draw Manzanita. This wheated bourbon is aged five to six years. The aroma is rich with vanilla and caramel with just a hint of alcohol. The flavor profile combines sweet vanilla and caramel with a touch of oak, while a moderate kick of cinnamon and pepper adds spice to the finish. It's a good bourbon for a full bodied cigar.

As in past visits, the hotel parking lot was bustling with traffic from the neighboring restaurants, headlights constantly cutting through the night. Yet, despite the distractions, the evening was relaxing and a welcome way to unwind after an afternoon of busy interstate driving.

Cheers!

A (Very) Hot Smoking Time

We were on the road for eleven days to end June and begin July. There were many fun times while we engaged in other interests, but sadly no opportunity for enjoying a cigar. We did make a brief pass through Frankfort, KY, which included a stop at the Buffalo Trace Distiller to shop and do a morning tasting.

After a long day spent catching up on things around the house upon our return, I was looking forward to relaxing with a cigar. Alas, we're in the midst of a summer extreme heat wave, and the screen porch was hovering over 100°. I noticed after dinner that the thermometer needle had dropped below the 100° mark. Close enough.

Grabbing a Foundation Aksum from my travel humidor, I turned on the fans and tried to make the best of it. (I traveled with cigars, just didn't get to smoke them.)

The Foundation Aksum is a 5 x 50 Robusto cloaked in a very dark Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper leaf. The binder is Connecticut broadleaf and the filler tobaccos hail from the Jalapa and Estelí regions in Nicaragua. The cigar is a bold, full bodied smoke with rich notes of sweet espresso and dark chocolate predominating. Black pepper, and dark cherry and raison notes blended throughout. This is the same cigar previously released as Foundation Metapa. A trademark issue prompted the rebranding.

After getting settled and adjusted to the heat, I poured the remaining bit of Wilderness Trail Bourbon from my travel flask. (I also traveled with bourbon, but didn't need to pour from the flanked often since other sipping opportunities did abound.)

Wilderness Trail is a wheated bourbon. The distillery releases in small batches of 18 barrels, after 5-6 years of aging. Strong aromas of vanilla and caramel waft from the glass. There's a pleasing oak presence which joins the vanilla and caramel. A hefty dose of cinnamon and pepper spiciness rounds out the finish. That spicy heat makes a flavorful match for the robust cigar.

Perhaps some less "hot" flavor choices for the pairing may have been better for the very warm temperature. Still, the one hour break was welcome and enjoyable.

Cheers!

Wilderness Trail Bourbon, Hamlet Tabaquero, and Caramel Popcorn

A pairing, plus one, of sweet treats kicked off the weekend. Cold, and rain, and chores, not to mention my day job, had conspired the past week to prevent relaxing with a good smoke. Finally, Friday evening combined with warm weather (relatively speaking) offered a break. 

The Wilderness Trail Small Batch Bottled in Bond Bourbon was picked up during our Thanksgiving travels. The wheated bourbon is released in small batches of 18 barrels, this bottle is labeled 18K0722. The whiskey is aged 5-6 years. The aroma has vanilla and caramel aromas with a hint of alcohol. Upon sipping a strong oak presence joins the vanilla and caramel. A hefty dose of cinnamon and pepper spiciness rounds out the finish. I get a little heat for interest as well. I found it to be an especially enjoyable libation. Wilderness Trail products are not common on VA ABC shelves, but I'll keep an eye out for others.

For the smoking pleasure of the evening I grabbed a Hamlet Tabaquero. This stick was from a box I picked up in September 2022. That was right after it was announced that Hamlet Paredes was leaving Rocky Patel, and the Tabaquero line was being discontinued. The 6 x 52 Toro uses a San Andrés wrapper, a Nicaraguan filler, and San Andrés and Brazilian Mata Fina double binders. It has a creamy sweetness, with milk chocolate, cedar, earth, and oak.

The Tabaquero has been a long time favorite of mine. This was the sixth from the box of twenty. Unfortunately, the previous five all had some sort of burn issues that ranged from mild to serious, with the frequent touchups hampering the experience. This one however, was flawless. Exceptionally so. For the entire 90 minute smoke the char line was even and the smoke production plentiful. Even the best cigars often require some touch with the lighter, usually in the last quarter or so. Perhaps the 14 months of humidor time helped to mitigate any issues from unknown storage conditions prior to my receiving the box. Since I'm rationing the remaining cigars, it may be a while before I find out by smoking another.

And the third part of the trio was some caramel popcorn. That decadent treat is from a Christmas food gift sent by a family member. In my defense, there was no "Do Not Open Until Christmas" label on the box.

Cheers!