Flag Day & Other American Celebrations

On June 14, 1777, the Second Congressional Congress officially adopted the design of our nation's flag. Flag Day is celebrated each June 14 as proud Americans celebrate the freedoms the flag represents. Given the lack of respect, in fact hatred, so many show for our country's greatness these days, Flag Day offers an opportunity to remember how great this country truly is.

There are other, less official, holidays on today's calendar as well. June 14 is has been designated as National Bourbon Day. And if that doesn't tickle your tastebuds, it's also National Strawberry Shortcake Day. 

Our flag, some bourbon, and a sweet dessert — it really doesn't get more American than that!

Saturday Kickoff

Saturday dawned cool and sunny. Perfect for some early morning time on the back porch. While the household slept in a little longer, I allowed myself a bit of decadence and whipped up a cappuccino to enjoy with a Rocky Patel Sungrown Maduro Lancero.

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The Sungrown Maduro is one of my favorites, though I usually enjoy the Robusto format.  The 7½" x 38 Lancero packs a stronger flavor profile due to the larger wrapper ratio and concentrated smoke. The cigar format and the USA Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper provide an elegant smoke, but one that requires a bit more concentration to maintain a good burn. The espresso and bitter cocoa flavor profile made an enjoyable match for the rich coffee drink.

Adding some Charlie Parker jazz in the background as I heard the house waking up, completed the atmosphere. I got through most of the smoke and a second cup of coffee before the neighbors fired up a pressure washer and drowned out the music and morning bird sounds. But no worries, it was time to go visit with house guests, before heading off to an afternoon at a local cigar lounge with a friend. 

Tröegs Sunshine Pilsner

Saturday was an extraordinarily productive day. After breakfast, and on just a single cup of coffee, I went to work on my planned chores for the day. I reframed and hung a new screen door on the porch, transplanted some deck plants to the garden, and upgraded to a new work laptop. All before noon! After a shower and lunch, it was time for relaxation. That was enough productivity for a Saturday!

A few weeks back I received a summer care package of four beers and a bandana from Tröegs Brewing. I decided to grab one of them, and an appropriate cigar, and retire to my newly-doored porch to enjoy a rest. 

A can of Tröegs Sunshine Pilsner seemed appropriate for the sunny afternoon. Digging deep into the humidor, I located a Foundation Charter Oak Connecticut Toro.

Sunshine Pilsner is one of Tröegs' core beers. The beer pours bright straw yellow with a pure white head. The aroma is grass and hay. Sipping the 4.5% ABV pilsner brings notes of bread, grass, and white grape, all backed with a bitter citrus zest. The mouthfeel is crisp and carbonated. Grassy and citrus bitter notes linger in the finish. 

The Charter Oak Connecticut is a cigar I've not smoked in a couple years. I don't smoke a lot of cigars featuring Connecticut Shade wrappers, as they often get a bit bland, and even bitter at the end for me. In addition to the USA Connecticut Shade wrapper, this cigar features a Sumatra binder and fillers from Nicaragua. To my delight, the flavor of the smoke was pleasing to the end.

All in all, this sunny combo worked well together. Neither the beer nor the cigar overpowered the other. Rather than contrasting, the flavors of both, especially in the finish, were surprisingly similar.

If anything, the only downside of the experience was keeping the cigar dry. The cold beer in the humid air created copious condensation on the outside glass, and I frequently reached for the cigar with a wet hand. I nursed that glass of beer nearly through the entire smoke, often almost nodding off in the warm air. Not a bad way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon, if I do say so myself.

The beer mentioned in the post was an unsolicited gift from the brewery. The review represents my opinion and is provided without compensation.

Ending the Week, or Starting the Weekend?

Friday evening I jumped in the car to head over to the brewery to enjoy some music, a beer, and a cigar. The sun was shining overhead. As soon as I started west I could see dark clouds ahead. A quick check of the Dark Sky app on my phone showed storms approaching. So I changed course and headed back home. 

Moving to the porch I lit up a Fratello D.M.V. District of Columbia, made myself a Rye Old Fashioned and waited. I didn't have to wait long. Soon I actually needed to turn on a light on the porch, as the rain and lightening started in force and sunlight vanished.

Turning up the music, I sat back and enjoyed the quickly cooling temps, as well as the light and sound show. The Fratello D.M.V. is one of my favorite smokes. This one was released in 2018 and has aged to perfection. To my knowledge, this vitola and blend was a one-time release; the 2019 release changed the blends for all sizes. I have five four, left in my humidor that I am slowly going through. The medium bodied smoke has notes of leather and spice. It's a great pairing with the drink, and the nearly two hour smoke allows for a couple of glasses of the cocktail.

The storm passed relatively quickly, and I was thankful for the soaking rain for the lawn. As I enjoyed the evening, I got to thinking, was this a fine ending to the work week, or a fitting start to the weekend? I guess it was really both. I'm not sure what happened out at my original destination, but there's a whole weekend ahead to allow for another try.

A Wee Bit of Normality

Around our house we are especially pleased to see the month of May be done. Was it really only 31 days? Seems much longer. Like everyone else of course, we've been dealing with the "COVID-1984" restrictions. On top of that, we've had work being done on our house for the last several weeks. A kitchen renovation was planned long before the Chicom virus was in the news, but the work commenced in May. It's bad timing to be kitchen-less at the same time restaurants are closed. It's bad timing to have construction going on in your house when you are locked down at home. Once the kitchen work was done, we had painters in to refresh the entire first floor. Surprisingly, the painting was more disruptive to life (and work from home) around the house than the kitchen activity. But, that's all done now. This will be the first week in a month we had our house to ourselves. Of course, there's a lot left for us still to do, as we haven't fully moved all our stuff back into place yet.

On Saturday, after some work sorting house out, I picked up a friend and we headed over to the Olde Towne Tobacconist outpost at 1781 Brewing for an afternoon of visiting, beer, and cigars. It was extremely pleasant to sit outside, talk to other humans, and just enjoy the nice weather. Saturday evening, Colleen and I sat in our refreshed living space and enjoyed a relaxing dinner, all the while making plans for the next projects.

Sunday was glorious by virtue of finally being able to go to Mass, as the governor has now granted permission for worship to resume in our part of the state. We had to wear uncomfortable face masks, but it was Mass nonetheless. Even though the church was sparsely populated, we were able to celebrate live and in-person, rather than via an online stream.

In the afternoon we took advantage of the weather to enjoy the outdoor setting at 1781 Brewing. I believe it was the first time in 2020 that Colleen and I were able to get away from the house for an afternoon of relaxation. There was no live music playing as so often happens in the warmer months, but the sun was shining and the beer was good. And there were smiling humans out and about. Patrons were limited to two inside at a time when ordering beer or wine, but the outdoor space was full of "physically separated" families and dogs. 

The cigar lounge is closed on Sunday for sales so I had brought along my own options for smoking. After grabbing a mug of 1781 Brewing Farmhouse Pale Ale, I lit up a Rocky Patel Vintage 2006 Sixty. 

I typically enjoy darker beers with cigars; stouts, dopplebocks, even a red ale, are frequent choices. But I do enjoy hoppy beers, though they aren't always the best cigar pairings. The Farmhouse Pale Ale is a moderately hopped ale that strikes a nice balance of citrus and fruitiness. The hop notes leave a clean, short finish on the palate.

The cigar is one of my favorites, the Vintage 2006 in the 6" x 60 vitola. A Mexican San Andrés wrapper,  USA Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and Nicaraguan fillers combine to make a flavorful but not overpowering smoke. Dark chocolate, oak, leather and a mild sweetness predominate. It all works extremely well with the mild hop and fruit notes of the beer. It's a long smoke too, requiring a refill of my mug. 

We were later joined by some friends who happened to be out taking advantage of the beautiful environs and new freedoms as well. We enjoyed catching up with them as we wound down the afternoon.

Yes indeed, the weekend brought a bit of normality to our lives, despite the news of the anarchists around the country using a tragedy as an excuse to bring their cowardly violence to bear on innocent people. Let's pray that we are soon able to get back to peaceful living, and the restrictions on free movement and free enterprise will soon be a thing of the past. 

Memories: Cigar Sightseeing in Dublin

The other day, while listening to a CD from a pub band we saw during our last trip to Ireland, I started looking through the photos I had taken in the Emerald Isle. Some of those photos brought back memories of the tobacconists we visited while in Dublin. I've previously shared some of our pub adventures from that trip.

The first stop we made was Peterson of Dublin. Peterson's is well-known as a pipe shop, but they do have some cigars in the downstairs. 

At the base of the stairs, there were stacks of empty Cuban cigar boxes.

Also a display of cigar molds. 

The basement cigar area had no staff, and no one appeared to be coming down to offer any assistance, so our visit was short and we continued on with our walk of the city

Our next destination was the Irish Whiskey Museum, which just happened to be located right next door to the famous James Fox Cigar and Whiskey Store. Both stops were places I had been anticipating with much excitement.

All the cigar sellers we visited, had cabinet style humidors instead of the walk-in humidors frequently seen in the States. They also appeared to sell only Cuban cigars. I do know that regulations prohibit the selling of both Cuban and non-Cuban versions with the same name in the same place.

I enjoyed perusing the selection at James Fox, though it was a little frustrating due to Irish tobacco label laws. Regulations enacted in 2017 severely restrict the labeling on hand rolled cigars. Label designs are restricted to a specific gray scale color, as well as a single font selection. In essence, everything looks the same. Like most tobacco laws globally, the laws are simply "feel good" rules, in theory designed to prevent youth from spending their money on tobacco. In reality, few underage youth are buying expensive hand-rolled cigars — especially expensive Cubans. (Not surprisingly, tobacco laws typically have higher taxes associated with their passage.)

The staff at James Fox was friendly and helpful. I enjoyed a pleasant conversation with the clerk before choosing a small sampler pack for purchase.

All too soon, it was time to head off to other stops, even though my traveling companions were being most gracious and patient with my diversions from sight seeing.

The final stop was the interestingly named Decent Cigar Emporium. 

The shop was located up a narrow flight of stairs. This was the only shop I saw which appeared to have a lounge. However, in speaking with the staff, I learned the lounge is only for sipping coffee, as indoor smoking is banned in Ireland. I somehow neglected to take any photos inside at this stop. It was late in the day, and I suspect exhaustion was setting in. 

I enjoyed the visits to the cigar shops in Dublin, and had some pleasant conversations about cigar smoking in Ireland and the United States. My purchases were limited, mostly for fear of damage and packing issues while continuing our trip. The six purchased sticks, with their proper Irish labeling are below.

Fortunately, once the cloaks are removed, the wonderful labels are still attached.

Despite the visits to the cigar shops, I smoked just one cigar the entire trip. And that was the previously mentioned Fratello Bianco Boxer I had brought with me. That stick was enjoyed outside the magnificent Cahernane Manor House Hotel in Killarney.

I've only smoked a couple of the Cuban cigars I've acquired, but don't have any plans to store them long term. The others will be consumed in the not too distant future.

Another Interesting Stout and Cigar Pairing

After a long-waited IDPA match on Saturday, I sought out another cigar and beer pairing with which to relax before dinner. Looking through the bottle reserves in a dark basement corner, I came across a bottle of Ommegang My Watch Has Ended Imperial Brown Ale. Reading the beer's description, it immediately struck me that a Micallef Grand Bold Maduro would make a fine accompaniment to the ale. 

The stout poured a rich dark brown, with a short beige head. The aroma was a pleasant sweet malt with a hint of chocolate. The flavor profile followed with semisweet cocoa and toffee notes. Mouthfeel was creamy with a short sweet, but not cloying, finish.

The Micallef Grand Bold Maduro is a 7x50 Churchill, featuring a dark Ecuadorian Broadleaf wrapper, over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The full-flavored smoke offered nutty, wood, and espresso notes. There's a hint of sweetness that complimented the beer flavors quite well. A few salted cashews brought out to snack on were a fitting addition to both the beer and cigar.

I enjoyed this pairing, or actually trio, very much. The Micallef is a smoke I've recently come across and have enjoyed several times lately. Each time I smoke it down to the very end, this time accidentally burning my finger tip as I let it drift too close to the nub. 

I had plans for an after-dinner cigar and beverage as well, but the evening passed with other mindless distractions, ice cream and a movie, to be specific. However other pleasures were still in store for the long holiday weekend.

Finally. Some Shooting. Finally.

It's been a while, for sure, but I finally got to enjoy some shooting activities this weekend when the monthly IDPA match at the Cavalier Rifle and Pistol Club resumed after a break for the Wuhan virus. I hadn't shot for nearly three months, and my range bag literally had dust on the top. The weather, which has been all over the place of late, cooperated this morning with the temperature hitting the low 80's.

The first stage our squad shot consisted of six targets spread out across the bay and hidden by various walls and non-threats. The targets were visible as you moved across the stage along a railing. With proper planning, they could all be seen from two positions. It was a good shake off the dust stage.

The next shooting challenge was a line of seven targets all shot while standing behind a table. The starting position was with the unloaded gun on the belt, and the first magazine held in both hands. This was my best stage overall, despite fumbling the start by missing the slide with my racking hand.

An unloaded gun start was also featured on the next stage. This time, the all magazines were required to be stowed on our person. Since I only use two magazine pouches, that meant starting with the first mag stuffed in my waistband. This load went more smoothly than the previous start. After loading and engaging three close targets, we made a somewhat awkward transition around a barrel and wall to the next point of cover and engaged two more targets. At this point, the gun was emptied of the 10 starting rounds, but my brain was ready to fire the "extra" 11th round, as if it was a loaded gun start. That momentary confusion resulted in my doing a standing reload, instead of more efficiently reloading while moving to the last point of cover. There are still some cobwebs to be dusted off it seems. 

The next stage was rather interesting, and had us shooting from a semi-enclosed space. A triangle formed by stack of barrels and a fault line, restrained all shooting through narrow openings between the barrels. The targets were arrange in a "V" that came to a point centered down range. Shooting the targets in priority meant alternating sides as you shot targets at varying distances. The first two targets, mid-range, where the ones visible at the start. Those were shot, then the shooter moved slightly forward, making the closest targets visible, before moving focus to the threats further down range. Shooting among the barrels gave the added distractions of bouncing the sounds of gunfire and the flying brass back to the shooter. Once it was all said and done, it was a fun stage to shoot. 

Finally, we got to the stage we had been hearing about all morning. A two-string scenario stage, shot with the support hand only. String 1 started with the loaded gun in our support hand, with the barrel touching a mark on the wall. We then engaged two targets to our left, and a third around the left side of the wall. The second string was shot to the opposite of the stage, engaging one open target to the right of the wall, then moving forward to find two more target around another wall. 

Seeing friends at the range had been a long-missed pleasure. The idea of not shaking hands in greeting and being reminded to "stand six feet apart" puts a damper on the reunion, but it was still a fun morning. I really don't understand why it's called social distancing, there is nothing social about the restrictions being imposed upon society. Perhaps compliance conditioning is a better term. 

Shooting the five stages took only about two hours. I was pretty satisfied with how I shot, finishing 4th of 13 in SSP. I was a little slow in my movement, and certainly a little sloppy in shooting. However, I had no targets that scored lower than -2, had no hits on non-threats, or procedural penalties. All in all a very good morning and a welcome sign of more matches anticipated soon.