J. H. Bards Spirits Company

The J. H. Bards Spirits Company in Pulaski County, VA is a regular stop whenever we visit the Blacksburg area. The micro-distillery opened in 2020 as the result of mutual love of bourbon by two Blacksburg natives. They are currently producing a line of bourbons and rye, as well as a vodka.

J. H. Bards operates a small tasting room and retail shop where you can enjoy a drink or two and pick up merchandise and spirits. Besides their regular line up, limited release whiskies are also available at times. Per VA ABC regulation, the tasting room can only serve a maximum of 3 ounces of spirits to an individual per day. This limits your options to one flight of three 1/2 ounce samples and a cocktail, or two cocktails. There is also a maximum of four spirits that may be sampled, so ordering two flights for more variety is not permitted. Sometimes I think the State Revenuers just make this stuff up on a whim. 

We will typically enjoy a couple mid-afternoon cocktails at the tasting room before heading out for dinner. Their smoked Old Fashioned made with rye and a house prepared cherry is a favorite. Even though I am quite fond of my own Old Fashioned recipe, I've been converted into keeping their Blackstrap Old Fashioned Syrup on hand. The J. H. Bards Rye is often my choice for my home Old Fashioned as well.

We diversified a bit this last trip and decided to try one of the summer drink recipes offered, their interpretation of a Painkiller. This one is made with bourbon instead of the classic rum, nutmeg, and pineapple coconut syrup. We found the Painkiller very tasty and refreshing, but we still switched back to our favorite Old Fashioned for our second round.

Each time we've visited one of the owners, Jayson or Jason, has been doing the serving in the tasting room. They are very knowledgeable about whiskey and the Blacksburg area in general and we've had some enjoyable conversations.

After our drinks I picked up more of the Blackstrap syrup and a replacement for my recently emptied bottle of rye. Also available this time was a limited release finished bourbon made in collaboration with the local Beliveau Farm Winery. It's a four year bourbon aged in port barrels from the winery. I decided to bring a bottle home and look forward reporting on it in the future. 

When visiting the New River Valley region, I suggest adding J. H. Bards to your itinerary.

Cheers!

Casa 1910 Revolutionary Edition Cuchillo Parado

I've smoked many cigars that sport a Mexican San Andrés wrapper. It's a widely popular leaf and one of my favorites. I've also seen cigars that use Mexican leaves as an ingredient. However, I don't recall smoking an all-Mexican leaf cigar. I was very interested in trying out the Casa 1910 Revolutionary Edition I received as part of a My Cigar Pack monthly shipment. 

The Casa 1910 Revolutionary Edition line boasts a San Andrés Sumatra wrapper, with San Andrés grown tobaccos also making up the binder and filler. The wrapper was aged for five years and the rolled cigar then aged for five to six months. The stick smoked was a 5 x 50 vitola, which Casa 1910 calls Cuchillo Parado. The Casa 1910 cigar company takes its name from the year of the Mexican Revolution. 

The cigar is a dark tan color, oily and a bit rough in places. I noted an interesting wet straw aroma that was not unpleasant but it gave me pause. Upon lighting I was hit with a rush of pepper along with some woody smoke and bread flavors. As the smoke progresses the peppery spice remains, and I begin to pick up some sweeter cream notes that moderated the sharpness. I was admiring the seemingly solid ash when it suddenly dropped, which happened to me several times. Near the end of the smoke, the flavors took on more a bitter aspect which was layered over the peppery, smoke, and sweetness. 

Overall, I enjoyed the Casa 1910 Revolutionary Edition Cuchillo Parado quite a bit. The end minutes of the hour long smoke were not as pleasant, but did not inspire me to end it early. I was sipping only water as I smoked and read. I had the thought that I'd like to try the cigar with some bourbon as well. As it turns out, My Cigar Pack, without explanation when asked, shipped my June mailing twice. So I do have another one to smoke in the future. (Despite this unintended benefit, the double shipping, and the subsequent double charge, led me to cancel that particular subscription.)

Cheers!

Afternoon Cocktails and a Cigar

Sunday afternoon cocktails, and a cigar, on the deck are a pleasure we look forward to on many weekends during the warmer weather. It's a great time to talk, reminisce about the week past, plan for the week to come, and also just sit and relax. This past weekend was warm and humid, so we looked for a refreshing summer-suitable libation. What resulted was a bit of an experiment using a recipe found online. Some Sparking Ice Mango Orange carbonated water, Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon, bitters, and an orange peel made a refreshing concoction. The Four Roses is one of my favorite bourbons for cocktails. Of course, I always have suitable single "rocks" of ice at the ready. I initially used a few splashes of orange bitters in the drink. While not bad, the drink seemed somewhat flat in flavor. When I made a second round, I switched to Angostura Bitters. A bit of bitterness to balance the sweet of the sparkling water was just the touch needed. We added some veggies, humus, and tzatziki to the table and we were all set!

For my accompanying cigar, I grabbed an Eiroa The First Twenty Years Colorado. The 6 x 54 soft box pressed stick has an Honduran Colorado wrapper, and Honduran binder and fillers. This particular example was in poor shape. The cap was loose for about half the circumference. I used some PerfectRepair to glue it back in place, which led to a short delay in lighting while the pectin dried. Once I removed the tissue paper foot band, I saw a few cracks in the last quarter of the cigar, which I also touched up. Sadly when the band was removed a bit later, I also need to glue the wrapper back in place as it seemed only the band was holding it in place. I did purchase this cigar from an online "warehouse" seller, something I do infrequently, and I suspect mishandling as the culprit behind the damages. I have another in my humidor, which appears to be in better shape, at least judging by the portion of the cigar visible.

Initial repairs completed it was time to finally light up and enjoy. Initial flavors reminded me of a lightly toasted sweet bread. There's a bit of cinnamon spice in there as well. The flavor profile was pretty consistent for the entirety of the smoke. The latter half did pick up just a hint of pepper. 

It was sunny for most of our afternoon, despite being serenaded by the rumble of thunder far off in the distance. About the time we began discussing going inside for dinner, the rain sprinkles appeared but did not devleoped into heavier rain until much later in the evening.

Cheers!

Cigars And Bourbon On The Road

We took a long weekend trip to Blacksburg, VA recently to relax, do a little bit of hiking, and of course overindulge a bit on food and drink. Blackburg is one of our favorite "close by" vacations. During the summer, when VA Tech is not in session and the 30,000 students are not present, it still has some of that small town feel.

We had no set plans for the four days, only general intentions, so finding an evening or two to sit down with a smoke was not difficult. The weather for being outside was pleasant even though it was the first time this summer the area had reached 90°! We heard many of the town folk remarking on the hot temperatures, but we found it a nice respite, the low 90° daytime highs still being 9 - 12° degree cooler than we've experienced at home of late.

I bring along cigars and the necessary accoutrements anytime I travel. Often there is no opportunity for that pleasure, but it's good to be prepared. Hotels these days are notoriously anti-smoking, even outside. At one place we stay regularly, the prohibition is well signed, nonetheless I've spotted ashtrays and evidence of both cigars and cigarettes. 

After the afternoon drive and a big dinner I escaped to an out of the way patio with my travel ashtray and an Oliva Serie V. The Serie V is one of my go-to smokes. The creamy chocolate and cedar notes of the cigar goes well with coffee, bourbon, and even beer. On this evening, feeling satiated from the meal at a local restaurant and brewery, my chosen pairing of water was the perfect finish to the day.

On another evening, after a day of distillery and brewery visits, we settled onto the patio to enjoy the cool evening air while I smoked and sipped. This time I brought along a flask filled with Woodford Reserve Double Oak to go along with a Rocky Patel Hamlet Tabaquero. 

The Woodford Reserve was selected for travel since it's a bourbon that pairs well with most any smoke. The smooth, sweet oak flavor touched with some fruit and vanilla is always pleasing.

When it was announced last year that Hamlet Paredes was leaving Rocky Patel, the company stated that the Tabaquero line was being discontinued. As the Tabaquero by Hamlet Paredes is another favorite of mine, I immediately acquired a box of the cigar in the 6 x 52 Toro size. The Tabaquero blend uses a San Andrés wrapper, a Nicaraguan filler, along with a San Andrés and Brazilian Mata Fina double binders. The creamy sweetness, milk chocolate, cedar, earth, and oak flavor blend is always pleasurable. I've been rationing my supply, saving them for special-ish occasions, but I won't hold them for an extremely long time as I like the flavor profile just it is now.

It was a very refreshing mini vacation. It's fun to get away, but also nice now to be back on our regular eating and sleeping schedules, for a few weeks anyway. 

Cheers!

Five O'Clock Friday: I Don't Need Dessert

Happy Friday. 

I frequently feel that way myself. But then again, a good bourbon is a fitting dessert in itself.

Cheers!

Weekly Range Practice

After a period of wildfire smoke filled skies, which was followed by days of high temperatures, we've finally enjoyed a few days of temperatures in the low to mid 80's. That made this week's practice outing at the range all the more pleasant.

Tbe setup looked much the same as previously, but the drills were directed a bit differently. I started right off shooting from 15 yards. Hanging both an IDPA practice target and the color and shapes target, I started out shooting a series of single and double shots to the center -0 zone. The focus was on acquiring sights quickly with minimal gun adjustment and bouncing. Then repeat the same routine using the slightly small diamond and square shapes. All strings started from the draw. I shot accurately, but still desire to make less correction when acquiring that first sight picture.

Following that fresh paper was hung and the two targets were spread further apart in order to practice transitions. Several magazines were expended going from a smaller color zone on the first target over to the IDPA. I then reversed the process going from the larger -0 zone to a smaller spot on the other paper. Body to head transitions on the IDPA target followed. Trying to repeat some bits often seen in matches, double shots to the head were worked on.

Remembering I just have to "do it," I finished the practice with SHO and WHO shooting.

It felt good to do more directed skill-building drills, within the context of the two-shot range restrictions. I have a notebook of nearly 100 different pistol skill building drills that I will look through for more ideas too add more variety.

I've been fortunate to have been able to get out to the range to practice regulate the past couple months. After months of few matches, and no practice, I was seeing the effects. Just shooting with some regularity benefits both the act of shooting and increases the motivation to do it even more. That all leads to enjoying more.

Cheers!

Padrón 1964 Anniversary and Weller 107

This was a pairing I enjoyed very much. Neither the Padrón 1964 Anniversary nor the Weller Antique 107 are new experiences, though I am not sure if I've had them together. They are however, both top of the line in my book.

Sometimes I will pull a whiskey off the shelf, then select a cigar. Other times the order is reversed. The prep time for a smoking session is often extended as I go back and forth with the decision. In this instance I made my cigar choice for the evening first then grabbed the bourbon. Why? No specific reason, just an inspiration.

The Padrón 1964 Anniversary comes in two "flavors," with either sun-grown natural or maduro wrappers. This was the sun grown version. The 6" x 52 box pressed stick features an extremely elongated and pointed cap. The box press has well defined edges. Upon cutting, the draw is right on and remained so throughout the smoking time. This is product created by skilled hands. The medium bodied all Nicaraguan stick has delightful hazelnut and cedar notes. There's an added sweet chocolate and honey aspect that completes the finish.

Weller Antique 107 is an allocated bourbon in Virginia and as such is difficult to obtain outside the overpriced secondary market. This bottle I have been nursing since January 2022 and harks back to a time that VA ABC would randomly add allocated stock to store shelves without announcements. If you heard about something in time, you could get it. This was before they started the announced "drops" that merely created a stampede to selected stores.

The aroma of the wheated bourbon is noticeable as I'm pouring. I sense dark fruit, topped with caramel and vanilla, and then sprinkled with cinnamon. I get hungry for dessert as I inhale. The flavor profile is spicy, but not hot. The cinnamon continues when sipping, as does the sweetness of vanilla and oak. The moderate 107 proof not all that noticeable on the palate or the finish. I find myself taking sips closely followed by a puff on the cigar. Or am I following the cigar with the bourbon?

I think I said this recently, even though I don't smoke Padrón cigars frequently, it's always a pleasure when I do. At least they are readily available. In contrast, I think I'll need to continue to nurse this bottle of Weller for as long as I can.

Cheers!

Old Book: Guide to Cigars

A family member gave me this book recently. She found it in the bargain bin of a used bookstore and thought I'd enjoy it. Titled International Connoisseur's Guide To Cigars, the guide by Jane Resnick was published in 1996. To many of us, 1996 was "the other day," but was actually some 17 years ago!

The guide explores the world of cigar smoking from how a cigar is made, to cutting, lighting, and smoking. It goes on to explore a wide range of topics such as how and when to smoke, famous people (of the time) who smoked, as well as figures throughout history known to have enjoyed tobacco. The material is often covered in a simplistic "bird's eye" view, and is somewhat dated. There are even listings, obviously no longer accurate, of places one can enjoy a cigar in public. Oh, if only the listed venues still existed, and not the copious laws that now widely prohibit the practice. The age of the book provided an especially interesting historical view. 

A little a over a third of the book is devoted a sampling of specific brands of the day. Each page features a photo and a listing of some of the brand's offerings. Given the date of publication many of the illustrated cigars are Cuban, and many are no longer available. As an added interest, there are pages devoted to both the original Cuban company and also non-Cuban brands of the same name. These companies were founded by Cuban expatriates in places such as the Dominican Republic and Honduras after Castro nationalized the industry in Cuba. Often times those brands are featured on facing pages.

The whole section was very interesting despite, or perhaps because of many of the featured companies are no longer in existence. I also had a chuckle at the photos used for a couple of the Cuban brands. The illustrations were complete with cracks in the wrapper. 

The books was compiled in the time before the proliferation of handmade cigars produced outside of Cuba. It provides a fascinating perspective from a different time in history and how cigars played a role.

Cheers!