From Back Surgery to Back on the Range

It had been far too long since I’d made it to the range. After 18 months of battling back issues and recovering from surgery, I’d occasionally wondered if it was time to drop “shooting sports” from this blog’s tagline. But I held on to hope — and this week, that hope paid off with a long-awaited trip to the range.

In addition to the simple joy of shooting again, I’d been itching to revisit my old SIG Sauer P226. That pistol had served me well in many USPSA and IDPA matches before I moved on to the striker-fired P320. A couple of weeks ago, I started dry-firing the P226 and decided it needed an upgrade. I swapped the stock sights for the same Dawson Precision setup I use on my P320s, installing them just last week in anticipation of this trip.

I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive setting up at the range. Physical therapy has rebuilt muscles that were long neglected, but they haven’t been stress-tested much. I hadn’t fired a shot in 18 months, and aside from 30 rounds in 2023, the P226 hadn’t left the safe since mid-2017. Would I still remember the nuances of a double-action/single-action trigger?

I kept all my shooting at the 7-yard line — partly for focus, partly because I wanted my brass landing in one general area to avoid excessive bending when picking it up later. The first shot felt good. It took a bit to reacquaint myself with the long, smooth double-action pull and the short single-action follow-ups. There were a few fliers, but overall, the groups looked solid. The new sights seemed well-installed, and while the trigger feel was different, the sight picture was comfortingly familiar.

The first 15 rounds grouped nicely, most of them fired in pairs after drawing from the holster. I’d planned to stick with draw-and-shoot drills, but couldn’t resist trying some strong-hand-only shots as I finished up the last magazine. From 7 yards, I hit the head area every time — a pleasant surprise after so long away.

After 100 rounds, I called it a day. The brass pickup went smoothly enough, despite some stiffness in my back. I might have been nervous on the way there, but I drove home with a grin on my face.

I’m not sure yet when I’ll be ready for a match, but it feels like the long shooting drought may finally be breaking.

Cheers!

An Evening with Powstanie’s Catastrophic Failure and Bénédictine D.O.M.

With dinner finished and the after-dinner walk complete, it was time to settle onto the screened porch for a smoke. I had picked up a few Powstanie Catastrophic Failure cigars seven weeks ago during a shopping spree at my local cigar lounge. This evening, they were calling my name. I poured myself a small glass of Bénédictine D.O.M. Liqueur to accompany the cigar.

Released by Powstanie in late 2024, the Catastrophic Failure had somehow slipped past me, despite how fond I am of their smokes. This was my first time lighting one up. The 5 1/2 x 52 box-pressed cigar features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, double binders from Mexico and Pennsylvania, and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

The oily Sumatra wrapper is lightly mottled, nearly seamless, and smoothly rolled. It’s firm to the touch, but draws effortlessly. Upon lighting, it produces large clouds of dense, flavorful smoke. The burn remained even throughout the entire experience.

Opening notes of cedar, coffee, caramel, and baking spices set the tone. As the cigar progressed, I noticed a gentle increase in pepper and the emergence of an earthy, sweet base. Further along, a toasted bread and butter quality developed, all while the coffee and spice flavors continued to provide structure and depth — breakfast in a leaf, perhaps?

I was enjoying the cigar so much, I nearly forgot about the B&B sitting beside me. Bénédictine D.O.M. Liqueur is a pre-mixed blend of about 60% Bénédictine herbal liqueur and 40% French brandy, aged in small oak barrels to marry the flavors. I often enjoy it as a digestif after a good meal, particularly at a nice restaurant.

B&B is smooth, fruity, and herbal, with a pleasant honey sweetness. It’s light yet flavorful, leaving a lingering blend of mild bitterness and sweet fruit on the tongue.

The lingering honey and herbal notes of the Bénédictine D.O.M. paired beautifully with the pepper, earth, and roasted flavors of the cigar. While I was already enjoying the Catastrophic Failure on its own, the liqueur elevated the experience, adding another layer of complexity and enjoyment.

Cheers!

Five O'Clock Friday: Cigar Smoking

There's a lot of truth in this.

Cheers!

E.P. Carrillo’s New Connecticut: Creamy, Clean, But Not for Me

The E.P. Carrillo Essence Connecticut is a newly released cigar, included in the July Cigar of the Month package from Cigar and Pipes. Mild cigars typically aren’t my first choice, but given E.P. Carrillo’s reputation for crafting flavorful, well-balanced blends, I was intrigued enough to give this one a try. I lit it up one afternoon alongside a sweet, milky iced coffee.

This 5 x 50 Robusto features a smooth, flawless Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut-seed wrapper. Underneath is a Honduran-grown Criollo ’98 leaf, Honduran filler, and a Dominican binder — a blend that hints at nuance despite the cigar’s mild profile.

From the first draw, the Essence Connecticut offered sweet notes of hay and cream, with subtle hints of toasted almond and cedar. Light in body, yet flavorful enough at first to hold its own against the creamy coffee, especially with a faint background of pepper adding a bit of structure.

That said, mild-bodied cigars aren’t usually my thing. I can appreciate hay and buttery notes when they support a more complex core, but when they dominate, I find them less compelling. As the cigar entered the second half, the pepper and cedar faded almost entirely, leaving behind mostly hay and cream. By the final third, the mild profile was not holding my interest — and eventually, I set it down early.

I know many smokers who genuinely enjoy cigars like the E.P. Carrillo Essence Connecticut. And for what it’s meant to be — a mild, smooth, easygoing smoke — it absolutely hits the mark. For that, it's well-blended, and the burn and construction were flawless throughout.

But for my personal taste, I prefer a cigar with a bit more “oomph.”

Cheers!

Refined but Not Tame: Smoking the BLTC Royalty Robusto

It’s no secret that I’m a frequent fan of Black Label Trading Company cigars. This boutique brand is produced at Oveja Negra (Spanish for “Black Sheep”), a factory located in Estelí, Nicaragua, and founded by James and Angela Brown. In addition to Black Label, the factory also produces the co-brand Black Works Studio and makes cigars for a few other boutique lines — including Hermanos de Armas, which I recently wrote about.

Interestingly, James Brown worked as a sommelier before turning to cigar making, and I suspect that background plays a role in the unique and flavor-driven profiles found in many of his blends.

This particular cigar — the Black Label Royalty Robusto — had been resting in my humidor for about eight weeks. I also smoked one at the lounge when I picked it up, and it was ready to go right off the shelf.

The 5 x 54 stick features an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper over a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The wrapper leaf is oily, well-applied, and visually appealing. After clipping the cap, the draw was nicely open with just the right amount of resistance. Once lit, the cigar produced a generous amount of smoke immediately.

The medium-bodied Royalty delivers a well-balanced mix of cedar, leather, cocoa, coffee, and sweet nut notes. As it progresses, touches of mild pepper and additional cedar come through. There’s also a subtle oak dryness to the smoke that adds a bit of structure to the flavor profile. Compared to some of Black Label’s bolder offerings — like Last Rites or Bishops Blend — the Royalty leans more nuanced and approachable, but still offers plenty of depth.

I paired it with a Rye Old Fashioned, which complemented the cigar nicely. The cocktail’s spice and sweetness mirrored similar notes in the smoke, making for a harmonious combination.

Black Label also offers an event-only version of the Royalty, sometimes referred to as the “Black Label” edition. I’ve picked up a few at past events. The tobaccos used in that version are aged longer and tend to deliver a spicier profile than the standard “White Label” release. It’s definitely worth seeking out. Black Label reps are quite active, especially on the East Coast, and James and Angela Brown frequently make appearances. Their events are worth attending — if only to get access to the various event-only cigars they produce.

Cheers!

Smoke and Spice: Noble Act Two with Rabble Rouser Rye

This past weekend brought a welcome taste of fall. After weeks of oppressive heat and seemingly endless rain, we were treated to dry, sunny days with temperatures hovering in the mid-70s — perfect weather for an evening on the deck.

For the occasion, I reached for a cigar I’ve mentioned before: the Noble Cigars Act Two. Noble Cigars, founded in 2022, currently offers three lines — Act One, Act Two, and Intermission — each in a 6 x 52 Toro format. Of the three, I’ve only smoked the Act Two, and it continues to impress.

The Act Two features an exquisitely smooth, dark brown Mexican San Andrés wrapper, with Dominican binder and filler. Noble classifies the blend as a full-bodied “Doble Ligero,” and this particular cigar had been aging in my humidor for fourteen months.

Construction and performance were flawless — as has been my experience with every Act Two I’ve smoked. The cigar burned slow and even for nearly two hours, producing a solid white ash , speckled with white mineral dots — a sign of well-cured, high-quality tobacco.

For the evening’s “sip and smoke,” I paired the cigar with Catoctin Creek Rabble Rouser Rye. This Virginia-based distillery, founded in 2009 in Purcellville, honors its founders’ Scottish heritage by using the “whisky” spelling.

Rabble Rouser Rye is distilled from 100% rye, aged for six years, and bottled in bond at 100 proof. It pours a rich red-amber and offers bold aromas of fruit, honey, and rye spice. The palate delivers candied fruit, caramel, tobacco, and a touch of pepper, finishing long and warm with lingering spice. It’s one of my favorite ryes to sip neat — and also shines in a Rye Old Fashioned.

Though it’s traditionally released each February, I try to secure a bottle every year before it sells out. While it’s a lottery-only item in Virginia ABC stores, it’s been easier to find lately through the Catoctin Creek website.

The pairing of the Rabble Rouser Rye and Noble Act Two delivered a remarkable experience. The cigar’s sweetness and spice played beautifully with the rye’s rich, fruity complexity. While I typically prefer to experiment with new combinations, this pairing is one I’d happily revisit.

Cheers!

Smoking the CAO Brazilia Lambada & Sipping Henry McKenna 10 Year

I’ve smoked the CAO Brazilia in various vitolas over the years. It’s a popular, flavorful, and budget-friendly smoke. This particular example, the Lambada — a 6 x 50 Toro — has been resting in my humidor since January.

The Brazilia Lambada wears a very dark, shiny Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro wrapper. It’s smooth and oily, wrapping a Nicaraguan binder and Honduran fillers. The construction was solid and even, and the look of the cigar brought to mind a rich chocolate bar — though maybe I was just hungry.

The Brazilia is medium to full-bodied and puts out rich flavors of cocoa and espresso, with nutty and spicy notes adding complexity. The burn was mostly even through the first two-thirds, but the final stretch saw one side stall out. Despite multiple touch-ups, it wouldn’t correct fully. Still, the cigar delivered a satisfying experience with bold, flavorful smoke.

To pair with the Brazilia, I poured a glass of Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond. At 100 proof, this bourbon opens with aromas of caramel, vanilla, and a touch of fruit. The palate brings more caramel and vanilla sweetness, layered with oak and cinnamon spice.

As with most single barrels, McKenna’s profile can vary bottle to bottle — possibly more than other brands. This particular bottle leans heavy on oak and tannins, with mild rye spice. While I’ve enjoyed this bottle many times — it’s nearly empty — the dry oak notes didn’t mesh perfectly with the Brazilia’s flavor profile. I found myself thinking a spicier rye might have made a better match, though not quite enough to get up and pour one.

Despite the slight mismatch, the CAO Brazilia Lambada and Henry McKenna Bottled-in-Bond still made for an enjoyable evening on the screened porch, especially on an unseasonably cool summer evening.

Cheers!

Five O'Clock Friday: There's a Time & Place for Everything

Except decaffeinated coffee.

Cheers!