Remembering Blessed Miguel Pro

This was originally posted November 23, 2013, and shared nearly annually on this date. This is not ancient history and should not be forgotten. 

November 23 is the Feast Day of Blessed Miguel Pro. Born on January 13, 1891, in Guadalupe, Mexico, Miguel Pro was ordained a Jesuit priest in Belgium in 1925. He returned to his home country in 1926, in the midst of that country's Cristeros War. After being falsely accused of an attempted bombing, Father Pro was executed by government forces without trial.

Blessed Miguel Pro's final request was to be allowed to pray to his heavenly Father.

After which he refused a blindfold and faced the firing squad bravely, proclaiming ¡Viva Cristo Rey!

Father Pro's executioners initially failed at their task, and the deed was finished at point blank range.

I am saddened, but hardly surprised, at the ignorance of the American public regarding the persecution of Catholics, and of the Cristero War that took place in Mexico in 1926 through 1929. Some 250,000 people lost their lives in a persecution that was supported by the government of the United States with both funds and air support. Given the ever-growing intolerance towards Christians, especially Catholics, in the United States, we would do well to remember.

Christ the King, by the intercession of Blessed Miguel Pro, I beg you to answer my prayers. Give me the grace and the strength necessary to follow your heroic example and to live my Catholic faith in spite of all temptations and adversities. Amen.

Images from Wikipedia.

Five O'Clock Friday: Less Day-Drinking

It's hard to day-drink without the day.

Cheers!

Image courtesy of Bourbon Brotherhood Facebook page.

A Rainy-Day Pairing: Davidoff Signature 1000 and Coffee

It’s not all cigars and bourbon around here — sometimes it’s cigars and coffee. Such was the case on a recent rainy afternoon. I felt like a quick smoke and reached for a Davidoff Signature 1000. With a mug of mocha-flavored coffee in hand, I retreated to the screened porch.

I’d pre-warmed the space with a small electric radiator, and with a sweatshirt on, the outdoor setup was surprisingly comfortable despite the weather.

The Davidoff Signature 1000 is a small 4 5/8″ × 34 ring gauge cigar. I received a box of these petit panetela smokes from a good friend this past spring as a surgery-recovery celebratory gift. I've smoked a couple of them and find the cigar to be surprisingly enjoyable. There are not a lot of mild cigars that I would enjoy regularly, but this one is an exceptional accompaniment to a cup of afternoon coffee.

The Ecuador Connecticut wrapper and Dominican binder and fillers deliver a creamy, coffee-leaning profile with a touch of sweetness and a hint of pepper. And at about a 20-minute burn time, it’s just right for a quick afternoon break.

Cheers!

Pairing The Banker Annuity with Chattanooga Single Barrel

I had the cigar I wanted to smoke in hand — the H. Upmann The Banker Annuity. I knew it to be a medium-bodied smoke, perhaps even leaning even a bit milder. Scanning the whiskies on the shelf, I was torn. I was in the mood for a higher proof pour but didn’t want to overwhelm the cigar. I settled on the Chattanooga Whiskey Single Barrel Bourbon. Despite its 121.2 proof, I recalled it drinking on the milder side.

H. Upmann positions The Banker as a tribute to the brand’s founders — the Upmann brothers, German bankers who produced a special Cuban cigar in the 1800s for their most important clients. The modern line carries that inspiration forward.

The Annuity vitola is a 6″ × 52 with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and aged Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. This stick had been resting in my humidor for nine weeks.

Chattanooga's Single Barrel is a “High Malt” bourbon made as part of the distillery’s single barrel and experimental programs. The mash bills feature at least 25% specialty malted grains, supplementing corn with malted barley and other malts. This particular barrel, B091, incorporates Yellow Corn, Malted Rye, Caramel Malted Barley, and Honey Malted Barley, and was aged at least four years.

Going into the pairing, The H. Upmann landed firmly at a low-medium body with cedar, almond, pepper, and coffee forming the core profile. A touch of sweetness developed late. The burn was wavy and required several touch-ups, though the ash itself held well.

The Chattanooga Single Barrel delivered dessert-like flavors — caramel, honey, citrus, and a hint of char. The finish was sweet and bready, capped with a bit more heat than ideal for the cigar. A few drops of water helped bring forward the fruit and soften the finish, creating a more harmonious combination.

As I settled into the smoke and sip, I enjoyed the shared dessert tones of the pairing, even if it didn’t quite rise to the level of exceptional. I did pour a little more whiskey as the 90-minute session continued, and despite the burn issues, the cigar stayed cool and enjoyable down to a finger-warming nub. In the end, the two may not have been a perfect match, but they proved satisfying companions — a pairing that came together even better than I first expected.

Cheers!

Breaking the Porch Routine for an Afternoon at Hogshead

It’s been far too long since I’ve paid a visit to Hogshead Cigar Lounge. Oddly enough, enjoying a smoke at my local brick-and-mortar used to be almost a weekly ritual just a couple of years ago. In theory, retiring last year should have meant I’d visit even more often — a theory that hasn’t panned out. Recovery from back surgery certainly kept me home for a while, but that’s no longer much of a factor.

In truth, convenience has won out. I have a well-stocked humidor at home, and the newly renovated screened porch right off the kitchen makes for a very comfortable smoking spot. Even with colder weather settling in, the heater and air purifier make the space perfectly usable. And of course, it’s right there — no need to hop in the car and drive 30 minutes.

Still, the lure of leather chairs and the chance for conversation finally won me over this week, and I headed to my favorite cigar lounge for a visit.

As expected for a weekday afternoon, the lounge was quiet. A steady flow of customers came and went, but few stayed to smoke. I settled in with my cigar of choice — the Black Label Trading Company Eletto.

Italian for “the chosen one,” the Eletto is a limited-edition release celebrating the 10th anniversary of Fábrica Oveja Negra, the factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, where Black Label Trading Company cigars are made. Released this past summer, I hadn’t yet picked one up to try.

I selected the 6″ × 50 Toro. It features a dark, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, an Ecuadorian Habano binder, and Nicaraguan fillers, all topped with a decorative pigtail cap. The cigar opens with dark fruit and a good dose of spice. As it progresses, cocoa and dark licorice develop, adding depth and balancing the heat. As one would expect from Black Label, it’s a bold and complex smoke.

My smoking session lasted about 90 minutes. While conversation was limited, the visit was a comfortable and relaxing escape. Still, as I sat there sipping sparkling water, I remembered another factor that’s been keeping me smoking at home — I have bourbon in the house.

Cheers!

Cellar Surprise: Wicked Nymph Stout & Event Horizon Cigar Pairing

I pulled an old beer from the cellar to enjoy this past weekend — Wicked Nymph, a barrel-aged Imperial Stout from Adventure Brewing. The corked and caged bottle was purchased back in 2015 and had been quietly collecting dust in the basement for the past decade.

When I worked out the still-tight cork, I was greeted by a satisfying “pop” and a wave of sweet, roasted aroma. Aged in bourbon barrels from A. Smith Bowman Distillery, the beer clocks in at 10.4% ABV.

A thick beige head formed during the pour, though it faded fairly quickly. The first sip revealed rich notes of cocoa, coffee, and a hint of bourbon warmth. A touch of dark fruit sweetness lingered in the background creating a smooth finish with just a trace of bitterness. It was a tasty pour that leads me to wonder what other treasures are still hiding in the basement.

To complement the beer, I paired it with a Black Works Studio Intergalactic Event Horizon. I’d picked up a five-pack of these cigars back in July and hadn’t yet gotten around to lighting one up. The 5.5” x 50 Robusto features a dark Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder, with Nicaraguan fillers. It’s finished with a small pigtail cap and a mostly closed foot.

Right from the first light, I was enveloped in a rich, dense cloud of smoke — a sign of things to come. The cigar produced copious smoke throughout and maintained an impressively even burn.

Flavor-wise, the Event Horizon delivered bold notes of roasted pepper, bitter espresso, dark fruit, and a mix of pepper and chili spice. Despite its full-bodied intensity, the smoke was remarkably smooth, with a subtle sweetness that kept everything in balance.

I went into this pairing hoping the beer had aged gracefully and that its dark, roasted character would complement the cigar’s richness. I was not disappointed on either count. Sadly, the Barrel-Aged Wicked Nymph is now just a memory — but thankfully, I have more Event Horizons waiting for the next occasion.

Cheers!

Sips, Smoke, and Peppermint Bark: A Surprising Trio

Most of my cigar enjoyment over the past week has come in the form of quick smokes after dinner — usually paired with coffee, a small pour of bourbon, or even just water. When the weekend rolled around, I finally set aside time for a longer, more relaxed sip-and-smoke session on the porch. I reached for a Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Toro and the bottle of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon.

The 6” x 50 Last Rites Toro, a vitola added to the line last June, was part of the July Cigars and Pipes COTM package. The Last Rites was once one of my go-to cigars at the Olde Towne Tobacconist at the Farm before it closed a couple of years ago. Just lighting one up brings back memories of good times with friends in the cigar lounge at the brewery.

The cigar wears an oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Honduran binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. The full-bodied smoke delivers notes of dried fruit, coffee, and mild pepper spice throughout. It’s flavorful and well-balanced from start to finish.

As I headed out to the porch, my wife offered me a piece of Peppermint Bark — a treat she enjoys every Christmas season. She happened to have a box still tucked away in the pantry. I’ll have a piece on occasion, though it’s not usually one of my favorites.

The Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond was once an allocated bourbon under Virginia’s antiquated ABC system, but it now sits regularly on the shelf. Aged seven years and bottled at 100 proof, it’s a fine bourbon at a very reasonable price. Aromas of caramel, vanilla, and oak fill the air as it rests in the glass. The sip begins with moderately intense oak and baking spice, followed by sweet vanilla and dark cherry. The finish lingers with caramel sweetness that pairs beautifully with the cigar’s flavor profile.

Mixing puffs of the cigar with sips of bourbon — interspersed with bites of peppermint bark — made for a surprisingly enjoyable tasting experience. I often read that cigar “reviewers” should taste cigars without food or drink to experience the “true” flavors. Good thing I simply share my experiences rather than trying to be an industry critic. (In fact, if you ask ChatGPT about this blog, it’ll tell you the same thing!)

The evening on the porch was extremely pleasant. It gets dark early now, so I’m smoking by lamplight instead of the sunset. I’m still fine-tuning the balance of ventilation and heating in the newly enclosed porch. The recent addition of an air purifier is doing wonders to clear the smoke, and I’m optimistic that I’ll be needing fewer clothing layers when winter truly sets in.

Cheers!

A Leisurely Pairing: In Cold Blood and the Belgian Blue

I’m always on the lookout for an interesting cocktail recipe to try. By “interesting,” I mean it’s preferably bourbon- or rye-based, easy to make, and requires just a few ingredients. Those ingredients should also be things I already have on hand — or can easily find — not obscure items that end up gathering dust because they’re only useful in one drink.

Not too long ago, I came across a cocktail called In Cold Blood. It checked all the boxes and sounded quite delicious, so we mixed up a couple this weekend.

In Cold Blood

• 1 oz Rye Whiskey 
• 1 oz Cynar 
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth 
• 1 Pinch Salt

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a rocks glass over a single large cube and garnish with a small twist of lemon rind.

Simple, right? For this round, I used the Bulleit 12 Year Rye I had on hand.

The cocktail delivers a pleasing balance of spice from the rye and sweetness from the vermouth, with a touch of herbal bitterness from the artichoke-based Cynar. It’s a fun riff on the Boulevardier (whiskey, sweet vermouth, Campari), a drink I’ve been enjoying frequently of late.

I sipped my In Cold Blood alongside one of my favorite cigars from Crowned Heads, the 2024 Belgian Blue. This full-bodied cigar offers a rich balance of pepper, caramel, and roasted nuts, pairing beautifully with the cocktail — neither overpowering nor being overshadowed.

A few shortbread cookies on the side rounded out a most pleasing, leisurely afternoon on the screen porch.

Cheers!