Apr 3rdPaul Garmirian, McLean Cigars, Four Roses single barrel

I was in McLean for a doctor’s appointment today.  I had a physical and a fitness assessment that both went well, so what better way to celebrate than with some brown sauce and a cigar (full disclosure, my celebration also included a cheese burger).  Since I was in in the neighborhood, I stopped at McLean Cigars.  I didn’t think to take a pic, but they have boxes and boxes of aged cigars, as well as younger PG sticks, and a selection of non-PG cigars.  I picked a few to take home, and decided to smoke one from the 1995 gourmet especial line.  There is an ABC store right across the way, so I grabbed a bottle of Four Roses single barrel.

The PG was quite good.  Some of the younger PGs have too much white pepper flavor which I’m not a big fan of.  This stick had flashes of white pepper, but it was not a dominant flavor.  The gourmet, gourmet II, and artisan selection are all PG lines I’ve enjoyed in the past.  I bought a box of the latter for my engagement party.  I had a soiree once, and it put me down.  It was way too strong for me.  Even so, I did enjoy the flavor of the soiree, briefly.  There is something special about the PG’s with some age on them.  The gourmet especial was particularly enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to the other cigars I picked up today.

Four Roses is one of my favorite bourbons.  In terms of price point and drinkability, its a lot like Elmer T Lee.  Both are in the $30s, and I often find myself reaching for one or the other.  When I was in Africa last year, there was often one of two options available if you wanted some brown (though some places were better stocked than others).  There was generally a blended whiskey available, I believe Teachers, and Four Roses.  Granted, this was not the single barrel version, but a very decent bottle none the less.  I’m not sure why/how Four Roses has Kenya and Tanzania locked up, but similarly perplexingly, I’m not sure how Four Roses isn’t more popular here in the US.  Its an excellent value, and close to the top of my extensive list of favorites.

While in my smoking room/office, I checked on the progress of this year’s tobacco crop.  I start in a grow closet in the early spring to extend my season and start with strong seedlings.  My seeds germinated, and are coming in nicely.  I’ll have more posts about the progress of the tobacco, so stay tuned.