A Delicate Balance: Hibiki Harmony and Oliva Serie V Melanio

I was in the mood for something different. Scanning my shelves, I spotted a bottle of Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky. Deciding to pour this sweet, fruity libation for the evening, I turned my attention to selecting a cigar. After picking up — and putting down — several options, I eventually settled on the Oliva Serie V Melanio.

Hibiki Harmony comes in at a mild 86 proof, making it a good choice when you’re looking for a lighter drink. A pleasing aroma of florals and honey rises from the glass. The whisky is light yet flavorful, with notes of fruit, honey, and cinnamon coating the palate. There’s a graceful balance of floral and fruity elements, and the clean finish carries a subtle, lingering sweetness. As a mild sipper, the Hibiki calls for a cigar that’s flavorful without being overpowering.

The Oliva Serie V Melanio made for a wholly satisfying complement to the Japanese whisky — just as it does with a bold bourbon. The well-aged, 5x52 box-pressed Robusto features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, including Jalapa-grown ligero. The smoke offers a refined blend of caramel, coffee, sweet nuts, and chocolate. Medium to full in body, it delivers depth without overwhelming the delicate notes of the Hibiki.

I thoroughly enjoyed this pairing. While I’ll still turn to bolder bourbons as my usual smoking companion, the lighter, sweeter Hibiki was a delightful diversion on a warm evening.

Cheers!

A Bold & Sweet Pairing: E.P. Carrillo La Historia E-III and Old Elk Double Wheat

A confluence of travel, family events, and a relentless “heat dome” had kept me from enjoying any quality porch time with a cigar and a drink for a couple of weeks. Needless to say, I was looking forward to the past weekend and some much-needed time on the deck.

Scanning the selections in the humidor, I searched for something bold and long-lasting — I wasn’t about to cut this long-awaited pairing short. Despite a less-than-stellar experience the last time around, I decided to give the E.P. Carrillo La Historia E-III another try, with high hopes it would redeem itself.

Now for the drink. I reached for the nearly empty bottle of Old Elk Double Wheat Whiskey, thinking its sweetness might pair well with the richness of the cigar. Time to find out.

The E.P. Carrillo La Historia E-III is a 6⅞″ × 54 Toro. It features an oily Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper over an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, with a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. Though a bit rough in appearance, the wrapper is surprisingly slick — so much so that when I tapped off the ash, the cigar nearly slipped from my fingers. It’s mildly box-pressed and dressed with a blue foot ribbon and ornate double bands. Personally, I find the taped-on foot ribbons many brands use to be superfluous and somewhat distracting, but to each their own.

The first puffs delivered bold notes of bitter cocoa and coffee, with an espresso-like intensity that built as the cigar burned on. Later, dark chocolate and mixed nuts emerged, adding complexity. A subtle lingering sweetness carried through the finish. The La Historia is a full-bodied smoke that delights the palate from start to finish.

Thankfully, this particular stick had none of the draw or burn issues I encountered with the previous one. And truthfully, I didn’t expect it to. I’m not put off by the occasional dud — these are, after all, hand-rolled bundles of tobacco leaves. It’s exactly why I tend to buy multiples of a cigar: I prefer not to judge an entire line based on a single outlier.

Just like the cigar, the Old Elk Double Wheat Whiskey was a winner. This blend combines Old Elk’s 6–8-year Wheat Whiskey with their 6-year Wheated Bourbon, resulting in a mash bill that’s 71.5% wheat, and bottled at 107.1 proof.

From the glass, the aroma is rich with sweet dough, cinnamon, butterscotch, and brown sugar — a dessert in a glass. On the palate, it delivers again: caramel, vanilla, and more brown sugar, all supported by the soft sweetness of the wheat. There’s a pleasant warmth, and a creamy, rye-tinged finish that extends the flavor treat.

I was honestly a little sad to see the bottle emptied. I snagged it in 2023 during a 50% off closeout sale, and a recent search of the VA ABC site shows no remaining inventory in the state.

The pairing of the E.P. Carrillo La Historia E-III and Old Elk Double Wheat Whiskey exceeded expectations. The rich, sweet-leaning profiles of both made for a deeply satisfying experience. While I may be out of the whiskey, I look forward to revisiting the La Historia with other sweet bourbons and wheated expressions in the future.

Cheers!

Five O'Clock Friday: Survival of the Caffeinated

The food pyramid is just a suggestion.

Cheers!

Too Hot for the Porch: AVO Syncro Nicaragua in the Lounge

I generally don’t mind the summer heat and can usually tolerate it well enough to enjoy a cigar most evenings. But this week was especially brutal, and an afternoon smoke meant a trip to Hogshead Cigar Lounge. I wasn’t surprised to see a few more folks inside than usual for a weekday afternoon.

I picked up a few extra cigars for my humidor and chose an AVO Syncro Nicaragua Special Toro to enjoy during my stay.

This version of the Syncro Nicaragua is an impressive 6 x 60 box-pressed treat. I don’t often reach for large ring gauge cigars, but the box-press shape made it feel more manageable in the hand. The cap was quite flat, and I didn’t want to risk over-cutting it with a straight cut. Fortunately, I carry a small cigar punch on my keyring, which worked well to open it up. Even through the small punch, the draw was very open — almost too much so. I’ve often found that large ring gauge cigars tend to be loosely packed and have exceedingly open draws.

The cigar features a reddish-brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over a Dominican binder, with a filler blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian tobaccos.

From the first few puffs, the AVO Syncro Nicaragua Special produced copious amounts of flavorful smoke. Initial notes included cedar, cocoa, and a sweet raisin-like note, later joined by hints of dark chocolate and roasted coffee.

Unfortunately, the burn was persistently uneven, with large peaks of unburned wrapper. I had to touch it up multiple times — really the only frustrating aspect of an otherwise enjoyable smoke. Despite the burn issues, the cigar lasted a solid 95 minutes.

Each time someone entered or exited the lounge, a blast of scorching air followed them in, a stark reminder of the 100°+ temperatures outside. It also reminded me to use the remote start on my car a few minutes before leaving.

Thankfully, the forecast calls for temperatures to drop into the mid-90s over the next few days, which means I’ll likely be able to return to the screened porch for a proper smoke and beverage pairing.

Cheers!

Port, Spice, and Smoke: Isaac Bowman Meets the Oliva Melanio

For a recent cigar and bourbon pairing, I reached for a couple of familiar old friends: Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon and the Oliva Serie V Melanio.

The Isaac Bowman is produced by A. Smith Bowman Distillery, located right here in Fredericksburg, VA. Despite the distillery’s proximity, their core expressions can be surprisingly hard to come by — even here in Virginia. The Isaac Bowman Port Finish, fortunately, is generally found on store shelves, but that doesn’t make it any less desirable.

I’ve long been a fan of port-finished bourbons as companions to full-flavored cigars, and the Isaac Bowman is no exception. The bottle bears no age statement but is believed to be aged in oak for 4 to 5.5 years, followed by a 3 to 6 month finish in port barrels sourced from both Virginia and Portugal (using a mix of American and French Limousin oak). It’s bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV).

The port influence is immediately evident on the nose, offering notes of dark cherry, sweet apple, and vanilla. The palate carries those same port-aged qualities forward — delectable hints of sweet fruit, brown sugar, creamy vanilla, and a touch of mild spice. The finish is long, warm, and very satisfying.

The Oliva Serie V Melanio has made more than a few appearances in these Musings and on my Instagram feed. I can’t recall a time when I didn’t have either the Serie V or Serie V Melanio — usually in several vitolas — resting in my humidor. It’s a versatile, well-rounded cigar that pairs just as well with whiskey as it does with beer or coffee.

This cigar features an Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, including Jalapa-grown ligero. Medium to full in body, it delivers a beautifully balanced profile of peppery spice, caramel, coffee, sweet nuts, and chocolate. The lingering mouthfeel is creamy and smooth.

This particular stick was from a box of Robustos I purchased in April 2024. It was brimming with the expected rich flavors and maintained an excellent, cool burn from start to finish.

The combination of the cigar and the port-finished bourbon was an absolute delight — perhaps one of the best pairings I’ve enjoyed in recent memory.

Cheers!

Five O'Clock Friday: The Hazy Craze

Sadly, this is reflective of the options at so many pubs and breweries these days.

Here's hoping your weekend beer options are numerous.

Cheers!

Celebrate Freedom, Defend Liberty

Today — and indeed this entire weekend — patriotic Americans celebrate the foresight, wisdom, and bravery of our Founding Fathers in declaring independence from an oppressive government. Independence Day is a truly American holiday, made possible by a well-armed, determined, and freedom-loving citizenry. The Fourth of July, our original “No Kings Day,” serves as both a celebration of liberty and a solemn reminder that freedom must be vigilantly protected.

Our forefathers were explicit in their intent: our rights are granted by our Creator, not by government. Power is legitimate only when it is derived from the consent of the governed. These timeless truths laid the foundation of a nation built on freedom. But today, those principles face constant threats — not only from foreign powers, but from within our borders, from citizens and non-citizens alike.

Enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, America was built on the idea that all people are endowed with unalienable rights — life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These founding principles still exist today — for all.

Yet a vocal and aggressive minority — enabled by pandering politicians and a compliant media — seeks to erode the very fabric of American liberty. Under a distorted vision of “freedom,” they work to silence dissent, erase history, redefine language, and shame anyone who dares to disagree. Their actions reveal not a love of justice, but a deep hostility toward the foundational principles of our republic.

Yet, hope abounds. Today, millions of patriotic Americans are growing weary of the lies, the violence, and the constant smears on their character and beliefs. We are tired of being labeled as extremists simply for standing by the values enshrined in our founding documents — freedom, faith, personal responsibility, and equal rights for all.

Even amidst chaos and division, the light of liberty has not been extinguished. A growing movement seeks to return to the values of 1776, reaffirmed by the Constitution. This movement is not driven by hate, but by love — love for country, for liberty, and for future generations who deserve to inherit a free and united nation.

Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to Roger C. Weightman on June 24, 1826, reflected on the significance of this day:

“For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”

I, for one, am proud of my country. And I will not quietly accept efforts to dismantle it — whether by restricting my worship, infringing on my right to self-defense, or attempting to replace freedom with the tyrannical ideologies that history has already condemned.

So this Independence Day, don’t just wave a flag or light a firework. Reflect on what this nation stands for. Remember what was risked to create it. Celebrate America. Celebrate freedom. And above all — prepare to defend and preserve it for those who will inherit the nation we leave behind.

Happy Independence Day!

Bold Flavor in a Small Package: Dunbarton Polpetta Petit Puros

I typically drink my coffee hot and black, even on warm days. But on this particular afternoon, the heat had me craving something cooler — so I brewed up iced coffees for my wife and myself. Then I reached into the humidor for a quick smoke.

The Dunbarton Polpetta Petit Puros is a cigar I hadn’t tried before. It recently showed up in two different cigar-of-the-month subscriptions, so it had definitely caught my attention.

Originally introduced by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust as an event-only cigar, the Polpetta became a regular production line in 2023. The 4 x 48 petit robusto features a dark Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper over a Mexican San Andrés binder. The filler is a unique mix of long-leaf tobaccos and table scrapings from the production of Dunbarton’s popular Mi Querida, Mi Querida Triqui Traca, and Umbagog cigars. (Fun fact: Polpetta is the Italian word for “meatball.”)

The cigar opens boldly, with rich notes of espresso, black pepper, and dark chocolate. A thick, flavorful smoke delivers a noticeable black pepper tingle that lingers on the lips and tongue. It burns evenly, though the ash is a bit flaky.

The Dunbarton Polpetta Petit Puros delivered about 45 minutes of bold, satisfying flavor — just right for the near 100° heat on the shaded screen porch. It paired beautifully with the iced coffee and made for a relaxing afternoon. I’m looking forward to enjoying the second one I’ve got tucked away, and I’ve already added it to my list of cigars to keep on hand for when time is short but the craving strikes.

Cheers!