WOW!! Few cigars over the last couple of weeks!! Were they all tied to successful work out weeks, ahhhhhh nope. Were they all awesome, most! I am not sure where to even begin, these pictures are not even close to being in the right order so perhaps trying to do as much chronologically is the way to go. So to pick up the story from my last weekly work out blog.......
We just arrived in Nunda NY!! We had been on the road for approximately 16 hours and arrived at my wife's cousins house. After a very quick greeting, it was off to fix some of the hoses from the pool as they decided about 5 minutes before we pulled in to start to break free and shoot streams of water everywhere.
After about a hour or so of trying a few different things, everything was back in fairly good working order. BBQ flamed on and it was time for a drink and a cigar. Now these ones I would like to remind all 6 of you, were completely earned from the week of workouts. It goes completely off the rails once I hit Toronto, but up to this point, justified.
First cigar up is a CAO Maduro ( last picture on the right) and Woodbridge Reserve Kentucky Bourbon. I liked both, but the pairing was a little off. The CAO Maduro was on the stronger side of medium, spicy, and had an earthy quality. The Woodbridge had a soft oaky flavor, that really couldnt stand up to this cigar, something on the lighter side of medium might have been a better fit. Happy to be off the road, enjoying the farm vista and company, can say I moved past the pairing very quickly. So why not spark another stick, dont mind if I do!
My second selection that night was a Psycho 7 Robusto from Ventura Cigar Co. I have def seen these around on the cigar blogs and apps that i subscribe to with varying views for and not so for this cigar. I tried another product from Ventura the Project 805 Robusto not to long ago and wasnt a huge fan, so hopping this one fared a little better. Again, paired with the Woodbridge Reserve. Way better pairing this time. The claim to fame for the Pyscho 7 is that it is made with 7 types of leaf. Now from the outset this might not seem like a great idea, but I have to tell you, I really liked how this cigar changed its flavor as I smoked it. There was a very grassy start, but as it rolled along, I started to get some great coffee, cedar, and nutty flavours. These worked great with the soft spice notes of the bourbon. My only beef is with the wrapper, cool, but kind of annoying to try and get it off.
So off to bed, and then the road again for me, heading to my conference in Toronto for the better part of the week.
Very uneventful drive, no issues at the boarder *whew*!
In to the hotel, quick look around and off to my favorite and very conveniently located cigar store, Casablanca Tobacconist, located right across from the hotel.
I had such a great experience here last year, I was pumped to get back there. Only problem, it was Sunday, and it was closed. GAH
I pressed my face up against the glass like Ralphie in Christmas Story looking at the toys in the shop windows. 
Then I saw a shape move wave arms, and yell 'closed, we are closed'. I yelled, no, be open! 
The owner had a weird look on his face but came to the door and unlocked it, through the crack I said, 'sir, please, I will be like 10 minutes, I came from Nova Scotia just to come to your store' ( a little dramatic, but jebus I wanted in!) I dont think he was expected that level of begging, so he let me in, and locked the door behind me. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VIP Treatment!!!!
So after a quick boo, I snatched up 4 cigars and paid and was back on the street, bobs your uncle.
Got in a quick workout at the goodlife down the street, then off for the evening festivities.
The next day took a couple of younger fellas attending the conference over to the store now open, to pick out a cigar so we could venture out into the greater Toronto area to smoke, as there is now no smoking anywhere at any time. Brutal.
One of the guys selected a My Fathers Collection Robusto on my advice, as it is one of my favorites, and the other fella took a CAO box press Italia. I picked up an Asylum 13 Orge Double Gordo Dual wrapper. What a monster!!! Great smoke! Wish I had something other then a orange gatorade style beverage to pair with it, but a fella cant be too picky having a stick with a couple of other potential enthusiasts on a sunny day, on the Toronto waterfront. The cigar has some great spice and pepper right off the hop. It starts to really settle down into the spice after the first third, I really enjoyed it, on my get again list for sure.
That was pretty much it for Toronto cigars, at the end of the conference it was time to drive back to the US. Once across the boarder it was time to hit up a Cigar Store that was suggested by one of the Cigar Noise App bros, as a do not miss shop.
So about 15 - 20 minutes for the boarder I found Trader Joes. Loved this place! It is on a reserve so there is way better prices, and the selection here was legit. Not really your Vancouver City Cigars type of venue, but if you want some serious sticks at wicked prices, this is the place to stop. Picked up a few that I have been drooling over for a while, all the prices, like a third of what they would be in Canada - so brutal.
With purchase in hand, it was off to the family. A couple days, one amazing wine tour which included a whiskey distillary, and we were back on the road home with an honorary Ryan to boot! Brooksie boy was on the way to the Scotia with us. This kid is 6 and probably the funniest kid on the planet. He was a great addition on the long drive!
Back at home ( 2 days and 18 hours of driving later) it was time for a drink and smoke!
I decided to give my Aging Room Quarttro F55 a try and paired it with one of my new bourbons, the Col. E.H. Taylor small batch. I have to say, this was not a great pairing. The cigar did this weird burn through the middle first thing, and took forever for the outer leaf and wrapper to get going. The bourbon, was way stronger then I anticipated, eventually settled down on the tongue, but did not help the issues with the cigar. I think I do have a cigar that will work better so looking forward to giving the bourbon a go again. Aging Room, a lot of hype with not a lot of go, will try one again, but will be a bit more critical of the feel of the cigar before buying next time.
That brings us to Canada Day Weekend!
So after running a 5km and swimming a 5km race there was def going to be cigars in my future.
I planned on having a couple of cohiba's post swim with my partner in crime, and friend of the show Dave Zinck, but stupidly left them home. He was able to bail us out with a couple of cigarello style Guantanamera cigars. Perfect little snap of smoke after a long day sportsing.
After I got home and hit the ground running in the kitchen, after dinner it was time to kick back and relax before the fireworks started. Nick Carp, a fellow enthusiast, and Rob Porter, friend of the show, were in attendance and a couple drinks were had.
My first cigar was one I have been looking to try for a while, it was a Comacho Connecticut , I paired it with another new to me bourbon, Four Roses small batch. Now this was a pairing for the ages. The above mild flavors of the Comacho with the vanilla of the four roses, holy crap it was a good fit! I. Want. More. Of. These. So I will be on the lookout for more.
I flipped over to Dark Horse whiskey for the next stick. This one was the last of my COTM cigars and to be honest, I cant remember what it was called, but I can remember that it was not great. It did not light well, and it was very harsh in regards to the leaf that was inside. Very forgettable. Clearly.
We did have a great night with friends, watching the fire works cascade over Nicholson hall from the deck of our neighbours. Nick Carp got to try a Churchill length cigar for the first time, and enjoyed the medium flavours of the Don Thomas Classico. Once a major staple of my cigar smoking, from blogs past. You really cant argue with the price point.
So with another Canada in the books, it was time to turn my attention towards #cigarSunday.
On Cigar Noise ( app), I keep seeing many of the CN Nation smoking in the morning. I dont know that I ever thought about having a cigar for breakfast before, but with a fresh pot of coffee on and a R&J reserve burning a whole in my cigar box, I thought, what the hell! 
So I made myself an iced coffee, and went out to the deck with my R&J. I really havnt had a bad Romeo and Julieta. They come through no matter the leaf or wrapper, size, or style. What a great way to start the morning. I got to sit and enjoy the sun and breeze, my delightful morning coffee and this little beauty of a cigar. This one came to me by way of new friend of the show, Chad Hasegawa, Chad is pictured above, top row middle next behind me.
 really like the pairing of coffee and cigars. They have a natural kinship that is hard to describe, but needs to be experienced if you can. Wont be my last #cigarSunday morning cigar I can tell you that.
Later that day, it was time for round 2. 
Now with it being the American holiday on the 4th, I had picked up a very patriotic CAO America while in Vancouver, special for the 4th.
I elected to have it on the 3rd so I could get a fresh start on my training and goals on the Monday, and paired it with a new to me NS local brew, the Sessionista from Boxing Rock Brewery in Shellburn NS. 
I wish I would have tried the beer first, it was a great amber hoppy delight, but not the best for the cigar. But like a champ, I worked through it haha.
As you can see from the pick its a two toned wrapper, I know its a fad, but come on it looks cool!! It looks like it would have a strong side of medium flavour, but it was a really good middle of the road smoke for me. Oak and sweet/spice notes were consistent throughout, I goofed up the cut, I think my cutter is starting to dull, but it had a very easy draw for a larger cigar. It was my little way of giving a shout out to my American friends and family on their national holiday. 
So yeah, that brings us up to date, a bit of a crazy train of cigar smoking the last couple of weeks, but its summer, vacation time, a time to be thankful that it stopped showering, snowing, hailing, and general grayness that is Nova Scotia 8 months of the year. 
Not going to lie, I maybe be upping my cigar intake over the next couple months, with special occasions, and quantity in my possession, it will be hard not to. We will see though.
Sorry for the long entry this week, but wanted to catch you up, and give you some thinks if you are planning on picking up a stick or two or a beverage or nine.
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan


 

Hello Y'alls!! Its been an interesting week in the world since we last spoke, hard not to feel completely deflated about the human condition when you watch the news coming out of the states in relation to violence or politics. I know like many of you with children that are now able to comprehend whats been going on have been having some pretty tough conversations over the weekend no doubt. Unfortunately I am sure there will be more to come.
Well, in times of darkness, it is important to find some light, so here we go with sampling of new to me products for this weeks review.
So last week was a decent week in regards to workouts, I was pretty much done most by Friday. Friday was a little longer of a workday also, so when I was able to get home, it was time for a little wind down with a cigar and beverage.
Since I returned home from Vancouver there has been one cigar that has been calling my name everytime I have walked by the cabinet that house my #cigarSunday friends. I have seen it posted about many times in the various cigar blogs and social network pages for a while now and I really wanted to try it. 
The CAO Flathead 660. This newer cigar line is based off of the muscle cars of days of yore. The flathead part comes into play with the squaring off of the end of the cigar, along with its very sleek shape. Its dark maduro wrapper gives off some great flavor of cocoa, spice and has a nuttiness that I have not really experienced before. It took some work to get it lit, but it had a fantastic draw, and really held its ash. Probably top 10 cigars all time for me, I am hoping on a very upcoming trip through the states into Toronto that I can find a few more.
I paired it with a new to me local to Nova Scotia - Dark Cream Ale from Hell Bay Brewing Co. from Liverpool NS. I have always been a fan of porters and stouts, but dont really recall much in the way of Dark Cream Ale's in the past. But upon giving the cigar a sniff or 9, I though I would forgo the usual scotch paring and give this local beer a try. So glad I did!
It has an interesting flavour on its own, but when paired with the cigar, the flavors of both are completely lifted. I forget sometimes how crazy it can be when pairing cigars what can happen when you strike a great balance.  It was just what the end of the week needed. I like it so much I bought another case on Saturday.
Saturday was pretty much a blur, I had to forgo any work outs as Saturday would be the only day that our little nook of Nova Scotia would have sunshine. So advantage must be taken.
I hit the grocery stores early to get my shopping done, then home and straight into washing the house. Our house tends not to get sunshine on one side, great for sleeping in the summer, but awful as there tends to be some green funk that grows on the siding because it is never not damp.
Of course my long handled brush broke right before i started so I scrubbed the house by hand and then pressure washed off the soap. What a difference if I do say so myself. So after that task was complete it was time to move onto the pool. I really havnt done much to it since we set it up a few weeks ago. So I finished getting the filter set up, and with the help of my neighbour, got it working again. Get the right mix of chemicals and bob's yur uncle.
Next up the lawn. Well this is where the wheels fell off, well more like the blade deck actually.
Our neighbours are awesome, we couldnt ask for better, Im not sure they would say the same. We have 3 obnoxious dogs, and aside from our sense of humour and friendship I dont know we have ever had much to offer. They on the other hand offer all of the above. help with projects and the use of their equipment. Which brings us to the mower. Now I am not a lawn obsessed person, nothing against that, its just not me. But I do appreciate the nice look that comes with a recently mowed lawn. I have put off buying my own mower, because our neighbours freely offered theirs, and I never really had anywhere to store it.
However, I am not sure for how much longer the offer will be extended as i have the worst luck with anything equipment related and true to form something happened when I was on the mower. Now this is about the 4th time something has happened when I have been on this mower, so I should have known things were going to well.
So I did the drive of shame back over to my neighbours to explain how I have, again, broken his mower. 
There was no shock, or suprise, more of a reluctant chuckle and lets go see what happened this time from my amazingly patient neighbour. After a short review, yes I had indeed broken the mower. Again.
There was a generous offer of a push mower, but at this point I didnt want to break anything else, and our lawn is such that it probably would have taken me way more time then I would ever want to devout to such a task.
I slinked back to the house, the mantle of shame weighing heavy on me. I puttered around and got a couple more things done, made super for the clan and contemplated a #cigarSaturday. Should I? Shouldnt I? I did a lot today, but enough to warrant a bonus cigar? 
As I struggled with this internal battle, we were invited to a bonfire at our neighbours. Baby Jebus had spoken. A #cigarSaturday was unavoidable.
So I again turned to my Vancouver selections and picked another new to me cigar, the Rocky Patel Edge Habano. Now I have seen the Rocky Patel brand over the last couple of months and always wanted to try one. This one was among the favs from one of the staff at City Cigar so I bought it. 
This cigar is full on Nicaraguan in every aspect from its wrapper to the blend of leaf inside. It is a very flavour filled cigar. It has a fantastic dark wrap that has a shiny hue. It lit extremely well, and has a peppery, earthy, woody nose and flavour. So far I am 2 for 2 out of the Vancouver selections. I didnt want to pair it with the same beverage from the night before, but I did want to ride this dark beer pairing another night.
So a quick drop into the liquor store and I picked up a couple of bottles of the Rare Bird Full Steam Stout. Another local brewery here in Nova Scotia, just down the road in Guysborough. It did not have the stout taste I am familiar with, it hit almost some tart, dry coffee flavour that was out of this world. There was also faint cocoa and maltiness that really lent itself to the RP cigar.
Add that to a lot of laughs, smores and a bonfire with friends and you really couldnt have asked for a better night in Nova Scotia.
With a week or more of rain lined up in the coming days, it was really the best the day could have been ( aside from the mower).
Sean 'BigBoyRunning' Ryan

Hey um, hi, so, I maybe, just a little, over did it last week and change. Its not you, Its me. What happens in Vancouver, stays in Vancouver, unless you have social media and a blog? Thats a saying right?!
Okay well, whats done is done.
Okay so had an amazing cigar experience in Vancouver for a few reasons.
One, the locations you could smoke at the hotel were wicked great, rain or shine!  As you can see from on pic above, there were these very nice patios set up with flora and fountains and water features. So that was great then having to hang out in some alley way or standing around the front of the hotel.
Second, there were def a couple of days, where a fella needed to be alone with his thoughts and have a cigar.
Third, a fellow cigar smoker was revealed and it would be bad etiquette to not carve out some time to have a smoke together. 
So lets run down the sticks, the accompanying beverages are not my usual fare, as I was away i didnt have access to my liquor cabinet and on a couple of failed searches there was not much in the way of local whiskey, found one, and it didnt look appealing for the price tag. Some of the single malts I am usually drawn to, were all at least 20$ more expensive then I could find at home, so my scottish/irish heart would not allow me to spend that on something I could get cheaper at home. So most cigars were accompanied with a Kickstart. Again not the best choice for a diabetic, but you cant beat the #puppymonkeybaby of it all.
So first up the Partagas Corona Tubos. This one was sent to me from friends of the show, Marjie and Monica on a recent vacation in Cuba. Literally sent it while still on vacation and I received it while they were still on vacation. I can tell you how much I liked this cigar. Really nice draw, easy to light, great ash, very good smoke time, and had nice peppery and coffee notes throughout. Its so nice when others indulge my habits, so thanks again to team M&M for the great treat.
Next up was a DR Cohiba and a new to me whiskey called THUNDER BOLT!!! hahahaha
Yes I bought it because of the name. It hails from High River Alberta and exclaims proudly on the bottle that it is 100 proof!! Sign me up.
I was expecting it to be really rough, but it was actually extremely rough haha. I think it was more akin to paint remover then whiskey but it took the edge off, the sides off, and maybe some underbelly. The cigar of course was great, I really have enjoyed smokes these cohibas over the last month or so, so no big news, enjoyable flavors, great length of time, and draw. It was the better part of the pairing by a country mile.
Third on the list was a new to me cigar the Padilla Artemus Toro. I was really in a mood the day I smoked this and wanted something that was going to last a while to get me out of my funk. It was paired with a delightful KickStart Cherry flavor haha.
It was a bugger to get lit, but it was windy and raining so that may have played into it. It had a hang time on smoking, i think at least an hour or more, and flavor wise, right in the money spot for where I like cigars. It was one of my last Cigar of the Month Club cigars. Here is there review:
The Padilla brand is built upon high quality, low volume handmades that utilize rare, very expensive materials. It continues to earn high ratings, receive top honors, and wow enthusiasts at the same time. The limited edition Padilla Artemis Toro you have in your shipment today borrows its name from the Greek goddess of the hunt, forests & hills, the moon, and archery. Manufactured at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, this handmade features a zesty blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos, a Honduran binder, and a Nicaraguan Cuban-seed Habano wrapper. Light it up and you’ll find flawless construction and rich Cuban-esque notes of cedar and earth, with a sweet peppery finish. We paired it with a bourbon and found it to be an excellent accompaniment.
Last on the list was another COTMC selection the Don Thomas Sun Grown. I am not a stranger to the Don Thomas brand and to be truthful I have left this one on the sidelines for a while because of how many of them I have had over the last couple of years.
COTMC says:
Don Tomás cigars have been the pride of Honduras for generations. Released in August 2007, this Honduran puro is no different, even earning a 90 point rating from Cigar Aficionado. Painstakingly handcrafted in the old fashion, this handmade uses carefully aged long-fillers and binder, and is cloaked with a leathery brown sun-grown Honduran Connecticut wrapper. Together, this medium-bodied smoke has a tasty bouquet of earth and tobacco with a sweet spicy finish. Perfectly constructed, enjoy this baby with a scotch.
I did not have scotch, but i did have some vodka on ice with lime and it was a really refreshing pairing. Of all the Don Thomas I have smoked this one was probably the best. It had a great taste, and was really hitting the spicy/sweet notes, held a great ash almost all the way through until the wind took it out. Really enjoyed it. I know its probably not the coolest cigar to smoke, but I really liked it.
Even better was getting the chance to enjoy a cigar with a fellow enthusiast. I dont often meet others that enjoy cigars like I do, so it was a great chance to talk some cigartalk with another dabbler. I am sure as we continue on in our conference lives we will get this opportunity again, its just to bad we live on opposite sides of the country. 
So there you have it, one legit #cigarSunday and 3 shameful, bad bad boy ones. 
Okay this is already crazy long and I havent even gotten into my cigar shop reviews. Maybe another blog post is in order, suffice to say, not all intraweb reviews are created equal. There is a pick of my new to me beauties, gonna have to work my butt off this week to get one!!!
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

YAS!!! Finally its #cigarSunday and a bonus #cigarMonday this week because I banked my #cigarSunday from the previous week. Time to make a dent in my last shipment from Cigar of the Month Club. 
I picked up a bottle of Steinhart Gin on a recent excursion to their distillery down the road from our campus. I was always curious as to how their gin tasted having already tried a couple of their vodka products. They were very gracious to invite us out and show us around the operation. It was a very cool experience. I have been to many different breweries over the years, but never a distillery.
I try hard each year to keep my birthday on the DL, not that I am avoiding my age or anything like that, I just dont get the hoopla. But I bought a bottle of the gin to give myself a little treat as I do enjoy a martini from time to time.
Now everyone should know that I do enjoy the genre of selfie. I like to think that I specialize in cigarSelfies. I am fairly confident in my ability to capture myself with a cigar and its blue grey smoke, swirling around like a halo or crown. From time to time ( always) I post these stunning pics of myself on various social media platforms like FB and Instagram. 
On a fairly recent post I hash tagged #cigarsofinstagram well, I have seen alot of #dogsofinstagram #doorsofinstagram etc etc etc, but no cigars of instagram. I have been getting some positive likes from fellow cigar enthusiasts one specifically was from @cigarnoise so like a good instagramer I threw them a follow. A couple of days later @cigarnoise posted a link to a review and website. So on some additional perusing I found the website and app for Cigar Noise. I downloaded the app and was pretty pumped to see such a diverse community in the intraweb posting pics, and giving reviews of cigars. Mind. Blown. I dont know why these things always suprise me, perhaps I enjoy my bubble so much I dont realize there is actually a world out there haha.
Anywho, I jumped right in this weekend with a couple of posts of my own and got some immediate feedback. My cigar selection was something to be desired but my spirit selection and pairing got some positive feedback. It wasnt negative feedback, just people who have way more cigar knowledge then I do giving me a couple of cents. I love it. I am compiling a shopping list for when I hit the conference trail in a couple weeks for Vancouver, Toronto and Upstate NY to see if I can find some of the 'sticks' ( lingo) that have piqued my interest from the Cigar Noise app. If you happen to be getting into cigars or are looking for some new ones to try i strongly recommend checking out Cigar Noise. 
Okay now for the reviews:
#cigarSunday #cigarBirthday
So I had the Steinhart Gin and paired it with one of my cigar of the month selections the Gurkha Beauty. I made my martini in my classic way, a little olive brine and 3oz of gin in the shaker with lots of ice, pound the piss out of it ( shake it vigorously), strain into a chilled glass with a couple of olives, a healthy squeeze of lime and bob's your uncle. It was delicious, I could have had a few of those for sure. The gin was incredibly clean tasting, sometimes I find with gin that it leaves a botanical after taste, this gin did not do that. It had fantastic citrus notes and really adapted well to my *cough cough* dirty martini.
The cigar on the other hand, it was okay. This is the first time I have had this brand, to be honest it felt like it was packed loose, it lit well, and kept a good burn and ash, but smoked quickly. I wouldnt say the pairing was awful as the cigar had a very mild flavour, which I was a little disappointed with. I think I was thinking it would have a more present flavour. 
Here are the Cigar of the Month notes:
The Gurkha legend originates with colonial soldiers who, at the height of British rule in India, started making their own cigars from local tobacco, some of which was produced in the Portuguese territory of Goa. Expatriates from Britain who were still living in India continued smoking the cigars, but eventually the cigars began to wane into history and legend, as did the rajas’ rule. Today the Gurkha brand stays true to the original essence of those first cigars made so long ago, so the legend will live on. This remains especially true with the Gurkha Beauty. This stunning Dominican handmade was created using an ultra-rare five year aged Connecticut-seed wrapper, and it has a core teeming with Dominican long-fillers and a Dominican binder. Mild-bodied, this stogie features hints of coffee, cream, and leather with a woody and earthy core. Smooth to the nub, enjoy it any time of day with an India Pale Ale.
Mild-bodied part is def on point, very faint notes of cream, but did not get an earthy vibe from this one. Dont know that I would go out of my way for another one.
#cigarMonday
So decided to give another COTMC selection a try, the Fighting Cock and paired it with one of my top 3 fav scotches, my Dalwhinnie 15year old. This was a very complimentary pairing in regards to the flavours from both. The cigar lit well, but the first third burned fast, as it got into the second third it did slow down a little, but the flavour also changed I would say at least 3 times during my smoke. Nothing really bad or anything, but it was like hitting different leaf every third, not sure if that is something anyone else has experienced with this smoke before, but it was a little strange.
Heres what COTMC had for its notes:
Contrary to what some of you might be thinking, we didn't include this cigar in your shipment for the sole purpose of giving you an opportunity to wise crack with your friends (for example, they ask, "whatcha enjoyin' there buddy?" and you reply "oh, just my big ol' Fighting Cock Churchill…") While it's a heck of a lot of fun to see people's reactions when this inevitably happens, this originally Philippines-produced cigar is genuinely tasty, well-worthy of being featured in our club. And its name actually comes from the Philippine national sport of cock-fighting, not some cheesy marketing ploy. Some years ago, however, production was moved to Nicaragua, where the masters at Felipe Gregorio are now responsible for their creation. Always recognized for consistency, every one that our panel members have ever smoked over the years has been very well constructed and wrapped to just the right firmness, offering a nearly perfect draw. We found the churchill to have a wonderful, medium-to-full-body, with a Habano wrapper, Indonesian binder, and Nicaraguan long-fillers that will lead to a complex tobacco taste with unmistakable notes of leather. Look for a complex aroma with some strong spicy and cedar notes, pleasantly balanced by a lightly herbal finish. Consider pairing this one with a Stout.

I did get the herbal finish for the middle third, and that was probably the best section of the cigar when sipping on my scotch. Again, i wouldnt turn one down, but I most likely wouldnt search it out. So cigars were a bit of an interesting adventure this weekend, the booze was way more successful in regards to selection. 
 My next post should be from the other side of the country next week, looking forward to seeing Vancouver in a spring/summer mode and have already researched a couple of shops to visit, so if anyone has any suggestions for one over the other, please shoot them out!

Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan




​

Soooo how about that last week! 
Okay to be honest right now, I am completely at a loss as to what may or may not have happened last week, for no other reason then its Friday, I am way late in posting a blog post and Im old.
So on a quick flip back through my facebook and the pics posted last week it all comes flooding back to me.
Last week was #squadcigarSunday!
What the heck does that mean?
Well a couple of the kind peeps that I worked with last year gifted me some wonderful cigars and booze and I thought I would give the group a little love back and dedicate a #cigarSunday in their honour.
To be clear, these gifts were not expected, but were very much appreciated, AND i appreciated them this Sunday!
The cigar was a Dominican Republic Cohiba Robusto. In a work delicious. Now I know some pure-ests will be all but its not cuban, and all that nonsense. It was awesome, lit well, drew well, had a very mild/medium flavor, almost smoked it to the cap it was so good!
It sports a Mexican binder, a Dominican filler, and a flawless Cameroon wrapper. There was some light vanilla and honey notes that really tied into the Jack Daniels whiskey. Now Im not going to go into much a review of Jack Daniels as there really isnt anything new that I am going to add to the conversation. The pairing came off a little harsh initially but settled down after a couple of ice cubes and a splash of water. 
To add to the delightful experience my wife and former sweetheart joined me in the late setting Nova Scotia sun on the soon to be active pool deck. The breeze was still coming from the north and quite cold, but we got to start thinking ahead to the hopefully warm summer days, BBQs and family trips and visits around the corner. 
It also got me thinking about the squad of students that I had spent the year with at work. 
To try and explain the year long adventure with these 7 people, well I dont know if I have the time, or brain power to really capture the spirit, laughs, tears, successes and challenges that these tremendous humans went through individually and as a group in the last 12 months. It was an extremely successful year in most ways, and our organization will be forever changed from their blood, sweat and tears. 
So to you Troy, Hannah, Alex, Bridget, Hillary, Nick and Emily ( this is their office location order, i dont have favorites) thank you again - this #cigarSunday is for youse! I didnt get to see all of you on grad night, youse humans are great, and I cant wait to see what you do next. Have the best adventures, and always remember.....Fuck you Wendy!
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

Graduation weekend. It is a time of finality and of beginning. A time of letting go of who you were, to start to become who you were meant to be. And, at StFX, a time to have one heck of a final day, night and morning to laugh, cry, hug, cry, dance, cry, eat breakfast sandwiches and cry some more. Some years, you are relieved to see some of the faces go. Hey not everyone is going to get along all the time, out of 4500 people, not all are going to be super awesome humans all the time. #fact
But this year, this year was one of those years where you feel like a lot of very cool, very engaged, very nice, kind, intelligent, exciting, innovate people are leaving campus. I could laundry list a ton of names of those that I was blessed to work with during their academic careers here, but they know who they are so that is good enough. 
That also isnt to say that the groups behind them or in front of them were any less so, but like I said, this group had some pretty amazing people, that will now go off into the world, and hopefully still be those same people that they were here on our campus.
Along with the students, we ( the royal we) are also saying goodbye to a staff member in the very near future.
Our bar manager, Pat Daddy, Uncle Pat, Our Cat Pat, POConn, Dartemus Jones ( wow this guy had a lot of nicknames) has finished up his 3 year tour, and 7 year sentence of time here at StFX.
The very first time we met, I will say it was under mandatory circumstances, and to be honest I am not a 100% sure what the exact reasons were, but from then to know it has been a great pleasure to watch him grow from a first year MacIsaac Arsehole to one of the most dependable, hardworking and dedicated colleagues that I have had the pleasure of working with.
While we have done our ultimate best in finding a successor for the position, it is going to be a little sad to see him go. Not only for what he brought to the job, to the staff and atmosphere of the bar and SU but for the friendship, laughs and sense of ease that we have built up over the last few years. I never had to worry about the bar when Pat was working. For those of you that know me, know that I worry about everything. Many times before Pat came along as manager I would not sleep Wednesdays and Friday nights, just waiting for my phone to ring with some disaster. It did ring a few times, and I would have to tornado myself out of the house and get to the bar to see if I could help manage the situation. 
After Pat was hired, I dont think I got one call for anything like that. Not that i actually slept more, but it freed up some mental space to worry about other things haha.
So this coming week Pat will finish up and head off to Ottawa for another adventure, we still get to have #ONEMORESHOW of our radio program No Shoes, No Pants, No Service ( plug, plug) which has been one of the things that I have enjoyed immensely this year. It was a chance for us to talk about our experiences in the bar business, play some tunes that hipsters would hate, and really just enjoy our very similar sense of humour. 
So Patrice if you are reading this......

I've said all this stuff to you already, so I wont keep going with the mushy stuff, but look forward to a chance down the road to travel with you again, because it was always unpredictable, fun, and usually meant really good naps for me.
Slainte my friend
Oops totally forgot about the actual cigars this week hahaha. #gettingold
So okay, #cigarSunday this week, well because I knew I was working that night for the graduation events, I went with an ice coffee pairing instead of a scotch or whiskey. 
This week's cigar was the last of my first month of Cigar of the Month Cigars - the Caldwell Blind Man's Bluff.
Here are some of the COTMC notes:
Founded by Robert Caldwell in 2014, the Caldwell Cigar Company is bursting onto the boutique cigar scene with its four new cigars that premiered just last year at the IPCPR in July 2015. When starting the company, Robert decided that he was going to do things his way and began scouring the world for the best tobacco leaves which he would test over and over again until getting the exact flavors he was looking for — before testing it again. He is so committed to his product that he keeps production limited to ensure that he is delivering a superior product. Currently, Caldwell Cigar Company is based in the Dominican Republic and has built a new factory aptly named the Caldwell Cigar Factory. The cigar in your shipment today is the only cigar out of the four that is being made at the famed Agroindustrias Laepe S.A. in Honduras, the same factory where Camachos are produced. This handmade starts with an alluring Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that secures a refined Honduran Criollo binder and a feisty blend of long-fillers from the Dominican Republic and Honduras. Tasty notes of bread, cedar, and sweet spice combined with a long and cool finish will have you drooling for another. Enjoy this medium to full smoke with a Highland Whisky.

So compared to last week rough go with the Pancho this one was fantastic. Def milder in flavour and taste, it paired excellently with the Hawaiian medium roast coffee I was using for my iced coffee. It lit well, had an excellent pull, and as the notes say, had a really over the top finish. Will be looking for this one again when I hit up Vancouver and Toronto this summer on the conference trail.

#cigarGradMonday
For the second year in a row, Pat and I and a friend or two, this year Warren, decided to watch the sunrise and enjoy an end of the year cigar. Last year I brought some Presidente length cigars that really didnt go over with folks that dont always smoke cigars. So this year I brought along my box of Guantanamera cigars that my inlaws had brought back from Cuba for me earlier this year. These were the perfect fit, they are a nice mild cigar and are pre cut so those that do not smoke cigars much have to fuss around with the cutter.
It was a little chilly out, but we all enjoyed the mild spice notes from the cigar, the sun as it peaked out to begin a new day, and the half dozen Track grads that were doing drunk running around the football field without pants on.

​All in all a great weekend of festivities, some sad goodbyes, and some great cigars.

Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

So another week of workouts in, equals another #cigarSunday! Since my first shipment of cigars from cigar of the month club I have been looking forward to smoking the Sancho Panza Triple Anejo. Its dark wrapper and chocolate coffee smell was so seductive like comic nerd in a New Mutants issue #98 factory.
(My comic nerd peeps will get that reference)
So with the weather over for the moment in Nova Scotia, the sun peeking out like a timid child from behind its parents legs, it was time to give Sancho a whirl.
I decided not to pair with a beverage this week, part of me was just not feeling it as it was after dinner, and to be honest a nice mug of hot tea heading out to the deck, while sunny, with a chilly wind was way more appealing in the moment. Shocking I know.
So the notes on this cigar from COTMC are as follows:

Sancho Panza cigars originated in Havana, Cuba in 1852 and are still made there today with an amazingly mild taste for traditional Cuban cigars. In 2001 they were finally available to the United States market when General Cigars starting making them in Honduras. Brand new to the Sancho Panza line up, the Triple Añejo Gordo is a full-bodied powerhouse that features a blend US Broadleaf and Brazilian Arapiraca long-fillers underneath a savory Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and all wrapped up in a stunning golden brown high-priming Nicaraguan Jalapa Sun Grown wrapper. Together, this lip smacking stogie delivers powerful flavors of hearty spice right from the start with notes of pepper, earth, leather, and coffee with a subtly-sweet undercurrent dotting the finish. Pair it with an after dinner scotch.

I would agree with all of these notes in regards to notes, how your lips just start to tingle when you begin lighting this cigar, and the nose and taste are really nice. But then the problems started. Now I know that not all cigars, especially hand rolled, are not always going to be a 100/100 the same, even if the conditions, techniques and product is the same. I started to notice that while i was giving a good pull, very little smoke was coming from it. So, maybe it went out, not sure how, but stranger things have happened, so i relit. Again good initial pull but then not much of anything.

So I tried to relight again. Same thing, for about 5 times. Couple good pulls then not much. So then i noticed that the cigar was very hot to the touch near the wrap with very little actual new ash at end. I removed the wrap to find a burn hole underneath where the wrap is glued together. So the cigar burned through its middle leaf waaaay faster then it did on its outer leaf and wrapper. 

You can almost see it heading that way from the picture above. Now I am not a quitter so i rolled the cigar some to loosen up the outer leaf and once i did that it did start to smoke better. But I have to say I was a little disappointed initially that this cigar burned through the center that fast. Maybe these cigars are not used to be smoked in cold weather climates. I feel ya Pancho haha.

Despite this minor setback it was still a lovely spring? evening on the deck, with a cigar and a fantastic mug of tea, with the best company a fella could have.  

One last cigar from the Feb shipment from COTMC then we get to start cracking into the next batch, there looks to be 5/5 beauties in that group also!!

Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

I have always appreciated the buy local movement that is sweeping towns and cities across Canada. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt at the local farmers market, and generally prefer giving my dollars to friends and neighbours for services and products then a corporation. Jesus that sounded really hippyish. But supporting the community you live in, to me, is way more important then paying a lower price for convenience. 
But in the last two weeks, I have been turned onto locally made whisky. Last week with the Caldera from River John NS, and this week Glynnevan from Guysbourgh NS. The Glynnevan honestly came on my radar through Instagram. I kept seeing post after post from them at different NSLC locations across Nova Scotia and at various festivals, and felt strongly that Glynnevan would be my next new to me whisky for #cigarSunday.
So with all the workouts needed in the books last week, I picked up a bottle of Glynnevan and one of my Cigar of the Month cigars, a Romeo and Julieta Vintage 7.5.
For any regular readers I am quite a fan of Romeo and Julieta cigars and this Vintage 7.5 looked like a beauty. The blurb on this cigar from COTMC is as follows:
 
Introduced in 1993, the Vintage series from Romeo y Julieta is a small-batch luxury cigar, mild with a very round flavor. It's made with a wrapper that is hand-picked for its natural, oily sheen and light silky appearance. The binder is aged Mexican leaf and the filler is exquisitely blended Cuban-seed, long-leaf Dominican tobaccos aged two to three years prior to production. With its classic red Romeo y Julieta band and flawless construction, this is truly a cigar to show off. The head is nice and long and there are no unraveling issues. We found the stogie smokes as good as it looks. Once toasted it draws well and burns perfectly the whole way through. As one panelist said, “I immediately knew this cigar would be a ‘finger-burner,’” meaning he wouldn't put it down even when it became too hot to handle. The flavor is creamy and cappuccino-like with wonderful hints of cocoa that are just delicious. Mild cigars tend to burn a little hot, but with its cool, easy draw this one's an exception. With its flawless, even burn and steady ash this cigar is a joy to smoke. Enjoy it with a white rum.

So with that in mind I felt pairing the Glynnevan with this mild creamy cigar would be a fantastic match. I am really happy I put these two together!

The cigar lived up to its notes. It lit well, the pull was very easy and it was indeed a "finger-burner". I did not want to put this cigar down. The mild creamy flavor was a perfect match for the Glynnevan. 

Glynnevan notes from their website are:
GLYNNEVAN® opens with layers of aroma starting with sweet rye spices and honey, followed by toasted oak, vanilla, cinnamon and a hint of tropical fruit. The well-balanced taste is sweet and creamy offering vanilla, spice, hazelnut, butter, toffee and caramel sensations.  A mahogany-coloured whisky, at 43% alc./vol., it has a powerful, yet smooth mouth feel, with a finish that is long and warm. We invite you to enjoy GLYNNEVAN® neat, on the rocks, or mixed in your favourite whisky-based cocktail.

I can honestly say the spice and sweet with this whisky are very well balanced, you get that initial hit of spice and then a fantastic vanilla and toffee finish. It was such a great pairing, throw in some NS spring sunshine on the deck and it was probably one of the best #cigarSundays in the last month or so.

Now I know people can get really picky around scotch and whiskey's around age, price, brand etc. but let me tell you for the price point you really owe it to yourself to try some of the small batch local options in your neck of the woods. I know for myself, it has been a great couple of weeks sampling some of the products my area has to offer and I will be looking for more over the next while!

​Sean"BigBoyRunning" Ryan

YAS!
Another week with a #cigarSunday! The week before last week, didnt really work out, not did the weather cooperate so it wouldnt have mattered anyway. But last week, oh last week...you, YOU! I got all my workouts in, and this week ( knock on wood) is also shaping up pretty, pretty nice.
So the day was not shaping up great, again, Nova Scotia has been absolutely brutal lately with the not letting go of winter thing, we are destined to get hit again tomorrow *sigh*.
i moped through most of the day thinking it was going to end a carry over #cigarSunday, but then the miraculous happened, the freaking sun came out in the afternoon.
Like a 6 year old on Christmas, I was filled with glee! GLEE i tell ya!
I whipped through my dinner prep chores, booked it to the liquor store for a new to me beverage.
I had it my head to select something new. I have been seeing alot of various ads on Instagram for some local distilleries and was thinking that I might try something local. I mean I dont have a 'Buy Local' sticker on my office door for nothing. I mean a sticker on your office door is pretty binding. 
Upon arrival at the liquor store, I was greeted by a sample stand. Normally i bypass these things because they require fained interest and a willingness to try something new. But on this day it was for a whiskey. Hmm. Well im shopping for a whiskey, lets give this a go.
So after some quick questions about the product, and 1/8th of a shot of this amber colored sample of goodness. I was very impressed. I also liked the fact that it was made semi-locally and close to my home town of Pictou in River John.
Caldera Hurricane 5 is a handcrafted blended whisky, traditionally made from the season’s homegrown and regional grains. The spiciness of the rye is balanced out on the finish to produce a nice sharp start and a mellow end. 
I agree 100% with the tasting notes, it has a nice warm the cockles of your heart initial hit with a very smooth and easy drinking finish.
To accompany this whiskey blend I selected one of my new friends from my Cigar of the Month club subscription the Room 101 Connecticut 213.
The notes on this from COTMC are:
Fairly new to the boutique cigar scene, Room 101 cigars may have a peculiar name but the cigars are legit. If you’re still not convinced on the quality of these handmades, they are made by one of the best boutique manufacturers on the market today, Camacho. Actually, Room 101 Cigars was started by a chance meeting at an after party in Las Vegas by Room 101 lifestyle founder Matt Booth and Camacho’s Christian Eiroa, and the duo have been working on this project ever since. Handmade under the watchful eye of Christian Eiroa at the Camacho Factory in Honduras, this mild to medium stogie is not your typical Connecticut. The Room 101 Connecticut is chocked full with long-fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, hugged by an Honduran Corojo binder, and is then finished with a top-grade Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper. Once lit, it’ll lend notes of cream, cedar, pepper, and coffee with loads of thick smoke. Mild enough for an everyday smoke, enjoy it with a black coffee.
Okay so I did not enjoy it with a black coffee, I enjoyed it with the Caldera but its notes of cream, cedar and coffee were def on point. it was a great match with this smooth blend canadian whiskey. I was happy to note that the notes on this cigar were very close to my experience as the last one, although awesome and enjoyable, was a little shy of the write up provided.
I still have a couple cigars left from my last month shipment, but looking ahead there are some beauties coming down the pipe this month. Guess I am going to really keep my work outs up so i can keep trying these little delights.
​The next beverages I have on my try list are: Glynnevan; Glenlivet Founders reserve and the 15yr old. I may splurge on some Lagavulen. But we will see if the old scotch fund will support that pricey lil number. Donations always welcome hehe.
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan

So two weeks ago now i got the required workouts in to achieve a #cigarSunday. It was fantastic! As you can see from the pics above it was a beautiful, brisk maritime spring day. Blue sky, a dappling of snow still covering the forest ground, birds starting to sing out their spring songs, and a crisp fresh breeze swirling around occasionally, dancing with the cigar smoke of my cigar. Ahhhhh. Delightful.
Now, not that I got enough work outs in anyway, but the following weekend we were plunged back into winters deadly maw. Thick white devil snow falling to earth like the ash from a distant volcano with all the skill and grace of a seventeen year old losing their virginity. What a mess of things this storm was. 
#cigarSundays are seriously one of the only things that helps me get through winter, but when winter wont just get up and fuck off, it starts to get to a fella.
Okay enough of my complaining. Lets rewind to the good #cigarSunday.
So after receiving my Cigar of the Month club package I had a tough choice between the 5 cigars that were available to me. Thankfully the COTM people send along a companion booklet with a little write up on each cigar. The cigar i picked for this week was the Bahia Trinidad. Here is the write up from COTM:
The Bahia brand has been around since the cigar boom in the mid 1990’s and has been holding strong ever since. The Bahia Trinidad is a Nicaraguan puro crafted with a dark and oily Nicaraguan Criollo wrapper that’s been optimally fermented—tucked away for a cedar-nap for two years. The wrapper cloaks a blend of four-year-old Nicaraguan long-leaf Cuban seed tobaccos grown in the prime growing regions of Esteli and Condega. The end result is an aromatic, medium-bodied smoke with sweet tobacco flavors spiked with notes of cinnamon, cocoa and cedar. Look for a good draw and an even burn that produces a flaky snow white ash. After a great meal, enjoy this one for a good hour and a half with a full tawny port or a white rum.
Now while i did not go with their advice for a port or white rum, I selected friend of the show Highland Park 12 as my companion beverage, for many of the same reasons that they selected a port or rum. For me Highland Park 12 is a great balance between a smoky/spicy scotch and sweet/fruity scotch. It would be one that could be a helper to milder cigar and not over power it, or match the flavor of a stronger cigar.
While i agree with the flavor notes provided, it def did not last an hour, maybe I smoke faster, not sure, but it was at best 35-40minutes. Extremely enjoyable but I would also say more of a mild/medium flavor then down the center medium. Again crazy enjoyable, but I was expecting something different based on the notes provided.
The pairing worked great, and the weather, tunes, and chats with the departed made it a fantastic #cigarSunday.
As previously stated no #cigarSunday last week, but things are looking up in regards to work outs for this week, lets hope the winter fucks off enough to make it happen.
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan