Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Robusto 5.25 x 52

The library system in the town I live in is really quite good.  They will literally purchase a book they do not have simply so that they can loan it to you to read without making you have to purchase it.  The business model, in and of itself, just doesn't make sense to me, given my capitalisitic roots, but hey, anytime someone wants to save me money by buying what I want, and then loaning it ot me, I'm all for it.  The money saved there allows for the purchase of other things in life I enjoy, like the cigar that finds itself as the subject of this post.

Always being one who is a day late or a dollar short as it relates to unique or limited release cigars, I found myself fortunate to find a nearly full box of Pappy Van Winkle Barrell Fermented cigars at my local retailer.  Knowing my wife would kill me if I bought everything they had, I limited myself to just a few sticks, knowing that time spent in the humidor would only add to my enjoyment when the right time was presented.

Turns out, the right time in the instance of this cigar, turned out to be sooner than later, affording an early evening smoke accompanied by a book I had been looking forward to reading.  The author, Michael Connelly, the main character, Harry Bosch.  Yes, I know, Bosch has turned into a phenomenon in recent years given the Amazon series of the same name, and Titus Welliver truly epitomizes the character the book portrays in such a realistic manner, its hard not to binge watch each newly released season.  The writing, the editing, the weaving of different Connelly novels to adapt it to the small screen is incredible, and honestly I'll be sad when its final season wraps up next year.

The book in question was The Night Fire, and it was borrowed from the aforementioned library, and since it was a newer release, 7-days was the allotted time I had with the book before I would start accruing late fees of $0.05 per day.  Did I mention the flaws I see with that business model?  I'm old enough to remember when Blockbuster would charge for VHS tapes not rewound upon their return.

The way I smoke cigars has shifted a bit in the last year or so, and of course with COVID, I seem to be enjoying cigars at a much more frequent rate than in past years, but whereas I swore by a punch for the better part of a decade, I've returned to a cutter, removing more of the cap, but opening up a more pleasurable smoking experience.

After expertly toasting the foot of the Pappy, I took my first draw, the familiar taste of the Kentucky fire cured tobacco immediately evident on the palate.  The smoke itself was full, creamy, and tasty.  Fire curing tobacco really adds a special element to the cigar experience, and this Pappy was no exception, offering a unique complexity to it that I struggled to clearly define, but new at once I truly enjoyed.

I remember years ago writing about a really cheap Drew Estate cigar, one that, to the best of my knowledge, was machine made versus handmade, but with its Corojo wrapper, really was a good smoke.  Now, many years later, my tastes have matured, and with it, Drew Estate and the broad offerings its product portfolio offers.  What always amazes me, is the depth and complexity offered when smoking a Drew Estate cigar, regardless of price point.

The Pappy is not a cheap cigar, but it is worth every penny, in terms of the smoking experience it offers.  And yet cheaper sticks from Drew Estate offer as great a smoking experience, one that far surpasses the price point they may have been acquired at.  The Pappy falls into the category of special occasion cigar.  In the instance of this Pappy, I had just completed a project I had been working on for almost a year, the ability to actually have time to sit down and read just for enjoyment was something time did not afford me when I was engrossed in the project, but with completion comes enjoyment, and that enjoyment was something the Pappy delivered in droves.

For me, any Kentucky fired cured tobacco cigar is a stick I'll smoke, I enjoy that process and the flavors it offers that much.  Pappy was simply an exclamation point on an already excellent tobacco.  Full flavored without being brutal, tasty without overwhelming, pricy without breaking the bank.  If you are new to cigars, the Pappy probably isn't a good starting point, but if you have smoked more than your fairshare of cigars, and are looking for something special to enjoy with an event in your life, I promise you, you won't go wrong by selecting a Pappy.

As for me, I finished the book in a little over 5-hours, and at least 2 other cigars.  In the end, Bosch got the bad guy, but I got the win having enjoyed not just a Pappy, but several other great cigars as well.  In my world, heck, in your world, that's what we call a win-win.

Until we smoke again...