Thursday Cigar and 1781 Porter

It was an early start to the weekend Thursday when I headed over to 1781 Brewing after dinner for a beer and smoke at the cigar lounge. After a week of very cool weather, one that actually had me turning on the heater for a smoke on the deck earlier in the week, it was nice to sit outside comfortably as the sun set. As usual, the first stop was to fill my mug with a tasty beer. Also as usual, I opted for the Washington's Hare Porter. The mildly sweet caramel and toffee notes, with just a touch of bitterness, go quite well with most cigars I smoke. And the low 5.5% ABV makes it easier to have a refill, should I desire.

In perusing the lounge's humidor, I saw it held a box of Black Label Trading Company Bishops Blend, in the Corona Larga vitola. I have been enjoying the Robusto size sticks I grabbed last July at the shop, but had never tried the slightly larger size. 

As noted previously, Bishops Blend is a limited release from Black Label Trading. This year's edition was created in two sizes, with only 450 boxes of 20 produced in each of the vitolas. The blend is comprised of an Ecuador Maduro wrapper, an Ecuador Habano binder, and a mix of Nicaraguan, Connecticut broadleaf, and Pennsylvania broadleaf filler tobaccos. The smoke is full bodied with flavors of coffee, cocoa, and some interesting dark fruit notes. It is my humble opinion that this Black Label release is one of the best sticks of 2020. 

Most of my previous pairings with Bishops Blend have involved whiskey of some variety. The stick works just as well with the porter, as expected. Besides the tasty beer and smoke, the evening was filled with fun conversation with other folks in the lounge. Inevitably, some of the conversation veered to politics and the social unrest plaguing our country. Despite the presence of viewpoints on opposite sides of the spectrum, the discussion remained civil and even jovial. That's the magic of the cigar lounge.