Mitchter’s & The Man

I’m not well versed in Sour Mash Whiskeys. On occasion, I’ve been know to enjoy some Jack Daniels from time to time. Drinking this style of whiskey is an acquired taste. So this session of Coops Deck Therapy is going to be taking a trip to the dark side for The Fat Man and savoring the Michters Sour Mash.

My state has put the allocated tag on this bottle. I was in search for something other than something from Buffalo Trace’s Signature Lineup and snag the Michters.

Founded in 1753 by John Shenks in Pennsylvania, their primary product was Rye whiskey. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington himself visited the distillery and procured some Rye Whiskey for his men to enjoy during the long winter months in Valley Forge.

In the 1800s, Abraham Bomberger purchased the distillery and for many years after branded the name Bombergers. The distillery shut its doors during prohibition and it wasn’t until the 1950s that Lou Forman created the modern brand Michters as we know it today.

The Sour Mash process is similar to making Sour Dough bread. Once the distiller creates the mash, they allow it to rest a few days before distillation to “Sour” or get a little funky as I like to say.

A mashbill comprised of 72% Corn, 16% Rye & 12% Malted Barley and aged in American White Oak barrels and bottled at 86 Proof. A touch of citrus that transitions to flavors of Caramel and Honey which leads to a huge sweet bomb. A huge surprise to my liking!

I could see a few friends sitting around drinking this bottle to the corners (to empty) on a good night.

A whiskey like this needs a special cigar:

Don Carlos The Man

Origin is from Dominican and made in only a Robusto size.

Earthy with soft notes of sweetness.

Stone fruit that transitions to a creamy vanilla flavor on the mid palate. Mild mouth feel with an earthy funky on the finish.

A good 30-40 minute burn time and

for me, maybe the cigar of the year for The Fat Man!

Until next time Kids, Remember:

Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Booze and Smoke Bad Cigars!

Cheers Y’all!

Give the Fat Man a follow on Instagram if you will: @crazynvirginia

E.H. Taylor Straight Rye & Davidoff Golden Band Award Limited Edition

I do like a good Rye from time to time. And since this bottle is from one of my favorite brands, I figured why not start Spring off with a pour of some E. H. Taylor Straight Rye!

Obtained a few years ago, I’ve nursed this bottle at an alarming slow pace. I knew trying to procure a replacement would be almost impossible but…I had some good fortune recently.

Someone failed to pick their lottery winnings at my local store and I happened to be in the right place at the right time! I’ll call this a late birthday gift to myself!

E. H. Taylor Straight Rye

Distilled by Buffalo Trace and made completely different than their Sazerac Rye. This is a simple mashbill of Rye and Malted Barley with no corn.

A gorgeous boutique of Honey and dried fruits on nose. As it fills the palate, flavors of rich Carmel and cinnamon are dominant. Black pepper and baking spices round out the finish.

This is a beautiful bottle that every whiskey lover should have on their shelf. Since this bottle is somewhat of a unicorn, I’m pairing it with a hard to find cigar.

Davidoff Golden Band Awards

Wrapper: Dominican Yamasa

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

The Golden Band Awards are given to merchants who exudes Davidoff’s highest standard of Excellence. Each merchant is given exclusive access to these cigars for one year.

From the first draw, you get notes of earthiness that soon transform with leather and petrichor. Flavors of cedar and hints of spice are well represented throughout the duration of this smoke. The finish gives us just a hint of sweetness that makes you wish this cigar would last for an eternity.

This may be the best pairing to date for Deck Therapy!

Until next time Kids, Remember:

Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Booze and Smoke Bad Cigars!

Cheers Y’all!

Give the Fat Man a follow on Instagram if you will: @crazynvirginia

Johnnie & Rocky

I’ve been known to enjoy a glass of good scotch from time to time. My early years, I just couldn’t stomach the peaty or smokiness of this drink. Now that I’m old AF, the old palette has evolved.

From Islay to Campbelltown, even the blended options, I’ll give any of them a Hollar. And speaking of blended scotch, my random banter this month to all my 4 readers (I gained one last month) is none other than Johnnie Walker Blue.

The good thing about this bottle is I didn’t pay full freight for it. One of my boys was given the bottle for some work he had done. I told him the value and he sold it to me for $100. As my girl would say: “Snag!”

Johnnie Walker Blue

The mash bill is undisclosed but uses hand-selected rare scotch whiskies, only 1 out of 10,000 casks make the cut. Which is why this is the most sought after Johnnie Walker on the market. Only 3 years maturation is required but the blended juice must meet the 28 year requirement and some as old as 60 years.

Fresh hay smell and earthy notes with a heavy alcohol presence. Honey with a touch of citrus with a smooth vanilla finish. The perfect sipper for a warm day.

I’m trying to procure another bottle for my shelf!

I’m pairing this with the Rocky Patel Special Edition.

This medium-bodied cigar consists of small-batches of tobaccos. Original released at PCA 2022 in Vegas. We were the first in Virginia to get them in stock. This limited edition has found its way back to our shop recently and is selling well. Available in 3 vitolas (Robusto, Toro & Sixty) I chose the Toro.

Wrapper: Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Nutmeg and coffee flavors on the first draw. As the smoke swirls on the mid palate baking spices of sugar and cinnamon. The finish has some hints of petrichor.

This is a well balance pairing that would be a nice addition to your regular rotation of deck therapy.

Until next time Kids, Remember:

Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Booze and Smoke Bad Cigars!

Cheers Y’all!

Give the Fat Man a follow on Instagram if you will: @crazynvirginia

Bernheim Barrel Proof & Rocky Patel ALR

Deck Therapy has been a bit chilly lately. I know what y’all are gonna say: “It’s winter dumbass! Of course it’s cold!” In my defense, I hate being indoors. I’d rather freeze my jewels off before I spend a full day in my home. 

Over the holidays, I decided to start a new tradition…Bottle Crackin’ on Christmas. What can be better than opening a fresh new bottle on Jesus’ birthday or any day for that matter. 

The bottle of choice for the inaugural Santa’s Bottle Crackin’ Szn is:

Bernheim Barrel Proof

Made at Heaven’s Hill Distillery released twice a year and aged for 7 to 9 years in an open air rickhouse. Batch: B923 with a mashbill consisting of:
51% Wheat 
37% Corn 
12% Malted Barley
Coming in at 120.4 Proof 60.2% ABV this has a bit of bite that’s perfect for a cold day of Deck Therapy! 

Aromatics of candy corn and chocolate on the nose. Cinnamon with brown sugar on the middle palate with leather and black pepper on the finish. Big bold flavors with a good kick in the jewels!

Pairing this with one of my favorite cigar brands:

Rocky Patel ALR (Aged Limited Rare) 2nd Edition

Made in the TAVICUSA factory in Nicaragua using an oily San Andres wrapper. This Box Pressed Toro consist of Honduran binder and Honduran/Nicaragua filler.

Earthy with notes of mocha and toasted wood creates a smooth draw. Subtle sweetness with a hint nutmeg on finish. 

Between the earthiness of the cigar and the spice/heat from the bourbon, both compliment each other very well. 

Until next time Kids, Remember:

Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Booze and Smoke Bad Cigars! 

Cheers Y’all!

Give the Fat Man a follow on Instagram if you will: @crazynvirginia

A Rare Pairing

It’s fun going out into the wild, the crisp morning air to take down large game.

Oh who the hell am I kidding, I’m riding around in the hills from liquor store to liquor store hunting for allocated and unicorn bourbons. However, there’s a good chance I have a roadie in a camo koozie!

These past few months have been good to the Fat Man! Procured 5 in the wild, 2 were sent to me from my boy and 1 given to me. Even the cigar shop got something unusual or rare if you would.

Murph had told me about this bottle. It was years before a TV series, movie or Godless Hipsters made bourbon relevant in the world.

I would grab multiple bottles and had a nice stash. And then it happened…it became allocated, one per day.

When your regular sipping whiskey becomes popular and unable to find, you become frustrated and even drown your sorrow with a glass of this brown juice to ease the suffering.

As much as it hurts my soul to do a Deck Therapy Bottle Crack, it’s my duty to do so to provide you with some helpful information while savoring this brown water goodness.

Eagle Rare

Now most will argue that Buffalo Trace is a better product that Eagle Rare and I admit Trace is good but not as good as ER. For the price point, I’d rather have a 10 year aged bourbon compared to a 4 year aged. That being said, it’s time for some Bottle Crackin’ Szn!

As I swirl, the aromatics are very inviting; hints of coca, brown sugar, cinnamon permeate the glass.

The mouth feel is soft on the first sip, shows notes of toasted oak with a touch of honey. The mid-palate has a large presence of oak which is from the 10 year aging process. The finish shows a bit of spice with a hint of white pepper.

This is a must for your shelf and happy hunting for this elusive bottle.

Keeping with the Rare theme, I chose a limited release cigar to pair with my adult beverage:

Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Signature.

The Rare Pink Series was created to raise awareness for breast cancer. A portion of each box sale is donated to the American Cancer Society – Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

Great draw fresh hay and earthiness with notes of cocoa and a hint of sweetness. Creamy & smooth on the mid palate with a touch of spice. Available in 6 sizes, I chose the Signature for today.

The full lineup of sizes:

Short Story: 4 X 42/49

Queen of Hearts: 4.125 X 60

Work of Art: 4.875 X 46/60

Happy Ending: 5.5 X 53

Signature: 6 X 53

Sophisticated Hooker: Figurado

This maybe one of my new favorite pairings for deck therapy and if given the opportunity, you must stock your shelf and humidor with these Rare picks.

Until next time Kids, Remember:

Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Booze and Smoke Bad Cigars!

Cheers Y’all!

Give the Fat Man a follow on Instagram if you will: @crazynvirginia

1792 Full Proof & El Septimo

It was time to break in Shorty’s Man Cave. The newly refinished basement turned out amazing and he invited a few of the Whiskey Weekend guys to christen his new space.

There was no shortage of Bourbon or Beer with this group. The Autumn day was a warm 85 degrees which called for me to conduct Deck Therapy in another part of the state.

These boys were more interested in their college football parlays and for the record, none of them hit any. I found solace on his deck enjoying the nice hillbilly surroundings. Horses, deer and most importantly…peace and quiet. As I sampled the bottles that were open and drank beer for hydration purposes, I would occasionally “rest my eyes.”

Around 11:30ish, several had already made their way to sleep off their righteous buzz. I made a comeback! Shorty and I were the last boys standing at 2:30 in the morning. The old man can still hang!

Upon returning home, the party continued on my deck and I savored a bottle we cracked open the night before. Here’s this months Coops Deck Therapy.

1792 Full Proof

This bourbon is not for the faint of hearts. Coming in at 125 Proof, it’s called full proof because they add water to cut the proof back to what it was originally when it entered the barrel.

Aromas of honey and cinnamon make this very inviting. When you get that first blast of heat, you take notice and your sips become shorter and you have respect for this beverage. Hot and I mean damn hot!

Once you get past the warmth of this bourbon, notes of nutmeg and chocolate fill the mid palette. The finish is still warm with a much needed sweetness.

A bourbon with this much heat calls for something special to smoke and I selected a cigar given to me by a customer.

El Septimo

Mirifico Sapphire

Zaya Collection

A brand that was only available in Europe in the early 2000s, the company was purchased in 2019 and made available world wide. High quality tobacco aged 15 years with 5 fillers which gives it the larger size.

Ring Guage: 58

Size: 6.75

Wrapper: Costa Rican

Binder: Undisclosed

Filler: Undisclosed

Nice creamy notes fill your mouth in the first draw. The mid palate had comparable flavors of leather and nutty/earthiness. Even though this is a medium to full-bodied cigar it had a touch of sweetness on the finish.

This is a remarkable cigar!

I would encourage true cigar smokers to try and maybe stock their humidors with a few. However, it retails for $74.00, your choice.

Until next time Kids, Remember:

Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Booze and Smoke Bad Cigars!

Cheers Y’all!

Give the Fat Man a follow on Instagram if you will: @crazynvirginia

Weller, Oh Weller…

…where for art thou, Weller!?

That wonderful brown water goodness from Buffalo Trace Distillery truly alludes us here in Virginia and across the country.

One of my boys kept talking about how good this bourbon is and he refers to it as the poor man’s Pappy. Y’all know, I’m all over some poor man’s booze.

Now the story I was told goes like this, they go into barrel room and selects the 12 yr. Pappy. What doesn’t make the PVW cut becomes Weller 12 yr. Of the Pappy lineup, I prefer the 12 yr. over everything else.

A few years back, Tish went to visit her momma in Ky. I gave her a list of bourbons to look for while she was in Lexington. To my surprise, she was able to find 2 of the 4 on the list: Willet Pot Still and Weller Special Reserve. Pappy & Elmer T Lee were the others and those folks laughed at her when she enquired about them.

Murph, who provided this knowledge, called me and said he had a gift for me. My 35th class reunion was coming up and he wanted me to have a proper bourbon for the event. That’s how I obtained my Weller 12 yr.

My classmates aren’t the typical whiskey sippers…hell no!! These rednecks want to swill straight from the bottle. As I kicked around the idea of sharing this hard to find elixir, deep down I wanted to keep it for my own consumption.

And I did!

A year later, I was given bottle of Weller Special Reserve and Weller Antique 107 from J.D.

Which brings us to Shortie and his connections. He gave me a Special Reserve for my birthday last year and introduced me to some college mates in another state.

He wanted to take a day trip and pick up some brown water that we can’t get in Virginia. So we made the 12 hour round trip and brought back a few bottles of Weller and other obscure items.

Finding the 1.75 L Weller was an added bonus. Now how good is this whiskey? Slap yo momma good! Since you’ve taken the time to visit this page, let’s have a horn of the Special Reserve.

Nice notes of Carmel with a touch of sweetness and malt. I can drink it neat or on the rocks. The Special Reserve is my favorite with the 12 yr. a close second. The Full Proof and Antique 107 round out my list.

This is a MUST HAVE for your shelf!

Until next time Kids, Remember:

Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Booze and Smoke Bad Cigars!

Cheers Y’all!

Give the Fat Man a follow on Instagram if you will: @crazynvirginia

Oh My, Four Roses

It was just another day in the cigar shop and as always, multiple cigar reps make an appearance. Two of them are big Bourbon drinkers and we always have stories about bottles that we’ve found in the wild.

Brett is always grabbing store picks from establishments that are close to cigar lounges he visits in other states. It’s amazing how many he can accumulate during his travels in the tri-state area.

He hit the mother load on his most recent trip as he was able procure close to a case of these elusive store picks. And in turn, offered one to me.

Why Yes, I think I will!

Four Roses Single Barrel

Store Pick/Barrel Pick

106.6 Proof aged 10yr & 7 months

Mashbill: 75% Corn 20% Rye 5% Malted Barley

Aromatic notes of brown sugar and Carmel, kind of like my Moms kitchen when she makes her homemade Carmel Popcorn. Baking spices with dominate notes of cinnamon and vanilla on the palette. Full bodied bourbon that drinks smooth as a 90 proof.

Store/Barrel Picks are exclusively for specific stores. They visit distilleries and hand pick their barrel. Once it’s aged to the master distillers liking, it’s bottled and sold only at that particular store.

I opted to pair this brown water with an Oliva 135th Anniversary Limited Edition. If you have a Connecticut broadleaf cigar sitting in your humidor, it would pair wonderfully as well.

If you happen to not see these bottles, remember this. One of the rules I tell folks is, if it’s not on the shelf or on the tasting list, don’t hesitate to ask if they have anything in the back or open for tasting.

Until next time Kids, Remember:

Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Booze and Smoke Bad Cigars!

Cheers Y’all!

Pappy

Here in Virginia, if we want to grab a bottle of Buffalo Trace, we wait for the e-mail to be sent that some allocated bottles have been dropped. You’re not guaranteed to get what you want to place on your shelf. Because once that email hits your inbox…It! Is! On!

That announcement of an allocated drop is just like when your partner sends you that text: “I’m wearing high heels and I have whip cream.”

Stay out of our way folks!

Every man or woman is going to take out everyone on the ride home to get to their significant other. That’s what it’s like trying to procure allocated whiskey from a state run store.

Now extremely limited edition bottles are placed in a state wide lottery. One entry per household and you have a better chance at winning Mega Millions. That being said, I’ve won the liquor lottery here in Va. twice.

My first lottery winning will be my

first:

Coop’s Deck Therapy

Whiskey Review for NGCS:

Van Winkle Special Reserve

12 Year Old

Lot “B”

This is a unicorn that’s rarely on shelves without being charged an arm and a leg on the secondary market. The last bottle I saw in the wild had a price tag of $1,100.00!

I had the opportunity to purchase it at retail for $79.99…Snag!

It’s hard to believe that the Carmel/Amber hue of this bourbon spent 12 years in American charred Oak. I expected the color to be much more richer and darker.

Hints of white chocolate and cinnamon on the nose. Toasted stone fruit and subtle baking spice round out the palate. At 90.4 Proof, the burn is soft with hints of vanilla and a smooth, balanced finish.

Smooth is an understatement. I drink most of my bourbon with one large cube of ice, not this elixir! I prefer it neat and I think that has something to do with the mash build.

This is what is referred to as a Wheated Bourbon. It’s still 51% corn, but wheat is the next dominate grain instead of rye. Thanks to W. L. Weller for creating this mash bill and thank you Pappy for mastering this goodness.

I’m a huge fan of the Pappy line especially the 12yr. Now I don’t encourage you to break the bank on a bottle much less a pour at your favorite bar.

This is a special occasion pour and if your rich friend is offering, definitely get a pour.

My cigars of choice to pair with the 12 yr.:

Pappy Van Winkle by Drew Estate

Padron Family Reserve No. 45

Davidoff Royale Reserve

Davidoff The Late Hour

Lunatic Torch

Until next time, Cheers Y’all!

And Remember:

Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Booze and Smoke Bad Cigars!

The Best of 2022

2022 was a challenging year but we made it through the fire. A short lived job and a return to the cigar industry. And of course, a lot of Dec Therapy.

Cigars played a huge part of my Deck Therapy as well as Bourbon, Scotch, Wine and Brewskies!

Here’s my Best of List:

2022 Cigars

Espinoza Las 6 Provincias LV Robusto

Montecristo Signature Espada

Rocky Patel White Label

Espinoza Street Taco

CAO Pilón Añejo

EP Carrillo Short Run Extended Play

Diesel Disciple Lancero

Diesel Stubborn Fool

H Upmann Heritage Corona

Gurkha by Aganorsa Leaf

Kentucky Fire Cured Flying Pig

Crowned Head Le Patissier

LFD Reserva Especial

Davidoff Royal Release

CAO BX3

Gurkha Heritage

Room 101 13th Anniversary

Rocky Patel DBS

Rocky Patel 1865 Project

Padron 1926 80th Anniversary

Rocky Patel Disciple

Davidoff Gold Band Awards

Davidoff 2022 Limited Edition

La Gloria Cubana 8th Street

The Illusione of Excalibur

Rocky Patel 20 Anniversary Edge

Aganorsa Leaf Anniversario Maduro

Beverages

Jack Daniel’s Bottled-in-Bond

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked

Starlight Carl T. Huber’s Cigar Batch

A Smith Bowman Cask Strength

Old Forester Statesman

Balvenie Caribbean Cask Finish

Laugavulin 11yr. Offerman

EH Taylor Straight Rye

Center of The Universe Octoberfest

Trophy Brewing Trophy Wife IPA

Glen Manor Morales Rosé

More goodies coming the fat man’s way this year. Let’s get out and enjoy the day!

Cheers Y’all!!