One week ago I posted the above photo on Instagram, celebrating the end of a mission that I had supported. I used to it to highlight how I was planning on celebrating, and with the rebirth of the blog I realized that this picture also highlights a few of my favorite things, watches, scotch, and cigars. These are the type of things I plan on talking about here. What do I like and why. What draws me to these things.
A Davidoff cigar is definitely not my usual smoke (that will definitely be in a post coming up), but it is one that I reach for to celebrate special events, and last Friday was one such occasion. This particular expression the famous Churchill is just about perfect. A little expensive to be a regular smoke, well at least for me, this is what a celebratory smoke should be. Long lasting, robust, chocolatey, spicy, and oaky its just about perfect.
When it comes to Scotch, I love peat, however there are times when I want something a bit milder, fruitier, a bit spicier and on those occasions I typically reach for a treat from Speyside. My go to tipple is usually a Balvenie expression (again, more on them in a later post I am sure), however, last week I reached for something that I hadn't had before, Aberlour 18. This was a tremendous scotch, and one that I was extremely happy I had purchased. Aged in two different types of Sherry casks it is definitely sherry forward. If you love sherry, you will love this scotch. Notes of citrus and butterscotch on the nose with a rich spicy palate, stone fruits, and just a touch of honey. Combined with the Davidoff Churchill and its notes of vanilla and oak, made for a tremendous flavor combination. I love how the flavors of whiskey and cigars play off each other, sometimes complimenting eachother, other times fighting one another for dominance. Both of these can make for a wonderful experience and is one of the reasons that I look forward to sitting down and trying new combinations.
Last but not least is my watch. Not something that I typically reach for to celebrate, but like many watches has a story. I got this watch recently to celebrate a raise at work along with getting a special assignment. I went to my local Omega AD and fell in love with this watch. The iconic Seamaster 300. But not the traditional blue, or white dial, this deep dark rich green. In certain pictures like the one on the left it shows up almost black, but in others it's a vibrant green. I love how it looks, the heft of it. It's a big watch to be sure at 42 MM, but on my average wrist I think it still works. On the steel 5 link bracelet it looks amazing, although I may try it out on a Nato in the coming months. The sapphire caseback is a beautiful showcase for the Co-Axial 8800 movement. It's a fantastic tool watch that represents more than just a dive watch. It was by my side, or well, on my wrist throughout the recent mission, helping to keep me on track during periods where it was hard for me to remember where I needed to be next. But it never overloaded me with input (something that has scared me off of smart watches now). It's also just an absolutely beautiful time piece and a welcome addition to my admittedly small (for now) collection.
Last Friday as I enjoyed the scotch and the cigar, thinking about the previous few weeks and all that had occurred, I looked down at my watch, seeing the date marveling at how the time had flown by and smiled. This is my alone time, the time during the week, with a cigar and a smoke, that I don't have to look down at my watch to tell the time, I look down at it to admire the tremendous amount of engineering that went into designing it. It's about appreciating all the people that helped make this thing sitting on my wrist. The people that helped harvest the tobacco leaves, and the person that rolled my cigar so perfectly, and the distillery master that over almost two decades created such an amazing beverage. That is why I enjoy these things.
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