National Bourbon day. Who would have thought it? I saw it mentioned on the forum so I thought, for this match, I would pull out the only bottle of Blanton’s I have – something I intend to rectify soon – and a lone cigar that just might need smoking.

Got me thinking about national days and holidays. Your chosen divinity knows that we have more than enough in Oz, but I discovered we are rank amateurs compared with the good old US of A. They have them out the wahzoo. So, I threw the proverbial dart and picked a month. November, as it happens.

Now I am all in favour of celebrating the important days in a nation’s history – Anzac Day, Australia Day et al. Toss in Christmas Day and so forth. But…

I discovered that our American friends had 57 holidays or dedications in the first half of November alone. Seriously? Nothing exceeds…

Veteran’s Day, could not be more appropriate, but is ‘National Hug a Veteran Week’ (Nov 11 to 16 – possibly an old calendar so who knows what it is this year) taking things a smidge far? Some draw attention to issues – ‘National Diabetes Month’, a worthwhile cause without a doubt, but is a competing month of ‘National Diabetes Eye Disease Month’ crucial to Western civilisation?

But some are surely the proverbial bridge too far. November 7 was allocated ‘National Men Make Dinner Day’ (no surprise it happens to be my sister’s birthday). However, apologies are needed – this was not concocted by our Seppo brethren but rather was instigated in Canada, surely to their eternal shame. So, baby seal steak, anyone? But, not to be outdone, their friends to the south dubbed November 8, ‘National Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day’. Leftover baby seal and chili? I swear I am not making this up. November 8 is a busy time. It is also ‘National Parents as Teachers Day’ and ‘National Ample Time Day’. Still not making it up. That one I checked further. Apparently, it emanates from Tulsa (and who amongst us did not start singing a little bit of Gene Pitney at the very mention) and is designed to “recognise the importance of time management, making ample time in one’s life for priorities to make the most of each day and live a completely fulfilling life”. I, for one, must be considered a rank failure on that score, having wasted part of today reading about National Ample Time Day.

There are so many more – National World Kindness Day, National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day, Cliché Day, Vegan Month (How do you know someone is a vegan? They’ll tell you) and on and on.

Two faves – ‘National Plan your own Epitaph Day’ – wouldn’t that be a barrel of laughs; and ‘National Chicken Lady Day’ – apparently to thank the Chicken Lady for assisting thousands to learn the art of public speaking (I went no further to avoid transgressing National Ample Time Day again).

But the winner – again from November 8, ‘National Abet and Aid Punsters Day’. And the winning pun, declared the greatest pun of all time – allow me to spoil the suspense. ‘Though he’s not very humble, there’s no police like Holmes’. Okay, I like that one.

So, Bourbon Day is looking pretty good to me.

The cigar? Glorious. First puff was all cream and nougat. Sweetness! And underneath, a line of roasted meats and nuts for complexity. Took some three hours (I smoked it while watching the headless chooks get beaten by the Scotland 2nd XV, so at least had some pleasure), got more intense and the flavours never let up. If there is a better RR out there, point me to it immediately. I think Westie gave it to me (that would be ‘gave’, not ‘gifted’, which is not a word) and grateful thanks for that. 97 for me. Be in no rush – these have a long and glorious future ahead of them. Why doesn’t Asia Pac get RRs of this sheer brilliance?

The Blanton’s? A lovely sweet, caramelly spirit for sipping.

The match – as close to perfect as possible. One of the truly rare matches, which takes two really superb individual ingredients and elevates both. They meld like pieces of a jigsaw. It does not get better. The headless chooks, however, can and must get a lot better. Still won’t be enough.

KBG