Props to Cigar Inspector and CAO Cigars

Cigar Inspector, the review website, hosted a comment contest over the last few weeks, and invited us to join in. Jon Huber, of CAO Cigars, spotted the prizes of fivers of CAO cigars.

Really, all I had to do was give my opinion. On EVERYTHING. Anyone who's been around for a few months know's that getting my opinion on something is easy as hitting the enter key. And I didn't wallow in "Ha, Kalutika said _______" post-padding either.

Well, my abundance of opinion impressed the judges, and they awarded me with a fiver of CAO LX2 cigars! Once the weather warms, I'll be smoking , reviewing, and otherwise relishing these fine cigars.

Hats off to Cigar Inspector and John Huber of CAO!

Joya Cubana Bomb

Roger Toledo.

Note the name of this BOTL and hopeful purveyor of Joya Cubana cigars. Roger sent me a sampler pack of some tasty looking cigars from his company, and I'm eager to get these burning once they've rested a little in the humidor.

Roger sent pairs of the Habano-wrapped robustos and barber-pole robustos, and one salomon-sized cigar each of the Connecticut and Sepertina (barber-pole) lines.

I'll likely bring the robustos down to my #2 B&M, who likes smaller, Indie cigar makers, and smokes them with the owner, and see if we can't get these in stores somewhere.

Cheers, Roger, you DA MAN!

Embargo Watch, 2/23/09

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a draft report Monday saying it is time to reconsider longtime U.S. economic sanctions on Cuba. "The unilateral embargo on Cuba has failed to achieve its stated purpose," Sen. Richard Lugar writes in a letter. "After 47 years ... the unilateral embargo on Cuba has failed to achieve its stated purpose of 'bringing democracy to the Cuban people,' " Lugar, R-Indiana, wrote in a letter that accompanied the report.

"The current U.S. policy has many passionate defenders, and their criticism of the Castro regime is justified. Nevertheless, we must recognize the ineffectiveness of our current policy and deal with the Cuban regime in a way that enhances U.S. interests."

Sounds like either Dick Lugar is tired of paying exorbitant prices for his Montecristo no. 2 shipments, or he's hankering for a box of Ramon Allones Specially Selected and doesn't want to get busted.

I do have to agree, though, that the embargo hasn't done much to change the Communist regime there. But neither has caving in, like we've done with China. What to do?

Cigarillo Shootout, Episode II

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Small Town Score!

So, I'm in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and Google says that the place to go to get cigars is a place called 'Cigarette Chain'. So I cruise on up to the unassuming looking building, plastered with beer and cigarette posters. Okay, one isn't expecting much at this point.

Ahh, but the cabinets that make up the checkout counter are filled with familiar friends: Macanudo, Partagas, Montecristo, and a whopping pile of Cusano smokes, including the Habano LXI robustos, of which I scooped up the remainder of a box. I may go back for a half-box of Montecristo Club Cabinet no. 20s that he's got 2 more boxes of. And the best part: Great prices on the singles, even cheaper than my usual stops in Lincoln.

Cigarillo Shootout, Episode I

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Coronado, by La Flor

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Casa Magna

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