The Humidor of the Apokalypse

Cigar Sniper

2011-12-12T16:39:00.000-06:00

Okay, the Social Cigar thread got contentious, with lots of accusation, invective, and slights against the stereotypical behaviors of a certain race/religion. Let's discuss this on the likely facts, please.

First of all Famous Smoke is a business, and their goal is to make money. As a business, their job is to separate a man from his cash while providing that man with incentive to keep parting with that cash. That's their prerogative. So let's not start throwing the greed label around. Your local B&M is trying just as hard to get into your wallet.

The Cigar Sniper format may let one guy buy a box of cigars for $10 (plus the $20 in bids he used to snag it), but hooks in the other 4-5 guys that dropped $20 in bids to roll that into paying the fuller, more profitable price for the box of cigars. The guys that only put $2-5 in bids on the box will likely just leave that $$ on the table for Famous to collect (pure profit, cha-ching). All in all, a profitable venture.

Just not off me. The success of the Cigar Sniper format will depend on wealthy idiots and guys that can't do the math, and I am neither.

C&C Cigars

2011-12-09T06:50:00.000-06:00

The C&C Cigars had finally hit the shelves here, so I bought a pair each of the Corojo and Maduro lines. My first impressions, after smoking one of each, are that these are nice, milder cigars, worth about the $5 shelf price.
The Corojo, as noted by many reviewers so far, is reminiscent of the Cusano Corojo 97' (or 96'). There's a sweet, woody flavor with a hint of the roast red pepper flavor I've come to associate with Corojo tobaccos. But only a hint.
There are Corojo wrapped blends from other makers with bolder flavors and sharper, more pronounced Corojo notes. But for a milder, Corojo-with-training-wheels cigar, the C&C Corojo isn't bad.
The C&C Maduro is fairly mild as well, with a light earthy and sweet flavor. Both bear decent construction, being a little on the light side, but with a decent draw despite the undense feeling.
The Dominican fillers are continuing the tradition from the Cusano venture, just recently acquired by Davidoff. The Chiusano brothers, one being sidelined by a non-compete clause, just can't stay away from the cigar biz. We should be glad.
I'll smoke a few more, and keep a few on hand for the occasional guest with milder cigar leanings.

Cigar Scene: Lincoln, Nebraska

2011-11-28T07:06:00.000-06:00

For a small city, Lincoln has three respectably cigar shops in town, and all withing 10 minutes of the Poor Bastard's Cigar Lounge (my garage).

Ted's Tobacco:
Biggest humidor in town, they carry all the standard Altadis and General Cigar fare, CAO, Drew Estates, Fuente, Ashton, a smattering of Camacho, Oliva, Perdomo, plus some boutique frontmarks like Illusione, and Tatuaje, Plus they have a respectable spread for pipe smokers as well. Despite the large humidor, it seems less than lovingly cared for (depending on who's working) the occasional empty box or empty spaces dot the shelves, despite plenty of stock available.
There's no lounge to speak of, but April through October, the regulars still gather out in front of the shop on Monday and Wednesday evenings for a sidewalk herf. BYOC&B (bring your own chair and beverage). Winter, you're on your own.

Jake's Cigars & Spirits:
A small, 8x8' walk-in humidor, stocked with standards from CAO, Rocky Patel, Fuente, Ashton, Oliva, Perdomo, Torano, and upstarts 262 Cigars and Esteban Carreras. The big attraction is the fact that this is Lincoln's only official Cigar Lounge, with indoor cigar smoke permitted 7/365. The bar is well stocked with craft beers and an impressive collection of single malt, blended scotch, Irish whiskies and bourbons and there's plenty of seating. My only beefs are that the booths force groups of 6 or less, and the music gets too loud @ 9PM. It's nestled in the buttcrack of the UNL campus, and so it's more of a college bar in tone.

Cliff's Smoke Shop:
Prime downtown real estate, Cliff's has a 18x6' walk-in humidor, jam packed with standards Ashton, Fuente, Drew Estates, Oliva, Perdomo, DPG, Patel, and boutique brands Los Blancos, Tatuaje, C&C, and several smaller label releases. The owners aren't shy about branching out, listening to regular customers, trying new cigars and giving them shelf space. The owners actually work in the shop, and frequently give a regular a discount on his sticks. There's a little space for lounging and lingering while smoking a cigar, and the atmosphere is relaxing. I just wish their hours were longer (9-5 M-F, 9-1 S, closed Sunday) and parking downtown were a little easier.

Toraño Single Region - Jalapa

2011-02-24T13:00:00.004-06:00

I'm tickled that some new Toraño cigars have reached my little backwater. Unlike fab places like Chicago or Long Island, Lincoln, Nebraska, doesn't get the newer frontmarks very quickly. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find the new Single Region cigar in my B&M's humidor.

Jalapa, Jalapa, oh Eden of Nicaragua! Out of thy rich soils spring such smoky satisfaction!

I love Nicaraguan cigars, and as anyone who has bought any Cain cigars in the past year would know, Jalapa is one of those regions in Nicaragua where delicious tobacco is grown.

The Single Region Serie Jalapa sported a colorado-colored wrapper, and had the aroma of leather and cedar. While burning, the draw was okay, but I did need to relight the cigar a couple times. The ash was fairly dark from this cigar.

The initial blast of flavor was wood and leather, very strong in the retrohale, like someone had bashed me in the nose with a cedar 2x4. Not very peppery, per se, but very present, bright. There were hints of coffee, but the cigar didn't taste as "dark" as other Nicaraguan cigars tend to do.

Being a robusto, the flavors didn't change a whole lot, but were very present the length of the cigar. The flavor profile reminded me of the Tatuaje Havana VI, the bright, woodsy tone of the flavors. I liked it, and will be buying more.

Panacea Red Perfecto

2011-02-18T06:18:00.000-06:00

My mother surprised me with a cigar bomb for Christmas. She's normally a tobacco agnostic, but she researched and picked out cigars she thought I'd like. The Panacea Red perfecto was one of those cigars, and I'd never seen them before.

The Panacea Red sports a Brazilian maduro wrapper, Dominican Habano binder, and mix of dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The Brazilian wrapper on this cigar was not really spicy on the lips like Cao's Brazilia or MX2, but more muted, like on Nub's Maduro 460.

The wrapper's unlit aroma was of leather and potting soil, a dry, earthy smell. Very similar to Don Francisco's Custom Blend line. The draw through the cigar was outstanding, and the burn a little wobbly, but never had to reach for the torch after I initially lit up. The dove-gray ash held for a good inch and a half.

Closer to medium than mild-bodied, the cigar had pleasant flavors throughout; Leather, a dash of coffee, earth. The cigar wasn't noticeably spicy in an way. The flavors didn't vary much, but was a nice companion for an evening cup of coffee and a good book.

262 Paradigm Torpedo

2010-11-21T12:00:00.006-06:00

Since I left the red-light district of cigar blogging, I've been busy with other projects, but quietly been enjoying some excellent cigars. Most recently, it has been the 262 Paradigm. These showed up in one of my local haunts, I bought a couple, then threw them in one of my coolers and forgot about them.

Well, I found them again a couple weeks ago, and the first one was pretty tasty. I smoked one again a couple days ago, and with burnt finger, was sad to find the cigar was finished. I set myself to smoking the third to review not because someone gave me cigars expecting me to fluff for them, but because it's a cigar that was well worth what I paid.

Start to finish, this cigar is delicious. What, you want me to blather more about it? If you insist...

On first light, there's a solid, mildly earthy leather flavor with light floral and spice notes. The first inch really echos the beginning, with added mild cocoa and coffee flavors combined with the predominant leather. The mild spice eases out during that first inch, but don't worry, it'll be back for the big finish.

The midsection of the cigar features a sweet leather flavor, with alternating harmonies of cocoa and coffee.

The prime spot on this cigar is the last 2 inches, where the leather flavor gets sweeter, the coffee tone gets bolder, and the spice comes back in for the grand finale. It is really hard to let this cigar go at the end, the flavors are that good.

De La Guardia Cigars

2010-08-14T07:52:00.007-05:00

I love making connections with people, and my involvement with Social Cigar has allowed me many contacts. So, the marketing director for the new brand, De La Guardia Cigars, joined Social Cigar and got my attention, since they're just an hour away in Omaha. Omaha? Cigars? That's right.

So, I referred her to the guys that run two of my three local B&Ms, and a couple weeks later, received a nice promo/sample pack in the mail! Three cigars, a cutter, a package of mints (perfect for de-smoking the breath) and a kick-ash beer cozy!

Well, onto the important stuff; cigars. DLG offers two varieties of cigar in Natural(shade-grown Dominican wrapper and filler, Nicaraguan/Honduran Binder) and Maduro(Cubano Piloto (Dominican)Filler, Dominican Binder, Honduran Wrapper). They also offer to flavor the aforementioned cigars.

Natural

The DLG Natural gave an aroma of sweet, green hay from cap to foot, and the wrapper was fairly smooth and mildly toothy. Once cut, the cigar drew nicely and readily lit. The cigar was fairly mild, with the predominant flavor being the sweet hay noticed before lighting. The draw was good, and the cigar held about an inch of silvery ash.

Maduro

The DLG Maduro is just an earthier version of the Natural. The wrapper was a bit rougher, showing veins and lumps from veins or wrinkles in the binder underneath. The wrapper exuded the aroma of dirt and sweet hay. Another great draw was there, and the cigar held about an inch of ash while being smoked. The flavors were very similar to the Natural, with the predominant notes being hay and a little dirt, and not much spice at all.

Smoking either cigar, I felt that in a blind taste, I'd guess that these were blended by Rolando Reyes Sr., that they just have a flavor profile I associate with Puros Indios or Reyes. Flavoring these, as De La Guardia offers, is a great approach to these cigars.

First Impression: Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary

2010-08-06T07:20:00.001-05:00

I unexpectedly stumbled into a Rocky Patel event at one of my local haunts this week, and bought a small handful of the new Fifteenth Anniversary robustos. Go me!

The Fifteeth has an aged Habano wrapper, which was nowhere near the black pepper spice of the Perdomo, Oliva, or Cain Habano wrappers. In fact, instead of the typical Habano tingle on my lips, I tasted a more earthy citrus, which screams Rocky Patel anyway.

The cigar lit readily, and burned straight, the draw was excellent on this box-pressed robusto. The flavors start with citrus and coffee, with only the mildest spice in the background. After the first inch the coffee notes became more pronounced. The spice as really mild through the whole cigar. I drank my morning coffee with this almost medium-bodied stick.

The smoke was creamy and plentiful.

The Fifteeth Anniversary is a signature Rocky Patel cigar, and though I may balk a bit at the cash register price of $11.

Writing Style?

2010-07-20T22:59:00.001-05:00

There's a web site that analyzes your writing style, and this is the result I got after feeding the preceding cigar review into it:

I write like
Raymond Chandler

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Great, now I'll actually have to go out and READ some Raymond Chandler.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial

2010-07-11T19:33:00.010-05:00

These are great days to be a cigar lover, as the variety of cigars right now are only matched by their quality, especially if you like Nicaraguan cigars. Oliva, Perdomo, Padron and, lately, Don Pepin Garcia have been rolling stellar cigars the past few years. The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial is a blend from the son of Pepin. 'Son of Pepin' sounds like a horror film, right? But this cigar is dark and forebodes nothing but a great cigar experience..

Being an enthusiast of Nicaraguan cigars, and having had great luck with cigars associated with the Garcia family, my heart skipped a beat when these showed up at one of my local shops, and I bought a pair straight away.

The Reserva Especial sported a dark, oily, Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper, with any veins being as low-profile as the seams on the wrapper leaf. And not only smooth, but giving an earthy aroma to the nose and a peppery spice to the lips. The draw through the cigar was free, but without feeling too loose.

Prominent flavors at the start were earth, cedar, and a nice spice. So far, very reminiscent of an Oliva Serie O maduro (one of my go-to cigars), with a touch more wood in the flavor profile, but very close. Gotta love Nicaraguan fillers. After the first inch, the intensity of the earthiness dialed back a notch.

By the middle of the cigar, the spice seemed to drop back a ways, yielding the stage to the earthy wood flavors. The Kona blend coffee I was drinking in tandem seemed to work well with the cigar, and I noticed some coffee flavors in the mix toward the mid-point of the cigar as well.

A bitter cocoa flavor also flirted with the palate after the mid-point, and the last third carried on with a solid medium-bodied presentation. Soft spice highlighted the earth and wood flavors to the end.

If I were given this cigar blind, I'd have said it was an Oliva at the beginning, but by the middle I would have been doubting the call. At $8 a pop for the toro, these cigars are fairly priced for the quality of the experience. Another hit from Nicaragua!

Cain Nub Maduro

2010-07-10T21:33:00.000-05:00

In the history of the world, there have been several meetings of disparate elements that formed something amazing; Barley, hops, and yeast to make beer, tungsten and electricity to make light, and peanut butter and chocolate to make peanut butter cups. Well, Sam Leccia has done it again, this time combining the Nub Maduro with the Cain ligero blend to make the Cain Nub Maduro.

The wrapper on the Cain Nub Maduro was a rich brown color, with some minor veins. There's a nice spice left on the lips, maybe a little spicier than the habano version's wrapper. The first cigar I tried seemed a little over stuffed, giving a substantially firmer draw than others in the Nub line, even the new Cain Nub Habano. The second was freer, but still had a nicely resistive draw.

Upon lighting, the serious spice starts, along with bold flavors of earth, leather and coffee. This maduro version is still powerful, but a touch milder (or smoother, maybe) than the Habano; I was able to run the smoke through my sinuses with more comfort than the Habano version. The flavors stay pretty steady from the beginning to the end, only varying a little in intensity; Bold start, mellows a little into the mid-point, and then a little spicier into the nub.

The Cain Nub Maduro is another fine, fine cigar from Sam Leccia and Oliva.

Ashton Majesty

2010-07-08T22:02:00.006-05:00

I'm basking in the afterglow of an excellent cigar tasting, courtesy of our local cigar bar, Jake's Cigars & Spirits. Tonight's featured guest was Ashton Cigars' Bill Rectenwald, with a great lineup of Ashton cigars and some great pairing options of cheeses, nuts, and vodka. My cigar for the evening was the Ashton Majesty, upon the urging of a great friend, MMK, earlier in the day.

Now, I know what you might be thinking; "Jimbob, you don't really like shade-grown Connecticut wrapped, Dominican cigars." Aye, I usually take a pass on the blondes, but both MMK and Bill thought the Majesty was a must-try, so I gave it an introduction to my torch. I can say that I didn't regret it for a moment.

From what I was told, the Majesty is the fillers from an Ashton VSG, but with a shade-grown Connecticut wrapper, rather than the sun-grown variety. The substantial body and smooth and steady spice definitely backed up that claim. While most mild blends that sport shade-grown wrappers leave me with little but the sweet, grassy flavor of the wrapper, the Majesty was a much better balanced cigar. The first couple inches were mainly toasty tobacco and spice flavors, with just a little of the sweet-grassy tone from the wrapper.

At the mid-point of the cigar, I noshed a handful of nuts, and went back to the cigar to taste the difference. It was a remarkably different flavor, mostly an earthy, dry leather set of flavors, with the spice muted in the background. After another inch, I tried a cube of medium Cheddar cheese, and the flavors underwent another twist. After the cheese, the spice was almost gone, and I could single out the sweet grassy flavor of the wrapper.

Pulling into the nub, the great tobacco and spice flavors carried the cigar until the end. It was an outstanding smoke, as one would expect from a $12 cigar. Hats off to Ashton and Jake's for putting on a great tasting. The Ashton rep tells me that the Aged Maduro #56 is the same fillers, but with a maduro wrapper. I'm definitely going to scout for a couple of these next.

Cain Nub Habano

2010-07-03T21:02:00.002-05:00

Well, the Fourth of July weekend found me in possession of some powerful fireworks: Cain Nub, in both Habano and Maduro. Saturday night, while the citizens of my neighborhood were engrossed in some July 3rd premature ecrackulation, I was in the garage with the short powerhouse Cain Nub Habano.

The greyish brown wrapper had some demur veining, and lefts a little peppery tingle on the lips. Earth and leather dominated the pre-ignition aroma.

After clipping the cap, I noticed that the draw seemed fairly free, like most in the Nub series. A free draw might seem to be an invitation to suck this cigar down with all speed, but with a ligero-heavy blend, do this at your own peril.

So, I got this cigar lit and took a couple introductory puffs. Mmmm, earthy leather, nice spice. I took another puff, and went to jet it through my sinu..WHOAH! I felt like someone socked me in the nose. There's some spice in that smoke. In short, the Cain Nub starts off hitting you with both barrels.

After the first inch, it got easier to get the smoke through the sinuses, either because I got acclimatized to the amount of spice in the smoke, or that it mellowed out a bit. I think that it mellowed a little, but still kept up a bold flavor with a smooth spice riding shotgun.

I purposely paced myself slowly on this smoke, and enjoyed it immensely.

5 Vegas Cask Strength

2010-06-15T22:21:00.005-05:00

Oh, three years ago, I caught a handful of 5 Vegas Cask Strength cigars, smoked one, and then so carefully set aside the rest that I didn't find them again until this past weekend. I was so impressed with the first, that I was sad to see the line disappear, and also a little miffed that I couldn't find the ones I had. Well, three years of unintentional aging later, here I am enjoying another of these fine cigars.

Sure, in the last couple years, I've really taken to Nicaraguan filler, maduro-wrapped cigars. So, this mostly Dominican, shade grown wrapped cigar was a change of pace from the recent affairs.

The Dominican wrapper was a bit darker than typical, shade-grown Connecticut seed, and a bit veined as well. A pass under the nose brought a soft aroma of hay and leather, with a little earth nearer the foot. Clipped, a respectably firm draw ensued.

The first inch of this toro was a complex weave of leather, earth, and a smooth and subtle spice. I was instantly reminded about how this cigar first thrilled me. Hints of vanilla and sweet leather were also in the silk-smooth finish. This had all the hallmarks of a premium, even for a catalog cigar.

After the second inch, the complexity of the flavors settled into a pleasant sweet hay and leather, with the mild spice continuing. Definitely a solid medium in flavor and strength to that point.

The final third of the cigar continued with the substantial flavor of leather, sweet hay, and the subtle spice to the very end. A glance at the clock confirmed that this slow-burning toro lasted me about 90 minutes.

Anyone fortunate enough to have a cache of these discontinued cigars should count themselves fortunate, and should break them out occasionally. They have aged well and still retain respectable body and power enough to validate the title 'Cask Strength'.

El Titan de Bronze - Redemption Maduro

2010-04-05T16:11:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'm a sucker for theology, but the 'Redemption Maduro' practically jumped off the shelf and into my hands as I was browsing the local shop. A chocolate brown wrapper, with demure veining, is the hook for me. It turns out that the Redemption is using a San Andres, Mexican, wrapper to jacket a Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Hey, that combo sounds familiar... oh CAIN MADURO, and I love that stick!

Unlike the Cain, Redemption is not billing itself as a ligero bomb with a fratricidal reputation. However, the flavor profile is similar, minus a good deal of the spice; Predominantly earthy flavors, with hints of coffee and bitter, dark chocolate. There's a little spice in the finish, and gives the impression of being a medium-bodied cigar. After an inch or so, earth and leather flavors are the most noticeable.

All in all, the El Titan de Bronze 'Redemption Maduro' is a tasty, decently made cigar. It tasted better than the Petrus cigars (Felipe Gregorio) I had. But, I can't knock the Petrus; I know who holds the Keys to the Kingdom.

Apokalyptic Rating System

2009-09-22T12:43:00.009-05:00

Okay, so I don't really give quantitative ratings to the cigars I smoke. I don't really believe in the numeric ratings system used by the big mags, but I guess I should give some sort of indication of how much I like a given cigar. So, I've developed my own system.

Four Horsemen Rating: An excellent cigar in Construction, Flavor, and Value.

3.5 Horsemen Rating: A great cigar in all areas.

3 Horsemen Rating: A good cigar, may have a drawback, but generally good.

2.5 Horsemen Rating: An alright cigar, may not be perfect, but satisfactory in most respects.

2 Horsemen Rating: Eh. So-so. I was hoping for better. you get the point.

1 Horseman Rating: I want my money back. What was I thinking. Never again.

So, I'll be gradually adding these to past reviews, as well as reviews going forward.

Esteban Carreras 10 Años robusto

2009-09-12T22:13:00.001-05:00

Walking through the local cigar shop has become painful. I see the cigar prices on the shelves, and I wince as I continue walking towards the bundle cigar section. I love a good cigar, but the prices are getting unbearable.

So, when I plunked down more than $20 for a pair of the Esteban Carreras 10 Años, I had this queasy feeling that accompanies any lightening of the wallet. But, once I got one of these fugly, but tasty sticks lit, the flavors chased away that ill feeling:

Verdict:

Nice flavors, fairly consistent.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Esteban Carreras' rep for the entire middle of the country, Kris Booker. We had a smoke at a local shop, and I got some nice background into the company and the cigars.

Troya Clasico robusto

2009-09-07T08:06:00.006-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen; sometimes, a recommendation can get you in trouble. My friend and colleague, Uncle Booga, had the good fortune to be a reviewer for the Winter '09 Cigar Magazine, and one of the cigars to smoke was the Troya Clasico. On his recommendation, and against my better judgment, I picked up a pair of them at the shop.

"Holy crap!"
" $9.60!?"
" Plus tax?!"
" EACH!?"
"For a ROBUSTO?!"

I paced the walk-in humidor. I held the pair of robustos, almost putting them back in the box. Damn, Booga said these were good. How good could they be? Hell, Pepin's got a new cigar out as often as I fart. How good could they be? The La Aroma de Cuba was pretty good, and that was $8, and I still felt it was overpriced.

So, I went ahead and bought the pair of Troya and headed home, wondering if I've just thrown away good money. How good could they be?

So here it was, a month later, and I fished one out of the cooler. (Heh, "Hogan! 30 days in the cooler for you!")

The Troya Clasico robusto has a nice, medium brown Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper sporting moderate veining on an otherwise smooth surface with light tooth. This 5x54 cigar felt hefty in the hand, like it was decently stuffed with Pepin's Nicaraguan fillers, and the draw had some moderate restraint to agree.

The cigar started off with Pepin's trademark white & black pepper blast. Okay, Holt's 'Old Henry' started off this way too, and it only costs half that of the Troya. Great. La Aroma de Cuba, all over again.

And then, after the "Pepin is in da Hizzouse" beginning, the cigar changed. Wow. The flavors were simple: Cedar and leather with a thick, creamy white pepper alfredo sauce. So creamy, that it really coated the palate with a smooth pepper spice. I'd say this cigar was medium to full-bodied, and I didn't notice any outrageous nicotine content.

It was delicious. All the way to the finger-burning nub.

The flavor didn't change much the rest of the cigar, but that was fine with me, as this was a lovely blend. I didn't really want to like it, as I hate falling in love with expensive cigars. But, despite my resistance, Pepin's reeled me in on this one. I hate when that happens.

Verdict:

If the price were a buck cheaper, this would be a solid 4 Horseman stick.

CI Legends Purple - Graycliff

2009-09-01T21:45:00.003-05:00

Well, the University semester has started, so I've been taking my Calculus III exercises to the garage for some smoky cognition. Tonight, it was Cigars International Legends series, the Purple label, a nice and inexpensive cigar from Graycliff.

I had this cigar in the humidor for almost a year, if not longer, and so it's had plenty of time to chill out. The Habano wrapper was a tawny grey/brown color, with some moderate veins and a bit of tooth. A nice nut/leather aroma was faint, but pleasant, and more leathery near the foot. The cigar felt a little on the light side, with a little give to the gentle squeeze, but not spongy at all.

The draw was good for the first half, but then closed up, with the burn getting funky about halfway through. After powering through what seemed like a knot in the fillers, the final third of the cigar smoked as fine as the first.

This cigar sports Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, and has an unusual flavor profile. On first light, there was a medium-bodied presentation of leather and sweet coffee, with an nutty undertone. At times, I caught a fruity/citrus note, the coffee and leather would interplay a bit. Getting toward the nub, and nice, smooth spice eased in, like fine Dominican ligero.

The flavors were nice, sweet, never harsh, and not very earthy either. The cigar flirted with medium-bodied, but was more on the mild side of medium than anything else. Maybe a function of the age of the cigar?

Still it was a nice smoke, and eased the pain of advanced mathematics quite a bit. Plus, at $5 each (less if by auction), these are a good glimpse at more expensive Graycliff blends.

Verdict:

Good flavors, most of the time, and decent construction with a palatable price.

Camacho 10th Anniversary Corojo 11/18

2009-08-29T18:28:00.001-05:00

Special times call for special cigars, and my 10th wedding anniversary was no exception. Being gifted with a cornball sense of humor, I grabbed a Camacho 10th Anniversary Corojo that's been resting in the humidor for almost a year and a half.

Camacho is renowned for the power of their cigars, with Coyolar and SLR being very muscular blends, and the regular Corojo line having some kick to it as well. The 10th Anni is more about finesse than brute force, and the cigar has just become smoother with time:

Verdict:

Tasty cigar, I just wish they were $2 cheaper per stick.

Cain Habano torpedo

2009-08-22T16:55:00.006-05:00

Woof. The Cain Maduro was quite the mouthful of nicely substantial flavors. I've really come to appreciate Nicaraguan tobaccos, and Oliva Cigar grows some of the best. Along with the great flavors, Oliva has made very reasonably priced cigars, with the Cain line running $7-8 on the B&M shelf. Great flavors + reasonable prices = lots of Oliva boxes in the Humidor of the Apokalypse.

Another great thing is that there's a hustlin' Oliva sales rep on the Great Plains, and we've been getting the new releases of Nub and Cain with really timely speed. It used to take some considerable time for new cigars to get to Nebraska, but not anymore. I just picked up a pair of the Cain maduro 550, and it's only been a week since IPCPR.

Cain is billed as "Straight Ligero", but is really about 82% ligero, but who's quibbling? The boxes have the ligero origins: 25% Esteli, 27% Condega, and 30% Jalapa ligeros. It's a powerful cigar, and they burn for a long time, like the cigar version of the Everlasting Gobstopper. But, with power comes great responsibility. So, after a couple sirloin steaks, I felt sufficiently forearmed to tangle with the Cain Habano.

Cain's habano wrapper was medium brown, with a couple moderate veins and slight oil sheen over its toothy surface. The cigar felt solid and substantial, like a 20MM AA cartridge. While smoking, the burn line was pretty straight until the final third, and the silver-white ash dropped after about 1.5 inches.

Right away earthy wood, with a pronounced peppery Habano tone. Even my wife, catching a whiff as I smoked on the deck, remarked that it smelled spicy. Definitely medium-full bodied. The Habano heat ducked into the background after the first half-inch, leaving the solid, earthy wood and leather flavors to dominate.

In the second inch, the flavors turned leathery, along with the mild spice in the background, but still kept up the full strength. This was not a hard cigar to enjoy at all. As the final inch burned away, the spice got a bit stronger and the burn line started wobbling a bit.

Overall, for all the power of the cigar, the flavors were fairly smooth, and with a subtle spice in the finish. What a cigar!

Verdict:

Good flavor, good price, I bet with some age, these will be sublime.

Perdomo ESV 1991 maduro regente

2009-08-22T08:03:00.005-05:00

I can believe that I hadn't written about one of my favorite Nicaraguan cigars yet, the Perdomo ESV '91 maduro. I had first smoked these a couple years ago, got floored by the flavor, and then quickly snapped up a handful off an auction site. Since then, I've only smoked a couple, and the rest have been hiding in the cooler, apparently getting tastier with the time.

It's been at least 6 months since I've smoked one, so I decided to partake.

While not a particularly dark maduro, like the dark but blotchy Partagas Black, Perdomo's Nicaraguan maduro wrapper exudes a sweetness to the profile that's unmatched. The draw was perfectly balanced, and the cigar dropped ash every 1.5 inches or so.

The first flavors presented were a mildly earthy coffee and leather blend, with a mild cocoa note and no obvious spice. It's like a smooth, medium-bodied mocha profile. Paradise. And this flavor was pretty static through the first half.

In the second half, a very smooth spice entered, and I was reminded of a Padron Anniversary 1964 maduro. The flavors were very smooth and refined in that second half. Not bad for a $6 cigar.

The spice gradually built up towards the nub, finishing splendidly. This is definitely a cigar leaves you savoring the aftertaste after the cigar has been long gone.

I will be jealously guarding the remaining stash..

Verdict:

Good flavors, decent construction, and was priced pretty well. 'Tis a shame they're gone.

Joya Cubana 2009 Corojo

2009-08-14T22:05:00.004-05:00

Another advance sample from my pal Roger at Joya Cubana, the Joya Cubana Corojo is just that, a Corojo-wrapped torpedo and is a sight to behold. The dark brown wrapper is fairly smooth, with a couple moderate veins and faint sheen of oil. The fillers are a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos.

The cigar had a free draw, without being completely loose. While smoking, the burn line wobbled a bit ahead of the dark gray ash.

First flavors of buttery cedar and leather, with Corojo's red pepper heat lurking in the background. The sinuses picked up the Corojo heat pretty good. Nice volume of smoke. The corojo is nicely balanced with the other flavors, adding a bit of heat without being overpowering. Occasional hints of coffee present themselves. After the first inch, body mellowed a bit, coming down a notch from a solid medium.

But, After a couple inches, it went out. I relit it and a little bit later, it went out again. The cigar kept self-extinguishing. I smoked three inches in all, then got tired of the game.

The following weekend, I broke out another:

I hate to dog on a cigar that I didn't pay for, but it seems that the rolling quality of the Joya Cubana Corojo isn't what it should be. Either that, or the cigars are still 'young' and need a couple months to age/chill/relax to burn better. I now need to re-smoke the Joya Cubana maduro, and see if I lucked out with a good stick the first time around.

UPDATE:

A rep from Joya Cubana suggests that the cigars may have been a little too humid still from the factory. True, and a couple days in a dry box won't really fix that. So I'm going to hang onto this last Corojo torpedo for a couple months and smoke it again to see what happens. Joya Cubana seems to have been a hit at IPCPR, which is great; they make a great-tasting cigar. I hope to see these in a shop humidor near me.

Cain Maduro torpedo

2009-08-08T13:45:00.005-05:00

I've said that I'm lucky, but in all reality, I'm incredibly blessed. Loving wife, healthy children, sustaining employment, and an Oliva cigar sales rep that gives me a holler when he's coming to town. Cory's latest largesse was a pair of the new Cain torpedos, natural and maduro. I am most unworthy.

Cain's bold, earthy flavor profile is intimidating, but it's a smooth smoke that will take a couple hours to savor. The Mexican-wrapped, Nicaraguan cigar is just extraordinary:

Thanks again, Most Honorable Bringer of Premium Smoke. With friends like you, who needs Cigar Aficionado?

A hearty 'shank you' to Sony Music for nuking my first edition of the video. If you would rather Danzig languish in deepening obscurity, that's fine.

Joya Cubana Maduro 2009 torpedo

2009-08-07T21:56:00.004-05:00

I'm a very lucky guy. Not only do I have a great hobby, in which the quality and variety have been unparalleled in decades, but I've made friends and acquaintances of the highest caliber as well. My friend Roger whalloped my mailbox with a handful of Joya Cubana's latest offerings, and the maduro torpedo rung my bell from the moment I unpacked the box.

Thanks, Roger and Joya Cubana, keep up the great work. The Joya Cubana Maduro is a great-tasting cigar.

Sapa Inca, by Dulce Vida Cigar

2009-08-03T07:53:00.002-05:00

Sapa Inca is another blend by boutique cigar maker, Dulce Vida. Peruvian tobaccos are featured in many of Dulce Vida's offerings, and the Sapa Inca is no different. Well, okay, it's a lot different. This line has a much simpler flavor profile, and it's not as heavy and earthy as some of the La Bonita line.

Sapa Inca is another tasty cigar from Dulce Vida, and helps diversify their lineup. Keep at 'em Paula Pia!

Black Band Cigar 'A', aka Camacho Connecticut

2009-08-01T12:49:00.009-05:00

Yes, it seemed like an eternity for some of us, but here they are:

I'm not crazy about shade-grown Connecticut wrappers. I'm just not entranced by the sweet hay flavor that I get from them most of the time. Also, many blends that sport a shade-grown wrapper tend to be fairly mild, and some downright bland.

On the other hand, I have grown to love most of Camacho's cigars. Never shy, and most often bold, the Eiroa blending philosophy has tended to suit my palate well. So, when I heard that Camacho was doing a Connecticut shade wrapped cigar, I was willing to entertain the notion. Camacho with a shade-grown wrapper? Some influence from the recent Davidoff acquisition?

The tawny, shade-grown Connecticut wrapper had a couple obvious veins and gave a mild hay aroma with peppery spice on the lips. After cutting the cap, the draw was fairly free. While smoking the cigar had a fairly sharp burn line and mildly flaky silver ash. It seemed like the cigar burned a bit faster than other Camacho offerings, and then dropped ash after an inch and a half.

The initial puffs brought leather and hay flavors, with a present spice for the sinuses. Started medium, but pulled back to mild after the first inch. Occasional puffs brought a medium-bodied hay/leather flavor, but mostly mild, and the spice tailed off as well. The hay flavor was occasionally grassy.

To compare, Camacho's Connecticut seems a little milder and less earthy than Oliva's recent Connecticut release. Connecticut is till not my preference, but the blend had flavor, for those who like the grassier flavor profile. I imagine that it suits Mr. Coffee and Scones just fine.

First Impressions: ITC Split Decision

2009-07-29T08:41:00.003-05:00

I've had these sticks hidden in the cooler for at least 6 months, and decided today was the day. I took my cigar, soda, and chair down to the park to watch the medieval re-enactors beat each other with rattan swords. Once set up, I got down to business with the ITC Split Decision connecticut shade/maduro barberpole.

The cigar gave a pre-light aroma of sweet hay and dry cocoa, and felt a little on the spongy side. The draw felt a bit on the loose side. Once lit, I got some mild flavors of nut, coca, and hay, which would flex to medium at unpredictable intervals.

The cigar burned off on one side, due to the bunching of the fillers, and I could follow a nice void down the side of the cigar. I touched up the slower burning side every inch or so.

I thought the flavors were okay, but a bit mild for my tastes, and I hope the next one is rolled better.

Lars Tetens chBEz C1

2009-07-25T18:35:00.005-05:00

An unusual cigar from an unusual cigar maker, the chBEz C1 is a stocky morsel of unique flavors. I got a tasty sampler of Lars' confectionary and incendiary wares from Mr. Travis, which was an eye-opening experience in both flavors and style. The confections were an intro to unconventional flavor combinations that I would experience in the chBEz.

The particular cigar I smoked was a bit soft, and the draw was very free, but once lit, it burned well. The ash left behind was a silver-white, and a bit flaky.

The aroma from the unlit cigar reminded me of the Evil Chocolate Brownie, a confection of chocolate brownie, caramel, and tea leaves. Like chocolate, with an herbal component. Even before lighting the cigar, I knew it would be a unique experience.

Once lit, the flavors were unlike any cigar I'd smoked before; leathery, sweet herbal, with an odd tea-like note. I think I might have liked it.

5 Vegas Relic

2009-07-21T08:16:00.003-05:00

One of my most excellent brethren at Social Cigar, Joe Ed., bombed my mailbox recently. The bomb was heavy with Manuel Qesada-made cigars, including the 5 Vegas Relic.

Great smoke, and a great gift from a great friend. Thanks, Joe!

Fonseca Signature Series Robusto

2009-07-17T11:36:00.005-05:00

The passel of delights I received recently contained a Fonseca cigar that I've never seen before. Now, I've only had one other run-in with Fonseca, and it was terribly boring, so I've really given the brand no attention since. But, the dark, oily wrapper of this cigar just pushed all the right buttons to stir my interest, so I took it to the office for a lunchtime smoke.

The black band below the Fonseca label reads "Signature Series by Manuel Quesada". This cigar must be either pre-release, or a forgotten run from Fonseca, as there's not much info readily available on the web. Nice dark, oily wrapper, 5.25" x 50ish

The wrapper left a nice tingle on the lips on the cold draw, like the wrapper was a sun-grown Habano, or perhaps Corojo. The draw was fairly loose, and had a nice taste of leather.

After getting it lit, the cigar offered a nice blend of peppery spice and leather for the first inch. The medium-bodied flavors were quite a change from the Fonseca 5-50, which was about as exciting as a bowl of Cheerios.

In the second inch, the spice tailed off, leaving a solid, earthy leather flavor for a while. Getting into the last third, the leather flavor was joined with a sweet hay flavor, which would occasionally bury the leather flavors.

Overall, I enjoyed this cigar's array of medium-bodied flavors. The Fonseca Signature Series is another attention-worthy blend from Manuel Quesada.

Esteban Carreras Habano Maduro Rothman

2009-07-15T18:44:00.002-05:00

Upon returning from my travels, I dropped into my local shops to see if there was anything new. Sure enough, there were some new sticks in the humidor. 'Esteban Carreras' is a brand I'm unfamiliar with, but remember a cheap brand called 'Esteban Carrera' (no 'S' at the end) that I bought at an unnamed internet cigar auction site. Esteban Carreras Habano and Dias Ano lines are rolled at the facilities of Abdel Fernandez in Esteli, Nicaragua.

The Habano line are Nicaraguan puros, in either natural or maduro wrappers, and me being a devotee of the Dark Side, I'm smoking the maduro. I bought the 'Rothman' size, a 4 x 54, almost Nubbish looking thing. The shelf price for singles was $6, so I plunked down for a pair.

The wrapper on this cigar was a rich brown color, mildly veined, with a sheen of oil obvious to both eyes and fingers. A cold draw left me with tingly lips, reminding me of some spicy Thai dishes I've enjoyed in the past. The draw was also moderately resistant, indicating a well-packed cigar.

Then, I lit it.

Pepper.
Black pepper.
More pepper.
Black pepper-crusted peppercorns in pepper sauce.

For the first inch, the utterly dominant flavor is pepper. As the first inch wanes, leather and coffee flavors elbow their way into the picture, and by the second inch, the pepper has politely stepped back to allow other flavors to share the stage. All the while, this was a solidly medium to full-bodied cigar.

After the second inch, I did a nub stand on the 2 inches of solid ash, and after picking up the cigar again, the ash dropped off in one piece. Pulling into the nub, and after a couple touch-ups with the torch, the spicy pepper still remained present behind the leather and coffee flavors.

The Esteban Carreras Habano maduro is a powerful smoke, and is the perfect stick for the spice/pepper junkies out there.

Getting Bombed

2009-07-13T21:56:00.002-05:00

In the cigar enthusiast community, there's a time-honored tradition of pyrotechnic philanthropy called "Bombing". A bombing usually consists of a mailed package containing cigars and various other implements of enjoyment, i.e. small bottles of Scotch, snack foods, regional tourist trinkets, skid-marked underwear, et cetera. The main focus is the cigars.

Bombings can be pre-announced, holiday or birthday related, though some of the best ones are sneak-attacks on unsuspecting acquaintances.

Well, yours truly got a stealth bomb in the mail today:

This primo bomb, from Social Cigar member Joe Ed., illustrates a great cross section of great cigars, and quality budget cigars. One shouldn't send a bomb of cigars that one wouldn't give to a good friend in person, or of cigars that you, as the sender, wouldn't smoke yourself.

Once one has been bombed, there are some loose protocols about public thanks, aka 'Shout Out' on a social networking or other web site, and retribution to either the sender, or to take out your smoky ire on a third, unsuspecting party.

La Bonita Red Band robusto

2009-07-11T19:26:00.007-05:00

There are times when anticipation and expectation are just barely held in check, creating a delightful tension to the moment. I was at that moment while clipping the cap on the La Bonita Red Band cigar. After such pleasurable experiences with La Bonita's Orange and Purple blends, I was eager to taste Paula Pia's vision in Red.

La Bonita cigars feature the oiliest wrappers I've ever felt, and the dark, sumptuous wrapper on the Red was no exception. The website didn't have the tobaccos listed for the Red, but I'd guess Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The cigar itself felt very well-packed, with a fairly resistant draw.

A cold draw brought a forecast of dark earth and coffee, with a mild tingle of spice on the lips from the wrapper. Once lit, rich and earthy flavors of leather and coffee were immediately apparent. After a half inch, the leathery flavor turned woody as a pleasant transition, but kept it's medium-full body.

After a couple inches, a soft, smooth spice eased it's way into the flavor. The earthy leather and coffee stayed fairly constant over the last half of the cigar. This blend is as robust as the Orange or Purple, but I got the feeling there's less ligero in the Red blend.

Once again, another excellent blend from Dulce Vida. Definitely do a couple days of dry box time to minimize burn issues from the fairly stuffed fillers and thick and oily wrapper.

On the Road: Ohio

2009-06-27T07:02:00.007-05:00

I'm traveling with the family, taking the wife and kids to see in-laws and grandparents. I took the opportunity to put together a couple herfs with friends from various cigar sites, and while visitng my wife's kin, I herfed at Woodland Cigar Company, in Delaware, Ohio.

A comfortable and well-stocked shop, Woodland is a great place to meet up and spend an afternoon in smoky luxury. My friend, Brian, from Social Cigar, suggested Woodland, and I'm glad he did. It's a great place to smoke and visit.

I lucked out, and showed up at the same time as a sizable shipment of Perdomo cigars, including the new Grand Cru. I bought a pair of the Grand Cru maduros, as well as a pair of the ever-delicious 10th Anniversary Maduro. Scanning the shelves for things I haven't seen in Nebraska, I also scored a pair of Isla de Cuba maduros and Roxor Deluxe maduro robustos.

The lounge areas at Woodland are quite comfortable, and the owner's a hospitable and friendly guy. Next time I'm in this stretch of Ohio, I'm sure to drop in again.

My wife's kin are mostly in Wooster, Ohio, and we spent a majority of the time there. In Wooster, there's a shop called 'The City News', which has a nice assortment of Fuente cigars (including Hemingway), Romeo y Julieta, Rocky Patel, and Montecristo. I picked up pairs of RyJ Habano Reserve and RP's Cameroon Especial to provide some economic stimulus to the local economy.

La Bonita Purple Band robusto

2009-06-22T07:52:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, you come across a quiet treasure, something wonderful that few people know about. I'm starting to believe that Dulce Vida's cigars are just that quiet treasure. I smoked their 'La Bonita' orange-banded, maduro cigar last weekend, and it was a pleasant shock.

The purple band is no less tasty:

I still have a couple more blends to sample from Dulce Vida, and I'm looking forward to them with eager anticipation.

CAO Black Bengal

2009-06-18T21:00:00.002-05:00

Cigars Direct sent me a load of CAO cigars, and half of them cigars I hadn't tried yet. CAO Black is one of the lines I had yet to try, so this checks off one more from the 'try' list. The 6 x 50 CAO Black Bengal is a cedar-sleeved, majestic looking cigar, akin in color to an Altadis Montecristo. At about $6 per cigar, it's not terribly expensive.

This cigar's Ecuadorian shade-grown Connecticut wrapper was light brown, had fine veins and an aroma of light hay and leather. This jacketed a blend of Nicaraguan, Honduran and Mexican fillers. The draw had a nice, smooth resistance to it, and the cigar burned darned near perfect.

The first 3 inches of the cigar featured the same general flavor of toasty, woody leather, with a barely perceptible spice in the finish. just a notch shy of medium bodied. Spice/black pepper flexed a bit near the nub, but not enough to make me consider calling this cigar "spicy" at all. Still, it had a little more gusto than your run of the mill Connecticut shade-grown-wrapped cigar.

Like a well-worn, comfortable pair of shoes,this cigar isn't flashy, but it'll get the job done. CAO Black, and a cup of coffee or couple fingers of a good bourbon, and you're good to go.

Dulce Vida 'La Bonita' robusto

2009-06-14T21:03:00.008-05:00

I love finding, and smoking, cigars that come from off the beaten path of most cigar shop shelves. All it takes is an ear to the ground, and a willingness to try something new.

I first heard of Dulce Vida Cigars on Social Cigar, and contacted proprietress Paula Pia Ventunelli for a sampler. a couple weeks later, the sampler arrived in a unique box with cameo, and the cigars with ribbon bands. I would have smoked it sooner, but seasonal allergies had me plugged up for quite a while.

Being a maniac for maduro, the 'Orange Band' La Bonita is what I dove for first, and I'm glad I did. Here's the description from Dulce Vida's website:

A blend of Peruvian ligero, Dominican Sumatra, Dominican Peloto with a San Andres Morron Limpio binder. The wrapper is a Dominican Sumatra sweated maduro.

The dark brown wrapper was soft like velvet, unlike any cigar I've touched before. It was resting in the humi a month, but still felt like it was either super oily or just wet. Just in case, I threw it into the dry box for a couple days. After the dry box, the wrapper felt like soft, Egyptian cotton terrycloth.

The cigar felt hefty in the hand and well packed, and I got flavors of earth and spice on cold draw.

Once toasted and lit, I had first impressions of earthy leather, Black coffee with nice spice lingering. Definitely in the medium to full-bodied category. Rich, earthy flavor. Lots of smoke. After first inch, flavor shifted a little to an earthy cedar with the spice still singing back-up.

I got the same feeling as when I smoked my first Illusione, like I had discovered a wonderfully complex, yet well-balanced blend. If you like Illusione, I have a strong hunch that you'll like this cigar as well.

Two inches in, and the cigar still was packing a solid medium-bodied punch, and spice still lingered on the palate. This cigar is fairly slow-smoking too, with 2 inches taking at least 30 minutes, so we're looking at an hour-long robusto.

The Dulce Vida 'Orange Band' may have a feminine touch to the exterior, but the blend is no shrinking violet.

Thanks to roller/entrepeneur Paula Pia Ventunelli for the samples. It isn't easy for a small biz to get noticed, and the people with the dream are wagering their backsides to succeed. Boutique cigar fans, best jump on these before they get discovered!

CAO MX2 Robusto

2009-06-14T17:07:00.004-05:00

CAO's MX2 is a delicious, Western Hemisphere blend of Brazilian, Nicaraguan, Honduran, Dominican and Peruvian tobaccos. I reviewed the MX2 Dagger cigarillo in my winter short smoke shootout video series, and have smoked a couple of the regular-sized models as well. This sample came via Cigars Direct, so props to the sponsor!

There are certain moments when a cigar becomes a magical experience, and this MX2 got to participate. I was out camping with my son's cub scout pack, and after dinner, I found myself in a quiet stretch of the lakeshore, looking across the water at beautiful sunset. Cigar smoldering at hand, it was a peaceful hour, despite the roving bands of "indians" (aka cub scouts) scouring the lakeshore for rival barbarians (aka other cub scouts).

MX2's dark, Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper had a nice, oily gloss to it, the cigar felt firm, and the draw had a nice resistance to it.

Right away, The MX2 fronted a bold, leathery flavor with some cedary spice and black coffee. After the opening notes, I also detected a bitter, dark chocolate flavor, like those spendy 85% cacao chocolate bars. Heading for the nub, a harsh, ashy spice stared building up on the palate, so I let it go. The cigar was a solid medium-bodied smoke, waxing towards full at the nub.

The first 3 inches of the CAO MX2 robusto are the best, and offer a complex and tasty flavor profile for the maduro fan.

Oliva Omaha Event and Nub Maduro 460

2009-06-09T06:53:00.001-05:00

Good things come to those who wait, baby. Boy howdy, do they. Oliva Cigars had their first ever Nebraska event at Ted's Tobacco in Omaha, and it was a blast. A special thanks goes to Cory Horinek, our region's Oliva rep, whose enthusiasm has really been a shot in the arm for Oliva fans here in the Plains.

I had the pleasure of tagging along with Social Cigar pals Ditch Digger, Liriel, and internet cigar veteran Uncle Booga, and we made the roadtrip a party on wheels. We made some purchases, scored some killer swag, and smoked some wicked tasty cigars:

The Nub Maduro 460 is another shining example of killer Nicaraguan maduro, sweet and smooth. Though there's no info on the Maduro on the Nub site, several sites are claiming the wrapper is Brazilian. The wrapper tastes less peppery than the wrapper on the CAO Brazilia or MX2, and tastes more like the maduro Nicaraguan wrapper of the AB Maxx.

The wrapper's that delectable dark brown that bodes sweetness, and the cigar felt fairly firm, but also felt a little light in the hand. The draw was a little loose, so I had to pace myself when drawing on the cigar. Despite the loose draw, the cigar burned fairly evenly, only requiring a minor touch-up.

Once lit, the flavors are immediate; Leather, cocoa, a touch of cedar, and a mild spice in the finish. The flavors don't change much, except maybe in intensity, over the duration of the smoke. But, with such pleasant flavors, that's not an issue for me.

At $7, this is a tasty smoke and a great addition to the Nub line.

CAO Black VR Totem

2009-06-05T06:34:00.001-05:00

This dark and tasty toro came to me from Cigars Direct, so hats off to the sponsor!

I admit it; when I'm cruising the cigar store's humidor, I usually look at the prices on the CAO cigars, then keep walking. I'm not cheap, but I am cautious, and when I see a robusto priced at $8-9 I pass. I've smoked the CAO Brazilia Gol! and Amazon, and the Italia Ciao because they're a better price at $5-6. The Black VR can be had online for about $6/each, so it fits better in my budget.

The Black VR shares the Brazilia's deliciously dark maduro Brazilian wrapper, but harbors a blend of Nicaraguan and Mexican tobaccos in the core.

My cigar felt well packed, and drew with noticeable resistance. Before lighting, I caught a musty leather aroma coming from the wrapper, and a light spice on the lips during a cold draw.

Lighting it up, the first inch was a great blend of leather, earth, with some peppery spice in the finish. I would call it solid medium to medium-full, and tasty as well. Getting farther into the cigar, the spice dialed back (as most blends do)and settled into a nice earthy leather with occasional nut flavor.

In the end, I'm left with ashes, and empty coffee cup, and a stupid grin on my face. What more can you ask for?

Partagas Cigar Cave

2009-06-04T10:58:00.001-05:00

Help me out, vote for my not-so-sobby sob story!

Partagas Cigar Cave

Shared via AddThis

Quick Impression: Ambos Mundos

2009-05-30T15:15:00.002-05:00

Mmm, nice woody Pepin-esque flavors minus the pepper and spice. Starts mild, and flexes to almost-medium near the end. This would fit somewhere between the Tatuaje P-Series and Havana VI in terms of strength, but paying $6 off the shelf, I'd rather spend the extra buck for a Havana VI.

Nub Habano Torpedo

2009-05-24T19:33:00.006-05:00

This cigar is so fat, the band has stretch marks.

Sam Leccia's brainchild, the Nub skips the customary cigar introductions, and gets straight to the sweet spot. Judging from the reviews I've read, and the amount of Nub events I hear about, Oliva Cigars have backed a winner.

Cigars Direct sent me this particular specimen, and I'd been itching to try the Habano line. The Nub Cameroons I had smoked last summer were good, but mild, and didn't wow me.

This cigar is so fat, when I clipped the torpedo's point, the open area looked as big as the foot on a churchill.

The Habano's wrapper is a rich brown hue, with fine veins and an aroma of earthy leather.

First light: Nice, earthy leather tones, with a mild spice on the lips and in the sinuses. Hints of nuts occasionally too.

The earthy leather flavor continued, along with the mild spice for the duration of the smoke. The burn line was a tad wobbly, but I didn't fret about it until the cigar extinguished 1/2" after getting started. I'm glad I filled my lighter before starting out...

This cigar is so fat, it wants Kirstie Alley to be its "skinny friend".

The smoke wasn't particularly thick, and the cigar needed lots of torch touch ups to stay well lit. Maybe with a couple days of drybox time, this stubby cigar would stay lit better.

In the end, as much as I liked the flavors, the high-maintenance factor turned me off. I'll smoke others another time and see if the assessment changes.

Punch Gran Puro Santa Rita

2009-05-20T18:25:00.000-05:00

This chubby rothschild from Punch is like a Toyota corolla: it isn't fancy, but you know you'll get where you need to go whenever you get in.

The sun-grown Honduran wrapper was a nice medium brown, lightly veined, and put a spicy tingle on the lips while getting it lit. Drawing on this cigar was easy, without being loose, and the cigar held a nice inch or more of ash, even today's gusty wind.

Once lit, the Gran Puro gave a solid earthy leather flavor, complemented by a mild spice. The flavor and body stayed fairly constant through the 45 minutes I was smoking it. Toward the nub, the leather flexes with a return of the mild spice. Overall, this is a medium to medium-full cigar.

Neither an expensive cigar nor terribly exciting, the Punch Gran Puro is a dependably good stick for those on a budget.

More from Cigars Direct

2009-05-18T18:51:00.003-05:00

Okay, so, some of you might remember that I had agreed to write reviews for and link to Cigars Direct. I had agreed to it, then thought better of the whole venture, and e-mailed them to cancel the arrangement.

Four weeks after asking them to cancel, I got a box of 5 cigars. Well, two weeks after that, I come home today to find ANOTHER box of 5 cigars. If it didn't come with loaded expectations, I'd be dancing in the aisles.

So, I feel obligated to smoke these fine cigars, and write my unique brand of critic pap about them. Oh woe is me. [In case you didn't catch it, I'm being facetious.] I guess that we'll soon be seeing some reviews for CAO Brazilia, Italia, MX2, which are some long-time favorites of mine, plus CAO Black and Black VR, which are newcomers to my humidor.

Once again, thanks to Cigars Direct for the cigars! Maybe I should send them cancellations more often.

Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles

2009-05-17T14:38:00.002-05:00

Pepin Whore (/pɛ,pin hɔr/or /pɛ,pɪn hoʊr/) noun,

1. A cigar smoker that smokes many cigars made by Don Jose "Pepin" Garcia.
2. A cigar smoker that irrationally extols the value and/or quality of said cigars.

Okay, I'm not a complete Pepin Whore, but I'm pretty damn close. It all started with a Tatuaje P-Series, followed by San Cristobal, and then snowballed with Tatujae Havana VI, DPG Serie JJ maduro, 5 Vegas Miami, DPG Black Label, Cigars International Yellow Label, DPG Blue, Benchmade,Vegas Cubana, and La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial. I've smoked all but the most expensive cigars by Don Pepin Garcia, and I've managed to enjoy them all.

The Tatuaje Havana VI (aka Red Label) is a Pepin-blended cigar made for Pete Johnson, and a tasty cigar with a personal parking stall in my humidor. This Nicaraguan puro is a flavorful experience.

The lightly toothy, sun-grown Corojo wrapper shows some mild veining, an has a light oil sheen as well. An aroma of cedar and leather rose from this moderately packed cigar, and a pinch revealed a light spring to the fillers.

On first light, I caught an explosion of dry, crisp pepper and cedar flavors. The finish, at first, was crisp and short, but a leathery flavor lingered on the palate as I smoked farther. After an inch, the flavors settled into a dry cedar with leather lingering on the palate. There was a moderate amount of smoke, but being so dry, I'd hesitate to call it creamy.

Smoking to the nub, a spicy pepper rejoins the cedar and leather for a rewarding finish. All through the cigar, the draw was immaculate, and the dove-gray ash held for over an inch.

At $5-8 each, depending on how you get them, the Havana VI line are a great quality smoke, and well worth the expense.

Thanks to Cigars Direct for providing a familiar friend in the sampler.

Cigars Direct

2009-05-11T19:09:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, under the delusion of grandeur, I accepted an advertising deal with Cigars Direct. After some soul-searching and ego tamping, I decided that my calling is not to be a bloviating sack of cigar opinions. I e-mailed Cigars Direct, and informed them that I was going to ice the blog and pursue humbler aspirations.

Well, sure enough, 7 weeks after accepting the offer, and 4 weeks after informing them to cancel, a box of five fine cigars shows up on my doorstep. So, being a man of my hastily-given word, I'll be placing copious links to Cigars Direct's website from the reviews of the cigars they've sent me.

I've already reviewed the Rocky Patel Fusion, so I've added appropriate linkage within that review. Some of these other cigars I have not reviewed, so those reviews will be forthcoming as well.

Tatuaje Havana VI is a personal favorite, though I haven't written a review for it. Nub Habano and CAO Gold will be new experiences.

As for the Sherpa toro, I've already reviewed once, but am willing to try another. A man can't be dragged through grassy hell TWICE, can he?

Fuente Anejo #55, and other thoughts

2009-05-10T20:08:00.001-05:00

Well, I made it through another busy semester of work projects, class, kids, cub scout meetings, late night lab sessions, and teeth-grinding exams. I was oscillating between D and C for much of the semester, thanks to a couple disastrous exam results. My lab work an homework assignment grades were my upwards lift.

The final exam consisted of circuits and problems that gave people the most grief of previous exams. The final semester grade came back as 3.0, meaning I did pretty good on the Final Exam. So I felt like rewarding myself, and fished out a Fuente Anejo #55 that I bought before New Years.

Mmmmm, smooooooth. Aside from some irregular burning, the Anejo smoked great, and the flavors were a chorus of leather, cedar, coffee, and mild spice. What a cigar.

I've noticed something about the super-premium cigars that I've been fortunate enough to smoke: the flavor profile seems to be a true blend.

To borrow a musical analogy, I'd explain it as the difference between a small singing group and a choir. Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Charles and the Raelettes, or the Bee Gees are all great singing groups, but there are some dominant voices, and others that sink way into the background. That's how I see the flavors of many premium cigars, where there's one very obvious flavor at the moment, with a couple others lurking in the background. The foreground flavor may change here and there, but there's always someone in front, and the others back in the background.

The choir analogy for the super-premium cigars speaks to the complexity and character of the blend. There's a harmonic richness, and individual voices are more difficult to single out. The overall experience is one of smooth, rich texture, without having to be 'strong' enough to kick you in the teeth.

The Anejo #55, Padron Anniversary 1964 maduro, and Oliva Master Blends I strike me as choral masterpieces of cigar blending.

Okay, enough blathering for now..

Isabela Miami Esplendito

2009-05-08T19:23:00.002-05:00

Heh. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer and, at times, it shows bold and obvious. I reviewed the Isabela Miami robusto not too long ago, and the sweetness of the cap befuddled me. I usually associate sweetened caps with Swisher Sweets, but a commenter here set me straight about the construction of the Isabela, and how it follows Cuban cigar tradition. So, here's my mea culpa and obligatory self-effacement:

The Isabela is as good a smoke as it's shorter sibling. Vicente Ortiz and Prime Cigar Co. have a winner on their hands.

Oliva Serie G Cameroon Double Robusto

2009-04-28T19:45:00.001-05:00

I smoked an Oliva Serie G Cameroon-wrappered double robusto for lunch, chatting with the region's Oliva super-rep, Cory Horinek. The Omaha event is June 6th, and I'm stoked. Daddy's getting a box of these Serie G cammies for Father's Day.

I usually smoke the maduro lines that Oliva offers, but I felt like switching it up today, and I'm glad I did. I love a Cameroon wrapper almost as much as I love maduro, and the Oliva G is a great blend to sport it. Bright, woody flavors with coffee and gentle spice, the Serie G is shy of medium-bodied, but nowhere near being a wimpy cigar either.

The double robusto (5x54) size smokes nice and cool, so the flavors don't get harsh.

New Arrivals: Dulce Vida

2009-04-28T19:34:00.006-05:00

I came home tonight to a pleasant surprise; a box with a double fistful of robustos from Dulce Vida. Some of my favorite cigar blends have a helping of Peruvian tobacco, and Dulce Vida is flashing the Peruvian flag at me. I'm going to let these rest a couple weeks from their travels, then I'll smoke'm up and hollah about it.

Like a Vampire, it Rises Again

2009-04-28T19:31:00.001-05:00

I just couldn't let all the reviews just vanish forever. I'm just going to be more casual about the reviews.

La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial

2009-04-18T12:03:00.003-05:00

Of the gazillion cigars that have recently announced a Pepin Garcia patrimony, this Ashton cigar falls in the middle of the power/price pack. At $5-7 each, depending on your local taxes, they fall in between the top-shelf San Cristobal and the economical Benchmade, both fellow Ashton brands.

The Edicion Especial is a blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos, jacketed in an Ecuadorian, sun-grown wrapper. The robusto seemed to smoke pretty fast, despite feeling reasonably packed.

With a strength hovering just below medium, this cigar didn't seem to stand out against similar cigars. The Tatuaje P-Series or CI Legends Yellow label may be more affordable alternatives, with similar flavor profiles.

Oliva Master Blends I torpedo

2009-04-15T06:49:00.005-05:00

This is a cigar WAY beyond my usual means, and only came into my possession as a gift from my Oliva sales rep, Cory. This is an incredible gift, and I'm grateful. Cory has taken the territory by storm, and is plotting event mayhem in every corner. Oliva is in great hands here.

Back to the cigar, the silver-brown wrapper was mildly veined, and emitted a light leather/hay aroma. A pinch along the cigar's body was slightly yielding, but never soft, and the draw was perfectly balanced.

Toasted and lit, the cigar became an orgy of leather, coffee and mild, earthy spice with occasional caramel and vanilla notes. The flavors weren't too powerful, but they were quite smooth, the body of the cigar being a solid medium, waxing full near the nub. In this way, it reminded me of a Padron Anniversary cigar; great flavors, never overpowering, and incredibly smooth. A Master Blend indeed.

I have had the good fortune to buy a couple Master Blends III robustos, being $9 each, and will be reviewing them soon. If they age as well as this Master Blends I, I'm going to need to put a half-dozen down for a six-year nap, and see what happens.

CAO LX2 toro

2009-04-12T07:24:00.003-05:00

First off, I'd like to give a shout out to Cigar Inspector and Jon Huber of CAO for the LX2 sampler. I won their contest for most comments in a month's period, and a fiver of LX2 was the prize.

On to the toro, things didn't go so well. It tasted great, but despite being kept at 65% and dryboxed for a day, the cigar started tight and eventually plugged up and split a little from swelling. The cigar kept self-extinguishing as well, so the experience ended up being more work than pleasure:

So, I'm looking forward to smoking some of the other sizes in the sampler, to see how rolling is on those. If the toro shows up in my local shops, I'll try a couple more, from a different batch, to see how well they smoke.

Don Francisco Custom Blend robusto

2009-04-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

The Custom Blend was a treat to smoke, with dark, earthy flavors abounding. I first heard of Don Francisco cigars on the former Cigar Live internet site, now called Puff.com. The denizens there were quite taken with Don Francisco's offerings, so I ventured to buy a sampler of the most popular blends.

Isabela robusto

2009-04-05T18:44:00.002-05:00

A classy-looking cigar, but with a sweetened cap.

Arganese CL3 robusto

2009-04-01T20:41:00.002-05:00

Wow.

I've smoked a lot of corojo: Fire (by ITC), Camacho, Alec Bradley, Cusano, J. Fuego, and Padilla. The corojo and ligero-laden CL3 is one of the best-blended corojo smokes I've had.

The wrapper is mildly veined, medium-brown, and emits a tingle to the lips as you get acquainted. The draw is firm, but perfect considering the ligero in the cigar: It slows down the cigar to make sure all the tobacco burns well. It's a perfect rolling job that takes into account the tobaccos in the blend. That's the mark of a master.

The first half inch is a tasty introduction to the blend, woodsy cedar flavor with mild red pepper notes and a tingly spice in the background. The Dominican corojo is well represented in the blend without being ham-fisted with the heat. The flavors stay pretty much the same through most of the cigar, with occasional coffee notes. Getting to the nub, the corojo heat kicks up, as does the spice.

Eat a meal before this cigar, and while it's not a complete nicotine bomb, there's enough ligero in this to get the ol' midsection moving.

I think I've found my new favorite corojo. And at $5 each, the CL3 (and ML3) is definitely an economical competitor to the J. Fuego Gran Reserva Corojo no. 1 and Camacho 10th Anniversary Corojo.

Arganese ML3 robusto

2009-03-29T07:18:00.004-05:00

Wow. Arganese's ML3 has a smooth, but powerful Dominican corojo blend inside a Brazilian maduro wrapper. The ligero is a great team player in the blend, lending a quiet strength to the cigar, with a moderate amount of nicotine.

For $5 you won't find many stronger cigars. I'd give the ML3 a solid B+.

Cruzado Dantes: A Cigar Lover's Cigar

2009-03-25T22:59:00.005-05:00

I've smoked a couple of these, and while the $9 shelf price goes beyond my usual ceiling, it is quite a cigar.

The blend was unusual, in that the herbal notes and floral notes were predominant. At times, I tasted sage, tarragon, and the earthy, floral notes didn't strike me as over the top, "grandma's gardenia perfume." The gentle spice that held it all together was nice as well, like cardamom. It was not the more common black or white pepper flavor, or the red pepper heat of corojo. It was an unusual blend.

At $9, plus local taxes, it's not an inexpensive cigar, but you do get your money's worth from a captivating and exotic blend.

Oliva Connecticut Reserve robusto

2009-03-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

Find more videos like this on Social Cigar

Through the first half, the Connecticut Reserve is a mild cigar, but at the half, Oliva flexes some medium strength leather and earth. Another great cigar from Oliva.

Philosophizin'

2009-03-15T13:46:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting here, enjoying a fine cigar, just thinking out loud:

As much as they can try to make them the same, no two hand-rolled cigars will ever be EXACTLY alike. There will always be subtle variations in the fillers, wrappers and construction, even in the best cigars. Each cigar should be both enjoyed and judged as if it were a unique individual.

Reviews are a funny thing. If a cigar tastes good or bad to an individual is really secondary for me. What I'm tuning in for is overall quality; was the cigar well made, with care and craftsmanship. If a review is negative, I'd like to know how many the reviewer smoked before rendering judgment. Any cigar maker can have a poorly rolled cigar slip out, but if 2/3 are too tight, or fall apart, that's worth noting.

Ratings are a funny thing too. While I don't put much creedance into any one source, like Cigar Aficionado or Puff.com, I do pay attention to the aggregate, especially in the cigar's contruction quality area. Taste is one thing, but if a good number of reviewers notice that the cigar puffs up and splits after 30 minutes, I pay attention.

I don't chase after the expensive brands, or the latest hits, unless I've got some decent reason for doing so. A good reason might be that I like many of the maker's previous releases, so I give the new stick a shot, especially if it's in my price range. If it's not in my usual price range, I may buy one or two for a very special occasion, and then only on recommendation from a mate whose palate reads similar to mine. I'm not gonna blow $15 on a cigar if I'm gonna hate it after the first inch. That's just stupid.

I don't smoke all the time, only 3-4 per week, which lets me smoke slightly better cigars than if I smoked every day. I also spread it out a bit: cheaper smokes($2-3) mid-week and Friday nights, better cigar ($3-5) on Saturday night, and something nice ($6-10) on Sundays. Something that the cheaper cigars and the premium sticks have in common: I manage to enjoy them all. I am just as excited to hit the garage with a 5 Vegas Series A and a cup of coffee, as I am with a Fuente Hemingway or Camacho Triple Maduro. Well, okay, I may be a LITTLE more excited to get the Triple Maduro smoking.

Joya Cubana Habano robusto

2009-03-12T11:41:00.000-05:00

A new cigar from a little-known company. Tastes pretty good, but construction may be an issue:

Find more videos like this on Social Cigar

Rocky Patel Winter Collection robusto

2009-03-08T09:03:00.004-05:00

Find more videos like this on Social Cigar

It takes a little while for cigars to get to Nebraska cigar shops, as evidenced by the Rocky Patel Winter Collection showing up the first week of March. So, I snagged a pair and smoked them both only days apart.

The first half-inch is magnificent, like my favorite maduros (Camacho Triple Maduro, Oliva Serie O maduro), bold, spicy and earthy. The rest of the cigar is more akin to RP Edge maduro or even RP Vintage 1992, which isn't bad, but it's not near as good as the beginning of the cigar.

Upcoming Reviews

2009-03-04T13:49:00.000-06:00

Man, I've got a serious backlog of cigars to be reviewed. if this warming trend continues, I can get cracking on:

Joya Cubana, habano-wrapped and barber-pole versions, courtesy of Roger Toledo
Don Francisco Custom Blend and Pilo
Rocky Patel Winter Collection (just finally getting to Nebraska, in time for spring :-\ )
Arganese ML3 and CL3 (Maduro Ligero x 3 and Corojo Ligero x3)
Willy's Cigars (Ha, let the jokes commence)
CAO LX2, courtesy of Cigar Inspector and CAO's Jon Huber

I can't wait to get smokin' on these fine sticks..

Cigarillo Shootout, Episode III

2009-03-01T15:46:00.000-06:00

Find more videos like this on Social Cigar

Props to Cigar Inspector and CAO Cigars

2009-02-28T21:07:00.000-06:00

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

2009-02-28T19:06:00.000-06:00

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

2009-02-23T19:10:00.001-06:00

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

2009-02-22T15:53:00.000-06:00

Find more videos like this on Social Cigar

Small Town Score!

2009-02-19T13:50:00.000-06:00

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

2009-02-15T15:54:00.000-06:00

Find more videos like this on Social Cigar

Coronado, by La Flor

2009-02-08T15:55:00.000-06:00

Find more videos like this on Social Cigar

Casa Magna

2009-02-01T15:57:00.000-06:00

Find more videos like this on Social Cigar

Savinelli Rico y Raro (RyR)

2009-01-16T16:33:00.000-06:00

What does two and a half ligero leaves amount to? Really. Savinelli's web page, describing the Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped, Nicaraguan cigar declares two and a half ligero leaves in the Rico y Raro. After lighting the RyR, the answer is immediate.

BANG! LIGERO!

For the first inch, The RyR is a spicy, peppery treat with loads of leather. After the first inch, the spice subsides a bit to let leather and cedar dominate. Minor nut flavors try to elbow in, but never strongly. The last inch features some pops of spice as you take it into the nub.

The draw on the 5.5" x 54 double robusto was perfect, but the burn wandered a bit. I needed to torch the wrapper a couple times in the hour it took to smoke it.

An inch from the nub, you start feeling the nicotine stalking. Two and a half leaves of ligero, you say? Oh yeah. Two and a half leaves of ligero, and all the nicotine to prove it. I had a huge stromboli before smoking to prepare for a possibly heavy smoke. Good thing too, as I was feeling woozy for a good half hour after nubbing the Rico y Raro, and lightheaded still an hour after finishing the cigar. At times I thought I'd see that stromboli again.

Dang. so that should tell you just what Savinelli's got packed in the Rico y Raro. Two and a half leaves of ligero. And all the flavor to prove it. Despite the great flavor, I'd only recommend this cigar to nicotine hardheads.

Four stars and an air-sick bag.

Savinelli Nicaraguan Reserve

2009-01-02T16:28:00.000-06:00

This is a cigar I got from the Nebraska Cigar Festival, and after a month of humi time, it was time to put it to the test. Savinelli's a big name in pipes, but let's see how this cigar stacks up.

a description, copped from Famous:

Handmade in Esteli, Nicaragua, their core consists of a blend of premium Nicaraguan longfiller and binder tobaccos, box-pressed in a specially cross-bred Habano 2000 and Criollo wrapper.

This is an attractive cigar: Colorado wrapper with fine veins, and a dignified, but not overly ornate, label. I'm smoking the robusto, and it starts off phenomenal. Earth, coffee, and a black pepper/spice component. This is a textbook Nicaraguan blend, and it's great. I know that Savinelli collaborated with Oliva on a different line of smokes, but this smoke is reminiscent of the Oliva Serie O, and in all the right ways.

The draw is perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Midway in, the spices are still simmering on the palate, and an earthy nut flavor joins the mellowing coffee. Dang. I wish I'd scored a few more of these.

The burn's been a little sloppy, requiring a little touch-up. I grabbed this guy right from the humi, so maybe a little drybox time would help straighten the burn. Still, the flavor is well worth the bother. Also A little tar has bubbled its way to the cap, but a quick shave with the cutter takes care of that problem.

Going into the home stretch, and nice leather flavor emerges, and the spice is still lingering on the back of my palate. Black pepper comes and goes in the forefront and the leather hangs in there. Did I already say that I wish I'd scored a few more?

As I gaze at the tarry nub of this cigar, I feel satisfied, and yet a little sad that it's over.

Taking the Spendy Cigar Plunge

2008-12-28T19:16:00.001-06:00

I was in to shop today, picking up a couple cigars for some friends, and I spy a box that read "Work of Art". "Hmmm," says I, and open the box to behold some dark, shapely cigars. I grabbed a pair, and put the box back on the shelf, when I notice that the box beneath it reads "Reserva no 55 Xtra Viejo". Those looked good too, so I snagged a couple of those too.

On my way out of the humi, I spied a beautiful box that read "Master Blends" and grabbed a pair of those as well.

So, I got a wee shock at the cash register, but methinks I still may have scored some decent cigars. What do you think?

Codex Tenebrae (aka My Big List of Maduros)

2008-12-11T13:52:00.005-06:00

Camacho Triple Maduro
$13
Full
A+
Ultimate in maduro bliss

Perdomo ESV 1991
$9
Full
A
Great blend and rich maduro flavor

J. Fuego Delirium
$9
Med
A
Mmmmmaaaadurooohhh

Carlos Toraño Virtuoso
$9
Med+
A
Good smoke, attractive

Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970
$7
Full
A
Hold on to your pants.

Perdomo 10th Anniversary Reserve maduro
$9
Full
A-
Wow. A great follow-up from the original Perdomo Reserve series.

Carlos Toraño Signature
$6
Med
A-
Great smoke, score when possible

Graycliff 1666
$8
Med+
A-
Delicious

Perdomo Habano
$6
Med
B+
Good smoke, great price.

San Cristobal
$9
Med
B+
Nice Pepin blend, but not big on maduro flavor

CAO Brazilia
$7
Med
B+
Spicy and well blended

Camacho SLR maduro
$7
Full
B+
Like getting hit in the mouth with a cedar 2x4 wrapped in leather and sprinkled in cocoa.

CAO Italia
$7
Med
B+
Spicy, but with a little tang to it

Oliva Serie O
$6
Med
B
Another good smoke with a great price

Avo #2 maduro
$8
Mild+
B
Nutty, creamy blend dusted with cocoa

Padron 3000
$6
Med
B
Muscular flavors, good maduro

Oliva Serie G
$5
Mild+
B
Nice smoke, always a pleasure

Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Dark Knight
$5
Med
B
Solid, dependable smoke

Romeo y Julieta Reserve Maduro
$5
Med-
B
Nice blend, but a little on the mild side

Camacho Corojo
$7
Med
B
Corojo heat, maduro sweet

Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959
$6
Med
B
Good smoke

La Gloria Cubana Serie R
$7
Full
B
Good smoke, with kick

Alec Bradley Maxx
$5
Med-
B
Nice smoke, fat and cool

CAO MX2
$7
Med
B
Good maduro flavors, unusual blend

Macanudo 1968
$10
Med
B
Good smoke, but overpriced

Rocky Patel Edge Missile
$6
Med+
B
Good go-to stick

Perdomo Reserve Maduro
$5
Med
B
Great blend, rich maduro flavor

Perdomo Lot 23
$4
Mild+
B-
Nice smoke at reasonable price

Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra
$5
Med
B-
Nice blend, but faint maduro flavors

Gurkha Legend "8-year Aged"
$6
Med-
B-
Good smoke, but not much maduro flavor

Arturo Fuente Chateau
$5
Mild+
B-
Nice blend, but faint maduro flavors

Partagas Black
$6
Med
B-
Peppery blend, more coffee and cedar than cocoa

CAO L'Anniversaire Maduro
$7.50
Med
B-
Nice maduro flavors, but overpriced

5 Vegas Series A
$3
Med-
B-
Great blend and smoke for the price

Cusano 18 Paired Maduro
$5
Mild+
C+
Mild blend with spunk, soft maduro flavor

Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend
$4
Med-
C+
Fat, cool smoke, mild maduro tone

Hoyo de Monterrey maduro
$4
Med-
C+
Nice smoke at reasonable price

Sancho Panza Double Maduro
$4
Mild+
C+
Nice maduro flavor

Flor de Oliva maduro
$2
Med-
C+
Budget smoke with a little maduro touch

La Vieja Habana Belicoso D
$3
Med-
C+
Nice budget maduro

Occidental Reserve Double Broadleaf
$3
Mild
C
Good starter maduro

Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959 Silver
$5
Med-
C
Nice blend, but tend to explode

Punch Maduro Maduro
$5
Med-
C
Solid smoke, decent maduro flavor

Gurkha Doble Maduro
$5
Med-
C
Starts off great, tasting like Partagas Black, but gets bland after the first third.

Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ
$7
Med
C
Nice blend, but little maduro flavor

Padron 2000
$5
Med
C
Good cigar for the price

Omar Ortez maduro
$5
Med
C
Decent smoke

Chateau Real maduro
$6
Mild+
C
Not bad, but you can get better for the $

Drew Estates Dirt
$5
Med-
C
Oddball flavor, sweetened cap

Sol Cubano maduro
$2
Med-
C
Nice value smoke

Alec Bradley Ovation
$3
Mild+
C
Not bad. Not great, but not bad.

Arganese Chairman
$5
Med-
C
Decent smoke, but mild maduro flavor

Helix 550 tubo
$4
Mild
C-
Airy, with little maduro flavor

Padilla Obsidian
$4
Med-
C-
Great taste, but very inconsistent construction

Muira maduro
$4
Med
C-
So-so, wrapper may be dyed

Angel 100
$3
Mild+
C-
Eh

Pirate's Gold maduro
$1
Mild+
D
The name is the only redeeming value

Cu-Avana maduro
$2
Mild
D
Like smoking wheat toast

Rio del Pinar "oscuro"
$3
Med-
D
Nothing oscuro about this yard 'gar

Rocky Patel R4
$4
Med-
D
Wrapper tasted super-salty/chemically

Victor Sinclair Reserve
$4
Med-
D
I smoked it out of kindness. Never again

Tierra del Sol maduro
$2
Mild+
D
Avoid. A. V. O. I. D.

Nestor Reserve 2004
$2
Mild+
F
Dyed wrapper covers crummy blend

Bombing Santa

2008-12-05T14:07:00.000-06:00

I was downtown to record a concert, and after setup, decided to cruise by my #2 B&M to see if the new Arganese sticks were in yet. They weren't, but the owner kindly gave me an Arganese CL, left over from the Cigar Festival, to tide me over until the order came in.

So, I'm recording the local symphony's holiday pops concert, and who winds his way through the crowd? Santa!

As he gets closer to where I'm camped out with my equipment, I get an Idea...

I asked him "would Mrs. Claus get mad at you for smoking one of these?" and I offered him the cigar. "No, not at all," Saint Nick replied, so I slipped him the combustible morsel, along with a Social Cigar card, and let him go on his merry way.

He did give me a candy cane, after all. So I returned the favor.

Shout Outs for the Nebraska Cigar Festival 2008

2008-11-22T19:00:00.000-06:00

Wow, the Nebraska Cigar Festival was a blast: Good fun, good smokes, and great company. I hope we get to do this again next year.

Shout outs are as so:

1) Our local B&M owners, Cattlemen's Bank, and event planners.

You guys rock! Cattlemen's Bank helping out by literally hosting the event, and our B&M's Cliff's Smoke Shop, Ted's Tobacco, and Capitol Cigar Company. Miles, thanks for bringing out the VSG!

2) Gene Arganese

Gene, you were the star of the evening, and really made the event special. There's a good reason why the word "generous" starts with Gene. Not content with merely bringing a supply of great smokes, including his new CL3 and ML3 smokes for us, and he had several Unos given to several lucky winners.

The highlight of the evening was the raffle, to benefit our lobbying efforts. Gene donated 7 trips to his villa in the Dominican Republic, complete with factory tour, smokes, bar, and being fed by Gene's personal chef. Talk about a vacation in the lap of cigar luxury!

3) Other cigar makers supporting the event

Willy, of Willy Cigars, was rolling smokes through the entire event, and I landed a couple gorgeous looking maduros from his table. Cusano sent a supply of Cuvee and Rare Cameroons for the masses. Palamino Cigars came though, as did Savinelli, Clint's, Conch Republic, and delegations from Filipino and Peruvian cigar makers. Ladies and gentlemen, my hat's off to you.

4) Good friends to share the evening with

Uncle Booga and I were counting the hours until the event, we were that stoked to go. Ditch Digger and Liriel caught up with us later, at the venue. We all smoked and chatted the evening away, and for me, the company really made the evening. After the Festival, DD, Liriel and I had a great breakfast, and while DD diverted my attention, Liriel picked up the tab.

Hats off to you all for a great evening. I didn't take any pictures, but DD did, and so I imagine we'll see those soon enough.

Kraft Foods Announces Record Q3 Profits

2008-11-05T19:22:00.001-06:00

Despite the volatile markets and flagging economy, Kraft Foods today announced record earnings in the third quarter, caused by an unprecedented growth in demand of their Kool-Aid product. Sales have been steadily increasing over the last 4 quarters with major jumps in the second and third quarters of 2008. When reached for comment, Kraft spokesman Hugh G. Pitcher said "Oh, yeah!"

With inventories at historic lows, Kraft is ramping up production to meet the surge in demand. Another Kool-Aid production facility is projected to begin operations in Washington D.C. during the first quarter of 2009.

Despite Kraft's optimism, analysts predict that sales may level off after the second quarter of 2009, and may even start falling as early as 2010.

Other sectors reporting increased demand, for differing reasons, are Brie, Chablis, Firearms, and Imported Cigars. Also, California agriculture officials are reporting a bumper crop of sour grapes, just in time for the post-election season.

San Martin Liberator

2008-10-30T19:27:00.000-05:00

Made by Tabacalera Del Oriente, the San Martin Liberator is billed as a Peruvian puro. One of my favorite Gurkha's, the Grand Age, and the RyJ Reserve Maduro both had some Peruvian tobacco in the fillers, so how bad could it be? My great friend and SC brother Ray copped this at IPCPR, and passed it onto me.

The wrapper on the Liberator is fugly. It's a mottled brown, brindle color that would look great on a pit bull, and has veins that a heroin addict would die for. The draw is nice and easy.

The flavor starts out earthy, with a mild nut mixed in. A nice leathery finish creeps in as the first inch burns away. So far, it's turning out to be an alright smoke.

The burn is a little wobbly, but my torch has stayed in my pocket so far. The ash is also decently solid.

There's a hay-like flavor that's been building, and it's starting to get "mouthful of grass" tasting. Thank goodness for the coffee I'm drinking along with the cigar. I'm an inch and a half into the cigar, and tempted to just let it go out.

Halfway through the cigar, the flavor has turned to mostly hay with a little leather. The original earthiness is still in the background, but I've never been crazy about hay-flavored cigars. It reminds me of the Sherpa I smoked earlier this year.

I'm getting to the point where I'm seriously thinking of grocery shopping, which usually doesn't speak well of the cigar I'm smoking. When my coffee is finished, so am I.

I guess that there's a good reason why we don't see many Peruvian puros: The world already has enough yard 'gars.

Playing Catchup

2008-09-01T07:42:00.003-05:00

Wow, 6 months goes by pretty quick. I finished the spring semester with a B in Calculus I, and only by the skin of my teeth, and started the summer off with my wife giving birth to our fourth child. I've also been spending entirely too much time at Social Cigar, posting, chatting with friends, and wasting time in general.

In this long interval, I've been smoking some awesome cigars, decent cigars, and a couple crummy ones as well. I've been sampling some Pepin cigars, and I liked the Tatuaje P-Series enough to buy a box after smoking just one. I also smoked a couple of the Tatuaje Havana VI, CI Legends Yellow label, and Benchmade. I'm starting to see the reason's for the Pepin hype. I just hope it doesn't sour, like the hype around Rocky Patel's cigars.

Speaking of Rocky, I've finally landed some RP Sungrown, and liked them, along with the Indian Tabac 10th Anniversary, which I didn't really like.

The biggest revelation of the spring was my discovery of the Arturo Fuente Hemingway. I have found my "Deserted Island" cigar! If I could afford to smoke these on a regular basis, I would. But, they are not the cheapest cigar, so I save them for special occasions.

Other highlights were Oliva Serie V, Perdomo ESV '91 maduro, CAO Brazilia, Camacho Triple Maduro, and Camacho 10th Anniversary Corojo.

Macanudo 1968

2008-09-01T07:36:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I've been on a break for a while. Having a fourth child will do that. But, let's keep it about the cigars...

I pounced on Mac's 3/$10 sampler offer when they debuted the 1968. Being an avid maduro fan, I couldn't pass it up. After letting them rest for a month, here I am smoking them.

This is a beautiful cigar, with a milk-chocolate complexion, oily texture, and mild veining. A squeeze here and there reveals a nicely packed cigar, but not overly so. The draw is easy, and the burn is tolerable, with a little wobbling that did not make me reach for the torch.

Flavor-wise, this cigar starts up in earnest, delivering the goods up front: Leather, earth, walnut and a nice, mild spice. and then it holds that chord for an hour. Sure, it's not a thrill ride, but it tastes good.

In a blind taste test, I'd guess this to be an Oliva Serie G or Perdomo Reserve maduro, but never a Macanudo. Still, at an MSRP of $8.50, it's overpriced when compared to an $6 Oliva or Perdomo cigar.

Nebraska Bans Smoking

2008-02-22T19:40:00.000-06:00

Following Omaha's and Lincoln's smoking bans, Nebraska's unicameral (and uni-brain cell) legislature passed a ban against smoking in restaurants, bars and other public places, state-wide. If the governor signs it, the law will go into effect in June of 2009.

Really, why not just ban smoking and tobacco products altogether? If it's dangerous enough to ban in public, the State should ban it in private for the health and safety of the citizenry.

As for the bars and restaurants, the greatest health hazards in those places are on the plates...

Update 2/26/08: The Governor has signed the bill, it's law in Nebraska, and takes effect June 2009. It might take me that long to sell my house and move to northern Kentucky, where the nazis haven't completely crushed freedom.

Camacho Corojo Maduro

2008-02-10T20:53:00.000-06:00

Camacho Corojo Maduro monarcha
$6, Size: 5", Ring: 50
Honduran Corojo wrapper, binder, and fillers

It's always a pleasant surprise to get a nice cigar in the mail, and it's better yet when the cigars are so appetizingly beautiful. TommyboyMartin, an anchor at Social Cigar, sent me a brace of these maduro lovelies, and they were a great starting point for getting acquainted with Camacho's different lines. The Camacho Corojo is a Honduran puro, stuffed, bound, and wrapped with corojo tobacco, notorious for being a feisty and tasty leaf.

A sumptuous shade of dark chocolate, the maduro corojo wrapper was mildly veined and velvety. Unprompted, my 7 year-old son remarked that it smelled like chocolate. The cigar felt moderately filled, with a draw that's free, without being loose, and the white ash held a bit over an inch beyond the burn line.

The cigar started with sweet leather and toasted nuts, with an initial tease of spice and cocoa. The flavors settled into a robust leather and nuts combo that had a peppery echo. The corojo turned on the afterburners in the last couple inches, pumping some sweet heat into the medium-bodied flavors. The body and flavors of the Corojo Maduro went great with my coffee.

The Corojo Maduro was the first Camacho cigar I've had, and it forebodes made more pleasurable experiences to come.

Rocky Patel Fusion

2008-02-05T21:09:00.002-06:00

Rocky Patel Fusion robusto
$5, Size: 5.5", Ring: 50.
Habano wrapper, Ecuadorian Connecticut binder, with Cameroon, Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers.

As we draw near to Lent, a time of thoughtful meditation and self-sacrifice, I wanted to smoke something of repute before donning the sackcloth and ashes. Rocky Patel has been fairly prolific in recent years, and this is one of many different cigars he's blended to different concepts. The Fusion uses two wrapper tobaccos, with the Connecticut tobacco as a binder, and a Habano wrapper jacketing the entire package.

My cigar's Habano wrapper was smooth, had few veins, and was glossy. A light, almost floral aroma issued from it. The cigar felt moderately packed, with a nicely balanced draw once the cap was punched. I had no problems getting nice volumes of smoke, and a white ash stuck over an inch beyond the chronically wobbly burn line. Still, I only had to do a touch-up to the burn once.

The flavors were fairly mild to start, of lightly toasted nut and a mild wood note. There was a pepper flavor lurking, but really didn't come out to shine until after the second inch. By that time, the wood note had become more pronounced and cedar-like, blending well with the spicy white pepper flavor.

The overall flavors were between mild and medium, and the cigar had a bit of nicotine to it. Not a bad smoke, and I've got three more napping.

Alec Bradley Ovation Maduro

2008-01-30T20:34:00.000-06:00

Alec Bradley Ovation maduro baron/robusto
$3.50, Size: 5", Ring: 54
Brazilian maduro wrapper, Mexican binder, Nicaraguan and Costa Rican fillers.

Under the ownership of Alec Bradley, Ovation seems to be an older sibling of the current Trilogy brand. Being a little fatter than its newer brethren, and not being listed on Alec Bradley's new website, I dare say this cigar won't be available too much longer, and only then on CBid. But, onto the cigar...

The Brazilian maduro wrapper was a medium chocolate color, had a smooth, matte texture with a faint gloss, and had wispery veins. I was impressed with the craftsmanship of the cap, as it was impeccably cut and applied. Getting more physical with it, the cigar felt nicely packed, and had a draw with noticeable resistance, but didn't feel outright tight. Once lit, the cigar burned pretty straight and held a good inch and a half of silvery ash.

After toasting the foot, the first half inch was extremely mild, with only a light tobacco flavor. Getting to an inch in, the flavor came in as a toasty nut, and as the second inch fumed away, a more present, leathery flavor joined in. Halfway through, a mild pepper flavor started lingering on the palate, and then strengthened with the leather . A dark, wood flavor bobbed in and out as well, while the pepper stayed strong to the finish. Not counting the first inch, I'd say the Ovation was close to medium bodied.

Although it is a slow starter, the Ovation maduro has some nice flavor to it, and is a worthy smoke. While supplies last, that is.

Perdomo Reserve Maduro

2008-01-27T21:20:00.000-06:00

Perdomo Reserve Series R maduro robusto
$4, Size: 5", Ring:54
Nicaraguan maduro wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers

I like maduro cigers. Okay, if you've seen the list of cigars I've bothered to write about, you could say that I LOVE maduro cigars. I've got a major-league sweet tooth, so a sweet, toothy maduro wrapped cigar usually hits the spot for me. Perdomo's Reserve series uses some of the best fillers that Nicaragua has to offer. Couple that with a velvety Nicaraguan maduro wrapper, and anyone would be in for a treat.

Onward to my experience, my cigar had a medium chocolate maduro wrapper, which was toothy with a slight gloss, and a few pronounced veins. It was also fairly thick, which is good for keeping all that tobacco inside the cigar. Hefting it by hand,it felt like a solidly build cigar, felt very packed, and the draw was restrained enough to prove it.

Burn needed some touch-up here and there, I've found that the thicker wrappers tend to do that to me, and the densely packed filler took its sweet time burning. There was also lots of rich smoke to be found.

Before lighting, the cigar was mildly sweet on the lips, while earth and cocoa flavors were present in the cold draw. After ignition, the smooth, rich flavors were of earth and dark cocoa. As the first inch fumed away, a spicy note joined the flavors, for a predominantly peppery cocoa flavor that stayed fairly constant to the end. A mild nutty flavor occasionally poked it's way in for a puff or two. The flavors never got overpowering, and stayed robust and smooth.

Overall, the Perdomo Reserve maduro is a densely packed cigar with a rich, medium bodied flavor. The price isn't bad either.

Patrick, guest reviewer at Cigar Jack, smoked the honkin' 7x54 Reserve C churchill.

Bum Cigar Day

2008-01-27T08:24:00.000-06:00

Sooner or later, it's bound to happen: Each cigar you grab on that rare day will have a problem, leaving you with a tray of ash and no satisfaction. Statistical probabilities are so that even your most reputable cigars will have problems, and those problems will eventually coincide on the same day. I had that day yesterday.

The first was an afternoon cigar, as I strolled to the office to catch up on a couple things. I hadn't smoked this Dominican brand yet, but had smoked others from the same manufacturer, and so was reasonably confident as to it's quality. I even had someone tell me the night before that I would enjoy that cigar.

I toasted it up on the doorstep, got it lit, then started walking. Right away, the flavor was harsh, grating, and reminded me of a gigantic maduro Marlborough. I toughed it out, thinking that maybe the first half inch or so may be unhappy. It didn't stop there. The burn went all over the place, so I dropped ash after an inch, and retorched the foot to even it up.

It STILL tasted nasty, like a biker-bar ashtray. Another torturous inch later, I needed to ash and touch up the burn again. I'm getting closer to the office, and hoping that this cigar will start tasting better. No such luck. With a block left to walk, I let the cigar die, putting it out of my misery.

Work got done, I got some Chinese take-out for the family, and so elapsed the rest of the evening. I'm looking forward to tucking the kids in bed, and then pulling out another cigar, hoping it would make up for the dud of the afternoon.

Finally, the kids are put to bed, and I pulled the Nicaraguan beauty out of the box. Smelled tasty, and the wrapper tasted mildly sweet as I wet the cap a bit. After punching the cap, I noticed that the draw was a little tight, but the cold draw flavors still encouraged some enthusiasm. I gave the cigar a preemptive poke through the filler's center, then hunted up my torch.

I got her toasted, and started herfing away, while reading a Calculus textbook. The flavors were nice, but the draw seemed to tighten, so I massaged the cigar a bit, and kept the smoke flowing. For some reason, the fillers seemed reluctant to burn, or at least less inclined to burn than the wrappers.

I ended up with a Vesuvius-sized cone emerging from the wobbly burn line. No matter how I tried to correct it, the volcano would persist. I say volcano, because there was a shaft/void down the center of the cone, like a volcano.

The flavors were good, when I could get any smoke out of it. After 30 minutes of fighting with it, I pitched it behind the garage.

Two different cigars, two bitter disappointments. I think there were some obvious and not so obvious construction quirks at work against me. 'Tis a shame they had to coincide and ruin an otherwise pleasant day.

AVO no. 2 Maduro

2008-01-25T23:02:00.000-06:00

AVO no. 2 maduro
$25/5-pack, Size:6" , Ring:50
USA Connecticut maduro wrapper, Dominican binder and fillers.

At a smoky gathering, just after Christmas, one of the guys was talking up Avo cigars. I had heard that Avo Uvezian had his cigars manufactured by Hendrick Kelner, whose cigars I have previously enjoyed, and figured it was worth pursuing a sample. I went to $25 for a 5 pack on CBid, which is a little beyond my usual ceiling, but I hoped it would be worthwhile.

The wrapper on the cigar I smoked tonight had some serious veins, and was toothier than a piranha. If the AVO label wasn't on the band, the rough appearance would have made it look like a $2 bundle cigar. Aroma from the wrapper was light and nutty, and while wetting the cap, I noticed that it wasn't markedly sweet.

Post-punch, the draw had a moderate amount of resistance, and though at the 3/4 mark, the draw felt constricted, a little massaging around the cap brought it back around. The burn line was mostly straight, with an inch and a half of silvery ash trailing behind it.

All the way through, the flavors were smooth and buttery, with a mild nut flavor at to start. The mild nut got stronger, and a little darker, as I cruised through the third inch, tasting like roasted hazelnuts. A mild, sweet pepper flavor came in at the last third, and finished spicy at the end. While not terribly complex, the flavors were pleasant and meshed nicely. I'd say that overall, the cigar was on the mild side of medium bodied.

If it were a blind taste test, and with my limited experience, I'd say this was a Kelner blend, from the moderate body to the gradually ramping spice near the end. All in all, a good smoke for a decent price, though if I had to pay $7 or $8, for this cigar, I'd feel a bit let down. I look forward to sampling more of Avo's lines, as budget will allow.

Hoyo de Monterrey Rothschild

2008-01-23T20:38:00.000-06:00

Hoyo de Monterrey Rothschild
$4.50, Size: 4.5", Ring: 50
Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, USA Connecticut binder, Honduran, Dominican, and Nicaraguan fillers.

Hoyo de Monterrey (HdM) is a huge name in cigars, mainly for Cuban smokes, but also for their fine cigars made in Honduras. Their Honduran cigars are rolled by the General Cigar Co., in the same facility that rolls Punch's non-cuban cigars.

This Hoyo rothschild had a dark tan wrapper, and was toothy with varicose veins. Once punched, I found it had a pretty loose draw, I had to really smoke gently. Usually, I prefer a more moderate resistance in a cigar. Burning was mostly straight, except for a couple forgivable wobbles, and the silvery ash held for over an inch.

I was greeted with strong flavors to start, with wood and roasted nuts. After first inch, a coffee undertone meshed with the wood flavor. Pepper started lingering on the palate after the second inch, then waxed stronger in the foreground. Robust flavors abound from solid start to spicy finish.

Hoyo de Monterrey didn't get their reputation for excellence by accident, and this bold tasting cigar continues the tradition. Being a maduro freak, I can't wait the put my torch to a HdM Dark Sumatra.

Smoke Signals toasted a HdM rothschild back in March 2007

Average Joe, Good Coffee

2008-01-23T05:56:00.000-06:00

Since I'm usually chasing my cigars with a cup of joe, I figured that I may post how I get a great cuppa without breaking the bank.

BEANS

Most of the time, I'm not drinking anything exotic, just Eight O'Clock Bean coffee. Once in a while, I'll get a small bag of Archer Farms coffee beans at Target, or I'll pick up some locally roasted beans for special occasions. The big thing is to get whole bean coffee, not ground. WHOLE BEAN. Remember that, and we'll get back to it.

Some folks roast their beans too harshly (Charbucks), or rarely, leave them a little underdone (tastes grassy, like a Sherpa cigar). I like the range between City Roast and Vienna Roast. If you're picking out beans at a local roaster, look for oily beans. If they look too dried out, they may have been sitting for a long time.

GRINDER
Okay, now that we've got beans, what then, smarty-pants? We grind them. Most folks end up with a whirling blade coffee grinder, which is pretty much the same as using an old Cuisinart food processor on them. You cannot really specify the grind size, like drip coffee versus espresso, with a whirlie. Also, whirlies don't do the best job of getting a consistent grind, where most of the grounds are fairly uniform.

For a more consistent grind, you need a burr grinder, which uses spaced metal cogs to grind beans to a specific texture. This way, you can tailor the grind to your specific situation.

FILTER
When it comes to filters, I prefer unbleached, or brown, filters. Paper isn't naturally white, and I don't want the bleach in my coffee either. Worse yet is using a paper towel. Don't do it. Just get the brown filters.

CigarSmokingMan, a blogger of the first water, has pointed out the superiority of a gold, permanent filter basket. The basket replaces the paper filter, and holds the grounds during the drip brewing process. Paper filters can absorb the flavorful elements of the coffee as it's being brewed, while a permanent filter will not. Gold is important, as it will be durable and won't corrode, and is usually plated over a stainless steel wire mesh.

WATER
Do you LIKE to drink municipal tap water? Then why make coffee with it? Use filtered water for a better cup of coffee. I used to use the pitcher/cartridge systems, and eventually installed an under-sink system. Much better, and it doesn't take up room in your refrigerator.

COFFEE MAKER
There are a gazillion different apparati for making coffee. Percolator, automatic drip, French press, vacuum, ibrit (Turkish), cold press (toddy), espresso, and the list could go on. Friends don't let friends percolate coffee. As for the other methods, it's your pick.

I used to use a French Press, and it does yield a great cup of coffee, but it's a little more time-consuming. I bought a Bunn commercial coffee maker, which is automatic drip with a preheated reservoir of water. When I hit go, I have a full pot of coffee in three minutes. I like having coffee quickly.

Whichever kind you get, you'll want to clean it regularly. I find that white vinegar really cuts through the coffee residues on pots and filter baskets. Oxyclean is good as well, minus the loud, bearded guy.

SUMMATION
Even brewing something as cheap as Folgers, I can get a decent cuppa by freshly grinding beans, using unbleached filters, and using filtered water. I also like a bit of brown sugar in my coffee, but that's another story. Bottom's up!

Apologies

2008-01-21T07:53:00.000-06:00

My apologies for the misleading calendar entry for February 3, 2008. The original entry was an errant prognostication on my part, which read:

Patriots v. Packers Superbowl

The entry has been amended to reflect reality:

Patriots v. ~~Packers~~ Giants Superbowl

And once again, my humblest apologies.

GR Specials Red Label

2008-01-20T13:31:00.000-06:00

GR Specials Red Label robusto
$2.95, Size: 6", Ring: 54
Nicaraguan Habano '99 wrapper, Colombian binder, Nicaraguan and Costa Rican fillers.

Rolled at Gran Habano's facilities in Honduras, this hefty GR Specials Red Label robusto is big enough to give other robustos an inferiority complex. I found a couple of boxes of these at my local B&M, so I bought one Red Label, and one Black Label, and went on my merry way.

It was hard to tell if this is supposed to be a maduro or not. The wrapper was a glossy, light chocolate color, with moderate veins, and not much aroma from wrapper.

I wet the cap a bit, and proceeded with the punch. I discovered an easy draw with an odd taste. You may think me crazy, but the cap and cold draw tasted like canned spinach. I thought I should drink a V-8 with this cigar. As smoldering got underway, the burn was wobbly and left a spotty, pigeon-grey ash.

There was not much flavor to start, then a toasted white bread flavor sluggishly built after the first inch. After two inches, I decided that I had better things to do, and let the cigar go out (by throwing it into a snow bank behind the garage).

For the brand's sake, I hope this cigar was an anomaly and not the norm for the Red Label. Even so, I don't feel particularly motivated to smoke another to find out. I want my 20 minutes back...

Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Maduro

2008-01-19T15:48:00.000-06:00

Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente maduro
$6 single (B&M), Size: 4.5", Ring:54
USA Connecticut wrapper, Dominican binder and fillers.

In searching out other cigar shops in town, I found a joint that's mainly a liquor store with a walk-in humidor. They sold mostly A. Fuente, Macanudo, and Acid by Drew Estate cigars, so I picked up a couple Fuente rothschilds and this Chateau Fuente. While I may have paid a little too much, I like to support the locals who bother stocking decent cigars. In quantity, you can get these cigars for between $3 and $4.

The Chateau Fuente was a nicely presented cigar, sporting a cedar sleeve, bound with green ribbon, and a particularly attractive maduro wrapper. Speaking of wrapper, this one was toothy, medium chocolate-colored with mild veins. As I was wetting the cap, I noticed that this wrapper was noticeably sweet. Was the cap sweetened?

The cigar seemed firm and well packed, and after punching, the draw seemed nicely balanced. Everything about this cigar screamed quality.

As for the burning part, despite a day in the drybox, this cigar burned a bit wobby, but never too severely. A silvery ash, with some dark spots, held for an inch and a half.

In addition to a classy presentation, this cigar tasted great as well. Right away, smooth and substantial flavors of sweet cedar and toasted nut were present, and stayed fairly constant to the end. A sweet, white pepper flavor started lingering on the palate after the first inch, and then flexed its muscles in the last inch.

There was a noticeable nicotine buzz afterwards, which caught me unawares. I hadn't eaten in a while before smoking, and felt the nicotine crest about 15 minutes after smoking. This is definitely an after meal cigar.

Overall, this was a high-quality, medium bodied cigar that smoked sweet and had punch. I'm all for getting a couple more for the humidor.

Update: I was able to score a 5-pack of Chateau Fuente Maduros on CBid for $17 + shipping, which would put the price about $4 each. Happy smoking.

Frigging Cold Outside

2008-01-19T13:03:00.000-06:00

This morning, -5°, high noon, 5 °. I wish I had a space heater in the garage....

I've got an A. Fuente Chateau Fuente maduro set aside to smoke today, but I don't know if I'll do it. Between the local smoking ban, and my own home smoking ban, it looks like it's either bundle up, or shelve the stogies.

I'm sure that the guys at The Velvet Cigar, being in the Twin Cities, are in similar straits.

Obvious update: Well, the Chateau isn't huge, so I decided to brave the garage for a smoke. I took my thermometer from the humi as well, and found the garage to be a balmy 32°. I had a couple toro-sized cigars I wanted to try, but stuff of that length will have to wait for warmer weather.

Cuesta Rey Centenario No. 5

2008-01-18T19:32:00.000-06:00

Cuesta Rey Centenario No. 5
$4, Size: 5.5", Ring: 43
USA Connecticut wrapper, Dominican binder and filler.

Another cigar I got in a trade, the Centenario no. 5 is rolled at the A. Fuente facilities in the Dominican Republic.

The tawny gold Connecticut wrapper was fairly veiny, and with a texture between glossy and toothy. It also seemed thin and a little flaky when dry. To the touch, the cigar feel very packed, and the draw was restrained, suggesting a tight rolling job.

As the smoking commenced, the Centenario burned fairly straight, holding ash for a bit over an inch. The tight draw stayed that way to the end, while the fillers had swollen enough to split the wrapper in the last third of the cigar. Still, I would venture to guess that the construction issues may be isolated to this single cigar, or the storage or smoking conditions.

Centenario came alive with mellow and toasty flavors of tobacco with sweet cedar and a hint of nuts. After an inch fumed away, a mild pepper flavor came in the finish, but never jumped into the fore. It seemed to dovetail nicely with my coffee. While the overall body of the cigar never got near medium, I'd call it 'present' to denote middle ground between mild and medium.

Like the Casa Toraño, Cuesta Rey's Centenario line proves that mild flavors aren't necessarily missing flavors.

Nestor Reserve Maduro

2008-01-18T12:59:00.000-06:00

Nestor Reserve maduro box-pressed torpedo
$8/5 pk., Size:6.5", Ring: 54
Honduran wrapper, Cameroon binder, Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers.

Have you ever smoked a cigar, then realized that writing about it would be twice the waste of time as smoking the cigar in the first place? Yeah, this cigar was that good. However, I shall press on with this review as a public service.

This cigar is darker in person than it seems on a computer screen. It's a shade of brown that only espresso beans aspire to. It may also leave a brown stain on your lips and/or fingers. Still the wrapper was veiny and glossy, as one would expect from a $1.50 cigar.

The cigar seemed awfully light, and the middle parts soft, and the fairly loose draw gave rise to the suspicion that there wasn't much tobacco in there. Once lit, the burn line was all over the place. Still, I didn't want to waste any more torch fuel on it, so I let it meander about. It never canoed, or ran more than an inch, so I let it be. Funny thing about the burn line, for a quarter inch ahead of it, the wrapper swelled like the blistered skin of a hot dog.

As for the flavor; at one point there was one. In smelling the wrapper, and again in the cold draw, I was getting a bitter, dark chocolate taste. Once lit, the flavors were really subdued, almost imperceptible, or maybe so blended that I couldn't pick out anything definite. Somewhere near the middle, a faint pepper flavor emerged for an inch, then disappeared again. That's all I can say for that topic. It was nowhere near the description ".. rich and robust taste with a wonderful aroma and exquisite construction".

The Nestor Reserve is not an H.P. Lovecraft horror story. It just struck me as a somewhat bland cigar. Which is a shame, because a mild cigar doesn't have to be bland. Still, most of the time, you get what you pay for.