Cigar Extra: La Aroma de Cuba (New Blend)

Lancero / $8.40, Burns

When the "New Blend" of La Aroma de Cuba came out earlier this year, I tried it and liked it. When the Marquis was offered at events only, I was disappointed that the smallest ring-gauge available in their regular releases was still a 52-ring Monarch. So when I saw this new lancero recently, I knew I had to give it a puff. Like all New Blend La Aromas, this has Nicaraguan filler and binder with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that is dark, oily, and chocolatey--the very essence of "maduro." Prelight draw was free, showing none of the tightness that frequently plagues this vitola. The taste was sweet chocolate with some earth and coffee.

Initial puffs had more of the earth and dark roast coffee bitterness than anything else. Before long some dark, dark chocolate goodness arrived to the flavor party, bringing just a touch of sweetness and I started to get some cayenne pepper spice on my tongue. The spice built rapidly, as if to remind me of the fact that Don Pepin Garcia blended this cigar, but it was nicely balanced by the other flavors.

As the smoke progressed, the spice abated just a bit and more sweetness became apparent. Construction was top-notch with no draw or burn issues. This lancero vitola of the La Aroma de Cuba was a delightful smoke--different than what I had expected, but simply amazing in the end. These will end up in my humidor frequently alongside the growing number of lanceros and coronas I have recently found that are just great smoking experiences.

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

CAO Rock N Rolled Event Pictures

We had a great time hanging out with Jon Huber and Jeff Tinnell of CAO Cigars last night at Burns Tobacconist. I have a full interview with Jon that will be posted on Monday, but until then, check out some pictures from the event at my Facebook Pictures page.

Cigar Extra: Drew Estate Liga Privada T-52

Belicoso 6" x 52 ring gauge / $12.00 approx.

This is a follow up to Dave's review of the robusto size here, as this size is a line extension introduced at this year's IPCPR.

I'd again like to thank Amar, the owner of my regular shop (Maxamar's Ultimate Cigars, Orange, CA), as he gave me this sample from what he brought back from IPCPR. Since this is technically a pre-release I was only able to smoke 1 cigar for this review. While this was my only experience with this size I have smoked almost all of the other vitolas of this blend.

The cigar had the same medium dark brown with a golden tint I've seen on many other T-52's. Overall the cigar was very good looking and looked very well put together. Once I lit up the cigar the first thing that hit me was the spice and chocolate flavors that I normally experience with a T-52.

Unfortunately the construction on this sample wasn't what I have experienced with other samples. I had to draw on it a lot because it seemed like it wanted to go out. This might or might not have caused a hole to develop towards the end of the first third. It did burn through it and not need to be touched up. However at $12+ cigar shouldn't do this. The burn didn't cause any more problems and the draw opened up after it burned through the hole.

The flavors were pretty much the same as I've experienced with every other one of these I've smoked. Some spice, lots of chocolate & coffee, some leather, cream, and nuts. Normally these are flavors and a combination that I really like. However something about the T-52, and this is all of the samples I've smoked, that doesn't really do it for me. I'd much rather have the older brother, the No. 9, any day.

If you like the T-52 I would definitely tell you to give this a try. I'm going to chalk the construction issues up to it being a pre-release as I've never experienced something this bad with this cigar before. If you've never had a T-52 then I would also tell you to give it a try.

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: The Face by Tatuaje

6.375" x 56 ring gauge / $14.95, Burns

After contemplating giving up on the Monster Series, Pete Johnson came back at it this year with chainsaw roaring. The third installment of this series is "The Face," named after Leatherface, the butchering villain in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. To invoke that monster, Pete chose an ugly Mexican San Andres wrapper to adorn his latest creation along with an uneven, ripped-up-looking piece of tobacco to act as the band. Pete reportedly chose Mexican tobacco for the wrapper in large part because Mexico is near Texas. The top is finished in an unusual point that makes me think of the Sleestaks in Land of the Lost, while the foot has a rustic fold-over of the wrapper tobacco. The filler and binder are Nicaraguan and the new Tatuaje website lists this as a 4.5 out of 5 on the strength scale. This review stick will be my third.

I just have to say right up front: this was an ugly cigar. The leaf was veiny, mottled and uneven in color; the foot was rough and rustic; and the "band" was ragged and sloppy (and prone to flake off in your hands if you handle it too much while smoking...best bet is to hold the cigar just above or just below the band if you want to eventually smoke the band). Realizing, though, that the ugly appearance is exactly what Pete and Pepin were trying to achieve with this cigar, the result is just about perfect. The cigar was solid-feeling from head to foot and had more oil to the touch than to the eye. The wrapper had an earthy aroma with just a little woodiness as well; with the wrapper folded over the foot, the aroma there was almost the same, with maybe a little cocoa mixed in. I used my Xikar V-cutter on the first two of these that I smoked and it worked brilliantly; for this review stick, I wanted to try a different approach and used my Palio cutter. The draw was very good; I got flavors of cocoa powder, earth and coffee, along with a lingering spicy tingle on the lips.

After lighting, I got a bit of maple sweetness and a heavy dose of black coffee on the palate and a retrohale that was heavy on black pepper. Smoke issued freely and abundantly from the lit end and the draw was flawless. Very soon the spiciness of the Mexican leaf started to show. I have been upfront in my general dislike of most Mexican wrapper tobacco--it tends to be very bitter in most cases--but the leaf used on The Face is better than most Mexican leaf--a cut above, you might say! While it has some of the other common characteristics of Mexican wrapper--spiciness and some sweetness--it never gets into the heavily bitter tastes that I have experienced on others--the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor, for example. The first third shaped up to be an earthy, spicy affair--the black pepper became more of a chili pepper on palate and nose--and there were hints of unsweetened cocoa powder on the finish.

The ash held on for almost the entire first third and the burn line remained very even, showing that despite its outward ugliness, this was a very well-made cigar. The second third had more of the dark roast coffee I got right at the start, along with a strong earthiness still. The spice had almost disappeared, both on the nose and on the palate. The Face was fairly full-bodied so far but had a relatively short, clean finish.

The final third had more earth and coffee notes as well as a bit of cayenne pepper that crept in as the tobacco "band" started to burn. Was that pepper from that extra piece of leaf? Hard to say, but it did add another layer of interest to what was already an excellent smoke. Overall, The Face was a great cigar that should not be missed by veteran cigar enthusiasts. If more Mexican leaf showed this level of elegance and flavor, I would definitely have a more positive mind-set about it. I would even argue that this blend is unique enough and flavorful enough that Pete Johnson ought to find a home for it in his lineup as a regular offering.

Body: 8/10

Strength: 7/10

Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet Chisel

Chisel 6" x 52 ring gauge / $8.00 MSRP (Only available in Chisel Sampler)

First off I'd like to again thank Tony Gomez over at La Flor Dominicana. He sent this sample home from IPCPR with the owner of my regular shop. Since this is technically a pre-release I was only able to smoke 1 cigar for this review. This cigar has Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers with an aged Ligero Cameroon wrapper. Let's take a look at this sample and see how it performs.

The first thing I notice when looking at the cigar is the band and how it is looks compared to the wrapper of the cigar. If I remember correctly this cigar didn't have a band until recently. The band is a muted brown and gold that to me really looks good against the medium light brown wrapper. The difference in colors is very subtle. The wrapper has a medium amount of veins and has some oils to it. Giving the cigar a squeeze I'm able to detect a small amount of give but with no soft spots. Putting my nose to the wrapper I'm able to detect notes of hay and leather, with hay, barnyard and a herbal spice coming from the foot. After clipping the cigar with my MTX and taking a cold draw on it I was greeted to the taste of dark chocolate with a very good draw.

As soon as I lit the cigar up I was hit with an intense spiciness. I would describe it as a Cameroon spice and what I think of as a LFD spice. Very nice so far. As I progress into the first third I'm able to detect the flavors of chocolate, coffee, leather, and an herbal spice. The draw was great and it produced a large volume of smoke. The burn line was slightly wavy, nothing too bad though. The ash was a greyish white and held on for about an inch and a half before needing to be tapped off. At this point this cigar was at the lower end of full strength. Surprisingly, since I normally don't like Cameroon wrapped cigars, I was really enjoying this cigar through the first third.

The flavors of the cigar didn't change much, except with the addition of some earthiness, as I progressed into the second third. The spice, both Cameroon & LFD, were still present and in the forefront of the flavors. The draw continued to be great and it continued to produce a large volume of smoke.

The spice seemed to tone down a bit in the final third with the strength maybe moving down into the medium-full range. The flavors didn't change much from the second third. The burn line almost evened itself out without needing a touch up.

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this cigar. Like I said earlier I normally don't like Cameroon wrapped cigars. I did go into this with an open mind and really glad I did. I would definitely buy this again and will probably try the other sizes to see how they compare. Now this cigar isn't for the new smoker as it will probably put them on their rear end, but anyone who enjoys stronger cigars must try this cigar.

Body: 8/10

Strength: 8/10

Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale

Pre-light: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4/5

Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: 2 New Small Cigars from Tatuaje

Pete's Johnson's new releases this past year were mostly done outside the scope of the IPCPR show, with the retailer convention being used to introduce line extensions. Normally, my reaction to line extensions is, more or less, "So what?" Not to say that line extensions are not valuable or, in some cases, badly needed, but they are usually not as attention-grabbing as brand new product lines. Let's face it...the blogging business is like most new and old media: something totally new is much sexier than something updated. In this case, though, I have to say I am really excited about a couple of the new line extensions that Tatuaje added in the small cigars area. My wife is always encouraging me to find new short smokes I like and can keep on hand for those unexpected times when a 15 to 30 minute smoke would be appropriate. I am happy to say, I have found quite a few worthy additions to that category lately and I get to present a couple of them to you today.

Petite Cazadores, 4" x 40 ring gauge / $4.55, Burns

First up is the Petite Cazadores, a dark, oily cigar that would easily fall into the category I like to call "short lancero" because the ring gauge is pretty much the same. This stick has the Tatuaje Brown Label and an oily touch and sheen. The foot has a rustic-looking fold-over of the wrapper leaf and the head has a nice triple-cap--well, I think it's triple anyway...this thing was so well-made it was difficult to see seams. I got some leather on the body and earth, coffee, and cocoa on the foot. After clipping the head, I got notes of cocoa and chili pepper in a nice, open cold draw.

Initial light-up provided a fairly full-bodied earthiness, accented by cocoa, cedar and spice notes. I got roasted nuts and black pepper on the retrohale. This stick really hits its stride right at the start and the first half was really a continuation of that earthiness along with a fair bit of semi-sweet dark chocolate and chili pepper spice.

The second half had a bit more dark coffee flavor as the blend seemed to have a touch more bitterness and darkness to it. This 25-minute smoke captured the essence of the Tat Cazadores line very well in a very short amount of time and is one I am definitely planning on keeping around.

Body: 8/10

Strength: 4/10

Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9.5/10

Petite Reserva, 4.5" x 32 ring gauge / $3.60, Burns

The Petite Reserva is almost too perfect-looking to be a handmade cigar. Thin and perfectly rolled, it has a nice oily look and feel. The wrapper has aromas of earth and chocolate and I got just a tiny whiff of manure on the small foot. When I reviewed this one, it was my third of these sticks (I've had one or two since) and they are remarkably consistent.

Lighting up brought to life flavors of dark roast coffee and cocoa powder with just a bit of sweetness imparted by what looks to be a Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. As the first half burned along, I got a bit of black pepper and roasted nuts on the retrohale as well as an increased earthiness on the palate.

The second half got spicier with a little more bitterness as well but with just enough sweetness remaining to make this a great little cigar. If this stick is hand-made, my hat is off to the rollers who do such a wonderful job on such a small stick. It ended up being a surprisingly long smoke at almost 30 minutes. I like these so much, I am currently contemplating buying a box of 150.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 5/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

2 Sides: La Aurora 107

Robusto, 4.5" x 50 ring gauge
Corona, 5.5" x 43 ring gauge

Hard to believe it was only 107 years ago that La Aurora first started producing cigars, but if you put all your faith in marketing, then you have to believe it's true: it's written right there on the band! All kidding aside, it has been a very busy year for Miami Cigar & Company: they quiet started out the year by expanding the Nestor Miranda Collection with the Dominicano, then sprung the 1989 and Caliber 58 on us with little warning. At the IPCPR show, they debuted the La Aurora Corojo, Guillermo Leon Signature, and Nestor Miranda Art Deco. The major players in the company have become regulars on Twitter in a move of social networking brilliance. And during this rush of activity, they found time to celebrate the 107th anniversary of La Aurora's founding by putting on the market a new cigar-then expanding the line twice with Corona and Lancero vitolas following the initial release. Like I said, a very busy year. The 107 is composed of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, a Dominican binder and a Sungrown Ecuadorian wrapper leaf. We decided to look at both the Robusto (one of the initial sizes released back in April) and the Corona (released in late August); we have each smoked several of each size.

Dave Said:
I started off with the Robusto, which had a noticeably toothy and mottled wrapper with veins that were bordering on large. I like what they did with the traditional La Aurora lion symbol trimmed with red and gold; this is a look that could have gone wrong, resulting in a corny, cartoonish image, but what they ended up with is very nice. Feeling along the length of the stogie I felt no soft spots-in fact, it was relatively firm except near the foot. The aroma from the wrapper was rich with chocolate and hay notes and I got more of the same on the foot. Prelight, I got a smooth draw with a rich natural tobacco flavor and a sweetness that had hints of chocolate and caramel.

The first thing I noticed after lighting was a maple syrup note the first time I blew smoke out through my nose. On the palate I was not getting much off the bat, but the retrohale was great-a mix of maple, molasses and roasted nuts, with a peppery finish. As the first third developed, I got leather and earthy flavors on the tongue while the retrohale still had a big peppery bite.

In the second third I noticed less earth and more cedar along with the leather flavor that remained. There was also a distinct reduction of the pepper on the retrohale leaving the roasted nuts aspect more room to be noticed.

The last third opened up with a hint of sweet spice to further complement the cedar and leather, but to be honest, after smoking about 4 of this vitola since they came to market, I still do not understand the heavy buzz about them. Don't get me wrong-it is a perfectly fine cigar, just not a world-beater-at least not to me. It is nowhere near as flavorful as its newer brother, the Corona...

The wrapper of the of the Corona looked very much like the Robusto, but with less toothiness; it was very smooth and oily to the touch. I got more of an earthy aroma from it, too, with none of the chocolate I smelled on the robusto until I got to the foot where I got that cocoa note along with quite a bit of manure. There was a fairly spongy spot just north of the band, but everything else seemed evenly packed. Prelight draw was very good and I noted more sweetness and less natural tobacco flavor than I had experienced with the Robusto.

Initial draws on the Corona produced a large volume of smoke with a nice tobacco sweetness on the tongue and the same peppery retrohale I remembered from the Robusto. It was easy to taste how much the wrapper influenced the flavor on this stick with its thinner ring gauge-it just seemed to be a richer, deeper flavor experience right from the start. As the first third progressed I got a lot of that natural tobacco goodness, but a fair amount of molasses and roasted nuts-in some ways much the same as the Robusto, yet I found the flavors to be more in balance and more pleasing here.

Early in the second third I noticed the peppery flavor change from black pepper to a more cayenne note. I also got some leather and earthiness along with just a touch of cedar. There was also still a good deal of sweetness that occasionally gave a dark chocolate note.

In the last third I got an increase in the cayenne pepper and cedar flavors while the natural sweetness of the tobacco provided a solid support structure. Other notes previously mentioned came and went as well. While I found the Robusto to be a fine cigar, the Corona was really a flavor bomb-it was layered, complex and constantly changing. Both vitolas reside in the medium to full-bodied range and I did not notice enough nicotine kick in either to put off any but the most novice of smokers; that combined with a great price point makes this stick easy to recommend for new and seasoned smokers alike. By the time you read this, the 107 Lancero will be on the market; if the flavor intensity of the Corona is any indication, the Lancero may just be the crowing achievement of this line and we hope to bring you a review of that vitola in the next couple months.

Robusto Scoring:
Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 8/10

Corona Scoring
Body: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

Keith said:
I started off smoking the corona size.  The wrapper was a nice chocolate brown with at bit of mottling.  The wrapper had medium veins with a good amount of oils on it.  When I gave it a squeeze I was able to detect a slight amount of give without any soft spots.  The wrapper gave of the aromas of barnyard and leather while the foot gave off scents of barnyard.  After I clipped it and took a draw on it I got notes of bitter chocolate with a free draw.

As soon as I lit it up I got intense flavors of chocolate with spice on the tongue and retrohale.  The draw was great and produced large volumes of smoke, just as Dave experienced.  It started off in the medium full range.  The flavors of cream and wood started to come through.  The ash was a grey color and held on for about an inch.  The burn was slight wavy, but it might have been the rainy windy weather that could have caused that.

The second third was much more flavorful with flavors of leather, nuts, wood, cream, and chocolate.  At the beginning of this third the spice toned down slightly, but built toward the end of the second third.  This cigar was very enjoyable!

The final third ended with a bang.  The flavors of coffee, chocolate, cola, earth, cream and an herbal spice were all present.  The cigar stayed in the medium full range.  The spice was still present, but not as intense as the beginning.

Next I smoked the robusto.  Visually these cigars were very similar with a milk chocolate brown wrapper with medium veins and some oils.  The cigar was evenly packed with a slight amount of give too.  The wrapper gave off notes of barnyard, and the foot barnyard and chocolate.  Clipping and taking a cold draw produced the same results of a good draw and tastes of bitter chocolate.

First thing I noticed after lighting up the robusto was the flavors and strength weren't as intense as the corona.  The flavors of chocolate and spice were present just not as strong.  I was also able to get flavors of leather and coffee as I progressed through the first third.  The burn was slightly uneven with a grayish white ash which held on for about an inch.

The second third brought flavors of chocolate, leather, coffee, cream and cedar with a bit more spice, but still not as much as the corona.  To me this cigar was medium bodied.

The final third didn't see any changes in the flavors, just the intensity.  The flavors weren't as strong.  The band came off easily, as did the one on the corona.  The spice also toned down to where it was barely detectable.

In conclusion I agree with Dave, while the robusto was a good cigar, while the corona was a great cigar.  The flavors and strength were much more intense.  In my opinion the corona would go great with a cup of coffee in the morning, after breakfast of course.  The corona is something I'd keep on hand when I didn't have a lot of time but wanted a flavorful cigar.  I'm looking forward to trying the lancero and am hopefully able to get my box this week.

Corona Scoring:
Body: 7/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

Robusto Scoring
Body: 6/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Music Recommendation: Le Noise by Neil Young

Le Noise by Neil Young (2010)
One of the things that has kept me coming back to Neil Young for the last 20+ years has been what I refer to as "musical curiosity." Although Neil has been making music for over 40 years, he seems to be somewhat restless when it comes to trying new things. He has made loud, noisy hard rock (Ragged Glory, Mirrorball); quiet, gentle acoustic-oriented country-tinged folk rock (Harvest Moon, Prairie Wind); rockabilly (Everybody's Rockin'); blues (This Note's For You); straight ahead country (Old Ways); and even early German-inspired techno (Trans). And so we have something a little different this time around, and to be honest, something I don't know that I have ever heard from any artist: solo electric.

Neil worked with producer extraordinaire Daniel Lanois (U2, Willie Nelson, Peter Gabriel) on this album and they worked to create a sound unlike any that has come before it. No backing band and reportedly no overdubs...just Neil and his guitar on a stool. A few songs feature an acoustic guitar and the sound will be familiar to fans who may have seen him perform similarly in concert, but 6 out of 8 songs feature an electric, heavy on reverb and feedback. The results are somewhat mixed. "Walk With Me" and "Hitchhiker" are almost instant Neil Young classics. "Angry World" and "Rumblin'" do not work quite as well, but would probably be very great with Crazy Horse backing up the sound. Although I don't agree with Neil's politics, "Love and War" is a beautiful acoustic piece that shows his own equivocation on the subjects at times, and I can at least appreciate his honesty.

Like I said, some things work well, others not so much. What I applaud Young and Lanois for is their guts to put out a project that really is not all that commercially viable or radio-friendly. I would love to see Neil put out an "alternative" version of this entire album in 6 to 8 months, though, where all songs are re-done with just acoustic guitar and no feedback or reverb. The two albums together would make for a very interesting study in contrasts and songcraft.

Cigar Extra: 5 Vegas Cask Strength

Toro, 6" x 52 ring gauge / approx. $6

The name for these cigars--Cask Strength--comes from the whiskey world where it refers to a liquor undiluted, just as it would come out of the cask it was aged in. 5 Vegas calls this cigar similarly "bold yet refined." It comes filler from Peru, Nicaraguan and Honduras' Jamastran region, a Dominican Corojo binder and a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper. Presentation is beautiful--a very nice leaf with small-to-medium veins, a bit of oil and a pronounced box-press. A couple little flaws did not mar it significantly. I got whiffs of barnyard and leather from the body and a funky manure and grassy mix from the foot.

Prelight draw was sweet and had notes of hay. Initial light brought flavors of cedar and that orange peel note I am coming to associate with Peruvian leaf. The rest of the first third was medium in body with the orange peel bordering on bitter; the was also more cedar and some spice on the retrohale. The bitterness got somewhat better in the second third, with enough sweetness showing up to balance it well.

This 5 Vegas Cask Strength remained a pleasant medium-to-full bodied smoke all the way through the last third. While it did not blow me away with either flavor or complexity it was quite good, especially considering the price they go for. Thanks again to Mike from MikesStogies.com for sending this stick my way, allowing me to try something I probably would have overlooked on my own.

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

CAO Rock n Rolled Event

 If you live within driving distance of Chattanooga, you need to hustle on down to Burns Tobacconist (East) on Thursday, October 28, for the CAO Cigars Rock n Rolled Event. "Why?" you say. I'm glad you asked...

You will be get to meet the one-and-only Jon Huber, CAO's Director of Lifestyle Marketing, in one of his signature events.

You will get access to special event-only Rock n Rolled (R+R) cigars.

You will meet Regional Sales Manager, Jeff Tinnell, and get great deals on boxes of CAO Cigars and very likely swag and extras that go along with them.

You can go to the after-party at the Downtown Chattanooga Burns shop and party until the wee hours in the Avo Lounge.

I went to one of these events earlier this year in Nashville and it was a blast. There's no certainty at this point, but this could be the last one of these that happens. At this writing, there are no further R+R events on CAO's events calendar and with the changes in the company because of the recent merger of their parent company, the outlook the future of the R+R Tour is anything but certain.

Burns Tobacconist (East) is located at 110 Jordan Drive in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Their phone number is 423-855-5200. The event is scheduled to run from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with the Downtown After-party starting soon afterward.

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Coronado Chisel

Chisel 6" x 52 ring gauge / $8.00 MSRP (Only available in Chisel Sampler)

First off I'd like to again thank Tony Gomez over at La Flor Dominicana. He sent this sample home from IPCPR with the owner of my regular shop. Since this is technically a pre-release I was only able to smoke 1 cigar for this review. This was definitely not my first Coronado cigar, just the first one in this size. This is a special release from this year that will only be available in the Chisel Sampler box, a 5 pack of chisel shaped cigar. This is one of the two cigars in the pack, the other being the Cameroon Chisel, that aren't available outside the pack. The cigar has the same makeup as the normal Coronado. It is comprised of a wrapper of Habano Sun-Grown Nicaraguan leaf and the filler is a blend of Dominican Sumatra and Piloto Cubano; the binder is Dominican Corojo.

Giving this cigar the once over visually the first thing that strikes me is the color of the wrapper. It is a reddish copper color which contrasts nicely with the mainly gold and maroon band. The wrapper has some veins with a good amount of oils in it. The wrapper has a slightly velvety feel to it when I touch it. The are no soft spots and only a slight amount of give when the cigar is squeezed. When I put my nose to the wrapper I get the light aroma of barnyard, with the light aroma of hay from the foot. I clipped this one using my MTX, rather than a punch, and was only able to get a slight sweetness on the tongue when I took a cold draw on it. The draw was slightly tight, but that is something I've experienced on many of the other chisels I've smoked.

The first thing you notice after lighting it up, as with most LFD cigars, is a strong spice on the tongue and on the retrohale. The flavors of cinnamon and leather were the most prominate from the start. The draw was ok with a fair amount of smoke. The cigar was medium full to start off. The burn line was slightly uneven but nothing that needed to be touched up. Towards the end of the first third I started getting a slightly metallic taste. This isn't anything that was unpleasant or unexpected as I've experienced it on pretty much every other Coronado I've smoked. The ash was very white and held on for about an inch before needing to be tapped off.

The second third didn't see much change in the flavors of the cigar. The predominate ones being cinnamon, leather, spice, and maybe chocolate. I was very much enjoying the cigar at the moment. The draw was a little tighter than I would prefer, but, as I said before, that's something I've noticed in some of the chisels. The spice toned down a bit as I progressed through the second third.

The flavors didn't really change as I moved into the final third. The spice did ramp up a bit as I finished the cigar. It almost seemed like a wasabi type spice when I blew the smoke out of my nose, one of the many reasons I enjoy this cigar. The burn did pretty much even itself out by the start of the final third. I also got a bit a creaminess, something that I don't remember experiencing before, about half way through this third. The cigar was in my opinion pretty much medium full strength throughout.

An altogether enjoyable cigar. While I would have preferred the draw to be freer, I would most likely purchase the chisel sampler to give it another try. While I wouldn't recommend this cigar to a novice or mild cigar smoker, if you want to give something with some power and flavor a try I had heartily recommend it.

Body: 8/10

Strength: 8/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Pre-light: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4/5

Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: Viaje Satori

Karma, 5" x 52 ring gauge / $10.70, Burns

While the Cigar Nut is running an "Accomplishments" Contest, I am happy to have completed a little goal of my own here: with the 50/50 Red reviewed earlier this week, I have now sampled all of Viaje's regular line for the Tiki Bar and am ready to move on to the first of their "special release" cigars to arrive at my home B&M--the Satori. "Satori" is a Buddhist term meaning "enlightenment" and is considered by some to be a first step toward nirvana. This cigar is available in 3 sizes: Zen (a 6.75" x 52 box-pressed torpedo), Nirvana (a 6" x 50 toro), and today's Karma (a robusto by any other name). The Satori is composed completely of Nicaraguan tobacco including a "Super Oscuro" wrapper.

After hearing the word "Oscuro" abused by some in the industry lately, it is nice to see an oscuro that is actually dark. Actually, this cigar is practically black. I was told initially that this cigar was not dyed, but when I applied the "wet finger smudge" test, I had no doubt that it was indeed cooked. The feel of the wrapper was smooth and slightly oily. The band was attractive and original--I can't remember the lat time I saw a Buddha on a cigar band (probably never). It felt pretty firmly packed with no real soft spots. Putting the cigar to the nose, I got a bit of leather and a faint whiff of coffee on the body, and cocoa with more coffee on the foot. Prelight draw was excellent; I got a nice flavor of cocoa and a bit of coffee.

After sparking up, I got immediate notes of cedar and coffee. There was also a good amount of black pepper on the retrohale and just enough sweetness to keep the cigar from being overwhelmed by more bitter notes. The first third was very heavy in dark roast coffee flavor, along with some roasted nuts, and a continuing pepper retrohale. The body was fairly full, but not oppressively so--it seemed to have that rich, oily smoke of a full-bodied stick without a lot of nicotine content.

The intense dark coffee continued on through the second third, but it was joined about midway through by a meatiness--almost a BBQ sauce flavor. The draw continued to be nearly perfect and the burn line was very even. The only detraction on construction was that the ash tended to be somewhat flaky and on the verge of banana-peeling.

The final third was more on the mellow side. There were still remnants of the meaty flavors but the Satoria was still heavy on the coffee flavor which had not really changed throughout--becoming neither stronger nor weaker. There was a bit of spice left over but nothing like the beginning. Overall, I like this cigar a lot despite its dyed wrapper and flaky ash. The overall flavor was very good and the body remained just on the low side of full the entire time. The price tag seems to me to be a bit high, but I am guessing that is mostly a function of it being a fairly exclusive, limited release stick. The bottom line is that fans of Viaje and full-bodied cigar should not miss this one, but just be prepared to pay a little more for the experience.

Body: 8/10

Strength: 7/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 1.5/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 8.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: Felipe Gregorio W20 Magnum Marrón

Double Toro 6" x 62 ring gauge / $10.00 MSRP

First off I'd like to again thank Amar, the owner of my regular shop (Maxamar's Ultimate Cigars, Orange, CA), as he gave me this sample from what he brought back from IPCPR. Since this is technically a pre-release I was only able to smoke 1 cigar for this review. This cigar was made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the company. The only information about the tobacco in this cigar I can find is that the wrapper is a Marrón Havano 2000. I can't find what the fillers are. There might be more information about it on the box as you can see some writing on the inside of it on the Stogie Guys website. This cigar is also said to cater to those preferring fuller bodied cigars.

The first thing I notice about this cigar is the wrapper. It is a deep mahogany color with some fairly prominent veins. The wrapper did have a velvety feel to it spite of the veins. There were a fair amount of oils present too. When I gave it a squeeze I was able to detect one soft spot near the foot and one near the head. The rest of the cigar seemed evenly packed. One thing that was slightly off about the look was that the triple cap was sloppily applied. It was slightly off center and there were some gaps between the layers. Putting my nose to the cigar I was able to pick up the aromas of wood and leather from the wrapper and leather and cinnamon from the foot. After I clipped it with my new Xikar XV v-cutter and took a cold draw on it I got a hint of chocolate with a fairly good draw.

After lighting it up the first tastes to come through were of leather and nuts. There was also a slight amount of spice present on the tongue and the retrohale. The burn was also slightly uneven too. I don't know if that had to do with the cigar or the weather as it was cool and slightly damp, threatening rain. As I progressed through this third I also noted the tastes of chocolate and coffee, with a hint of bitterness coming through. The cigar was medium bodied. The ash was grey with flecks of black in it and had a very prominent stacked looked. The ash held on for about 1" before needing to be tapped off. Unfortunately the v-cut didn't work well on this cigar as it was starting to get some tar on it so I cut it flat with my MTX. I think the ring gauge of this cigar was just too big for a v-cut. I've used this cutter on some more regular sized cigars and it cuts great and the cigars draw great.

The flavors really didn't change as I moved into the second third. I did notice some cinnamon coming through though. Unfortunately I was kind of bored with it as there wasn't much change in the flavors and they weren't that intense. The draw didn't cause any more problems after I re-cut it. The burn was still slightly wavy too.

The bitterness was still there as I moved into the final third of this cigar. The burn did even out and stayed that way through the end of the cigar. The flavors didn't change much at all either. The spice wasn't as intense either. I definitely wouldn't call this cigar full strength or full bodied. To me it was pretty much in the medium strength and medium bodied range.

For a special anniversary cigar celebrating 20 years in the business I unfortunately wasn't impressed. The flavors were good but there wasn't much change as I progressed through the cigar. With the slight about of bitterness present I think the cigar could benefit from a little bit of aging. While this isn't a cigar I would seek out I might pick up one or two and let them sit in my humidor for at least six months to see if the age benefited them at all.

Body: 6/10

Strength: 6/10

Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale

Pre-light: 1.5/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 3/5

Value: .5/1
Total: 6.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: Viaje 50/50 Red

No. 1, 5.625" x 46 ring gauge / $9.70 at Burns

Were you following along last month when I introduced Viaje into the Tiki Bar's collective consciousness? If not, shame on you...but you can redeem yourself by going back and reading the reviews published for the Oro, Platino, and 50/50 Black. Today I will be introducing you to the newest regular line Viaje, the 50/50 Red. When the Black Label turned out to be "fuller to fuller" in body, Matt Farkas went back to the drawing boards to make a version of the cigar that would indeed start off medium in body and graduate to full before the stock was over--two completely different blends in one package. All Nicaraguan leaf, this is the second 50/50 Red I have smoked.

The appearance is very nice--a fairly dark brown leaf with some mottling but no flaws, finished off with a cut pigtail cap. This stick did not look as oily as it felt, but the aroma was outstanding: a mix of cocoa and manure on the wrapper, more cocoa and freshly-tilled earth on the foot. The cold draw was smooth and easy; I got mostly coffee and cocoa notes on prelight.

The 50/50 Red lit up fairly easily; on the first few puffs I got a really nice natural tobacco flavor with a bit of cedar. The retrohale was nutty with just a bit of black pepper. The first third continued with an underlying cedar flavor that was just the right amount, along with some creamy coffee and cocoa powder notes. As advertised the body was medium at most, with fairly thin smoke that blew away easily in the October breeze. Toward the end of the third the flavor started to get more earthy with a little cayenne pepper and an increase in the cedar flavor.

The major flavor change started fairly early in the second third and picked up steam as it went. Along with a steep increase in body, the earthiness became more intense and was joined by a dark roast coffee flavor that was in stark contrast to the fairly mild creamy coffee of earlier. There was also a bit of citric acid bite from time to time and just a little more sweetness than before. Construction had been perfect the entire time so far--quite a feat with this cigar and the difficulty involved in making it.

The final third started as the second had ended--full-bodied with an intense earthiness and an almost espresso-roast coffee. I also picked up a steadily increasing amount of cayenne pepper that was a very nice addition to what was turning out to be a very complex smoke. The first of these I smoked did not bowl me over with flavor, making me wonder why. Did I get the proverbial "bum stick" in the box? It's just my opinion, but at $10 a stick, I really don't think there should be a stick in the box that is "off" in the flavor department; construction I'm not quite as picky about, but flavor should be exemplary no matter which cigar you select from the box. Maybe I was having a bad day that day...or perhaps an earlier cigar was influencing my palate negatively when I smoked that first 50/50 Red (which is why I always make a reviewed cigar my first smoke of the day). Whatever the cause of the first sample failing to impress me, I did thoroughly enjoy this 50/50 Red. It had all the complexity and interest of the Black Label without being quite so overwhelming. Because of that it will likely appeal to a wider range of smokers and will find its way into my humidor with more frequency.

Body: 8/10

Strength: 7/10

Complexity: 9/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4/5

Value: 1/5

Total: 9/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

An Interview with Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars

I got the opportunity to sit down and talk with Pete Johnson last week at The Face release party at Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The audio of the interview is presented below along with a slide show of many of the pictures I and my photo assistant took during the event.



I wish I could post about all the additional topics that were talked about during the event and the after-party at Burns' Downtown location, but several of the things I learned have to be classified as "inside information" at this point. One thing I can share is an answer to a question Pete says, "Nobody ever asked me before." I was born in Tennessee and grew up in Southern California before moving back to Tennessee; knowing that Pete is based in Los Angeles, I just assumed (like most others, probably) that he was a SoCal native, but I found out that he was born and raised in Maine, about as far away from SoCal as you can get and still be in the United States. There were some interesting questions that followed that revelation, too, but some things have to be held back for now.

I hope you all enjoy this interview. If it's successful I hope to arrange for more in the coming months; Burns is expected a great lineup of cigar talent in the next year, including CAO's Jon Huber, Gurkha's Kaizad Hansotia, Room 101's Matt Booth, Jorge Padron, and Sam Leccia of Cain and Nub, as well as several other possibilities.

I am working on getting the audio of the interview posted as a Podcast on iTunes, with the intention to make this an ongoing series, but the process of podcasting turns out to be much more complicated than it really needs to be. For now, if you just want to listen to the audio without watching the slideshow, you can download the MP3 file HERE. (Clicking on the link will attempt to open the file in a browser window; to save it to your computer, Right-click [or Ctrl-click for those using a Mac, but not using a 2-button mouse] and select "Save Link As..." or whatever equivalent is closest in your browser.)

As always, the comments section is open. Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of the interview...and the pictures as well!

Cigar Extra: Fuente Opus X

Belicoso XXX, 4.625" x 49 ring gauge

I do not often smoke Opus X cigars but this is the second time I have been so privileged in the past couple weeks. I did not want to subject either one to a full "scored" review, but thought I would pass along a few thoughts. Thanks again to Charlie at The Cigar Feed who sent me this cigar as part of a contest I won.

This was a looker of a cigar right out of the cellophane--beautifully ornate band and red foot ribbon taking away attention from a wrapper that was fairly heavily mottled, but had the most interesting aromas of molasses, barnyard and some kind of autumn spice--maybe nutmeg. The foot had a sweet, almost citrus, aroma to it. The prelight draw was just slightly tight but the flavors were great--honey, orange, milk chocolate, pepper spice. If every cigar tasted this good on the cold draw, there might be times when I would not even light up! After lighting I got a strong cedar flavor on the tongue and an amazing blast of pepper through the nose.j

This cigar was really a treat--the cedar and pepper were joined shortly by a smooth, creamy sweetness--a bit of orange and some chocolate. The draw was not perfect, but it was close enough on a cigar this tasty. I honestly cannot say this was the best Opus X I have ever had (that would be the Lancero I got at the Big Smoke two years ago) but it was a delight. Every cigar enthusiast should definitely smoke an Opus X at some point.

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Pete Johnson at Burns Tobacconist

October 13, 2010 - Chattanooga, TN

This event's roots started back on May 1, when the Tiki Bar members On the Open Road ran into Pete Johnson at CigarFest. Keith and I hung out and talked with Pete for about 40 minutes or so and one of the things I got the nerve to ask was, "When are you coming down to Burns? Matt says he's been trying to get you to come for an event." Pete's response was, "In October, I think...if that tells you anything." October and Tatuaje Cigars can only mean one thing: Monster Series.

This year was the third installment of the Monster Series, The Face (named after Leather Face from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films). 2008 saw the original Monster cigar--The Frank--and was followed by The Drac in 2009 (the same year that the "Out of Costume" series began--and maybe ended--with The Boris). By the time I got to Burns on Wednesday, the 13th, Chainsaw (the Jessica Biel version) was on the bigscreen getting everybody revved up for Pete's arrival...which did not come as soon as we were hoping. A late night in Nashville and traffic getting into Chattanooga conspired to cause Pete to arrive about a half hour before the start of the ticketed event and by then, the smoke shop was as full as I have ever seen it. The only time it has come close was almost exactly a year ago when Don Pepin Garcia was in the house.

The place was decorated for Halloween...severed fingers, a bloody chainsaw, a rat smoking a cigar, and some awesome pumpkins designed by one of Burns' regulars. Pete seemed to be impressed by the turnout, the decoration, and the Chattanooga Billiards Club, which Burns is part of. He was less impressed when CBC owner, Phil Windham, greeted him at his car wearing a Leather Face mask. Funny moment, but Pete was on the phone.

Before the event I was able to get about 10 minutes to interview Pete in the Hemingway Room. We talked about this year's Monster cigar, next year's Monster entry, some of his new line extensions, and some things that other companies in the industry do that he hates. I am working on having the full interview as a podcast and hope to have that available this coming Monday (October 18).

The event featured Rodney Strong wine. I drank the red, but never got a close enough look at the bottles to see exactly what we were drinking. It was very good and paired well with a cigar (by the time the event had rolled around, I was on my fourth...a second El Triunfador after smoking a Tat Brown, Face, and El Triunfador earlier). The food for the event was hors d'oeuvres designed by CBC Chef, Tyler Westbrook. I have to say, Chef Tyler has yet to create a substandard gastronomic experience and this was no different. Skewered pieces of tuna tartar and ribeye steak were followed by Cuban finger sandwiches and lamb attached to the bone.

Pete signed boxes and talked freely with everyone. There were a few mega-fans there who bought several boxes at a time and the manager from an Atlanta-area cigar store came up to be there on his day off as well. Another friend from Knoxville came down and ended up wowing Pete with his up-close card tricks...to the point where Pete offered him the possibility of a gig.

About 10:00 we moved the event to the CBC/Burns Downtown location--the Avo Lounge. Pete had mentioned earlier that he had wanted to take a side trip to see the George Dickel Distillery when driving down from Nashville, but wasn't sure if he had ever tried their Whisky, so that was the first thing in his glass Downtown. I'm happy to report that he seemed to enjoy the finest Tennessee Whisky available. (I did visit the Distillery myself a few months ago and wrote this article about it.) I excused myself about midnight to head on home, capping a long day off with an hour drive back to my hometown.

Thanks again to Pete for the interview, the pictures, and just hanging out. It was great hearing "cigar stories" from an insider...even if I can't remember half of them...even if I couldn't print them if I did! Thanks to Matt and his crew at Burns for putting on a great event (as always). I will have a full review of The Face the week before Halloween and, as stated above, the interview with Pete will be posted (in one fashion or another) next week. A complete set of event pictures can be found on my Facebook page.

Cigar Review: La Aroma de Cuba, Mi Amor

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / $8.00, Burns

Ashton has quietly become one of Don Pepin Garcia's largest clients, contracting with him to make 2 previous La Aroma de Cuba blends, 2 San Cristobal blends, Benchmade, and several house blends for Ashton's retail arm, Holt's. Given all that, it probably was not a huge surprise to anyone when they announced another blend by Garcia this year. The Mi Amor is typical of Pepin in that is uses Nicaraguan filler; it is fairly atypical of his sticks in that the wrapper is a Cuban-seed leaf grown in Mexico. I was gifted a different size of this cigar by Mike at Leaf & Ale in Knoxville and smoked it before I smoked this purchased review stick.

The bands on this cigar seem overly ornate to my eyes, but that is perhaps the result of seeing many other bands recently that I considered classy but not nearly so over the top. They are in line with other La Aroma bands, but they just seem a little old-fashioned compared to others on the shelf. The wrapper was dark and toothy with an oily touch but not real oily sheen to the eye. The aroma from the body was chocolatey, while I got more earthniess along with chocolate from the foot. Feeling along the length, the cigar seemed a bit soft, as if it was slightly underfilled. The prelight draw was loose enough to reinforce that notion. Flavors on the cold draw were dark chocolate, chili pepper, and a hint of dried fruit.

Light up was easily accomplished with a single-flame torch and the cigar produced great volumes of smoke immediately. At the start I got a very large dose of black pepper on the nose with a lesser amount on the palate. There was also a good amount of cocoa powder and dark roast coffee. The flavor of cocoa was dominant through the first third, with the spice and coffee complementing it well. The draw was great--almost too great as the first third seemed to disappear very quickly.

In the second third, the flavors took on a more bitter profile that was fairly devoid of other flavors--I could not pick up much, if any, cocoa or coffee any more. The spice ramped up, too. Unfortunately, this characterizes most Mexican wrapper tobacco to me--bitter and spicy. Not exactly my favorite combination--it really needed some sweetness to better balance the flavors.

In the last third the bitterness continued but was joined by an herbal/floral note. In the end, I just did not enjoy the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor as much as either previous Don Pepin Garcia blend for this line. In my opinion, this one has a flavor profile less desirable than the New Blend, but costing nearly as much as the Edicion Especial. If you are a fan of Mexican wrapper leaf you might feel differently, but I am still looking for the Mexican wrapper that changes my mind (and, yes, I know the Padron 1926 allegedly uses a Mexican wrapper and it is great, but if it is indeed Mexican, it is a whole breed apart from the ones used on sub-$10 sticks, so I wouldn't even compare this one to that).

Body: 6/10

Strength: 6/10

Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 3.5/5

Value: .5/1

Total: 7.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco

Pyramid 5" x 44(cap) 57(foot) ring gauge / $9.00 MSRP

First off I'd like to again thank Amar, the owner of my regular shop (Maxamar's Ultimate Cigars, Orange, CA), as he gave me this sample from what he brought back from IPCPR. Since this is technically a pre-release I was only able to smoke 1 cigar for this review. This cigar is the other new cigar from La Gloria Cubana to be released at this years IPCPR show. The shape of this cigar is said to replicate the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The cigar is made up of fillers of Dominican and Nicaraugan ligero, a Connecticut broadleaf binder, and an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The cigar only comes in this one size and is packed in what is described as a demilune box. I had to look that word 'demilune' up, it just means half moon shaped.

The first thing that struck me about this cigar when I looked at it was the shape. It reminded me a lot of the Washington Monument. Since I haven't seen the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration I can't say how close it looks to it though. One difference between the sample I smoked and the press pictures is my cigar didn't have the foot band and the main band was in the normal spot rather than the center of the cigar. The wrapper was a medium brown with a slight amount of mottling and a medium amount of veins. The wrapper was also slightly oily. The cigar was fairly firm and evenly packed except for one small soft spot above the band on the front. The cigar felt good in my hand with a good box-press, with the edges not being very sharp. Putting my nose to the wrapper brought the aroma of barnyard, with the foot giving off the aromas of barnyard and leather. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it the tastes of leather, chocolate and spice came through. The draw was pretty much perfect.

After lighting up the cigar I was able to detect the tastes of leather, wood, nuts and a bit of spice. The cigar had a great draw and produced a large volume of smoke. The burn was pretty even through the first third. The cigar also added in some creaminess as the third progressed.

In the second third the spice almost disappeared. The flavors that I was able to detect were of leather, chocolate and coffee. The greyish white ash held on for about an inch and a half before needing to be tapped off. The burn line did get a bit wavy but didn't require a touch-up. The cigar was pretty firmly in the medium bodied range. I was thoroughly enjoying this cigar. The draw continued to be great and it produced a ton of smoke, pretty surprising for a little cigar.

The burn almost evened itself out in the final third. The band came off easily when it came to that point. The cigar exhibited the flavors of leather, earth, coffee, chocolate, nuts and cream in the final third. The spice did come back, but the cigar never got strong.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable cigar. It would be good pretty much any time as it never really got out of the medium bodied range and was very flavorful and interesting. I think this would be another one that would be a great cigar in the morning with a cup of coffee. I would definitely purchase this cigar again. It might even be my favorite of the Artesanos trilogy, I'll have to buy more to figure that one out.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 6/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Pre-light: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Event: UPtown's Smoke Shop's Fall Cigar Extravaganza 2010

October 9, 2010 - Nashville, TN

Prayers for sunny skies were answered this last Saturday as UPtown's Smoke Shop hosted their first multi-vendor cigar event, dubbed the Fall Cigar Extravaganza. Ticket sales for the event were very good, with about 180 of the 200 available tickets selling by the end of the day. For $40 ($60 the day of), herfers got cigars from ten premium vendors, a wonderful BBQ lunch, two drinks (soft drinks and microbrew beers were available), and an UPtown's cap. I was privileged to be able to attend this inaugural Nashville mega-herf (at least I hope it will become a mega-herf over the next few years) while celebrating my birthday the same day, which made it doubly exciting for me. I talked with each of the vendors at the event about the event and what their companies were up to lately; besides all agreeing that it was a beautiful day (sunny, dry, and about 80 degrees in case you were wondering), here is what they had to say:

Andrew Brennan, National Vice President of Sales for La Flor Dominicana, was handing out samples from LFD's Double Ligero line: "I like events like this because with all the legislation and naysayers of our industry, you can bring a couple hundred people together and you can show the people that we still choose to smoke. The Air Bender has been really hot for us this year; we did not release any new lines since, but we have extended the line with some new sizes, including the Chisel. Also, the OYA Sampler includes some exclusive Maduro blends of some of lines, including the Coronado and Air Bender." When asked if there was a chance of the Coronado or Air Bender Maduros becoming regular releases, Andrew's response was, "Litto always says, 'I never say never.'"

Garrett looking cool in a CAO fedora

Garrett Calhoun is our local rep for Davidoff and their associated lines; he was handing out samples of the Zino Classic on Saturday. The Zino Classic was the first cigar that Davidoff ever sold in the United States; it debuted in 1983 and was reblended in 2006. He coined the term "Ash Bowl" for the event and told me that since the acquisition of Cusano and Camacho, Davidoff is in the process of moving their home office from Connecticut down to Pinellas Park, Florida, where they will be moving into a 14,000 square foot building complete with a Davidoff showroom with a full-cigar bar. The newest product from Davidoff is the Avo Heritage, which they are all very excited about because of its full flavor (using the same wrapper employed on the Companero, LE09) and fantastic price point: "Fifty or so stores bought it at the IPCPR show and I've already had almost half the people reorder at least a couple facings." Garrett told me that this was the first time in about 15 years that Davidoff did not issue a Limited Edition cigar because they did not want to diminish the push they were giving the Puro de Oro. He almost remarked that it was great to see lots of folks from other cities in the area, including Knoxville, Huntsville, Birmingham, and Chattanooga.

Allan Buelvas from Oliva told me about the upcoming Oliva V Milanio, named for the great-grandfather of the Oliva family. Because it carries a respected family name, they are waiting to ensure the cigars are perfect before hitting the market, but Allan expects them to be released early in 2011. Allan gave out the Serie G Maduro on Saturday and was excited about being able to work with the other reps to pull off this great event.

Dave Crowe was representing General Cigar on Saturday; he handed out samples of the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros, the beautifully double-wrapped cigar that debuted earlier this year. He talked to me some of the other new offerings from General, including the Macanudo Cru Royale, "a lower-priced, medium-bodied Macanudo which a lot of people have been clamoring about. It is currently shipping and should be in stores within the next two weeks." The Macanudo Vintage Maduro 1997 "is a limited release item and celebrates the 50th anniversary of General Cigar being owned by the Coleman family." La Gloria Cubana has two new offerings including another entry into the Artesanos series, Artesanos de Obeliscos, "currently available in just one size, a square-pressed pyramid shape." The Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros "will be somewhat of a limited-run cigar and has been aged in cedar shavings in a process that will add another layer of flavor to the cigar." The LGC Serie N should hit the market in the next two to three weeks, the Obeliscos by the end of October, and the Hoyo de Monterrey in mid-November.

Rich Myberg is the owner of Top Dog Cigars, a company that represents Kristoff among other labels. The Kristoff line currently features 5 different blends, including Criollo, Super Maduro, and Sumatran wrapped versions of their "base" line which features about 35 percent ligero tobacco; their "Ligero" lines bump that up to about 70 percent. One of their newer releases is the Brittania Reserva, featuring "the same filler and binder as the base line, but using a Honduran-grown Connecticut-seed wrapper that makes it mild and creamy." Rich says that Kristoff touts itself as "the fastest-growing boutique line in the United States." He gave attendees a choice of the three base line cigars depending on their preference (I chose the Sumatra, and will schedule it for review at some point in the future).

Bluegrass entertainment by Nedski and Mojoe

Jeff Godfrey from Perdomo Cigars complimented Aaron and Scott and all the staff on organizing Saturday's event. "Perdomo was very aggressive this year in absorbing the SCHIP tax instead of passing it on to our customers. We stood up and did the right thing and we're capturing a lot of market share as a result." The Patriarch was re-banded this year to get more attention in shops where the box is hidden and to include the name of Nick Perdomo, Sr., in order to explain more clearly to the customer that the line is meant to honor the father of the current head of the company. "Perdomo is getting more into accessories--ashtrays and leather travel cases. We have humidification devices coming out soon and we have Pelican-style travel cases." These fairly large cases are going to retail for between $49 and $199. They are also working on a 5-finger case that is designed to hold cigars up to 8 inches in length and up to 60 ring gauge, a great recognition that the cigar world has changed and that the old 5-finger cases that were designed to hold Churchill-sized sticks just do not cut it anymore. Most of these products should be hitting the stores after the first of the year.

Bruce Lewis is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Torano and he was handing out samples of the Single Region Jalapa. "A lot of exciting things are happening at Torano: we've taken back our distribution; we're basically setting up a new organization, sales team and marketing team; but most exciting are our new brands that will be hitting the stores as of next week." The Single Region Jalapa features tobacco completely sourced from the Jalapa region of Nicaragua in order to define the profile of tobacco from the region: "medium-bodied, a nice richness, a good sweetness, and that earthy sort of note as well." The other new cigar is Master, a collaboration between Charlie Torano and Felipe Sosa, a gentleman that has been rolling with the company for about 12 years; this is a more medium-to-full bodied cigar. Also new is the Brigade, a bundle cigar made completely by hand and with long filler, but retailing for less than $3 a stick. They are working on "new themed events to help launch Single Region and Master as well as new sizes and blends for the next year."

The Tennessee representative for Altadis is Jerry and he was handing out samples of either the Trinidad Habanos or the new A. Turrent Triple Play, a triple-maduro featuring a San Andreas Maduro wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro binder, and Honduran, Nicaraguan and San Andreas Maduro fillers.

Jeff with the Flavourettes

Jeff Tinnell was representing CAO Cigars, Nashville's hometown cigar company (at least for today), and had the pleasure of sharing his booth with 3 of the Flavourettes, who may have been making their final appearance at this event (I had heard earlier in the year that the Flavourette campaign was being discontinued). "We had a fun day today at UPtown's; it was the perfect day to get out and socialize with other cigar smokers. It was cool have the Flavourettes with me; it's been about two years since I've had models with me at an in-store event and I was the envy of all the other reps today." Jeff talked about the changes going on with the merger of Swedish Match and Scandinavian Tobacco Group and what that means to the future of CAO. "Time will tell how good this merger is...for me, personally, I have my hopes. I think it's a good thing in a lot of respects, although there are concerns I have about it. Where will CAO fit into the portfolio of all the brands that General and Swedish Match have? How will they market it? I have loved working for CAO for the last 6, almost 7, years." 

The General Manager of UPtown's Smoke Shop, Scott Partridge, summed up the day: "It was almost beyond our expectations for this event...we really had no idea what we getting ourselves into. We started talking about this a year, then it got more serious about 6 or 8 months ago. Then it all started falling together. We're very happy with the turnout and that the people that came were happy. We working hard to keep the price affordable and part of this was saying 'Thank You' to our great customers. This was also a gauge of whether or not we could pull of something even bigger and better. I think the answer is probably 'Yes' after today."

Stogie and the Cigar Dude with Andrew from LFD.

So, make your plans, book your hotel rooms and start pre-boarding planes to Nashville for next fall...it looks like this might become an annual event. Thank you to Scott and the staff at UPtown's who invited me in to cover this event and thank you to all the representatives from the cigar companies who were so generous with their time.

More pictures from the event are posted on UPtown's Facebook page and Steve Balboni's Facebook page.