Crowned Heads: Jon Huber Interview, part 1

Last November, I was privileged to speak with Jon Huber at the very last in-store event he did for his old company, CAO Cigars. At the time, he revealed to us that he would not be staying with the company when they moved to Virginia and hinted at some mysterious future project. Jon invited me to come to Nashville this past weekend to talk with him about that project, Crowned Heads.

We met at UPtown's Smoke Shop and had a nice conversation in their upstairs office area, followed by a drive over to the new company's office space for a sneak peek at the work-in-progress that is Crowned Heads.



Part 2 of the interview is scheduled to be presented tomorrow, with the video of the new offices before week's end.

Movie: Despicable Me

Despicable Me (2010)

Last week, I mentioned that my wife likes light-hearted family-friendly movies most of the time. It helps keep her mood more positive, so I don't argue...in fact, I try to feed the need as much as possible, buying pretty much every Pixar film, as well as all 4 Shrek flicks, and various others. Now that the world of animated films has changed to nearly everyone doing Pixar-style computer-generated pieces, it is hard to know anymore what's good and what's bad. When this style was in its infancy, pretty much everything that came out was great because the studios did not waste any money on sub-standard fare. Soon enough, though, there were "lesser" CG animated films and it became hard to know what was going to work and what wasn't. I am happy to say that Despicable Me absolutely does work.

The story follows Gru, a villain who is always working to increase his standing and respect among his peers...and his acceptance by his mother. Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell) is falling to a new upstart villain and needs to find ways to beat the newcomer, so he adopts 3 cute little orphan girls to help his cause. I am sure you can see where this is going, and...no, this is not the most surprising storyline ever, but it is a lot of fun. Family-unfriendly actor, Russell Brand voices Gru's evil scientist partner, Dr. Nefario; but while Brand is famously crude, rude and someone you wouldn't want within 100 yards of your kids...he pulls it off very well.

Stars of the show, though, are the Minions. Hundreds of short, misshapen, yellow creatures that live to work for Gru and Nefario...and come to love the girls. They steal every scene they are in and leave you with the feeling of "I have got to get me some Minions." Quite of few of you reading this may have kids...in which case, you may have already seen this movie...in some cases a few dozen times. I was told by one of those parents that they love this movie. I did, too. After having fairly low expectations for it, I really enjoyed it and it will be added to our collection of great animated films sometime soon.

Agree, disagree or just have something to say? Leave a comment below!

Crowned Heads Interview Teaser

Yesterday, I traveled to Nashville with a couple friends to visit with Jon Huber for a while and talk about his new company, Crowned Heads. We videotaped the interview and a short visit to the new headquarters location and I think it all turned out pretty good--I haven't had time to review all the video yet! :)

While we were there, I shot this little "teaser" for the interview video(s)...



If all goes as planned, the video segments will post in 2 or 3 segment this coming week.

Cigar Extra: Zino Platinum, Scepter Master Edition 2007

Robusto, 5" x 54 ring gauge / approx $12

First, I would like to thank Wes, manager of Burns Tobacconist's Downtown Chattanooga location, for gifting me this cigar; is is a rare occasion that I get to light up a Zino. This Scepter Master Edition 2007 is made of a 5-country blend of tobaccos but those countries were not revealed on the Zino website. One website did state that this has an Ecuadorian wrapper, but the only other interesting fact relayed is that the leaf for these sticks undergoes a "special fermentation process" and then are "matured to perfection over...several years."

As with most products of the Davidoff company, the look is great--nearly flawless wrapper with superior construction in evidence. On the wrapper I got notes of hay and chocolate, while there was even more chocolate and a little earth on the foot. It seemed like an ideal morning cigar, so that's what I did--with a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning on my front porch. The prelight draw had lots of sweet tobacco and a bit of cocoa powder. After lighting, oddly I got none of that sweetness; the Scepter Master Edition started with fairly bitter notes along with cedar and hay. Although a Henke Kelner blend, it really did not have any of that distinctive "Davidoff flavor" that I have come to expect.

The Zino Platinum Scepter Master Edition was not at all the cigar I expected it to be. Instead of mild, it was firmly medium-bodied. Instead of grassy and sweet, it was earthy, nutty and somewhat bitter at times. It did improve as I burned through it and it did pair pretty well with my black coffee, but in the end, I had to admit that this stogie just did not do much for me. While it had its good points, it never rose to the level of "great cigar" for me...which means there will be more available for those out there who are Zino fans.

Agree, disagree or just have something to say on the subject? Leave a comment below.

Beer: He'Brew Genesis Ale

I first saw this beer on the shelves at BevMo when I lived in California, which means I have been aware of it for 4 years or so. I chuckled when I saw it: He'Brew...the Chosen Beer. Funny tagline, but would the beer be any good? I honestly was not worth parting with enough money to buy a 6-pack to find out. So when I saw it for single-bottle sale at at World Market/Cost Plus earlier this year, I knew I had to buy one to find out. I think I paid about $1.50 for it.

Genesis Ale is the first beer created by the Schmaltz Brewing Company and is described as "crisp, smooth and perfectly balanced between a west coast style pale and amber ale, with a supple malt sweetness and a pronounced hop flourish." It is made with 2-row, Caramel 40L, Dark Crystal, Munich and Wheat Malts along with Warrior, Centennial, Cascade, Fuggle, and Willamette hops. Reading the fact and vitals from the website, makes me wish more cigar companies were as forthcoming and accurate with their descriptions.

The Genesis Ale poured a reddish, amber color in the glass and had a fairly creamy had. I'm no beer expert, but it seemed to me to have a medium-hoppiness and a rich malty sweetness...basically making it a "middle-of-the-road ale." I think it would probably work well in my famous chili recipe...actually, it's Alton Brown's famous chili recipe, truth be told...although I'm thinking that to keep with the "kosher" theme, I'd probably leave out the pork.

I paired this beer with a Nestor Miranda Special Selection Oscuro, a medium-to-full-bodied cigar with an earthy character that I thought might pair well with this beer. It was good, but the cigar ended up being very close to too much cigar for the beverage.

In the end, the Genesis Ale went down smooth and easy with very little bitterness. It was a great way to end a Sunday afternoon as I watched the sun sink below the Cumberland Plateau from the front porch of my house.

Agree, disagree or have something else to add? Leave a comment below!

Cigar Review: La Sirena

The Prince, 5" x 50 ring gauge / $10.15, Buckhead Cigars

Miami Cigar & Company brought many new cigars to market in 2010, the last of which was La Sirena, Spanish for mermaid. This was touted as their first full-bodied smoke (although I always considered the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Oscuro to be full-bodied) and was blended by Don Pepin Garcia. It uses Nicaraguan fillers (Crillo 98 and Corojo 96), Nicaraguan binders (Habano and Corojo), and a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. I picked up a pair of these at Buckhead Cigars in Atlanta while I was there for the TweetUp in December and had intended to publish this review earlier, but...Keith beat me to it by publishing his review first, so I held off my review for a few weeks. This review is based on my second La Sirena, but I've had at least two more since then and am happy to report that they gave a very consistent experience.

Let's get it out of the way--the band on this cigar cigar is a little...shall we say...over-the-top. It is bigger than some cigars I have smoked and will make life very sad for those who only smoke down to the band. From a more serious standpoint, it absolutely does draw your attention when you see it in the humidor at your local shop so it does its job well. I also heard a rumor that there will be a re-packaging of sorts...a second band that won't come off when you take the huge band off at the beginning of your smoke. This makes sense to me, but as with all things labeled "rumor" don't be surprised if it just doesn't happen. Now for one drawback of the mega-band: there is so much gold foil stamped onto it that several of the samples I smoked had flakes of it all over the leaf...like fool's gold on a river rock. The wrapper leaf was fairly typical Broadleaf--dark, fairly oily, lots of medium-sized veins--the aroma from the leaf was earthy and I got that same basic smell on the foot. IO used my newest Xikar Xi cutter to make a surgically-straight, clean cut and was rewarded with an easy draw that had flavors of dark chocolate, earth and coffee.

Early puffs had a strong earthiness and familiar Maduro sweetness on the tongue along with a powerful pepperiness when the smoke was blown through the nose. The first third was more full-bodied that I had expected and definitely moreso than other cigars in the Miami Cigar catalog. There was a nice cocoa powder and espresso bean flavor along with a spiciness on both the finish and the retrohale. I was enjoying this a lot but could not shake the feeling that I had seen this movie before--I know it isn't the same blend, but this reminded me of one of Don Pepin's blends for Tatuaje, maybe the Reserva line.

The second third was still very earthy and got to a point of being almost like smoked meat--it was very full-bodied and oily with a very long finish. While the flavor was no longer reminding me of any specific Tat, I kept thinking that it is a blend that would have fit very well in that catalog. It was totally unlike anything Garcia has previously made for Miami Cigar.

The La Sirena ended much as it started--full-bodied and full-flavored. There was not a huge amount of change in the last third but with earthy, smoky, meaty flavors like it was producing, I did not really care that much. This was a seriously full-force cigar that experienced smokers will enjoy after a big meal and novice smokers should just stay away from. Miami Cigar and Company did a great job with this one bringing something totally new to their lineup--something Don Pepin and Tatuaje fans will enjoy immensely, I think. The only minor issue I have with it is the price...not to say they are over-priced, but the $10+ price tag will keep them from being an everyday smoke for me. I will enjoy them when I can afford them, though.

Body: 9/10

Strength: 8/10

Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 1.5/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9/10

P.S. One of the nice things about having had to back off from posting this review for a few weeks is that I was able to sample the "Sea Sprite" vitola before this published. The Sea Sprite is a Corona by any other name; I did not have time to put together a full review, but I will say that I like it better than the robusto...and I liked the robusto quite a bit. I may have to revisit this size a few months from now as either another full review or a Cigar Extra some Saturday.

Agree, disagree or just need to shout? Leave a comment below!

Cigar Review: Falto Robusto

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / approx. $7

I was able to get my hands on this cigar through a pass set up on Twitter by Tony Casas (@tonycasas). I picked it because I don't think I've ever tried a Falto before and wanted to give it a try. This cigar is made up of Dominican fillers and binders, with an Sumatra wrapper. I don't know a lot about this brand, except that I was able to find that their cigars are made by La Aurora.

This sample had an oak brown wrapper with a slight amount of darker mottling to it. There were some slight veins to the wrapper. It was fairly oily to the touch and had a good amount of tooth to it. Giving the cigar a squeeze I was able to feel a small amount of give but there were no soft spots. I wasn't able to detect much aroma from the wrapper when I put my nose to it. However from the foot I noticed the aroma of hay. After clipping it with my Xikar MTX and taking a cold draw I got notes of leather and a sweetness with a great draw.

After putting my torch to it and taking a couple puffs on it I was able to taste notes of leather, spice and a slight sweetness on the finish. After a few more puffs a slight bitterness came through, but luckily went away very quickly. Progressing through the first third the tastes of cedar and earth came through. At this point the cigar was medium strength and body. The draw was perfect and the burn was very nice. The ash however didn't hold up very long and needed to be tapped off after about half an inch.

As I progressed into the second third the cedar flavor took the forefront while the leather, earth, and spice moved to the background. The finish was still slightly sweet. The ash still tended to be a bit flaky but the burn and draw continued to be great. Towards the end of the second third the strength built a bit, but didn't grow beyond the medium range.

The cigar finished the way it started. Medium bodied and medium strength. Tastes of cedar, leather, earth, and spice with a sweet finish were consistent throughout. Unfortunately it really didn't do anything for me. There wasn't anything unpleasant though.

The burn and draw on this cigar were pretty much perfect throughout. The ash was slightly flaky and with the slight wind I had while smoking the cigar spread it around the table a bit. The flavors were consistent, and pleasant. I can recommend this for pretty much any smoker out who likes the flavors in the combination I described. Also because it wasn't overly powerful almost any smoker could smoke it without getting sick. I don't think I'd purchase it again though since it didn't do a whole lot for me.

Body: 6/10

Strength: 6/10

Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 3/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 7.5/10

Agree, disagree or just want to have your say? Leave a comment below...

Crowned Heads

So, now you know...it wasn't "Just a Hat."

According to this story, published just minutes ago by a very large cigar press venture, Jon Huber's new venture is called "Crowned Heads" and will find its home in Nashville, Tennessee, like CAO before it. As a native Tennessean (born in Murfreesboro, raised...elsewhere, now living in East Tennessee), I was very proud to have a cigar company headquartered in my home state and very sad to see it leave last year. So I take a bit of pride in knowing that something new and great will be growing this year in Music City.

Congratulations to Jon, Mike Conder, Michael Trebing and Nancy Heathman on the formation of this new company!

Just a reminder, I'll be heading to Nashville this Saturday to talk to Jon about the new company and also to get a sneak peek at the new HQ. If you have any questions you would like me to ask, leave a comment below and I'll try to work them in.

Cigar Review: Gurkha Viper

Grand Corona,  6" x 46 ring gauge / approx. $6

Keith procured and reviewed a sample of the Viper from last year's IPCPR show a few months back and was left far less than impressed; I decided I would give a second opinion review after smoking one recently and having a far different experience. The truth is that show samples can sometimes misrepresent the final shipping cigars--for better or worse on different occasions--so it sometimes pays to try another sample later to see if everything comes out the same. The Viper consists of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler with a Dominican wrapper leaf. This cigar has a box press that is as extreme as I have ever seen--it is nearly flat like the Wafe vitola of Acid by Drew Estate. This review is based on my second Viper.

As I mentioned before, this box press is severe; the corners are sharp and the stick is about twice as wide as it is tall when laid flat on my desk. The band was simple, yet nice, and the feel of the wrapper leaf was oily and velvety. Bringing the cigar to my nose i got hay and earth notes on the body and some cocoa on the foot. Once clipped I got a good draw from the Viper along with flavors of cocoa powder and dark fruit.

The tip lit fairly easily with the soft flame of my Xikar EX and I got initial flavors of natural tobacco, a little cocoa powder and some autumn spice. There was also just a touch of sweetness, but I could not identify where exactly it came from: the fruit I got in prelight, the cocoa, or just the natural tobacco flavor itself. What I could tell was that I rather liked the way this cigar opened up. The flavor of dried fruit became more evident as the first third moved along, and it went well with the cocoa powder. Along with the autumn spice I picked up a touch of pepper spice on the tongue and a nutty retrohale.

The second third displayed much the same flavor profile with the dried fruit leading the way. The body was medium and the construction was about as good as you can get--dead even burn line and perfect draw.

The last third did not show much change, but continued on with the very nice sweetness of the previous two-thirds. Overall, I have to say the Gurkha Viper was a very enjoyable cigar that has much more flavor than I expected and I even thought my second encounter with it was better than the first. The fact that three cigars (Keith's bad experience, my initial good experience, and this great experience) produced such different experiences makes me question the quality control on these sticks, though. Despite the axiom that "there's one bad stick in every box" (which I don't buy into, by the way), I find this variance odd. I have to assume that some of the show samples just were not up to spec or something. I have had a couple Vipers since this review stick and found them to be very nice still. I like these enough to buy a few every now and then and I would encourage you to try it for yourself; it's a very flavorful cigar at a very reasonable price that is not strong enough to be off-putting to newer smokers.

Body: 6/10

Strength: 5/10

Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9.5/10

Agree, disagree or just want to have your say? Leave a comment below...

Movie: Book of Eli

Book of Eli (2010)

I was not sure how this film would go over with my wife. We both agree that no matter what the subject matter of the film, Denzel Washington is never bad. But she likes lighter-hearted fare that is generally happy and positive...thus, post-apocalyptic, violence-filled films just are not at the top of her list. She agreed to give it a try, though...as long as I would turn it off and finish it without her if she wanted.

In the world of Eli, there has been some sort of disaster, natural or man-made or some combination of the two perhaps...it is never really made clear. Most copies of the Bible are destroyed, but one is left intact and Eli is sent by God to deliver it to a place where it can be made safe. Along the way he encounters dangerous highwaymen and corrupt politicians of the few remaining towns. One of these city bosses is Carnegie, played by Gary Oldman, and he takes a personal interest in relieving Eli of the book he has sworn to protect so that he can use the words of scripture to control the people of his town. This is not a criticism of Christianity, as you might expect from some in Hollywood, but more of a commentary on the fact that the word of God can be used for evil when put into evil hands.

Washington is as great as you would expect. Oldman playing a villain is type-casting of a sort, but he still is fantastic. The script is mostly solid and the story is intriguing. The directing was excellent for the most part, but I do think the Hughes Brothers relied too often on long, poignant shots of Denzel & company under the blazing desert sun just looking cool. In some ways the whole vibe of this film was "Mad Max-ish"...but with a higher purpose. If you have not seen this one, I can definitely recommend doing so. As for my wife...she got drawn into the story as much as I did and despite the violence, she enjoyed The Book of Eli.

Agree, disagree or just have something to add? Leave a comment below!

Cigar Extra: Cuchillos Cubanos by Illusione

40, 5.25" x 40 ring gauge / $20 for a pack of 5, Leaf & Ale

My continuing quest for the best small cigars--especially suitable for a quick, quality smoking experience when the mercury has fallen--has led to me Dion Giolito's entry into the small cigar field: the Cuchillo Cubano. These are a blend of long and medium-filler tobacco, all sourced in Nicaragua and all handmade. They are available in a variety of sizes, but I chose the 40 ring gauge version since it's very close to lancero girth.

There is absolutely nothing to knock about the appearance of this stick--it looks like a mini-Illusione, by which I mean medium-brown in color with medium-veins and an overall great construction in evidence. The wrapper had a grassy, earthy smell to it and I got some cocoa powder on the foot. The cold draw was smooth and open, with flavors of sweet natural tobacco and just a little mild coffee. After lighting, I got more of those natural tobacco flavors on the tongue and a nice peppery retrohale.

If you pick up the Cuchillos Cubanos thinking you are getting a mini-MJ12, you are probably going to be disappointed. To me, this stick did not exhibit the same Corojo flavors of a typical Illusione, and since "Corojo" is not specified on the website...well, that could be a reason why. What you will get, though, is a superb, medium-to-full bodied smoke with a rich natural tobacco flavor sprinkled with hints of creamy coffee, cocoa powder and black pepper. Overall, an excellent choice for a relatively short smoke--I say "relatively" because this still lasted close to 45 minutes for me.

Agree, Disagree, or just feel the need to shout out your opinion? Leave a comment below!

Book: What The Night Knows

What The Night Knows (2010) by Dean Koontz

There was a time when each new Dean Koontz novel made it's way onto my "must buy" list immediately upon its publication, or even before, if I knew about it pre-release. Unfortunately, I have to say that those days started to pass a while back when False Memory came out and some more recent novels (I'm thinking of the third Dean Koontz's Frankenstein book here) have done nothing to instill a great amount of confidence in me. So I did not buy this book when it came out in the last quarter of 2010. I got around to it in January of this year, though, and it turns out...I am very glad I did.

What The Night Knows is a book that is in many ways darker than most other Koontz novels, dealing with the subject of death and evil in a frank way while allowing only bits of light to shine in through most of the story. As usual, I will not reveal much of the plot since I don't want to spoil it, but there are elements of the movie Fallen (with Denzel Washington) with a body-hopping evil spirit of sorts. Also, it was interesting some of the philosophy on ghosts versus demons presented in the book, especially in light of all the Ghost Adventures and similar shows we've been watching in the last few months.

This was a page-turning, can't-put-it-down-until-well-past-bedtime novel that I am sure to enjoy several more times in the coming years. If you are not familiar with Dean Koontz, I think this would be a good entry point to his work. If you are already a Koontz fan, I probably don't need to tell you about this one because you have already read it...and if you haven't, you really should.

Just a Hat?

In case you missed it, the other day Jon Huber (@3BarHuber on Twitter) posted this photo to his Twitter feed:

What does it all mean? Now, obviously, the photo is flipped horizontally and produced as a negative image, so when you read it in a mirror it says "CH." But what is "CH"? One person (@ChiefHava) suggested "Cookies by Huber" which got a few people excited. Someone else suggested "Casa Huber"...perhaps some sort of Nashville-based counterpart to Vegas' Casa Fuente? Not happening.

So what's the real story? Is this "just a hat" as Huber kept saying to folks when he posted a picture of himself in a Tatuaje cap? I've been assured that the whole story will be made known soon...and Saturday, February 26, I'm driving up to Nashville to talk to the man about it all...

Tune back in to the Tiki Bar the following week for special video coverage...

Dual Review: Nick's Sticks, Maduro

DAVE SAID:
Toro, 5.5" x 54 ring gauge / MSRP $3.99
Like the other varieties of Nick's Sticks, the Maduro features Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos from Perdomo's Jalapa Valley farms. The Maduro wrapper is a triple-fermented leaf, also from Nicaragua. There are four sizes available and I smoked the Robusto, Torpedo and Churchill all before smoking the Toro for this review

While I found the appearance of the other versions of Nick's Sticks to be kind of cheap, I thought the Maduro's appearance did the trick in exceeding the expectations of the price point. The band that I dislike so much on the other cigars looks better in black against the dark maduro wrapper and the leaf itself was evenly-colored, lightly-veined and had some oil to the touch and to the eye. Lifting it to my nose, I got scents of sweet, rich earth on the body and milk chocolate on the foot. I used my Xikar VX again to clip this one and got a very even, smooth draw that was very flavorful-dark chocolate, coffee and chili pepper were all present.

I used my Colibri Hybrid lighter to set fire to this stogie, using soft flame for most of the ignition and the torch for touching up and evening out the burn. Initial puffs were heavy with cocoa powder and a bit of dark roast coffee; the retrohale had what I would call a medium amount of black pepper-nothing like early puffs on a Pepin stick, but not totally absent of spice either. Despite starting off with a nice amount of flavor, this Maduro NS did not deliver a ton of flavor during the rest of the first third. There was more coffee and some cocoa powder along with a little spice on the finish, but the overall effect was not something that excited me.

While I was smoking through the second third it occurred to me that one reason I was not enjoying this stick as much as I thought I would as that it was turning out much more earthy than I expected for a Maduro cigar. It seems like the Robusto had more of the chocolatey flavors that I expected and I am guessing that even the slightly larger ring gauge of the Toro had a lot to do with that.

In the last third, the cigar continued to be quite earthy, but some sweetness crept back in as well. I did like this cigar, but I enjoyed the Robusto much more and had actually planned on using it for the review stick...my bad, I ended up smoking it first by mistake! I gave the Toro an 8 out of 10, but I believe the Robusto would have scored an 8.5 or 9 instead. Construction on all the cigars I smoked was very good, with only the occasional touch-up necessary. I could definitely recommend this stick to fans of Maduro wrappers, especially those on a tighter budget.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8/10

KEITH SAID:
I decided to smoke the Churchill size for review in this blend and the Sungrown,  This cigar is the classic Churchill size of 7" x 50RG.  The MSRP on this cigar is $4.75.

I will agree with Dave that this band looked the best in this color against the dark chocolate brown wrapper.  I also think that the maduro cigars the best looking wrapper with lots of oils and a good amount of tooth to them.  Like the others there were some veins and a slight amount of lumpiness, but it didn't detracted from the cigar.  When I gave this cigar a squeeze there was a slight amount of give, and one soft spot near the bottom of the band.  I was able to detect the aroma of barnyard from the wrapper, with a more intense aroma of barnyard coming from the foot.  After I clipped it and took a cold draw I got notes of chocolate with a good draw.

The first thing I tasted after lighting up the cigar was chocolate, leather and a molasses sweetness.  A red pepper spice started coming through after a couple puffs on the cigar.  The cigar had a great draw and produced a large volume of smoke.  The burn was slightly uneven.  It was something that seemed to happen on the maduro cigars the most, probably because of the amount of oils in the wrapper tobacco.  As I progressed through the first third the flavors of anise and cola came though as well.  The ash was white with black flecks and needed to be tapped off after about .75".  By the end of the first third the spice toned down a bit.  The cigar would be at the upper end of medium strength at this point in my opinion.

Progressing into the second third didn't see much change in the cigar, but that wasn't a bad thing.  I tasted notes of chocolate, leather, cream, cola and earth.  The spice was still there, but not as intense as the beginning of the cigar.  The draw was great, while the burn was still slightly uneven.  The strength of the cigar did pick up towards the end of this third.  Another thing I noted was I could feel the oil on my fingers at this point from handling the cigar.

The final third didn't see any change in the core flavors of the cigar.  However the spice and the strength ramped up to finish off this cigar in the medium-full range.  The burn was ok, but didn't require a touch up.  I did get a little nicotine hit at the end of the cigar as well.

I can definitely say that I enjoyed this cigar.  I would recommend it to anyone who likes maduros and doesn't want to spend a lot.  I would also recommend it to someone who hasn't tried that many maduros as a cigar that they can try and see if they like them, and if they don't they won't feel bad putting it down.  Also I wouldn't mind handing these out to someone who didn't bring a cigar since they are tasty and reasonably priced.  For me I would definitely purchase this cigar again, in either the Churchill or robusto size.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
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 just need to speak your mind? Leave a comment below!

Dual Review: Nick's Sticks, Sun Grown

Robusto, 5" x 52 ring gauge / MSRP $3.75
Dave Said: 

This is not the final review in this series but it did end up being the last of the 12 sticks I smoked for the series. And it ends up bringing the series full-circle, back to the same wrapper type that I reviewed last year that got us an invitation to take a second look. I did not enjoy the Toro vitola in that review and I have to be honest and say that same size did not do much for me this time, either. For this review, though, I wanted to feature a different size: the Robusto. From what I can tell, this is a Nicaraguan puro. (On a side note, I swear I took pictures of this cigar before smoking it, but after searching everywhere-camera, iPhoto, other camera-I couldn't find them. I think I must have deleted them before downloading them to my computer. Therefore, the one and only picture accompanying this article is the one Keith took.)

I do not like the band any more now than I did last year-I still find it cartoonish. The left felt and looked slightly oily; there was some mottling on the medium-brown leaf and a few medium-sized veins. On the wrapper I got a barnyardy aroma mix of manure and hay, while the foot offered more of the same, but more potent. I used my Xikar MTX to cut the cap off and got a very nice, open draw; I got notes of sweet tobacco, hay and cedar on the cold draw. I paired this cigar with some strong black tea this time around, breaking with my normal "water only" rule simply because I've smoked this blend four times previous to this review with a mixture of different beverages, including just water. Today I wanted to try something a little different.

The Sungrown Nick's Stick started up with a little blast of pepper spice on the palate, though it quickly subsided to more of a natural tobacco mixed with cedar. The retrohale was fairly cedary as well, but also featured a good amount of pepper. The rest of the first third settled into that same basic flavor profile.

The second third was mostly the same in profile, but somehow better-I swear it improved despite the lack of new flavor components. I guess it was just better balanced by that time. Construction was excellent-a fantastic draw producing plenty of smoke and a burn line that was nearly perfectly straight.

The final third was heavier on the cedar and had more black pepper. After smoking all four vitolas of the Sungrown wrapper, I have to conclude that the Robusto is my favorite by far; the larger sizes just did not allow as much flavor to come through. I still cannot see putting this high on my "must buy" list, but it is a good option when funds are tight or just when you are craving something different. This vitola definitely rises above the expectations set by the price point.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 5/10

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


Churchill, 7" x 50 ring gauge/ MRSP $4.25
Keith Said:
Like Dave this was the last cigar I smoked of the sticks we were provided for the review.  We didn't plan it that way; it just worked out that way.  The wrapper on my sample had an even milk chocolate color.  The wrapper was slightly lumpy with some medium veins.  When I gave the cigar a squeeze I detected a slight amount of give but there weren't any soft spots.  Giving the wrapper a smell I was able to detect the aroma of hay, from the foot the aromas of chocolate and hay.  After clipping the cigar with my MTX scissors and taking a cold draw on it I only got a slight sweetness and a sort of tight draw.

Once I lit it up the first tastes that I was able to detect of leather and earth.  There was a slight spice, especially on the retrohale.  As I progressed through the third I was able to get notes of cola, wood, with a slight sweetness on the finish.  The draw opened up and was great after I lit of the cigar.  The whitish ash was kind of week and needed to be tapped off at about half an inch.  It didn't get all over, just couldn't hold on very long.  The burn was slightly uneven, but didn't need to be touched up.

Progressing into the second third didn't see much change in the flavors of the cigar.  The strength of the cigar did calm down into the lower end of the medium range in my opinion.  Although the spice did start coming back towards the end of this third.

The final third didn't see a whole lot of change either.  The draw continued to be great and produced a large volume of smoke.  The burn was slightly uneven, but didn't need any touch ups.  The main flavors of leather, earth, cola, and wood were present all the way to the end of the cigar.

Overall this size doesn't work well for this blend in my opinion.  However the robusto and the torpedo were great in this blend.  I still liked the maduro a lot more and would be most likely to pick up that blend if I were to see them side by side in a shop.  As with all of these cigars they are a great value for anyone looking for an inexpensive, well made, flavorful cigar.

Body: 5/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8/10

Agree, disagree, or just have something to add? Please leave a comment below!

Dual Review: Nick's Sticks, Connecticut

Last fall, I smoked and reviewed the Sun Grown version of Nick's Sticks by Perdomo; I enjoyed it, but was less than enthusiastic in my overall accounting of the cigar. Soon afterwards, I received an e-mail from Perdomo's Operations Manager, Juan Liranzo, asking if I would be interested in taking a "second look at Nick's Sticks in all three wrappers." Juan was gracious enough to send enough cigars that we felt dual reviews of all 3 wrappers were in order, so that will be the feature for the Tiki Bar this week: dual reviews of Connecticut, Sun Grown and Maduro varieties of Nick's Sticks. I would like to extend a "thank you" to Juan Liranzo and Perdomo Cigars for making this possible.

DAVE SAID:
Toro, 5.5" x 54 ring gauge / MSRP $3.99

Nick's Sticks are made with Cuban-seed filler and binder tobacco grown on Perdomo's Jalapa Valley, Nicaragua farm. The wrapper on today's featured stogie is a Connecticut Shade leaf, although I could not find any information where it was grown. Price point of these cigars does argue that these were probably not sourced from the United States, though. We were sent one of each of the four available sizes for this review; I smoked the Toro as my review stick and the other three previous to the review.

I maintain my previous position on the band and logo-it looks cheap and low-end to me. Yes, this is an inexpensive cigar, but that does not mean you have to make it look that way; I would have preferred the appearance to exceed the expectations that the price brings about. The wrapper leaf was a nice golden color with a few discolored spots, but no real flaws otherwise. I got an aroma of hay on the wrapper and earth and chocolate on the foot. My Xikar VX did its usual perfect job on the head, leaving an open draw that had a creamy, grassy cold flavor along with just a tiny bit of spicy tingle on the lips.

Initial puffs had plenty of hay and cedar in a creamy smoke, while the retrohale had more cedar and biting black pepper. After giving every indication in prelight that the NS Connecticut would be a mild smoke, it proved in the first third to skew more to the mild-to-medium category that so many of the newer breed of Shade-wrapped cigars are in. While it had hay, cream and coffee notes, there were also earthy and spicy characteristics more indicative of the Nicaraguan filler and binder.

As the second third started, the first thing I noticed was how well-constructed this cigar was. The draw was nothing short of perfect, the burn line was as straight as I have seen, and the ash held on for over an inch. In all four NS Connecticuts I smoked, I saw nothing in the way of negative construction issues. The flavors continued to exhibit a nice mix of hay, sweet cream and earth, but the pepper spice had disappeared by the end of the second third.

The last third continued the flavors of the second mostly. In the end, I was able to appreciate this stick for what is was-a bargain-priced mild-to-medium bodied smoke with quite a lot of flavor. Flavor that surprised me, too. Instead of going for the straight mild smoke that many manufacturers shoot for in lower-end cigars-with results that are too often very bland-Perdomo managed to create a cigar that I found interesting and would consider purchasing. It is not the most complex cigar in this mild-to-medium flavor category, but it was very good and I could see myself enjoying this on a Saturday morning with coffee or even keeping it in my moochidor for folks who show up without a cigar-and not have to feel like I am giving them an inferior stick. These are mild enough for most novices but interesting enough for more experienced smokers who appreciate mild cigars.

Body: 4/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10

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

KEITH SAID:
The size cigar I smoked for this review was the robusto.  It is 5" x 52 RG and has an MSRP of $3.75 per stick.

I do agree with Dave that the band is a little cartoonish in design.  One very positive thing about the band is they are made from thick glossy paper and were never any trouble getting off the cigar.  The wrapper on my sample was a golden tan with a nice triple cap.  There weren't any green spots on this cigar, like I saw on the other sizes.  There were some medium sizes veins with a slight amount of lumpiness to the cigar.  Giving the cigar a squeeze I got a small amount of give but there weren't any soft spots.  Putting my nose to the wrapper I got the aroma of hay, with hay and barnyard from the foot.  After I clipped the cigar and took a cold draw on it I noted tastes notes of creaminess and a slight bitterness.  The draw at this point was pretty much perfect.

Lighting up the cigar I got notes of cream and earth.  The draw was great and it produced a large volume of smoke.  After about 2-3 puffs, the spiciness of the Nicaraguan tobacco really came through, especially on the retrohale.  As I progressed through the first third the flavor didn't change a whole lot.  I was able to detect notes of hay and grass in addition to the earth and cream.  The ash was surprisingly dark in color.  It needed to be tapped off after about an inch.

The second third didn't see much change in the cigar.  The spice did tone down but it didn't go away, just sort of to the background.  The construction was spot on in the other cigars I smoked, but especially this robusto.  The draw was perfect, it produced a lot of smoke, the burn line was almost perfect, and the ash held up well.  I was quite surprised that the construction was so good on a budget stick.

The final third didn't see any changes in the flavor of the cigar.  That wasn't a bad thing.  I normally don't enjoy Connecticut shade cigars as they are just not my thing, but I can say I was enjoying this cigar. 

Overall I was pretty impressed with this cigar.  I would definitely pick up a couple of these to keep in my humidor to enjoy some morning with coffee or tea, or to hand out to the new smoker.  I think with the price and pleasing flavors, most smokers can't go wrong with this cigar if they are looking for mild to medium bodied cigar that won't break the bank.

Body: 5/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

Agree, disagree or just need to share your opinion? Leave a comment below!

Movie: Grownups

Grown Ups (2010)

How unlikely is it that a group of 5 kids would grow up to be Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider? Pretty unlikely, but it makes for a fun premise for this film. After playing basketball together as part of their school's only championship team, they form a close bond...that eventually falls apart as they get older. As much as you wish this kind of thing wouldn't happen, in real life, it really does.

The boys are brought back together as men when their basketball coach dies and they all feel compelled to be at the funeral. They re-connect and discover each others' families...or lack thereof...and decide to spend the weekend at the cabin where they had their championship dinner as kids.

What results in friends learning to be friends again. Spouses learning to respect and love their mates even more as they see them in a different light. And kids learning that there is life outside their modern-day media bubble. I am a fan of Adam Sandler's films in general--some more than others--and would consider this to be somewhere low in the upper-third of his movies: a very good film with a decent message, although not a classic. (In case it helps to illustrate my perspective, to me his best films are still The Wedding Singer, Click and 50 First Dates.)

Agree, Disagree or just have something to add? Leave a comment below!

Cigar Extra: Ambos Mundos Sumatra

Robusto No. 2, 5" x 50 ring gauge / $5.25, Burns

So many cigars, too little time...that's my story and the result is that even cigars I really liked at one point get passed by many times. I remember enjoying the Ambos Mundos Sumatra, but could not remember the last time I had one, so I picked one up recently to do a little "re-discover." This particular version has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around Nicaraguan filler and binder, blended by Don Pepin Garcia for Pete Johnson. The aroma from the wrapper was strong and earthy, while I got a bit of cocoa mixed in with earth on the foot. The overall look was pleasing and simple, although the stick did not have much heft--almost like it was not packed very tightly. It was not a big surprise that the prelight draw had an earthy note to it, along with just a little sweet chocolate flavor (no surprise, because it is mostly Nicaraguan tobacco).

After lighting, the Ambos Mundos had a very nice mix of earth, cocoa powder and cedar flavors in a medium-bodied smoke. In the retrohale I got just a little of that pepper spice burn Don Pepin is so well-known for. The flavor was mostly earth in the first third, evolving to a more cedary note in the second. I enjoyed this cigar on a cold, late fall morning with coffee and while that was not a bad pairing, it just seemed like this cigar was begging to be paired with something a little strong--maybe a nice Maker's Mark or George Dickel.

At the asking price of $5.25, I really should keep at least a few of these around. It is a very nice medium-bodied smoke with plenty of flavor...all accessible without breaking the bank.

Agree, Disagree, or just want to add your 2 cents worth? Leave a comment below!

Movie: Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Surprisingly, this film has nothing to do with Nashville's football team...although I suspect that would be a "Crash of the Titans." Instead this Clash is a remake of the 1981 film of the same name, which employed the stop-motion special effects of Ray Harryhausen. To be honest, I cannot look back and remember much about the story from the original film, or even specific scenes or dialog, but I remember that I watched it several times as a pre-teen and loved it. So, when I heard a big-budget remake was being done, I was curious as to how the finished project would end up.

Sadly, not nearly as good as one would hope. The filmmakers assembled an all-star cast: Sam Worthington (fresh off his star-turns in Terminator: Salvation and Avatar), Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort from the Harry Potter series), Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace), and Liam Neeson (do I really need to explain who he is?). They broke the bank with special effects. The created lavish sets that were a real spectacle. But the overall combination left me a little...cold. It's not that it was a terrible movie...it just didn't seem to be imbued with the sense of fun and mystery that the original was. Maybe it's just that I am not an 11 year old boy anymore, but I have seen quite a few movies that made me feel like I was while watching them.

I am glad I watched this one...but I'm also glad I did not spend the cash to see the film in the theater (of course, that rarely happens anymore). It was a great rental flick, though, and maybe that is as good as it needs to be. I hear they are making a sequel...soon it will be time to "Release the Kraken!" once again! Here's to hoping for a sequel that is better than the first in the series.

Agree, Disagree or just have something to add to the conversation? Leave a comment below!

Cigar Review: Casa Fernandez Arsenio Maduro

Robusto, 5" x 52 ring gauge / $8, Burns

From the limited information I was able to gather, the Arsenio Maduro is a Nicaraguan puro made of tobaccos grown on Casa Fernandez's farms in Jalapa and Esteli. Of course, this information came through the filter of Brian Hewitt's review on Stogie Review, so you may need to take that into consideration (just kidding...I'm sure Brian's info was good and you should click HERE to read his review). Since I know very little else about these cigars, I'll just dive right in to the review itself.

The wrapper leaf on this stogie was a dark, dark brown with even darker mottling--this darker on dark appearance could only be seen in very good lighting. There was a little toothiness and it was a little oily, but I saw no flaws or large veins. Feeling along the length, It seemed evenly bunched. I got aromas of coffee, earth and cocoa powder on the wrapper and a very earthy aroma on the foot. After cutting into the head with my Xikar VX, the draw was very free; I got prelight flavors of earth and chocolate, along with a nice lingering spicy tingle on the lips. It was the last day of autumn, overcast and chilly--although not really cold--as I lit up this cigar.

Initial puffs were heavy on cocoa powder and earth, the same as I got in prelight; the retrohale was very spicy--so much so it was a little painful. No pain, no gain though...I vowed not to give up until the cigar had told me its story. The Arsenio Maduro was pretty full-bodied right from the start with a rich, oily smoke that had a long, but nice, finish. Before the first third was over, the body increased to a solid full status and the flavor became more strongly earth, although there was a bit of cocoa powder there still and some dark roast coffee. I had to make a major touch-up to the burn, too, as I almost had a full-on canoe.

Earth and dark roast coffee continued to be the major flavors in the second third and the body continued to be quite full. Unfortunately the ragged burn line also continued, necessitating another touch up or two, although the draw was still excellent. When I removed the larger of the two bands, a fairly sizable chunk of wrapper went along with it thanks to the excessive use of glue.

The last third saw an interesting change in flavor toward a meaty, grilled flavor while maintaining the full body, uneven burn and flaky ash. Overall, this was a strong and tasty cigar. that newbies should probably just avoid; experienced smokers, on the other hand, will most likely enjoy it. While I do not like it as much as Casa Fernandez's Aganorsa Leaf, it was very good and I will likely try to find more of them while they are available. I also enjoyed it much more than the regular Arsenio that was released a few months earlier.

Body: 9/10

Strength: 7/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9/10

Agree, disagree or just have something to say about what you read or what you've experienced in the same cigar? Please leave a comment below.

Cigar Review: Adrian's CroMagnon Cranium

Gran Toro, 6" x 54 ring gauge / $8.00

The CroMagnon (@CroMagnonCigar) is the first collaboration between Skip Martin (@ChiefHava) of Hava Cigar and Michael Rosales (@smokeadrians) of Adrians Premium Costa Rican Cigars. These cigars are comprised of a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper with a Cameroon binder and a filler comprised of three types Nicaraguan tobacco. The cigars come in five sizes which are, the Knuckle Dragger (4" x 52 petite robusto, $6), the Mandible (4.5" x 60 petite gordo, $6.50), the Early Modern Human (5" x 56 robusto extra, $7), the Anthropology (5.75" x 46 grand corona, $7.50), and the cigar I'm reviewing today the Cranium which is a 6" x 54 gran toro. This cigar is another one of those Twitter cigars, sort of. The cigar came to fruition from the minds of Michael & Skip but it was, from what I can tell, completely promoted, and for the first batch, sold through Twitter. Because of the limited amount of cigars they were able to bring into the country at first, they sold 10 pack samplers. According to Skip they will get another batch in at the end of the month or early next month and we will be able to purchase boxes at that time. They are only sold through Hava Cigar at this point and if you are interested in purchasing cigars then contact @CroMagnonCigar on Twitter, or visit their website www.havacigarshop.com. The cigar I smoked for this review was the second cigar I smoked of this size.

As soon as you take this cigar out of the cellophane the first thing you notice is the wrapper. It is just beautiful. It is a deep chestnut brown with a good amount of tooth to it. The wrapper is so oily it looks as though you could wring it out. Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture that showed how great it looked, you'll just have to believe me. There were some veins but they weren't a problem. The cigar felt fairly firm when I gave it a squeeze and didn't have any soft spots. When I put my nose to the wrapper I got the aroma of barnyard and leather, with barnyard coming from the foot. After I clipped it with my Xikar XV cutter and took a cold draw on it I noted tastes of chocolate, nuts and spice. The draw was a little tight.

Once I lit the cigar up I got hit with a red pepper spice on the tongue and a nice burn on the retrohale. I was also able to detect the tastes of chocolate and leather as well. One thing I noticed right off the bat was the draw was a little too tight for my tastes. It wasn't plugged or anything, just not my preference. The cigar was fairly full strength to start with. As I progressed through the first third I was also able to detect notes of earth, nuts and a slight creaminess, with a sweetness on the finish. The burn was slightly off and that could have been due to the fact that I couldn't wait to smoke this cigar and didn't let it sit for a week in my humidor, or to the amount of oils in the wrapper. At the end of the first third the spice and strength of the cigar toned down a bit, towards the upper end of medium. The ash was a battleship grey and needed to be tapped off after about an inch.

The second third didn't see much change in the tastes I could pick up, but that wasn't a bad thing. Because of the amount of oils in the wrapper my fingers were coated and I was able to feel it even after I put the cigar down. While at the beginning of the third the spice was in the background it started to come back as I neared the end of this third.

As I moved into the final third of this cigar there wasn't much change in the flavors, but as before that is a good thing. Even though it wasn't the most complex cigar the tastes were very enjoyable. The spice continued to come back and was almost to the same level as the beginning. The draw loosened up a bit, but I would have preferred it freer. One other physical sensation that isn't normal for me when smoking a cigar is it felt as though my lips were coated in oils from the wrapper.

Would I buy this cigar again? Yes. Am I going to let the other samples I have of this size and the other sizes sit before I smoke them? Yes, but it is going to be difficult! I am really looking forward to seeing how the other sizes effect the taste and strength of the cigar. I don't think I'd recommend it to new smokers as it might be a little much for them. But for any seasoned smoker, looking for a full bodied, full strength cigar, at a reasonable price, I can heartily recommend you get on the list to purchase some of these when they get their next shipment in.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9/10

Agree, disagree or just have something to add to the conversation? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Cigar Review: 262 Ideology

Belicoso, 5.5" 52 ring gauge / $7.95, Burns

I talked to one of 262's sales reps in 2010 and he told me that all members of the 262 team actually still have day jobs because the company is still so new. Despite that small size, though, Clint Aaron and the crew were able to produce the new Ideology line barely 6 months after the Paradigm debuted. I would consider that good momentum. The 262 website clearly espouses a love Constitutional personal freedoms and a denunciation of those who would rob us of them "in the name of 'progress.'" This is a milder counterpart to the Paradigm, featuring filler from Nicaraguan, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, a Nicaraguan binder and a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado wrapper. It is available in 3 sizes and this review features the impressions I got from my first stick.

The appearance was nice--a slightly darker than shade-grown color with just the slightest reddish tinge--almost a blush, but only in certain lighting. There were no large veins or obvious flaws. The feel was a little velvety and just slightly oily. Hold to the nose, I got notes o hay and earth on the wrapper; on the foot, I got a stronger, more pungent earthiness. After clipping I got a nice, open draw that was mostly very grassy, like a very mild cigar. It made me wonder if this Ideology could really have Nicaraguan filler (among others), binder and wrapper and still be truly mild.

Upon lighting, my initial thought was that it would be just that...a mild cigar. The Ideology displayed a smooth, grassy character with a bit of caramel sweetness and a very creamy smoke. There was just a tiny bit of pepper on the retrohale, but that is about the only thing I got that would indicate the Nicaraguan origin of most of the tobacco. The rest of the first third did not deviate from the "mild" formula of creamy, grassy, and slightly sweet. I guess the surprise is that this flavor is achieved without the normal Connecticut Shade wrapper varietal.

While the second third had a little autumn spice--cinnamon and nutmeg--sneaking in from time-to-time, it still was a very mild, creamy smoke. Toward the end of the third I also got a little flavor of cedar that helped add some interest. Construction was spot-on to this point--great draw and almost perfectly straight burn line.

The nice creamy flavors continued through the final third and the Ideology finished much like it had started--a very mild cigar. I thought it would be an ideal premium stick for beginning smokers, but I don't think it would disappoint most veteran smokers, either--at least, not if they know what they should expect. The Ideology was simply an elegant, mild cigar that was surprising in that the country of origin for the majority of the tobacco is not known for producing mild cigars. It was very good, although for myself, I prefer just a little more body. Getting back to those day jobs...if the 262 crew keeps putting out great smokes like this one, I'm thinking they won't have to keep them much longer.

Body: 3/10

Strength: 4/10

Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9/10

Agree, disagree or just have something to add to the conversation? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Book: Empire of Lies

Empire of Lies by Andrew Klavan (2008)

If you frequent Big Hollywood or Pajamas TV, you may recognize the name Andrew Klavan from his video series "Klavan on the Culture." I have been impressed by his no-nonsense approach to political issues and culture for a couple years or more myself, but had never had the opportunity to delve into his main career, author, until recently. Klavan has been a published author for at least a couple decades, with a couple of his novels turned into major motion pictures: True Crime, starring Clint Eastwood, and Don't Say A Word, starring Michael Douglas.

Empire of Lies is the story of a man haunted by his past--the life he used to live in New York and Long Island long after he has moved to middle America and become a good family man and upstanding pillar of the community. When he has to visit Long Island to sell his mother's old house, his past catches up to him: he is contacted by an old girlfriend, he discovers a girl who may or may not be his daughter, and the whole thing is wrapped up in what may be a terrorist plot on New York City...or may be just a huge misunderstanding or lie told by those close to him.

The book deals with issues of political correctness and media perceptions in a way that I have not previously seen before. The protagonist is taken down a dark road to discover the truth before it's too late and the ride is spellbinding. Empire of Lies is a well-written novel that kept me turning pages long into the night after I should have gone to sleep. I took a chance on Klavan's fiction in the bargain bin at a local bookstore, but I have no objection now to paying full-price for his books. It's always fun to discover a new author for your library...even when he's not really a new author.

Agree, disagree or just have something to add? Leave a comment below.

Gary Moore, R.I.P.

I woke up today to the sad news that one of my all-time favorite guitarists passed away over the weekend. Although not widely known here in the U.S., Moore was well-respected among his musical peers and very popular in Europe and Japan throughout his career, which started in the late '60s with a band name Skid Row (not the hair metal band) in Dublin, Ireland. Moore went on to play with Thin Lizzy and a couple other groups before really establishing himself in a solo career.

I first discovered Moore with his 1987 album, Wild Frontier, a hard rock masterpiece that blended Celtic influences with his skillful guitar playing. It's still among my favorite albums in my entire collection of hundreds of CDs. 

A few years later he took a stylistic change to electric blues when he recorded Still Got The Blues in 1990. The album featured guest appearances by George Harrison, Albert King and Albert Collins, and Moore discovered where his real gifts lay. For the next 20 years, most of his output would be more electric blues, mixing his own original compositions with cover songs.

Since many of you may not know who he was, here is a short primer on the matter, thanks to whoever uploaded these videos to YouTube over the years. These are some of my favorite songs by the late Mr. Moore...

Gary Moore was only 58 when he died yesterday while on holiday in Spain. He left us too soon, but he did leave us with some great music.