Jose Blanco Named Senior Vice President of Joya de Nicaragua

Jose Blanco leading the tour group in March 2011

This is the official press release from Joya de Nicaragua:


On August 29, 2011, Joya de Nicaragua, S.A. (JDN) appointed Jose Blanco, formerly a director of La Aurora Cigars, as Senior Vice President. Blanco is bringing his 29 years of marketing, public relations, and tobacco blending experience to this legendary Nicaraguan cigar company. He will be responsible for overall brand and blend development and will be reporting directly to its owner, Dr. Alejandro Martinez Cuenca, and the company’s Board of Directors. Working closely with Drew Estate, their US Distributor, and their worldwide partners, Blanco will also be responsible for interacting with the public. He will be relocating from the Dominican Republic to Nicaragua in order to fulfill his duties.

Blanco, age 61, is a cigar expert held in high esteem throughout the industry who is known for being simultaneously outspoken and gregarious. Cigars and tobacco have always been part of his life. As a youth he was tasked with sorting tobacco from his father’s farm and began regularly smoking cigars at the age of 16. He was hired by Empresa León Jimenes CxA in 1982 and spent 18 years in its core beer and cigarette divisions. In 1999, due to his passion for cigars, he was promoted into their historic cigar company, La Aurora S.A. Utilizing tobaccos from many nations, he was instrumental in the development of new products such as the 100 Años, Aurora 107 and 1495 Series. He also served as the public representative for the company and is heralded for his tobacco blending and tasting seminars until his retirement from the company in June 2011. Guillermo León, the owner of La Aurora, credited Blanco for being a big part of the company’s success in a statement to Cigar Aficionado.

In comment to why he decided to accept the position at JDN, Blanco states, “Joining Joya De Nicaragua allows me to do what I love and feel passionate for: working with tobacco. It is a choice that I feel very happy about and makes me look into the future with great enthusiasm. Joya De Nicaragua is in my opinion an honorable company with strong tradition and history, which I value highly. Furthermore, it will be a great honor to work with my dear friend Dr. Alejandro Martinez Cuenca. In this company I visualize growth, creativity and overall great potential."

Of Blanco says Dr. Martinez Cuenca, "Welcoming Jose Blanco as Senior VP of Joya de Nicaragua is a profound honor and pleasure for me. Jose will bring new blood and fresh ideas to our legendary company that will allow us to expand our lines of production. His experience in blending and marketing will complement our own efforts and will undoubtedly result in a great contribution to the development and growth of Joya de Nicaragua in both the US and worldwide markets.”

“I have always respected Jose,” states Steve Saka, President of Drew Estate, “He is one of the few guys in our business that will tell you what he really thinks. I like that in an individual, plus he is as crazy about cigars and tobacco as I am. He is a total cigar geek so I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to work with him to grow the love for Joya de Nicaragua. He is going to be a great fit.”

Jonathan Drew, Owner and Co-Founder of Drew Estate added this comment via an iPhone video, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure he knows all about cigars, but the thing I like best about Blanco is his accent. Sometimes it is Dominican, sometimes it is Bronx, but it is never one of those Dominican-Bronx accents.”

Editorial Comments: Although I only met Jose for the first time in March when I went to the Dominican Republic, I felt I had known him for quite a while already simply because of the presence he has in social media like Twitter. His passion for tobacco is always evident and I've heard several people describe him as "the nicest man in the industry" or "a total gentleman." I would echo that and the fact that he is one of the most knowledgeable folks in the cigar world and isn't shy about sharing that knowledge through his seminars. Unlike some personalities (and companies) that try to hide everything they do from prying eyes, Jose tried hard to peel back the layer of mystery and make us more educated during those seminars. We congratulate Jose on his new position at Joya de Nicaragua...and I hope the seminar format will live on in some fashion!

Cigar Review: Red Lion Habano

Robusto, 4.5" x 48 ring gauge / $5.99, Maxamar's

As I was looking around my regular shop for something new to try and I came across these cigars. I was able to find out they are made by Heaven Cigars (a division of Davidoff) and they are that company's first foray into a non flavored cigar. The cigars are comprised of Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican fillers, a Brazilian binder and then either a CT Broadleaf Maduro or the subject of this review an Ecuadorian habano rosado wrapper. I smoked two samples for this review.

The wrapper on my sample was of medium brown in color with some medium veins and light oils. The band is interesting in that it says that it is the "King of Cigars". I'll be the judge of that. The lion also reminds me a lot of the one on the Guillermo Leon Signature, minus the green eyes. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I was able to detect some give but with no soft spots. The wrapper gave off the aroma of sweet hay while the foot gave off barnyard and leather. After clipping it and taking a cold draw I get a molasses sweetness with a somewhat tight draw.

Once I light the cigar up I get a fairly intense red pepper spice on the tip of the tongue and the retrohale. After taking a few more puffs on it I get the tastes of leather, cola, and a creaminess with a slight amount of sweetness on the finish. The burn was fairly straight but the draw was tighter than I prefer. The very white ash held on for about a half an inch before needing to be tapped off. At this point I would call the cigar medium in body and strength.

As I moved into the second third the tastes changed into leather, wood, cinnamon with a creamy finish. The spice was still pretty present although it wasn't as strong as in the first third.

The cigar finished off about the same as in the second third. Although I did start to get a slight nicotine hit as I was nearing the end. Because of that I would put it at the upper end of medium in strength. Overall I did enjoy this cigar, although "King of Cigars" is a little much. It wasn't overly complex but the flavors were very pleasant and there was a good amount of spice. I don't think someone used to mild smokes would be able to handle it, but at the price point I can recommend it for the rest of of you smokers out there to at least try to see how you like it.

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

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

Cigar Review: Tatuaje La Casita Criolla

HCB (Corona), 5.125" x 42 ring gauge / $6.50, Burns
A Connecticut Puro? Wait, a Connecticut Broadleaf Puro? Seriously? The leaf best known for its use as a wrapper on some of the best Maduro cigars on the market would be taken by Pete Johnson to his mad scientist laboratory in Esteli and turned into...well, something I've never heard of. I can't say that this has never been done before, but I don't remember ever hearing of something this...crazy. Yes, CAO produced an MX3 in small quantities over the years, and Camacho has had great success with its Triple Maduro. Even Altadis has gotten into the act with the A.Turrent Triple Play last year. All of these are good examples of all Maduro smokes, but to my knowledge not one of them has leaf from just a single tobacco varietal and growing location. So my first reaction was...there is a reason cigar makers blend tobaccos from several places. It adds character and complexity to what are otherwise single-dimensional tobaccos. My second thought was...c'mon, we're talking about Pete Johnson (and the geniuses at My Father) here! Even if you don't like some of his particular blends, he has never out out something that is dull and uninteresting. So when these became available, I picked up three...two of the size that I am smoking for this review, and a different size just to check out. As a side note, one of the great things about the La Casita Criolla is the fact that none of the vitolas is larger than 48 ring gauge; perhaps this large ring gauge fetish/trend is about finished.

To begin with...the look: this Maduro was a mostly even dark brown color with plentiful oils and no veins that were too large. The sample I kept for review had some light, almost bleached out spots near the foot, but since I saw nothing of the kind on the other two I smoked, I am not deducting appearance points...this stick seemed to be an anomaly. The name La Casita Criolla means, "the little native house," or something like that...we get a look at that house on the band, a band which is slightly more ornate than the regular Tatuaje bands, but still fairly understated. Putting the cigar to my nose,I picked up mildly sweet earth and leather aromas on the wrapper leaf, and more of the same on the foot. While this is uncommon, I guess it shouldn't be surprising since this is a single-varietal cigar. The Prelight draw was slightly tight on this cigar. I honestly don't recall if the first one of this size was as well, but I remember that it had no draw issues as I smoked, and the sample I smoked of a slightly larger ring gauge had no draw issues, either. The cold flavor was sweet, with hints of chocolate and graham cracker, and it left a mild peppery tingle on my lips.

Dark chocolate laced with cayenne pepper was what I was thinking of just a few puffs in. The richness of bittersweet chocolate, enhanced by a mild but striking spicy hit. There was a nice mix of Cuban coffee--dark, strong and sweet--and sweet tobacco on the finish. For the purposes of reviewing, though, here is here things started to get tricky. Broadleaf is a heavy, thick leaf that tends to retain a lot of moisture. This makes it great for turning into Maduro because it can stand up to the extra heat required, and it is also great for smoking in dry environments like California or Eastern U.S. winters because the leaf tends to be more pliable and less subject to cracking and splitting. I kept this one in my regular humidor before smoking, though, and the draw was much tighter than I would have preferred. Both of my other two samples had been dry-boxed to a degree before smoking so they did not have the same problem. So, even though I used my draw poker to open this one up, I am not downgrading it on Construction because this was just a result of wet Broadleaf...a natural occurrence that I should have planned for. The cigar continued to be sweet with loads of chocolate and coffee through the first third. I also got notes of leather and enough pepper spice building up on the back of my palate that it proved an interesting counterpoint.

In the second third the coffee notes rushed to the forefront and the spice got considerably stronger. Although this is a medium bodied smoke, it definitely has a great deal of character. On the nose it was more of a sweet breadiness with just a small amount of spice by this time. Opening up the draw did work, but the unfortunate result is that the cigar smoked hotter than it should.

The last third was still full of sweet flavors of chocolate mixed with some coffee bitterness, and the La Casita Criolla did not fail to please throughout. The only problem I encountered was one that I believe was of my own doing: I was doing it wrong. As I explained before, these probably should be kept at a slightly lower humidity than other cigars, especially in a corona vitola. While I did enjoy this one, I do wonder if I would have ended up liking the next size up a little better, so I have decided to extend this review a bit by adding that size to it...after the numerical ratings, read on...

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

HCBC (Corona Gorda), 5.625" x 46 ring gauge / approx. $7, Burns
It's been almost two weeks since I wrote the above section. I would have gotten back to this review sooner, but the Chattanooga Tweet Up got in the middle of everything. If you didn't make it, I sincerely hope you can next year. On this slightly larger cigar, the wrapper was pretty much perfect and had a earthy aroma with just a bit of cocoa powder. The foot was sweet smelling with tobacco and dark chocolate notes. Prelight draw was easy and had a little spiciness along with cocoa and leather.

After lighting up, I noticed the sweetness right up front...a mix of tobacco and chocolate, along with an underlying coffee note and some pepper spice on the finish. The retrohale was even sweeter, almost reminding me of milk chocolate but still retaining spiciness. The first third was a delightful mix of earthiness and chocolatey sweet notes, with a bit of a coffee finish and a little spice thrown in for good measure.

The second third continued to display earth and cocoa powder notes along with a smoky meatiness that was delicious. So far, I had zero issues with draw and needed just a couple minor touchups to keep the burn even.

A nice peppery burn was building up on my palate as the last third started and coffee flavors were now at the forefront. Do I need to say it? This is a great cigar! Possibly the best thing Pete Johnson has put out this year, although I want repeated samplings of thing and the Petite Lancero Black Label before saying for sure. Great great great cigar with lots of broadleaf Maduro sweetness and enough other flavor notes to keep the party interesting. Not to be missed!

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

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

Cigar Preview: Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve

Torpedo, 6.25" x 52 ring gauge/ $10, approx. MSRP

Today I'll be previewing the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve. It is comprised of Nicaraguan filler and binder with Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper. This cigar is a limited edition run. There will only be 1000 boxes of 10 released. It should be in your shops shortly after you read this.

The cigar is very nice looking with the dark brown wrapper with some tooth and oil to it. The green and gold band contrasts nicely with the wrapper. The box press is not too sharp as the edges are rounded. Giving the cigar a squeeze I'm able to detect a slight amount of give but there were no soft spots. When I put my nose to the wrapper I detected an intense aroma of leather with barnyard coming from the foot. After clipping it with my MTX I got a great draw with the taste of chocolate with a hint of sweetness.

After lighting it up I was rewarded with the tastes of cocoa powder, earth and some spice. The draw was perfect and it produced a lot of smoke. After a few puffs the spice started building especially on the retrohale. The ash was white on the outside and dark on the inside. It held on for about three quarters of an inch before needing to be tapped off.

By the second third the spice had definitely toned down. The flavors were mainly of cocoa powder and leather. The construction continued to be spot on. I would say it was medium bodied and strength at this point.

The final third saw a little change in the flavors to earth and leather. The spice did start coming back a bit. I would still call it medium, but at the upper end.

Overall this was a quite enjoyable cigar but I didn't feel it was terribly complex. I think that a limited edition should have some more bang for your buck. I would smoke it again but I wouldn't go out of my way to search for it.

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Cigar Preview: Zen

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge
Rocky Patel's brothers are getting more into the act of making cigars this year; I received w sample of Nish Patel's Zen that was shown off at the trade show in July. The story goes that Nish wants the Zen to get people to re-think Connecticut...which may have worked if it had come out two or three years ago...you know, before the Camacho Connecticut, Oliva Connecticut, CAO Gold Vintage, San Lotano Connecticut, Pedro Martin Gold, and E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut (among others). As it is, this appears to be more of a bandwagon jumping than a trend-starter. As a nod to why we decided not to review these show samples this year, this cigar came with a generic, laser-printed band and a busted cap, which I took the time to try to glue back together to make the experience as good as possible. This is one of the only box-pressed Connys on the market and like most of the others I mentioned above, it uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper.

The Zen had a nice, smooth wrapper leaf, a little oily to the touch and flawless...except for the big patch on the bottom just south of the band. The box press was a fairly mild one with soft, rounded corners. The wrapper had a nice, sweet hay aroma, while I got more of a rich, chocolate and earth combo on the foot...so far, so good...now if I can just avoid busting the heck out of the cap again when I clip it...using my Xikar MTX Scissors I was able to accomplish that. The Prelight draw was exceedingly easy, as if the tobacco were not really filled as much as possible. The flavor was good, though, featuring a sweet grassiness and a hint of chocolate.

Initial puffs were stronger and earthier than I had expected, with more of the sweet grassiness you expect from a Conny apparent on the finish. The retrohale had tons of roasted nut and spice notes. Well into the first third, I was ready to admit that this was unlike any Connecticut I can remember smoking, but I would also have to say that it was not different in a good way. The earthier qualities were clearly in control of the blend of this cigar, with very little in the way of sweetness for balance. I paired the cigar with some black coffee and even that didn't seem to go well with the stogie, which is unusual for a Conny.

The second third was creamier and had better balance, but the last third was back to solidly earthly and mostly bitter flavors. So does this one stand out from the crowd of New Breed Connecticut cigars? Yes, but the flavor profile is just not one that I enjoyed all that much, so in the end, this becomes yet another Rocky Patel cigar that I will steer well clear of. As always, you'll have to make up your own mind on the issue.

Note: I am aware that this cigar was recently changed from "Zen" to "Xen," but my label said "Zen" and I finished this piece a couple week before they announced that name change so I left it as is.

Cigar Review: Viaje Oro Reserva Double Torpedo

Double Torpedo, 5.75" x 52 ring gauge / approx. $12, Burns
After the less than stellar performance by the Platino version of this cigar, I have to say I was not overly enthusiastic about lighting up this Viaje Oro Reserva Double Torpedo, VOR DT for short. It really has not taken long for the shiny newness to wear off Viaje cigars altogether for me...seems like it was just a year ago (because it was) that I had my first Viaje (a Summerfest) and thought, "Pretty decent...what else they got?" The regular release Oro quickly became my favorite stick, easily beating out pretty much all special release cigars from the company simply because it was flavorful without needing to virtually take a 2x4 to your palate and the price is actually reasonable. This VOR blend was named the number two cigar of the year by that lifestyle magazine, though, so there must be something to it...right? It's all Nicaraguan, as are most of Viaje's offerings.

And it looks fantastic! Who are we kidding? If cigar ratings were judged more heavily on how they look, this vitola would win many points just because it is awesome. Double-torpedo with both ends closed, a brilliantly oily wrapper leaf and not one, not two, but THREE bands...oh, and I forgot to mention that it is mildly box-pressed, too. I want to preserve this cigar forever and be able to look at it, because it is one of the most beautiful things in my humidor. Smells good, too...a sweet tobacco and leather mix on the wrapper made my mouth water in anticipation of lighting this up. I clipped both ends and got a nice whiff of honey sweetness on the foot and a better-than-anticipated draw from the head. The cold draw had a sweet and spicy flavor, with natural tobacco and syrupy notes. When clipping the wrapper did crack a bit near the head, which looked like it might unravel...which always seems to be a danger with torpedo cigars.

While I can't say the draw was brilliant at the beginning of the VOR, it was at least better than that of the VPR. It started off with primary earthy notes with cedar underlying on the palate, along with a nutty and extra spicy retrohale. As the first third continued, I noted it to have sweet natural tobacco notes every now and then...verging on honey sweetness, but not quite there...as well as plenty of pepper spice on the palate and retrohale. The body started out as medium to full and I definitely did not think it would move down on that scale.

The second third actually saw an improvement in the flavor department. I was getting a beautifully balanced mix of earth, sweet tobacco, and spice in a creamy, smooth smoke that made me see why this blend (in a different vitola) was the number two cigar of last year. It also vindicated my opinion that the Oro blend, which this is based on, is the best thing in the Viaje catalog.

As the final third got going, I noticed the earthier aspects taking control although some of the sweetness did remain. There was little spice left at all by this point. The cigar did threaten to unravel pretty much the entire way, but I was able to keep it in check so no real harm done. After the disappointing experience I had with the Platino version of this, I was really surprised that this cigar was as good as it was. As far as the draw on the Platino, maybe I got the "bum stick" in the box, but at $12, I expect better quality control...maybe it's just me. This one had a great draw nearly the entire way and when it was not "great" it was at least acceptable. The flavor was fantastic throughout, though, and that is the real mark of a great cigar...one that hits your flavor receptors just right and continues to do so. As with most Viaje products, this one is not for beginners, but those looking to move up from milder smokes might be okay with this as it did not overwhelm with either body or strength.

Body: 7/10
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

Cigar Review: Artisan's Passion by Paul Garmirian

Super Robusto, 5" x 54 ring gauge / $8.99, Maxamar's

The owner of my regular shop likes Paul Garmirian cigars so he brought their latest release into the store recently. Unfortunately there isn't much info on this blend on the internet at the moment. The only thing I can find is that is a stronger bodied cigar and it comes in three sizes, toro; robusto; and the subject of this review the super robusto. I smoked three of these for this review.

The first thing I noticed about this cigar is the wrapper. It is dark, thick and oily, not something you usually see on a PG cigar. There are medium veins as well. Personally I think that most PG cigar bands are a little plain and to me this one comes off cheezy. Putting the cigar to my nose I get the intense aroma of barnyard from both the wrapper and foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I get the taste of molasses and chocolate with a bit of spice and a great draw.

Once I light the cigar up I get a fairly strong spice along with some chocolate and leather. The retrohale is very spicy and almost reminds me of wasabi. Taking a few more puffs on it I get a slight saltiness and the taste of cinnamon. The draw is perfect and it produces a lot of smoke. The burn was slightly wavy. The ash was quite flaky and needed to be tapped off after about a half an inch. I would say the cigar is medium to full bodied and strength at this point.

As I got into the second third the spice toned down a bit. The flavors of earth, leather with a slight amount of chocolate with a sweet finish were the main flavors of this third. The burn was still slightly wavy and needed to be touched up a bit. The draw continued to be perfect.

The final third saw this cigar finish off strong. The spice started to come back and I started to get a slight nicotine hit as well. The were pretty consistent in that they were of earth, leather and a slight amount of cinnamon.

Overall this was a very enjoyable cigar! I would recommend it to anyone out there, except people sensitive to a slight nicotine hit. I do wish the ash was a little less flaky and the price was slightly lower though.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 8/10

Cigar Review: Viaje Platino Reserva Double Torpedo

Double Torpedo, 5.75" x 52 ring gauge / approx. $12, Burns
Seems like every time you turn around there are a bunch of new "limited" release from Viaje. Not that they are alone in this practice, but they are one of the most prolific. The longer it goes on, though, it seems like many of these limited releases are variations on themes of previous limited releases. To date, I know of three different Skull and Bones releases, counting black and red versions, and from what I hear both will be released again before the year is out. Summerfest and Holiday Blend have shown up at least two years in a row each. And the number 2 cigar of the year from Cigar Aficionado magazine has been re-released in a different size as well. This particular stick is not that cigar, but it is a "sister" cigar of sorts. Both the #2 cigar and this one are based on regular releases of Viaje...the Platino and Oro. All tobacco is Nicaraguan from Aganorsa and they are made the famed Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras.

First things first...this Platino Reserva looks absolutely fantastic. The "double-edged sword" vitola with finished torpedo tips on both ends was cool enough, without even considering that the body of the cigar was mildly box-pressed. The wrapper was smooth and oily to the touch and the eye. I got an aroma of sweet tobacco on the wrapper and since it was a pointed end, there was no foot to get an aroma from...until I clipped it, which I would do before attempting to light up. I snipped about a quarter inch from the foot and got a rich chocolatey aroma. I clipped a little more than than from the other end and noticed that the draw was kind of tight, but with a double torpedo that's almost to be expected and would be hard to really tell if it was endemic until I had burned at least half an inch or so. Flavors on the cold draw were typical of those I have gotten from other Viajes in the Platino line: cedar, earth and a little spice.

Was this cigar the hardest to light all year? Possibly. I tried with the original cuts on both ends and got nothing...ran one lighter out of fuel...I recut the head, getting a little better draw, still couldn't get the foot to combust properly. Fearing that I might damage the wrapper with too much super-hot torch use, I went and got a soft flame lighter and was able to finish the job...barely. At this point the cigar was barely going and I got a minuscule amount of smoke from it. It was not until I had burned a quarter inch of the cigar that I got enough smoke to really taste it.

Those first few real puffs were cedary and earthy on the palate with a stinging pepper spice on the nasal passages. It wasn't long before I got some almost bready notes on the tongue and a subtle sweetness crept in. By the time the burn line got past the narrower torpedo end, the draw was just about perfect, producing plenty of smoke, but it is a shame that a $12 cigar causes you to work so hard to enjoy it at the beginning. I would trade cool-looking vitolas for less irritation and more smoking enjoyment any day of the week.

As the second third started I noticed that the body was medium to full and the smoke continued to be plentiful, thick and fairly harsh on the back of the throat. Flavors of cedar and earth continued to dominate for the most part, with a fair amount of spice on the palate although most of the spice on the retrohale had died out.

Heading into the final third I was having draw issues again. Despite having been just about perfect through a third and a half, now I just could not get enough smoke production. On the other hand, the VPR DT was showing just how much nicotine it had, so maybe I really did not need a lot more smoke. The flavor was more or less exactly what you might expect from a regular run Platino, in my opinion: lots of cedar, some earth, some spice...and somehow just not my thing--balanced poorly for my palate, maybe. I vastly prefer the Oro as a regular Viaje smoke and this cigar did nothing to change my mind on that issue. I have to say that if the Platino is your thing, you will probably love this cigar, otherwise, it's an expensive way to spend an hour and a half.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1/2
Flavor: 3/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 6.5/10

Happy 10 Years to Me!

The Sanctuary (I borrowed this picture from HERE)

I was going to post another beverage review today, but I got too lazy to look for my notes on the beverage, so I decided to do this instead...and to be honest, this was probably overdue by a few weeks anyway. Sometime in late July or early August of 2001, I smoked my very first cigar, so I thought it would be a good time to wish myself a happy 10th smoking anniversary! (I'm guessing cigarette smokers don't celebrate smoking anniversaries...I could be wrong...)

I was vacationing with a friend in San Luis Obispo, California, at the time. We knew a couple guys in our church group that were cigar smokers and I had been intrigued, so when we saw the cigar shop my friend encouraged me to go ahead. The Sanctuary at 1111 Chorro Street was the location I bought my first cigar and I believe it was an Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur, although I could be wrong about that. My friend and I went back to the place we were staying (yes, my friend was female, but we were not "involved" at the time...just friends...really), went to some patio chairs set down by San Luis Obispo Creek, and I struggled with matches to get the cigar lit...it took a while with even just a light breeze. I enjoyed, she took a few puffs and said she didn't care for it. She left the next day, but I stayed on a day or two more. I went back to the smoke shop and bought another cigar and headed over to the little amphitheater that sits in front of the Mission, facing the creek that runs through downtown. I lit up, opened up Lord of the Rings (first time for that, too, by the way), and smoked and read. Great times.

Since then I have learned much about cigars and gotten to a point where I smoke them more than a couple times a week. Now days it is rare for a day to go by without a cigar being reduced to ashes on my front porch...and most of those days are when I am sick! My palate has matured, my tastes are more refined, but I still occasionally go back to one of my early favorites like the Drew Estate Natural Dirt...still love them, sweetened tip and all. I've learned much more about what goes into growing, developing, and rolling the tobacco into these little moments of joy, but I have so much still to learn. Most importantly, I've made many friends because of a mutual admiration for the leaf...friends I may not have made otherwise because of age, geographical or political differences. To all who I count as friends and Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf...thank you for adding so much to my life.

I wouldn't trade the last 10 years for anything!

Cigar Preview: E.P. Carillo Core Line Maduro Club 52

Toro, 5.875" x 52 ring gauge

Today I'm going to preview the EPC Core Line maduro in the Club 52 size. This is one of the samples I received from the owner of my regular store from the recent IPCPR show.

This cigar is comprised of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder all covered in a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. I believe it will come in all of the sizes that the natural Core Line comes in.

The wrapper on this cigar is a dark chocolate brown with some darker mottling to it. The wrapper also had a good amount of oils to it and the veins were fairly small. Giving it a squeeze I'm able to detect a slight amount of give with a couple minor soft spots. From the wrapper I get the aroma of cedar and barnyard from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw I get notes of chocolate and leather with a good draw.

Once I lit it up I got a good amount of spice to it. After taking a few more puffs on it I'm able to detect notes of chocolate and earth. The draw is great and it produces a large volume of smoke. Towards the end of the first third notes of anise start coming through. The ash was very dark in color and held on for about a half an inch before needing to be tapped off. At this point the cigar is a bit stronger than the natural Core Line.

The second third saw the spice and strength tone down a bit. The flavors changed to anise, wood and earth. The draw an construction were perfect.

The final third didn't see much change in the cigar. The anise flavor was the predominate flavor like the second third. At the finish of the cigar it was in the medium body and strength range.

Overall, while the construction was perfect I didn't enjoy the flavors that much. There definitely wasn't anything bad about it, I just don't like anise (black licorice). I would like to try another one to see how the ones released to the market taste. With the perfect construction I can recommend it to any smoker out there that would enjoy these flavors, except to maybe the most sensitive to strength of a cigar.

Bonus Video: Jon Huber talks about Apparel & Branding

Like I said the other day...lots of footage from last Saturday's interview. At one point, I thought it would be a good idea to ask Jon a question he has gotten a few times on Twitter: Are You Going to Sell Crowned Heads (or Four Kicks) Hats, T-Shirts, etc. Online? Watch the video for the answer...

Note: Interesting to note that this is FOUR videos I got from the interview. Read Jon's blog on CrownedHeads.com for the significance of FOUR.

One more #CHAtweetup2011 Video

Truth is, this video probably should have posted back on Monday...but at least it's posting less than a week after the #CHAtweetup2011 ended! This is just a general video showing some of the highlights...those that were caught on camera, anyway...there was some stuff you just had to be there to see! Featured are a short interview with Jerry Cruz (@jcruz), my interview with Steve Ysidron (@Live4) in full "Ghost Adventures" mode, and a sneak peek at what Matt Booth (@Room101Cigars) may have up his sleeve for next year's LTD cigar accessory...

I met with the managers of both Burns locations last night and we discussed the what went well, what didn't, and what we can do better next time around. We have some details to iron out, but hope to announce a date for #CHAtweetup2012 by the end of October. Stay tuned...

#CHAtweetup2011 - Matt Booth Interviews Me, I Interview Matt Booth

I tried to get time to interview all the special guests we had at the Chattanooga Tweet Up, but I'll have to admit to not getting to everyone before the party ended. As lucky would have it, though, I caught Matt Booth in the Burns office and was able to get him to say a few words...after he grabbed the camera and reversed the roles...

It just occurred to me that we had Crowned Heads and Severed Heads (Namakubi) at the Tweetup...I guess if Jon Huber and Matt Booth ever collaborate on a cigar, it might be called the Marie Antoinette. :)

Cigar Preview: 2 New Cigars from Pedro Martin

Burns manager, Matt, handed me two samples that he received from Maria Martin of Pedro Martin Cigars. Both were unbanded, but Maria had written with Sharpie what they were on the cellophane. I thought I would take a short look at them both today.

MADURO
Toro, 6" x 54 ring gauge
I have to admit this one has two things against it from my perspective before I even cut it...first, it has a Mexican San Andres wrapper leaf; second, it is a 54 ring gauge. It is just my preference, though, that I don't care for much Mexican leaf and that I like smaller ring gauge cigars. There are exceptions to both rules, so I am definitely willing to keep an open mind. Ammer Cabrera told me that it also features a Maduro binder as well as Corojo filler. He classified both sticks from this preview as "fresh" and said they won't hit stores until September.

This one didn't have the oiliest looking wrapper I've ever seen on a Maduro, but it did feel oily under my fingers. The aroma was a mix of chocolate and earth, with the chocolate dominating on the wrapper and the earth more prevalent on the foot. The cold draw was very good, but there was little flavor there...a subdued cocoa powder, maybe, but that's about it. When lit, the cigar immediately gave up an earthy flavor with hints of cocoa powder and dark roast coffee, as well as some subtle sweetness for balance. The retrohale was powerful and spicy. There definitely was a bit of the Mexican twang that is so familiar with these wrappers, but the blend used with it is interesting enough that it was interesting enough that it wasn't the retraction it sometimes is.

At some points I was tempted to label this as a typical Mexican cigar, with bitter earthiness ruling the day, but there was an added element that kept it more interesting...spice from the Corojo used in the filler. While it did not have the sweetness throughout that I normally would like to taste in a Maduro, this was definitely an interesting smoke.

FIERA
Toro, 6" x 54 ring gauge
The only thing Ammer would say about the Fiera is that it is a "powerhouse stick." looking at it there was nothing really to reinforce that notion, but then again, Pedro Martin Cigars does not seem like the type of company that would artificially darken a wrapper just to make it look menacing. This one was a shade darker than light brown, with some darker mottling and few medium-sized veins. The wrapper had a very nice sweet, natural tobacco aroma, while the foot had milk chocolate and coffee notes. The cold draw had flavor notes of dried berry and orange, layered over with chocolate, and it left a spicy tingle on the lips long afterward, making me think this would be a spicy smoke at the very least.

Light up was a challenge...I just about ran my Xikar Executive out of butane, but I finally got it evenly burning. Initial puffs seemed medium in body with a natural tobacco flavor mostly. There was a little dried fruit sweetness and a hint of cocoa powder in there, but understated. The spice was not nearly as strong as I expected on the palate, although it burned like Wasabi through the nose. By the time I was about halfway through the first third, I had a peppery burn at the back of the throat, but up front the smoke was sweet and creamy; dried fruit was apparent, but sweet, natural tobacco was the highlight. So far, the body had not really gone above the medium zone, which made me question the "powerhouse" description of this cigar. Maybe the strength and body comes on later?

And, indeed, a considerable amount of nicotine strength did crop up in the second and final thirds, but there still was not a full body to go along with it, showing that strong cigars do not necessarily have to be full bodied. I continued to get mostly a natural tobacco flavor along with plenty of sweetness in the mix. Overall, a very flavorful smoke but definitely not for the uninitiated smoker.

#CHAtweetup2011 Interview with Jon Huber, part 2

Let's be honest...this interview went a little longer than I had intended. The cool thing was that when we sat down it was more just "shooting the breeze"--on camera--than anything else. Other times I have had interviews scheduled, I went in with a list of questions to make sure I would have stuff to talk about, but I was so busy this time getting ready for the Tweet-Up, that I never got around to it...didn't matter...we ended up talking for over half an hour about cigars in general, cigar events, and Four Kicks. By the way, it was a great cigar and it will be worth the wait...only three months or so until the cigar-smoking public can get their mitts on them! I ended up editing quite a bit out of this half of the interview to get it under the 15 minute YouTube maximum, but I left in the important stuff.

If you missed "Part 1" click HERE.

Enough set-up...watch the video...

Thanks again to Jon for being at the first (annual?) Chattanooga Tweet-Up. I have one more video from the Tweet-Up that I'm hoping to post tomorrow...a little interview with Matt Booth, Booth interviewing me...and I'm really hoping the "night-shot" interview with Steve Ysidron from Savinelli came out good enough to show.

Cigar Review: J. Fuego Sangre de Toro

Corona, 5.5" x 46 ring gauge / approx. $6
Sangre de Toro, Spanish for "bull's blood"
I had my first taste of bull's blood a couple months ago on a trip to Nashville. Hanging out at UPtowns Smoke Shop for the afternoon I smoked one and completely spaced on buying a second for a review...so I have to thank my blogging partner, Keith, for sending this one my way so I can verify my own thoughts in the review format (thanks, Keith!). First, the name: yes, bull's blood sounds gruesome and kind of gross, but maybe it is some kind of macho slang in Spanish-speaking countries. Besides there are other parts of the bull that would be have been worse to include in a cigar's name...maybe that's being saved for the 8 x 80 version? According to our friend at acigarsmoker.com, this cigar is a Nicaraguan Puro, featuring Colorado wrapper, Corojo binder, and Colorado and Corojo filler.

The first thing that struck me was just how oily this wrapper was. It shone in the light and I could feel it under my fingertips. When I held it to my nose, I got notes of leather and earth along with something sweet, but hard to define. On the foot, that sweetness was more chocolatey, but I also got more earthiness there. The color was a medium brown with darker coloration around the medium sized veins; it made the veins stand out easily. Despite my normal reservations about v-cutting smaller ring gauge cigars, I did so on this one. My first experience with one of these cigars was plugged...the store manager let me get another one that wasn't so bad, but even it was tighter than I prefer, so I figure to take no chances here. The draw was more than adequate and tasted of natural tobacco and earth with just a hint of cocoa powder.

The initial puffs on the Sangre were full of oily, mouth-coating smoke that gave a first impression of a full bodied cigar. Flavors of leather and natural tobacco were more prevalent on the mouth, while earth and an intense pepper spice came through the nose. By the end of the first third, the body had settled a little to a medium to full level, while some chocolate flavor came through on the palate, accented by a spicy burn on the front of the tongue.

As the second third started I noticed a very distinct hickory flavor come through. Sort of strange, but not unwelcome as it just kind of morphed into existence and seemed a nice change from the cocoa notes earlier. The retrohale had a roasted nuttiness and lacked any spice by this pointless. The draw was perfect on this cigar and while the burn line was not razor straight, it was even enough not to cause me to have to babysit.

The hickory combined with sweetness gave off almost a BBQ flavor as the last third started, and the peppery burn was a nice red chili pepper note. Needless to say this is one of the savoriest cigars I've had in quite some time...and it was making me hungry! I am glad that the Sangre de Toro tasted more like meat than its namesake blood and I can see myself buying lots of these as time goes by. I am especially interested to see what the blend is like in the Originals size that is supposed to be hitting stores soon. The body never got out of the medium to full range and there was no real nicotine hit, but novices should probably steer clear.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
 

#CHAtweetup2011 - Jon Huber talks about the StogiesReviewGuys

I had so much interview footage that I had to cut a few pieces out and post them separately from the main Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview. To set this up...Jerry and Brian had decided to sit in on part of my interview with Jon Huber, so I did an impromptu PSA for StogieReview.com. Everything was fine until I asked "What more could you want?"

#CHAtweetup2011 Interview with Jon Huber, part 1

Over the last couple years of living in Tennessee, it has been my pleasure to get to know some of the people in the cigar industry in this state...and we know that circle is actually pretty small. I first met Jon Huber about 16 months ago when he was working for his former employer and a group of us visited HQ on our way to Cigar Fest up in Pennsylvania. Since then, we've met and/or talked on 4 or 5 occasions and I've gotten some pretty interesting e-mails like, "What do you think of E.P. Carrillo's cigars?" I guess we know what the point of that e-mail was now! :)

When we were first planning the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, Jon was the first person I called to be a "special guest" and he agreed immediately. As we sit here in late summer, the Crowed Heads launch is getting closer and he is getting ever busier, but he was still gracious enough to take time to drive down from Nashville to hang with a bunch of other cigar geeks and to sit with me and chat for close to half an hour.

With all the activity going on before and during the Tweet-Up, I did not think to double-check my equipment...and one of my microphone batteries went out about half-way through the interview. Fortunately, it was at a good point to break for a couple minutes and then continue...so, today, we have the first half or so and tomorrow we'll have the second half.

Note: As I worked on editing this piece, I really noticed how bad the lighting was. Sorry. It looked better in the room at the time and that camera has done great low-light work before. Just a reminder that this is "Amateur Hour at the Met" and we have basically zero budget...still, the audio and video are synced, so that's something. :)

Cigar Extra: PDR Capa Oscura

Torpedo, 6.5" x 52 ring gauge / $8, approx

I was looking through my humidor trying to find something to review. This caught my eye and I remembered Dave had done a review on a different size which can be found here.

This cigar is quite the looker. It has a nice dark brown wrapper with a slightly reddish tint that is nicely set off with the red and silver bands. There were some slight veins but they didn't detract from the cigar. The roll was nice and even as well. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I was able to detect a slight amount of give with no soft spots. Putting my nose to the wrapper I got notes of cedar and leather with the same coming from the foot, probably because the extra wrapper leaf was folded over the foot of the cigar. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got a slight tastes of molasses and chocolate with an ok draw.

Once I lit it up I got a good amount of spice from it especially from the retrohale. Taking a few more puffs on it I'm able to taste chocolate, leather and earth all with a slightly sweet finish. The draw opened up nicely after I lit it up and it produced a lot of smoke. It also produced a lot of resting smoke, which had the aroma of grilled meat. The ash was very white and needed to be tapped off after three quarters of an inch.

The second third saw the cigar continue on well. The spice was still present but it was more on the tongue. I was getting the flavors of leather, grilled meat and cinnamon. The burn was pretty much perfect at this point.

The final third was pretty similar to the second third. The one change was the strength built a little bit. I would call this cigar medium body while it was medium-full in strength.

Overall this was quite an enjoyable cigar. However it wasn't one to blow my socks off. I would definitely like to try this cigar in other sizes. Now just to find someone who sells it.

Crush & Roll West

For a brief moment, I thought I might actually be able to go to this event...really got my hopes up. I will be flying out to California for a long weekend (work-related, but also plenty of time to herf) in September, but it's the week after Crush & Roll West. If you are on the Left Coast, though, and you have any love for cigars and/or wine...you really ought to consider going. Following is the official press release:

Crush & Roll West: Central California Coast’s Premiere Cigar and Wine Event

For the third straight year, premium cigars AND wine will be featured in the county’s premiere cigar and wine event: Crush & Roll West. Hundreds are expected to turn out September 16 and 17 at the Paso Robles Fairgrounds to taste the best premium wines and cigars in the world. Cigar and wine tasting and cigar rolling demonstrations will entertain and delight, as cigar manufacturers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica will be on hand to provide their hand crafted cigars.

For even more fun, we will feature an exciting inaugural poker tourney with great prizes. There will also be entertainment, raffles of cigars, wines and accessories, and educational seminars.

Cost for the 2-day event is just $125 per person and will include wine and cigar tasting, music, live and silent auctions, raffles, seminars, a commemorative wine glass, and more.

Crush & Roll is quickly becoming one of the most popular cigar festivals, and with good reason. It’s attracting COUPLES. Why? Because the festival attracts wine connoisseurs who find out that they also like cigars, and cigar aficionados who enjoy vino. "I am always pleasantly surprised by how many wine drinkers are newly exposed to fine handmade cigars and how many cigar smokers are newly exposed to premium wines. Each year I speak to more people who have smoked their very first cigar at our event," says David “Doc” Diaz, one of the event promoters. “There are so many similarities between the two industries: both are harvestable products, both are blended, fermented, aged, and can be enhanced with proper aging. These are two artisanal crafts and they make excellent partners.”

The festival is priced right too. Tickets are $125 and get you cigars, wine, and a one-year complimentary membership to Cigar Rights of America (one of the event’s sponsors) and all the other festivities of a great event.

Part of the proceeds for Crush & Roll West will go to this year’s benefactor: Project Mañana, a non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to bettering the lives of impoverished children, their families and communities through nutrition, education, and guidance. For more information, visit the event website at: http://www.crushandrollwest.com, or email Christina Fontecchio of The Boss Cigars Arroyo Grande, CA at Christina@crushandrollwest.com or 805-474-1133.

#CHAtweetup2011 Photos

I like to take pictures, but I have to admit I just didn't get that many at the Tweet-Up this past weekend. Why? Well, I was very busy putting together cigar multi-packs, greeting guests, picking folks up at the airport, helping to get the prize table set up, conducting video interviews...things like that (as were Keith and Jerry most of the time...I won't say I was doing all this alone). Anyway...here are a few of the photos I took on Saturday:

Clint Aaron (262 Cigars) and Gary Griffith (Emilio Cigars)

Bill Campbell (?), Donovan Stapp, and Mike Nelson (Leaf & Ale)

Don't You Know Who I Am? Jerry McCruz (Swedish Hero / Stogie Review)

Nick Holloway (aka Slappy)

Z...just Z (Drew Estate)

Frank Duncan (and 2 Charlies)

Dave Lafferty (Drew Estate) and Brian Hewitt (Stogie Review)

Nicole and Nate McIntyre (Panacea Cigars, Emilio Cigars, The Smoky Life)

Kristin and Clint Aaron

There are a few more photos available to view on my Flickr page: HERE

If anyone else took pictures at the Tweetup and wants to provide a link where we can view them, please let me know, either through a comment or an e-mail and I'll get links posted here. Thanks!

P.S. Twitter names? You say I should add Twitter names for all the folks pictured above? Makes sense...after all, it was a "Tweet" Up!
@262Cigars
@EmilioCigar
@wecampbell
@LeafAndAle
@MagicMan2009
@SlappyMcDougal
@jcruz
@zevffrey
@franksellsnash
@Drew_Estate_Dav
@brianhewitt
@cnicolemcintyre
@cigarnate

Cigar Review: El Titan de Bronze Redemption Maduro

Coronita, 5.5" x 44 ring gauge / $5.80, Silo Cigars
And so we come to the final review-purchase cigar I found at my visit to Silo Cigars in Knoxville a couple months ago; if you didn't hear me say it before, listen now: Silo carries a unique array of smokes that can be very hard to find elsewhere in the area...this Titan de Bronze is but one example. The Redemption Maduro consists of Nicaraguan filler and binder along with a Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper leaf. El Titan de Bronze has been in business in Miami since 1995 and all their cigars are rolled there by Level 9 rollers, using the Cuban entubado style of rolling filler and triple caps on each cigar.

Although a Maduro, this Redemption did not look like what American consumers might normally expect from a Maduro. To wit, it was not all that dark. The color was a medium brown with a bit of darker mottling, but almost more of a Sungrown appearance than what we have come to expect from most non-Cuban cigars (Cuban Maduros tend to be lighter like this). Since Maduro means "ripe" and not "dark," though, I thought this is probably a good thing...at least we can be reasonably sure they are not dying the wrappers. The look was fairly dry, but the feel was fairly oily and almost velvety. The banding was classy and simple...conveying a feeling of elegance simply because it doesn't try hard to look expensive. Under the nose, the body of the cigar had notes of wood and earth, with just a touch of spicy cocoa powder; the foot had a distinctly earthy manure note to it. After clipping with my Xikar Xi cutter, the cold draw was easy and had a flavor of natural tobacco along with a sweet note that was almost a mixture of mocha and grass...odd, but very nice.

Initial puffs on the Redemption had a grassy taste up front with a cool, almost minty backside and finish...something I can't say I've ever experienced before. Further puffing revealed more cedar on the palate; something about it here was putting me in mind of a menthol coolness which is where I was picking up mint before. There was plenty of roasted nuts and red pepper on the retrohale. So far, this cigar did not taste like almost any Maduro in my memory, either. By the end of the first third, the flavor was exhibiting lots of earthiness and spice, tasting more like a Sungrown wrapper than a Maduro. This made me think of the Davidoff Maduro which actually is a Sungrown wrapper sold as a "Natural Maduro." Despite the discrepancy in leaf name to flavor, though...I was enjoying it.

In the second third the earthiness did develop into more traditional Maduro flavors of cocoa powder and dark roast coffee, although without much of the sweetness I also associate with Maduro. There was some sweetness, to be sure, but just the smallest amount necessary to balance out the more bitter flavors. A bit of spice endured as well, mostly on the palate, while the retrohale was more nutty than anything else. The construction was superb...perfect burn line, strong ash and a draw with just enough resistance. The cigar had smoked slowly and evenly so far.

Spice came roaring back on the palate during the last third with the cocoa powder taking a more supporting role. On the nose, the smoke was still quite nutty. Overall, the Redemption Maduro was an very good cigar even if it was more Sungrown than Maduro in flavor profile. The body was medium to full and there was a bit of nicotine strength, though not so much that it became overwhelming. This is definitely a cigar that I would buy again, perhaps in a different vitola to see if the Maduro flavor would come through better.

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

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

Cigar Preview: La Flor Dominicana Colorado Oscuro #5

Gran Toro, 5.75" x 60 ring gauge / $7.90, MSRP

I'd like to thank Tony Gomez at LFD for sending this sample my way. This is one of their new releases from the most recent IPCPR show. It is comprised of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers with a Dominican Sumatra binder, all wrapped in an Ecuadorian Ligero Sumatra leaf. It comes packed in cabinets of 50 and comes in four sizes; 4.25 x48 #2, 5"x50 #3, 5.25"x 54 #4, and the one I smoked here the 5.75"x60 #5.

Overall this cigar is similar in appearance to the L-500 Cabinet. The wrapper is lighter in color and has a golden cast to it though. There is also some lighter mottling to it. There is a good amount of oils to it along with some medium veins. The band is slightly different with it's background color being a medium brown instead of burgundy. The cigar was fairly firm with squeezed with only one soft spot near the bottom edge of the band. The cigar wasn't very aromatic to the nose, I was just able to get a small amount of cedar from the wrapper with cedar and leather from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got a perfect draw with the taste of bitter chocolate. I enjoyed this cigar with a glass of Maker's Mark bourbon.

As soon as I lit the cigar up I got an intense amount of spice especially on the retrohale. The tastes of earth and leather started to come through on the palate. After about a quarter inch I was getting a slight metallic taste. It wasn't unpleasant, just not something I get a lot. At the start of the cigar I would put it at the upper end of medium in regards to strength and body. The ash was fairly white in color with some black and brown flecks in it. It needed to be tapped off after about three quarters of an inch.

The second third saw the cigar settle down a bit. I wasn't getting as much spice. The flavors were mainly of earth and cinnamon. The draw continued to be perfect and the burn was just slightly wavy. I did start experiencing a slight nicotine hit as I got into the second third.

As I progressed into the final third the spice started to come back. It was the predominate flavors in the final third of the cigar. I was getting some sweet tobacco, earth, and cinnamon but they were in the background. The nicotine hit was definitely strong as I finished up the cigar. I would say the body of the cigar was at the upper end of medium while the strength was definitely full.

I would definitely like to try another one of these, especially since the show doesn't make it easy for the cigars to be handled perfectly. The perfect construction and pleasant flavors need to be explored more. I would caution only those who aren't into full strength cigars to not pick this cigar up, all others go for it.

#CHAtweetup2011 Tweets

When using the #CHAtweetup2011 hashtag to search for stuff related to this year's Tweet-Up, lots of stuff came up...here are a few highlights:

@jcruz: Looks like @OlivaAllan is gonna do a strip show #CHAtweetup2011 @OlivaDave @OlivaIan

@dmjones1009: Falling behind...this @ToranoFamCigars Loyal is only my 4th cigar today. #CHAtweetup2011  http://t.co/yxe9Wsg

@jeffjumper: Burns panorama. #CHAtweetup2011 http://t.co/KeWTXXt

@OlivaAllan: #CHAtweetup2011 @burnstobacco99 is the place to be now & tomorrow. If you miss this event you'll be sorry. Excellent deals happening now!

@CigarNate: #chatweetup2011 ppls... are you actually talking to each other or sitting quietly and tweeting? #fighttheurge

@JustJoeEd: #CHAtweetup2011 Namakubi! Hell to the yeah! http://t.co/GI3M6H5 @Room101Cigars

@live4: #chatweetup2011 smokin it up already in Choo Choo town @primermundo just smoked a little Havana liga Miami awesome !

@jcruz: Baseball + Cigars = #CHAtweetup2011  http://t.co/t9ILz1l

@SlappyMcDougal: Oh, just chillin' in a Chattanooga Lookouts luxury suite with beers & cigars. #ChaTweetUp2011 #JealousMuch?  http://t.co/zqs6cK6

@SlappyMcDougal: Oh, just discussing the industry with @LFDJustin & @OlivaAllan. What are you doing? #ChaTweetUp2011 #WishYouWereHere

@dmjones1009: Last cigar of the night (probably) La Palina Cigars El Diario #CHAtweetup2011  http://t.co/rT49W7B

@CigarGirlFL: Had a great time today, but puttered out. Resting up for day 2 of #CHAtweetup2011

@SlappyMcDougal: I'm at the Waffle House. @Buckheadcigar would approve. #ChaTweetUp2011

@TrevorBurk: To all you guys who enjoy cigars and you didn't come to #CHAtweetup2011 this year, you are missing alot of fun and some great cigars.

@cnicolemcintyre: An "intense spanish lessons" sign in Athens, AL prompted very loud Spanish speaking with @CigarNate. ¡OLE! #roadtrip #chatweetup2011

@JustJoeEd: http://t.co/Q3QNYY7 Sick @Room101Cigars  Brass knuckle cutters that came with the box of Namakubi purchased at the #CHAtweetup2011

@LeafAndAle: @wecampbell and I are on our way to ChattVegas for the #chatweetup2011. Smoke 'em if ya got 'em!

@jcruz: Day 2 of #CHAtweetup2011 starts with a Grimalkin by @EmilioCigar  http://t.co/wklDo7z

@dmjones1009: Weird...if we take @EmilioCigar out in the sun, he sparkles. WTF? #CHAtweetup2011

@franksellsnash: Relaxing at the #CHAtweetup2011

@jcruz: Me and @tmeadors representing @CigarRights Ambassadors here at the #CHAtweetup2011

@CaseyMotorcars: #CHAtweetup2011 Relaxing in a barber chair next to Charlie, getting ready to smoke this day up right.

@dmjones1009: If you see a blue haze over Chattanooga today, don't worry it's just #CHAtweetup2011

@JustJoeEd: #cigar#4 #CHAtweetup2011 Namakubi Tiburon lit of course with a #BigAss lighter! http://t.co/0gL0Ia9 GUY! ;-)

@primermundo: #CHAtweetup2011 part 2...  Tha saga continues!! @live4 @CigarLaw @262Cigars @Room101Cigars @Drew_Estate_Dav on deck

@brianwerf: #CHAtweetup2011 @TheCrownedHeads Nice to meet you and thanks for the hat!

@SlappyMcDougal: @trevorburk's cousin, who didn't smoke before today, won $200+ of cigars/swag. I hate him. #ChaTweetUp2011

@auximage: @burnstobacco99 Thanks for putting on a hell of an event. #CHAtweetup2011 #cigars

@primermundo: Hangin with @JustJoeEd & the trooper @SandiTurnipseed who traveled from New York 4 the #CHAtweetup2011... Commitment!!!

@cnicolemcintyre: Score. The concierge just complimented me on my dress. Granted, he seems to be the type that, ahem,  enjoys fashion. #CHAtweetup2011

@franksellsnash: Had a great time meeting everyone today at the #CHAtweetup2011  Looking forward to next years!

@EmilioCigar: Happy Sunday everyone. Heading home after #CHAtweetup2011 . Great job . Kudos to all who organized and participated.

@franksellsnash: Fully intend on drinking 10 cups of coffee this morning.  The #CHAtweetup2011 wore me out!

@petzilla: @SandiTurnipseed @LitLifestyle I heard great things about from #CHAtweetup2011 froom @jeffjumper & @CigarGirlFL & Burns Downtown!

@CigarLaw: @Lcdccigars says good bye and thank you to #chatweetup2011 http://t.co/1JsSMt9

@Cigar_Man_1: It's almost 4 pm and the recovery is in full swing... The #CHAtweetup2011 was a epic success. Can't wait till next year!

@trevorburk: To everyone who miss the #CHAtweetup2011 you missed alot of very pretty lady's smoking cigars which was very nice to see all of the enjoying

@franksellsnash: @OlivaAllan Firing up an Oliva V, while reminiscing on the #CHAtweetup2011

Chattanooga Tweet-Up 2011 - Debriefing

Keith and I started the party a little early. He rolled into town Thursday afternoon. I took a half day off of work and drove down shortly afterward. And by 4:00, we had both smoked the new Room 101 Namakubi and bought a box. Matt Booth of Room 101 Cigars (and Silver) would be in town on Friday, but Burns Tobacconist received a large shipment of Namakubi in advance of the 1st Annual (?) Chattanooga Tweet-Up...the first store in the country to get them. Thursday night we got to hang out with Dave Lafferty and Zev Kaminetsky from Drew Estate and take part in Member Night, featuring a dinner of fried calamari and coconut shrimp. Then Thursday was done and the real party started early Friday morning, lasting through late-night Saturday and even early Sunday morning. I'm not going to try to tell that whole story today...I will spread out some of the info throughout the week, including some video, some photos, and a long interview I had with Jon Huber of Crowned Heads.

For today I just wanted to throw a few things out there...

Matt Allen, manager of Burns East, told me that he believes there were between 85 and 100 people that showed up for the Tweet-Up, with about 50 of those being locals. That means somewhere between 35 and 50 people traveled some distance to attend the event. I know for a fact that folks were there from New York, Delaware, Mississippi, Texas and Florida, in addition to Keith who came from California, and all our "not so far, far away" folks from Nashville, Knoxville, and Atlanta.

I wish to extend a very big "THANK YOU" to all those who came to our fair city from any distance. You made this event a success.

THANK YOU also to all those from Chattanooga and the surrounding area that were part of this and offered such great hospitality to those from out of town.

THANK YOU to all our special guests, brand owners and company reps that came to the event: Jon Huber, Matt Booth, Frank Herrera, Clint Aaron, Sean Williams, Gary Griffith, Dave Lafferty, Zev Kaminetsky, Allan Buelvas, Clay Roberts, Nate McIntyre...and I know I'm forgetting at least a couple, but my cat ate my list, so please bear with me.

THANK YOU to my partners in crime...or at least in organizing and promoting this event, Keith Hollar, Jerry Cruz and Brian Hewitt. And thanks to all the others who lent a hand by running blog postings or constantly beating the drums about the event on Twitter.

THANK YOU to all the sponsors for providing so much great stuff. We had a total of 18 cigar vendors, plus a sponsor to keep all those sticks humidified. You all made many people very happy.

Some of you already know that we are looking at making this an annual event....what you may not know is that planning for next year's event will be starting very soon. I will be the first to admit that not everything turned out exactly as we had hoped this year (although most everything was far better!), so in an endeavor to not make the same mistakes next year (we would rather make new mistakes than repeat the old ones), we want your feedback...

If you came to the Tweet-Up, please let us know what we did right and what we did wrong...and what we may have done right, but could possibly do better! If you couldn't come to the Tweet-Up for some reason, can you tell us what would have changed your minds and gotten you into town?

Whatever you want to say, WE WANT TO HEAR! Good, bad, or otherwise...we really need your feedback to make next year's event bigger and better in any way possible. Leave a comment below if you can...I know sometimes the comments section is a little picky as to who it wants to allow access to and I apologize. If the comments section doesn't work for you or if you just want your comments made more private, please drop me an e-mail at tikibaronline@mac.com.

Cigar Preview: Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva

Toro, 5.75" x 54 ring gauge
Several people have indicated that the Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva is one of the best cigars to make it's way out of this year's big show, but it seemed to fly in under the radar. I heard nothing about it prior to the show...yes, it did appear in a couple places, but it wasn't made a big deal and there are only so many things I can get to stick in my brain, so...no, I did not hear anything about it prior to the show. Despite its presence here now, I still don't know much about it. From the fact that it's a Casa Fernandez blend, it can be surmised that it is Nicaraguan, in part if not in whole. How many sizes will it come in and when will it hit store shelves? I don't know.

The wrapper was oily and lumpy, good sized veins popping out like the veins on your boss's forehead when you really screw up. The aromas from both wrapper leaf and foot were mild and subdued, but I got a certain grassy quality on the body and some mocha from the cut ends of the filler. After seeing Arsenio and Aganorsa Leaf releases last year that were quite dark, this cigar seems very light. Not Connecticut Shade gold, but only a few steps above that, really, and not really a medium brown at all. The cold draw was easy and had a sweet, almost honey-like flavor...reminding me a bit of something I smoked not too long ago, but that I can't talk about right now.

That impression didn't last very long, though, as the cigar opened up with a blast furnace of spice, both on the mouth and on the nose...it was almost too painful to retrohale, in fact. On the palate I also got earthy and leathery notes...really leather, like I was chewing on a wallet or something. Before long I started to get some other flavors, though...something sweet coming through on the palate. It took about 10 minutes for the spice to die down enough that other stuff really came through well, but when it did, this Miami Reserva had notes of hay, honey, earth, and a spicy undertone that was all very well balanced...very nice.

As time went on, I found myself mostly enjoying this cigar. It was full flavored and very complex with flavors that seemed to dance in and out of the picture almost constantly. I did get a little tunneling, but a few touch ups kept the burn line good enough for government work. I am curious to see what this blend might be like in other vitolas. And I am anxious to try it again...while I can't say I enjoyed every bit of it, it intrigued me like few other cigars in recent memory have. Very interesting to say the least...just want to know when we will see more of them.