Cigar Previews: Bandolero

This could be a very short pair of previews...I could find literally no information on this cigar brand online apart from a trademark filing. Like the other IPCPR samples I've been going through, Keith picked these up for me while he was there working for Maxamar in Orange, CA. As I wrote this intro, I received some info, but apparently none of it was for reprint, so I will continue what is essentially a blind review.

TABACOS BANDOLERO SELECCION ESPECIAL 50

This sample labeled "50" appeared to be a Connecticut Shade wrapper and also appeared to have immaculate construction. It was oily and had a nice ripe smell on the foot. The prelight draw was excellent and the flavor was interesting...citrus--lemon and orange--along with hay and bits of earth and spice. After lighting, it seemed much like another of the "new breed" Connecticuts in many ways: medium in body, a bit of spice, but mostly creamy, sweet flavors.

And that's the way it continued for the remainder of the cigar. This was definitely not a bad cigar, but I wonder if it brings anything new to the table. Depending on price point (which no one could seem to give me a clue about) it is either a solid smoke or priced out of the market that would appreciate it.

BANDOLERO SELECCION ESPECIAL 54

So this Bandolero has the same name and band design as the other, just substituting the number, which appears to be a ring gauge designation. The wrapper obviously is much different, appearing to probably be a Maduro of some variety, although it could be a Sungrown, or even potentially just classified as Oscuro. The aroma of it was sweet and chocolatey, though, so I'm going to guess "Maduro" until I light it up and see how it smokes. It was oily and smooth and had every appearance again of being extremely well put-together.

The cold draw said "Maduro" again with its semi-sweet chocolate flavor. Maybe a little Nicaraguan earthiness to it as well. After lighting, I got more sweet chocolate notes and definitely some earth; through the nasal passages, there was a nice hit of pepper spice. I will go out on a limb and say this is heavy in the Nicaraguan leaf and that it is a Brazilian Maduro wrapper...but I could just be blowing smoke! I did know that I was enjoying it immensely in the first few puffs.

As I burned through the Bandolero 54, I did notice the flavor profile change from the sweet chocolate to more of an earth with a persistent spiciness. Keith suggested via Twitter that it might be a Corojo wrapper and by the midway point, I thought he might be right...Corojo almost like the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo, which also has a lot of sweetness to it. Hard to know for sure...but it was still very enjoyable, and something I could recommend at around $10, give or take.

Cigar Review: 7-20-4 Lancero

Note: I apologize for the inconsistencies in publishing this week...a missing post, pictures not loading, general strangeness...call it an extended cigar hangover from the Chattanooga Tweet-Up last weekend. For whatever reason this is when my computer's hard drive chose to take the dirt nap. Combine that with a fried palate from smoking too many cigars over the last weekend and a massive pile of work and I just haven't been able to get back in the groove with regard to what happens here. This review was written before the Tweet-Up, but I got to meet Kurt Kendall at the event and got to tell him how I felt about this one in person (always great to do that when you love a cigar...when you don't really like it, it's funny how you keep avoiding that person). I know some want to hear about the Tweet-Up itself...hopefully I'll be able to post that article over the long holiday weekend...

Lancero, 7.5” x 38 ring gauge / $8.80, Burns Tobacconist

Who’s always a sucker for a good Lancero? That’s right...this guy is! On a regular basis, I end up buying more Coronas, Corona Gordas and Robustos for a couple reasons: first, most sticks are available in those sizes...moreso than are available as Lanceros anyway; second, they are less prone to the construction issues that Lanceros can have...namely, tight draw. When a Lancero is working right there is hardly a vitola better in the universe, but getting a 38 or 40 ring gauge stick to draw exceptionally is not something a roller learns to do overnight. I’ve looked at the original blend of 7-20-4 in the past, but I wanted to give it a fresh look since it is now available in this size. For this blend, the filler is from Columbia, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua; the binder is Costa Rican; and the wrapper is Brazilian Mata Fina. I’ve had this blend several times before, but this sample is my first Lancero, which I bought at Burns in Chattanooga.

This 7-20-4 Lancero came wrapped in a cedar sheath with a red ribbon footband. The presentation was nice, but taking it off revealed the real beauty: the Brazilian wrapper beneath. It was a brown just a shade darker than milk chocolate with plentiful oils and no out-sized veins. Giving it a good sniff, I got a sweet earthy smell on the wrapper, while the earthiness on the foot was more of a ripe barnyard note. I clipped and found the draw to be excellent. The cold draw flavor was a slightly sweet, with a bit of sour zing and almost a chalkiness to it.

I lit the Lancero with a soft-flame Xikar EX. From the start I got a spicy kick through the nose and a sweet and sour combo on the palate...notes of chocolate and citrus, and some more bitter notes of black coffee, as well. Overall a very nice intro to this cigar, starting things off with lots of complexity. As the first third burned on, I picked up more of a raisin note to the sweet and sour, and less of the coffee. So far I was enjoying this more than any other size of 7-20-4, including the famous Dog Walker.

The flavor profile didn’t change much during the second third, but that wasn’t a totally bad thing as I was still really liking the flavors it served up: more raisin and some anise. Construction was superb, especially for this vitola. So far, I had experienced a strong ash, flawless draw and very even burn line that needed no touching up.

Again, the final third did not see much in the way of flavor change, but despite its relative lack of complexity I did enjoy the 7-20-4 Lancero as it continued to deliver a nice medium-plus bodied flavor profile of dark fruit and black licorice along with more subtle notes of earth and coffee. This was my favorite size I’ve had so far of the original 7-20-4 blend and I was very pleased to find zero construction problems. I will definitely be smoking more of these in the future...along with the Dog Walker, essentially the same cigar but about half the length...I call those “Half Lanceros.” There was not so much body or strength that anyone but absolute newbies would be affected by either; in fact, this may serve well as a “step up” cigar for those wanting to graduate out of strictly mild-bodied cigars.

Body: 6/10

Strength: 4/10

Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9.5/10

Cigar Review: My Father Cigars La Dueña

Robusto, 5” x 50 ring gauge / $8.95, Burns

While browsing the humidor at Burns this past weekend I saw they had received these cigars already.  I enjoyed the one I had at the show and was looking forward to giving them a try when they showed up in stores.  I picked up this robusto and smoked it after I got back home from #CHATweetup2012.  The cigar is a joint venture between Pete Johnson and Janny Garcia and is produced in the My Father Cigars factory.  The cigar is comprised of a Connecticut broadleaf and Nicaraguan fillers and binder all with a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper.  According to Pete this cigar is a cross between the La Riqueza and La Casita Criolla.  The cigar comes in 5 sizes and they are all in 21 count boxes.  This was the first production release I smoked.

The first thing I notice is the band and it's sharp contrast to the dark chocolate brown wrapper of the cigar.  The band reminds me of the old style cameo jewelery.  The wrapper was fairly smooth with only some fine veins present.  The wrapper also had a good amount of oils and a small amount of tooth to it.  When I gave the cigar a squeeze I got a slight amount of give with no soft spots.  Putting my nose to the wrapper brought about aromas of cedar and leather while I got a slight barnyard from the foot.  After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got the taste of milk chocolate with a good draw.

Lighting it up brought about tastes of chocolate and leather with a sweet finish.  The spice was strong on the tongue, and especially the retrohale which had a wasabi like burn.  After taking a couple more puffs some cinnamon started to come through.  The cigar started off at the upper end of medium.  By the end of this third the spice had died down, but had not gone away.

As I moved into the second third the flavors changed slightly.  I still got the chocolate, leather and cinnamon but I started to get some earth and coffee flavors too.  The finish was very sweet.  The strength gained a bit but not a lot.  The draw was good while the burn was slightly uneven.

The final third didn't see any change in the flavors.  That wasn't a bad thing as I was really enjoying this cigar.  I did start getting a slight nicotine hit too.  The burn did even itself out as I moved into this third.

Overall I really enjoyed this cigar.  I look forward to giving more of them a try and seeing how the different sizes effect the blend.  I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially those that like Connecticut broadleaf.  It however might be a bit too strong for the those most sensitive to strength. 

Body: 8/10

Strength: 8/10

Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9.5/10

Cigar Review: Emilio Draig K

Today on the Tiki Bar Online we will have another review from Skippy Chapman (@AshevilleSmoke).  Dave and I would like to thank Skip for submitting this review.  So enjoy and give him some comment love! 

Toro, 6" x50 Ring Gauge / $10

Emilio, the new kid with serious clout on the boutique block, recently released the limited Draig K.  And I'm sure you've noticed the buzz about this company and it's latest offering all over the web. So, with this kind of excitement, I decided to pop over to a local cigar shop to pick it up and tried it out in the Toro size.  (Now, there was a notice from Emilio that unfortunately the cigars were a little damp from when they were shipped and that the cigars should be given 3-4 days to dry out a bit.  I dry boxed mine for 2 days before trying it because I wanted to review it before #CHAtweetup2012.) I ended up pairing this with Chivas Regal 12 year Scotch. 

Behind the pink dragon on the band (homage to Gary Griffith's Welsh heritage), the Draig K has a beautiful, slightly oily dark Colombian wrapper showing virtually no veins.  There didn't seem to be any issues with the wrapper or cap, but it was a bit springy from probably not drying it a little more.  I picked up notes of hay and probably the sweetest tobacco scent I've ever had.  I toasted the foot with relative ease and had a good amount of smoke as a result.

 Into the first third and I found a woody taste, like oak, as well as earthy notes.  I even found just a hint of chocolate as a treat.  However, I quickly found that I had a bit of a burn issue from the thick wrapper that was still a bit more moist than is ideal, but as I said, that was my fault for not giving it another day or so to dry as was suggested. Nothing that a quick touch up wouldn't fix.

Entering into the middle third, I got a nutty flavor and also discovered what I would consider a berry taste. More like a blueberry than blackberry or raspberry.  It almost felt like breakfast...but with scotch instead of O.J.   

Rounding out the cigar in the final third, oak returned with hints of leather, graham and chocolate.  Nothing was ever harsh as this seemed to be really well-balanced.  It was even milder than I thought it would be, but still on the medium/full side of things. It had a great draw throughout, and despite the touch-ups (which was more my fault for not wanting to wait another couple of days), this was a great cigar and something I would recommend.  

Body: 8/10

Strength: 5/10

Complexity: 9/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1 (I paid $10)

Total: 9.0/10

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: Guayacan Cigars

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

Our other new sponsor added over the last weekend is Guayacan Cigars, a company that was founded earlier this year by Noel Rojas, described by Frank Herrera as "a young Cuban cigar maker from Pinar del Rio."

At this point there is not much else to say except that he should have cigars coming to market soon and we hope to bring you some early reviews in the near future.

As you read this, the 2012 Chattanooga Tweet-Up is in full swing and it's a sure bet that everyone is enjoying themselves. I would like to take this opportunity to say "Thank You" again to all our sponsors.

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: Tarazona Cigars

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

Tarazona Cigars is one of two Tweet-Up sponsors that signed almost at the last possible minute. It excites all of us involved with the Tweet-Up that we have attracted the attention of companies large and small, old and new, to be part of this event and it's exciting to tell you that we have more than doubled the number of cigar sponsors from last year's event.

Tarazona Cigars is a Miami-based company that is passionate about their cigars and passionate about their pets. $5 of every box of Tarazona Cigars goes to the Humane Society of Greater Miami to help find happy homes for Pit Bulls.

They currently have 3 blends listed on their website: Classic, XTC, and 305. Keith reviewed a couple of these in the past few months:

Tarazona 305
Tarazona XTC

Cigar Previews: Old Blends, New Sizes

Today’s cigar previews from the IPCPR samples are not new names, but do represent some new sizes...

ROCKY PATEL VINTAGE 2003 CAMEROON 

This one isn’t a new blend, but it is new to me. By the time the Vintage 2003 made its debut a year or so ago, I had just about given up on Rocky Patel releases. There were just way too many every year and most were just not anything I would buy based on my preferred flavor profiles. When the Vintage 2003 Cameroon was announced, though, I did want to give it a try because I like Cameroon wrapper most of the time. My local shop never got them in and I eventually forgot about them...until this sample showed up in the mail in the box Keith sent (he is the opposite of me on most Cameroons...he doesn’t like most of them). Anyway, this year’s release is a Special Edition Box Press in 3 sizes...1,000 20-count boxes of each. I’m assuming none of the other specifics has changed, meaning that these have a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

The prelight draw was good; I definitely picked up on some Cameroon sweetness as well as a little earth and a hint of spice on the cold draw. After lighting, what came through first was the creaminess of the Dominican tobacco: a nice, mild grassiness. After a few puffs the sweet Cameroon flavor grew in strength and then the retrohale was dominated by a sharp spiciness characteristic of Cameroon wrapper. The spice didn’t last very long, though, and never manifested on the palate like some Cameroons do.

What this Vintage 2003 Cameroon turned out to be was a nice mild to medium bodied cigar with a Cameroon-flavored edge and hints of the earth and spice you would expect from the Nicaraguan filler. Based on this experience, I can’t see myself going out to find a box to buy, but it does represent a Rocky Patel smoke that I enjoyed quite a bit and that I would buy singles of in the future.

LA AROMA DE CUBA EL JEFE

Following the trend of “bigger is better,” La Aroma released the El Jefe (“the boss”) size in the original (red foot band) blend, and I saw one report that it would also be available in the EE and Mi Amor blends. I had the original, with Nicaraguan filler and binder along with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. It definitely looked imposing...almost like an LFD Digger, at 7” by 58 ring gauge (the digger is slightly larger around).

It was a challenge to get lit with a single flame lighter, but I did and I smoked it while driving down to Burns last Thursday evening. It lasted the whole way and then some...I was still smoking it half an hour after arriving (it’s a 45 minute drive). From the outset I was afraid that the flavor profile would be “dumbed down” by the large ring gauge and...I was right. If you like large ring gauge cigars (as it seems many people do), you might very well enjoy this, but to me, it just did not deliver the intensity of flavors that I get in the same blend in a Robusto.

It was earthy, there was some muted sweetness...maybe chocolatey at times. At one point, I got a very strong hit of anise...but overall, even at a price point of $7 a stick, I just can’t see myself buying these. I’d rather pay the same price for a Robusto...heck, I’d pay a buck more for a Robusto! Less tobacco, shorter smoking time...but better, more intense flavor...and that’s what it’s all about in my mind.

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: Padron

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

If you enjoy Nicaraguan cigars, then the Padron brand need no lengthy introduction. The company was started in 1964 by Jose Orlando Padron, who funded his tobacco company through carpentry. Instead of introducing two or three new lines every year, Padron has concentrated on making the lines they have the best they can be, from the original Padron series, through the 1964 Anniversary and Serie 1926 and the most recent blend, the Family Reserve, the Padron name has become synonymous with extraordinary quality cigars.

For the Tweet-Up this year, Jessica and Marcus Padron will be joining us, and the company is sponsoring the cigars for the Saturday evening liquor tasting with Chattanooga Whiskey Company. Fitting since Joe Ledbetter of CWC enjoys no cigars more than Padron 1964s.

Check out some of our previous reviews of Padron products here:

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: My Father Cigars

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

After becoming a household name (at least in cigar-smoking households) making cigars for other people, Jose Pepin Garcia decided to produce his own line of cigars, originally with the Blue Label, Cuban Classic and Series JJ (named after Garcia’s kids, Jaime and Janny). Jaime blended the original My Father to celebrate Don Pepin and gave the company its name in the process.

The My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua still makes cigars for many other vendors, but their “house” lines are just as widely respected, from the original trio, to the My Father and its offshoots, to the Jaime Garcia Reserve and the brand-new La Dueña.

My Father’s Vice President of Sales, Jose Ortega, is expected to be in town for the Tweet-Up. (And if you should be going through Knoxville on your way to or from the Tweet-Up, do make a point of stopping into Silo Cigars which is a My Father Lounge. Pick up the Lounge Edition cigar...you will not regret it!) Check out some of our past reviews of My Father products:

My Father
My Father, Cedros Deluxe
My Father El Hijo
My Father Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial
My Father - La Reloba Habano
My Father - La Reloba Selección Mexico
My Father - La Reloba Sumatra
My Father, Le Bijou 1922
My Father Le Bijou 1922 Box Press
My Father Limited Edition 2011
My Father Lounge Edition


Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label
Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic
Don Pepin Garcia El Rey de los Habanos
Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Little Robusto (Cigar Extra)
Don Pepin Garcia Vegas Cubanas

Flor de las Antillas
Flor de las Antillas (Cigar Extra)

Cigar Review: 7-20-4 1874

Corona Especial, 6” x 46 ring gauge / $8.95, Burns

Kurt Kendall introduced the 7-20-4 back into the cigar world in 2009 after the brand had lay dormant for over 45 years. The initial 6-country blend was well received but hard to find at first. Their retailer map now shows tons of stores east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason-Dixon Line, quite a few in the South, a smattering in the Midwest, a large gap in flyover country, and some stores on the Left Coast. So, if you haven’t tried them, you can almost definitely find a store near you or one that will ship to you...including our sponsor, Burns Tobacconist, where I bought this cigar. And speaking of this cigar, what we have here today is the recently released 1874 from 7-20-4. This is a Nicaraguan puro made with filler and binder from Esteli and Jalapa, along with a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper leaf. This review sample is the second of these I have smoked.

The packaging on these is immediately distinguishable from the original 7-20-4 series, while retaining a classic, old-school look to it. The wrapper leaf had a caramel color and was nicely oily to the touch. It had faint aromas of leather and natural tobacco, while the foot had a rich mix of chocolate, coffee and earth. My Xikar Xi gave me the usual quality cut and good draw. The prelight flavors were sweet with hay and molasses notes.

In the first few puffs of the 7-20-4 1874 I noted deep earthiness at the core with lighter sweet notes on top, a rich, natural tobacco and molasses. There was plenty of Nicaraguan pepper spice on the palate and on the nose the pepper felt like a full-on punch. The spice settled to a comfortable level soon enough and the cigar delivered great flavors of earth and black coffee and cocoa powder as the first third burned along. So far this was proving to be a great example of Nicaraguan tobacco without dipping into the deep end of the pool with very full body and strength; it was medium in body but full in flavor, reminding me somewhat of the Four Kicks, also Nicaraguan filler and binder and also with a Habano wrapper, but theirs grown in Ecuador instead of Nicaragua like this one. Not the exact same, mind you...but there were some similarities, and since the Four Kicks was my cigar of the year last year, I cannot count that as anything but a good thing.

As the second third reduced to ashes, I picked up more molasses sweetness and earth, while the spice reduced substantially. There were also notes of cedar and sweet natural tobacco. The construction was superb, featuring a great draw, very even burn line and an ash that held on for up to an inch.

The flavors didn't change much in the last third, but that was not a real problem since this 7-20-4 1874 tasted so good overall. This is a great cigar and easy to recommend to anyone but true newbies. It had a medium body and tons of great flavor throughout, without much nicotine strength to speak of--I had it on an empty stomach with no I'll effects whatsoever. Again I come back to comparing it with the Four Kicks...while this had a bit more of that "Nicaraguan"ness to it, it brought many of the same things to the table...just maybe a bit less sweetness, a little more earthiness. I will likely find myself coming back to this one again and again, though, as it was very enjoyable.

Body: 6/10

Strength: 4/10

Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9.5/10

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: Tiant Cigar Group

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

When I was born, Luis Tiant was already deep into a Major League Baseball career than spanned three decades. Tiant was born in Cuba and made his way to the United States through baseball, playing for the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins before landing in Boston, where he would become one of the most beloved pitchers in Red Sox history.

Luis smoked his first cigar at age 17 and it became a passion for him through the years...enough so that he started his own cigar company several years back. The original blends were distributed on a mostly regional basis, throughout the Northeast. Last year, the old blends were discontinued and new nationally distributed blends were formulated with the My Father Cigar Factory in Nicaragua.

We will be joined at the Tweet-Up by Luis’ son, Daniel Tiant, Founder and CEO of the Tiant Cigar Group. Check out our reviews of El Tiante Cigars:

El Tiante Habano Oscuro

El Tiante Habano Rosado

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: CLE and Asylum Cigars

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

Christian Eiroa became known in the cigar industry as the president of Camacho Cigars. He left the company after selling to Davidoff in 2008, but has now returned to the industry with a new company: CLE Cigars (CLE for Christian Luis Eiroa). He started with a simple question: “What would you do if you were able to do it all over again?” From that proceeded their mission statement: First, develop blends that are rich with complex taste profiles for all to enjoy; second, limit production to guarantee perfection; and, third, partner with tobacconists who truly believe int he at of cigar making.

Their initial releases are the Cuarenta (named for Eiroa’s 40th birthday in July) and the Corojo.

Asylum Cigars is the brainchild of Kevin Baxter and Tom Lazuka and is partnered with CLE Cigars and the Tabacaleras Unidas factory. They recently released the eponymous brand, a sibling brand “Asylum 13” and the Schizo. All have wallet-friendly price tags.

Christian Eiroa and Tom Lazuka are both expected to make the trip to Chattanooga for the Tweet-Up. We look forward to trying their new releases and offering some reviews in the near future.

Cigar Preview: Oliva V Melanio

This preview will be posting about the time I will be getting to the airport to head to Chattanooga by way of Atlanta for the Chattanooga Tweetup 2012!

I hadn't heard much about this cigar, other than it was going to be released, prior to getting a couple at the show.  From what I've been able to find this cigar is not a Nicaraguan puro like the regular V, but instead has a tweaked binder and filler blend with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.  The name of this release pays homage to the great grandfather of Gilberto Oliva.  All of the 5 sizes it will be originally released in are box pressed.  The prices range from around $8-$14, with this robusto has a MSRP of $9.50.  From what I understand this will be limited production cigar so they will only produce so many per year, but you should be able to get it on a semi regular basis.

The wrapper on this sample was lighter in color and more golden in color than the regular V.  It was fairly smooth except for a large amount of tooth, which had been flattened a bit by the very well done box press.  From the wrapper I got notes of sweet hay with an intense barnyard from the foot.  After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got notes of cocoa powder with some sweetness on the lips.

The cigar started off with an intense wasabi like spice.  It seemed to be a bit spicier than I remember from a regular V.  The flavors at the be beginning were of leather, cola, spice all with a sweet finish.  The draw started off great.  The burn not so much, but I honestly think it was my fault due to a bad light.  It starts off in the upper end of medium range.

The second third started off with the spice toning down with flavors of leather, earth, wood, and cinnamon with a pretty heavy sweetness coming through.  The amount of sweetness I was getting from this cigar was a lot more than I remember getting from the regular V.  It has been a little bit since I had one so I can't be too sure.

As I got into the final third the strength and spice did start to build.  I did get a slight amount of nicotine hit as well.  The flavors didn't change at all, except that they did get more intense.  I would say that this cigar finished at the bottom end of full.

Overall I really enjoyed this cigar.  I'm really looking forward to giving some of the other sizes a try once they come into the shop.  If you like the regular V I would highly recommend giving this a try.

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: General Cigars

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

General Cigar is no stranger to anyone reading this. Many of us, myself included, had our first “real cigar” experience with a General product...for me it was the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur. Throughout the years, General has provided well-made, consistent cigars for a wide range of palates.

For the traditional cigar smoker, General is sending us the Macanudo Cafe and Maduro in the new Gigante (6 x 60) size. While I am on the record as not being a fan of large ring gauge cigars, these did surprise me earlier this year when I reviewed them. They simply brought more flavor to the table than I had expected.

For the newer breed of cigar smoker, General is providing the Partagas 1848, the latest in a long line of cigars from that brand. To me, the 1848 is simply the best regular production release from General Cigar that I can ever remember, especially in the Petite Corona size.

Check out some of our reviews of Macanudo and Partagas products from the past:

Macanudo 1968

Macanudo 1968

Macanudo Cru Royale

Macanudo Crü Royale Gigante (Cigar Extra)

Macanudo Cafe & Maduro Gigantes

Partagas Benji Menendez Master Series
Partagas Cifuentes Noviembre
Partagas 1845

Update: After I finished writing this and just before it posted, I got the box from General Cigars delivered. To give credit where credit is due, I thought I would pass along the particulars as they did change somewhat since the original conversation. Partagas 1845s: check. Macanudo Maduro Gigantes: Check. Also some Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros...Nice! And a couple items for the Raffle Table: a box of La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obeliscos and a box of Partagas Decadas 1999...Very Nice!

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: Table 36

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

Hailing from the “Show Me State” Table 36 has a mission to provide “the opportunity for everyone, from novice to aficionado, to celebrate fellowship, freely honor tradition, and faithfully recognize the blessings we have been given.” Their story sounds very similar to us here at the Tiki Bar: a group of friends who would gather once a month to engage in fellowship and the smoking of many cigars.

They officially released their first cigar, “Fellowship,” in May 2012 and we were happy to hear from them about taking part in our event, which may be the ultimate fellowship experience around cigars to happen this year. We thank them and hope to publish a review of their line soon.

Cigar Previews: Villiger

Many might know Villiger for their popular dry-cured cigars that come in those yellow paper packages, but they started making premium cigars a few years back and are added to their portfolio at this year's IPCPR show:

VILLIGER COLORADO

This was a nice looking cigar, presented with classy double-banding that was heavy on the gold foil. The wrapper was mildly oily but had no flaws that I could see. I couldn't find much information on what Villiger released at the show this year...basically the only outlet that paid them any attention was halfwheel.com and for that I applaud them...it's good that someone took the time to visit some of the less-trafficked booths. They report that this cigar uses fillers from Jamastra (Honduras), Esteli and Ometepe (Nicaragua), along with two Nicaraguan binders (Esteli and Ometepe again), the finish it off with a Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper. I paired this cigar with a new whiskey purchase, Big Bottom Distillers' Port Cask Finished Bourbon (a full review on that will come in a few weeks).

The prelight draw on this was just about right...not too loose or too tight. I always go into a Nicaraguan-heavy stick thinking it will be earthy and spicy, but the cold draw on this was light and creamy with a sweet fruity note. The sweetness was a bit subdued after lighting, but definitely was still there. I did get some earthiness on the palate and a nice pepper bite on the retrohale.

The Villiger Colorado was a little less than typically Nicaraguan as I smoked through the first third and into the second. While the was definitely some earthiness and spice, there was a good deal of the dried fruit sweetness as well which definitely gave it something different. This was exacerbated by the sweetness of the spirit I was sipping. Overall I found this to be the best Villiger I had smoked to this point, but it maybe just missing the "great smoke" category by a little bit.

VILLIGER TALANGA

The Talanga is a more Honduran-biased cigar, with a Honduran Talanga wrapper and a Jamastran binder...but the filler is all Nicaraguan, from Esteli, Ometepe, and Condega. Presentation was again very nice, although this wrapper didn't look as oily and had more of a paper texture under the fingers. It had a faintly grassy aroma to it and the foot had more earth and a mild fruit note.

After lighting, I got a powerful pepper spice through the nose, and a little less spice on the palate. I got a little citrus and some sweeter fruit notes on the palate as well, showing the influence of the Honduran binder and wrapper, I would guess. Overall it began as medium bodied with some underlying earthiness from the Nicaraguan fillers, but so far the overall balance was unique and enjoyable.

By midway through, I could still say it was enjoyable, but I can't say I was head over heels for the Talanga. While good, it suffered from a muted flavor profile that I have found many times in Honduran-heavy sticks. If you love Hondurans, though, this may be right up your alley...medium-bodied, good flavor with a bit of Nicaraguan kick...but not too much.

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: Capadura

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

One of the later companies to sign up for Tweetup sponsorship was Capadura. “Who?” was my first response. Ruth Batista formed the Luba Corporation which makes Capadura. She was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and her family has been growing and processing tobacco for generations.

Ruth will be in Chattanooga for the Tweet-Up and I look forward to trying something from this new-to-me company. Their “Retail” page currently lists 16 shops, most in New York/New Jersey, Texas, or Florida. We hope to publish reviews of their cigars in the near future.

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: Rodrigo Cigars

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

George Rodriguez started the Rodrigo Cigar company after a fate-filled trip to the Dominican Republic. With no real plan or contacts, he boarded a plane to Santiago in a “seek and ye shall find” fashion, as he writes on the company’s website. He found what he needed and for that we can be thankful as he has now released three blends to a curious cigar connoisseurs: Habano Clasico, Boutique Blend, and La Fortaleza.

It was also on a whim that he told one of his reps to contact me several months ago to see about coming to the Tweetup. He just wanted to be there around other cigar smokers and if that meant buying a ticket, he would do so. Instead he is sponsoring our event and providing cigars for our multi-packs. I personally have had only the original Habano Clasico blend, but it was fantastic, so I am very eager to try some of the others. Stay tuned for those reviews and check out this one of the original:

Rodrigo Habano Clasico

TN Spirits: Jailer's Tennessee Whiskey

Image from company's website
www.tennesseespiritscompany.com

According to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Tennessee Whiskey is “a straight Bourbon Whiskey authorized to be produced only in the State of Tennessee.” This may come as a shock to some who believe it when told that Jack Daniels and George Dickel “are not Bourbon”...according to Federally established standards...they are. Most Tennessee Whiskeys do go through an additional process before being put in barrels, namely the “Lincoln County Process,” named for the county where Jack Daniel’s distillery was located before county lines were redrawn in 1871. This process features a dripping of the “white dog” through charcoal made of sugar maple before barreling. This tends to smooth out the whiskey and Bourbon purists would say that negates it from being Bourbon, but the folks who wrote the federal standards were apparently not Bourbon purists. Up until this year there were 4 Tennessee Whiskeys on the market--Jack Daniel’s, George Dickel, Prichard’s, and Collier and McKeel--all but Prichard’s uses the Lincoln County Process.

Enter 2012 and the Tennessee Spirits Company who are now selling “Authentic Jailer’s Premium Tennessee Whiskey.” This weighs in at 86 proof and about $20 to $25 a bottle and is bottled in...Pewaukee, Wisconsin. According to the TSC website, they are working on building a distillery in Pulaski, Tennessee, at the junction of Interstate 65 and  State Highway 64, but as of today that distillery is still just in the works as far as I can tell. I e-mailed one of the people listed on their “contacts” page a couple months ago when I bought this bottle and never received a reply. The question was: “Where exactly is the whiskey currently distilled?” Without a word to the contrary, we have to assume that it is made somewhere within the borders of the state of Tennessee, but I can’t say where at the moment.

TSC’s Master Distiller is Dave Scheurich, who came out of retirement to join the team. He was the general manager and distillery manager for Woodford Reserve previously. This whiskey does use the Lincoln County Method. That’s enough background...time to taste it!

The bottle is attractive and unique on the shelf, flaring up from a narrower bottom, almost in the shape of an old-time coffin until you get to the neck. There is a medallion under the words “The Tennessee Spirits Company” that appears to depict an old farm. Maybe it’s an image from the land where they are building the distillery? When they complete the build, I’ll try to schedule a trip down there and I’ll make sure to ask. This whiskey is a light amber color, making me think that they probably went for a relatively shorter barreling time...2 years, maybe 3 years.

When swirled in the glass, it has long, slow-moving legs, so it is apparently a fairly viscous fluid. On the nose, it has a lot of corn liquor and some oak aroma, while the vanilla you get from many Bourbons and Tennessee Whiskeys is almost nonexistent. First sip...very sweet with lots of corn up front and a mild spiciness. Holding it in my mouth, I got more of the vanilla flavors and a stronger oakiness on the palate as well as a nice burn as it evaporated from my lips and tongue. On the finish, I got a little graininess that again seemed to indicate that this is a relatively young whiskey. Maybe not as young as some of the stuff where small barrels are employed to accelerate the aging process, but definitely not as rich and smooth as something left in barrels to age longer.

The Jailer’s Tennessee Whiskey paired well with the Graycliff 300 “Silver” that I was smoking, with the sweetness in the two working very well together and the whiskey providing a good counterpoint to the spice and other flavor attributes of this medium-bodied smoke. To that end, this would work well with most cigars, as most Bourbons do, excepting the very mildest or very fullest cigars available.

#CHAtweetup2012 Updates

Sometimes it feels like I could have posted updates to the Tweetup every week or two...for the last week or two, there have been some updates that could have been posted almost every day. For all that are making the trip this week...never fear, we will make this event happen...but a few things seem to continue to be in flux right up until the last minute...

NEW SPONSORS
Yes, we got another new sponsor during the last week. My Father Cigars is going to join our list of premium cigar companies that is sending cigars, and Jose Ortega, Vice President of Sales, will be joining us.

Tom Lazuka of Asylum Cigars has also sent cigars our way and plans on being there.

You may have noticed General Cigars listed as a sponsor without anything more specific. We got verification late last week that the Partagas and Macanudo brands will be represented.

ABOUT THAT AFTERPARTY
Last week I posted an itinerary that showed that the After Party had been changed from our initial location (a night club that shall not be named) to a different location (a night club that shall not be visited). Unfortunately, that didn't last long...the place turned out to be...um..."unsuitable for our purposes." So it has changed to the Fox and Hound, where we will have a private section with smoking allowed and our own DJ. Here's a revised After Party flyer if you want to look at it:

Afterparty Flyer

I've also updated the Itinerary posted online with the new info, in case you want that...

CHAtweetup2012 Itinerary

THEME SONG
@SlappyMcDougal was up early on Sunday morning and posted a link to this YouTube track from Johnny Cash. This might have to be our theme song for the #CHAtweetup2012. Ladies and Gentlemen...Mr. Johnny Cash...

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: Chattanooga Whiskey Company

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

If you are a regular reader of the Tiki Bar, you have heard of Chattanooga Whiskey Company before...if not, the story goes something like this:

A hundred years ago, the landscape of Chattanooga was practically littered with whiskey distilleries...dozens operated before the state took up prohibition before the federal government got in on that act. By 1815, all the Chattanooga companies were gone...and it is still illegal to distill spirits in Hamilton County. Enter Joe Ledbetter and Tim Piersant, who made it their mission to get those laws changed. Before doing so, though, they decided to get people excited about the prospect of Chattanooga-based distilling by launching the Chattanooga Whiskey Company brand and their inaugural offerings, 1816 Reserve and 1816 Cask.

At present, these are distilled in Indiana, bottled in Kentucky and sold throughout Tennessee (and soon the entire country), but headway is reportedly being made in the effort to bring distilling and bottling into the Scenic City.

“But why,” you may ask, “didn’t they just get the law changed, distill the whiskey there and then sell it?” Simply put...it’s hard to get investors interested in a company that will have no product to sell for a minimum of 3 years. If the laws can be changed soon, though, they may be able to sell the first bottles of Chattanooga-distilled spirits right around the 100th anniversary of the outlawing of such practice and on the 200th anniversary of the founding of Ross’s Landing.

Chattanooga Whiskey Company will be sponsoring our liquor tasting on Saturday evening at the Tweet-Up, pouring samples of both Reserve and Cask for all those in attendance. CBC also keeps Chattanooga Whiskey in the bar, so you can get a taste before the official tasting...then get out to one of our local liquor stores and buy a bottle to take home with you.

Interview

Review

#CHAtweetup2012 Sponsor Spotlight: Torcido/Twisted Cigars

Between now and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, we will be featuring "spotlight" posts on each of the sponsors of the event. The order was chosen randomly.

Another new company to the industry is Twisted Cigars, with their inaugural release, Torcido. This is a Dominican puro made at the Matasa factory by Quesada. The company is owned by Christian and Jessica Hutson of Springfield, Missouri, and they also own the Just For Him cigar shop there. Christian and Jessica are expected to be in the house for the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, and Burns Downtown is proud to be one of only three stores in the entire nation where you can currently buy the Torcido

Keith and I published a dual review of the cigar a few weeks ago. Check it out:

Torcido

Cigar Previews: Foundry and Macanudo

Today I’ll be previewing samples of a couple new things General Cigar was handing out at the recent IPCPR show. These samples were sent to me by the Tiki Bar's other regular writer, Keith...and I thank him for sending these my way so I can get a taste of the show experience.

FOUNDRY

Photo in the style of @jcruz. :)

First up is General’s newest brand, a brand created to be something totally different from anything else on the market and a vast departure for General. They are referring to it as “boutique” but I remain unconvinced that such a term can apply to anything that issues from their factories. Regardless, the “steampunk” inspirations for the marketing and different types of proprietary tobacco used promise something special.

They built this cigar around an eight-year old “H-47 Pleno Sol” wrapper leaf...although what that means is a mystery to me. It’s from the press release, which also states that there the filler and binder are 5 different types of leaf from 4 different countries, “each aged between three and six years.” Okay...so maybe they did get part of the “boutique attitude” down by issuing a press release with incomplete and less-than-helpful information. I found no mention of country of origin in any of the materials published so far. They will be coming out in late September and into October and the price stands to be reasonable at about $8 to $10.

The most important thing of all is the flavor, though, so let’s get into that a bit. The wrapper was oily and tooth to the eye, mostly a medium brown with both some lighter areas and darker areas. The aroma of the wrapper was indistinctly sweet along with a touch of woodiness. The foot had more barnyard and cedar aromas. After cutting, the prelight draw was good and had a flavor of earth and leather.

After lighting, I got hay and natural tobacco flavors mostly, along with a mild sweetness and a bit of a citrus aftertaste. There was more citrus on the retrohale and an almost complete lack of any spice whatsoever anywhere...not that every cigar needs to be spicy...far from it, this did seem to have a unique and pleasing flavor profile right at the beginning, although construction was terribly lacking at this point. I had a burn-through spot about a quarter inch from the foot and the burn line was extraordinarily wavy and uneven. And this is why I never like to rate cigars that came from the trade show...I have no idea how they were treated prior to showing up in my hands so rating construction is terribly unfair in this circumstance.

The construction continued to be irritating in this sample...canoeing, flaky ash and overall evidence of not having been kept in a perfect environment for some period of time. The flavor was definitely interesting, though, and I look forward to trying this in some other size. Lots of citrus notes and an almost cloying sweetness overlaid milder hay and tobacco flavors. At times this cigar showed some promise, but it was marred by the extra-long finish...to be blunt, I had the aftertaste of this cigar in my mouth for the rest of the day. Eating dinner, having some whiskey and smoking a different cigar did nothing really to cleanse the palate. Sadly the aftertaste just wasn’t good, either, but something I haven’t experienced since the days I smoked cheap, bundled sticks from CI. As I’ve said about show samples in the past, they cannot be relied upon to deliver a solid experience: some do, others don’t. I will try this cigar again when it ships to my local shop...probably in a different size...and I wouldn’t be surprised if I like it more, but I have to keep my expectations somewhat lowered at this point.

MACANUDO VINTAGE 2006

This cigar will come with a metal band, not the paper one you see here.

If you know me, you know that Macanudo is not a brand I reach for often, with the exception of the Cru Royale, which I find fantastic. I try to keep an open mind, though, and have made it a point to stop making fun of the brand...it serves a market...it is not generally my market, but if it wasn't serving a market it would not be one of the most popular brand names in the world. Like 50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong, it's hard to argue with the success of the Macanudo brand. This newest Macanudo was created to spotlight the "Vintage 2006 Connecticut Shade wrapper...cultivated under perfect weather conditions." The shipping boxes will include the metal band that has become a staple of the Vintage lines and will sell for a very reasonable $8.39 to $8.99 for Robusto and Toro respectively. The press release for these cigars does not mention any country of origin information for filler, binder and wrapper, but the regular Macanudo Cafe line uses Dominican Piloto Cubano and Mexican fillers, a Mexican San Andres binder and a USA Connecticut Shade wrapper.

The pre-release laser printed band not withstanding, the appearance on this cigar was great, displaying the high quality workmanship we have come to expect from the Macanudo brand. The prelight draw was excellent and the flavor on the cold draw was mild with notes of sweet hay mostly. After lighting, I got more of the sweet hay flavor, but also a lot more earthiness than I expected and a decent amount of pepper spice on the palate and on the retrohale. Not so much that it would put off a newer smoker, but enough to actually be of interest to someone that left Macanudo Cafes behind years ago.

I found the first half of the Macanudo Vintage 2006 to be very smooth and creamy with just enough pepper spice and citrus zest to be very interesting. A year ago it would have been hard to judge these against the "regular" Cafe line since I hadn't had one in so long, but I have had them a few times in the last year and I found this version to be far superior to the regular line in regards to the likelihood that it will be interesting to the smoking enthusiast. It was not a "new breed" Connecticut so much as just a very flavorful "old style" Connecticut Shade cigar.

In the end, I was surprised at how much spice this Macanudo maintained throughout, even while staying mild in body and strength. This is definitely something new for the mild cigar aficionado, and something I could actually see buying since the price is definitely reasonable.