Tiki Bar Online - Cigar Reviews & More

Gurkha Giveaway Winners

2012-01-27T10:20:00.000-05:00

It's time to announce the winners of our Gurkha Giveaway promotion. Thanks again to Gurkha for generously sending these cigars, making it possible for me to "spread the wealth" a little bit and give other people an opportunity to try them.

To recap, I have two 5-packs of Gurkha Seduction in Robusto size and two 4-packs of Gurkha Cellar Reserve in Churchill size.

The Gurkha Seduction 5-packs go to:
Nick Holloway (@SlappyMcDougal) and @derrickerr

The Gurkha Cellar Reserve 4-packs go to:

Corey Zerbe (@czerbe) and Mike Gravito

A couple of these jokers...I mean "gentlemen"...I know pretty well from Twitter and I'll be sending a DM right away. If you don't hear from me, please send me an e-mail to the address on the "Contacts" page so I can get the prizes sent out. I need to hear back by a week from today or the prizes will go to one of the alternates.

And stay tuned...we turning this year into the "Year of Giveaways" on the Tiki Bar. We have four (maybe five as of last night) more manufacturers lined up for contests in the coming months and the next one will be announced the first Monday of February...this is a big one...You. Do. Not. Want. To. Miss. It.

Cigar Extra: Perdomo Cabinet Reserve Cameroon

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

4.5" x 46 ring gauge / $5.50, Tobacco World
As I write this, I don't know what I'm looking at. At Tobacco World in December, I was told this was a new release by Perdomo, but it looks like one of their old design bands. But I haven't heard anything about this anywhere and could find nothing online. I believe it to be a Cameroon wrapper and according to the band it is the La Tradicion Cabinet Series Reserve...or something like that. The size is Petite Corona or so...a size Perdomo does not make anymore. In the end, it was inexpensive (like most Perdomos) so I figured I would pick one up for a ungraded review.

The wrapper looked and felt great...a nice oiliness along with a ripe earthy aroma. On the foot I got a combination of cedar and manure aromas. After lighting, I got hit with a wallop of pepper spice on the nose...Cameroon! I noticed a mixture of earthiness and cedar on the palate, perhaps a subtle sweetness underneath it all. The first half of this Perdomo smoked more full and strong than I had expected; it was very earthy and plenty of spice developed on both the tongue and nose. I paired it with some nice Ron Barcelo and it helped to smooth out some of the rougher edges of the cigar.

The rest of the mystery Perdomo smoked similarly well. Not a huge amount of flavor change up or complexity, but very nice nonetheless. I was told that this was a "new release that smokes like an old Perdomo." I don't know if that's technically true or not, but it was an enjoyable way to spend an chilly evening along with a glass a rum.

Update: Chris Harper from Perdomo let me know after I had smoked this that it IS a 2011 release. Still have to say the "classic" band threw me.

Cigar Review: Gurkha Seduction

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Churchill, 7" x 55 ring gauge / approx. $7.50
The last of the three newest releases from Gurkha that I am featuring this month is the Seduction. The banding on this one is the most similar to what one might think of as "classic Gurkha" of the three, but is different enough to stand out from the many other Gurkhas on the shelf. The company's website describes this as medium bodied and describes the blend as "an enticing Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, paired with a Dominican, Olor binder and Corojo, Columbian filler that is sure to pleasure your senses." It is worth noting that this cigar, along with the Cellar Reserve and Royal Challenge, are all designed to be B&M exclusives and they all stick to the more-or-less "friendly" price points begun by the Evil, Viper and Ninja. As with the other Gurkhas, the company sent me three samples for this review.

I like the band on the Seduction. Is it a little ostentatious? Is it a little over the top? Yes...but I like it still. Maybe it's the color scheme against the strangely dark and mottled Ecuadorian Habano wrapper...whatever, the initial presentation is cool. The wrapper IS dark..and very mottled...and somewhat veiny. I can't remember seeing an Ecuadorian Habano this dark (thinking through the others...Four Kicks, Epifania, Nadi Habano Clasico...that I've had recently). The aroma from the wrapper was somewhat delicate and floral in nature, almost with a touch of baking spice, too. The foot had some earth and more of that floral touch. Speaking of floral, I just noticed the huge rose behind the Gurkha warrior's head on the band...interesting touch since this cigar definitely is rich in floral notes (more on that later, but this IS the third one I've smoked, so I do kind of know where this is going). The prelight draw was excellent; I got more floral flavor, but also some semi-sweet cocoa powder and a light-roast coffee.

When lit the Seduction displayed more (surprise!) floral flavor, but I also noticed a distinct bitterness, almost bitter herbs or something, followed by a short sweetness and a retrohale that had an almost chili powder note, with a mixture of aromatic and pepper spice. I have to admit to not having experienced much Columbian tobacco, but it would not surprise me to hear that it is noted for its intensely aromatic quality. One thing this cigar does have going for it is that it is very unlike anything I can remember smoking...very unique. As the first third burned through I picked up on notes of tea and an odd sweetness I couldn't identify.

In the second third, the floral nature of the cigar was subdued quite a bit by a building earthiness. There were still notes of aromatic spice but the pepper spice was building on the palate as well. Construction was excellent on the Seduction as I got ash building up to an inch for needing to be tapped off, a very even burn line and a fantastic draw.

In the end the Seduction got more flowery again, but with an interesting and intense spice on the lips. I have to say this cigar did not hit my palate in all the right places; I'm just not a fan of heavily floral cigars. It is, though, very unique and different from anything else out there, especially in the Gurkha lineup. Take it for a spin and you might see it differently than I did. When I comes to the things that make a "good cigar" it did very well...great construction, perfect draw, good amount of complexity. The flavor just didn't seduce me. Being medium in body and mild in strength, it should be an easy one for a newbie to pick up...and the price does not hurt, either.

Body: 5/10
Strength: 3/5
Complexity: 7/10

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

It's the last day to enter the Gurkha Giveaway on the Tiki Bar. Details on how to enter to win free Seduction or Cellar Reserve cigars can be found HERE.

Cigar Review: The Maldonado Dynasty The Mogul

2012-01-25T10:00:00.003-05:00

Toro, 6" x 50 ring gauge / $11 MSRP

Today I will be reviewing The Maldonado Dynasty cigar called The Mogul. Paul Maldonado approached me and asked if I'd be interested in reviewing his cigars, and of course I was happy to oblige. You can find Paul on Twitter at @MaldonadoDynsty. This cigar is comprised of Dominican, Peruvian and Columbian fillers, with a Dominican binder all covered in a Arapiraca oscuro wrapper. They are one of the few cigar companies that are headquartered in California, and I believe the only one in Beverly Hills, which is why they refer to themselves as The Beverly Hills Cigar Brand. From what I can tell the production is very limited as they are only offered on their website, www.MaldonadoDynasty.com, or at Kramer's Pipe and Tobacco shop in Beverly Hills, and for the time being they are sold out on their website. I'd like to thank Paul for the two cigars he provided to me for this review.

Taking it out of the cellophane the first thing I noticed was the wrapper. It was a nice dark brown in color with a slightly reddish hue with some darker mottling to it. It was also glistening with oils and I was looking forward to lighting it up. The veins that were present would be classified as either medium or fine, but none of them detracted from the look of the cigar. The cigar was fairly firm when I gave it a squeeze and I wasn't able to detect any soft spots. I thought the band while quite ornate, was good looking but wasn't over the top. Putting my nose to the wrapper I got aromas of hay and leather with a very intense barnyard aroma coming from the foot. After clipping it with my Xikar MTX and taking a cold draw on it I got a sweet leather taste with an ok draw.

While this is not something I normally write about, but the aroma while toasting this cigar reminded me of grilling meats. That is something I'm not used to getting so early in a cigar. Once I lit the cigar up I got a fairly intense black pepper blast on my tongue that was definitely present on the retrohale. Taking a few more puffs I was able to get tastes of chocolate and leather with a slightly sweet finish. As I progressed through the first third I got hints of curry and a herbal note as well. The cigar was in the middle of the medium range as far as body and strength. The draw was ok, but not as free as I prefer. The almost white ash held on for about an inch before needing to be tapped off. The burn was uneven but I didn't touch it up to see how it would perform.

As I moved on into the second third the flavors were of leather, earth, chocolate, wood, and curry with a hint of sweetness. I also noted a slight saltiness on the edges of my tongue that started up once I got into this third as well. The draw opened up slightly as well. The spice toned down a lot and almost went away. The burn started to get a bit more uneven but I still wanted to see how it'd perform.

Moving into the final third of the cigar didn't see much change in the flavors, except for the grilled meat flavors I got at the very end. The spice did return although it was no where as strong as in the first third. I would still classify this cigar in the medium range as I finished it. The burn did almost even out without me touching it up.

Overall this was an enjoyable cigar. The construction on this one was better than the first one I had, it's draw was way too tight. Although this one still wasn't where I prefer. I do think that this cigar would be ok for almost any smoker out there, provided that you like the darker flavors that I described. I didn't get any nicotine hit so you shouldn't have to worry about that. The price is a little high in my opinion, but with California taxes and the small runs you expect the prices to be a bit higher. While this isn't something that I would smoke a lot it would be something I'd like to have a few of in my humidor to have every once in a while.

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

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

Don't forget to enter the Gurkha Giveaway that we're having right now on the Tiki Bar. Details on how to enter to win free cigars can be found HERE.

Cigar Review: Gurkha Royal Challenge

2012-01-24T10:00:00.000-05:00


I forgot to take pictures...this comes from the Gurkha website

Torpedo, 6.5" x 53 ring gauge / approx. $6
Today I'm featuring another cigar that Gurkha sent me recently for review and one of their releases from last year's IPCPR show: Royal Challenge. The company's website describes this as "a medium-bodied cigar that is smooth and majestic." It features Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, a Honduran Habano binder, and an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. There was no indication of why this cigar is challenging, though...from everything I can deduce by looking at the country-of-origin of the various parts (and having smoked two of them prior to this review) it really just appears to be a mild to medium smoke, possibly in the same "new breed" Connecticut genre that so many companies have jumped to in the last couple years. So the real Challenge is this: how does Gurkha's contribution to this genre work out?

First up, how does it look? The bands are resplendent in gold leaf foil and embossing. It does look good and not overdone...which can be a fine line to walk sometimes. The wrapper leaf is a beautiful golden hue with no oversized veins or blemishes in evidence. It really is a great looking cigar and better than most other shade-wrapped sticks at this price point. Lifting the cigar to my nose, I got a whiff of hay and grass, along with a bit of sweetness; on the foot, I got an aroma of earth along with a bit of tea. Feeling along the length, the only soft part was near the foot, but that is fairly normal. I lopped off the pointy head of this torpedo and was rewarded with a very good draw that had a syrupy sweetness as well as grassy notes.

Lighting up was easy and I got initial notes of natural tobacco, hay, and molasses up front, with an earthy finish. The retrohale was nutty with some mild pepper spice. It did not take long for the milder notes to get overwhelmed by the earthier ones, though. By midway through the first third, I noticed mostly earth and roasted nuts standing out, with hints of the syrupy sweetness and grassier aspects drifting around underneath. It definitely was mild to medium in body right from the start.

...and this one I posted to Twitter.

As the second third burned, I picked up some citrusy notes that seemed to draw attention back to the milder aspects of the cigar. While earth was still fairly dominant, there were also mildly sweet hay and natural tobacco flavors coming through. The draw was very good so far and the burn line had remained very even.

In the final third, the flavors all came together in a nice balance of earth, hay, citrus, and even a building pepper spice, almost a cayenne burn. While the Royal Challenge started off a bit slow, it did finish very nicely; I smoked one of my samples with my morning coffee and can say that it proved a very nice accompaniment. What is impressing me most about this release, as well as the Cellar Reserve and 2010's Ninja and Viper releases, is that Gurkha seems to be breaking out of their box as a manufacturer of very expensive and fairly interchangeable mild to medium cigars. These last few releases have shown some nice individual character and the prices are all very reasonable. This Royal Challenge actually fits in very nicely with the other new breed of Connecticuts that have hit the market recently, delivering up nice flavors in a mild to medium body.

Body: 5/10
Strength: 4/10
Complexity: 6/10

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

Don't forget to enter the Gurkha Giveaway that we're having right now on the Tiki Bar. Details on how to enter to win free cigars can be found HERE.

Various thoughts...

2012-01-23T11:20:00.003-05:00

Monday has become the day on the Tiki Bar where various stuff gets thrown against the wall of the web and we see what sticks. Interviews are always fun, libation reviews are enjoyable for the reviewer at the very least, and news items are always welcome. Today I had more than one topic that I wanted to talk about and then a cool news item came in, so I figured I would try to work them all into one article...

CIGAR BOSS

This is an iPhone app that is now in its 2.0 iteration. Its main feature for consumers is a library with information on over 7,000 cigars. The information is current and fairly comprehensive; my 2011 cigar of the year, Four Kicks by Crowned Heads, is listed, as is the Tatuaje Black Petite Lancero, one of the runners-up, but the other runner-up (Grimalkin by Emilio Cigars) is not listed. Each cigar has size and average price listed along with the country it was made and the country of the wrapper leaf, although no space is left for filler and binder. There is a nice description and links to three or so reviews.

The "Cigar News" button on the Home page takes you to a "Feeds" page that includes some of the best and most widely read cigar blogs around, including Stogie Review, The Stogie Guys, Nice Tight Ash...and, of course, the Tiki Bar Online.

The "Local Shops" feature is designed to help you find tobacconists. I can seen where this would be helpful if you were in a strange city, but I also see how it could be confusing or less than helpful. In my small town, there are exactly "0" tobacconists, but the app lists a local cigarette shop that sells the typical convenience store cigars (Black & Mild, Backwoods, etc.). There are 3 or more of these listed in areas south of me, but I know these are not really shops that I would be interested in as there is only 1 company with "real" cigar shops in southeast Tennessee (Burns Tobacconist, with 3 locations).

Other parts of the app have ways to manage the contents of your humidor, a place to take notes, and a link to "Cigars" on Wikipedia. The last, I guess, is for total newbies and it does not seem like it would be of much use long-term. I did not get around to working with "My Humidor;" simply put, I have too many cigars to try to catalog everything at this point. As for "My Cigar Notes"...I already have a place to take and store those...it's called this blog. :)

I find Cigar Boss overall an interesting and somewhat helpful app. As information is updated it will continue to be more useful, but I think especially it can be helpful to the newer smokers or someone who wants to store lots of info in one place. The problems I have with it are few, but some key changes here might actually make me more likely to use it. First, the app's splash screen states "Loading Might Take a Few Minutes On First Launch." I found that loading took several minutes anytime the app hadn't been used for a few days or more. I would like to see it just launch then download the updated information in the background. Second, there is no real iPad version of the app. I would be more likely to take notes and use it as a reading portal app if there were an iPad version...I just don't read much on the iPhone because the screen is so much smaller.

The app is free if you are okay with ads on the screen; a Pro version sans ads is $2.99. It is iPhone-only at this time and there is no indication on the company's website or marketing material that it will be developed soon for other OSes.

Update: if you read as far as the comments section you'll see this, but if you don't make it that far...a comment was left indicating that an Android version of Cigar Boss will be available next month. Also version 3 will be coming soon with updates and bug fixes. Also, if you are on Twitter you can follow Cigar Boss at @Cigar_Boss_App.

GRAN HABANO IS GOING TO MIAMI

This press release just came into my Inbox while I was contemplating what to write this morning...

The Gran Habano - G.R. Tabacaleras Co. cigar factory located on "Calle Ocho", 8th street, in the Little Havana district of Miami is completed and ready to roll. Focusing on the highest standard for the cigar community the factory will employ 10 Cuban rollers who will produce no more than 1,000 cigars per day to ensure quality and consistency. This will be the base of our new cigar line “Gran Habano Miami” which will lead off with the soon-to-be-released Black Corojo, Opium Miami and the continuance of our STK program.

Black Corojo will be an extension of our popular Gran Habano Corojo #5 line. As the name implies, it will feature the industries first black corojo cigar wrapper. Due to the overwhelming success of our Opium release it will become a regular production cigar line known as Opium Miami. Production on both of these cigars will be based on traditional Cuban sizes and the blends will be revised to take the connoisseur to the next level.A blend lab, called G.A.R. Deli, will also be made available to anyone who has ever dreamt of creating their own cigar. This program will put you in the position of the master blender; allowing the creation of a cigar tailored to your unique palate. Materials on hand will fluctuate every two weeks to affirm that the possibilities are endless.

Our Gran Habano - G.R. Tabacaleras Co. factory also features a luxury lounge and the official Gran Habano humidor. Patrons will be able to choose from our lines - both old and new. We also have products that are not widely available to the public such the Corojo #5 lancero, Cabinet Selection (and a private Cabinet Selection Lancero) and other unique size formats. The exact opening date to the public will shortly be announced - so stay tuned.

Now I really want to take that long-planned trip to Miami! I've got an ever-growing list of places that I'll need to visit and this sounds like a lot of fun, with the lounge and the opportunity to create your own blend.

AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

When I got up Saturday, I expected to do nothing for the day. My wife had already declared that she was taking a "veg day" and I figured it was a good idea for me, too. I didn't even get out of bed until 9:30 or so! I was in no hurry to eat or get ready to go anywhere, but as I was reading through my Twitter timeline, I discovered that my friend, Nate McIntyre (@CigarNate) was hosting an Emilio Cigars (@EmilioCigar) event at Silo Cigars in Knoxville (Farragut, really, but does anyone outside the Knoxville metro area know where Farragut is?). I remarked that if I had known he was going to be there I might have planned on going...then Gary Griffith of Emilio Cigar recommended I go stand next to my mailbox...because he knew that the Emilio polo shirt he sent me was due to arrive anytime. That kind of sealed it...I needed to go to Knoxville, support Nate and represent (fist pump!) Emilio Cigars from the consumer/blogger/fan perspective. So I did...

I got to talk to the owner of Silo Cigars, Paul, at some length that day and got lots of insights into how state laws affect cigar stores and how difficult it can be for a cigar shop to be successful. Paul runs a very nice shop not far off Interstate 40 on the west side of Knoxville. If you are ever in the area, I recommend stopping by...buy a cigar and an RC Cola in a long-neck bottle (drop in salted peanuts if that's your thing!), and kick back in the lounge a while.

I found out from one of Paul's employees about the closing of another area shop recently. There was a rumor going around that Mike Nelson would be selling or otherwise closing Leaf & Ale and that has appeared to bear out. I wish Mike the best in whatever he plans to do next.

In the end, Nate had a good day meeting a bunch of new folks at Silo and Paul ended up ordering a good number of cigars in joining the Emilio Cigars family. And I had a good day because I got to hang with friends, smoke some great cigars, and get some new sticks to "fill in the holes" in my calendar. One of the things we talked about was the availability of the Drew Estate Ferrel Pig. Even limiting supplies to "1 per customer" Paul sold out of 4 boxes (sent 2 boxes per shipment) within hours of their arrival. I hadn't been able to get my hands on any so he went to his personal locker and gave me his last one. Thank you again to Paul...that review will run as soon as I can fit it into the schedule. I would like to invite everyone to give Silo Cigars a follow on Twitter, too...@SiloCigars.

Cigar Extra: Alec Bradley Black Market

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robusto, 5.25" x 52 ring gauge / approx. $6, Tobacco World
It's another time that I have to admit...I'm not the biggest fan of Alec Bradley cigars. They tend to be heavy on the Honduran and that's my problem with them...the flavor profile usually just isn't in my wheelhouse. But I heard good things about the Black Market so I wanted to give it a try; after all, I'm a firm believer in trying new and different cigars...even if you have a pre-conceived notion about them. I love it when I'm not expecting much and a cigar surprises me. This stogie is made of Honduran and Panamanian fillers, a Sumatran binder, and a Nicaraguan wrapper. I paid it with some peaty Laphroiag Scotch.

The cigar felt solid and somewhat weighty; it also had a nice oily sheen to it. The prelight draw had mostly a flavor natural tobacco, with just a little earthiness to it. It took some effort to get the Black Market lit; when I did, I was greeted with what seemed to be a middle-of-the-road smoke...earthy, medium to full in body, nutty on the retrohale, just the smallest bit of spice on the nose. That impression held up through the rest of the first third and on into the second.

In the end, the Black Market did not floor me with flavor, but neither was it something I longed to extinguish before it was over. It was a good cigar that paired well with my peaty Scotch. Whether I would buy a bunch more, though, is up for debate. While I did enjoy it, there are plenty of other stogies in this price range that I enjoy more. I may have to try this one again in a different size.

Cigar Review: Gurkha Cellar Reserve

2012-01-19T09:57:00.000-05:00

Perfecto, 4" x 58 ring gauge / approx. $8
Ah, Gurkha, always striving for the enigmatic and inscrutable on your website. Example 1: this Cellar Reserve clearly measured 5" in length and the only vitola of that length is the Doble Robusto; but is also clearly a Perfecto, and the only vitola identified as a Perfecto is 4" in length. To be as clear as possible, the are five sizes available in the Cellar Reserve...and this is one of them. This was introduced at the 2011 IPCPR show and has started showing up in stores in the last month or two. Oliver Hyams from Gurkha asked me if I'd like to review these (and a couple other new blends) so I said yes...I smoked three of this size for this review. The website says the Cellar Reserve "uses the finest quality 15 year old aged tobacco, comprised of an oily Criollo 1998 wrapper, that combines an aged Dominican, Olor binder with a 15 year old Dominican filler." I'm guessing the filler is the only thing 15 years old since Criollo 1998 didn't exist 15 years ago.

The size and specific shape of the cigar I previewed back in August was almost identical to the Tatauje Anarchy, but this Perfecto is shorter with a more pronounced tapering at the foot...with the Cinna-Bon pigtail still hanging around, it's almost like an Anarchy head end fused with a Fuente Hemingway foot end. At least it is something not seen before. The band is another exercise in enigmatism: "Blend Strength: 97.6%" What does that mean? Who measured it and what are they measuring it against? The Engrish type at the bottom of the band bears repeating: " Truly balanced to please the aficionado who is searching for a draw of perfection, aged oak aroma will sooth the environment and gain praise. Fifteen years of aged tobacco and dedication, has given us another masterpiece. To which only the Elite Blend Masters of K. Hansotia & Co. can create." The odd diction, the bizarre punctuation and sentence structure...getting verbiage translated by Chinese companies may save money, but it's not a bargain. Getting past the band and its somewhat mind lowing verbiage, the wrapper was oily to the eye and the touch. There was a fairly mushy spot that ran from about the midway point almost to the head along one side only. This was not just one this sample, either; I did notice the same defect in one of the others I smoked. The aroma of the wrapper was earthy with a touch of wood...both cedar and oak. As expected in a Perfecto, there was virtually no aroma on the tiny nippled foot. My Xikar Xi put a great, clean cut under the cinnamon roll and the cold draw was pretty good, featuring flavors of earth, autumn spice, and wood, along with a touch of chocolatey sweetness. So far the experience was good...but I knew what would happen on light up...at least what had happened with the first two of these I smoked.

But wouldn't you know...as I steeled myself against the fact that the first two or three minutes would feature an almost impossible draw...this one draws beautifully right from the start. It was no more even than the other two through the first few minutes, though, requiring major touchups before it had burned halfway through the narrowing part of the perfecto foot. Flavors of earth, coffee and cocoa powder prevailed on the palate, while the retrohale had notes of oak and roasted nuts, along with the barest hint of pepper spice. The burn line evened out nicely by the time I got to the mostly straight sides of the cigar, but the flavor was not holding up as well for me. I noted a strong charred oak note mixed with earth, while the notes of coffee and cocoa pretty much disappeared.

The large band has a copious amount of glue holding it together, which could cause problems with Parejo shaped cigars in this blend, but was no problem with the Perfecto, as it just slipped off over the head. On this size cigar you will need to move the band almost as soon as the second third begins to burn. The second third of the Cellar Reserve showed this to be a medium to full bodied cigar, something unusual in the Gurkha catalog. The flavors continued to be deeply earthy with lots of oak and cedar. Although I had not been totally on-board when this flavor profile took over in the first third, it did grow on me. Tapping off ash at the end of the second third revealed the sizable void that caused the mushy feel on one side of the stick.

The Cellar Reserve turned out to not be a very complex cigar. The final third was almost identical in flavor to the first and second, the only addition being the building of a nice black pepper burn on the tongue. Overall, this was a good cigar and the price is decent, something that Gurkha has not been known for in the past. By keeping the price point below $10 they have created a cigar that does bear repeated smoking, although I think I would probably like to try the Doble Robusto to see how the blend performs in a parejo shape. While it was fuller of body than a typical Gurkha, it did not have a great deal of nicotine kick, making it more accessible for newer smokers. Aside from the over-the-top marketing on the band, this was definitely a more-than-decent smoke.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 4/10

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

Wait! I'm not done yet! What time is it? That's right...it's time for another cigar giveaway! Gurkha was very generous with their cigars late in 2011 so I have some to give away to the readers of the Tiki Bar. I have 2 4-packs of Cellar Reserve Churchills and 2 5-packs of Seduction Robustos. That's 4 different packs of cigars I am going to be giving away.

To enter: just leave a comment on this post. That's entry #1. Make sure there is something identifiable about you...in previous contests, folks have posted under "Anonymous" and neglected to put their name or nickname in the post. Those entries get thrown out.

For a second entry, post a link to this post and mention the contest on Twitter. Also, make sure to include my Twitter name (@dmjones1009) so I see the Tweet. Something like this should work...

Enter the Gurkha Giveaway on the Tiki Bar Online: http://tinyurl.com/89ayfub @dmjones1009

For more entries, post on any and all new blog posts between today and next Thursday, January 26, when the final review in this Gurkha series will post. At midnight Eastern Time on that day, I'm cutting off the entries and I will announce the winners on Friday, January 27.

Good luck!

News: La Flor Dominicana is Going Green

2012-01-18T18:20:00.002-05:00

I got this Press Release from LFD a little while ago, along with the accompanying photo...

La Flor Dominicana to introduce Double Claro, January 2012.

Coral Gables, FL January 2012 - La Flor Dominicana will introduce its first ever Candela cigar.

The Double Claro is a medium bodied candela with an Ecuadorian wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Dominican filler from our farm in La Canela. The original release will be in 25 count boxes available in three sizes (robusto, corona, chuchill). This item will be regular production.

No. 50 - Size: 50 x 5 Suggested retail per box: $171.50 Suggested retail per cigar: $6.86

No. 42 - Size: 42 x 5 ½ Suggested retail per box: $169.00 Suggested retail per cigar: $6.76

No. 48 - Size: 48 x 6 7/8 Suggested retail per box: $181.50 Suggested retail per cigar: $7.26

My initial reaction to the photo: Man, are those cigars green! If you've seen candelas before you probably have seen a light lime green hue...and it even disappears to a certain extent under some lighting condition. These stogies are practically "Incredible Hulk" green, but whether or not they really are that brilliant of a shade will be seen once they hit the shelves. To be honest, I am looking forward to giving them a try, especially since the very good candela offerings the last year or two from Illusione and Viaje. Also...I have a suspicion we'll be seeing a bunch of bloggers reviewing these around the middle of March this year. Erin go bragh!

Cigar Review: Casa Fuente Lancero

2012-01-18T10:00:00.004-05:00

Lancero, 7.5" x 41 ring gauge / $26, Casa Fuente

This was another one of those cigars that I picked up on my wife and my trip to Vegas last month. This cigar can only be purchased at the Casa Fuente lounge in Cesar's Palace in Vegas. I usually try to pick up a couple of them every time I go. I don't think I had seen the lancero size before but I had heard others talk about the cigar so I decided to give this one a try. The cigar is comprised of a Dominican filler and binder that is said to be a tweaked Opus X blend, all covered in a Cameroon wrapper. You are only able to purchase two singles per day and at that price I don't know if I'd be able to purchase more than that anyway. The cigar I smoked for this review was the first one I had.

The first thing you notice once you take it out of the cellophane is, well cedar. The cedar wrap covers everything from the foot to the bottom on the band with only a small amount of the wrapper showing above the band. The band and orange foot ribbon are exactly like you'd see on the other sizes of the Casa Fuente. This size does depart from the others in having a pigtail cap. Once you remove the cedar wrap you get a good look at the wrapper. It is a medium dark brown in color and has some darker mottling to it. It also has a good amount of oil to it, which is something I normally don't see in a Cameroon wrapper. There is also some tooth along with some medium and fine veins as well. When I gave the cigar a squeeze it is fairly firm and there are a couple minor soft spots. Putting my nose to the wrapper I don't get much aroma or from the foot as well. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I get notes of chocolate and leather with a tight draw.

Once I light up the cigar it starts off with what I call the "Cameroon spice" along with some leather on earth. There is some red pepper spice on the retrohale as well. As I progress through the first third I started getting some cedar and earth flavors with a slightly creamy finish. The draw is very tight and the burn is slightly wavy. The off-white ash held on for about three quarters of an inch before needing to be tapped off.

As I moved into the second third the cigar evened itself out, and the draw opened up a bit, but still not to where I like it. The flavors were of leather, cream, earth with the Cameroon flavor dominating the other ones. The spice was still present on the tongue and retrohale. Towards the end of this third I started noting some cinnamon and a sweetness on the finish. I would classify the cigar as medium bodied and strength through this third.

The final third didn't bring much change from the second third as construction concerned. The flavors changed slightly and I got notes of leather, earth, cedar and an almost nougat like flavor on the finish. The cigar didn't build in body or strength like I've experienced with the larger ring gauge versions of this cigar.

Overall I thought this was an ok cigar. I wouldn't say there was anything bad about the cigar though, it all comes down to preference. I would have preferred that the draw was more open and I don't particularly like the flavor of most Cameroon cigars. I will note that I very much do like the larger ring gauge Casa Fuente's and I pick up a couple every time I go. It makes sense that the wrapper would dominate this cigar and that flavor would come through. I would highly suggest that if you ever do make it to Las Vegas and you get a chance to hit up Casa Fuente that you give this cigar a try as it is a rare and enjoyable cigar, especially with one of their signature drinks.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 7.5/10

Lighter Contest Winner!

2012-01-17T16:54:00.003-05:00

Now to announce the winner of the prize pack including: 1 Ronson JetLite lighter, 1 Drew Estate Liga Privada cutter, and a 6 pack of cigars consisting of a Drew Estates Liga Privada No. 9 Corona Doble, The Crowned Heads Four Kicks Sublimes, Room 101 Namikubi Tiburon, Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial, E.P. Carillo Short Run 2011 robusto, and an Oliva V No. 4.

Can I have the envelope please?

And the winner is: Nick Holloway a.k.a @SlappyMcDougal!

Congratulations! Make sure to get me your contact info via email or Twitter so I can get the prize in the mail.

Thank you to all who commented and took the time to check out our site!

Keep your eyes open as we have more contests coming up very shortly!

Cigar Review: Mooch Maduro

2012-01-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

Schnorr (Robusto), 5" x 50 ring gauge / approx. $4.50, Tobacco World
If you read my review of the original Mooch by Berger & Argenti, then you will already know that I was a fan of the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapped smoke. I love the whole concept behind the Mooch...a cheap cigar that still packs a great flavor, so you won't mind giving them to your cheapskate friends who show up at a herf unprepared, but you also won't mind firing up one yourself. Keith did take a look at this cigar back in the middle of last year, but I thought I would add it to my schedule since I was finally able to get my hands on some on a recent trip to Atlanta. According to what he wrote (and other reviews I was able to find) this is a Nicaraguan Puro, obviously featuring a Maduro wrapper. This review sample is the second of these I have smoked.

Berger & Argenti does not present these as bargain sticks. They have two actual bands (simple and classy) along with a foot wrapped in paper that mimics newspapers from the Cuban embargo initiation period. The bottom line is they are cool and classy...and a bit fun in appearance. After taking the bottom band and paper wrap off, I was able to get a better look at the wrapper, and found it to be a very nice milk chocolate shade with minimal mottling and a nice velvety feel. The aroma from the wrapper was sweet and cocoa-y, along with a hint of coffee; the foot had more of an earthy note, but the wrapper was so powerful in aroma that it was actually hard to pick out the foot scents. The cold draw was easy and full of earthy and coffee flavors.

The initial puffs on the Mooch Maduro revealed a very earthy flavor with an underlying cocoa sweetness. There was a very little dash of pepper spice on the roasted nut retrohale. The first third of this review sample had a large void going down the middle, off to one side just enough to make a large canoe and cause the draw to be somewhat faulty. The first third ended up being quite earthy, but a little dull...and it made me wonder how much the construction problems were messing with the flavor. My first sample did not have these issues; I recall it being better tasting, but it still was not a flavor blockbuster.

Because of the construction issues that continued through the first third, the second third of the Mooch Maduro came along faster than I expected. On the plus side, the draw was noticeably better; on the minus side, the tunnel seemed to continue on. It seemed in some ways to be the inverse of the Entubar which has the pronounced center Ligero section...this one seemed to have no center at all. The flavor developed into more of a dark roast coffee, but still with earth and the mild sweetness of the Maduro leaf hanging around.

Construction issues were a thing of the past in the last third and the Mooch Maduro continued to be very earthy with a strong overtone of dark coffee. The flavor was very good although not terribly complex. That fits in with the mission of this cigar...to be good and something you or your freeloading friends can enjoy, but to also be bargain priced, which usually prohibits any real complexity in a smoke. Despite the build problems on this sample, I enjoyed this and would definitely smoke it again. It was medium to full in body and about medium in nicotine strength, so if your needy guests are newer smokers, have some regular Mooch on hand. Otherwise...enjoy!

Body: 7/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 4/10

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

Tennessee Spirits: Ole Smoky Apple Pie Moonshine

2012-01-16T10:04:00.001-05:00

It’s hard to believe January is half over already...it’s been two week since I mentioned in my “Looking Forward” message on New Year’s Day a series I would be undertaking. I gave no other hints at the time and I’m honestly still working out the details of this, but this is the start of the “Tennessee Spirits” series. In the coming months I want to explore the available distilled beverages made in, or at least connected closely to, the state I call home. Everyone is already familiar with Jack Daniel (the best-selling whiskey in the world) and I gave my review of the competing (and better) Tennessee Whiskey, George Dickel, a while back, so I probably won't be running any stories about the states two most famous spirits. Tennessee recently changed their laws, though, and new distilleries seem to be springing up all the time.

We are starting off with a variation on Moonshine from the hills of East Tennessee. Ole Smoky Distillery is located in Gatlinburg and bills themselves as the “1st Legal Moonshine in Tennessee.” The folks behind Ole Smoky are from a long line of locals who were some of the early settles in the Smoky Mountains and made Moonshine in order to survive tough economic times. With the changing of state laws, they decided to showcase the family traditions with very old recipes distilled and sold legally for the first time. They produce four “main” products, Original Moonshine, White Lightnin’ (distilled six times and billed as a vodka alternative), Moonshine Cherries (said to be great for making “hard” Cherry Coke), and today’s beverage Apple Pie Moonshine.

If you watched the recent television show “Moonshiners,” you might remember a Tennessee native who was making Apple Pie Moonshine and selling it. That was where I first heard of the concept and barely a week later I found this in the store. They mix pure apple juice, ground cinnamon and other spices into their homemade moonshine for a 40 proof concoction that is easily drinkable whether you like it hot or cold.

Interesting facts to note on this Apple Pie Shine: it has an expiration date, which I can’t recall ever having seen on a liquor bottle, not even something like Bailey’s that has milk products in it (I bought the bottle in January, and the expiration is in August of the same year). Second, if you look at the bottom of the bottle after it has been sitting still even 10 or 15 minutes, there is noticeably sediment collected there. It really must be shaken vigorously before pouring (or sipping straight from the Mason jar if that’s your preference).

The nose on this whiskey (or maybe it should be called a cocktail?) is incredible...it smells like nothing more or less than apple pie. A strong baked apple aroma with the definite overtones of cinnamon. Taking out of the fridge, I drink it cold...out of a glass, so I can put the rest away for later. The flavor is something pretty special. If you could distill the essence of a fantastic apple pie into a glass, this would be it. Thick, sweet apple-y goodness with pie spices...and just a little bit of an alcohol kick at the end. Only on the finish could I get a bit of corn liquor sweetness coming from the original base beverage.

As far as cigar pairing, I put the Apple Pie Moonshine with a 262 Paradigm Lancero and found the combination was very nice. The Shine helped to bring out more of the sweetness in the Brazilian wrapper leaf. I would think most maduro cigars would do well, too. The Ole Smoky Apple Pie Moonshine is a decidedly accessible introduction to a centuries-old craft beverage and the price won’t break the bank.

Cigar Extra: PDR 1878 Capa Madura

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robusto, 5" x 52 ring gauge / $5, Tobacco World
Seems like not many stores carry the PDR 1878 line, at least not near me, so when I saw some Robustos for sale at Tobacco World (Marrieta, GA), I decided to pick one up. I enjoyed the Lancero so much last year that I wanted to give a different size a try. This cigar has filler from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, a Dominican Criollo 98 binder, and Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro wrapper that shone with oils and had a distinctly barnyard aroma. The foot had more earthy barnyard aroma and the head was finished off in a tight pigtail.

The first puffs of the PDR 1878 Capa Madura were sweet with tons of chocolate flavor on the palate and a little hit of pepper on the nose. Chocolate sweet did rule the day (or evening as the case may be)...this cigar was as times like eating a brownie. The only other notable flavor I could pick out was that of anise (or licorice, if you prefer). The smoke generated by these PDR 1878s is truly phenomenal...a straight-up industrial smokestack effect.

The chocolatey sweet breadiness continued on through the second third and right into the last. If there is one problem with this cigar it is the lack of complexity. I liked how it tasted, but there was little flavor change anywhere along the way. The PDR 1878 Capa Madura is a great buy at $5 or so, but I prefer the Lancero to the Robusto.

Cigar Review: El Tiante Habano Rosado

2012-01-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Pyramid, 6" x 53 ring gauge / approx. $8.25
I went through the general background of this cigar in Tuesday's review of the Habano Oscuro version. Pretty much everything is the same for this Rosado version with the exception of the wrapper. The filler and binder are Nicaraguan, this wrapper is a Habano Rosado grown in Ecuador, they were blended by Don Pepin Garcia and assembled at the My Father cigar factory in Nicaragua. Thank you again to my friend, G.C. Puffs who sent me the two samples I smoked for this review.

The banding on this cigar was basically the same as the Oscuro version, except the Habano Rosado uses a burgundy color scheme instead of blue. This does make them easy to tell apart at a glance, but the design keeps them in the same family. This is something I am a fan of, since I might have dozens of different lines of cigars in my humidor at a time and being able to tell them apart quickly is a major plus. The wrapper leaf was lighter, as expected...almost a caramel color with just a hint of red in certain lights. It was oilier to the touch than to the eye and the veins were smaller overall than in the Oscuro version, although there were till a couple larger ones. The wrapper had a pleasant sweet earthiness to it, while I got a stronger barnyard earthiness and notes of chocolate on the foot. Both times I cut the heads of the two samples of the Habano Rosado, I noticed that it caused splits in the wrapper; the first time nearly fatal, the second time smaller, but still concerning. These were kept in the same location as the Oscuro for the same amount of time and I had no trouble with those...or any of the other cigars stored with them for that matter. Bottom line seems to be that this Rosado leaf is very delicate. The cold draw was good and I got mildly earthy flavors along with a grassy natural tobacco note.

Speaking of grass, it did smell a bit like grass (not the type you mow) while I lit up. Once going, I got a mild pepper spice under a mound of earth and hay on the palate, along with a sharp red pepper bite and roasted nuts on the nose. As the first third progressed I noticed a strong cedar flavor developing and it reminded me again of the Nestor Miranda Collection in that the Special Selection, Dominicano, and 1989 are all available in Rosado and Oscuro wrappers and in every case I liked the Oscuro more. The same thing was happening here. Although I can see how some people might gravitate toward the Rosado, it clearly was not hitting my taste buds in as positive a manner as the Oscuro. Halfway through the first third, the ash unceremoniously dropped, narrowly avoiding my lap. That would bear paying attention to the rest of the way.

The weak ash did continue through the second third and I also noticed it being excessively flaky. I was careful and avoided getting an iPad covered with ash. The flavors of the El Tiante Habano Rosado continued to be woody and grassy in the second third, along with a dash of pepper spice.

In the final third, the cigar got more earthy, more of what you usually expect from a mostly Nicaraguan stick, but the cedar on the palate was still dominant...and still the thing that did not work for me. Construction-wise, the split that started when I clipped the cigar became a constant hassle as I tried to keep it from widening and the ash continued to be flaky. If it was just this stick, I would probably mostly given it a pass, but the first sample had serious splitting and burn problems so it makes me wonder if this wrapper is just too fragile. The body was medium but the cigar had a bigger nicotine hit than the Oscuro version, making it hard to recommend for newbies. As with all cigars, your palate is not my palate...you might find the flavor of this one quite to your liking and the only way you will find out is to try it. For myself, I'll stick with the Oscuro version.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 6/10

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

Lighter Review: Ronson JetLite & CONTEST!

2012-01-11T10:00:00.005-05:00

The other week Slippery Rock Cigars (@srockcigars) advertised a four pack of the Ronson JetLite lighters for a good price. I had heard many people talk about them, in that they were good lighters for a reasonable price. So I decided to give it a go and buy the pack.

The lighters didn't come in a box or bag or anything, just packed in bubble wrap for shipping. They did have a warning sticker on side that I needed to use some Goof Off! to get rid of the sticky residue left after I removed it. I filled the lighter and without any adjustment it lit up right away. I decided to then use the lighter as my primary lighter for a couple weeks and then write this review on it.

Overall I'm quite happy with how the lighter performs. I haven't had any issues with it so far. The flame comes out nice and even and does a good job lighting up my cigars. The ignitor button is very positive and has an authoritative snap when pressed.

I've tried to take a picture of the flame, but it didn't seem to want to show up very well. The one slight issue I've has is that it is a little small and I can only use a couple fingers to hold on to it. Despite it's small size I can get quite a few cigars lit with it before it needs a refill. One other thing is that it doesn't especially like the "cold" (i.e. below 50's) of the Southern California winter nights, so I've had to put it in my jacket when not in use to keep it ready.

Now since I've only been using it for a couple weeks I can't speak to how long it will last but so far it is going strong. If you get a chance I'd suggest picking on up seeing as they can be had for a few dollars each and would be ok as a backup or one you don't mind getting damaged.

Now on to the CONTEST!

Since I purchased more than one of these lighters I decided to give one of these away to one lucky reader of the blog. Now I know an inexpensive lighter like this isn't all that an exciting of a prize, so I added a couple more things to it from my collection. The winner of this contest will receive 1 Ronson JetLite lighter, 1 Drew Estate Liga Privada cutter, and a 6 pack of cigars consisting of a Drew Estates Liga Privada No. 9 Corona Doble, The Crowned Heads Four Kicks Sublimes, Room 101 Namikubi Tiburon, Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial, E.P. Carillo Short Run 2011 robusto, and an Oliva V No. 4.

Here is how to enter:
- Simply leave a comment on this blog post letting me know what your favorite lighter is.

Additional entries can be had by leaving a comment on an post between now and the end of the contest or tweeting the message "The Tiki Bar does a lighter review and you can win free cigars! http://bit.ly/xLSddR @keith1911".

Contest will run through Tuesday January 17th and 11:59 p.m. EST. I will then take all of the entries and through a random drawing pick the winner.

Good luck everyone!

Cigar Review: El Tiante Habano Oscuro

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Toro, 6" x 50 ring gauge / approx. $7.50
Baseball pitching great, Luis Tiant, first released a signature line of cigars around 2007; they were produced by Tabacalera Tambor, I did try one and it didn't do much for me, so I did not seek them out after that. When I heard that the El Tiante lineup was being revamped under Don Pepin Garcia and the My Father Cigar Factory in 2011 I was intrigued. Following the model used for the Nestor Miranda Collection, the new El Tiante is available in two wrapper types: Habano Oscuro and Habano Rosado. Today I'm tackling the Oscuro and Thursday I will come back to the Rosado. The filler and binder are Nicaraguan while the wrappers used are Ecuadorian Habano. My friend, G.C. Puffs sent me two of these that this review is based upon. Thank you, Mr. Puffs.

The banding of the new product is nicer, in my opinion, than the old product. A screened image of Cuba pays tribute to Tiant's birth country, as does a collage of a capital T and American and Cuban flags. Small numbers denote specific things in Tiant's career: a 23 for his jersey number, 229 for the number of career wins, and a 75 for...well, I am really not sure. The only thing I could find on Wikipedia relating to 75 was the year 1975 when he had 18 wins, a great postseason, and won the Babe Ruth Award. Let's just say 75 is for that year...it was a very good year. The wrapper leaf was mildly oily to the eye, but had more oil under the fingers, as well as a rich aroma of earth and wood; the foot had more earth notes, along with some cocoa powder. There were a couple of fairly large veins on the wrapper, but I expected no problems. Cutting off the cap, I got a nice draw that had a wonderful mix of natural tobacco, cocoa, and earth, with just a bit of molasses sweetness and spice.

The El Tiante Habano Oscuro starts off like many Pepin sticks before it, with a blast of pepper spice that could be felt on the tongue and in the nose. There was a balance of semi sweet chocolate and bitter espresso roast coffee on the palate, while earth came through on the retrohale. The cigar started off fairly full in body and definitely reminded me of the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Oscuro in some aspects. The spice continued, but at a lower level, throughout the first third. Mostly the cigar had heavy notes of dark coffee and earth, with a cocoa powder finish and just enough sweetness to balance the more bitter notes.

In the second third, I started picking up some leathery flavors and the smoke became more thick and rich, almost chewy. There was still an earthy base and a bit of pepper spice, too, and the retrohale had notes of cedar. The construction proved typical of the My Father factory, which is to say...flawless. I experienced a perfect draw and a very even burn line.

At the end, the El Tiante Habano Oscuro got more earthy; the body had increased along the way to be solidly in the full range, but the nicotine content did not seem all that big. All in all, this is a vast improvement over the old El Tiante brand, but very similar to the Nestor Miranda that I mentioned earlier. I'm sure it isn't the exact same blend, but it was similar enough to make me think of it most of the way through. I found this to be a very good cigar with a good price and experienced cigar enthusiasts should give it a try.

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

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

Spirit Review: Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon

2012-01-09T10:14:00.000-05:00

Starting at the beginning...when I saw this bottle in the store, I knew I had to have it. Well, if it was at all reasonably priced and was not from a company with a bad reputation, I had to have it! What I got for around $35 was a bottle of Willett Pot Still Reserve, specifically bottle number 67 of 276 total bottles from barrel number 3671. According to the little tag hanging on the bottle, the Willett family has been involved in distiller spirits throughout the northeast since the early days of America, and in Kentucky since the very earliest days of pioneering. The bottle resembles a pot still, which is what they use for this whiskey, as opposed to the column stills that are prevalent in the bourbon industry (pot stills are much more likely to be used for Scotch Whisky, though).

In the glass, the Willett's Bourbon was a standard amber color and had an aroma of corn sweetness, vanilla and oak. I found it to be a very smooth, sweet dram that had a note of vanilla at the tip of the tongue, that sweet corn liquor flavor in the middle and a finish with a touch of spice and the sting of evaporating alcohol vapors. I've notes sweetness three times in two sentences, so you should assume it is a sweet bourbon, but that is not all that unusual as bourbon's primary ingredient is corn; this seemed to not have the same level of sweetness as, say, Maker's Mark. Instead it was better balanced with oak and vanilla notes coming through and just a touch of spice. I thoroughly enjoyed the Willett with every cigar I paired it with, finding it to have the necessary body and complexity to pair with a wide variety of blends.

Willett is bottled at 94 proof, nearly splitting the difference between the standard 80 proof and some stronger spirits like Wild Turkey 101 or some of the other single barrel or barrel proof items on the market. The price is higher than the mass market drinks on your local shop's shelves, but still quite a bit lower than Booker or some of the super-ultra-premium bottles. I call it a good find and a great tasting bourbon...and the bottle is extremely cool, too!

Cigar Extra: Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Little Robusto

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Little Robusto, 4.5" x 50 ring gauge / $6
This is a cigar you should be buying and smoking...or at least buying...even if you don't like it. Here's why...our friend, Jerry Cruz, one of the founders of Stogie Review, has been using the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ to remember his infant son's early demise from SIDS for several years through "Smoke a JJ for JJ" day (Jerry Jr. = JJ). My Father Cigars took notice and in December the special Little Robusto size (named for Jerry's nickname for JJ) was released. It features a Broadleaf Maduro wrapper around Nicaraguan Criollo and Corojo fillers and proceeds will be going to benefit a couple of Jerry's family's favorite SIDS-related charities.

The Series JJ had an oily appearance and rich aroma, notes of leather and earth on the wrapper, coffee and cocoa powder on the foot. The cold draw had a sweet chocolatey taste with an underlying earthiness. Upon lighting, I got that Pepin trademarked "Blast of Pepper" along with lots of earth and hints of dark roast coffee and cocoa powder. I have to be honest in saying that I've never been a huge fan of the Series JJ myself, but I am more of a fan of the Maduro version, so someone made the right choice by specifying the JJ Maduro blend for this special stogie. In this particular size, I am even more of a fan as this is almost the perfect size for a winter smoke. The interplay of sweet chocolate and cayenne pepper is fantastic not long after starting.

So basically, here's my argument...if you like these cigars, buy all you can and enjoy the heck out of them. If you are not a fan of the blend, buy them anyway...and give them out to your friends. It is for one of the best causes I can imagine. Light them up in public places and if someone complains, tell them you're smoking it "For the children." Tell them the story and encourage them to donate as well...either by buying cigars or by just writing a check.

Cigar Review: Rodrigo Habano Clasico

2012-01-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

Toro, 6" x 50 ring gauge / approx. $7.50
George Rodriguez began his quest to make quality cigars in 2010, 16 years after beginning to enjoy them. He traveled to Santiago, Dominican Republic, and just started asking around. After working his way through the "usual suspects" of Dominican cigar production, he happened upon William Ventura--a former master blender with Davidoff--and Kevin Michaels, who were smoking the very first cigars to come out of the factory they had built over three years. They proceeded to tell Rodiguez everything he could want to know about cigar manufacture, and his led to the release of his first line, the Rodrigo Habano Clasico. This blend is made of Dominican filler and binder, along with an Ecuadorian Habano/Sumatra hybrid wrapper. My friend from further south, G.C. Puffs sent me a couple of these that I smoked for this review.

The band was strange and cool, with griffin-like monsters flanking giant tobacco leaves. The wrapper leaf was oily with small and medium sized veins, but no blemishes in evidence. There were a couple softer spots I could feel as I squeezed the cigar along its length, but nothing that seemed like it would cause major burn problems...we would see. The wrapper had a nice aroma of leather and natural tobacco, while I got mostly earth and a slight vegetal note on the foot. The clipped end of the cigar provided a very good draw that had a nice mixture of earth and woodsiness, along with a bit of sweetness and chili pepper spice.

The Rodrigo started off with cedar and earth on the palate, along with a very spicy retrohale. The finish was somewhat long and sweet...almost syrupy at times. By the time I got about halfway through the first third, the flavor was more earthy, but in a damp sort of way, not unlike most Davidoff products. It was just faintly reminiscent of a Kelner blend, but to be honest I might not have made that leap in this instance if I didn't know the background of the blender involved. There was still a woodsiness to it, as well as a molasses finish, and the body was in the higher end of medium.

During the second third the notes of damp earth increased along with the overall woodsiness, all while keeping the molasses sweetness that balanced it so nicely. There was still a little pepper spice on the lips, but the retrohale had taken on a more roasted nuts note. Construction so far proved to be superb, with a straight burn line, strong ash, and very good draw.

The final third saw an increase in spice and earth--it almost seemed like a Nicaraguan smoke at this point, for that matter! I enjoyed the way the Rodigo Habano Clasico progressed through the different flavors, always maintaining a pleasing taste and a medium to full body. It did not have a big nicotine kick, though, to go with that body, so this smoke should be an easy one to recommend for all but the newest of smokers. Truly a great cigar from beginning to end and one that you should seek out...or ask your local B&M to pick up. I couldn't find anything I disliked about this cigar--and I found plenty that I loved, including the very reasonable price point--so I'm proud to award this stogie my first perfect 10 of 2012. I look forward to smoking many more of these.

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

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

Cigar Review: Davidoff 100th Anniversary Robusto

2012-01-04T10:00:00.004-05:00

Robusto, 5" x 52 ring gauge / $33 at the Davidoff shop in The Venitian

A couple weeks ago my wife and I were in Vegas for the weekend and I decided to stop by the Davidoff shop in The Venitian because I had heard about the 100th Anniversary cigar being sold there. I wasn't expecting the price to be as high as it was, but since we were on vacation I decided to pick one up for later review. The cigar was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Davidoff tobacco shop opening up in Geneva. According to Davidoff the blend : "consists exclusively of tobaccos that Davidoff obtained through cross-breeding or by further developing its own seeds that were either grown in the Dominican Republic or by a partner in Ecuador (in close cooperation with Davidoff). Five different types were used for the filler and stored between five to nine years so that they could develop their full aroma and special characteristics." From what I was able to find this boils down to the filler being from Ecuador, the binder from the Dominican and the wrapper being a Dominican criollo.

Giving this cigar a once over visually really shows off the Davidoff construction they are known for. The wrapper is evenly rolled and there are no gathers or tears in the wrapper. The wrapper is a fairly oily chestnut brown in color and it has a good amount of tooth to it as well. There were a few medium, but mostly fine veins on the cigar. The one thing that struck me as different than most Davidoff cigars was the pigtail cap. My thought is this is maybe a nod to the older style of manufacture. Giving the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and it was fairly firm. Putting my nose to the wrapper I got the aroma of leather, with barnyard coming from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got notes of sweetness and a vegetal flavor with a good draw.

Once I lit this cigar up I was hit pretty strongly with flavors of sweet spice, leather and wood. The retrohale saw a good amount of red pepper spice coming through. The draw started off perfect and it produced a large volume of smoke. I would say that it started in the medium bodied range. Towards the end of the first third I started getting a slight musty taste, which is something I get from some other Davidoffs, and some cinnamon. The burn was slightly off but I didn't correct it at this point. The ash held on for about three quarters of an inch before needing to be tapped off.

As I moved into the second third the flavors changed to maple, cedar, earth, leather and cinnamon with a slightly creamy finish. I was definitely enjoying this cigar. The burn evened itself out and the draw continued to be perfect. The spice was still there, although it wasn't as intense as in the first third. Towards the end of this third I did start getting a slight nicotine hit, which is something I not used to getting from a Davidoff.

The final third saw this cigar finish off strong with flavors of earth and leather with a hint of cinnamon. By this time the cigar had definitely moved into the bottom end of full in regards to strength.

I can definitely say I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar. The flavors were great and the construction was perfect. Unfortunately with it's high price, even without the Las Vegas surcharge, it isn't something that I could smoke on a regular basis. It is something that I would like to get a couple more to sit on and enjoy on special occasions though. As far as who would enjoy this cigar because it did have some strength I would caution those sensitive to strength or nicotine. The rest of you if you don't mind spending a little money on one cigar I'd say go for it.

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

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

Cigar Review: AKA Respect

2012-01-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Hooah, 5.5" x 50 ring gauge / approx. $9.50

AKA Cigars was founded in 2010 by proud Americans who wanted an American-themed cigar company...the AKA stands for "American Kick Ass." The Respect line is not, as you might think, about Aretha Franklin, but instead a tribute to the US Military, which four of the sizes named using mottos of the four main armed forces branches (Anchors Away, Aim High, Devil Dog, and today's Hooah) along with Reserves and Guard to honor the various reserve troops and National Guard and Coast Guard. The company is proud enough of its resources in making these cigars that they gave lots of details, so I get to tell you about them...the filler is 4 and 5 year old Dominican Corojo Ligero and Honduran Corojo Ligero from the Eiroa and Kelner families. The binder is a 4 year aged Honduran Corojo Ligero from the Eiroa family. The wrapper is a dark Ecuadorian Habano Wrapper, also aged 4 years. They call this a "Full Body Cigar with an Ominous Personality that will take you to the edge of your smoking limits." A percentage of the sale of AKA Respect goes to the Wounded Warrior Project, so do someone else a favor and buy these. Also a tip of the hat to G.C. Puffs who sent me the two samples that I smoked for this review...follow GC on Twitter...read his blog...just do it!

This cigar band looks like it was designed by fans of the Oakland Raiders and Sons of Anarchy, with its silver and black attack and tattoo-inspired lettering. The wrapper was nicely oily with a smooth feel under the pads of my fingers. The only retraction was the presence of a couple of fairly massive veins...almost Frankenstein scar looking these were. On the wrapper I got an aroma of manure and leather, while the foot gave off sweet chocolate and milder earth aromas. The cold draw was excellent; I got flavors of cocoa powder, earth, dark roast coffee and even a little red pepper.

The thing I am struck by right after lighting the AKA Respect is how different it is. You might expect earth and spice and wood from this blend...and you do get some of that...but there's more to it. Right off the bat there is the cedar flavor that seems to come through strongly on almost any Corojo, and then there is an almost meaty chewiness to the smoke, followed by a mild pepper spice on the finish. The retrohale has notes of leather and roasted nuts, along with a sharp red pepper. Amazing complexity from a cigar that really has not even had time to settle in from initial lighting yet. Midway through the first third, I picked up on some nice anise notes and the cedar and pepper spice held strong, too.

The Respect started off medium to full, but shortly into the second third, it ramped up to full-fledged full-bodied. The flavors were still smoky, meaty, and chewy...almost a BBQ in a stogie, but with plenty of support from pepper spice, anise, and a dark chocolate sweetness. The draw was excellent, but I had to make a couple touch ups to the burn along the way and the ash was a little flaky, littering my book and iPad a bit as I smoked.

The AKA Respect smoking great all the way to the nub. I continued to get meaty full-bodied smoke from it the entire way. What impressed me the most was the refined nature of the tobacco in that it didn't have a big nicotine kick despite its full body; it had a pleasing amount of complexity, too. For newbies, this cigar would be one to steer clear of, but experienced smokers will likely enjoy this...a lot! Distribution is limited right now, but I can see this line being picked up by more stores very easily.

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

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

Happy 2012

2012-01-02T09:44:00.002-05:00

This weekend is the perfect time to pause for a moment, take a brief look at where we've been and get a glimpse of where we may be heading...

2011 was a great year for the Tiki Bar as we set some reader records, got to smoke tons of great cigars, and made lots of new friends.

For 2012, we already have some fantastic cigars scheduled for review. A couple ideas for regular features have been on the back burner now for the better part of a year and I'm hoping we are able to finally see those come to light. I am planning a year-long (or more?) series of libation reviews. And the highlight of the year will most likely be the 2012 Chattanooga Tweet-Up, for which planning is in high gear...you should see some more big information released about that within the month.

That's all for today...from both of us here at the Tiki Bar, we would like to wish all our readers, family and friends a very happy 2012! Thank you, all, for your continued support!

One last thing...if you haven't checked out the contest that went live on Stogie Guys today, you should do so. Win some cigars and make your voice heard!

Cigar Extra: The Griffins, Maduro (and the Friday Funnies)

2011-12-30T08:36:00.000-05:00

Toro, 6.25" x 52 ring gauge / $11.45, Burns
The Davidoff company started The Griffins line as a special "house" blend for The Griffin's Club in Switzerland. Exact information was difficult to find, but I believe them to be Dominican in filler and binder and this Maduro version features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Typical of Davidoff products, the appearance was understated and classy and construction appeared to be impeccable. The wrapper had an aroma that was a mix of earth and dark chocolate; the foot had a foresty earthiness that immediately reminded me that this is a Davidoff product, blended by Hendrick Kelner. Hard to believe, perhaps, but this cigar...which I received as part of my membership renewal multi-pack at CBC/Burns in November...is the first Griffins I have ever had. I decided to give this reportedly mild to medium stick a try on a Sunday morning with some strong, black Dominican coffee.

In case I momentarily forgot who made The Griffins, a cold draw full of foresty, woodsy, musty earthiness brought it right back into focus; to be fair, there was a nice sweetness, too, due to the Maduro wrapper used on this version. When lit, that sweet wrapper leaf gives the traditional Davidoff flavor profile a seriously different twist; the musty woodsiness was there, but it was overlaid by a delicate sweet aspect that was almost chocolatey, but not quite. There was also a definite cedar note and a hint of a floral aspect to the profile.

The interesting interplay of flavors worked its way through the first half...now more sweet and chocolatey...now more earthy...always with that Kelner forest trait just underneath. Medium in body, The Griffins Maduro went very well with my morning coffee and proved to be a great way to start the day while avoiding the typical Connecticut Shade mild cigar paradigm.

Friday Funnies:
Just like Crowned Heads came out with Four Kicks in November and won my "Cigar of the Year" award, Toby Keith came out with "Red Solo Cup" in October and I think he might just have written the "Song of the Year." A sillier song might be hard to find, but there is so much truth and wisdom conveyed herein that I just can't argue with:

Cigar of the Year, part 2: Runners-Up & COTY

2011-12-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

So now we're down to the final 3...my favorite 3 cigars of 2011. There is nothing scientific about this process and your choices may very well differ from mine. As I've looked through some of the other blogger year-end lists, though, I've been amazed at how many of the same cigars showed up on all the lists...

RUNNERS UP

Tatuaje Black, Petite Lancero
I missed out on the Tat Black when it made its first appearance some years ago; my first one was actually the Black Tubo a couple years back. I liked it, but hardly loved it. I had some others in smaller sizes and began to see the potential. When this Petite Lancero size came out, after two puffs, I just said, "Wow!" And that has continued...every time I light one up, the same word in on my lips..."Wow." This stick epitomizes to me the classic Tatuaje experience...full and powerful with tons of earth and pepper spice, along with underlying sweetness, coffee and leather. It begins fantastic every time, but I've found myself not loving the last third as much. That, along with a couple samples that have had slight draw problems, is the reason this did not become Cigar of the Year for me. I do love them, though, and still intend to invest in a box soon.

Emilio Cigars, Grimalkin
My first reaction to these was to grimace at the Cheshire grin on the band. That was followed by immensely enjoying the cigar, even though I thought the packaging was silly. In the intervening time, I've had discussions with brand owner, Gary Griffith, about the concept, but I still wonder if it holds the cigar back. Packaging will not necessarily make or break a cigar any more than some blogger's opinion of it, but it can help or hurt initial sales. At this time, Emilio Cigars are extremely popular...among those who have tried them...but there seems to be some resistance to them outside the world of online cigar geeks. And that is very unfortunate. The Grimalkin starts off with a nice mix of earth and cedar with touches of molasses (did someone say syrupy) sweetness and a peppery retrohale. This is truly a great cigar and one of the best out of the factory that makes it (can we say who yet?). Seek it out.

CIGAR OF THE YEAR

Crowned Heads, Four Kicks
The story of this cigar's creation is practically legendary already...from the way the Crowned Heads principals were left by a company they helped build, to the partnering with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo for the creation of this first cigar, and everything in between. Of course, the fact that Huber, Conder and company put it all online for us all to see didn't hurt. The fact that their first cigar as a new company is a no-questions home run makes it all the better. This medium-bodied, full-flavored cigar has notes of earth, pepper spice and a wonderful molasses sweetness running through it. I bought a box of Robustos on the first day they were available and I practically can't stop smoking them. Good enough to be Cigar of the Year? Absolutely! Sometimes a scale of 1 to 10 doesn’t seem like enough...this cigar practically goes to 11.

My Cigars of the Year

2011-12-28T10:00:00.004-05:00

Seeing as this year is coming to a close and it is the normal time for cigar bloggers to do this I thought I'd give you all a list of my favorite cigars over the past year. For the most part these cigars have all been released this year, but a few of them may have been released last year. I didn't really get the time to smoke them all again like Dave did. Also as you'll see our lists are a bit different.

Honorable mentions in no particular order:

- Savinelli Dos Campeones Coraje Trabajador
- Davidoff White Edition
- Alec Bradley Black Market
- Hammer & Sickle Berlin Wall
- La Flor Dominicana Diadema Duo Maduro
- E.P. Carillo New Wave Connectiut
- Artisan's Passion by Paul Garmirian
- Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial
- Emilio Grimalkin
- Room 101 Namakubi

Top 13 Cigars of 2011:

13: Chaveta Toro
12: Zino Z-Class 550R
11: E.P. Carillo Elencos
10: My Father Le Bijoux 1922 Box Press
9: My Father El Hijo
8: La Flor Dominicana Diadema Duo Natural
7: Quesada España
6: Emilio AF1
5. The Crowned Heads Four Kicks
4: CroMagnon EMH
3: Drew Estate Undercrown
2: Tatuaje Fausto

and my number one cigar of the year is:

The San Lotano Oval Robusto.

There was a lot of difficult competition this year in my opinion. If I could I probably would have put a few more cigars as tied for my number one cigar of the year. It was a great year for cigar smokers since there were a lot of great cigars released this year that really catered to the different palates of cigar smokers everywhere. I chose the Oval as my number one cigar of the year because it has been the cigar I've gotten the most enjoyment out of this year. Pretty much every time I reach in my humidor I want to reach for one of those and sometimes I have to keep myself from not grabbing it so I don't run out too quickly.

I hope that my ranking doesn't anger any of the cigar makers out there because I am just one smoker out of many and this is just my opinion. If you have comments or just think I'm nuts let me know in the comments!

Cigar of the Year, part 1: Honorable Mentions

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

I decided to do something a little different this year...smoke every serious Cigar of the Year contender again and take some notes on it from a fresh perspective. Sometimes it may have been a few weeks since the last time I had one; other times it may have been several months. Whatever the case, I decided that this would be the best way to tell how they stack up against each other: smoke them all in a relatively short time frame. I haven't followed the "first cigar of the day" rule that I use when writing full reviews...because these are not full reviews. I did try to smoke no more than two on a given day just to give them all a fair shake with a fairly fresh palate.

The other “rule” I instituted for this year’s Cigar of the Year decision was that no limited editions would be eligible. It just didn’t seem right to give a cigar that high of a recommendation when it might be pretty much impossible to find.

Today I'm presenting the "Honorable Mentions"; these were cigars that scored high through the year and several were actually a "lock" for Cigar of the Year at some point during the year.

Honorable Mentions:

Berger and Argenti Entubar Quad Maduro
How to follow up the innovative Entubar, with its discreet channel of Ligero running right through the exact center of the cigar? Do a Maduro version! And maybe it's just me, but I think this box-pressed Maduro is far superior to the original. Cold draw reveals flavors of dark roast coffee and tons of chocolate. The draw is so perfect, that while toasting the foot, smokes comes out of the clipped head on its own. After lighting, the Quad Maduro gives up more coffee flavor, along with baker's cocoa and a bit of chocolate sweetness. It really is a "chocolate bar of a cigar," as I heard one rep call it. My only problem with these is the price; at $10.50 or more for a Robusto, they are just hard to justify on a regular basis...I love them, but my bank account doesn't.

El Primer Mundo, Epifania
I discovered Primer Mundo Cigars hiding in plain sight in my local B&M a little over a year ago and soon considered the Criollo Maduro to be one of the hidden gems of the cigar world. Sean Williams runs the company out of Atlanta, and it has been a fairly small company, but it is expanding beyond the Southeast. For last year's release, Sean teamed with Willy Herrera and Titan de Bronze for the Liga Miami; at this year's Chattanooga Tweetup, Sean said the Epifania was similar, but tweaked. Whatever the tweak was...it worked. While I'm not a huge fan of the Liga Miami, this stick was magic from the moment I lit it. Sweet tobacco, molasses and earth stand out at first, wrapped up in a creamy smooth smoke.

Kristoff Brittania Reserva
This was the first cigar from Kristoff that I liked so much, I made it a point to seek it out and buy more. Although mild to medium, it contains a ton of flavor, even on the cold draw. After lighting, there was a blast of black pepper mixed into a creamy, sweet smoke. These are hard to find, but pretty easy on the wallet, especially for a boutique brand. Mild to medium sticks in the “new breed Connecticut” category seem to be a dime a dozen in the last couple years, but this is one of my favorites. Try it if you get a chance.

Pedro Martin Cigars, Ruby Lancero
One of the newcomers to the cigar industry this year, Pedro Martin Cigars was started by Maria Martin in honor of the memory of her father. Unlike many new companies, they started off with three distinct and excellent blends featuring heavy use of Corojo tobacco, and promised to have three more blends out before year's end (I haven't seen them on the shelf yet). My favorite of the initial three was Ruby, which features a reddish Corojo wrapper leaf and a brilliant, sweet flavor. My favorite of the Ruby is this Lancero. Sweet tobacco, earth, cedar and a little spice all play their parts in this fantastic blend.

Tatauje La Casita Criolla
Who would have thought that a cigar composed solely of Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco could be this good? Well...Pete Johnson thought so, actually, and that is why we ended up with the La Casita Criolla. I loved this one from the first time I sparked one up. They are available in three sizes, none of which has a ring gauge larger than 48, and the price is right. The only caveat on these is this: Broadleaf tends to be thick and moist...I've found the smallest size to have draw issues when kept at normal humidification levels. Simply dry boxing them for a few hours before smoking should alleviate any problems...or just go for the slightly larger sizes. The La Casita Criolla is earthy and leathery and mildly spicy at times, but more than anything else, it is sweet, as you would expect from an all Broadleaf cigar. Its medium body and affordable price tag make it all the more desirable for me.

Coming up on Thursday, the final 3...the Runners-Up and the Cigar of the Year...

Merry Christmas...and Happy Boxing Day!

2011-12-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's the day after Christmas when you are reading this (or even later if you aren't the type to read every day...shame on you!), but since we don't publish on Sundays, we're celebrating today. Keith and I would both like to wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you enjoyed some time with family and loved ones.

What today actually is is Boxing Day (in the U.K., Canada, and Australia...at least according to my calendar). I had heard of Boxing Day for decades but never bothered to look into it. This year I decided to reach out to a Canadian friend, Perdomo's National Director of Sales, Chris Harper. This is what he had to say about Boxing Day:

In Canada, Boxing Day is...our Black Friday. I know it doesn't make sense but that is when everyone goes hunting for deals. They say that the day came from England. The rich boxed up the leftovers from the big Christmas dinner and gave it to the servants. Hence, Boxing Day!

You heard the man...go box up some leftovers for your servants! :)

Cigar Extra: La Aurora Puro Vintage 2003

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Salomon, 7.25" x 52 ring gauge / Approx. $20
Another tip of the hat to Keith for sending me this rare cigar for my birthday. The La Aurora Puro Vintage was released in 2008 and only 12,000 total cigars were rolled, using filler and binder from the Dominican Republic and wrapper from Ecuador...all from the 2003 harvest. The leaf was aged with cedar for five years prior to rolling. The look was stunning and impressive, with an oily wrapper and bold, oversized band. The aroma from the wrapper was a mixture of leather, straight tobacco and molasses sweetness, while the foot was faintly earthy. The cold draw was easy, but didn't have as much flavor as I would have expected...a little natural tobacco, a little sweetness.

I was surprised again when the initial light up did not feature a burst of flavor, but the Puro Vintage 2003 started out subtle and almost unassuming. The flavor of natural tobacco was nice, but nothing that was overly special. It took about 10 minutes of smoking before I started to pick up on nicer notes of hay, earth and molasses. By the time the first third was pretty well reduced to ash, the flavor had turned almost chewy, with a thick, oily smoke and flavors of earth, wood, and molasses standing out. Such a drastic evolution from the first few puffs!

By the final third, the Puro Vintage 2003 was a symphony of flavor from leather and earth, to caramel and hay, all wrapped up in a creamy, abundant smoke. I expected big things from this cigar and while it started off slow, it kept ramping up the intensity throughout, proving that if you just review the first inch of a cigar, you will never be able to tell the full story. Sadly, this cigar is very hard to find these days, but there is a newer Puro Vintage slated to be released soon (perhaps by the time you read this). Will it be as delicious as this one? There is no way to know until you smoke one...and I plan to.

Perfect "10"s for 2011

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Some cigar reviewers don't believe in numerical ratings. Others are rather stingy with theirs and would never give something a perfect score. We're a little more liberal with our scale most of the time...if we really, really like a cigar and can't find anything wrong with it, why shouldn't it be a 10? In the end some 10s are more worthy than others, but I believe that all the cigars that get that kind of rating are truly great sticks.

In compiling this list, I found that I had given 10 "perfect 10s" and Keith had given 1. A few other facts were interesting, too...only 1 of the 10s came from what I would call a "major manufacturer" (Avo, made by Davidoff), but 4 of them came out of the My Father Cigar Factory (or a precursor to it in one case). Some may argue that My Father and/or Tatuaje should be considered a major manufacturer, but I find it hard to put them in the same league as General, Altadis or Davidoff. All in all, I think the boutique cigar business is in great shape.

Without further ado, here's the list...and links to the original reviews...

Kristoff Brittania Reserva, 1/13

Berger & Argenti Entubar Quad Maduro, 3/22

Avo 85th (LE 2011), 4/6

My Father LE 2011, 5/20

Tatuaje Maravillas, 6/23

Tatuaje Black Label Petite Lancero, 8/9

Tatuaje La Casita Criolla (HCBC), 8/30

Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva, 9/14

Pedro Martin Ruby Lancero, 9/15

El Primer Mundo Epifania, 10/13

Crowned Heads Four Kicks, 12/19

Next week I'll be talking about my Top Cigars of 2011, including my personal "Cigar of the Year."

Cigar Review: Savinelli Dos Campeones Sixto Trabajador

2011-12-21T10:00:00.002-05:00

Short Robusto, 4" x 56 ring gauge / $6.99, Maxamar's

With 2011 being the 20th anniversary of Savinelli being in the cigar business they have come up with a couple innovative ideas for cigar blends. Today I'll be reviewing the second half of the Dos Camepones line. These cigars were the brainchild of Steven Ysidron. Each box consists of 2 different blends. Today's Sixto blend is comprised of Nicaraguan filler and binder with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. This was the first one I smoked.

The wrapper on this sample was a very nice ruddy brown in color with quite a bit more oils to the wrapper than the Coraje blend. There were some medium and fine veins to it as well. Giving the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and it was fairly firm to the touch. The wrapper gave off a fairly intense aroma of barnyard while the foot gave off chocolate and leather. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I was able to tastes notes of cocoa powder and leather with an ok draw.

As soon as I lit up the cigar I got a very intense amount of red pepper spice on the tongue and the back of the throat. When I retrohaled it I was greeted to a wasabi like burning in my nose. After taking a few more puffs on the cigar I was able to start tasting leather, molasses, and a slight amount of chocolate. Towards the end of the first third I started to get notes of cedar and earth mixed in as well. The spice did tone itself down a bit but it was sill very present. The draw was actually perfect in spite of it being a bit tight on the pre-light draw. The burn was uneven but I decided to let it go and see if it fixed itself. They grey ash held on for about an inch before needing to be tapped off. I would put this cigar at the upper end of medium in regards to strength and body at this point.

Moving on into the second third saw the spice continue to get less intense, especially on the retrohale. The flavors were of earth, leather, and wood and the sweetness was completely gone. The burn was still uneven but not needing a correction at this point. By the end of the second third the spice was pretty much completely gone.

The final third was very similar to the second third in regards to the flavors I noted. The only change was that I started to get a slightly creamy finish. The burn did even itself out without needing an application of a lighter.

Overall I didn't enjoy this blend as much as I did the Coraje. The Sixto blend is supposed to be the stronger of the two, but I felt the Coraje was the stronger. I do think I'd give this another try, but I would probably be more drawn to the Coraje. However since there was nothing I could find wrong with this cigar I would suggest that if you can find them, pick one up and give it a try for yourself.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Event: Room 101 Cigarmageddon

2011-12-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, December 16, 2011, was the last date on Matt Booth's Cigarmageddon Tour, ending where it began: Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga, TN. The start was at the Chattanooga Tweet Up in August when Booth introduced this year's limited edition cigar in the Room 101 collection, the Namakubi. Hopes were high that we would be able to be the first shop to get our hands on the official release of the OSOK (One Shot One Kill) for this event, but delays happen when you are dealing with shipments to foreign countries. The OSOK is now expected to debut in January.

We did have the namesake for OSOK, Mr. Edgar Hoill, in the house for this event, though. Edgar has been working with Matt Booth from the start as his official photographer. The West Coast half of the Tiki Bar, Keith Hollar, has also been in talks with Edgar for a story that will focus on his photography; there might be a contest and a print given away in conjunction with that story, so that's something to look forward to in the New Year.

I had the opportunity to sit down and chat a bit with both Matt Booth and Edgar Hoill on Friday night. Here's that conversation...

I also took a few pictures at the event; you can see those on my Facebook page HERE.

If you need some gift ideas, check out Room 101 Silver or OSOKill.

Cigar Review: Crowned Heads Four Kicks

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / approx. $7.75

Sometimes things work out for the best. A little over a year ago, my friend, Al, and I were among the last visitors to the old CAO headquarters in Nashville. We spent time talking to Susie Clark and Jon Huber about where they had been and what was happening. Jon told this hilarious story about Hank Williams Jr.’s visit to the office. Commiseration seemed to be the order of the day, though, as a job that had been a way of life for many people was coming to an end. I had already been given hints that something else was being worked on, but I was not privy to details until later and who besides God could have known how it would all work out?

In February, we heard about the new company, Crowned Heads, founded with four CAO ex-pats: Jon Huber, Mike Conder, Michael Trebing and Nancy Heathman. A new cigar company for Nashville and the public would get to see the building of it from the ground up. The barebones office in the vintage building near downtown, the trips to Nicaragua and other far-flung locales, the unveiling of new artwork and swag that this time seems not to be destined to fill a “Merch” page on the company’s website.

Later on the team sent out some samples of blends they were considering for their first cigar to about a dozen bloggers and friends, including me. Of the four I smoked, one stood out...and it stood out to almost everyone else, too. And with a little tweaking by one of the acknowledged "Masters of the Leaf," Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jr., it became Four Kicks. And is it good? Yes...it is very good.

So good, in fact, that I'm willing to throw tradition out the window this time and tell you exactly what I think of it right here: the Four Kicks by Crowned Heads is not only “very good,” it is a masterpiece of dried, fermented and aged leaves. This team put out some very good and some excellent cigars during their tenure with CAO, but this beats them all. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jr., has been behind many great blends, from the El Rico Habano, La Gloria Cubana Serie R, EP Carrillo Core Maduro, Elencos, and New Wave Connecticut...but I believe this is the finest blend he has ever produced. Now let’s talk full review and the details of why I believe all this...

After having a chance to early-sample all four sizes, I decided on a box of Robustos, 3 of which I smoked before I got around to this review. When I opened the box to pull out a sacrificial cigar, I stuck my face down in the box to fully inhale the amazing cedar and tobacco aromas...I don’t buy that many boxes, so it’s hard to compare this with others, but what an intoxicating smell. The Four Kicks had a medium brown color, with a touch of red in certain lighting and a little darker mottling as well. The wrapper leaf was exceedingly oily to the eye and the touch and there were nothing larger than medium-sized veins in evidence. The banding and packaging is traditional, yet unique, and cool all the way around. My wife remarked that the look of the logo on the box was “American” with the vaguely old-west type style and use of guns. The guns and stars and other elements are use in embossing in the gold side sections of the band, too, creating subtle echoes of the design from the box. Putting the cigar to my nose I got a nice rich cedar aroma, which shouldn’t be too surprising since that’s the biggest smell element I got from the open box, too. The foot had a note of earth and a bit of sweetness. After clipping with a Xikar Xi cutter, I got a great draw with mostly natural tobacco flavor along with a little earth and a little molasses sweetness.

Lighting was easy with a single flame torch, even in a slight fall breeze. While not exactly Pepin-esque, the Four Kicks opens with a spiciness that is indicative of its Nicaraguan filler and binder. Soon after an earthiness kicks in, and adjust a few minutes later I got a sweet molassesy note in a creamy smoke. The finish had a nutty aspect to it. I know Jon Huber is not a huge fan of all these descriptors, but I'm just telling what I tasted...your experience may be different. Regarding the things we taste when we smoke cigars, it is not unusual or unexpected to taste things that a out of nature, many times from the same geographical areas that produce our favorite smokes...coffee, cocoa, molasses, spice...these are all items you would find in my regions that also grow tobacco. As promised, this is a medium bodied cigar with full flavor. The first third rounded out with earth and sweetness up front with a spicy burn building at the back of the palate and throat.

Earthiness and sweetness were joined in the second third by a distinct woodiness of cedar. The Four Kicks continued to burn evenly with a great draw and solid ash, even during the aforementioned autumn breeze. By the end of the third the spice was toning down a bit on the palate, but I started to get a spicy tingle on the lips instead.

The final segment of the Four Kicks turned out to be just as pleasant as the first two. I continued to get notes of cedar and earth in a creamy smoke with touches of molasses here and there. Every now and then you come across a cigar that is truly remarkable. I almost never smoke the same cigar twice in one day, but in the forty eight hours following my purchase of a box of Robustos, I smoked three of those and one of the Corona Gordas I picked up as individual sticks. I would get done with one and want to light another up almost immediately, even if I didn't have time. This was all facilitated by the fact that the Four Kicks is easy on the palate with its medium body and easy on the wallet with its very reasonable price tag. If you can get your hands on these (I say "if" because I expect the first shipment to be sold out by the time this posts) then definitely do so. Try all the sizes if you can and find out which one hits you just right. For me it's the Robusto, followed by the Sublime (Toro). I have to finish by saying "Congratulations" to Messrs. Huber, Conder, Trebing, Heathman, and Carrillo for hitting this first ball out of the park.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 8/10

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

Cigar Extra: Tatuaje T110

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Short Robusto, 4.375" x 52 ring gauge / Priceless
A big thanks first of all to my friend and fellow blogger, Keith, who sent me this somewhat rare stogie for my birthday. The T110 was a 2009 limited release for Tatuaje that later became the basis for the regular line Fausto. From what I've read elsewhere (notably smokingstogie.com and acigarsmoker.com) this was made for a store in Hawaii, only 200 boxes were produced, and the T stands for Thermonuclear. It is all Nicaraguan Ligero in filler and binder with a Habano Ecuador Maduro wrapper. This wrapper leaf was dark and quite oily despite shipping sans cello. There was a sweet molasses note to the wrapper and earth on the foot. I paired the T110 with some Maker's Mark Bourbon on a chilly fall evening.

The cold draw was very sweet, almost syrupy, which was something I totally did not expect from having smoked a few Faustos. The initial burst of flavor after lighting, though, was definitely in the same family as the later stick...but much more somehow. While it had a strong earth and coffee flavor, there is also loads of sweetness and cocoa powder, notes that just don't stand out that strongly to me on the Fausto.

Through the first third and into the second I quickly came to an agreement with those who have smoked the T110 then the Fausto...yes, they are very similar, but the T110 is better. While both are strong, very full-bodied smokes, this one has more sweetness and more pop to the flavors overall. Whether this is due to a couple years of age on the stick, different harvests of tobacco, or just a tweak in the Fausto blend, I could not say, but the T110 is definitely one to seek out if you are a fan of strong Tats.

Cigar Review: Kristoff Kristania

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / $5.25, Burns
Kristoff Cigars was established in 2005 and has prided itself on being one of the fastest-growing boutique brands in America. I have smoked several of their blends and was particularly impressed with the Brittania, but one of the sticking points has always been their price tags, which were never outrageous, but we're nevertheless a little too high for everyday comfort. To help alleviate that feeling, recently they released Kristania, offering "all the flavor and smoothness of the Kristoff line, at a budget conscious price." It features Dominican Habano filler and binder along with a Nicaraguan Criollo Habano wrapper. I recently picked up a couple samples from Burns, saving this second one for my review.

The wrapper is kind of what I have come to expect from Kristoff: smooth and oily, with strange mottling patterns. This is becoming almost a "signature" look. The band is also typical of the company: rich printing techniques including foil and embossing on a heavy, expensive-feeling paper. I think it all works together to bring a certain classy look and feel on a cigar that retails for barely above $5...very cool. Sniffing the wrapper, I got a strong barnyard/manure aroma; the foot was more of the same, but not quite as strong. After clipping the head from the cigar, I got a flavor that was a mix of sweet hay and pungent earth.

The Kristania lit easily with a soft-flame Djeep lighter and I immediately got a mild earthiness along with a creamy hay note and a nice peppery retrohale. It did not take long for the creamier, milder notes to be consumed in an overwhelming earthy profile, though; at the same time, the spice became evident at the back of the palate and throat, too. By the end of the first third, I was struck by how little this seemed like a mostly Dominican cigar; the smoke had a fairly harsh edge to it and the body was already in the medium to full category.

The Kristoff Kristania was not showing a lot of complexity as I burned into the second third, but it did continue to show good taste. Despite the harsh edge, I was thoroughly enjoying the earthiness of this smoke; it made me think of the regular Padron series, not so much in exact flavor, but in the fact that it delivered very good flavor for a very good price. Construction so far was fantastic, with a great draw, even burn line requiring no touch ups and a strong ash that never flaked.

In the final third, the harshness mellowed out, leaving more of that creaminess I got at the very start, and increasing the enjoyability of the cigar. It was still mostly earthy but some notes of wood and some grassy sweetness crept in on the edges, too. All in all, I liked the Kristoff Kristania quite a bit. For a "budget conscious" cigar, it had a very good, consistent flavor with just enough change-up to make it interesting. The body and strength may be a bit too much for brand new smokers, but everyone else should give this a try. It definitely will be making its way into my rotation as I liked both the experience and the price.

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

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

Cigar Review: Savinelli Dos Campeones Coraje Trabajador

2011-12-14T10:00:00.004-05:00

Short Robusto, 4" x 56 ring gauge / $6.99, Maxamar's

With 2011 being the 20th anniversary of Savinelli being in the cigar business they have come up with a couple innovative ideas for cigar blends. Today I'll be reviewing one half of the Dos Camepones line. These cigars were the brainchild of Steven Ysidron. Each box consists of 2 different blends. Today's Coraje blend is comprised of what they term vintage Nicaraguan filler, a Nicaraguan binder with Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. This blend is supposed to be the less intense of the two. This was my first one of these cigars.

The wrapper on this sample was a dark chocolate brown and had a good amount of oils to it. The veins on it were very fine. Giving the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and it was fairly firm. Putting my nose to the wrapper I got a the aroma of barnyard with the same thing coming from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I was able to get the taste of cocoa powder with a good draw. One thing I'll note about the appearance is if you don't know where to look the word 'Coraje' gets a little lost on the band so it might be confusing to some which one they are smoking.

Lighting up the cigar brought the intense flavors of leather, chocolate and red pepper spice to the tongue. The draw was great and it produced a large volume of smoke. After taking a few more puffs on the cigar I started getting notes of wood and earth coming through. The burn started get slightly uneven but nothing that needed correcting at this point. To me this cigar was at the upper end of medium in strength and body. The light grey ash held on for about a inch before needing to be tapped off.

As I moved into the second third of the cigar the spice toned down quite a bit. It was still there on the tongue but pretty much gone from the retrohale. The flavors changed slightly to earth, wood, cocoa powder, and a herbal spice with a slightly creamy finish.

The final third saw the cigar finish off strong. The draw continued to be perfect and the burn pretty much evened itself out without any help. I continued to get flavors of leather, earth and chocolate, however a slightly sweet finish, almost a maple flavor, started to come through. The spice did start to come back and the strength of the cigar moved into the bottom end of full.

Overall this was a very enjoyable cigar and I see myself buying this one again. With the flavors I liked and great construction and a reasonable price I don't see why not. I do think it would be good for most smokers out there since it wasn't too strong and I didn't get a nicotine hit from it. I'm looking forward to trying the other blend in the box which I will be posting the review of next week.

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

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

What I Did Last Weekend...(Atlanta Tweet Up)

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

It is utterly amazing to me how much smoking a cigar can seem to make travel time shrink. This shouldn’t be a surprise, since I do so nearly every time I drive down to Burns in Chattanooga (about 45 minutes each way and nearly perfect for a robusto), but it does continue to take me be surprise when I have a 2.5 to 3 hour drive ahead of me, I fire up a stogie, and the time and miles seem to fly by. Finding new and different places to check in on FourSquare helps, too...I’ll get to that in a few moments.

The La Aurora 107 "Big Mike"...yes, he smoked one...

Saturday, December 10, 2012, was the central date of the second annual Atlanta Tweet-Up, held at Buckhead Cigar Lounge. Since last year’s event was the impetus for my pushing for a Chattanooga Tweet-Up and since Big Mike was kind enough to honor us with his presence at it, I figured I should do whatever I could to return the favor. I left my Tennessee Valley home at 7:00 a.m., ate some breakfast while heading out of town, then pulled over to light up my first cigar of the day (an Oliva Connecticut) in the first town in the next county. That took me at least past Dalton, Georgia...I honestly can’t remember when that cigar expired. I did smoke a Zino Platinum XS (mini cigar) before hitting Marrieta and Tobacco World, where I visited with @GreekGodofFire and @firewiz25 and picked up some review-candidates for next year’s calendar, before heading on to Buckhead City.

Whynatte...like Coffee & Red Bull combined

The crowd at Buckhead Cigar (@buckheadcigar) was a fun one, including manufacturer reps Jason Wood (@MiamiCigar) and Matthew Shugart (@CigarDorsey), both from Miami Cigar, Chris Harper (@HarperNdos) from Perdomo, and Clay Roberts (@AJFcigars) from AJ Fernandez Cigars. Also in attendance were brand owners Guillermo Leon (@GuillermoLeon_) of La Aurora and Jeff and Nada Jumper (@jeffjumper and @CigarGirlFL) of Nadi Cigars (@NadiCigars). And then there were the bloggers...@NTA_Ben and @NTA_Shawn from Nice Tight Ash, @brianhewitt from Stogie Review, and your truly (@dmjones1009). So besides those “titled” attendees, who else did we see? Atlanta resident, @nickwiegand was there early and brought the doughnuts. @CigarsThomas traveled all the way from California to annoy people. @Mango2kw, known as Jimmy Buffett to some, took some time away from his hammock on the Georgia coast. Local radio talk show host @TalkToRusty hung out for a while. Always well-dressed, but rarely working, @Big_Belicoso showed up late in the afternoon. And some of my Chattanooga friends made the trip, arriving a little more than fashionably late...@burnstobacco99, @cigarwes, @boxprezprincess and @SmokinButterfly were all there. I am giving these folks a hard time with some of the comments, but I do love them all as brothers and sisters of the leaf...if you’re not following the above names on Twitter, please consider doing so.

The Bacony Star of the Show...

The star of the show was the special guest, “Thick Cut Bacon.” Brought in from Rathbuns, but cooked by the adjoining Dantanna’s (because Rathbuns wasn’t open at that time of day), this is basically fried pork belly tossed in a molasses glaze...so almost like boneless pork ribs in a heavy, sweet BBQ sauce...utterly delectable and worthy of Tweeting many pictures to @jcruz who couldn’t make the trip this year. Bacony and fatty with a little too much salt on some pieces...if you haven’t tried these, you are missing out.

Over the course of the day, I smoked the following cigars: Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro “Little Robusto,” AJ Fernandez San Lotano Oval, Perdomo Exhibicion Sungrown, Perdomo ESV 2002 Maduro, Guillermo Leon Signature, Zino Platinum Crown Series Double Grande, LFD Cameroon Cabinet Lancero, and a Four Kicks Sublime.

Bars of smoke

Oh, and the FourSquare thing...after my DR trip in October and garnering 400 points in a week’s time, I decided to give up on FourSquare. I thought it would be fun to relent for one day and see how many points I could gather in one day’s time. That total turned out to be 93 and I ended up at #3 on the Leaderboard at the time I quit again early Sunday morning when I got home. I still fail to see any real value in FourSquare, but the point-earning game part can be fun at times. Also, it was fun to see how many legitimate places I could check into while flying down the highway...another thing to keep you awake on a long trip.

Cigar Review: Drew Estate Undercrown

2011-12-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robusto, 5" x 54 ring gauge / $7.45, Buckhead Cigar
The story goes that Drew Estate's rollers were smoking a little too much of their product, notably the Liga Privadas. This probably does not come as a great surprise to many Liga fans who are unable to find their favorite size and blend for months at a time. Instead of just being mad, the rollers worked on blending their own cigar...a stogie using many of the same types of tobacco, but in different primings and harvests, making it somewhat similar to the Liga Privada, but distinctly different at the same time. There are a couple of "really good things" about the Undercrown: first, the price is excellent, about 30 to 40 percent less than most LPs; second, they will actually be available. They will not require a Liga Privada-authorized store and the quantities are expected to be enough to keep them in stock consistently. What has been called "an inverse Liga Privada" has a somewhat mysterious blend...looking through several (hopefully) trustworthy sources online, I found the filler to be Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed, the dual binders to be a stalk-cut Connecticut Broadleaf along with a Habano, and the wrapper to be a Mexican San Andres Negro...or Otapan Negro Ultimo Corte...or San Andres Marron...or San Andres Maduro...depending on which site you want to believe. The Drew Estate site does not mention the Undercrown at all, although their iPhone app does talk about it...but gives no details whatsoever about the blend. I had smoked about four of these before getting to this review sample. Keith did review this stogie a couple months ago, you can find out what he thought HERE. If anyone from Drew Estate sees this and wants to clarify the tobacco questions above, the comments section is open. :)

Picking up the Undercrown, I noticed the wrapper was oily to the touch with a little rough toothiness as well. The color was dark chocolate with little mottling and practically no veins above what I would call medium in size. The band is a cool take on the Liga Privada lion logo, but in some ways this band looks classier than that on the LP lines...primarily because those are meant to look "unfinished" or "experimental." Putting the wrapper to my nose, I got mostly earth with a hint of cocoa powder; the foot gave up a stronger scent of earth. I used my trusty Xikar Xi to clip the head, leaving a very good draw and flavors of natural tobacco, coffee, pepper spice, and the vaguest hint of Mexican earthiness.

Not being sure of the Undercrown's make-up, I still think it is a safe bet that it contains less Ligero than regular LPs. I say this because of the ease with which I have lit these with nothing more than a soft flame lighter on several occasions. After lighting, the Undercrown starts off with a strong earthiness on the palate, accompanied by a balancing dried fruit sweetness and an intense pepper burn on the nose. Some people have called this a medium bodied cigar, but I think they might be fooled by the fact that it is not intensely strong with nicotine...even on the first few puffs, the smoke is oily and full in the mouth.

One of the seemingly signature characteristics of Liga Privada and related products is their ability to generate an unbelievable quantity of smoke. The Undercrown solders away while sitting on the edge of an ashtray chugging out blue-gray smoke at a rate many cigars do only when they have just been puffed on. I smoked one while driving in my car and just about choked myself on smoke.

The second third of the Undercrown was earthy and leathery, still displaying a full bodied, oily smoke with an understated sweetness. The construction of the cigar was just about perfect, with a fantastic draw and a burn line that needed no touching up. The ash held on for an inch or more before I tapped off.

Earthy and leathery were the order of the day as the final third of the Undercrown burned through as well. This cigar does not show the complexity or intensity of flavor you might be used to with a Liga Privada, but it does deliver a very good flavor in a full bodied smoke without a great deal of nicotine kick. The fact that it is readily available and priced nicely only makes it better. If you are a fan of full bodied smokes in general or Liga Privadas specifically, I think you will enjoy the Undercrown. Very new smokers should stay away until they get more experience and are able to handle fuller sticks. I enjoyed this one, though, and I can see it ending up in my humidor on a regular basis.

Body: 8/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 5/10

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

Cigar Extra: CAO Maduro (Costa Rica)

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

8.5" x 48 ring gauge / Priceless
This is what I like to call a "Holy Grail" cigar. A stogie of legend that is practically unobtainable because it was made in small quantities or because it went out of production long ago. But, Dave, you're saying...I can go into just about any cigar store in the country and pick up a CAO L'Anniversaire Maduro! True...but you will be getting the version made since 1999 or 2000 in a Nicaraguan factory...not the original version made in 1998 in Costa Rica. The two cigars were supposed to be the same...when production moved to Nicaragua they were supposed to be using the same blend (Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, Ecuadorian binder, and Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, I believe)...but for some reason the cigar was just never as good. It has been said that the Costa Rican-made Maduro is "the best cigar CAO ever made...or ever will make." A friend of mine has a friend with a stash of these...he made a phone call...I made a phone call...several months later I got a call back and a week or so after that I was gifted four of these in the mail. I can't find a record of this size, but I guess this would be a Presidente.

The wrapper of this CAO Maduro was rough and toothy, but still plenty oily for a 13 year old cigar with no cellophane. The color was lighter than what you might expect from a Maduro, although coloration is never the definition of Maduro, aging is. The aroma from the wrapper was mildly earthy, with a sweet molasses note. On the foot I got more earth and some black pepper. I've been told (and experienced it myself in the first sample of these that I smoked) that much of the strength and body has disappeared from these cigars over the last decade, but there is still so much aroma...and flavor!

The cold draw has a sweet, milk chocolate core flavor to it, along with hints of earth and natural tobacco. This was not an easy cigar to get lit, but once it was fired, I got a rich, sweet tobacco flavor with plentiful cocoa powder and coffee notes mixed in. Speaking of coffee, I elected to take this cigar with my morning coffee on a cool autumn morning. The smoke was cool due to the length of the cigar, and it smoked smoothly due to the amount of age it had. The draw on this Costa Rica CAO Maduro was even and easy.

The second third brought some black pepper to the retrohale while chocolatey sweetness continued along with earth and coffee on the palate. The mild to medium body made this almost perfect for a late morning smoke with coffee. The peppery nose hit continued until the end, as did the rest of the perfectly delightful flavors. Is this the best cigar CAO ever made? That is a distinct possibility, although I do love me some La Traviata Animado. It definitely would make my top 3 CAO cigars ever and if you get the chance, you should try this one. Sadly, as time goes on these will be harder and harder to find as the remaining supplies get reduced to ash. I have one more left and it will wait a few more month, maybe even a year or more, in my humidor before being fired up.

Cigar Review: Nadi Classic Habano

2011-12-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Caligula (Toro), 6" x 52 ring gauge / $
Two of the many people I got to meet at the Chattanooga Tweet Up in August were Jeff and Nada Jumper, who made it a point to drive up from Florida for our little party. That in itself made an impression on me, so when I found out they were working on their own cigar line, I made myself available to give it an early try. They sent me two samples from their soon to be leased line called Classic Habano by Nadi Cigars; this blend features Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, a Dominican binder and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper (which seems to be a very popular choice of late). Nadi Cigars are hand rolled by a former Davidoff master roller and the Jumpers expect to "informally" launch them at the Atlanta Tweet Up on the weekend of December 9-11 (at Buckhead Cigar); they will be available for sale exclusively at SunKissedSmokes.com.

The samples I got were cellophaned, but not banded. I appreciate the cello as it helps protect the sticks, but they did seem a little ordinary without some kind of banding. As expressed in my article from a few weeks ago...the proper banding can help establish where the makers are trying to position this cigar...just from looking at his one, I really cannot tell. With that being said, the Nadi Classic Habano did feature a very oily, somewhat toothy wrapper leaf, in a color just a shade or two lighter than medium brown. There was a little darker mottling, but overall it looked great. It was a little softer to the squeeze as you got closer to the foot, and not just right at the foot as is common, but an inch or more up from it. The aroma of the wrapper leaf was a little earthy, but it also had a touch of molasses to it. The foot had a more classic natural tobacco and cedar mix. The cold draw was excellent and had a musty, foresty flavor not unlike some Davidoff products...not quite as pronounced in this case, but definitely there.

The Kelner-esque notes were there on initial light up, too...more of that musty, fungusy flavor...but it was different because the Habano wrapper lent notes of molasses and there were some other earthy notes that seemed more in line with Nicaraguan smokes. The retrohale was nutty with just an edge of pepper spice. That woodsy note lasted about halfway through the first third before it was subsumed in a mix of cedar, leather, and molasses sweetness; there was an underlying earthiness, but it was not the same as what I experienced at first.

The Nadi Classic Habano built up a nice light gray ash of up to an inch in length before needing to be tapped off. In the second third the flavors became more woody...both cedar and oak at times, but still with that earth and molasses mix underneath. The draw was excellent at all times and the burn line had needed only one minor touch up to this point.

As the final third burned through, I picked up more earthiness and a more distinct cedar note. The Classic Habano turned out to be a very nicely balanced, fairly full flavored cigar with a body that was just slightly over medium and a very moderate amount of nicotine strength. After years of companies pursuing ever fuller body and ever fuller strength, it is nice to see some manufacturers decide that flavor is the most important element and that challenging your palate to a wrestling match is not. This cigar should be enjoyable by just about any level of smoker, from the novice to the seasoned enthusiast and my recommendation is to put it on your list of cigars to try.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 7/10

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

Cigar Review: Curivari El Gran Rey

2011-12-07T10:00:00.002-05:00

Belicosos, 5.375" x 52 ring gauge / $8.99, Maxamar's

Before I start the review I just want to pause and remember those who gave their life 70 years ago today at Pearl Harbor. Of those that survived this day there aren't many of them left. Treasure the time you have with them if you know one of those brave men or women.

This past weekend I was looking around my regular shop to see what was new. Right as I walked in I saw a bunch of Curivari cigars. I think I had heard of them before but I know I hadn't smoked one. As I was talking to Amar he said that the one with the band that looks like a Hoyo do Monterrey was good so I decided to pick one up to try and review. From what I was able to see almost all of the Curivari cigars have bands that mimic some of the classic Cuban brands. According to their website this cigar is: "full-bodied cigar is rich and spicy, exquisitely balanced, with a core of sweet spices, caramel, honey and a long, complex finish." This cigar, and it looks like all of their cigars at this time, is a Nicaraguan puro. This cigar comes in two other sizes, a 5" x 50 robusto called the Emperadores, and a 6.5" x 50 toro called the Prominentes. All of the cigars are packed in 10 count wood and paper boxes. This was the first cigar of this blend I smoked.

Giving the cigar a once over visually I noticed that the wrapper was a nice medium brown with some darker mottling to it. There we a good amount of oils and a slight amount of tooth to the wrapper as well. There were some medium and fine veins to it as well. When I gave the cigar a squeeze it was fairly firm and there were no soft spots. The wrapper gave off the slightest hint of curry while I got a light aroma of barnyard from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got a slight taste of sweet tobacco with a firm draw.

After lighting the cigar up I started getting the taste of leather and a molasses sweetness. I did get some red pepper spice on the retrohale as well. Taking a few more puffs on the cigar I did get some earth and a creaminess on the finish. However the draw was still really tight and I didn't get much smoke out of the cigar. I used bleeder tool on my MTX to try and open up the draw. It did work a bit and I was able to get some more smoke out of it. However it wasn't to where I would have liked it. The cigar was pretty much medium in body and strength at this point. The grey and black ash held on for about three quarters of an inch before needing to be tapped off.

Progressing into the second third I still wasn't getting as much flavor or smoke out of the cigar as I'd have liked so I decided to cut it again. This made the draw much better. The flavors during this third were of leather, earth, wood with a bit of red pepper spice. I would still rate this cigar as medium bodied. The burn did start to canoe pretty bad but I decided to not straighten it out and to see how it handled it. By the end of this third the flavors felt like they had finally balanced out. It seemed to me that the overly tight draw caused some issues with the flavors.

As I moved on into the final third the cigar continued on strong. The flavors were pretty much the same as the previous third, leather, earth, herbal spice and a sweet finish, but they continued to be pleasant rather than strained like the first half of the cigar. The red pepper spice did start to build again and I would say that the cigar reached the bottom end of full by the end.

If the cigar was like the last half all the way through it would have been a great cigar instead of a mediocre one. I do think I'd like to give another one a try to see what would happen in there weren't the construction issues holding the first half of the cigar back.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 7.5/10

Cigar Review: Gurkha Triad

2011-12-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Churchill, 7" x 52 ring gauge / MSRP ~$50
I was handed this cigar almost exactly a year ago by Kaizad Hansotia when he was making an event appearance at Burns Tobacconist. "This is a very special cigar," he said. And for a suggested retail price of about $50, it really should be. I had smoked a sample (a gift from another source) of the Triad Platinum (Maduro) a week or so before, though; they retail for about $100 a stick and to be honest...I was completely and utterly underwhelmed by it. After sitting on what I wrote about that stick for a year, I still don't want to publish it other than to say...it did nothing to justify such a lofty price tag in my eyes. So, back to the "natural" Triad...this cigar features a 10 year old Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, a 7 year old Dominican binder, and 7 year old filler from Nicaragua and Honduras. Only 300 boxes were made and the box is pretty spectacular...we will now delve into whether the cigar can measure up to the box it comes in.

The cigar band is ornate and beautiful and a bit over the top, but that's traditional Gurkha so there is not much more to say about that. The website shows uncello'd cigars in a box and they do not have any other adornment, either. In reality the cigar I had in my hands featured a cedar sheath that covered over half the body and a black ribbon footband. This kind of inconsistency between website and real life is also something I've come to expect from the company. Here is where things got interesting...the color of the cigars shown on the website is that of a true Connecticut Shade wrapper...light tan to gold, while the Maduro version is very dark brown (and was that way in real life as I recall). This cigar was a medium brown with a slightly grayish tinge and darker mottling showing up after the cedar was removed. If I was asked to guess the origin of this leaf based solely on appearance, I would say Cameroon. It was oily with a delicate vein structure and a powerful cedar aroma (surprise!); I got a lot more cedar on the foot. I actually couldn't smell anything but cedar on this cigar...maybe a good thing, maybe a bad thing, but definitely unexpected. My Xikar Xi provided a clean, even cut and a good draw that tasted of cedar, hay and natural tobacco.

The aging of the tobacco components was immediately apparent on lighting up the Gurkha Triad. I had not really expected much, but I was greeted with a refined, flavorful smoke that had a grassy creaminess up front, a solid earthiness on the finish and a touch of black pepper on the retrohale. As the first third got really good and established in its burn, the flavor became much more cedary, but with hints of the grass and earth I noted before. The pepper on the nose did not last all that long. As befits a cigar with this price tag, construction was very good so far, with an ash that lasted over an inch before falling off and a very even burn line.

The flavor in the second third had a strong wood, mostly cedar, but other notes in there as well. There was still an underlying earthiness and a very pleasant undertone of natural tobacco. What was missing was the grassy sweetness so often associated with Connecticut Shade wrappers...I have to be honest in saying that this really has had none of that kind of flavor since the very beginning. If this was a Conny, either the extra aging changed the flavor profile or the filler blend was totally overwhelming the wrapper.

Dare I say that there was something "Cubaneque" that came through in this cigar, especially as the final third burned? Yes...I will say that. The flavor was unlike any Nicaraguan or Honduran leaf that I can remember. This cigar really shone in the final third. Like I stated before, I was completely unimpressed with the Maduro version (which retails for double the price of this cigar), but this Triad really was something special in the end. I do wish that it had been more than just the first inch and final third that made me feel this way, though. The end of the first third and most of the second was just "very good" by comparison, leaving me with mixed feelings about this cigar. Is it the best thing in the Gurkha catalog? Probably...I've not tried everything so I will just let it go at "it's the best Gurkha I have had." Is it "special" as Kaizad remarked? Absolutely. Could it be better? Without a doubt. Is it worth $50? No...but I would probably pay $30 for it. For those willing to give it a try, it was medium in body and about the same in nicotine strength. Price alone puts it out of question for most of the smokers I know, but it is a great and surprising experience.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 7/10

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

Guest Opinion: Why I Don't Buy Cuban Cigars

2011-12-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, I started thinking about an article I wanted to write. I had made a personal stand a few years back, refusing to give money to a Communist regime that had imprisoned and murdered many of its own people. According to The Black Book of Communism the Castro regime executed around 14,000 Cubans from the time they took power through the end of the 1960s. People have idolized Che Guevara, turning him into some kind of folk hero, but his own grandson has said, "In Cuba freedom is nonexistant. The regime demands submission and obedience...the regime persecutes hippies, homosexuals, free-thinkers, and poets...They employ constant surveillance, control and repression." Canek Guevara says these words from Mexico, where he fled, believing that Castro had perverted the "pure revolution" of the early '60s. But the fact remains that Castro and Che imprisoned many times the number of people incarcerated by the Batista regime they rebelled against, and by some estimates they imprisoned more in their first half decade than the Nazis did during their first 5 years in power.

For all this there has been no mea culpa. No apology to the thousands of innocents who were killed, whose families were ripped apart. No end to the stream of humanity leaving the Island South of Miami, two-thirds of whom reportedly did not survive the journey...but still they flee from a nation that once was had one of largest immigrant populations in the Caribbean.

So when I began to consider this article, I wanted to say all these things and more, but wasn't sure exactly how. So I enlisted some help. I reached out to Frank Herrera, who many of you will know from his Cigar Law blog or his cigar company, El Caridad del Cobre. I wanted some input on my article, but what I got was a fully realized piece that I am proud to print in its entirety. Frank has said pretty much everything I wanted to say; let there be no mistake, I agree with this opinion 100 percent. You don't have to agree...you don't have to take the same stance...but I do hope you at least think about it.

I get offers to write articles on a regular basis about my views on the cigar industry, trademark disputes, and other matters wherein the law intersects with cigars. However, after 10 years in the cigar industry (behind and now in front of the scene), Dave Jones asked me to write an article that really challenges me to explain “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars.”

When I write, I usually throw a few ideas at the page much like a painter would take a pencil and start a sketch. I’ve found that after many years of writing that simply putting words on the page helps me get the process started and narrow my focus. During that process, I do what many other writers do and search the Internet for topics that might be similar to my chosen topic. When I conducted a Google search of the phrase “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars” I found an article with the same title written by the famed Gary Korb of Cigaradvisor.com. Since Mr. Korb nailed the topic over two years ago, I now find myself looking beyond the basic political reasons of “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars.” I adopt his reasoning in its entirety, and thank him for his insight and conscientious (non-Cuban) perspective. Great article...check it out.

First, as a brand owner I rarely buy cigars. Obviously, I have my own to smoke, but I am constantly provided with other non-Cuban cigars by friends, clients, customers, other brand owners, and even my long lost uncle Machito. Because of this constant stream of free cigars Cuban cigars simply do not come within my consideration set.

Second, Cuban cigars, if they are accurately defined as genuine Cuban cigars and not counterfeit or some other fugazi derivative, simply are not as good as they used to be. Insert the many, many reasons for this here. For that reason, I prefer to smoke the better non-Cuban cigars on the market.

Third, websites that sell “Cuban” cigars to United States consumers are almost always located in Canada or Europe. Why should I give money to a foreign website owner that is probably selling counterfeit “Cuban” cigars? There are many United States bricks and mortar (and legitimate website) stores that are owned and operated by hard working good people. They sell legal non-Cuban cigars. They get up every morning and operate a legitimate United States business. They have employees. They have utilities to pay. They are invested in their communities. They are invested in the United States cigar industry. They add value to our lives and to our right to smoke (support Cigar Rights of America) to continue to smoke cigars in the United States. The foreign website owners have nothing invested in the United States. They simply take cash from unsuspecting United States citizens (drunk on the romantic idea of Cuba, old cars, mulata woman, Hemingway, and mojitos). They prey on ignorance and, in some cases, the pretentious ill-informed that still believe that Cuba makes the best cigars.

Fourth, over the past 10 years I have personally represented (most of the time alone) the legal interests of many Cuban exile cigar brand owners in trademark disputes against Cuba’s tobacco industry operated by Corporacion Habanos, S.A. and Cubatabaco. Nearly all of my fees have either been on a pro bono basis, or severely discounted. These clients could have simply defaulted when Cuba attacked their trademark rights, but they chose to fight. Since they were unable to engage in a fair fight while they were in Cuba, they can now fight against Cuba in the United States legal arena. The idea of purchasing a cigar made in Cuba would be a slap in the face to these clients, my family, and my ideals. In a world that seems to be bereft of ideals, I chose to take a stand against Cuba for those that could not do so. Call me stupidly idealistic. Okay. I'm quixotically tilting at windmills. I can't help it.

Finally, I can also not help but return to the political reasons of “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars.” Apart from the fact, that my family’s country has been held hostage by a psychopathic mass murderer (and his brother), that my uncle Machito was imprisoned in Cuba because he took part in the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion (thanks again Kennedy...idiot), I can’t buy Cuban cigars because they are made, distributed, and sold by a government that has arrested and imprisoned thousands of people because of their religious, and political views. In Cuba, there is no Freedom of Speech. There is no Freedom of Assembly. There is no Freedom of the Press. There is no Second Amendment. You get the picture? Do you? While the reader has no doubt heard this before, I repeat this because it is, in large part, the reason “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars.”

Note from David Jones: In the interest of full disclosure...I have smoked Cuban cigars before, even recently. I have bought Cuban cigars before, although it has been many years. More recently I have received a stick here and there from friends. At first, my reaction was "What do I do with this?" A friend suggested, "Don't offend the giver...just smoke it, but don't make a big deal out of it." So that's what I have done. This has afforded me the opportunity to judge a few recent Cubans based on quality; while it's true there are some great Cuban smokes out there, many are quite mediocre overall and probably wouldn't sell very well if they were not "forbidden fruit." Do yourself a favor and head on over to Charmed Leaf and check out some of Frank's Caridad del Cobre line...I especially recommend the Javelin and La Cucaracha.

Cigar Extra: Macanudo Crü Royale, Gigante

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Gigante, 6" x 60 ring gauge / approx. $7
It's no secret that I've called the Cru Royale "a Macanudo I would actually spend my own money on." While Macanudo is one of the most successful brand names in the premium cigar industry, it is widely seen by more experienced smokers as lacking in complexity, body, and strength. The Cru Royale changed that with its Benji Menendez blend of Dominican, Brazilian and Nicaraguan fillers, Dominican La Vega Especial binder, and Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The question before us today is how this blend stands up to the 6 x 60 Gigante size. I've been outspoken in my criticism of large ring gauge cigars and believe that there just are not that many that truly justify this kind of size by delivering a rich, flavorful experience. General Cigar provided the cigar I smoked for this experiment.

The cigar looked good still, even in this oversized version. I heard some criticism of the band on this one, but I think it looks fine...it's a departure from the regular Macanudo bands and that helps it stand apart from their other lines. The wrapper felt oily and had an aroma of fresh earth with a hint of cocoa powder; the foot had a more astringent earthiness...almost more of a manure note. The cold draw was excellent and had a nice natural tobacco and leather note. Lighting up was easy, even with a single flame torch. At first it seemed like the flavor was deadened like I experience with most of these large ring gauge cigar, but after a couple minutes it started coming to life, exhibiting earth and cocoa powder notes on the palate, along with roasted nuts and a touch of spice through the nose.

Being a Cigar Extra, I'm not going to go into blow by blow detail of the cigar, but suffice to say the Macanudo Cru Royale surprised me again...even in this Gigante size, it delivered smooth, good flavor from beginning to end. Mostly it was a very nice natural tobacco note, but there was also earth, leather, and cocoa powder in good portion and it never seemed "dead" as so many of these bigger sticks do. Very nice overall and for a very nice price.

New Releases from La Flor Dominicana

2011-12-01T17:26:00.001-05:00

I received an e-mail from one of my favorite cigar manufacturers today detailing a couple new items that should be hitting your local B&M's shelves sometime this month. The following is transcribed from their official Press Releases:

FACTORY PRESS IV

The fourth in the series of highly acclaimed Factory Press cigars by La Flor Dominicana. The tobaccos used to construct these wonderful cigars are from special small crops that have been retained and aging for use in this very limited production.

Total Production: 250 Boxes

Size: 60 x 6.5 inches

Packaging: Chest of 10 trays of 12 cigars

Blend:

Wrapper: Mexican Maduro

Binder: Ecuadorian

Filler: 100% Dominican, grown at Estancia La Flor de Plam in La Canela, Dominican Republic

Body: Full

CAMEROON CABINET CHISEL

After much demand we present the Cameroon Cabinet Chisel; originally released in the popular Chisel Sampler. The unmatched sweetness of Ligero Cameroon wrappers, blended with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler and Dominican binder, makes these cigars very complex and well balanced. These cigars are rich, with a full flavored body.

Production: December 2011 limited release

Size: 54 x 6 inches

Packaging: 20 count boxes

Blend:

Wrapper: Cameroon Ligero

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan

Body: Medium to Full

Cigar Review: Zino Platinum Crown Series, Chubby Especial

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Perfecto, 5.875" x 61 ring gauge / approx. $105 for a 3-pack
This is a review that I wasn't sure how to begin. To start, I would almost certainly never have tried this cigar at all if not for the Zino Platinum Black Carpet event that was held at Burns in late September. I felt the desire to support my B&M so I paid $225 for an event bag that I considered to have too many cigars that are waaaay over-priced. These Chubby Especials, for instance, sell for upwards of $40 apiece in the tubes...and you only get a slight price break by buying the 3-pack in the metal box. Then I smoked the first one...and realized that the second one had to be for a review (I'm not smoking the third one for this review...are you crazy? It's being saved for some future special occasion.). The Crown Series, which this cigar is part of, is made of three different fillers from the Dominican Republic, one Piloto and two variations of San Vicente, as well as some Peruvian Habano. All are aged four to five years. The binder is a four year aged Connecticut Seed, grown in Connecticut. The wrapper is a sun-grown Connecticut Seed grown in Ecuador.

The look of the Chubby Especial is striking and imposing. The dual bands are the epitome of class, using foil and embossing, but preferring to have a dull foil instead of the typical shiny stuff. The wrapper was a light brown with a distinctive reddish hue to it from the time under the sun and it was flawless...smooth, with small to medium veins and expert craftsmanship in evidence. And this is where my pragmatic side steps in and says, "For this kind of money, it better be flawless!" Putting my nose to the leaf, I got a rich hay aroma...really nothing you haven't experienced on other Davidoff products...very nice and clean, but not something that makes you say "I must smoke it now!" At least, I don't have that reaction to it. With the foot tapering to a small area, there was no different aroma there. The prelight draw was great, even with the tapered ends, and the flavor was simply amazing. In one way it's what you might expect from a heavily-Dominican cigar...hay and natural tobacco, mostly...but it's so rich and clean tasting, with just the right amount of sweetness and that hint of wet forest fungus that seems to be part of everything made by Davidoff.

The initial puffs were amazing. Sweet, natural tobacco with a hint of hay on the palate; a whiff of maple on the nose. Underlying it all that mushroominess of Kelner blends. The Zino Platinum Crown Series Chubby Especial is not strong or full-bodied at this point, but it did have the most amazing flavor. Enough to make me want to pay between $30 and $40 a stick? I'll visit that question at the end. By the end of the first third, along with the rich tobacco flavor, I got a nice earthiness and a cedar note.

A pet peeve of many cigar smokers is the application of too much glue on a band and that turned out to be a problem here. The band of this very expensive cigar took a large chunk of wrapper with it when it was removed, and I just don't find that acceptable on something that costs this much. Other than that, construction was just about perfect; the burn line was very even and the draw never showed any problems. The flavor in the second third continued to build on the rich tobacco and wood notes that came out in the first, along with the earthiness that cropped up late in that third; all of those notes came through even stronger and clearer, if possible, and I got a bit of a growing pepper burn on the retrohale. Nothing like a Nicaraguan pepper, mind you...more of a low-level white pepper.

The final third started out with me making a large correction to the burn line. While this might be normal on most cigar, again, with the price charged for these, it's unexpected that it would start to canoe. The body of the Zino Platinum Chubby Especial ramped up a bit during this segment, from a solid medium to a medium-to-full. I started getting a mild cayenne pepper burn at the back of my tongue and the earthier aspects of the profile took the driver's seat, while cedar and maple notes were still trying to be back seat drivers. I liked this cigar...a lot! It had a richness of flavor that is uncommon and was extraordinarily smooth, never harsh. Back to the question of would I pay regular price for this? Yes...but only for very special occasions. It is good to know that something this expensive does justify the price tag.

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

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

Cigar Review: Quesada España

2011-11-30T10:00:00.002-05:00

Corona, 5.5" x 42 ring gauge / $7.25, Bonita Smoke Shop

A couple weeks ago Jackie from Bonita Smoke Shop (@BonitaSmokeShop) announced on Twitter that she had received a couple boxes of this cigar. I had heard some talk about it and decided to order a couple of each size to give them a try. From what I've found they are a bit difficult to find in the US because it was originally released into Spain only. It seems that the demand for this cigar in the US has them starting to ship them here but in limited quantities. The cigar comes in three sizes, a 4" x 50 short robusto, a 5" x 52 robusto, and the subject of this review a 5.5" x 42 corona. The cigar is comprised of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, a Dominican binder, all covered in a Ecuadorian Arapiraca wrapper. This cigar was the second one of this size I smoked, however I smoked one each of the other sizes as well before the review.

This cigar had a very nice golden honey brown wrapper with a good amount of oils to it. The veins that were there were very slight. In my opinion the bands looks just about perfect with the colors of the wrapper. Giving the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and it was fairly firm to the touch. When I put my nose to the wrapper I was able to detect the aroma of leather with a slight barnyard coming from the foot. After clipping the cigar and taking a cold draw on it I got a sweet leather taste with a good draw.

Once I lit the cigar up I got a fairly strong red pepper spice on the retrohale and on the tongue. After taking a few more puffs on the cigar I was able to get some notes of leather and tobacco with a sweetness on the finish. The cigar was producing a large volume of smoke with each puff and the draw was pretty much perfect. Towards the end of the first third I started getting notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. The cigar was firmly in the medium bodied and strength range at this point. The burn was slightly uneven but it didn't require a touch up. The light grey ash held on for about a half of an inch before needing to be tapped off.

The second third saw the spice tone down a bit, but not go away completely. The flavors I noted during this third were of earth, wood, and cinnamon with a slightly sweet finish. The burn continued to be slightly uneven and the draw was pretty much perfect.

As I moved into the final third of the cigar the strength built up a bit and I would classify this cigar at the bottom end of full once it got here. The flavors were pretty consistent, in that they were leather, earth, cinnamon and a slightly creamy sweet finish. The burn evened itself out by this third.

Overall this was a very enjoyable cigar! I would recommend that if you like other Quesada cigars or Cuban cigars (as this is what this was designed to compete against) you should definitely give it a try if you can find it. I did like the corona size best as I felt it had the most full flavor. I would like to see the cigar easier to find in the US as the great flavors and reasonable price make it one I'd like to smoke more often.

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

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

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Colorado Oscuro

2011-11-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

No. 2, 4.5" x 48 ring gauge / $6.85, Burns
The new "regular" release from La Flor Dominicana this year turns out to not be quite as regular as most others. Turns out it is both regular and limited...La Flor will be releasing batches twice a year, in four different sizes, in boxes of 50. I first learned of LFD as a producer of full-bodied, powerful, but very flavorful cigars and this release is supposed to be yet another in that category. It features fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, a Dominican Sumatra binder, and a Ligero Sumatra wrapper from Ecuador. This review sample is the second of these cigars that I have smoked.

The wrapper was dark chocolate brown with a hint of red in certain light. The band was the typical LFD band, but with a slight alteration...whereas in most of them, there is a sunburst of red behind the LFD initials, here the red is so subtle as to be non-existent. I'm sure it's there...in certain lighting...and other times I'm sure the entire background is black. The wrapper leaf was oily to the touch and the eye and had a nice aroma of leather and cigar store humidor; the foot was earthy and a bit peppery to my nose. The cold draw had a rich earthy taste, along with a little sweetness and some pepper spice.

Light up brought an intense cedar flavor, earth, and a subtle sweetness on the palate, while the retrohale was intensely peppery. Through the rest of the first third, the cedar notes were strong and up-front. It seemed like I also got a bit of a hickory, almost barbecue-esque note to it as well...without the sauce, so more of a Texas BBQ, I guess. Pepper spice continued to dominate through the nose, but there was also a good dose of it on the palate. The smoke was thick and oily, with a long finish...and there was nothing wrong with any of this, but also nothing surprising about any of it, either, considering who made it.

The second third continued much the same with woody notes out front. There was a bit of an anise flavor mixed in there along with some autumn spice and overall this was just about the perfect cigar for a cool (but not cold) fall evening as the sun sank below the Cumberland Plateau. There is just something about this time of year...not too warm...not too cold...a subtle orange hue to the sunlight...and a rich, full bodied cigar. The construction on the Colorado Oscuro was nearly perfect so far, featuring a very even burn line, a solid ash, and a fantastic draw.

As the Colorado Oscuro wrapped up it became a bit more spicy while developing a stronger earthiness underneath. The woody notes subsided just a bit as well. All in all, this is a very good smoke, especially for fans of La Flor Dominicana and the strong, full-bodied fare they are best known for. In the pantheon of strong LFD smokes, though, I have to say I prefer the Air Bender and Double Ligero to this one. It is good for a change, though. Newer smokers should wait until they are no longer newer smokers; although there was not a great deal of nicotine kick in this small stick, it was quite full bodied.

Body: 8/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10

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

On Planning Ahead...

2011-11-28T11:14:00.001-05:00

Friday, November 25:
When I woke up this morning I knew it was time to write this article. Not just because I needed something to fill blog space on Monday...suddenly this issue had become timely. My wife has been "suffering the ravages of the common cold" for almost a week, so I knew it was really just a matter of time for me. Sure enough, I awoke to a sore throat, most likely due to post-nasal drip. I can fight the symptoms, but there is really nothing I can do to make this go away faster...take plenty of Vitamin C, drink lots of fluids, stay inside when the air is really cold, stop smoking. Let's be honest...I probably won't stick by that last one. The rest I can do, though, and maybe this mild illness will be of shorter duration. While I will be smoking, though, I won't be writing any reviews for a week or more. For most, this would cause a break in the publishing schedule; for me, though...well, I'm a planner.

I've had a few startup bloggers ask for advice in the last year. My best piece of advice for any blogger (cigar-oriented or otherwise) is to be consistent...come up with a schedule of when you will post and stick to it. If readers can't be certain when you'll post, they are likely to forget to check...if they forget enough, they probably won't be back. The second thing I like to pass on, is to plan ahead.

You just cannot know when you are going to get sick or injured; sometimes you will need to take a vacation; sometimes you just won't feel the spirit move you to review something. If you wait until the day before you are supposed to post and break your arm somehow...that post is not going to get done. At the very least, if you feel uninspired, you might write a perfunctory post that isn't worth reading.

For much of them past two years, I have had reviews completed for a month or more in advance. I buy new sticks with the purpose of reviewing them, I put them on a calendar, and I make it a habit of smoking through them in plenty of time. If something comes up that I want to post very soon, I can always change when another cigar review will post...it's easy to do when they are already written. So with that in mind, as I write here on the last Saturday in November, I have all my reviews for the month of December completely written...and I've at least started on the first sticks for several multi-stick reviews scheduled for January.

"You're more than a month ahead?" Yes, at this point I am...mostly because of the other issue that comes into play every year about this time...winter weather. Anyone that lives somewhere other than Southern California or Florida and has to smoke outside knows what I'm talking about here.

One other side benefit of this practice is this...if I were to die in a fiery car wreck, you would likely see cigar reviews from me posting for up to a month afterward! Unless Keith thought it in bad taste, anyway...and he might. LOL

Saturday, November 26:
After sleeping for 10 hours, I got up, ate breakfast, then...slept a great deal of the day while lying on the couch. At some point I realized that my University of Tennessee Volunteers were getting dismantled by a traditionally weak team that didn’t even have an able-bodied quarterback this week...I thought it was just delirium, but...no...the Vols really did lose to a WR playing QB.

Sunday, November 27:
After another 10 hours of nighttime sleep (making for probably close to 30 hours over the course of about 36 hours), I woke up feeling much better. I ate breakfast and went outside with a NUb Connecticut...and that helped me feel even better. Could it be that cigars are restorative? Sounds good to me...but I think most doctors would argue the other side. Followed that up with a CAO OSA Sol in the Lot 50 size...the only current size I like, then spent most of the rest of the day reading and resting.

Monday, November 28:
Had a lousy night’s sleep, but my symptoms are still decreasing, which is absolutely good news. While my wife struggled to get better for more than a week, the worst seems to have come and gone within about 3 days for me. Still...no reviewing cigars this week...I need to make sure my senses are back to normal before I do that.

Cigar Extra: Perdomo Reserve Champagne Noir

2011-11-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robusto, 5" x 54 ring gauge / $6.05, Burns
Right up front, I have to admit to not being a big fan of the "regular" Perdomo Reserve Champagne. I know some people love them, but the flavor just didn't hit it for me, so I never got past a single stick...and that is also the reason I haven't gotten to the Noir version before now. This is apparently a Nicaraguan Puro, utilizing a triple-fermented, Cuban-seed Maduro wrapper which has been aged an extra two years, part of that time in bourbon barrels. That aspect becomes very apparent when sniffing the wrapper, which has a rich vanilla note; the foot has more earth and coffee aroma. The cold draw had a very interesting interplay of sweet vanilla, coffee, cocoa powder, and a little pepper spice.

The first puffs exploded with strong earthy notes and undercurrents of dried fruit, black coffee, and bitter cocoa. I got just a tiny bit of red pepper on the retrohale, too. The aging in the bourbon barrels made this cigar start out almost like a flavored or infused cigar...and in a way, I suppose it is since it absorbed the remnants of whiskey that would have been in the oak of the old barrels...but if you thought of it as "flavored" this would be the most balanced flavored cigar out there, because there is still plenty of natural tobacco goodness, along with earth and spice that never seems to come through actual flavored cigars.

As the first third finished up and the second started, I got strong flavors of milk chocolate coming through the earth and coffee. As with most Perdomo Maduros, this one is very sweet, making fantastic use of the wrapper leafs character. After my reaction to the original Champagne, I was completely surprised by the Noir. I am assuming the same blend with just a different wrapper and who knew a wrapper could make this much difference? This one might have to make it to my regular rotation and I may have to come back and give this one a full review treatment sometime in the future.

Thank you...

2011-11-24T08:32:00.001-05:00

No review today, but we did want to pause to thank all our friends and family for all they have meant to us.

This song says a lot in a short space of time:

And for those who want the "real story" of the American Thanksgiving tradition, Click Here.

Our regular schedule of reviews, views and news will resume tomorrow. Have a great day.

Cigar Review: Davidoff White Edition

2011-11-23T10:13:00.005-05:00

Belicoso, 5.5" x 52 ring gauge / $20.99, Maxamar's

Today I'll be reviewing something that is a little out of the norm for me. I don't smoke that many white label Davidoffs. However Amar, the owner of Maxamar's, gave me one of these to try. These cigars are this year's limited edition run and can be differentiated by the foot band with the year on it and the main band says "White Edition" on the side. They come packed in 10 count white laquered boxes. The cigar is comprised of Dominican San Vicente Ligero, Piloto Ligero, San Vicente Visus fillers, a Peruvian Corojo binder with a Dominican Criollo wrapper. Like I mentioned above this was my first one.

The wrapper on this sample was a very nice medium brown in color with a golden sheen to it. There was a good amount of oils to it along with more tooth than I'm used to seeing on a Davidoff. The wrapper had some medium and fine veins to it however there were more lumps and gathers than I'd like to see on a $20+ cigar. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and it was fairly firm. The wrapper gave off the aroma of leather while the foot smelled slightly of barnyard. After clipping the cigar and taking a cold draw on it I got a slight amount of sweetness and a good draw.

Lighting up the cigar brought a good amount of spice to the tongue and retrohale. After taking a couple puffs I got notes of leather, cinnamon, earth and a slightly creamy finish. The cigar was definitely stronger than what I'm used to in a Davidoff to start. A little way in I got a lot of tar on the head and had to recut it. The light grey ash held on for about a half an inch before needing to be tapped off. The draw was perfect and it produced a lot of smoke. Towards the end of the first third I started getting a slight herbal spice as well.

The second third of the cigar saw notes of leather, wood, and earth come through. The spice changed from a red pepper spice to a white pepper spice on the tongue and retrohale. The spice did tone down and a slight amount of sweetness came through. That is until the tar came back and I had to recut it again. The strength built to the bottom end of medium throughout this third.

As I moved into the final third the spice started ramping up especially on the tongue. The draw and burn continued to be pretty much perfect. The flavors changed slightly back to leather, earth, and cinnamon. Unfortunately the tar came back and I had to recut it again. The strength of the cigar built to the bottom end of full and I was getting a slight nicotine hit from it.

Overall I enjoyed the flavors a lot, which is something that I normally don't find in a Davidoff. However the amount of tar really bothered me and made it more difficult for me to relax and enjoy the cigar. The minor blemishes in the construction, while they didn't cause burn issues, shouldn't be there on a $20+ cigar. Because of the construction issue and the cost I don't know if I'd smoke it again. However if you get a chance and you want to give this cigar a try don't let my experience with it deter you from it.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction: 1/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 7/10

Boxes and Bands: How Important Are They?

2011-11-22T11:37:00.001-05:00

I was also a fan of LPs back in the late ‘80s, just as they were really starting to lose favor among the music-buying public. One of the big things I missed when LPs started being discontinued in the early 90s in favor of CDs was the beauty of the artwork...it's never looked the same on a 5" CD booklet as it did on a 12" record sleeve (and don't get me started about the tiny artwork that comes with iTunes downloaded albums). You simply can’t appreciate the detail of a well-done album cover on a tiny CD booklet like you can on a record sleeve that has more than four times the square inches of space available. A fantastic album cover could draw in the music buyer. I think the same thing hold true for when you look at boxes and bands on cigars.

Having recently seen cigar boxes in production, it put me in mind of just how much an artistic endeavor they are...from the multiple coats of stain and varnish on the ultra glossy dark red Macanudo boxes, to the medallions they placed by hand in the front of each one...and on over to the next table where workers nailed decorative tacks into each box of EP Carrillo Dark Rituals. Thought was put into how each box would look on the shelf and how it would present with the cigars inside...how would the box best show those lovely rolls of fermented leaves. Is there a right way or wrong way for a box to look? In general, no, I don't think so. The paper-covered box of La Gloria Cubana Artisanos Retro Especial is beautiful and evocative of earlier times and it fits the spirit the makers of the cigar were seeking. The plain wood of the Four Kicks with its branded-looking logos achieves a different "classic" look, more rustic...and it fits what the makers were looking for, too.

Bands are the work of artists as much as the cigars they encircle, too. From the "this is an experiment" look of the Liga Privada bands to the timeless luxury evoked by an Opus X band, when the band fits with the image of the cigar everything is just right. Those two examples wouldn't work the other way around. Luxury and opulence is tricky, though; without mentioning any names, it is easy to see when a company tries too hard to evoke a rich look and it comes off looking like a parody of richness.

At the end of the day, what difference does it make? How much do the box and band mean to the consumer? I really do not want to believe that a box or band design can “make or break” a cigar, any more than I believe the words of any blogger can “make or break” a cigar’s success. But, it has to be considered that the box and band are often the first exposure a customer has to a cigar and making a good first impression can be the difference between a customer buying today or passing on by. If they pass by today, you can never guarantee they will come back by.

Because of the complete minimalism of Tatauje bands and boxes, I did not pay attention to them when they hit shelves in my local shops seven or eight years ago...to be honest, I do not even remember ever seeing them on the shelf until a friend told me about them later on and highly recommended that I give them a try. In this way, word of mouth and personal recommendations play a big part in the success of a brand, but I still wonder how many worthy brands might have been passed over just because they had a marketing campaign that was simply forgettable.

The right marketing campaign...a combination of box, band, and advertising...will give a worthy product a more immediate entrance into the collective mind of the cigar smoking public, though, which can make it easier to achieve longevity in the business. It also gives those of us fascinated by the art something to collect and display...but that, I think, is an article for another day.

Cigar Review: Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve

2011-11-21T10:36:00.000-05:00

Torpedo, 6.125" x 52 ring gauge / approx. $11
Earlier this year when Nestor Miranda was at my local shop, he said he was releasing "something special" at this year's show...limited run, leather lined box, etc. Something to stand as a "crown jewel" of the line of cigars bearing his signature. The Grand Reserve is that cigar, exclusive and limited, but not overly pricey; it was blended by Pepin Garcia and made at the My Father factory in Nicaragua. It utilizes Nicaraguan filler and binder along with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. There are only 1,000 boxes of 10 being released; this review sample is my third, two of which were provided by Miami Cigar and Company, for which I offer my thanks.

I love the way this cigar looks. The green and gold band is elegant, especially the jewel-like piece at the top center of it. I can see how this theme could be repeated in red or blue in subsequent years if Nestor Miranda wanted to make the Grand Reserve an annual, slightly different release (maybe a different vitola or vintage of leaf each year). The wrapper was oily with small veins, which struck me as unusual for a Broadleaf, which so often has the heavy, rustic look. The cigar had been box-pressed and the corners were softly rounded and comfortable to hold. Holding the cigar to my nose, I got an aroma of leather and earth; the foot had more pungent earthy notes. I used my Xikar Xi to clip the tip of the Grand Reserve. The cold draw was easy and rich with flavors of raisins and leather.

Once lit, I tasted earth and leather right up front, with bitter cocoa powder and a hint of sweetness underlying. The retrohale was strong and peppery...actually everything about this was strong right from the beginning. The Grand Reserve is unlike pretty much anything else in the Miami Cigar catalog in that way. Last year saw the introduction of La Sirena, at that time said to be the most potent cigar in their lineup, but this one seems, to me to be more full-bodied and strong right from the outset. Flavors of earth continued to be dominant through much of the first third, although smoother chocolate notes did weave in and out of the smoke on a cool fall evening.

Starting the second third, I noticed that the burn line, which had been ragged at the beginning had evened up nicely with no help from me. The draw was fantastic and the ash held on for half an inch or more I tapped off. While the Grand Reserve had started out a bit harsh, by the middle of the cigar it smoothed out to a more refined smoke. Earthiness still took the lead role, but the sweetness of the Broadleaf wrapper came more into play with notes of dried fruit and cocoa powder.

In the final third, notes of anise came through as well as the cigar ended on a high note. In the end, I liked this cigar, but did not love it. To me it seems like a bit of aging, perhaps a year or so, would do much to round out and smooth the rougher edges I got in the first half, so maybe that's the key: buy a box and let them age a bit. The body was full, but not overwhelmingly so; the same can be said for the nicotine strength. Experienced smokers are probably all that should apply for this experience, especially those who enjoy a good strong Tatuaje, as the Grand Reserve reminded me of some of them in some ways. All the elements of a great cigar are there, I think, but this is one that just might need a little more time to fully mature. For how this smokes currently, the price tag is just a bit too steep; given more time, though, it might fully justify an $11 expenditure.

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

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

Cigar Extra: Zino Platinum Emperor Edition 2009

2011-11-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robusto, 5" x 58 ring gauge / MSRP $23
I have long been a "Zino Platinum skeptic," having not seen the flavor to price correlation in the few cigars I had smoked. Learning that the brand was basically started as a marketing exercise to sell cigars by linking them with a "urban rapper" lifestyle didn't do much to help my perception. When I made the choice to support my local B&M, though, in their recent Black Carpet Event, I walked away with a bunch of cigars that might just make a believer out of me...even though I still don't have the cash flow to buy these regularly. One of the sticks included in our event bag was a Crown Series 2009 Emperor Edition, featuring Piloto Ligero fillers from Nicaragua and the DR, a Corojo-Olor hybrid Dominican binder, and a dark, oily Ecuadorian wrapper and is reputed to be quite full-bodied. At the end of a weekend full of work, I took this beauty on on the porch with some rum and cola to see what I would make of it.

The cold draw had that distinctive foresty, fungusy flavor that I associate so strongly with Davidoff products, but there was also a deep earthiness and sweetness along with a peppery tingle on the lips. If I was given this one blind, the first thing I would guess would probably be Avo LE 2010...even before lighting it. Ignition brought out more of that Kelner-signature flavor...seriously, if you don't like that specific Davidoff flavor...just walk away right now. What this adds to that flavor profile is a strong earthiness, black coffee, and cocoa powder on the palate, along with a not-insignificant pepper burn on the nose. From the beginning, the body is formidable, especially when viewed in the light of most other products to wear a label bearing either the first or last name of Zino Davidoff.

Through the first third, the 2009 Emperor was leathery and earthy, but with plenty of chocolatey sweetness. Although full in body and with a spicy edge, it was also somewhat creamy and smooth, an overall delight to the taste and olfactory senses. The rum and cola proved to be an ideal accompaniment to the cigar, helping to bring out the sweeter notes in the tobacco. While not exactly the same as the Avo LE 10, it is similar in body and overall flavor profile. Being two years old, this cigar is hard to find, but if you can get your hands on one, my advice is to do so.

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Diadema Duo, Maduro

2011-11-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Diadema, 9.25" x 50 ring gauge / $31.50 for set of 2 cigars, Burns
This review will publish only two days after the review of the Natural, but in real life, it has been an entire week since I smoked and wrote about that cigar. The reality is that if you don't plan out your day...and probably make sure it's a weekend day...these cigars are just challenging to smoke. As with the Natural, this cigar does feature Dominican filler and binder, although this Nicaraguan Habano wrapper leaf is also listed as Ligero as well as Maduro. What should this mean? Maduro often brings sweeter flavors; Ligero usually imparts more body and strength. So this cigar will likely be stronger and sweeter than the Natural version.

The basic look is the same as the Diadema Natural, but upon closer inspection it seems that the Maduro leaf is a little more rustic in nature, with slightly larger veins and a mottling of darker colors on the already dark brown leaf. It had a fair amount of oil on the surface and a faint aroma of earth and cedar. The prelight draw was a little tight, but that happens on this kind of shaped cigar frequently, so I didn't worry much about it. The flavor was a nice mixture of coffee, bittersweet chocolate and earth.

Initial puffs were about as expected...thin, providing little in smoke or flavor. On the plus side it was very easy to light. It didn't take long, though, before the narrow tip started burning through to the wider area, providing increases in both smoke production and flavor. On the palate I got rich earth and cocoa powder, and the smoke was thick and oily, with a long finish; on the retrohale, I got notes of black coffee and chili pepper. As I worked my way through the first third (that's about 45 minutes on this cigar, I think), the body worked its way from medium-full to full-full and the flavor became more earthy, though there were still rich notes of dark roast coffee, black pepper, and bittersweet chocolate. So far...absolutely amazing.

Deep into the second third, I started to get the nicotine hit. Yes, this is a full-bodied smoke, but it is also a strong one. But unlike other full, strong cigar, this one kept bringing the flavor. A strong earthiness still dominated, but the interplay of coffee and cocoa powder didn't let up, either. The sweet note took on a bit of a dried fruit characteristic, which was nice. Construction was nothing short of superb. The ash was strong and never flaky, the draw was great, and the burn line was even enough that it needed zero touch ups so far.

By the end, the Diadema Maduro had me on the ground...well, almost. I don't have the nicotine tolerance that some do, but smoking two or more cigars a day puts me in pretty good standing in that area. This cigar hit me hard, though. The flavors were pretty consistent...earth, coffee, cocoa powder...and overall this was a magnificent tasting stick, but it is definitely not one for beginning smokers or one to smoke on anything short of a full stomach. If this same blend were available in a robusto size, it would be one of my favorites, but this two hour plus experience is one that should be reserved for very special occasions.

Body: 8/10
Strength: 9/10
Complexity: 8/10

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

Dual Review: La Gloria Cubana Artisanos Retro Especiale

2011-11-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Club, 5.75" x 47 ring gauge / MSRP $7.00

The story goes that an old humidor was found at the El Creditofactory about a decade ago and it inspired the look of the packaging for thiscigar, the Artesanos Retro Especiale. It took nearly ten years for MichaelGiannini and Team La Gloria to replicate the look of the humidor to theirsatisfaction and during that time they also worked hard on the cigar to go init, including two years of cultivating a new wrapper and developing the blend.The result, according to Giannini is a cigar that is "as unique in itspackaging as it is in its taste...." The hybrid Connecticut seed for thewrapper was grown in Honduras. The cigar features a two binders, one each fromMexico and Nicaragua. And the filler is a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguanleaves.

DAVE SAID:

I was privileged to be invited by General Cigar to the factorywhere these are made last month and as a result two issues have come upregarding my review of this cigar. First, the question of whether or not I cangive a fair review since General paid for my trip. The answer is "yes,absolutely." My opinion is not for sale; I will continue to be honest inhow I feel about any cigar regardless of source or what perks the company maywant to dole out. Second, because of the trip, I smoked more of these thanprobably any other cigar I've ever put up here for review...10...maybe15?....before this review stick. This should already give you a clue that Ilike these as I don't tend to punish myself by smoking cigars I don't enjoy.

The band and packaging on the LGC Artisanos Retro Especiale isfantastic. It keeps the traditional look of the La Gloria girl holding a cigar,but updates it, while at the same time keeping true to the "retro" inthe name. It's new and different, but classic and evocative of a different timeand place. The wrapper could be better looking, though. It was a couple shadesdarker than many of the best Connecticut seed leaves coming out of Connecticutor Ecuador, but also had darker mottling and larger veins in evidence. Iwouldn't come out and say it's ugly, but it is not beautiful, either. One ofthe more unusual things about this wrapper was how oily it was...much more sothan most Shade leaves. The aroma from the wrapper was a clean hay and grassnote; on the foot, I got more hay, but an equal amount of earth as well as alittle pepper. I had put a straight cut on every other of these I smoked, sofor this review, I decided to change it up and use my Xikar VX. The v-cutdelivered a smooth draw and a mildly sweet, semi-salty prelight draw.

Once lit the Retro Especiale had a creamy almost caramelsweetness on the tongue with a nice black pepper spice on the retrohale. Thesmoke was thick, oily and rich, all attributes that are less common onConnecticut wrapped cigars. The flavor in the first third quickly evolved to asomewhat musty earthiness at the core, with a pleasant molasses sweetness onthe finish, along with just enough pepper spice on the tongue and nose to giveit that extra dash of interest. To me, nearly all La Gloria Cubana cigars tendto have a "family flavor"...something unique to them that you eitherlove or you don't. In general, I'm not a fan of that family flavor; I don'thate it, but it just does not particularly appeal to me. This cigar does notshare any of that flavor, instead standing as something truly unique in theircatalog.

The second third was essentially a continuation and enhancementof what developed in the first..earthy with touches of sweetness and spice.Construction so far had proven to be great, with an even burn line, strong ashand very good draw. Since I have smoked quite a few of these, I am confident insaying that these attributes are consistent and if you get a differentexperience with one, it is probably the proverbial "one bad stick in thebox." Despite sporting a Connecticut wrapper, which is often seen as amild smoke, the body on the Retro Especiale was medium to start and edgedupward as it went.

If there's one downside to the Retro Especiale it is this: it isnot the most complex cigar in the world. I really didn't experience much changein the final third, although the flavor was still very good and I did enjoy it.I will go so far as to say that this is my favorite cigar to bear a La GloriaCubana name. By the end the body had edged into the high end of the mediumcategory and there was little if any nicotine kick. Overall, I would call thisa very good cigar for both novices and more experienced smokers, but probablyone that seasoned smokers will enjoy better early in the day. Some may bedisappointed that it does not taste more like other La Gloria cigars they mayhave enjoyed in the past, but I would encourage you to just take it for what itis and give it a try.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 5/10

Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 1.5/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9/10

KEITH SAID:

While I didn’tgo on the trip I’d like tothank General for providing the sample cigars I smoked for this review. I smoked 4 cigars before the one Ismoked for the review.

The wrapper on my cigar was a golden brown in color, but therewere quite a few green spots on the lower half of the cigar. Like Dave said the wrapper is darker incolor than most Connecticut shade wrappers, but it is similar to some of theones I’ve seen especiallyon the EPC cigars. The wrapper hada medium amount of veins and some oils to it. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I wasn’t able to detect any soft spotsand it had a slight amount of give. Putting my nose to the wrapper I got hay and barnyard with leather andhay coming from the foot. Afterclipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got notes of hay and sugarysweetness with a good draw.

Lighting up the cigar brought a good amount of black pepperspice on the tongue and retrohale. The flavors started off with earth, molasses sweetness, and a slightmetallic taste. The finish wasslightly creamy. The draw waspretty much perfect and it produced a large volume of smoke. The burn was slightly ragged and theash held on for about a half an inch before needing to be tapped off. I would rate the cigar at the upper endof medium in body and strength.

The second third saw flavors of leather, wood, earth and thatsame metallic taste. The spice didtone down quite a bit. The burnalmost evened out without needing a correction.

Like Dave mentioned this isn’tthe most complex cigar. The cigarfinished off where it started with a good amount of spice and flavors ofleather, wood and a molasses sweetness. The draw continued to be just right and the burn stayed even. I did get a slight amount of nicotinehit, but just barely.

Overall this was an enjoyable cigar. The draw on this sample was definitely better than the 4previous ones I smoked. They weren’t unsmokeable, just not where Ilike a cigar to be. This cigardefinitely isn’t what you’d normally expect from aConnecticut shade cigar. Itreminded me a lot of the LGC Artesanos de Miami or an Opus X. However this cigar wasn’t as complex or as refined aseither of those. I think mostsmokers would enjoy this cigar, albeit at different times of the day.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 7/10

Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 1.5/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 8.5/10

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Diadema Duo, Natural

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Diadema, 9.25" x 50 ring gauge / $31.50 for set of 2 cigars, Burns
It seems almost like an annual thing for me...see what La Flor Dominicana debuts at the trade show, wait until it shows up at my local shop...and buy it. Last year I made sure to get in on the Maduro sampler. The year or two before I was right on the original Salomon and Habano Corona. Yes, I've tried pretty much all their regular release sticks, too, but I seem to gravitate toward their limited stuff...at least those that are more affordable. Am I really calling $31.50 for two cigars affordable? Well, when you consider the 9"+ size that will burn close to the time of two smaller cigars...Yes! And it's La Flor Dominicana, one of my all-time favorite brands. This Diadema Duo set comes in a coffin box containing two cigars...one Natural and one Maduro. They both utilize Dominican filler and binder, as well as Habano Nicaraguan wrappers...one of which goes through the Maduro process and one that does not. Today I look at the Natural, while the Maduro will be reviewed Thursday. Because of the monetary and time commitment needed to smoke each of these, I am smoking one of each for these reviews.

You know how presentation sells cigars? If you don't, then look at these...the presentation of these is awesome and does much to convince you to pick up the cigars and bring them to the register to purchase. By themselves, these perfectos might seem comically slim and delicate, but presented in the dual coffin box, they look...well...perfect! The Natural wrapper was supple and oily...moreso than you might expect many lighter colored wrappers to be. The build quality seemed perfect with no stretched leaf, open seams, tears, or patches. I got an aroma of barnyard and sweet, wet earth on the wrapper; the foot was no different really because of the small Perfecto tip. The cold draw was better than that of most perfectos I can remember and had a nice earthiness and sweetness to it.

The Diadema was a little tricky to light up because it was so long...it was difficult to tell if the flame was near the tip or too far away...or far worse, too close and scorching the wrapper. I got it going, though, with no mishaps and soon it was pumping out a nice amount of smoke...at least until I put it down to write this paragraph at which point it went out. Relighting worked well enough and I didn't set it down quite so quickly this time. Initial flavors were of earth, leather and a tiny bit of dried fruit sweetness on the palate. On the retrohale I got mostly roasted nuts and some black pepper. The pepper went away fairly quickly, and the rest of the first third had that same earthiness it began with along with a sweetness that morphed into more of a molasses note. The smoke was creamy and medium bodied.

The Diadema Natural started to get really interesting in the second third as the body increased to the medium-to-full range and I started to pick up on more nutty notes on the palate as well as a slight peppery burn. The Habano wrapper still had some molasses sweetness, but it seemed better balanced with earthy notes at this point. Construction was proving to be nothing but excellent with a fantastic draw and very even burn line.

The body did not get fuller, but the flavors trended toward more earthy in the final third. For two hours the Diadema Natural gave up full-flavors, though, with plenty of complexity and flavor change up. One thing it made me think of was how Dominican smokes have changed so much from the time when they were primarily seen as milder, less complex offerings. And it made me look forward to the Maduro version all the more since it would likely be a bit sweeter throughout, one thing I was missing near the end with this one.

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

Book Review: How to Grow Your Own Tobacco

2011-11-14T10:09:00.000-05:00

How To Grow Your Own Tobacco - From Seed to Smoke
Ray French, Cool Springs Press, $22.99

Last year, Kurt Van Keppel of Xikar put out a challenge on Twitter for folks to grow their own tobacco. I was among the few that decided to give it a try, but I was not the only one who pretty much utterly failed. To be honest, I don’t know that any of those that tried was successful. Starting off too late in the season was my first mistake…then there came the lack of knowledge of how to property seed, feed, water and light the small plants, the poor manner in which I transplanted them to larger vessels, and the poor place I put them in our yard with way too much direct sunlight and heat and far too little water. I was completely ill-equipped to even start such a venture…and I will be honest, I had not really tried picking up on any of the gardening knowledge that my wife had been trying to amass. She tried to help things along, but some mistakes you just can’t recover from. I elected not to try again in 2011 because I just had too much to do.

Then I got an e-mail from Cool Springs Press (located near Nashville) about a new book they were publishing. “Would you like to read and review it?” Sure! Since we changed our content focus on the Tiki Bar to be cigar-specific-only, I had not done any book reviews, so this would be the perfect chance to bring back a favorite feature of mine. How To Grown Your Own Tobacco – From Seed To Smoke by Ray French, is a slim, hardcover book that starts with the basic premise that tobacco growing for personal consumption is legal, inexpensive and probably healthier than buying the mass-produced product.

French gives tips on different varietals, specifically which ones are good for which type of consumption (cigarette, cigar, pipe) and which ones grow best in different climates. He gives good information on the differences in growing in a garden versus growing in pots. And he comes at it from an “organic” standpoint, arguing that the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers could be a contributing factor to why there is so much tobacco-related disease (at least with cigarettes) in this country today. I have never been one to buy into the “organic” fad, but he breaks it down into a fairly manageable regimen…at least as it pertains to the individual tobacco farmer.

The book’s strengths are in the matters of general knowledge of tobacco, preparing soil and managing the growth. The weakness is in the after-harvest part. While there are some general guidelines to prepping your leaf for cigarettes, pipes, and even cigars, I found the information to be pretty basic and incomplete for the cigar enthusiast, leaving me to wonder how much of that part I will have to figure out myself. Yes, based on my reading of this book, I will be attempting to grow my own tobacco in 2012. Maybe some Tennessee-grown Connecticut Broadleaf will be good. Or perhaps I’ll try to find some Habano seeds and see how they fare. From my previous attempts I did find out that a lot more folks out there have tried growing their own leaf at home and have come up with some pretty unique ways to cure, ferment and store leaves long-term…you just have to look in the right places on the web.

If you have the urge to give this a try yourself, especially if you do not have the “green thumb” background to begin with, I would recommend picking up this book. I’m sure I will be referring to it time and again next spring and summer.

Addendum: After I completed reading and reviewing the book, I got an e-mail from the publisher that included the following Q&A with the author, Ray French, regarding some further questions about "Cigar Grade" tobacco.

Describe a leaf reserved for the cigar wrapper. You mentioned it has to be perfect:

A cigar grade leaf has to be harvested when ripe with no puncture wounds or holes from insects or handling. The best will tend to come from the upper part of the plants – and are usually the healthiest in terms of color. To put it frankly – they’re the best looking leaves on the plant. Thin veins are also a desirable characteristic.

After the drying and curing process is complete, you will select the best leaves to be used as wrappers. Again, these are leaves without holes. Another standout characteristic: these leaves have flexibility. Once you identify leaves that will make wrappers, store them a little on the moist side. Professional cigar makers store in a special sealed tin to maintain flexibility right up until they are needed.

Lizard Tail Oronoco: did you grow? How does it compare to other types? Why does it make the best cigars?

Yes I did grow it. It has a longer and narrower leaf than other varieties. One noticeable difference - the leaf was much thicker than any other type I grew. It is known for producing strong flavors. I actually blend with other types.

Describe your control standards during the drying and curing process (cigar grade).

During the initial drying process I tried to harvest leaves when they were ready, but the window of opportunity may only be a few days. So, watch closely! Remember – throughout the drying process keep the environment dry enough to turn the leaves yellow within a few days. If the environment is too humid, the leaves will mildew. I used several drying methods, but draped over an indoor clothesline was the easiest.

Another note: do not let the leaves dry all the way to powder. Moisten them carefully by either increasing the humidity or misting them a bit with distilled water. Once they are flexible you can then pack them flat and apply pressure, or store them hanging in a fairly humid environment.

What is your easiest curing recommendation (cigar grade)?

Depending on the quantity, either in a vacuum sealed bag or in bales wrapped in burlap and bound under pressure.

What types of tobacco make the best cigar grade?

In my opinion, the Virginia Gold and Havana Gold both made nice cigars as filler, binder, and wrapper.

Break down your do’s and don’ts in growing cigar grade tobacco.

Do a good job preparing the soil. Do check on your crop every day. Don't keep it so wet it mildews.

How does it differ from cigarette tobacco?

Typically the left over pieces and bits of scrap can be shredded further and turned into cigarettes. The cigar grade tobacco leaves are always the highest quality harvested, dried, cured and stored correctly. If I let some get too dry or did not moisten correctly to handle, I would toss to the cigarette stash.

While not answering every additional question I may have had, this does help to fill in some of the holes. As I start to formulate my own plan for growing cigar-grade tobacco next spring and summer, I will try to come up with a list of additional questions that I can send to Mr. French. I will also do my best to share the whole experience with you here online.

Cigar Extra: Thompson 95th by La Aurora

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robusto, 5.5" x 54 ring gauge / $75/box of 16, Thompson Cigar
This is a first for the Tiki Bar, I think...a review of a Thompson-branded product. Well...not a full review since it's a "Cigar Extra" but even mentioning that company is something of a taboo around these parts since we take a firm stance against online-only retailers and support of B&Ms. This is a different story in that this cigar is only available from Thompson...and it is made by our friends at La Aurora. It features Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers and a Corojo wrapper (country not specified) and comes in one size. This stick was given to me by my friend, Robert Holloway, a regular down at Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga (see...I even sneaked in the gratuitous B&M reference).

The banding seems typical of cheaper cigars with over-the-top gold foiling in an attempt to look richer. Getting past that, the wrapper is oily and toothy while the cap has an interesting little pigtail finish. I got a barnyardy, earthy/manure aroma on the wrapper, and more of the same...maybe more intense...from the foot. The cold draw was earthy and musty with a little chocolate sweetness. It lit up easily enough and soon was producing plentiful smoke with a chewy texture, an earthy flavor and a long, peppery finish.

In the rest of the first third, the Thompson 95th continued with that musty earthiness and proved to be pretty good overall...mild to medium in body and a good accompaniment to my morning coffee. The rest of the cigar was very good, certainly better than anything else I've ever had with the Thompson name affixed to it. By midway through the pepper on the palate had disappeared, but there was some spice in the retrohale and a continued nice earthiness elsewhere. It ended up firmly in the medium-bodied category. The only bad things I have to say about it are this: first, the burn line was very uneven in spots and needed several touch-ups. Not a huge deal. Second, it left an aftertaste that I do associate with cheaper cigars, something that I didn't expect since it was good while smoking. All in all, though, very good. Thanks again to Robert for gifting me this cigar.

Cigar Review: Leon Jimenes Prestige by La Aurora

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / MSRP $9.00
This is one of La Aurora's cigars that I didn't spot in March during the DR trip. Named after the patriarch of the La Aurora line, it is described by the company as "Cuban-esque and heady, offering bold nuances including wood, hearty spices, and rich tobacco, complemented by a long and luxurious finish and zesty aroma." That's a lot to live up to! This cigar features long-filler Dominican and Nicaraguan leaves, held together by a Dominican binder, which is in turn wrapped with a Dominican-grown Connecticut Shade leaf. I received this stick...my first experience with this blend...from Miami Cigar as part of a "New Release" Sampler.

I should say the marketing material did not specify "shade" for the wrapper, but I am guessing since it is a light-colored leaf. That being said, it was a bit dusky and darker than many shade grown leaves, so I wonder if these were under cloth or some other kind of more natural shade. Like many shade leaves there wasn't much oily sheen to the eye, but I could definitely feel it under my fingertips. There were a few medium sized veins, but mostly the vein structure was tiny and delicate-looking. The band is classy except the name goes all the way around the cigar, so it's impossible to photograph and get the whole name...and it doesn't say "Prestige" on it anywhere. Strange. I got a clean, sweet hay aroma from the wrapper; on the foot I noticed scents of earth, leather, and rich tobacco. After clipping the end, the cold draw had notes of hay and sweet tobacco.

The first puffs were rich and smooth, with flavors of wood...first maple, then cedar...as well as a grassy/hay note from the Connecticut wrapper and an earthy undertone. The retrohale had notes of natural tobacco, roasted nuts, and a pinch of black pepper. Yes, they were bold in the hype on this cigar, but so far it was exceeding what I had realistically expected. The Prestige served up billowing clouds of smoke and the wrapper took on an almost cinnamon hue in the orange-tinged light of autumn. I got more wood flavor through the rest of the first third, as well as an increasing pepper burn on my palate.

The rather free draw allowed the cigar to burn more quickly that I would have liked, especially for a cigar that costs close to $10. The flavors as the second third burned through, though, were still fantastic. The earthy undertone became more of a leading note, with a nice sweetness to round things out and a little pepper heat to keep things interesting. The body so far was in the medium range and, besides the quick burn, the construction was great, with a very even burn line and strong ash that held on for half to three-quarters of an inch.

In the last segment the Leon Jimenes Prestige saw an increase in spiciness on the palate, along with a continued earthiness. The Shade wrapper still influenced the overall profile enough to keep things smooth and creamy while adding just a touch of sweetness. This cigar was a surprise. Jason Wood of Miami Cigar called it "a hidden gem" from this year's show and I have to agree. While everyone was talking about the 107 Maduro, Casa Miranda, Humo Jaguar, and Grand Reserve, I heard nothing about this cigar until it showed up in my mailbox. It is truly a refined and full-flavored cigar that belongs in any conversation of so-called New Breed Connecticut cigars. With body just a tick over the midway mark and nothing more than the lightest nicotine kick, this cigar won't blow away newcomers to cigar smoking, and it will satisfy the palates of many veteran smokers, too.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 7/10

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

Cigar Review: Alec Bradley Black Market

2011-11-09T09:57:00.005-05:00

Robusto, 5.2" x 52 ring gauge / $7.99, Maxamar's

Today I'll be reviewing Alec Bradley's latest release to the market called the Black Market. It is comprised of Panamanian and Honduran fillers, a Sumatra binder, and a Nicaraugan wrapper, that I've seen in some places called maduro. It looks like a maduro to me, but the website doesn't say either way. They come packed in boxes that are made to look like old shipping crates. This was the third one I smoked.

First thing I noticed about the cigar is the wrapper, even though you can only see half of it. It is a very nice chestnut brown with a lot of oils to it. There is also a good amount of tooth to it. The veins were fine to medium and didn't detract at all from the looks of the cigar. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and there was a slight amount of give. Once I put my nose to the wrapper I got notes of cedar and barnyard with hay coming from the foot. The one thing that was slightly negative about the prelight in my opinion is the paper cover over the bottom half of the cigar. While I like the looks of it, the glue they used must be 2 part epoxy because it didn't want to release and the paper came off in little pieces. It was a pain to get off. I really think they should just use the vegetable glue like they used on the band to keep it on and it will make it a lot easier to get off. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got notes of maple and leather with an ok draw.

The cigar starts off with notes of leather, sweetness and red pepper spice. There was also a good amount of spice on the retrohale. After a few puffs I got notes of maple and wood added in. The draw however was a little tighter than I like and a little tighter than the previous two I had smoked. The burn was slightly wavy but that was more than likely do to the uneven lighting job I did at the beginning. The grey-black ash held on for about half an inch before needing to be tapped off.

As I moved into the second third the spice went almost down to nothing. The flavors in this third were dominated by leather, wood, molasses, cinnamon and herbal spice. The draw opened up a bit as I moved into this third, but it still wasn't where I liked it. The strength of the cigar moved into the upper end of medium during this third.

In the final third the cigar continued on strong. The spice started to come back an the sweetness went away. The flavors of earth, leather and wood, with a hint on cinnamon and copper thrown in, were the main flavors in the final third. I did start getting a slight nicotine hit as I was almost through with the cigar.

Overall I did enjoy this cigar. I will say it is different than the other Alec Bradley cigars I've tried, but I can't put my finger on why. I would have preferred the draw to be closer to the other two samples I tried and I would have liked the paper wrapper to be easier to remove. In spite of those two things I think that if you enjoy medium to full bodied and strength cigars you should check this one out. With it's great flavors and reasonable price I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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

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

Cigar Review: Savinelli 20th Anniversary

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Toro, 6" x 50 ring gauge / approx. $10
Steve Ysidron started working on this blend in late 2009 or early 2010 with Carlos and Gilberto Oliva from Tabacalera Oliva and it celebrates Savinelli's 20th year in the cigar business (although they are an old name in tobacco, having a presence in the pipe world since 1876). Their website says they produced 100 boxes of each of four sizes, but Steve tells me that the correct number is 500, so this is limited, but should still be accessible. Each cigar is made of all Nicaraguan filler and binder along with a Sun-grown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The video stated that these were supposed to hit the shelves in May 2011, but I have to admit to not seeing them until Steve gave me this sample at the Chattanooga Tweet Up in August.

This is actually one of the few times I have seen the new Savinelli banding designs, but I think it works particularly well in this color combination of black, white, and silver. The wrapper leaf had a nice oiliness to the touch and I saw only medium-sized and smaller veins. I could detect no solid or spongy spots along the length, aside from the foot which is almost always a bit soft. Sniffing the cigar, I got a strong barnyard aroma on the wrapper; the foot had more of the same, but also some strong earth and manure notes. The cold draw was excellent and had flavors of damp earth, wood, and a subtle dried fruit sweetness.

Lighting up the Savinelli 20th was easily accomplished with a single flame torch; early puffs on the cigar revealed a earthy core flavor, along with a molasses sweetness on top of it; the retrohale was strong with roasted nuts and also had just a tinge of pepper spice. Overall, it started out very smooth and refined in flavor with a medium body. The remainder of the first third continued in a similar fashion...smooth earthy flavors with a touch of sweetness and a pinch of spice.

As the second third started up I noticed that construction was very good overall; the draw provided plenty of smoke, the ash held on for almost an inch, and the burn line was even enough to avoid needing touch up. It seemed like the flavor of the Savinelli 20th Anniversary was getting more nutty on the palate at this point; earthiness was reduced to more of a support role and the molasses note just enhanced the roasted nut aspect.

The 20th took another taste turn in the final third as a cayenne pepper spice built on the palate and the overall profile turned more woodsy. There was little sweetness left over by this time, but I did continue to enjoy the experience. The body of this cigar never progressed beyond the medium-to-full range and there was not a large amount of nicotine that I could tell. I would recommend this one mostly to more experienced smokers who can appreciate some of the subtlety it shows, but it would not be too strong for any but the newest of cigar fans. Being a limited product, though, I would advise picking them up soon before they all disappear.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 8/10

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

General Cigar Names New Vice President of Marketing

2011-11-07T13:11:00.001-05:00

The following was just sent out from General Cigar:

Alan Willner Appointed to Top Marketing Post of Premium Cigar Category Leader

Richmond, VA—General Cigar is pleased to announce that Alan Willner has joined the company as vice president of marketing.

A consumer product marketing veteran with 20 years of experience, Willner will play an integral role in increasing the company’s market share. As such, he will oversee General Cigar’s consumer and trade marketing, public relations, CRM, event and innovation platforms, and will also spearhead international sales and marketing initiatives. Additionally, Willner will direct Club Macanudo® in New York City.

“We are thrilled to have someone with Alan’s unique blend of strategic planning, brand building and product development expertise. Alan’s experience and vision will help further define our brands and we look forward to the contributions he will make toward driving deeper market penetration and consumer engagement,” said Dan Carr, president of General Cigar.

Willner joins General Cigar from Starr Hill Brewery where he held the position of president and CEO. Starr Hill is an award-winning, craft brewery and partner of Anheuser-Busch. During his tenure at Starr Hill, Willner dramatically increased distribution and created new products which resulted in Starr Hill becoming one of the fastest growing breweries in the U.S. and one of the largest in the competitive mid-Atlantic region.

Earlier in his career, Alan held leadership positions with the Coors Brewing Company, Diageo and Nabisco.

“As premium cigar smokers increasingly seek connectivity with the brands they enjoy, and as retailers seek new ways to expose consumers to the premium cigar lifestyle, I am excited about the opportunity to work with our team of cigar masters and artisans to bring their passion to life.”

As Vice President of Marketing, Willner will join the company’s management team and will report directly to President Dan Carr.

Willner is a graduate of Arizona State University and also studied at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He previously served as Chapter President for the American Marketing Association.

Judging from his background, Mr. Willner is just joining the world of premium cigars, so we would like to welcome him to this industry. There was no indication of whether or not he enjoys the cigars himself, but if not, I hope he learns to quickly! :)

Opinion: Online Cigar Shopping ... Is It Okay?

2011-11-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

We've all done it. When I started smoking, one of my main sources of cigars were online-only vendors who sold cigars at ridiculously cheap prices. Given my financial state at the time and the state in which I lived (California, which has some of the highest cigar prices in the country), I justified it. More time and a closer relationship with managers and owners of several Brick & Mortar shops (hereafter referred to as B&Ms) has changed my opinion, though, to a point where I rarely, if ever, make purchases at those "famous," "international" online retailers.

Defining Some Terms

B&Ms have gotten to the point where they do compete to some degree online as well as for the regular smokers in their geographical areas, so it might be necessary to define some terms. For the purposes of this argument, I will refer to the giant online retailers who regularly discount cigars by 30 to 40 percent (or more) as "Online Discounters." If talking about B&Ms that will sell online (such as our sponsor Maxamar Ultimate Cigars in Orange, CA, which sells online through BuyMoreCigars.com) I'll still refer to them as B&Ms.

Some difficulty may also come in that some of the Online Discounters have B&M locations. Having visited these, though, it is rare that you will get the same discounts offered online in their stores. The shop has one set of prices for those that come in and sell many of the same cigars out of huge warehouses with big call centers for much less. Like the fat man who owned a donut shop said, "It's all about volume."

Why Should You Avoid Online Discounters?

These companies (I'm not mentioning names, but you have their catalogs scattered around your home or office) give great bargains because of their huge buying power...bargains few B&Ms are able to match. That may be fine or even necessary if you are on an extreme budget, but the big problems start cropping up when these folks take the catalog into a B&M and asking if the manager will price-match. Or when a customer takes one of their online-purchased cigars into a B&M, sits down and lights it up, often not bothering to purchase anything from the B&M and even going so far as to brag about the great deal they got.

The practice of selling cigars far below MSRP has had an effect of deadening sales at B&Ms. In markets where stores have to compete ferociously with other shops in the same geographical area, to then have to compete with a faceless Discounter selling at prices they couldn't dream of is the end...stores go out of business. Why can't they compete? Because the B&Ms have to provide ambiance...an experience...and that kind of thing does not come cheap. On the other hand, next Super Bowl Sunday, call up your favorite Online Discounter agent and ask if you can come over and watch the game.

Why Should You Shop At B&Ms?

There are many good reasons to shop at B&Ms, but they may not all apply to you. Let's start with this, though: keep your money local. In a global economy, I try to practice "keeping it local" whenever possible. If I can find a good or service in my town I try to buy there...support the local shops and local workers because they are (sometimes literally) my neighbors. My local town does not have a tobacconist, so I drive to the closest one on a regular basis, making it my "extended neighborhood."

Another good reason is that the manager and workers get to know you. This actually may not be such a good thing for everyone, but if you are a reasonably nice person, it will be a good thing. When the manager says, "Hey, here's a cigar for your birthday!" or "Yes, I'll hold a box for you of that brand new cigar that everyone's been waiting for"...then you know you've made a valuable friend in the business. They get to know what you like and might even give you a call (or send you an e-mail) when something new comes in.

Atmosphere, ambiance and experience should never be discounted in any argument of why you should regularly patronize B&Ms. From Poker nights to Tijuana Room to the LSU/Alabama game last Saturday, some things will never happen at a Online Discounter, but you can almost always count on your local shop to host some wild and crazy good time.

Including cigar events. Some of the Online Discounters have really great events once a year and I've even attended some. I would honestly encourage everyone to get in on that action at least once in their lifetime. But the real action is the monthly or bi-weekly events at your local cigar shop, where you get to hang out with your friends AND get to meet some pretty big deals in the cigar industry AND get some great deals on great cigars.

"But...but...but...I don't live anywhere near a good B&M!" or "My closest shop has a terrible selection and the employees are clueless!" or "My local shop overcharges severely for everything!" Fine...adopt a B&M outside your geographical area and buy from them. Find a "home store" that's not close to home. With the resources we have in social media (Twitter and Facebook) this just isn't that hard anymore. I have made shop owner/manager acquaintances at shops hundreds of miles from my home...shops I've never visited...shops I've never even bought anything from, to be honest. But when I travel to those places, I'll make sure to stop in and buy something. I know of folks who buy from a B&M almost all the way across the country from their home...but at least they are buying from a B&M.

When Is It "OK" To Buy From A Online Discounter?

I know some B&M managers who would say, "NEVER!" I don't take quite that strict of an approach to it, though. I think the one always-excusable reason to buy from a Discounter is when they are offering cigars that you simply cannot get anywhere else...the fabled "Online Exclusives." I'm not talking about the countless blends by Rocky Patel or Gurkha that you will find online and no-where else; rather the real quality sticks like the different Man O War blends that are available only a couple places online. If you want them, you have to buy there. I like most of the Man O War stuff myself, but to be honest, I've learned to live without them since I can find stuff I like just as well at my local shop.

At the end of the day, everything I've just written amounts to my own personal set of ethics when it comes to where to buy cigars. Like the reviews you read here (or on any other blog site), this is only my opinion...well, mixed in with some fact and opinion from others I know. My opinions on this matter have changed in the last 5 or 6 years and I expect that 5 or 6 years from now, I won't feel exactly this way anymore...or maybe I will.

More than anything, I hope I've made you think about the issue. The comments section is, as always, open...please feel free to chime in with your opinion on the matter.

Cigar Extra: Tatuaje Fausto

2011-11-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

FT127, 5" x 54 ring gauge / approx. $8
After showing up to the 2010 IPCPR show with mostly line extensions, Pete Johnson went a little overboard with new cigars at this year's show. Brand new were the La Casita Criolla, 7th Capa Especial (right before the show, actually) and the Fausto, along with its offshoot, Avion. Fausto is a takeoff on an old T110 blend using Nicaraguan filler and binder along with a dark Habano Ecuador wrapper. Like most of Pete's stuff, the banding is simple, traditional and classy. The wrapper leaf had the color of milk chocolate and a beautiful oily sheen. I picked up notes of leather and earth on the wrapper, with an even stronger earthiness on the foot. I paired this Fausto with some Maker's Mark Bourbon on a early fall evening.

The cold draw had the strong earthy flavor you get many times from Nicaraguan leaf, along with a semi-sweet chocolate note. The Fausto hits hard from the first puff, with an oily, mouth-coating smoke that is full and strong, tasting of earth and leather, coffee and cocoa powder, with a retrohale that bit hard with chili pepper. By the time I got midway through the first third, most of that flavor complexity had fallen away, though, leaving just some leather and natural tobacco...and a large measure of strength.

That continued for a while and I have to admit, I was not digging it...but by midway through the second third, a richer flavor had risen up...more earthy and chocolatey again, and the pairing with the Maker's Mark was working very well. I have to see the Fausto as an odd cigar, with its full force opening, fairly flat middle and increasingly tasty end. I like it, but I can't say I love it. No matter, though, as there are plenty of folks out there who think it's the best thing to hit the market this year. For me, though, I'll stick with the La Casita Criolla when I want something a little less than full strength, and the Black Petite Lancero when I want something that will hit me harder.

Cigar Review: Imperiales Clasico by La Aurora

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / MSRP $5.00
Like the Maduro Imperiales I reviewed the other day, the Clasico is meant to appeal to every day smokers, and thus has a fairly low price point and accessible strength level. The filler and binder are listed as being from the same countries...DR, Nicaragua and Brazil for the filler, Dominican Republic for the binder...but this features a Connecticut-seed wrapper...although from the price point, I would guess it is grown in Ecuador.

This makes for an interesting study in opposites. While the Maduro had a beautiful wrapper with a band that looked poorly printed, the printing on the Clasico is sharp, crisp and professional and the wrapper looks like it was uncomfortably stretched to cover the bunch. Larger veins were very visible with the light colored leaf as were puckers and folds. Being honest, it looks like the best and most experienced rollers were tasked with some other project when this one came up...and that's fine as the price point usually reflects that kind of thing. I got a nice sweet hay aroma on the wrapper, with more of the same, as well as some earthiness on the foot. The foot of a cigar is often a little softer than the rest, but this one seemed overly squishy, like some filler had fallen out. My Xikar Xi made a clean cut, leaving a great draw that had a dry earthiness as well as a bit of sweet, natural tobacco flavor and it left a spicy tingle on the lips.

After lighting up I got a hint of maple along with earth and a grassy note. I was curious to see where this cigar would go as it had the classic wrapper of a mild cigar, but the interior bits of something with a bit more kick. At the beginning the body was in the mild-to-medium range and the flavor mix was different than anything I had experienced in a milder smoker...more syrupy, is the best way I can describe it now. There were those hay notes you get in mild smokes, but also a good earthy balancing note and a pepper spice that was already building on the palate. The retrohale had a sharp chili pepper edge to it and a rich roasted nuttiness. Belying its bargain-cigar price, the Imperiales Clasico burned over an inch with the ash holding on tightly. By the end of the first third it was squarely in the medium-bodied range.

It seemed simple to pick out the flavors characteristics of some of the different tobaccos used here...sweet hay and creaminess from the Connecticut Shade wrapper, smoothness in the Dominican leaf, earth and spice from the Nicaraguan and Brazilian contributions. The missing element here, then, seemed to be in making all those blend harmoniously. It was all good, but it seemed a bit scattershot in the overall profile.

That is the impression I was left with after the last third of the Imperiales Clasico was done, too. Overall, a good cigar and pleasant way to pass an hour in the afternoon, but it just felt like the cigar didn't know what it wanted to be...medium-bodied Nicaraguan or mild-bodied Connecticut. Where some of the New Breed Connys are blended to be a Connecticut with a kick, I just didn't feel like this was nearly as coherent in its blend and balance. Despite that, it has a great price tag and enough enjoyment that I would occasionally purchase it. It might be a good smoke for newbies as it does not have any nicotine kick to speak of; fans of "knock your socks off, full-bodied" smokes should look elsewhere.

Body: 5/10
Strength: 4/10
Complexity: 7/10

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

Cigar Review: My Father Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition

2011-11-02T10:00:00.007-04:00

Toro, 6.5" x 52 ring gauge / $14.99, Maxamar's

A week and a half ago Jaime Garcia was gracious enough to come to an event at Maxamar's even though there were quite a few storms going on in Nicaragua and it was a bit of an ordeal for him to even get to the airport. It was an enjoyable time being able to talk to him (through an interpreter because my Spanish is a little rusty) about the cigars and what is going on in the cigar industry as he sees it. At the event I purchased a box of the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Editions. The cigar is comprised of Nicaraguan fillers, a Pelo de Oro binder from Nicaragua, and a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper. The cigars come in very nice boxes of 16, with one of the cigars in the box being a Connecticut shade wrapper. The box is very nice and I really like the presentation. The cigars are set in trays of eight and then there are of course two trays. The box itself is very heavy and feels very well put together, almost like a humidor. There were only 3700 boxes of 16 produced so it is a fairly limited cigar. All of these cigars are reported to be made solely by Jaime himself. I also believe that this is the first time a limited edition has appeared with Jaime's name on it. The cigar I smoked for the review was the fourth one I smoked.

Taking the cigar out of the cello you really notice how good looking it is. I know some people might think the bands are too much, but I really like them. The cream and blue of the band contrasts nicely with the dark chocolate brown of the wrapper. The wrapper had a fair amount of tooth an oils to it as well. There were some minor veins that didn't detract from the cigar. Giving the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and it was fairly firm to the touch. When I put my nose to the wrapper I got the aroma of leather and cedar, with barnyard coming from the foot. After clipping the cigar and taking a cold draw on it I was able to get some notes of chocolate with an ok draw.

Lighting up the cigar brought notes of semi-sweet chocolate, leather and red pepper spice. After taking a few more puffs on it a sweet creamy finish started to come through. The spice on the retrohale started building a bit after I got about a quarter of an inch in. So far the draw on this sample is a lot more firm than I prefer. The previous samples I had were firm but still allowed a lot of smoke though, and this one isn't. The burn was pretty even though and the nearly white ash held on for about three quarters of an inch before needing to be tapped off.

The second third didn't see much change in the flavors. I noted the flavors of chocolate and leather again with some earth and cinnamon added in and a slightly sweet finish. The spice was almost non-existent in the second third. The burn got slightly wavy, but didn't need to be corrected. The draw opened up a bit as well, but it still wasn't where I liked it.

As I progressed into the final third the flavors stayed pretty much the same. This doesn't mean it was boring at all. The spice did start to come back especially on the tongue. I did start getting a slight nicotine hit. On the other ones I smoked I remembered getting this nicotine hit in the second third. This might have been because the draw that was a little tight on this cigar. Overall this cigar finished off strong.

I definitely enjoyed this cigar, however because of the draw issue it wasn't as enjoyable as the previous ones I've smoked which is reflected a bit in the score. If you like a nice chocolatey sweet Connecticut broadleaf maduro cigar this one is for you. It has a bit of a kick to it so watch out if you're sensitive to that. The price is a bit high but it is a fine cigar to treat yourself to once in a while.

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

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

Smoking my Very Own Macanudo - General-ly Speaking, Part 2

2011-11-01T14:00:00.000-04:00

My Personal Macanudo...aka The World's Pepperiest Macanudo Ever!

Hard to believe now that two weeks ago today, I spent over an hour (a whole hour!) coming up with my own blend that would be adorned with a Macanudo Mexican binder and Connecticut Shade wrapper. I guess the harder thing to believe is that they let rank amateurs play around with blending as if we were going to be the next Benji Menendez...which we all are in our own minds...who knows, maybe there were a couple of us that could actually do it in real life if given the time to really experiment. I played around with a few combinations before deciding on the following blend: Dominican Piloto Cubano Ligero (for strength), Brazilian Matafina (for spice and sweetness), and Honduran and Nicaraguan Seco (to help it burn...and neither seemed all that peppery while I smoked them). As I write the rest of this journal entry, I'm lighting up the second of the final cigars that I brought home with me. There are some softer spots in the cigar...attributable to no one but me as I did most of the bunching with only a little help. I will not be putting anyone out of a job down in the DR! The wrapper looks magnificent...which I can only give credit to Maria for...she did practically all the wrapper work and did a great job of it, too! The first time I lit one of these up, I was struck by how peppery it was. I find myself wondering if my consistency is good...or if the sticks might have mellowed a bit in 12 days since they were rolled. The cold draw had a nice hay note right up front, but the longer I held it in my muth the more I noticed an intense pepperiness. My combination of Brazilian Matafina and Piloto Cubano took a bit of effort to get lit, but experience dictates that the stogie should continue to burn well once going. And there it is: pepper...black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili pepper...oh, and some earth and some underlying chocolatey sweetness, too....but mostly pepper...almost definitely the spiciest cigar to ever wear a Macanudo label. To tell the truth...I like it! It does appeal to me and with a few tweaks, I would buy these. It was second to last in the flavor judging (@ChiefHava being dead last) and I don't even feel bad about that, because it shows that I blended something that just doesn't appeal to their palates. I blended "outside the mainstream."

Tending the Baby Cigars

On Tuesday of the week we were there, we got to visit the greenhouses where the seeds are placed in tiny cups, watered and generally fawned over until they grow large enough to transplant into the fields. The transplanting is a mixture of automation--to make sure the spacing between plants is even--and hand working--to make sure each plant is seated well in the soil. A crew of Haitians did the hard work here. Yes, Haitians. General brings seasonal workers in from their neighbor on Hispaniola, providing them bunk houses and decent work.

Transplanting

That's one of the lasting things that I brought back with me...the impression of just how many people it takes to get a cigar from seed to your mouth and how many of these folks would be out of a job if anti-tobacco legislation were to really hit the premium cigar industry. General employs several thousand people throughout their company in a variety of countries and performing a variety of skills. Since tobacco cultivation and cigar making is such an important part of the economy in the DR and other countries, if our government acts in such a way as to reduce the number of cigars that can be sold here (not actually putting limits, mind you, but making them more difficult to sell) it will have the effect of causing more unemployment in the DR and other countries...basically by smoking cigars, we are participating in a humanitarian cause, giving good paying jobs to poor people in other countries. Put that way...everyone should be smoking cigars!

The Doc says, "¡Muy Bien!"

This Macanudo DMJ Signature gets more peppery as the first third burns through. I think someone may have a winner on their hands!

A word or two about Victoria McKee, General Cigar's Director of Public Relations, and the one who made this trip what it was. I am a planner...I have this blog planned out a month or more in advance all the time. I have already started work on next year's Chattanooga Tweet-Up. It's just the way I roll! Victoria's attention to detail and meticulous planning reminded me of the way I do things and the trip was virtually hassle-free because of her hard work. Thank you very much for that!

The only problem with the DMJ Signature Macanudo is its tendency to be a bit one-note. I like this a lot...but like I said before, it would need some tweaking to really be marketable. Perhaps a different wrapper or binder would be all that is really needed.

One last thing that is sort of "trip related"...my FourSquare check-ins. By the end of the week that started early Sunday morning as I left on this trip, I had amassed 400 points, easily more than anyone else in my "circle of friends" on FourSquare. Actually, Ben Lee came close with 390 points as he tried to become King of the Leaderboard, but he still fell short. With an outrageous point total like that and 21 current mayorships, I've pretty much decided to call it quits on FourSquare. I can't remember actually ever getting a discount or deal because I checked in, but the game was fun for a while. Maybe I'll move over to Yelp and see how that one works! :-)

Yours truly...hard at work! (photo by The Doc)

The last half of the DMJ Signature Macanudo didn't hold up as well as the first half flavor-wise...and was not nearly as good as the first example of this blend that I smoked. Why the inconsistency? Probably the job of bunching that I did, to be honest. 20 minutes of instruction do not get you ready for this job...a job that is artistic and technical, and very demanding. And the rolling part is even harder. I was told the rollers get 5 months of training before being allowed loose to roll on their own. I don't know what the timeframe was for bunchers. What I do know is that they do great job keeping things consistent cigar-to-cigar, box-to-box, even year-to-year. No matter what bad things someone might say about Macanudo (I've heard many...I've even said a few), they are one of the most consistent cigars on the market and that is completely down to the high standards that the folks at General Cigar Dominicana have.

Thanks again to all those who welcomed us to their workplace and gave us some insight on what they do.

Cigar Review: Imperiales Maduro by La Aurora

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Toro, 6" x 50 ring gauge / MSRP approx. $5
I remember seeing these cigars down at the La Aurora factory in March when I was on the Bloggers Paradise trip sponsored by the company. They were in the packaging room and we were told that they were heading to Europe and there was no decision about whether they were coming to the U.S. Less than six months later that decision was made apparently and both Maduro and Clasico versions were sent to me by Miami Cigar as representation of the lines they were selling this fall. This cigar features a Corojo Maduro wrapper with no country specified on the materials sent to us, a Dominican binder, and fillers from the DR, Nicaragua, and Brazil. With its low price point, the Imperiales will be sold in boxes or bundles as a smooth, everyday cigar.

The thing that stood out for me when I first saw these was how oily and shiny they were...and this sample is no different. So oily, in fact, that I am left pondering if it is all-natural or if other means were used to achieve such an oily state. The banding is frankly sub-standard on this cigar...the lettering might look a little blurry in the pictures, but it's not my photography...the ink was actually bleeding and plugging up making details messy. I'm sure the printing was a cost-cutting measure to keep the cigar price down. The oily sheen does a decent job of hiding the larger veins in the wrapper. The wrapper had a nice, light leathery aroma; the foot had notes of earth and chocolate. I used a v-cutter on this stick and got a nice, open draw with rather subdued flavors of earth and cocoa powder.

Initial puffs of the Imperiales Maduro gave me flavors of anise, leather, and semi-sweet chocolate on the palate along with a sharp red pepper on the retrohale. Through the rest of the first third, I enjoyed more anise as well as dark roast black coffee notes and a bit of underlying dried fruit sweetness. Despite its value-price, the construction was very good so far, with a straight burn line and strong ash that held on for over half an inch and fell off in a solid chunk.

As the second third started, I noticed two things...an amazing amount of smoke being produced and a body that was already in the medium-to-full range. There was little spice left on the nose at this point, but there was a growing black pepper burn at the back of the throat and still plenty of anise, coffee and leather notes. So far, this was definitely an interesting cigar and I was enjoying it quite a bit.

The Imperiales Maduro had a little sourness to it starting in the second third, but it really increased in the final segment, again making me wonder about the wrapper and whether or not artificial means had been used to increase the oily appearance and dark coloration. There was some underlying earthiness and coffee, but the sour notes stood out in front of everything else, decreasing my enjoyment of it somewhat. The body was still in the medium-to-full range, which does put it among the fullest cigars I have had from the La Aurora lines and also making it ill-advised for newer smokers. Those who have been enjoying cigars longer, though, might really enjoy this, especially with the price point as reasonable as it is.

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

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

Chattanooga Tweet-Up 2012 Dates!

2011-10-31T15:11:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Chattanooga Tweet-Up was a huge success and before the day was over, folks were already encouraging me and Keith and Jerry and Matt and Wes to put together an event for next year. How could we say no? Almost everything went "as planned" for the 2011 event, but we acknowledge that a few things could have been done better, so at the very least, the 2012 event is our attempt to get everything "right"...as much as possible anyway.

For those that couldn't be there, maybe it's best to start at the beginning by answering a few questions:

What is a Cigar Tweet-Up?

Simply this: a gathering of the online cigar community, as represented mostly by those who spend inordinate amounts of time on Twitter talking about their cigars, the issues surrounding those cigars, and eventually all other manner of topic. While we call it a "Tweet-Up" we won't discriminate against those who are part of the Facebook or Google+ cigar communities (we might even allow in MySpace cigar community folks...if there were such a thing!). We are inviting brand owners, company executives and area representatives, in addition to every cigar enthusiast who can make his or her way to Chattanooga for the weekend. It is not a "Sales Event" where the company reps will be competing with each other to sell you on their cigars. It is not a "cigar fest" type of experience where you tear tickets out of a book and race around a hall to collect your stogies. It's a time to kick back, light one up and hang out. Talk to old friends. Make some new ones. The main thing is to get to know people and strengthen the community we have.

Why are you doing this right after IPCPR?
Timing the event just a few weeks after many manufacturers debuted new cigars at the IPCPR show, we were able to be the debut "consumer" event for many sticks and we hope to expand on that in 2012.

Who will be there?

The 2011 event saw people come from nearly all corners of the country to attend, with a pretty even split among locals and out-of-towners.

While we can't give you a complete breakdown of details right now, we have secured "intentions to attend" from Jon Huber of Crowned Heads; Room 101's Matt Booth; brand owner of Emilio Cigars, Gary Griffith, and his area representative for our state, Nate McIntyre; Clint Aaron of 262 Cigars; Sean Williams of El Primer Mundo; and Bryan White of 13th Floor Cigars.

And we are working on getting plenty of other brand owners and reps in the house, as well. We will keep you up-to-date on who is attending as we go.

When and where can I buy tickets?
As with the 2011 event, there is no obligation to buy a thing. You can come to Chattanooga and hang out with all the fine folks at Burns for free. You can probably even weasel a cigar or two from the brand owners who are more than happy to give them out. But...you really should buy something while you're there...it's just the polite thing to do for the store that's putting this event on.

There will be "Event Packages" available to buy for a great price. One package will include a T-shirt, the Saturday evening liquor tasting, and a multi-pack of cigars. The other package will add on the Friday night baseball game to that. There may be other options as well. For 2011, the first package was $25, the second was $35; the multi-pack ended up being about 7 or 8 cigars, so that more than paid for itself right from the beginning.

We plan on opening the pre-sale for the event early in 2012, probably February or March. Burns Tobacconist will be selling the tickets through their new and improved website, scheduled to go live very soon.

So...consider this your "Save the Date" invitation...the Chattanooga Tweet-Up 2012 (#CHAtweetup2012 will be the official hashtag) will be held on...

Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25

Cigar Review: Tatauje Monster #4, "The Wolfman"

2011-10-31T08:33:00.000-04:00

Torpedo, 7.5" x 52 ring gauge / MSRP $13
The Tatuaje Monster Series has shown its ugly face again, this time in the form of the Wolfman. With people clamoring every year to get their hands on these, brand owner, Pete Johnson, has been expressing some frustration with the entire concept lately, opining that it is just not fun anymore; I would guess that most of the fans would disagree. Pete has given us options this year and last that we did not have previously...dress boxes of 13 sticks for those fanatics that are collecting the boxes (and probably smoking very few of the cigars since those boxes are worth much more full) and plain boxes of 10 for those of us that are more tobacco fans than tobacco collectors. I acquired a box of 10 from our new sponsor, Maxamar/BuyMoreCigars; this review stick is the second I've smoked from that box. The filler and binder is all Nicaraguan, and there was one mention on acigarsmoker.com that it might have been based on the Gran Cojonu blend. The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf, the same varietal and country used on the 7th Capa Especial, which I was not a huge fan of.

Pete was looking for an "ugly" look for this cigar, utilizing an unfinished, "shaggy" foot and a band that is truly hard on the eyes...bright red type on a brownish band. The band also has "Monster" and "Halloween" on it which I believe is the first time in the series' history. Other than those two details, though, the Wolfman was a thing of beauty, featuring a smooth, oily wrapper with mostly small to medium veins and a nice medium brown color with a little darker mottling. Construction appeared to be typical of the My Father factory...in other words, excellent. Holding the cigar to my nose, I got a leathery aroma from the wrapper and a rich earthiness with hints of cedar and cocoa powder on the foot. The cold draw was perfect and featured a sweet tobacco flavor along with a distinct woodiness of cedar.

The slightly looser foot that a shaggy finish brings helped this stogie get all fired up really quickly. The interesting thing is to taste the filler/binder blend as it is without the wrapper influence, then see what the wrapper brings to the party as it is fashionably late. I got mostly a very strong cedary note from the filler, along with just a little earthiness. As soon as the wrapper started burning, the cedar was tempered with a rich molasses sweetness along with an increased earth note. Like I said before, I was not a huge fan of how this wrapper varietal behaved on the 7th blend, but I do enjoy how it interacts here. By the end of the first third, a fairly astringent cedar note had become dominant again, along with a nice pepper burn on the nose and a building spiciness at the back of the throat.

The second third continued with strong flavors of cedar along with an underlying earthiness and the continued building of spice. Construction for the Wolfman was great; the draw was dead-on perfect, the burn line was as even as you would want, and the ash was solid and held on for up to an inch each time.

Shortly after the final third began I detected a nice sweetness to balance out the cedar that had been prevalent up until this time. Aside from the molasses note early on, there just had not been that much, but now I was getting a dark chocolate undertone. The rest of the Wolfman continued with that mix of sweetness and woodiness. Some are calling this the best Monster cigar since the first one, the Frank; for myself, I have to disagree. I thoroughly enjoyed The Face and it has only gotten better with a year of age on it. This one was very good, but the woody flavor it imparted was just not at the top of my list for great cigar flavors. I liked it, but just didn't love it. I did buy enough, though, that I'll be able to revisit it in a year...or two...or both...and see how I feel about it then. Like almost all the cigars to bear a Tatuaje label, I believe these have enormous aging potential. The body was medium to full and there was enough of a nicotine hit to ward off newer smokers, but neither should be problematic for more experienced herfers. A note on the Value part of my score: I only gave half a point because the flavor was not in my wheelhouse; if it is in yours, the $13 asking price is very fair for a cigar of this size.

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

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

General DR Trip, Day 3 Photos

2011-10-30T11:49:00.001-04:00

My final batch of pictures from the third full day we spent in the Dominican Republic...entertaining to see fellow bloggers trying to roll cigars!

Cigar Extra: Oliva Connecticut

2011-10-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

Petit Corona, 4" x 38 ring gauge / approx. $4
There are days when you would like to start off with a smooth, creamy cigar, but just don't have time to spend and hour or more nursing a full-size cigar. You may have a job to get to or a yard to mow or church starting in less than an hour. Whatever the case, it looks like Oliva Cigars was thinking of you and has a great solution: the Connecticut Reserve Petite Corona...or as I like to think of it...the Half Lancero! This little gem has a beautifully smooth, light colored wrapper that exudes an aroma of hay with a touch of honey. The foot has a nice earthy note to it. The cold draw had a grassy, classic mild Connecticut flavor.

Once lit the Petit Corona had a little more bite than you typically expect from a milder cigar...it started off fairly earthy and with a bit of black pepper heat. The flavor quickly resolved into a creamy coffee on the palate with some grassiness on the retrohale. My normal black coffee was a perfect accompaniment to the cigar, enhancing the earthier flavors.

The Oliva Connecticut is one of my favorite milder smokes any day of the week, but this size is just perfect for those occasions when you just do not have much time. It ends Jo being almost a perfect 35 to 40 minute smoke, without any real chance that body or nicotine strength will leave you woozy by the end of it. Just possibly the perfect summer cigar, too, for when the day is too hot to want to stay outside very long. Thank you to Allan from Oliva who gifted me a couple of these before they hit my local shop.

Cigar Review: La Aurora Corojo

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / MSRP $6.80
This cigar actually came out in 2010...really! The La Aurora Corojo was shown off at the 2010 IPCPR show and I believe some boxes actually shipped as I was able to buy them at Maxamar in Orange, California, a month or two after the show. I even reviewed it...and really enjoyed it as I remember. But there was one problem in the eyes of La Aurora...it had packaging that was basically the same as the original La Aurora line, with the simple addition of a secondary band. And that was thought to be too ordinary for today's market and likely to be overlooked, so they ceased shipping it so they could have a mulligan on that part, re-releasing the Corojo at the Las Vegas IPCPR this August. Everything else is the same as far as I know...Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper around an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and fillers from Dominicana and Nicaragua. Why review it again? Well, first I want to see if this one is indeed the same...or at least if it hits me in the same way. Also, Jason from Miami Cigar & Co. sent me this with a bunch of other samples of this year's releases and my assumption was that they were for review...so I'm doing my part.

The wrapper was a medium-brown withe maybe a touch of red under certain lighting. There were several medium to large veins and the leaf was fairly oily to the touch. The new banding is nicer than the old, straddling a line between classic old-school banding and more modern designs quite well. The only problem I see is that the background of the main band is white, while that of the secondary band is more beige...it looks like they were not really made to go together, but were more or less thrown together. On the wrapper, I got a sweet aroma with some natural tobacco and hay notes; the foot gave off a touch of molasses along with some earth. After employing my Xikar VX, I got a very nice and open cold draw that had a nice molassesy flavor along with a lingering spiciness on the lips.

The Corojo took a little more effort to light than I had really expected, making it a good candidate for a double or triple flame lighter. I got a nice syrupy sweetness right off the bat, along with just a pinch of cayenne pepper on the retrohale. It was a decidedly medium-bodied smoke with a lot of flavor riding on it and a short, clean finish. As I continued puffing, I got flavors of natural tobacco, cedar and citrus on the palate, along with roasted nuts and the aforementioned cayenne pepper on the nose. Regarding the pepper, it was not strong...just enough to notice at this point, but not painful in the least.

The spice increased a bit as the second third started burning and I found myself remembering what I liked so much about this smoke...it is a slow burner in regards to flavor, starting off good, but subtle, then increasing the amount of cayenne throughout. Not a spice bomb to start with, but it will get your taste buds singing by the halfway mark. Construction was very good...the burn line remained straight and the draw was almost perfect. The only issue I had was with the ash, which tended to be flaky, littering the screen of my iPad as I typed this review.

As the final third started off, the pepper burn was increasing still, although it was a little surprising that it was all centered on the palate with no nasal burn to speak of. While the La Aurora Corojo does not have a huge amount of complexity with ever-changing or nuanced flavors, what it delivers is very pleasing to my palate. The ramping up of flavor intensity provides for great enjoyment as the final third is better than the first...something that you just don't find all that often. The body never got past the mid-point and there was not much nicotine strength, making this a good cigar for a wide range of smokers. I am very glad to see this one come back and predict it will be found in my humidor quite often.

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

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

General DR Trip, Day 2 Photos

2011-10-26T13:44:00.001-04:00

Some images from the second day of the trip to the Dominican Republic...

Cigar Review: Drew Estate Undercrown

2011-10-26T10:00:00.006-04:00

Robusto, 5" x 54 ring gauge / $7.99, Maxamar's

A couple months ago I did a preview of this cigar, in a different size, from a show sample. You can read it here. The cigar I smoked for review was the sixth I smoked in this size.

Once I took the cigar out of the wrapper I was again impressed with what I saw. The wrapper was a black brown in color with a good amount of oils and tooth to the wrapper. The wrapper also had some medium and fine veins to it. The band is very classy in my opinion. I really like how the colors of it contrast with the wrapper. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to find any soft spots and it was fairly firm. Putting my nose to the wrapper I was able to detect the aroma of barnyard with chocolate coming from the foot. After clipping the cigar and taking a cold draw on it I noted the tastes of chocolate and leather with a very good draw.

After I lit up the cigar the first tastes I got were of dark chocolate and red pepper spice. After taking a few more puffs on it I started to get a wasabi like burn on the retrohale. The one thing I've noticed about these, and pretty much all Ligas, is that it has a lot of resting smoke. That smoke had the aroma of grilled meat. It is weird as I didn't get any of those flavors while smoking it. I did start getting some earth and leather coming through with a sweet finish. The draw was perfect and it produced a large volume of smoke. The burn was slightly wavy, but nothing that needed correction. The almost white ash fell off in three quarter of an inch chunks.

Moving on into the second third the spice definitely toned down quite a bit. The flavors that were present in the second third, chocolate and earth with a sweet creamy finish, weren't that different than the first third.

The final third saw this cigar finish off strong. The spice starting building back up especially on the tongue and I got a slight nicotine hit. The flavors changed to chocolate, leather, earth, wood and cinnamon. The sweetness went away almost completely. The burn evened itself out and the draw was perfect and it continued to produce a lot of smoke.

In my opinion this was a great cigar. I was very happy to see that some of the issues I experienced with the pre-release sample, specifically draw, wasn't a problem in the cigars I smoked for the review. To me this reminded me of a Liga No. 9 but with a bit more oomph. I think that if you like the Liga line you have to give this cigar a try. I would also recommend it to anyone out there that enjoys a chocolaty rich cigar that doesn't mind there being a little strength behind it. The price of it being 50% less, here in California, might make me like this cigar even more than the No. 9.

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

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

Cigar Review: La Aurora Cameroon

2011-10-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / MSRP $6.80
Not so long ago, in a country not all that far away, a room was filled with shouts of "Cameroon" when asked what wrapper was on a blind tasting cigar. This, of course, happened because they were given three cigars in a row where the wrapper was revealed to be Cameroon, and by the fourth one, they were not easily fooled. When I received this "new blend" La Aurora Cameroon, I naturally wondered if perhaps I had smoked this one already as part of a test group. Hmm.... This cigar is being presented as a tweaking and updating of La Aurora's original blend, adding a little "kick" to it while also updating the packaging...a look that is shared with the Corojo now. The original La Aurora used Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, a Dominican binder and the Cameroon wrapper; the only change to the named specs is a Nicaraguan binder used for this updated model. That would qualify as a "tweak" but it is possible specific varietals or percentages could have been played with as well.

Because of the dramatic band change, I would not have picked this out as a new version of the old blend without being told. I have to be honest in saying that I simply did not smoke that many of the original La Aurora, though, so I cannot claim to be very familiar with their look and taste. The wrapper here is a medium-dark brown with some darker mottling; it has a good amount of toothiness to it and feels oily under the fingertips. There were a couple spots that seemed a little soft, but overall the cigar appeared well-made. I got an aroma of leather and hay on the wrapper leaf and a more barnyardy scent from the foot. The prelight draw was fairly effortless; it had a sweetness that was slightly syrupy, along with some earthiness.

After lighting up, I got a strongly earthy flavor on the palate, along with a touch of sweetness. The retrohale was the typical Cameroon wasabi spice punch to the nose...shocking and even a little painful. As the first third burned, I got flavors of earth early on, then later a more vegetal note, along with that distinctive sweetness of Cameroon leaf and a bit of a minerally twang as well.

The second third continued in much the same way, a mixture of earthy and vegetal flavors, although more molasses sweetness started becoming evident as it went on. The construction was excellent, with a very straight burn line that needed no touching up, a perfect draw, and ash that held on to be tapped off in clean chunks.

At the end, the La Aurora Cameroon ended up getting more earthy again, losing the vegetal notes but not the sweetness that had developed in the second third. Overall, this is definitely an improvement on the original La Aurora, but I still not one that hits my palate just right so I don't see myself buying a whole lot more of these. Try it yourself, though, as your mileage my vary. I found it to be medium to full in body with a slightly stronger nicotine hit than I was expecting, so it probably would not be a good stick for newbies in the cigar hobby, but it might be a good choice for long-time smokers if the flavor profile is in your wheelhouse.

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

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

General Cigar DR Trip, Day 1 Photos

2011-10-24T11:32:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures I took on Day 1 of the trip (Monday, October 17). During this day we visited several locations in the factory, including a sorting room where we came up with our own blends that we made ourselves later in the week, and a storage warehouse with an absolutely amazing amount of tobacco.