Nording in November

We've been really, really busy with school, work, life, and you know, the usual. This blog is going to practically me playing "catch-up," so it will contain a plethora of information about cigars, food, holidays, events, and of course, our dogs. So, I'll get started.
Below are pictures of cigars that we have enjoyed, but are not going to fully blog about.
They are:

We also had an awesome time at one of our favorite places...Boda's!! We absolutely LOVE Boda's. The owner is and everyone there is simply fantastic. We recently attended their 25th Anniversary sale and had a wonderful time. They had a beautiful cake (pictured with Owners), and all sorts of food like pizza's, chicken wings, fruits, cheese and more. It was a fantastic event and we can't wait until the next one comes around! At the event we were honored to meet David Ludwig of Newman Cigars and Cynthia Fuente of the legendary cigar family of Fuente. Cynthia and David brought along some of their rarest, yet finest, cigars, and were able to offer a free cigar with every Fuente cigar purchase. The event was on Friday, October 16, 2009 and Cynthia's birthday was actually on Sunday, October, 18 2009. Cynthia had planned to hold a large birthday party in Tampa, FL, but decided to attend the Boda event- a true business woman. All in all, we had a fantastic time, met great people, and are anxiously awaiting the next Boda's event!

Next up: Halloween fun! In the spirit of Halloween we decorated the kids (our dogs :) ) and took amazing pictures of them with our Halloween decorations (which we have yet to take down..oops)! (Below) Andrew and I also carved a Jack-o-Lantern and handed out candy to our numerous trick-or-treaters! Because we had so many little pumpkins, which I initially used as decorations (centerpieces and etc), I actually roasted them, pureed the pumpkin and made homemade pumpkin pie! (Pictured below)


















At last, a Nording in November. Thanks to Cigar Dave, who sent us two awesome Rocky Patel 1961's, and a newly redesigned Rocky Patel "Nording" (Erik Nording is a Danish Pipe Maker), we are able to enjoy a Nording on a very cold (at least to me, not to Andrew, as he is from Illinois), November night. Pre-light draw was easy, but not too easy- just right. The initial flavors I tasted on this cigar were cedar-like, with a mild sweetness. As the cigar progressed I definitely began to taste cedar, which was really noticeable in the front of my tongue, while other, more milder tastes, such as a bittersweet, high percent cocao chocolate flavor was reflected more towards the back of my tongue. The cigar is true Rocky Patel style in that it is full, beautifully and elegantly bound by a Costa Rican wrapper with Rocky's typical, and oh so successfull, Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. This cigar is definitely a hit in our house and we would highy recommend it to anyone seeking a full bodied cigar.

Busy, Busy, Busy and an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story

Hi all,

As you may know from my recent "posts," or mini-updates from my phone, I have been extremely busy. It all began last Thursday when I officially decided to paint the living room. On Friday we got the new dishwasher delivered, two hours late, thanks Best Buy, but weren't able to install it because it didn't come will all necessary parts needed to make the damn thing run! Instead of installing the dishwasher, Andrew and I painted our living room until about 2am. Sadly, we had to get up at 4:30 am to be at a pottery show for my dad. Unfortunately the show didn't go that well. We did our bests to try to encourage buyers, but they just weren't biting. However, although we didn't do that well, we did better than most people.

Last night's smoke:

Arturo Fuente, Hemingway Short Story
Perfecto
Cost: $6.30
Place of Purchase: Boda's
Wrapper: West African Cameroon
Filler: Dominican

Before indulging in this delectable cigar, I need to let you in on some background regarding its purchase. At the Rocky Patel event at Boda's, Andrew and I had been speaking about getting one of these little cigars because I have a B.A. in English. He thought it very appropriate, seeing as Hemingway was a great American writer of the early 20th century, that I sample one of these cigars.

I cut the cigar with my brand spanking new Revolution Cigar Cutter (pictured), which Andrew recently purchased for me, and found that the margin to cut the cap was EXTREMELY small, and considering that I am an amateur smoker/cutter, it was freakin' hard! The pre-light draw was rather difficult, but that's no surprise as the foot is somewhat conical. While some may cut the foot off, I chose to burn it (so morbid I know). Overall, I found the cigar to be a gentle, medium bodied cigar that packed a punch. For example, some of the flavors I sensed from this smoke were: cinnamon, honey (significantly), and finally a spicy yet subdued ending to what turned out to be a savory smoke.

In my opinion, if one interested in a 30-45 minute short stack that packs a lot of punch, the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story is the way to go.

3) We went out of town to GA for the day to sell pottery for my dad. His website is: www.michelbayne.com . Check it out! 4)We ran out of paint and got more!

Hey everyone. I just wanted to let you in on some updates and apologize for my lack of entries as of late. 1) I got a new job! 2) We have been painting

Hey everyone. I just wanted to let you in on some updates and apologize for my lack of entries as of late. 1) I got a new job! 2) We have been painting

Just trying out posting from my mobile! Thanks for your patience!
- Cigar sucker

Two for the Price of One!

Well, I know it’s been a while since I have updated the blog, but I figured now would be as good of a time as any. You’ll be excited to know that several interesting events have occurred since last Thursday! Some of these events included: serious birthday celebrations, sushi eating, serious cigar smoking, and last but not least, new dishwasher buying!

On Thursday night I spent some serious time making lovely cupcakes for Andrew’s early birthday celebrations (which we had decided would start on Thursday and end on Sunday, ha!) Andrew had been talking a lot about Bombay Sapphire and how it made the best martinis ever. In light of this, I bought Andrew a Boston, two martini glasses, and some Bombay Sapphire! Needless to say it was a great night!

Because Friday was the Rocky Patel event, we decided we’d take it easy before the event. Once we got there, Mark was there once again, and this time he was offering some awesome free deals. We bought SEVERAL RP cigars…and Andrew bought me an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story. He said “because you were a literature major, you should definitely have this cigar,” and believe me, I couldn’t agree more! (I’m allowing my Hemingway to sit in the humidor for a while, reviews to come soon.) Sadly, we didn’t win any of the free giveaways, but wow, we had a fantastic time.

What did we smoke?

I smoked a REAL Rocky Patel Edge (thanks babe!!) and Andrew smoked a RP Decade.

Rocky Patel Edge

Toro

Cost: $6.50

Place of Purchase: Boda Pipes

Wrapper: Costa Rican Maduro

Filler: Nicaraguan-Honduran Ligero fillers

Smell: Bold natural scent

The experience:

Until now, I have only experienced faux Rocky Patel Edge cigars (factory seconds), but now that I have indulged in the actual Edge, there’s no turning back. The smooth draw allows for an intense flavor experience. This, accompanied with hearty aromas, makes the Edge incomparable to any other cigar (any that I’ve had thus far). The edge is a genial cigar that offers great depth for anyone’s palate. The aroma, taste, oily perfectly textured touch of the wrapper, and scent are all exceptional. For the lover of a medium to full bodied cigar, this is definitely a winner.

Beyond the review I’d like to take a few lines to explain why I love the Edge so much. While its outer appearance is elegant, and it tastes great, the Edge offers a great experience not only to cigar elites, but to the everyday “Joe.” When browsing in Boda’s humidor on Friday, I noticed that so many cigars were covered in fancy wrappers and encased in very visually stimulating boxes. Sometimes these fancy items can scream “EXPENSIVE.” When one looks at the Edge he sees a simple, yet handsome cigar. In closing, although lacking external fancies, the Edge speaks volumes through its flavors.

Rocky Patel Decade

Robusto

Cost: $9.99

Place of Purchase: Boda’s

Wrapper: Ecuadorian

Filler: Honduran

Smell: Gentle, smooth smelling earthy characteristics

Well… I probably shouldn’t have been smoking this cigar at nearly the same time as The Edge, because they are VERY different cigars. The Decade is a very mild cigar; it doesn’t pack much punch. It’s delicate, draws nicely, easily fits in one’s hand, and is visually appealing. However, it pales in comparison with The Edge. Please note that this is strictly my opinion, as I tend to lean more towards full-bodied cigars. As typical of many Rocky Patel cigars, The Decade possessed light, airy earth tones, accompanied by nutty (almost chestnut) flavors. While the flavors were present, they were definitely not bold. Sadly, when I placed the cigar in to a cigar ashtray, because the cigar is box pressed, it did not fit well and repeatedly fell. . Perhaps someone could suggest an ashtray suited better for box pressed cigars?

Other random news:

I bought a new cutter at Boda’s. Considering I almost chopped off my finger using Andrew’s double bladed cutter, I thought it best that I acquire a scissor cutter! It’s great!

Our dishwasher broke on Sunday (Andrew’s birthday, happy birthday to him!) so we went and bought one on Monday.

Here it is:

And again

Since Andrew and I were fortunate enough to attend the Rocky Patel sale at Outman's on Friday, we are definitely taking advantage of the loot we made out with! On today's menu it's: RP Vintage 1990 and 1992.

RP Vintage 1990
Robusto
Cost: $8.30
Place of Purchase: Outman's
Wrapper: 12 year old Honduran Broadleaf Maduro wrapper (Box press)
Filler: 7 year old filler and binder
Smell:More mild than the '92, sweet, intoxicating smell

and

RP Vintage 1992
Robusto
Cost: $8.30
Place of Purchase: Outman's
Wrapper: 10 year old Ecuadorian Sumatra Wrapper (Box press)
Filler: 7 year old filler and binder
Smell: Stout earth smell


First of all, I'd just like to say that Rocky excels in the cigar semblance department. When Andrew and I were speaking with the RP rep on Saturday, he made us aware that RP employs an individual to examine the outside of the cigars to match each cigar in the box by color. Clearly, it's only the best for Rocky Patel.

The Vintage 1990 and 1992 are extremely different cigars. Based on smell alone I assumed the 1992 would be a medium to full-bodied cigar, but I was very wrong. The 1990, although a little more difficult to draw than the 1992, was sensuous, smooth, and sweet. Initially the cigar was a bit earthy tasting, but about a third of the way through, my patience paid off. Like many RP cigars, this cigar being no exception, there are complex flavors just waiting to be discovered with every inhale.

On to the 1992... both Andrew and I believe that we may have obtained a dud. Although we did try the punch method on this cigar, we did make sure that there were breaches in the extremity of the cigar. Because I had never had a 1992 before, I was unable to compare it to any other 1992's. However, Andrew had previously smoked a 1992, and was quite convinced there was something wrong with this cigar. The only thing I can say about this cigar is that it drew extremely easily, perhaps even too easily. In regards to taste, the cigar was boring and without character. I will, without a doubt, buy another Vintage 1992 to make certain my assessment is without error.

Thank you to everyone who subscribed to my Tweets and checked out my blog! I really appreciate all of your support!

Rocky Patel

Well, the title of this post should sum things up pretty well. Today it's all about Rocky Patel. On Saturday, Andrew and I went to Outman's, and discovered Rocky Patel represenatative, Mark Rudacille,was present! I must mention that Andrew's favorite cigar is the RP Edge, which I have only had "factory seconds." I'm still waiting for Andrew to buy me a REAL one! (Hint hint!)

Moving on...the RP was offering buy three get 1 free, which was a great deal. Andrew and I spent a great deal of time with the RP representative Mark Rudacille. Lucky for us, he will also be at Boda's on Friday afternoon! He also said that Boda's has the best coffee ever! We are really looking for to it, as Andrew's birthday is on the 6th, a Sunday. To say the least, the RP rep knew his stuff. We asked questions about hard to find cigars (The Nording, which we found out from an Outman rep. that some were on order, YAY!), biggest sellers, and his personal favorite (which is the sun grown). Needless to say, we had a great time.

Sadly, Outman's was so busy, they gave us the wrong prices on a two of our 5 cigars! We called the store at 10 minutes until closing time and they informed us we had to go back up to the store (the next day), bring all cigars, and they will make it right. SHUCKS! We were quite disappointed we didn't get to smoke any of our loot that night! Deep breaths...ok, we can wait. So the next day we went to get a refund from the errors. Later that evening, after doing loads of master's program homework, we walked the dogs and smoked the cigar:
Rocky Patel Renaissance
Size: Robusto
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan/Honduran Blend
Binder: Nicaraguan/Honduran Blend
Cost: Free with purchase of 3 other RP Cigars
From: Outman's
Smell: Subtle earthy smell, with woody overtones


To say the least, this cigar has character. When I first took the cigar to my lips, although it was almost unbearably wet (thanks Andrew), it was extremely easy to draw, but man, it was fiery! The tip of my tongue began to tingle with a spicy sensation- wow, this cigar has some heat (spice). As the cigar progresses, the spicyness seemed to become more subtle to allow a smooth, earthy, nutty flavor to arise. In short, this cigar was nothing less than mere perfection. I'd recommend this cigar to anyone!

Happy Birthday...to Me!

The 24th was my birthday, and it was a great one! Well, my celebrations actually started several days before my birthday, thanks to Andrew! He ordered me a DELICIOUS cheesecake from Carnegie Deli, but...it got here one day early, so we decided to commence celebration early. He also surprised me with strawberries, French champagne, and a beautiful necklace. What a winner!


Btw, did I mention we made jello shots!

On the 24th we had dinner with my family. The night before, I attempted to make a yellow cake with chocolate icing...did I mention from scratch? What a disaster! Although it tasted horrible, I did create some excellent art with it (per Andrew's suggestion).

My mom made a fantastic chocolate cake (From scratch) and my grandma, as usual made the absolute BEST coconut cake EVER!

All in all it was a great birthday.

Today's Cigar:
Caridad Sumatra
Wrapper: Sumatra
Size: Presidente
From: Famous Smoke Shop
Smell: very mild, somewhat sweet

This cigar was EXTREMELY MILD. It was a nice cut, at least I think so (I need Andrew's help here), and drew very easily. The cigar does leave quite an after taste in one's mouth...almost like dirt, earthy, wood like sense. It's very tobacco tasting (duh), unlike other cigars which sometimes have different tastes (i.e. fruity, spicy).

Take 2

Well, today is another day- a busy day. I cooked homemade enchilada's at about 4 pm because Andrew is attending his first MBA course from 6pm-10pm. I know he's worried about it, but I'm so so proud of him! Oh ok, yeah, cigars.

Sadly, we have had some issues with the humidor. It seems to me that the humidor is very dry, which has been causing some cracking issues with our cigars.

You know, since I talked about Andrew earlier, I just wanted to say...he is so slobbery! When we smoke cigars together he leaves such a wetness on the end of the cigar- ICK! Is this normal?!

Day 2

1) Franklin Llaneza 1961
Mail Order Sample
$20 subscription
Long Filler
Toro
Smell: sweet, really really bold

This cigar was just "OK". The boldness of the smoke (perhaps it was overheating) caused the cigar to have a fiery, extremely peppery taste. Perhaps it was too dry? I'm not sure. I definitely know that I've had MUCH better!

2) Troya
Mail order sample
$20 subscription
Connecticut wrapper
Lonsdale
Smell: Mild, pleasant, very smooth

When I initially smelled this cigar I smelled a strong mint smell. Oh, and btw, I pinched the skin on my fingers using the double bladed cigar cutter :(, it hurt!!!! Any way, this cigar was GREAT! It was delicate, easy to smoke, and sometimes fruity! I was very surprised by this cigar and would definitely recommend it to someone who enjoys a milder cigar.

Btw, check out this awesome cigar I bought Andrew.

Rocky Patel engraved, 3 torch flame style with case.

Suck, Suck, and more Suck

Well, it's official-- I finally started this blog. After losing my nine to five last Friday, I decided to finally do something that would keep me from being angry at my former employer, but also delighted to be free to write these blogs.

So who am I? That's easy; I'm the cigar sucker. I'm a sucker for a cigars, who sucks on cigars, and well, I'm new at this, so I probably suck at cigars too.

I admit that I am a cigar novice, and if it weren't for my boy friend Andrew, I wouldn't have gained such an appreciation for the art of the cigar. After months of dating Andrew, and not really being that interested in cigars, I, over time, began to gain progressive affinity for cigars.

Ok, enough about me, let's get started.

Day one:

1) Cuban Rounds "Taste of Havana"
Size: Toro
Cost: $2.50
Purchase Location: Outman's
Wrapper: Natural
Filler Type: Short
Smell: Extremely mild aroma

This cigar was extremely mild, as anticipated. (Quite sad for my first blog! Oh well!) As the cigar smoking progressed, the flavor did intensify, but only mildly. This cigar is extremely easy to draw and has no problem staying lit.

Some of this lack of intensity could have to do with the low humidity level in the humidor (suggestions please, as it refuses to stay above 65).

2) Arturo Fuente, Special Selection, "Curly head"
Size: Lonsdale
Cost: $
Purchase Location: Outman's
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Mixed
Smell: More potent than the Cuban Round

This "curly head" (capped off and pig tail looking end) was a great, fairly short smoke. The Fuente was a mild, gentle smoke, but possessed some interesting flavors. Often times there seemed to be a peppery taste, which created a tingle on the tip of my tongue. This is definitely one to smoke again.