Last night I had the pleasure to attend Cigar Therapy at Outman Cigar and Martini Bar. It was a BLAST! Needless to say I had a fantastic time. I met a lot of great people and it truly proved to be therapeutic. Hell, what's more therapeutic than cigars, libations, and great people? Any way, I digress. Today's review will focus on Carlos Torano's "Master." I received this cigar by being a part of the Cigar Dave Officer's Club. It's always nice to receive a package in the mail once a month with various, and often newly released, cigars.
Upon receiving this cigar I was pleasantly surprised because most Torano bands are typically ornate and very detailed. However, this band is very simple and only consists of two colors: stark black and rich cream.
The cigar cut and lit easily with no loose tobacco. The condition of the wrapper was nearly flawless as the cigar only possessed small veins and no blemishes worth noting.
The pre-light draw was pleasant in that it was not too tight, but offered a bit of resistance. Throughout the first third the cigar was very mild but possessed a great deal of creaminess along with nutty undertones, which I quite enjoyed. As I continued to enjoy the cigar a distinct sweetness began to present itself. The sweetness resembled a mild chocolate cocoa along with a hint of nutmeg.
Unlike many other cigars I've previously smoked, this cigar required no re-lighting or "babysitting" which made the overall experience fantastic.
This cigar most certainly has a place in my humidor. This is a reasonably priced cigar with complex yet pleasant flavors. It's a real winner!
First I'll start by saying that I'm a pretty big Perdomo fan. I find their cigars pleasant but also consistent, which is why I go back for them time and time again. The label is a simple, yet elegant label with the colors: clay, black, and white.
The maduro wrapper gave the cigar a dark, rich, and oily look to this full-bodied smoke. The cigar cut easily with little to no loose tobacco. I saw no obvious blemishes in the wrapper. As easy as it was to cut, it was equally easy to light (and stay lit).
The draw of the cigar throughout the smoke was easy, but offered just the right amount of resistance. The Grand Cru also offered a bountiful amount of smoke, which always adds positively to the experience.
Various flavors presented themselves during this smoke. Some included: molasses, brown sugar, and a bit of cinnamon. I found it to be a sweeter cigar, but the sweetness was very pleasant.
Overall experience: Excellent, pleasant, and easy going. This is a great cigar that will most certainly have a place in my humidor. Big bang for the buck!
Other news:
On Saturday night Andrew and I got to meet Rocky Patel. It was a great event and we had a wonderful time! In addition to meeting Rocky, we met some other great cigar smokers, as always. The best people are always at cigar events!
Hi again - sorry for the lapse in posting. I've been going through some difficult changes over the last few weeks. The changes have been positive thus far, and I hope they stay that way.
Cigar:
Liga Privada No. 9
Toro
Cost: $12ish
Wrapper : Connecticut Broadleaf Ligero Oscuro
Filler : Honduran/Dominican
Binder: Brazil
First of all I'd like to say one word: Damn. I was mildly hesitant about this cigar, but after talking with many cigar passionado's I know I just had to try this car. Needless to say I am extremely impressed. The cigar was easy to cut and had a fantastic (damn near perfect) draw. I am extremely picky about how a cigar draws because I have experienced migraines after smoking on over packed/tight cigars.
The flavors of the cigar were very interesting. Initially there was a bit of sweetness right near the soft palate of the tongue, which was surprising because many Drew Estate Cigars are peppery. The cigar was not "barn-yardy" at all and presented an earthy undertone that was fairly present throughout the entire smoke. One of my favorite aspects of this cigar was that it produced a great deal of smoke. I truly like cigars that provide a lot of smoke when exhaling - I feel this really contributes positively to the cigar smoking experience.
Overall the experience I had while smoking this cigar was great. I felt relaxed, satisfied, and very pleased with the cigar. This cigar certainly has a permanent place in my humidor.
Binder and Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Honduran
After various pictures of fellow cigars smokers papered the e-wall of Twitter, I knew I had to see what all the rage was about. The T52 is a nice looking cigar with a simple, yet elegant band. I enjoy the color of the cigar when paired with the band which is an off-white band with both camel brown and black writing. The cigar is smooth, but not very oily (unfortunately). The veins of the cigar are small and the wrapper in good condition with no obvious blemishes. The pre-light aroma is barnyard like. It is strong and instills an outdoorsy sense. It cut very well leaving no cigar particles and lit with easy. Both the pre-light draw and draw (while smoking) were good with the appropriate amount of resistance offered from the cigar.I feel that unlike a lot of cigars, the leaves were not over packed, which allowed for a nice firm cigar, but with no soft spots.
The flavor of the cigar offered a great amount of texture as it appealed to various spots within the mouth. The tip and outer portions of my tongue tingled with hints of pepper, while the center portion and roof of my mouth detected honey. Also, the back of my throat also experienced a great amount of peppery flavor – which was long lasting, and frankly shadowed other flavors that might have been presented.
The T52 is overall an OK smoke. I feel that this cigar should be more in the $7-9 price range as opposed to $10+. I won’t be keeping many of these around, especially at that price point.
I know it’s been a really long while (a really, really long while), since I’ve blogged, but I assure you I will be blogging more this year.There have been many changes in our lives since my last blog. Changes like: I finished my M.S., I got a new job, we got a new steam cleaner, and etc.Although I am finished with school (for now), I haven’t really felt like I’ve had much time to do anything I’ve wanted (like blog) because of the holidays. However, I’m back at it and plan to blog consistently starting…now.
Andrew and I were off work for the last two weeks, which gave us the opportunity to smoke a few cigars. I’ll share two of them with you today.
1st: San Cristobal Selección Del Sol
Toro
Purchased: Buckhead Cigar: Atlanta, GA
Cost: $7.50 (I think, can’t quite remember)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown
Filler: Nicaraguan Filler
Upon first glance of this cigar’s band, I thought it to be overly whimsical and didn’t really take it seriously. Once I discovered this cigar was developed by master blender and roller Don Pepin Garcia of El Rey de los Habanos, Inc of Miami, FL, my initial assumptions about the cigar changed quite a bit.
The pre-light aroma of the cigar is quite mild and offers undertones of Jasmine flowers (a sweet smell) along with a creamy heavy cream like fragrance. The cigar cut perfectly with Andrew’s Xikar cutter (which he received from me at Christmas), and no evidence of loose tobacco was seen. The cigar offered a pre-light draw that was perfect and offered just the right amount of resistance. In addition, the cigar burned evenly when lit, and maintained a fairly sturdy, white ash throughout the smoking process. Throughout smoking, the cigar presented flavors of cocoa, honey, and a mild woodsy like taste. The cigar is most definitely one I would consider mild to medium.
Although I often find myself smoking more medium to full bodied cigars, I truly enjoyed the flavor nuances, billows of smoke, and effortless smoking process this cigar offered. I can most certainly say that our humidor will always have room for this cigar.
2nd: Avo Uvezian LE 10
Super Robusto
Purchased: Buckhead Cigar: Atlanta, GA
Cost:Around $15
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Mexican Grown
Filler: Dominican Ligero
According to a press release from Davidoff of Geneva, the AVO LE10 was introduced to celebrate Avo Uvezian’s 84th birthday.Uvezian, a “legendary cigar composer,” was born in Beirut, Lebanon to a family of musicians. After smoking this cigar, it is apparently that Uvezian is indeed a master cigar “composer.”
Truth be told: this is my first AVO ever (and I’m quite ashamed of this)! However, there is a good reason. Unfortunately no retail tobacconists carry AVO cigars in my area, which is why this cigar was purchased in Atlanta, GA.
The condition of the cigar is pristine with a very oily texture and only small veins throughout the wrapper. The pre-light of the aroma was very mild, but quite pleasant. The LE10 cut perfectly, with only one loose piece of tobacco presenting itself. It was very easy to light and the draw was extremely easy. Typically I enjoy extremely easy draws, but this draw presented no resistance, and that was a bit hard to get used to at first. The cigar burned OK with minimal “canoeing,” though I did expect better from a Davidoff product. To my surprise, the cigar was extremely mild and very sweet and oaky. I felt that the first portion (typically 1/3) of this cigar was very sweet, which was then followed by a more oaky/woodsy flavor (although still very mild). The last portion of the cigar returned to a mild sweet flavor, which probably was enhanced by the chocolate I was eating.
Overall I felt this cigar was good. I can’t promise that I’ll purchase the LE10 regularly, as I do like medium to full bodied cigar, but the sensation this cigar provided due to the high nicotine content, invoked a pleasurable cigar smoking experience.
Ok so it's been a while since I published a blog, but needless to say, life has been very, very busy. I started a new job with the State of South Carolina. I won't talk much about that here...which I think is a wise decision. I'm continuing to battle through 9 hours of grad school, and plan on registering for the PHR in July.
Tomorrow we do plan on heading to Boda's (one of our favorite cigar shops). They have the best coffee EVER! I'm sure Andrew will select some great cigars to enjoy, and I do plan on writing a review then. Until that happens, I'll just post some new pictures of the furniture!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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).
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.
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.
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.
