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Cigar Review: Finding Peace in America

20 Feb

Peacemaker in its coffin

Peacemaker in its coffin

Cigar Name: Red 760 Peacemaker (7 x 60)

Cigar Description: Brazilian maduro wrapper and Habano binder around a blend of Seco Cubano, Ligero Piloto Cubano, Ligero Olor Dominicano, and Ligero Nicaragua long-filler tobaccos.

Cigar Strength: “Strong” Medium

Review of the Cigar itself: I had decided since I was reading Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu by J. Maarten Troost that something exotic and different was needed. I had ordered this cigar (along with a sampler) from Flatbed Cigars earlier in the week and after the challenging week that I had experienced, it truly was time to wind down and relax a little. The cigar was in a freshly made coffin. I could smell the wood as if it had just been cut that morning. I mixed up a nice spiced rum and Coke, turned on CBC’s Jazz Stream, settled into my home office chair and inhaled the scent of the cigar. It was rich with a deep earthy scent and a sweet tobacco. The length and guage of the cigar was certainly massive. This is definitely a hefty cigar and I expect it to take a better part of the afternoon. Since my girlfriend was out, I figured this was a perfect activity to do for the warmish sunny afternoon.

The cigar construction was excellent. The wrapper lines were nearly indistinguishable  and I punched the end easily. It took a little bit to light it, given it’s girth, but once going it emitted a nice sweet odor with a hint of spice that danced along the bluish hue of the smoke. This isn’t an overly smokey cigar but enough to gentle waft along any current of wind. I sipped the rum and the cigar as read about the adventures of the fearless — or is that fearful? — author while in Vanuatu. The greyish ash burned fairly consistently and straightly with only an occasional slant here and there.

Enjoying the taste..

The long ash that had developed as part of the first third eventually fell off on it’s own. Rich woody scents mingled with the sweet earth scent and my taste buds enjoyed a deeper earth taste with hints of sweetness and tang (molasses?) in the background. I continued reading and ended talking with a friend online before I noticed that I had already gone through the middle third. The cigar’s flavour was so smooth and the burn so good I didn’t even notice the two hours that had already pass (!!).

As I got into the last third, I pondered how a simple idea had culminated into a wonderful tasting cigar. Flatbed went back to basics. Yes, the cigar came in a coffin but it was a simple one. No fancy wrappings. No splash. No bang. Plain paper nestled in the coffin to protect the tasty treat inside. The tasty spice mixed with a sweet earth taste became more accentuated as I got closer to the nub of the cigar. I looked over and realized that my spicey rum-Coke mixture was long gone. The intrepid author had now moved over to Fiji and my last third was almost gone. The sign of a good cigar, to me, is one that lets me meditate while life bustles by. The name, Peacemaker, is apt.

You’ll find it if you let the cigar guide you.

Definitely a cigar to enjoy again and again and again.. I think I may try to get a few for the next Herf I have with work colleagues in May.

Enjoyed with: water & a spiced rum and Coke

Smoke time: approximately 180 minutes

Final Review Rating: 9.5/10

 
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Cigar Review: The Cigar God

22 Aug

Cigar Name: Orishas Robusto (5 x 50)

Orishas Robusto

Orishas Robusto

Cigar Description: Costa Rica with Cuban filler (made in Canada)?

Cigar Strength: Full

Review of the Cigar itself: When I was in Halifax and perusing through Smoke On the Water, I decided to try this cigar since I had never seen it anywhere else before and it wasn’t too expensive like many of the name brands were. When I got back I couldn’t find anything online about it — at least not at first. This took quite a lot of digging but I eventually found them (or, at least a page that mentions them).  I have to admit, there is still a lot about the cigar I don’t know (so if anyone knows of it, let me know).

The wrapper is a nice reddish brown (rosado?) and generally well constructed. There were some prominent thin veins that flowed through the wrapper along with occasional bumps from the tobacco inside. After punching the cap, taking the sliver of it off and then lighting it I got to enjoy a deep sweet nutty flavour that I had been smelling from the tobacco itself. It burned a little lopsided but tried to even itself out. The ash was a flaky, lopsided calamity that I kept tapping to keep from falling all over. But even with the tapping, it remained fixed to the end of the cigar with only little bits flaking off. The draw was simple but rich and creamy. As I continued into the first third, I noticed a tickle of pepper fighting to get onto my taste buds.

As I got into the middle third of the cigar the peppery/spiciness began to come through more but it was still the sweeter creamy taste that dominated. It reminded me of Guinness ale in the sense of that it was a meal in itself, that’s how robust the taste was. Although the construction wasn’t meticulous the flavour more than made up for the little bits here and there that weren’t “perfect”. The more I continued into the cigar, the spicier it got. The white pepper taste started to come through more as I removed the simple band off the cigar with a gentle tug.

The last third began with a bang into rich creamy leather and sharp roasted nut flavours. This wasn’t just some run of the mill cigar. It’s almost like finding that little known micro-brewery (e.g., Mill Street out of Toronto) or unique whiskey (Glen Breton Ice) that few know about but that everyone should experience at least once. Although this cigar didn’t have the near perfect outside, the inside was awesome. I’d definitely recommend that you eat first before having this one as it’s definitely a full cigar that packs a silent, finishing wallop. Now, if I could just find them outside of Halifax..

Enjoyed with: water

Smoke time: approximately 80 minutes

Final Review Rating: 9.1/10

Tidbit: The Orishas were Santeria Gods. An Orisha would claim you at birth (kind of akin, I think, to the animal spirits of Aboriginals in North America).


 
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Cigar Review: Sometimes a Good Cigar is more than a cigar, it’s full blown novel.

09 Aug

woan1

Work of Art Natural & Glen Breton Ice

Cigar Name: Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art Natural (4 7/8 x 56)

Cigar Description: Cameroon wrapper around Dominican filler

Cigar Strength: Medium

Review of the Cigar itself: Back in October, I got to enjoy a Short Story. When I wrote about it someone had suggested that I find out about the Work of Art, either in Natural or Maduro. This became a bit of my white whale search to find some WOAN, even a single one. The other day I lucked out on Famous having them and decided to fork over for a box of them along with a box of Opus X Journey to Chateau De La Fuente Brown Box (it was a $99 special). Like a kid I opened both to see the delicacies inside. I set the Opus X aside for later and eagerly had a WOAN right away. It was heaven. I figured I should enjoy it again and write about what I enjoyed and found. Even now it’s hard to stop from enjoying to write. I poured a glass of Glen Breton Ice over the rocks to enjoy with this.

This has the smoothest flavour I’ve ever had, consistent all the way through. I had no cigar magazine to amuse me this time but enjoyed the antics of the Simpsons while perusing Book in a Month by Victoria Schmidt. I may not be Hemingway but I do enjoy writing about life and the fancy of the mind.  The

USPS brings wonders..

USPS brings wonders..

cigar is well constructed and solid. I did find the head to be a bit tight but cutting it a little farther down (from an 1/8 to a 1/4 of an inch) resolved the tight binding of the filler. This made the draw far easier and made the cigar feel as if it was as light as a feather. The ash quickly became an inch and a quarter long after 30 min. It was amazing how quickly the time passed as I savoured this.

I switched to Law and Order: Criminal Intent (season finale!) as I got midway through the cigar. I’ve always liked the series because of the story they tell. It’s often an interesting puzzle that shows all the things, good and bad, about people. And really, when you think about it a cigar is nothing more than a story on it’s own. It tells about how it’s made, the care that goes into the making of it. As the ash got longer and it felt light. I tapped it off before it

Something worth sharing..

Something worth sharing..

accidentally dropped down. This cigar burns evenly and consistently. I looked at it and pondered what it would be like to be an author in the time of Hemingway. You could savour life and write about what you saw or experienced. Granted it wasn’t always perfect for him and I don’t doubt without pain but still, the world was still a mystery and open for exploration yet to be.

Perhaps today it isn’t as much as the locations as it is who is there to enjoy it with you. While I only got to enjoy it this evening with Bobcat, my manx cat, I will be sharing a good portion of the box with others including my mini-contest winner (to be announced Tuesday morning — I moofed on the date and allowed for entries to continue until Monday at midnight). As for the cigar, I ended up using a toothpick to hold the sliver of a nub to get ever last bit of flavour out of it. Well worth it.

Box is big but oh, what it protects!

Box is big but oh, what it protects!

Enjoyed with: Glen Breton Ice on ice

Smoke time: approximately 80 minutes

Final Review Rating: 10/10

Tidbit: Ernest Hemingway quote: “I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.”

Tidbit #2: Linus quote: “I never feel bad after a cigar therefore it must be moral.”

Watching: The Simpsons and Law & Order: Criminal Intent

 
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Quick Review: Something to Celebrate With

02 Aug

Davidoff Limited Edition 2009

Davidoff Limited Edition 2009

Cigar Name: Davidoff LTD 2009 Toro Especial Seleccion 702 (6 5/8 x 48)

Cigar Description: Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper around Dominican Piloto, Olor, and San Vicente fillers

Cigar Strength: Full

Review of the Cigar itself: After a successful week in Alexandria, VA I thought I’d celebrate (after doing work expenses). So I took out the Limited Edition Davidoff I had gotten a couple of weeks ago. Much like many Davidoff’s it is well constructed. It was difficult to see where the cap ended. The wrapper is a nice rich chocolate colour, darker than dairy chocolate but not as dark as dark chocolate (kind of in-between the two). The tobacco scent was a mixture of sweet and nutty sensations. Eagerly lighting this up resulted in peppery scent wafting forth.

As a treat, I decided to enjoy a small glass of Glen Breton Ice that I had recently purchased in Halifax (You can order it online here or go to Nova Scotia and get it there). The sweet peat taste, mixed with a rich wooden flavour, was a nice match with this well-made cigar. Within the first third I got hints of chocolate mixed with a nutty flavour and deep creamy leather. I sat back, enjoying the animation exploits of the Justice League: Paradise Lost (2002) dvd that NetFlix had sent me. A perfect way to enjoy a cloudy, drab Sunday. One of the things I like about Davidoff is how easy it is to enjoy their cigars. In fact, it was so easy what I thought was the end of first third was nearly the end of the 2nd third.

The leather remained a nice hidden flavour that would creep in and out throughout the cigar as I continued towards the nub. As I got closer to the end of the cigar lush cocoa (almost a dutch cocoa) taste came through with an espresso hit. While the cost of this cigar would preclude it from being an every day kind of cigar, the flavour definitely puts it up there as one of those ones to get to impress or celebrate with.

Enjoyed with: Water and a Glen Breton Ice on ice

Smoke time: approximately 70 minutes

Final Review Rating: 9/10

Tidbit: Glen Breton Ice was the first Single Malt to be made in ice wine barrels (giving it a bit of sweetness)

Tidbit #2: Glen Breton Distillery was sued over the use of “Glen” by the Scottish Whiskey Association, who used the claim that “Glen” is only to be used by those from Scotland. SWA lost the lawsuit.

 
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Cigar Review: A special cigar for TAA stores only

11 Apr

Rocky Patel TAA Signature Series Robusto

Rocky Patel TAA Signature Series Robusto

Cigar Name: Rocky Patel TAA Signature Series (5 x 50)

Cigar Description: Wrapper and filler Unknown

Cigar Strength: Medium

Review of the Cigar itself: So this past week I was back in Wall Street teaching. So I headed down to the Broad Street Barclay-Rex, my usual stop when down there, and checked out what they had. After getting a few favourites, I came across a new one from Rocky Patel. In fact, this is so new, I cannot find any info on it so this entire review will be kinda a blind review. I know Rocky made it so that usually means pretty good quality. The construction is tight with few veins on the chocolate brown wrapper. It toasted well and easily, giving a kind of white/blue smoke (makes me think Dominican in both wrapper and filler — and thus, in turn, perhaps a mild-medium cigar). As I took the first draw I got a creamy, almost mocha flavour tickling my tongue and taste buds.

The ash was a darker “white” (kind of like greyish-white) and flaked occassionally. There were no telltale signs of Nicaraguan filler (usually they produce a dark, dark grey to almost black ash). There may be Ecuadorian as I noticed a secondary smoke that was a light grey intertwined with the prominent blue/white smoke. As I continued in the first third I definitely got rich mocha/chocolate tastes along with a hint of espresso and spice in the background. The aroma was a nice peppery scent. It was a perfect cigar for a wet kind of day, giving that sense of just enough warmth to make the weather seem pleasant.

The burn is very consistent and doesn’t need touch-ups if attention is given to the cigar. As I started into the middle third, I noticed that the ash was still there from the original start. I gave the cigar a gentle tap and the ash fell off, in a single mass, into my little metal ashtray. As I continued, TheOnlyJoan asked to do an online Skype Herf. So we talked about the cigars we were enjoying and other things in life. It was during the middle that I began to notice a creamy leather taste hinting along with the mocha. And before I knew it, I was into the last third.

It was in the last third that I noticed a bit of a stronger pepper come through and a deeper blue smoke coming from the cigar. I watched the deep blue smoke dance around the light as I talked with Joan. It’s nice to be able to do a mini-herf like this. Most of the people I know from the cigar community that I want to meet are all over the country so it can be hard to meet up. But this is the closest thing to actually doing a Herf I can get for now. The next thing I noticed was that I had less than an inch left on the cigar and it was done. To me, a cigar that tastes good enough that I am not overwhelmed by it and enjoy the people I’m around is a good one. And this one definitely fits. If your Cigar Store is a TAA member, ask them if they have any. Well worth it.

Enjoyed with: water

Smoke time: approximately 70 minutes

Final Review Rating: 9/10

 
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A Sunday in NYC’s Little Chinatown/Little Italy

16 Mar

So this weekend I’m on my own as my girlfriend is out of town. I started last night by enjoying a sweet Ashton Aged Maduro #10. I got to enjoy a Forty Creek Barrel Select over the rocks with a splash of cranberry and watched some pretty cheesy ’80s action movies, including the RoboCop trilogy. Apparently, they are doing a remark to be released in 2010. It was a definitely an enjoyable, relaxing evening. As I flipped through the movies, I decided that today I would venture out to downtown Manhattan’s Canal area (Chinatown/Little Italy) to find two cigar shops: Three Little Indians and Mulberry Street Cigars. Turned out that Mulberry was closed today, a bit disappointing and discouraging. As I peered into the dark windows I could see a variety of cigar history filling the windows and displays.

Sigh.

Three Little Indians and Florio's

Three Little Indians and Florio's

A visit for another day but definitely one that should be visited. Instead, I ventured a little further towards Three Little Indians. As I walked down Grand Street, I could the various discussions, some in Italian and some in the flavour of New Yorker English. With the milder weather, the street was a mosaic of people perusing various restaurants and their fare. As I walked into the shop/restaurant, I got a sense and flavour of old New York. The long wooden bar showed it ages but has obviously been well looked after. I could hear faint discussions as I walked around, looking around at the various cigars in the displays. I ended up getting a couple of LX2s and a couple of Short Stories. When I went to pay, I noticed a display beside the cash register of cigars that had no bands. They were various barbershop Toro type (6 x 56) and no two were alike. The owner, Larry, informed me that they are made by a gentleman in Florida. I added that to my purchase and went off to find the subway station to take the J train home.

Once I got home, I put the brand-name cigars into my humidor for later enjoyment and smelled this new find. A sweet, earthy scent came off the cigar as I held it. It was heavenly. It took a little bit to get the foot toasted but once I got it going, it was hard to put it down. Although I realized I forgot to ask what tobaccos made up the cigar, it didn’t really matter. The taste was a wonderful blend of sweet, earth and mild creamy leather with an occasional twinge of pepper to spice things up. The ash burned a solid white, speckled with lines of grey and black. If I had to guess, the wrappers were likely a mix of natural (sun-grown?) and maduro (Connecticut broadleaf?) around, what I suspect, is rich Dominican long fillers. When I go back — and I will — I’ll have to ask Larry about more of the history of these cigars and the man who creates them for him; I’ll also have to ask him to pass on my kudos and thanks for making a good cigar. It’s not cheap at nearly $13 per cigar but well worth it. This cigar will easily last 60-90 minutes, depending how deep of conversation your in with friends and family.

Three Little Indians Barberpole Toro

Three Little Indians Barberpole Toro

I sat back this evening watching my four favourite Sunday evening shows — The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy and American Dad — and quietly enjoyed my smoke while the fat tailless cat, Bobcat, sat beside me. She regarded my cigar for a minute, realized that it wasn’t food and went back to her Olympic training, marathon cat sleeping (she’s up to 20 hours these days). I laughed to the various silly antics and was mesmerized momentarily by the twin white/blue smoke coming from the end of the cigar. I’d give it a quick rating of about a 9.1 out of 10. Definitely worth a go if you do visit.

Anyways, the day ended on a wonderful note and I’m set for this week to start. It’s interesting that this week I go back to Edison, NJ to teach. A year ago, I went there to teach and it was there that I walked into Smoker’s Haven to buy my first cigars, Davidoff’s Winston Churchill. Since this week will have St. Patty’s day, they will be having an event to celebrate. And I’ll get to enjoy it since I won’t have anything specific to do on Friday. I have to say that I do enjoy smaller towns sometimes, especially when they have local cigar shops. There’s a more personal flavour to it. As much as there is great variety of things and places to do in NYC itself, sometimes smaller can be better.

 
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