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Cigar Review: A little trip to Havana Camacho style.

28 Feb

A little taste of Havana

A little taste of Havana

Cigar Name: Camacho Havana Toro (6 x 50)

Cigar Description: Jamastran Habano Criollo around Honduran grown, Cuban-seed Corojo long fillers

Cigar Strength: Full

Review of the Cigar itself: I am constantly trying to improve myself to be better for work, for myself and for my relationships. I recently began running. Well, more like walking with some running moments every now and again. I try to do it, at least, every other day. I do feel good after it but I do believe that all work and no play doesn’t help one’s over-all being. Eating healthy all the time and working out regularly is fine but now and again, one should enjoy the finer things in life.

Okay.

So not perfect but, eh. I’m happy. And that’s the important thing, especially these days. I looked through my humidor to see what I haven’t tried yet and came across the Toro. Perfect. Enjoy a full flavour to match my enjoyment of life and all it has to offer.

Taking the cigar out of the cellophane, my senses are heightened to the sweet aroma of a rich tobacco. This particular stick has a prominent vein running through it but that seemed the only flaw on this well-constructed cigar. I cut the cap off, eager to toast the end. The wrapper was a deep chocolate, vieled in the luscious oils that had risen to the top.  It lit flawlessly and soon the deep, earthy scent came wafting through the air. As I took my first draw and exhaled, a perfect smoke ring emerged — without any effort. Ah, the evening will be a good one.

The burn was consistent and even as the evening continue. Deep earthy tones with mild hints of leather tickled my tongue. The solid ash was a melody of white, grey and black,and it remained attached to the cigar until I tapped it off.  Wonderful consistent  earthy flavours with leather and pepper escaped from it without too much smoke and no one flavour overwhelming the others. Each was balanced just enough against the other. As I continued into the middle of the cigar, I had images of sitting in a sidewalk cafe with my beautiful girlfriend while the sounds of spanish and creolized music danced around us. A rich espresso for each as we both enjoyed a good smoke.

Ah, yes. Life is so much more than being healthy and safe all the time. I have learned that if we don’t take a risk now and again we won’t know what life really feels like because we’re just by-standers while the whole world whizzes by. It’s not about being monetarially wealthy that makes one enjoy the “good life”; it’s all the non-tangibles that make it so: the friends, the family, the sense of being whole.

A little past the mid-point of the cigar, I tasted very rich creamy leather, almost hiding the peppery taste. I was a bit disappointed that this started to overwhelm the taste but it did eventually dissipate back to the wonderful flavour. My girlfriend returned home from a day with a friend and commented on how much she liked the smell of this cigar. When I told her what was in it, she gave me a blank look.

“You know that all I heard was whan-whan-whan”, she said, mimicking the Peanuts teacher speak. I chuckled at this. I know she isn’t into the details, history and such of cigars but she does know what she likes. When I described to her the image I had when I , she smiled. She knew exactly what I was talking about: a life of perfection that wasn’t about wealth but just enjoyment of simple things.

As I got to the end of the cigar, the burn began to lopside a bit but it self-corrected quick enough. Deeper pepper tastes came out as I got closer and closer to the nub, something that had been reported by others who have enjoyed this cigar before me. I can definitely see why this is a popular stick to have. While not quite the meal that the Camacho Corojo Toro (Diploma) was, it definitely is a mouthful. This will definitely be one to add to the list of “WANT” for future purchases in addition to finger bandages for the nub burn.

Enjoyed with: water and a Coke

Smoke time: approximately 90 minutes

Final Review Rating: 8.7/10

 
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Posted in Cigar Rating: 8-8.9/10, Cigar Reviews

 

Cigar Review: A DaVinci to remember a beautiful smile by

22 Feb

Cigar Name: DaVinci Exhibicion E Robusto (5 x 50)

Cigar Description: Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler

Cigar Strength: Full

Review of the Cigar itself: In our lives we sometimes meet interesting people and animals. I had, at one point, 4 furrkids (kids of the four-legged kind) — all of whom were

Rosie (July 2007 - February 2009)

Rosie (July 2007 - February 2009)

cats. In the last year we lost 3 of them: 1 to old age (Mittens at age 16) and 2 kittens to FeLV (Julia at age 1 and Rosie at age 1.5). The third one was this past Friday, Rosie. It was heartbreaking to lose Rosie because she was a sweet kitten who wanted nothing more than to be loved and to belong. I’d often be writing a cigar review or enjoying a cigar and she’d be sitting somewhere in my office, watching me and purring in absolute bliss. Yes, cats aren’t often “manly” things but Rosie was kinda special. She was very timid and shy when we first got her and she, in effect, became my little baby and pet project (no pun intended). I was determined to bring her out of her shell and socialize her more. Within a month or so, I had succeed in that. She still had her moments but for the most part, she was leaps and bounds above where she was. We had gotten the two kittens from a guy who kept them in a room by themselves for 16 hours a day. When he got home he’d sleep, completely ignoring them. As short as their lives were, we know that they had rich ones with us.

So I thought today I’d smoke a special cigar in memory of little Rosie, the kitten with the sneaky smile. I had picked up the DaVinci from one of the B&Ms in January. The chocolate-coloured wrapper smelled of a deep nutty smell and smelled well constructed with one or two medium sized veins. At first taste the cigar seemed sweet but as I prepared the end to be cut, I noticed a more subtle earthy flavouring to it. As I toasted the foot, I could see little sparkles of plume firing off. The aroma was a sweet, gentle smell and, unlike other full cigars that have Nicaraguan filler, there was just enough smoke to be pleasant but not too much to overwhelm. I took my first draw where my tongue was introduced to a creamy earth taste, a first for me.

DaVinci Exhibicion E

DaVinci Exhibicion E

As I smoked the creamy cigar and looked outside, I heard little sparrows chirping at each other about the plans of the day. The rain drizzled down on this cool New York morning. It’s amazing how such a little being can have such a deep impact on a guy. I had hoped she would have been around for when I get my first puppy (which I’m hoping will be either a bulldog, a Nova Scotia Duck Toller or a Golden Retriever). I look at the twin coloured smoke, brown and blue, dancing above my cigar while our last remaining furrkid, Bobcat, meows quietly in the background. My 15-year old tailless wonder (she is a Manx and born without a tail) is starting to realize that she’s the last furrkid in our tribe of kittens. I think she misses that annoying little shadow that would follow her around.

The DaVinci continues to burn well, tugboating a bit here and there. Minor touch-ups resolve that and  I listen to the city begin to awaken more and more. A plane lazily flies overhead while a couple of dogs yip at each other. The cigar ash stays pretty solid, albeit a disjointed form. I tap it off to ensure it doesn’t spill on it’s own at some point. As I get into the middle of the cigar, the nutty-flavour deepens a bit. I almost taste an almond taste with a hidden sweetness in the background. This flavour continued for pretty much the remainder of the cigar with an occassional bump of leather taste. And like Rosie, the cigar is done before I expect it to. I think this was definitely one that would have caused her to purr and sit beside me as I write this. Definitely worthy of a salute to those that love us unconditionally.

A sad tribute but a tribute none-the-less to a beautiful little kitten. So if you have a furrkid of one type or another, give them a little salute, a hug and a treat. And smoke a cigar in their honour while they are alive. Much like our BOTL and SOTL that we share our smokes with, sometimes our little ones like to share with us.

Enjoyed with: water and coffee

Smoke time: approximately 80 minutes

Final Review Rating: 8.4/10

 
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Posted in Cigar Rating: 8-8.9/10, Cigar Reviews

 

Cigar Review: Not quite a Saintly “Sexy” Shrub

18 Feb
Santa Damaina #500 Robusto

Santa Damaina #500 Robusto

Cigar Name: Santa Damiana #500 Robusto (5 x 50)

Cigar Description: Dominican Republic filler wrapped in a Connecticut wrapper

Cigar Strength: Medium

Review of the Cigar itself: I’m definitely slacking on the job. Well overdue for a review and will probably spend the next few days doing a few. My humidors are showing signs of exploding soon. As I dug through them I did find this one nestled near the bottom, showing a data of last October. Hrmm. Why not? A damiana is a shrub native to South America, Mexico, Central America and other southern parts. It’s flowers are used for a tea and is known for it’s aphrodisiac effect. Seems like a good connection for a cigar, given it’s perchance to be associated to being something more suggestive than a cigar. Then again, sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.

The wrapper was done so well on this cigar I could barely find the edges of it. It’s light brown color highlighted maybe two veins and while the rest flawless. It was wrapped rather tightly and had me a bit concerned about it being too tight but as I smoked it I found this wasn’t the case. As I lit the foot, I caught the scent of wood burning, almost a burning cedar aroma. It made me think of the proverbial log cabin with wood burning stove, a wonderful memory of a scent on a drab, dreary day like today in New York City. The first third continued this flavour with a solid white ash that fell off on it’s own (thankfully right into the ashtray — perhaps the Saints were watching).

As I got into the middle third, I got a distinctive creamy leather taste. It wasn’t overpowering but just enough to add a bit of cream bit to the cedar that it had started with. I did have to relight it at this point as it went out on it’s own. That was a bit surprising and along with that, came a minor split in the wrapper. It didn’t get too big, thankfully, and I saw no others in the cigar itself. It was a bit disappointing at this point since the cigar had been pretty decent until then. This was also matched with some flakiness of the ash. It wasn’t a huge amount but enough to see flakes fluttering here and there.

As I got into the last third, the leather taste disappeared and was replaced with a pleasant nutty flavour. It’s interesting that the primarily blue smoke that the cigar had emitted up to this point turned into a faint brown colouring. It makes me wonder if the tobacco filler mixture had additionally tobaccos in there that weren’t from Dominican. Either way, the nutty-cedar flavour continued. Overall, it was a good cigar and not a bad smoke.

Enjoyed with: water and coffee

Smoke time: approximately 80 minutes

Final Review Rating: 8/10

 
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Posted in Cigar Rating: 8-8.9/10, Cigar Reviews

 

Enjoying Cigars on the Road

11 Feb

I travel a lot. Last year, I figured out that I was on the road about 40% of the time. And while I try to visit local B&Ms when on the road, it’s sometimes not always possible. To ensure I still can enjoy a relaxing cigar after a long day, I do a couple of things. First, I always ensure that I have some, if not all, my cigars with me as part of my carry-on. This came in handy recently when the airline “waylaid” my luggage (and thus, my cedar matches). I still had my cigar caddy with a selection of about 10 cigars that I could choose from to enjoy, some favourites and some new ones I haven’t tried yet. Often when I travel, I’m not near shops so I use this as a way to ensure that I can enjoy my hobby even when on the road. The reality is that many shops have limited hours (9-5:30 or so) and my work days can be long, sometimes until 6-7pm. I also bring a small metal ashtray like this one from Famous. It’s light enough to not add extra weight to your luggage but is enough for one person. Even something like this one may be good enough for travel enjoyment.

The other option is finding a hotel room where I can enjoy. This is becoming harder and harder due to anti-smoking laws (there is some logic to it when a hotel is booked solid and someone with allergies is stuck with a smoking room). But if you can find one, then, for a smoker, it’s a nice option. I have found that many of the Holiday Inn Express, often, will have smoking rooms/floors available at the same price as regular rooms. On top of this, they come with microwave, fridge and coffeemaker in a room that is meant for more than 2 people. Because of challenges of anti-smoking laws, it is often becoming more and more difficult to find places to enjoy a good cigar without freezing, getting wet or completely avoiding the enjoyment.

Thus far, I’ve been able to try a Mosaico Cameroon belicoso and a CL Arganese CL3 Robusto. The Mosaico, since it has aged about a month now, is faring a bit better than when I first tried it but probably needs another month or two of aging. The CL Arganese had some spiceyness to it that seemed to be wrapped heavily in a leather flavour. The burn wasn’t bad albeit that the ash was a tad flaky at times. It did tugboat at times but this was easily adjusted with a quick touch-up. I would probably put the Arganese at a 8/10. It wasn’t outstanding (lots of veins and sometimes the taste didn’t come through well at times) but was good enough to pass the evening with.

 
2 Comments

Posted in Cigar Reviews, General Cigar Info

 

Cigar Review: The “Fluffy” Taboo HSG

08 Feb

Taboo HSG Toro Grande

Taboo HSG Toro Grande

Cigar Name: Taboo Habano Sun Grown Toro Grande (6 x 60)

Cigar Description: Habano Sun Grown wrapper around Nicaraguan long-fillers

Cigar Strength: Mild-Medium

Review of the Cigar itself: Hrmm. It’d appeared I’m a tad behind in my reviews. So I thought I’d give a try to a cigar that was sent to me as part of a bomb: the Taboo HSG Toro Grande. I decided to enjoy this one while watching one of my favourite comedians online: Gabriel Iglesias. I had heard about him through friends. Anything that is good is often decided to be so through word of mouth. The Taboo Cigars have received a bit of acclaim on a variety of the online cigar forums and definitely not unjustly so.

taboo2

It's not Taboo to enjoy..

Much like Gabriel’s definition of the 5 levels of fat, this cigar is a solid “fluffy” one. And although it is said to be a mild-medium, I would suggest that it still needs a good meal before it as it is one that will require attention and time given to it. The wrapper, although a bit vieny at times, was a nice deep chocolate and well constructed. I could see the feint hint of plume on the wrapper. Oh, this was going to be good. It took a bit to get it lit but that was largely due to the size of the cigar. The tobacco gave off a deep, rich earthy scent to it and the bouquet was a complex leather scent. It was very enjoyable.

A solid result

A solid result

The  white/brown/greyish ash remained solid even as I laughed heartily to stories being told by Gabriel Iglesias. It never fell and remained solid, another sign of good construction. The smoke swirled around in a blue and brown in the warm wind coming from my window. It’s a mild night here in NYC. Apparently the groundhogs were a tad off as to how long winter was going to last. The ash broke off at one point when I tapped it slightly against the ashtray. It wasn’t, however, a fluke. As it continued into the 2nd half, again I got another long, solid ash. The construction on this cigar is very good, ensuring full enjoyment.

The overall flavour of this cigar is a deep nutty taste with hints of leather in the background. I had hoped for more complexity but didn’t find it. I will say that it’s not an overwhelming cigar but one that comes through in it’s flavour. This is definitely a cigar to set aside some time with or if you know you are going to spend time with friends, it’s perfect for those long discussions. One thing is for sure: you are getting a good deal on this cigar given it’s price so that’s a definite plus.

Enjoyed with: water and a Pepsi

Smoke time: approximately 90 minutes

Final Review Rating: 8.2/10

 
1 Comment

Posted in Cigar Reviews

 

February Poll: Where do you buy your cigars?

02 Feb

So it was interesting to see, and rather hopeful, that most (61% of respondents) were going to spend about the same as they have last year. Of course, this may change because of the economy (e.g., losing one’s job midway through). Add to that another 24% who said they’d spend more than last year and I think that the odds are in favour for many cigar places to survive. So I that note, I was curious as to where we’d be spending our money: online or in-person?

I tend to do online myself because of ease but prefer, where possible, a good in-person B&M with a friendly face and nice place to sit.

 
5 Comments

Posted in Cigar Poll

 

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