LaFlor Dominicana

I picked up a couple of cigars at Oxmoor Smoke Shop. One of them was the LaFlor Dominicana Double Ligero. I was told this was "the best $5.00 cigar in the country". The proprietor asked me what cigars I had smoked so far and liked. Then he asked an interesting question. "What do you like to drink". After going thru my bourbons and beers he asked if I was a coffee drinker. Somehow, your drink tastes also reflect what kind of cigars you would like. I had not heard or read this, but tend to think it has some merit. Anyway, sitting on my back patio, with a bottle of Michelob Ultra, about 70 degrees, birds flying overhead, for a perfect evening I decided to light up the LaFlor. I was not impressed at first, but somehow, after about a half inch of ash, I really started to enjoy the smoke and flavor of this cigar. I will definitely thank Oxmoor for this recommendation later, and add it to my favorites list.

More Kentucky Black Gold

Picked up a new package of Kentucky Black Gold cigars. However, they only had the Country 'Ten Pack". These are smaller cigars than the six pack and are not individually cellophaned. They are about the size of cigarette's. Same great taste, but seemed very hard to draw. I also like a little heft to my cigars. I would not recommed this size of these cigars. I am glad I resisted and did not buy the 120 cigar box for $120.00 at the shop. By the way, the ones I got that were dry, came out just fine after a couple weeks in the humidor.

Mold on the humidifier!!

Opened my humidor after being in California on business for a week and found some mold on my humidifier. Ahhhhg. A quick check of the cigars and they were all fine. I am glad I leave them in the wrappers now. It could be my fault for totally ignoring the instructions and not using distilled water. I threw the green sponge away and totally cleaned the plastic holder. I got a block of Oasis floral foam and cut out a new one for my holder. I also went to my new favorite cigar store at Oxmoor Mall and bought a bottle of solution that is half distilled water and glycol. Will see how this works. now.

CORONADO BY LA FLOR

I got these from my wife as a valentines gift. She purchased them at the Oxmoor Smoke Shoppe at Oxmoor Mall in Louisville, KY. She was told these are the second most requested cigars at the shop. I can't be completely fair in evaluating these cigars because I have been dying to try the cigar dipped in B&B before smoking trick. OK, I have to say, this is not the way to enjoy a cigar. I like the taste of B&B with the cigar, or a good beer. But dipping is not the way to go. Here is the best trick I found. You take a tiny sip of the liquor and let it coat your tongue and mouth before taking a puff of your cigar. Do this before each 5 or so puffs and that is the only way I would suggest. Maybe because I am a neophyte, but my lips just don't like the taste of some wrappers. Now, about the Coronado. This is really a finely made cigar, with a great wrap. It seems to draw a little difficult(at least the Churchill I was smoking). It was an OK cigar, but nothing I would rush out and buy.

Here is another review:

The new Coronado by La Flor Dominicana is a masterful blend of rich, Dominican Piloto filler and the peppery, Dominican Corojo binder. The filler and binder compliment and add to the spicy flavors of the rosado Nicararguan wrapper. The three sizes of the Coronado all sport larger ring gauges which help deliver a rich, full flavor. Coronado By La Flor Cigars: For years, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua have been giving Cuba a run for its money when it comes to best land for cigar production. The Coronado, a tag teaming Dominican Republic and Nicaragua effort, takes some of the lime light away from Cuba. Masterfully blended with Dominican filler and binder, and a Nicaraguan wrapper, the Coronado is full of spicy, peppery, and rich flavors.

Kentucky Black Gold 82.75

UPDATE: Still continue to enjoy these cigars, picked up another box of these. I have rated this with my new cigar rating system.

The aroma still has a nice earthy smell to the smoke and is not harsh at all. The good thing is this cigar maintains the

taste from beginning to end. It has a nice burn and keep a good ash for the size of the cigar which is not a big ring size. These are great for a quick smoke. Its wrapper is not the best in the world and after cutting sometimes peels a bit, but once you get over that it is still enjoyable. And for the price, it can't be beat.

It was a nice day, so I decided to go check out an antique mall. There was a vendor selling cigar products and he showed me these little packets of 6 cigars of Kentucky Black Gold. Made in Trimble County, Kentucky. $3.00. What could I lose. I just had to try one when I got home. The one I opened was a little dry, so I don't believe these were kept at the right humidity. I will keep the others in the humidor for a couple months to see if that helps. However, what a pleasant suprise. A 50 cent cigar that tastes good, smoked good, had a great aroma, and just was a pleasurable smoke. I had tears of joy in my eyes. The guy at the shop told me he could not keep them in stock, now I know why. Here is a link to another web site I found that talked about these cigars and how they were brought to Kentucky. I am going to try and stock up on these before the word gets out.
http://www.cigarenvy.com/tag/kentucky-tobacco

Cognac Dominican Sweets

Paid about $3.24 for this cigar. You would have to pay me that much just to try it again. I thought, "Hmmm, a flavored cigar!" when I bought it. If you flavor it with crap, maybe. This is the only cigar I could not finish so far. I hope the cigarette butts did not revolt when I threw it in the receptacle. Figures it would be another Cusano brand.

This is from another site:

The problem with a lot of flavored cigars is that some manufacturers believe real cigar smokers don't smoke flavored cigars. Knowing that, inferior tobaccos may be used in hopes the flavoring will cover the it's shortcomings. With Dominican Sweets, this is definitely not the case. Dominican Sweets are Premium hand made cigars using the finest Connecticut shade wrappers. The flavor is not overpowering, it's subtly sweet with an unmatched aroma

Cusano CC Corona Single

This was a $2.49 cigar from the same shop as the 18year old Cusano rated before. This one has started out very nice. It draws nice, maybe it is just because of the corona size. This one sure makes up for the 18 year cigar that was twice as bad for twice the price.

Cusano Aged 18 Years

Update: 03/30/2008 Just got done smoking another paired maduro robusto cigar. This one does make up for the one I first had. I just knew with the Cusano reputation that it had to be a badly stored cigar. The one today was great and had a deep rich flavor, plus goes great with the Knob Creek Bourbon I tried. Glad I picked up a sweet deal on some of the cigars today. Now if I only had a bigger humidor I could have gotten a whole box and a free hat. Dang it, got to get that thing ordered. I just spent $1,000 on some new Titleist golf clubs and don't want to give my wife a heart attack.

Just started this one. Price 5.99 Toro Single. OK, maybe I went to a bad cigar shop for this one or something. This was a terrible cigar. The flavor got old very quickly. You would think that by being aged it would have a more mellow taste. Even my co-workers said it smelled awful.

Here is another sites review: Cusano 18 is made with 18-year aged Dominican Olor filler tobaccos (yes indeed: 18 years). These fillers are combined with a rotund helping of Cuban-seed Dominican fillers for oomph and bound by a super-smooth Connecticut shade binder (a wrapper-quality binder), and the whole thing is then dressed with an even smoother, silkier Connecticut shade outer wrapper. The end result is a cigar bursting with rich n’ creamy goodness, followed by a complex, full-flavored finish. Complex yet smooth....if you like cigars like that, give Cusano 18 the hairy eyeball.Cigar Aficionado's Insider rated the Cusano 18 '91':"This stout cigar has a shiny golden wrapper. It's full in body and has a rich, heavy smoke. Flavors are leathery and smoky with a note of creamy vanilla. It's well balanced, leading to a long, woody finish..."

Cifuentes Partagas 1876

Just finished my first Cifuentes Partagas. It was an OK smoke, but doesn't justify its labels enormous ego. However it is a reasonably priced cigar. Still not the best one I have tried so far.

From their web site:
These cigars bare the name of the Cifuentes family, the legendary makers of Partagas in Cuba. In a tradition that spans a century, the masters of Partagas would create cigars under their name with a unique and distinct character from all others readily available. That tradition continues with Partagas Cifuentes Blend.
Its deeply satisfying, full, rich taste is derived from a limited crop of sun-ripened Honduran wrapper leaves. The extra aging on the plant gives the wrapper leaf flavor characteristics like no other. And naturally, the quality and craftsmanship found in these cigars is everything you’d expect from a Partagas. This is a cigar that Ramon Cifuentes himself would have been proud to offer.

Cusano

Just finished my first Cusano P1 cigar. It was $2.99 at the cigar shop. It was my first topedo cigar, so I had to buy a cutter instead of using my bullet punch. Got to have the right tools you know. Not sure I liked the torpedo. Seems like it draws a little harder than the regular ends. Does anyone know why they make them in this shape? Flavor wise it was not a bad cigar, but did not stand out in my mind. It had the broadleaf maduro wrapper and I know I much prefer the finer texture of the Conneticut wrapper now.


Here is what cigar.com had to say:
The Cusano P1 is a dark and oily bundled cigar that is an excellent alternative for aficionados who prefer hearty cigars like Punch and Partagas. At an everyday low price, the P1 is an excellent value.
Before becoming known for some of the best premiums in the world, Cusano cigars started their value driven business in bundles with their Celebrity Series, which encompasses several lines of bundled cigars that were designed with one goal in mind, to compete directly with name brand cigars twice their price. Rolled at the famous Tabadom Factory in the Dominican Republic, the bundled Cusano Celebrity Series uses exacting standards to match the blends of some of the most famous cigars in the world including Punch, Partagas, Macanudo, and Montecristo to name a few.
The P1 by Cusano finds itself on the other end of the spectrum from the other Cusano bundles as the P1 brings a nice dark and rich wrapper over a Dominican filler and binder. The result is a cigar that can stand up to the rest of the medium to full- bodied cigars on the market. When Cusano made these cigars, he wanted to make a cigar that Punch and Partagas smokers would enjoy both in flavor and in price. The P1 starts out with a little bit of sweetness from the wrapper then kicks into full gear about one inch in, exploding with complex flavors. The cigar is both concise and consistent from start to finish. At such an affordable price, people are amazed that this bundled cigar is able to compete so well to the bigger names on the market. With the P1, aficionados have found all the quality at half the price.

Macanudo

Smoked my first Macanudo last week. This is a great cigar and deserves its reputation.
I am finally about done with the cigars I got in Florida and have purchased some of my own so I can add price to the equation. My delima with this brand is there are so many different cigars, you don't know if they are all the same etc. I am not sure I can tell from the label which one I actually had.

Here is what cigar-review.com had to say:
Every time you light up a Macanudo, you can count on the world's top selling cigar to always delivers the same distinctively smooth, mellow taste. Produced today in the Dominican Republic, Macanudos are made with a flavorful Dominican blend and a select binder grown in the rich San Andrés Tuxtla Valley of Mexico. The makers of Macanudo grow, cure and age their own Connecticut Shade - the most sought-after tobacco for premium cigar wrappers. In addition, only the makers of Macanudo age all of their tobaccos twice, just as it used to be done in Havana during the golden age of Cuban cigars.

PADRON

Tried my first PADRON today. Even with its reputation, this was the worst cigar I have smoked to date. I am going to try and find some information on how to rate cigars. I have read the Cigar Afficianado ratings and I think they are pretty much bogus. I want some type of metric that rates flavor, draw, taste, late taste after the cigar has been smoked for while, and overall enjoyment. Then tie these ratings with multiplier factors for importance to rate cigars.

Here are the ratings stated on the web site www.padron.com

As rated by Cigar Aficionado & Cigar Insider
Natural
Cigar Aficionado April 00 87

Cigar Aficionado June 99 87

Cigar Insider June 97 86

The Colonel

I love this gif of Colonel Sanders with cigar.

Counterfeit Cuban Cigars

In doing my research on cigars, I came across this site that talks about how to recognize fakes.

Check it out. http://www.cigarnexus.com/counsel/counterfeit/

A. Fuente Gran Reserva

Just got done smoking a Gran Reservo Hand Made Fuente. Really liked the smoke of this one. Good Draw also. I was able to use my Cigar Savor for the first time. This really works. Was able to take it on a smoke break with all the cigarette smokers and get some quality cigar time in at work. If I could not snuff it and save it, there would be no way to enjoy a cigar. Now I can't wait until spring when I can put a lawn chair in the back of my truck, use my laptop with wireless and do some work while enjoying a nice cigar with fellow cigar enthusiasts. Here is what the Fuente site says on this cigar.

Only the highest quality vintage tobaccos and hand workmanship go into A-Fuente cigars, making them a blend of art and craftsmanship. Each leaf is personally selected from a private family reserve set aside exclusively for the making of these cigars. Blended with the finest "Fuente Tobaccos" internationally recognized for their superiority, the A-Fuente Gran Reserva is then skillfully rolled with African Cameroon, Connecticut Shade or the most recent addition to the Gran Reserva line, Ecuadorian Sun Grown, these wrapper tobaccos are the most expensive and sought after wrapper tobacco in the world.The honor of making the A-Fuente Gran Reserva is given only to the most gifted cigar makers, those with the rare skills needed o create this uniquely blended cigar. Taking absolutely no short cuts, every critical step is done completely by hand, to ensure a finished cigar without parallel.A Fuente cigars are then aged in Spanish Cedar vaults to a peak of perfection to create a marriage of the blends producing an excellent "individualistic" heavyweight cigar to be counted among the worlds finest.A Fuente Gran Reserva guaranteed one quality only "The Finest"

Trinidad Maduro

Got a Churchill from a friend. Love the taste of this cigar. Plus, being from Louisville, Ky the Churchill is highly appropriate, especially in the city known for Ky. Derby and Churchill Downs. This cigar has a great earthy aroma. I wish I knew how much this one was aged before I got it.

Great draw and taste.

Good FAQ site

I liked the information this site has on cigar smoking. Check it out.
http://www.updowncigar.com/lowdown/

Rocky Patel vintage 1990

Given the darkness of the cigarwrapper I was suprised by how mild this cigar really was. It was very tightly wrapped and the ash did not fall off for a good 2 inches. I did not like the lip taste after the first few minutes, but nothing a good Bud Light could not overcome. I smoked this one first from my selection because it did not come in any kind of celophane cover and I did not know how dry it might be before I got it. It was just fine however.

The Rocky Patel web site at www.indiantabac.com describes this cigar this way:

1990 Vintage

Mild to medium bodied, this blend of rare aged tobacco has a perfect balance of flavor, complexity, and richness. A very smooth earthy smoke with notes of cedar and a light espresso flavor. In pursuit of the finest tobacco's the world has to offer, Rocky Patel uses this 12 year old Honduran Broadleaf wrapper along with a 5 year filler and binder that will satisfy every smoker from novices to the most discriminating of aficionados. The Vintage received "Best of the Best" in the Robb Report and scored a 92 in Cigar Aficionado.

I am not sure of the price since this one was a gift, but I probably would buy a box of 20 that they come in.

Gar Vino's

Stopped by Gar Vino's - Cigars - Fine wine - Gifts store while I was visiting my daughter in Lady Lake, Florida. The address is 1081 Canal Street, The Villages, Florida, 32162 or www.Garvinos.com. My wife and daughter picked up a selection of cigars from the store as well as a Don Salvitori humidor. They were given a selection of mild cigars for me to try. I will log what I think as I smoke them. I had a nice little travel case for my cigars to use when I play golf, and was glad to get a little humidor so I can keep the cigars fairly fresh. I like the humidor, however I had a little trouble trying to calibrate the hygrometer, but I think I finally got it right. Gar Vino's is a nice little shop with its own smoking room. They did have a nice selection of wines and gifts related to cigars and wine. It is located in the very scenic Lake Sumpter Landing. A lot of little cottage shops in a previously historic area from the 1890's. Of course that area is a huge retirement community and everyone rides around on their cutomized golf carts. Considering it is currently 80 degrees on New Years Eve, I am ready to retire and head that way.