CAO Brazilia

Got one of these with my Cigars International starter kit. It is an OK cigar, but nothing notable about the flavor. I just did not seem go notice that these were supposed to be a much spicier cigar. It seemed to be too mild. I had the anaconda size.

Cigar.com had this to say:

The Brazilia is the fuller-bodied side of CAO. Its dark and spicy wrapper make it very flavorful with a long earthy finish.
CAO is the maker of some of the highest rated brands in the world. Previously best known for making pipes, the Nashville based company broke into the cigar industry with authority. The attention they have attracted has not just been from their first rate tobacco either, their concepts and cigar packaging are trendy, appealing to a new generation of cigar smokers.
For years CAO dreamt of a cigar that uses premium Brazilian tobacco, but finding good Brazilian leaf at the end of the cigar boom was not an easy task. At the time Brazilian tobacco was not at the top of its game. However, CAO stumbled on a beautiful dark wrapper leaf from the coveted Bahia region and the rest is history. After its launch this cigar brought attention back to Brazilian tobacco and essentially was the rebirth of Brazilian cigars in the US cigar market, as other cigar makers flocked to South America in attempt to recreate CAO’s success. The rich Brazilian wrapper gives the CAO Brazilia a full-bodied and full-flavored aroma that carries a long and spicy finish. It is a truly unforgettable cigar, and a powerhouse addition to the humidor.

ARTICLE: Cigar Counterfeiting Must End

WWW.CIGAR.COM
This was a great article on counterfeiting from cigar.com. I am on their mailing list. You can go to link above to go to their site.

Counterfeiting has always been a serious problem in the cigar industry. Manufacturers put in countless hours blending, aging, and marketing their cigars to be purchased by enthusiasts all over the world. With that in mind, it is no wonder why companies like Altadis and General Cigar go to extreme lengths to not only find and reprimand guilty parties, but to also prevent their products from becoming targeted. The cigar industry has been picking up speed; expanding to new lengths and becoming more involved with creating more unique blends based strictly on quality, which has put even more emphasis on preventing counterfeits from appearing. However, counterfeiting unfortunately seems to be a problem that will likely never go away completely.
There are too many brands to name that have been "knocked-off" and sold as originals. Some of the more popular brands include Cohiba, Arturo Fuente, Montecristo, and Romeo y Julieta. In fact, in recent news, Altadis USA (makers of Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta) have recently gone on the offensive and tracked down individuals selling counterfeits. The most popular case to date would be the arrests of Allen Boyd and James David Joiner. Boyd was a manager at the Carolina Cigar Company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Joiner was the owner of the Smoke Café, also out of Fort Lauderdale. Both individuals were secretly selling counterfeit Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, and H. Upmann cigars at their shops. More in depth, the two would disassemble and reassemble the boxes in the back of their shops and get them prepped for sale to the unsuspecting consumer. Representatives of Altadis visited each shop with undercover investigators who made purchases of the counterfeit product. On a side note, the investigators did not have to pay taxes on the cigars since the shop representatives waived the fee due to a cash payment. Each box was valued around $200 to $300 and was taken back to Altadis for a thorough examination. In conclusion, every box purchased was bogus. Both Boyd and Joiner were arrested and their counterfeit products were confiscated by authorities before any further harm could be done.
It is very hard to comprehend the mentality needed to rip off a premium cigar company; a group of individuals dedicated to providing cigar enthusiasts with a special luxury unlike any other. Likewise, cigar rollers work long and hard to meet the demands of their respective factory in regard to quality, construction, consistency, etc. The cigar industry supports hundreds of thousands of people, most of which live outside the United States. It is not a business for most of these individuals; it's a way a life. Given the levels of tradition and pride involved in creating a handmade cigar, counterfeiting can be considered an insult to the makers, as well as the end consumer.
Counterfeiting places a dark cloud over the art of a fine cigar, which has become a highly rewarding way of life for all of us, whether we are making the cigars or enjoying them. A cigar band represents more than a cigar, for it symbolizes proud, cigar making families and generations of passion, loyalty, and a commitment towards a time honored pastime. The counterfeit process hurts the entire industry, from the individual planting the first seed to the enthusiast enjoying their cigar on a warm summer evening. As a consumer, you too can help eliminate counterfeit cigars by supplying information on any cigar shops, stores, companies, or associates who are known for selling counterfeits. With the entire cigar community's assistance, the act of counterfeiting could be reduced to an absolute minimum.

Churchill Rejects

Saw these at Cox's Smoke Shop and John and I picked up a couple. They run about $1.50. What can you lose. Smoke this one after the ACID(see below) on the back 9. I have to tell you, this one is still much better than some of the more expensive Cigars I have tried. I may have to stock up on some of these for the golf course. You really can't go wrong at that price.

ACID BLONDIE

Got this one from my friend Dale Darnell. Do you get the idea that I don't need to buy cigars anymore? Anyway, I smoked this one while playing golf on Saturday. This one is in line with the other ACID's I have tried. They are an infused Cigar of different flavors. The only thing I don't like about these it that the taste of the outer wrapper can hurt the taste of the cigar flavor from the smoke. The infusion flavors can stay on the lips and make it more difficult to enjoy the cigar. Still, it is better than some cigars that are bitter tasting.

Snow and Cigars

J. Shepherd Cigar Boutique Louisville

Jason Shepherd just opened his store at 1429 Bardstown Road. Tim, my son-in-law and I paid him a visit on his grand opening. It is a 1,200 square foot store with a walk-in humidor. He currently stocks all the favorite premium cigars, plus a series of accoutrement's such as lighters, cutters, ashtrays, and gifts. Unique is the artwork he will be showing by local artists(a la' Starbucks) This seemed like an ideal location and has a lot of walk by traffic. Unfortunately, Louisville does not allow indoor smoking, but supposedly there will be a private smoking lounge opening somewhere in town soon. Not soon enough for me(see the smoke alarm incident below).

POWER 15th Edition

Got this one from my friend Jason, the tobacconist at the newly opened J. Shepherd cigar store. He asked me what I have enjoyed so far and he picked this out for me. I had not heard of this brand so was excited to try it. I was very pleased with this. The taste was great to the end. My son-in-law Tim and I were able to enjoy a cigar in the cool evening while walking up and down Bardstown road by the shop enjoying the sights. I am marking this one a must have for my humidor stock.

From the Felip Greorio web site:

Felipe Gregorio is celebrating his 15th anniversary with a premium cigar like nothing the market has ever seen. Introducing the Felipe Power, and Pelo de Oro, featuring an exclusive Costa Rican wrapper, derived from ancestral pre-embargo Cuban seed. The variety is Pelo de oro (Golden Hair), and tobacco from these seeds has not been available anywhere—not even Cuba—since before Castro seized power. It turns the clock back 50 years to Cuba's Golden Age of cigars. The opulent taste and aroma, combined with this new an exciting strain of Havana tobacco, is sure to raise the bar in taste and manufacture alike.!

Cigar cyclopedia had this to say:

If you’re expecting an overpowering smoke that sets your palette on fire, forget it! The Felipe Power is full-bodied and comes in a series of large ring gauges, the smallest of which is 50. But it offers a light, even flavor with a slight lean toward caramel that provides an intriguing contrast with its presence in the mouth.%%pagebreak%% There’s an unusual sweetness to this blend that’s unusual and satisfying, due directly to the unique Pelo de Oro – “Golden Hair” – wrapper of ancestral Cuban seeds grown at the Tabacos de Cordillera in San Jose, Costa Rica. Wynne is the first manufacturer to create new blends with this leaf, but he won’t be the last.The smoothness of the flavor and consistency of the smoking experience are also remarkable. This is a mellow cigar that will be much better enjoyed indoors than outside so that the delicacy of the taste can be appreciated. There are plenty of sizes in the line, ranging from $10 to $15 before local tobacco taxes and packed in boxes of 26.Overall grade: A: Exceptional.

Gurkha Legend Titan

John smoked this one the other day. It was the first cold snap we had here, so we had to try and use my garage and turn the heater on. He was having a little problem with the draw on this one(we really like the Gurkha brand and feel this is unusual). Anyway he was in the process of relighting it and I told him to make sure and get some good puffs in to get it lit well. Heck, who remembered the dang smoke detector that is connected to the whole house was right above him. Anyway, needless to say, the girls did not find it humorous when it went off.

5 Vegas

John, my future son-in-law who continues to ply me with cigars as long as I keep saying 'Yes, I am paying for the wedding!', brought me this one to try. It is an OK cigar. Nothing to write home about, just blog about. It has the same kind of taste that a Fuente reminds me of. A mild cigar by far, but I am not sure I liked the wrapper.

Here is what cigar.com has to say:

An old Cuban tradition, the 5 Vegas Classic is a medium bodied creamy smoke with a great everyday low price.
This cigar captures everything about a high end premium cigar, except for the price. 5 Vegas has answered the age old question “Can’t someone make a cigar that sells for $3.00 but tastes like a $10.00 cigar?” Well folks, clear room in your humidor. 5 Vegas has a creamy medium body that is accentuated by its Dominican and Nicaraguan long fillers and finished with a Sumatra wrapper. Each 5 Vegas is meticulously crafted by expert cigar rollers to ensure a top quality product.
You will find subtle complexities about this cigar that make it consistent box to box and deliver quality and value every time. Earthy and toasty with a medium finish, it won’t take long for this cigar to become one you can enjoy everyday.

OLIVA V Series Torpedo

Serie V is a complex blend of Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos. Blendedwith specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero, and finished with a highpriming Habano Sun Grown Wrapper.
Blending Notes:This cigar is blended to deliver full body taste while maintaining an unparalleled smoothness. This flavorful blend exhibits complex tobacco with rich coffee and dark chocolate tones. A subtle and well balanced spice is present throughout.
Wrapper: Habano Sun GrownBinder: NicaraguanFiller: Jalapa Valley LigeroVitolas: 7 Natural
Cigar Aficionado 94 Rating December 2007

John smoked this one. He had the torpedo. Paul at Oxmoore told him to try cutting the end off at an angle. This gives it a wider opening to draw through. However, he still had some difficulty and had to really cut it back. Again, this seconds my thoughts on why smoke a torpedo when a Churchill is around.

Exile

Smoked this last week(Thanks John), I like the fake newspaper about the Cuban Embargo it comes wrapped in.

From another blog:

EXILE® is comprised of aged, rich blend of Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos delivering a rich and complex character with a spicy-sweet finish.

It was not a bad smoke, but not memorable. It would have been nicer had it been aged since 1962 :-)

cheap humidors dot com tips

I subscribe to cheaphumidors mail list, they always have good tips and hints. You can subscribe by going to their site with link below.

Here are tips from the latest email.


1. To make sure your cigar cutter stays sharp and clean, keep the wrapper on your cigar before cutting.
2. Placing your guillotine cutter flat on a table and placing the cigar straight up and cutting will ensure a clean, even cut every time.
3. When your cigars tastes too bitter, blow through it. You'll see a bluish smoke come out the lit end. Wait a few seconds, and you should get a nice, clean draw.
4. Lost your cutter and don't feel like biting the end off your $10 stick? If you're on the golf course, use the end of your tee to punch a small hole in your cigar. If you have a steel barrel pen, you can remove the top and use the bottom portion as a quick punch cutter.
5. To make sure your cigar is burning evenly, without canoeing, rotate the cigar after every few puffs. You can also blow slightly on the slow burning side to speed it up, and apply a little saliva with your finger tip to the faster burning side to slow it down.
6. Having a hard time drawing from your cigar? You can take a skewer or straight coat hanger and insert it into the cigar from one end to the other. You can also roll the cigar around in your fingers to loosen up the leaves.
7. Take your time when smoking. If you puff too quickly, your cigar will get too hot, and the taste will be altered. Try one puff every minute as a general rule of thumb.
8. Humidity in a humidor is not a science, despite what you hear.
Don't concentrate so much on the ideal level. Instead, try to keep the level constant. Fluctuation can cause problems with leaves swelling and shrinking. Most people prefer to keep their humidors at the 65 percent range, which is a little drier.
9. Concerned that your humidor doesn't have a good seal? You can try the drop test or the dollar bill test. In the drop test, you drop the lid of your humidor from half open and listen. If it puffs when closing, you have a good seal. If it bangs, you're in trouble. You can also open the lid, insert a dollar bill half way in the humidor, and then close the lid. Tug slightly on the bill. If it gives resistance and is hard to remove, you have a good seal.
10. A cigar also needs to be judged by its wrapping. A perfect cigar is one that has an intact, undamaged wrapper. (If the wrapper is damaged, don't buy it.) The wrapper should also be consistent in color, and it should have a nice scent to it. If the wrapper is heavily "veined," this is another reason to reject a cigar. While feeling it, the cigar should be wrapped nicely--not too tight (very difficult to draw in) or too lose (loss of flavor).
If you have any questions about cigars or the proper way to store them, or anything else, please feel free to give me a call at 1-888-674-8307 or via email at sales@cheaphumidors.com
Regards,
Dave
P.S. Next week, I'll teach you how to light a cigar like a pro.
Go ahead, take a look at our site at http://www.cheaphumidors.com

MAXX

My future son-in-law John brought over 2 of these last night. Really, really long cigars and were $5.00 each. Nicaraguan wrapper. These have a nice smell to them before lighting them up. These were actually and enjoyable smoke. Mild flavor and good ash. You need a good hour to finish these off however. We spent the evening trying to figure out how to blow smoke rings while discussing our golf prowess(or inprowess, new word). I will get these again, but do not know if they will fit any of my travel cases, but they may impress the ladies. :-)

PERDOMO

Usually cigars from Nicaragua tend to have a lot of taste and flavor. I could only smoke half of this cigar. The wrapper left a sour taste from the beginning and never got better. Sorry, this one is off of my list.

ACID TEA

OK, If you want flavored cigars, and for some reason these seem popular, maybe its the advertising, the name, or price, then these are ok. The flavor definitely lasts for the entire smoke and these were very mild. It has to be your cup of tea to enjoy these. OK, yes, pun intended.

TECHNICAL EXPLANATION OF THE

TECHNICAL EXPLANATION OF THE
REVENUE PROVISIONS OF H.R. 976,
THE "CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM
REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007,"
AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2007
Here is the link to the actual act:
http://www.house.gov/jct/x-91-07.pdf
PRESENT LAW
Cigars weighing not more than three pounds per thousand ("small cigars") are taxed
at the rate of $1.828 per thousand;
• Cigars weighing more than three pounds per thousand ("large cigars") are taxed at the
rate equal to 20.719 percent of the manufacturer’s or importer’s sales price but not
more than $48.75 per thousand;
NEW LAW
Small cigars are taxed at the rate of $50.00 per thousand (the same rate applied to
small cigarettes);
• Large cigars are taxed at the rate equal to 52.988 percent of the manufacturer’s or
importer’s sales price but not more than $3.00 per cigar;

Guide to Cigars

Have read this book by Jane Resnick, "International Connoisseur's Guide to Cigars".

This is the third book on cigars I have read now. I like the size of it to carry as a reference, especially since someone tried to pass off honduran cigars as Cubans. Gives a great summary of size and labels, and includes pictures. I have found that you can get the best prices off of Ebay for books on cigars.

Padilla 1932 Signature

Cigar Afficianado has this to say:

RING GAUGE: 48

Lovely to behold, this dark cigar has a lush draw and even burn. It's delicious, with rich wood notes, earth and leather, all wrapped around a core of spice. A delicious and complex cigar.
LENGTH: 7"
FILLER: Nicaragua
BINDER: Nicaragua
WRAPPER: Nicaragua

Camacho Corojo

WRAPPER:
Authentic Corojo (Jamastran)
BIN DER:
Authentic Corojo (Jamastran)
FILLER:
Authentic Corojo (Jamastran

Gurkha Estate Selection

This cigar smells very strong when you first open it, however is suprisingly more mild than I would have thought. The end has all the filler sticking out and not cut off evenly. This makes it a lot easier to light, plus lets you taste the filler without having the wrapper involved for the first few puffs. Not a bad cigar and the outer wrapper does have a nice twang to it.

Wrapper: Dominican Binder: Dominican Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican

You can go to http://www.gurkhacigars.com/about.htm to read more about how

the wrapper is infused with cognac, but fun smoke. Now I have to try their beauty and then the beast. When I was in England, I had the chance to see some real life Gurkha's. The story is they can never draw their famous knives without drawing blood, even if they have to cut themself.

Bolivar Dominicana

John smoked this last night. He will give his review, but the amazing part is he felt this one got better and more flavorful as he smoked it. Or it was the Bourbon talking.

Absinthe and Cigars

Well, I read an article that Absinthe is coming back to America. After having been banned for a number of years, some distributors found a way to bring legal Absinthe here. I am scheduling an ABC party for Absinthe and Bourbon Cigars as soon as I get my bottle in from New York.

We also are scheduling a field trip to Kentucky Gentleman Cigars and will have a write up as

soon as we do. The Absinthe Web site is at http://www.drinklucid.com/. Enjoy.

Now I have to get some glasses and spoons from Ebay. Jeez, hobbies will kill you.

Your cigars Here

Well, my friends wanted a spot to post notes on various cigars. This is a good place to leave your comments, and then I will make a regular post out of them.

Our First Fake Cubans

Well, John(my future son-in-law) and I went down to the flee market to pick up a boat load of Kentucky Black Gold cigars. We both enjoy them, especially the price. Well, the vendor said his source has dried up and could not find any more. We decided to visit the other cigar store in the market. The "Roll-n-Smoke". This is run by Mike Winfield. He showed us some "genuine" cuban cigars. We picked up a Punch Habana and a Hoyo de Monterey. They were OK cigars, but since we have not smoked any real Cubans yet, how do you tell. We are still planning the Canadian Road Trip one of these days.(Not that we would bring cuban cigars back illegally of course, but would enjoy them across the border, because we are loyal law abiding citizens).

I went online and looked up the labels. Here are real Punch and Hoyo labels:

Here are the labels from our fakes:

You can tell the difference looking at the crowns in the labels. Cigar Afficionado has a great site that shows fake and real labels.

www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Counterfeits/Counterfeit_Gallery/0,3390,,00.html

Enjoying a smoke

Here is a pic of me and my son-in-law and future son-in-law enjoying a good smoke and shots of B&B.

Te Amo

Was able to pick up a Te Amo cigar at the Kentucky Derby from Cox's smokers outlet. They had about 8 different areas to buy cigars and brought in a fairly nice selection for all the out of town Derby goers. I did not want to smoke it there so saved it for later. I had read a good review of this Mexican cigar. I enjoyed the cigar. I paid $6.00 for it, but still a lot better than what they were charging for other cigars. I started out with mild cigars, but found I enjoy cigars with a lot more flavor. This one had an enjoyable tasting wrapper and good smoke. I have no problem putting this one on my favorites list.

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.