The new Outlaw Cigar store in Olathe, Kansas

Was visiting my parents and had wanted to check out the new Outlaw Cigar store in Olathe. Wow!!! This is even better than their north KC store. Several smoking rooms available to lounge in, great humidor, and excellent selection of cigars. It is worth the trip. They still have monthly events going on which are great fun. No calendar for 2010, they promised that a new one is coming.

Santa Rosa Sancho Panza

This one was in the dark back corners of Kremer's Smoke Shop in Louisville. See reviews of this store below. By the way they have a facebook page and twitter account which I highly recommend you subscribe to. They are also starting to have many more cigar events and have started a cigar club.

Anyway, this was a cigar as touted for its very mild flavor when you just want a nice cigar without worrying about whether you could detect the subtle leathery/spice flavors etc. Even though I have stored this cigar in the humidor for at least 6 months, I still had a problem with the wrapper falling apart. This did not effect the flavor however.

Here is some comments from aspiringgentleman.com web site:

Santa Rosa Cigars (owned by Altadis) is one of those brands often relegated to the far corner of your tobacconist’s shelf. Made from Ecuadorian Connecticut Wrapper, Honduran binder, Honduran/Nicaraguan filler, and coming in a wide range of sizes, Santa Rosa cigars are made in the Flor de Copan factory in Honduras. Touted as a creamy, mild/medium cigar with a hint of spice, we sought to see whether Santa Rosa, as a budget brand, is worthy of your hard-earned dollar.
I picked up a few of the sancho panza size (4.75″ x 54) early in 2009, and after a year of relaxing, it was time for them to go up in smoke. These cigars are cleanly rolled, with no obvious imperfections or defects. The pre-light aroma is surprisingly spicy, suggesting its use as a pairing for equally spicy foods. The wrapper has a nice, tangy feel on the lips which continues through the length of the cigar, and the burn was even and consistent. While the cigar is definitely of mild to medium body, the flavours evolved nicely, starting quite spicy and ending closer to the nutty/woody spectrum. Throughout, the mouth feel is creamy with a slight dryness to the plentiful smoke. At the start of the last third, a strong bitterness started to emerge, lasting 5 minutes or so before fading as the cigar finished.

Overall, this is a cigar worth picking up at your local tobacconist, especially for its price point (under $5). Don’t hesitate to pair it with a spicy food for the first third — as you’re finishing your dish, the spiciness will fade out as the hazelnut and wood flavours settle in for the dessert course.

J. Fuego Origen 89.255

Nice cigar with a little spice, however not too harsh. Fairly decent smoke.

Wrapper: Brazilian Corojo
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Corona (5.7×48)
Strength: Medium-Full

Rob at puffingcigars.com has a great online video and review of this cigar worth checking out:

http://puffingcigars.com/cigar-reviews/j-fuego-origen/2271/

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial 92.595

Was not sure if this was going to be a good cigar or not since I had not read anything about it. It ended up being a very enjoyable smoke without a lot of harshness. Several people commented on the nice aroma of the smoke from this.

Bonitasmokeshop.com had this information:
A delicious medium to full bodied cigar which is a magnificent blend of Nicaraguan binder and filler with a mouth watering Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. This new Reserva Especial cigar line is blended by Jaime Garcia son of legendary master blender Don Pepin Garcia.
The 6 size line of Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial cigars is made with a blending of 2 different kinds of Nicaraguan tobacco. One tobacco is grown by Garcia and his father Pepin. The other is tobacco from the well known Oliva Tobacco Company of Tampa, Florida. The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is the perfect compliment to this outstanding new brand.

And stogieguys.com had a good review also:
This cigar, blended by Jaime Garcia, stands out from the myriad sticks produced by My Father Cigars. For starters, it sports a dark, oily maduro Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, used only occasionally by Jaime and his father, Pepin Garcia.

And when you smoke it, you’ll find a flavor profile that differs significantly from what you expect from the house of Pepin.

The 54 ring gauge Toro does kick off with spicy notes. Mixed with the thick, woody flavor of the wrapper, though, it is a deep and sharp taste. From the start, the smoke is thick and profuse. The spice drops off after about half an inch and an earthy, damp hay taste takes over.

The taste changes aren’t finished yet. About halfway down the six inch stick, you’ll begin to notice more and more of that typical maduro sweetness. The spice reemerges, too, and creates an interesting combination.

It’s a little difficult to find a lot of definitive information on these sticks. Having been introduced to the market late last year, but hitting most retailers’ shelves only recently, the My Father Cigars’ website doesn’t appear to even list them. The company’s site appears to be undergoing extensive work, though, and doesn’t have much information about anything.

I think it’s clear, though, that the filler is Nicaraguan. One site described it as a blend of tobacco grown by the Garcias and by the Oliva Tobacco Co. Despite some sites listing the binder as Nicaraguan, a press release about the cigar’s launch event at the Cigar Inn in New York confirms that it is Ecuadorian.

On the other hand, there’s no dispute about quality. It’s first rate, from appearance and construction to flavor and price. I paid $6 for the Toro, a small investment for a top-flight experience. I give this cigar four and a half stogies out of five.

Estaban Carreras Habano 88.915

This cigar looked good, has a dark maduro wrapper. It ended up smoking a little more harsh than I expected and did not enjoy this cigar nearly as much as I thought I would. It was rolled very nice and has a nice heft to it which I enjoy. Just not to my taste preferences.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5 1/2 x 54
Tomscigars.com had this to say about it however:

Pre-smoke & Construction:
Giving the cigar the ol once over, I found it to be visually pleasing. Overall it looked rugged, with a few large veins and a few bumps here and there. Towards the head, there were a few soft spots, but nothing that I was concerned about. Sniffing the foot and wrapper revealed a slight pepper and a touch of sweetness. The pre-light draw lacked any spice, and tasted like rich tobacco and soil. The burn required a few minor touch-ups, and the ash held for an inch or so. Overall, no complaints in the construction department.
Flavor:
Right off the bat, the first third started in the full body range. Despite this, it was very smooth, delivering pillowy clouds of white smoke. The flavor seemed pretty straight forward with some kind of wood, pepper, and the occasional sweet earthy note. As the cigar progressed towards the end of this third, it became very creamy.
The second third continued with those full bodied flavors. The pepper transformed itself in to more of a sweet spice. The smoke remained smooth and thick. This gave it a rich, creamy sensation. I couldn’t detect earthy notes in this third. Everything was just rich and smooth. Very enjoyable.
The last third ventured higher into the full bodied range. This made it harder for me to pick apart flavors. I chock it up to a lacking palate, and a characteristic of the cigar. The smoke had a cooling effect when exhaling. Again, there was a sweet spice present and a touch of wood. It wasn’t quite mocha, and wasn’t quite caramel. The smoke remained thick and creamy.
Conclusion:
Some advice… Smoke this after a meal. I smoked this before dinner and had no problems, but hey, I smoke a lot. I had a decent sized nicotine buzz but nothing sickening. I could see this being a problem for those with less of a tolerance. I would have nubbed this cigar even further, but the buzz told me “It’s time to stop!” If you are like me and enjoy a good full bodied cigar, I’d say definitely give this a try.

Cigar Guy and Me

This is a switch. Here is me with the Cigar Guy.

601 Reserva Limitada Green label 90.09

I knew this would be a good smoke as soon as I removed it from the cellophane and could smell the right oscuro odors. It was pretty flavorfull at the start and went downhill a little right at the end, but was still enjoyable. Mine was a Corona 5x42. These are Nicaraguan for Don Pepin. I tend to like his cigar blends. I do know he makes some red and black labels also. I will have to try those soon.

The boys at http://www.cubaoriginals.com/ had this to say:

The 601 Green Label Reserva Limitada is made by Pepin Garcia for Eddie Ortega at United Brands and was released at the 2007 RTDA with very little fanfare. Planned to be the strongest of the 601 Series, it delivers. This extension consists of five vitolas and they come in 20 count boxes, except for the Corona, which is packed in 40 ct. boxes. For this review we smoked the robusto sized La Fuerza. The blend is all Nicaraguan.
Eddie and the boys at United are a breath of fresh air in the cigar industry. Always smiling, always enjoying what they do, their true passion for the business comes through.
This 601 had a beautiful, dark, dark chocolate colored wrapper with a slight reddish hue. The wrapper was free from prominent veins and defects. The cigar is supple to the touch, cut cleanly and had a good draw. The pre-light aroma is awesome.
After lighting, the aroma decreased and the cigar burned evenly. The first quarter of the cigar had intense earthy flavors and lots of spice. At the one third point, the spice faded and the power of this cigar became apparent. Using a 1- 10 scale, this had a strength of 7. The last half of the cigar was less intense as the flavors and the power blended together.
Make no mistake, the 601 is a cigar smoker’s cigar. The intensity of the first half is on the edge of being too strong. But like the new Graycliff Double Espresso and the Padron Serie 1926, the 601 never crossed the line to become harsh. To the credit of the blenders, it is a really strong cigar that is still smooth.
The spice, earthy flavors and power of this cigar create an interesting experience for the knowledgeable cigar smoker. The complexity and evolution of the flavors as the smoke progresses, with the added dimension of the power, makes the 601 and entertaining and enjoyable smoke.
The 601 is like a great roller coaster. The first half is intense and edgy. The second half is less intense, but still shakes you up. At the end, you want to do it again.

Cuesta Rey Natural Caravelle - Priceless

Received this cigar from my son-in-law after my daughter had her baby, Layla Jane. This cigar was not the best cigar I have smoked lately, but somehow was one of the sweetest. We have a box of 25 to hand out and smoke, and I am sure each one will be relished.

Cuesta Rey Caravelle Natural cigars have been a long-time favorite of Dominican cigar lovers. Produced by the Fuente & Newman cigar families and are rolled mostly in aromatic Connecticut Natural.

Winston Churchill's cigar airbrushed from picture

www.telgraph.co.uk

The original image (left) was taken in 1948 during the opening of a new military headquarters, and (right) the airbrushed image Photo: CORBIS/Stephanie Schaerer

In the well-known original image, Churchill makes a "V" shaped symbol with his fingers – while gripping a cigar in the corner of his mouth.

But in a reproduction of the picture, hanging over the main entrance to a London museum celebrating the wartime leader, he has been made into a non-smoker through the use of image-altering techniques.

Nicholas Soames in battle with BNP for using Churchill to promote partyIt is unclear who is responsible for doctoring the photograph, with the museum – The Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience – claiming not to have noticed the cigar was missing.

John Welsh, manager of the museum, admitted he was shocked to learn of the alteration, but declined to reveal who was responsible for the display and for enlarging the image.

He said: "We've got all sorts of images in the museum, some with cigars and some without. We've even got wartime adverts for cigarettes in the lift down to the air-raid shelter, so we wouldn't have asked for there to be no cigar."

Don Robinson, who owned the museum before passing it to a charitable trust 20 years ago, added: "If we'd known we would have said: 'No, it stays as it is.' Everything we do we try to do accurately and the cigar symbolises Churchill."

The alteration of the original image, taken in 1948 during the opening of a new military headquarters, was noticed by David McAdam, a visitor to the museum.

He told the Daily Mail: "I pointed out this crude alteration to a museum steward who said she hadn't noticed the change before, nor had anyone else pointed it out.

"So much for the notion that only communist tyrants airbrushed history."

Alan Packwood, of the Churchill Archives Centre, said he was not aware of any previous case where Churchill's cigar had been digitally removed from a picture.

Super Taster

Was just discussing ability to discern flavors in cigars and Bourbon with my son-in-law John the other day as we smoke 2 of the Davidoff cigars he got me for Christmas. Why can he taste the fine subtleness of pepper in a bourbon, while I do not. The question I have is can you develop or train your taste buds to detect flavors. I came across this article that may say it is genetic based on how many taste buds you have. There is a test at the end I will have to try.

Being a supertaster is no piece of cake
By Diane Mapes
Being a "supertaster" may sound like a foodie’s dream come true, but in reality, it’s no picnic.
Coffee and alcohol are unpalatable – along with tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, strawberries, condiments and most sweets.
"I can’t stand cake," says Michelle Triplett, a 31-year-old stay-at-home mom and supertaster from Olympia, Wash., who spoke, coincidentally, on her birthday. "It’s too sweet for me. And when I drink beer, I gag. It’s like drinking urine."
Supertasters detect components – like salt or bitterness -- in food that others can’t, says Dr. Alan Hirsch, founder and neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.
"[Supertasters] have densities of taste buds that are 10 to 100 times greater than the normal population," he says. "As a result, supertasters are much more sensitive to spicy foods and they can taste … very mild flavors."
Triplett, whose favorite meals are turkey sandwiches and macaroni and cheese, says the blander the better, since most everything else is, as They Might Be Giants put it in their song "John Lee Supertaster," simply "too much."
The condition is genetic, tends to affect women more than men and affects 25 percent of the U.S. population; non-tasters (people with a reduced ability to taste) make up another 25 percent with the rest of the population described as medium or normal tasters.
While there are some benefits -- supertasters tend to avoid sugars, salts and fats, so they suffer less from obesity and cardiovascular disease – there’s a potential downside. Supertasters often avoid green vegetables because of their bitter taste, so they miss out on cancer-fighting flavanoids and other nutrients.
"Many vegetables have bitterness in them -- like green pepper – so a supertaster may avoid [them]," says Hirsch. Other problem veggies include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, olives and spinach.
"When I get Brussels sprouts on my tongue, I immediately want to pull that whole patch of tongue off," says Triplett. Tomato-based foods, apples and blueberries are also too potent for her.
Supertasters are also more prone to burning mouth syndrome, a condition in which a person’s tongue or mouth feels like it’s on fire.
"It’s horribly disabling," says Hirsch. "You can’t eat food, you can only drink water and it can be quite painful.
If you think you’re a supertaster, a five-minute survey developed by Cornell University can help. There’s also a home test involving blue food coloring. Or a simple taste test – available for a small fee -- that uses a filter paper impregnated with a chemical known 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). Non-tasters won’t taste anything on the paper; medium tasters will taste a small amount of bitterness. Supertasters, however, will find the chemical "stomach-wrenchingly bitter." If the thought of veggies makes you cringe, you may be. Around one in every four people are born with thousands of extra taste buds, which enable them to more acutely detect sweetness, sourness, and bitterness in foods. Think you fit in this category? Try this test (it's a little odd, yes, but experts stand by it):

What you'll need: A hole punch, a one-inch-square piece of waxed paper, blue food coloring, and a cotton swab.
What to do: Punch a hole in the waxed paper; set it aside. Dab a little blue food coloring on your tongue. It should turn blue, with the exception of tiny pink circles. (These are "fungiform papillae," and each contains six to 15 taste buds.) Place the waxed paper over the blue area of your tongue and count the pink circles in the hole that you punched out. More than 25 circles? You're a supertaster.

FDA Wants to Regulate Cigars

Gary Manelski at about.com had this article on his site:(If you have not subscribed to his regular emails, I would highly recommend you do this).
Monday May 3, 2010
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will soon issue a notice that it is proposing a rule that would make cigars subject to the Tobacco Control Act, and include provisions to address public health concerns raised by cigars. If the proposed rule becomes law, expect more regulations, restrictions, etc. to affect cigars, in addition to higher prices/taxes on cigars to pay for the additional government oversight. Here's the legalize, published in the semiannual regulatory agenda of the Department of Health and Human Services, to which the FDA reports:
Source: gpo.gov
147. CIGARS SUBJECT TO THE FAMILY SMOKING PREVENTION AND TOBACCO CONTROL ACT
Legal Authority: 21 USC 301 et seq, The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; PL 111-31, The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
Abstract: The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (the Tobacco Control Act) provides FDA authority to regulate cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco. Section 901 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Tobacco Control Act, permits FDA to issue regulations deeming other tobacco products to be subject to the Tobacco Control Act. This proposed rule would deem cigars to be subject to the Tobacco Control Act and include provisions to address public health concerns raised by cigars.

La Aurora 107 86.75

Here is pic from Kentucky Oaks showing my twin 107's and the famous twin spires at Churchill Downs. I have smoked 3 of these now. Two torpedo's and one robusto.

These were an OK smoke but nothing exceptional.

Here is the review from the stogie guys at www.stogieguys.com website.

I maintain that La Aurora is an underrated cigar maker. Headed by Guillermo León and José Blanco, La Aurora doesn’t chase trends, but seems to produce solid, tasty smokes year after year, with Preferidos and Cien Años as classic examples.
Speaking of years, this year La Aurora—the oldest Dominican cigar company—celebrates its 107th anniversary. Like so many cigar companies, its celebrating with a new cigar. “We had defined our goal early on,” said León, La Aurora VP, “and that was to bring the smokers a medium-bodied, richly flavored smoke with a fair amount of spice at a very attractive price.”
Leon and Blanco created the La Aurora 107 blend with an Ecuadorian wrapper, a Dominican binder, and a combination of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The Robusto (4.5 x 50) retails for $6.50. Other sizes of the cigar, due out only in brick and mortar cigar shops, are a Toro (5.5 x 54) and a Belicoso (6.25 x 52).
The Ecuadorian wrapper is oily and rough with plenty of veins. The cigar is slightly spongy to the touch but even throughout. Upon clipping the head, an easy draw is apparent which is maintained throughout the short robusto.
Upon lighting, I find a hint of bitterness in the first few puffs, which soon gives way to toasty flavors with a hint of spice. There’s also a nice bit of sweetness that I commonly associate with maduro smokes.
The 107 is medium-bodied and balanced. As it evolves, a burnt chary flavor emerges, along with more woody spices, and even a hint of Bordeaux-like wine notes. Construction is flawless with a solid ash and even burn producing thick, lush smoke.
I’m always a big believer in the idea that smoking slowly brings out the best in a cigar, and that is especially true in the La Aurora 107. When smoked too quickly, the 107 develops a slight bitterness. However, with enough patience (by limiting the 107 to no more than two draws per minute) it can be a smooth, subtle smoke.
So while you may have to work at it, the La Aurora 107 has a lot to offer. Given some aging time I think it might turn out even better. Even so, right now the La Aurora 107 Robusto earns a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

Kremer's Smoke Shoppe

Stopped by Kremer's Smoke Shoppe the other day to check it out. It has been in Louisville forever. I just have not made it downtown to do so. However, this is a great shop with a huge selection. They have been around so long they have some brands you can only get at this store in Louisville. I picked up about 20 cigars that I have not tried yet, so watch for those ratings coming soon. :-) Also, here is what I consider the best part. In the back corner on one of the racks are cigars that have been around so long you have to wipe the dust off of the celephane. So if you have the desire to find some smokes that are not even made anymore, this is the place.

I will be smoking some of those soon. They are located at 401 E. Jefferson(East not West, I drove around for a half hour around 4th street till I realized I was on wrong end of the compass).

Here are some pictures of their walk-in humidor and some of the fine humidors they have for sale also. When you pick up a cigar to purchase, grab one of the price tags they have in every box to take to the register with you, if not you will be walking back in to pull tickets and trying to find out where you got the cigar from. OK they should have told me that first, jeez.

They told me they are getting a facebook account and web page soon.

FREE La Aurora Cigars

Miami Cigar & Company, the exclusive distributor for La Aurora brands in the United States, has just announced the release of the La Aurora Serie 107 Anniversario to mark the company's 107th year of operation in the Dominican Republic. As part of a yearlong campaign to Rediscover La Aurora, 107 retailers across the U.S. will be giving away Serie 107 Robustos on April 30th, with the purchase of at least one cigar of your choice (can be any brand). The list of participating retailers will be available at rediscoverlaaurora.com.
Miami Cigar president Nestor Miranda says, "We have represented La Aurora for over 20 years and feel this is one of the best cigars they have made so far. We believe so much in the 107 that we are giving cigar smokers the chance to try it for free. All anyone has to do is buy a cigar, any cigar, at one of the participating retailers on April 30 and we'll give you a free 107." La Aurora vice president Guillermo Leon adds, "We realize that while our family has been making fine handcrafted cigars for more than a century, some cigar smokers still have not tried our products and others remember when we only made cigars in the mild range. La Aurora has been developing medium to full bodied cigars with full flavor and we want to let people know how we have changed. The Rediscover La Aurora is part of our outreach to those smokers."
The 107, which uses a Sun Grown Ecuador wrapper over 6 year old fillers and binder from Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, will come in boxes of 21 with a suggested retail price between $6 to $8, plus any local taxes. There will be 3 sizes: Robusto (4.5x50); Toro (5.5x54); and a Belicoso (6.25 x 52)

I will be heading to Kremers Smoke Shop in Louisville on Kentucky Oaks day to get mine :-)

A. FUENTE Gran Reserva 80.75

Smoke this for the first time in 2007 and did not have a rating scheme developed at the time.

Even though this cigar had an OK flavor and has been in my humidor for at least a year, it still had a very hard draw and made it hard to enjoy. The cigar was rolled too tight. When you look at the foot after cutting it looks like corkboard it was so tight. Now I know why they try and sell those drawpokers on the net. It is sad, because Fuente has such a good reputation, however I was not impressed with this cigar.

These were both Chateau Medium Bodied Sungrown Wrapper, not the Maduro.

Usually I would put the bottom band also, but was on the ceder wrapping and I forgot to include this. Thanks for the comment.

UPPER CUT OMETEPE - 88.50

I enjoyed this cigar. I could not find any discernable flavors, but it still had a very mild taste and smoked well.

Punch is a venerable brand and is one of a portfolio of well known brands owned by the Cigar General Co., one of the bigger companies in the industry. Their brands include Macanudo, La Gloria Cubano, Partagas and a host of others. The Punch Upper Cut puts the image of Ometepe and its twin volcanoes on its footband. Cigar Aficionado states that the Ometepe region in Nicaragua grows "intriguing" tobacco. General Cigar owns much of the growing fields in this region and the Upper Cut is filled with Ometepe region tobacco.

Here is a review from bullz-eye.com:

Look and feel

The cigar looked more expensive than its retail price point, the banding with the picutured volcano definitely dressed the cigar up, but its nice oily, deep brown wrapper was impressive even without these bands. I saw nothing to complain about in its construction, as it seemed packed nicely. The cigar was wrapped and filled in a quality manner.


Aroma and Taste

When I first lit up, I was struck by a nice, balanced dose of pepper and spice. The pepper subsided somewhat after five minutes of smoking and morphed into a traditional, rich tobacco flavor with some leather flavor as well. The flavor stayed generally the same, with some wood flavor coming and going throughout. I especially thought the draw and burn on the cigar also was good. The aroma was nothing too noteworthy, but it was certainly fine. I do believe that this is probably going to be one of my favorite Punch brand cigars going forward, as it has a medium to full profile. With that said, I must admit that I do not smoke a lot of Punch cigars. I think the brand is positioned very well with a consistent, good value smoke for your money. The cigars themselves are typically not too complex in flavor but the consistency is there and the smoker knows what they are getting. Many smokers value this in a cigar, probably more than I do.

VigilantE 88.08

I first rated this in Nov. 2008, I have been smoking these quite a bit since they have been aging in my humidor. As I expected, they have acquired a much better taste and now rate higher than my original 81.

Origin: Honduras
Size: 6.25 x 50
Wrapper: NicaraguanBinder: Ecuador
Filler: Nicaragua / Honduran Sun Grown
The VigilantE is blended by Rocky Patel and is aged 5 years.

Patel Brothers Nish Patel - 92.255

This is a very hard cigar to find and was a very good smoke. I smoked two of these at least a week apart to make sure I would enjoy them the same. The oily wrapper really had a great taste and these produced voluminous smoke. Easy draw and great flavor. This one is definitely

a keeper. Fireupthatcigar.com had this great review:

Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Made In: Honduras
Size: 5.5×44 – Corona
Price: About $7 per single

A Little Background: For the first time in his company’s history Rocky Patel has collaborated with his brother Nish Patel to create a cigar they are calling, full bodied and a powerhouse. The new cigar has tobacco from the fields of Lancaster County in Pennsylvania; the same region that brought us the Rocky Patel Winter Blend 2008.

Appearance & Construction: The Patel Brother cigar has a nice dark brown colored wrapper with minimal veins running throughout. The wrapper feels a little dry to the touch but it has no soft spots and appears to be constructed well. Not related to aesthetics and something I rarely comment about, but on the prelight draw I get a wet paint flavor; let’s hope the cigar doesn’t taste like that.

Smoking Characteristics: As with all Rocky Patel cigars, the Patel Bros. has a perfect draw that produces a lot of rich smoke. The burn was well within acceptable terms however the ash flowered pretty badly. This cigar is no doubt a full bodied cigar and so is the strength. This little corona beat me up pretty good and that was even after a hearty lunch.

Flavor: The Patel Bros. has a nice sweet earthy woody core with notes of coffee, cocoa, leather and a salty meaty flavor that I can’t quite put my finger on. The flavors are very rich and pronounced in this cigar however the flavors remained generally the same throughout the cigar.

Final Thoughts: Overall I really enjoyed this cigar. I happen to love that salty meaty flavor in cigars so that definitely scored some points in my book. The only negative thing on this cigar was the wet paint flavor on the prelight draw but thank goodness I didn’t get that in the actual cigar. This cigar is not for the beginners. The cigar has some serious kick to it that would turn a newbie green in no time.

Worth a Shot: Yes
Buy Again: Probably
Rating: Good

Outlaw Cigar events for 2010

OK, the new outlaw cigar store south is just down the street from my parents house, at 137th and Metcalf . How can I not make the trip. Here is their events for the year.

CA Top 25 cigar list out

Here is the link: http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Top_25/Top_25_Archives/0,4752,,00.html