Size does matter

I sent truguru some Nub cigars to try out. He said he never tried them because " why pay for half a cigar" . I find that as the weather gets colder I need to find places to smoke. I like to smoke when I drive, so I have found that the size of my cigar, ring x length, is an important aspect to decide what and where to smoke.

My drive is twenty two minutes if I drive straight to work, but I stop for my Starbucks, then I park down by the river to read a newspaper, then off to work. My job is second shift by the way, I don't like to smoke until I have eaten lunch.

So remember that if you are buying some cigars,  maybe grab several sizes and brands and you can pick the  one that matches the situation when and where you can light up.

NUB cigars

OK Have been hesitant to try the nubs but got this little gift from my brother so will be blogging about them shortly

The cigar that won the Civil War?

This is an interesting story on nbcnews about a cigar found in a battlefield detailing General Lee's orders that then led to one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War.
http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/15/13885025-invasion-orders-found-wrapped-around-cigars-in-field-led-to-bloodiest-day-in-us-history?lite

Quesada Oktoberfest 92.6725

Jason at J Shepherd Cigars , www.jshepherdcigars.com had a great cigar tasting last night, see information below.  If you want to keep up with information go to his facebook page and 'like' it.
This new cigar was milder than I expected to go with Octoberfest beers , however, it seems that these beers are not so much 'hoppy' as they are a little sweeter.  We did have 3 different beers to sample from to test this cigar.  Everyone that attended rated the cigar as very good and many boxes were sold, including the one I bought, not that the free lighter, cutter, hat, and 3 free cigars to go with it was an encouragement. :-)  
Anyway this cigar did indeed get better as you smoked it and was a well made cigar.  Will have to see how it goes with bourbons and ale-8-one also.

We would like to invite you to a very special evening with 5th generation cigar maker Terence Reilly of the legendery Quesada cigar family. Join us Thursday August 30th, 5pm to 8pm as we host The entire family of SAG Imports cigars; Fonseca, Cubano Limitado, Cubano Viso Fuerte, Quesada Tributo, Casa Magna, Domus Magnus, and featuring the world renowned Oktoberfest.
Although this cigar is great on its own, it was specifically blended to be paired with the flavorful Marzen-Style beer produced for Oktoberfest. As luck would have it, we will also be offering a complimentary tasting of three different types of Oktoberfest style beers.

Best wishes and keep living the good life,

Jason

ACIGARSMOKER.COM had a great review of this cigar also: Appearance and Construction: The Quesada Oktoberfest features a dark looking wrapper that Matasa calls, “Cibao”. To the naked eye, the cigar looks like a dark oily maduro. There is one medium-sized vein that stands out, but otherwise this is a gorgeous leaf. There is some tooth present, and in the hand the stick has a nice weight and is very firm to the touch. The band features the Quesada Q and the colors of Germany. Overall, one very attractive smoke.

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar of the Quesada Oktoberst fest is smoky to the nose, with some subtle spices. The cold draw serves up some notes of earth, and smoked wood. For the purpose of the review I paired a sample with Samuel Adams Oktoberfest. I will add that I smoked a couple without the beer, and while good the OKT beer really brings the nuances of the cigar out. Once the cigar is lit a subtle bitterness that fades with the first sip of beer. What remains is a nice dark chocolate note and some wood that boarders on oak. As we enter the second third of the cigar there are some leather notes that join a mix of dark chocolate, and nuts. Each sip of beer really bring the notes out. The last third of the cigar becomes the smoothest and richest part of the smoke. The dark notes of chocolate become slightly sweeter and the notes of nuts extend into the nice finish of the cigar.

Smoking Characteristics: This slow burning cigar burns like a dream, with a nice medium to dark color ash that holds fairly well. The draw was perfects with a nice toasty aroma to the nose. The cigar burns

Conclusion: I figured the name Oktoberfest was just a marketing ploy, but this cigar is no gimmick. As stated in the review one can enjoy it without the beer, but to truly experience the cigar it should be paired with a hearty beer, preferably, an Oktoberfest style one.

Foundry new STEAMPUNK Cigars

OK you have to check out this youtube video from ICPR on the new Foundry cigars made for the steampunk genre.  It comes with a gear on the label that you save and next year they are going to have
a suprise use for them.  Love the idea and steampunk is cool anyway.  Check out the link here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wust14eErJk&feature=youtu.be

Will be buying and rating when they are released in late October.

Savenelli ELR Maduro 93.925

Picked up this Maduro cigar at J.Pauls Smoke Shoppe in Oxmoor in Louisville a couple of weeks ago.  Was hugely surprised at its great flavor of this robusto.  It kept its flavor all the way thru and was more mild than I expected.  It had the Conneticut wrapper and Dominican binder and filler.  Will have to stock up on more of these for aging in the humidor.
Some info from web is below:

In 1994, Savenelli released a cigar that was made by the master blenders at Tabacalera Arturo Fuente, entitled the Savinelli ELR (Extremely Limited Reserve). Available in both Natural and Maduro, the Savinelli ELR was received well by the cigar community, getting a 91 in Cigar Aficionado and a 9.6 Superior Rating in Smoke Magazine. Using Cuban-seed tobacco grown in the Dominican Republic, the Savinelli ELR is the culmination of four years of testing to make sure the cigar was exactly what Savinelli and Fuente wanted. In fact, in Cigar Aficionado, the Savinelli ELR received the same rating as the Opus X Fuente Fuente of the same size, at half the price. Both these cigars are made in the same factory, too! Using either a delicious Connecticut Shade Grown Wrapper on the Natural cigar, or the Connecticut Sun Grown Wrapper on the Maduro cigar, the Savinelli ELR is a steal at its price!

Bad To the Bone - Cigar Outlaw 88.09

This is the 3rd brand custom cigar from outlaw cigar in Olathe, KS.
Not 'bad to the bone' but more like 'mild to the end'.  For a mild cigar, this is not a bad smoke actually.  Nothing to write home about, but was not dissapointed.   The ash ended up holding out well after what I would have expected, so was a pleasant suprise.
From their website at http://www.outlawcigar.com/:
Rolled right here in the Outlaw humidor, the Bad to the Bone cigars are made with the mild cigar smoker in mind. Great, creamy flavor, right to the finish. With the addition of the Corojo wrapper, the blend takes on a slightly spicy flavor.

Casa Fernandez Arsenio 93.50

Picked up this from the Casa Fernandez event at Outlaw Cigar.  I am a sucker for buy 2 get 1 free.  This turned out to be a pretty good cigar.  Lots of flavor and smoke.  I had comments from people that could smell the smoke on me later in the day that it smelled nice.  Here is a review from toastedfoot.com about the 2009 Aresnio:

Hand-made in Nicaragua by the team of Paul Palmet and Eduardo, and utilizing Aganorsa leaf, the Casa Fernandez is another offering by the team that has produced Illusione and Cruzado. The name of their company is Tabacalera Tropical and they have been producing premium smokes for almost three decades.  The Arsenio is named after master blender Arsenio Ramos, who works for Tabacalera Tropical.  The double banding of this smoke is an eye catcher off the bat. The medium brown wrapper is well packed with minimal veins and has a beautiful cap that has a distinguished finish. The cigar has good weight but I am a little concerned that the draw may be tight due to the tightness of the roll. The pre-light aroma is of typical Nicaraguan tobacco with a hint of fruit. The cold draw follows the above trend but I pick up some spice on the finish.

The cap pops off clean and this cigar seems to be constructed very well with a nice draw that produces tons of smoke. The cigar canoes a bit at the very beginning but corrects itself for the most part by the time I am ¾ of an inch in. The ash holds well and is varied in color.
The first puff on this smoke produces solid notes of woody tobacco, no spice, and a nice finish. Moving into the first third, the tobacco becomes a bit earthier, spice is present in the form of pepper, and the finish is heavy and long. The second third finds the flavor of the smoke picking up as the rich Nicaraguan tobacco opens up a bit more. The notes remain constant but at one point I pick a bit of mint for just a few draws in the second third. The last third transitions into an even fuller smoke with an excellent balance of tobacco notes and spice.
This is an excellent Nicaraguan puro for the money. The blend is complex, it transitions well, and besides the uneven burn at the very beginning, the construction seems to be solid. The cigar is full bodied and full flavored in my opinion. The strength snuck up on me into the last third but that is not a bad thing, as it shows movement in the smoke. If you get a chance I recommend picking a few of these up.

WTF Outlaw Cigar 90

Another cigar from Outlaw Cigar in Kansas City.  This one actually was not too bad at all. 
Good mild cigar that kept it's flavor till the end.
It was also very well rolled and the ash held up quite well.  This cigar was created by Casa Fernandez. Not sure if it is slightly overpriced at $7.50 for Toro, but worth trying at least once to see if it suites your taste.  If not, WTF.

Gunslinger Outlaw Cigar 86.3325

 

This if the first of the custom cigars made exclusively for Outlaw Cigar in Kansas City.  Unfortunately this smokes about the equivalent of a 'Itsaboy' cigar.  Very bland, maybe even a little on the harsh side.  Not on my will by again list.  You can see more information like the below at gunslingercigar.com.

Still under development the Gunslinger will be the flagship cigar of The Outlaw Cigar Co... Many trips to Nicaragua and Honduras working with several different manufactures such as Jesus Fuego, Plasencia, Joya de Nicaragua, Rocky Patel, Arsenio, and Pepin Garcia in order to produce the greatest cigar possible. What we call the greatest House Blend on the planet. Outlaw has engaged passionate cigar smoking enthusiasts from all over the country to become part of the journey of tasting, and providing feedback on each of the developmental blends created as we work our way to the greatest house blend on the planet. The reviewers will be tasting these blends and submitting reviews to help tweak the flavor and body as we go along. Reviews will be posted on this site for the cigar community to view. This should give you an idea of how the blend is changing throughout the selection process. Outlaw will be utilizing strong Nicaraguan tobaccos, a Mexican Maduro wrapper and a few undisclosed unique tobaccos, Outlaw is patiently and persistently developing a flavor profile like no other cigar. A rich, thick deep, heavy cigar with earthy, dirty flavors, like a good Dutch Chocolate.

BRICKHOUSE 92.425

I have smoked about 6 of these now.  And have given several to friends to try.  They have been very consistent each time.  These are Nicaraguan made by the Newman family. They have a website at http://www.brickhousecigars.com/ . 

Leaf&Ale website had this review( http://www.leafandale.com/ ).

The original Brickhouse cigars were Cuban puros, handmade with the finest Havana tobaccos. Third-generation cigar makers, Eric and Bobby Newman, have recreated this vintage cigar brand by blending specially aged Nicaraguan tobaccos with hearty Havana Subido wrapper leaves to match the rich, well-balanced flavor of their grandfather's Brick House cigars. Handmade in Nicaragua, these flavorful cigars are designed to be enjoyed and shared with friends - just like J.C.'s friends and family would have done 150 years ago in the original Brickhouse. Brickhouse cigars are made in the same factory as J.C. Newman's El Baton cigars.

IDEOLOGY 262 92.0075

Size: 6×50, Toro (box pressed)

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Rosado (Jalapa)

Binder: Nicaraguan (Jalapa)

Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero, Mexican Ligero (San Andreas), Dominican Republic Viso (Piloto Cubano)

Strength: Mild

I saw this in J. Paul's(Oxmore Smoke Shoppe),  one of the tobacco shops I frequent, and had not heard

of it yet.  Evidentally released in 2009.  This cigar is named 262 to honor JFK who passed the Cuban embargo in Feb. 1962.  The cigar is made by revelution cigars, website http://www.smoketherevolution.com/.  I hate rating a cigar when I have only smoked one, but was not sure about this one off the shelf and just wanted to try one.  It is a decent smoke.  Looking at the list of fillers above, it appears they like to reach out and join countries across Central America.

The Outlaw Cigar Company, Kansas City

Whenever I am in Kansas City I always stop by The Outlaw Cigar Company and check out their store and selection of cigars.  They are now selling their own branded cigars also, so will be smoking a selection of them and rating them on the blog shortly.  You have to love cigars named 'WTF' and 'Bad To The Bone'.  And also got hold of their annual calendar and had it autographed by the March Calendar model, Jennifer(Misnamed as Jessica in the calendar, WTF?).  The big gun out front was on display that weekend also.  I think it smokes pretty well, but I did not test it personally. :-)

Black Market 90.84

This cigar from Alec Bradly was a good cigar, but nothing stood out flavor wise.  The label reflects the trend I am seeing however, in large sizes that either have lots of information on them for advertising, or just to protect the cigar better.  I believe I ordered this one from cigar.com catalogue.  They have this to say on their web site:

The first thing you'll notice about Black Market is the plethora of smoke it releases. From first puff you'll be able to create billowing clouds of thick smoke that exude a pleasant, earthy aroma. This is due to the 4-country blend. Inside you'll find a filler consisting of Panama and Honduran long leaves all masked with a zesty Sumatra binder. Finished with a premium Nicaraguan-grown maduro wrapper, Black Market expells notes of spice and pepper as the cigar slowly builds in strength. With a dry finish, this is a great blend to enjoy with your favorite hearty libation.

Women and Cigars Magazine

Here is a great magazine for  Women and Cigars, also available online.  Check it out.
http://www.litmagazineonline.com/.

Perdomo Event

I went to Joe's Cigar in Rocky Hill today for a cigar event and to smoke some cigar's!
Do you need a reason to smoke cigar's?? I bought a box of 5.5 x 54 Limited Edition Cuban Boxed Pressed Maduro Epicure, Aged 5 years!!!  Once again I am into the boxed press shape that fits my big front teeth better.
The flavor was medium to full bodies with those special notes of something or other that the pro smokers can define. Me, i just smoke 'em.. Sorry Steve, I don't rate cigars with that fractal math that you use. I will say that they were yummy and had an excellent draw all the way down to the Nub!
Upon purchase I was given a free Cutter, as seen above, can never have to many accessories, or knives or guns, MRE's Bomb shelter prep, beer,, Oh sorry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyway the weather here in the East is warming right up and there might be a few more Cigars smoked this weekend.

Remember that it takes less muscle's to smile than to frown, and even less to smoke with.


Pete

Working the night shift

Usually the winter blues and or the five feet of snow keeps me from enjoying a good cigar, but my second shift instructors job has made a huge dent in my cigar time. Well the weather here on the East Coast has been on the very warm side, no signs of snow to relocate, and I do have most of the day before work. So I decided to bite the bullet and smoke a Rocky Patel "THE EDGE SQUARE", and went outside in the 44 degree weather and get off my butt and enjoy a smoke.

And it was nice, quiet, no birds or salient noises to disturb me. It is a short cigar, about a 35 min. smoke. I was thinking about upcoming events in my life, and house projects, and it was good...

The above picture shows my sparse humidor so I will have to remedy that through mail order, Holts cigar out of Philly is one of my favorites, and I have been using and visiting them for 20 years. Spring is almost here, and I have been neglecting my few rewards. Also it is Armageddon 2012 anyway, so live it up!!!!!

cigardolls.com

OK, must share this link.   http://www.cigardolls.com/