Another Nomad, a Joya de Nicaragua, Emilio Cigars and a La Aurora

Another week has gone by and another bunch of cigars smoked.  After hanging out with Fred Rewey last week, I decided I had better smoke that Nomad S-307 Torpedo that I had removed from cello because I was going to smoke it, and put it away in favor of the Esteli Lot 8613 I was handed. I really hate trying to put cigars in cello tubes, I don’t know how the workers in the factories do it, but I suppose if you do it eight hours a day, you get pretty good at it. The 6 ½ x 52 torpedo has a nice box press, a rich Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Ecuador Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers.  It’s rolled in the AJ Fernandez factory, but Fred had his hands in all aspects of the blending. I guess I’ve been picking these up here and there, because I find I have a good handful in the humidor, and I can’t get upset about that (I did find that Lot 1386 this week). The cigar is a great smoke, it’s earthy and spicy and has a hint of sweetness. It’s a cigar I enjoy quite a bit, as I said, I’m not unhappy about having a few of these in the humidor.

I went with a trusted friend on Thursday, the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 in the Gran Consul size. The Gran Consul is 4 ¾” x 60 cigar with a tapered head, making it feel like it’s not a 60 ring.  I gave it a V-cut this time, and had a good burn and draw, and ample amounts of smoke. This is a tasty Nicaraguan Puro, and is full bodied and spicy. I prefer the Dark Corojo over this line but only by a slim margin. JdN is one of the few major cigar companies that I have a hard time thinking of a cigar they make that I  don’t like. I have a slight bias in that I’ve been to the factory a couple times, but the cigars they make hit my palate just right almost  all the time.  I think the size of this particular cigar makes it fun and interesting to smoke, I guy I’m weird that way!

Friday there was some news that confirmed what many of us may have been wondering. It appears that Gary Griffith has retired from Delaware Cigars, Emilio and House of Emilio.  Gary blended the Emilio brand, and built the boutique distribution company known as the House of Emilio.  In his honor I smoked an Emilio AF 1 Toro that’s been hanging around the humidor for a couple years. I really like what Gary did with AJ Fernandez and the San Andres wrapper on this cigar, making it a sweet flavor bomb. I had my hand on the corona size, but decided to go with the Toro instead. The Toro is a little mellower than the corona, but I enjoy taking the additional time to smoke a toro. As much as I enjoy smaller cigars, I like my daily vacation to be a little longer sometimes! I know the House of Emilio will continue on supporting the six brands in it’s stable, and I hope the Emilio line lives on, both as an homage to the family that owns Delaware Cigars, and Gary who created it.  I hope Gary comes out of hiding every once in a while, he’s an interesting guy with a great knowledge of tobacco and just a bunch of fun to be around.  Enjoy your golden years with Dora!

Yesterday was a fun filled and action packed Saturday. We went to our eldest granddaughter’s 4th birthday party, then came home and did some yard work then drove my son back to his place in Philly. I was ready to sit down and relax with a fine cigar after that! But, as usual, I spent the first half of my cigar taking my evening walk, and it was a beautiful evening to do it. The cigar I selected was a La Aurora 100 Años Preferido No.1 which was a gift from Barry Stein back when he first sold his old website and took the job with Miami Cigar and Co. You may recall four years ago when my granddaughter was born, I happened to spend the afternoon with Guillermo Leon of La Aurora, and started my own tradition of smoking a Puro Vintage 2003 whenever a granddaughter is born (I can only have two more granddaughters kids!). Of course, the significance of all this La Aurora talk is that my daughter’s name is Aurora, so I’ve always been partial to the brand, even if there are quite a few cigars in their range that aren’t to my taste. The Cien Años is a cigar that I really enjoyed. The pefecto shape is really cool and fun to smoke, and it burned perfectly down to a finger burning nub. I really enjoyed this smoke on several levels, the cigar was great, and I made me think of my family and friends. Can’t ask for much more than that.

The latest issue of Prime Living Magazine should have hit the shelves in Texas, wherever fine magazines are sold,  and in the Gentleman’s Room section you’ll find an article on the Macanudo Estate Reserve. You can read the magazine online if you are outside of their distribution area, or get to the article on their website. Also, if I had one complaint about the House of Emilio, it would be their website theme. I can’t tell you how off-putting that silly background is, the whole concept seems like it was stolen from another site…:-)  On another note, the folks at The Cigar Cork sent me a sample of their cigar tube. I kind of tried to talk them out of it, but they were persistent. Now I need to figure out how to actually test and review it. I suppose I can put a cigar in it and leave it roll around the floor of the car for a few weeks and see what happens. If I carry this thing in my front pants pocket I’ll either get looks of disgust or admiration, neither of which I’m comfortable with…it’s a nice tube, certainly large enough for a 60 ring cigar, so stay tuned for more on that. Their retail presentation with the holders and actually selling cigars in them is pretty spiffy.  Anyway, today is another beautiful spring day, and I’m not going to spend it sitting at my desk!  Enjoy your week.

Until the next time,

CigarCraig