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This Weeks Cigar Recap: 601, El Credito, Gurkha, Liga Privada, HC, Etc.

Here we go, another weeks worth of CigarCraig’s micro-reviews. I awoke today to find that ALL of the comments were gone from the site. Every comment ever! Of course, I am in a panic. Friday evening the site was inaccessible for a period of time, and I imagine whatever caused that problem must have had something to do with it. At this point I’m waiting for my hosting provider to correct the problem, and, since it’s the weekend, and the level 2 support folks don’t work weekends, I’m in limbo as far as my comments go. From what I can tell you can not leave a comment at this time.  I’ll be working tirelessly with Network Solutions threatening them often to fix this problem, as well as a couple other issues I’ve found.

 

First up was a 601 Green, which came along with the La Bomba and a Murcialago courtesy of Eddie Ortega at EO Brands. This has long been one of my favorites, but I think it may have been an unwise choice for a Monday evening smoke after fighting off a migraine earlier in the day. It’s a powerful maduro cigar that is lush with heavy cocoa and coffee. Accompanied by an IBC root beer, it held my attention, but I couldn’t smoke this too far past the band. I do love these cigars under normal circumstances, but the migraines and the meds to get rid of them take more out of me than I had available to fully enjoy this one.

 

 

Wednesday’s walk to the convenience store started late, so I grabbed another El Credito La Parrita and took a little dog for a walk! As I start typing, I know this is another tangent, so I beg your indulgence. I have long felt that smoking time was more a function of length than girth. I maintain that a 5” cigar of 42 ring gauge will take just about as long as a 5” cigar of 60 ring. I’ve been trying to figure out a good way to test this theory, but there are so many variables and I just haven’t had the time to work out a good, scientific test to prove the theory. Something to work on, I suppose. Back to the cigar, I found this example to be a little bitter and off. The “war of flavors”, which this cigar is sub-titled by the factory, did not go well for me in this instance, I guess I lost. Anyway, people love these cigars, and I think it there’s a big cool factor in the format of these ugly ducklings, and I either hit one at a bad time or something.

 

 

Next up was a Gurkha Para la Gente Robusto that I had purchased at De La Concha in NYC a few months back. This is another of the cigars that were produced exclusively for the New York market in an effort to provide retailers some relief from the onerous cigar tax in that state. As of this writing, I understand that the state is working on a modification of that tax which would provide a cap so that a $10 cigar wouldn’t be jacked up to $17.50, but would be a more reasonable $11. For the tobacconists that are left in the state, I hope this goes through, as many have closed their doors in the last year due to this tax. Anyway, I have not smoked many Gurkha cigars. I have a perception that they either produce cigars that are ridiculously high priced and over packaged and marketed, or budget priced cigars that CI sells for $40 bucks a bundle and tries to make you feel like you’re getting a $50 cigar for two bucks. (at this point writing this feels like it’s more editorial on state taxes and brand marketing…sorry…off my soapbox now!). Anyway, the cigar was very nice. The short robusto size was just right for the time I had available and it worked very well. I like a nice Brazilian Matafina, which I believe this is wrapped with, and it was well balanced and smooth. The cheap bastard in me still recoils at a $8 robusto, but it was a special treat and a souvenir from a nice day in the city.

 

I decided I deserved a treat for getting through another week and grabbed a Liga Privada No.9 Flying Pig that I received at an even in Reno back in November of 2009. It’s a cool perfecto format dating back to the late part of the 1800s. Drew Estate has since released their T52 blend in this same size, and the Cubans (who, ironically, are suing Drew Estate for using the word “Kuba”), recently ripped off the size for a special release for one of their “Festival” humidors! My biggest complaint about this little piggie was that it was just too short! It’s 4” x 60, remember what I was saying about length and smoking time? This one just was gone too quickly. It did hold the ash for the entire time I was smoking it, which was probably under an hour, which is almost a tease, considering the hearty and delicious flavors that this fat little bastard provided. I would have loved to have smoked this for another hour, but the ash fell off with under an inch to go and I was beginning to burn my fingers. Plus, my wife said I looked ridiculous smoking the cigar with a 3” ash…. I’m glad I have another one of these that I was given at Cigar Safari, because I am confident that there are not a lot of these still around.

 

Finally, I spent Saturday with my family at Monmouth Park in New Jersey watching horses run around in circles with little men on their backs, which is always entertaining. I did manage to have a cigar, no small feat at a public venue in the Garden State. The cigar I chose was a HC Connecticut robusto which I had purchased several months ago at an event at one of the local shops. I was disappointed in the event, there was a rep there who represented Xikar, and other brands as well. The were offering a “buy 3, get one” special, and I still don’t think $25 for 4 robustos, especially ones I don’t end up enjoying represents a good value. The Habano wrapper was the best of the bunch, for me, at least. This Connecticut had an acidic bite to it that was off-putting. It got better as the cigar progressed, but was always there somewhere. I understand that they have dropped the price on these, which I think was a wise move, but I still won’t be buying any myself anytime soon, they just didn’t have what I’m looking for in a cigar. To the credit of the manufacturer, they are exceptionally well made, and I’m sure there are plenty of folks who enjoy these. It’s just not a cigar that suits me.

 

That’s it for now, I’m still annoyed with whatever is going on with my comments. It’s bad timing, that’s for sure. At this time, the Oja contest will be extended for another week after the comments are fixed, and I will asses the situation when my technical issues are resolved.

 

Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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Filed under Contest, Editorial, Review, Take a Cigar For a Walk

Take a Cigar For a Walk: Xikar HC, Murcialago, Tommy’s Guest Review No.2 – Sunday February 20, 2011

Well, we’ve been walking and smoking this week.  I started out taking a Xikar HC Criolllo Robusto for a walk and I was sorely disappointed with this cigar. I just didn’t dig the flavor of this one, and I felt especially let down given the $8.00 price tag. Criollo wrappers just don’t seem to do it for me, I can recall not liking the CAO Criollo line either, although I really wanted to.  I will have to make a conscious effort to avoid this wrapper in the future.  To be fair to the cigar, it was very well made and burned perfectly. I purchased this cigar at a Xikar event at a local shop last fall and was a little put off by the high prices of this line.  I rather expect to be “wowed” by a cigar in this price range.  I have a Connecticut ans a Habano still in the humidor, I enjoyed the Habano, although I don’t remember being particularly “wowed”, I hope the Connecticut is more to my liking.

Here’s another guest review by Tommy Berry Jr., he’s been taking a cigar for a walk and sending me his reports:

“Yea! I just got back in from a 60 minute walk. The night wasperfect…around 60 degrees, cool air and a bright moon. I watched an episode of an A&E show, Heavy…I have been watching the series since it started, but tonight it got me off my feet and on to the streets. I put my headphones on, played a couple of Gypsy Kings albums, selected my cigar…cut it and lit it as i began to walk. Tonight’s cigar of choice was a nice CAO Gold Maduro Robusto. I really enjoy the strength of this particular cigar and smoking maduros while walking…at least for now. I loved how this cigar kept its ash very well, stayed lit the entire walk and burned perfectly without any flaws. I thought I was smoking it rather slowly, but I finished it to the nub within about 55 minutes. This may be due to my swinging arms and the cool breeze that we had here tonight. Either way, I would recommend this cigar to anyone interested in a maduro.

Like I said earlier, the walk was great. I have a knee that has been bothering me from walking the last time in below freezing weather…but it did not hurt until the last few minutes. This was a Blessing for sure! Our neighborhood is very hilly, which is a great challenge for the walk. I walked about 80% of it at a rather quick pace…then started getting slower as time ran down. I was glad for that feeling as it made me feel as if I was doing something good with my body. I look forward to next walk…and the best part about it is thinking of which cigar will I smoke next!”

Keep up the good work, Tommy, and thank you for your continued contributions!!

I finished off the week with a Murcialago Robusto.  This jet black, San Andreas wrapped, box pressed beauty is not a cigar I would characterize as delicate, subtle, or even refined.  It grabs you by the lapels and says “hey, you’re smoking a cigar”!  It’s got a strong flavor, but isn’t really a strong cigar, if that makes sense.  It burned very well and was quite enjoyable.  I purchased this cigar at an event last summer that Eddie Ortega of EO Brands was the guest of honor.  While this isn’t a particularly complex cigar, it’s one I enjoy for it’s boldness. I was pretty bummed when this one was finished as I enjoyed it right down to about a half an inch.  It was a 60 degree February day in Pennsylvania, not something that often happens and a welcome change from the fairly harsh winter we’ve been having.

That’s all I have for now, it’s been terribly windy here today, which is one weather condition that I just can’t enjoy a cigar in, so I hope it dies down before long (and the trees near my house stay vertical!)

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Filed under Guest Review, Review