Category Archives: Contest

by Craig Vanderslice | February 27, 2022 · 9:55 am

Cigars on My Tropical Getaway and a Contest!

We just returned from a brief getaway to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we spent a few days sitting on the beach and doing nothing else. I really had no plans to visit any cigar shops as I took plenty to smoke, but I ran across a couple shops and, of course, had to stop in. When I vacation my modus operandi is to take favorite cigars that I know I enjoy and I’m confident that will perform well, I’m there to relax and I don’t want any surprises or disappointments! So if you follow my Instagram or Facebook feeds you’ll see my smoking relatively run of the mill (for me) cigars, but I love them and they bring me joy. As we were wondering around our “neighborhood of Isla Verde, we came across a little cigar shop in a strip mall (http://www.cigarit.com/). It had a small walk in humidor with some classic selections, good stuff, reasonable prices, and the guy working there was very nice and knowledgeable. I made a courtesy buy of a Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Belicoso, which is in the humidor now. Yesterday, as we were walking around Old San Juan after having lunch, we happened across The Cigar House. I literally smelled it walking by, as the road was narrow and I didn’t see the sign, nor was I looking for it. It was a happy accident. This place had been recommended to me, and for good reason. The humidor is enormous and well stocked. If our trip had been a week later, we would have caught Erik Espinosa and Guy Fieri there for the Knuckle Dragger launch! I bought a Tatuaje T111 Broadleaf and enjoyed it in their comfortable lounge. It was a very relaxing trip, the weather was perfect, we got some sun, and had some great cigars on the beach.

Contest

We arrived home to a find package on the porch from my friends at Drew Estate. It had just been delivered, people were home, it’s not like it sat there all week! Anyway, it seems like the sort of thing that someone may need more than I do, so let’s have a giveaway! This is a neat 20 Acre Farm leather cigar case with five 20 Acre Farm cigars. The case has pockets for accessories and cigars, wrapped in embossed white leather. It’s nifty.

So, you know the drill! Leave a comment on this blog post, no where else, to enter. I’ll pick a winner next Sunday, March, 6, 2022. Must be of legal age to win, and the winner will need to email me with their details (that’s the internet equivalent of “must be present to win”, I guess, meaning don’t make me work too hard to give you stuff!). I might add some other goodies in as well! Thanks to the folks at Drew Estate for making this possible!

That’s all for now, I have some stuff to catch up on. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

24 Comments

Filed under Contest, Trip Report

Tagged as 20 Acre Farm, cigar, cigars, Contest, drew estate

by Craig Vanderslice | December 24, 2021 · 8:17 am

Merry Christmas and Contest Winner Announcement!

I meant to do this last night, but I smoked a yet to be released Paladin de Saka and it was so entrancing that I forgot! When these come out and you can scrape $30 together I highly recommend trying one. It’s a step up from the Sin Compromiso, so if you like those, you’ll love the Paladin. Anyway, it’s Christmas Eve, and besides having to get started on my shopping (I kid, I’ve been done for a week!), I need to select the winner of the CigarCraig Holiday Contest! As we recall, this contest has some great Drew Estate Freestyle Live swag (Thanks again to Joe and the crew at DE!) revolving around the 20 Acre Farm release. I’ve also added some other Drew Estate cigars from my humidor, including some well aged FSGs and some of the new Undercrown 10s. The winer, as determined by random selection, is Andy Manuel! Please send me your address, and proof that you are of legal age to smoke in your jurisdiction, so I can ship you your goodies! I may look at UPS since my USPS Secret Santa package is still in limbo almost two week after shipping. I swear that shipping label said “Priority 2 Day”. Time to put a replacement together and try to get my $50 out of USPS. I’ve been in touch with the recipient and we’re cool. Anyway, UPS will get this one even if it cost me more! Andy, send me an email!

That’s all for today! I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend! I’m going to smoke some decent cigars and spend time with my family. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

14 Comments

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Contest, drew estate

by Craig Vanderslice | December 16, 2021 · 6:41 pm

Contest! CigarCraig’s Holiday Giveaway

It’s time for a Holiday Giveaway! I know it’s nothing like the twelve and more days of giveaways we used to do, but it is what it is! Times change and we roll with it. So here’s this week’s giveaway! Last month Drew Estate announced the 20 Acre Farm on the Freestyle Live show, and they led with a cool kit that had three mystery cigars that turned out to be these cigars. They have recently started showing up in stores. Here’s your chance to get a couple without shelling out for them!

The giveaway is for the Freestyle Live kit, less one cigar, the Gordito (6″ x 60) which I smoked. They are tasty cigars. I’m also throwing in two Drew Estate FSG Toros and a couple Undercrown 10 toros. As usual, I may find some other cigars tho toss in. The kit includes a cool 30 oz. RTIC tumbler, a three finger leather case, a dual jet lighter and a cutter.

As usual, leave a comment here to enter, one entry per person. Comments on this blog post only will count, no comments on Facebook posts or any other forums will count. Of course, you must be of legal smoking age in your jurisdiction to win. Thanks to the folks at Drew Estate for providing these goodies! I’ll select a winner next Thursday, December 23, 2021. I might even include a list of my favorite cigars of 2021! That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

38 Comments

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Tagged as 20 Acre Farm, cigar, cigars, Contest, drew estate, Freestyle LIve

by Craig Vanderslice | November 4, 2021 · 7:33 pm

A Puff N Go Cigar Case from Groomsday.com and the Contest Winner Announcement!

I’m sitting here in smoking an Intemperance BA XXI Gran Perfecto, getting ready to watch some hockey and get up early to take a little weekend getaway to a yet-to-be announced location, and I’m admiring this groovy Puff N Go three cigar case I got from Groomsday.com. This is a nice leather covered, cedar lined case with will safely protect three, I’d say, 54 ring cigars, and it’s telescoping, so you could put 7″ cigars in it. It also has a place for a cutter, and comes with a stainless steel cutter, which isn’t half bad. The do a nice job of customizing, as you can see, I had them put “CigarCraig.com” on it. I poked around Groomsday.com and they have a lot of nice stuff, much like the other sites in the family, groovyguygifts.com and groovygroomsmengifts.com. If you were to have a need for personalized items, whether for a wedding or some other event, I can recommend Groomsday.com.

You know what? Since I’m announcing the contest winner, and I always add a little something extra to the pot, I’m going to put three cigars in this cigar case and include it with the 13 cigars, lighter, cutter, shirt, etc! How’s that! Thanks to Groomsday.com for providing this item! I’ve made a random selection of the entries, and Travis Keet is the winner! Please e-mail me your proof of age and shipping information. Thanks to everyone for reading along and entering, I’ll work on some more goodies for another contest soon!

That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

2 Comments

Filed under Contest, Review

Tagged as cigar, cigars, Contest, Groomsday, Groomsday.com, Puff n Go

by Craig Vanderslice | October 28, 2021 · 3:19 pm

Casa Cuevas Patrimonio Robusto Cigar and a Contest!

Two months ago I posted about the Casa Cuevas Patrimonio shipping to stores, and Gabriel Piñeres, who does the PR for Cuevas, and has been a great friend for many years, was kind enough to send me a couple of them a few weeks ago. When I posted the news item I threatened to buy some, and I plan to make good on that threat, especially after smoking these (and I’m smoking one as I type). To recap, this was made as an homage to the senior Cuevas, Luis Sr., by his son and grandson, with a Honduran Corojo wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder, and filler made up of Peruvian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican tobaccos. This is an interesting blend for a historically Dominican company! I smoked the 5″ x 54 Robusto, when I buy some, I’ll try the Toro (of course). Both samples I smoked worked perfectly, I couldn’t have been happier. There’s a tanginess to the smoke which I suppose would be classified as citrus, over a fairly leathery flavor. It’s a really nice cigar. This would be a no brainer for me to be a new Father’s Day traditional cigar for me, but I was the very fortunate recipient the cigars that I’ve been smoking for the last 20 years (which, of course, are 20+ years old and in beautiful condition, I’m set into my 70s!). This is a brilliant cigar, very well done.

Contest!

It’s been a while again, and I feel like giving some things away! Once again, this will be a random CigarCraig’s Humidor selection! I’ve pulled some cigars from the humidor, and I’ll add some more as I rummage through the humidors during the week! There are 13 cigars pictured, along with a very nice dual flame lighter and cutter from Villiger, assorted coasters, stickers and matches as I come across them, and a nice shirt from Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe that I would have happily added t my wardrobe, but 2XL is much too large for me I’m afraid! So as per usual, leave a comment on this post to enter, one post per person please! Must be of legal age to win, of course! I’ll pick a winner next Wednesday, November 3, 2021.