Category Archives: Review

by CigarCraig | January 14, 2015 · 8:56 pm

Another Marcus Daniel Kiev and Some La Aurora Preferidos

Sunday afternoon I decided to tackle the Connecticut Shade version of the Marcus Daniel Kiev Gran Parejo, which is a large 6½ x 57 shade wrapped cigar. The cigar is pretty, and it smoked very nicely. It was very mild for the first half, almost to the point of being off-putting, making me wish I had selected something else. It eventually picked up to near medium with a smooth, mellow flavor profile. This is a cigar that needs to be paid attention to, the flavors are there, but they aren’t jumping all over the palate. Based on the pricing on the website, $1032.75 for a box of 25, I’d definitely take a pass, there’s no way these are $45 cigars, but I’m happy for the opportunity to have sampled them, and it’s my fervent hope that my recently retired friend who brought these back was given them by the store owner and didn’t pay that ridiculous amount for them. I’m admittedly frugal, and there are very few cigars that would get me to open my wallet that far, if any. If you find yourself in Olde Naples, FL, stop in and check out the store, it sounds like a nice place to have a smoke, and he seems to have a good selection of other boutique cigars and realistic prices.

I decided this would be a good week to dig into some samples of the La Aurora Preferidos Coronas that are making their ways to shelves in the NorthEast part of the US. There are six varieties, representing the six wrappers used on the regular Preferidos line. I wrestled with what order to smoke them, should I do what I usually do and start with the darkest first and go from there? My wife pointed out that that may set me up for disappointment, given my proclivity for the maduro leaf. Then I wondered if I should go alphabetically. I decided to go with the opposite of what I’d normally do and go light to dark. I started with the Connecticut. I’ll preface this by saying these are all 5½” x 42 coronas, a very elegant size as far as I’m concerned. They also all have the wrapper designated on the band, which is handy. The Connecticut was a terrific example of a smooth and creamy cigar. It burned perfectly for the better part of and hour and a half, building nicely in strength and flavor.

I like a Connecticut shade wrapper, Ecuador or US, but it’s not on my go-to wrapper list, basically above Indonesian and Criollo in preference, so things are looking very good for me enjoying the rest of the Preferido Corona offerings. Next in line was the Corojo. Naturally, the Corojo should be a little stronger, and it certainly had a stronger flavor, which was unique and interesting. Again, the construction was perfect, however I had to wipe some oozing tar of the head at the halfway point as I began to get an off taste. Once the goo was gone, it was back to tasting pretty darned great. Another winner, although I’ll switch from the punch to a straight cut for the rest of the series.

Tonight I went with the Cameroon corona. Cameroon is an interesting wrapper with a distinctive flavor, nutty maybe? The first La Auroras I bought, a box of Bristol Especiales back in 1995, had Cameroon wrappers and I recall they ended up not being great, almost vegetal and they had some construction issues. Granted, I didn’t have the storage experience that I have now, and probably had no business buying a box of anything at that point in my cigar journey. The box was about $40 and my daughter (who’s name is Aurora) may still have the box, that certainly figured into my purchase. That being said, this Preferidos Cameroon was spectacular. Well balanced and loaded with Camerooniness! Three for three! So far the Preferidos Coronas have all been wonderful. Many thanks to Jason Wood of Miami Cigar and Co. and Gabriel Piñeres of Creativas for sending samples as well as sponsoring Day 14 of the 12SDoCG.

I’ll continue working through the last three, the Ecuador (Sumatra), Maduro (Brazil) and Broadleaf (Connecticut), taking a break on Friday to head out to Goose’s in Limerick, PA to attend an event featuring the great Bernie Parent and his line of Rocky Patel cigars. Bernie is a legend in Philadelphia sports, he’ll be there with his Stanley Cup rings from ’74 and ’75. He’s a hoot, I’ve been fortunate to enjoy several cigars with him over the last couple years. With that, I’ll wrap this up and get to watching the Flyers game.

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

7 Comments

Filed under Review

Tagged as cigar, cigars, La Aurora, Marcus Daniel, Miami Cigar and Co, Preferidos

by CigarCraig | January 11, 2015 · 10:22 am

Gran Habano STK Baracuda and a Marcus Daniel Cigars Kiev and a Video

It’s been a slow smoking week for me, the bitter cold here having some bearing on that. So I figured it would be a good time so smoke some new, interesting and unusual cigars. Friday I decided to spark up the Baracuda Maduro that the the folks at Gran Habano had sent me a few months ago. This was presented at last summer’s IPCPR show, and features a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, not something you typically see! The wrapper was a few shades lighter than a typical maduro, and it had a totally different flavor than I have come to expect from a cigar labeled “maduro”. That being said, the flavor

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was exceptional! Very different and unique, with frequent flavor changes that made it very interesting. One moment there would be some coffee flavors, the next some earth and pepper. This was a very entertaining cigar to smoke and I’ll be on the look out for a couple more to see if the experience repeats.

A couple months ago a recent;y retired former co-worker returned from a wedding in Florida where he met a cigar roller who was demonstrating his skill at the wedding. Knowing I am a cigar fan, this gentlemen managed to procure some samples after chatting up the gentleman rolling, who was, apparently, Marcus Daniel Morine, the proprietor of Marcus Daniel Tobacconist in Olde Naples, Florida. The three cigars I was given were all on the larger side, and I wanted to give them some humidor time before smoking them, as I had no idea how long they had been out of the humidor and wanted to give them the best opportunity to present themselves as the blender intended. T

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here were two of the Dominican made Kiev line of cigars, a “Cloud Grown” Ecuador Connecticut, and a Habano Limited Reserve, and a Miami made Marcus Daniel® Habano. I chose the darker of the three last night for my evening walk and cigar, the Kiev LR Gran Parejo. This is a substantial cigar, 6½” x 57, well made, with an easy draw. My example had a bit of damage on the foot, which I never noticed at all when smoking. It burned perfectly and had pleasant flavors on the medium bodied side. As I’m writing this and doing a little research, I came across the price list for these on their website and I don’t think I would buy this cigar in the $45 price bracket. I was a bit stunned at that pricing. For me, it was a good, $8 or$9 cigar, nothing so special to warrant that kind of pricing (really, what cigar does?), but it was a nice, satisfying smoke.

Since I’m a little light on content this time, I thought I’d share a neat video that I was asked to watch and share. Frank Correnti Cigars in Toronto, Canada, has been making what were called “Clear Havanas” in the ’50s. They hand make cigars from Havana leaf, and claim to be the only factory doing that in Canada. I’ve never smoked their cigars, but I’ve heard of them over the years, and the folks at Notion Boulevard did a really nice job with this video. Thanks to Zack there for passing this along.

That’s if for today. Not sure what’s on my schedule, but I may try another one of the cigars from Marcus Daniel, or I may rummage around for something else that strikes me as interesting, I rarely know until I dive into the humidors what I’m going to smoke at any given time. So, until the next time,

CigarCraig

7 Comments

Filed under Review, Video

Tagged as cigar, cigars, Frank Correnti, George Rico, Gran Habano, Marcus Daniel

by CigarCraig | January 7, 2015 · 8:36 pm

MBombay, La Sirena, EP Carillo, Inka Secret Blend and a Quesada Cigar

It’s gotten darned cold here in PA, my enclosed porch is nice, but tonight I’m sitting in a Cigar Cigars store that’s two miles from home smoking a Quesada Oktoberfest that was on the half off table. Nice smoke, just getting it going. Sunday I smoked a couple Churchill sized cigars, a MBombay Classic with a Connecticut shade wrapper that was fantastic. It was creamy and well behaved and kept me company while I was on the phone holding for Verizon to no avail. Great afternoon cigar, ultra-premium well balanced and tasty. Not something you see everywhere, but worth findi

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ng. Later I had a La Sirena Trident Churchill from the original My Father made production and these are aging nicely. I look forward to comparing it to the new La Zone made line. Speaking of La Sirena, I wrote an article about the Oceano in the current issue of Prime Living magazine, which can be found on page 55 of the on-line version. It’s n

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ice to see a main stream magazine featuring a Cigar Notes piece in very issue. I’m proud to be a part of it.

Monday I lit up an EP Carillo Core Maduro Encanto that I brought back from the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival. This cigar had a gnarly CoConnecticutroadleaf Maduro wrapper, very rustic. I usually find this to be a good sign! I was right, it was a really tasty cigar, loads with rich, dark flavors of espresso and dark cocoa. I haven’t smoked a great many EP Carrillo cigars over the past couple years. Of course, I was a fan of the La Gloria Cubana line going back to the mid-90s, but I haven’t gotten around to sampling many of Ernie’s newer cigars. This one was a winner, right up my alley. The ugly broadleaf wrapper is really quite tasty and ads a nice sweetness. Another great smoke with a great draw and burn.

Last night I selected a cigar that’s due for its US launch in a couple weeks, but has been exclusively available at CGars Ltd in the UK. I’ve smoked a couple of these in various iterations over the years, and remember an interesting evening sitting at Casa Fuente in Vegas with Mitchell Orchant and his manufacturer in Peru, Genaro, testing prototypes. There was an ashtray loaded with cigars that only had an inch smoked, which brought questions from the waitstaff. Clearly they have improved the smokability of these as every one they lit up that night seemed to be plugged. I remember running into Genaro at the Draw Tester booth at the IPCPR sho and he was looking into the machines. Anyway, this is a Peruvian Puro and I like Peruvian tobacco. The cigar was 6″ x 46, had a roll reminiscent of a Havana, a bit on the loose side, but had a great burn and draw. There was a nice sweetness and it was a really great smoke. I have smoked the 6×60 size and think the 6×46 size is a better representation of the blend.

This Quesada Oktoberfest is really good, even in the 6×60 size. Very rich and flavorful, but the shop closed at 7pm, so I had to take the rest of the cigar home to finish on the porch. I tried taking the dog for a walk, but the temps are in single digits and neither of us were happy about it. It’s a long burning cigar, well worth the $5 I paid for it from the discount rack. I suppose the size didn’t sell well, but it was a really tasty cigar, and I am quite glad I picked up a couple. It was very nice, with a savory flavor to it. The Cigar Cigars shop is only two miles from home, so I can see visiting it with some regularity. It’s got a nice selection and a Montecristo Lounge that while I haven’t set foot in yet, looks comfortable. I’m happy sitting in the front of the store as it’s quite comfortable as well.

That’s about it for today. I need to get it together and get Mark’s goodies shipped out to him. I need to find a big enough box to hold it all! I’ve been slacking. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

12 Comments

Filed under Review

Tagged as CGars Ltd, cigar, CigarCigars, cigars, EP Carillo, Inka, La Sirena, MBombay, Prime Living, Quesada

by CigarCraig | January 4, 2015 · 10:36 am

Tops of The Year, Roberto P. Duran Winner and General Nonsense

Today’s post is going to be a little of everything. It’s my last day of a 14 day vacation, and I really want to get something accomplished today, so I want to get this done! I’ve got some top “x” lists, Some cigars I smoked, and a contest winner! I’ll start with some cigars I smoked that I found interesting. I generally spend the end of December smoking either cigars that are featured in the giveaways, or cigars I’ve featured in the past and want to revisit, or special occasion cigars. I smoked a bunch of each this year. Around Christmas I smoked a Padron 1964 Exclusivo and a Drew Estate Serie Unico Feral Flying Pig. The Pig was a bit of a surprise, it was the first of this size I’ve smoked. It was super smooth and full of rich flavor and I swear I got some cinnamon at the halfway point. This example came back with me from Nicaragua a year and a half ago, and I would have picked up a couple more when I saw them locally except for the $19 price tag. The Feral Flying Pig was a “wow” cigar for me, perhaps the best cigar I smoked all yea

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r. My wife got me this cool cast iron pig holding what looks like a tobacco leaf for me for Christmas. The Exclusivo was pretty darned good too!

New Years Eve we stopped in to Cigar Mojo in King of Prussia, PA for a smoke and I picked up some of the Rocky Patel Prohibition cigars that I’ve been wanting to try. These come in glass jars, and one has a San Andrés wrapper and one has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, and both are a 6½” x 52 toro. It seems that most of the Rocky Patel cigars I have, or have had, are a toro size, is it just me? Anyway, I smoked the San Andreas on New Years Eve and it was a good Mexican maduro smoke. It was a little smoother than the typical “dirty” sens

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ation you get from Mexican tobacco, and was an enjoyable smoke. I smoked the Broadleaf version New Years Day, after a fun afternoon with my family in our annual tradition of watching the Winter Classic hockey game on TV, while eating and playing with the granddaughters. I think I liked the Broadleaf version better, it had a nice sweetness that I really liked. I will smoke a few more of each, as I tend to like both San Andrés and Broadleaf about the same. Good smokes, interesting packaging as they come packed in glass jars within wooden crates, an homage to bootlegging practices during prohibition. Of course, the parallel being drawn is cigars to liquor prohibition in the ’20s, which it what “they” are trying to do to tobacco, and we know how well prohibition worked out! It gave us organized crime and NASCAR! 🙂

Tops

I’m far too lazy to compile my own list of great cigars I smoked over the year. There are a lot of exceptional cigars out there, it’s really hard to go wrong. Quite a few of my colleagues in the blogosphere like to make them, so here’s a short list of some that I came across in no particular order of preference.

http://tobacconistuniversityblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/top-10-dumbest-of-2014.html

http://archive.aweber.com/nomadcigar/GIVxr/h/My_Top_Cigars_of_2014.htm

http://www.stogiereview.com/2014/12/15/top-10-cigars-tgt-edition-2014/

http://www.casasfumando.com/top-10-cigars-2014-tony-casas-edition/

http://www.askmen.com/top_10/travel/top-10-cigars.html

http://top25.cigaraficionado.com/

http://www.thecigarnut.com/the-cigar-nuts-countdown-2014-number-1/

http://www.leafenthusiast.com/cigar-review/

http://www.leafenthusiast.com/daves-choice-cigar-of-the-year_2014/

http://www.cigar-coop.com/p/the-cigar-countdown-began-saturday.html

Keep an eye on Halfwheel.com, they usually go through all the sites and put together a consensus, which goes through a bunch of the various top whatever lists. Keep an eye open for that in the coming weeks. I think my favs of the year were the Arandoza Red Label (with the White Label right up there), and anything Tortuga. There are far too many great cigars out there!

My list, once again, is a tribute to you, the reader. Here is this year’s top commentors of 2014! Thank you all for reading along and participating! Without you all I’d be talking to myself!

Contest

Of course we start off 2015 with another great giveaway! Thanks to Roberto Duran Cigars for providing a box of the very tasty Doberto P. Duran Premium Rio Toa. I smoked the Cacique Guama 6 x 60 last night and really enjoyed the smooth, well balanced and complexity of this cigar. It’s sophisticated. The winner of these is really going to enjoy them, I think. Also thanks to the other generous sponsors who over did it and left me with more than I could give away in the 12SDoCG, even in 14 days, as well as the odds and ends I had laying around! Smoke Inn, Drew Estate, 2 Guys Smokeshop primarily. This time I let RaffleCopter do the heavy lifting for me. It makes things easy for me, but I want to know how you all felt about it. I thought the turnout was rather low, and I don’t know if RaffleCopter is off-putting or what. Either way, we have a winner. Here’s the screenshot of RaffleCopter’s selection. Congrats to Mark!

That’s more than enough for today! Time to get on with the last day of vacation!

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

15 Comments

Filed under Contest, Editorial, News, Review

Tagged as 2 Guys Smokeshop, cigar, Cigar Mojo, cigars, Contest, drew estate, Roberto P. Duran, Smoke Inn, The Cigar Authority

by CigarCraig | December 28, 2014 · 6:18 pm

To’Makao Fine Cigars and Goose’s Tobacco Outlet and Cafe

It’s been a while since my last normal post. The two weeks of contests was great, I hope everyone enjoyed winning and having the chance to win a lot of great cigars. Thanks again to all the sponsors! One of the great things about these contests is when someone reasonably local wins. I had two such opportunities this year, the first on Day 1. This saved me postage and allowed me to meet a reader and visit a new store. Adam won the Gurkha goodies, and I met him at To’Makao Fine Cigars in Bethlehem, PA. This is a nice shop filled with great boutique brands, as well as the owners own line, rolled right there in the shop. Franklin, the owner, worked for Fuente in the Dominican Republic for many years rolling Fuente Fuente Opus X PerfecXion #2. I don’t know how he ended up in the metropolis of Bethlehem, but he has a very nice shop and lounge. I bought a few of his cigars, along with some Arandoza Red toros (a recurring theme…), and lit up his Habano wrapped cigar, which was unbanded and I think it was a toro, but it was a week ago, so I can’t remember! The cigar burned perfectly, and had a nice, mellow sweet flavor. I spent an hour or so enjoying the cigar and getting to know Adam a bit while enjoying the lounge, which was all but empty. I guess the Sunday before Christmas isn’t a big cigar lounge day. The lounge is comfortable, the cigars very good, and the hospitality was awesome. Franklin is a terrific guy, and you should visit him if you are ever in the area. Last night I smoked his maduro, which I believe is in his “Big Papi by Franklin” line, and, again, it was quite nice

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. Smooth, rich maduro flavors, quite the unexpected surprise from cigars rolled right

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here in Pennsylvania. Of course, PA has a rich tobacco history, but the last cigars I smoked that were made here were quite the opposite of good! Van Slyke and Horton cigars were pretty terrible, and I admit that I haven’t had a John Hay in some time (I treasure my cigar time…but I’ll take one for the team with a John Hay maduro that’s been in the humidor one of these days!). Great shop, great company. Pictures below.

Today I found myself, once again, in the position to hand deliver another prize. Joe K won the Day 14 prize of Nestor Miranda goodies from Miami Cigar and Co. I met Joe last year at Goosefest and decided to meet him at Goose’s Tobacco Outlet and Cafe in Limerick, PA. This was probably my fourth visit to Goose’s, and John Geise, the owner, greeted me warmly and pointed me toward the humidor, where I once again picked up some Arandoza Red Label Toros. Quick aside, if I were posting a top ten list this year, the Arandoza would be darned near the top. Great cigars from this company, The Blue and White labels are outstanding, the Red is a flavor bomb (and starts quite strong too!). Anyway, as usual, Goose’s was well stocked with a lot of great cigars. I also got a couple of Foundry’s Compounds Elements and Musings that I hadn’t tried before, and a Gurkha Cellar Reserve Limitada Solara, which I enjoyed in the lounge. Joe was waiting in the lounge, and I greeted my friend Bruce on my way to sit with him. I get to Goose’s infrequently, but it seems I always know a couple guys there. I had a great time smoking the cigar, chatting with Joe and John.

Of course, I smoked a bunch of cigars over the past couple weeks, but I tried my best to make it cigars that were featured in that day’s contest ff I had them. One of the ones that was new to me that I smoked for the fist time was the CAO Columbia, which I really enjoyed. It was early in the day, and I found this to me a really nice, creamy smoke. As I said before, I love giving away cigars, but it’s even better when they are cigars I personally love, and the vast majority were. I haven’t smoked the Kentucky Fire Cured in the Kyoto size yet, but I have had the KFC in other sizes and while it’s not my cup of tea, I see why people love them. That’s enough about the contests for now, I hope everyone received your packages, please let me know if you didn’t. Thanks again for playing along!