Category Archives: Review

by CigarCraig | January 6, 2013 · 1:43 pm

An Afternoon at Xhale Lounge in the Fishtown Section of Philly

I’m finally about over the illness that gripped me over the last week and my wife wanted to do some research at a library in center city, so I decided to pay a visit to a shop I had read about some time ago in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Xhale Lounge. I don’t think I’ve ever been to this part of town before but I needed a cigar adventure so here am! It also presents me with an opportunity to smoke a few cigars inside after my hiatus as well as try writing my Sunday post “In the field” on my tablet. We’ll see how the later works out.

The walk-in humidor here is reasonably large for a little storefronts the city. There’s a nice selection of both the usual suspects and some boutique selections. I spyed some Room 101 San Andreas coronas and grabbed a couple of those, and the Arturo Fuente Short Story Maduro looked like something I had to finally try. My last selection was admittedly a bit cliche, but I had to try the Flor de los Antillas since it recently received acclaim. Like I need to buy more cigars. It’s a full house in the lounge, which occupies the front of the shop, so I took a seat on a stool in the window under the large TV which is displaying the game. I’m safe as long as people don’t throw things at the screen, but the clientele seems nice enough.

This Room 101 S.A. is hitting the spot. Being the first cigar I’ve really been able to enjoy in a week, it’s bold and loaded with the dark and dirty flavors I love. It’s burning perfectly except that I’m having to relight it now and then due to my writing as a smoke. I suspect a Short Story will be next, although I can’t count out the Flor de los Antillas as it looks pretty tasty.

I’m going to cut this short and try to not be the weird stranger sitting in the corner typing on a tablet. This is a nice little shop, well appointed and reasonably priced with a friendly clientele. If you find yourself wondering the Fishtown neighborhood in Philadelphia, stop in for a smoke. You’ll be able to find something you like, and a welcoming place to smoke.

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

7 Comments

Filed under Review, Stores

Tagged as cigar, cigar store, cigars, Room 101, Xhale Lounge

by CigarCraig | December 11, 2012 · 8:30 pm

Special Report: Ned’s Cigars Launches the BSB No. 1 by Bernie Parent Cigar

When I was 10 and 11 years old I had a Flyers T-shirt commemorating their back to back Stanley Cup wins. It was a big deal in the Philadelphia area and nobody was a bigger deal than the man between the pipes, Bernie Parent. I was very excited to be able to attend the launch of a new cigar, the BSB No.1 by Bernie Parent.

This particular cigar adventure began with a visit to Ned’s Cigars in Newtown, PA. I was welcomed by Luca, the owner of the store, which has been there for somewhere around 80 years. This is located in a historic building on the main street through the borough and exudes warmth and hospitality. The cigars are housed in cabinets on two walls along with an antique counter/humidor. The facings are limited by the space, but the selection is quite varied and covers all the bases. The Panacea cigars

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from the Flatbed Cigar Co. are prominently displayed as that company is based nearby. The lounge is a cozy space filled with leather chairs, TVs and a section of humidors for the members. Luca is one of those guys who makes you feel at home and like you’ve known him for years.

After a brief visit at the store I tagged along with Luca and his staff the the Green Parrot, which was the venue for the evening’s festivities. The Green Parrot appears to be a very nice bar and restaurant with an enclosed patio area which was where the event was held. The staff at this place was excellent, very efficient and attentive, and the food was delicious. They pride themselves on only using fresh and organic ingredients and claim to not even have a freezer on the premises! It was an excellent venue for a cigar dinner, although if the

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outside temps had been colder I can see where having most of the vinyl curtains open could get a bit chilly. On the other hand, smoke wasn’t a problem.

The reason Luca was able to round up 40 or 50 of his customers and friends (the Mayor of Newtown was there as well) was to celebrate the launch of a special cigar made by Rocky Patel Cigars for the legendary NHL goaltender and local hero Bernie Parent, the BSB No. 1 Rocky Patel, came up with the concept for the packaging, and Nish Patel handled the blending. What they came up with was a box pressed petite robusto with an outer band covering the majority of the cigar which was designed to look like a goalie pad, with an orange band underneath with the “BSB No.1 by Bernie Parent” in black.

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The box that these cigars are packaged in is Flyers Orange and Black with gold lettering. The presentation is pretty awesome, at least from the perspective of a hockey fan such as myself. The cigar has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper which gives it a nice spicy flavor and I was impressed with how long this 4” cigar lasted considering the draw was very loose. It’s a tasty smoke that should age well. Bernie was truly a gentleman and stayed for the whole event. The event was terrific, great food, great cigars and wonderful people. Thank you to Luca for his hospitality, I appreciate the opportunity to attend such a special event.

Here is some video from the event with some interviews and pictures:

Contests!

Tomorrow is the day you’ve all been waiting for, the beginning of th

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e 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways. I think you’ll be impressed with the gifts this year, leave a comment to enter each day’s contest and try not to drool all over your keyboards!

Until tomorrow,

CigarCraig

3 Comments

Filed under Events, News, Review, Video

Tagged as Bernie Parent, BSB No.1, cigar, cigars, Green Parrot, Ned's Cigars, New Release, rocky patel

by CigarCraig | December 9, 2012 · 10:13 am

Announcement! CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways (and a Los Regalos)

It’s that time of year again folks, it’s time to officially announce the 2012 CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways! Last year’s contests were pretty spectacular, but this years will be better! We’ve got an abundance of samplers, boxes, accessories from all of your favorite companies, and maybe a couple new and interesting items that you haven’t heard of yet. The rules are simple. Every day starting Wednesday, December 12, 2012, around 7 AM Eastern Standard Time I will post that days present. You’re job will be to leave a comment which will serve as your entry. Feel free to Tweet about it, Post it on Facebook, post it in whatever groups or forums you like, but only the comment counts as an entry. Also, I can see your IP address on your comments so no stuffing the ballot box please! One entry per person per day. My usual contest rules exclude winners from previous contests for 6 months, this rule is suspended so everyone starts fresh. However, once you’ve won a present in the 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways you are no longer eligible to win. I know everyone will behave. Some gifts are being shipped directly from their contributors, and some are being shipped by me. I will ship items when I get the chance, please remember it’s a busy time of year for all of us! If you’ve won, it will be announced the next day, so be sure to check back. The winner will need to e-mail me their name and address at their earliest convenience.

Many thanks to the generous sponsors of this event! I always say, sure, I could do this without them, but it would cost me a FORTUNE!

They are (in alphabetical order):

AJ Fernandez Cigars

CAO Cigars/General Cigar Co.

Drew Estate

Emilio Cigars

Foundry Cigars/General Cigar Co.

Tobaccos Mata Fina USA

Toraño Family Cigars

United Cigar Retailers

Villiger Cigars North America

These folks all went above and beyond as you will see over the coming two weeks. I get excited about this all year long, and even though it’s a lot of work, it’s so much fun! Stay tuned for Day 1 on Wednesday and good luck to everyone who participates!

One Last Cigar recap:

As much as running contests for 12 consecutive days is almost a full time job (and thanks in advance to my wife for all her help) it allows me to just grab a cigar from the humidor to smoke and enjoy without having to take pictures or really worry about all the particulars. However, I need to slip in one last cigar before my hiatus (although I will be reporting on a cigar event I’m attending tomorrow evening). This week I fired up a Los Regalos Quetzal from Emilio Cigars. The cigar was a toro size, and had a little firmer draw than I’d have liked. It was also much milder than I expected. Other folks whose, palates I respect, have called this medium to full, and I didn’t get that at all. Perhaps the firm draw caused me to perceive it as mild. That’s not a complaint, mind you, but illustration of how preconceived notions can color perception. The cigar burned well and had a pleasing flavor, with little, delicate flavors popping in and out from time to time that kept me on my toes. Does the draw effect flavor? Absolutely! Is everyone’s palate different? Once again, absolutely. This is a cigar I will revisit, I know a shop not far from here that’s sure to carry them! I’ll hold off until conditions are better as I didn’t think this was an ideal cold weather cigar. Thanks to Gary Griffith for send

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ing a sample of this cigar for me to try. He’s been loading me up with samples of the lines he’s distributing and they all seem to have one thing in common: I love them!

And finally, I’ll leave you with the video I closed last year’s contest series with, Alan Bernhoft’s Chr

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istmas Classic, Imagine Christmas.

httpv://youtu.be/AioTRzrMlBw

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Filed under Contest, Review

Tagged as 12 days, aj fernandez, CAO, cigar, cigars, drew estate, Emilio, General Cigar Co., oliva, Stogie Boys, Tabaccos Mata Fina, The Cigar Agency, Toraño, United Cigar Retailers, Villiger

by CigarCraig | December 5, 2012 · 9:41 pm

A La Palina, a Recluse, an Oja and a Nub (and a little Oliva too)

I had this great idea that I’d try out the WordPress app on my iPod Touch. It looked like it would be a handy idea, and I already use that device every day. I used it for the majority of the videos from IPCPR show which I though turned out pretty good. Unfortunately, I ran into a little glitch where it wouldn’t connect and sync with the server, so I decided to abort that idea and do it the old fashioned way. I could have easily gotten away with not boring you with that story, but I decided to do it anyway! I’ve smoked a few cigars since Sunday, so here’s the recap.

Sunday evening I was, once again, in the mood for a San Andreas wrapped cigar, so I grabbed the La Palina El Maduro from the IPCPR show. I really wish I could have gotten a few minutes to talk to Bill Paley this year at the show, but both times I went by his booth it was very busy. Great for them, lousy for me! Considering my affinity for the San Andreas leaf, I was sure I’d enjoy this one. This is a dark, sweet and spicy cigar, very well made and smoked perfectly. I really enjoyed the heck out of this smoke, it made me happy.

We had a couple days of nice weather, I’ll take 50s and 60s in December any time. I decided to celebrate with an Iconic Leaf Cigar Co. Recluse Kanu #1. I got this one at the show as well, and I may not have decided to smoke it if I hadn’t gotten a couple more in the mail recently. This is a very special cigar, this shape is unique in the industry. Smoking it was akin to smoking a lancero, it’s a very narrow ring gauge on the ends with a swollen mid

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dle. The box press also makes it unique. It’s a fun cigar to smoke and it is so full of deliciousness that it’s not funny. It smokes a little bit different than it’s parejo siblings, which are wonderful cigars, and the Brazilian maduro wrapper is savory. This is a very nice cigar.

Continuing on the Brazilian maduro theme, I decided to fire up the last Oja Anniversary perfecto that I had on Tuesday. The weather continued to be unseasonable, so I took my usual walk and sat outside when I was done to savor every last bit of the cigar. This is another hard to find cigar, but it’s another tasty maduro that’s perfectly constructed. I first encountered the owner of this brand on my trip to Cigar Safari in March of 2011, Luis was staying at Drew Estate while he was working with Kiki Berger on his cigars. I’ve enjoyed quite a few of his cigars, but none quite as much as the Anniversary, which he made to celebrate his first year. It’s a darned good smoke.

On my way home tonight I stopped at a cigar shop that’s on my way home. I’ve been to this shop several times and had mixed experiences. Since I moved, I actually pass this store every day and today is the first time I’ve stopped in. I was actually on a special “12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways” mission where I met my friend and local Oliva rep Mike. I picked up a couple of the little Oliva Serie G perfectos and enjoyed one while I waited. This is a great little smoke and was really enjoya

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ble. Mike and the folks at Oliva out did themselves, by the way. Stay tuned for their offerings in the contests starting next week. When I got home I took my walk with a Nub Cameroon 464T to continue the Oliva and Cameroon theme. This was a great little smoke, but was gone too soon. I always joked that these would be better if they were longer, but it’s a great tasting cigar that hit the spot. I love that special little something that Cameroon leaf brings to a cigar. There’s a nice, sweet kinda nutty flavor that hits the spot. It’s not often that I smoke two cigars in an evening, but, in my defense, they were both pretty small.

That’s it for now, as I said above, the 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways starts in one week. I have a lot of work yet to do, but it’s shaping up to be pretty spectacular, so don’t forget to check back every day and enter. As the kids are saying (and the folks at Montecristo, evidently) it’s going to be “epic”!!

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, Cigar Safari, cigars, Contest, Iconic Leaf, IPCPR, La Palina, nub, Oja, oliva, Recluse

by CigarCraig | December 2, 2012 · 9:26 am

A 1502 Ruby, a Pinolero from AJ Fernandez and a Couple of Ortega Cigars

I’ve been working tirelessly on this years 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways this weekend, getting the daily posts drafted, taking pictures, shaking down sponsors, you know the drill. If you weren’t totally impressed last year, you should be this time around. I think it will be the biggest CigarCraig.com contest to date. Stay tuned, the madness all starts bright and early on December 12, 2012. Subscribe to my e-mail list, follow me on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on the goings on. You don’t want to hear any more about how to get free stuff, so on to some cigars I’ve smoked this week.

First up is a 1502 Ruby from Global Premium Cigars. This is a Nicaraguan company that’s being distributed by Gary Griffith of Emilio Cigars. Gary sent me some to

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try recently. Gary has been going crazy in the distribution area, he just picked up the Ezra Zion lines, which is good because they are tasty smokes and now I know a local place to pick some up! I loved the 1502 Black Gold, it is a maduro that’s right up my alley. This Ruby has what I believe to be an Ecuador Habano wrapper and is also a fantastic smoke. It’s rich and tasty and very satisfying. So far the 1502 cigars I’ve smoked have been winners in my book. The Owner of this company, Enrique Sanchez seems to be out and about visiting stores and doing it right. I hope I have a chance to catch up with him one of these days.

When I was at the Delaware Cigar Festival in September I was speaking with Kris Katchaturian and AJ Fernandez and Kris provided me with a couple of their new cigar, the Pinolero. I’ve been hearing and reading about this cigar, and the wo

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rd on the street seemed to be that this was a really strong cigar. I don’t mind strong cigars, but I don’t really need to be knocked on my butt. I like

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to be able to stand up without falling over when I’m finished a cigar. I didn’t find this cigar as curiously strong as I had been led to believe but it was an awesome smoke. Well balanced and perfectly made, I was very happy with this cigar. If you come across these and like stronger cigars, give it a try.

Friday night calls for a tried and true favorite to celebrate the beginning of the weekend. I have trouble keeping my hands off the Ortega Serie D Maduros in my humidors, so that’s what I selected. I consider Eddie Ortega a friend of mine, and I’ve always enjoyed cigars in which he’s been involved. When his Serie D was released with a San Andreas Maduro wrapper I knew it was going to be a perfect fit for my palate. I smoked the No.7, which is 5″ x 46, which is one of my favorite sizes. So far I haven’t really decided on a favorite size, they’ve all been spectacular. Rich and dark, like the high percentage cocoa chocolate bars that are out there. Have you ever had a 70% cocoa bar with jalapeños? It’s not as spicy as all that but it’s awfully good. One of my favorite cigars this year for sure, I could smoke these all the time and be a happy camper.

Of course, I had to smoke an Ortega Serie D Natural on Saturday. I’d actually forgotten that I have smoked the natural before, it turns out it was in September and I noted that it showed signs of youth. I smoked the No 10 last night and it was exceptional. It’s a belicoso shaped cigar, 6″ x 52 with a Habano Rosado wrapper that is quite attractive. This is also an awesome cigar. For my personal tastes, if this is awesome, then the maduro is super awesome, but that’s just me. I really enjoyed the flavor and perfect burn and draw, and I smoked it to a finger burning nub. Another “D”elicious cigar from Eddie Ortega, a way-cool guy who makes awesome smokes. I may have to dig around and see if I have any more hidden in the humidors.