Category Archives: Review

Accessory Review: ThermoPro TP59 Wireless Thermometer Hygrometer

Recently I was sent a ThermoPro TP59 Wireless Thermometer Hygrometer to test out. I mostly use Govee brand remote hygrometers, along with some Western Digital Hygrometers in my humidors, so they were used as my baseline for testing out his unit. To be honest, I’m not one of these guys who obsesses about my humidors being spot on humidity wise, as long as the cigars are smoking right, I’m happy, but I do want to know when there are wild fluctuations. There are a few things I like about this unit and and a few things I don’t like. Let’s hit the high points first. It’s inexpensive, I think the cost on this is around $17.99 (I can’t tell for sure, which will come up in the “cons” portion). It seems to be reasonably accurate. It matches up within a point or two of my other hygrometers in both temperature and humidity. Any hygrometer at this price isn’t going to be dead-on accurate, the spec is +-2% on the humidity. The display is large and easy to read, backlit, and

the overall look is nice enough. It’s Bluetooth, so you don’t need to see it to get a reading. The smartphone app is easy to use and provides plenty of historical data, as well as alerts if the temperature and humidity goes above or below thresholds that you can define. Another plus is that it takes normal AA

A batteries, which were included. This is a decent unit for a larger humidor.

 

Now for the downsides. I say that it’s good for a larger humidor because it’s on the large side. The screen itself is 3″ diagonal. It’s going to take up some space in a small humidor, although it can certainly be mounted in the lid. I was going to list the ease of purchase through Amazon as a “pro”, then I looked it up, and see t

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hat it’s currently unavailable. I can only assume that this is a brand new model and it will soon be available, but I don’t have a date right now. Other than that, I don’t have anything bad to say about it! It does what it’s meant to do, and loo

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ks good doing it, and provides plenty of data and features through the app.  I just need to find a good place to mount it now that I’m done with the side by side testing. 

 

Thanks to the folks at ThermoPro for allowing me to try out their

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product! that’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

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Room 101 Cigar Dojo Noodles Cigar and a Papas Fritas

Yesterday my wife and I took a little drive to Connecticut. My wife bought a really cool antique rooster cigar cutter in an auction, and it would have been a big hassle to have it shipped, so we decided to drive up and pick the thing up. A bit frivolous, I realize, but these days just getting out of the house to do something is something! We did manage to have our first Popeyes  chicken sandwich on the way, and picked up a White Castle Crave Case to nibble on on the way home! That’s kind of a Russian roulette move, isn’t it? Eat White Castle sliders on the road and see if you can make it home in time! I paced myself, one every two exits (credit to Jenn for the idea, btw. I may not have had the willpower).  By  I guess I have a strong constitution, it wasn’t a problem. While the cutter isn’t sharp enough to be functional, I think it’s really cool, and Drew Newman, of J.C. Newman, commented on Instagram that they have one in their museum, so that’s kinda neat. When I got home, I was ready for a cigar, I was going to have one on the drive, but I was too busy navigating the traffic to take the time to cut and light, I figured it would be less stressful to just wait until I got home. 

 

I selected a cigar that was new to me, and was shared with me in a Secret Santa pack last Christmas. Many thanks for that! The cigar is a Room 101/Cigar Dojo coll

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aboration that was made in the William Ventura factory in the Dominican Republic and didn’t really seem to have a name, but was called “noodles”. I thought I saw a comment from Matt with a more specific name, but I can’t find it, and who knows with him anyway, he’s a little loony! It’s a good sort of loony, mind you, but loony, nonetheless.  This has a natural colored San Andrès wrapper, Sumatra binder and Criollo ’98, Corojo ’99,  and Havana Vuelta Abajo fillers. Oddly, as much as I like a Maduro fermented San Andrés wrapper, Natural San Andrés rarely does anything for me. Such was the case with this cigar. One would think the Sumatra binder would be a saving grace, sadly no. While technically the Belicoso shape was a perfect delivery system, the flavor didn’t excite me, it was sour to my palate, and, except for a short stretch where I got an interesting flavor of something I couldn’t put a finger on, but liked.  For the right palate, this would be a great cigar. 

 

Since the Room 101 was only a 5½” x 52 Belicoso, and seemed to smoke pretty fast, I was left wanting. Since I had been chowing down on White Castle burgers non-stop all

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afternoon, I figured what goes better

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with burgers than fries, right? So a Drew Estate Papas Fritas was the obvious choice, and since I had one out for t

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he ride, I fired one up. These little 4½’ x 44 mixed fill cigars, while a little pricey for what they are, they are exceptional. They aren’t too far off in flavor from a Liga Privada, they use the same Broadleaf wrapper and Brazilian binder and filled with trimmings from the benches where Ligas are rolled. The original version was presented in four count tins, somewhere I have a Havana Romeo y Julieta tin of the same design from the 60’s or 70s. They used to offer these tins on transAtlantic flights! Those were the days! Anyway, great little cigars! 

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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An Illusione HL Candela and Some Oveja Negra News

Yesterday I smoked another cigar that I bought from Scotty’s Cigars, an Illusione ~hl~ Candela.  This is a 7 ½” x 40 Lancero with a pigtail cap and a bright green candela wrapper. It’s a Nicaraguan puro made in Honduras apparently. I’ve smoked the ~hl~ in Maduro and loved it. First I’ll say that I need to smoke more Illusione cigars, I don’t frequent the local stores that have a good selection of them, enough. I love smoking them when I pick them up, and I love listening to Dion any chance I get.  I need to sample more of the lines. Regarding the Candela ~hl~, or Holy Lance as it’s sometimes referred, if you aren’t a fan of candela, this may not be for you. If you are a fan of candela, and I really enjoy it from time to time as a change of pace and palate refresher, this is a great cigar. It’s got that crisp, clean, herbal kind of flavor. You can taste the chloroform chlorophyll and, like I said, it’s refreshing! This example had a great burn and draw and gave me two hours of relaxation on the porch.  I wouldn’t have wanted to take this for a walk on a cold, winders night, but in the comfort of the propane heater, it was real nice. It was a damned tasty smoke.

 

I received a couple news stories this week from Oveja Negra, and I want to comment on the first one, involving the distribution in Belgium and Luxembourg. I usually don’t pass along news items about international distribution, but there was another piece of this that cought my eye. The company that is the distributor in that small part of Europe is called Media Rueda and Halfwheel’s holding company is called Rueda Media (Halfwheel reported on the story and commented on this, saying they had no prior knowledge of the European company until this story). I’m guessing Halfwheel has had the name since it’s inception in 2012 or ‘13 or whenever it was they started, so my question is: will there be a letter sent from the attorneys on this? Is a cigar distributor in tiny Belgium/Luxembourg worth the legal fees, or is it a matter of ego? Am I right in assuming that my readers neither care about international distribution, nor the name of Halfwheel’s holding company or are likely to confuse it with a European distributor? Disregard all of this and check out these two news items from the folks at Oveja Negra, the second of which is probably far more interesting!

 

Oveja Negra Brands is pleased to announce their distribution agreement with Media Rueda™ for Belgium and Luxembourg.

Starting today Black Label Trading Company and Black Works Studio cigars will be available in the Belgium and Luxembourg markets through Media Rueda™.

 

“After entering the German market a couple of years ago, we have been humbled by the incredible reception our cigars have received. We are excited to continue our expansion in Europe by adding Media Rueda™ to the Oveja Negra family.  Pieter and his partners have been amazing supporters of what we do and I’m looking forward to working with him in the Belgium market,” said James Brown, creator of BLTC and BLK WKS, and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.

 

“We are excited to bring Oveja Negra Brands to our markets. There is great demand for excellent, hand crafted cigars and we feel honored Oveja Negra Brands put their trust in us to serve our local customers,” added Pieter De Windt, partner at Media Rueda™.

Black Label Trading Company and Black Works Studio create handcrafted premium cigars of the utmost quality in small batch, limited quantities at Fabrica Oveja Negra. 

 

Media Rueda™ bv has the express goal to import and distribute added value, hand-made premium cigars in Europe.  For more information, please visit mediarueda.eu

 

 

 

I look forward to trying this Cameroon wrapped cigar! Corona Gorda and Lonsdale are neat sizes too.

 

Black Works Studio (BLK WKS) is pleased to announce the release of Hyena: Hand crafted in Esteli, Nicaragua at Fabrica Oveja Negra.

HYENA is a Limited Edition that will be shipping to select BLK WKS retailers at the beginning of March.

“Hyena is the latest addition to the BLK WKS portfolio. A truly unique cigar that is focused on showcasing a perfect balance between Nicaraguan fillers and the Cameroon wrapper. The profile is spice forward with white pepper & semi-sweet baking spices blended with herbal notes & cedar. The finish is a blend of bitter cocoa, cream & malt. Hyena is an extremely complex and balanced cigar and is a tribute to my wife’s and my many years of living in Africa,” said James Brown, creator of BLTC & BLK WKS and owner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.

 

HYENA
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaragua
Corona Gorda – 5 x 46 (20 count) MSRP $12.00
Lonsdale – 6.5×42 (20 count) MSRP $12.50

 

These cigars are an expression of art showcasing the talent, technique and tobacco of our boutique cigar factory; Fabrica Oveja Negra. BLK WKS cigars are available for purchase through Oveja Negra Brands. For more information visit OvejaNegraCigars.com.

 

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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Perla Del Mar Corojo and a Diamond Crown Cigars

The  folks at J.C. Newman recently shared some cigars with me, so I figured I’d smoke some of them. I’ve been a fan of the budget-friendly Perla Del Mar line for a while, and I was quite curious to try the new Corojo they recently released. I can’t say that I’m overly enthralled with what they’ve done with the bands, I thought the old bands were pretty cool, and the new bands with just PDM in the middle bring to mind another brand, and I don’t find it as classy as the old ones. I get it if that’s not what they are going for and it’s none of my business really, and isn’t going to make me like the cigars any less. I looked in my local shop for the Corojo a few times over the last few weeks to no avail, and was thrilled when some showed up in my mailbox. These are made in J.C. Newnan’s PENSA factory in Nicaragua, with a Corojo wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. I was fortunate to come in to possession of the Corona Gorda vitola, which would be my second choice after the Toro. After the Toro, I do like the 5½” x 46 size the best, I think. These are box pressed as well. This is a really tasty cigar, with a sweetness like I enjoy in the Sumatra wrapped cigars, with some nuts and leather as well. For about $6, you can hardly go wrong with this one, recommended.

 

The Diamond Crown is a sentimental favorite of mine.  Back in 1998 I was at a cigar event in Vegas that was hosted by, among other people, Steve Saka, before he was actually employed in the cigar industry. He was writing for a website called CigarNexus at the time, and it was a gathering of folks who contributed to the alt.smokers.cigars Usenet newsgroup. At the time, Diamond Crown was only available on the West Coast (Opus X was only available on the east coast), so it was a treat to get to smoke one. My wife and I smoked these large cigars, probably the 7½” x 54 No. 2 size, I don’t think it was the No. 1, but that was a long time ago and memory isn’t what it was. All of the cigars were 54 ring gauge, which was enormous at the time. I always remember this event when I  smoke a Diamond Crown. I admit that my preference is for the maduro or the Maximus nowadays, but the Diamond Crown remains a Connecticut Shade cigar that I can always smoke. I smoked the No. 7, a torpedo measuring 6¾” x 54 and found it to be medium bodied and delicious. It has a Connecticut grown shade wrapper, Dominican binder and five fillers from the Caribbean and Central America. It’s made at the Fuente factory in the Dominican Republic.It’s a flavorful cigar, with a nuttiness, and creamy coffee flavor. It’s certainly a great cigar, and will always be special to me. 

 

Thats all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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The Humidity Cigars Subscription Pack

I’ve been seeing a lot of talk about monthly subscription services, and they seem like a great idea for the right consumer. Heck, they might even be good for someone like me who gets preconceived notions about what I might like or not like based on the blend, appearance, or even the bands or packaging. I know, it’s wrong, but it’s a reality isn’t it? You do smoke with your eyes first, after all, it’s part of the overall experience. That being said, I’ve never committed to a monthly subscription service, I know there are good ones out there, but I’ve always had a large enough stockpile of cigars here in the past and always seemed to have a steady flow of new cigars to try. That is until recently. I don’t know that I want to commit monthly, but I don’t mind putting up a given dollar amount now and then and having someone send me some cigars of their choosing, this model would appealed to me. Anyway, the folks at Humidity Cigars contacted me and sent me one of their monthly kits, and I’ve subsequently placed an order for another one. The one they sent included the Finch and Jackdaw Robustos from Blackbird Cigars, a Medrano Toro Maduro and an Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente King B. It was a year ago this week that I posted about the Blackbird Cigars along with a video, which apparently you now have to go to YouTube to watch because YouTube won’t allow me to embed videos here anymore due to age restrictions. Nice. They also included one of their can cozies and masks, along with a nice pocket tasting notebook from tastejournal.co.uk. Now, I can’t guarantee that every months subscription comes with all the goodies, but the presentation was very nice. The cigars came in a sealed bag with Humi-smart packs in it and were in good condition as checked with my Humidimeter.

 

Of course, I smoked the Finch first, I’ve smoked this one before and enjoyed it, I like Sumatra a lot and this didn’t disappoint. It’s nice and sweet like I expect. Oddly, the Jackdaw Connecticut is one I hadn’t smoked, and still have one from the TPE show last year! This is a case like I mentioned above, Connecticuts are low on my “try” list. I like them enough, there’s just a select few I really like, and it’s not a genre that I get stoked about sampling. This one, however, it a very nice representation of the genre. It’s a flavorful Ecuador shade wrapped cigar. As with all of the Blackbird Cigars I’ve smoked, the construction is very good. In my area, this line is being distributed by Mark Weissenberger (formerly of Rocky Patel), who is also handling Danli Honduras Tobacco, who makes my favorites, the Don Juan Calaveras, Marchettis, and Clowns. I should be able to find them in my local shops.

 

I hadn’t heard of the Medrano cigar in the pack before. This was a dark Maduro with a foot band that had Five-Four on it. The website for the company gives little info apart from that it has a San Andrés wrapper, Honduran binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. It was a 6” x 54 (maybe that’s what the Five-Four means?) toro and was well made. It smoked well, had a nice flavor, very much what I expected a San Andrés wrapped cigar should taste like, and gave me a good smoking experience. Looking at the website, I’m not sure if they are a cigar company or an apparel company, as they have more clothes than cigars for sale, but perhaps they are just getting started. They need some background info about themselves on the site! Best of luck to them, they seem to be headed in the right direction.

 

The ringer in this pack was the Chateau Fuente King B. I don’t know if it’s my age, or the time I got started smoking cigars, or what, but for me, a Fuente with a Black or White band is always a special thing. When I want to smoke a great cigar, I reach for a Hemingway, Don Carlos, or Añejo, and I’m never disappointed. This King B seems to fit into that family somehow. It’s still in the Gran Reserva line, but has the black band. It’s a 6” x 55 Belicoso with a cedar sleeve, and has a Sungrown Ecuador wrapper. While this isn’t quite on the level of the aforementioned three cigars, it‘ s still quite a good cigar, and while I haven’t smoke a green banded Fuente in a while, my recollection is that it appeals to me more than most of those. It was a nice, coffee and woody flavored cigar. It’s one I wouldn’t mind having in my humidor.

 

Humidity Cigars seems to have a good model, two cigars for $20, four for $35, and they are in PA, not far from me, which is good for a small percentage of my readers :-). I appreciate their consideration, and I’ll let you know how the subsequent order ends up (I should have used and assumed name and address…but I’m not that sneaky…). Maybe I’ll get to Camphill one of these days and meet up with the owners (I have lots of maybes in a post-pandemic future).

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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