Category Archives: Review

July 5, 2020 · 9:23 am

Fourth of July Cigars: J.C. Newman American, a Firecracker and a Havana

The Fourth of July seemed like a great time to smoke the J.C. Newman American that was generously gifted to me by a friend of mine and reader Adam Stevens. Check out Adam’s Wife, Jamie’s cigar reviews over at Cigar Talk Radio, she does a nice job. I really need to figure out a way to get together with those two before they more out of PA soon. Anyway, this has been a tough cigar for me to get my hands on, so I was thrilled when Adam included it in a Secret Santa package last year (I think?, right?). This is a cool project that Drew Newman, the fourth generation Newman in the business, spearheaded. Another aside, I first encountered Drew in the 90’s on the alt.smokers.cigars Usenet group when he was a 16 year old and caught all kinds of crap for being a kid posting on a cigar forum. Of course, he started the Cigar Family forum on their own website, which might have been the first major web forum dedicated to cigars shortly after. Anyway, the cigar is all US made components, made in the US. The wrapper is Florida Sungrown, the binder is Connecticut Broadleaf, and the fillers are “Pennsylvania Type 41, grown by Mennonite family farmers in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Connecticut Havana, grown John Foster in South Windsor, Connecticut“. I used to live within ten miles from those Mennonite farms in Lancaster county, by the way. All of the packaging is made in the USA too, by the way. The cigar smoked perfectly, I lit it up late in the morning while relaxing on the porch. The wrapper has a dry, mottled appearance, it’s not pretty. It is, however, a tasty cigar. It has some sweetness and earthiness and is very unique. Certainly a cigar that should be tried, and most likely enjoyed, I know I enjoyed it. Thanks again to Adam for sharing this with me!

 

After lunch did something, which must have been an errand that wasn’t memorable because I can’t remember what it was, or I was waiting for something to happen, so I smoked a Mi Querida Firecracker. The Firecracker line of cigars by United Cigar Group, which is Dave Garofalo of  2 Guy’s Cigars distribution company, is a stroke of genius. Of course, this is why it’s so frequently plagiarized, but not only is the format cool, but it’s a sure sale every year, and the social media impact seems to be fairly high. I’m sucked in, I feel like I need to pick up at least few of the cigars to sample every year. It’s a little funny how the sales go through, isn’t it? You get super-cool, niche brands like CroMagnon and Mi Querida that sell out 500 boxes in a day and everyone is amazed, then Perdomo comes along, a seemingly, or at least comparatively, pedestrian, brand sells 1000 boxes in a few hours. I wonder if another brand could touch Perdomo’s numbers? Not that there’s a quality difference, the Perdomo Firecraker is great, I dig it, but I kinda like the Mi Querida more (and the CroMagnon, although my sample size is smaller). The Fratello Firecracker is amazing as well, as is the Kristoff (I’ve only had one LFD and enjoyed it). To my knowledge, the Mi Querida was the only Firecracker to spin off into it’s own sub-brand, the Triqi Traca, which is pretty cool. I love the Mi Querida blend anyway, so the Firecracker was a no-brainer and really quite good, and smoked for an hour, amazing for such

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a little cigar. 

 

It’s been an annual tradition of mine for a long time on the Fourth of July to smoke a Havana cigar. 20+ years ago it was a matter of smoking one of the best in my humidor, along with a bit of civil disobedience, which is kind of what the day represents, right? Anyway, it’s not longer that big a deal, I have lots of better cigars in my humidor, but it’s a tradition, right? It seems to have turned in to an exercise in how to have a bad cigar experience. Last night I decided to liberate a cigar from the depths of the humidor, one that had spent well over a decade resting. I don’t recall where this particular Cuaba Salomón came from, or when, I just know it’s been around a long time. I smoked a bunch of the little Cuaba Divinos (same size and shape as a Short Story basically) years ago and never really cared for them. they had a distinctly Winston cigarette flavor to them, and it wasn’t what I was looking for in a cigar. So I ignored this big cigar for a long time, wouldn’t 7″ of cigar taste worse than 4″? As one might guess, taste wasn’t a problem. Actually, the flavor wasn’t bad, when I could get some smoke through. Have you ever had those cigars that you pull though and get nothing, but blow through and smoke pours out? Infuriating

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, isn’t it? WTF causes this? I have to figure there’s a fold in the filler that acts like some kind of valve. I know, a poker should fix this, it’s never right. Fool that I am, ever the optimist, I thought maybe it would burn past the problem. Nope, messed around with it for an hour or so and got to about two inches left before it started kind of working like a cigar should. What I should have done what put it down and gotten something else, but I’m too stubborn. So I’m sitting here this morning enjoying the crap out of a Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta No. 4 Robusto with my coffee (one of the old ones before it was part of the Joya series). It’s a cigar that’s been a favorite for a decade, and never is a disappointment. 

 

On with the day, I hope nobody lost any fingers yesterday. The fireworks around here were nuts, poor Macha spent the evening under her end table, she’s not a fan. That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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July 1, 2020 · 9:34 pm

Best Cigar Prices Grand Exhibition Cigar Line

After my recent visit to the Best Cigar Prices shop up in Drums, PA, Jason there sent me a few of their latest exclusive Altadis series, the Grand Exhibition line. I figured I’d give them a smoke this week and see how they were. Here’s what he wrote about them on the BCP site:

 

Cigars have been showcased at World’s Fair Exhibitions dating back to the 1800s. Commonly featured in the agricultural exhibits of various nations, these displays often gave the public their first look at real tobacco leaves, demonstrated the care and expertise involved in crafting fine cigars, and were even judged and awarded medals based on quality and workmanship. Indeed, the same passion and pride of cigar making that we know today was in full force at these international conventions held hundreds of years ago.

Paying tribute to the historic presence of cigars at the World’s Fair, The Grand Exhibition cigar line presents three opulent Nicaraguan blends from a trio of the most well known and respected brands in the world – all of which were once celebrated at World’s Fairs. The celebration now continues in your humidor with the introduction of the world-class flavor of Grand Exhibition cigars.

 

I decided to start with the H. Upmann Grand Exhibition Toro. As a general rule, the regular Altadis H. Upmann line is not a flavor profile which aligns well with my own preferences. This is made in Nicaragua, and is listed as a Connecticut wrapper, which is very dark for a Connecticut shade leaf. It’s certainly Connecticut shade and not broadleaf as it has a very clean appearance, and tastes nothing like broadleaf. The Toro is 6” x 50, and was well made, with a free draw and perfect burn. It had the classic H. Upmann flavors of the Upmanns I remember from years ago when I smoked the brand. There was a slightly sour, leatheriness that some folks love, but isn’t among my favorites. It wasn’t totally off putting, and the smoking experience overall made up for the flavors not being totally up my alley. For a cigar in the $6-7 price range, it’s a good buy if you’re an H. Upmann Fan. Anymore, the only Upmann I really enjoy is the newer H. Upmann by A.J. Fernandez.

 

Next up I smoked the Romeo y Julieta Grand Exhibition Magnum. This is the 6” x 60 Gordo in the line. These are also made in Nicaragua with a Habano wrapper, and are priced in the $7-$8 range. I haven’t smoked Romeo y Julietas in a while, save for the infrequent RoMEo, so nothing really to compare this to. Again, the construction was perfect. I’m one of the odd ones who doesn’t mind a cigar of this size, and it performed very well. It was very flavorful, rich, creamy smoke with nice tobacco flavors. It has some of the spice and sweetness I like and was enjoyable to the end. I was quite pleased with the RyJ.

 

Tonight I smoked the Montecristo Grand Exhibition, which is the premier offering in the Grand Exhibition line, carrying the highest price tag. They are in the $9-$10 range. The Montecristo also has a Habano wrapper, and is made in Nicaragua. Again, excellent construction, perfect burn and draw, an absolute pleasure to smoke. I smoked the 6″ x 52 toro, and I love toros. I have a feeling that Jason at BCP knew my Toro preference when he chose the cigars to send. It should be noted that all of these are available in Robusto and Churchill as well as the Toro, with the Upmann and Romeo lines having a 6″ x 60 Magnum and the Montecristo substituting a No. 2 Torpedo. The Montecristo had a really nice, well balanced flavor. I nice spice, some sweetness, and on the stronger side of medium. It was certainly my favorite of the three, although all were very good. I followed it up later with an Espada with a few years age on it with was also very nice, and compared favorably. 

 

Thank you to Jason for sharing these fine cigars with me! If you find yourself in Drums, PA, which is near Wilkes Barre, you need to stop in to Best Cigar Pub for a bite and a cigar. It’s a great place and they have a great selection of cigars. That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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June 28, 2020 · 10:30 am

Perdomo Firecracker, La Palina and JSK Nuggs Cigars

Last Saturday, 2 Guys Smoke Shop had their annual Firecracker release, and this year it was the Perdomo Firecracker. I typically pick up a couple to sample, and this year was no different. I was on the site at 10am with my order, and it seems like that was a god plan, because by early afternoon they had just about sold through the 1000 boxes that they had allotted.  That’s a pretty big sales day! I also picked up a couple of the original Firecrackers, because I never tried one. I’ve just about got a complete set, I’m missing an LFD, and one from Tatuaje, I guess. One day I’ll sit down and smoke them all. My most memorable was still the Fratello Firecracker on the Spanish Steps in Rome. A cigar with an Italian name, made by a Spanish speaking guy, in a Spanish speaking country, sold by an Italian American, smoked in Italy on the Spanish Steps. Just too much irony for me to pass up.  So I sat on the porch Friday evening with this wee  Perdomo cigar for nearly an hour, pretty amazing for a 3½” x 50 cigar. This is based off the 20th Anniversary Sungrown blend, which I tolerate pretty well, although my favorite Perdomo cigar, hands down, is the  20th Anniversary Maduro. There is some spice and strength to this smoke, befitting the Firecracker line, although maybe not the boldest one of the bunch. Clearly Perdomo added a bit of ligero to the blend to punch it up, as he should have. It’s a tasty little smoke, I dig it!

 

As I’ve been doing lately, I dug out an older cigar from the humidor and revisited a La Palina LP 01 yesterday. When the LP 01 and 02 came out a few years ago the design was such a diversion from the norm for the company that I think many found it off putting. The cigars were good, however, I really enjoyed the LP 01. It was the Robusto, 5″ x 50, and has an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Costa Rican binder and Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. If I remember correctly, these are made in Honduras ar Raices Cubanas. After two years in the humidor, the cigar smokes very well, with a good draw and even burn all he was through. It had a nice sweetness from the Sumatra wrapper, and I’m partial to Sumatra wrappers lately. I typically enjoy the Maduro LP 02 more, but this one was very, very good. It’s still

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listed on the La Palina webpage, so I ASSume it’s still in their portfolio. 

 

I’ve had a rough several days as far as migraines go, something in the atmosphere, I guess. I’ve been popping Imetrex like TicTacs, and the whole process wears on me. I figured this might be as good a time as any to try out the JSK Nuggs Natural cigar that Riste Riatevski gave me when I met him at the TPE show. Why do I see Riste’s last name spelt two different ways? I went with his Facebook profile, but some sources spell it Ristevski. I’m confused and will ask him when I see him again unless he chimes in here. Anyway, I would like to try this in the maduro, and will pick up some more when I get the chance. I’m not sure I felt any effects of the 20mg of CBD oil infused in this cigar. to be honest, I’m not entire

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ly sure what I’m supposed to feel, but I did awake with another migraine today (day 4, very upsetting to have a streak like that!), so that isn’t the answer to that issue! The cigar has a Habano wrapper, Indonesian binder, and Nicaraguan fillers and is infused, like I said, with 20mg of CBD oil. There is also a 100mg version available with something like a $25 price tag. The cigar had decent enough flavor, although there was something a little different, was it the CBD? If it was, then I’d be worried about the flavor of the 100mg version personally. Perhaps someone who has smoked it can chime in? It was smooth and nutty, woody and earthy with that odd flavor I mentioned. I supposed I hoped for a more noticeable”feeling”, but I didn’t quite know what to look for, I suppose. Worth trying, for sure, and something I’ll look to try again.

 

That’s about al for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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June 24, 2020 · 10:39 pm

Smoking Some New Drew Estate Non-Traditional Cigars

I’m going to go a little different dire

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ction than usual by talking about some of Drew Estate’s infused and non-traditional brands. I posted the news o
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ver the last few weeks about these new sizes, and my friends at BnB Tobacco sent me a sampler of some of the new sizes. So I figured, what the hell, I’ll give them a smoke, I’ve got plenty of time on my hands. Of course, I started with the one cigar that I was itching to get my hands on, the new size in the Deadwood line, the Leather Rose. OK, somehow I missed posting this news item, but I’ll recap.

 

Uniting with her sisters Sweet Jane, Fat Bottom Betty, and Crazy Alice after spending time away robbing banks (as the folklore goes) the spicy “Leather Rose” is the boldest lady of the bunch. This 5” x 54 torpedo features a rich maduro wrapper and proves to be the spiciest of the Deadwood family. Lighting up the Leather rose will fill the room with her exotic aroma, plus the effortless draw will leave you longing for more.

 

I’m not sold on the “spiciest” part, maybe, I’d have to smoke a bunch all together and see. I do enjoy the whole Yummy Bitches range, I find the sweetness and the spice and aromatics in the exotic tobaccos they use in these to be a really refreshing change of pace. They are loaded with interesting and unique f

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lavors. For a new cigar this one was ready to go and burned perfectly. I’d definitely smoke this again and like to have something from this family in my humidors at all times.

 

 

My next selection was the Tabak Especial Negra in the new Lonsdale vitola. I’ve mostly smoked the Tabak in the robusto size, I enjoy them from time to time, and when I smoke an infused or flavored cigar, coffee is the flavor of choice for me. I tend to favor when coffee and espresso flavors appear naturally in tobacco, so it’s a reasonable fit. The Lonsdale is 6 3/4” x 44, which is a nice, elegant size, and actually a size I like quite a bit, but one you don’t see very often. If I’m drinking coffee, which I do every morning, I drink it black, unadulterated, straight up. The Negra is kind of like that but sweetened, which I like in a cigar. Again, for a new cigar, the burn and draw were spot on, and, like all smaller ring cigars, smoking slow is the way to go, lest it overheat and become bitter, like the pot of coffee that’s been sitting on the burner all day.

 

Today I got adventurous. I had thought the last Acid cigar I smoked was a Kuba Maduro in the spring of 2011, it was the eighth cigar of the day lat at night at Cigar Safari. I was burnt out and didn’t really care what I was smoking. I remembered later I smoked an Acid Shorty six years ago when we adopted our three-legged pitbull, Macha. She bore a resemblance to Shorty Rossi’s dog, Hercules, and Shorty had given me the cigar. I also didn’t realize that the Acid Plush came out over a year ago, and wasn’t one of this year’s new releases, so it doesn’t really fit with the theme of this post. Oh well, I smoked it anyway. In retrospect, if I had

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done a little homework, I would have smoked the Tabak Dolce Lonsdale instead to stay on topic, but them this Plush probably would have been relegated to that bag of infused cigars in the bottom of the humidor that I ignore (I think there’s an Extraordinary Larry in there that’s well over a decade old). So I smoked it, and it didn’t suck. It wasn’t something I’d go to every day, but it was an interesting smoke. It was sweet, and herbal, and the Broadleaf wrapper added to the sweetness and gave it some body. 

 

I wrapped up the day with the Acid 20 Toro. This one definitely is a new size, along with a robusto in a tube, announced a few weeks ago.  If I remember correctly, this had a San Andrés wrapper. I smoked a Robusto when they came out, or just before probably, and thought it was pretty good. I don’t remember it being heavily infused. I did taste the infusion in this one. My wife commented that the porch smelled of patchouli this evening, I can’t smell cigars while I’m smoki

ng them actually, which is kind of odd. I can smell a cigarette or if someone is smoking an Acid and I’m not. It’s a weird thing. Anyway, the Acid 20 was a nice smoke. It’s a little but like the Kuba Arte to me, with maybe more spice, but it has that saccharine sweetness on the cap that takes some getting used to.  Like the  other cigars I’ve smoked in this post, it’s a nice change of pace for me, but not an everyday smoke. 

 

Maybe tomorrow I’ll smoke the Tabak Dolce Lonsdale early i

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n the day, or, more likely, I’ll choose a cigar like an Umbagog, a Cornelius and Anthony Señor Esugars, or a Don Juan Calavera to get back to normal! Thanks to Brad at BnB Tobacco for sharing these new releases with me! I don’t think these are on store shelves yet, so I feel lucky to have the chance to try them! I do like a non-traditional cigar from time to time, there are certainly some I prefer over a few traditional cigars! Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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June 21, 2020 · 10:49 am

Providencia Spectrum and Espinosa Comfortably Numb Cigars and Other Stuff

Happy Father’s day. Later today I’ll smoke the last cigar from a box of cigars I bought for Father’s Day in 2000. It’ll be a hard cigar not to save, but I’m going to bite the bullet and light it anyway. I didn’t smoke the whole box one every Father’s Day, it took a few years for me to develop that tradition. I had smoked a few and shared a few, but over the years I had a few gifted to me as well to supplement the inventory, thanks to Mike Perry for extending my tradition for a few years by sharing some of his aged stash with me! So today will see the last Esperanza Para Los Niños toro, a cigar made by Christian Eiroa in 1999 with the help of some guys from a usenet group who met up in Danli and selected this blend and sold it with proceeds going to children orphaned by hurricane Mitch. $85 a box was a fortune for me at the time, a bargain now for an excellent cigar, which was heavy bodied, not unlike the old Camacho Triple Maduro. It’s always an adventure smoking a 20 year old cigar, I’m rather looking forward to it, but it’ll come with some sadness as I’ll never have another! I still have the box someplace though! 

 

On to some cigars I actually smoked! I went on a brief Southern Draw bender on the heels of their press release announcing the cancelation of all of their public events for the rest of the year due to pandemic concerns. Personally, I find this to be a responsible decision, as areas that seem to be lax in their preventative measures seem to have a higher infection rate, and who amung us doesn’t want to protect their families? I think the Rose of Sharon Desert Rose is one of the top Connecticut shade style cigars out there, and the Kudzu Lustron is definitely a top notch cigar as well! I smoked both, they are the same box pressed torpedo vitola and are delicious. Speaking of box pressed torpedos from a Texas-based cigar company, I also smoked a cigar

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from Providencia Cigars. This cigar is called Spectrum, and my assumption is that it has an autism charity connection, considering the colorful puzzle pieces on the band. I can appreciate this theme. If I were to guess, I’d say it was 5″ x 52ish, and the only information I have on it is that it has a Sumatra wrapper that was characterized as delicate and thin. I was advised to avoid wind and humidity due to the fragility of the wrapper, so I did. This is an abso-friggin-lutely delicious cigar! As with just about every Providencia cigar I’ve ever smoked, the cigar burned perfectly. This was the rival of another Sumat

ra wrapped, honduran made cigar I love in flavor, balance and overall enjoyability (Don Juan Calavera). There’s a sweetness that I really dig, I really have to buy a mixed bag of old-timey hard candy and try to isolate that flavor, but there’s a candy sweetness that makes this cigar a great desert smoke. Absolute joy. I don’t have any idea what the availability of this is or was, but try it if you can. 

 

I believe the Espinosa Comfortably Numb Vol.1 is a Meier and Dutch distributed brand, which is the distribution arm of Cigars International. I picked this one up a few years ago at the CI store in Hamburg when Erik Espinosa was there the day Cigar Fest tickets went on sale. I was just there for the spectacle of it all, hundreds of people lined up outside for hours in the freezing cold for tickets, not my bag, baby. This is a toro with an Ecuador Habano wrapper, Corojo binder and Nicaraguan fillers and is surprisingly mellow. It almost smoked like a shade wrapped cigar. It doesn’t have the grassy flavor, but it does have a sweet, nutty flavor that is pretty nice, and it seemed to have aged pretty well. I say “aged”, it was February of 2018 when I picked this cigar up, so, it’s hardly aged compared to a lot of things, but it held up. Tasty cigar, and not badly priced. I’d be very tempted to sample the madur version, the Vol. 2, the next time I happen to be in a CI store, or if I see it in a shop. Older folks will note the Alton Kelley/W

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es Wilson inspired band design.

 

Speaking of “aging”, I smoked one of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Famous Smoke Shop 80th Anniversary cigars from last October last night and it was spectacular. There’s not a lot of Saka’s cigars

I don’t like, but this one is pretty special. Well, on with the day, have a great one, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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