CigarCraig's Blog

by Craig Vanderslice | March 22, 2020 · 12:45 pm

The Diesel Delirium and It’s Three Predecessors

As we settle into our new version of reality, I decided to dig into the new Diesel Delirium samples which General Cigar Co. generously provided. But before I did, I figured I’d pre-game a bit with some of the newer Diesel cigars that have come along over the past year or so. There’s the better part of a box of original Diesel Unholy Cocktails that my son bought in 2011 in the humidor that I thought about dipping into, there’s a rental fee that’s overdue! Maybe today. So I started with the Limited Edition Diesel Hair of the Dog. The Diesel Hair of the Dog is a 6” x 52 toro made of all Nicaraguan Habano fillers with an Ecuador Habano wrapper and Ecuador Sumatra Binder. Like all Diesel cigars, this is made by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua. I really like the sweetness in this cigar, and the cedary flavors. It’s on my top three Diesel cigars, for sure.

Next up was the Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask. To recap, It’s wrapped in Connecticut Broadleaf, it has a Brazilian Arapiraca binder and Nicaraguan fillers. I never did get an answer on my question about the tobacco being cultivated on three continents. Central America isn’t a continent. It’s a lie and I won’t stand for it! OK, maybe it’s not a great big deal, this is one of my favorite cigars. I still think it tastes like dessert. It’s s rich, raspberry chocolate cake. I smoked a robusto this time, which I think I like the best, although I still haven’t tried the Gordo. The next time I’m able to visit a cigar shop I’ll pick one up. Not sure when that will be, but it’s on my to do list. My favorite Diesel cigar so far, and pretty high on my go-to list.

This was all the pre-game show for the newest in the Diesel line-up, the limited edition Diesel Delirium. HEre’s the poop from General cigars:

Diesel is set to roll out “Delirium,” a limited-edition offering of the boldest Diesel blend to date. Only 5,000 boxes have been made and will be released in early March.

Delirium follows the Diesel’s Hair of the Dog (2019) which sold out in under three weeks.

Senior Brand Manager Justin Andrews said, “Diesel Delirium is about disruption. It’s a cigar that demands the smoker’s full attention and while it follows Hair of the Dog, the two blends couldn’t be more different. Delirium’s definitely powerhouse of a smoke, but it’s not just that. It’s also about dimension and balance, and that begins and ends with the blend we developed. This is a cigar that we recommend enjoying when you have time to commit to really experiencing the full spectrum of taste it delivers.”

Blended by AJ Fernandez, handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Esteli, Nicaragua and developed by Justin Andrews, Delirium is made with an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a blend of Nicaraguan ligero and Ometepe. A cigar for the initiated, Delirium is a peppery smoke that delivers an array of spices, with hints of nuts and an unexpected touch of nougat on the palate.

Diesel Delirium is available in one size Toro (6” x 52) which will sell for an SRP of $10.00 per cigar. The cigars are presented in rustic, ten-count wooden boxes with two compartments, each containing five cigars. The 5,000 cigar release will hit stores on March 2 and is expected to be an almost instant sell out.

Launched in 2014, the original Diesel Delirium was introduced by Cigars International and was only available for a short time. The updated blend reflects the popularity of cigars that are both full-bodied and complex.

I love the size of the Delirium, and the combination of the Sumatra wrapper and Broadleaf binder is really good. It’s got some power from the start, it slaps you around a little, but it settle in and is really a good smoke. I liked it so much I did something I don’t usually do and smoked two of them consecutively just to make sure I liked it as much as I thought I liked it. I was right, I really liked it a lot. It has some spice, but it has some sweetness too, and strength. It’s a cigar that lets you know you’re smoking a cigar. The two I smoked had great burn and draw as well. This is going to fall just below the Sherry Cask in my Diesel countdown, it gave it a run for its money, and it could come down to value, as the Sherry Cask has a great price and this is a little higher. Anyway, it’s a great smoke and I enjoyed it.

I figured I owed the original Diesel Whiskey row another shot. There’s still something about this cigar that I don’t care for. I know people love it, but it doesn’t do it for me. There’s a mushroomy, loamy, umami flavor that I don’t like. Burn and draw are great, I still smoked it, but it’s not a cigar I’m going to seek out, like the Sherry Cask. Heck, I’ve bought more of the Sherry Cask when I had some at home already. Nope, not into this one. If you like this one, and can compare it to other cigars, I’d be interested in knowing what other cigars they are so I can see if I like those cigars, or avoid them!

That’s more than enough for today. We woke up to a bad thermostat on the house heater (a month out of warranty!), so I need to shop for a new one. Great, just what I need, not only an expense, but I have to go out in public! At least I don’t have to call “the guy” to come charge me 10x to fix it!

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Delirium, diesel, general cigar, Hair of the Dog, Sherry Cask, Whiskey Row

by Craig Vanderslice | March 18, 2020 · 5:24 pm

The Current Retail Environment and My Green Cigar Day Selection

We have entered odd times. We are seeing businesses closed for the public safety, and a lot of our cigar stores are affected. I’ve been in touch with a few earlier this week, and already things have changed. On Monday the four or five shops I spoke with were business as usual, and by yesterday, they had closed the lounges, and were only open for grab-and-go purchases. Many had gone to a call ahead with curb-side pick-up, those that offer online ordering continue to do so. These are small businesses, they can’t afford to close, it would be devastating. Obviously, this extends much further than our little corner of the world, this is happening in all areas if life. I’ve been out of work since November, and the job market now looks bleaker than it did before. I’m, at least, in the same position I’ve been in for the past several months. I’m hoping for an extension in unemployment benefits, but I’m not counting on it. With any luck in a few weeks things will return to normal. I wou

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ld say if you have the means and you need cigars, or food, or supplies, buy them from a local small business. If you don’t have a local shop, there are several great retailers who advertise on my page who you can patronize.

I’ve found myself smoking a little more than usual. I generally smoke one a day, but I’ve been having two here and there, digging into some of the older cigars in my humidors. Last week I found an Emilio La Musa Malete that had deeply yellowed cello that was very nice, and a Leccia Luchador El Gringo Frogsplash. I liked the Frogsplash much better with a few years of age than when they were younger, I was less of a fen of the El Gringo line than the original Luchador, but age helped a lot.

Yesterday was March 17, and Saint Patrick’s Day is usually a big party day, not that I every took part in much other than the smoking of the green. I typically do smoke a candela cigar of some sort. I couldn’t wait to smoke the latest Alec Bradley seasonal release, this year they added the triple wrapped Filthy Hooligan Shamrock. I smoked one a few weeks ago and thought it was great. So yesterday I went with the RoMaCraft CroMagnon EMH Don Bosco. This cigar was a gift to me by PJ when I met him last September, muchos gracias! This is a 5″ x 56 Ecuadorian Connecticut Candela cigar with stripes of Connecticut broadleaf. From what I read, it’s the opposite of the Black Irish. I have always enjoyed the Fomorian, which is all candela, and this was also great, with a little extra greatness added by the broadleaf accent. It burned well, and was very tasty. The candela, for me, is refreshing, it brightens up the heavy CroMagnon core. It was a real treat to have smoked this cigar, which from what I know was very limited and not something one sees very often. Thank you very much to PJ for sharing this with me! It was delicious following the corned beef I had for lunch!

That’s all for now. Make sure you

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tune in to the I’d Tap That Cigar Show on the Cigar Prop YouTube Channel tonight at 8 for a big announcement. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Don Bosco, EMH, RoMaCraft CroMagnon

by Craig Vanderslice | March 15, 2020 · 10:45 am

Fratello Blu, Fratello Rosso And Fratello Verde Cigars

Everything seems to be going crazy with this pandemic thing, I gotta tell you, it isn’t helping my job search any! Hiring freezes, forget getting an interview, places that are open don’t even allow people in the building, let alone have interviews. Pennsylvania has closed schools, liquor stores and has asked that non essential businesses shut down. It’s crazy, and it’s not going to get better real soon. Right now, as frivolous as it might be, I’m going to keep doing what I do, write my blog about the cigars I smoke. Back in January, Fratello Cigars announced a budget line of cigars being made at La Aurora with camo bands. These come in three wrappers, a Maduro, Habano and Connecticut, and in Robusto and Toro in bundles of 15. These have a retail cost in the mid $3 range. You can see the press release I published HERE. As I remarked in that post, there were a few companies who had budget offerings at the show, not as many as I thought. Alec Bradley was one that comes to mind, they had a Caribbean Classic that was not too bad a cigar for a similar price. So, I set out to smoke the three of the Fratello “Camos” over the last few days, here are my thoughts.

I suppose you thought I’d smoke the Maduro first? You’d be right. I just thought about this, when I smoked cigarettes, I smoked menthols, because I always smoked the cheapest ones I could get (no sense going broke killing yourself), because the menthols pretty much all tasted the same. I wonder if I unconsciously apply this same logic to lower priced cigars? Does the stronger flavor of the maduro leaf compensate for other shortcomings? Just a theory. Anyway, the Fratello Blu is the maduro in this line, and has a nice, dark wrapper of unpublished origin, just like the rest of the blend. All we know is that it’s a cigar, and it’s made at La Aurora, which is pretty much enough for me. I trust Omar and La Aurora. The maduro is what I expect from a maduro, a nice, medium, chocalaty cigar. The burn was good, I expect it’s mixed filler as the ash didn’t hold on particularly long, but I could be wrong. Overall, a nice cigar.

Next up was the Rosso, which has a Habano wrapper, and again, we don’t know where this comes from. Contrary to my usual preferences, this was actually my favorite cigar of the three. Again, the burn was very good, although the ash retention was less than spec

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tacular. In fairness, it was windy, and I took a walk, mindful to keep my distance from other people. I think cigars are good for that, for the most part, especially in public. Much of my walking is done on a trail operated by the county parks department,

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which they threatened to close due the the whole virus thing. I would likely have been a scofflaw, as I would have used the trail anyway. It remains open, because it’s actually a thorofare, and what are they going to do, barricade it off? what a waste of resources that would be! Anyway, The Fratello Rosso has a nice, sweet flavor that I found appealing, more akin to a Sumatra wrapper than a Habano, I thought. I dug it, and for a sub $50 bundle of 15, I think this is a nice smoke.

Finally, I smoked the Verde last night, which is a the Connecticut offering, and we have to ASSume this is Ecuador Connecticut, because expensive cigars can’t afford USA Connecticut, we aren’t going to see it on a bundle cigar. This wrapper was a darker Connecticut, not claro, it was only a

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shade or two, by my eye, lighter than the Rosso. I’m sure the trained eye sees this differently, there’s something like 67 different shades of tobacco leaves. This one was, for me, noticeable milder than the previous two, with the other two being solidly in the medium camp. Again, the burn was good, not going to win any longest ash contests, and the flavors were typical of a shade cigar, some nuttyness and cream. These were stored together since I got them, oddly this particular one could probably have smoked better had it been a little drier. This is a littler counter-intuitive, but just my observation. Anyway, there’s my take. For me, they are in order of preference, Rosso, Blue and Verde, but all are a

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great value, and I think they are due in stores over the next few days barring Armageddon.

That’s all for today, until the next time (providing there is one).

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Blu, cigar, cigars, Fratello, Rosso, Verde

by Craig Vanderslice | March 11, 2020 · 8:05 pm

The New Punch Knuckle Buster Cigar

A few weeks ago I posted about the new Punch Chop Suey, as well as the Shop Press, and I included the press release for the new Punch Knuckle Buster. To recap, the Punch Knuckle Buster is a new regular production cigar made at the HATSA factory in Honduras with Habano seed tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras. The wrapper is Nicaraguan, the binder Honduran and the filler a blend of the two. The cigars are priced between $5 and $6 before state taxes where applicable, so they are very reasonably priced. I smoked one last night and I actually hadn’t even looked at the pricing before I smoked it, so I had no preconceived notions. First, I’ve enjoyed a lot of Punch cigars over the years. I wrote a post about a controversy which existed in the ’90s about Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey cigars back in 2012 (http://www.cigarcraig.com/punch-vs-hoyo-de-monterrey-a-debate-finally-settled/) dispelling the myth that the two cigars were exactly the same. There have been some hits and misses in the Punch line in recent years to my palate, but otherwise it’s been a solid line. For instance, the Punch Diablo I smoked tonight, made by A.J. Fernandez, is a fantastic cigar to my palate.

The Punch Knuckle Buster I smoked was the 6″ x 50 Toro, it also comes in a 4½” x 52 Robusto and 6¼”x 60 Gordo, I’d happily smoke any of them. It’s a nice looking cigar, the Nicaraguan Habano wrapper is an attractive shade of brown without blemish.The construction on the sample I smoked was perfect, it had the flat ember that I enjoy, no cone, all of the leaves in the blend burning at the same rate. When I first lit it up I wondered where it was going. It started out rather blah, if I had known the price point I wouldn’t have been surprised at that point. After about the first inch, started sweetening up and really got good. It was a medium bodied cigar all the way through, and it was really quite nice. There was a nice, sweet, nutty flavor that I really enjoyed. Now that I see that it’s a very reasonably priced cigar, I’m surprised and quite happy. I thought it was a beautiful cigar, and contemplated smoking another tonight. It seems to me there was a Punch Bare Knuckle some time ago, it might have been a Maier and Dutch exclusive, but it was a strong cigar, this one was not. It was smooth and tasty. Maybe it isn’t the greatest name, as it implies it packs a punch, which it doesn’t, I’d be comfortable sharing this with a novice smoker. It has a load of flavor,

Interestingly, it’s been brought to my attention that the new CigarWorld.com site is having their first official contest, and it happens to involve the Punch brand. You’ll have to register and join the Groups, and go HERE. If you review a Punch cigar on the site this month you’ll be entered to win a Punch Bobblehead. Follow the directions on the post. Thank you to General Cigar Co. for sending the Punch Knuckle Buster samples. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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by Craig Vanderslice | March 10, 2020 · 5:09 pm

News: Drew Estate Announces Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” as Pappy & Co. Exclusive

Interesting news about the Pappy Tradition. I guess you could get these at Drew Diplomat shops, but now they are just available direct from Pappy Van Winkle. They are good smokes, oddly I prefer the Barrel Fermented line more.

Drew Estate announces today that the Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” will now be sold exclusively through Pappy & Company at www.pappyco.com.

Drew Estate is honored to represent the Van Winkle Family with an ultra-premium cigar that reinforces the legacy of a living American icon, Julian Van Winkle. The Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” features an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper, Indonesian Binder and aged fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

From Louisville, Kentucky, Carrie Van Winkle Greener, Co-Founder of Pappy & Company, notes, “The recent launch of the Tradition blend in the Pappy & Company cigar portfolio is an exciting new addition. As our customers’ interest and demand grows for more cigar offerings, we are thrilled to bring to market the Tradition blend which will truly complement the rest of our bour

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bon-inspired goods.”

From the Wynwood Safehouse, Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate, adds, “We are thrilled to be providing the daughters of Julian Van Winkle, owners of Pappyco.com, with an exclusive cigar that is deeply aligned with the core of their culture and tradition and that matches the legacy of their brand. The Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” is an exquisite stick, made for the true connoisseur, bursting with flavor and complexity.”

The Pappy Van Winkle Tradition is available exclusively on pappyco.com in the following vitolas:

• Robusto Grande (5.5 x 54) MSRP $140.00/10ct Box

• Toro (6 x 50) MSRP $150.00/10ct Box

ABOUT DREW ESTATE

Founded in New York City in 1996, Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that attract new and traditional cigar enthus

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iasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Herrera Estelí Norteño, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Larutan by Drew Estate, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial, Undercrown, Florida Sun Grown, and Java by Drew Estate.