by | September 1, 2019 · 8:04 am

CAO Flathead V19, Acid 20 and Coyaba Natural Cigars and CigarCraig’s 10th Anniversary

You may recall that last Wednesday I had typed a brilliant post and lost it.  I posted an abbreviated, yet almost as brilliant post, but I wanted to try to recap two of the cigars that I had written about.  The first of which was the new CAO Flathead Camshaft V19, the 5½” x 50 line extension to the Flathead line. The Flathead line is one of my favorites in the CAO range. I enjoy all of them, although

the largest of them is the least smoked just because the 70 ring gauge is  just too large, but the square press does make it a little more manageable. The flat cap gives me a chance to use my favorite Adorini punch, which has two sides, one of which is 13mm, which makes a nice, large opening in the cap of the 50 ring V19. The V19 has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, a Connecticut Habano binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, making for a full-bodied, delicious cigar. They are only making a limited number of these, but they sure are tasty, bolder than the regular line. Like I said, I’m a fan of the whole line, and they all are a little different, but the V19 might be my favorite so far. 

 

The ACID 20 started hitting stores this week, so I figured I better smoke the sample that Alex, my local Drew Estate rep, gave me a few weeks ago before it wasn’t special any more! I’ve noted before that my ACID experiences have been limited, to the point where I could list the occasions I smoked ACID cigars off the top of my head. After really enjoying the new ACID Kuba Arte, I was less skeptical about smoking this one. I’m told that the infusion is the same as the ACID 5, which was the 5th anniversary cigar. Of course, this meant nothing to me, having never smoked the ACID 5. The ACID 20 has a San Andrès wrapper, Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan fillers, and is box pressed with a flat cap, which is sweetened.  I used the 9mm side of the Adorini punch on this one, even though it’s 5″ x 52. I’m not sure why I used the smaller punch, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Fun fact, ACID is an acronym for (of?) Arielle Chester Industrial Design, artist Scott Chester’s company’s name. He’s the guy on the motorcycle on the ACID logo, and a super-cool dude. Anyway, I didn’t taste any infusion, much like the Kuba Arte, it was a darned good tasting San Andrès wrapped cigar, with dark espresso flavors and rich cocoa.  A throughly enjoyable cigar. I’m starting to worry about myself, enjoying ACID cigars, I’m going to have to smoke a regular Kuba Kuba again one of these days to see if I find it as repulsive as I did the first time I tried one long ago and needed to scrape my tongue afterwards…

 

Thursday was my 56th birthday, and that means it was the 10th anniv

ersary of CigarCraig.com! It was on August 29th, 2009 that my wife gave me the domain name for my birthday and started me down this road. Perhaps this calls for a celebratory contest, I’ll have to think about it over the next few days, any objections can be noted in the comments!  I did manage to smoke a few cigars Thursday to celebrate, I started with a Southern Draw Rose of Sharon Lancero, spent some family time, then enjoyed a Serie Unico UF-13 that was from a box I received for me 50th birthday, then wrapped up the day with a Cornelius and Anthony Señor Esugars. It was a good day. 

 

Last night I smoked a cigar that was sent to me to be my “white” cigar for Diner en Blanc, however, the US Mail didn’t cooperate, and I didn’t receive the cigar until the Monday following the event. I spoke to Juan Nuñez briefly on the phone a week before the event, and he told me a little bit about his Coyaba White Label, or Natural cigar, although I should have gotten more information. From what I can gather, the cigar he sent was the Toro Gordo, a 6½” x 60 with an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper. I went back to my ScrewPop Magpulse cutter for this one. I really like this cutter. I also have gone back to the Colibri Daytona lighter, which had given me some trouble until I threatened to send it back, and decided to give it a good blowing out with compressed air which got it right as rain again. It’s back to being one of my favorites again. Anyway, this Coyaba cigar was a tasty smoke, it was on the mild side, with some nice flavors. It was creamy and nutty with a little floral note, and was a pleasant smoke. I hope I run across these when I visit Miami in a few weeks, maybe I can even meet up with Juan. The Coyaba Band is beautiful, a great improvement over what I remember the old band (which was nice). 

 

That’s plenty for today. It’s Labor Day weekend, and I’m working again. It beats not working, been there, done, that.  Enjoy yourselves, have some great cigars, and until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | August 28, 2019 · 10:59 am

A Sin Compromiso Cigar with a Broadleaf Wrapper

I had a great three paragraph post written about this and some other cigars and it disappeared into the WordPress et

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her someplace, so I’m trying to quickly re-write a piece of it before heading off to work. The rest will have to wait! Monday I smoked a Sin Compromiso with a Broadleaf wrapper that I got at the Famous Smokeshop event I attended a few months back. I decided on this cigar on Monday for a few reasons. First, 2 Guys Cigars released the second (and probably last) round of the Mi Querida Firecrackers for sale. These are great little cigars. The second reason was to celebrate Saka’s birthday, because he doesn’t celebrate it himself. He’s told me that he thinks celebrating birthdays is for ten year o

ld girls, which explains the pink wrapping paper with the stuffed My Little Kitty on the present he gave me for my 50th birthday years ago. For the record, I have two years on him. If he’s anything like me, having a late August birthday is a bummer because it signals the end of summer, and I always get a little down this time of year. I don’t look forward to my birthday much either. Any way, I smoked the cigar, which is probably more of a unicorn than his Unicorn is, and I really enjoyed it. I doubt that it will become a reality, though, given the shortage of broadleaf, and my impression that the broadleaf wrapper seemed to dominate the smokiness that I think makes

the Sin Compromiso Special. Not that my palate is worth anything, and this might be next year’s big release, what do I know? Anyway, I thought it was a brilliant cigar and it suited my tastes perfectly, but all I require is strong espresso notes and good quality tobacco and I’m a happy camper. This was a winner and I’ll likely never smoke another one like it! Happy Birthday Steve!

 

The post I wrote that vanished also included the ACID 20, I’ll circle back to that later as I’m short of time now, but look for tho

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se on tobacconist’s shelves soon. Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | August 25, 2019 · 4:03 pm

Diner en Blanc Philly, a Fratello Bianco II and a White Chapel Cigar

Thursday evening was the Philadelphia Dîner en Blanc, a large picnic at a location that’s kept secret until the last minute. Everyone wears white, brings tables and chairs and food and it’s all (normally) orchestrated and timed and is a big party for several thousand people. This was my third time going to this event, and, naturally, I select white themed cigars for the occasion. I was lazy this time around, although I had some great suggestions and ideas, I didn’t get a chance to travel to the shops I wanted to find the selections, so I defaulted to some old stand bys. It’s being well documented in the Dîner en Blanc community that this year’s event was less of a success than in the past. it was held at Philadelphia’s Boathouse Row, an

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d the logistics of getting 6000 people into a long, thin area wasn’t well thought through. Our group was among the last to arrive at the event after waiting in the meeting area for over two hours (which was closest to the site), setting up and eating our dinner two hours after the event started, and an hour or so before the rain started. A thunderstorm rolled in and cut the event short. It was also impossible to get transportation back to our parking afterwards the way they had the roads blocked off. So it was less fun than years past, and probably a third of the attendees have a good reason to feel cheated out of a good time. On the plus side, I was able to freely wander the event smoking a Fratello Bianco II toro (with a pocket full of Macanudo Inspirado Whites. As always, the Fratello Bianco was outstanding. Of course, the Fratello Bianco has a San Andrès wrapper, Dominican binder and and Nicaraguan and Peruvian fillers and is made at the Joya de Nicaragua factory. Considering the event, I was able to walk around without getting a sideways glance. Of course, there wasn’t a lot of opportunities to take pictures. I had a better picture but I looked grumpy in it, you may have seen it on Facebook and

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Instagram. At least in this one I’m smiling. I did my bes

t to enjoy the time I was there and maintain an “it is what it is” attitude. I don’t get many chances to wear my white Guayaber

a! OF course, my wife looked awesome!

 

Before we left I smoked an old White Chapel Robusto from a company called Censored Genius based around Allentown, PA. They used to be called Evil Genius, but had a few trademark disputes, so they finally just changed the name to Censored Genius. I just searched for their website and it looks like the domain expired last month, so maybe they aren’t even in business anymore. This cigar was made at La Aurora in the DR, and despite having a white band, is a powerhouse of a cigar. Looking back at some old notes it appears to have a Dominican Habano wrapper and is heavy on ligero in the fillers, with one of them being Pennsylvania ligero.  This had ben in my humidor for nearing 5 years, and it was still pretty powerful, with a strong pepper component. If you come across these, and I doubt you will, consider snagging some.

 

It’s been a busy week, and I’m late getting this post out, and it’s short. I’ll try to get some new cigars smoked for a mid-week post. Until then,

 

CigarCraig

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by | August 21, 2019 · 9:49 am

The Tale of Two Archetype Axis Mundis and News: Ventura Rolling Event at Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival

I’m going to tie these two things together, because they are directly related!  Last month I had the pleasure of attending Michael Giannini’s rolling event at the PA Barnsmoker, and I applied the wrapper on an Archetype Axis Mundi toro. To be honest, Henry from Drew Estate jumped in and over my protestations, helped a little more than I would have liked, not understanding that I had done this before and really wanted to just have advice and not as much help. I didn’t want to be rude and say “dude, back off”, but I did make remarks like, “sorry, I haven’t done this since Willy showed me in 2013”.  Anyway, I applied the wrapper and it came out pretty good, but

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it wouldn’t win any beauty contests. I struggled throughout the process to figure out which side of the leaf was the outside and which was the inside. Yesterday I decided to smoke the cigar and see how it was, and follow it up with the production version to compare. I watched a movie on the porch and smoked the cigar I “rolled”, and I enjoyed it a lot. The burn and draw were perfect, a

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lthough it burned faster than I would have liked, although, now that I look up the running time of the movie, it did burn for an hour and forty-five minutes, so it didn’t burn that fast. It tasted great, just like the production Axis Mundi I smoked later in the evening. I have to say, I liked the draw on the one I rolled better than the production version, it was more easy and open, and the regular version had a firm draw, and needed a few relights. It was a humid day yesterday, so it’s hard to knock a cigar when the ambient conditions aren’t optimal. These have a nice espresso flavor with a tangy spice, very nice cigars made at Drew Estate, hence t

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heir presence at the Barnsmokers. The Toro is 6″ x 52, although my version seemed a tad fatter. It was a fun experiment, and who can argue smoking two great cigars in one day! 

 

If you happen to be in Colorado Saturday, I’d encourage you to go to the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival. I attended this event back in 2014 and it was a fantastic event.  There are going to be a ton of great folks there, and Michael Giannini will be doing a rolling event as well (see below). RMCF is really one of the great events in the country, I’m fortunate to have attended and would love to go back to that beautiful area. 

 

News:

Ventura Cigar is Rolling into the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival

Michael Giannini to Host rolling event at this year’s festivities

Bringing their signature unconventional approach to their cigars, Ventura Cigar Company will be hosting a cigar rolling event at this year’s Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival. Held on August 24, 2019 in Broomfield, Colorado

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, the Rocky Mountain Cigar festival brings together aficionados of spirits, cigars, wines, and food, with a full day of sampling, music, games, and activities. It’s an ideal setting for Ventura Cigar Company to showcase products with attendees, but they’ve decided to take it to the next level by holding a rolling event to share the craft behind their blends. Led by Michael Giannini, industry icon and General Manager for Ventura Cigar Company, the rolling event is expected to draw several hundred people, offering a hands-on approach to cigars.

 

Guests of the rolling e

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vent will be treated to a VIP experience, as they roll their own Axis Mundi cigars, a popular blend from Ventura Cigar Company’s popular Archetype brand.

 

“Sometimes, to really appreciate the experience, you have to get your hands dirty,” says Giannini. “It’s not enough to simply smoke a cigar. To really savor it, really understand it, you have to know the backstory. We’re giving people a chance to be part of the backstory. To roll the cigar themselves, engage in the process of creation, and then truly enjoy the smoke. It’s going to be great, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

 

Michael Giannini Rolling Event at Pennsylvania Barn Smoker.

 

To find out how to reserve a spo

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t at Michael Giannini’s Rolling Event, please visit https://rmcigarfestival.com/tickets/. For more information about Ventura Cigar Company events, or any of our cigars, please visit venturacigar.com.

 

 

About Ventura Cigar Company

Ventura Cigar Company (VCC) is a unique cigar brand born in sunny Southern California that is on a mission to create memorable, complex cigar blends that excite the senses and reward discriminating palates. Their flagship Archetype, Case Study, Project805, and PSyKo SEVEN brands offer multiple award-winning blends that earned 90+ ratings in Cigar Aficionado, Cigar & Spirits, and Cigar Snob. And Archetype’s Axis Mundi won #13 Cigar of the Year for 2017 from Cigar Aficionado. Ventura Cigar Company also distributes Tommy Bahama Luxury Cigar Accessories and the 4th Generation Tobacconist and Comoy’s of London lines of pipe tobacco products, extending its reach and tradition of offering top-quality tobacconist products. Pipes and blends under these brands are cultivated through generations of craftsmanship, making them longtime favorites of pipe tobacco enthusiasts.

 

 

That’ all for today, 

 

Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | August 18, 2019 · 9:10 am

Southern Draw 300 Hands and Tatuaje Mexican Experiment and ME II Cigars

Wednesday evening I finally got around to trying the Southern Draw 300 Hands Connecticut in the Piramides size. This is a 6 1/8″ x 52 figurado, a classic size, with a US grown Connecticut shade wrapper, a Peruvian binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. Like all Southern Draw cigars it’s made at the AJ Fernandez Factory in Nicaragua. The wrapper is on the darker side for a Connecticut shade, and I found the flavor to be less grassy than most cigars in that genre. It smoked very well and was a very enjoyable cigar, well priced, with proceeds going to help less fortunate people in Nicaragua.

 

Thursday I stopped into the Downingtown CigarCigars shop to see Kevin, the manager there, looking for some “white” cigars for this coming Thursday’s Diner en Blanc. While I didn’t really find anything there, I did pick up some new cigars to try, including the Tatuaje Mexican Experiment and ME II in the Churchill sizes. I got a few others that will come up later as I get around to smoking them, and there was a E.P. Carillo event there which I hung around for the start of. Ali is the new EPC rep, and I’ve known here for quite a few years. I enjoyed a Seleccion Oscuro robusto there while talking with Kevin, which is one of my favorites in the EPC line. You know what I found really interesting about the Tatuaje Mexican Experiment and ME II?  They are priced at $10 (in no cigar tax PA) for any size. The box pressed 6½” x 48 Churchill seemed like the logical choice to me, so I picked up one in each blend. I started with the Mexican Experiment, of course, it would be insane to smoke the II first. There’s not much blend information about the to cigars, they have a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers, and are made at the My Father factory in Nicaragua. Honestly, I’d have to smoke these side by side to really be able to say what the difference is, perhaps the ME II was a bit more spicy than the Mexican Experiment. Both cigar were solidly in my wheelhouse, loaded with lush, heavy tobacco flavors with dark chocolate and espresso. I smoked these fresh from the store, for the most part, I should probably grab a few more to leave in the humidor for a year to see how they age, I suspect they would be spectacular, or more so, having spent some time resting.  I got my start smoking Mexican cigars back in the 90s, my father-in-law turned me on to Te-Amos and I found the maduros to be to my liking and I smoked a bunch of them. My first box buy was a box of toros, and I used to buy the Te-Amo segundos by the bundle. At the time Mexican cigars were not exactly considered the cream of the crop, I guess I was ahead of the curve! There is a difference between a blend and a puro, and all Mexican tobacco might be overwhelming, I get that. Certainly these two Tatuaje cigars are great for my palate, and I really enjoyed the Churchill size. The other three sizes offered (Robusto (5” x 54),Toro (5 ¾” x 50) and Belicoso (5” x 52)) are actually pretty close together, made it hard to make a selection. 

 

Off to work another Sunday, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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