CigarCraig's Blog

by Craig Vanderslice | 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

buy elavil online https://policies.medicine.iu.edu/doc/docx/elavil.html no prescription pharmacy

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

buy isotretinoin online https://familyvoicesal.org/file-downloads/news/pdf/isotretinoin.html no prescription pharmacy

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

buy finpecia online https://familyvoicesal.org/file-downloads/news/pdf/finpecia.html no prescription pharmacy

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

buy estradiol online https://policies.medicine.iu.edu/doc/docx/estradiol.html no prescription pharmacy

, 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

buy tirzepatide online https://bvhpr.org/golfevent/assets/images/png/tirzepatide.html no prescription pharmacy

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

buy tadapox online https://bvhpr.org/golfevent/assets/images/png/tadapox.html no prescription pharmacy

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

1 Comment

Filed under News, Review

Tagged as Archetype, Axis Mundi, Barnsmoker, cigar, cigars, drew estate, Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival, Ventura

by Craig Vanderslice | 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

3 Comments

Filed under Review

Tagged as 300 Hands, cigar, cigar store, CigarCigars, cigars, ME II, Mexican Experiment, Southern Draw, tatuaje

by Craig Vanderslice | August 14, 2019 · 9:31 am

Welcome Fox Cigars Contest No. 3 Winner and Wrap-up

The last month has been a lot of fun, three great contests sponsored by Fox Cigars! Brought back some memories of the good old days

buy provigil online http://rheumconsultants.com/new_web/css/fonts/eot/provigil.html no prescription pharmacy

of CigarCraig contests. It’s getting harder and harder to give stuff away these days! I’ll keep sharing great cigars with my readers as long as I am able, and I know my partners are always anxious to spread the love as well. Thanks to Rob at Fox for helping out with this series of contests! I know that Chase received his Perdomo prize, and Narciso’s Oliva gift went out in the mail yesterday. Today we’ll be announcing the winner of the last present in the three part Welcome to the CigarCraig Family contest! I smoked an original El Güegüense Robusto last night to celebrate, since I didn’t seem to have any Illusiones on hand, I guess I’ll have to go on Fox Cigars website and order some! The El Güegüense was fantastic! I believe it was from the original release, and it burned well, although it did need a correction here and there, but the flavor was wonderful.

I did make some Area 51 jokes in the original contest post, I don’t recommend attending that event. Also, I don’t think Dion has named any Illusione cigars Area 51 (yet), but he has used MJ12, which refers to a group of scientists who proba

buy cialis professional online http://rheumconsultants.com/new_web/css/fonts/eot/cialis-professional.html no prescription pharmacy

bly worked there. Anyway, through my random selection process, utilizing the random number generator on Random.org, and a spreadsheet randomize range tool, I’ve selected a winner from combined website and Instagram comments. That winner is Nate Martin! Please email me your address, along with proof that you’re of legal age so I can get all these goodies out to you. Thank you again to Fox Cigars! That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

5 Comments

Filed under Contest

Tagged as cigar, cigars, Contest, Fox Cigars, illusione

by Craig Vanderslice | August 11, 2019 · 8:08 am

A few More PDR Cigars and Some Villiger News

Let’s see, what do I want to talk about today? I’ve been stuck working weekends and evenings a lot, so I’ve been kind of slacking on smoking the newer stuff, plus i don’t have a great many new cigars to smoke around. Earlier this week I reeved a news release from Villiger Cigars that I wanted to share, but I had just posted the contest on Wednesday, and wanted to leave it front and center for as long as possible. So I figured I’d enjoy a Villiger cigar Friday evening, and selected a La Vencedora Churchill since the only La Flor de Ynclans I had were the mis-named Lancero, and I couldn’t find them! I wanted a longer smoke anyway, and I enjoy the Joya de Nicaragua made La Vencedora. La Vencedora is a Nicaraguan Puro with a Habana Oscuro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The Churchill is Americanized in size, it’s 7″ x 50, which is OK by me, it’s like a toro, only an inch better. It’s a medium-plus cigar, with some dark sweetness and some spice. Here’s the News about the new La Flor de Ynclan:

VILLIGER CIGARS TO PRESENT THE VILLIGER LA FLOR DE YNCLAN IN NEW TORO SIZE

The Villiger La Flor de Ynclan Toro will come in an elegant 10 count box

Villiger Cigars announces that the Villiger La Flor de Ynclan will be presented in a new Toro 6X52 size. The Villiger La Flor De Ynclan robusto in 2017 garnered a 93 rating, ranked as the number 10 cigar in the world by Cigar Aficionado Magazine and voted the 2017 number 6 cigar in the world byTobacco Business Magazine.

The medium- bodied Villiger La Flor de Ynclan was described in Cigar Aficionado Magazine during their unveiling of the best cigars in the world in these words: “The cigar is a fantastic smoke, sweet and charming from first puff to last, anchored by simple-yet-pleasing notes of chocolate and salt, and then refined by more precise intonations of walnut and orange marmalade. “

Heinrich Villiger and Master Blender Matias Maragoto once again came together to tweak the Villiger La Flor De Ynclan. Feeling that the blend could once again be improved on, the Toro 6X52 was agreed upon.

Chairman of the Board Heinrich Villiger said, “The Villiger La Flor de Ynclan seems to be a blend that we keep going back to. Over ten Years ago Matias Maragoto and I began on this journey to create a blend that would pay homage to the Pre-Revolutionary style of Cuban cigars. Although, the brand has received many important accolades, I still felt that the blend can be an even better version of itself. We expect the Villiger La Flor de Ynclan in this new Toro size to be an upgrade from the already highly rated robusto vitola.

The Villiger La Flor de Ynclan in Toro 6X52 Toro size will come in elegantly packaged 10 count boxes.

MSRP: $13.00

About the Villiger La Flor de Ynclan: Diligently crafted by Heinrich Villiger and master blender Jose Matias Maragoto of ABAM Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic, the Villiger La Flor de Ynclan was a cigar 10 years in the making. Villiger Cigars produced a small batch of La Flor De Ynclan over a decade ago. Unsatisfied with the result; the decision was made to cease production. The tobacco was set aside and aged, while Matias meticulously tweaked the amount of the Indonesian, Dominican, and Nicaraguan tobacco within its Ecuadorian wrapper. Present day, the La Flor De Ynclan is what both imagined it could be. The result was a smashing success as it received numerous accolades after its re-launch in 2017. The highlight being a 93 rating and being named the 2017 number 10 cigar in world by Cigar Aficionado Magazine.

ABOUT VILLIGER SONS LIMITED AND VILLIGER NORTH AMERICA:
Villiger Sons Limited was established in 1888 by Jean Villiger in the small town of Pfeffikon, Switzerland, where Villiger remains headquartered to this day. The company manufactures and sells more than 1.5 billion cigars annually, world-wide. Today, under the leadership of Heinrich Villiger, the company prides itself in its commitment to quality, in all their products made in many countries around the globe.

Follow the Villiger Cigars on social @VilligerCigar #TheOriginalClassic

I smoked a few more cigars from PDR Cigars this week too. One of the cigars that I had been looking forward to smoking was the 6″ x 60 DBL Magnum size of the El Criollito. Now, I have historically not had a great appreciation for Criollo 98 tobacco in a lot of cases. so I always am curious to see if a cigar will change my mind. This cigar does have a rosado colored Criollo 98 wrapper, as well as Dominican and Nicaraguan Criollo 98 fillers, with a Mexican San Andrès binder. Maybe I hoped the binder would turn the tide for me on this one. It was a perfectly good cigar, the burn and draw were excellent, and I smoked it to the end, but the flavor wasn’t in my wheelhouse particularly. I think it had a leathery flavor that isn’t one I really lean toward. Some people like that, I prefer the sweeter and spicier flavors.

Finally, last night I smoked a PDR 1878 Capa Sun Grown Toro. This 6″ x 52 toro has an Ecuador Sun Grown wrapper, Dominican Criollo 98 and Dominican Corojo fillers and a Criollo 98 binder. Yeah, more Criollo 98. Funny enough, I found this to be very good tasting cigar! Perhaps the sweetness and creaminess of the Corojo and Ecuador balanced out the leather of the Criollo for me and made for a really pleasant smoke. Like the other cigars in the 1878 line, this is finished with a closed foot and a pigtail cap, but I still used the Screwpop Magpulse cutter to give it a nice, clean straight cut which gave a nice draw and plumes of sweet, creamy smoke. Part of me wanted to to just reach for a favorite “safe” cigar last night, but I figured I’d be adventurous, fortunately, I had a great smoke.

Remember the contest for the Illusione prize pack from Fox Cigars is going on until Wednesday. I fixed the date, originally it had last Wednesday’s date, which was the date it was posted! Oops. I’ll post a winner the morning of Wednesday, August 14. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

2 Comments

Filed under Review

Tagged as 1878, Capa Sun Grown, cigar, cigars, El Criollito, La Flor de Ynclan, La Vencedora, PDR, Villiger

by Craig Vanderslice | August 7, 2019 · 9:38 am

Contest: Welcome Fox Cigars Episode Three!

OK, this is the third and fin

buy stromectol online http://vasohealthcare.com/styles/bg/png/stromectol.html no prescription pharmacy

al installment of the “Welcome Fox Cigars” series of Giveaways! The first two have been great, I think you’ll agree, but I think you’ll also agree that we’ve saved the best for last! Honestly, I probably could have stretched this out to four, but let’s not get carried away! First we have to determine a winner from last weeks giveaway. Like last time, I made a list of the combined entries from he comments here and on Instagram, and randomized them, and had Random.org pick a number and that was the winner. The winner of the Oliva prize is from the website comments this week! Narciso Lopez, please send me your address, along with proof that you are of legal age, so that I can send you your winnings!

Let’s see what Giveaway numero tres, looks like! Illusione! Dion Giolito makes some great cigars, and has a cigar store in Reno. Here we have an Illusione t-shirt in XL, perfect to wear to the big Area 51 thing next month! And, since Are 51 is in the Nevada desert, you’ll need the Illusione 5 count travel humidor to keep your cigars in good shape. Speaking of cigars, there are some of those too! There are two each of Illusione Cruzado Marelas Supremas and Cruzado Domenicos Extra. There’s an Illusione Rex (the unbanded corona), and an Epernay. Since Illusione is a boutique brand, there’s also a selection of boutique cigars! a select

buy vermox online http://vasohealthcare.com/styles/bg/png/vermox.html no prescription pharmacy

ion from Aganorsa Leaf, Warped, Surrogates and Foundation add to the panache of this super-cool prize pack! I’m going to enter (not really, but I haven’t smoked some of these cigars! I’m going to have to order some from Fox).

By the way, I don’t recommend going anywhere near Area 51, I understand it’s not cigar friendly at all. So, leave a comment to enter! I’m going to post this on Instagram, and I’m going to include comments on that post as well, just to make my life more difficult, so you can get two chances. As usual, you must be of legal smoking age in your jurisdiction to win (and even that’s getting to be a PITA these days!), one entry per person (per site). I’ll select a winner next Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Once again, thanks to Rob at Fox Cigars!