CigarCraig's Blog

by Craig Vanderslice | February 25, 2024 · 9:45 am

CAO Flathead Resonator and Punch Dragon Fire Cigars

I smoked some new stuff from General Cigars this week, both of which necessitated the use of my Adorini punch, which, in my opinion, is the finest punch on the market. Adorini makes some excellent humidors, I have two and they are rock solid in form and finish. I’ve had both for around ten years and they require zero maintenance. I just throw some bovedas in every few months and they are good. This punch has two sized punches, 9mm and 13mm, and I fund that I only ever use the larger one and there are only a few cigars that I use it on, CAO Flatheads, RoMaCraft Neanderthals, and now this Punch. The exception might be the smaller ring Flatheads, but they are few and far between. It’s good to have options though, and variety is the spice of life, which is why I find myself rotating through several cut styles. None of this has anything to do with the cigars, so let’s get to the CAO Flathead Resonator. First off, I think this is the first Flathead to come out in the post Rick Rodriguez era, Flathead was his baby. It’s enormous at 8″ x 60, and took me a full 2½ hours to smoke. It’s a little surprising that they were able to pull this off in the age of Connecticut Broadleaf shortages, it takes a pretty large leaf to make 8″ cigars. Like the rest of the line, this has a Connecticut Habano binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, and is made in the STG Factory in Esteli. I’ve passed the factory on the way into Esteli on the Pan American Highway a few times, but it’s been over ten years, the town may have sprawled beyond there since. I’d love a tour (hint, hint). If you like the line, you’ll like this one, although it starts out a little mellower just by the nature of its length. I had no need to touch it up over the course of the smoke, which would potentially last an entire hockey game, I think (I might test that theory today). It had the sweetness, with some black coffee and cocoa that I like, along with some earthiness. All in all, an enjoyable, smoke, much more so than CAO’s last attempt at a 8″ x 60.

I suppose the elephant in the room is the question of whether General Cigar got permission from Gurkha to use “Dragon” in the name of the Punch Dragon Fire. Considering the lack of news on a C&D or lawsuit, one might assume that they did. This is the sixth cigar in the Punch Chinese New Year series, the previous five of which had a takeout food theme (save for the Fu Manchu which took a brief departure into facial hair apparently). They are sticking with keeping this in the budget price range, at $6.99 SRP, which is really good, I think. I have enjoyed the other releases in this series, and pick them up from time to time because they are wallet friendly and very tasty. I smoked a Kung Pow this week, which was the 2021 release, and enjoyed the crap out of it. This was a 6″ x 52 and features a short wrapper, where the first half inch is just binder and filler. The Kung Pow had a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper over a Honduran habano binder and fillers from Brazil, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. It’s quite a blend for a $7 cigar! The Kung Pow is quite good, if you find them around, buy them. They might have been a part of the Pu Pu Platter box that they had that had a sampling the first few years of releases. I’ve gotten ahead of myself. The Punch Dragon Fire is a flat capped, 5″ x 60 cigar with a little bit of the wrapper folded over the foot (I think Enrique Sanchez of 1502 calls it the flavor lock, or something like that). Like the Flathead, this is also bade at the Esteli factory, most Punches are made in Honduras. The wrapper is Mexican, binder is Nicaraguan from Condega, and the fillers are Nicaraguan, Dominican and Honduran. There is a fireworks vibe to the packaging on these, and the cigar packs a punch, so to speak. I found it to be quite spicy, lots of pepper and nicotine. I enjoyed it, but I think it will improve with some age. The band is nice as it has the year on it, for those of us who save bands, it’s a nice reference. I like these two new General Cigar releases, even though they are both 60 ring, they are both up my alley.

If you get a minute, reach out to my buddy Kaplowitz (kaplowitzmedia(at)yahoo(dot)com) and wish him a Happy Birthday today! That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as 860, CAO, Chinese New Year, cigar, cigars, Dragon Fire, Flathead, Kung Pow, punch, Resonator

by Craig Vanderslice | February 18, 2024 · 8:34 am

A Couple Rocky Patel Cigars and a HVC Seleccion No. 1

I stopped in to my local Cigar Mojo Thursday evening as the Rocky Patel rep, Alex, was stopping in. It was a fairly quiet evening there, people wise, not really sound wise. Between the air system and the music, I struggle with being able to hear people talk in there (most places, really), it’s fine if I’m there alone, but it’s hard for me to carry on a conversation. I have some specific hearing loss issues, so that’s my problem, if we are ever together and I ask you to repeat yourself, that’s why. Anyway, I picked out a couple cigars I hadn’t smoked before, that weren’t the $100 Conviction. I lit up a, A.L.R. Second Edition in the Toro size. I always liked the Rocky Patel Toros, 6½” x 52, I like that extra half inch. The A.L.R. has a San Andrés wrapper, although not maduro to my eye or palate. The binder and filler are Nicaraguan and the “limited” part of the “aged,” “limited” and “rare” is that they only made 120,000 of them. While that seems like a big number, it’s not UNlimited, so there’s that. They are aged 2 years and rare?, not sure about the rare part. I’ve heard raves about this cigar, and it wasn’t inexpensive (by my standards), so I had expectations. Sadly, those expectations were not exceeded, however it was a fine cigar. It has some cocoa and woodyness, I liked it enough, but it wasn’t mindblowing. Solid B+. I left Mojo after the cigar to watch hockey a home, it literally only takes me a TV timeout to get home from there.

Friday evening I smoked another Rocky Patel cigar that I hadn’t smoked before, the Disciple. Why is this Toro only 6″ insead of 6½”? Seems like it comes from the same factory in Nicaragua. I was drawn to the color scheme, and the fact that it was the only other one (besides the aforementioned silly $100 cigar), that I hadn’t moked before. The copper and black bands look sharm against the San Andrés maduro wrapper. With the binder and fillers listed as Nicaraguan, the blend looks identical to the A.L.R., but this is a vastly different cigar! For one, this is one I really liked, which means it will probably be discontinued soon, as happens with every RP cigar I’ve found that I liked. I hope this isn’t the case, this one was right up my alley. It had dark chocolate and dark dried fruits, a flavor combo I like a lot. No complaints about the burn and draw on either of the RP cigars I smoked, I generally have no problems with TAVICUSA output. They do a nice job in that factory, although I’ve probably moked more All Saints than Rocky Patel. This is a must try.

Also while I was at Mojo I grabbed a HVC Seleccion No. 1 Maduro Podorosos, the toro size. I’ve really been enjoying the HVC line and have been trying to sample something new whenever I stop in there. I’ve got some catching up to do. This is yet another San Andrés wrapped cigar with Nicaraguan binder and fillers, I’ve apparently fallen into a rut. A delicious rut, as this is another cigar that I really enjoyed. It would have been totally appropriate for me to have smoked an Upsetters from Foundation as we saw the Bob Marley: One Love movie yesterday, but I neither had one on hand, nor do I desire to smoke an infused cigar. Not even the least bit curious. The HVC Seleccion No. 1 Maduro was really tasty, rich and meaty. I feel compelled to sample the natural version next time. I continue to be impressed with the HVC line. If you’re wondering, “Poderosos” translates to “Powerful”, which I don’t think this cigar necessarily is, but I would call it full bodied.

I believe I promised to announce a winner of the giveaway, which includes a five pack of the Crowned Heads Mother Church, along with five other cigars from my humidor. I have to say, I’m disappointed in the turnout for this one, although it’s better odds for those who entered! I consulted the random number generator and it selected the third comment, which is Craig Gilpin! I might be able to save postage on this one as Craig in addition to having an excellent name, is local. Congrats Craig! Let’s plan to meet up!

That’s all for today, we’re off to tour the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia today. I’m going to resist the urge to smoke some Al Capone cigars (probably not hard). Until the next time.

CigarCraig

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Tagged as A.L.R., Disciple, HVC, rocky patel, Seleccion No. 1

by Craig Vanderslice | February 13, 2024 · 9:17 pm

Crowned Heads Mother Church a JR Cigars Exclusive and a Contest

Mother Church is a nickname for Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium, the “Mother Church of Country Music”, and it’s the name of an exclusive cigar by Crowned Heads for JR Cigars. This is a Churchill, I just got it…Church…Churchill? andyway, I like Churchills a lot. It seems like maybe the wrong time of year for large cigars in the Northeast, but I have the time and a warm enough smoking area, so I’m good with taking an hour and a half or so for a smoke. The Mother Church is 7″ x 48, has an Ecuador Corojo wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and Nicaraguan fillers, made in the Pichardo factory in Nicaragua.

I found this to be a woody and nutty cigar, I didn’t get any real sweetness, but there were some mild spices here and there. The burn and draw were excellent, it was a very well made cigar. I’d like to share some of these with someone, so let’s have a giveaway! I have a five pack of Mother Church, and I’ll add five other cigars to go with them for a total of ten cigars. Usual CigarCraig rules apply, leave a comment on this post to enter, you must be 21 or older to be eligible, and I’ll select a winner on Sunday, February 18. The links in this post are affiliate links, any purchases thought those links may put a couple dollars towards my expenses!

That’s all for today, until tomorrow,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Crowned Heads, JR Cigars, Mother Church, Pichardo

by Craig Vanderslice | February 11, 2024 · 12:05 pm

La Sirena LS LEs, a Mexican Mermaid and a Wooden Indian 60th Anniversary Cigar

It’s probably quite apparent I have an affinity for the majority of the cigars in the La Sirena portfolio. I’ve been a fan of the brand for a long time. The La Sirena brand came into existence the same year I started this site, 2009. Back then it was a owned by Miami Cigar and Co., and the Classic La Sirena brand was made at the My Father factory. If you ever come across La Sirena cigars that have the Miami Cigar barcode label on the back, snatch them up. Don’t get me wrong, the current iteration are made at La Zona, and might be my favorite cigar from that factory. In the early years they made some limited editions, an A size and a Solomon (the Dubloon), which had Connecticut Broadleaf wrappers instead of he Habano wrapper. This was the inspiration for the La Sirena LS LE Lancero, and the newly released (at the recent TPE show) box pressed 6″ x 60. I had the great fortune of smoking both this week, something I’ve been looking forward to. First up was the Lancero, a 7½” x 39 version. These are made at Tabacalera La Isla, which is owned by Hostos Fernández Quesada, nephew of Manolo Qusada, and cousin of Terence Reilly. La Sirena has worked with the Quesadas before, they make their Oceano brand, not to be overlooked. In an effort to balance out the paragraphs, see the next one for the blend info! This cigar was excellent, it exceeded expectations. The burn and draw were perfect, assuming it’s smoked slowly like a lancero should be smoked. It was good for at least 2 hours. There were dark, rich cocoa and coffee with some earth and spice, a total package. These were made in 2022 and are being released at a rate of 1000 per year over four years.

The next night I had the La Sirena LS LE Box Pressed Gordo. This is 6″ x 60 but feels smaller due to the press. I get the idea that Danny Ditkowich is a fan of the 60 rings, as many of his Tobacco Plaza Anniversary cigars have been larger rings. My guess is that if the Lancero was Arielle’s smoke, this was her father’s. Gordos don’t bother me at all, although I’m not a fan of anything too much over 60. The blend, which I said I was going to mention in this paragraph to fill things out, is a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, San Andrés binder and fillers from the DR, Nicaragua and Pennsylvania. This is the same blend as the Lancero, we might imagine the proportions are quite different! The 2024 production of these was 100 boxes of ten, pretty small. Comparing the two is unfair, but fun as they are the same blend in polar opposite formats. Where the Lancero was straightforward and focused, the gordo was mellower and more complex. This could be the proportions or the temperature of the burn or some of both. It’s a great cigar, which compares more with the Mexican Mermaid in my mind than my memories of the Broadleaf La Sirenas of he past. I do have an A and a couple Dubloons around that I could potentially smoke to compare, but age factors in. Better to let these beauties stand on their own as excellent cigars.

Speaking of the La Sirena Mexican Mermaid, I smoked the Robusto yesterday, a size I hadn’t previously smoked for some reason. I’ve smoke a bunch of the toro and the 4″ x 50s, and what they call a lancero but is more of a lonsdale. To recap, the Mexican Mermaid is made at La Isla, has a Mexican wrapper and binder and fillers from Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Sounds like a lot of Mexican tobacco, right? So I started out on Te Amo Maduros back in the mid-90s, so I have a high threshold for what’s now called San Andrés tobacco. I found the 5″ x 50 Robusto to pack a punch, it was earthy with a lot of strong, black coffee notes. I love this blend, besides the classic La Sirena, it’s one of my favorite cigars.

Friday I posted about the Wooden Indian‘s 60th anniversary Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf. There isn’t much more I can say about the Wooden Indian again, great humidor, great lounge, great staff. I’m a year older than the store. Now, the store hasn’t been under the same ownership for all those years, I want to say that Dave Mayer has owned it for close to 20 years. They have grown a lot in the 14 or so years since I first stopped in the store, and have a very good e-commerce business. I heard about this a few weeks ago when I spent an evening at the lounge with Fabien Zeigler and Mike King, and was excited to give the cigar a try. This is a Supreme Leaf in a box pressed 5″ x 56, an Aganorsa puro with a Corojo 99 wrapper. There’s some tie in with Privada, and Wooden Indian sells a lot of their stuff, but I don’t hold that against them. The brand originally came out at the 202 TPE show. The cigar was pretty darned good, on the woody end of my spectrum, burn and draw were excellent. I like some Aganorsa Leaf cigar more than others, and this was a good one. Hit up the folks at WI and five this a shot if you’re a Supreme Leaf fan!

That’s all for today. I have to go swear at some house projects after lunch and then have some cigars. I guess there’s some sort of sporting/popular culture event going on today, if you’re into that, enjoy! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Aganorsa Leaf, cigar, cigars, La Sirena, LS LE, Mexican Mermaid, Supreme Leaf, wooden indian

by Craig Vanderslice | February 9, 2024 · 5:40 pm

News: Wooden Indian Tobacco’s 60th Anniversary Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto Now Available

Here’s some Friday news from my friends at the Wooden Indian. I’ve only been patronizing the Wooden Indian for 14 or so of the 60 years they’ve been around. It’s one of my favorite local shops, the selection is amazing and the staff is second to none. I’m looking forward to trying this anniversary cigar, I can’t remember if the Supreme Leaf is one of the ones I like or not, but chances are excellent that it’s a really good cigar. I celebrated a 60th anniversary myself last year, this was a year too late!

AGANORSA Leaf Unveils Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto Exclusively for Wooden Indian Tobacco‘s 60th Anniversary.

AGANORSA Leaf, is proud to announce the release of its latest addition to the Supreme Leaf line – the Gran Robusto. Measuring 5” x 56, this exclusive vitola commemorates the 60th anniversary of Wooden Indian Tobacco, a milestone for the Havertown, PA brick-and-mortar.

The Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto is a Nicaraguan puro blend that has become iconic to the Aganorsa portfolio since the line’s debut in 2020. Unlike its predecessors, the Gran Robusto features a 56 ring gauge, providing a unique and bold smoking profile.

Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto has a limited production of only 500 boxes of 10 cigars with an MSRP of $125. This particular vitola will be available solely through Wooden Indian Tobacco, solidifying the partnership between AGANORSA Leaf, Wooden Indian Tobacco, and Privada Cigar Club who collaborated with Aganorsa on the design and creation of the original Supreme Leaf.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Wooden Indian Tobacco and Privada Cigar Club for this special occasion,” said Terence Reilly, VP of Sales at AGANORSA Leaf. “The Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto represents a celebration of our leaf and dedication to quality, and we believe it is a fitting tribute to Wooden Indian Tobacco’s 60 years of excellence in this industry.”

The AGANORSA Leaf Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto will be available exclusively at Wooden Indian Tobacco in Havertown, PA through their brick and mortar location and online retail site.

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Tagged as 60th Anniversary, Aganorsa, Anniversary, cigar, cigars, Supreme Leaf, wooden indian