Studio Tobac Event at Philadelphia Cigar and Tobacco Co.

Spring is definitely in full swing here in south-east PA, the grass is growing, the pool is opening and the weather has been gorgeous. So what do we do after a morning of chores? Go to a cigar store for a Studio Tobac/Oliva event, what else? The store in question is the Philadelphia Cigar and Tobacco Co. In Northeast Philadelphia, about an hour away (assuming traffic ir reasonable, which it was not). I consider Mike Staiber, our local Oliva rep, to be one of my better friends in the cigar industry, and. Byran Scholle is a super nice dude too, so going to hang out with them was a no brainer. I selected a handful of Padilla and Cain cigars and immediately lit up a Padilla Reserva Maduro Double Toro (5.5×60), a damned yummy cigar. Bryan sets up a small rolling table at his events and demonstrates how a cigar is wrapped to event goers. Its great for people to see how this is done and to be able to ask questions. One very astute question I heard involved nicotine absorption through the hands and whether it affects the roller. Bryans response was that it initially does when he starts, but he quickly adjusts. I’ve heard the question asked in the factories, but never in a shop setting. Here’s a two minute video of Bryan doing his thing:

The Philadelphia Cigar and Tobacco Co. is a very nice store located in a strip mall on Welsh Road in Northeast Philadelphia. The front of the store has a spacious lounge with a bunch of guys watching the game on a large TV, a poker table full of guys playing cards (and it didn’t look like they were playing “Go Fish”), and another small seating area. The huge walk in humidor was generously stocked with all the goodies you’d expect to find. The shop is very clean and well run, and he owner, Michael, is a gracious host. They are planning on opening a second location in Yardley, PA in the not too distant future. Drop in to visit if you find yourself in the area.

When I got home I had to smoke the cigar that Bryan rolled in the video. He described it as an amped up Cain F blend, with additional Esteli ligero in the blend. They playfully refer to this blend as the Cain FU. He mentioned that they are best smoked fresh, so I figured it wasn’t going to get any fresher. Smoking a fresh rolled cigar is a little different than one that’s sat in an aging room for months and made its way to your local shop. It’s a little wetter and mushier, but, astoundingly, it burned pretty well after I torched the hell out of it to get it lit. I guess I’m more manly than I gave myself credit for, because I was expecting this to kick me hard. I love most Cains with some age, but this one was quite good as well. It was strong and spicy, but not harsh and the flavor wasn’t overpowered. Well done. In counterpoint, the Padilla Reserva Maduro was smooth and chocolaty and delicious, nearly worth the $10 price tag (by the way, what is up with Padillas website? How about an update? I had to get size information elsewhere). I got a couple of the Short Robusto (4×60) size as well, along with some Cain Daytonas and Fs. It was a great day hanging out with some really nice folks and enjoying fine smokes.

The Adorini Humidor

This will be a recurring segment, basically a long term review of the Adorini Cedro Deluxe Humidor from Humidordiscount.com. I’ve started by charging the humidifier with the included solution and some distilled water, and adding a bowl of distilled water as well. So far the hygrometer is reading about 74% RH. I’m just going to let it sit until the water evaporates from the bowl. I’ve always gone by the theory that the wood in the humidor is truly the medium which holds the moisture, and if it’s too dry it will be constantly battling the humidification element and will take forever to reach equilibrium and function properly. I’m convinced that this unit will be a solid performer based on how solid it looks and feels and the nice, air-cushioned “woosh” I get when I drop the lid. More to come.