We’ve had some nice weather here in southeast PA, so it’s been a pleasure taking my evening walks. I’ve managed to get some nice cigars in (so whats new?)
Sunday evening I grabbed an Aging Room Small Batch M-356 toro that Rafael Nodal gave me at the Cigarnival last June. This is a cigar that is new to me, sure I’ve heard about them over the years, but never had a chance to try one. This is a Dominican cigar with a Habano wrapper which I approached with anticipation. I found it to be enjoyable, but I had a heck of a time keeping it burning right. I had to really pay a lot of attention to it or it would go out. I smoked this while walking with the dog and my oldest son, who enjoyed a Diesel Unholy Cocktail. I would love to smoke another one to see if the burn characteristics were an anomaly. It had a really nice, sweet flavor that I enjoyed.
Monday night I grabbed an AlecBradley Tempus Maduro Robusto. I believe this cigar came from the pack that they handed out at the party Alec Bradly Cigars threw at the Palms Hotel pool at the IPCPR show in Vegas. They had three or four cigars packaged like a Wonka bar (almost appropriate since Tuesday was International Willy Wonka Day!), of which I smoked the Nica Puro while there. The Tempus Maduro has my favorite San Andrés wrapper, so I figured I was in for a treat. It was a treat, although different from what I generally expect from this wrapper. This cigar had a pretty aggressive flavor reminiscent of the Mexican tobacco of the 90s. It burned well and had a nice, long finish. This is a cigar that after you’ve smoked it, you know you smoked a cigar. I’m getting old, I prefer a smoother, creamier maduro these days, but this was an enjoyable smoke. There are so many great smokes in the Alec Bradley range.
Tuesday I, once again, dug into the IPCPR samples and pulled out a Debonaire Robusto. This is a Dominican cigar that is made by Phil Zanghi, who is the guy who originally made the Indian Tabak line in the 90s and sold it to Rocky Patel. There’s not a lot of information out there about this cigar, and I failed to make it back to the Debonaire booth at the IPCPR show to talk to Phil. In doing a little quick research, it looks like this is a pricey smoke, running in the $13 range. It was a good smoke, perfectly rolled and pleasing. Honestly, this is just me, but If I were faced with the choice of this cigar or a Liga Privada of just about any variety in the same price range, the Ligas suit my palate much more. Certainly a cigar to try.
Tonight I took my nightly walk with a recent gift I received from Will Cooper of Cigar-Coop.com. This is the first Viaje cigar I’ve smoked, and I’ve stayed away from the line largely because the selection is dizzying, there are so many small batch lines that I can’t keep them straight. This cigar was the 5″x52 Friends and Family Le Joueur, and there’s no information about this cigar on the Viaje website (there’s no information about any of the cigars on the website). Since Will gave me this cigar, see what he had to say at Cigar-Coop.com. I have to say that it was a very enjoyable smoke. The burn meandered a bit for me, but it drew perfectly with a V-cut and ended up straightening out in the last half. I thought it was pretty savory and satisfying, and I wan to thank my friend Will for sharing this with me and giving me my first glimpse into the world of Viaje. I can’t say I haven’t been curious about the line, and after smoking one, I may have to sample some more at some point.
This weekend we are driving up to New Hampshire and plan to pay a visit to the 2 Guys Smoke Shop in Nashua. While there I hope to weasel my way into their Cigar Authority radio show, so if you are bored, tune into the Cigar Authority website to watch the live video feed, or listen to it via podcast. I’ve long been a fan of the show and am looking forward to the visit. In other news, this in from my friend Barry Stein at Miami Cigar and Company:
Come celebrate National 107 Day, by smoking a La Aurora 107 on 10/7. Share with us your images on social media with the hashtag #LaAurora107 and you could win an all inclusive trip to the La Aurora Cigar factory.
That’s it for now. Sunday’s post may be a little late, or early and short, I’m not sure which yet. Either way, it’ll be the usual nonsense you’ve come to expect.
Until the next time,
CigarCraig
