Tag Archives: cigars

August 17, 2025 · 9:32 am

Cohiba Spectre, Rocky Patel Dark Star and Artista Falu Cigars

This week we made settlement on my parents house, the house I grew up in for the most part. It was the end of three and a half months of clean-out, and there’s still a ton of stuff we have to find homes for. But the stresses of having to run back and forth to the house are over. I needed a celebratory cigar, and General Cigars was very generous in sending samples of the ’24 Cohiba Spectre, which was just recently released. They have this cigar priced at $149.95, which is absurd, or course, but it makes this the second most expensive cigar I’ve ever smoked (Davidoff Dom Perignon from the ’70s was the most expensive). These are packaged in a ten count articulated cylinder that has the cigars in individual humidified tubes, with a travel humidor in the middle. My cigars came in cellophane. Clearly a lot of the pricetag is in the packaging, it’s probably a better value dropping the $1500 on the box! Not that the cigar isn’t great, I hate that I loved it. It’s a 6″ x 52 toro, with a 7-Year-Aged Havana Connecticut 2017 wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder and Criollo 98 from Mao Dominican Republic, San Andrés, Vuelta Abajo fillers. It starts spicy, and progresses to a neat array of exotic spices throughout. It’s quite interesting and delicious. The only other Spectre I’ve smoked was the first one in 2018, and it doesn’t hold a candle to this one. I was very impressed.

Coming back to reality, last week I had mentioned picking up some new-to-me cigars, and one of them was the Rocky Patel Dark Star, of course in the 6″ x 52 toro. I thought Rocky liked making toros 6½”? This is and interesting blend, it has a Honduran Corojo wrapper and Nicaraguan, Honduran & Paraguayan fillers. I always appreciate a good burn and draw, this had it, and it had what I consider to be bright, woody flavors. Around the band I got a sensation of cinnamon, which I found interesting. I probably don’t smoke as many Rocky Patel cigars as I should, I usually find something I like about them.

Another cigar I picked up was the Artista Falu in, you guessed it, toro size. I believe this is the third in their newest series, with the Harvest and Midnight being the others. This one has a Broadleaf wrapper, Indonesian binder and a proprietary blend of Dominican tobaccos. It’s a box pressed 6″ x 50 toro. I really like this series, they are fairly priced in the $12 range, and smoke really well. This cigar had a lot of dark dried fruit and espresso characteristics, and was squarely in my wheelhouse. I’ve had a good relationship with Artista for a long time, nice folks who make a good product.

Last night I smoked a Wise Man Claro, so I decided to smoke an old El Güegüense this morning to see how they compared. No similarity, they are very different cigars. Both excellent, grab up any El Güegüense you see! That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Artista, cigar, cigars, cohiba, Dark Star, Falu, rocky patel, Spectre

August 10, 2025 · 7:00 am

Black Label Trading Co. Eletto, Enclave by Eladio Diaz and Timeless Supreme Cigars

One of the shops local to me recently changed ownership, and I’ve been able to find some new-to-me cigars there. the first one that caught my eye was the Elatto from Black Label Trading Co.. This it Black Label’s tenth anniversary cigar, Eletto is Italian for “chosen one”. I’m pretty happy I chose this one. This was the 6″ x 50 toro, and has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder, and Nicaraguan fillers, made at their Oveja Negra factory in Esteli. This didn’t taste like a typical Connecticut Broadleaf cigar, not that it was a disappointment, there are plenty of cigars I can chose if I want that flavor. This was very interesting. It started with some dry cocoa powder, a little on the bitter side, and sweetened gradually, but not very much. I really like a lot of the cigars BLTC makes, and I grab one as often as I can. It was nice to see something this new (only a week or two on the market) in this local shop. It’s not the closest shop to me, it’s two miles away, but it’s pretty convenient.

Another cigar I picked up was the A.J. Fernandez Enclave by Eladio Diaz in the 6″ x 54 toro size. Eladio Diaz spent 40 years at Davidoff, and was most recently Head of Production and Quality Control. He’s quite a prolific blender, then partnered with William Ventura to start Freud Cigars. The blend is a Corojo ’99 wrapper from Ecuador, an Ecuadoran binder and all-Dominican filler. It’s made at Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera in the DR. This is all a little odd, since the cigar doesn’t seem to have anything to do with A.J. Fernandez except for the name. The Enclave line celebrates camaraderie in the cigar industry, so I guess there’s that. I’ll be honest, this was not a cigar that really fit my preference. It had a nutty, creaminess, but a little bite as well. I actually thought it was a shade wrapped cigar, and was surprised that it was Ecuador Corojo. While it’s not for me, if you like the older Davidoffs, or Ventura cigars, this would be a good cigar to try, especially for just under $10.

I’ve been negligent in sampling the offerings of Ferio Tego, so I was pleased when I saw the Timeless Supreme on the shelf. I haven’t been able to pull the trigger on the Elegancia and Generoso, too rich for my blood. I picked up the box pressed 660, which feels more like a toro. I used my CigarMedics The Baller on this one, I’ve been using the Il Maestro and Guillotina De Saka most of the time. Both cut exactly the same, by the way. This is a Nicaraguan puro, made by Plasencia. Of course, Timeless was a brand developed by Michael Herklots when he took the Nat Sherman brand from a catalog brand back into the premium space. When Altria divested itself of the Nat Sherman cigar brands, Ferio Tego acquired the trademarks to continue the brands. Timeless Supreme is probably the strongest of the four varieties offered, at least I found it to be quite strong. This is a leathery cigar, burn and draw were perfect, and I put it down sooner than I normally do. I still enjoyed it, and look forward to sampling, or resampling I guess, the rest of the Timeless line.

We’ve been super busy cleaning out my parent’s house, but the end is in sight. We have settlement this week and that chapter will be behind us. We still have a lot of stuff to liquidate, but at least we won’t have to worry about the house. Wednesday’s cigar will be a good one! That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as A.J. Fernandez, Black Label Trading Co., Black Label Trading Company, cigar, cigars, Eladio Diaz, Eletto, Enclave, Ferio Tego, Supreme, Timeless

August 3, 2025 · 9:36 am

Hoyo de Monterrey, Devil Crab and Tatuaje Corojo Cigars

A few weeks back I mentioned that I was smoking the new Hoyo de Monterrey Shade while writing, and that I’d report back later. Today is the day. This is the third cigar in the revamped line, the first two were the Oscuro and Rojo, which I talked about back in August of last year. Along with La Gloria, Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the brands I got started on early. The Excalibur No 1 was a special occasion cigar for me, when spending $5 on a cigar was really extravagant. This new Hoyo has a Honduran shade grown wrapper, with Honduran binder and fillers, made at the HATSA factory in Danli, Honduras. I may revisit the Oscuro and the Rojo, but I think this Connecticut is my favorite of the three. It was rich and creamy, well balanced and burned perfectly. My initial impression was that this was a cigar that didn’t really need to be made, It seems that adding a shade cigar to a line is a go to move with General Cigars. This one is really nice, and priced well. It’s funny as I sit here smoking a shade cigar I think about how it’s the last wrapper I go to, but I really like them! This Hoyo is a good one. When I first started this journey, General Cigars sent me a box of Hoyos, and I think I still have one left. That was 15 years ago!

I smoked a West Tampa Cigar Co. Devil Crab a few months ago at the Smoke-Onos when Ricky pretty much made me smoke it, and I had some thoughts, but I wanted to smoke one on a clean palate to validate those thoughts. I can use “validate”, Aganorsa hasn’t protected it somehow, right? Anyway, This is a classic size, 4½” x 60 perfecto. I see the term “double perfecto” bandied about, and that seems redundant to me, a perfecto is a figurado that’s closed at both ends. What would a single perfecto be? Anyway, it’s pretty close to the classic Flying Pig vitola, which Steve Saka resurrected from a late 1800s cigar catalog while working at Drew Estate. I like this shape, it’s a fun smoke. This is made at the Garmendia factory where the White, Black and Red lines are made. This is a very interesting cigar, and I had a very similar experience this time. It smokes well, once you get thought the foot, initially it’s tight, but that’s a typical perfecto trait. To my palate, it has a sweetness, but not a sugary sweetness, more of a saccharine sweetness. It’s a little odd, Certainly worth a try and a decent change of pace. There are other West Tampa cigars I like better.

Finally, I was hunting for something new to me, and I came across the Tatuaje 7th Corojo. This is the fifth cigar in the 7th size, which is a 5 5/8″ x 46 classic Corona Gorda shape. They’ve recently release this as a regular production, along with the Tuxtla in this size. It has a Corojo wrapper grown by the Garcia family in Nicaragua, I assume over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. It’s decently priced around $9.50. I remember feeling extremely extravagant paying that for a Liga Privada when they first hit (double that today!). This was a perfect cigar to unwind with after a very busy Saturday. It has an interesting sourness, not off putting, with a floral overtone. It’s different from what I generally expect from a Tatuaje, but if they all tasted the same, what fun would that be? Perfect construction as always. I should have gotten a Tuxtla too, I haven’t had one in a while, but they will be readily available. Great cigar.

That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as 7th, cigar, cigars, Corojo, Devil Crab, hoyo de monterrey, Shade, tatuaje, West Tampa Tobacco Co.

July 27, 2025 · 9:05 am

My Father Blue, Diamond Crown Tampa and Davidoff Maduro

I smoked a few pricey cigars this week, outside my usual comfort zone. However this first one wasn’t one of those! I picked up a few of the new My Father Blue in toro and gordo, and smoked one in each size. This is from the company’s new Honduras factory and uses tobacco grown on their Honduran farm. It has a Connecticut rosado broadleaf wrapper, and Corojo and Criollo tobaccos from Honduras. My first impression was what a gorgeous cigar this was. The bands are beautiful, tying in the whole “Blue” thing, they really pop on the shelf. Blue was once considered the kiss of death on a cigar band, but now longer, this is a stunner. It starts with some spice, who’s surprised? The best food comparison I can make is rye bread (TY NK for putting that in my head). I smoked both the Toro Gordo and the Toro and they were superb, a real winner. I’ll be very interested in smoking more cigars from the Honduras factory, including whatever Tatuaje might do there.

I was fortunate that J.C. Newman shared some of their new Diamond Crown Tampa cigars with me, it’s hard to say when I’ll get back to Tampa, as these are exclusive to shops in the city. I also have a hard time dropping $30 on a cigar. This is a Diamond Crown with a little extra, which is the Florida Sun Grown tobacco grown at Jeff Borysiewicz’ farm in Clermont, Florida. These are still made at Tabacalera Fuente, and still have an Connecticut Shade wrapper, although it looks darker to me than I’m used to. It’s only available in a 6½” x 52 Toro. The guts are Dominican, except for the FSG ligero. I was amazed at how good this cigar was, but I shouldn’t have been, I guess. My first Diamond Crown cigar was back in 1998 and it, along with all it’s siblings, have been favorites ever since. The new Diamond Crown bands are beautiful, and they added a large band on the body of the cigar that has Tampa imagery, El Reloj (not El Rehol, dammit Coop!), a rooster, Gaspar’s ship and other Tampa landmarks. It’s my week for smoking beautiful cigars! This was another bready cigar with the FSG spice which is unique. I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to try it, and recommend it, it’s a special treat.

I could have smoked something more ridiculously expensive than this next cigar, but I’ll hold off on that one for a couple weeks. Once again, I was fortunate to receive a sampling of the newish Davidoff Maduro, and selected the 6″ x 54 Toro for my Friday evening smoke. This has a chocolaty maduro wrapper from Ecuador, a Mexican binder and Dominican fillers. A box will run you a little over a grand, make sure you get free shipping if you buy online! If I ever have a box of these you’ll know I won the lottery. This was another pretty cigar, the bands are classic, in this case it’s the wrapper that catches the eye. This cigar burned perfectly, razor straight with a perfect draw. It had some of the cocoa one expects, some spice, and that musty umami that I think Davidoff cigars usually have. This was stronger than I expected, it being a Davidoff and all, and I had to put it down sooner than I usually do (most cigars are finger burners for me). I had to take Zino’s advice and put it down around the band, which made me sad. My value brain saw me leaving $15 in the ashtray! I inherited frugality from my late mother. This was an impressive cigar anyway, and I very much appreciate Davidoff sharing these with me. It was a special treat.

We’ve been busy with the stresses that go with handling an estate, getting a house ready to sell, going through generations of stuff, and trying to turn some of it into cash. Cigars have been my therapy, hopefully it’ll be behind us soon. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Blue, cigar, cigars, davidoff, Davidoff of Geneva, Diamond Crown, J.C.Newman, maduro, My Father, Tampa

July 20, 2025 · 9:28 am

El Mago, LOFB, Deisel Cigars and a Lighter

Do yourself a favor and keep an eye out for Smoke Inn‘s (not a sponsor) weekly deals. I get them in email, but it doesn’t really work into my posting schedule to share them, but if you follow CigarProp (also not a sponsor) on Facebook, he generally passes them on. I sometimes find them difficult to pass up. For instance, a couple weeks back they offered three El Mago Miami Maduro and three League of Fat Bastards Serie L in toro size that I hadn’t smoked before for something stupid like $20 delivered. It’s stupid not to buy these, right? I had a good experience with the El Mago in the past, and, as much as I dislike the name, the LOFB cigars sound interesting and support a worthwhile cause. I’m also always on the lookout for new to me things to type about on Sundays! El Mago is an interesting brand, based in Miami and created as an homage to the brand owner’s grandparents who died in the condo collapse in Miami a few years ago. The Mami Maduro has a San Andrés wrapper, Sumatra binder and Nicaraguan fillers, made in a factory in Esteli. Like the Disco I smoked previously, this was a terrific cigar. It burned perfectly, and had a pepper spice and cocoa thing going on. I like that a lot, it’s a trait that some of my favorite cigars possess. I will definitely continue to explore this brand!

The LOFB, or League of Fat Bastards, is a new brand that commits something like 40% of each cigars proceeds to men’s mental health charities. This is certainly a noble cause, and one that’s likely underserved. I know as a man, it’s hard to admit to anything that would leave you vulnerable. I know I’ve never admitted to anxiety, until recently when my mother’s health was failing and I asked my doctor to get me something to take the edge off. The whole parent passing away, and the subsequent managing of the estate carries a lot of pressure. Anyway, I wasn’t going to go out of my way to try the LOFB cigars because somehow I don’t feel like I identify with the name, although I have my share of fat, but I don’t think I’m a bastard! Since these were with the El Mago deal I didn’t have much choice! Turns out this is a really good cigar. This 6″ x 54 toro has an Ecuador wrapper of some sort, and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. This was another perfectly made cigar that was a joy to smoke. It had a spice cake sort of flavor, very enjoyable. My opinion has changes on this brand, but I still don’t like the name!

I have a problem. Whenever I check out at Walmart and I see a torch lighter in the checkout line, I have to buy it. Last time it was a Djeep torch, which has turned out to be a really nice single torch lighter, this time it was a colorful display of MK lighter that caught my eye. I have an absolute shitload of torch lighters, there are three on my smoking table right now, so I didn’t need another, but I don’t have a blue one, so onto the checkout belt it went. I don’t find this one to be as ergonomic as the Djeep, which was a lot more expensive than this one ($5 vs the $4 MK). I also feel like aesthetically it looks a little top heavy, but it’s light weight. I can say that it has a large fuel tank, produces as good a torch flame as anything, and works well. It has a lock to lock it off, but not on like the Blazer PB207, which is good I guess. If you’re travelling and want a cheap reliable torch, or one to keep in the glovebox, this is a great choice.

Finally, I smoked the new Diesel Founder’s Collection Raceking. This is offered in a 6″ x 52 toro and has an Ecuador Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Apparently some of the tobaccos are aged in Rabbit Hole’s Raceking bourbon barrels. I don’t know anything about bourbon, but I do know that I really like the Deisel sherry cask cigar in the Rabbit Hole series. I also know that I wasn’t overly fond of the original Rabbit Hole blend, but many people loved it. While I enjoyed this Raceking, I thought it reminded me more of the original. I thought it had a bready component. I have smoke many many cigars that I didn’t enjoy as much, it was a perfectly good smoke. Maybe I need to revisit the first Rabbit Hole cigar. Out of all the Deisel cigars I’ve smoked, and I’ve enjoyed more than I haven’t, this was in the upper half. Good cigar.