HHB | CigarCraig's Blog

The PCA show is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I’ve decided to go after all. I’m actually going as a correspondent for another media site, so I’ll be doing a little double duty. I know I said I wouldn’t go again until media was invited, but I was going to be in town anyway, and couldn’t be there without spending at least a couple days at the show. I’ll only be there for Saturday and Sunday, so I’ll have to plan things carefully. So I figured I better smoke up some of the cigars I still have from the TPE show! I started with a Nat Cicco HHB Gold. I didn’t really know much about Nat Cicco until they bought Epic Cigars and Dean Parsons went to work for them. This was a toro size cigar with a pigtail cap, Ecuador Habano wrapper, and Nicaraguan binders and fillers. From what I can tell, this is made at NACSA, the same factory that makes Mi Querida, Patina, and Dapper). This was a nice smoke, with woody and leathery flavors. It burned well, and was on the medium full side. Not necessarily my cup of tea, but nice, nonetheless. I don’t see this cigar listed on their website, but there is a non-gold version, I’ll be interested in seeing what the difference is between the two. I really liked the Aniversario 1965 Liga No.4 that they make.

Not a cigar from the TPE show, but one I recently picked up, was a JFR Lunatic Habano in the Short Titan size. I’ll be honest, I had to look just now because the cigar didn’t seem like a 60 ring cigar, but sure enough it’s 4½” x 60. They call this Habano, yet the website lists the wrapper as San Andrés, wich it neither looks or tastes like. I’m confused. These come in ridiculous sizes, up to 80 ring. I stuck with a normal size, and I really can’t remember if I’ve smoked this blend before or not. I don’t think they were outrageously priced either, and the place I bought them might have had a buy five get one deal or something, my memory is hazy. This was a good smoke, on the nutty side. I have another one, so I will smoke it again, and wouldn’t hesitate to pick up more, I just won’t be getting the larger sizes. They have a toro, I’d like to try that one.

This last one was from the TPE, I talked to Clay Roberts of La Palina there and he gave me a La Palina 125 Años, which is a $25 cigar, made by the Oliva’s in Nicaragua. This celebrates the anniversary of Samuel Paley founding the cigar company that would make the first La Palina cigars back in 1896. The blend is undisclosed tobaccos, but they say that they were given access to Oliva’s private stock of vintage tobaccos. I realized that all three of the cigars featured today have a fancy cap treatment, this one has a fan cap, much like the Goldie had. This was a fascinating cigar. It’s a 6½” x 52 Toro. It had a heavy, almost cloying mouth feel, like a black licorice. Not really an anise flavor, just that mouth coating sensation. It did have a sweetness, and a doughy, nutty kind of flavor. It was different and quite enjoyable. I’m not sure the band was in keeping with how special this cigar is, although I guess it may be reminiscent of the period. these come in jars of 37, which I won’t be pring $975 for, but it’s a really good smoke. Thanks, Clay, for sharing this one with me!