Tag Archives: hoyo de tradicion

Sunday Cigar Recap: Joya de Nicaragua, Brick House, Berger & Argenti, Broadway and a Contest Winner!

Here’s a few cigars I smoked this week:

Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta Robusto – I just love these cigars.  I loved them before I watched them being rolled in the factory, and I love them more every time I smoke one.  Such a good cigar.  Well balanced, great tasting and beautifully constructed.  To me they are special because I watched them rolled in Nicaragua, and they are reasonably priced (which is astounding considering the extra steps taken in the rolling process), and suite my taste buds.  If you haven’t tried these, you should.  I will purchase a box of the lanceros at some point, it’s just a matter of time…

 

Brick House Mighty Mighty 6¼” x 60   – For some reason I’ve been in the mood for large cigars, and this was a big one. This line has been around a while and received glowing reviews and is another reasonably priced cigar.  I picked this one up on my Father’s Day cigar run.  Very nicely made with rich flavors.  A most enjoyable 90 minute vacation in a cigar.  This line received an award from Cigar Journal magazine for the best value Nicaraguan cigar last month at the IPCPR show, an event which I was fortunate enough to attend.  This is made by the folks at J.C.Newman in Nicaragua based on one of the company’s first brands in the US. Again, a very nice cigar for a fair price.

 

Berger and Argenti Entubar Double Corona (7 5/8” x 54)  – Another large cigar, this one carrying a warning band at the foot advising to toast the entire foot, not just the protuberance of ligero, under penalty of death.  I was tempted to ignore this sage advise, but having spoken to both Kiki Berger (who gave me this sample) and Al Argenti at the show, I decided not to risk it and did as instructed.  There is something to be said for the entubado method of construction as the burn and draw were spectacular on this cigar.  It tasted good too, the Ecuadorian ‘Desflorado’ Connecticut wrapper, which seems to be all the rage these days, was very nice (I believe “Desflorado” means “deflowered”, and I was under the impression that all of the tobacco plants except for the absolute healthiest and strongest specimens have the flowers removed, so I’m not sure what this means in the description, but it is a cool sounding word!).

 

Broadway by La Aurora – I picked this up last March on a family trip to NYC at De La Concha. This is a cigar that La Aurora made specifically to help New York tobacconists survive after the 75% Tax on cigars was put into place. I picked up similar themed cigars from Alec Bradley and Gurkha while I was there. This is a nice cigar that starts out with a little kick. It’s a 5¾ x 54 with a unique double wrapper of Ecuador Sumatra and Nicaraguan, with Dominican Corojo binder and Dominican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian fillers. Mine burned fairly well, although my son, who smoked one with me, had some trouble with the burn on his. We may need to check his humidor, I can imagine with a double wrapper, the right humidity is going to be the key to a good burn with this. I’m trying to figure out how they manage to reduce the manufacturing cost of this cigar for sale in New York, but use two wrappers. It seems counter-intuitive, but I suppose it works, because the cigar is pretty tasty.

 

Here is a quick video of Kiki Berger from Cuban Crafters at last month’s IPCPR show. I’ll take this opportunity to thank Don Kiki again for taking the time to talk to me, hooking me up with a Cuban coffee and some samples, and giving me this spiffy new Perfect Cut cutter. I’ve been using this a lot in the last few weeks and I like it a lot. Unlike similar cutters that I like a lot, this one has a resin (plastic) body that is very light in the pocket. My other favorite cutter is all stainless steel and quite heavy. This one does a great job, has a cool hole in the back so you can cut a torpedo and doesn’t drag your trousers to the ground!

 

In the News

Here are a few interesting links I came across this week, the first is about an old brand that was made up the road from me in Reading, PA. The second one isn’t really cigar related, but is a cool article about a Beatles themed bar in Havana.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=325430#.TkPxXgeipfs.email

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/08/world/americas/08havana.html?_r=3

 

Also, many thanks to our local newspaper, the Daily Local News for including this site on their Blogtown page and featuring it on the front page of their site yesterday!

 

Contest!

I need to select a winner of my General Cigars prize pack.  As you can see, the prize pack has doubled since I announced it a week ago, thanks to Victoria at General Cigars for sending along some more goodies.  Be sure to get on over to http://www.macanudomillionaire.com and enter to win a trip to Vegas and a chance to win a million bucks.  We had 17 entries, with one being disqualified since he won in the last 6 months.  So I entered  16 into the random number generator and it spit out the number 11 which corresponds to Paul.  Please drop me an e-mail with your address so I can get this out to you!  I hate to have to work too hard to give stuff away, so get your contact info to me with me having to chase you down! 🙂

 

That’s all I have for now, and I think we can all agree that it was enough…so until the next time,

CigarCraig

 

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General Cigars Week, a Macanudo, IPCPR Booth Tours and a Contest!

First off I’d like to thank and welcome Bonita Smoke Shop, our newest advertiser! Please give them a visit, either if you’re in Bonita Springs, FL, or by clicking on the graphic on the right! Nice folks with a great selection who were among the first shops with an internet presence back in the wild west days of the ’90s!

 

We left off having smoked a series of CAO cigars, and, since CAO is now part of General Cigar, I figured I’d wrap up the week with some more General products and a contest!  In an unrelated note, I had been approached some time ago by the marketing folks for a jazz artist named Anders Holst to review his CD, but it seems like I procrastinated and reviews have appeared on several other blog sites.  I don’t want to be repetitive, so check out Barry’s interview and review at ACigarSmoker.com.  I was going to try to tie it in with a review, but decided it’s been done, so thanks to Anders and the folks at his PR company for thinking of me.

 

The other evening I enjoyed a Macanudo 1968 Robusto again, I punched this one and the draw was excellent. I have really been digging these lately. A good friend related a story to me that when these were initially released he offered them unbanded, in a Havana cigar box, at an event and people thought they were Cuban. I don’t know about all that, and the power of suggestion can’t be discounted, but I really don’t draw a comparison. That’s not to say the Mac 68 isn’t a fine cigar, it is. It’s well made and very tasty. Since they lowered the price on these a few months back, it’s even a better cigar.

 

Saturday brought a migraine, which I tried to sleep off in anticipation of visiting a hookah and cigar lounge that’s opened in West Chester, PA (which is a few miles up the road from us). They are supposed to have a belly dancer on Friday and Saturday nights, and we’ve been trying to get there for a smoke. I’ve never tried the hookah, but I’m not repulsed by it and they do include cigars in the name of the place, so I’m open to try it out. I also was going to drive out to Lancaster PA to a cigar shop to meet up with a few folks, notably some of the guys from StogieReview.com. In the end, the migraine, along with my wife getting home from a business event later than anticipated, won the battle and we stayed in.

 

While I’m thinking about it, head on over to http://www.macanudomillionaire.com and enter the contest to win a trip to Vegas and a chance to win a million bucks. From the press release:

“Between now and September 30, consumers 21 year of age or older can enter to win an all-expense paid, three-day, two night trip to the in Las Vegas. While in Sin City, each winner and their guests will be treated to a VIP evening at the Playboy Club. There, a trio of Playboy Playmates will stand in for Lady Luck when each of the contestants and their guests play a high-stakes round of poker. If either the contest winners or their guests have a straight flush or higher, Macanudo will award the $1,000,000 prize.”

 

Here are a few videos I shot during my tour of the General Cigars booth at the IPCPR show. As always, these are raw videos, and, due to the ambient noise in the aircraft hangar they call an exhibition hall, they aren’t all that easy to hear. Thanks again to General Cigars for rolling out the red carpet for me again. They have quite a few exciting items again this year.

 

 

Contest!

 

Leave a comment to enter to win at least a five pack of General Cigar goodies, maybe more, but it will be at least five, I may be able to scrounge up more goodies. Contest will run for one week, with the winner being drawn on Sunday, August 14, 2011. Usual rules apply.  The prize may grow over the course of the week, hard to say!

 

That’s it for now, until the next time,

CigarCraig

 

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Drew Estate Contest Winner Announced! – Sunday, September 5, 2010

I struggled with finding a creative and entertaining way to select a winner in this month’s contest.  The cats haven’t been cooperating, the dartboard thing was downright embarrassing, and my attempt at making a wheel of fortune fell through. I assigned a number to each entrant based upon the order the comments were received, 1 through 24.  I was all ready to use a pair of 12 sided dice and live with the possible outcome of having 2 winners (it’s VERY difficult for 1 to come up with 2 dice, so I would have given out two prizes if I had rolled snake-eyes), but I figured that the odds were weighted poorly for the poor guy who was number 24.  I decided to wuss out and let the “True Number Generator” at Random.org do the dirty work for me.   So here’s a video of the official selection:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ-h8-2irZ0

We were having a heck of a time getting the camera to focus, but you can see that there was at least some feline involvement as my frequent smoking buddy Frank stopped by.  I’ll need an address from the winner e-mailed to craig@cigarcraig.com at his earliest convenience so I can get the Drew Estate hat, Liga Privada cutter and T52 Belicoso in the mail.  The music in the video is “You Get Me So Excited” by Jim Babjak’s “Music from Jim Babjak’s Buzzed Meg, Vol. 1”.  I want to thank Jim for allowing me to use his music.  Many thanks again to Drew Estate for the great cigars and goodies they sent me so that I can give away cool stuff without having to go deeper into debt :-).

Cigars

As far as cigar content, I’ve stuck to the old familiars so far this weekend, first being a Friday night Chateau Real Maduro Gran Cru Perfecto which will be sorely missed in my humidor when they are gone.  Real nice cigars as far as I’m concerned.  Saturday was beautiful but windy and, not wanting the wind to spoil a cigar I’d want to pay attention to, I grabbed a National Brand Maduro robusto.  These are such solid performers in flavor and burn that I forgive the sweetened cap.  For $2.25 they get the job done.  Finally, as I type this, I am thoroughly enjoying a  Hoyo de Tradition Toro.  This has made the process of putting the video together which usually makes me swear a lot, quite a bit easier and less profanity laden.

You’ll notice a new thermometer on the right.  My wife Jennifer has joined Team Price is Right as a “virtual walker” in the 26th annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles.  She has mapped out a 10k route locally so she can do her part (Maybe I’ll  walk with her, I need to figure out what cigar will last me 10 kilometers).  If you have the inclination, please consider making a donation to a cause that really doesn’t get that much attention anymore.

That’s it for now, just waiting for an address so I can send off the prize.  Thanks to everyone for your comments, even though, as one person pointed out, I get a lot more when there’s free stuff on the line, I still enjoy comments and e-mails so keep them coming.

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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This Week’s Cigars: Liga Privada, Hoyo de Tradition – Thursday August 5, 2010

I’ll be taking a the weekend off, so I figured I’d better get a little something out before I go.

Since I gave away some Liga Privadas last time, I decided to smoke one on Sunday evening.  I lit up a No. 9 Parejo I purchased last November at a Drew Estate event at The Wooden Indian in Havertown PA.  These are easily in my top 10, if not top 5, for balance of flavor, construction and overall enjoyment.  I can see why Steve Saka, el Presidente of Drew Estate and the creator of this blend, can smoke these non-stop without getting tired of them.  Just a wonderful smoke.  I was very sad when I dropped the ½” butt in the ashtray.  Yummy!!

Tuesday I grabbed a Hoyo de Tradition Toro.  I really like these, but this one didn’t perform as well as I would have liked. It may have been that it was pretty humid and I took the cigar out of the humidor and let it sit out for a bit while I did something around the house, as others out of the same box haven’t burned this way.  It burned as if it were over-humidified, as a few I had a week or so ago did.  I love the flavor, but when it’s difficult to get the smoke out of the cigar and when you do, it’s what I would describe as steamy, it takes away from the experience.  Anyway, still a nice cigar, keep an eye open for a 5 pack contest for some of these in the not too distant future!

That’s it for now. I’ll post again sometime in the middle of next week.  Maybe I’ll come across something interesting to write about in my travels.

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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C.Gars Ltd. Cigar Dinner Cruise – Wednesday June 2, 2010

My lovely wife Jenn, myself and friend Karen

Last night we had the good fortune of having been invited on a dinner cruise hosted by our dear friend Mitchell Orchant of C.Gars Ltd.  The cruise was around Manhattan for about 4 hours on the Marco Polo Cruises “Jewel”, which is a 120 foot long ship with a dining room and a covered deck above.  There was a buffet of both Italian and Kosher cuisine that  was delicious and plentiful.  The attendees were a collection of customers, friends and business associates, all smoking non-stop for the duration of the event.

We began the day with my son and I visiting Shaving Grace in Exton, PA for some grooming.  The shop has a big flat panel TV, leather couch, pool and poker tables and various paraphernalia, including cigars, cigar boxes and ashtrays (although smoking is not allowed).  I have never had a professional shave and it was quite a treat to have the hot towels and all the various lotions and lather associated with it.  It’s not something I’d do all the time, but it was a treat.  I’m a little conflicted in that it’s kind of girly, in a very manly way.

Mitchell and Jenn

Shortly after the manscaping trip, we hit the road to NYC.  It typically takes over 2 hours to get from Southeast, PA to NYC so we allowed plenty of time for traffic and construction delays.  We made the Holland Tunnel in 2 hours and found our way to the docks, then found our way to the correct docks!  We were a good hour early but lucky for us Mitchell and his wife Karyn were aboard already with a few other early folks, including George whom we’d met with Mitchell in Vegas a few years ago.  Already we knew people, woohoo!

The vessel eventually filled up and we got under way.  I enjoyed a little Tabak Especial Colada Dulce while we were waiting.  I was pretty much on an empty stomach and wanted something to smoke that wasn’t too challenging.  It was pretty tasty for a flavored cigar.  After we got going I lit up a Hoyo de Tradicion Toro which was also very nice.  In these social situations I generally smoke cigars I don’t have to think about too much.  A great cigar can distract me from a conversation and I don’t want to appear rude.  We spent the evening catching up with old friends we hadn’t seen in a while and meeting new folks. I believe it was Oliva who provided the roller who was demonstrating his craft in the dining room, and all reports are that the cigars he was rolling were very good.

Myself and Mark Aub

One of the gentlemen I had the good fortune of meeting was Marc Aub of Brother of the Leaf, LLC, maker of the Palio cutter and Esencia Cigars.  Marc is an instantly likable fellow.  We talked about the newsgroups and forums, blogs and podcasts, and the state of the industry.  The discussion turned briefly to the IPCPR show and what place we bloggers have there.  I have been to the show once with a retailers badge but with the understanding that the people exhibiting are there to sell their product to retailers.  We made it a point to step back when talking to someone when they had real customers.  Marc suggested that the IPCPR add a membership category for the media, to which my wife made the suggestion of charging an annual fee.  I think this is a great idea, considering any schmoo can have a cigar blog (just look at me!) and get a press pass.   Charging a membership fee makes people think twice and gives the experience some value.

Mitchell "SmokeyMO" Orchant

Marc very generously put an Esencia Lancero in my mouth at one point which was just the perfect cigar to top off a great evening.   From what he said, the lancero isn’t available other than from him or in a special sampler pack that was available on a limited basis.  First, I love the size and feel of a lancero.  It’s elegant, it requires a bit more time and patience to smoke.  This one burned slow and even and was smooth and flavorful down to about 3/4″ when it gave up on me.  It started out with a little zing which I liked.  Marc confirmed what I suspected, that it was a Nicaraguan puro.  I have only heard about these here and there, but all of the good things I’ve heard were confirmed with this very satisfying cigar. On a slightly embarrassing note, it occurred to me moments after I did it that I cut it with my favorite cheapie cutter and not a Palio.  I don’t think Marc noticed (phew!) Unfortunately I didn’t take the time to snap a picture of the cigar, but it was a beauty.

After a terrific evening with a great bunch of folks, the boat docked and we said our thank-yous and farewells to our friends and hosts.  We have been so fortunate to have made such good friends over the years, it’s a treat to be able to hang out with them for a while every so often.  It was also fun to take my son along so that he could experience some of the kinds of events we’ve been attending while he was growing up.  He had a great time as well and is moving along through his cigar education.

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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