Tag Archives: Kings Cigars

RoMa Craft Intemperance, Inca Secret Blend and Kings Cigars

RoMa_Intemperance_TheAmbitionSometime around Wednesday I picked out a cigar I had purchased a few weeks ago at Cigar Mojo. Because Skip over at RoMa Craft Cigars is quite in tune with the weasel culture, I feel the need to mention that I bought the cigar, along with  bunch of others. This one was the Intemperance BA XXI “The Ambition”, from what I can tell (and I’ll double-check this when I go to Cigar Mojo later today). The Ambition is a belicoso, 5½” x 54, and the reason I’m second guessing myself on this is that I don’t remember this having the shaggy foot (although looking at the picture the wrapper does look like it’s cut a little short, almost like it shrank). It certainly had the Brazilian wrapper (it’s funny to me that a “Brazilian” would be “shaggy”) based upon flavor and appearance, the cigar certainly wasn’t wrapped in Ecuador Connecticut. This was a powerful cigar. I really enjoyed the flavor, but the nicotine content was almost overpowering. I had to sugar up a little after I finished the smoke, and that rarely happens. It had a nice sweet, spicy flavor and was very good. At $7, I may have to grab a couple more to let rest for a year or so and revisit.

 

You may recall reading here about the Inka Secret Blend cigars available in the UK. These are an exclusive to C.Gars Ltd and are made in Peru from all Peruvian tobacco. Mitchell and his team are releasing the Inca Secret Blend to the US market this year, they should be available at selected retailers already. The first thing you notice is the presentation, the box is incredible. It’s obviously Inca themed, black and gold with a gold medallion on the top. Even the inside rim of the box is painted gold, the attention to detail is crazy.

Inca_Boxes

 

The cigars are available in two sizes initially, the 6″ x 50 Tambo, and the 6″ x 60 Imperio, which is the cigar I smoked this week.  I’ll preface this by saying that I had the great pleasure of sitting in on a tasting of these at Casa Fuente in Vegas back at the 2013 IPCPR show, with Mitchell Orchant and Gennaro Lettieri, the owner of Tabacalera del Oriente in Tarapoto, Peru where these are made. It IncaSecretBlend_Imperiowas comical to watch, and I didn’t get to sample any at that time, but they went through dozens of samples and filled the ashtrays, much to the wonder of the staff at Casa Fuente. There was also some smoldering, my fault, actually, as I dissected one of the samples that had a less than desirable draw. I noted at the time that it had a double binder, and was rolled entubado if memory serves. I also enjoy most cigars that have Peruvian leaf in the blend, and have enjoyed the UK Inka Rojo and Azul that I’ve smoked quite a bit, odds were pretty good that I’d enjoy this cigar. The sample I smoked in the 6″ x 60 size was pretty fricken awesome. There were some similarities to a Havana cigar, it had the same kind of open draw, a similar Colorado colored wrapper, and an underlying spice. Considering the folks behind this cigar are mostly Havana cigar smokers, this isn’t really a surprise. The burn was acceptable for a cigar that had only recently come into my humidor, and I put them in the same day I put the CigarOasis Magna in, so there were some general fluctuations in humidity over a few days. I expect in a months time these will smoke perfectly. This cigar is a winner in my book, and it’s different from all the “New World” cigars out there. Assuming the FDA doesn’t screw everything up this year, this cigar should be a big hit.

 

KingsCigars_King Of Kings HabanoYesterday I was rummaging through my Adorini Carrera humidor, making sure everything was OK and it wasn’t jealous of the new humidor across the room, and I came across a Kings Cigars King of Kings Habano, box pressed 6″ x 64. Also going back to the 2013 IPCPR show, just before the show I received a package from them out of the blue, never heard of them, had never had contact with them, it’s was actually kind of creepy.  We searched them out at the show very early on, the curiosity factor worked, I had to figure out what the deal was with these guys. Well, they were a great group of entrepreneurs with a passion for cigars, and some nice, well made smokes and a flashy booth (with Cuban coffee, always a plus!). We got along well with the folks there and hung out with them several times during the week.  I actually haven’t heard much from them since, but I have heard their advertising recently on the Cigar Guys Radio Show out of Atlanta. So I made some room in the piano top humidor (it’s on the piano in the living room, and its a beautiful gloss black) by removing this large cigar, and took it out for a walk. It’s been close to two years since I smoked one of these, and it’s a good Nicaraguan cigar, well-balanced with a nice, meaty Habano sweetness.  The box press makes the 64 ring gauge a little more manageable, but it’s still a formidable cigar. I really want to try this in the Broadleaf wrapper, and will have to see if I can find someplace that carries these, or hunt them down at the show this year.  The cigar business is tough, so it’s no surprise that this brand isn’t as widely recognized as some, but the product is  solid and it takes time.

 

I’m planning to go to New Orleans for this year’s IPCPR show, so I want to ask you who you’d like me to seek out and what interview questions do you want me to ask, besides the usual “what’s new” that everyone asks. I have some folks on my list, but I want to get some fresh ideas. Leave a comment here, and while you’re at it, go back to my last post and leave a comment to enter to win some tasty treats from La Sirena cigars (Arielle is on the IPCPR list already). I’m going to head over to Cigar Mojo in King of Prussia, PA today for a smoke, stop by if you are around!

 

That’s enough outa me, until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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Kings Cigars, Undercrown and The Judge!

As you are reading this I should be wandering the streets of Manhattan looking for a place to have a cigar or three while my wife works at The Fest for Beatles Fans and rubs elbows with the elite in that world. Of course, it’s the 50th anniversary of The Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, which is a very big deal. I’m as big a Beatles fan as anyone, but there’s some things I won’t drop big bucks on, and one of those things is a fan fest (holds true for cigar fests too, smaller is better and if I’m spending $200 I want to select my own cigars, but that’s just me). So, I’ll wander around and take in some cigar sites in the Big Apple.

 

Kings-Conde-RobustoI’ve had a couple samples from Kings Cigars  hanging around, and I finally couldn’t resist the allure of the Kings Cigars Conde Robusto. I have smoked a few of these San Andres wrapper beauties and really enjoy them. There’s a little something extra in the flavor of these that sets it apart from other San Andres wrapped cigars, an interesting sweet flavor. I thought of a description as I was smoking it, and I really should have written it down because I don’t remember now. Whatever it was, it was a great cigar! This was a 5” x 50 Robusto and is made in Nicaragua. I have fond memories of smoking this blend in the Churchill size one balmy summer day in the pool. If you run across Kings Cigars, give them a try, I like the Conde, have only had one of the King of Kings 6” x 64 Box Presses Habano  and it was pretty good ( I hear there’s a Broadleaf version that sounds very intersting!), and have the Ecuador Connecticut Baron yet to smoke. The guys behind the brand, Anwar and Pete, are fun guys to hang around with too. Their motto is “Choose Wisely” and I think their cigars are a wise choice!  

 

A couple weeks ago I ran across this through Altadis’ Montecristo Social Club site ( I think) and thought it was interesting. I’ve taken and passed both lessons in the Certificado de los Maestros curriculum and look forward to the next lesson. Not to brag, or anything, but most of the subject matter was review, I’ve certainly been fortunate enough to have some wonderful experiences in cigar country. One item in the second lesson struck me as odd, but I thought that a “hand” of tobacco was 25 leaves, not 40-50 as they teach. Please don’t let that trip you up! Go with their information or you won’t pass the test! Go to http://www.cigarmaestro.com/ and check it out. You may have to sign up for the Montecristo Social Club, but I haven’t found that to be obtrusive at all, and they are supposed to send you a cutter for signing up (Which I have yet to receive, although I have plenty of cutters!).

 

Friday evening I  chose an old favorite, the Drew Estate Undercrown Corona Viva.  This is a cigar that constantly delivers flavor like crazy. It’s down the middle price-wise, but it’s akin to the Liga Privada line, but a little less refined and more rustic.  I have enjoyed most of the sizes in this line, but this 5 5/8″ x 46 corona gorda is the tops for me.  It’s got a San Andrés wrapper that’s really tasty and I never have any burn issues.  Sometime when I have an afternoon free and the weather is a whole lot nicer than it is now I have an experiment to perform.  Last May when I visited the Drew Estate factory, we were all given a package which contained a Corona Viva, along with  fumas of each of the individual filler tobaccos. The idea will be to smoke each component individually to see where the flavors come from and how the sum of the parts equals the whole.  I’ve done this to some extent in the past, but never with an established blend. When I get all four of the fumas going for a bit, I’ll smoke the finished product. It’s possible all I will accomplish is filling an ashtray with cigars and ashes and burn up my palate, but it’ll be a fun experiment anyway.   The Judge by J

 

Saturday afternoon I took a walk around our still powerless neighborhood and listened to the drone of all the generators and chain saws running. This is the fourth day without power, and I feel a twinge of guilt that we have full power, the only thing out of the norm is the noise from the generator.  In the past when we’ve had no power there’s  been no water as well, which makes things tricky. Anyway, we are lucky, and they are doing their best to get the power back up and running, with out of state crews all over the place fixing downed wires.  On my walk I smoked a sample that I just received this week from Famous Smoke Shop, The Judge By J Fuego Blind Justice, a 5″ x 50 Robusto with a rustic Brazilian Mata Fina maduro wrapper.  This is a nice, sweet cigar with some rough edges, which I like. This is a great winter cigar for me, loads of flavor and a perfect burn. Jesus Fuego made this exclusively for Famous, and it’s very reasonably priced.  I’ll be interested to see how these are after more than a few days in the humidor after travelling, it looked so good I couldn’t wait.

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways 2013 Day 7: La Aurora Cigars

Mike,Mike,Mike,Mike,Mike …..what day is it? (sorry, Mike, you didn’t win this time) It’s Wednesday, Day 7 of CigarCraig’s 12 Days of Spectacular Giveaways, that’s what day it is! No cartons of Camels in the stocking today folks!  Yesterday we had a really nice bunch of stuff from the combined generosity of Flor de Gonzalez Cigars and Kings Cigars. The winner, Adrian Quick,  is going to be very well dressed and equipped, as well as having some really nice cigars in his humidor. Congrats to Adrian, please send your address so I can ship these goodies to you. Thanks very much to Yadi at FdG and Marlene at Kings for putting this together and sharing the day! And now on with the show! 

 

Day 7

Today’s present comes from La Aurora. I’ve had an affinity for this brand as long as I’ve been smoking cigars since my daughter’s name is Aurora.  My first box of cigars back in the mid ’90s was a box of La Aurora Bristol Especiales.  I think it was $39.95!  Times have changed. One lucky reader will win this box of La Aurora 107 Maduro Coronas. The 107 Maduro is the same blend as the 107 that was released a few years ago only with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.  These were originally exclusive to Tobacco Association of America shops, but should be in wider distribution now.  All I know is that there’s a box up for grabs today! I can’t wait to try these, I keep hunting for them. They sure look delicious!

 

107Maduro

 

Thanks to Barry Stein at Miami Cigar and Company for providing this fine gift, and for his support over the years.  The comments section is now open, you know what to do!

 

Rules

Here’s how you enter: leave a comment.  That’s it, plain and simple.  Tweets don’t count, but feel free to spread the word, only comments on this page count as an entry.  Each day there will be a different prize and the winner will be drawn from that day’s comments. The winner will be announced on the next day’s post. The contest is open to everyone, even if you’ve won one of my contests in the past six months, but once you’ve won, you are ineligible to win again in this series of contests. All prizes will be mailed as soon as I get a chance to go to the post office, or whenever the sponsor decides to ship, whichever is the case, so don’t make me chase down your address!  Please e-mail your contact information to craig@cigarcraig.com as soon as possible! That’s it, leave a comment to enter and good luck. Check back tomorrow to see if you won and enter tomorrow’s contest!

 

Until Tomorrow,

 

CC_Logo_xmas_s

CigarCraig

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IPCPR 2013 – Kings Cigars

Kings Conde ChurchillA day or two before leaving for the show I received a curious package in the mail.  In it were a couple of cigars, a t-shirt and a cutter with the name “Kings Cigars” all over them.  I had never heard of these guys, why are they sending me stuff?  So one of my first missions at the IPCPR show was to seek them out and see what they were all about. It turns out Anwar and Pete are a couple entrepreneurs with a passion for cigars and quality who decided to try their hands in the cigar business. They have been working for the better part of 3 years to make a product that is ready to bring to market, and now was the time. I spent a few hours today in the pool with the Conde Churchill, a San Andreas wrapped beauty.  This is one that came in the mail last week, so it had a little bit of humidor time while I was away in Vegas.  The other two that were included were the box pressed, 6″x60 “King of Kings”, which we were told at the show to give them some humidor time before smoking, a month or two.  It’s a shame to see some reviews popping up already for cigars that aren’t quite ready yet.  It may be a few weeks until I dig into the show samples as I like to give them time to adjust from their journeys. The Conde Churchill was an thank my wife for making me put the bathing suit on for this picture!outstanding smoke.  I smoked it in the pool, which was very relaxing on a hot summer day.  It only needed a minor correction and the draw was perfect with a V cut.  I don’t know if I could have enjoyed this cigar more, and I think I saw a couple of robustos floating around which I look forward to.  If the rest of the line is as good as this, I think the Kings guys really have something, and I’m not just saying this because we had such a great time visiting with Anwar, Pete and their crew at the show.  Their booth was an oasis for us, and they were always quite friendly and accommodating (the Cuban coffee wasn’t bad either!).

 

Here’s the video telling us about Kings Cigars:

 

Thanks to Anwar and the guys for everything, and we wish you the best. It’s hard to get a new boutique going, but having a solid cigar is a step in the right direction.

In other news:

Saturday my lovely wife and I went to Cape May, NJ to go on a four hour fishing trip off the coast on the Cape May Lady.  Now, you can take my man card away if you want, but I’m not very interested in fishing.  I was afraid of getting my line tangle with someone else, or, worse, actually catching something! I had made certain that cigars were allowed, of course, so the only stick I was interested in holding was a 7½” x 56 Box Pressed Recluse Excepcionales.  This had a year of age on it as the folks at Iconic Leaf had given it to me last year at the trade show.  This, like every cigar I’ve tried in the line, was exceptional! We had planned on getting to Cape May early, having lunch, and getting on the one o’clock trip. Traffic foiled that plan, so we had lunch and wandered around the outdoor mall there for a few hours (where I enjoyed a CAO Concert while Jenn shopped) while we waited for the 7pm night fishing trip.  We got on the boat and I lit up my cigar, which was stellar, and we got under way.  Seas were choppy, and the cigar kept my mind off of the fact that I was queasy.  We stopped near the Cape May lighthouse and dropped lines (I was waiting for the boat to stop pitching!).  A couple guys caught little sand sharks, but about 40 minutes in the deck hand came around to tell us that we had to go in because the cape may_sunsetgenerator failed and we didn’t have lights.  They get a hefty fine from the Coast Guard if they are caught without lights!  It was dark by the time we were getting in, an it was a bit eerie.  They gave us tickets to use in the future with their apologies, so we may go try again, although we seem to have a track record with missing boats!  We had a great day, though, it was certainly something to talk about!

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

CigarCraig

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