Tag Archives: Montecristo

December 20, 2020 · 10:46 am

CigarCraig’s 2020 Holiday Giveaway!

OK, I know it’s not the CigarCraig’s 12 Days of Giveaways, it’s been 5 years

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since that whole thing ended. We had a good run, but when the FDA scared all the cigar companies off of giving cigars away, it complicated things. I knew that trying to do twelve days of swag giveaways wouldn’t fly, and adding cigars out of my own humidor would break me (shipping already puts a hurting on me!). So it went the way of the Dodo. Fortunately, I find myself with some goodies accumulated over the year, so I put together one great present to close out the year! First, let me get something off my chest. Yesterday I smoked a Deadwood Leather Rose, which I really enjoy. It irks me when people call this cigar, and the other cigars in the Deadwood series, “infused”, or dare I say it, “flavored”. They are not. Sure they have a sweet cap, there are several traditional cigars that have a sweet cap. I don’t count the sweet cap as flavored. I really wish the folks at Drew Estate would be more vocal about this. I’d love to be able to reference a link on their site that states boldly “this (and the Larutan, for that matter) is NOT an infused cigar”. It uses non-traditional tobaccos, Syrian, Perique, Latakia, tobaccos more traditionally used in pipe tobaccos. I hate seeing social media posts that start something like “I don’t usually smoke flavored cigars, but I smoked a Sweet Jane…”and I feel compelled to say “you still didn’t! I feel like Drew Estate should help me out a little here! Heck, I’ve seen people argue with Vaughn Boyd (who owned Deadwood) for crying out loud! OK, enough of my ranting, I really enjoy the Leather Rose, and her sisters, and the Natural/Larutans too, although I don’t smoke many for some reason. They have a lot of flavor, and I like that.

 

Let’s get to the Giveaway!  We have a lot of stuff s buckle up. Back in August I went to a Golf tournament Sponsored by Goose’s Montecristo Lounge, and Goose was very generous and supplied me with some Montecristo swag which included a Montecristo cap, a really nice Montecristo table lighter and a cutter in a humidor bag. I am adding a Montecristo Espada from my humidor, and I might find something else when I get to

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rooting around. Speaking of Drew Estate, since they canceled the Barn Smokers this year, they very kindly sent out they Barnsmoker swag. I’ll be honest, I was on the fence about giving up the backpack, it’s really nice, but I have a ton of backpacks, and I talked myself into giving this one up (my wife talked me into it as well). There’s another lighter and cutter (here’s a secret, this lighter you can get away with stashing in your luggage when you fly!), a bottle opener and a cigar stand. I put together a samper of Drew Estate and Joya de Nicaragua cigars from my humidor to go with it. Next there’s a nice Villiger ceramic ashtray, to which I’ve added some Villiger cigars (again, from my humidor, unsmoked!), and finally, a Foundation cutter (I forgot to add a Foundation cigar to try it on, one will be added!).  So that’s an OK present, right? A little something for everyone, goodies for you, a hefty USPS bill for me! (I might do UPS since USPS has been sketchy as of late). Many thanks to my friends who generously provided these goodies! You know the rules! Leave a comment on this post to enter. No comments on Facebook, twitter or anywhere but this blog post will count. You must be of legal age in your jurisdiction to win (and prove it), and if you are selected as the winner, you need to e-mail me your information, please don’t make me track you down! I like to think the folks who win my contest are regular readers and, therefore, will see that they won! I’ll pick a winner next Sunday, December 27, 2020. Let’s see a ton of entries! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, whatever you like to celebrate.

 

Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

 

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August 5, 2020 · 2:06 pm

Goose’s Montecristo Greater Philadelphia Golf Outing

Monday I attended Goose’s Montecristo Greater Philadelphia Golf Outing at the Brookside Country Club in Pottstown, PA. I’m not a golfer, but, geeze, I haven’t even been to a cigar shop in five months, let alone a cigar event (except for stoppin into Best Cigar Pub for lunch, I guess that counts). SO I tagged along with a foursome who was content to take my shots for me in the scramble format. I provided moral support, as well as some cigars along the way, and everyone seemed happy with the arrangement. In the end, I wasn’t a liability to the group, so it all worked out. The day started with lunch of Chicken sandwiches. I joined Tom the Altadis rep, who was there to support the Montecristo part of the event, for lunch, along with Ryan of Island Lifestyle Cigars/Frontier Cigars/Tommy Bahama Accessories. The 60 attendees of the Golf event received a Large Humidor bag containing a Montecristo Colibri cutter, a triple jet Montecristo Vertigo lighter (jumbo size! too big for the pocket, smaller than a table lighter, somewhere in between, a really nice lighter!), a Montecristo cap and two cigars. The cigars were pretty special, one being a Montecristo Pilotico Pepe Mendez No. 2, and a Montecristo Cincuenta No. 2, which is a very limited cigar, which was only sold in humidors of 100 cigars which retailed for $10,000 (if you took out the value of the humidor, each cigar would be $100, however, the humidors were made by Elie Bleu, which can easily account for $2500 of that price tag. It’s still a pricey cigar!).

 

 

I opted to start the day off with a Henry Clay Warhawk. I had picked this cigar up at a visit to Goose’s some time ago, and it is an Altadis product, so I figured it was OK. I am pretty picky when it comes to Connecticut shade wrapped cigars, and this is one I like quite a bit. I suppose it’s because it has some depth and body to go along with the creaminess. I hit the links with Ryan of Island Lifestyle Cigars, Matt, a former Reading Royals Hockey player and owner of a CBD company, and Charlie, who owns a local Awards company. As I said, I was along for the ride, fortunately the three of them were cool with me being dead weight. One of the advantages, it would turn out, was that if one of them wasn’t particularly pleased with a shot, they could take my shot and try to improve upon thiers. It was a best ball, scramble format, so I got to contribute in some small way by retrieving balls here and there, and I did provide some commentary and levity where I could. At one point I did provide a round of cigars which went over well, I figured I’d contribute in my own way! I think we ended up somewhere around 5 or 6 under par for the round, Charlie was a big hitter, and everyone seemed to make their individual contributions throughout the 18 holes. I smoked one of Ryan’s Island Lifestyle Connecticut Robustos along the way. I said I was picky about Connecticut cigars, and this one is damned good. It’s made by the Olivas in Nicaragua and was really nice, and it smoked for a much longer time than I figured a robusto would smoke too. I lit it it on the “back 9” (we started on 10, ended on 9 which was right next to the clubhouse!). A good time was had by all. There’s a vide I did on Facebook live on my persona page of the first hole (link here).

 

 

Dinner followed when all 15 foursomes got done, which was a Caesar salad followed by a nice prime rib with potatoes and green beans almondine. Prizes were awarded to the top two finishers, who were something silly like 10 or 12 under par, and if they were keeping score like we were, I suppose that’s entirely possible!  We were there to have a good time, and mission accomplished, I’d say! Even though I didn’t touch a club, I enjoyed the day a great deal. The company was great, it was a beautiful day, and we smoked some great cigars. I finished the day with a Montecristo Espada Guard, as I figured I should smoke at least one Montecristo at a Montecristo sponsored event! I brought what I had along with my, and by that point in the day, my palate wasn’t in a position to appreciate either of the cigars included in the goodie bag. Goose definitely puts on a great event, the Brookside folks were accommodating and did a great job feeding everyone, and their staff was outstanding from where I sat. I’ve been to plenty of cigar events where the servers wore masks, but they usually are because they are trying to filter the smoke and smell, and hide their derision. This obviously wasn’t the case here, the servers were cheerful and happy to be there. I hope to attend the next one. I should know better than to drink red Gatorade though, anything red is a migraine trigger, along with the storm that came yesterday, it did me in! 

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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July 9, 2020 · 9:16 am

A Montecristo White Vintage Connecticut and an Upcoming Local Event

Yesterday an event was brought to my attention happening here in south-east Pennsylvania that sounds like a great time. Of course, cigar events these days are few and far between, so I’m going to get behind this one! If you’re a golfer and you’re in the south-eastern PA area (or willing to travel) and are looking for a great day of eating, smoking, golfing and all that goes with it, check out this event. I’ve been to many of Goose’s events and they are always top notch. You can’t beat the food, cigars and golf offered with this deal! You can download the registration form here.  I’ll be watching this event very closely! There may even be special guests!

 

 

Since I had Montecristo on my mind, I selected a Montecristo cigar from my humidor yesterday. I had spent the morning running the chipper cleaning up a cedar tree that my son had taken down for us the previous evening. Mulching all those branches did me in, so I cleaned up and relaxed on the porch with a Montecristo White Vintage Connecticut Double Corona. First, it’s not really a double corona, it’s more of a toro, 6¼” x 50, which is fine with me. In all honesty, there aren’t a lot of Montecristos that float my boat, and the regular Montecristo White series really doesn’t do anything for me. That’s being generous, I actually just don’t like it, and I don’t say that about many cigars. The White Vintage Connecticut is a totally different story. The wrapper is a Vintage Connecticut Shade (Grown in U.S.A. in Montecristo Exclusive Farms, Exclusive to Altadis U.S.A.), the binder is Nicaraguan and the fillers are Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian. Perhaps its the U.S. wrapper that makes the difference, perhaps it’s the addition of the Peruvian in the filler, but this cigar is delicious to me. It’s buttery smooth, of course, and creamy, with plenty of body and a little strength, but not so much as to be off-putting, but enough to let you know you were smoking a cigar. This would be a wonderful cigar for the golf course. If I happen to attend this event (I may borrow my daughter’s clubs and pretend I golf! Is there some way I can fake it?) I’ll take one of these along. To recap, for me, if I’m choosing a Monte white, it’s going to be in the Vintage Connecticut line, for sure.

 

This Wednesday blog post is coming to you on Thursday, I got lazy and didn’t get it together yesterday. Every now and then I break with tradition. Stuff happens. E-mail subscribers won’t know the difference! That’s all for today, until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

 

 

 

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July 1, 2020 · 9:34 pm

Best Cigar Prices Grand Exhibition Cigar Line

After my recent visit to the Best Cigar Prices shop up in Drums, PA, Jason there sent me a few of their latest exclusive Altadis series, the Grand Exhibition line. I figured I’d give them a smoke this week and see how they were. Here’s what he wrote about them on the BCP site:

 

Cigars have been showcased at World’s Fair Exhibitions dating back to the 1800s. Commonly featured in the agricultural exhibits of various nations, these displays often gave the public their first look at real tobacco leaves, demonstrated the care and expertise involved in crafting fine cigars, and were even judged and awarded medals based on quality and workmanship. Indeed, the same passion and pride of cigar making that we know today was in full force at these international conventions held hundreds of years ago.

Paying tribute to the historic presence of cigars at the World’s Fair, The Grand Exhibition cigar line presents three opulent Nicaraguan blends from a trio of the most well known and respected brands in the world – all of which were once celebrated at World’s Fairs. The celebration now continues in your humidor with the introduction of the world-class flavor of Grand Exhibition cigars.

 

I decided to start with the H. Upmann Grand Exhibition Toro. As a general rule, the regular Altadis H. Upmann line is not a flavor profile which aligns well with my own preferences. This is made in Nicaragua, and is listed as a Connecticut wrapper, which is very dark for a Connecticut shade leaf. It’s certainly Connecticut shade and not broadleaf as it has a very clean appearance, and tastes nothing like broadleaf. The Toro is 6” x 50, and was well made, with a free draw and perfect burn. It had the classic H. Upmann flavors of the Upmanns I remember from years ago when I smoked the brand. There was a slightly sour, leatheriness that some folks love, but isn’t among my favorites. It wasn’t totally off putting, and the smoking experience overall made up for the flavors not being totally up my alley. For a cigar in the $6-7 price range, it’s a good buy if you’re an H. Upmann Fan. Anymore, the only Upmann I really enjoy is the newer H. Upmann by A.J. Fernandez.

 

Next up I smoked the Romeo y Julieta Grand Exhibition Magnum. This is the 6” x 60 Gordo in the line. These are also made in Nicaragua with a Habano wrapper, and are priced in the $7-$8 range. I haven’t smoked Romeo y Julietas in a while, save for the infrequent RoMEo, so nothing really to compare this to. Again, the construction was perfect. I’m one of the odd ones who doesn’t mind a cigar of this size, and it performed very well. It was very flavorful, rich, creamy smoke with nice tobacco flavors. It has some of the spice and sweetness I like and was enjoyable to the end. I was quite pleased with the RyJ.

 

Tonight I smoked the Montecristo Grand Exhibition, which is the premier offering in the Grand Exhibition line, carrying the highest price tag. They are in the $9-$10 range. The Montecristo also has a Habano wrapper, and is made in Nicaragua. Again, excellent construction, perfect burn and draw, an absolute pleasure to smoke. I smoked the 6″ x 52 toro, and I love toros. I have a feeling that Jason at BCP knew my Toro preference when he chose the cigars to send. It should be noted that all of these are available in Robusto and Churchill as well as the Toro, with the Upmann and Romeo lines having a 6″ x 60 Magnum and the Montecristo substituting a No. 2 Torpedo. The Montecristo had a really nice, well balanced flavor. I nice spice, some sweetness, and on the stronger side of medium. It was certainly my favorite of the three, although all were very good. I followed it up later with an Espada with a few years age on it with was also very nice, and compared favorably. 

 

Thank you to Jason for sharing these fine cigars with me! If you find yourself in Drums, PA, which is near Wilkes Barre, you need to stop in to Best Cigar Pub for a bite and a cigar. It’s a great place and they have a great selection of cigars. That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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January 26, 2020 · 10:39 am

A Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask and a Montecristo Ciudad de Musica Cigar

I feel like a put out a load of posts this week leading up to the TPE. There was plenty of other news, but I’ve made a pledge to myself to keep things positive, and

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not report anything negative or divisive! I’m going to advocate unity from here on out and try to keep my cynical, sarcastic (I had a superior call me that once, then he gave me an award!) comments to myself. Sure, I have my opinions on things, and I have recently voiced my opinions on things and stand by them, but from here on out I’m taking the “can’t we all just get along” stance. I have to back-burner some other website ideas I had, but I’d have register them anonymously anyway 😁.  Anyway, I smoked a few other cigars this week, I want to write an in-depth post about one, but I’m waiting for more information. I revisited the Diesel Whiskey Row Cherry Cask, this time in the Toro size. I’m not sure if I’ve written about this in this size, I know I’ve really enjoyed the robusto, and, being a bit of a Toro fan, I wanted to try it in that size. I bought a few last week, and didn’t get around to smoking them, but found myself meeting a friend in the cigar shop again and felt like that’s what I wanted to smoke, so I grabbed a couple more. I’m not sure why I can’t just buy one cigar. Anyway, I seem to think I smoked the Toro a while ago and liked the Robusto better, but this time I really did enjoy the Toro. In this cigar, and I don’t know whether it has to do with the color of the band, or the cask aging, but it’s like smoking a raspberry chocolate cake to me. I love the sweet, dessert flavor I get from the cigar. I suppose I’ll have to give the 6″ x 60 a try, but I wonder if that might dilute the flavors I like. I won’t know until I try, I suppose. These are priced well in the $7-9 range, and have a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Brazilian binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Without the cask aging, there’s a lot to like

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in this blend.

 

The other cigar I want to talk about was a gift from my Secret Santa Adam. This is a cigar I probably wouldn’t have chosen to sample on my own, as it only really has one thing appealing to me. Honestly, there aren’t a great many Montecristos that I really like, there’s the White Vintage Connecticut, and the Espada, and Probably the AJ Fernandez. The Montecristo Ciudad de Musica is a collaboration between Crowned Heads and Montecristo, made at E.P. Carrillo‘s Tabacalera Allianza in the Dominican Republic. I’ve always approached Crowned Heads with some ambivalence, bordering on apathy. They always had a “we’re the little guy, we are anti-corporate” thing going on, then they go and make a cigar with the biggest company out there. I get that it’s a huge deal to have your company name on the biggest name in the biz, it’s really cool. Hang on, let me go back and read my first few sentences…OK…I’m back on track. This cigar pays homage to Nashville, the City of Music, or Ciudad de Musica, and has a Habano wrapper grown in Ecuador, Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers and comes in four sizes. Initially, this was only available in Casa de Montecisto stores (CdM, see a pattern?, like Crowned Heads and Condor and Huber?, The Angels Anvil and TAA? Jon Huber loves that stuff apparently), then sold in TAA stores, and I did see these in my local shop which is a TAA store. I’m not sure if these are available to a wider range than that at this point or not. So I would like to thank Adam fo sharing this delicious cigar with me, because it was probably one of the most delicious cigars with the either the Montecristo, or Crowned Heads name on it. It was medium bodied, and had a very nice sweetness that I found very appealing. It wasn’t too heavy, or too light, it was just right, and the construction was perfect. I am a fan of much of EPC’s products, and have been for an awful long time, and this one is among the better I’ve enjoyed. I was stunned. I had mixed expectations. I expected a great smoke because of the person who shared it with me, but I had reservations because of my past experience with Montecristo. This is definitely a case of keeping an open mind, it was a delicious cigar, I may try other sizes.

 

That’s all for today. I need to spend the day packing for my trip to the TPE show.  Please let me know if there’s anything you want to know from the show! I have a few appointments, but will be free-ranging otherwise. That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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