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
