Tag Archives: torpedo

Figurados! Apocalypse, Oliva, Columbia and Tortuga Cigars and a Preview

NewestCigarsCaptureI’ve been on a little bit of a figurado kick lately, but before we get to the cigars, I want to share some breaking news.  I had the privilege of previewing a new cigar website that I think is going to be very useful.  You may recall NewestCigars.com sponsored Day 9 of my last 12 Days of Spectacular Cigar Giveaways.  They are looking to launch the site in June of this year.  From the preview I saw, I think it will be interesting to follow, as they will present new cigars, and, if the manufacturers provide the information, there will even be links to stores that carry the new cigars.  So often I get to smoke something new that many of you can’t find in stores, and to be honest, I rarely see them in stores myself.  NewestCigars.com should provide I user friendly outlet for keeping up with what’s new in the cigar world.  I wish Mike and Yoffy the best of luck and can’t wait for the site to go live.

 

TatuajeAnarchy_ApocolypseSunday afternoon was a beautiful late winter day, the kind that really makes one look forward to spring.  It afforded me the opportunity to sit out on the patio for a while with a really nice cigar.  I decided to smoke the Tatuaje Anarchy Apocalypse sample that I received a couple months ago from Smoke Inn that I wanted to sit down and really pay some attention to.  This is a 5¼” x 54 perfecto with a cool pigtail “bun” on the cap.  It had a very dark Ecuador Habano wrapper that could have been mistaken for broadleaf.  It was a fun cigar, the smoke was lush and dense and delicious, with dark, savory flavors that really make my day. This, along with the Tatuaje Reserva petite cazadore I had a couple weeks ago, are really making me want to try more Tatuajes.  The trouble is they are in a higher price range than I’m comfortable with, and there’s so many darned line extensions it’s hard for me to keep straight what’s what.  I suppose I’ll pick one up from time to time and make sure I remember what it is when I smoke it.  The Apocalypse was pretty amazing.  Later in the evening I smoked a little Oliva Serie G “Special G” perfecto while sitting in the Cigar Bar at the Wells Fargo Center after a Flyers win.  That’s a tasty little Cameroon cigar that was perfect for letting the traffic dissipate from the parking lot. As always, I got a chance to say hello to , he’s always there after the game having a cigar.

 

Columbia TorpedoMonday I decided to go experimental and selected a cigar that my wife picked up on here recent trip to Clearwater Beach, Florida.  She brought me back a couple cigars from the Columbia Restaurant there, a robusto and a torpedo.  Of course, I picked the torp.  This was the strangest looking cigar. The cello was very tight, almost as if the cigar expanded inside of it.  I had to cut the cello off, and the wrapper was really wrinkly and ugly.  Aesthetics aside, the cigar drew effortlessly and was very tasty.  It was a maduro, and had the cocoa/expresso flavors that I like and associate with the dark wrappers.  I didn’t ask the price, it being a gift and all, but it was a very nice smoke.  I enjoyed it and hope the robusto is just as enjoyable.

 

tortuga_EL2011Tuesday I went with a Tortuga 215 Edición Limitada 2011 Torpedo.  You can tell the weather has been a little warmer and the evenings a little lighter because I’ve been smoking larger cigars!  I’ve smoked this cigar before and like it a good bit.  This is made by Legacy Brands Cigar Company and blended by Victor Vitale.  The 6″x54 torpedo has a beautiful Nicaraguan wrapper over a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers.  It’s solidly medium bodied and very well made.  I took only about an eight of an inch off the very pointy head of the cigar and  had a perfect draw, which may be why about half way through I cave it another cut after getting a bit of the very bitter tasting tarry build up on my lips.  That was an eye opener!  It was about dusk and I really couldn’t see it.  Lovely smoke, Victor has been making some very good cigars lately, I think it’s safe to say that I like many of Vitales vitolas!

 

stogieboysStPatscontestThat’s it for now! Don’t forget to visit Sunday’s post (the post just prior to this one) and enter the StogieBoys.com contest that is running through this coming Sunday!  Enter to win some cigars and cool swag!! (does everyone know that “swag” is an acronym for “stuff we all get”?).

 

Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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A Toraño, a La Palina and a Vegas de Santiago Cigar

We have been having unseasonably nice weather here in south-eastern PA, so I’ve taken to smoking some larger cigars than I normally would this time of year.  Last winter we’d had probably four feet of snow,  not conducive to enjoying a fine cigar. Daytime highs near 60 have left the evenings prime for long walks with excellent cigars.

 

Sunday afternoon I selected a Toraño Loyal BFC, and I think, like the Emilio BMF, I know what the letters stand for.  This 6″ x 60 cigar could be considered a Big Fricken Cigar.  I had picked this up sometime over the last few months at a local shop, and it wasn’t awfully expensive, because, let’s face it, I don’t buy too many cigars that are awfully expensive.  This was a nice, medium bodied cigar that smoked very well.   At the price point around $5, this is a really tasty, well made cigar.

 

For Tuesday’s evening walk I was joined by a La Palina El Diaro Torpedo, which I receive a month or so ago from the folks at La Palina, who is also an advertiser on this site.  The cigar is a classic torpedo size, 6 1/8″ x 52, which is always  a favorite of mine.  I have to say that I think I like the robusto better in this cigar.  The torpedo was good, don’t misunderstand, but is lacked something that the robusto had.  I think i found the smaller size slightly more refined than the torpedo.  As I was smoking it, I couldn’t help but wonder what this blend would be like with a maduro wrapper.  Again, a very nice cigar, but something was missing for me.

 

Tonight’s cigar was a  Vegas de Santiago Secretos de Maestro Don Luis Laguito  No.1 maduro.  This cigar came into my possession  over a year ago after a conversation with Rudi and Lani, the manufacturers in Costa Rico.  I have had an association with this folks going back to a couple of events my wife and I hosted which they generously donated their cigars for the attendees.  Vegas de Santiago makes some really nice cigars at a very reasonable price.  They send me some of these cigars in what they refer to as a maduro wrapper.  This is maduro in the sense that the Cuban maduro cigars are, darker than their “natural”, but not the dark, heavy wrapper that we see in a broadleaf or Mexican maduro.  The cigar is a beautiful chocolate brown, and it well made with a nice pigtail cap.  I enjoyed the heck out of this cigar, except that there were a couple hints of ammonia near the end,  which confused me since these have been buried in the humidor for over a year.   An enjoyable smoke on a relatively balmy evening (for February 1st, light jacket and no gloves is a treat!).

 

My wife has been doing some research and in so doing came across the Philadelphia news papers archives.  Here’s a comic from the Philadelphia Inquirer dated June 6, 1922 that is as relevant now as it was then.  You may need to click on the image to open it in a new window to read it.

 

On a final note, I’d like to welcome my newest advertiser, 1st Class Cigar Humidors.  They have some really nice stuff on their site if you are in the market for a humidor or accessories!

 

That’s about all I have for now, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways Day 7 : Oja Cigars

 Well, that does it for the first half of the contests!  The response so far has only been surpassed by the generosity of the sponsors!  Thank you all for participating, there’s plenty more to come!  Once again, Random.org has provided me with a random number, and that number was 61, which by my count corresponds with Joe.  Please e-mail me your address so I can pack this bunch of stuff up!  Next:

Today on CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways we have a box of Oja Connecticut Distinguido.  This 6″ x 54 Torpedo is wrapped in a beautiful Ecuador Connecticut wrapper.  Don’t be fooled into thinking this is another mild Connecticut wrapped cigar, it’s loaded with flavor.  This whole line is one of my favorite new cigars of 2011.  It’s a box of 25 cigars made in Esteli, Nicaragua.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to Luis Garcia of Oja Cigars for providing this terrific box of cigars!

You know what to do!  Leave a comment to enter and good luck!

Until tomorrow,

CigarCraig

 

 

 

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