CIGARS 121012

Seems like forever and a day since I’ve enjoyed a nice cigar!  Last time I lit one up was a week ago in Charleston at the Indio Cigar Factory…and it was less than stellar!  The Indio Cigar Factory sounds cool but names can be a little misleading.  We had a dude night in Charleston last Thursday and I took a nice sampling of cigars to smoke there.  First off the guy who owns it seemed a tad on the dickish side.  Apparently in order to smoke a cigar there you have to buy one of his, and his selection sucked.  Not to mention he was less than friendly.  Maybe it was because I was a newbie, but I’ve been to several places to smoke a cigar and this was by the far the least hospitable!  I don’t recommend it unless you’re desperate!  That being said I did manage to enjoy a couple nice cigars over the break!

Hoya De Monterey Epicure No. 2 – this is another Cuban cigar and like all the ones I’ve previously enjoyed this one had a kick.  I’m not sure if it was the cigar itself or the fact that the place I smoked it was pretty much ventilation free and probably being enclosed in that death room took a few years of my already shortened lifespan.  Maybe it was a combination of the two…who the fuck knows. 

The Epicure No. 2 is a medium bodied cigar.  From the first puff after lighting it was obvious this was a smooth cigar.  Many reviews I’ve read feel this is one of the best cigars of the Cuban Hoya line.  It’s the only one I’ve had but after smoking it I can see how one would feel that way. Kinda like if I fucked Kate Upton…I’d tend to think after that all hot blondes with incredible tits were absolutely fuckable and I probably wouldn’t be wrong.  The first third of the cigar was full of roasty goodness.  After that the cigar took a slight spice to peppery turn.  The last third was again smooth with hints of pepper and cinnamon.  I should also mention the last third was what kicked my ass and prompted a stop at Starbucks to gain my wits! 

All together I thought this was a great cigar.  I liked it better than any non-Cuban Hoya I’ve had.  If I had to compare it with any cigar I’ve had in the past I’d say an Opus or a Davidoff would be comparable with all due respect to all three brands! 

Fuente Fuente Opus X Belicoso – this was the second Opus X I’ve had with the first being the Perfection No. 10.  I enjoyed this cigar on Thanksgiving Day after everyone had gone home and I was fully engulfed in a stress free environment.  Yep Just me a few beers and a bottle of wine sitting on my porch enjoying a cigar!  Needless to say I was drunk when I had this cigar, which I consider to be highly irresponsible especially when you’re smoking an Opus X. 

The Opus X line of Cigars is one of the most famous and sought after cigars because of their distinct flavor and aroma, constant ratings of over 90 by Cigar Aficionado, and rarity. If you're looking for the best of the best - these cigars are it. The Opus X is full of flavor and punch!

To be honest I wasn’t very impressed with this particular cigar.  In fact I liked the Perfection better by far.  I guess you could say this cigar was a bit of a letdown.  It had been in my humidor for about a year too.  It just wasn’t as complex as I was anticipating.  Maybe I was to amped up and made this cigar out to be way more than I should have.  Or maybe it was the fact IW as drunk as skunk…uh yeah that was probably it so I should issue an apology to the Fuentes for my carelessness in this case! 

The Belicoso was smooth from what I remember and it did have more of a full flavor.  I actually should go drop another $10 and get one and try it when I’m not drunk and then do another review!  Maybe I will!

Well that’s it for now.  Cigar posts will be few and far between for awhile since the winter is here and there really isn’t anywhere to smoke a cigar!

Cheers!

CIGARS 103112

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!  October 31st edition of Cigars!  I doubt it will be worth a shit, but then again are any of these posts?  This will probably be one of the last cigar posts for the next 6 months or so!  That's mainly because I really don't have anywhere to smoke this winter since Indiana now sucks 100% for passing a smoking ban like Illinois!  It's all a bunch of horse shit!  Liberals and Conservative alike can go fuck themselves for passing all their ridiculous fucking laws and then pointing the finger at one another in a never ending game of slight handed distraction keeping everyone divided on every topic so they won't focus on the real important issues.  There, I kinda took a political stance on something!  I think the country would be better if Dummycraps and Republicants would all go fuckin jump in the lake...they're both worthless piece of shit parties!  On to cigars...until they pass a law to eliminate those too!  

Liga Privada Undercrown - I first saw Liga cigars in a mail order cigar magazine!  They're made by Drew Estate.  For those of you not familiar with Drew Estate they're a cigar company started from scratch by a couple of college guys!  They're mainly known for their infused cigar brand ACID (flavored, but they hate that moniker)!  I have tried a couple of their infused cigars and wasn't a big fan to be honest, but to each his own.  I didn't realize that Drew Estate had been making natural cigars and great ones at that.  The Liga Privada Undercrown apparently falls under the great cigar heading or at least that's what the magazines said!  I have to admit it was hard for me to get past the whole infused cigar label attached to Drew Estate but I put on the blinders and broke down and bought a Liga Privada Undercrown at a local cigar shop!  The particular cigar I purchased was the robusto!  At a little over $8 a stick this was a pricey smoke indeed!  I left it in the humidor for about a week or so and then texted up EDG to bring a stick over and have a nice Sunday evening smoke!  

Created by the rollers of the Drew Estate factory, the Liga Privada Undercrown uses tobaccos similar to the Liga Privada #9 but that are more readily available. While the Liga Privada #9 is full flavored treat, the Undercrown is a little lighter on the palate. Wrapped in a dark San Andres maduro wrapper, the Undercrown starts with notes of coffee with a slight hint of spice that becomes more prominent as the smoke progresses. Even as it progresses, the cigar still manages to round out as a medium to full-bodied treat.

To be honest I wasn't very impressed with this cigar!  But let me first say that this baby was very well made and looks very nice in hand!  But sadly I didn't find the smoke to be very complex at all nor did I find it to be a powerful and full bodied cigar like I was expecting!  The draw was decent but I had to work the cigar a lot which is exhausting after a bit.  The smoke was full and rich smelling and the burn was true and even!  The cigar was a slow smoke which I didn't mind!  I don't know if I got a stick out of a green batch or I didn't let this thing acclimate in my humidor long enough!  I usually let any cigar I buy sit in my humidor a month prior to smoking and I didn't do that!  I'd like to give this another try sometime and hell I may even buy another and let it sit all winter!  I've saved about $2000 in my war-chest to spend on myself for Christmas this year to celebrate 3 years of freedom from slavery and I plan on buying some cigars so I may give this another try!  But if you're looking to try a beautiful looking cigar then get this and see what you think!  Everyone has different tastes!

La Aurora 107 - This is the second 107 I've tried actually!  The first one I bought at John's Pipe shop in Champaign!  During that time period I was still trying to help my x turn her sorry fucking life around but sadly she was extorting me out of money and I was too stupid to notice!  During that time I was up in Champaign helping her out with what I don't recall but I'm pretty sure it was something worthless!  We stopped in John's and this giant black dude highly recommended I buy this cigar (La Aurora 107)  Even his young son who couldn't have been much older than 18 was in there smoking one!  So I dropped $13.75 and bought the belicoso shape!  In hindsight that $13.75 I spent on that cigar was better money spent than all the money I gave my x after we got divorced!  Ultimately I don't remember smoking this cigar I just remember I smoked it during the great purge of 2011 when I was trying to get rid of every memory of her!  So flash forward to a few months back!  I was on my Cigar Monster App for the Iphone and found a 5 pack of 107 robustos so I ordered them up!  

Crafted in celebration of the 107th Anniversary of La Aurora, this new medium to full-bodied handmade is impressive. Featuring a dark, oily Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper leaf and a dense long-filler blend from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, La Aurora 107 unleashes a rich and balanced smoke that’s layered with notes of cedar, spices, earth, and a slightly sweet finish. As it burns, it builds slightly in body and the flavors intensify before an impressively flavorful finale. Beautifully presented in Spanish cedar boxes of 21 cigars. 

I smoked the 107 about three days after aforementioned Liga!  Again my smoking buddy was EDG!  I paired the 107 with a Rail Splitter IPA!  The 107 started off a little bitter and I'm not sure if that was from lighting it?  As the cigar progressed I found hints of predominantly wood!  At times throughout the smoke I found there to be a nutty to roasty taste!  The last 3rd was smooth to the end!  The 107 burned nice and even and the draw was excellent!  Overall I enjoyed this cigar and I have 4 more to enjoy!  Sadly every time I look at these it reminds me of that shitty time period so I probably will give these to friends to smoke when they come over!  Happy Smoking!

Cheers!

ROOM 101 CIGARS @room101cigars

I'm a HUGE fan of the Camacho brand of cigars with their Triple Maduro being my favorite follows by the Corojo Diploma.  Camacho recently merged with Davidoff (another one of my favorite brands).  In this conglomeration comes Room 101 Cigars.  Room 101 cigars are made by Camacho for famed CA-based musician and designer Matt Booth. The medium-bodied blend contains longfillers from Honduras and the Dominican Republic, plus a Honduran binder. Room 101 cigars' wrapper, Semilla 101, is from a seed grown exclusively for this project by the Eiroa family in Honduras. Eye-catching black and silver bands adorn the dark, silky wrappers, marking a true fusion of American tattoo and traditional Japanese design. Very highly rated!

The First Room 101 cigar I tried was the Namakubi Monstro.  The Room 101 Namakubi series of cigars features a Habano wrapper, Generoso seed Honduran binder, Dominican and Honduran Vuelta Abajo fillers. This smoke is medium to full bodied. It is slightly spicy, and though powerful it is strong without being too much on the palate. The presence of spice is more subtle. 

The name of the line comes from the Samurai culture, where in ancient times, two Samurai clans would gather for competition. Normally, the losing party would die as a result of the wounds sustained in battle or be executed upon defeat. The Namakubi, or “freshly severed head” of the losing party would be prepared on a wooden tray then tagged in a regimented manner and presented to the leader of the winning clan as a gift. 

I bought three of these at Binny's in Champaign.  I bought the cigars to celebrate Turbo being done once and for all with his X-wife!  EDG who is no stranger to the realm of divorce enjoyed one along with turbo and myself!  The Monstro is a 6 X 60 cigar which is a little outside my wheelhouse.  Despite the large ring gauge the cigar had a great draw.  The smoke started off a little bitter but after a few moments it smoothed out significantly.  I thought the Namakubi was a rich tasting smoke with definite hints of paper and nut.  I did get a little coffee and spice briefly.  I have also tried the ROXXO size from the Namakubi line and I believe it is a better smoke, maybe that is due to the significantly smaller size and ring gauge.  

The next Room 101 cigar I tried was the Daruma.  I first heard about the Daruma from teh Cigar Feed (Halfwheel).  If you haven't checked out Halfwheel then I suggest you do.  It is in my opinion the most complete cigar review blog on the web.  I've learned about many cigars from this blog and I highly recommend it to any cigar smoker.  

The Room 101 Daruma is Matt Booth's boldest creation yet. Daruma, the Japanese name for who is considered to be the father of Zen Buddhism, uses an Equadorian Habano wrapper, a Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and a very unique blend of Dominican and Honduran filler tobaccos, including some Pelo de Oro. The Daruma is very different than previous Room 101 releases and sure to satisfy ANY full bodied cigar connoisseur.

I purchased the Daruma from Binny's as well.  I decided to get the ROXXO.  Lemme tell ya about this cigar, it is an excellent smoke.  Over the last 6 months I'd had Davidoff's, Cubans, and various other top shelf cigar brands and this is right up there with those.  I loved this smoke.  It's been awhile since I've smoked a cigar and been tempted to buy a box because I was so moved by that smoke and I think I could buy a box of these and be very satisfied.  The Daruma is a rich and smooth smoke.  I I really can't describe the taste because I thought it was very complex.  I can only say head to Binny's and get a few and try them for yourself.  

In the end I can say Room 101 has earned itself a place in my humidor.  I plan on buying several more of both the Namakubi and the Daruma along with other offerings from Room 101!  I've been lucky to try several good cigars over the past year and Room 101 is definitely one of those!

Cheers

CIGARS 101612

NUB 460 Maduro by Oliva - I'm a huge fan of the NUB brand of cigars.  I first tried a 460 Maduro in a CI sampler pack.  It featured not only the Maduro but the Camaroon, Habana, and Conneticuit!  For those of you not familiar with the NUB brand then read on:

Nub cigars started as a theory. Born in the Oliva factory, a cigar maker was hell-bent on proving he could capture the essence - the core - of a cigar’s flavor immediately upon lighting and throughout the duration of the smoke.  Rather than wait for a cigar to develop and evolve, which typically occurs an inch to two inches in, the idea behind Oliva’s Nub was to specifically blend it to hit its sweet spot right off the bat and remain at its peak right through to the end. Each size is short and stout in stature. That’s by design - not for novelty - as blends and sizes were worked and re-worked a thousand ways from Sunday in order for Nub creator Sam Leccia and the Oliva family to capture the essence of each Nub cigar blend. Anyone can create unusual shapes, each of the Nub blends and accompanying shapes was instead created to summon and deliver the blend’s sweet spot. 


I was hooked after my first NUB so back in November of 2010 I bought a box of NUB 460 Maduros.  I immediately smoked a few then began the long process of letting them age in my humidor which is hard to do because I always want to smoke one!  Well it's been over 2.5 years and I finally decided to have one recently!  I was very pleased.  The cigars have mellowed a bit but still maintain that strong richness that the NUB maduro is known for!  The draw was excellent and the cigar was enjoyable from start to finish!  The burn was true and even!  I nearly finished the stick before the ash fell off but sadly couldn't quite get there!  

ARTURO FUENTE CHATEAU SERIES CHATEAU FUENTE NATURAL ROTHSCHILD – My buddy EDG turned me onto Fuente when I was just getting into cigars.  I thank him every chance I get because a Fuente cigar is some of the finest smoking on the planet! 

The Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente natural is one of the hardest cigars to find, so if you see them in stock, don't delay. Made with smooth, aromatic, Connecticut shade wrappers and blanketed inside cedar sleeves, the Chateau Fuente offers a mild, memorable smoke.

I love these cigars.  The smoke wasn’t extremely long as is the case with the Rothschild size.  Right from the start the smoke is rich and smooth.  I’ve found with a lot of cigars in this category (Fuente) start off a bit harsh then become better as the smoke progresses.  This isn’t the case with any Fuente I’ve smoked and the Chateau series is no exception.  I found hints of roast nuts and pepper wrapped in a smooth aromatic earthy flavor.  I’ve paired this cigar with various beers, but I find a darker beer is a better pair!  Definitely worth a try!