Monthly Archives: November 2012

by | November 11, 2012 · 9:54 am

A Brick, a San Lotano and a La Aurora and Some News

The second half of my week started with taking a walk with my youngest son and his dog. A few weeks ago Sheryl at StogieBoys.com sent me a few samples of various vitolas of The Brick Box Press by Toraño. All three of these sizes were pretty large for me for cold weather, so I grabbed the smallest one, a 5½x60 “Robusto” that appears smaller due to the square press.  The other two cigars were a torpedo and Churchill, both longer than I wanted for a cold evening. I had first experienced this brand back in 2004 when my wife and I held a cigar event at the Freehold Raceway in New Jersey. The folks at Toraño were very generous and sent a bundle of Brick torpedoes along with a box of Exodus 1959 to give to the attendees and at the time I thought it was a decent bundle cigar.  Really nothing memorable, but not a bad cigar. I enjoyed this box pressed version, it wasn’t incredible, just a quality cigar at a reasonable price. The 60 ring gauge in the box press was very manageable.  It burned well and while one dimensional, it had a pleasing flavor.  I’ll smoke the larger sizes as the opportunity arises,  I neither like to freeze my buns off for two hours nor waste a cigar putting it down prematurely. Thanks again to Sheryl at StogieBoys.com for providing me with samples and for working with CigarCraig.com.

 

Friday evening I grabbed a cigar I purchased a few weeks back at Total Tobacco in Newtown Square, PA.  You should know after reading a little bit that I am a self-proclaimed cheap bastid.  When I visited this store on it’s grand opening I picked up some cigars that I hadn’t tried and I don’t see everywhere.  One of those cigars was this San Lotano Oval Maduro robusto.  I love the Oval, I love the San Lotano Maduro so I felt compelled to shell out nearly $10 (ouch) to try this cigar that surely would be a home run.  Obviously, the shape is unique, and very comfortable in the hand and mouth.  The cigar was pretty terrific, but it wasn’t really that much more terrific than the regular San Lotano Maduro that I could justify the up-charge.  This is just my opinion, mind you, the Oval IS a terrific cigar, the draw was effortless and it was loaded with all of the dark, rich flavors that I love.  Just for me, for a couple bucks less I’m happier with the regular maduro.  I’m happy I took the plunge and gave it a try, we have to do that from time to time.  There can be no doubt that A.J. Fernandez is a superstar in the cigar world. As an aside, I have never been quite so proud as when he thanked me for doing what I do in English, which is not a language in which he is fluent.

 

Saturday was a pretty nice day, the temperatures were back in line with what they should be this time of year, perhaps a little warmer. My wife and I spent a fun afternoon babysitting out 1½ year old granddaughter, so we were pretty worn out!  After dinner I selected a La Aurora robusto from the IPCPR show that was nice and dark.  I wasn’t sure what this was to begin with, I thought it looked maduro, but I wasn’t sure.  My bro Barry from Miami Cigar and Co. suggested it looked like the new Cameroon line, which it turned out being, of course.  I was thrown off by the appearance and the flavor.  This didn’t look like a Cameroon wrapper, it was dark and smooth, I expect a milk chocolate brown with lots of tooth.  The flavors were deep and dark, maduroish, not the signature Camerooniness that I know and love.  This will sound strange, but I love the La Aurora brand, but I’m often not fond of many of their cigars.  generally there’s a little something that doesn’t appeal to me.  However, this Cameroon was awesome.  The best La Aurora cigar I’ve ever had.  It was rich, complex and loaded with flavor.  I smoke a lot of different cigars, and it’s rare that I have one that compels me to want a box, but this one is the one.  The worst part about it was that it was too short.  DAMN it was a great smoke!

 

News

Not to knock off ACigarSmoker.com‘s Sunday links, here are a couple links that caught my eye this week:

From the Miami New Times Blog: The Wynwood Cigar Factory: Smokes and Street Art Galore (Photos)

A bit of local (to me) from The Canadian: UFO: Cigar-like craft hovers over Philadelphia

From the LA Times, a little dated but appropriate for today: Veteran loves his cigars

Fine Tobacco NYC debuts their Sunday Cigar Shots: SUNDAY CIGAR SHOTS VIA #FINETOBACCONYC – NOVEMBER 11TH, 2012

And to be a little ironic, from ACigarSmoker.com: Sunday Links – 11/11/12

 

It’s supposed to be a nice day here in PA, so I’m off to see what kind of trouble I can get into.  Happy Veterans Day in the US and Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world. Smoke a nice cigar today and dedicate it to all who have served.

 

Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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by | November 7, 2012 · 8:23 pm

Cape May, a NUb and a La Gloria Cubana Cigar, and Some News

Last weekend my wife and I took a little trip to Cape May, NJ to just relax and recharge. Fortunately the superstorm from last week wasn’t as mean to the little town on the southern tip of the state and we had a nice visit.  We happened across a nice little cigar shop in the Washington Street Mall, which is a three block long pedestrian mall a couple blocks off the beach.  The store is called “Up In Smoke” and has a pretty good sized walk in humidor.  The gentleman working there, Buddy, seemed to be knowledgeable and helpful, however the combination of New Jersey’s cigar tax, resort prices, and the absence of a place to smoke kept me from making my usual courtesy buy (and I tried to buy an issue of CigarPress magazine, but Buddy hooked me up).  The Opus X Lancero priced at $100 wasn’t even tempting!  I’m, admittedly, spoiled living in Pennsylvania and not having a cigar tax like most of the other states, but seeing cigars that retail around $4 at home priced at $10 scares me off.  However, I had no problem paying $10 each for some beautiful, hand blown glass Christmas ornaments for our tree this year (as un-macho as that sounds!).  These two ornaments spoke to me and I had to have them!  I didn’t have a cigar on the trip, but it was still a really nice weekend away with my wife, we were able to relax and unwind.

 

Monday evening called for a walk and a smoke.  I decided to give one of the NUb 464Ts that I got from the aforementioned Thompson’s auction to see how they were.  I picked a maduro.  I hadn’t had a NUb maduro, and it looked really good.  I snipped a bit off the end and the draw was really easy, a good sign.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that cold weather really increases my desire for maduros, I think because they have such a strong flavor.  Not that maduros are strong nicotine-wise, it’s just that a lighter, more delicate flavored cigar will get lost in the cold air. This NUb had a pretty potent dose of power right off the bat, but it mellowed out as it got warmed up and was a very entertaining smoke.  One must take care smoking this shape as one wrong move and the cigar can shoot out of your mouth like a torpedo.  I always thought is was called a torpedo due to the shape!  Anyway, I think these need some more humidor time, but that probably won’t keep me from trying the other wrappers.  These will be good on the other side of winter.

 

Tuesday evening I opted for a rare treat of a cigar that I like a great deal, which is a shame because I may not get to smoke many of these in the future.  The regular production La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros have a Connecticut shade wrapper on the first couple inches of the cigar, followed by and Ecuador Sumatra wrapper.  These are excellent cigars, but for special events they made some cigars that start out with the Sumatra wrapper and morph into a rich, dark Connecticut broadleaf wrapper that is just amazing.  I came across a lonely little robusto version of this that I picked up at an event last December and fired it up.  I have to say that I had endured a day of frustration, always happens when one dares take time off work.  It was a day of catching up and putting out fires, and I needed the respite of a great smoke.  It was also freezing cold!  It had been the first “bike-worthy” day in nearly 2 weeks and I had to take the scooter to work. I found out the following: 23 degrees is too darned cold to spend 30 minutes outside driving to work.  I wish the bike had a heater.  Anyway, I digress.  This cigar was awesome.  Rich, earthy and full flavors that gave me a nice hour to settle down and return to normal.  If you ever get to attend a La Gloria event, don’t just do it to get one of these awesome smokes, if you can hang out with Michael Giannini you will be doubly rewarded, because he’s a really cool guy who know his stuff.

 

 

News

I’m pleased to be able to say that the 12 Days of Spectacular Giveaways is coming along nicely. I’ve already got five of the days just about completed, with confirmations for another 6 of the days.  If you thought last year’s contest series was spectacular, just wait until you see what’s in store this year! I don’t want to rush things, time goes by fast enough as it is, but I’m getting really excited about this!   Mark December 12-24th on your calendars.

 

In other news, Smoke Inn announced today the release of the latest cigar in their “microblend” series, the  Tatuaje Apocalypse.  I got a press release, other’s have posted it, so just head over to http://www.tatuajeanarchy.com/ to see what it’s all about!

 

That’s all I got, until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | November 4, 2012 · 7:56 am

A New Cigar App from Cigar Dojo

Check out this press release I received from the folks at CigarDojo.com. I don’t usually post press releases, but I started playing with the app a little bit on my iPod Touch and I think it might be pretty cool.  I initially found a couple inaccuracies and omissions in the “Shops” and “Places” sections, but this is brand new and these little things will be corrected, I’m sure.  It’s a really sharp and friendly interface  even for an old dude like me!

 

PRESS RELEASE: CigarDojo.com Releases the CigarDojo Social Cigar App

Lakewood, Colorado – November 1st, 2011 CigarDojo the Social Cigar App is available for both iPhone as well as Android devices in the iTunes and Google Play stores. The CigarDojo Social Cigar app is a free smartphone app that is designed for cigar smokers to socialize and share their thoughts and images of the the cigars they are smoking.

“Cigar smoking is a highly social hobby and we knew that none of the existing cigar apps were very social in nature therefore the CigarDojo Social Cigar App was born.” said Eric Guttormson CEO of CigarDojo.com. “Cigar smokers communicate on Twitter and Facebook which is great but there is so much distraction on those social media tools we knew cigar smokers would love to have a place of their own.”

Users of the app can create an account in seconds or merely login with their existing Twitter or Facebook account. Users can also send their status updates from the Dojo out to both Twitter and Facebook therefore there is no need to duplicate efforts. “The Dojo is like a world-wide HERF. Wherever you are smoking you always have the Dojo in your pocket and the vibrant Dojo community is always ready to comment on what you might be smoking.” In the first month of release the Dojo app has already had over 1,000 downloads and the growth shows no sign of slowing down.

The Dojo is a fun place to relax, smoke, and share.

“The thing that separates the Dojo app from other cigar apps is the awesome group of people that participate. We have personalities of all types on the app and everyone is positive and supportive.” And the Dojo gives back. The Great Cigar Giveaway allows users to enter to win cigars from companies such as My Father, Arturo Fuente, AJ Fernandez, Espinosa Cigars, Eddie Ortega, Rocky Patel, Drew Estate, and others. “The giveaways are our way of showing our cigar community how much we appreciate their fellowship.” Giveaways stated in October and will run deep into December 2012. “Hopefully we can find more great partners and keep these giveaways going forever. Abe from SmokeInn.com, and Jorge at Stogies World Class Cigars in Houston were instrumental in helping us get the Great Cigar Giveaway off the ground.”

The Dojo app also features a really slick cigar shop and cigar bar locator where you can “checkin” while you are at your favorite location or even add your own location to the app. Of course the app also features the Dojo’s famous cigar reviews and a cigar event calendar but there is no doubt the focus of the app is the fellowship and the social HERF aspect of the app. Eric says “We have only just begun with this app. It’s our goal to be the number one cigar app in the world and we have all sorts of plans to add new features to our app. Our app is free so please download it and say hi to our ever growing community of cigar smokers.”

The CigarDojo App is free and can be downloaded…

For the iPhone in the iTunes store:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cigardojo-social-cigar-app/id555309816?mt=8

For Android devices in the Google Play store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hr.apps.n1027161

And a Web app version for any other type of mobile phone:

http://m.cigardojo.com/

Full feature list can be viewed at http://cigardojo.com/app

 

Give the CigarDojo app a try, it’s free and looks like a lot of fun. In other news, last night I took a walk with a Thunder by Nimmish from Rocky Patel,  I’ve enjoyed this cigar in the past, it’s well made and tastes great.  It’s not super strong, but you know it’s there for sure.  Nice smoke.

 

That’s it for now, don’t forget to adjust your clocks if your area requires it.  I dislike Standard Time, it gets dark really early from now until spring, and I like my daylight!  In other news, I’ve started putting together this year’s “12 Days of Spectacular Giveaways” and it’s safe to say that this year will blow last year away!  Early response has been fantastic!

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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by | November 3, 2012 · 8:46 am

My Visit To The New Cigars International Superstore In Hamburg, PA

Friday I took a vacation day so that I could visit the newest super store in the Cigars International empire in nearby Hamburg, PA.  My eldest son, Corey, and I drove up for the grand opening celebration. The first thing one sees when approaching the location is the Cabela’s store that sits on a hill, you can see this place for miles.  The Cabela’s is enormous.  In the shadow of Cabela’s is the newest Cigars International store.

Mike, who appeared to be the general manager, gave us a little tour of the place, along with Joe Winder, our local Perdomo rep.  He walked us through the cigar store area, pointed out the downstairs bar and lounge complete with a pool table, then took us upstairs to the second bar and lounge.  We walked around the outdoor deck and saw the view of the surrounding area.  Across the parking lot they have an amphitheatre.  He told us that they have a state of the art sound and entertainment system, if there’s a band playing in the amphitheater he can pipe it into any or all of the bars and lounges in the building.  They also have what they call the “Man O War room”, a private meeting room overlooking the store as well as a lounge dedicated to the armed forces.

Corey and I bought some cigars and sat down in a couple comfy leather chairs to enjoy a smoke and take in the surroundings.  The waitstaff is very attentive, they have waitresses moving throughout the store, inside and out, taking care of your beverage needs, and rumor has it that they have an agreement with the neighboring Red Robin restaurant where you can place an order and have it delivered in fifteen minute intervals.  Did I mention the size of the store?  You may or may not have visited the Cigars International Super Store in Bethlehem, PA, or JR‘s in New Jersey, or even Corona Cigars in Orlando.  If you haven’t, you’ve probably seen pictures or heard stories about the enormity of those stores (the JR’s in North Carolina don’t count, as the cigar stores are located inside big outlet stores with every consumer good imaginable).  This new location is easily twice the size of any of the aforementioned shops.  I’d venture to say that Corona in Orlando may have them beat in variety of cigars, they just have a ridiculous number of facings, and I can’t speak to the 2 Guys and Smoke Inn chains as I have yet to have the pleasure of visiting them.  It’s the biggest full service cigar store and lounge I’ve seen.  At 4 o’clock they had the official opening, and half of the place cleared out to get in a line outside that went clear out to the parking lot. Everyone received a gift bag with a Gurkha Beauty cigar, a $5 CI gift card, and a commemorative pint glass, which Corey and I got on the way out (prompting a return to the cashier to purchase some more cigars, clever bastards!

It was nice to hang out in a comfortable setting and have a cigar with my son for the afternoon, get a chance to hang out with Dave Lafferty of Drew Estate for a while and see Nick Perdomo again.  These pictures don’t do the place justice.

Antelope: is that Undercrown lion looking at me?

 

While there I smoked another Alec Bradley MAXX Brazil robusto that was delicious, and Corey had a Diesel Grind Robusto (I picked up a couple on his recommendation and smokedone on my evening walk, a very nice, smooth smoke!)

 

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

 

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