Monthly Archives: March 2020

by | March 18, 2020 · 5:24 pm

The Current Retail Environment and My Green Cigar Day Selection

We have entered odd times. We are seeing businesses closed for the public safety, and a lot of our cigar stores are affected. I’ve been in touch with a few earlier this week, and already things have changed. On Monday the four or five shops I spoke with were business as usual, and by yesterday, they had closed the lounges, and were only open for grab-and-go purchases. Many had gone to a call ahead with curb-side pick-up, those that offer online ordering continue to do so.  These are small businesses, they can’t afford to close, it would be devastating. Obviously, this extends much further than our little corner of the world, this is happening in all areas if life. I’ve been out of work since November, and the job market now looks bleaker than it did before. I’m, at least, in the same position I’ve been in for the past several months. I’m hoping for an extension in unemployment benefits, but I’m not  counting on it. With any luck in a few weeks things will return to normal. I would say if you have the means and you need cigars, or food, or supplies, buy them from a local small business. If you don’t have a local shop, there are several great retailers who advertise on my page who you can patronize. 

 

I’ve found myself smoking a little more than usual. I generally smoke one a day, but I’ve been having two here and there, digging into some of the older cigars in my humidors. Last week I found an Emilio La Musa Malete that had deeply yellowed cello that was very nice, and a Leccia Luchador El Gringo Frogsplash. I liked the Frogsplash much better with a few years of age than when they were younger, I was less of a fen of the El Gringo line than the original Luchador, but age helped a lot. 

 

Yesterday was March 17, and Saint Patrick’s Day is usually a big party day, not that I every took part in much other than the smoking of the green. I typically do smoke a candela cigar of some sort. I couldn’t wait to smoke the latest Alec Bradley seasonal release, this year they added the triple wrapped Filthy Hooligan Shamrock. I smoked one a few weeks ago and thought it was great. So yesterday I went with the RoMaCraft CroMagnon EMH Don Bosco. This cigar was a gift to me by PJ when I met him last September, muchos gracias! This is a 5″ x 56 Ecuadorian Connecticut Candela cigar with stripes of Connecticut broadleaf. From what I read, it’s the opposite of the Black Irish. I have always enjoyed the Fomorian, which is all candela, and this was also great, with a little extra greatness added by the broadleaf accent. It burned well, and was very tasty. The candela, for me, is refreshing, it brightens up the heavy CroMagnon core. It was a real treat to have smoked this cigar, which from what I know was very limited and not something one sees very often. Thank you very much to PJ for sharing this with me! It was delicious following the corned beef I had for lunch!

 

That’s all for now. Make sure you tune in to the I’d Tap That Cigar Show on the Cigar Prop YouTube Channel tonight at 8 for a big announcement. Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | March 15, 2020 · 10:45 am

Fratello Blu, Fratello Rosso And Fratello Verde Cigars

Everything seems to be going crazy with this pandemic thing, I gotta tell you, it isn’t helping my job search any!  Hiring freezes, forget getting an interview, places that are open don’t even allow people in the building, let alone have interviews. Pennsylvania has closed schools, liquor stores and has asked that non essential businesses shut down. It’s crazy, and it’s not going to get better real soon. Right now, as frivolous as it might be, I’m going to keep doing what I do, write my blog about the cigars I smoke. Back in January, Fratello Cigars announced a budget line of cigars being made at La Aurora with camo bands. These come in three wrappers, a Maduro, Habano and Connecticut, and in Robusto and Toro in bundles of 15. These have a retail cost in the mid $3 range. You can see the press release I published HERE. As I remarked in that post, there were a few companies who had budget offerings at the show, not as many as I thought. Alec Bradley was one that comes to mind, they had a Caribbean Classic that was not too bad a cigar for a similar price. So, I set out to smoke the three of the Fratello “Camos” over the last few days, here are my thoughts.

 

I suppose you thought I’d smoke the Maduro first? You’d be right. I just thought about this, when I smoked cigarettes, I smoked menthols, because I always smoked the cheapest ones I could get (no sense going broke killing yourself), because the menthols pretty much all tasted the same. I wonder if I unconsciously apply this same logic to lower priced cigars? Does the stronger flavor of the maduro leaf compensate for other shortcomings? Just a theory. Anyway, the Fratello Blu is the maduro in this line, and has a nice, dark wrapper of unpublished origin, just like the rest of the blend. All we know is that it’s a cigar, and it’s made at La Aurora, which is pretty much enough for me. I trust Omar and La Aurora. The maduro is what I expect from a maduro, a nice, medium, chocalaty cigar. The burn was good, I expect it’s mixed filler as the ash didn’t hold on particularly long, but I could be wrong. Overall, a nice cigar.

 

Next up was the Rosso, which has a Habano wrapper, and again, we don’t know where this comes from. Contrary to my usual preferences, this was actually my favorite cigar of the three. Again, the burn was very good, although the ash retention was less than spectacular. In fairness, it was windy, and I took a walk, mindful to keep my distance from other people. I think cigars are good for that, for the most part, especially in public. Much of my walking is done on a trail operated by the county parks department, which they threatened to close due the the whole virus thing. I would likely have been a scofflaw, as I would have used the trail anyway. It remains open, because it’s actually a thorofare, and what are they going to do, barricade it off?  what a waste of resources that would be!  Anyway, The Fratello Rosso has a nice, sweet flavor that I found appealing, more akin to a Sumatra wrapper than a Habano, I thought. I dug it, and for a sub $50 bundle of 15, I think this is a nice smoke. 

 

Finally, I smoked the Verde last night, which is a the Connecticut offering, and we have to ASSume this is Ecuador Connecticut, because expensive cigars can’t afford USA Connecticut, we aren’t going to see it on a bundle cigar. This wrapper was a darker Connecticut, not claro,  it was only a shade or two, by my eye, lighter than the Rosso. I’m sure the trained eye sees this differently, there’s something like 67 different shades of tobacco leaves. This one was, for me, noticeable milder than the previous two, with the other two being solidly in the medium camp. Again, the burn was good, not going to win any longest ash contests, and the flavors were typical of a shade cigar, some nuttyness and cream. These were stored together since I got them, oddly this particular one could probably have smoked better had it been a little drier. This is a littler counter-intuitive, but just my observation. Anyway, there’s my take. For me, they are in order of preference, Rosso, Blue and Verde, but all are a great value, and I think they are due in stores over the next few days barring Armageddon.

 

That’s all for today, until the next time (providing there is one).

 

CigarCraig

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by | March 11, 2020 · 8:05 pm

The New Punch Knuckle Buster Cigar

A few weeks ago I posted about the new Punch Chop Suey, as well as the Shop Press, and I included the press release for the new Punch Knuckle Buster. To recap, the Punch Knuckle Buster is a new regular production cigar made at the HATSA factory in Honduras with Habano seed tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras. The wrapper is Nicaraguan, the binder Honduran and the filler a blend of the two. The cigars are priced between $5 and $6 before state taxes where applicable, so they are very reasonably priced. I smoked one last night and I actually hadn’t even looked at the pricing before I smoked it, so I had no preconceived notions. First, I’ve enjoyed a lot of Punch cigars over the years. I wrote a post about a controversy which existed in the ’90s about Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey cigars back in 2012 (http://www.cigarcraig.com/punch-vs-hoyo-de-monterrey-a-debate-finally-settled/) dispelling the myth that the two cigars were exactly the same. There have been some hits and misses in the Punch line in recent years to my palate, but otherwise it’s been a solid line. For instance, the Punch Diablo I smoked tonight, made by A.J. Fernandez, is a fantastic cigar to my palate. 

 

The Punch Knuckle Buster I smoked was the 6″ x 50 Toro, it also comes in a 4½” x 52 Robusto and 6¼”x 60 Gordo, I’d happily smoke any of them. It’s a nice looking cigar, the Nicaraguan Habano wrapper is an attractive shade of brown without blemish.The construction on the sample I smoked was perfect, it had the flat ember that I enjoy, no cone, all of the leaves in the blend burning at the same rate. When I first lit it up I wondered where it was going. It started out rather blah, if I had known the price point I wouldn’t have been surprised at that point.  After about the first inch, started sweetening up and really got good. It was a medium bodied cigar all the way through, and it was really quite nice. There was a nice, sweet, nutty flavor that I really enjoyed. Now that I see that it’s a very reasonably priced cigar, I’m surprised and quite happy. I thought it was a beautiful cigar, and contemplated smoking another tonight. It seems to me there was a Punch Bare Knuckle some time ago, it might have been a Maier and Dutch exclusive, but it was a strong cigar, this one was not. It was smooth and tasty. Maybe it isn’t the greatest name, as it implies it packs a punch, which it doesn’t, I’d be comfortable sharing this with a novice smoker. It has a load of flavor,                   

 

Interestingly, it’s been brought to my attention that the new CigarWorld.com site is having their first official contest, and it happens to involve the Punch brand. You’ll have to register and join the Groups, and go HERE. If you review a Punch cigar on the site this month you’ll be entered to win a Punch Bobblehead. Follow the directions on the post. Thank you to General Cigar Co. for sending the Punch Knuckle Buster samples. That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | March 10, 2020 · 5:09 pm

News: Drew Estate Announces Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” as Pappy & Co. Exclusive

Interesting news about the Pappy Tradition. I guess you could get these at Drew Diplomat shops, but now they are just available direct from Pappy Van Winkle. They are good smokes, oddly I prefer the Barrel Fermented line more.

 

Drew Estate announces today that the Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” will now be sold exclusively through Pappy & Company at www.pappyco.com.

 

Drew Estate is honored to represent the Van Winkle Family with an ultra-premium cigar that reinforces the legacy of a living American icon, Julian Van Winkle. The Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” features an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper, Indonesian Binder and aged fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. 

 

From Louisville, Kentucky, Carrie Van Winkle Greener, Co-Founder of Pappy & Company, notes, “The recent launch of the Tradition blend in the Pappy & Company cigar portfolio is an exciting new addition. As our customers’ interest and demand grows for more cigar offerings, we are thrilled to bring to market the Tradition blend which will truly complement the rest of our bourbon-inspired goods.”

 

From the Wynwood Safehouse, Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate, adds, “We are thrilled to be providing the daughters of Julian Van Winkle, owners of Pappyco.com, with an exclusive cigar that is deeply aligned with the core of their culture and tradition and that matches the legacy of their brand. The Pappy Van Winkle “Tradition” is an exquisite stick, made for the true connoisseur, bursting with flavor and complexity.”

 

The Pappy Van Winkle Tradition is available exclusively on pappyco.com in the following vitolas:

• Robusto Grande (5.5 x 54) MSRP $140.00/10ct Box

• Toro (6 x 50) MSRP $150.00/10ct Box

ABOUT DREW ESTATE

Founded in New York City in 1996, Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that attract new and traditional cigar enthusiasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Herrera Estelí Norteño, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Larutan by Drew Estate, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial, Undercrown, Florida Sun Grown, and Java by Drew Estate.

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by | March 8, 2020 · 9:32 am

A Brickhouse Maduro and a Diamond Crown Maduro

I don’t know if I mentioned this before or not, but while I was at the TPE show, I stopped into the J.C. Newman booth and introduced myself to Drew Newman, who’s the fourth generation Newman and General Council with the company. I remembered Drew from the Usenet days when he would post when he was about 16 years old and get a lot of crap for it. He was instrumental in getting the company online in the ’90s when the Cigar Family website and forum was one of the first and biggest out there. Later I was introduced to Drews uncle, Bobby Newman. I was honored to finally meet these gentlemen, as I’m honored to have the support of the company. You can always learn more about the 125 years of history behind the J.C. Newman Cigar Company by clicking the graphic on the right side of this page. 

 

The Brickhouse Maduro has always been a great smoke, a good tasting cigar at a fair price.  The folks at J.C. Newman asked me to feature the toro in the first quarter of this year, and since the first quarter is quickly drawing to a close, I figured I had better get smoking! Their toro, like many others, is 6” x 52, and it has a dark, oily  Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. These are made in J.C. Newmans’s PENSA factory in Nicaragua. The two samples I smoked over the course of a couple weeks were very consistent. I love the flavor of the Brickhouse Maduro cigars, it’s smooth, rich dark coffee, and it appeals to me.  I’ve had great experiences with the Robusto and Mighty Mighty vitolas, but I think I’m going to have to go out and buy some more of the Toros because the two I smoked both burned funny. Not like a clown, funny, as I was not amused. I had to relight them several times, as if they were not properly humidified, and that wasn’t the case because I checked with the Humidimeter and the two samples were smoked with enough time between them to make a difference. It was disappointing, because the flavor was right, and I really loved smoking the cigars, it was a bit of a struggle keeping them going. Odd, as I’ve always had exceptional construction with Brickhouse cigars. I’ll have to chalk this up to the once in a while inconsistency of a hand made product, but it certainly isn’t going to scare me off of a great brand with great flavor and (generally) great construction. 

To prove that my storage conditions were not at fault in the case of the Brickhouse Maduro Toros, I smoked a Diamond Crown Maduro No. 4 which was stored side by side with the above mentioned cigars and it smoked perfectly. The No. 4 is a  5 ½″ x 54 and is made at Tabacalera A. Fuente.  The wrapper is Connecticut Broadleaf, it has a Dominican binder and the fillers are a secret concoction of 5 different leaves from the Caribbean and Central America. The Diamond Crown and Brick House cigars couldn’t taste more different. Besides the fact that there’s probably a ten dollar or more price difference, the Diamond Crown has a really nice, smooth, rich flavor akin to a Fuente Añejo. For a moment I considered smoking the two cigars side by side for comparison, but that just seemed like an ostentatious display of excess. It’s easy enough to say that the Diamond Crown stands on it’s own as an exceptional cigar! I very much enjoy the original version as I have for 20 years, but, if you know my palate, this Maduro really appeals to me. I’d choose it over a great many super-premium cigars. 

 

Today starts my favorite time of the year, Daylight Savings Time! I still have a couple of clocks to fix! That’s about all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig  

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