Category Archives: Editorial

by | December 30, 2020 · 9:15 pm

Two Cigars from Cigar Bundles Of Miami and My Top Ten Cigars I Didn’t Smoke in 2020

I’m a sucker for a couple of things, pretty cigars and a good deal. I ran across both of these things last week and smoked a few cigars from Cigar Bundles of Miami, a small concern in Miami. Given the name of the company, this make perfect sense. I’m unsure who makes the cigars for them, I thought I had an idea, but I asked and my theory was debunked. Another thing I have a weakness for is a good candella, and I’ve found that I good candella seems to be made better when presented in combination with another wrapper. So the Negra Candela Maduro caught my eye, and a five-pack for $19.99 was too good to pass up. This is a Toro, I didn’t measure, but it seems a little longer than 6″ and maybe 52 ring gauge. This is a candela cigar with Maduro overlays, in a nice design. It looks like there’s a strip of Connecticut shade or Habano in the middle as an accent. It’s a beautiful cigar. It’s Nicaraguan from Jalapa with the maduro strips being San Andrés. It was a rich tasting cigar with the clean, refreshing taste of the candela, along with the cocoa and spice of the Nicaraguan and mexican tobacco. It was well made and burned perfectly and was a very enjoyable cigar.

 

The other cigar I picked up was the Miami Triple Wrap. I wasn’t expecting the Torpedo, but that’s what arrived, and I’m OK with that. It’s a 6 1/8″x 52 torpedo with Ecuadorian Connecticut, Habano and San Andrés maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan Binder and Filler. It has an attractive lattice pattern, can’t be easy or inexpensive to make, but was the same price as the Negra Candela Maduro (this is an introductory price, they are usually twice that. Still reasonable for a well made, artistic cigar).  This was a smooth, creamy cigar, with a pleasing flavor. It had some leather and nuts in the profile, and was a perfectly good cigar. I’d happily smoke it over many more expensive cigars, although of the two, I think the Negra Candela Maduro had bolder, more unique flavors that appealed to me more.  Both are beautiful cigars and a hell of a deal. I may have to get some more of the Negra Candela Maduro while they are still at the low price! I appreciate being able to easily communicate with the owner, and they have a Cigar Prop Sampler that is really neat! 

 

I said in a recent appearance on the Kaplowitz Media Podcast that I wasn’t going to do a list, and I really don’t believe in them too much as a rule. So my list is different, and I’m going to preface it with an important statement: this is not a mooch! I’ll get around to them! If I don’t get around to them, oh well! So here is my top ten cigars I didn’t smoke in 2020! 

  1. HVC Hotcackes
  2. The Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Holiday Edition
  3. Fratello  Pennsylvanian (I’ll get to this one, brand new!)
  4. Anything from Stallone Cigars
  5. Perla del Mar Habano
  6. Fuente Rare Pink (another really new one)
  7. BLTC Santa Muerte
  8. Red Meat Lovers Meat Box
  9. Placencia Alma anything (I’m way behind on this one)
  10. Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder Brimstone Un Presidente/Firethorn Augusta (toss up)

Like I said, not at all a mooch, I’ll catch up with them eventually. This was a stupid year, I smoked a lot of “inventory” and didn’t do a lot of acquiring of new cigars. I’m hoping to get to the TPE in May, and I hope things work out so I can get to visit cigar stores more in the coming months. 

 

That’s all for today, Happy New Year to everyone! Until next year, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | December 9, 2020 · 8:18 pm

News: Black Label Trading Co. Announces Seventh Release of Morphine and a Short Unrelated Editorial

I just finished taking part in another roundtable discussion for an upcoming episode of the Kaplowitz Media Podcast. I’ve been enjoying listening to Kap’s podcasts for a while, and am humbled and honored to have been included in the last two episodes. I actually feel rather comfortable among this group, I feel like I can speak candidly, although I may have spoken a bit too candidly on this episode. Kap’s sense of humor aligns with my own and I appreciate his show, especially his segment with Dion Giolito. It’s very entertaining, just, avoid the segments I appear in, I can’t stand the sound of my own voice, which is largely why I abandoned my own podcast.  Now, since I haven’t smoked anything new or notable over the last few days, here’s some news from the folks at Black Label Trading Company. 

 

Black Label Trading Company is pleased to announce its Seventh annual release of MORPHINE: Hand crafted in Esteli, Nicaragua at BLTC’s own factory, Fabrica Oveja Negra.

 

“This is our seventh vintage of Morphine so we wanted to change things up a bit to celebrate. I designed new artwork and each of the three vitolas is wrapped in two wrappers, Ecuador Maduro and Mexican San Andrés. The 2020 vintage is rich and earthy with bold spice on the retro. The key flavors are raisin, black cherry and a big blast of anise on the finish. The dual wrappers work together to make this vintage very unique and one of the best so far,” said James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.

 

MORPHINE cigars will be available in limited quantities at select BLTC retailers beginning this week.

 

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés & Ecuador Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaragua
Corona Gorda – 5.5 x 48 (20 count) MSRP $10.50
Lancero – 7.25 x 42 (12 count) MSRP $11.00
Short Robusto – 4.5 x 50 (20 count) MSRP $10.50

 

Black Label Trading Company is redefining the standards for cigar making. With a less is more philosophy, Black Label Trading Co. creates hand crafted premium cigars of the utmost quality at their own factory in Nicaragua.

 

For more information please visit OvejaNegraCigars.com. Consumers may search by zip code for retailers nearest them.

 

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by | August 2, 2020 · 10:48 am

Espinosa Hush Money, Exactus Cigars, Flor de Cesar, and a Rant

Before I get to the cigars, I feel the need to bring up an incident that happened at a local cigar shop, one of the brick and mortar outlets of Cigars International in Bethlehem, PA. I’ve been to this location several times. I encourage you to watch the Philadelphia NBC affiliate’s video, which had surveillance camera footage of the incident (linked). Whatever your thoughts on the matter, Pennsylvania mandates that masks be worn outside of the home, business have a mandate to require masks, and signs are posted. In my mind it’s a very simple thing, if you have a problem wearing a mask, don’t go someplace that requires you to wear a mask. Most places provide accomodations, and CI has such accommodations, ie. curbside service. Friday this person went into the Bethlehem Superstore sans mask, was told he needed a mask, was indignant, walked out with two cigars, was followed out by an employee (who, I’m under the understanding, was a retired military or law enforcement officer, obviously unarmed) with the intention of collecting information to report the theft to the police. The guy went to his car, returned with a gun and took shots at the employee (this can be seen in the video), it’s a miracle he wasn’t hit or worse, then left. Saturday he was apprehended after a shootout with police (link to story here). It cannot be argued that he went to the store with the intention of stealing cigars, I believe he went to buy cigars. It astounds me that people are so unwilling to change one little thing to get along in an unusual situation that they risk their life to defend their “rights”. It’s such a small thing to ask, isn’t it? Even if it weren’t a state mandate, if it were an matter of private property rights, if it was my private business, and I required a mask, who the hell are you to demand that your rights supersede mine? Nobody thinks twice about “no shoes, no shirt, no service” right? Why is this different? OK, I’ve left myself open for enough criticism. Wear a mask, don’t wear a mask, if you choose not to wear a mask and tell me if I’m so afraid to stay home, do me a favor, you stay home, rights go both ways. 

 

OK, cigars. Of course, I smoked a bunch this week. My man Adam was very kind and sent me a few cigars, once he and his family get settled after their move I’ll respond in some way. It’s fun to share cigars with them because his wife loves cigars too! Anyway, he sent me an Espinosa Hush Money Churchill, I cigar with which I was not familiar. I’m guessing this is a Famous Smoke Shop exclusive, from the limited research I did. The cigar was a Churchill size, 7″ x 50, which is a size I’m quite comfortable with on a nice summer day. I have a vast collection of robustos, and anymore I just find them too short for my liking. I try to amass toros and better for my daily consumption. I suppose it’s a luxury to have the time to enjoy an hour and a half or more with a cigar. Anyway, Famous Smoke doesn’t list much information about this except that it’s Nicaraguan and Maduro, and it’s on the lighter side of maduro (I wouldn’t have guessed based on color or flavor, honestly, I would have said Habano). It started out a little harsh, and I wondered what Adam had set me up for, but after the first half inch it settled down and I spent the next 90 minutes really enjoying a nice, sweet ride. It burned very well, and was a very enjoyable cigar, and for around $5 when bought by the bundle (10), quite a deal. Thank you to Adam for sharing this with me, I can see why you like this so much! 

 

El Artista Cigars was a long time advertiser here, and I spent some time with Ram and Kevin at the TPE show last January. They make some great cigars, I really like the Buffalo Ten (and I know that Adam does too), and they make the Big Papi as well as Pulita that are excellent. When I first took them on as an advertiser I bought a handful of their cigars to try out, I always like to have a personal connection with companies that I present on my site. I don’t feel right having ads on my page that I can’t get behind myself. you can rest assured that every company represented on my page has been personally vetted by me and carries my seal of approval. As great as a relationship as I have with the folks at El Artista, I wasn’t able to provide them with what they were looking for this year, so we took a break, but I still dig their cigars, and they are great folks. I found a lonely old Exactus Maduro Toro in the humidor and decided to take it for a spin. This cigar has an Ecuador HBA wrapper, and I don’t know what HBA stands for (HVA I know, but HBA, not a clue). The binder is a Dominican wine fermented Criollo 98, and the filler is Dominican. The cigar had nice, dark dried fruit and espresso flavors, and the most impressive thing about it was that it burned forever! I must have spent darned near three hours smoking this 6″ x 50 toro. Granted, I had to relight it a few times, but it was a slow burner. It had been in my humidor for a few years too, maybe five or six? I lose track of time. I wish I had more. They make this in the Super Coloso, which is 11″ x 90, I wonder how long that would burn? 

 

Finally, I was watching some NHL yesterday and lit up a Flor de Cesar Gold Robusto that I. should have smoked last year sometime. This is from a 2019 batch made at Oveja Negra in Esteli. Flor de Cesar is, more or less, the house brand of BnB Cigars in Chestnut Hill (Philadelphia) PA. It has a rosado Brazilian Matafina wrapper, Ecuador binder and fillers from Nicaragua, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. BnB is a great shop, loaded to the ceiling with great cigars. You never know what, or who, you might find there. It’s a must visit if you find yourself in Philly. This cigar might have been the highlight of my week, cigar-wise. The depth of flavor was exceptional, and very clean on the palate. It had a nice earthy sweetness. I just found it to be extremely flavorful, delicious, and satisfying. it made me want to dig out something else from Oveja Negra later, sadly I got distracted and opted for my last CroMagnon Cranium. The Flor de Cesar Gold was tremendous. 

 

I think I’m going to try to set up the projector on the porch and watch the Flyers on the big screen, and tomorrow I’m going to Goose’s Golf outing. It occurs to me that I haven’t been to a cigar event, or even to a cigar shop, since February or March, which is pretty strange. Full report on that to follow. Watch my social media feeds for photos and video. That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

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by | July 12, 2020 · 10:51 am

Smoking Some Favorites: Marchetti, Partagas, Don Carlos and Some Heavy Lighter Thoughts

I didn’t get into anything new and noteworthy this week, tending to fall back to some favorite cigars. I’ll throw some highlights out. I’ve raved about the Don Juan Calavera line from Danli Honduras Tabacos in the past (recently rebranding to DAHOT). The have a box pressed maduro cigar called the Marchetti, named after one of the factory owner’s mothers, that’s absolutely wonderful, and has become a favorite “go-to” cigar for me. Like the other cigars in the company’s portfolio, I never have a construction issue, they always perform well, and they flavor is right in my wheelhouse, cocoa, espresso, and on the high side of medium bodied. It’s just about what I’d make if I were putting my name on a cigar. If you can get your hands on some of these, I highly recommend them, and I know they are showing up in more places. Great cigars! 

 

Photo stolen from Facebook

I followed, and stuck my nose into, a couple discussions in Facebook groups this week, one of which had to do with a photo of this gentleman, whom I believe to a mister Fifty Cent, lighting a cigar with a Bic lighter. In several separate threads he was harshly criticized for this, for various reasons ranging from ruining the flavor with “Bic fluid”, being a poser and not a “real” cigar smoker, to touching the flame to the cigar (which is legitimate). There seemed to be a lot of bigotry toward the Bic. One post having over 200 replies, many being quite harsh criticism of the man. Some industry professionals pointed out that the majority of the people who actually make the cigars use disposable lighters in the countries where cigars are made, while I made the case that the fire that comes from a Bic is the same as that that comes from a Dupont soft flame lighter. I would add that, by extension, the fire that comes from a $3 torch lighter is the same that comes from a $100 torch lighter. Cases were made that a “true aficionado” lights his cigars with a torch, cases were made that someone of this gentleman’s economic status should use a lighter that closer matches the watch he’s wearing. I think a lot of these comments and ideas come from newer smokers who have a strange notion of what smoking cigars is all about. They seem to forget that cigars pre-date torch lighters by about 475 years, and that maybe them looking down on someone for how they light their cigars can be applied to other prejudices and turned around. Maybe Mr. Cent in the photo just flew in from somewhere and couldn’t get his Dupont lighter through TSA and a Bic was all he could carry on the plane? Who among us hasn’t been in that position? I’m preaching to the choir, I’m sure, but let’s try to educate the newer cigar smokers to apply some tolerance, teach the proper etiquette, including the common sense stuff like a Bic is OK, while a Zippo isn’t (although, a Zippo with a butane insert is fine!). That’s enough of a rant for today! 

 

Another discussion I was party to was someone asking if others thought Cameroon cigars were horrible because he did. This is a pet peeve of mine, of course, Just because you think something sucks, doesn’t mean it sucks. Anyway, I offered that up, and suggested he just didn’t like Cameroon cigars and not to smoke them and move on, but it made me want to smoke Cameroon cigars. So I popped my head into the humidor and grabbed a Partagas Decadas Limited Reserve 2019. This a 5 ½” x 49 robusto with a ten year old Cameroon wrapper.  For the binder they use the Honduran San Augustine tobacco that General has been using in a great many cigars recently. The filler is Piloto Cubano from the DR and Ometepe from Nicaragua. Years ago the Limited Reserve had a green band and I really enjoyed them, this cigar still delivers the goods. It’s got the sweet, nutty flavor that I like in a Cameroon cigar. These are quite nice cigars, well balanced, fairly delicate flavors, I can see where someone who smoked nothing but full-bodied cigars might miss the subtleties in this. I’ve always favored Partagas cigars, this one hit the spot.

 

Continuing my Cameroon journey, how could I not smoke an Arturo Fuente Don Carlos? Besides La Aurora, who else is synonymous with Cameroon tobacco than Fuente? Some of my earliest premium cigar memories revolve around Don Carlos and Hemingway cigars. So I lit up a Don Carlos No. 2 last night, and, you know what? I swear they taste the same now as they did 20+ years ago! It’s quite a miracle. Now this is a cigar that I can’t imagine someone not being able to find flavorful. This is a classic, it’s a big torpedo, it burns perfectly, and is loaded with flavor! it’s got that sweet, nuttiness, with some coffee notes as well. It’s one of those cigars that every humidor should have. I know I sleep better at night knowing I have some in my humidor! Help me out, was this one of the original sizes with the Robusto and the No. 3? Or was it part of the expansion around 2000 with the Double Robusto, Presidente and No.4? I think it was one of the original sizes. Regardless, it’s a classic. Maybe I’ll smoke a Hemingway Classic today! 

 

That’s more than enough for today. There was some news this week, but it involved Fratello being distributed in Switzerland, and Casa Cuevas doing retailer only events, but I didn’t think that was of interest to too many people who read here (and you probably saw them elsewhere anyway). Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

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by | June 14, 2020 · 10:48 am

Cubanacan, Serino and Lighthouse Cigars and an Editorial

I did some wandering through the humidors this week and came across a few older cigars that I smoked, but first I selected a cigar that came from the TPE show, a Cubanacan Habano Toro. Interestingly, Eddie Tarazona introduced me to Cubanacan at a Delaware Cigar Festival back around 2013 or 14, I guess (as will be a recurring theme in this post, dates are fuzzy for me today). I’m not sure what his involvement was at the time. Lawrence Miltenberger, who is a principle at Cubanacan, was also at that Delaware Fest, but with another company, so I’ve known him for a while, so when I saw him at the TPE, he laid a few samples on me to try. Now, it seems to me I’ve heard some not great things about Cubanacan’s business practices, but I can’t confirm those rumors and have no first hand knowledge. It seems to me that they’ve had a rough time over the past several years. I’m sure someone will let me know one way or the other if I’ve crossed a line. I smoked the Habano Toro, and it was pretty spectacular. The construction was right, it burned straight as an arrow and the draw was perfect. The flavor was really nice with some sweet notes and nuttiness. I dug it and would smoke it again. 

 

Speaking of cigar companies that have had issues, Gurkha seems to have crapped where it eats over the last week. I’m not going to recap the incidents, check Halfwheel, Coop or other sites for the blow by blow, but I have a few observations. First, Gurkha has always been polarizing. They have a side that has cheap, bundle cigars that are marketed like they are super-high end cigar that are the best deal ever in the catalogs, on the other hand, they have some really nice cigar that are good quality, made in the same factories that a lot of other great cigars are made in and are perfectly good. Heck, they have a new cigar (that I haven’t smoked) that’s made by Aganorsa that is supposed to be great. There have been quite a few of their cigars that I really liked, Cellar Reserves, Ghost, Seduction. The first mistake they (the Company and Kaizad Hansotia, and I’m not convinced the two can be separated) made was claiming that the Kaizad’s social media account was “hacked” and the racially insensitive posts were not his own. They should not have made that claim. When that BS wasn’t bought into, they went with the distancing tactic. Kaizad steps down and removes himself from day to day operations of the company, and they even go so far as to claim he’s selling his interest in the company. I’m going to be so bold as to speculate that if he owns 50% of the company, the other 50% is owned by a company that’s owned by him. Conspiracy theory: he sells his 50% to a holding company that is owned by one of his other companies. I doubt I’ll be getting any more cool Gurkha swag.  He’s a smart guy, he’s built a large, successful brand that sell a ton of cigars and has a large following. Here’s the other thing, for as many people saying they won’t buy another Gurkha cigar because of the perceived racism, there’s a whole opposite side that is giving up on them because they “caved in to the liberals”. Gurkha had a diverse following, apparently they alienated two sides. The positive side of this is that only a small percentage of cigar smokers pay attention to what’s going on on the internet, so maybe this won’t really hurt the bottom line too much. There are good people who work for Gurkha, I’d hate to see them suffer.

 

I have a shelf in the NewAir humidor that has a bunch of coffin boxes, and one that’s been there for a while was a Lighthouse Special Edition that came from an IPCPR show back in 2014 0r 15 (see above about the dates). All I can remember about this interaction was being approached in an aisle while walking by, as happens at trade shows, by a salesman who thought I was a retailer. Small outfits sometimes don’t read badges, and I always explain to these guys that I’m media and I’m not buying and it’s probably not worth their time talking to me. However this interaction worked, I ended up with this cigar and no information about it or the company survives. I’ve just been moving it around all these years until I finally decided there’s no reason not to smoke it. I hoped it was going to be a decent cigar and not a waste of my time, while also hoping it wasn’t going to be a great cigar that I was going to regret never being able to smoke again. It was a darker cigar, 6″ x 50ish, and as you might imagine, the flavors were predominantly cedar. Not a big surprise after five or so years in that little coffin. I’m thinking now I should pay attention to some other cigars on that shelf, and making a note to date cigars like that moving forward. I’m not a huge fan of the mostly woody flavors in cigars, it’s OK, I like a sweeter profile. The cigar was well behaved, it smoked very well, and was pleasant and satisfying, leaving me neither disappointed, nor wishing I could find more. I wish I had more information, and I don’t think this had anything to do with the cigar store in New Jersey. 

 

Finally, last night I smoked a Serino Royale Medio Robusto Gordo last night. Serino was up-and-coming a few years ago and I haven’t heard much about them lately, but they seem to still be available. I’ll be honest, when I posted this on Instagram and tagged Serino, I trolled them a little for comment on whether they were still in the premium business. I didn’t get a bite.  I’m not sure how this one escaped my notice for the last four years, as it came with it’s three siblings in June of 2016 in a sampler. This cigar has an Ecuador Habano Claro wrapper, very light, it almost looks like a Connecticut shade. The size was 5½” x 60, which is a strange size, so I guess Robusto Gordo is an appropriate name. Sadly, when I looked at the one retailer I knew carried these, this particular line wasn’t listed. This was a very tasty smoke. It was rich and creamy, almost like a shade cigar, with more body, less grassiness, and a nice sweetness. It burned perfectly and was a pleasure to smoke. I actually was looking for a milder cigar when I selected this and chose wisely, it wasn’t mild, but it was perfectly medium and suited me just fine. IF you run across one of these, give it a shot, and if you find the Maduro XX, definitely try it!

 

If you partake in Instagram, and follow @cigarcraig, please follow @cigarcrag1. I’ve been unable to log in to the original account for some reason, and IG’s support system sends me in circles. Until I get it sorted out I’ve decided to rebuild. Any help in this area is appreciated. I’d love to get my millions (or 1700ish) followers back! Anyway, that’s all for today, until the nex time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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