Category Archives: Review

by | September 14, 2016 · 9:38 pm

Psyko Seven Psunday and Insane Cigars

A few months ago my wife entered a contest on Best Cigar Prices Facebook page and managed to win a box of Psyko7Psyko Seven Tubos and a Psyko Seven Humidor. I’ve mentioned the humidor before, I’m impressed with this budget friendly box, it’s large, it holds humidity well, and it’s not unattractive. It came in very handy as a place for IPCPR samples so I can keep them segregated and not forget where they came from! By the way, since I know people at Best Cigar Prices, I checked and everything was above-board and my wife truly won this random drawing. I, personally refrain from entering contests, I prefer to have contests. We figured we’d have another herf at PsykoSeven_Toro_tubothe house to share some of the Psyko Seven Tubos, but I guess it wasn’t a great night to do it as we had one guest, my friend Mike, who is a local reader and I met because he won one of the days of last year’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways. To those who couldn’t make it, we missed you. Mike and I spent a couple of hours enjoying these fine cigars from Ventura Cigar Company, made at the Kelner Boutique factory in the Dominican Republic.  These are wrapped in a Dominican wrapper, and they boast a six country blend, including Peruvian and Pennsylvanian tobaccos, as well as Mexican, Honduran and Nicaraguan. I found this to be a nice, mild, complex cigar, with a nice burn. It was a very nice smoke. Mike had this to say: “I enjoyed this cigar! The Psyko Seven Toro Tubo was the perfect cigar for a two-hour conversation with Craig. It was a well-made, even-burning mild stick that offered some nice, sweet flavors, while not getting in my face with too much power. While I did not pick up on any specific and easily identifiable flavors, I did like the overall taste and smoked it down to the nub. Would definitely smoke another one!”  It was a tasty cigar, made better by good company. Thanks to the folks at Best Cigar Prices for the contest, Mike for joining me, and my wife for winning and sharing the cigars and humidor with me!

 

I felt a theme week with the Psyko Sevens, so I had an Asylum Premium short torpedo that was in the humidor for a while and was very good. I actually couldn’t find this size listed anywhere, so maybe I’ve had it in the humidor for a couple years.  Monday I went with another Asylum, the Famous Smoke Shop Exclusive Asylum Lobotomy in the toro size. I really enjoy this cigar, it’s on the stronger side, and loaded with deep, dark, lush flavor. Nicely priced under $5 too.  I went Psyko again last night with the Psyko Seven MADuro in the robusto size.  This is another Kelner made cigar with a San Andrés wrapper.  Fantastic smoke with the same filler blend as the natural version, and equally as complex, with more power and sweetness. Tonight I went nuts with an Asylum Straight Jacket, the top of the line Asylum.  I won an auction for a box (10) of these a few years back, and haven’t smoked one in a while. I forgot how really great these cigar are. Really good tasting, and good to a very small nub. Its a shame these were robustos as I was sad when it started to burn my fingers.

Asylum_Premium BelicosoIMG_3751IMG_3755 (Edited)Asylum_Straightjacket_Robusto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a crazy week, and I smoked some insanely good cigars.  I wonder what I should smoke for the rest of the week?  Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | September 11, 2016 · 9:34 am

Davidoff and Bobalu Cigars and a Wooden Indian Drew Estate Event

Davidoff_Yamasa_ToroAnother week is in the books, and I felt the urge to revisit the Davidoff Yamasa toro on Thursday. I smoked this at a launch party that Davidoff had at their lounge in Las Vegas, which, of course, was not nearly large enough to contain the crown there in air-conditioned comfort, so a large part of the event was outside. I kinda like the Las Vegas heat for a while, it’s not totally uncomfortable, but add in some misting fans, loud DJ music, and a crowd, it’s not any kind of environment to get a good handle on a cigar. I had a busy week at my day job, so I figured it was time to give the Yamasa Toro another go.  To recap the Yamasa story in a nutshell: 20 years ago Henke Kelner decided to try to grow tobacco in a swampy area in the Yamasa Valley in the Dominican Republic. After many years Davidof_Yamasa_Samplerof trying, apparently they got it right and produced the Davidoff Yamasa into their Black Label series this year. It’s a good smoke. It’s as elegant and well made as one expects from Davidoff, and it’s got a lot of flavors of earth and wood, with some spice.  This is another Davidoff cigar I received a sampler of in ridiculous (meant in a good way), over the top packaging.  The pentagonal box, containing a five sided star-shaped box which unfolds to reveal the four sizes in the line and a box of cigar matches is amazing, yet highly impractical! I’m told the Pyramid is the best of the bunch, not sure why I didn’t select that one…another time.

 

Bobalu_Tres Capa_toroFriday I decided to dig into some of the cigars I recently purchased from Bobalu Cigar Co. in Austin, Texas. I featured some of their cigars a few months ago and felt like they had some offerings that intrigued me enough to make a purchase. Remember, there’s a special deal just for my readers where you can get a free triple flame lighter with a purchase (I forgot to take advantage of this when I ordered!). Their Tres Capa caught my eye, I have to admit, the combination of the Candela, Connecticut and Habano wrapper leaves in a barber pole configuration makes for a very attractive cigar. I don’t seek out barber pole style cigars, but I liked the look. This was a really nice, milder cigar, with some great, smooth flavors. They didn’t ask me to say this, but they have a special on their site for a 10 pack for $39.95 with a torch lighter, which is a nice deal for some very good, made in the US of A cigars.  I got a box pressed maduro and an Oscuro lined up to try to so stay tuned. I have a few reasons I’d like to visit Houston someday, and now Austin is on my list, not that they are close to one another, are they?

 

NicaRustica)_2016DE-WI EventYesterday I stopped in to the Wooden Indian Cigar shop in Havertown, PA where they were having their annual Drew Estate Charity Event and pigroast. It was a packed house and featured Pedro Gomez from Drew Estate, Broc Jackson, the young man who makes the jewelry that all the Drew guys wear, as well as many others in the cigar industry, and Hollis Thomas, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and is on the local sports radio station (apparently, I don’t follow football at all, but I sat down next to this guy, not knowing who he was and he seemed like a fun guy. His go-to smoke is a short story, which I found interesting as it showed he was in it for the flavor and not the look, as it’s hard to find that little cigar in his formidable hands…). I bought some cigars, and lit up a Nica Rustica El Brujito and schmoozed for an hour or so. Every year they have this big event with auctions of great Drew Estate cigars and artwork by Jessi Flores at Subculture Studios, and this year they raised over $6000 for Drew Estate Charities, as well as raising $800 in cash and cigars for Cigar For Warriors. In the picture here you can see some of the auction items in the background. Dave and his staff at the Wooden Indian always have great events, it’s probably my favorite shop in the area.

 

That’s all for today, I smoked another IPCPR show sample last night, but I didn’t really dig it, so I’m not going to mention it…probably not the cigars fault, it just wasn’t for me, an I was disappointed because I though it would be! I hate it when that happens. Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | September 7, 2016 · 9:08 pm

Fratello Bianco The Boxer Cigar

One of the great treats at the IPCPR is seeing my friend Omar de Frias, who charged on to the cigar scene in 2013. Here was this larger than life unknown guy at his first trade show, making a big splash with his line of cigar made at the Joya de Nicaragua factory, although that was hush hush for quite a while. Omar is one of the nicest guys you will want to meet, and one of the hardest working as well. He holds down a day job at

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NASA, travels tirelessly promoting

Fratello cigars, meets with legislators on Capital Hill fighting for our freedom, and has a family too. If you ever have the opportunity to meet Omar, jump at the chance and do whatever you have to do to get to one of his events.

 

Fratello_Bianco_TheBoxerThi

s year at the IPCPR Omar presented his new line extension in the Fratello Bianco series, the Fratello Bianco The Boxer. The Bianco series is the San Andrés maduro cigar in the line, it’s got a beautiful dark wrapper, quite the opposite of the name Bianco, which is Italian for white. So We have a guy who was born in Puerto Rico, raised in the Dominican Republic, living in the US and making cigars in Nicaragua with an Italian name! The Boxer is his box pressed torpedo, it’s a classic 6¼” x 52, with a crisp square press.  The wrapper is the afor mentioned San Andrés Negro, the binder is Dominican, and the fillers are Nicaraguan, Pennsylvanian and Peruvian, blended in a slightly different proportion than the rest of the Bianco line. This was the best cigar I’ve smoked in recent memory. It was rich, loaded with those dark chocolate and espresso flavors I love, with some interesting spices from the Pennsylvania and Peruvian fillers. The shape was fun and comfortable in the mouth and hand, and it smoked perfectly, the draw had just the right resistance, and the burn was even. I lit it with a new lighter, the Xikar Xidris, a new addition to their lighter line, which you’ll hear more about in the near future, but out of the box it worked well and has a great feel and look.  I’ll certainly be on the look out for the Fratello Bianco The Boxer as this is an amazing cigar.

 

That’s all for now, until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | September 4, 2016 · 9:31 am

Davidoff, Gonzo Santeria, Flor de Gonzalez and Epic Cigars

Davidoff Nicaragua SamplerI’ll start out with a cigar I smoked last Sunday evening after a really great day which included my daughter and her family coming over and making me a birthday cake. We got a lot accomplished throughout the day and  I decided to celebrate with a Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed, having never smoked the Davidoff Nicaragua before. I received a very nice care package from Davidoff after the show, it was  huge box, and the presentation was amazing. The Davidoff Nicaragua came in a leather-bound box, with a box of cigar matches, a brochure, and some sort of metal box that I haven’t quite figured out yet. It seems to have a bottle opener on the end, and a compass and a flashlight inside. I’d be grateful if someone would shed some light on the purpose for this item! It’s still really cool, and I was anxious to fire up one of the Box Pressed Toros. I don’t have a lot of experience with the Davidoff line, but I expect a high quality smoke based on reputation and price, and I wasn’t disappointed. The cigar burned about as perfect as you’d want, and tasted fantastic, solidly Davidoff_NicaraguaBox Pressed_Toromedium and some spice and a bit of cocoa. I’m sure “yummy” isn’t as classy a description as Davidoff might like, but tha

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t’s what I’m calling it.  Note the cool Screwpop Ashtray in the photo. I love the Screwpop Punch, I have the original and the 2.0, and while I prefer the design of the 2.0 and the larger diameter punch, the original is great for very small ring cigars. These guys have a vast selection of key chain tools, the only thing missing from the lineup is a large keychain to hold them all! Anyway, this ashtray is a pretty nicely designed little item. This isn’t the ashtray you are putting out when you have a bunch of people over, but it’s perfect for a single cigar, it’s designed with a post in the tray to knock off your ash (particularly handy if your cigar goes out and you want to get as much ash off before re-lighting), and two different sized rests, one for a large cigar and one for a cigarillo. It’s made of melamine, so it cleans up easily and won’t break of dropped, and it looks nice too. I haven’t been able to figure out how to open a bottle with it, or put it on my key ring, but other than that it’s a nice little item! The coolest part is that a mainstream company embraces cigars and makes useful tools for them, along with their other tools. Cool designs from cool company! The Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed was great too!

 
Gonzo_Santeria_ToroThursday I picked out an IPCPR sample, although not necessarily a new cigar really. Recently Steve Ysidron joined Kuuts Cigars as their president, and brought a couple of his lines with him, the Carnavale and the Gonzo Santeria. The Gonzo Santeria features a cool dia de los Muertos skull band and a pigtail cap of sorts.  The 6″ x 52 Toro has a San Andrés wrapper, a dual binder with San Andrés and Jalapa leaf and Nicaraguan fillers. I smoked the Santeria a couple years ago and really enjoyed it, as I really enjoyed this one. It’s got that kinda sweet, kinda dirty flavor that the Mexican tobacco brings. Right up my alley and a really nice cigar. Steve Ysidron is a really cool dude, and I wish him the best with Kuuts!

 

Flor de Gonzalez_90MilesUnidos_RobustoFriday I got off to a late start so I went with a robusto sized Flor de Gonzalez 90 Miles Unidos on the back porch. There’s not a lot of information out there about this cigar. I can tell you that it’s a dos capa, barber pole style cigar with what appears to me to be Habano and Connecticut shade wrappers. beautifully applied. If I had to guess on the filler, I’d go with Nicaraguan. It was a really tasty cigar, although, like many cigars wrapped in this style, did not have the straightest burn line.  I don’t really think the barber pole wrap brings anything  too much to the table flavor wise, no more than a double binder would, but it looks cool and I admit to smoking with my eyes. I appreciate the artistry of a well done dos capa (or tres, more on that next week), as it takes some talent and patience to pull off, especially with the consistency needed to line a bunch of them up in a box and have them all look exactly the same.  I’ve long been a fan of Yadi Gonzalez’s 90 miles line, and the new line extensions are off to a good start with the Unidos (there is also a Habano and Connecticut).

 

Epic_San Andres LE_ToroFinally, I wrapped up another busy Saturday with another IPCPR sample. This is another much-anticipated cigar for me, as I enjoy the other cigars in the line a lot. Epic Cigars had their Limited Edition Project E San Andrés at the IPCPR show, although they had temporary bands on the samples. The regular release will have a tobacco “band” applied to the cigar, a cut-out “E” which has to piss off the poor people who have to cut out and apply it to the cigar, but it’s a cool touch. The cigar comes on one size, the Gran Ola, a 6&Ac

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irc;½” x 54, and has  little pigtail cap. Once again, you know my tastes, this should be a cigar I love, right?  Well, it was. This cigar burned my fingers, and had the prettiest burn and ash I’ve seen on a cigar in some time. It was a joy to smoke and tasted great.  It was loaded with espresso and earthy flavors with some sweetness. Once again Dean Parsons gets his shot on net with this one.

 

That’s it for today, I’m off to do some holiday weekend demolition which will include moving some of the humidors, followed by a couple of great cigars this afternoon! There’s apparently a reason they call it Labor Day weekend!

 

Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | August 31, 2016 · 8:37 pm

Protocol Probable Cause Robusto from Cubariqueño Cigars

One evening at the IPCPR trade show Corey and I were hanging out at the Laguna Champagne Bar in the Palazzo Hotel, which was the big after hours spot at this year’s show, and Juan Cancel handed me a Protocol Corona Gorda and a Probable Cause robusto.  I was thrilled to finally get my hands on some of the Protocol cigars, as I Protocol_Probabal Cause_Robustohave yet to find any in the year that these have been on the market. Juan and his partner Bill Ives started Cubariqueño Cigars last year, having their cigars made at the La Zona factory in Esteli, and they’ve been a runaway hit. Tonight I smoked the Probable Cause, a lovely box pressed robusto measuring 5″ x 52, although the box press makes it seem smaller than that. The cigar has Nicaraguan binder and filler, covered with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper that is dark and oily. I found this to be a powerful cigar, and, like the rest of the cigars manufactured at La Zona, the burn and draw were perfect. They say this is a medium strength cigar with full flavor, but I thought it was a little powerhouse.  It was loaded with dark, rich espresso flavors and had a unique spice that I couldn’t put a finger on, but was quite entertaining.  Juan and Bill have a winner with their sophomore release, it’s a shame that the FDA and our government is against this sort of creativity and entrepreneurship. Two cops from New Jersey/New York have brought some exceptional cigars to the market!

 

Poll Results

 

Last week’s poll about the possibility of a CigarCraig.com Secret Santa program results are in  96% of respondents are in favor, with 4% not in favor, so if I can’t pull off a big holiday giveaway like I’ve done in years passed, we can have some fun among ourselves, at least with the 23 people who registered a “yes” vote in the poll. Hopefully we can get more of you interested. I haven’t written off a giveaway of some sort.

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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