Category Archives: Review

by | October 8, 2011 · 9:42 am

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale Club

My love affair with La Gloria Cubana started in the mid 90s.  You could buy them right from the El Credito factory on Calle Ocho in Miami, and for $5 less you could get a bundle instead of a box.  Then they opened the factory in the Dominican Repuplic and there were the people that preferred the Miami rolled cigars over the ones from the DR, even though they were using the exact same raw materials.  I could never tell the difference, but that really doesn’t mean anything.  Then the company changed hands, the Serie R came out, another excellent cigar, more transitions in management, and now, under General Cigar, the team is coming out with one hit after another, most recently with the Artesanos Retro Especiale.  I received a couple of samples at the IPCPR show and Friday night was the night to fire one up.  First, it’s a really nice looking cigar.  The band is beautiful, keeping the general theme of the traditional La Gloria band, but giving it a more retro look to compliment the gorgeous packaging.  The wrapper is Connecticut grown in Honduras and is golden brown.  It burned perfectly from start to finish, and it was smooth and elegant in flavor and appearance.   Like it’s siblings, the Artesanos De Miami, Artesanos De Tabaqueros and Artesanos De Obelisco, this is a unique and special cigar.

 

I know this video is a rerun, but it’s certainly relevant to this post as it features Yuri Guilllen, General Manager at El Credito, and one of the masterminds of La Gloria Cubana talking about the Serie N, the Artesanos De Obelisco and the  Artesanos Retro Especiale.

 

 

Don’t forget to visit my sponsors, and get on over the IPCPR.org, or CigarRights.org (or use the link in my sidebar) and send letters to your elected officials regarding the FDA and Premium Cigars!  If the FDA has their way, we’ll never again see wonderful works of art like the packaging for the Retro Especiale, not to mention having premium cigars to enjoy in the first place!

 

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

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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by | October 5, 2011 · 6:43 pm

Berger & Argenti and Toraño Single Region

Sunday evening, after a very busy weekend, I had a hankering for a Berger  & Argenti Mooch Loll maduro.  This was a really nice looking 6″ x 52 torpedo, perfectly proportioned with a beautiful dark wrapper.  I have to say that in this case, I really enjoyed the natural wrapper more.  Still, it was a delicious

cigar that performed admirably.  I had spent the afternoon at a street festival in my town, I had hoped to smoke a cigar or two while there, but it rained and was cold.  My youngest son was playing in one of his bands at the festival, they played at one of the l

ocations, but their set at the main location was cancelled due to the weather.  I had planned on smoking one of the camouflage wrapped American Eagles cigars, so if someone complained, I could act like I didn’t know what they were complaining about!  This joke probably goes over better in my head, just like when I run into the rack of camo clothes in the sporting goods store and saying I didn’t see it.  Anyway, I still like the Berger & Argenti Mooch line quite a bit, the name may be a little odd, but the cigars are good.  This one was a sample from the IPCPR show.

 

Tuesday I selected a Toraño Family Cigars Single Region Serie Jalapa, which I bought at G & G Cigars on a recent visit.  This one was the 6″ x 54 Toro  Grande.  I;m not usually a fan of Criollo wrapped cigars, but this one, with it’s entirely Jalapa grown tobaccos, was sweet and rich, and I really enjoyed it.  It didn’t burn arrow straight, but I still was a very relaxing and enjoyable cigar.  My son, Corey, joined me on the front porch with a Cain F Nub and it didn’t kill him.  The Single Region Serie Jalapa is made completely from tobaccos grown on the El Estero Farm in Jalapa, Nicaragua.   A unique cigar, very nice.

 

Here is a little video I took with Charlie Toraño a the IPCPR show last July.  As with all my videos, don’t forget to turn your computer speakers down after watching!

 

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

CigarCraig

 

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by | October 2, 2011 · 5:18 pm

October Is Here: Berger & Argenti, Chateau Real and Macanudo Contest Winners!

It’s autumn here in south-east PA, and the evenings are getting shorter.  This time of year I tend to gravitate toward maduro cigars more, not sure why that is, I just do.  I have my winter stock of smaller, maduro cigars in half of a box of Chateau Real Small Clubs and three quarters of a box of Hoyo de Monterrey Sabrosos all ready for the cold winter walks.  I have a severe dislike for fall and winter, so next spring can’t come soon enough.

 

Earlier this week I had a yen for a Berger & Argenti cigar, so I grabbed a Classico Belicoso that I received at the IPCPR show.  This one wasn’t quite as tasty as the Mooch Schnorr, but it was still very nice, and for some reason the 5¾” x 50 belicoso shape felt very elegant in the hand.  I know, that sounds a little un-manly, but it’s seemed like it would feel just right while wearing a tuxedo, and what’s more man;y than a tux.  I don’t know where that while line of thought came from, but it did, and there it is.  As I said, this was a very tasty smoke and burned nicely.  I have enjoyed the heck out of the recent samplings from Berger & Argenti.  I’ve still got some Mooch maduros and Entubar Quad Maduros to look forward to.  The Entubar is a very good candidate for my annual Halloween cigar.

 

Friday evening I just wanted something good and familiar, that I wouldn’t have to think about much, so I grabbed a Chateau Real Maduro Gran Cru Perfecto from my dwindling supply.  I love the Mexican maduro wrapper on this cigar. I don’t think they are making the Chateau Real in maduro any more which is a shame, I guess I didn’t buy enough of them to keep them in production.  It’s a nice, medium cigar that always hits me right, always draws well and burns straight, and I will be sad when these are gone!  Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the Claro version of this cigar, but it’s quite a bit different with the maduro wrapper.   Thinking about it makes me want another!  Will power….

 

I need to select a pair of winners.  The Macanudo Millionaire contest closed last week, so I hope everyone got their entries in.  These Macanudo four packs are quite unique in that the cigars are all 6 x 60 versions of  the regular line, the maduro, the 1968 and the Crü Royale.  So, the winners, as selected at random using the random number generator at Random.org.  The numbers generated were 1 and 6, which correspond to kekoa kai and Kyle!  Congrats gentlemen!  Make sure you get in touch with me with your contact info so I can send out your prize!

 

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

CigarCraig

 

 

 

 

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by | September 28, 2011 · 6:30 pm

A Trip to the Wooden Indian, a Cain, an A.Turrent and a Monte Pascoal

Sunday afternoon I decided to take a ride to see my daughter and son-in-law and my 5 month old grand-daughter.  I visited with them until it was nap time (the baby’s, although I could have taken one myself!).  Anyway, they happen to live in the same town as one of my favorite area cigar shops, the Wooden Indian.  I got there within a half hour of their closing, so I took a look through the humidor to see what was new.  They have a very nice stock, which includes a smattering of nice boutique brands that aren’t always available in stores closer to home.  Normally I’ve visited this store on days when they are having events, and haven’t really taken a close look at their stock.  Neither needing more cigars, or wanting to spend a lot of money, I settled on a pair of Cain Daytona coronas, which ended up under $5 each.  I hadn’t yet smoked the Daytona, although I do have a couple lanceros in the humidor at home.  I had a nice ride home and after dinner I sparked one up.  This is now my favorite Cain.  I love the flavors in the line, but the Maduro and Habano and “F” series tend to be stronger than I prefer.  Somehow nausea detracts from the cigar experience.  Anyway, the Daytona is full flavored, yet not so strong as to cause the world to spin.  Top notch cigar and p

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riced fairly.  It’s all I can do to not smoke the lanceros now!

 

Monday was a long day at work so my evening was slightly shortened.  I grabbed a shorter smoke in an A. Turrent Tripple Play Robusto.  I had the good fortune of meeting Enrique Seijas at the Altadis booth at the IPCPR show and he gave me a thorough tour of the booth.  One of the sample pack s he gave me included this cigar.  The Triple Play is an all maduro cigar, with a San Andreas wrapper, a  Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and fillers from Nicaragua, Mexico and Honduras.  Since I love Mexican maduro, and broadleaf, I figured this would be a good fit for me.  I did enjoy the cigar quite a bit, although I had to touch up the burn a few times.  Nice cigar that I look forward to trying again, although I can see where it may not be for everyone.

 

Tuesday evening I grabbed a Monte Pascoal  Minuto on the heels of an e-mail from Wesley Gensel announcing an article in Smokeshop Magazine about the brand.  I met Wes at the IPCPR show in New Orleans and spent some time with him at the show this year, where I first enjoyed this cigars.  The Monte Pascoal was also awarded the best Brazilian cigar by Cigar Journal magazine at an awards ceremony at this years show in Las Vegas, which I was privileged to attend.  These cigars are Brazilian puros, made with Mata Fina and Mata Norte tobaccos.  I rea

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lly enjoy this little 4 3/8″ x 42 petit corona.  It had a very rich flavor and was quite satisfying.  I look forward to trying the larger sizes, but this Minuto is a very nice little smoke.

 

Here is a video of Wes from the IPCPR show last July:

 

 

That’s it for now!  Don’t forget to enter this weeks contest to win a Macanudo Millionaire 4-pack!  Leave a comment on my last post to enter.  I failed to mention that there would be TWO winners again!

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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by | September 25, 2011 · 8:45 am

G.A.R., Liga Privada, Veritas, a Contest Winner and Another Macanudo Contest!

This nice looking G.A.R. Opium STK toro was handed to my by my old friend Frank Seltzer at the Drew Estate blogger party at this years IPCPR show. He gave it to me without any comment at all, and I’m sure he has no affiliation with Gran Habano. I started removing bands (three of them in all, the foot band had to go first!) and lit this puppy up. To start out, it’s a nice looking cigar, 6” x 50, which oddly felt larger than 50, but I measured it and it certainly was a 50 ring gauge. It smoked very well, and while I didn’t taste poppy seeds

or any other interesting flavors, it was a nice, solid, tobacco flavored cigar. It’s a good cigar although not one I think I’d go out of my way to find. I need to try more cigars from George Rico and Gran Habano.

 

Friday I celebrated the end of another week with a Liga Privada No.9 Parejo. I’ve been sitting on this particular one for about 2 years, and, wow, what a wonderful cigar. Perfectly made, perfect balance of flavor and strength. I actually purchased this at an event at the Wooden Indian (the old store) where we first met Marvin Samel. Just a super cigar that I smoked to within a half inch of it’s life.  I still have one of the first Liga Privada No.9 cigars with a plain band from 2007.  Mike Staiber, formerly of Drew Estate, presently of Oliva, gifted me this cigar at an event a while back.  I’ll probably let it get to five years old or so before I fire it up, just to see how well it aged.  It’s all I can do to keep my hands off the meager supply I have, they are so good.

 

Saturday I took a walk with a Veritas MMXI 6” x 60 Maduro, which I got at the Delaware Cigar Festival. This was about the blackest maduro I’ve seen in a long time. I’ll be honest, my first thought is that it was dyed, and the contrast between the fillers and wrapper was quite stunning. Whatever the process involved, I enjoyed the cigar quite a bit, it needed a couple touch-ups but burned nicely. I’m told that these are made by Blue Mountain Cigars in Esteli, and the maduro cigars pictured on their website look just as black. Like I said, I enjoyed the heck out of the cigar. This is the cousin of the Veritas DEA 7¼” x 58 Solomon Connecticut cigar that is accompanying the Rosie Napravnik bobblehead that some lucky reader is going to win.

 Contest!

Thank you to everyone who entered.  It’s been a little amusing to me to see how many visits I had this week from people searching the phrase “Rosie Napravnik Bobblhead”, or something similar.    Thanks go to Delaware Park for unwittingly providing part of the prize, and Veritas Cigars for allowing me the opportunity to purchase the other part of the prize!  So, as usual, I assigned each entrant a number based the time of their entry. Swede214,  please send me your contact information so I can send you your prize!

 

Another Contest!

 

I still have some Macanudo Millionaire 4-packs to give away, and I better do it quick since the deadline for entry is September 30, 2011.  So I’ll hold my October contest a little early.  Leave a comment on this post to enter, I’ll select a winner next Sunday, October 2.  Don’t forget to visit MacanudoMillionaire.com to enter to win the trip to Vegas and a chance at a million bucks!

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

CigarCraig

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