Category Archives: Review

by | December 25, 2022 · 6:00 am

Merry Christmas and a Couple of Cigars

This is going to be a short one, I mean, I have family stuff to do today, and I assume many of you do also.  Not many people are going to have time to read a long post!  So Happy Holidays to everyone!  Go back to my last post and enter the contest! Maybe you’ll win some great stuff!

 

We’re enjoying a cold snap here, Friday started out a balmy 50 and dropped to the teens by evening. I got my cigar in early, my heaters can’t keep up with this bitter cold.  I chose from a selection sent to me by my secret Santa this year, an Alec Bradley 2014 Fine and Rare.  It was my first time smoking a Fine and Rare, I may smoke another Fine and Rare later if time and temps allow.  This was a special smoke, a 7″ x 54 perfecto-ish cigar. I’ve had the same shape in a tubed Tempest ,I think.  It didn’t seem like it was that big, but it smoked for a good two hours.  When I say “good”, I mean really good! I seem to recall the Raices Cubanas factory having some quality issues around this time, which were not apparent in this cigar, it was perfectly built.  I believe the blend is Honduran and Nicaraguan with a Honduran wrapper. I also seem to remember some ridiculous number of varietals in the blend on these. Seven? Anyway, this was a really delicious cigar, pretty nunced and refined, but full of flavor.  It was bready, with some spice, but not much. It certainly was a special cigar befitting the season.  TY MS for these! I look forward to future Fine and Rare’s.

 

Yesterday I stopped by Goose’s Montecristo Lounge in Limerick, PA for a smoke or two.  I intended to just pick one or two nice cigars out to smoke, but I started looking through the discount bin (buy 3, get one free) and found some gems, some CyB Corona Reals, Cornelius and Anthony Meridian Corona Gordas, Jaxx LTs (forerunner of the La Sirena LT) and even an Emilio AF2 (AJ Fernandez).  So after I smoked a gifted Montecristo Epic, I lit up one of the CyBs I bought and it was delicious.  These had a pretty short life, coming out sometime around 2013 when José Blanco (the B) worked at Joya de Nicaragua with Dr. Alejandro Cuenca (the C).  It was originally called Cuenca y Blanco until someone pulled a trademark dispute. The cigar was really good, and I think I found all that he had in the bins. The cigar has an Ecuador Habano wrapper, Dominican Piloto binder and fillers from Nicaragua and Peru.  It’s woody and sweet with some spice, the spice probably from that Peruvian leaf.  Good stuff!  Goose’s is a great spot with a large selection and comfortable lounge.  I’d like to get there more than I do! 

 

That’s all for today, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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by | December 18, 2022 · 8:51 am

Some West Tampa Tobacco and Powstanie Cigars

I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do next week, be prepared for a simple post, or maybe I put something fun together for the holiday week!  I have to work on that…anyway, I smoked some cigars that I found interesting this week.  When I saw Rick Rodriguez at the Cigar Heritage Festival, he gave me two lanceros, I mentioned the West Tampa Tobacco Co. Black last week, and smoked the West Tampa Tobacco Co. White this week.  As with the Black, I found the lancero iteration to be very different from the Robusto and Toro.  I don’t know how old these were, which can factor into things, but the lancero started with some “off”, sour notes.  The sourness turned into almost a fermented citrus sort off flavor.  Very interesting. I am always careful to smoke lanceros slowly, I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again,  this shape cigar tastes “sharper” because it burns hotter than a larger ring gauge cigar. This is often mistaken for some wrapper to filler ratio nonsense.  It’s heat, sip the lancero, it can’t be smoked like larger cigars.  I did find that this cigar burned pretty fast, which was disappointing because I enjoyed the flavors, perhaps more than I enjoy the regular White sizes. I liked both of these blends in the lancero format.

 

I recently came across the West Tampa Tobacco Co. Attic Series in one of my local shops and picked one up to sample.  I got some of the Black and Whites too while I was there.  I also grabbed an Excalibur No. 1 Maduro while I was there, I hadn’t had one in ages, and thought it might be fun to compare it to the Sakakhan, as the Excalibur loosely inspired it. Anyway, I smoked the Attic and instantly regretted not picking some up at the festival. This was an excellent cigar for me. It was of the dark roast coffee theme that I enjoy.  San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan binder sna fillers in a 6″ x 54 format are all right up my alley. This smoked perfectly and was delicious. If you like the cigars I tend to like, put this on your “try” list. 

 

The CigarCraig.com Secret Santa this year had a pretty light turnout, but the quality was very high. I think everyone was well taken care of, including myself. My SS surprised me with a bunch of cigars that I haven’t smoked before, as well as some very nice goodies, some of which I’ve already put into use!  He went way over and above and I am humbled and very appreciative! I lit up the Powstanie (link is to the Cigar Hustler site, which is owned by the same dudes who own the brand, not a sponsor, BTW)  Wojtek which I believe to be the 2021 edition. This is a barber pole/dos capos style cigar that has Habano and San Andrés wrapper.  All I can find out about the blend is the wrapper, I assume the rest is Dominican and Nicaraguan. Previous iterations had an Indonesian binder, safe to assume this does too.  These are made at Nica Sueño in Esteli, and I tend to like cigars made at that factory.  I also like the Powstanie cigars, I’m pretty evenly split between Broadleaf and Habano, they are both really good. This cigar was 90 minutes of pleasure.  It starts with some pepper, then some earthiness and espresso.  It burned well, the box press was comfortable, and it was a really nice smoke.  Thanks to my SS fo this, as well as the rest!  

 

Off to see what I can come up with for the coming week, it’s that time of year you know!  Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

 

 

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by | December 11, 2022 · 9:49 am

Cigar Heritage Festival and Some West Tampa Black Cigars

Last Sunday I attended the Cigar Heritage Festival in Ybor City. As I may have said in last weeks post, it was my first visit to that area, long overdue.  I spent a disproportionate amount of time at Corona Cigar’s Tampa location, even had a great meet-up with old friends from the alt.smokers.cigars usenet group! I got to hang around a lot with Kevin and Jessica of CigarProp, many thanks to them for driving me around!  But Sunday was the day for the Cigar Heritage Festival, a brisk half a cigar walk from my hotel (2 miles, it was a beautiful day!). I wasn’t sure what to expect, a sentiment shared by several vendors and even the staff!  I somehow ended up with a VIP pass, which allowed me access to some seating areas, none of which I took advantage of. It also included about seven tickets for cigars, more on that in a bit.  The festival covered the Centennial Park and three of the streets surrounding it. There were a bunch of vendors there, many of the people who were principle and prominent “faces” of the brands were there.  I have to think that folks like Steve Saka and Tony Gomez being there meant net to nothing to 90% of the attendees, but I enjoyed catching up with some old friends, Island Jim Robinson among them. One of the highlights for me was meeting Ron Hunt, the host of the All About Wine podcast. You might think it odd that someone who hasn’t had a drink in over 30 years knows someone from the wine industry, but Ron has been a member of a weekly video chat I am involved with, and is fairly new to premium cigars. I introduced him to several people there, and had him collect on my aforementioned VIP cigar tickets. He gave a really nice description of the event on his latest episode. I also ran into my old friend Keith, who I had seen the day before, and interrupted his sleep schedule once again to hang out :-). From what I’m told, sales were brisk, Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust was selling boxes, exceeding expectations.  There was a band, food trucks, and all sorts of other lifestyle vendors.  I bought a cool t-shirt and a gift for my wife. I especially enjoyed the chickens and roosters wandering around!  I recommend the event, and a visit to “Cigar City” in general.  

 

While I was there I ran into my old friend Ricky Rodriguez, formerly of CAO, presently of West Tampa Tobacco Co.. It took me a while to find him, I thought he’d have his own booth, but he was set up with a local cigar store, Tobacco Depot.  Ricky was busy taking pictures with people, like the celebrity he is, I had a moment to talk with his daughter, Sara, the Brand Activation & Engagement Manager for the company. I asked her if she had smoked her first cigar yet, having heard that she had never smoked before.  Her answer surprised me, I guess, it was a no.  She said she has no interest, although she was going to spend an extended time in Esteli learning rolling and blending, so maybe she’d be inspired to try there.  I, naturally, recommended trying. I’ve never seen this young lady without a huge smile on here face, she’d certainly be a great cigar ambassador.  Ricky gave me a prototype of the Black and White in lancero size, and I smoked the Black version this week, along with a Black Robusto for comparison.  I need to go out and pick up a White so I can smoke the other one, I like to have a baseline, and I have only smoke a couple Whites.  Something odd about the Black in the lancero format, I was concerned in the first inch, it was a little rough, kind of like the coffee that’s been sitting in the pot half the day, you know, the good stuff! After the first inch though, it went someplace unexpected.  There were distinct notes of spices that I identify with Christmas baking, it really turned into something special. The coffee notes smoothed out, but that delicious spice kept going.  It was good, better than the Robusto I smoked the next day, which is still a tasty cigar!  I’m very much looking forward to the White lancero! 

 

That’s all for today.  Secret Santa names have been picked and distributed!  I’ll be putting a package together today!  Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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by | December 4, 2022 · 7:00 am

El Reloj Cigar Factory Tour and FSG Farm Visit

Friday I found myself in Tampa, Florida, my first time visiting this area.  I came down for the Cigar Heritage Festival on Sunday, but I really wanted to visit J.C.Newman’s El Reloj factory.  They have spent the last few years remodeling the building, and it’s beautiful.  The entrance has a company store, the mechanism for the clock in the tower for which the building is named, and a museum.  We went upstairs and had some coffee and pastries for breakfast (delicious), and a vintage Diamond Crown Robusto  No. 2. This cigar brought me back to the first time I smoked one in 1998 at a cigar party in Vegas.  The cigar had held up well, for a Connecticut Shade cigar.  We then got the tour, they have some treasures in the basement, old packaging, cigars, and a “vault” filled with a selection of boxes of cigars from the company’s history.  They also do some of the long filler  tobacco preparation in the basement. We went back upstairs to the production floor, where they manufacture and package machine assisted cigars on antique machines. The difference between machine assisted and machine made is that the former, used here, involve the operator placing a leaf on a die, and using pedals to advance the machine.  Machine made cigars are more of a “push a button and a thousand cigars start spitting out”.  I saw similar operations at General Cigar’s facility in the. DR.  It’s mesmerizing  to watch.

On the third floor they have a gallery for hand rolling cigars. This is where the American and Angel Cuesta are rolled. We saw wheels and wheels of Angel Cuesta cigars in the basement aging room, they are hoping to ship them in the coming weeks. We watched a gentleman, also named Angel, finishing salamones, amazingly skilled hand work. This looks like it will be a wonderful cigar.

 

The next step on this tour involved going to visit the Florida Sun Grown farm, where Jeff Borsyiewicz greeted us. I skipped the bus ride and rode with Kevin and Jessica (CigarProp/TrashPanda, etc.). After a delicious Barbecue style lunch, we checked out the farm where tobaccos in the American, and other cigars is grown.  Jeff gave a very informative talk on all the trials and tribulations of growing tobacco in Florida, as he’s the only one doing it. The leaf in the field looked beautiful, and we saw the barn, with some more vintage machinery. It was a beautiful day, sunny and 80, a nice break for me from the fall weather back home.  We ended the day stopping in to Corona Cigars in Tampa. Nick Perdomo was there doing an event, and we ran into some friends from home, in town for the weekend. It was a good day. Thank you so much to Sydney, and everyone at J.C. Newman for a great day! If his were the only reason I came on this trip, it would have been  worth it.

 

 

Today is the Cigar Heritage Festival in Ybor City.  I’m not sure what to expect with this as it’s my first time, but I expect to see a few people I know.  More on that in the next post.  Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | November 27, 2022 · 9:12 am

CigarCraig.com’s Secret Santa and a Diamond Crown Black Diamond Cigar

Announcing the 2022 CigarCraig.com Secret Santa!  We’ve been doing this for a few years now and it’s been a lot of fun. I grudgingly participate, I don’t want whoever gets me to be concerned, just send a few of your favorites that, maybe, I haven’t smoked!  For me it’s about the giving, not the receiving.  I announced it yesterday on Facebook when I set it up, and  several people have already signed up!  Here are the details:

 

CigarCraig.com 2022 Secret Santa

RSVP Deadline

Saturday, December 10, 2022

Exchange Date

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Budget

USD $40

 

If you missed out on some others, or just want to get in on the fun, get signed up!  The Elfster platform makes things really easy, so have fun!  This reminds me, I need to go through my swag collection, maybe there’s some giveaways coming up!

 

I make an effort to smoke something really good on holidays, and Thanksgiving was no exception.  I recently came into possession of some Diamond Crown Black Diamond Emerald cigars, so that was my post-feast smoke.  I smoked this cigar for the first time back in March of 2019, and I loved it.  It’s distinctly possible that I haven’t smoked one since, it’s a bit hard to find.  These are made at Tabacalera A. Fuente, with a dark Connecticut Havana seed wrapper, over Dominican binder and fillers.  The Emerald is my favored size, 6″ x 52, but also comes in a 5¼” x 56 and 4½” x 54.  Maybe I’ll find the other size when I visit the El Reloj factory this Friday!  When Diamond Crown came out back in the mid ’90s it was only available west of the Mississippi and were all 54 ring, considered huge then. Anyway, this continues to me a terrific cigar and oe that suits my palate. It’s got loads of dark, rich flavors, espresso notably, and I like it a lot. I’m torn between this and the Maximus as my favorite in the line.  I don’t have to choose, I love them both! 

 

This time next week I’ll be heading to the Cigar Heritage Festival in Ybor City. I have a tour of J.C.Newman planned for Friday, an afternoon herf with friends from the old Usenet group on Saturday,  and then the festival on Sunday. Apparently Admission is now free (I have not seen my refund yet!), so if you’re around, stop in and look for me, I’ll be the guy with a cigar.

 

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

 

CigarCraig

 

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