Category Archives: Review

by Craig Vanderslice | January 22, 2023 · 10:12 am

Art of Magic, Terra Nova and Casa 1910 Cigars

This week I smoked another Secret Santa gift and a couple cigars from the PCA show. My Secret Santa sent me a bunch of fantastic cigars, all but maybe one of which I hadn’t smoked before. Some might think this is no easy feat, but there are actually a lot of limited editions and regional stuff I don’t get because I don’t chase them down. Considering my friendship with Steve Saka, there are a bunch of his cigars I haven’t smoked. The Vintage Rock-a-FArteller Art of Magic cigar is a cigar I hadn’t smoked, although I could easily have picked up some last year. A percentage of sales of this cigar helps out Jessi Flores and his daughter’s health issues. He is responsible for the artwork as well. This is a toro, 6″ x 52, with a San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers. I though it had some earthy flavors with a lot of cocoa notes. I liked it a lot. Kevin Schweitzer is the owner of the company, and in addition to a background in finance, is a magician, hence the name. This cigar made me think of my friend Frank Seltzer, who passed away last year. I actually thought I was going to have a hard draw on this pre-light, but it was fine, although it inexplicably got tight for a stretch around half way through.

I’ve been putting off smoking this brand since the PCA show, mostly because I was so thoroughly unimpressed with its sibling brand, Montosa. I found both Montosa examples I smoked to be incredibly sub-par, and was surprised when Two Guys Smoke Shop/The Cigar Authority named it their cigar of the year. So I was concerned that the Terra Nova would give me a similar experience. I have both the Terra Nova Dark Fired Kentucky and the Arapirique blends in a torpedo shape, so I chose the Dark Fired first. The wrapper is an Ecuador Connecticut, the binders are Bahia and Sumatra (actually I’m guessing its a double binder, maybe it’s Brazilian grown Sumatra?), and the fillers are Dominican, Nicaraguan, Brazilian and Dark Fired Kentucky. I took a good whiff o this before lighting, expecting the campfire-like aroma one gets from a Drew Estate Kentucky Fire Cured. I found no such aroma, thankfully. I find that heavy campfire aroma off putting. This was a woody tasting blend, but a sweet wood, and it wasn’t bad! I kinda liked it and look forward to smoking the Araparique.

The Casa 1910 brand is fairly new to the market. Someone encouraged me to visit their booth at the PCA show, I don’t remember who I was with at the time. I came across this sample of the Chuchillo Parado, which is a 5″ x 50 robusto and seems to be only available in this size. It’s a Mexican puro, with San Andrés Negro tobaccos wrapped in a Mexican Sumatra wrapper. It was a very nice looking cigar, not at all like the Mexican puros I started out smoking in the 90’s. Nor did it taste like those cigars, which were almost a dirty flavor. This had a unique spice component, which stuck to the palate, almost, like licorice, but not licorice, if that makes sense. This cigar smoked really well, and was quite satisfying. I’d pick up more if I saw them.

The giant guitar sculpture I talked about last week made its way to Joliet, Il and was affixed to the front of the Rock and Roll Museum and Rick Nielsen was there for the lighting ceremony. Rick Nielsen is a cigar smoker, and his son actually works with the Cigar-Coop team. My wife met him quite a few years ago and gave him a cigar, and we ran into him six years ago when we were at the NAMM show. I would have loved to have been in Joliet for the ceremony. That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Art of Magic, Casa 1910, Chuchillo Parado, cigar, cigars, Dark Fired Kentucky, Terra Nova, Vintage Rock-A-Feller

by Craig Vanderslice | January 15, 2023 · 10:31 am

Cubao, Wunderlust and Protocol Cigars and Gigantar!

I was poking around one of the humidors and realized I’d smoked a few Cubao Cameroon Churchills from Ortega Cigars and never mentioned them here. Eddie is still making some great cigars, he’s using the TACASA S.A. factory. This cigar has a Cameroon wrapper, like the name suggests, Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan fillers. It smoked well and had a pleasing flavor. There was the nutty Cammerooniness that is inherent in the wrapper. Well worth $20 for a five pack, as all of the cigar I’ve smoked from Ortega seem to be. Shop Ortega Cigars and sign up for his email list, great bargains and cigars! I am especially fond of the Serie D Maduros!

I smoked another cigar from my Secret Santa this year, a Wunder|lust Fiorella, from RomaCraft. This is a brand that’s only sold in Germany, from what I can tell. The cigar is a corona gorda, 5 5/8″ x 46, has a Mata Fina wrapper from Brazil, Indonesian binder and, one would suspect, although it’s not disclosed, Nicaraguan fillers. The Europeans seem to like Brazilian tobacco, brands like Villiger actually make cigars there for the European market. For those who don’t know, this size is named for Skip Martin’s youngest daughter. I love the size, always been one of my favorites after the toro. Clearly, this cigar has Manbacco and Tastoterone, like it’s sibling blends, with a bold punch to start out. It continues to be a full bodied cigar for me, surprised the Europeans like this so much. I love the coffee notes and heavy tobacco. This is probably hard to get, but definitely worthwhile!

Yesterday I had a chance to talk to someone I featured in my “Celebrity Cigar Chats” back in 2010, Jim Babjak, guitar player and founding member of The Smithereens. We went to the unveiling of the Illinois Rock And Roll Museum‘s newest piece, which will be on their Rt 66 building. It’s a 24’ guitar sculpture, Gigantar, which was made by Shannon, world famous for her airbrush paintings. This is an impressive sculpture which will be making its way to it’s new home from The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, which is where the unveiling took place. Jim and Dennis Diken, the drummer for the Smithereens, were there for the unveiling, and Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick (another cigar guy), will be in Joliet, IL for the dedication. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen Jim an Dennis, and while it was too cold and windy outside for us to smoke, I gifted Jim a couple cigars. I’ve been a fan of the Smithereens since the ’80s and it was really cool to talk to Jim about cigars!

Last night I grabbed another Churchill, the Protocol Cyber Crimes Unit, from a Protocol Churchill sampler I bought from Discount Cigar Warehouse, and I think some of these may be exclusive to that store. Anyway, I’ve been rather looking forward to smoking this cigar, it’s a Nicaraguan puro with a Rosado Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, which smoked much darker than that, if that makes sense. I absolutely loved this cigar. It has a creaminess, but with heavy cocoa flavors. Bittersweet chocolate came to mind. I thought it was great and have to get some more. Good stuff!

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

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Cubao, Cyber Crimes Unit, Fiorella, Gigantar, Illinois Rock And Roll Museum, Ortega, Protocol, RoMaCraft, smithereens, Wunderlust

by Craig Vanderslice | January 8, 2023 · 10:05 am

Reinado Grand Apex, JTrain, Fosforo and Rocky Patel Cigars

First week of 2023 is in the books. I managed to smoke a few new-to-me cigars this week! First off was the Fosforo Toro, a 6″x 50 cigar with a Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Condego and Jalapa regions of Nicaragua. This is a creation of Jeff Mouttet of Riverside Cigars, and is distributed by Pospiech Inc., Mike Szczepankiewicz’s distribution company. Ironically, I also smoked a Guaimaro yesterday, also distributed by Pospiech. This cigar, while it looks like it could come out of Nica Sueno (RoMaCraft), it’s actually made at Garmendia, the factory which makes West Tampa Cigar Co.’s cigars. The cigar is tasty, some earthiness, some espresso and cocoa, very much up my alley. Burn and draw were perfect, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Thanks to my Secret Santa, once again, for sharing this with me!

I may be going out of order, but I’m probably the only one bothered by that! I also smoked the Rocky Patel The Edge 20th Anniversary, which I picked up on a recent visit to Goose’s Montecristo Lounge. I’m probably one of the few people who haven’t smoked a whole lot of RP Edge cigars, I’ve probably only smoked a couple, to be honest. Not sure why, just is. I felt like I wanted to give this anniversary cigar a try, and it’s a little pricier than the regular Edge line. It’s advertised as having 10 year aged tobaccos, although exactly which tobaccos are aged isn’t clear. The wrapper is an Ecuador Sumatra, with Nicaraguan and Honduran files and binder. I’m used to Sumatra having a unique sweetness, and this one started out with a cloying pepper spice that I wasn’t ready for. it was tongue coating. Eventually it smoothed out, and was a very nice smoke. I’d smoke this again, and I suppose I should samply my way through the Edge line, I think there’s 23 different cigars in that line? 🙂

Almost a year ago I saw John Remer at the TPE and he gave me his JTrain cigar, made at La Zona by Protocol Cigars. It has the Protocol logo in the band at least. John has a web show called Johnny Smokes Uncut, and a facebook group of the same name. I’m not sure what’s up with the “uncut” part of the name. Obviously one can’t smoke a cigar uncut, I have to assume it refers to the videos being unedited. This Robusto is 5″ x 50 and has a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper,with Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. There are several cigars from this factory which are among my favorites, the La Sirena, and most of the no longer produced Cornelius and Anthony line (Someone recently compared the C&A Meridian to the new Knuckle Sandwich, the y may be similar, but all of the C&A cigars had some Virginia tobacco in them that I don’t think is available to La Zona any more). The JTrain cigar hit me with a really different flavor, it was almost acidic, with an odd spice. It must have turned out OK because I stopped taking notes, a sure sign I am enjoying a cigar. I have an FTrain that John gave me at the PCA show on deck, anymore I am not satisfied by a robusto, I save them to fit certain times, and I have a crapload of robustos in my stock.

Finally, I smoked a Reinado Grand Apex Gordo this week. This is a 6″ x 60 cigar that has a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers and is made at Aganorsa’s TABSA factory. I’ve known Antonio Lam, the owner of Reinado Cigars, for a very long time. When I met him he was making cigars with Yadi Gonzalez, maker of Flor de Gonzalez cigars. We had some amusing times trying to record pieces at the IPCPR show a few years back. Antonio is a Jersey guy, and the Grand Apex has an altruistic side to it, as some proceeds go to Dementia Society of America. Anyone who’s been reading here for any period of time will know that this cigar is my kind of cigar. Maybe not so obvious is that many cigars that come out of Aganorsa aren’t particularly interesting to me. I try, of course, but I haven’t found one that hits me just right. This one, however, does. It’s got my espresso, along with some dark fruits, and I really dig it. It’s definitely on my “buy” list, even in this size. Great job Antonio and Aganorsa!

That’s all for today. I was hoping to get to a shop today, but it looks like the grandkids are coming by, so that will have to wait, some things are more important! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as 20th Anniversary, Aganorsa, cigar, cigars, Fosforo, Garmendia, Grand Apex, Johnny Smokes Uncut, JTrain, LaZona, Protocol, Reinado, rocky patel, The Edge

by Craig Vanderslice | January 1, 2023 · 9:59 am

Happy New Year, Winner Announcement and a Cigar or Two

It seems that 2022 is in the books, and it’s 2023 now. Still no flying cars, but we do carry the entirety of human knowledge in our pockets, at the expense of education and common sense! I am blessed with a beautiful family and enough cigars to get me through for a while, so I’m not complaining. I’ve had worse years than 2022. I managed to fly 4 times, a record for me. Twice to trade shows in Las Vegas, once to Tampa and a personal vacation to Puerto Rico. We also went to a Barnsmoker, a Red Meatlovers Club dinner on a friggin battleship, and a few shop events, although not as many of the latter as I’d like. It was a good year. Hopefully ’23 is equally good! I know I’ve slowed down a little on original content, I’m just not smoking the volume of new cigars that I used to. I’m finding as I get older I tend to want to smoke what I like! Weird, huh? I have no plans to give up though, after 13 years I’m invested. I do have a prize to give away, so let’s get on to that!

I let this giveaway go on a week and a half, longer than usual, but it’s been a busy week or two! You may recall the prize was a hefty pile of stuff from various venders, and undisclosed cigars from my humidor. I’ll have fun packing up a bunch of my favorites to share with the winner. I referred to Google’s random number generator and the number it spit our was 2, which corresponds to the second comment at 9:28pm on 12/21, which was by Tim McCabe. Tim, please email me your info! Tim is a long time reader, and I have to appreciate the patience and fortitude of the many folks who’ve been reading my nonsense over the years! Thanks to everyone, I may be able to scrounge up some more goodies in the near future.

Naturally, I smoked some good cigars over the last few days. Most notable was another of the Alec Bradley Fine and Rare series, this one dated 2017. The one I smoked last week I’m told was from the tenth anniversary set, and I assume this one is from the same. My Secret Santa, Mitch, was very generous and shared these with me. Aside, he managed to send a bunch of cigars I’d never smoked before! No small feat. Another aside, and Kevin Shahan witnessed this, while in Tampa I met a gentleman, we’ll call him Aaron, who was shocked when he attempted to gift me a cigar he was sure I’d not had before, a pre-release Nica Rustica with actual Rustica leaf in the blend, and I had smoked that back in 2013 in Nicaragua. I digress. The ALec Bradley Fine and Rare 2017 (BR12-13) is a 6″ x 52 torpedo, or maybe 109, shaped cigar. It has mostly Honduran components, with some Nicaraguan in the filler. It started off with a little bit of a bite, some acidity, perhaps, but that quickly became what I call spicey. It was, overall, a very good cigar, with some nice, medium flavors, and I think there was a cinnamon or baking spice flavor that came and went. Thank you, Mitch, for the opportunity to try these!

Yesterday we met friends at what might be the only White Castle in PA for lunch, and I would have stopped in to New Tobacco Village, in Whitehall, PA, but, you know…White Castle…When I got home after an hour drive and got things squared away, I sat down to watch hockey with what might be my favorite cigar of 2022, the Diamond Crown Black Diamond. It gives the Muestra de Saka The Bewitched a run, if I had smoked more of those it would have been my number one for the year. As it stands, I’m going with the Black Diamond, so good! I ended 2022 with a Partagas Serie D No. 6 which I had picked up at the Rome Duty Free several years ago, just a little guy, but tasty. So let’s just say that the New Diamond Crown Black Diamond Emerald is my favorite cigar of 2022! Thanks to J.C.Newman for making this year memorable for me!

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

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Alec Bradley, Black Diamond, cigar, cigars, Contest, Diamond Crown, Fine and Rare, J.C.Newman

by Craig Vanderslice | 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!