CigarCraig's Blog

by Craig Vanderslice | May 17, 2023 · 5:40 pm

The Atlantic City Cigar Social Recap

Saturday we had the great pleasure of attending the Atlantic City Cigar Social at the Borgata in, of course, Atlantic City, NJ. This was the inaugural event, which ran from 1PM to 6PM. The setting was the outdoor pool area at the Borgata, which also has bars and they had tented areas with seating because it drizzled off and on all day. Attendance was just under 600 people, I’m not sure what the mix between the smoking and non-smoking tickets was, but I assume the majority were smoking. There were a good number of cigar vendors there, the attendees received tickets to collect cigars from the manufacturers, and there were three retailers there where one could purchase cigars.

Matty Rock and Dave Lafferty of Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust

Gary, Sean and Michael of Cohiba

Lee and Josh of Stolen Throne Cigars

Luis Cortez with New Jersey grown tobacco

Cortez Cigars Roller

Michael Herklots

There were other vendors besides cigars, some accessories and apparel, artwork, and several liquor vendors providing samples. The appetizers being passed around were very good, although a little hard to come by! There was shrimp, chicken, and chocolate cigars filled with mousse that were delicious. They also featured each cigar manufacturer on a “hot seat” where they talked about their brand, and burlesque dancers who captivated the crowd. This was a really nice event, and an important event since New Jersey doesn’t have any multi-vendor events or large cigar social events. I saw a lot of familiar faces, and there were a lot of people being exposed to cigar brands that they may not have had a chance to try before. I hope that the event can continue, plan to attend next year if you’re in the general vicinity! Many thanks to Jon Henderson and his staff, Cigar Snob Magazine, as well as all the vendors, for putting on a great event.

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

CigarCraig

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Tagged as AC Cigar Social, Atlantic City, cigar, Cigar Snob, cigars

by Craig Vanderslice | May 14, 2023 · 9:39 am

An Olmec Claro, a 601 La Bomba Warhead and a Video

Last December I picked up the Foundation Cigar Co. Olmec in Madur and Claro. I had smoked the Maduro, and gifted he Claro. I happened to be shopping at The Wooden Indian a few weeks back and picked up another Claro, because I wanted to smoke it! I really enjoyed the Maduro, and I’ve enjoyed so many cigars made by Nick Melillo over the years. Of course, this is a cigar that is an homage to the original cigar smokers, the Olmec, and has a San Andres Claro wrapper, a double binder of Nicaraguan Esteli and Jalapa, and undisclosed fillers. Odd the undisclosed part, must be something interesting in there, although, upon reading the website description, there seems to be some some confusion, the filler may be Esteli and Jalapa, it says two different things! Anyway, this was a really good smoking cigar. I liked the Maduro more, but that’s not unusual for me, but this had some nice creamy coffee flavor and was very rich in flavor. I may not drop $15 on these regularly, but it’s a nice treat.

On the same trip to the Wooden Indian I picked up an Espinosa 601 La Bomba Warhead VII, just because it looked so tasty. The La Bomba line has been a favorite since the EO Brands days, when it was made at the My Father factory. This one is made at AJ Fernandez’ San Lotano factory in Nicaragua, has a Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. It’s a 7″ x 50 Churchill, and it lacks the La Bomba “fuse” cap treatment. I actually haven’t smoked enough of the Warhead series to know if that’s a thing or not. I really liked this cigar. The box press makes it feel like a smaller ring than it is, and it’s really reasonably priced at around $10. It was loaded with dark coffee/espresso flavors. This was a really good smoke, burn and draw were perfect. I’m a fan.

Yesterday we attended the AC Cigar Social in Atlantic City, and I did a quick video interview with Jon Henderson (I had Jon Anderson on the brain for some reason…). I’ll write a more indepth post this week about the event, but in the meantime, here is the video:

It was a really nice event, hopefully it’s one that can continue!

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

CigarCraig

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Tagged as 601, 601 La Bomba, AC Cigar Social, Atlantic City, cigar, cigars, Espinosa, Foundation, Olmec, Warhead

by Craig Vanderslice | May 9, 2023 · 5:27 pm

News: The Atlantic City Cigar Social

Funny enough, this just came to my attention this morning. AC is not too far away, I’ll probably head over there Saturday. I’m sure I’ll see some people I know! It’s a rain or shine event, so if you plan to be there, keep an eye out for me, I’ll be the guy smoking a cigar!

Are you looking for a great way to enjoy premium cigars, craft beers, distilled spirits, local cuisine, and entertainment at the Jersey Shore? If so, you don’t want to miss the AC Cigar Social on Saturday, May 13th, from 1pm to 6pm at the Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa. This event is hosted by Cigar Snob Magazine and features a gathering of tobacco enthusiasts in the search of the perfect cigar. You will have the opportunity to discover new cigar brands, meet industry insiders, and mingle with fellow aficionados. You will also enjoy live music, comedy, burlesque, and more. Tickets are limited, so get yours today and join us for a memorable experience at the AC Cigar Social.

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Tagged as AC Cigar Social, Atlantic City, Borgata, cigar, Cigar Snob, cigars

by Craig Vanderslice | May 7, 2023 · 9:08 am

Some Illusione and J.C. Newman Cigars

We were going to take a roadtrip this weekend, but decided against it early in the week. After a week of rain and overcast, it was going to be a beautiful weekend and we had some stuff we needed to get done around the yard. Today my back is feeling it. Anyway, I figured I’d smoke some cigars this week! Wednesday I have a regular group therapy session that we call “The Round Panel”, or, sometimes, the “Secret Society”, which is usually good for around 2 hours of hysteria. I tend to grab a larger cigar, and this week I went with a La Unica #100. This cigar is a beefy 8½” x 52, Connecticut shade wrapper with Dominican fillers, made at the Fuente factory. Back in the mid-90s, this was the first premium cigar to come in a bundle, or was it the first bundle cigar to be premium? I think they are presented in a box now. This is a really nice shade cigar. Shade cigars aren’t really my preference, although there are a few that I like. It’s creamy and mellow, certainly not without flavor. My only gripe was that it smoked in about an hour and a half, which is my usual smoking time for a Toro, not sure why that it, I’ll have to smoke another one and clock it. La Unicas are great cigars, always have been, at a wallet friendly price.

You’ll recall I had gotten a sampler of Illusione cigars a few weeks back, and decided to finish it off this week. The Garagiste has been one I’ve been anxious to try since it came out a few years ago. I had the 6″ x 54 Gordo size (the whole sampler was 6″ x 56, I like the size!). This is a bit of a departure from the usual Illusione range, as it’s a rather strong cigar, with a lot of pepper to start out. It has an Ecuador Habano wrapper with Criollo 98, Corojo 99 (both Aganorsa staples, with Ligeros from two Nicaraguan regions. Like I said, the Ligero is apparent in the strength of the cigar. I found this to be a very enjoyable cigar, there are certainly more in my future.

The last cigar I had from the Illusione sampler was the Original Documents MJ12. This was another 6″ x 56 cigar, with a Corojo Rosado wrapper from parts unknown, and the Criollo 98 and Corojo 99 in the fillers. Let me start by expressing my displeasure with the tinfoil wrapper. It was a pain to get off, and the only identification on it was the barcode label. It’s not big enough to make a hat out of, so why bother, let’s see the beautiful cigar! The cigar smoked perfectly, and was really a pleasure to smoke. It had some spice, but more citric than the pepper that the Garagiste had. I’d certainly smoke this again, but I’m afraid I’d avoid it because of the foil wrapper.

Finally, I smoked the new Angel Cuesta from J.C. Newman in the Toro size. This is another cigar with a Rosado wrapper, along with what the company describes as tobaccos from three continents. I had the opportunity while I was at the factory last December to see some of these being rolled, ironically, by a gentleman named Angel. This line is named after Angel Cuesta, who was one of the founders of the Cuesta Rey brand. I got to see the aging room filled with these cigars as well. I was fortunate enough to get a sampling of all three sizes of this, and started with the 6¼” x 52 Toro with a pigtail cap. This cigar smoked wonderfully, and I can’t recall, but I’d bet it has some Florida Sungrown tobacco in the blend, it has that tang to me. It’s not a cheap date, heck, it’s made in the USA, ranging from $18-22. Definitely worth a try.

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

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Angel Cuesta, cigar, cigars, Garagiste, illusione, J.C.Newman, La Unica, MJ12, Original Documents

by Craig Vanderslice | April 30, 2023 · 9:44 am

Nomad, Cert Maith Bruscar, La Gloria Cubana and Macanudo Cigars

This week was challenging. I had a tooth pulled on Monday, and I’m not altogether sure that one or more of the medications I’m taking isn’t affecting my palate. Let’s start out with my pre-procedure cigar, a Nomad SA-17 Shorty, which is 4″ x 56. I’m unsure of the provenance of these cigars, they were a generous gift from a friend, and I want to say that they are pre-Ezra Zion because they have Fred’s twitter name on the band, but anecdotal evidence would suggest that they were recently purchased. If I recall, these were made at A.J. Fernandez’ factory, and has a San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan guts. Perhaps it’s a bit uncool to smoke a cigar right before going to the oral surgeon, like eating Oreos before going in for a cleaning, but it is what it is. I knew I was going to be taking a few days off from cigars, nobody wants dry socket! This is a great cigar, loads of earthy, coffee and cocoa flavors. Burn was perfect, and this little cigar lasts almost an hour. Many thanks to Phil for sharing these with me!

On to some new stuff! Like I said, after a couple days off cigars, and between an antibiotic and a rinse, my palate may be off, or maybe not! I tested this theory by smoking a cigar from Kevin at Trash Panda Cigars, the Cert Maith Bruscar. I hope Kevin made sure this name wasn’t already trademarked before using it! Cert Maith Bruscar is Gaelic for “Real Good Trash”, in keeping with the Trash Panda theme, and is an homage to Kevin’s probably 8th or 9th great grandfather, who came to the US in 1679 from Ireland, around the same time my ancestor came from The Netherlands. This is a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper cigar that has a Cameroon binder and fillers from Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and US. I typically like the combination of Broadleaf and Cameroon, this is an interesting blend. The first time I smoked this my wife commented on the aroma, which she characterized as fruity. This is consistent with what I perceived as the dominant flavor, which I called citrus. I struggled to gut much else around the citric tang, it was a good cigar, performed well, and certainly was unique. I smoked a couple of these (before and after dental work) and had the same experience. On paper I’d expect this to be a cigar for me, in practice, while it was a good cigar, I’m just not sure about the dominant citrus flavor. This just might be me, as Kevin said he didn’t get that from this cigar.

New from Forged Cigars is the La Gloria Cubana Corojo de Oro. Last year they had the Criollo de Oro, with a hybrid of Criollo and Pelo de Oro tobaccos. This has a hybrid of Corojo and Pelo de Oro (I think that means “golden hair”, it’s a narrow leaf if I remember correctly from my visit to the Garcia’s farm in 2011). I’m much more a fan of Corojo than Criollo, and I liked the Corojo de Oro much more than the Criollo de Oro. This was a 6″ x 50 toro, with a Ecuador Habano wrapper, the hybrid tobacco as the binder, and Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Piloto and Nicaraguan Ometepe in the filler blend. I found this to be a well balanced cigar, with some sweet earth, and some spice. I’m not sure how many La Gloria Cubana marques there are now, I like a lot of them (the Serie S was a miss for me, and I love San Andrés), but it just seems like I don’t see many of them in stores.

Finally, I tried a new Macanudo Inspirado, the Tercio-aged. Tercio refers to the practice of wrapping the bales in palm bark to age as opposed to burlap. In this case, the Dominican Piloto Cubano filler component is aged in Tercio, while (because they mention that specifically and omit the rest), the San Andrés wrapper, Indonesian binder and Columbian fillers are aged in burlap bales. For me, this cigar was a great representation of the concept of body vs. strength. The flavors were very interesting, some baking spice, sweet earth (again) and some pepper spice. The smoke was very thin, not a lot of body, but the flavor was there. It was a little strange, and I’ll have to revisit this again. Maybe it was just me. I liked the cigar overall, might me my 4th favorite Inspirado (another line with a lot of extensions!).