Obviously I’ve been off my game for the last week or two, and I’m having trouble getting my head together tonight. So I’ll just recap some of the high points of the cigars I smoked over the last week. I was grabbing good cigars with little concern for writing about them, just for the pure enjoyment. I chose great cigars that would allow me the time to contemplate the events of the last week. I started with a Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro Exclusivo, which was delicious. It was exactly what one would expect, cocoa with a hint of dark berry and a perfect burn. This is a special cigar, one to be smoked slow and savored. I didn’t even take a good picture, and I’m too lazy to go get one now, you know what they look like!
Whatever day followed that I smoked an Arturo Fuente Añejo Shark. This is a torpedo that is box pressed up to the taper to the head, which is round. It’s a really unique shape and was a pleasure to smoke. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to try this line, which is basically an Opus X binder and filler with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. Of course, I love Connecticut broadleaf, it’s sweet and is a nice counterpoint to the savoriness of the filler tobaccos. I have no idea how old or new this cigar was, it was a gift from a business associate, but I will smoke more of these as the occasion arises. I’m not one to chase rare cigars, but I will not hesitate to pick one or two of these up when I see them. Very good smoke.
I also smoked a Recluse Amadeus in a 6½” x 50 Toro size. This was a pre-release sample from last year sometime, so it didn’t have bands. Otherwise, it was a beautiful box pressed cigar with a Connecticut shade wrapper. This cigar I chose because my dad was a career musician, and I’ve been wanting to smoke it anyway. Once again, this was a perfect burning and drawing cigar that has the mellow, nutty grassy flavor of the Connecticut wrapper with a hearty medium bodied tobacco core, not unlike the My Father Connecticut, which i also smoked this week. I wasn’t even thinking when I grabbed it, but it did have some significance to me. Both cigars are excellent medium cigars that are mellowed by the wrapper.
Last night I snuck in a CAO Columbia Vallenato (my dad had a masters from Columbia University) that is another cigar with a similarity to the aforementioned Connecticut cigars. I love it when a cigar burns straight and even and has a great ash. This is a chunky robusto at 5″ x 56. It was an enjoyable smoke, and this is the first Columbia I’ve smoked since December when I smoked one while driving to Bethlehem to deliver a 12DOSCG present. Dare I say “creamy” describes the cool, mellow smoke? To be honest, I had my hand on a Concert, but the Columbia called out to me, and I’m glad it did. I like the CAO Concert line, but this Columbia is a far more interesting smoke in my eyes.
As I said, the last week or so has been a blur, and I’m regretting not holding back either Jeff or Anthony’s guest reviews for tonight, but I have to get back in the swing of things. Thanks again to those fine gentlemen for helping me out in a pinch. Fortunately the new cabinet humidor has been behaving, naturally the humidity is reading a little bit lower at the top than the bottom, and I need to either get a larger Cigar Oasis unit, or add another one. It’s happily sitting in the mid 60% range, and cigars are smoking well out of it, so I’m happy. Kudos to the folks at 1st Class Cigar Humidors, it was worth the wait.
For anyone interested, my father’s obituary is here. I thank you all for your kindness at what has been a very difficult time.
That’s it for today, until the next time,
CigarCraig
