Tag Archives: Debonaire

by CigarCraig | May 13, 2018 · 9:26 am

Debonaire Habano, EP Carrillo Elite Oscuro and Macanudo Inspirado Red Cigars

Spring, nice weather and unemployment lead to long walks with good cigars. Besides the constant searching of job postings, and brainstorming on my future path, it’s come to my attention that I’ll be launching a podcast soon, so I’m trying to figure out the logistics of that venture. More to come on that and obviously it will be announced here. Fortunately I have a stockpile of cigars to smoke, but one that recently arrived in the mail from my friends at Drew Estate was a Debonaire Habano Belicoso. I’m a fan of the Debonaire line, Phil Zanghi, the owner of the brand and chief cigar alchemist, is a cool guy with a ton of energy. Phil founded Indian Tabak cigars, partnered with, and later sold to, Rocky Patel. I’ve bought some of the Debonaire cigars in the past, and enjoyed them quite a bit, for me they are pricey but worth it. The Habano was the first line they released in 2012, and it has a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, Dominican binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. This belicoso was one of the original sizes released in 2012, and the example I smoked burned perfectly and really had a great taste. These fall into the “savory” category, and this may be one of the few lines where I like the “natural” wrapper over the maduro. The Maduros are great (as are the Connecticut Shade “Daybreak” line), but this Habano wrapper really makes for a great cigar. the Belicoso and Toro both measure 6″ x 54 according to the Debonaire Cigars website, either is a good choice, I’d think.

About two months ago I went to an event at Goose’s lounge in Limerick, PA (which is named after Limerick, Ireland, not after the often off-color poetic style) with EP Carrillo‘s José Blanco. It was a guided tasting, which José is known for, and was great. I picked up some EPC cigars while there, some Dusk and some of the Elite Series Seleccion Oscuro in the Small Churchill size. I smoked the Oscuro Friday and was really, really happy with it. This line has a Mexico San Andrés Oscuro wrapper, binder from Ecuador and Nicaraguan fillers and is a sweet, earthy feast of the senses. I don’t think this was overly complex, and I don’t generally sense a great deal of changes in cigars, but the flavors that it had were very appealing to me and it was just fine that they didn’t change much. I hated putting this one down. I swear I bought more than one, I’ll have to do some humidor rummaging…by the way, I also smoked a Dusk from the Classic Series this week that was spectacular. That Broadleaf wrapper is tasty!

I was wow’d by the Macanudo Inspirado Red in the box pressed robusto size initially, and wanted to sample the other sizes in the line. I picked up some Toros and Gigantes (loved the Gigante but leave yourself 2+ hours…), and finally got around to smoking the Toro. I had been told that the Robusto was the best in the bunch, and I think I’m inclined to agree, but the Toro was also quite good. It’s a 6″ x 50 in a round format, not pressed, and shares the high priming Ecuador Habano wrapper, Jalapa binder and fillers from Honduras (Jamastran), Nicaragua (Esteli, Ometepe) as the other sizes. These are full-bodied on the Macanudo scale, but high medium in the grand scheme of things, I think. I enjoy the crap out of the Inspirado Red, in this case I think the Toro is my least favorite size, which is like me saying a Maduro is my second favorite wrapper in a line! I love Toros, they are almost always my favorite vitola in a line, but this time I go with the robusto. Maybe it’s the box pressing? I’d love to try a box pressed toro!

That’s all for today, I’ve got to get working on that podcast thing. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Debonaire, drew estate, Elite, EP Carillo, general cigars, Habano, Inspirado, oscuro, Red

by CigarCraig | April 1, 2018 · 11:23 am

Debonaire Daybreak Toro, Habano Robusto and a Tribute

Every year at this time of year I think it would be great to post a long, detailed post about how I had a dried out cigar and managed to “resurrect” it, but it could be very funny to some, and blasphemous to others. While I don’t have specific religious beliefs of my own, I do have some respect for those who do. Today would have been the perfect storm of high religious holiday and foolish trickery, so I might have been able to pull it off. I’d like to think I’m taking the high road and avoiding the low-hanging fruit of Easter based puns and foolishness. I also make every attempt to never discuss religion or politics, two divisive subjects and the world needs less divisiveness. So I’ll do the usual bit where I talk about some cigars I enjoyed this week.

My favorite of the week was a Debonaire Ultra Premium Daybreak Toro. I received a generous package from Drew Estate, who distributes Phil Zanghi’s Debonaire and Indian Motorcycle Cigars lines, and skipped my usual waiting period and lit one up yesterday. It was a beautiful day and I sat on the deck in the sun and enjoyed the crap out of this 6″x50 toro (my favorite size). I’m quite sure I’ve heard Phil say that the Debonaire line is all the same blend, binder and filler, with different wrappers applied, Habano, Maduro, and in this case, Ecuador Connecticut (minor nit to pick, the Debonaire website just lists it as “Connecticut Shade”). Having smoked examples of the Maduro and Habano versions, I liked the Daybreak the best. It smoked perfectly, it’s not a mild Connecticut, I think the wrapper tempers the strong blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan binder and filler with a complimentary nutty, buttery flavor. I found it to be a very good smoke, smooth, rich and satisfying. It’s not often that the shade wrapped version will make me happier than the maduro.

I got home late last night and decided, against my own better judgement, that I would have a digestif, if you will, after having a burger with pulled pork, smoked mozzarella, fried onions and BBQ sauce. Of course, I had nachos for an appetizer, and a couple of root beers. We probably won’t go back to this particular place as the only reason we ever go there is to see our friend Scott Erickson play, and I don’t think he’s playing there anymore. It’s odd to have a craft beer themed restaurant in a mall anyway, and there’s many better places to eat in the area. I figured having a cigar at 10PM wasn’t going to be a good idea, and I suppose I’ll need a nap today…but the cigar was very good. I guess it makes sense to mention that the cigar was a Debonaire Habano Robusto, one I picked up last September at a store in Connecticut when I was in town for the Connecticut Barn Smoker. I grabbed a handful of them because I hadn’t really smoked a lot of the Debonaire line and wanted to try them. It was good, meaty and savory, with some oomph! It burned well, and tasted good, and kept me up half the night tossing and turning! Did you know that the show Two and a Half Men was on Nick at Night at one or two in the morning? Surprising. Anyway, Phil Zanghi is an interesting dude, and makes some great cigars, although I find them a little pricey for my tastes. I’m a bang-for-the-buck kinda guy. Expensive cigars but worthwhile trying as they are tasty.

I’m a fan of cigar podcasts, and I listened to the final episode of the Smooth Draws Radio Show this week and found it very moving. The creator and driving force of the show, Gary “Doc” Laden passed away suddenly earlier this year, and the show was a tribute to him. To hear his wife do the intro, and his voice interspersed throughout the show had me near tears. I had the pleasure of spending some time with Gary at the IPCPR show last year, we talked quite a bit about many things, including why a Jewish guy had a plate full of bacon and sausage at breakfast. He was a retired physician, a cigar lover, and an overall super friendly guy. I miss hearing his sometimes inappropriate comments on the radio show. He gave everyone nicknames, and may have avoided him giving me one by giving myself one! I only knew him a year or so, and spent less time with him than I would have liked, but I’ll miss the guy, he passed too soon. Nick Syris, Chad Potier, Coop, and everyone involved gave Gary a touching tribute with the last show. I wish I could get to Atlanta later this month for the memorial herf.

Anyway, I have a plan to watch hockey and smoke cigars today, so I best get some things done around here before game time. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Daybreak, Debonaire, drew estate, Smooth Draws

by CigarCraig | March 4, 2018 · 10:45 am

Saint Luis Rey, Mark Twain and Debonaire Cigars

I have a co-worker who likes cigars and we’ve been trading smokes back and forth over the last few months. he lives in the Allentown, PA area, so he’s in the CI stores pretty often. When I say trading, it started with one of the guys telling him I liked cigars, and him gifting me a couple as a welcome to the company kind of thing. I responded in kind, as I’m the one who’s supposed to be giving cigars to people, ya know? Over the last year or so he still doesn’t get it. So it’s become a thing, the same bag being passed back and forth ever other Monday. Oddly, he seems to find cigars I haven’t tried. One of which was a Saint Luis Rey Titan. He gave me one of these last year and I had the unfortunate experience of literally falling on my face in the street with the cigar in my mouth. I was digging it too, and it smashed, probably saving my teeth and nose form damage. So I had an opportunity to give it another go this week, and I really enjoyed it. It’s made in Honduras with a Nicaraguan wrapper and binder, and fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru. When I look at the Altadis portfolio and think that there are only a select few cigar in it I like, I forget about the Saint Luis Rey. I really liked think in the 90s when I believe they were made by Julio Eiroa, but my recollection could be flawed. ck to the cigar, I really like these, it probably has to do with that peruvian tobacco, I love what that does to a blend. There’s an interesting and unique spice the it brings. The cigar burned well, I didn’t fall on my face, and life was good. The size is 5½” x 60, and I found that it was a good size. I don’t mind a 6×60, or 4½x60, or 4×60 even, so this was good. These are a very good value.

Next from my coworker, we’ll call him “Stan” so I don’t have to keep typing “coworker”, was a 6″x60 Mark Twain Memoir No.2. He gave this to me a while ago, and I sat on it a while. I remember that Mark Twain smoked terrible cigars to keep the moochers from mooching his cigars, so maybe not a great branding idea? So with a bit of trepidation I lit it up. Not bad at all! There’s not a lot of information about this line out there, it seems to be Nicaraguan in make-up, which seems right and has a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, which is very intriguing. It’s a Meier and Dutch distributed brand, so it would be available to B&Ms, but most of the outlets that seem to have it online are in the CI Family. These are under $4, which makes them a tremendous value I think, because it was a solid cigar. It had a pleasing flavor, there were more interesting flavors than in some pricier cigars. I don’t know where this is made, but it was of good quality, which probably would have put it out of Samuel Clemens’ wheelhouse. Nothing to fear there, I’d smoke them again, and I like what the PA Broadleaf adds

“Stan” also gave me a RoMEo 505, which I’ve enjoyed before, and the one I smoked this week came from a purchase a few months ago. I also had a yearning for a Hemingway Short Story, but I came across a Maduro Best Seller first and had to smoke it, what a special little smoke! I also grabbed a Herrera Esteli TAA edition. Oddly, the Herrera Esteli line doesn’t excite me as much as it does others. I love the Norteño, and I happily smoke the Herrera Estelis and think Willie is a great guy, but I’m afraid it’s not a cigar I go out of my way for. I do keep trying though. So I’ll wrap this up with the Debonaire Maduro Sagita. I forget the circumstance, but Friday I wanted a smaller cigar, I remember, it was snowing like crazy, I dropped my wife off at a job, got home t find out it was canceled, and headed back out to get her. So when I got home I was more than ready for a smoke, if only to calm my shattered nerves. I am well familiar with the Debonaire Maduro, as well as the Habano, but I haven’t tried the Daybreak yet. Anyway, The Sagita is a 5½” x 38 petite lancero. It has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over Dominican and “Central American” fillers. Interesting fact about the Debonaire line: only the wrappers change, the blend stays the same, and it’s a tasty blend. Phil Zanghi uses what he calls an alchemy process to turn his tobacco into gold, and I do enjoy the cigars. The Maduro adds a sweetness to the savory blend that I find appealing. Thanks to Drew Estate, who distributes the line, for sending these along.

That’s about all I have for today. I’m happy that Spring seems to be close, and Daylight Savings time closer. Hopefully I can get back on the two posts a week schedule soon. I had a thought about supplementing with some sort of video, although I’m not entirely sure about that… Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Altadis USA, cigar, cigars, Debonaire, drew estate, Mark Twain, Saint Luis Rey

by CigarCraig | November 5, 2017 · 11:25 am

Cigar Jukebox, Fuente Hemingway, Tortuga and Debonaire

Do you want to hear me make a fool of myself on an international podcast? Sure you do! Head over to Cigar Jukebox and give the episode where I was guest DJ a listen. I talked about recording the episode a couple of weeks ago, but failed to post the link when it dropped (as they say in the business). I guess it isn’t all that bad, the cigars were great, I have a soft spot for Candela and the Swamp Thang and Cromagnon Formorian are excellent smokes. It really was hard picking songs though, but it was fun, and it was nice talking to Dave. Give a listen and feel free to critique in the comments. What songs would you pair with those two cigars?

I had a bit of a throwback Thursday thing going on Thursday, I reached for a classic, a Fuente Hemingway Classic, to be exact. There are a few classic cigars I like to always have on hand, and I’m fortunate to have a selection of Fuente Hemingways around. They aren’t all that expensive, all things considered, and they can always be counted upon to be excellent cigars. The regular Hemingway line has a Cameroon wrapper and are all perfectos, ranging from the little Short Story to the ginormous (in 1990s terms, not so much today) 9” x 52 Masterpiece. The classic is just that, a classic, a 7”x48 perfecto that is smooth, creamy and nutty. I’m always amazed that these taste pretty much the same as I remember 20 years ago, which is why I’ll always have a box in the humidor of one size or another. Other cigars I consider classic that I make sure I have are the Padron 1964 and Ashton Virgin Sun Grown. Every now and then you see various Hemingway sizes available in Maduro (Broadleaf) and Sungrown (Ecuador).

I wrapped Friday up with a Tortuga Cedros Belicoso from Victor Vitale, who I haven’t heard from in a while. We’re thinking about taking a little trip up to New Hampshire, maybe we’ll run into him. I need to start thinking about hunting some more of these down, as I really enjoy them. They are a Nicaraguan puro rolled in Honduras and suit me just fine. The Belicoso is 6″x 54 and the Cedro series is round as opposed to the Reserva series that’s box pressed. I don’t really have a favorite in the line, I like them all and need to resupply soon.

Yesterday, before a nasty cold came on seemingly out of nowhere, I took a walk and lamented the fact that it was the last day of Daylight Savings Time. I really wish they’d knock this crap off and leave it at DST. With me on my walk was Macha, of course, and a Debonaire Maduro Belicoso. I guess I was on a figurado kick the later part of the week. Actually, five of the last six cigars I’ve smoked fall into that category. I’m glad I got that cigar in before succumbing to the funk of a head-cold that quickly moved south. I can’t even conceive of smoking a cigar with the way my mouth tastes…I’m not a happy camper today. Anyway, this belicoso is also 6″ x 54 and had a sweet Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper around Dominican and Nicaraguan binder and filler, made in the DR. What a treat this was, and I’m quite sure it didn’t give me this cold. This is a pricey line, but awfully tasty and smoked right. Phil Zanghi is a dynamic guy, if you ever get a chance to meet him or listen to an interview don’t miss it.

I gotta get a cup of tea and crash on the couch, if I’m out of commission too long I’ll have to have a contest Wednesday or some other BS cheating post…I hate do have to do that! Enjoy your early darkness for the next few months!

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as belicoso, cigar, Cigar Jukebox, cigars, Classic, Debonaire, fuente, Hemingway, Tortuga

by CigarCraig | December 3, 2014 · 8:43 pm

Tortuga, Evil Genius White Chapel, Debonaire and Nomad Cigars

We are settling in to the new house, and with the rain over the last few evenings I’ve really been diggin the large screened in porch! Since I’ve been trying to get projects done I’ve smoked some small cigars and have been using my new AshStay ashtray from Ashstay.com. I mentioned this last week and thought it was really cool, although there’s no way I’ll be running it through the dishwasher (it’s dishwasher safe!). I like that I can close it up when I’m done and empty it after the cigars are out and it doesn’t stink or anything! It’s a little lighter than I thought it would be, but I don’t anticipate it getting blown around the enclosed porch. It’s a simple and elegant solution!

Sunday after painting the office/den I took a walk with a Tortuga Reserva 215 Regalo, which is at this point unreleased. I probably shouldn’t talk about it too much, but someone will have a chance to get their hands on these in the coming weeks, so I figured I’d build some hype. The cigar is a chubby toro, 6″ x 54, and comes wrapped in a cedar sleeve with a green ribbon on the foot. The wrapper is a beautiful Ecuador Connecticut shade and I assume that the rest of the cigar is Nicaraguan. I really enjoyed the smooth and creamy texture of this cigar that isn’t a mild shade wrapped cigar. It’s loaded with medium bodied flavor. It’s hard for me to find a Tortuga that I don’t love, and this is another fine example. A perfectly made, perfectly satisfying smoke that was a nice treat at the end of a long and busy weekend.

Monday it was raining, so before staring on my baseboard project in the den, I selected a little 3½ x 42 half corona from the Evil Genius Cigars White Chapel line. I got a couple of the Evil Genius robustos from brand owner Alex Hirsch (a fellow Pennsylvanian) at Goose’s Smokin’ Goose fest and hadn’t quite found the time to do them justice, so When I saw Alex last week at the Wooden Indian he gave me this little half corona. These cigars are made at the La Aurora factory, and you would think the White would be the milder cigar. Wrong! This is a potent little powerhouse with enough pepper in the retrohale (I don’t like that term, but I don’t know what else to call passing the smoke through the nose) to almost make me sneeze! I’m very much looking forward to digging out the robustos and smoking them. This is a very nice cigar and Alex is slowly getting these out in the market, so keep an eye out. Definately a tasty little 45 minute smoke!

Tuesday was more of the same, rain and a project, so I took another little cigar I’ve been holding on to out on the porch. Phil Zanghi originally started the Indian Tabac line in the ’90s, went into partnership with Rocky Patel, who eventually bought Phil out. Phil has kept himself busy in the machine made cigar market, but a couple years ago he launched the ultra premium Debonaire line of cigars. The Debonaire First Degree is a tasty little 4″ x 44 perfecto with Central American and Dominican tobaccos that burns perfect and has a nice, savory flavor. This was another 45 minute smoke that was satisfying. This sample came from the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival. I have smoked a few of the Debonaire line, and found them to be excellent cigars. You can hear about these pretty regularly on the Stogie Geeks and Cigar Authority podcasts.

Tonight I got a bit of a walk in with a Nomad S-307 Robusto that I bought last week at The Wooden Indian when I was there for the House of Emilio event. These are made in Nicaragua at the AJ Fernandez factory and are Nomad’s first regular production Nicaraguan cigar. The wrapper is a nice, dark brown Ecuador Sumatra with a Ecuador Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The box press is very comfortable and it took a V cut very nicely. This has the kind of burn I love, flat and even, and the draw was perfect. It was bold, but not overpowering, and had a nice peppery sweetness. To get you warmed up for CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways, Fred Rewey is having his own contest, The Nine Days of Nomad going on right now. Click HERE to enter.

As long as you are warming up for CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways, here’s a non-cigar contest you can enter. Rebeat Magazine is giving away six books that are perfect for any Beatles fan! I happen to know most of the authors and these are excellent books. Click on over and enter their contest!

Also, click on the Famous Smoke Shop banner on the left and use the promo code “CRAIG15” to get 15% off a $50 or greater purchase! That’s it for now, I need to go try to get some insulation hung before bed! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Ashstay, cigar, cigars, Debonaire, Emilio, Evil Genius, Nomad, Tortuga, White Chapel