Tag Archives: maduro

by Craig Vanderslice | June 9, 2024 · 10:21 am

Some Wise Man Cigars, a Conspiracy and a Panacea

Last week I dropped by the Wooden Indian in Havertown, PA and picked up a couple of new cigars. I was actually looking for something else, which they had sold out of, so I had to pivot. I got some of the new Foundation Cigar Co. Wise Man cigars. The original El Güegüense and Wise Man Maduro cigars have been retired, and replaced by two new ones, both carrying the Wise Man name. These are being made by My Father Cigars. I started with the Wise Man Corojo in Toro size. This is a 6″ x 52 cigar with a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, Estelí & Jalapa binders and fillers from Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa. I really liked this cigar! It had what seems to me was a confectioners sugar sweetness. It had bright flavors, some light spices and really appealed to me. I was surprised and looked forward to the Maduro.

The following night I smoked the Wise Man Maduro, also in the 6″ x 52 Toro. This is the same blend as the Corojo: Estelí & Jalapa binders and fillers from Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa, but with a San Andrés Maduro wrapper. I expected to like this more than the Corojo, oddly, I was mistaken. This started out spicy and remained so through the cigar. I wanted some earthy, chocolaty coffee, but it was more like spicy burnt dark roast. It wasn’t completely off-putting, but I have to say that I liked the old blend better. Heck, I loved the Corojo, probably more than the original El Güegüense. Perhaps some aga will help the Maduro, but it didn’t appeal to me, I’m afraid. It’s very unusual that I don’t like a Maduro over something else, but it seems to be happening more and more lately. Is this a reflection of the maduro cigars or of my palate?

When I was at the Smoke-onos event, I talked to my old friend Michael Giannini, who was manning the Quality Importers booth with Alex Goldman. He showed off some of their newest accessories, and some of the things they can customize in their “Swag Bunker”. He also handed me a cigar with a plain white band (pre-production, I assume) that said Conspiracy (with a backwards N that I can’t manage to pull off with a standard keyboard). This cigar was shown at the PCA show, and was a collaboration between Alex Goldman (House of Oxford, Royal Gold Cigars), Michael (La Gloria Cubana, Foundry Cigars, Ventura) and Ernesto Carrillo (EPC, La Gloria, Etc.), made at the Casa Carrillo factory. I had the Ecuador Connecticut in the 6″ x 60 size because that’s what Michael handed me. I’d love to try the San Andrés version. Both of these have undisclosed binder and fillers, except that the tobaccos are from Ernesto’s factory. This was a decent cigar, with a darker shade wrapper. I enjoyed it while watching the Phillies play in London. If I’m honest, like it was hard to differentiate the baseball game being played in another country from one played here, the cigar was good, but not remarkably so. Both were a good product. Bring on the Maduro.

I pre-gamed game one of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals with a Flatbed Tobacco Co. Panacea Green 560 from the Grande line. Speaking of Panacea, please take note of their Daily Deal on my left sidebar. You can get some great deals on some great cigars. I’ve taken a shine to the Green Label, it has a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, Dominican Habano binder and Piloto Cubano, Olor Dominicano, and Nicaragua ligeros in the filler. This is a reasonably strong cigar, but not overwhelming. It has the flavors I look for in a cigar like this, some cocoa and coffee, with some spice. I rather enjoyed the 5″ x 60 format, it fit well into the time I had for a cigar, a little over an hour. It looks like today’s (Sunday, June 9), deal of the day is a 560 sampler, which would be a great way to try the Panacea offerings. I just might bite. Great line of cigars from a small, family company right here in PA.

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

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Conspiracy, Corojo, Flatbed Cigar Co., Foundation Cigar Co., maduro, Panacea, Quality Importers, The Wise Man, Wise Man

by Craig Vanderslice | March 3, 2024 · 9:55 am

My Father, Metapa, and Perdomo 30th Anniversary Cigars

This week I smoked some cigars I bought on recent forays into some of my local cigar spots. All were new to me, although not necessarily new to the market. This happens, I don’t always jump right on the new stuff, and sometimes I miss out! Thursday evening I met up with my fellow Craig, and recent contest winner, at Cigar Mojo – The Grove, to hand deliver his prize. Shipping is always less expensive than visiting a cigar shop! I picked up a few cigars, and lit up a My Father The Judge in the 656 Toro size. This has been around for a while, I just never got around to it. Since Mojo carries a lot of My Father cigars I see myself catching up on them. I’ll grab something I haven’t tried whenever I stop in. This is a 6″ x 56 cigar, oddly they call their 6″ x 52 a Toro Fino, which seems like a toro to me. Maybe the 6″ x 56 should be a Toro Gordo and the 52 should just be the Toro? Not my circus…anyway, this has an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and fillers, with a nice box press. This got off to a slow start, good, although fairly mediocre. It built up some sweetness, which I like, of course, and worked out to be a very enjoyable cigar, one I’ll smoke again. Naturally, the company was exceptional, I always enjoy time with my fellow Craig. We’ll definitely have another Craig cigar summit soon.

Friday evening had us attending a middle school theatrical production that one of the granddaughters was in, so I got a late start. I was going to skip a cigar altogether, but I had picked up a Foundation Metapa Corona Gorda at Mojo and it wasn’t that big, so I figured I’d light it up. Sometimes having a cigar too late gives me sleep issues, not the case this time, although I did get to bed a lot later than usual! I wanted to smoke a Metapa because these are being rebranded to Aksum, I guess to keep in line with the Tabernacle/Menelik/Ark of the Covenant theme. I’ve heard mixed reviews on this cigar, and maybe it’s the Maduro vs. Claro? I only had the maduro to chose rom, so that’s what I got, as if anyone would be surprised at that. This is a nice 5½” x 48 with a coil pigtail cap (I know there’s a name for it, just can’t remember it!). This was the best cigar I had all week. It started a bit heavy, cloying like licorice, which worried me. It settled in to a really nice, dense dark chocolate, not much sweetness, the kind with a high cacao percentage. I found this to be quite enjoyable, whatever the name, and I might have to see if I can find the claro version (although I still need to try the Olmec Claro!). It’s hard for me not to like Foundation Cigars, there seems to be something for everyone.

Last week I stopped in The Wooden Indian looking for some new cigars, and picked up some Perdomo 30th Anniversary Epicures in Sungrown and Maduro. These come with a lot of hype, and my expectations were high. I’m a big fan of the 20th Anniversary Maduro, probably my favorite Perdomo. I thought the 10th Anniversary Sungrown was my favorite of that line, which, oddly, only really came out a couple years ago. The 30th aren’t priced bad, I could see companies asking a higher price for their anniversary cigars, but Perdomo does things right in this respect. I admire them for keeping their cigars pried within reason. I decided that yesterday was going to be Perdomo day, so I started with the Sungrown. I chose the 6″ x 54 Epicure size because, well, that’s the size I like. This has a 15-year-old bourbon barrel-aged Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Sun Grown wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers, and has a nice box press. I think this one had a patch near the cap on the underside of the cigar, which I find to be unacceptable on a cigar like this, regardless of price. This, of course, came off and I had to do some wrapper surgery because I don’t care for the mouth feel of a flappy wrapper. Other than that, the burn and draw were very good, and the cigar had a sweet spice that was nice. Not blown away, I’ll stick with the 10th Sungrown.

I had high hopes for the Perdomo 30th Anniversary Epicure Maduro. This has the same 15-year-old bourbon barrel-aged Cuban-seed Nicaraguan wrapper processed to a maduro, not overly dark, but dark enough, with a nice oil. This is a nice looking cigar, again, lods of hype, best Perdomo cigar ever, yada yada…It was a good cigar. It had rich dark roast coffee and cocoa and was very nice. For me, I find that the 20th Maduro to have more that I enjoy, to be honest. I suppose I was expecting a more refined experience, and maybe my palate just isn’t acute enough to appreciate the subtleties of these cigars. I’m told that the 30th Connecticut is something special. Given I was never a fan of the Champagne, I actually disliked it ( a rarity), I always pass on the Perdomo Connecticuts. Perhaps I’ll give this one a try, for science.

The folks at Best Cigar Prices posted a bunch of pictures of the cigarlebrities that will be at their Smoke-onos event in May, but they didn’t ask for my picture. If you’re there, hunt me down! Also, keep an eye out for upcoming details about a multi-vendor event at Goose’s Montecristo Lounge in Limerick, PA which will be in the beginning of May. That’s more than enough for today, until the next time.

CigarCraig

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Tagged as 30th Anniversary, Aksum, cigar, Cigar Mojo, cigars, Foundation, Foundation Cigar Co., Goose's Montecristo Lounge, maduro, Metapa, My Father Cigars, Perdomo, Smoke-onos, Sungrown, The Judge, wooden indian

by Craig Vanderslice | April 16, 2023 · 9:30 am

Some Illusione Cigars: M12, Fume D’Amore and CG-4

Last week I mentioned buying some cigars from Discount Cigar Warehouse, and I dug into the second sampler this week. This was a selection of 6″ x 56 cigars from Illusione. I actually went into this sampler blind, as there is no information on the website. It seems to be an exclusive to DCW. I smoked two of the four this week, starting with the Illusione Maduro M12 Plan MJ-1949. This cigar has a medium dark San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan Criollo and Corojo fillers. The name of the cigar refers to the Majestic 12, and the contingency plan that they put in place should a public announcement be made regarding UFOs. OF course, this all happened before Ancient Aliens was on TV, aliens are no secret now. As is the case with many of the cigars in the maduro line, I really liked this cigar. It was rich and dark, with some cocoa sweetness. The burn was perfect.

Next up was the Fume D’Amore Capistranos. This is a much lighter cigar than the Maduro. The fillers seem to be the same varietals, perhaps lower primings, with a café Corojo wrapper. I struggle to remember if I’ve smoked this blend before, I don’t think I have. To be honest, there are a lot of the Illusione Line I haven’t smoked. I’m not sure why that is, I’m acquainted with Dion Giolito, we’ve spoken on numerous occasions, but except for the Rothchild, and the occasional lancero, I’ve been negligent. This Fume D’Amore started out with a tighter draw than I would have liked, which opened up after a while. This isn’t a good cigar to take for a walk, it’s far too delicate and complex, it’s better sitting quietly. I found this out the hard way. It’s possible another one of these samplers might be in my next DCW order, it’s a great value. Next week I’ll get to the other two cigars in the sampler.

Last night I smoked something from the Original Documents line, the CG-4 White Horse. I bought a bunch of these several years ago, for a specific purpose. We had a stretch of a few years of going to the Diner En Blanc in Philadelphia, and I always tried to take “white” themed cigars. Macanudo Inspirado White, Montecristo White, my wife smoked a Leccia White one year. You get the jist. The last time we went I somehow forgot my cigars and ran to Holts (the diner was a few blocks away in Rittenhouse Square), and the best I could come up with was some Padron Damaso, which had a white band. Good cigar. Anyway, I had gotten the White Horse for the next year and, between the pandemic and losing interest, we stopped going. This cigar is a classic Corona Gorda, perhaps where the CG in the name comes from? It’s 5 5/8″ x 46, which, next to the various toro iterations, is probably my favorite size. This also has the Criollo and Corojo fillers, with a Rosado Corojo wrapper. I’ve smoked a bunch of these, and I really like them. It’s got the dark, rich flavors I like with some subtle spices. I may need to get my hands on more, or, better yet, smoke some other cigars in this line. I know I must have smoked a 88 or 888 at some point.

That’s all I have for today. I had planned on getting to one of the Black Label Trading Co. events with James Brown Thursday or Friday, but lacked the energy to get out after work. It’s not so much the drive to these things that dissuades me, it’s the thought of the drive home after. I’m getting old, smoking on my porch after a long day at work is much more appealing than going out, I’m afraid. One more thing: I am a customer of Discount Cigar Warehouse, these posts aren’t sponsored in any way. It’s just a place I picked up some good deals on stuff I hadn’t tried before. Anyway, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Capistranos, CG-4, cigar, cigars, Fume D'Amore, illusione, maduro, MJ-12, White Horse

by Craig Vanderslice | April 9, 2023 · 8:13 am

Sampling the Casa Cuevas Core Line Cigars

Somewhere along the way last week I saw a Casa Cuevas post about something, and Dustin Prudhomme of Discount Cigar Warehouse (not a sponsor) mentioned having a sampler, so I ordered one, along with some other goodies. I’ve found that this is a great place to get cigars quick and at a good value. The sampler had one each of the core line, and a La Mandarria in toro size. I, sadly, don’t find the Casa Cuevas line locally, so I have limited experience, although I have smoked many cigars made by them over the years. As per my preference, I started with the Casa Cuevas Maduro. This 6″ x 50 toro has a San Andrés wrapper, with a Nicaraguan Binder and Colombian, Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. Should hit me just right, right? It started with some sharp, acidic flavors, and had a drying effect on my mouth. This is a woody, leathery maduro, not a sweet one. Odd that the Maduro would be my least favorite of the three, but it was. I have a Reserva Maduro in the humidor that I may smoke in the near future to see how they compare.

I soldiered on, I could have been discouraged, but I know Luis and Alex Cuevas, and the are probably the nicest people in the cigar industry. Whenever I see them they treat me like a long lost friend, even the first time I met them. So I was certain that these nice people wouldn’t let me down. I really liked the Habano. This toro has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan Binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. This was very well balanced and tasty. Still on the leathery side, but with some nice, subtle spices. This is a cigar that I could see having a box of in the humidor. Very nice.

Finally, the Connecticut. I’d wager this is their most popular, but Connecticuts are always my last choice, with a few exceptions. Oddly, Dominican cigars are not at the top of my list either, so there are only a few Dominican shade wrapped cigars that I like. This is now one of them. It’s not a mild cigar, it has plenty of flavor. I suspect it’s very close to the same blend as the Habano, with the wrappers being the difference, it’s an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. It tasted a little “softer” than the Habano, but still has some spice and that leathery note, but a little sweetness and nutiness from the wrapper. It was fun smoking the three cigar in the Cuevas core line in rapid succession (over three days), It’s very interesting to compare. I’ll save the La Manderria for another time, I’ve enjoyed that cigar before. I wish someone nearby had these in stock. If you haven’t smoked Cuavas cigars (and you may have and don’t realize it), give them a show, especially the Sangre Nueva, that’s an amazing cigar.

That’s all for today. It’s Easter Sunday, so enjoy the day for those who celebrate, and happy Passover as well. I’ve got a busy day planned, it may be the evening before I get a cigar in. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Casa Cuevas, cigar, cigars, Conncticut, DIscount Cigar Warehouse, Habano, maduro

by Craig Vanderslice | July 25, 2021 · 10:31 am

Smoking Through a Cain Cigar Sampler

Last week I was auditing some of my advertising partners (OK, that’s a euphemism, I was shopping…), and I picked up a couple Cain samplers from CigarThief. This happens all the time, I start browsing and see something that I don’t need or have room for and the price is too good to pass up, I’d be nuts not to buy it, so I do. I then have to worry about where to put the stuff later. In this case it was the five cigar sampler of Cain cigars from Oliva. It arrived the next day. I remember walking in to my local shop at the time and the proprietor, fresh back from the trade show, said to me “throw away your Cubans, you gotta try this new cigar called “Cain”. This guy was a guy who was into Havanas too, he had gotten into some trouble years earlier with the BATF for having them in the store. This was a major boast coming from this guy. Of course, I had to wait for them to come in. Turns out that this was another brand that Sam Leccia was behind, following his success as the brand ambassador for Nub with Oliva Cigars. He would continue to do rolling events featuring both cigars for a few years until his unceremonious departure. I was a fan of the Cains early on, smoked a bunch of them, I was especially fond of the Cain F Lancero, which is what prompted me to take this little sentimental journey.

Cain Cigars are made by Oliva Cigar Co., although you wouldn’t know it looking at their website. I can’t figure this out. Is Cain still in production? It seems like they are still widely available. I just can’t find them on a website anywhere. It’s a cigar they should embrace! I started with the original Habano 550. Their sizes are confusing, because this one is 5¾” x 50, which is pretty close to a toro, which is like, but it ain’t 550. I’m not sure what they call the 5″ x 50, which they clearly have in the portfolio. This is where having them listed on the manufacturer website comes in handy. Retailers websites aren’t always all-inclusive. I seem to recall the old Studio Tabac website having a breakdown of the blend, with percentages of the ligero too. These were billed as “Straight Ligero”, which, of course, didn’t mean they were 100% ligero. They are bold cigars, and the Habano was excellent. It took me back to one of my very first blog posts, where I was celebrating the birthday which I received the CigarCraig.com domain as a gift with a Cain Habano. Deep, rich earthy flavors. These remain very good cigars.

I deviated from the chronological order of the brand’s releases by smoking the Cain Daytona next. I believe this cigar came after Sam’s departure. This was a little bit mellower representation of the Cain blend, maybe more sophisticated. This one, whatever they called it, was definitely 5″ x 50, has a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan fillers. This is probably better suited for a sunday morning with coffee cigar, but it was a great cigar for a Saturday afternoon after cutting the grass and running errands, before taking a nap. Just enough strength and loads of flavor. Definitely a solid robusto, and I am fairly certain I have an old lancero or two in the humidor.

Last night I tackled the Cain Maduro. I’m pretty sure this is a the same blend as the Habano with a Maduro wrapper, although,, lacking information on a manufacturer’s website, I have no way to verify that. As a maduro lover, I have to say that I can do without this cigar in the line. It’s a good cigar, if it was the only Cain, I’d be happy with it, but I think the other iterations are better. The wrapper adds the espresso component, but I actually prefer the Habano wrapped version more. If I’m picking Cains, I admit that the Maduro is on the bottom of my list. Weird, huh? It’s still a pretty strong cigar, having a high percentage of Ligero.

Sometime around 2012 They came out with the Cain F. I think the F stood for Fuerte, maybe Sam had his hand in it before he left, I don’t recall. By 2013 they had replaced Sam with a guy named Byran Scholle. They had trained him to do rolling demonstrations something like Sam did, without the artistic flair. Bryan’s signature was. rolling a cigar he called the Cain FU, which was an amped up Cain F, which I smoked fresh and it wasn’t all that ass-kicking. I am smoking the Cain F 550 Robusto as I write this and it’s a rich, flavorful cigar, with a fair amount of strength, especially for a Sunday morning. It’s especially good with coffee, and I’m glad I had a heaping bowl of Cheerios! I can’t tell you how many Cain F Lanceros I’ve smoked over the years, and I still have a couple squirreled away, so I’m fairly familiar with the cigar. I like it a great deal. I don’t know why I like it , I just do, it checks all the boxes for me. It’s burning perfectly for me, although I have let it go out a few times. It’s a good way to start the day! I’m glad I picked up a few of these samplers! It’s been a fun trip down memory lane!