Tag Archives: oliva

by CigarCraig | June 2, 2013 · 10:36 am

Studio Tobac Event at Philadelphia Cigar and Tobacco Co.

Spring is definitely in full swing here in south-east PA, the grass is growing, the pool is opening and the weather has been gorgeous. So what do we do after a morning of chores? Go to a cigar store for a Studio Tobac/Oliva event, what else? The store in question is the Philadelphia Cigar and Tobacco Co. In Northeast Philadelphia, about an hour away (assuming traffic ir reasonable, which it was not). I consider Mike Staiber, our local Oliva rep, to be one of my better friends in the cigar industry, and. Byran Scholle is a super nice dude too, so going to hang out with them was a no brainer. I selected a handful of Padilla and Cain cigars and immediately lit up a Padilla Reserva Maduro Double Toro (5.5×60), a damned yummy cigar. Bryan sets up a small rolling table at his events and demonstrates how a cigar is wrapped to event goers. Its great for people to see how this is done and to be able to ask questions. One very astute question I heard involved nicotine absorption through the hands and whether it affects the roller. Bryans response was that it initially does when he starts, but he quickly adjusts. I’ve heard the question asked in the factories, but never in a shop setting. Here’s a two minute video of Bryan doing his thing:

The Philadelphia Cigar and Tobacco Co. is a very nice store located in a strip mall on Welsh Road in Northeast Philadelphia. The front of the store has a spacious lounge with a bunch of guys watching the game on a large TV, a poker table full of guys playing cards (and it didn’t look like they were playing “Go Fish”), and another small seating area. The huge walk in humidor was generously stocked with all the goodies you’d expect to find. The shop is very clean and well run, and he owner, Michael, is a gracious host. They are planning on opening a second location in Yardley, PA in the not too distant future. Drop in to visit if you find yourself in the area.

When I got home I had to smoke the cigar that Bryan rolled in the video. He described it as an amped up Cain F blend, with additional Esteli ligero in the blend. They playfully refer to this blend as the Cain FU. He mentioned that they are best smoked fresh, so I figured it wasn’t going to get any fresher. Smoking a fresh rolled cigar is a little different than one that’s sat in an aging room for months and made its way to your local shop. It’s a little wetter and mushier, but, astoundingly, it burned pretty well after I torched the hell out of it to get it lit. I guess I’m more manly than I gave myself credit for, because I was expecting this to kick me hard. I love most Cains with some age, but this one was quite good as well. It was strong and spicy, but not harsh and the flavor wasn’t overpowered. Well done. In counterpoint, the Padilla Reserva Maduro was smooth and chocolaty and delicious, nearly worth the $10 price tag (by the way, what is up with Padillas website? How about an update? I had to get size information elsewhere). I got a couple of the Short Robusto (4×60) size as well, along with some Cain Daytonas and Fs. It was a great day hanging out with some really nice folks and enjoying fine smokes.

The Adorini Humidor

This will be a recurring segment, basically a long term review of the Adorini Cedro Deluxe Humidor from Humidordiscount.com. I’ve started by charging the humidifier with the included solution and some distilled water, and adding a bowl of distilled water as well. So far the hygrometer is reading about 74% RH. I’m just going to let it sit until the water evaporates from the bowl. I’ve always gone by the theory that the wood in the humidor is truly the medium which holds the moisture, and if it’s too dry it will be constantly battling the humidification element and will take forever to reach equilibrium and function properly. I’m convinced that this unit will be a solid performer based on how solid it looks and feels and the nice, air-cushioned “woosh” I get when I drop the lid. More to come.

That’s it for now, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Filed under Events, Review, Stores

Tagged as cain, cigar, cigar store, cigars, oliva, Padilla, Philadelphia Cigar and Tobacco Co.

by CigarCraig | May 5, 2013 · 1:26 pm

Trip Report: Drew Estate Cigar Safari – Part 1

On April 28 I began what would be my second Drew Estate Cigar Safari. This time was a little different than the last time, as this was a trip composed entirely of the media, bloggers and print media. I was fortunate to have already known all but 2 of my fellow Safarians, and it didn’t take long to get to know them. Present on this trip were Will of Cigar-Coop.com, Stace of LeafandGrape.com, Tony of CasasFumando.com, Brian and Ben from StogieReview.com, Jay and Dan from Cigar Press Magazine and Steve from Tobacconist Magazine and myself. After an uneventful couple of plane rides, we landed in Managua and got through immigration without issue. Pedro was, of course, waiting for us with the bus to take us on our journey. Because this was a media trip, we skipped the sightseeing portion usually present on the Cigar Safari, and, after a delicious lunch, headed to Esteli. Sunday evening was pretty laid back and after dinner we just kind of sat around socializing over cigars.

Monday we arose bright and early to an excellent breakfast, then loaded onto the bus to visit the Oliva Tobacco Company‘s farm in Esteli, Finca La Joya. This late in the season most of the crop has already been harvested, but there were still some crops coming in and being hung in the massive curing barns. It’s here where one really starts to appreciate all the steps that go into making a premium cigar. On the farm the plants are raised from a seed, tended, weeded and thinned out, then planted in the field, then tended, weeded and thinned out. After several months they start methodically taking the leaves from the bottom of the plant, and hanging them in the barns. But they aren’t just randomly hung, they are paired and hung over sticks back to back and handled in such a way as to prevent damage and promote even coloration. The conditions in the barn are carefully monitored, the floor is soaked with water if it gets too dry, and charcoal is burned if it gets too humid. This is all just the first leg in the journey the tobacco takes on it’s way to becoming a cigar that we will spend an hour or so enjoying.

Fast forward about 6 months from when that tiny little seed is planted, and the tobacco is sorted for texture and size. They make bundles of leaves called “hands” and build very well organized piles called “pilons”. These pilons weigh about 5000 pounds and are closely monitored for temperature. When they reach a certain temperature for a certain amount of time they are taken apart and rearranged so the hands in the middle are on the outside, the top on the bottom and so forth. This takes a great deal of manpower and enough room to move 5000 pounds of tobacco around. This can be done several times over a course of months before the tobacco has properly fermented. I took a bunch of pictures while there, here’s the slideshow for your viewing pleasure. I’ll try to get some captions in there at some point, but please ask any questions you may have in the comments.

httpv://youtu.be/MtjxWS2IEXw

When the leaves are done doing their thing in the pilons, they are sorted once again for size, texture and color and compressed into more manageable bales which will be stored, typically by whomever purchased the tobacco, for several years. The tobacco continues to rest in these bales until it’s time to make cigars, at which time it’s sorted again. a few hundred hands have already touched each leaf and it’s not even close to being a cigar yet. There’s no way I can cover every aspect of the process, so these have just been the highpoints. It definitely illustrates the care and expense that goes into a bundle of leaves to which we set fire!!

Here’s a little video with Steve Saka and Nicholas Melillo of Drew Estate discussing some ways that conditions are maintained in a curing barn.

httpv://youtu.be/3HdpyCY–Rs

It’s at this point that we broke for lunch, and it’s a logical stopping point for today. Next time we will visit one of my favorite places, the Joya de Nicaragua factory. It’s a beautiful Sunday here in PA and I intend to make the best of it before having to go back to the office tomorrow after a week off.

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Filed under Trip Report

Tagged as cigar, Cigar Safari, cigars, curing barn, drew estate, farms, oliva, sorting

by CigarCraig | March 13, 2013 · 7:25 pm

Figurados! Apocalypse, Oliva, Columbia and Tortuga Cigars and a Preview

I’ve been on a little bit of a figurado kick lately, but before we get to the cigars, I want to share some breaking news. I had the privilege of previewing a new cigar website that I think is going to be very useful. You may recall NewestCigars.com sponsored Day 9 of my last 12 Days of Spectacular Cigar Giveaways. They are looking to launch the site in June of this year. From the preview I saw, I think it will be interesting to follow, as they will present new cigars, and, if the manufacturers provide the information, there will even be links to stores that carry the new cigars. So often I get to smoke something new that many of you can’t find in stores, and to be honest, I rarely see them in stores myself. NewestCigars.com should provide I user friendly outlet for keeping up with what’s new in the cigar world. I wish Mike and Yoffy the best of luck and can’t wait for the site to go live.

Sunday afternoon was a beautiful late winter day, the kind that really makes one look forward to spring. It afforded me the opportunity to sit out on the patio for a while with a really nice cigar. I decided to smoke the Tatuaje Anarchy Apocalypse sample that I received a couple months ago from Smoke Inn that I wanted to sit down and really pay some attention to. This is a 5¼” x 54 perfecto with a cool pigtail “bun” on the cap. It had a very dark Ecuador Habano wrapper that could have been mistaken for broadleaf. It was a fun cigar, the smoke was lush and dense and delicious, with dark, savory flavors that really make my day. This, along with the Tatuaje Reserva petite cazadore I had a couple weeks ago, are really making me want to try more Tatuajes. The trouble is they are in a higher price range than I’m comfortable with, and there’s so many darned line extensions it’s hard for me to keep straight what’s what. I suppose I’ll pick one up from time to time and make sure I remember what it is when I smoke it. The Apocalypse was pretty amazing. Later in the evening I smoked a little Oliva Serie G “Special G” perfecto while sitting in the Cigar Bar at the Wells Fargo Center after a Flyers win. That’s a tasty little Cameroon cigar that was perfect for letting the traffic dissipate from the parking lot. As always, I got a chance to say hello to , he’s always there after the game having a cigar.

Monday I decided to go experimental and selected a cigar that my wife picked up on here recent trip to Clearwater Beach, Florida. She brought me back a couple cigars from the Columbia Restaurant there, a robusto and a torpedo. Of course, I picked the torp. This was the strangest looking cigar. The cello was very tight, almost as if the cigar expanded inside of it. I had to cut the cello off, and the wrapper was really wrinkly and ugly. Aesthetics aside, the cigar drew effortlessly and was very tasty. It was a maduro, and had the cocoa/expresso flavors that I like and associate with the dark wrappers. I didn’t ask the price, it being a gift and all, but it was a very nice smoke. I enjoyed it and hope the robusto is just as enjoyable.

Tuesday I went with a Tortuga 215 Edición Limitada 2011 Torpedo. You can tell the weather has been a little warmer and the evenings a little lighter because I’ve been smoking larger cigars! I’ve smoked this cigar before and like it a good bit. This is made by Legacy Brands Cigar Company and blended by Victor Vitale. The 6″x54 torpedo has a beautiful Nicaraguan wrapper over a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. It’s solidly medium bodied and very well made. I took only about an eight of an inch off the very pointy head of the cigar and had a perfect draw, which may be why about half way through I cave it another cut after getting a bit of the very bitter tasting tarry build up on my lips. That was an eye opener! It was about dusk and I really couldn’t see it. Lovely smoke, Victor has been making some very good cigars lately, I think it’s safe to say that I like many of Vitales vitolas!

That’s it for now! Don’t forget to visit Sunday’s post (the post just prior to this one) and enter the StogieBoys.com contest that is running through this coming Sunday! Enter to win some cigars and cool swag!! (does everyone know that “swag” is an acronym for “stuff we all get”?).

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

3 Comments

Filed under Editorial, Review

Tagged as cigar, cigars, Columbia, Figurado, NewestCigars.com, oliva, Perfecto, Tatuaje Apocalypse, torpedo, Tortuga

by CigarCraig | February 6, 2013 · 7:13 pm

A Padilla, an Alec Bradley, a Hockey Game and Some Cigar News

A little snow here and there isn’t enough to deter me from enjoying a fine cigar! That’s what I did on Sunday. We’ve been getting off easy with little snow showers here and there, which is just fine with me. Sunday I took an afternoon walk with a Padilla Reserva. This is a 6” x 50 Toro with what looks like a nice Habano wrapper. I enjoyed the heck out of this cigar, although not quite as much as it’s maduro sibling. It had nice, smooth flavors that I found appealing. It performed flawlessly and was quite enjoyable. I think if I were to come across this cigar in a shop I’d pick a few up, provided they were out of the tasty maduro! Thanks again to Mike Staiber of Oliva for turning me on to these!

Monday evening I picked out a nice Alec Bradley American Sungrown robusto. I picked this up on a visit to the Cigars International store in Hamburg, PA I think, I probably picked up a couple another place too. Maybe I buy too many cigars? Anyway, I really like this cigar, and I like the American Classic with the Ecuador Connecticut Shade wrapper quite a bit too. I think the Sungrown has that extra little pop I need in the winter months. These have the added advantage of being very well priced, usually under $5. This is a great anytime cigar that is probably a cigar a broad range of people can appreciate. This is a great cigar to have around to share or smoke those days you have trouble deciding what to smoke and you just want a good cigar.

Tuesday night my youngest son and I went to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for the Flyers game. It was a great game with the Flyers winning over the Tampa Bay Lightning. After the game we stopped in the Cigar Bar in the center. This used to be Holt’s Cigar Lounge many years ago, and I don’t think it would be a bad assumption on my part that they still get their cigars from Holt’s, given the Holt’s cutter and matches that came with the cigars I purchased. I’m sure many wouldn’t be shocked by an $11 price tag on a Fuente Hemingway Short Story, especially in a cigar tax free state like PA. I rationalized it to myself figuring I was in on a free pass, and didn’t pay the membership fee that would come to something along the lines of $16 per game. We smoked out Short Stories while the 19,000 people outside were sitting in traffic and got to chat with Bernie Parent for a while. Of course, you may recall that Bernie has a cigar out, the BSB #1 Bernie Parent by Rocky Patel. He mentioned that they are going to add a Round Toro and a Box Pressed Torpedo to the line and use a band design featuring his crest. I am surprised that the Cigar Bar didn’t have the BSB #1 on their menu, but Bernie said they are working on it. It seems like an appropriate place to carry the cigar!

A Joke

A doctor on his morning walk, noticed the old lady pictured above:,

She was sitting on her front step smoking a cigar, so he walked up to her and said,

“I couldn’t help but notice how happy you look! What is your secret?”

“I smoke ten cigars a day,” she said. “Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint.

Apart from that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels every week, and eat only junk food.

On weekends, I pop pills, have sex, and I don’t exercise at all.

“That is absolutely amazing! How old are you?”

“Forty,” she replied

Contest Winner!

The winner of the ScrewPop Punch and the 5-pack of My Uzi Weighs a Ton Baitfish and a MUWAT cap is MattRoss81! The Random Number Generator spit out the number 6, and The Commish had won a prize in the 12SDOCG’s (12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways) so he was disqualified! Matt, please send me your address! Thanks again to Drew Estate and ScrewPop for sponsoring this contest!

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

CigarCraig

5 Comments

Filed under Contest, News, Review

Tagged as Alec Bradley, Bernie Parent, cigar, cigars, Contest, drew estate, Flyers, oliva, Padilla, ScrewPop

by CigarCraig | January 13, 2013 · 9:41 am

End of the Week Cigars: a Padilla, a Dunhill and a Gurkha

We’ve been having unseasonably warm weather here, not particularly warm, but not sub-zero winter weather either. I certainly prefer balmy temps but I’ll take not getting frostbitten fingers in January over the alternative. Not that the weather generally keeps me from my enjoyment of a fine cigar, I am more likely to try something new when I know that shivering isn’t going to knock the ash off.

Thursday I grabbed a Padilla Reserva Maduro that my local Oliva rep, Mike, handed me when I met up with him last month.
He was delivering the very impressive prizes for Day 12 of the 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways and slipped a couple Padilla cigars to me (Oliva is distributing Padilla cigars). I haven’t smoked many Padilla cigars over the years, and the few I’ve smoked I’ve really enjoyed. Of course, if I have some cigars to smoke and one is a maduro, you know that’s the one I’m smoking first! This was a beautiful dark and oily toro sized cigar, in the neighborhood of 6×50. The band has a really cool lion with the secondary band identifying it as the Reserva Maduro. I looked, but the website doesn’t have any information, but I bet a dollar that this is a San Andreas wrapper. It wowed me from the get go with everything I love in a maduro cigar. Overall a really enjoyable experiences, I will have to get my hands on more of these and add them to my list of favorites! Yum.

Friday night was rainy. I took the dog for a quick walk sans cigar as I’ve found the combination of dog, umbrella and cigar to be way too much to handle in the rain (and I’m guessing it would be no easier without the rain). I put the dog in the house and set up in the garage with a Dunhill Aged Reserva Especial 2003 which I received as a sample from the folks at General Cigar Company. This cigar is a Robusto Grande, measuring 5½” x 54 and is wrapped in a stunning U.S. Connecticut Shade wrapper. Clearly this is a cigar better suited to a walnut paneled parlor in front of a roaring fire than a garage on a rainy night, but my walnut paneled parlor was in the shop :-). This is a milder cigar with loads of bright flavors that kept me interested for the nearly an hour and a half it took me to smoke it. I’m looking forward to smoking another one of these, but with a $15 price tag it probably won’t be on my personal buy list, just too rich for my blood. Delicious smoke though.

Saturday was a very nice day after a rainy, foggy start. I took the dog on a nice long walk with a Gurkha 125th Anniversary Toro. This came in a sampler from the IPCPR show which was presented in a very cool package which is reminiscent of the sort of thing fine silverware settings might me stored in. Very cool presentation for trade show samples, but what else would one expect from Gurkha? Along with the 125th is a Ghost, a Seduction, a Cellar Reserve and a Royal Challenge, all in a 6″ x 54ish chunky toro shape. Admittedly, I’ve been intimidated by the Gurkha line in the past due to the vast number of lines and my inability to every be able to keep them straight. I do love the Seduction, and I’ve sampled a few more that have made me want to explore the line further. The 125th is a solid cigar. The construction was darned near perfect, I love watching a well made cigar burn and this was beautiful. It was medium bodied and seemed to me like the kind of cigar that a lot of people would be able to enjoy. It was a very enjoyable 2 hour smoke, or a 3 mile walk with a 45 minute “warm down” on the patio. I still have a selection of Gurkha cigars that I haven’t tried yet. I’ll get to them when the weather warms up as they all seem to be in that toro or larger size. I smoked the Ghost a few weeks ago and enjoyed it, but was a little dissapointed, I guess I was expecting something different. I’ll smoke it again under better circumstances.