Tag Archives: Ortega

by CigarCraig | December 2, 2012 · 9:26 am

A 1502 Ruby, a Pinolero from AJ Fernandez and a Couple of Ortega Cigars

I’ve been working tirelessly on this years 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways this weekend, getting the daily posts drafted, taking pictures, shaking down sponsors, you know the drill. If you weren’t totally impressed last year, you should be this time around. I think it will be the biggest CigarCraig.com contest to date. Stay tuned, the madness all starts bright and early on December 12, 2012. Subscribe to my e-mail list, follow me on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on the goings on. You don’t want to hear any more about how to get free stuff, so on to some cigars I’ve smoked this week.

First up is a 1502 Ruby from Global Premium Cigars. This is a Nicaraguan company that’s being distributed by Gary Griffith of Emilio Cigars. Gary sent me some to try recently. Gary has been going crazy in the distribution area, he just picked up the Ezra Zion lines, which is good because they are tasty smokes and now I know a local place to pick some up! I loved the 1502 Black Gold, it is a maduro that’s right up my alley. This Ruby has what I believe to be an Ecuador Habano wrapper and is also a fantastic smoke. It’s rich and tasty and very satisfying. So far the 1502 cigars I’ve smoked have been winners in my book. The Owner of this company, Enrique Sanchez seems to be out and about visiting stores and doing it right. I hope I have a chance to catch up with him one of these days.

When I was at the Delaware Cigar Festival in September I was speaking with Kris Katchaturian and AJ Fernandez and Kris provided me with a couple of their new cigar, the Pinolero. I’ve been hearing and reading about this cigar, and the word on the street seemed to be that this was a really strong cigar. I don’t mind strong cigars, but I don’t really need to be knocked on my butt. I like to be able to stand up without falling over when I’m finished a cigar. I didn’t find this cigar as curiously strong as I had been led to believe but it was an awesome smoke. Well balanced and perfectly made, I was very happy with this cigar. If you come across these and like stronger cigars, give it a try.

Friday night calls for a tried and true favorite to celebrate the beginning of the weekend. I have trouble keeping my hands off the Ortega Serie D Maduros in my humidors, so that’s what I selected. I consider Eddie Ortega a friend of mine, and I’ve always enjoyed cigars in which he’s been involved. When his Serie D was released with a San Andreas Maduro wrapper I knew it was going to be a perfect fit for my palate. I smoked the No.7, which is 5″ x 46, which is one of my favorite sizes. So far I haven’t really decided on a favorite size, they’ve all been spectacular. Rich and dark, like the high percentage cocoa chocolate bars that are out there. Have you ever had a 70% cocoa bar with jalapeños? It’s not as spicy as all that but it’s awfully good. One of my favorite cigars this year for sure, I could smoke these all the time and be a happy camper.

Of course, I had to smoke an Ortega Serie D Natural on Saturday. I’d actually forgotten that I have smoked the natural before, it turns out it was in September and I noted that it showed signs of youth. I smoked the No 10 last night and it was exceptional. It’s a belicoso shaped cigar, 6″ x 52 with a Habano Rosado wrapper that is quite attractive. This is also an awesome cigar. For my personal tastes, if this is awesome, then the maduro is super awesome, but that’s just me. I really enjoyed the flavor and perfect burn and draw, and I smoked it to a finger burning nub. Another “D”elicious cigar from Eddie Ortega, a way-cool guy who makes awesome smokes. I may have to dig around and see if I have any more hidden in the humidors.

That’s about it for now, I have to plan a “12 Days” recon mission today to pick up some more fabulous prizes. Enjoy your Sunday!

Until the next time,

Cigar Craig

6 Comments

Filed under Review

Tagged as 12 days, 1502, aj fernandez, cigar, cigars, Ortega, Pinolaro

by CigarCraig | September 19, 2012 · 7:50 pm

IPCPR 2012 – Ortega Premium Cigars with Eddie Ortega

After starting off Saturday’s Delaware Cigar Festival with an Ortega Serie D maduro, I decided to fire up the Serie D No.8 natural that was a IPCPR show sample. It’s well documented that I love the Serie D maduro. The San Andreas maduro wrapper on that cigar is stunning and “D”licious and I’ve enjoyed several of the sizes offered. Of course, I was excited to sample the Natural version. The wrapper is an Ecuador Habano Rosado and is quite attractive. It burned wonderfully, but I got the sense that it was still a little young. Six months to a year in the humidor will do wonders for the already very nice smoke. I picked up a couple of these at the Delaware Cigar Festival and kind of regret not grabbing more of them, but there were so many other cigars there I wanted to try!

Here’s a little video from the IPCPR show with Eddie Ortega, one of the many folks in the cigar industry that I’m pleased to call a friend. Every time I see him he asks about my family and life and is just a tremendously cool dude.

http://youtu.be/1GnKamfvrTY

I was going to grab a Serie D Maduro tonight, but time got away from me so I grabbed an Cain Daytona No. 4 instead. I love the Daytona line the best out of the Cain range of cigars, and this corona, along with the rare Lancero are my favorites! Always well made and tasty! I grabbed a few of these at the Delaware Cigar Festival also, and couldn’t resist firing one up.

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

CigarCraig

2 Comments

Filed under IPCPR, Review, Video

Tagged as cain, cigar, cigars, Eddie Ortega, IPCPR, oliva, Ortega

by CigarCraig | July 1, 2012 · 10:06 am

Some Stronger Cigars: Joya de Nicaragua, Cain, Ortega, a Cusano and a Contest!

I found myself smoking more powerhouse cigars lately for some reason. Maybe it was the need for a satisfying smoking experience, or just the luck of the draw, I don’t know. I do know that Wednesday evening I wanted a sure thing, no gambling on a new cigar, something tried and true. I had actually wanted to drive up to Easton to see Jonathan Drew at the Drew Estate event at Leaf cigar bar, but after a long day at work spending three and a half more hours in the car didn’t appeal to me. I’ll see JD at the IPCPR show. So I went for a Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo El Martillo that I had picked up a few months ago when I visited a little shop in Kutztown, PA. The El Martillo is a 5 ½” x 54 over sized robusto and has a beautiful dark wrapper. This is a strong cigar. I remember smoking one of these in Nicaragua while touring the Joya de Nicaragua factory and having to put it down before the strength of the cigar and the heat and humidity in the factory got the better of me. This one was similar, I really needed some sugar when I was done to offset the nicotine effects. A tremendous cigar, maybe less suitable for sultry weather than some other cigars though!

Thursday was the exception to the rule, I had a Cusano 18 Double Connecticut that a business associate had sent me because he came across it and wanted me to try it, unaware that I have smoked these in the past. Of course, I appreciate the sentiment and I do give him a cigar when he visits from the west coast. These are a nice, mellow, flavorful Connecticut wrapped cigar. They were exceptional when Cusano was privately owned, and are no less exceptional under the wing of Davidoff. Pretty, well made and tasty. Gave me an hour and a half or so of pleasure.

Friday I took the day off to visit Monmouth Park in New Jersey with my wife’s family. My Father-in-Law likes to go there, so we celebrate his birthday at the park every year. I took a pocket full of cigars, and spent a few races outside enjoying the heck out of a Cain F Tubed Lancero. I love the Cain line of cigars, I just usually find them too powerful. The beauty of the Lancero is the format forces one to smoke slowly, which keeps the strength from really being a liability. I love the elegance of the Lancero, and this one was perfectly built, loaded with spicy, deliciousness. Like a fine steak, when you take the last bite you’re sad that it’s gone, this cigar made me forget that every darned horse I bet on, whether he led the whole race or not, came in in the bottom three. I strayed from my usual system at the track, yeah….that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Upon arrival home, I took the dog and an Ortega Series D No. 6 for a walk to the local convenience store to pick up a lottery ticket. I’m starting to sound like a real gambler, no wonder I get offers from poker sites for paid links. I’m really a light weight, 2 dollar bets at the track and a dollar twice a week in the Mega Millions isn’t really too bad. I’ve seen people drop thousands on the tables in Vegas. Back to the cigar. Did I mention that the temps were pushing 100° F yesterday? Hot stuff! The No. 6 is a perfect sized cigar, 4½” x 48 and had a beautiful and oily San Andreas Maduro wrapper. Lately, when I know I want a great smoke, I choose one with this wrapper. It just suits me, what can I say. The Series D has a really smooth, refined flavor. No rough edges at all, you could pop these in your mouth all day long like Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Kisses, so it’s not really strong, but very rich and satisfying. Gotta get me some more of these! Well done Eddie!

Contest!

General Cigar Co. has been having a contest on their HoyoDeMonterreyCigar.com site where they are giving away a box of their Reposado en Cedros cigars every day so head over there and try to win a box! These are really tasty smokes! From the press release:

After being handcrafted by a handpicked team of artisans, each Reposado en Cedros cigar undergoes Inmersión, an innovative method of aging created at HATSA, General Cigar’s Honduran cigar factory. With this technique, each cigar is enveloped in fragrant cedar and left to rest for an extended period of time. The cigar matures to a complex, medium-bodied smoke that has won the brand stellar ratings and praise from the premium cigar category’s most discerning experts.

In honor of that, I will give away two (2) Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros 3-packs courtesy of General CigarCo. to a lucky reader for the next four weeks! Please leave a comment to enter. Usual rules apply, and I’ll stress that if you enter, and are chosen as the winner, please contact me with your mailing address so I can send your winnings! A new contest will start each Sunday and the winner will be announced the following Wednesday. If you’ve tried these, you know how good they are, and if you haven’t, here’s a great opportunity to try them!

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

CigarCraig

31 Comments

Filed under Contest, Review

Tagged as Cain F, cigar, cigars, Contest, Cusano, general cigars, Horse Racing, hoyo de monterrey, IPCPR, joya de nicaragua, Ortega, Reposado, Take A Cigar For A Walk

by CigarCraig | May 23, 2012 · 6:12 pm

An Ortega, an Alec Bradley and A Special Cain Cigar

Have you ever heard about a new cigar and, sight unseen, knew you’d love it? When I heard Eddie Ortega of EO Brands/601, Murcielago, etc., was striking out on his own, and I knew he loves the Murcielago, and I love the Murcialago. I had a strong suspicion that his new cigar, the Ortega Serie D would be right up my alley. Of course, I adore a San Andreas wrapper, and the Serie D has that wrapper! I love a nice corona gorda, whattaya know, there’s a corona gorda! While I was at the cigar shop on Saturday I picked up a couple of the Serie D finally, and fired up a No.7 after a nice day out with my wife having dinner at a friends house. Obviously, I had built this cigar up in my mind pretty well, which can be a recipe for disaster. No such luck here, it was a fantastic cigar. Well made, beautiful maduro wrapper and D-licious! I have a No. 12 that I got at the same time, looking forward to smoking that one too. Eddie has a real winner here, but I never doubted that!

Monday evening I had to pick up one of the cars from the shop, so my oldest son and I decided to walk to the shop and took some Alec Bradley New York cigars with us that we had picked up at De La Concha on a visit last year. I smoked the “Gotham” torpedo and my son had the “six two” robusto. These are only available from New York State retailers. I don’t usually like a Criollo wrapper much, but this one was tasty, and it was a reasonably strong cigar. It was pretty tasty and it lasted the entire 3 mile walk to the garage. I picked up some of the other New York State specific cigars at the time, a Gurkha and a La Aurora, and I think this was my favorite. Unfortunately, it’s tough to justify buying cigars in New York if I can help it, but having something exclusive like this makes it difficult to pass up. Nice cigar, try one if you have the opportunity.

Tuesday evening I broke down and grabbed one of those special cigars that you look at every time you open the humidor, but find a reason to save it for a special occasion or something. I finally said “screw it” and selected a Cain Daytona Lancero which was gifted to my by my friend and local Oliva rep, Mike Staiber, last year at the IPCPR show. I really enjoy the Daytona line, I find it milder than the Habano, Maduro and “F” lines, and well balanced. This lancero was no different. I always feel a little fancy smoking a lancero, it’s an elegant size. Unfortunately, it’s not a real popular size, but it’s one I really enjoy as long as I take my time and “sip” the smoke from it so it doesn’t get too hot. Absolutely fantastic cigar, among the best I’ve had recently. Fortunately I have another one floating around, as well as an “F” lancero or two. I understand the Daytona lancero is available now in the special Studio Tabak sampler that is available at their store events. I’ve liked the flavor of all the Cains I’ve smoked, but some are just too darned strong for me. The Daytona solves this problem by giving me that great flavor in a friendlier package. Very nice!