Tag Archives: Reinado

by CigarCraig | July 2, 2014 · 9:30 pm

A 5 Vegas Miami, a Reinado GER and a Nica Rustica Cigar

Things have been going very well with our new dog, Macha. She’s a sweetie, and we’ve been taking short walks since she’s only been three legged for a few weeks. She does remarkably well, and we learned something about her tonight: she’s not a fan of thunderstorms! We also found out that she CAN go up the stairs, where she ran to hide. I’m hoping none of our neighbors have fireworks this weekend! She’s been a joy so far, I think we got lucky.

Monday I selected a 5 Vegas Miami Toro, a traditional 6″ x 50. This cigar has a Ecuador Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and smoked very well. These are made in the G.R. Tabacaleras Co. in Miami. I received this sample in a pack from Gran Habano, and I really haven’t smoked many 5 Vegas cigars lately. This was a really tasty and well behaved cigar despite having a slight bend to it. I found it to have a nice strength, and some pepper and nuts. I really enjoyed this cigar after a short walk and hanging out on the deck with the dog.

Please join me in welcoming Reinado Cigars to the CigarCraig Family! Click the graphic on the right sidebar to see everything they have to offer in the Reinado Empire! I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with Antonio Lam, the man behind the brand on numerous occasions and he’s a great guy, and makes some delicious cigars. Tuesday I decided to smoke their newest offering, the Reinado Grand Empire Reserve Ecuador Connecticut Petit Lancero. This cigar is being released at the IPCPR show later this month, so look for it on store shelves sometime soon. My only complaint with this cigar is the “petit” part, I wished it was a longer cigar, the experience ended too soon. I seem to be smoking quite a few really good Ecuador Connecticut cigars lately, and I don’t regularly reach for that wrapper. Along with cigars like the Recluse Amadeus, the Nomad Connecticut Fuerte, and the Jaxx LT, this is another winner in that category. A few years ago the “not your father’s Connecticut” schtick was getting a little tired, but this years batch of Connecticuts are very good. The Reinado is medium bodied and loaded with flavor, and is smooth and well balanced. This would be a great cigar in the morning with a cup of coffee. If it were 7½” x 38 instead of only 6″ it would be even more awesome than it is. If I were using my rating scale with this one it would fall somewhere between 98 and 99!

Tonight I was lazy and grabbed a Nica Rustica El Brujito from Drew Estate. I make sure I have some of these on hand at all times, as it’s become one of my favorite go-to cigars. After a short walk with the dog, who lets me know when she’s ready to head home by stopping and refusing to go any further, forcing me to turn back. We sopped to introduce her to a neighbor and we talked for five minutes before she realized the dog was missing a leg. Macha doesn’t realize she’s any different from any other dog. As I said before, a thunderstorm rolled in, frightening the dog and forcing me into the garage to finish my cigar. The Nica Rustica is a terrific smoke, if you like no-nonsense, strong, dark flavors. The Broadleaf wrapper is dark and rustic, and has some sweetness. I miss the wild grown nicotiana rustica that they used in the prototypes, but the regular production is really good.

Once again, don’t forget to head over to Cigar Rights of America and follow the links to comment on the FDA Deeming Document. In talking with Glynn Loope on Saturday he pointed out that two of our (Premium Cigars) opponents are the health care organizations and big tobacco! I guess I get the fact that the cigarette companies want the playing field leveled, but it’s a shame that they aren’t fighting more tobacco legislation instead of trying to hurt the cigar industry. The FDA needs to know that regulation of Premium Cigars will not only put Americans out of work and close hundreds of small businesses, but will have a devastating impact on the economies of the cigar and tobacco producing companies in the Caribbean and Central America. We need to push for exemption with no price or weight restrictions, or all of the cigars will be over $10 and we won’t have new blends, cigar events, or any of the other cool things we enjoy about this adult pastime.

If you get a chance, check out Houston’s Prime Living Magazine. Page 55 has a little article about cigars in what looks like it will be a regular cigar feature. That’s it for now, until the next time,

CigarCraig

7 Comments

Filed under Editorial, Review

Tagged as 5 Vegas, cigar, cigar rights, cigars, drew estate, Nica Rustica, Prime Living, Reinado

by CigarCraig | September 4, 2013 · 6:24 pm

The Sport of Kings with Kings Cigars, a UF-13 and a Reinado Grand Empire Reserve

OK, it’s time to get back on track! Monday was Labor Day, the last Monday holiday that most of us get off for the year, and the unofficial end of summer. Of course, those of us who are in massive denial will swear to you that September 21st is the end of summer, so there’s still 3 weeks left! Personally, since August was unseasonably cool, I think we need at least another month of summer! What can I say, I like summer!

Monday my wife, her dad and I went to Delaware Park. I don’t mind dropping a couple buck playing the ponies from time to time, especially when I can enjoy a fine cigar in the process. I selected a King’s Cigars King of Kings, which is their box pressed, 6” x 60, Habano wrapped beauty that Anwar and Pete said I should let rest for a while as they weren’t quite ready yet. I figured it had been six or seven weeks since I received the cigars, so it was time to try one. If you recall, we enjoyed spending some time with the guys from Kings at the IPCPR show, and I really enjoyed the Conde Churchill, which has my favorite San Andreas wrapper. This cigar has a Habano wrapper, Habano Criollo binder and their proprietary filler blend. I had a heck of a time getting this sucker lit, as it was pretty breezy at the track, and once I finally did get it burning well it started to rain! It rained off and on while we were there, so we spent a few races sitting in the grandstand under the roof. My main complaint about this cigar, it’s one major failing, was that it failed to discourage a couple with two small crying children from sitting directly behind us. I don’t understand, since the cigar produced copious amounts of smoke, and there were plenty of empty seats in places where crying children wouldn’t be so much of a bother. It’s not like I walked up and parked myself in front of them with my cigar. A smoke billowing cigar should create a buffer zone around oneself in a place like that! I guess there’s the old fart in me coming out…anyway, great smoke, looking forward to revisiting this in another month or two, and the Barons and Condes remaining in the humidor are calling my name. Nice smokes, nice guys, have no idea what the price points on these are as I haven’t seen them on any local store shelves. My IPCPR interview with the guys from Kings Cigars is here.

When I got home I took the dog for a walk with a Drew Estate Liga Privada Serie Unico UF-13 Dark which came back with me from Nicaragua last May. I may be able to confidently state that this is my favorite among the Unico series, I think I like it a little better than the Dirty Rat, however my sample sizes have been pretty small on the other sizes. It’s a happenin smoke, thats for sure. I always seem to lose the fancy fantail when I pull the cigar from the cello, but that’s OK since it’s coming off anyway. I appreciate the work that goes into these special cap treatments, but it seems a shame since they get lopped off anyway. Darned yummy friggin cigar!

Tuesday I grabbed a Reinado Grand Empire Reserve Corona Gorda, which is a new size in the line which was released at the IPCPR show along with the Toro and the Petite Lancero. This is one of my favorite sizes at 5 5/8” x 46 and punched perfectly with my Screwpop punch. This dark and oily, rich flavored cigar is described by brand owner Antonio Lam as a flavor bomb, and I couldn’t agree more. I really love the cigars in this line, they really have everything I look for as far as flavor and construction. I just wish I could get them cheaper! These are fantastic smokes and if you like the dark side (heavy, dark espresso/cocoa flavors) like I do, seek them out and give them a try. Here’s a video with Antonio from the IPCPR show:

That’s it for now. I’m going to hunt down something interesting for tonight’s walk and start getting ready for another weekend! I would love it if every week was a 3 day weekend and a four day work week. I have to try to find a situation like that.

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

2 Comments

Filed under IPCPR, Review, Video

Tagged as cigar, cigars, drew estate, Grand Empire Reserve, IPCPR, Kings, liga privada, Reinado

by CigarCraig | June 26, 2013 · 8:36 pm

A Bunch of Cigars: UF-13 Dark, Reinado, Draig, NicaRoma and a La Gloria Cubana

I’ve had a good cigar week so far! It started Sunday afternoon when I decided to treat myself to one of my rare Liga Privada Serie Unico UF-13 Dark. I know when I want to have a really outstanding cigar experience I can rely on something Liga Privada or one of it’s cousins from Drew Estate, an Undercrown or a Chateau Real (maduro). So I hit the back deck with the UF-13 dark and clipped off the fancy fan tailed cap. An aside, I always feel a little bad lopping off fancy caps. I love the look, it really ads to the presentation, but it’s such a waste of the roller’s time making something that’s going to get cut off right off the bat. I know, they are sitting there all day making things that have the sole purpose of being burned away to ashes, but that’s the way my twisted mind works. Always thinking in terms of practicality. Anyway, the UF-13 Dark is a fabulous example of the art, and is a tasty cigar. Loads of lush, full flavors and tons of smoke. It ranks up there with my favorites in the the line.

After a special dinner out with the family at a fairly new Italian restaurant up the road from us (I had a chicken parmigiana the size of a dinner plate, which I also enjoyed for dinner Monday night) I pulled out another sure thing cigar, a Reinado Grand Empire Reserve in the original robusto size. this cigar was given to my by brand owner Antonio Lam when we met up in New Jersey a few months ago. Once again, a perfect cigar. the draw and burn were dead on perfect, and it was loaded with flavor. Like the earlier cigar, it was full and lush and satisfying. I’m glad these are coming out in more sizes, because the toro I smoked a while ago was great, more of a good thing! As often happens, I was sad when this cigar was done! If you can get your hands on these do it!

Monday evening after some running around, a corona was going to fit into my evening walk rather nicely, so I thought I’d give the Emilio Draig K corona another shot. I was less than impressed with the first corona I smoked, but I recall really digging a pre-production toro that Gary Griffith had given me last year. I had hoped some humidor time would help, and this had been in my humidor over 6 months. I likened this cigar to an over roasted coffee (who’s brand will remain nameless due to their recent smoking policy) with dark, almost burnt flavors. The jet black Columbian maduro wrapper was reminiscent of the original Habano2000 wrapper that came out in the late 90s that was often compared to Nomex, which is a flame retardant material often used on electrical wiring. This wrapper didn’t want to burn and required frequent touch ups and relights. I can safely say that this is just about the only cigar in Gary’s stable of cigars, and brands he distributes, for that matter, that I really have trouble with. That’s not to say I didn’t burn my fingers nubbing it, I’m the eternal optimist when it comes to cigars, and I almost always find some little thing to enjoy. Often it the time relaxing with a cigar that makes me forgive a lot. Oddly, I’ll continue to try these when I have the opportunity.

Tuesday was “something new” night, and I went with a cigar from the folks at Villiger that I hadn’t tried yet. The NicaRoma line is a Nicaraguan cigar that is 60% long filler and 40% Grade A Picadura, Picadura being a fancy word for scraps or chaveta cuts left over from the rolling tables. I’m certainly no snob when it comes to cigars, and I like a budget cigar as much as the next guy. This line comes in Ecuador Connecticut, Habano and Maduro wrappers and is on;y available in a toro size. Guess which one I had to try first? Of course, the maduro, which is Mexican San Andreas, do I have to say it’s my favorite wrapper? Anyway, I gave this the V-cut and it drew and burned perfectly. This is a very nice smoke to my palate, not complicated, but plenty of medium bodied flavor that has those dark coffee and cocoa notes I like so much. the website lists the MSRP on these at $3.99, certainly well worth it and deserving of a try. It wasn’t until the very end of the smoke that I got any sense that it has short filler. I look forward to trying the other two wrappers, and thank you to Anne at Villiger for sending these along. I’ve already shared a few and hope to be able to include a guest review in the near future.

Finally, this evening I decided to smoke a La Gloria Cubana Rabito de Cochina, which comes three cigars to a little plexi-topped coffin box. These cigar have been around since the 2011 IPCPR show where I was first introduced to them. They are a 6½ x 46 cigar with a curly pig-tailed cap, wrapped in a ribbon. I picked up the box of three on a visit to Cigars International’s store in Hamburg, PA on my last visit, I think they set me back about $10, putting them on a par, price-wise with the NicaRoma, which is astounding. The construction is what I’d call a Cuban style, as it’s a loose roll, with a very free draw. I have mixed emotions about this cigar: on the one hand, I’m glad I still have two left, on the other hand I’m sad that I only have two! This was a terrific cigar, as long as you smoked it gently like one would a lancero. It had nice, well balanced flavors and was an excellent representation of the La Gloria brand. Considering you can get three excellent cigars for, basically, the price of one, these aren’t just a great way to spend an hour or so, but very good value. I have been keeping these in the Adorini Cedro Deluxe Humidor from HumidorDiscount.com which has been working very well. I’ve only had it a few weeks, and it was very quick to get set up and ready to go. So far I would have no problem recommending this humidor. It’s not a cheap humidor, it’s certainly well made and works quite well! My thanks to HumidorDiscount.com for letting me try this humidor out.

I’ve rambled on long enough here! Sunday’s post will undoubtedly have something to do with the Cigarnival at Famous Smokeshop’s location in Easton, PA on Saturday. I’ve never been to an event of this kind, so I’m not sure what to expect, but I hope to see a few friends there!

Until then,

CigarCraig

3 Comments

Filed under Review

Tagged as Adorini, cigar, cigars, Draig, drew estate, Emilio, general cigars, La Gloria Cubana, liga privada, NicaRoma, Reinado, UF-13, Villiger

by CigarCraig | November 21, 2012 · 8:55 pm

Thanksgiving Week Cigars – Cain, ORTSAC, Reinado and an Opus X

It’s the eve of Thanksgiving, and leading up to the holiday I smoked some tasty cigars! I know, what makes this week any different, you ask? It’s one of the many things I have to be thankful for. In addition to having a nice home and a wonderful family, we have some great cigars to smoke! Things could be a lot worse, and they are for a lot of people. Anyway, I smoked a few cigars this week, so here’s a little recap:

I started off the week, or ended the weekend, with a really nice Cain F 550. This is a beautiful 5¾ x 50 cigar with loads of flavor and strength. I have enjoyed the Cain line since it’s launch, generally prefer them with some age. This one I believe came from the IPCPR show, so it didn’t have too much age, but enough to round out the rough edges. The tubed lancero in this line is awesome, and this cross between a robusto and a toro was just as tasty. Smoke one after a nice steak dinner, you won’t be disappointed! I’ve got Cains scattered around the humidors and I’m thankful that I do!

Monday evening I just knew I had to try the ORTSAC 1962 Habano. I received a pair of these along with the ORTSAC 1962 San Andreas that I raved about in a previous post. This was a different, but outstanding cigar. It was well rounded and smoked very well. If you’re keeping score, I didn’t really much care for the regular ORTSAC 1962, but the San Andreas and Habano have made me a believer. Since I’m a fan of the Tortuga line from Victor Vitale’s stable, I’m quickly becoming a fan of this gentleman’s blends. One can’t be expected to like everything, but the last several blends have been winners for me. Victor is a heck of a nice guy too, and I’m looking forward to meeting up with him for a smoke in the not too distant future.

Tuesday I selected a Reinado Grand Empire Reserve for my evening smoke. I was given this robusto by brand owner Antonio Lam at the IPCPR show last August. I spoke with Antonio for minute at the show, you can watch the video below. This is a lovely Nicaraguan cigar that burned perfectly and provided me with in excess of an hour of smokey enjoyment. It was savory with a little sweetness that made my palate happy. I’ll hunt down a few of these to keep in the humidor as it was a really nice smoke.

To celebrate the end of a short work week, and the beginning of a four day weekend, I cracked open my “special” humidor. This humidor was a gift to me for my tenth wedding anniversary. My wife had a furniture maker friend make it, so it’s truly one of a kind. It’s been the home to the small selection of Havanas as well as some higher end cigars. It’s been about ten months since I really smoked anything from this humidor, I pulled a couple of Romeo y Julieta Coronitas en Cedros from it to celebrate my youngest son’s 18th birthday. Anyway, it’s my obligation to test a cigar from there periodically to make sure they are in good shape so I selected an Fuente Fuente Opus X Super Belicoso that must have spent the last decade or so resting in there. I can’t remember the last time I smoked an Opus X, it could have been in 2000. I initially thought the unlit wrapper smelled like cocoa beans, but my wife smelled cedar and I have to go along with her on that. I guess the conditions in that humidor are acceptable, because the cigar burned great and was loaded with classic cedary flavors. It was a great smoke, I wish I could remember where it came from. It had a $13.49 price sticker on the amber cello, and I haven’t priced these recently so I don’t know what that means! I think there are a couple more Opus X cigars floating around in there, I suppose I’ll have to smoke another one of these days!