Sammy’s Smokes | CigarCraig's Blog

I planned poorly this week. I put a cigar into the rotation that I thought was new to me, until I smoked it and double checked and I had smoked it back in 2022. I really like the H.Upmann by A.J. Fernandez line, and the Heritage is on the strong side, but very good. I would say more, but I already wrote about it in an April, 2022 post (here). So that left me short for today’s post. I need to go shop for some new to me cigars (not a mooch)! Anyway, I was pleased to receive some cigars from the folks at Don Doroteo Cigars to try, the Don Doroteo El Alcalde torpedo, with an Ecuador Sumatra binder and wrapper, and fillers from Brazil and Dominican Republic, where the cigar was made. These boast 15 year aged tobaccos, hard to believe from a fairly new company, you say? Considering they work with La Aurora, one of the oldest cigar factories, this becomes more plausible. If I remember correctly, the namesake of this cigar, Doroteo Delgado grew tobacco for the La Aurora company for many years, so there’s a connection. I think you have to like Sumatra tobacco to like this cigar. It starts out with a sour citrus flavor to my palate, with some cinnamon notes in the second half. This is a very entertaining cigar, flavorwise, and the burn and draw were outstanding, as they should be in a $30 cigar. I’m hit or miss with cigars from this factory, but this one kept my interest. Thank you to Gabriel Piñeres for sending these along!

There’s an animated series called ” “Sammy’s Smokes” in production which is looking for voice actors. Applications can be submitted here. Here’s the description from the site: “Seeking talented voice-over actors for an upcoming animated series, “Sammy’s Smokes,” which brings to life the quirky world of a smoke shop and its colorful employees and patrons. Set in the bustling city, this series combines humor, heart, and a slice of life, with each episode exploring the dynamics between the characters and their adventures within the community. We aim to capture a wide audience with our unique, engaging stories and vivid, dynamic animation style.” I wish I had the credentials to apply, I don’t think I fit any of the profiles they are looking for. I’m looking forward to seeing this.

It’s been a while since I’ve featured a Casa de Montecristo exclusive, probably before it was a national chain. I received a surprise package from Casa de Montecristo with a Southern Draw Rose of Sharon Dozen Roses. This is a CdM exclusive, and is a Salomon measuring 7 1/8″ x 58, a formidable size cigar. This has an Ecuador Connecticut shade wrapper over Nicaraguan fillers and binder, with some Dominican in the blend as well. It’s made at the A.J.Fernandez factory, like all of the Southern Draw line. I’ve smoked a bunch of this size cigars from this factory, and they really know what they’re doing, I touched the nipple foot of the cigar with a torch and it burned and drew perfectly, and ended up with an even burn once it got going. This isn’t a mild Connecticut, like most of the Rose of Sharon line, it’s got some body and loads of flavor. It has some baking spices and creaminess, with some leather. It was really quite good, and I enjoyed it for nearly two hours. Thank you Joe Gro for sending them! These are available at Casa de Montecristo locations as well as on their website (link is an affiliate link).