Tag Archives: Smoke Inn

by CigarCraig | January 4, 2015 · 10:36 am

Tops of The Year, Roberto P. Duran Winner and General Nonsense

Today’s post is going to be a little of everything. It’s my last day of a 14 day vacation, and I really want to get something accomplished today, so I want to get this done! I’ve got some top “x” lists, Some cigars I smoked, and a contest winner! I’ll start with some cigars I smoked that I found interesting. I generally spend the end of December smoking either cigars that are featured in the giveaways, or cigars I’ve featured in the past and want to revisit, or special occasion cigars. I smoked a bunch of each this year. Around Christmas I smoked a Padron 1964 Exclusivo and a Drew Estate Serie Unico Feral Flying Pig. The Pig was a bit of a surprise, it was the first of this size I’ve smoked. It was super smooth and full of rich flavor and I swear I got some cinnamon at the halfway point. This example came back with me from Nicaragua a year and a half ago, and I would have picked up a couple more when I saw them locally except for the $19 price tag. The Feral Flying Pig was a “wow” cigar for me, perhaps the best cigar I smoked all year. My wife got me this cool cast iron pig holding what looks like a tobacco leaf for me for Christmas. The Exclusivo was pretty darned good too!

New Years Eve we stopped in to Cigar Mojo in King of Prussia, PA for a smoke and I picked up some of the Rocky Patel Prohibition cigars that I’ve been wanting to try. These come in glass jars, and one has a San Andrés wrapper and one has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, and both are a 6½” x 52 toro. It seems that most of the Rocky Patel cigars I have, or have had, are a toro size, is it just me? Anyway, I smoked the San Andreas on New Years Eve and it was a good Mexican maduro smoke. It was a little smoother than the typical “dirty” sensation you get from Mexican tobacco, and was an enjoyable smoke. I smoked the Broadleaf version New Years Day, after a fun afternoon with my family in our annual tradition of watching the Winter Classic hockey game on TV, while eating and playing with the granddaughters. I think I liked the Broadleaf version better, it had a nice sweetness that I really liked. I will smoke a few more of each, as I tend to like both San Andrés and Broadleaf about the same. Good smokes, interesting packaging as they come packed in glass jars within wooden crates, an homage to bootlegging practices during prohibition. Of course, the parallel being drawn is cigars to liquor prohibition in the ’20s, which it what “they” are trying to do to tobacco, and we know how well prohibition worked out! It gave us organized crime and NASCAR! 🙂

Tops

I’m far too lazy to compile my own list of great cigars I smoked over the year. There are a lot of exceptional cigars out there, it’s really hard to go wrong. Quite a few of my colleagues in the blogosphere like to make them, so here’s a short list of some that I came across in no particular order of preference.

http://tobacconistuniversityblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/top-10-dumbest-of-2014.html

http://archive.aweber.com/nomadcigar/GIVxr/h/My_Top_Cigars_of_2014.htm

http://www.stogiereview.com/2014/12/15/top-10-cigars-tgt-edition-2014/

http://www.casasfumando.com/top-10-cigars-2014-tony-casas-edition/

http://www.askmen.com/top_10/travel/top-10-cigars.html

http://top25.cigaraficionado.com/

http://www.thecigarnut.com/the-cigar-nuts-countdown-2014-number-1/

http://www.leafenthusiast.com/cigar-review/

http://www.leafenthusiast.com/daves-choice-cigar-of-the-year_2014/

http://www.cigar-coop.com/p/the-cigar-countdown-began-saturday.html

Keep an eye on Halfwheel.com, they usually go through all the sites and put together a consensus, which goes through a bunch of the various top whatever lists. Keep an eye open for that in the coming weeks. I think my favs of the year were the Arandoza Red Label (with the White Label right up there), and anything Tortuga. There are far too many great cigars out there!

My list, once again, is a tribute to you, the reader. Here is this year’s top commentors of 2014! Thank you all for reading along and participating! Without you all I’d be talking to myself!

Contest

Of course we start off 2015 with another great giveaway! Thanks to Roberto Duran Cigars for providing a box of the very tasty Doberto P. Duran Premium Rio Toa. I smoked the Cacique Guama 6 x 60 last night and really enjoyed the smooth, well balanced and complexity of this cigar. It’s sophisticated. The winner of these is really going to enjoy them, I think. Also thanks to the other generous sponsors who over did it and left me with more than I could give away in the 12SDoCG, even in 14 days, as well as the odds and ends I had laying around! Smoke Inn, Drew Estate, 2 Guys Smokeshop primarily. This time I let RaffleCopter do the heavy lifting for me. It makes things easy for me, but I want to know how you all felt about it. I thought the turnout was rather low, and I don’t know if RaffleCopter is off-putting or what. Either way, we have a winner. Here’s the screenshot of RaffleCopter’s selection. Congrats to Mark!

That’s more than enough for today! Time to get on with the last day of vacation!

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

15 Comments

Filed under Contest, Editorial, News, Review

Tagged as 2 Guys Smokeshop, cigar, Cigar Mojo, cigars, Contest, drew estate, Roberto P. Duran, Smoke Inn, The Cigar Authority

by CigarCraig | December 26, 2014 · 8:37 am

CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways 2014: Wrap Up!

Well folks, it’s finally over! It was a great couple weeks worth of great cigar giveaways! We had a never before seen 14 days! For that we have a bunch of folks to thank. Please let all these folks know that we appreciate their generosity. Nobody HAS to give away their cigars! We certainly appreciate the opportunity to make a bunch of folks happy and maybe turn people on to some new cigars and brands. Thanks to the following sponsors:

Gurkha
Drew Estate
Smoke Inn
Joya de Nicaragua
Arandoza (three times!)
Tortuga
United Cigar Retailers
General Cigars (CAO, Foundry and Cohiba)
Nomad Cigars
Miami Cigar and Company

The Flor de la Reine was the only cigar in the whole 14 days that I had never smoked, but Barry at The Cigar Authority (which is associated with United Cigar Retailers) gives it the thumbs up, so I didn’t have any reservations about including it. The rest I had smoked in maybe a different size or shape, but I’ve sampled the brand and they are all cigars I really like. There were a total of 274 cigars, three hats, two ashtrays, two t-shirts, two backpacks, a knife, a metal poster, a lighter and a cutter. Shipping costs are yet to be calculated, but I should loo for an official shipping sponsor for next year! Also, there are a couple of people who I missed seeing this year. Please join me in remembering George Satterfield and Dawn Christopher, who’s untimely departure from this plane of existence left huge voids in their families lives. I never met them, but they were frequent visitors to the site, and the 12SDoCG event. I missed seeing their comments, and their families have my sincere condolences. If it means anything, I dedicate this year’s contests to their memory. On a positive note, the next contest will be on New Years Eve, and I’m wiping the slate clean, everyone is eligible to enter this one, and it will be some good stuff!

Winners!

You probably want to know who won the crazy Day 14 prize from Miami Cigar and Company, right? The lucky recipient of the box of Nestor Miranda Collection Habano 46×6, T-shirt, ashtray and back pack is comment number 110, as selected by the random number generator at Random.org. I adjusted for a post from a prior winner and arrived at Joe K as the winner! Joe, send me your address so I can get this to you! I actually met Joe at an event a few months ago, so I might be able to save some shipping money and meet him for a smoke someplace!

Finally, the winner of the Arandoza White Labels back on day 7 never sent me his address, and I tried e-mailing twice and both e-mails came back as undeliverable So I picked another name from Day 7’s comments! Smokin_Dave, please send your address! (I’ll e-mail and hope you gave the right address). It’s probably best if you enter a contest to check to see if you won (although I’m guilty of forgetting that myself!), but at least leave the right e-mail address! I’m not selling the addresses to spammers or anything, I just would like to be able to contact you to send you cigars!

That’s all for now! I hope you all enjoyed the last few weeks! Thank you for participating, I wish I could send each of you a box of great cigars, but I can’t so you’ll just have to keep taking your chances on these contests! 🙂

Until the next time,

CigarCriag

22 Comments

Filed under Contest

Tagged as 12 days, cigar, cigars, Contest, drew estate, Flor de la Reine, Foundry, general cigars, Gurkha, joya de nicaragua, Nestor Miranda, Nomad, Smoke Inn, Tortuga, United Cigar Retailers

by CigarCraig | December 13, 2014 · 6:46 am

CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways 2014 Day 3: Smoke Inn

Day 2 is in the books and we are going to keep forging ahead! I’m up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday and can’t think of anything to write, so the winner of the Drew Estate present is Matt Henrich! Many thanks again to all the folks at Drew Estate for providing these gifts!

Smoke Inn/Kiss My Ash Radio

Day 3 brings us to the fine folks at Smoke Inn and Kiss My Ash Radio. Since today is Saturday, if you are reading this early enough, you can tune into Kiss My Ash radio and listen live at KissMyAshRadio.com from 10am to noon Eastern Standard Time, or download the podcast and listen whenever you want. Abe at Smoke Inn has provided two boxes from his Microblend series, the 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster, a 5½ x 56 box pressed Figurado (box of ten) and the Quesada Oktoberfest Dunkel, which is a Broadleaf wrapped version of the Oktoberfest line (box of 15). These are both delicious, both limited production and will look great sitting on the rim of the huge KMA Ceramic Ashtray. A KMA cap rounds out today’s present. Could I have split this up into two spectacular days? Sure, but whats the fun in that? Thanks to Abe and his gang at Smoke Inn and Kiss My Ash Radio!

Rules

All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on that day’s post and if you like, in one sentence tell us what comes to mind when you think of Smoke Inn. It’s not a condition to win, but I’d like for the folks who make this all possible to come away with some consumer feedback. Also, be sure to visit the links for each item. Comments on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else will not count, but feel free to spread the word!

Until tomorrow,

CigarCraig

101 Comments

Filed under Contest

Tagged as 12 days, cigar, cigars, Contest, Kiss My Ash Radio, Smoke Inn

by CigarCraig | November 20, 2013 · 8:07 pm

Balls of Steel, Smoke Inn Toy Drive and Felipe Gregorio Defiant Cigars

I have to mix things up a little bit from time to time, so before I get into the cigars I’ve enjoyed on my evening walks, I’d like to share a couple of opportunities to be charitable. The first item I’d like to share is from OriginalBOS.com. Balls of Steel is an ice alternative for those of you who enjoy chilled spirits. Fifteen percent of the proceeds go toward testicular cancer research. I don’t drink, but I do have testicles, as do many of you, I’m sure, so I felt it appropriate to share here. Here’s what they have to say:

“OriginalBOS was founded to create a community for men with a very serious issue in a light-hearted way that gives every man the opportunity to feel like a distinguished gentleman by using Balls of Steel Whiskey Chillers. By providing a useful and conversation-starting product – really, it might sound like a 17 year old named it, but just try to say ‘Balls of Steel’ to a stranger without an explanation – OriginalBOS is opening up a national dialogue about the realities of testicular cancer while hopefully encouraging some smiles . . . and probably a few furrowed brows.”

So grow a pair and buy some! They make a great Christmas present, can’t you picture Santa pulling them out of his sack and putting them under your tree? I know you can’t wait to get your hands on a pair of these. There have to be a handful of funny jokes about this product, but I can’t think of any. Nuts!

In other news, Smoke Inn in Florida is holding a toy drive benefitting kids with cancer. You could possibly win some very nice cigar prizes just for shipping them a new toy. Details are in the graphic below (or above, depending on the device you use to read this). There are some incredible prizes, but thinking of the little bit of joy you could bring to a child is worth the cost of a toy.

On to the cigars. I’ve been working my way through some more IPCPR samples, and figured I’d smoke my way through the three varieties of the Defiant from Felipe Gregorio. Of course, I always smoke from darkest to lightest when given the opportunity, so I went with a reddish, oily wrapped cigar which was the Habano Marron first, then the Corojo, and finally the Connecticut. All three were 5” x 50 robustos and all had the same band. These are a nice representation of how much the wrapper changes the flavor of a cigar, since these are all the same filler and binder with the only difference being the wrapper. I have to say, I personally enjoyed the Connecticut more of the three, oddly enough. They all had bee in my humidor since the trade show in July, and they all exhibited similar burn problems, uneven burns, and some tunneling. The Habano Marron had a bitterness that I didn’t particularly care for, and the Corojo wasn’t bad, but wasn’t particularly memorable. The Connecticut had a pleasant sweetness that I enjoyed, although the burn was a distraction. I’m anything but typical, and walking the dog in the dark may not be the perfect environment, but most of my cigars burn well and give me enjoyment. I’m sorry to say that this line probably won’t be on my re-smoke list, but your mileage may vary.

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

CigarCraig

1 Comment

Filed under News, Review

Tagged as Balls of Steel, cigar, cigars, Contest, Defiant, Felipe Gregorio, Smoke Inn, Toy Drive

by CigarCraig | September 15, 2013 · 4:06 pm

Berger and Argenti, Smoke Inn’s Quesada Micoblend and Fratello Cigars

I’m still working on smoking IPCPR show samples, but a couple smokes came into my possession since the show that I thought needed mentioning. Thursday evening I smoked a Berger and Argenti “Fatso” Dipper. This funny little 4″x 62 perfecto is severely square pressed. It actually measures about one inch x one-half inch, giving it the same proportions as a 2×4. The first example I smoked a couple weeks ago left me in quite a quandary as to how to cut it. I tried the V cutter and ended up butchering it pretty good. This time I used my new Xikar MTX scissors and was able to get a clean cut. I’ve been getting used to using these scissors and they are razor sharp. The last thing one should to is try to wipe any bits of scrap tobacco off the blades with ones finger. Just saying. Anyway, back to the Fatso. This cigars have Nicaraguan fillers, an Ecuador Sumatra binder and a Nicaraguan maduro wrapper. I’ve enjoyed a bunch of cigars from these guys, the Mooch Schnorr being my favorite, but this little cigar is fun to smoke and has some interesting and unique flavors that keep my attention. The unusual shape in the hand and mouth take a little getting used to.

Abe Dababneh at Smoke Inn has had some terrific smokes in his Micro Blend series. Of the couple I’ve had the pleasure of smoking, most have been right up my alley in flavor, notably the Tatuaje Apocalypse and the Room 101 Big Delicious. This week they are releasing the next in the series, the Quesada Octoberfest Dunkel. Full disclosure: I’ve not smoked any of the previous Octoberfest cigars, and my experience with Quesada cigars is limited to he Casa Magna lines to the best of my recollection. The Dunkel wraps the standard Quesada Octoberfest blend with a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper, finished with a thin strip of Ecuador Connecticut at the foot. This makes it look a little like a dark beer with a head on it. This cigar is blended to pair with beer. I quit drinking 20 years ago so if I were to pair this with anything it would be root beer or ginger beer. Having neither of these on hand, I just hitched up the dog and took a nice long walk. The little bit of Ecuador Connecticut at the foot makes it start out with a creamy flavor, which gives way to the sweet, rich broadleaf quite quickly. For me, this was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I loved the flavor. It probably would have burned perfectly if not for the breeze, and the fact that I was lazy and threw the bag with the cigars and a Boveda pack with a 72 on it in he humidor instead of talking them out. I have a second one that I’ll let dry a little. Smoke Inn is launching this cigar on Friday, so I figured if they were nice enough to send me a couple, I should write about it before then. Thanks to Abe and his gang.

Today I smoked a cigar that was new at this year’s IPCPR show. Fratello Cigars made quite an impression at the show. Omar de Frias is a former professional basketball player, worked for NASA, and grew up next to a cigar shop in the Dominican Republic. He’s also very tall. I came home from the show with a Fratello corona, and an appreciation for Omar and his cigar line. First off, the band is not shaped like a normal band. Off of the cigar it has a chevron shape, and must take some extra effort in the factory to apply properly. It’s red and clearly states the name of the cigar. The wrapper is a Nicaraguan Habano, the binder is Ecuador Sumatra and the fillers are Nicaraguan and Peruvian. These tobaccos all team up to make for a very nice smoke, medium to full bodied with loads of flavors. I enjoyed this cigar for a little over an hour on this beautiful, late summer Sunday on the back deck. If you happen to find yourself in the Washington D.C. area on Friday, September 20, 2013, stop in to W. Curtis Drapers in Bethesda, MD for the release party. Omar is a terribly nice gentleman and he’s making some very tasty cigars! The video interview I did with Omar tells the story better than I can: