Suburban | CigarCraig's Blog

Some retailers have a shtick….Stogies in Houston has a line of exclusive Lanceros, and, on the opposite end of the spectrum Best Cigar Prices has their Robolo series. Oddly, I’m a fan of both sizes. The Robolo is a 4½” x 60, a little longer than an Oliva Nub, and not quite as long as a 6″ x 60, obviously. I’ve smoked a few of what must be about 15 lines in this size, and find it to be a pleasant size to smoke in terms of smoking time and quality of the smoke and burn. Yesterday I lit up one of the newer additions to this category, the EP Carillo Robolo. This is the 4½” x 60 take on the EPC Core Line blend, and I don’t know that I’ve smoked many of the regular sizes in that line. Based on this example, I probably should give them a try. About half way through I hit a stretch of a very entertaining sweet spice, exotic tasting, I’m not sure what it reminded me of specifically, but it caught my attention and made me happy. This may be an odd size and perhaps a little big around for some, but in the case of the EP Carillo offering, it seems to work.

Last night I finally made it to The Suburban Tavern & Restaurant outside of Reading PA. This is a rather unique arrangement, there is a bar and restaurant on the first floor, and, with a separate entrance, the cigar shop and lounge upstairs. I enlisted Mike C., one of the winners in the 12SDoCG last month who lives in the area to ride shotgun. Thanks to another local reader and friend, Corey Z. for the twitter heads up that they were having a Las Cumbres Tabaco Event, I would be remiss if I didn’t take advantage of a chance to visit with José and Emma again. I had smoked a Freyja Valhalla (5½” x 50) earlier in the week, not knowing about this event, but I lit up another one last night. As I mentioned in my last post, it’s unusual when I smoke the same cigar twice in a week, when I do it either says there was a problem with the first one and I wanted to give it a fair shot, or that I really like the cigar. In the case of the Freyja, it’s the latter, what a great cigar. It’s a little sneaky in that the strength isn’t apparent from the start, if you aren’t careful with your pace, the second half can send you reaching for some sugar to settle your stomach. I avoided this last night by pre-gaming with leftover Beef and Broccoli and Pork Fried Rice. The Freyja is a flavorful smoke, I like the underlying earthiness of the Mexican binder, and the sweet spiciness. Emma killed it with her initial release, very tasty.

The Lounge at the Suburban Tavern’s Cigar Lounge is a comfortable and inviting place. It’s above the bar and restaurant, and you can get take-out from downstairs if you want. The front part had a walk-in humidor, the checkout counter, and some leather couches and a TV. Then there are another two rooms with leather chairs and couches, a table or two, and no shortage of ashtrays. The third room from the front is a bar area. Gary, the owner, tells me that he’s just begun selling memberships with after-hours entry, and lockers, and sales have been brisk. I poked my head in the humidor and it appeared well stocked and appropriately maintained. It was a 45 minute drive for me, but worth the trip as Gary was a gracious host and the clientele was friendly. If you find your self in the Reading, PA area, this is a safe haven!

The second cigar I lit up last night was the Señorial lancero. This Lancero is 7″ x 38, with the same Ecuador Habano wrapper, Esteli binder and Dominican fillers as the other sizes in the line. Even after smoking what I consider to be the stronger Freyja, the lancero was loaded with flavor. The burn and draw were excellent, and the rich, sometimes sweet flavors were pleasant. Somehow smoking cigars with the people who blended them enhances the experience greatly, especially when it’s people who are as passionate about the tobacco as José and Emma are. I added another Lancero to my collection, I should really take a look at what’s in that tray, I keep adding to it, I’ll buy two, smoke one and drop one in the tray. I probably have 20 or so lanceros of various brands. One of the things I enjoy most about that size is that they force one to slow down and really savor the experience.