I’m a sucker for a couple of things, pretty cigars and a good deal. I ran across both of these things last week and smoked a few cigars from Cigar Bundles of Miami, a small concern in Miami. Given the name of the company, this make perfect sense. I’m unsure who makes the cigars for them, I thought I had an idea, but I asked and my theory was debunked. Another thing I have a weakness for is a good candella, and I’ve found that I good candella seems to be made better when presented in combination with another wrapper. So the Negra Candela Maduro caught my eye, and a five-pack for $19.99 was too good to pass up. This is a Toro, I didn’t measure, but it seems a little longer than 6″ and maybe 52 ring gauge. This is a candela cigar with Maduro overlays, in a nice design. It looks like there’s a strip of Connecticut shade or Habano in the middle as an accent. It’s a beautiful cigar. It’s Nicaraguan from Jalapa with the maduro strips being San Andrés. It was a rich tasting cigar with the clean, refreshing taste of the candela, along with the cocoa and spice of the Nicaraguan and mexican tobacco. It was well made and burned perfectly and was a very enjoyable cigar.
The other cigar I picked up was the Miami Triple Wrap. I wasn’t expecting the Torpedo, but that’s what arrived, and I’m OK with that. It’s a 6 1/8″x 52 torpedo with Ecuadorian Connecticut, Habano and San Andrés maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan Binder and Filler. It has an attractive lattice pattern, can’t be easy or inexpensive to make, but was the same price as the Negra Candela Maduro (this is an introductory price, they are usually twice that. Still reasonable for a well made, artistic cigar). This was a smooth, creamy cigar, with a pleasing flavor. It had some leather and nuts in the profile, and was a perfectly good cigar. I’d happily smoke it over many more expensive cigars, although of the two, I think the Negra Candela Maduro had bolder, more unique flavors that appealed to me more. Both are beautiful cigars and a hell of a deal. I may have to get some more of the Negra Candela Maduro while they are still at the low price! I appreciate being able to easily communicate with the owner, and they have a Cigar Prop Sampler that is really neat!
I said in a recent appearance on the Kaplowitz Media Podcast that I wasn’t going to do a list, and I really don’t believe in them too much as a rule. So my list is different, and I’m going to preface it with an important statement: this is not a mooch! I’ll get around to them! If I don’t get around to them, oh well! So here is my top ten cigars I didn’t smoke in 2020!
- HVC Hotcackes
- The Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Holiday Edition
- Fratello Pennsylvanian (I’ll get to this one, brand new!)
- Anything from Stallone Cigars
- Perla del Mar Habano
- Fuente Rare Pink (another really new one)
- BLTC Santa Muerte
- Red Meat Lovers Meat Box
- Placencia Alma anything (I’m way behind on this one)
- Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder Brimstone Un Presidente/Firethorn Augusta (toss up)
Like I said, not at all a mooch, I’ll catch up with them eventually. This was a stupid year, I smoked a lot of “inventory” and didn’t do a lot of acquiring of new cigars. I’m hoping to get to the TPE in May, and I hope things work out so I can get to visit cigar stores more in the coming months.
That’s all for today, Happy New Year to everyone! Until next year,
CigarCraig
