Greetings from the coldest and rainiest Memorial Day weekend in my memory, perhaps in anyone’s in my area! I wanted to re-enclose my porch yesterday and get the propane heater out again, it was that uncomfortable. I suppose we can be a little uncomfortable as we remember what this holiday is about. I recently read something that brings the times we are living in into perspective. As people lament the “tragedy” of their high school seniors missing out due to the pandemic, look back 50 years and consider that many highschool “boys” were heading to Vietnam many never to return, and those who did return weren’t received well. Something to think 
about as we “celebrate” this weekend. On a lighter note, I am still catching up on the Black Lion Luxuries Cigar of the Month Club offerings. This week I smoked through the April pack. Once again, Ron and James have done a great job of selecting four nice cigars at a great value. Once again, I’m not going to give a paragraph to each cigar, but I am going to hit some highlights!
Since I had been heavy on La Flor Domincana already this week, it seemed only right to lead with the LFD 1994 Rumba. Honestly, this may be one of my favorites in the LFD range. I love the 6½” x 52 size, and the San Andrés wrapper over the La Canela DR fillers and binder make for a really nice smoke. It’s got great flavor but isn’t so strong as to be bothersome. This was the only cigar in the pack with which I had any prior experience. I’m sure nobody remembers, but my final post of the year listed my top ten cigars I hadn’t smoked last year. The Plasencia Alma Fuerte Sixto II marks the third one I’ve managed to tick off the list so far. This is an amazing cigar, so much so that I am actually tempted to go ahead 
spend the $21 on another one or two to smoke it again. Let’s forget the kitsch of the hexagonal press, which is pretty cool, that’s not what I like about it, nor does the 60 ring gauge impress me, although it doesn’t bother me in the least. This is just a damned delicious cigar. Let’s do a quick look at the financial impact: the COTM is $30 (+ shipping), the LFD is a $9 cigar and the Sixto is $21, and there are still two $8+ cigars left. see where I’m going here?
I smoked the last two cigars yesterday, like I said, the weather is atypical for the end of May. It was rainy and in the 40s. I was bundled on my screen porch with the La Galera Connecticut Tubo listening to some Podcasts. I find my friend Kaplowitz to be entertaining. I honestly can’t remember if I’ve smoked anything from La Galera before, I know I haven’t smoked the Connecticut, maybe I’ve smoked something but I don’t think so, which is actually pretty unusual. I just don’t know where I would have gotten one. This is one of the values of a COTMC such as this, the ability to not only try cigars that you don’t have access to, but also ones you might not pick out on your own. Like the Sixto, I am hard pressed to pry my wallet open that far for a cigar myself, and in the case of this La Galera, I don’t generally buy Connecticuts for myself. But, I do smoke them when presented with the opportunity, and this was a good one! It has flavor and body and it was well made. If I had one nit to pick it would be that when I took the band off it lifted a large piece of wrapper off with it, but that was a small annoyance, and it I listened to Zino Davidoff (who is, no doubt, rolling in his grave over the treatment done to the brand with his first name on it), I would have been done with the cigar prior to reaching 
that point. Good cigar. Finally, another cigar that I hadn’t tried before, the Warped Corto, a 4½” x 46 cigar that was ideal considering the weather conditions. Had it been a warm evening I would have wanted something longer, but this worked out well. This cigar is made at the TABSA (Aganorsa) factory, and is a hot little number. It starts with a blast of pepper and is rich and satisfying. I’m quite happy I had a chance to try this little guy. The only Warped cigar I’ve smoked is the Guardian of the Farm, once again, this isn’t a brand I regularly see around here. The April pack, like March’s, was excellent!
Please take a moment to check out two new advertising partners on the right side, Blackbird Cigar Co. and Ortega Cigar Co. My advertising policy has always been to only display ads for companies whose products I like, and for people I like, and these two are no different. Heck, I’ve known Eddie Ortega for ten years I think! Point is, if you see the link on my page, you can trust the company as I do, they carry my seal of approval! Anyway, my gratitude to those who’ve served, and those who’ve lost in service to their country. Until the next time,
CigarCraig
