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by | September 3, 2023 · 10:51 am

Rocky Patel Sixty, La Gloria Cubana Serie S, Wooden Indian’s Pig Roast and Crux Cigars

It was a busy week, I celebrated a birthday and my daughter took us all out to a Brazilian Steakhouse for dinner. That was a lot of fun, it was a tremendous parade of meat, and I dined on plenty of steer and swine.  I think Evan Darnell of Red Meat Lover’s Club would have been proud.  I had a lot of great cigar choices available to celebrate, but my son got me a couple of Rocky Patel Sixty Toros, which was an absolutely appropriate choice to celebrate this particular birthday.  This cigar came out two years ago to celebrate Rocky’s 60th, it has a San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers, and is made in Rocky’s Nicaraguan factory. I’m fortunate that Rocky made a cigar for his birthday that exactly aligns with my palate, where a lot of Rocky Patel cigars really don’t. This is a luscious, dark, rich, cigar with heavy espresso and earthiness in the second half.  This was a great gift, my son has been to Nicaragua and an IPCPR show with me, so he’s no stranger to the leaf, he did well, although this one was a no-brainer.  Recommended regardless of your age (within reason, you know what I mean!).

 

I smoked a few of the new  Maduro cigars over the last couple of weeks, with some trepidation.  I was so tremendously underwhelmed with the “natural” version of the Serie S, it just made me wonder how it actually got past the decision makers, I’ll give it another try in the future, maybe it needs age, but I remain dubious.  Regular readers will know I’m a big La Gloria fan, it hurts my heart when I don’t like a release.  I was hoping the Maduro version would offer some redemption. This was the Robusto Gordo size, 5½” x 56, which is a perfectly acceptable size.  It has a San Andrés Maduro wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, made in the El Credito sub-factory within STG’s Santiago factory. This reminds me a little of the Serie N in strength and earthiness. It’s better than it’s natural counterpart, however I don’t know that, for me, it competes favorably with the like of the Serie R Esteli Maduro. Additional samples will be put to rest for later evaluation in the LGC humidor. 

 

Yesterday I stopped by the Wooden Indian Tobacconist in Havertown, PA where they were having their annual Drew Estate Charity Pig Roast. I may have missed dropping by one or two of these over the last decade or so, but I try to stop in, it’s always an amazing event.  Dave Mayer and his staff put on a great spread, Pedro Gomez has replaced Marvin Samel as the face of Drew Estate, Matty Rock, and of course several levels of sales staff were on hand.  I don’t remember it being on Labor Day weekend in the past, but I could be wrong, but the usual gang of DE loyal weren’t there, although some people came from Maryland and New York to attend. There was a good crowd for the few hours I was there (long enough to enjoy a Blackened M81 Toro, about 2 hours or so), and I enjoyed fellowship with some old and new friends. I assume a significant sum was raised for Operation: Cigars for Warriors.  Wooden Indian is amongst the best shops around and they are one of two Liga Privada lounges, and, therefore, one of the only stores that has an exclusive Laga Privada, the Pancetta.  

 

I happened to come by some Crux Epicure Habano cigars this week, in Toro and Robusto, and couldn’t wait to light one up.  It’s been years since I had Crux cigar, maybe the only ones I’ve smoked are the Ninfamaniacs going back maybe a decade. They just don’t seem to be present on the shelves around here, or I don’t notice them. The line has somehow avoided my notice one way or the other.  This one has a Nicaraguan Habano seco wrapper, over Nicaraguan binder and fillers made at the Plasencia factory in Nicaragua.  This is a really nice, well balanced smoke, there’s a sweet spice that makes it a little brighter than the darker cigars I like, making it a pleasant change of pace.  I’m actually smoking the Robusto as I type and it’s very nice with coffee, and my wife just set a plate of home fries in front of me…be right back…shit, they are hot, I’ll get back to them.  Now I have a problem, because I want to try the Maduro in this blend, going to have to hunt around.  

 

Enjoy the long weekend, if you are so lucky to have one. Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | June 25, 2023 · 9:18 am

Smoking Through The Twisted Tasting Kit From Fox Cigars

Yes, Fox Cigar advertises on this site, but I purchased the Twisted Tasting Kit from them unsolicited, kinda for five reasons. I really like the Araposa Negra, and never mind having one more in the humidor (I’m smoking one now as I type! It’s absolutely delicious!), and I was quite curious to try the other four cigars. I started with the Araposa Blanca, a Fox exclusive made by Black Label Trading Co..  This is the Ecuador Connecticut answer to the Negra, and one thing BLTC does exceptionally well is make aesthetically appealing barber pole cigars. Another thing they do exceptionally well is make great tasting cigars, and this is a great tasting cigar. We know that shade cigars are low on my preference list, but this one was really, really good. It had a wonderful roundness to the flavor, if that makes any sense, it was full flavored without being overpowering, delicious without too much spice, it was very good. I may need to put more of these in the humidor, and I might need to sample Black Label’s other shade offerings.

 

In addition to the two Fox BLTC exclusives in the Twisted sampler, the other three were new cigars in the Altadis USA line up presented in a barber pole format. Historically I have not gravitated toward a lot of the Altadis cigar that are not made by A.J. Fernandez.  I have a relatively open mind, although I’ll admit there are some cigars I have no interest in even sampling. Legacy brands such as the H.Upmann and Romeo y Julieta don’t fall into that category, I’ll give them a shot, even though I have pretty poor track record when it comes to liking cigars from the Tabacalera de Garcia factory in the DR.  I gave the H. Upmann Barbier a shot first.  This was a Toro, 6″ x 54, has Ecuador shade and Ecuador Sumatra wrappers, Indonesian Java binder with Nicaraguan, Dominican and Pennsylvania Broadleaf fillers. This was a very enjoyable cigar.  It was smooth, rich, and had plenty of flavor.  There was some sweet, bready flavors, and maybe the PA Broadleaf gave it a little oomph.  I finally found a Dominican Upmann I like.  Very nice.

 

I took a short break from this series to visit the Wooden Indian yesterday where they were hosting Erik Espinosa for the afternoon.  I smoked, and very much enjoyed, a 601 La Bomba Warhead VII.  I should buy more of these as I really enjoy the flavor. As always, the Wooden Indian staff was great, it was great seeing Erik, Mark, Jose, Bobby, and everyone else.  I went home and took a nap.

 

After dinner I lit up the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Twisted Toro.  The Twisted Tasting Kit included both the Toro and the Twisted Love Story, which is the 4¼” x 46 perfecto version. I’m shocked that they were able to get away with using the name “story” with this shape cigar, although it would come down to who has the bigger lawyers, I guess. Still seems weird to me. I’ll get to the little guy when I need a small cigar, but the 6″ x 54 Toro works better for me.  Regarding all of these dos capas, or barber pole style cigars, all four have burned perfectly, and often the dual wrappers can cause a meandering burn line, not the case.  They all burned perfectly.  The Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Twisted Toro has Ecuadorian Habano and Ecuadorian Connecticut wrappers, Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, with the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper seeming to be the only change from the Reserva Real blend.  I haven’t had a Reserva Real in forever, like I said, it’s not something I reach for (it kinda has two strikes against it for me, it’s DR Altadis, and it’s a shade wrapper). All that being typed, it was an enjoyable smoke, with the Habano knocking the grassi/nuttiness off of the shade a touch. It was good.  For my palate, the Black Label offerings in this sampler were better, but I like a nice “theme” week now and then, and this was a good one.  It was a good deal too, I was happy with the purchase.  

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

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by | June 5, 2022 · 9:12 am

Liga Privada H99, Villiger San D’Oro and Nica Rustica Adobe Cigars

Monday was Memorial Day and that called for some special smokes. I pulled out the Liga Privada H99 that Joe Gro of Drew Estate gave me back in January at the TPE show. I’m not sure why I had been waiting to smoke this, but I figured a nice afternoon off was a great time to light it up.  According to the Drew Estate Website:  “Maintaining the core tenants of the Liga firebrand, the H99 features a Corojo capa from the heart of the Connecticut River Valley, where we grow the mighty leaf that graces Liga Privada with a San Andres Otapan Negro Último Corte capote over a core blend of well-aged Nicaraguan and Honduran tripa leaf.”  I like how this is written, it’s an obvious nod to the original creator of the Liga Privada line, who else uses terms like “capa”, “capote”, and “tripa” instead of wrapper, binder and filler? 😀.  This cigar burned very nicely, and was less like a Liga Privada cigar than I expected. I suppose it was more on the T52 end, obviously, it wasn’t as heavy as it’s broadleaf counterparts. I found it has a bit of spice, some salty, savoriness, and a hint of sweetness. It was very good, certainly worthy of the occasion.  As I often do, I finished the holiday weekend off with an old favorite, this time it was a Fuente Hemingway Classic, as aptly named as a cigar could be. 

 

I slacked off this week and didn’t write a midweek post. Pure laziness on my part, I have no excuse.  I did smoke some cigars I really like though, a Stolen Throne Three Kingdoms, an Undercrown 10, and a new Perla Del Mar Maduro (more on that another time). Another one I revisited was the Villiger San’Doro toro. I found a three pack in the humidor and decided to smoke one and had forgotten how much I liked this cigar. This one is the Colorado, with a ruddy brown Ecuador wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and filler. I’m not sure how old this three pack is, but I think it’s newer, which means these were made at Joya de Nicaragua.  I probably have an old one around that was made at Placencia if I dive into the humidor a little deeper. I really enjoyed the flavor of this cigar, it had a cane sugar sweetness that I like a lot, but it was intermittent, so it didn’t get boring. I know Villiger premium cigars don’t get a ton of traction, but they tend to be pretty good, as far as I’m concerned. 

 

Yesterday I stopped in to the Wooden Indian where they were having a Drew Estate event featuring the new Nica Rustica Adobe, which they had in limited supply.  I picked up five toros and smoked one there in the Liga Privada Lounge, while catching up with Dave, Dan and their excellent staff, as well as Ray from Drew Estate and Matty Rock, famous for being Matty Rock. I had my choice of the three vitolas the Adobe is available in, and stuck with the Toro, even though I haven’t had the robusto yet, but I didn’t really like the gordo I tried inthe Freestyle pack. I’ve smoked a ton of Nica Rusticas, I really like them. We even went to the Belly launch event in Kentucky back in 2015. This was the third Adobe I’ve smoked and it’s growing on me, I’m liking the smoothness and balance. It has a bit of a creaminess, the Habano wrapper instead of Broadleaf makes a big difference. When this was the Freestyle live mystery cigar I had no idea this was what it was going to be, although I know one person in particular nailed it. you can’t beat the price, both versions are going to have a place in my humidor I think.

 

That’s all for today! It’s been a beautiful weekend, and I need to get out and get some things done, maybe smoke some more cigars!  Don’t forget to check out www.battleshipbeef.com and come out to the Battleship, Beef and Bourbon for the Ship Red Meat Lovers Club event. It should prove to be an orgiastic feast of the senses! Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig 

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by | September 16, 2021 · 5:42 pm

News: The 2021 Exclusive Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta Edition Coming to Barrister Cigars and Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop

Here’s some exciting news from Drew Estate. It’s exciting because Wooden Indian is one of my favorite places and it’s really cool that they have this excellent cigar. I have had the pleasure of smoking a couple, and will get down to the beautiful shop and pick up some of the new release, I hope. Speaking of Drew Estate, tonight at 7PM Eastern which is only short time away from publishing, they are having another one of their Freestyle Live Facebook Live events.  They are teasing some new release announcements, so I’ll be tuning in to check it out. 

 

The 2021 edition of Drew Estate’s Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta will soon be available exclusively at Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop in Havertown, Pa., and Barrister Cigars in Union, N.J. The cigar will be available at the two retail locations beginning on Oct. 1.

 

The Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta (4 ¾ x 50, Short Belicoso) is a savory, spicy and hearty cigar that embodies elements of two powerhouse blends in the Liga Privada family. The cigar features the same Connecticut Stalk-Cut and Stalk-Cured Habano capa that wraps the Liga Privada T52; and it utilizes the same bold Brazilian Mata Fina capote and intense Nicaraguan and Honduran tripa leaves that are used for the Liga Privada Unico Serie Feral Flying Pig. This year’s edition of Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta features a second band on the foot that identifies it as an exclusive release for 2021.

 

From Sag Harbor, N.Y., Drew Estate’s Founder and President, Jonathan Drew, says, “Two of the first retailers to believe in our vision for Liga Privada and support our story of Stalk-Cut and Stalk-Cured tobaccos from the Connecticut River Valley were our close friends at Wooden Indian and Barrister. Their love and passion for Liga Privada is matched only by the deep, rich, commanding and authoritative presence of this bangin’ cigar.”

 

“We are proud to bring you the Liga Privada Pancetta for the third annual release,” David Mayer, the owner of Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop, shares. “Thank you to Drew Estate for making this possible and the community for supporting us through this difficult year and a half. #DE4L.”

 

Barrister Cigars’ owner, David Mallow, adds, “Pancetta is the perfect marriage of the best Liga Privada has to offer. It’s Feral Flying Pig blend with a T52 wrapper in a Short Belicoso size. The boldness of the Feral Flying Pig filler and binder paired with the tastiness of the Stalk-Cut and Stalk-Cured Habano wrapper really shines in the Short Belicoso format. Dave Mayer and I couldn’t be happier with the blend selected for our Liga Privada Lounge Exclusive cigars.”

 

 

The Liga Privada Unico Pancetta will be available in 24-count boxes with an MSRP of $299.00/box, or $12.46/cigar. They will be sold exclusively at Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop and Barrister Cigars beginning on Oct. 1. The cigars may be ordered from Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop via its website at woodenindiantobacco.com; or they may be purchased from Barrister Cigars by calling 908-964-3000.

 

ABOUT DREW ESTATE

Founded in New York City in 1996, Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that attract new and traditional cigar enthusiasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Herrera Estelí Norteño, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Larutan by Drew Estate, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial, Undercrown, Florida Sun Grown, and Java by Drew Estate.

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by | August 8, 2021 · 10:51 am

Cafe Cubano: Wooden Indian Cigars LCA Exclusive and a Contest

Yesterday the Wooden Indian in Havertown PA (and worldwide on their website), launched an exclusive cigar with the Limited Cigar Association, the Cafe Cubano. This is a 5″ x 50 with undisclosed parts. They also have some coffee to pair along with it.  Before I get into the cigar and coffee, as I’m smoking one as I type, let me tell you about something I did yesterday. For Father’s Day, my son got me a session at a “float spa”, as I had said it was something I’d be interested in giving a shot. This is a place where you spend an hour floating in an epsom salt solution in an sensory deprivation tank. I didn’t consider the fact that I’m pretty claustrophobic, and thought it would be cool the shut everything out for an hour. I went in with an open mind. I freaked out within the first minute. As soon as it was pitch black I felt like I was spinning out of control. Of course, I had no idea where the button to turn the light on was, which is not easy to push anyway, so I pushed the lid of the pod open, then found the button. I closed the lid, then recomposed myself and tried to relax for the next 59 minutes. It was pretty cool, as it felt like laying in a big memory foam mattress, and if I had been able to ease into the whole darkness thing it might have been better. I was able to reflect upon how I’ve become dependent upon outside input, be it from TV, or devices, as I lay there listening to my tinnitus for entertainment. Anyway, it was an interesting experience, but I think a traditional massage is more to my liking. 

 

OK, so Dave, Dan and the staff at Wooden Indian, some of the best in the game, I might add, were very kind to me and sent over a few cigars and some coffee for me, so I brewed up the coffee in my Bialetti and made a failed attempt at Cuban Coffee. I screwed up the espuma somehow, I’ve managed to get it right in the past, but it didn’t work this time. It tastes good though, and should get me through the day. It does pair well with the cigar, although that’s kind of like saying peanut butter pairs well with jelly, or bacon pairs well with eggs, isn’t it? The Cafe Cubano is burning well, and is tasty. It’s aptly named, as it has rich espresso flavors, maybe some toastiness, or some Honeynut Cheerios (or that could be my breakfast spilling over…they keep my cholesterol down!). I have said in the past that I’m not always a fan of the branding the LCA does, but if they help out retailers like the Wooden Indian, well more power to them. I just don’t like seeing branding that can be perceived as marketing to youth. This is a very good cigar, not that the guys at Wooden Indian would have it any other way!

 

Contest

So, would you want to smoke one? The gang there sent an extra set with a cigar, coffee and stickers to give away! There will be a Wooden Indian LCA Exclusive Cafe Cubano cigar, a packet of Cafe Cubano coffee and some stickers, and, you know me, some extra cigars out of my humidor. Usual rules: leave a comment on this blog post! Of course, these are available at the Wooden Indian’s website, which is an excellent place to shop, by the way. One entry per person, must be of legal age, yadda, yadda…what the heck, everyone is eligible (in the US, I ain’t made of money). I’ll pick a winner next Sunday.

 

OK, looks like a beautiful Sunday, I have a cigar to finish, I doubt I’ll be taking a nap today (or sleeping tonight) after drinking a pot of my version of Cafecito, and some stuff to get to, so until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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