I’m writing this installment of Week in Smoke as I sit at Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta GA waiting on stand-by for a flight home. Just so you know, the WiFi options in Concourse C are very sad. Luckily I have my jailbroken iPhone and a nifty app called MyWii and since I’m grandfathered into a AT&T unlimited data plan I’m even sharing the connection with my fellow travelers. Good deed for the day is done!

The past two weeks I’ve crammed a lot of my smoking into a couple of days…Super Bowl Sunday at W.Curtis Draper-Bethesda and evenings at Buckhead Cigar Club. A lot of cigars that you have seen before in the Week in Smoke. As much as I like trying new stuff; I’m also a creature of habit and really enjoy all the cigars in my rotation.

Who doesn’t like the Tatuaje Reserva lineup? The Reserva lineup is one of my all time favorites and the newest addition, the 7th Reserva is another stella cigar from Tatuaje Cigars. Look for a more in depth review as soon as my outdoor studio finishes defrosting…which will be soon.

A cigar thats making it way into my rotation is the EP Carrillo Core Line. While the Short Run holds a special place with me, the Core Line has quickly become an additional favorite from the EP Carrillo offerings.

Its been awhile since I smoked anything from Camacho. I remember really enjoying the Camacho Connecticut when it was first released and got an honorable mention on my 2009 Top 10 List. Very enjoyable Connecticut Shade wrapper thats still memorable.

This was my first experience smoking the Ideology by 262 Cigars. Lots of good things being said about it around the blogs and on Twitter. I traded Brian Hewitt a Dirty Rat for it and after this first experience, it looks like Brian got the better end of that trade. I’ll have to give the Ideology another try in the future.

Every cigar deserves a second chance right? Eddie Ortega is one of the best people in the industry. When we hung out during the ATL Tweetup in December 2010 he was cool that I pretty much bashed the Cubao Maduro when I included it in my Worst Cigars of 2009 list. Basically telling me he knows that everyone isn’t going to like his cigars and that he appreciated my honesty. This time around the Cubao Maduro started off totally differently than from what I remembered. The first half was great and found myself enjoying it but a little after the halfway point, things started to go flat. Still a fan of the regular Cubao line…I’ll continue to pass on the Maduro.

You know what I like the most about the EP Carrillo Short Run? I discover a new nuance each and every time. Its dynamic flavor profile and bouquet of aromas are challenging and such a delight to smoke.

Some will laugh at me. When I asked Mike from Buckhead Cigar what was special about the Buckhead Edition he said that it has an extra leaf of ligero in it. I don’t consider myself too much of a light weight considering how much I adore the strength of the Man O’War Ruination so I didn’t think much when Mike said it had that extra leaf of ligero. Totally should’ve thought more about it as the first puff nearly put me on my ass. Initial blast of power and pepper had me in a coughing spell. After I settled down, so did the cigar. Not my favorite cigar but still enjoyed it.

Now the Danno 2010 Buckhead Edition was probably the best cigar I smoked while in Atlanta. Nice solid medium bodied cigar, great dark coffee notes with a cedar notes sprinkled throughout. Burned slow and even. Its a big cigar that if it takes you less than 2 hours to smoke; you’re not savoring it like you should.

I end this “Week in Smoke” with the CroMagnon by Adrian’s Cigar and our good friend Skip Martin. Heard a lot of great things on Twitter, I had my doubts but I have to say, the cigar is tits. Not the prettiest cigar out there and I’m sure the burn issues will sort themselves out with a little age. I have to agree with Skip and say the CroMagnon isn’t a “strong” cigar. I’d characterize it as heavy and balanced. Its pretty potent when you first spark it up, caught me a bit off guard but after about the first half inch it goes from potent to heavy. Great flavor combo of Nicaraguan zing and Cameroon tang that normally I wouldn’t think would work well together but the oily rustic broadleaf wrapper bridges all the flavors and components together. As much shit as I give Skip, he definitely knows what ingredients make for a pleasing smoke. Its definitely worth giving it a try.