This past weekend, Jerry, Brian, Mike, and I discussed what was on tap for this week. It turned out that Jerry had to make a trip out to NYC and suggested that I put together a Week In Smoke for Thursday. I’ve been kicking around the idea of doing one of these posts for a while now, but haven’t delivered because I haven’t come up with a clever name to tag onto the end of it. Brian is the originator, so he doesn’t need the clever designation, and Jerry has the TGT Edition (The Great Torpedo). So, without a clever hook (and open to suggestions), I present to you my Week in Smoke.

Joya de Nicaragua Antano:
I stumbled onto a deal on the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Gran Consul via Cigar Monster recently. The price was right, so I added it to my cart and thought back to how much I enjoyed this line in the past. When the cigars arrived, I lit one up immediately. Fond memories rushed back as the smoke battered my palate with rich flavors and heavy body. Simply put, I don’t know why I ever stopped buying these cigars. That problem will definitely need to be remedied.

CAO Criollo:
I came across an old CAO Criollo while digging around in one of my Coolidors. I seemed to remember liking them so I sparked up the cigar. Either my memory of this cigar was incorrect, or I got a bad stick, because i simply couldn’t finish it. More than half a cigar remained in the ashtray when I walked away. I found the smoke to be overly harsh and agressive on the palate.

Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro:
A little more than a year ago you could crack open my humidor and always find a Perdomo Lot 23 inside. When Perdomo reduced the pricing on their 10th Anniversary line, I phased out the Lot 23 from my rotation. It had been some time since I had one when I stumbled onto a sample left from last years TBOTLCH press kit that I was reacquainted with the line. I enjoyed it and look forward to working them back into my rotation.

Illusione Epernay:
I find that the Illusione Epernay Le Petit is a great cigar to take for a short walk. This particular cigar was enjoyed on a Thursday afternoon while I walked about the Daniel Boone Homestead, pushing my daughter in her stroller. The medium body and creamy smoke make for a great afternoon combination.

Illusione 888:
Over the last year or so, the Illusione 888 has become a staple in my cigar rotation. Being one of the few Churchill size cigars that I smoke, I find them particularly enjoyable after work on a Friday before picking up my daughter. The flavor profile is rich and always pleasing. At $9.00 each, they aren’t exactly budget friendly, but well worth the price.

EP Carrillo New Wave:
Let me be honest here, If I sing the praises of this cigar any more people are going to start thinking I own stock in the company. The fact of the matter is, I love this cigar. I am most of the way through my first box and have intentions of picking up another. The creamy texture of this cigar go great with coffee and the flavor profile is bold. As i’ve said in the past, if you think that a cigar has to be mild just because it is a Connecticut, the New Wave will change that opinion.

Cain Daytona #4:
Over the weekend I stopped in at Kensington Tobacconist (which has closed) to take a look at some Spanish Cedar Panels in the walk-in humidor. While there, I bumped into Dave Wagner from Oliva. Dave was kind enough to hand me a Cain Daytona #4, a size that I had not previously smoked. Based on one sample it is tough to say if I like this size better than the Cain Daytona Robusto, but I found it to be a good smoke with vibrant flavors.

Perdomo 10th Anniversary Criollo:
Of the Perdomo 10th Anniversary lines, I have probably smoked the fewest of the Criollo variety. I stumbled onto the Monster Mash-Up on Cigar Monster the other day and saw these listed at something like $16.00 per a five pack. Along with some other items, I added them to my cart and looked forward to trying them. When it came time to smoke one, I was most impressed by its burn. The ash was light in color and held a solid shape. The flavors were decent but not overly impressive. For the price, I think they were a good buy.

Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne:
The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne is an old standbye of mine. I have been smoking them for a couple of years now (I believe they were just the Perdomo Reserve Champagne back then) as a morning cigar. The creamy flavors lend themselves well to coffee and the mild body makes it ideal for a morning smoke. When purchased online for roughly $3.00 per stick, you just can’t go wrong with this Perdomo.

Paradigm by 262 Cigars:
One evening during last years IPCPR Trade Show, I lit up a Paradigm by 262 Cigars. I was not impressed with it and found it to be rather boring. To be fair, after a long day of walking around and smoking no less than five cigars, not very many cigars would pop. On a whim, I dug out my second, and last, sample from the remains of my TBOTLCH Press Kit and gave it a try. This time I was far from bored. The construction and burn were flawless. The flavors were heavy with a meaty quality. If there was a cigar upset this week, the 262 Cigars Paradigm was the one to shock me.

Fuente Anejo Reserva No. 48:
This cigar was featured in the notoriously long Herf’n Heads – Featuring Fuente Anejo Reserva No. 48 video. When it comes to Opus X vs Anejo, I prefer the Anejo. I think it is a fun cigar with an interesting flavor profile, the most dominant of which is chocolate. While not very wallet friendly in most cases, these are nice cigars to have around for the odd occasion that calls for one.

Nestor Miranda Special Selection Toro Oscuro – Buckhead Cigar Club Edition:
I recently found myself completely out of CAO La Traviata Maduro. To remedy that, I reached out to Mike at Buckhead and placed an order. In addition to that order, I got a five-pack of the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Toro Oscuro – Buckhead Cigar Club Edition. Normally, I’m not a fan of the Special Selection line, however, the Buckhead variety has an added leaf of Ligero (or so I’m told) which seems to do wonders for the blend. If you ever find yourself in Atlanta, or are placing an order with Buckhead Cigar Club, pick one up and give it a try.

Declaration – Screaming Eagle by Jameson Cigar Company:
Earlier this week I received a surprise package from our friend Brad Mayo of Jameson Cigar Company. In the package was a note and a pair of Declaration Screaming Eagles. The very first thing to cross my mind was “Awww, look at the little baby Declaration”. Short on time, I decided to fire one up and give it a try. While the original Declaration sizes were a solid smoke, the small format of this cigar makes the flavor pop. I was thoroughly impressed and look forward to smoking more.

CAO La Traviata Maduro:
I have been a big fan of the La Traviata since I first tried it at IPCPR a couple of years ago. When my local tobacconist used to get boxes in, I would buy them up by the fist full. Even though I smoked the hell out of that blend, and the price was fantastic, there was always a little something missing. The first time that I smoked a La Traviata Maduro, I found that little something that was missing in the original. With the added maduro sweetness to the original flavor profile, this cigar is a home run.