Hard to believe that this is my first Week in Smoke of 2013. Typical stuff. Work, school, family…Sons of Anarchy. Yeah, I just started watching Sons of Anarchy and have spent the past few weeks catching up…marathon sessions. Just starting Season 5 now. I’m a pretty law abiding kind of guy but man its hard not to root for the bad guy. Although Tara pisses me off. I mean, who sits back and does nothing when a baby gets kidnapped? I know snitches lay in ditches but you can’t help but feel bad for Otto. Dude just wanted the club to take care of his old lady. As for Jax, I think I’ve seen his ass more than any straight guy should see another man’s ass. I guess the next show to catch up on is The Walking Dead? Suggestions?

Enough with the small talk. I missed you guys so, without further delay, here is my Week in Smoke:

Padron W.Cutis Draper 125th Maduro – I’m typically not a Padron Anniversary kind of guy. As you’ve seen from previous episodes of Week in Smoke I tend to stay in the Thousand Series. Particularly the 3000 Maduro. The 125th Maduro is pretty mello, core sweet and earthy notes. Lots of smoke and a crisp burn line. Solid all around and probably a must try for the die hard Padron lovers out there.

Tatuaje Gran Cojonu – Coming in at 6.5×60 the Gran Cojonu is one of the biggest cigars Pete Johnson has in his arsenal. The boldness and full body of the Gran Cojonu is not for the faint of heart. I’ve been turning to the Gran Cojonu a lot more recently. I don’t know why. The oils on the wrapper seem to be calling my name as of late.

La Flor Dominicana Cabinet Maduro #5 – Another cigar that has been calling my name a lot as of late is the La Flor Dominicana Cabinet Maduro. The Cabinet Maduro is probably the most overlooked LFD cigar. Most tell me it is because of the lack of a band. They see it on the shelf and just skim passed it not realizing it is a LFD. Funny, its the lack of a band that draws me to this beauty. Classic maduro flavors on steroids.

Ortega Serie D Maduro – One of my Top Cigars of 2012. The Serie D Maduro is phenomenal! Some say that the Series D Maduro is a simple cigar. It is that perfectly executed simplicity that make the Series D Maduro a classic. No flash, all flavor.

Casa Magna Colorado – CA’s #1 Cigar from 2008 is still going strong on flavors and continues to go easy on your wallet. Woodsy and coffee notes dominate the flavor profile. Flavors, body and price make the Casa Magna Colorado one of those rare versatile cigars. A cigar that can be enjoyed anytime of day, in any setting and by old and new cigar smokers alike.

Tatuaje Verocu #5 – Lately when it comes to Tatuaje, I’m at both ends of the size spectrum. The earlier Gran Cojonu (the biggest) and one of my favorites, the Verocu #5 (smallest). Even though I have a cab or two of the unbanded sitting in my humidors I had to pick these up. They caught my eye on the shelf with their pretty new bands on them. Perfect, small format cigar to go with that afternoon cup of coffee.

La Flor Dominicana Mystery Cigar – Love the size! It smoked nicely and had some nice, almost minty flavor to it. Definitely a different profile than what I am accustomed to expecting from LFD. Would I buy it again? I don’t know? I’m not sure what it was but it felt incomplete like something was missing. I can’t place my finger on it. Enjoyable? Yes. Memorable? Probably not.

Intemperance BA – I gotta say. I was wrong. I usually say that my love for the RoMa Craft line begins and ends with the CroMagnon Knuckle Dragger. I had pretty much written off the rest of their line. I was wrong. The Intemperance BA with its Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper was definitely an eye opening experience. Definitely not the same Intemperance BA that I remember first smoking. Flawless construction and its slow burn had me in relax mode and tuning out the world around me. If these continue to smoke like this, I have to go back and amended my Top 10 list or at least we have a strong candidate for next year’s list. Wow!

Camacho Coyolar – They don’t make cigars like this anymore. What a treat! I’ve said it many times, since selling to Davidoff it feels like Camacho is a shell of its former self. Great balance! Great flavors! Smoother than a baby’s butt. Like I said, they don’t make cigars like this anymore. Great experience to kick back and enjoy a cigar I enjoyed back in the day when I first started smoking.

Rocky Patel Winter Collection (2009) – A nice heated debate started on the The Stogie Review Group SMS about the 2009 Winter Collection. Power, flavor, balance and that gritty dirty syrupy like texture that I enjoy so much. Its has everything that I want in a cigar. I know, supposedly the Patel Brothers is supposed to be the same thing but I don’t see the similarities. The Patel Brothers doesn’t even come close. After 4 years of sitting in my humidor not only does the 2009 Winter Collection continue to fire on all cylinders but age has this cigar hovering around that legendary status for me.