We all have our favorite cigar haunts, and part of the challenge of being on the road as much as I have been lately is finding a temporary replacement for the home shop. Or in some places, just finding a place you can smoke a cigar all you can hope for, forget the climate control […]
2008 Montecristo Petit Edmundo
The Montecristo Petit Edmundo was released in 2007 following the successful launch of the larger Edmundo size. Montecristo has always been a well respected line in the Cuban portfolio and these new vitolas are extensions of the successful brand to fit more of what today’s smokers want. Retailing for just under $8.00 a stick, its […]
Trocadero by L’Atellier
Wrapper : Nicaraguan Rosado Habano Binder : Nicaraguan broadleaf Filler : Nicaraguan Source : Gifted by Jeff Welcome to this week’s cigar review of the Trocadero by L’Atellier in the cambon size (5 1/4×52). This cigar is available in two more sizes also, honore (5 3/4×56) and montaigne (6 1/4×60) with a MSRP of $3.50 […]
Vertigo Intimidator Lighter
A few weeks back I received a surprise package from Steven over at Lighters Direct. The package contained four Vertigo lighters for me to try out. Prior to receiving the package I hadn’t had any experience with the Vertigo line. Since then I’ve learned that it is a budget line, of sorts, produced by Lotus. […]
Brian’s The Week In Smoke, Cigar Safari Edition
It’s time again for another issue of Brian’s The Week In Smoke. This time, a special edition is in order to cover the cigars I smoke down in Nicaragua on Drew Estate’s Cigar Safari. But instead of revisiting cigars like the T52 (which I smoked every day I was there), I’m focusing mostly on the […]
God of Fire Don Carlos 2008 (first impressions)
Sadly, smoking a cigar has become a relatively rare event for me lately, as everything at home and work has been so busy. Having finally found an opportunity to enjoy a nice, long, relaxing smoke, I sifted through my coolidor looking for something truly top-shelf. A while back, our friend Keith Park of Prometheus sent […]
Cigar Bunching Methods at Drew Estate with Willy Herrera and Nick Melillo
A lot of people know that a cigar is composed of a wrapper, binder and filler, but not many understand how it all comes together. One of the most critical components in the cigar making processes is the bunching of the filler tobaccos to be rolled with a binder. At Drew Estate, they used what […]
Vallejuelo Cigar
Wrapper : Ecuadorian Habano Binder : Dominican Filler : Nicaraguan and Dominican Source : Gifted by Jeff O. Welcome to this week’s cigar review of the Vallejuelo Cigar in the gran toro size (6×54). This cigar is available in four different sizes and MSRP is $4.50 to $6.50 depending on size. This cigar in the […]
Perla del Mar
Wrapper : Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder : Nicaraguan Filler : Nicaraguan Source : Gifted by local sales rep Dan Down and dirty first impressions review on the Perla del Mar (Pearl of the Sea) by J.C. Newman Cigars this week. I am smoking the M size (4.75×52) which our local sales rep, Dan, gifted me two […]
Herfin’ Heads: Drew Estate Liga Privada Unico Serie Velvet Rat
While down in Nicragua for Cigar Safari at Drew Estates, Brian and I were handed a bag of cigars which contained some rare releases and prototype blends made by Drew Estate. One of those cigars was the Drew Estate Liga Privada Unico Serie Velvet Rat. Described as a larger, smoother Dirty Rat, the Velvet Rat […]