It’s once time again for another issue of Brian’s The Week In Smoke. In case this is your first Week in Smoke, be advised that it covers many (though not necessarily all) of the cigars I’ve smoked in the past week (or the past month, or however long it has been since the last issue), along with a couple of quick thoughts that came to me at the time. These are not full cigar reviews, but quick blurbs based on a single smoking experience. As such, they may be influenced by the natural variations that occur from one cigar to another. Your mileage may vary. (If I know the cigar well enough to comment, I may mention if an experience strays from what understand to be the norm.)
An appearance in The Week in Smoke does not preclude nor guarantee a future in-depth review. Whenever possible, I’ve linked to more a thoughtful and thorough review of the cigar in question. (Or maybe I’ve linked to a photo of Jerry The ‘Stache. You won’t know until you click.) Enjoy!
Avo LE 05 * **
A friend has a stash of these ridiculously old Avo limited editions and sometimes when he’s in a good mood (or inebriated) he breaks them out. This weeks saw another one of those occasions. As before, the cigar had a pretty delicate and subtle profile- cream, cedar, mild earthy spices, bread and a surprising sweet cherry note. If you have the chance to smoke one, do it, but try to save it for a fresh palate.
Jericho Hill Shots
I’m a big fan of well-made short smokes. By well-made, I mean quick smokes that are rolled by hand, not machine. The really small machine made ones just never seem to satisfy. So of course I lit up a Jericho Hill Shots the day it arrived at my local shop. The flavor was good, but the draw was too firm and I gave up about half way in. This week I lit up another to see if it was any better. It was. The draw was still a little firm to start, but well within the acceptable range this time. The improved draw also meant better flavor. The first time it was all earth, chocolate and coffee. This time more subtle sweet flavors of cinnamon, caramel and nougat came through. When the draw is on, this is a great cigar. If you pick some up, I’d recommend a slightly lower humidity for storage.
Kristoff Galerones Series Intensivo *
A few years ago Kristoff took the local market by storm. It seemed like everyone was smoking and talking about them. Every shop I walked in had them on the new arrivals shelf at the front of the humidor. These days I don’t see them around nearly as often, and I haven’t smoked one in ages. Lighting this Galerones Serie Intenso made me a little nostalgic, even though the blend is new to me. As the name indicates, this cigar isn’t the medium-ish Kristoff blend of old. It’s loaded with full-bodied flavor like potent black tobacco, pepper, coffee, charry wood and cedar. As far as “intenso” cigars go, this is one of the better ones. Meaning it doesn’t seem to sacrifice flavor in the pursuit of power- it does both pretty well.
Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sun Grown Pyramid
I’ve been a fan of the Perdomo 20th Anniversary smokes for a while now and the pyramid vitola looked kinda cool on the shelf. At times it seems like pyramid is basically interchangeable with torpedo, but not in this case. This stick had the gradual flaring from head to foot. As I’ve gotten older and more cantankerous, I’ve begun to steer clear of non-parejos, but I like this shape. But more importantly, I really enjoy the flavor, and there was no shortage of it. Oak, cinnamon, nuts, toast and a sweetness that varied between honey and molasses. Man I wish I had another to light up as I write this up.
Reinado Habanito
I still love these quick little firecrackers and I was a little surprised to discover I had any left. I remedied that situation this week. No surprise here, it delivered the spicy, syrupy, vinegary, cedary flavors I’ve come to expect. I just need to remember to order some more.
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* Big Brother would have you know these cigars were gifts or free samples, and that my opinions on them is suspect. My opinions (and this sleeve of Red Velvet Oreos) are my own, your response to them is your own. All your base are belong to us.
** I have too many smokes, and this denotes that the smoke in question has been sitting in one of my humidors for at least a year, and thus qualifies as “aged”. If my collection continues to grow, the chances are good I’ll be on that Discovery Channel show about people who hoard stuff and face eviction.
Some of the pictures in Brian’s The Week In Smoke first appeared on twitter or instagram. If you’d like to see these lists constructed in real time, follow Brian on twitter or instagram. If you don’t, you’ll make the Fail Whale cry. And he’s ugly when he cries.
