CHECK OUT THE NEW HOME OF THE BLOG

I have moved the site to a new home! Please check out the new home of the blog:

www.newbiecigar.com

Thank you!

NEWS FROM THE CRA

This just in from the CRA:

CRA Members Are Encouraged To Take Action! On Wednesday of this week, the Kansas legislature will come back to town to address pressing needs of the state, such as how to close a budget gap of over $400 million. One of the most serious proposals on the table is to raise taxes on tobacco products by up to 300%.The Kansas House and Senate need to learn from so many others, and from a basic tenant of taxes and economics: Lower taxes can, in fact, bring in more revenue.Higher taxes simply drive consumers to other venues, out of state, for their purchases, and you're stuck with the same budget mess you began with.Kansas just passed a stringent smoking ban proposal. Limiting use of perfectly legal tobacco products, and then proposing a tax increase on the same product is not a formula for budget success.In addition, and most importantly, Senate Bill 516 will cause harm for many of the great small businesses of Kansas. The local tobacconist, whether in Topeka, Wichita, Overland Park, Lawrence, and points in between, is a part of the community fabric that should be protected from such economic consequences.
We hope that Kansas will not go the way of a Utah, causing irreparable harm to such businesses with long standing roots in the community.
Members of Cigar Rights of America throughout Mid-America need to send a message to members of the Kansas legislature, and if it makes it that far, to Governor Mark Parkinson.
Tell them, No New Tobacco Taxes in Kansas. Tell them to Oppose Senate Bill 516!

For more, and to download a PDF of the bill, visit: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs020/1102288667527/archive/1103342955427.html

Texas Cigar Festival - After thoughts

First of all, I want to thank Ron at seriouscigars.com for putting on such a great event. All I can say is WOW. Amazing! I also want to thank Teresa Merchant of smokinghotcigarchick.com and Tim Black for carting me around and allowing me to do what I do best... shmooze with people about cigars! My trip started out wonderful, I was taken to an amazing BBQ joint in Houston recommended by Tim called Vergis BBQ. That was probably some of the best BBQ I have ever had, and I would expect nothing less from a trip to Texas. Next we had to stop at Target for a few things. I was persuaded into trying on some superman underwear for a picture opportunity (over my shorts of course), and then was posted all over the internet for cigar lover's viewing pleasure... What I will do for a little publicity... Next we headed over to Ron's shop. This is unlike any B & M I have ever been to. It is BY FAR the largest humidor, wrapping all the way around the store with the lounge in the middle. I pulled out some special smokes and shared them with friends for a little pre-event treat. While smoking, in walks Jonathan Drew and Dion Giolito. I got to talking with them and then in walks David. David is sporting a new tattoo of the Liga Privada logo from Drew Estate. Needless to say Jonathan Drew freaks out. Then the crowd gathered, and gathered, and gathered until it wrapped all the way around the building. The anticipation of the crowd was building and building, until finally they opened the gate. Immediately we were welcomed with a gift bag full of smokes, a full buffet of food and open bar. All the cigar makers were there (see below for a list). All the stars were aligned for a magical night, and a magical night it was. Amazing conversations, laughs, and cigars were had by all. The event was like a merging of a Big Smoke and the IPCPR conventions. Everyone was out to impress. The manufacturers were loose and wanting to talk to us. With out the pressure of filling orders, or selling their products, the manufacturers were much less stressed than a IPCPR, and because the event was limited to 500 people, I actually had a chance to have good conversations with all of them.

After the event ended, a few of us and most of the manufacturers went to a cigar bar called Downing Street. What an amazing place! It is a very rare thing to be able to drink, eat and smoke all in one place these days, and I felt privileged to have experienced that. I spent most of the rest of the night bull shitting with Pete Johnson. He is such an amazing guy, and one of the funniest people I have met. Of course, when you are in the company of a good cigar and a cream soda (Pete's favorite alcoholic beverage), what could be better? Over all, I felt so welcomed by not only Teresa and Tim, but the whole cigar community as well. I can't wait for next year, and I hope and pray there are many more events like the Texas Cigar Festival to come.

Please check out the newbiecigarblog on facebook for all the pictures from the event. And while you are there, leave me a comment and become a fan! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Newbie-Cigar-Blog/276912613298?ref=ts

Texas Cigar Festival

I found out that I am going to the Texas Cigar Festival this year. It just so happend to work out with my schedule, as I don't have to work over the weekend... So this is VERY exciting! The Texas Cigar Festival is put on by SeriousCigars.com.
Per their website, "SeriousCigars.com was a web based cigar retailer until the opening of our Brick and Mortar store in December of 2003. We specialize in the top tier of most popular brands as well as the cream of the crop from the boutique manufacturers. We do not carry every brand or every size. Our general rule is "If we like to smoke it, we carry it."

The festival put on by Serious is an opportunity of a life time as a cigar consumer. "Our festival space is over 16,000 sq. ft., with all the trimmings. Each participant will receive a goodie bag with 20 premium cigars along with other related items. The cigars themselves are valued at $160. The event will be complete with a buffet of heavy hors d'oeuvres and of course, cocktails," says seriouscigars.com.

Check out all the people that will be there:
601 - Eddie Ortega
CAO - Tim Ozgener
Rocky Patel Cigars - Rocky & Nish Patel
Drew Estate - Jonathon Drew
Alec Bradley - Alan Rubin
Camacho - Christian Eiroa
Carlos Torano - Carlos Llaca
El Rey de los Habanos - Pepin, Jaime & Janny
EP Cariilo - Ernesto & Ernie Carillo
Nub/Cain - Sam Leccia
La Flor Dominicana - Litto Gomez
Perdomo - Arthur Kemper
Tatuaje - Pete Johnson
J Fuego - Jesus Fuego
Esteban Carreras - Craig Cunningham
Partagas -Benji Menendez
Xikar HC - Kurt Van Keppel
Oliva - Jeff Nolen & Dave Wagner
Padron - Orlando Padron Jr.
AshtonReyes Family Cigars

Other attendees
S.T. Dupont - Trunk Show
Cigar Rights of America
Humidipak
Sip, Smoke & Savor
Cigar Press Magazine
The Guayabera Lady

I will be bringing my camera and audio recording equipment, so stay tuned for interviews a pics!
If you can make it down to Houston TX this Saturday, COME! Would love to meet you and smoke a great cigar.

http://www.seriouscigars.com

Vegas Cubanas Don Pepin Garcia - For CRA Only

Hello cigar smokers of the internet! For whatever reason, I have been in such a good mood lately, quite the departure from my normal state of being the last few months. I will say, that one thing that has put me in such a good mood is a plethora of great cigars in my humidor. One of the cigars I pulled out of the bowels of the singles humidor was a cigar from CRA. The Cigar Rights of America, for those of you who don't know. Check out the link on the left hand side of this page. The CRA is now including two cigars when you sign up for a new membership. These exclusive cigars offset your membership price, and if you think about it, for the price of membership, you would pay for a few cigars anyways, so this is a great deal! If you are not apart of the CRA, YOU NEED TO JOIN! Plus, if you want to smoke the cigar I am about to talk about, you will have to sign up anyways.
The cigar I pulled out was a Vegas Cubanas, blended by Don Pepin Garcia. I asked Brian Berman of the CRA his thoughts on this cigar and why the CRA chose to work with Don Pepin. Brian says, "When CRA selected the cigars to feature exclusively to CRA members, the decision was not only based on finding GREAT cigars, but GREAT cigar companies. Our vision was to partner with legendary cigar makers, such as Don Pepin Garcia, to create a unique cigar that CRA members would enjoy—and remember. El Rey De Los Habanos (commonly called Don Pepin Cigars), has been a CRA partner since day one. From the top, down, Pepin Garcia has built into his associates that we need to fight for our freedom and that CRA is the outlet to do so."
Brian goes on to say, "The Vegas Cubanas Don Pepin Garcia cigar that is offered exclusively to CRA members has been specially blended and sized and is not available anywhere else. It is a complex, but smooth cigar that has an amazing flavor. It is truly a jewel from the El Rey De Los Habanos Cigar Factory!"

I am waiting on an email to let you know the size of this cigar, but if I had to guess, I would say it is about a 6x52 ring gauge. The wrapper is milk chocolate in color, and nice and oily.

Pre-Light:
Smelling the wrapper, I get scents of chocolate and a sweet horse barn. The dry draw was perfect for me, as I enjoy a slightly loose draw, and the tastes tickled my tong with bourbon and sweet vanilla.

Light:
The first few draws on this cigar produced a very creamy smoke laden with a spicy black pepper and an underlying floral cedar note. As I smoked through this, the smoke transformed into a mellow white pepper and saddle leather taste. The spiciness of this cigar makes you salivate and drool on yourself (at least I did...).

After taste:
The Vegas Cubanas leaves your mouth feeling refreshed with that spice coming through well after you are done smoking this cigar. One thing I loved about this smoke, is the copious amounts of smoke that this cigar produced. It never left me wanting more, yet was not over powering in any way. This cigar is proof the Don Pepin Garcia is one of the world's best cigar blenders, and the CRA should be proud to have this smoke.


I also wanted to let you know that I will be starting to do a segment for Doc at www.stogiefresh.com Doc has taken me under his wing, and has provided me with many opportunities to write for him. I will be doing a (hopefully) regular segment called "Tools of the Trade" which will be a review on cigar accessories and tools. Look for this week's podcast and listen for me! Also, Doc has posted a review I did on a Xikar lighter. You can find it here: http://www.stogiefresh.com/journal/Cigar_Journal/Accessories/Entries/2010/4/14_Xikar_EXII_Havana_Collection_Lighter.html

Next week I will be interviewing Kurt Van Keppel, President of Xikar. So stay tuned for that interview!

Joya de Nicaragua Antano

I have found my new favorite smoking spot. I work now for the local CBS station here in Minneapolis, and they have a beautiful deck on the roof. It provides stellar views of downtown Minneapolis, people watching and most of all the peacefulness knowing that you are alone on a roof with a great cigar. The inaugural smoke was a Joya de Nicaragua Antano. Doing some research, cigar.com provides some great info on this cigar. They write,

"The Antano is a real piece of cigar history. As the first brand ever made in Nicaragua, Joya de Nicaragua is a favorite of aficionados who prefer cigars from this region.

Nicaragua is the fastest growing cigar manufacturing country in the world, but that has not always been the case. In 1964 the very first cigar factory opened in Nicaragua, which relative to other cigar producing nations is a late start. Joya de Nicaragua was the first real brand made in the factory and in 1970 it was the cigar of choice in the United States, smoked by the elites of society and politicians of the day. With political corruption and communism plaguing Nicaragua, production of the Joya de Nicaragua brand ground to a halt.

Joya de Nicaragua is back and the Antano is a tribute to the original blend rolled in 1970. The cigar is full bodied and full flavored, leaving nothing to the imagination. Spicy and earthy flavors hit the palate like a freight train, and the moderate finish leaves you going back for another puff. Highly rated and reviewed, this cigar has gained a dedicated following"

I wanted to include that history, because at the time of smoking this cigar, I had no idea the background of this smoke.

Pre-Light:
This cigar has a toothy, rough, bumpy wrapper, that smells of cinnamon, spice and a sweet leather note. After cutting the end, I took a dry draw, and found notes of nutmeg and eggnog.

Light:
With the first draw I found this cigar to be sweet with a kiss of vanilla and coffee notes. Retro-haling the first draws tickled my nose with floral and cedar notes. At first I found this cigar to be mild to medium bodied and flavored. None of the flavor notes were particularly strong, and could be due to the fact that I stored this as a single cigar in my humidor of singles.
As I smoked on, I noticed a bit of bitterness developing on the lips. Melting into a mild creamy sweetness that makes your mouth water.

The 2nd half of this cigar changed noticeably. The smoke transformed into a dark chocolate and saddle leather taste, ending with a spiced chocolate cake with an increasing floral aroma. I didn't notice how strong the cigar had gotten until I stood up. Even though the flavor of this cigar was medium, the nicotine really hit me in the gut. I went downstairs and had to have a few glasses of cold water... This is a cigar that proves full bodied smoke, does not necessarily mean strong, a mild tasting cigar can really make you green too!

If you can tolerate the nicotine, I would suggest this cigar. For me, it was a bit too strong, but the flavors were extraordinary. Give this one a try, but beware, it will get you in the gut!

MURCIELAGO BELICOSO

After a month (or a little longer) hiatus, I am back and ready for more blog entries! Sorry to all of you who check this blog with any regularity. The last month has been crazy between loosing my job, family members in and out of hospitals, and our house deal falling through... But, I know that without a great cigar, I would be more of a wreck than I already am!

So, today was a beautiful day to jump in the herf-mobile to light up a good stick. I was listening to Bob and Dale on the iPod and decided that a Murcielago would be a great accompaniment to a good Dog Watch cigar podcast. I bought a box of these Murcielagos from Joe Fuller at fullerspullers.com around last November and have been smoking these on and off ever since. I chose the Belicoso size of 5.5 x 52 ring gauge. The Murcielago brand was made for EO Brands by Don Pepin in Nicaragua. "Made with a dark rich maduro wrapper grown in the fertile volcanic soil of the San Andres Valley in Mexico with a binder grown in the same region. Blended with rich Nicaraguan filler, the cigar is rich in maduro flavor with hints of spice that the Nicaraguan filler brings out." - atlanticCigar.com

Pre Light:
This smoke is VERY earthy with lots of chicken coup, barnyard and wet grass scents to it. The wrapper is dark and milk chocolaty.

Light:
After lighting this stick I was hit with some of those earthy flavors, but, a ton of spice and black pepper over shaddowed those distinct mexican tobacco flavors. The maduro wrapper added to the exotic spice and deep rich coffee flavor that tickled your tong every so often.

After Taste:
The Murcielago leaves your mouth coated with rich and meaty flavors, that stay with you much like a black peppercorn crusted steak leaves your mouth coated with the greasy, savory, peppery juice long after you take your last bite.

Over all, this cigar is a great cigar, but is definatly on the fuller boddied and flavor side. Many new cigar smokers may find this cigar to be too peppery and meaty for their liking. I look for that in a cigar and enjoy the bold flavors this cigar has to offer. If you buy a couple, I would recomend that you age this cigar slightly to let the flavors melt together and mellow and blend slightly. If you are looking to take the next step into your cigar adventure, deffinatly give this one a try!

Who are you and what do you taste - Part II

As cigar smokers, I believe we are more in tune with our mouth than most people. That is not saying that we talk more, or have more interesting things to say (trust me, I have met my fair share of cigar smokers who can't talk, or are as boring as hell...), I am saying that we tend to pay more attention to how things taste and what they taste like. Smoking cigars, many different cigars, gives us a glimpse into two things. One, we get a volume of tastes coating each taste bud on our tongue, kissing each of our lips with a flavor profile unique only to what we are smoking. No other cigar is going to taste exactly alike. And two, we get to taste a piece of history. We are actually tasting what the earth had to offer during a certain period of time, during the tobacco plants life. Think about that. Just like any other food, we can taste not only the flavor of each thing we put in our mouth, but we are also getting a glimpse into time. Like wine, we can often taste the difference in a food or cigar from year to year, depending on what the climate was like. Take a cow for example, I bet you can taste an extraordinary difference between a cow that has been confined it's whole life (cheap meat), or a cow that has spent it's life in a pasture, having little to no stress and being fed well. Like food, cigars are a glimpse into life during the time period of the tobacco's life. That is why it is so hard for a cigar manufacturer to produce the "same" cigar year after year. You might smoke a stick from brand "A" in 2007, and decided you really liked the smoke. Lets say you run across brand "A" again last week, pick up a stick and smoke it. After the smoke you think, "hmmmm, that is not the way I remember enjoying that smoke!" Have your tastes changed? Probably little to none. What has changed is the tobacco used in that smoke. Cigar manufacturers spend huge amounts of time and money to make cigars that are consistent year to year. In my opinion, it is a futile effort. No one is going to be able to capture the exact same taste year after year, because we have something called climate change. No one can control the climate and it is ever changing. Much of what we taste is yes, climate controlled. But what the major cigar bands might call their plight, it is the redeemer of the boutique cigar brands. The boutique cigar brands are not trying to produce the same cigar year after year. Once they have run out of a certain tobacco, they can blend a new cigar and release it, calling it a different name. This can be good and bad for cigar smokers. Unless you are able to put boxes away for later consumption, you may never be able to taste that cigar again. On the other hand with a boutique brand, chances are they will be releasing something new shortly that may recapture your interests. Over all, as a new cigar smoker, taste as many different cigars as you can. Once you have decided on what you like, purchase more. But how can you know if you like something, if you don't try it first?

Who are you and what do you taste?

Embarking on this cigar journey has been both a pleasure and a burden. I am not sure how many people actually read this blog, with any regularity, but I find myself constantly being an observer. Not only an observer of cigars, or people in the cigar shops, but in life as well. I just read an article in the Cigar Press magazine by my friend Teresa Merchant. She is the face, body and soul of a blog/company called the Smoking Hot Cigar Chick (catchy... right?). I have never met Teresa face to face, but I do know she is a young woman (at least younger than me by a few years), that has a passion for her pallet. Not only does she indulge in cigars, but food and drink as well. Like Teresa, I find myself constantly analysing what I am tasting. I cooked for 65 people last night, and had a night of tasting and tasting. I constantly found myself looking for what was missing. What am I missing? I am by no means a chef. Chefs create new flavors and textures that compliment each other beautifully. I am a student of life. Constantly searching out the best that life has to offer. What I should have been focusing on is not what I am missing, but what flavors are there that I can complimnet. In Teresa's article, she expresses the art of tasting, and how we taste. We know what we like to taste, but do we know what we are tasting? For instance, take a simple vanilla ice cream. What do you taste? Inevitably you will say, "I taste vanilla ice cream." But what you are tasting are combinations of flavors that when combined tell your mouth, nose and eyes, you are tasting vanilla ice cream.
Lets pull out some of those flavors. Obviously we taste vanilla, the dominant flavor. But what about the cows milk. Can you taste what the cow was eating? If you are in Europe, their cows are mostly grass fed. Their milk has more earthy, grassy and sweet flavors. Here in the states, we feed out cows grain, and their milk tends to have more of a bread cereal quality. What about the sugar in the ice cream? Can you tell where it came from? This may be more far fetched and easier to write about than actually taking to practice. But I am trying to illustrate a point that Teresa has been trying to make. Taste your cigar. No, I mean really TASTE your cigar. As a newbie in the cigar world, I challenge you to try and pull out at least three flavors in the smoke that coats your mouth. Woods, fruits, sweets, and textiles. There is no limit on the flavors you can taste. Take the time in your day to not only experience life, but to taste it as well. I think you will be surprised what you taste.

The Jar

The last week and a half or so has been pretty bad. I was let go from my job, thus loosing the house we were about to close on. Needless to say, I haven't felt like myself for a while now. I decided to take this opportunity today to smoke a cigar. I haven't had a cigar since last Tuesday, so I thought my palate would be fresh enough to give a review. As mentioned in the article below, I had tasted the Viaje Exclusivo cigars in a Jar at the smoke shop. I enjoyed these sticks but thought I needed to sit down with them and revisit their taste profile.
Viaje is a boutique brand born out of the mind of Andre Farkas. These cigars are all Nicaraguan tobacco, I believe. But not much is known about this cigar. The cigar I smoked today is the Exclusivo robusto size. This cigar is a 5x50 ring gauge and comes in glass jars (see picture below). I do know the wrapper is made of Criollo tobacco.

The Pre-Light:
This cigar is nice and oily, with a slight squishiness to the touch. The cigar smells of hay and barn yard, and the foot gives off a strong aroma of chicken coupe. The cap on this cigar has a little tail, reminiscent of the old Cuban style.

Light:
After lighting this smoke, I almost immediately got the taste of chocolate and sweet honey. This cigar surprised me in the sense that it was more mild bodied than I remembered. Don't get me wrong, this cigar produces copious amounts of thick smoke. But the smoke did not coat my mouth with as much creaminess as I remember. This cigar melts from chocolate and nutmeg to a mild white pepper spice. The retro hale was extremely enjoyable, with notes of cedar and puffy chocolate cake. I smoked this one down to the nub, as I just couldn't put this smoke down. The flavors were mild, but complex enough to keep me guessing what I was going to taste next.

After Taste:
This cigar leaves you with a mild sweetness in your mouth. I would pair this cigar with a nice coffee, or fruity wine. Because of the pronounced chocolate character I get from this cigar, I think it would go nicely with the silky and delicate flavors of a Pinot Noir wine. After all, chocolate and red wine is a heavenly combination.

Over all I would recommend this cigar to a newbie. The flavors are mild enough, yet complex to be perfect as a mid morning to early afternoon cigar. I think Viaje is doing some exciting things, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Winter Wonderland...

Sometimes it sucks to live in Minnesota. The older I get (and I am still young), the more I wonder "why the heck do I live on this frozen tundra!?" Many people have the misconception that we as Minnesotans do little other than forage through the forest, hunting dear, ice fishing, or mushing a dog sled. That may be more of a reality for Alaskans, but here in Minnesota, we have a vibrant cultural area called the Twin Cities (also known as Minneapolis/St. Paul). You would be surprised at the amount of gourmet food and wine, music and ethnic food establishments there are here. The one thing this area lacks, are good cigar bars or lounges. Yes there are a couple, but on a snowy day, when your car is in the shop, where can you go smoke? A lounge of course!
Before the Super Bowl last Sunday, I ventured down to a south metro city named Burnsville. This area will become my home town, hopefully in April, as we are waiting to see if an offer was excepted my wife and I put in on a house there. There is a wonderful smoke shop and lounge called "BURN." I walked in and I instantly received a warm welcome from the owner James. This was the complete opposite experience than my previous one at a different tobacco shop (read below "Can I Help You?"). James and I talked for quite a while about the CRA, the tobacco business and his cigars.
One of the cigars he was excited and proud about was a serialized jar of Viaje Exclusivos. I purchased a few, and lit one up right away. This cigar is meaty, and chocolaty, with hints of leather and a bit of sweetness reminiscent of french vanilla. The overall word I would use for this cigar is balanced. I very nice treat indeed! I will have to purchase a few more of these smokes and give them a proper review. James also told me that Viaje had held a drawing across the country to choose where a batch very limited production cigars called, "Double Edged Swords" were going to be carried. BURN won the drawing, along with four other shops across the country.
Overall, BURN gave me hope once again in the Brick and Mortar establishments. We are lucky to be able to smoke in these places, and it is owners like James that perpetuate the good name and nature of premium cigars.

The Man Holiday

Like Christmas, New Years, and Easter, tomorrow is just as much of a holiday as the more traditional days. Tomorrow is the Super Bowl. In The USA, this is when hordes of people get together for hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers, chili, chips and dip, and maybe, if the ever watchful eye of a wife is upon us, a carrot or celery stick. We get together to watch the most
expensive television sporting event of the year. We laugh at 30 second commercials, that cost upwards of 15 million dollars to air. We drink horrible, cheap water we call beer. We talk about manly subjects, and poke fun at each team playing. This has become such a tradition, that it wouldn't be right to sit at home alone, and watch the game in peace and quiet. Or would it...? This year, I will be traveling to my brother-in-law's house to watch the big event. In addition to beer (I kick it up a notch from the bud light, and drink Sierra Nevada, or Summit Pale Ale), I will be bringing the traditional bratwursts and chili.
But, like every holiday, I will be bringing some great smokes as well. Every day we are alive, deserves a cigar at the end to celebrate our small victories in life. But, holidays deserve something a little better. This year I will be bringing some Tatuaje Black and Red Tubos by Pete Johnson and blended by Don Pepin Garcia. These cigars will be the perfect accompaniment to the excitement and flavors of tomorrow. Being an all Nicaraguan puro, it is sure to have that bold, full body and flavor of pepper and spice. This cigar should pair beautifully with the south-of-the-border spices in the chili, and the hopiness of the Sierra Nevada. This truly will be a special cigar to celebrate with. There is nothing like a great cigar to share with friends during a holiday like tomorrow. Like every holiday, the gathering of friends and family, the great conversations and food, should be accompanied by a wonderful cigar. What are you smoking tomorrow?

"Can I Help You?"

Yesterday I took a little trip to my local "brick and mortar" cigar shop. I had to pick up a few humida-bags to ship some cigars in to a few friends. I also wanted to talk to one of the shop's owners about possibly hosting a CRA event as both him and I are CRA amabassadors for Minnesota.
Now, let me preface this story with the fact that I wouldn't call myself a "regualar" customer of this particular shop, but I am there at least a couple times a month, and had just spent $150 on cigars and travel humidor last week.
I decided to light up a cigar on my way over to the shop, as I only have an hour for lunch, and I didn't want to waste any time tucking into this cigar. I drove over to the shop, and walked in, took off my coat and grabbed a couple of humida-bags to get ready for purchase. About that time, the other owner of the shop came over to me and greeted my with the customary "Can I help you?" This wasn't the warm, fuzzy, I am really glad you are here, how "Can I help you." Instead this was the cold, annoyed, who the heck to you think you are coming into my shop, kind of "Can I help you." I was slightly taken aback, as I had been there before, yet he was treating me like I was some sort of outsider. I politely told him that I didn't need any help, that I was here to just pick up these humida-bags, and finsh my cigar (which I had bought at the shop the week before). His next response sounds reasonable on paper, yet the way he came across would make a grown man blush. This shop's owner cocked his head, looked at me from head to toe, and said "Well, we appreciate it if you would buy a cigar."
I was blown away! I would understand if I was just some kid off the street, who walked into his shop smoking a swisher sweet, then yes, that comment would be warrneted. But, the fact that I was already going to spend money, AND I spent $150 with him the week before, AND I was smoking a cigar I had bought in HIS shop already, made my blood curdle! My timid response didn't express the steam coming out of my ears, as I responded with a simple, "Of course."
As I sat in the lounge, reflecting on what had just happened, I some how gathered up the courage to talk to this man again.
I went over and tried to strike up a conversation about the CRA and possibility of hosting an event. This attempt was futile and foolish as I was treated rudely once again. He was surfing the internet on his phone, not even once looking at me as I was talking. I told him my idea, and he compleatly shot it down. I wasn't asking for money, I was asking for a place to host the event. He just wasn't interested in me, and had already written me off.

I am a big supporter of the Brick and Mortar movement. I do believe that it is becoming harder and harder for these shops to compete with the online stores. These shops are having to put lounges in and other amenities to attract a buisness clientele, when laws are getting harder and stricter. I feel for the local shops as they were delt a bad hand, and are forced to make the best of it. But, that doesn't mean writing off people who walk in their shops. Even if I was a kid, smoking some swisher sweet, I believe the proper thing to do would be to nurcher this kid's interest in cigars, and enlighten him in the ways of premiums. If a shop is open to the public, the owners and employees need to be open and warm to all customers that walk in their doors. Unless someone is obviously abuseing the privalege of smoking in their shop, why be rude?
Who knows, maybe this guy was just having a bad day. But in the customer service industry, you need to hang it up at the door!

The cigar industry lives in delicate balance with the world, local shops don't need anymore enemies than they already have. As for me, I will be frequenting a different shop from now on.

Joya Cubana Gran Merito Robusto

Last night, I had the pleasure of smoking a wonderful cigar, sent to me from FullersPullers.com for the DogWatch Cigar Radio club. Joe does an excellent job picking out some amazing smokes, and I always look forward to my monthly shipment. I smoked a Joya Cubana Gran Merito Robusto. This cigar is a 5 x 52 ring gauge. It has a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, with a Nicaraguan/Honduran filler and a Nicaraguan binder.

Pre Light:
This cigar surprised me a little on the prelight. As I examined the cigar, it felt a bit hard. But after cutting it, I found the draw to give just the right amount of air. Smelling the wrapper, I got a very earthy and woody scents, with notes of sweetness and butterscotch.

Light:
Right off the bat, this cigar was creamy with sweet vanilla. As I smoked through it, I got hints of mint and black pepper. This cigar was discribed as spicy from other reviews, but I defninately wouldn't consider that to be a main note of the cigar. The spicyness of the cigar was a more sublte flavor that coated your mouth like a Chinnese hot mustard, it was gone almost as fast as it came.

Retro-Hale:
Blowing this ciagr's smoke through my nose produced tastes that I would never have gotten from just smokeing the cigar. In addition to more black pepper, I picked up hints of sweet paprika and mint. Retro-haleing this cigar is like taking a bite of wasabi paste. It is a mild spicyness, but tickles the hairs on your head for just a moment.

After Taste:
I was not able to detect too many falvors on the after taste. The finish was short and sweet.


Overall, this is a wonderful medium bodied smoke pushing the edge of full bodied. I would
recommend this smoke, but would like to smoke a few more before I decide to buy a box. One
of the great attributes of small production cigars is the fact that they are always coming
out with something new. I am excited to see what else Joya Cubana will have to offer!

Safety Blanket

Over the last few days, Teresa from "The Smoking Hot Cigar Chick" and I have been conversing on the similarities of wine, cigars and various other topics. Both can have wonderful pairings, as well as flavor notes that can be quite surprising and unique. Recently, Teresa brought up a really good topic on her web page: "What is your go to cigar?" This started to make me think. What would be my go to cigar? This is hard for me, particularly when most of what I enjoy about smoking cigars, is trying new brands I have never smoked before. Usually when I go to a cigar shop, I look for the new and up coming cigars. This provides me with the enjoyment of rating the cigar (in my own head), and dreaming up good food and drink parings. For some people though, this can be daunting. Just the thought of trying something new, makes the hairs on there back stand on end, and they break out in a cold sweat.
I encourage you as a new cigar smoker to get out there and try the new stuff. I am not telling you to try the full bodied smokes, if you only like the light bodied smokes. But, try different brands or vitolas within a brand, that can be described as light bodied (or whatever you like). This is the only way you are going to expand your palate and hone in on what exactly pleases your taste buds. We all need to grow, and nurture our passions. And unfortunately, we can't do that, by sticking with one cigar!

Cigars on Ice

Most people have the misconception that only Jesus can walk on water. And, most people aren’t from Minnesota. Up here, for 3 months out of each year, we are able to reenact this great miracle. Some of us sit on a bucket outside on the ice, with a short pole, waiting for the fish to bite. Others of us, spend thousands of dollars to sit on the ice in the lap of luxury, watching satellite tv, sitting in leather recliners in our “spare living room” that often times is nicer than our homes. Though I don’t go to that extreme, I do enjoy ice fishing in a revamped pop up camper, with some good friends and good cigars. This year, we went back up north to the Crosslake area of MN. With fishing gear in tow and a nice La Gloria Cubana in mouth, I was set for a great manly weekend. It wasn’t until I was parked at the public landing, and a Gurkha Master Select #6 later, we went to get more bait. We pulled up to the landing, and looked at these black pieced of plastic lying by my car. Looking up, I realized someone had obviously hit my car and drove off. The nerve of some people! Luckily I was in the company of good friends and cigars to calm me down.
This brings me to my point of this article. Some people are blessed to be able to smoke indoors whenever they want. Some people are lucky enough that the weather is nice all year round and can enjoy their favorite stick on a nice patio. But, none of that matters as long as you have good company and good cigars. As I sat on the ice, pondering who the bastard was who hit my car, standing outside in -15 degree wind chill, I realized something. Life is too short to bitch about a stupid car, or how I have to smoke outside, even when it is cold. All that matters is that you are with the people you love, doing what you love. Life is not always about what you do, it is how you do it. As long as you have passion for everything you do, then life is worth it. Take a look at the cigar you are smoking. Up to 500 hands have touched that cigar, giving it all the love, care and passion that it deserves. Next time you have to smoke in a less than ideal place, just take a minute to reflect on your passion for life, and the passion that went into that roll of tobacco. Both you and the cigar deserve it.

Padilla Cazadores

Today's smoke was a Padilla Cazadores Robusto size cigar. I jumped in the herf-mobile at lunch time and fired this baby up!

Unfortunately Padilla's website is being updated, so I couldn't find too much information on this cigar other than it has Honduran tobacco filler with a Habano seed wrapper.

Pre-Light:
Upon taking the cellophane off of the cigar, the wrapper had a very nice grassy aroma to it. The best surprise was when I smelled the foot. The filler had LOADS of dark chocolate scents, with just a hint of citrus.

The Cigar:
After lighting this cigar up, I could taste the dark chocolate and woody characters. It wasn't until the retro-hale that the heavy cedar and wood shop tastes came through. I was blown away by how tasty this cigar was! The smoke was more on the medium bodied side, but where it was medium in body, it more than made up with incredibly FULL and rich flavors it produced. At the end of the cigar, it transformed itself to a white pepper and cajun spiciness taste. If you ever get a chance to be in Minnesota in late spring, and walk out into a grassy field, you will smell the sweet aromas of dewy grass, sweet nectar of flowers, and the earthiness of the trees. This cigar tastes much like that. I found it to be refreshing on the palate, yet kept me interested as the flavors melted into eachother at the end.

Aftertaste:
This cigar has a very mild after taste, and keeps your mouth watering well after you are done smoking this cigar.

Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this cigar to anyone. Padilla has a great taste profile that a precious few companies would be able reproduce. Congratulations to Padilla for a job well done!

Too much age??

Last night, I dug to the eternal bowels of my humidor and pulled out a Partagas Black label pyramid 1845 series. I remember buying a a box of these back in 2004 or 2005, but must not have smoked all of them. Once I realized that this cigar had 5 years of age on it possibly, I got my self excited! Maybe too excited... Well, the whole experience proved to be disappointing. Not only was the cigar extremely plugged, and didn't produce hardly any smoke; the cigar lost most of it's flavor! This brings up a good point that I think some people don't really think about. Like different wines, some cigars are meant to have the consumer age them, and some are not. The difficult thing is that, the manufacturer often times won't tell you that it should or shouldn't be aged. Which leads us to make a subjective opinion on the matter. AND like wine, a cigar will peak with age, and start a steady decline not only in flavor, but composition as well. Unlike Cuban cigars, most non-Cuban cigar's tobacco is aged anywhere from 6 months - 10 years. Cuban manufacturers tend to ferment the tobacco for a much shorter period of time, hence why many people box age their Cuban cigars. I think this is more of a cultural thing than anything else. We here in the USA tend to like our products NOW. We as a culture don't like to wait for things. Latinos and Europeans tend to be much more accommodating when it comes to waiting for the finer things in life. Let's face it, the Europeans know how do it right!

In conclusion, I believe that 5 years was probably 4 years too many for this Partagas cigar. I need to get better at rotating my humidors!!

Smoke Today

Today is a little cold here in MN. A blistering high of 7 degrees. So needless to say, I had the heat cranked up in my herf-mobile to full blast. I had a little scare when I rolled down my window, and it wouldn't roll back up... but with a precision whack to the door, the window submitted to my disapproval and rolled back up.

Anyways, on to the smoke for today!

Today I smoked a Joya Cubana cigar. Unfortunately, I am not exactly sure which stick it was, as I believe this was a single I got from the Dogwatch cigar club run by Fullerspullers.com.

Pre-Light:
Examining the cigar, this stick looks to be about a robusto size, at around a 50-52 ring gauge, and maybe 4 inches long. The wrapper is dark and oily, reminiscent of dark chocolate in color. The wrapper aroma is a bit sweet, with smells of sweet hay and grassy notes, and the filler has that classic barnyard sent.

Light:
After toasting the foot, the aroma smells of fresh baked bread, and leather. After finishing the light, I got strong black pepper notes, but that hint of sweetness persisted throughout. Although this cigar looks strong, it is a classic example of "don't judge a book by it's cover." I found this smoke to be more medium in body and strength. About half way through the cigar, the flavors melted into a sweet caramel, chocolate, and leather flavor that kissed your mouth with a sweet residue that had me licking my lips with each puff.

Aftertaste:
I also like to talk about the taste that cigars leave you with after you are done smoking about them. This particular cigar left me with a sweeter aftertaste that has hints of that chewy barnyard air to it.

Overall this was a very nice and pleasant smoke, and I would love to get my hands on some more!

Stogie Fresh

Hey all,
A few days ago, a college kid asked me about cigars. Now I am a younger cigar smoker, and I fully support the recruitment of young cigar smokers into our hobby, as long as they are of legal age. We need to end the stereotype of cigar smokers either being hard ass bikers, or stuffed up old guys. Yes, a regular college kid CAN enjoy a cigar from time to time! Anyways, that is not my point. This kid asked me about humidors and how to season them. I explained everything I could, but I also referred him to Doc at Stogie Fresh. Not thinking much about it after that, I put the whole experience out of my mind until this morning. I received a phone call from this college kid, thanking me for the help. He had bought a humidor and was in the process of starting a cigar club at his college. He also mentioned that he loved the Stogie Fresh website. So, if you have just bought your first humidor and are wondering what the heck to do with it, I encourage you to check out the website!

The CRA is YOUR friend!

There comes a time in a man's life, when it hits him... He has a God given right to enjoy a cigar! Not only should we be able to enjoy a cigar on birthdays, and holidays, but whenever we feel the need to indulge in this great gift we call the tobacco leaf. I am in no way advocating cigarette smoking, as I believe that cigarettes are just a delivery device for the addicts, not smoked for their taste or aroma. I am strictly talking about a cigar or pipe. The sad thing is, we as cigar smokers are getting lumped in with the cigarette smokers. The type of people that smoke cigarettes are so extremely different, and marketed towards oppositely, than that of a cigar smoker. If we don't do something soon, and stand up and say "HEY!" we are going to be dragged down with the chopped up, additive rich, tobacco and cigarette smokers. There is an all out war against cigarette companies. You see the adds on TV, in newspapers and magazines. And we are getting lumped in with them! This is an all out prohibition, and for that we shall not stand. So, I encourage you to check out the CRA, Cigar Rights of America. I am a member, and believe that every cigar smoker should be as well. They are one of the only organizations that will stand up to Washington, and say "HEY! We have rights too!" So check out the link on the left hand side of this page, and please become a supporter!

What is a herf!?!?

You have heard the term before, "herf." No it isn't a STD, or a body part, or hardcore gang street lingo. It is the term for a cigar gathering. The word, Herf really has unknown origins, there are many theory's out there. But here are the main points.

1. A herf takes place when two or more people get together to smoke a cigar.

2. When attending a herf, always bring your own sticks, plus a couple of extra to share and trade. Don't worry, you will probably walk away from a herf with some pretty great cigars.

3. Bring a libation of some sort to share. A nice rum, or beer would be preferable.

4. If the herf is at your local "brick and mortar" shop, bring a little cash and purchase something from them. They are being extra generous opening their doors to you, so please, return the favor.

5. Be prepared to talk. Not only will you be talking about the cigar, but most likely you will be sharing your opinion on politics, current events, sports, etc. There is one think I can't stand, is someone in the corner, not being involved!

So there, those are my 5 things to know about a herf!

Now, start a herf and enjoy!

My first Blog

Greeting cyberspace! Welcome to my humble blog. This blog is mainly a place for me to write about cigars, and to share with you, the readers, my thoughts, feelings, and experiences as a young cigar hobbyist. My name is Adam, and at most cigar sites I go by the "Soundman"as a screen name. I am 27 years old, and live in the Twin Cites area of Minnesota. I am married, and don't have any children at the moment. My wife is a school teacher, so that has proven to be good contraception.

I can deduce that if you are reading this, you are more interested in cigars than my life, so let's get to it!

Let me explain my setup. I have three desktop humidors. Two of which are at home, and one I keep on my desk at the office. The two at home have the capacity to hold around 100 - 150 cigars, the one at the office, is small and holds more like 25-30 (if it is really packed). Once I figure out how to post pictures, I will.
I also have what I call an "end table" humidor. This humidor looks like an end table in my family room, but if you open it up, it is a humidor. This is where I keep my boxes of cigars, plus some singles in a drawer. I find this to be a wonderful addition (if you can spare a few hundred dollars), because it allows me to box age some cigars. Granted this is not a huge humidor, I currently have about 10 boxes of cigars just in that humidor.

So, if you are just starting out and wanting to gather information, here are a couple of sites you should check out:

The first one is http://www.stogiefresh.com/
This is run by Doc. He is a really animated (sometimes overly) guy that expresses his passion for cigars through his website and pod cast. I have found many useful tips on his website and encourage anyone interested in cigars to check his site out. You can download his pod cast directly from his website, or via iTunes.

The next site that I visit, almost daily is http://www.cigarmedia.tv/
This is the home to Dogwatch Cigar Radio. Bob and Dale, by far, are my favorite cigar pod casters. Their explanations on cigars they are smoking are beyond descriptive, and they are always striving to bring you interviews and news going on in the cigar world. I have learned a tremendous amount from those guys alone.

So, on to what I have been smoking. Typically I smoke a stick at lunch time. I am blessed to get an hour for lunch, so I usually jump in my mobile herf-mobile and have a smoke. Today, I smoked a 1961 Rocky Patel, I believe it was a robusto size. Rocky Patel, in my opinion, prides himself on full body smokes. So I was slightly surprised when I found this smoke to be more medium bodied. The pre light aroma smelled like sweet hay, and the wrapper was nice with just s few veins visible. The first few puffs were the RP spice I look forward to in an RP cigar, but I found that the spice mellowed as I smoked the cigar. It has nice characters of leather and black pepper. According to Rocky's website, this cigar has a Habano seed wrapper from Ecuador, a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan fillers.

http://www.rockypatel.com/html/1961.html

Thanks for checking this blog out, I will be sure to update it as often as I can!