What Cigar or Pipe Are You Smoking?

Had a lovely Don Pepin Garcia Original, sitting out with an old friend in the yard at a good social distance. Lovely mix of pepper and mocha, good draw and even burn. The best conversations go along with a good cigar.

JFR Maduro Robusto

In the humidor for several months. Espresso, earth and medium pepper on the finish. Uneven burn corrected with a single touch up. The core profile remains the same with notes of chocolate, sweet cedar and kitchen spice rounding it out. Medium in strength and a reasonably priced, very good cigar.
20200522_134343.jpg

Another ‘14 Padron 50th. This might be my favorite cigar on the planet, though I go back-and-forth on whether I like the natural or maduro more. It’s sort of a moot point because I have none of the latter and with 9 of the former left and the fact that they’re hard and expensive to replace need to start rationing them. Perfectly mature, earthy, dark chocolate classic Padron flavors. Wonderfully constructed. Just awesome.
C449146C-4D62-4417-8038-4E626A9E4F2D.jpeg

A. Fuente Chateau Fuente Maduro

Two months in the humidor, it is one of the very few cigars the wife likes the aroma of and used to be my go to daily smoker. Smooth and tasty with coffee, cedar, kitchen spices, slight sweetness, occasional notes of chocolate and very mild pepper on the finish. Even burn, solid ash, impeccable construction and medium body. Room note of chocolate, per the wife.
20200523_141724.jpg

First 80 degree day in Chicago this season, going full on Cuba with a lancero and Hemingway daiquiri.
5B164B29-399A-439D-8823-A7CB16AB5D5E.jpeg

AWESOME!

Perdomo Reserve Champagne Sun Grown

Probably in the humidor for ten years or more. Tobacco on the foot and hay on the cold draw. Starts with pepper and natural tobacco. After ashing the first half inch, the cigar morphs to cedar, leather, unsweetened maple and kitchen spice. The pepper has subsided and moved to the finish. After ashing another half inch, a creamy character appears smoothing out the profile which now has some coffee notes. Midway through the cigar some sweetness courses through, changing up the flavors. It might be sweet cedar and then sweet maple or caramel. This continues to the nub when the pepper increases a little on the finish. Medium plus and packed with flavor.
20200524_135234.jpg

Balmoral Serie Signaturas Dueto Toro

The Balmoral Paso Doble I posted on earlier was so good I ordered several boxes from my rep. Instead of the Paso Dobles, the Duetos showed up and I decided to keep them. Like the Paso Doble, the cigar is a collaboration with Royal Agio and another company, this time with E. P. Carrillo. The cigars were released late 2018.
20200525_133351.jpg
Barnyard on the foot, raisins on the cold draw. Starts out with nuts, dusty earth and pepper. As the pepper fades to the finish, there are notes of dried fruits, caramel, natural tobacco and coffee. Each time the cigar is ashed, the profile changes slightly. Coffee is replaced by cocoa, cedar replaces nuts then they go back. The cigar is creamy, smooth and not quite medium at the halfway mark and remains that way to the nub where the pepper reappears. Good smoke.
20200525_135130.jpg

That is a thing of beauty. I want one!

J

Nice to hear. I have never aged one of these and haven’t bought when in many many years, since I think I tried 2 and couldn’t be more bored.

Good to hear about the Balmoral. I have seen them but never tried one.

Cheers,

J

Cain Nub Maduro Torpedo

Three years in the humidor. Tough draw so I pretty much overheated the cigar trying to get it to produce smoke. Still got espresso, dark chocolate, cinnamon, earth and mild pepper.
20200526_132339.jpg
Cuban Cigar Factory Benji Mendez Natural Robusto

I was sent five samples six months ago. This is the third one I have tried and so far, all three have had wrappers unravel from the cap down to the band. This is the first one I have tried to smoke. Cedar, some coffee, a little caramel, a hint of citrus and pepper on the finish. Uneven burn required continuous maintenance. Pass on this one for now.
20200526_142028.jpg
20200526_141918.jpg

Balmoral Paso Doble Toro

Boxes of robustos and toros arrived today. The robusto sample I had two weeks ago was so good I had to try the Toro. It did not disappoint.
20200527_134128.jpg

Great to hear.

J

Romeo Anejo Robusto

Added these at the store five years ago and still have 5 or 6 sticks left in the discount bin. They just didn’t sell. Rich tobacco on the foot, chocolate on the cold draw. Perfect draw and burn. Coffee is at the forefront with earth, oak, salt and mild pepper on the finish. Half way through the cigar some sweetness appears and followed soon afterward with chocolate notes that build and move to the forefront. Smooth and flavorful, it just keeps getting better.
20200528_131919.jpg
54 ring is perfect size to smoke it all.
20200528_140742.jpg

My thoughts on NUB cigars. It had been years since I had smoked one and whatever I had in the past did not inspire me to buy more. Recently I got a FREE 10 pack sampler and after some rest, I have started trying them. First off, 4 of them are 60 ring gauge and a torpedo that is 66 ring gauge. After a few months in the humidor, I have started to go through them and they are terrific. One of them was weird. I think it was the Connecticut, but it was still smokable. Would I buy more? Probably not unless it was a complete steal. I really don’t understand the 60 ring gauge. No cigar should have a 60 ring gauge, especially one that seems to pose as a quick smoke. These are not quick smokes.

Jason

Ring size? How about these:
20190826_175105.jpg
That’s a Fuente Double Chateau in the middle.

Nat Sherman Metropolitan Host Hyde Natural 6 X 60

Six months in the humidor. Barnyard on the foot, hay on the cold draw and there is some sweetness on my lips like it was dipped in some kind of liquid sweetener. Smooth and mild to almost medium with plenty of flavor. Starts woody with pepper on the finish. Coffee notes appear quickly, turn to mocha and settle in as cocoa. Kitchen spices build about mid cigar adding another dimension to the profile. Ash a little loose and drops easily. The robusto sized version would be good for a beginner or quick, lighter smoke.
20200531_140519.jpg

17 Fundadoras. Went perfect with a champagne that I served.

My La Renia finally landed, going in the cooladore for a long nap next to the Man Tua

Randy,
The lounge looks like Napa Cigar and Wine. My wife and I herf there whenever we are in town. The PSD4 is her favorite. I’m more partial to the SdC No.1, although discontinued. Do you herf there often?

The wife and I own Napa Valley Wine and Cigar. I herf there every day. Identify yourself the next time you come by. At my age, I’m lucky I remember my name. [cheers.gif]