CAO Gold Corona Gorda (6.5 x 50)

Don't normally like CAO too much.  The Gold is quite good so far, even for a mild-bodied smoke.

Cigar: CAO Gold
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 6.5 x 50 (Corona Gorda)
Wrapper: Ecuador Grown Connecticut Shade
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Mild

Didn't have my computer or even a pen & notebook, but in retrospect the cigar was consistent from foot to nose.  Burn line was good, construction was good, great draw, strength remained mild-medium throughout.   Mostly a mild nuttiness.  Not much complexity, but a satisfying smoke nonetheless.  If you're looking for power and twists and turns, you will not find it here. 

Illusione ~MJ12~

Beautiful construction, good pre-light draw.  Strong start leads quickly onto smooth, thick smoke.  Slight irritation in the back of the throat, but only lasted for a few minutes.  Retrohale gives notes of leather and a little bit of wood.  Perfect draw, medium to full body.

As I start the 2nd third, the woody flavor takes the lead, and the burn line has improved, although it certainly has not been poor. Chocolate is now evident, and the cone shaped ash I had initially experienced has corrected.

Bottom line:  Great cigar - definitely recommend!

My Father No.1 (52 x 5.2)

Very good smoke, worthy of it's high rating. Tight draw, pre-light. These are designed with a punchy blend in the foot, which catches your attention before settling down into a nice, creamy smoke. These will cost you at least ten bucks a pop, but you won't be disappointed. While hanging out at Cigars & More, I found myself engaged in some conversation, so I wasn't able to jot down any notes. I'm sure I'll smoke another one of these, and will give a detailed review at that time. Trust me, these are nice cigars.

Graycliff Double Espresso (Robusto)

This cigar didn't live up to its hype.  This is the 3rd Graycliff that I've tried. The blue label started off funky, but overall was good. The white/gold label (reviewed below) was also good. Neither were worth the hefty price tag in my opinion. The Double Espresso however, was a stick that I was looking forward to. Sure, some reviews I've seen were good, and others weren't very favorable. Either way, I seasoned this one in my humi for 3 months. Right off the bat it required some touch-ups, and later on it required a few re-lights. I didn't notice much complexity with this blend, but I was searching for the deep, rich coffee or mocha flavor, which I found but was not overly impressed with. To me, it was more of a burnt coffee bean taste. The 2nd third had the best burn and flavor, but I simply couldn't tell someone to go out and buy this one, even if it were priced down to $6 or $7. This cigar is rare, and I find no reason to seek it out. Also worth mentioning is an oddity that I noticed - just above the burn line, the wrapper seemed to melt or shrivel up. Graycliff is one of the most expensive brands out there. I wonder if they expect their prices to drive demand, rather than the actual quality and taste of their smokes.

70/70

Perfecto!

UPDATE (3/1/11):
For years, I was under the impression that 70/70 was the ideal.  As I continue to research the best possible environment for cigar storage, I'm seeing that 70/70 poses some potential risks (mostly if the humidor exceeds it and goes unnoticed).  65-68 for both temp and humidity seem to be popular amongst the enthusiasts on botl.  I'm making the move to adjust accordingly, and at some point I will report out on the experience.  I'm also hoping to invest in some 65% beads, as I'm currently using Xikar crystals w/ a humistat that I occasionally fill with distilled water as needed.

La Aurora 107

Watching KU v. ISU at The Cigar Lounge in Schaumburg.  This 107 is very smooth to start.  Jagged burn quickly fixed itself.  Hints of cedar.  Mild to medium in the first third.  Nice tight ash. Smoked this one down to about an inch and a half. The flavor remained fairly consistent throughout. Didn't really have any flavor complexity or twists & turns (which doesn't have to be a bad thing).

Nick's Sticks Little Havana (churchill)

Thanks to Bret, for gifting this one to me.  I was driving all day today, so this was a good size smoke for a road trip.  Wrapper was veiny and very toothy.  Moderate pepper in the first inch, gradually turned to a woody, earthy flavor that lasted for most of the cigar.  In the beginning of the 2nd third, I came across some bitterness.  The quality in construction is not quite the same as its brothers (Perdomo), but this is a decent budget stick for doing yardwork or jockeying the bbq grill.  ...and on a side note, as soon as I pulled off the "convenience store" style label, I instantly felt the cigar's quality go up.

Oliva O my!

The review is the same as before.  Good cigar.  For some reason, I find it nostalgic, if that makes sense.  Pairing with a SE Australian shiraz from good 'ol '07.

Main reason for this post is that I'm having this one in the basement....and so far my experiment to keep the rest of the house "stinky" free is working!  As George Takai would say, "Oh my!"

E.P. Carrillo (robusto)

Spicy on the lips.  Spice and pepper on the light.  Settling in nicely, 1/2 inch in.  Expectations are high.

Now it makes sense. This one is made in the "Pepin" factory from what I'm told, which explains the spicy blend at the foot. After the bold start, the flavors and smoothness really kick in (much like the My Father cigar). Great smoke - definitely recommend trying one.
4.0/5.0 stars

Giralda (Toro) 6x52

Tony at Churchill's n Down recommended this one.  Chocolate pre-light draw.  Even burn, good flavor in the first 3rd.  Lots of smoke.  Medium in body.
As I start the. Second 3rd, the draw is loose, and I am tasting some carbon. The cigar has gone out now, requiring a re-light. After the re-light, I've had to do one touch-up. This stick now seems to have periods with loose draws. Not bad, but the first 3rd was better, which is unusual to me. A quarter turn seems to help firm up the draw.
This cigar initially seemed quite promising. Admittedly, I only had one stick, but I'm not running out to suffer through another one. From second 3rd on, I fought with keeping it lit, keeping the burn even, and some nasty flavors which may have resulted from the burn issues. The middle of the cigar certainly got soft, and I do not believe that I was smoking this one too fast.

Update:  Turns out that this brand is blended by Jaime Garcia, and hand made in Nicaragua at the My Father Cigar Factory.  Currently, Forcade, Giralda Natural and Giralda Maduro are the lines available.  

BrickHouse robusto

Been seasoning since Thanksgiving....  Great bang for the buck!  Flavorful, mild-medium in body.  Slightly veiny.  Good burn line. Paired with a pint of Guinness. Great cigar, and I believe it may be a Nicaraguan puro.

Finding ONE good part of this weekend.

None better.

Jayhawks lost.
Bears lost.
At least I got a good smoke in to wrap up the weekend.

Diamond Crown Julius Caeser* (robusto)

I first saw this cigar a few weeks ago in C&M's Long Grove humidor.  It came highly recommended, and someone just shared with me that it made this month's Cigar Aficionado magazine (I'll have to check that out).  It's made by J.C. Newman Cigar Company, hence the "Julius Caeser" name, which pays tribute to Julius Caeser Newman, the founder of the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in the US.  The first tobacconist described it as a mild smoke, and the second tobacconist I spoke with said it was medium-bodied.  The price point is around $10-$11 a stick.

No complaints on the construction, and the wrapper was smooth and oily.  I sniffed the foot, and didn't smell much of anything, but then again the "Diamond Crown" lounge was already full of smoke.  The pre-light draw was just fine.  The JC was consistent from the beginning, all the way down to the nub.  The predominant flavor was that of nuts and cream.  I enjoyed it with a glass of cabernet, however I imagine it would be tasty with a coffee as well. 

I seem to have gotten away from the "rating system," however this cigar finds itself somewhere in the 3.75-4.0 stars out of 5.  I'm not running right out to buy a box, especially at ten bucks a pop, but it was definitely a satisfying smoke.
*spelled wrong on purpose. It's how J.C. Spelled his own middle name.

Amazing deal on Oliva Master Blend 3 Double Robusto!

$228.00 MSRP for $135 (zero tax & free shipping)

http://store.tobaccolocker.com/servlet/-strse-9409/Oliva-Master-Blend-3/Detail

Support your local tobacco shops/lounges, but don't pass this deal up... 
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Every year, the Oliva family cultivates a limited amount of fine tobaccos to create a rare, one-time-run of super premium cigars. The blend of this cigar is based solely on the leaves harvested, which often results in an entirely new cigar from year to year. Normally, these cigars have been privately reserved for ‘family use’ only. The scarcity of leaves acquired for this line, the Oliva Master Blends, has prevented the cigar from being released to the public. But, thanks to improved growing methods and quality control, yield now allows us to enjoy the fruit of the Oliva family’s labor, with a limited number of cigars produced each year.

Good news, the Oliva Family has announced the third release of the Master Blends Series - a limited edition cigar featuring the finest tobaccos cultivated within recent harvests. Available in 4 choice sizes, Master Blends III (MB3) is very limited in quantities and designed to cater the distinguished palate. MB3 is constructed with a lucious sungrown broadleaf wrapper leaf and a Nicaraguan blend of Habano-seed, ligero tobaccos. The result is a beautiful, dark brown cigar that’s bursting with complex, balanced flavor that satisfies the palate with a rich, bold, full-bodied finish.

Inventory is extremely limited.

MB3 received an oustanding, ’92’ rating. Here’s what the experts had to say:
"A pressed cigar with an oily, chocolate brown wrapper. A good draw imparts a good balance of earthy, creamy flavors. The spicy finish hints of brown sugar." [Description quoted from Cigars International]

Holiday gifts from the lovely Mrs. Bloom

Ashtray: Bram Warren Deep Conference by Alec Bradley
Torch: Xikar Executive
Sweet!

XIKAR (Zy-car)

XIKAR: How to Pronounce it..and What it Means (press release)

Illusione Epernay (Le Monde) 6 1/4 X 52

Hanging out at the new Cigars & More in Long Grove. Liking the Epernay so far.

Graycliff Crystal Edicion Limitada 2010

 

A rare figurado.  Bringing in the new year properly at Cigars & More in Libertyville.

Very good cigar.  The flavors developed nicely.  Hints of coffee, with an undertone of milk chocolate.  Unlikely that I'll be able to get my hands on another one, but definitely lived up to the hype (or close to it, anyways).

Fuente OpusX "Lost City" available for purchase online

http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewcigar.asp?brand=830

Rolled with a Dominican wrapper grown in only one vintage harvest year, this special edition OpusX is available in only a handful of sizes with only 500 boxes shipped per year.

Fuente OpusX is one of the rarest cigars in the world. It is elusive to almost every enthusiast because of its limited production. Prior to 1990, the Dominican Republic was well know for its filler and binder tobacco. Growing wrapper tobacco on the island proved impossible due to the topography of the land and the wind. The wrapper is a vital component of any cigar as it contributes to most of the flavor. Carlos Fuente Jr. set out on a mission to be the first cigar maker in the Dominican Republic to successfully grow wrapper tobacco. With the help of cheesecloths to protect the tobacco from the elements, the first successful crop was turned out in 1992. This wrapper is matched with unparalleled vintage tobaccos for its filler and binder and was the first Dominican puro (it only contains tobaccos grown in the Dominican Republic) on the market.

Lost City remains full-bodied from head to foot with a toasty character thoughout. Perfectly blended, you will find each and every Lost City smokes, burns and tastes the same from box to box as they expel earthy nuances with hints of spice. Packed full of Dominican long leaves, all limited and rare, OpusX Lost City is one of the rarest blends ever released to date.

Illusione ~mk~

First third is black peppery. Second third remained peppery too.  Final third wasn't anything special.  This is a thinner stick than I generally prefer to smoke.  The tobacconist at Cigars & More in Libertyville highly recommended it against the others in the Illusione line up.  Having enjoyed the ~88~, I was eager to try my second Illusione.  Understanding that small ring gauges allow for more of an influence in taste by the wrapper, I still found this cigar to be disappointing despite the wrapper having a nice smell to it pre-light.  Others may enjoy it, but it is decidedly not for me.  I do still look forward to trying the ~MJ12~.

Montecristo Momento 2000 Limited Edition

Last two from my humidor....only waited 11 years to smoke 'em.  Off to a solid start @ Cigars & More in Libertyville.

The very ellusive Graycliff Profesionale PG Robusto (aka Blue Label)

Not the 1666 either...
This one started out with a really bizarre taste, but after the first 3/4" or so, it really evolved into a pleasant, enjoyable smoke.  These are quite rare, and typically very expensive.  As many people may not be "in the know" about this brand, I'll post their "about us" section from the website below.
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The Graycliff Cigar Company was founded by the Garzaroli Family when Enrico Garzaroli fell in love with cigars but was unable to find that “perfect” cigar to complement what Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant has always been known for: excellent cuisine, fine wines and luxurious accommodations.

The Company began production in January 1997 in Nassau, The Bahamas. What then began as a single roller in the restaurant entrance way has now expanded to an award winning boutique Cigar Company with 16 master rollers, each an expert in their various format.

Graycliff Cigar Company’s original blend – The Graycliff – was blended by Master Torcedore Avelino Lara. Once Fidel Castro’s personal roller, Lara is famous for his creations at the El Laguito Factory outside of Havana, where he created blends for Cohiba, Davidoff and among others. Since his retirement in 2000, Enrico Garzaroli and Paolo Garzaroli have collaborated on creating all of the new blends manufactured at the award-winning Graycliff Cigar Company from the Graycliff Professionale to the more affordable lines: G2 (available worldwide) and Bahiba (available only in The Bahamas). Each blend is created to please the palate of different cigar smokers – from the buttery Emerald to the smooth and silky Chateau Grand Cru and powerful Espresso.

Graycliff Cigars’ numerous awards include: France’s Club Cigare’s 2001 Cigar of the Year Award; The Robb Report’s Best of the Best in 2003 for the Crystal, the Espresso in 2004 and Chateau Grand Cru in 2006; and many accolades from Top25Cigars.com including Best Boutique Cigar Company.

Visitors to The Graycliff Cigar Company in Nassau, Bahamas, in addition to witnessing firsthand the torcedores at work, may also take a Cigar Rolling Lesson with our expert craftsmen.

Graycliff Cigars are available in seven award winning blends: Original, Professionale, Crystal, Emerald, Chateau Grand Cru, Heritage Royale and Espresso; as well as the G2 line. They can be purchased worldwide from fine tobacconists. Graycliff Cigars come in two choices of packaging the Humidor-box of 24 and select blends come in smaller gift packs; G2 come only in boxes of 25.

Follow Me!

Hey, if you check this blog every now and then, please consider becoming a follower.  If you have a Gmail address, it's easy.  Look to the left for the simple instructions.

fol·low·er  (fl-r)

n.

1. One who subscribes to the teachings or methods of another; an adherent: a follower of Gandhi.

2. A servant; a subordinate.

3. A fan; an enthusiast.

4. One that imitates or copies another: A successful marketing campaign will have many followers.

5. A machine element moved by another machine element.

 

 

Smoking choices!

Current Top Smokes (in my book):

Tier 1:

• Oliva Master Blends 3
• Oliva Serie V
• Rocky Patel Edge Lite

Tier 2:

• Cain Habano Nub
• Illusione 88
• HC Habano (by Xicar)

Oliva Serie V 54x5

Chillin' at Churchill's n Down for the Oliva event.

Nub Connecticut 358

Mike's RP Edge Lite took him awhile longer than my Brickhouse robusto...  Nub will work to "kill some time."

Brickhouse 54x5 (Nicaraguan puro)

Muy bien!  Great smoke, sweet price.  Straight cut caused part of shoulder to unravel.  Probably shouldn't have.  Big vein preventing me from smoking it with the label right-side up.  Otherwise, excellent draw and taste.

Rocky Patel Edge

Strong stick!  Quality construction and well blended flavors are what it is in common with the Edge Lite, but that's where the similarities end.  Not for the weak!

Nub Cain Habano (460 I think)

And now for a Java Robusto!

Oliva Master Blends 3

Back to the #3..  What can I say?  Outstanding.....and hard to come by.
Oh, and thanks to Oliva Josh for the hook up!

Illusione ~88~

Very nice.  Woody and chocolatey, medium to full.  Nice oily wrapper, great construction.

Perdomo Habano Maduro

Very pleasant, full-flavored cigar with hints of wood.  Nice!

CAO Brazilia

Don't normally smoke the maduros, but this one is off to a good start.

Alec Bradley Family Blends

Really enjoying this one so far.

3rd cigar label project - next step is matting/framing

Cigar Cruise 2010 - Navy Pier, Chicago. Don Salvatore's "Smoke on the Water"

This event was definitely fun.  $100 per ticket, and well worth it.  Included 3+ premium smokes, wooden matches, guillotine cutter, open bar, buffet dinner and dessert tables. 

Cain Straight Ligero (on Cigar Cruise)

Stronger as expected, but smooth and enjoyable flavor.  4.0/5.0 stars

Alec Bradley Family Blend (cigar cruise)

Surprisingly good after a "not so impressive" Tempus. 
4.0/5.0 stars

Oliva Serie V (torpedo)

Strong and delicious!  Liga Especial

Smoke on the Water

Smoke on the Water

Already got my ticket!

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Best Seller

Like the "Short Story," but bigger..  I liked it!

La Flor De Cano - Habana

A Cuban smoke in Mexico. 

Camacho Connecticut

Good quality.  This "mild" cigar quickly intensifies for me. 
3.0/5.0 stars

CAO America - double-shaded wrapper (torpedo)

Picked this one up at the CAO event at Andrea's.  Medium bodied cigar.  Decent flavor, but nothing special.  Wrapper seems to be a fad, but sadly causes the wrapper to unravel when cut.  Might recommend a bullet-style (or punch) cut if it wasn't a torpedo shape. 
3.25/5.0 stars