Gran Habano Connecticut #1 Imperiales

I had the pleasure of trying a Gran Habano Connecticut #1 Imperiales not too long ago.  The Imperiales is a 6 x 60 size, which is a bit larger than I typically smoke.  This cigar, with its Nicaraguan fillers and binders and it's Ecuadorian wrapper, has an overall good look and firmness.  However, there was a slight blemish in the middle which you can see in the first photo.  This was the first from a newly opened box, so I believe it came from the factory where someone overlooked this one.  The veins were noticeably present with a bit of a dry feeling, yet there was a slight oily sheen to the stick.

Initially, I detected hay and a woodsy aroma.  Upon lighting, I tasted a bit of sweetness in the tobacco as well as the hay.  There's a bit of creaminess that slowly develops, but it never builds to anything too powerful. The smoke is plentiful and the burn seems to remain pretty even and consistent.

Entering into the 2nd third, the creaminess continues with the sweet tobacco falling off, and the hay settling down for a bit.  Spice notes seem to pop up but it does not become too strong, and it blends pretty well with the cream.  The ash seems to remain steady of around an inch before falling.

Entering into the final third, notes of cedar become present with less cream and spice.  The smoke and burn have remained constant the entire time.  The finish ended with no heat at the nub

The Connecticut #1 is definitely a mild - light medium cigar.  It doesn't require multiple lights, it's not too complex, and it's not too bold with spice.  I would say that this would be a great introductory cigar to a newbie, or something you might want on a hot afternoon working in the yard, especially for the price.  I give this an 85.

Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro

The other day, I was going through my cigars to find something different than what I had been smoking lately.  I came across a Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro Toro that I picked up about a year ago and thought I'd give it a shot.  I was heading to a club which is cigar friendly and decided to do a review of it there.  So I grabbed my camera and put in some new batteries, and headed downtown.  

When I got to the club I ordered a Crown on the rocks and took out my camera.  Wouldn't you know it, the "fresh" batteries I just put in the camera were dead.  Fortunately my phone has a built in camera, although the flash is a little harsh when used, but it'll do.

The Nicaraguan grown leaves from Cuban seeds made for a nice looking stick.  The chocolate wrapper had few veins, none of which were too large.  It's aroma was that of sweet tobacco and fresh cut hay.  The foot was neatly packed which worked well with the cigar being lit only once.

 

Upon lighting, my initial notes were that of the tobacco and hay that I encountered earlier with its aroma.  There was plenty of smoke with each draw without working hard for it.  As it burned, I noticed it was burning a bit uneven, as you can see below.  The ash held on well, falling about an inch to an inch and a half.

Entering into the 2nd third, the flavors changed a bit. I tasted leather, and a bit of coffee.  The smoke was still plentiful, but the burn still went uneven after a touch up.  Near the end of the 2nd third, I got more of a creamy flavor while the leather notes dissipated.

Into the final third, the creaminess remained strong, the coffee notes returned, and spice made itself known.  I felt this was the best of the entire cigar.  The smoke was still plentiful and the flavors were well balanced. And it paired well with the Crown.

Despite having a couple of minor burn issues with the cigar, the cigar was a good cigar.  It produced proper smoke, had pleasing aromas, and had nice flavors.  For an inexpensive cigar, I'd say it'll definitely be worth picking some up.  I'm rating this as an 88.

2011 Top Cigars

As the year 2011 comes to an end, I wanted to take some time to post the top three scoring cigars I've reviewed this year.  I've enjoyed smoking several different ones by different manufacturers, but wanted to highlight those I felt were outstanding.  Not all were released this year, but were my first time for smoking them.

I also want to highlight a few cigars that I enjoyed smoking but didn't have enough time set aside to review. I would like to suggest to you to keep your eye on them and give them a shot if possible.  I will probably finally review these over the next few months. And these honorable mentions are (in no specific order):

Room 101 Namakubi
Drew Estate Undercrown
Savinelli Liga Especial
Tatuaje Fausto
Zino Z-Class 500R

Now for the distillation of all the goodness I've experienced over the past year into the top 3 positions are:

#3 (tie) with a score of 93 -
Toraño Exodus 1959 50 Year and Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta Serie No. 13

#2 with a score of 94 -
Macanudo Cru Royale

and with a score of 95, the #1 cigar of 2011 is:
The Crowned Heads Four Kicks!

Congrats to the crew at Crowned Heads for an incredible first year with your introductory line, Four Kicks!

I will be bringing in the new year with a Four Kicks tonight, what about you?


I'd like to thank all of you for reading and following me on this journey of enjoying cigars and the occasional spirit.  2012 looks to be an even better year with new cigars waiting to be tried and reviewed.  See you next year!

Four Kicks

In case you're thinking that I'm late to the party when it comes to reviewing Four Kicks, well you may be correct. However, I was one of the lucky ones to get to Uptown's Smoke Shop (first of the original 66 retailers to carry Crowned Heads) on launch day and snap up several Four Kicks. With that said, I wanted to enjoy my first Four Kicks with the group at Uptown's and do a proper review later, taking notes and photos. But with the holiday schedule encroaching, all the traveling and the parties that I must or should attend for both business and personal, let alone normal business, made personal time for doing a proper review and writing a bit difficult until after Christmas.  I can't count how many times I would get home at 4am but get up again around 7-8am.  Whew~!

But finally here is my review!

So there's a really good chance that if you're reading this blog, you are already aware of Crowned Heads and their line Four Kicks. It is something that I've not only mentioned in my previous blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, but it definitely was on the lips of everyone in the cigar industry all year long. I don't believe anything was as greatly anticipated as Four Kicks and now is the time to see if it lives up to the hype.

The first thing I noticed about this Corona Gorda was the aroma. It was an intoxicating sweetness of molasses with some spice and a hint of earthiness. Best I've smelled all year. The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper had small veins and had a nice light sheen to it. The cigar was well constructed with a nicely packed foot.

Lighting the cigar was a breeze. It lit well and produced ample amounts of creamy smoke. The initial notes I tasted were the same as those I smelled earlier. Plentiful, smooth, and delicious. The ash remained tight and held on for an inch and a half to two inches.

As I started entering the 2nd third, the cigar became more peppery and woodsy while the sweetness tapered off. The burn was even and smoke was always plentiful. Interestingly enough, the first couple of cigars had issues with going out at the 2nd and final third mark. I assume that since these cigars were right off the truck, they had encountered some higher humidity being shipped from the Dominican Republic and needed some time to "dry out". I say this because after having the cigar(s) in a more controlled area for several days before smoking made this stick perfect with no need to light more than once.

Entering into the last third, most of the pepper subsided and the spice once again returned. A hint of leather and molasses finished up the cigar for what ends up being one of the most flavorful cigars I've enjoyed this year.

Before I reveal my rating for this cigar, I would like to hearken back to something Jon Huber of Crowned Heads mentioned in early November. He said that the jury for Four Kicks was still out, and when he said "jury", he meant the individual and their own individual taste. With that in mind, I decided to do something a little different. I already had my taste, my experience and my rating of Four Kicks, but what about others?

I decided to suggest to a couple of people to try Four Kicks. One is an avid cigarette smoker who may have a cigar or two a year. The other was a social cigar smoker who only smokes cigars at special events, but other than that they don't smoke anything. I told them about Four Kicks and let the aromatic bouquet pull them in. The rest, as they say, is history. They both enjoyed Four Kicks very much and have since bought more, with the cigarette smoker telling me he wants to back off cigarettes and get more into cigars. If that doesn't speak volumes, then I don't know what does.

I must compliment Jon, Mike, Ernesto, and the rest of the crew involved with Crowned Heads on a job well done. Their years of experience is evident in their first outing with a cigar that has caught the attention of the industry. I commend you all. I rate Four Kicks with a 95.

Elogio Cigars

Last week I had the privilege to meet Nabil Sabbah and his beautiful wife Roseline, the couple that owns Elogio cigars.  Elogio is a true boutique cigar company creating about 40,000 cigars a year and is currently found in less than 20 B&M shops.  And as luck would have it, Carlos Robaina (the grandson of Alejandro Robaina AKA the Godfather of Cuban Tobacco) is the master blender for Elogio.

As this was my introduction to the brand, I thought I'd do something a little different.  I videoed Nabil and had him talk about what got him into cigars and why he built the brand Elogio.  I took him upstairs to Uptown's offices and away from the Elogio party downstairs so it would be much quieter.  However, the ventilation system was picked up by the mic so it isn't the best audio, but at least it's better than trying to conduct an interview amidst the party downstairs.

So enjoy the videos below and familiarize yourself with a rather small, but great cigar company! And be sure to check out their website at http://www.elogiocigars.com/

Club Macanudo

Last week, my wife and I celebrated our first anniversary of being married.  We decided to get away to NYC, a place she had never been before.  As we were making plans for where to go and what to do, a friend suggested having dinner at Club Macanudo.  He knew people there and would arrange our reservations.  How could we say no?    Dinner on the Upper East Side just off Madison Avenue in a beautiful building where we can enjoy smoking cigars is like a cigar smoker's paradise.  It was a done deal.

We arrived promptly for our 8pm reservations that Wednesday.  As we entered the club, we were greeted by the door man, then the hostess.  She immediately took us to our seats.  En route to our seats stood the manager, Habib Alam, who introduced himself to us.  He told us it was his pleasure to have us and to let him know if he could do anything for us. 

When we were seated, we were presented with menus with a bronze-like covering stamped with the club's logo.  Inside, there were a nice selection of food choices, but the cigar and spirit choices were vast and sumptuous!  It definitely took some time to wade through the options. The club was also extremely well ventilated, which is necessary when there are so many people in the club smoking.

My wife and I made our selection for pre-dinner wine, the Maso Canali Pinot Grigio to partner with the Maryland Style Crab Cakes.  After placing our initial order, we were finally able to truly look around at this beautiful club.  It was packed, every table and chair occupied, every person with at least a cigar and drink in their hands.  50 feet away a band played "tropical" music that was heavy in Merengue and Cumbia, loud enough to enjoy but not too loud to drown out table conversation.

Our wines were immediately brought to us, and shortly thereafter, our appetizer.  To our surprise, Buffalo Shrimp and Fried Calamari accompanied our Crab Cakes as a special treat.  Obviously someone had spilled the beans about it being a special occasion for my wife and I.  We tried each of the appetizers, all of which were quite delicious and cooked properly with fresh ingredients.  With such an impressive start, we knew that our meal was going to be just as impressive.

When asked what wine we wanted for our main course, I asked our server for a suggestion.  She said the Cabernet Sauvignon, Uppercut.  She brought a sample for me to taste, and I agreed.  My wife ordered the Grilled Havana Rib Eye and I ordered the Peppercorn-crusted Filet Mignon, both medium-well.  Both of our main dishes were exquisite.  The steaks are on par with Ruth's Chris' Steakhouse (the one in Atlanta is better than the Nashville location, fyi), and better than my experiences with the Palm's steaks.

Upon completion of our dinner, and after the table had been cleared, Habib brought over to us 2 Macanudo Cru Royale Robusto on a silver tray (how the club typically delivers cigars to patrons).  After he left, the waitress came up and asked if we wanted anything for dessert.  My wife and I were full, but I did order a Remy Martin XO to go with my cigar.  After about 30 minutes, Habib delivered what he said was their signature dessert, a dish called Warm Chocolate Truffles.  They were chocolate truffles that were breaded and deep fried on a bed of confectionary sugar.  He said that we just had to try them and that we wouldn't be disappointed.  Boy, was he right!  Not only that, but they paired really well with both the Remy and the Cru Royale.  And my wife was in total agreeance.

The Cru Royale cigar proved to be a great cigar. It was a firm, well made  medium bodied cigar with initial notes of spice and cedar.  As it went along, it became a bit earthy with some coffee in the 2nd third and finished up with more spice and a hint of chocolate. There was plenty of smoke and required no touch ups.  It paired very well with the truffles and the Remy that it made for an excellent smoke that I'd highly recommend.  I'd give it a 94.

After we finished our cigars, we ended up talking to Habib a little longer and thanked him and his staff for their generosity.  They were very attentive and courteous making us feel at home.  If you're ever in NYC, this is definitely a place that you HAVE to visit!

Citizenship

I realize that I haven't posted in a while, but sometimes one becomes so busy that some things get put on the back burner for the moment, only to have them brought back to the forefront when it becomes more conducive. And that is exactly what has happened.

Therefore, I am going to remedy this by discussing a recent rum and cigar tasting event held this past Tuesday at the Nashville sushi restaurant, Virago.  Having lived in California for a while, Virago is reminiscent of my time in Hollywood.  And rightfully so as the executive chef, Robbie Wilson, used to hold the same position at the Beverly Hills Japanese restaurant, Matsuhisa.  Virago spared no expense in creating a Zen-ful environment with wood brought in from Japan to flesh out the interior of sunken bars and lounges.  There is also a rooftop patio that overlooks Nashville's skyline and this is where we were. The event was by invitation-only and extended to members of the private member club, Citizen.  The rums were provided by the distributor Horizon Wine & Spirits, and the cigars were from Toraño in collaboration with UPtown's Smoke Shop.

The four rums that were featured were: Plantation Rum XO, Appleton Reserve, Atlantico Rum, and Ron Cartavio XO.  Although all 4 were good rums, the top two of the four were the Plantation and the Atlantico.   I was partial to these two because of their notes of vanilla, toffee, caramel and oak as well as their smoothness.  All 4 were delivered neat but I do believe they will all mix well with whatever your preference.  If you head to the store sometime soon, I highly recommend you picking up one of these bottles.

The cigar featured that evening was the Toraño 1959 50 Year Robusto.  The stick has a Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro wrapper, but its binder and filler are from Nicaragua.  It's a well constructed cigar that lit easily and stayed lit (and left me with an ash of around 3 inches before it finally fell when I was more than halfway through).  First notes were slightly nutty with a bit of caramel.  It was very smooth and creamy.  Into the 2nd third, it became a bit spicier but very even, not overpowering. The smoke was plentiful throughout the cigar.  Into the last third, I found a bit of cocoa/coffee mixed with pepper.  It's a mild/medium bodied cigar that I found paired really well with all of the rums that evening.  I found it to be a very relaxing cigar and give it a rating of 93.