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No (Smoking) Jacket Required: Iggy's Cigar Thread

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  • I have a co-worker who is - if you can believe this - even more of a cigar enthusiast than I am. He is forever giving me freebies. he claims to have literally thousands of cigars in his home, in several gigantic humidors. he brings in boxes at a time and just peels off a smoke or two for me, and will not accept any from me in return. It'd be "like throwing water on a drowning man", he says. So today he gives me a Gurkha Symphony Churchill that he's had aging for a few years, a K. Hansotia (the makers of Gurkha) collectible series (he can't recall how long he's had these, but the cellophane is dark yellow, which is a sign of extensive aging), a La Flor Dominicam Double Ligero Lancero and a Paul Garmirian 20th Anniversary (both of which have been aging 10 years, he thinks). I cannot WAIT to get my greasy paws on these when a PROPER occasion (read: the next dry night) presents itself. I've had symphonies and newer Double Ligeros before; and I love K. Hansotia and paul Garmmirian products. I'm betting all these, being high quality smokes aged over 10 years, will be nothing short of magnificent. We should all have co-workers so generous, and with such good taste.
    I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


    2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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    • Smoked a Sam Leccia Luchador whilst stuck in traffic for 3 1/2 hours this morning. made this predicament a little more bearable. Very full bodied - more so even than The Bull - it was exceptionally well balanced. Primarily hearty tobacco and wood flavors, there was perhaps an occasional hint of earth mellowing things a bit. It didn't have any flavor nuances I found especially enjoyable, but I didn't out an out hate it. If you like full flavored cigars, give this one a look see.
      I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


      2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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      • I smoked a San Cristobal Revelation last week. This was an exceptional cigar, both on its own merits and because this was a Don Pepin Garcia blend. He tends to make very full flavored blends, and I have not been especially fond of any of them thus far,the San Cristobal flagship blend being a case in point. This one, however, was mild in body, with an earthy, cedary core and top notes of sweet spice. Pleasant from the first puff to the last.

        I also smoked a Gurkha Pedro Martin Ruby. This, too was an exceptional smoke. Medium to full in body, it was dominated by leather and sweet and hearty spices in a complex and evolving interplay. Somewhat expensive at CI, I scored some on bid a little more cheaply, but they're still not cheap (or available) enough to make them an everyday thing. But I'll get 'em again, if I can.

        I also scored some Gurkha Hudson Bay torpedoes. Very nice medium bodied smokes, these are dominated by leather and have some spice peeking in from time to time. I liked this a lot, and will buy more.

        last but not least, a Ramon Bueso Odyssey Habano. This one coming on the heels of the Hudson Bay is fitting, as it is similar in its flavor profile, but if anything I liked it better. It had a leathery core, but the leather was bit more mellow and subdued than it was in the HB's, and the spice a bit more pronounced. The draw was perfect as well, and it burned s,lowly and evenly down to the nub. Best of the 3 Bueso blends I've tried so far. By a long way.
        I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


        2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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        • Over the weekend I smoked an Ave Maria Divinia. Not bad, but not exactly squarely up my alley, either. It had strong but balanced nuances of white pepper, leather, wood and earth. With so much going on, in as well balanced a manner as this smoke had, you're bound to find something you like.

          I also smoked a Log, in the "stump" size, a 5"x70 robusto. The description in the catalog promised a pleasant, mild to medium bodied smoke. And there's just something exceptionally cool about a 7p ring gauge cigar. That's more than an inch in diameter. Burned nice and long, albeit a bit unevenly. Flavors of wood and earth predominated. Not particularly tasty, but cheap enough that I don't care.
          I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


          2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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          • Smoked a Foundry Chillin' Moose last night. Really nice cigar, particularly considering how cheap it was. Nice notes of sweet spice on top of a toasty, mild to medium bodied core of tobacco and toast. I also think the moose is a cool animal for some reason, so I bought these more for that reason than anything else. The fact that these were 6x60 extra toros is icing on the cake. It lasted well over an hour. I'd definitely buy more of these.
            I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


            2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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            • Smoked a Graycliff Castillo Privado earlier this afternoon. Nice cigar. It had a toasty core nicely offset with mellow notes of mild spice. If I could get them cheap enough, I'd buy more.
              I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


              2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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              • A co-worker recently had a baby, and some of the guys took him out for dinner and a smoke at J&R Cigar in Whippany the other night. A restaurant with a limited but tasty menu, good beer/wine/spirit lists, a HUGE cigar store with some decent bargains and a very good selection, multiple smoking lounges, liquor store, and. . . you can smoke anywhere in the joint. Spent like $70.00 on cigars, but only $25.00 on dinner and two beers. As part of the meal they give you a free house blend cigar. I was already smoking one I'd brought, so I didn't get to try this until Friday. It was a surprisingly good cigar. Especially for a house blend. Nice corojo like spices, with some leather and smooth tobacco at the core. Really glad two dabblers who went with us gave me theirs.
                I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


                2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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                • Smoked a Nat Sherman 1930 last night. I enjoyed it, but the cigar didn't have much in the way of flavor nuances. No sweetness or spice, for instance. Just a sort of hearty tobacco or woodsmoke flavor. But like every Nat product I've ever tried, it was well balanced and, while full flavored and full bodied, never overpowering. Not something I'd go out of my way to try again, particularly considering how pricey these are.
                  I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


                  2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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                  • I smoked a Rocky Patel Broadleaf on the way back from court this morning. It's the same filler blend as the RP Connecticut, which is one of my favorite mild cigars. But instead of being wrapped in an un-fermented Connecticut shade wrapper, this one's wrapped in a fermented Broadleaf Connecticut maduro wrapper. It's almost as mellow as the original; it is perhaps a touch fuller and more hearty, but it doesn't even reach medium bodied in its strength. Its core is smooth, toasty tobacco, with touches of leather, roasted coffee and sweetness from the maduro wrapper thrown in. Sensational. Now that I can't find Nestor Maduros or Indian Tabac Super Fuertes anywhere, this may become my favorite maduro.
                    I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


                    2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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                    • Went out to dinner with a co-worker the other night, and he brought a goody bag with a Cuban Bolivar in it, that has been aging for about 10 years. It was quite good. Had a mild sweetness too it, topping a mild tobacco and woodsmoke core. Probably the second best Cuban cigar I've smoked.

                      He also brought a Quesada Reserva. When he gave it to me, he said it was reputed to taste a lot like a Cuban cigar. He was absolutely right. It was almost a mirror image of the Bolivar. A very enjoyable smoke, but not something I see becoming a favorite.

                      Also smoked a Gurkha Park Avenue Habano. This may be the best of the three blends; it was a little stronger and more flavorful than the mild to medium bodied Connecticut, but a little lighter than the medium/full maduro, and a touch more flavorful. Outstanding.
                      I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


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                      • Smoked a Mark Twain #3 the other night. This thing is huge (8.5" x 54). I worried that it might have a tough draw, but those worries proved unfounded. The draw was effortless. Which was a very good thing, because this was a tasty cigar. The blurb in the CI catalog says there are notes oak, cream, and pepper. As is so often the case, they're spot on. Those are the nuances, pretty much in that order. And ranked by their intensity. The pepper was mercifully light; that can overwhelm a cigar if there's too much of it. The amount here was perfect, and balanced well by the cream notes (which were most noticeable on the opening).

                        As an aside: I ordered a bundle of Rocky Patel fumas (cigars made from mixed long and short filler, rather than the all long filler in the label's premium blends. Often referred to as a "Cuban sandwich" blend). It has Edge, Edge Maduro and Connecticut fumas in it. All three are reasonable facsimiles of the premium brands flavor wise. But as with any short filler cigars, you have to be very careful cutting them, and can't chew on them too much (as I sometimes I do). The short filler will then start to fall out, and not in little scattered and short lived bits, like the untrimmed ends of a long filler, but in plugs, like little chaws of chewing tobacco. That can be annoying.
                        I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


                        2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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                        • Smoked a Nat Sherman Joel Sherman 75th Anniversary this afternoon while prepping a case. I liked this, in that it was a pleasant, medium bodied cigar. Mellow notes of toast and wood, with perhaps a faint sweetness on the opening. Kind of reminded me of a faint-hearted Rocky Patel Connecticut. Which makes me wonder what I'd ever need this cigar for. In all honesty, I'd have expected more from a commemorative cigar. Nat's Host selection, their current flagship mild cigar, is tons more flavorful. I don't recall what I paid for this, but I'm sure it wasn't cheap. unless you're a Nat completeist (which I am), you can safely skip this one without feeling cheated.
                          I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


                          2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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                          • Enjoyed a Quezada Oktoberfest - so called because it's supposedly designed to pair with beer - with a Palmetto Brewing Co. Amber Ale whilst enjoying a night in Myrtle. Nice citrus component to it that compliments the hops in the beer very well. Hardly a favorite, but it has its place.

                            Also tried a Mark Twain Memoir. 6.7" with a 64 ring gauge (meaning it's an inch in diameter), this thing was massive and took a long time to smoke. maybe not quite as good as the flagship mark Twain blend, but plenty tasty. Sweetness and spice were most evident. The coffee promised by the CI catalog blurb was most restrained, which scored it points with me. Damned glad I got four more of these.
                            I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


                            2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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                            • Also: the importance of a good, sharp cutter cannot be overstated. I knew I'd be flying back, and wouldn't get my good cutter thru security. I have a cheap, single bladed cutter down there already, and I figured I'd just use that. HUGE mistake. It is so dull it wouldn't cut all the way thru a single cigar I smoked down there last week, including thin ended torpedoes. All of them got mangled to some degree, and the wrappers started unraveling on most of them. Seriously detracted from a couple. Gonna have to buy another to leave there when I next drive down at X-mas. Don't let this happen to you.
                              I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


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                              • The Gurkha Hudson Bay Red Skies is legit. Leather and mellow spice, with maybe some earth at the core. At least as good as the original Hudson Bay.

                                I also enjoyed a Bohemian by Victor Sinclair, but I forgot to take notes as to why. I'll have to try another.
                                I like the way the line runs up the back of the stocking.


                                2012 Avatar Theme: Jan-Red Borg. Feb-Red Borg, Mar-Red Borg, Apr-Red Borg, May-Red Borg. Jun-Red Borg. Jul-Red Borg. Aug-Red Borg. Sep-Red Borg. Oct-Red Borg. Nov-Red Borg. Dec-Red Borg.

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