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

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Perdomo Champagne Noir last night. This was, apparently, Perdomo's beloved Champagne blend w/ a maduro wrapper. I didn't really like this. I love the original champagne, which is a mild but very flavorful smoke. This had no trace of the original blend evident that I could detect, and was overpowering, if you ask me. Very hearty & full. Perhaps I perceived it as being more full than it was, as I expected it to be lighter. Mainly leather, particularly at the opening. Decveloped some earth, but it was generally in the background, after about an inch. Very faint hints of sweetness, but not enough to make it interesting. Reminded me of a La Herencia Cubana, which is a very different world from where this smoke should be, given how the Champagne made its name being mild. Won't be trying this again.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked an Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva the other night. This was a DAMNED good smoke. Nice toasty, earthy core, with strong notes of cinnamon like spice. Best thing I've tried so far in the always excellent Fuente catalog. Highly recommended.

Also, smoked a (well, half a) Cuba Libre One today. I was very disappointed, in that the draw was ridiculously tight. Like, it NEVER billowed smoke properly, every puff was an effort tight. I arrived at my afternoon appearance much more quickly than I thought I would, and the cigar smoked much more slowly than I thought it would, si I had to abandon it halfway thru, and didn't regret it much. Which is a damn shame, as the 1st few puffs pomised great things. I detected a nice, toasty, slightly spicy & definitively chocolaty flavor profile. I will have to try this one again. If, as I hope, the draw problems were only inherent in this specimen, I suspect this could b a really memorable smoke.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Cusano 59 this evening. Very nice smoke. Had notes of coffee, which I didn't care for, but also earth, sweetness & medium spice. All the above were evident in the aroma as well, which may have been even better than the already good smoke itself. These are expensive, even at CI, so I don't see them being a regular thing, but these and the CT 18's are things I'd try again, one at a time.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Warlock Bpx Pressed torpedo the other night. This started out really well. Definitely seemed like it had potential. I detected notes of coffee, chocolate & nuts. Hard to say which dominated, but it was a very interesting, evolving combo. But about 2/3 of the way thru, it picked up an unpleasant taste. I wanted initially to call it metallic, but I think this may actually be more akin to the "pncil lead" flavor nuance you see in negative Cigar Aficionado reviews. I had always wondered what that was like. I'm not sure I'm the better for knowing. But the start was so strong, I can't help but wonder if maybe I screwed this up by over puffing? making a cigar too hot will hurt its flavor. I'm tempted to give this another shot, pencil lead notwithstanding.

[IggytheBorg]

On the way into work yesterday morning, I smoked something called a VF. It was a Connecticut wrapped smoke, I'd guess, from its appearance & mild flavor. It was a Cigarfest freebie, and I have never seen it for sale anywhere. It was a nice mild-medium in body. Reminded me of maybe a standard RyJ (but nowhere near as flavorful) with a little more oomph. Not especially nuanced, but nothing disagreable about it, either.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Cubao last night. This is one of Don Pepin Garcia's blends, and other than the 5 Vegas Miami, I haven't been really blown away by anything he's done that I've tried. So I wasn't expecting much from the Cubao. So I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth & complex it was. Full bodied, to be sure, with a core of wood & leather, and strong coffee notes. But it had nuances of dark chocolate and hearty spice that made for a really interesting, layered profile. Quite good.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Fonseca Especial this afternoon OTW back to work from a dep far away. Really nice smoke. Mellow, perhaps just a hair north of mild. Sweet spice predominated, particularly on the opening. Subdued to the point they complimented rather than detracted notes of coffee as well. Probably not as good a Fonseca as the Habana Seleccion, but way better than the standard Fonseca blend. A 2010 Cigarfest freebie.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a 2010 Cigarfest freebie (or was it 2011? I forget. . . ) in the form of a macanudo Cru Royale this AM. Nice. Very, very nice. Mellow, maybe the lightest a medium bodied cigar can be & still call itself medium. Some subdued mellow spice, and strong nuances of cocoa. Nothing disagreeable at all. I honestly didn't think Macanudo had it in 'em. Recommended, particularly if you like cigars w/ chocolate notes.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a La Caya OTW home from court Wed night. A nice flavorful but mellow smoke. Band says it's from the DR, so that's really no surprise as Dominican cigars seem to be mild most of the time. Reminded me a lot of a Sol Cubano Connecticut or a Don Diego. Certainly not bad fo' free (from last year's Cigarfest), but nothing stands out about it enough to seperate it from other mellow Dominicans. Particularly when you consider Victor Sinclair Connecticuts are more flavorful, and incredibly cheap at CI (box of 30 for $60.00).

I smoked an Arganese Habano OTW into work this morning. Meh. Medium bodied and not overtly unpleasant, there was NOTHING outstanding about this cigar. At all. I can't recall a single flavor nuance that ever made itself known. I'd smoked Arganese maduros before, and they were surprisingly good, so I had some high hopes for this one. What a disappointment. Also a Cigarfest (2011) freebie.

[IggytheBorg]

Last night I smoked a Gurkha Ancient Reserve. Pretty damned good. mainly toasty charcoal nuances, with maybe some subdued & mellow spice as an afterthought. It reminded me a lot of another Gurkha blend I've had before, but I can't for the life of me remember which one. I don't think I'd go out of my way for another one of these, given how much more I like some Gurkhas in comparison. But it was definitely worth a try.

[IggytheBorg]

Intrigued. . .

http://www.coronacigar.com/products/...eer-cigar.html

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Gurkha Viper OTW back to the ofice from court in New Brunswick. This was quite good. Reminded me a lot of a San Miguel, in that it was an earthy medium bodied profile, and billowed a decent amount of smoke, which coated the palate in notes of sweetness and faint nuttiness. It was perhaps a bit spicier (particularly thru the nose), which might make it more interesting than even a SM. And as one of Gurkha's "bargain priced" smokes, won't break the bank like some others by that comapny could. My one gripe? I dislike smoking cigars w/ the labels on them. Cuts down on the smoking area, if you ask me. And it was once considered gauche. This label was so tightly stuck to the cigar I couldn't slide it off, and the seam on thr wrapper itself so tight I couldn't peel it off w/o damaging the cigar. Cut about a 1/2" of smokable length off this cigar, and considering how much I was enjoying that, pissed me off. Other than that, highly recommended.

Also smoked a Cusano LXI OTW into work thi morning. Didn't really like this. A bit fuller than I generally like. Woodsy and maybe heartily spicy, but not in a pleasant way. I got to work soner than I thought I would, & was only about halfway thru this cigar, and found it hard to care.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Pleidaes/Cruzado the other day on a long car ride. Nice mellow, but flavorful smoke. these are apparently overruns & have been sitting around gathering age for quite some time (11 yrs, Ithink) and it shows. Smooth is the operative word all the way thru. Not the best mellow smoke I've ever had but not bad at all.

tonight I smoked a la Gloria Cubana Serie N. Ernesto Carrillo knows his stuff. This was a very good smoke. Full bodied, but not overpowering in its flavor profile. Notes of coffee/espresso were evident after the 1st 1/2", but fadedover time. Nice toasty core, w/ subtle creaminess underneath (an LGC trdemark). Maybe some notes of chocolate on the aftertaste? Yeah, I think there were. You'd kind of expect that, w/ the dark maduro wrapper it's cloaked in. Rivals, but doesn't overshadow, the truly excellent LGC originals.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Rocky Ptel Autumn on Hallowe'en night as I waited for the late night trick or treaters. I had smoked one of thes last year, and was extremely disappointed b/c the draw was impossibly tight, and you couldn't get a real taste of the cigar. Thhis specimen was, thankfully, rolled much better, and the draw was a lot more free. The flavors were primarly smoky & charcoal/wood in nature. Occasional hints of faint sweetness & spice made themselves known, but only for brief instants. A good autumnal night smoke given its hearty medium-full strength and flavors/aromas reminiscent of hanging around a bonfire or pile of burning leaves, but not nuanced enough fo me to make it a regular offering. So far the Smmer Series is the best of RP's Seasonals, hands down. But I hasten to add I haven't had a Winter. . . yet. I scored one at the same store and at the same time as the Autimn, but will wait for the actul beginning of winter to laze that one. I have never seen it reviewed anywhere, so I have no idea what I'm in for. Can't wait to find out, as some RP smokes are truly outstanding.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Quesada Tribute today. Meh. Earthy & woodsy on the opening, the wood flavor & aroma persisted, but the earth faded, as the smoke evolved. Decent medium/full strength profile. I guess if you like smokes like this, it certainly wasn't bad. But it had no nuance to speak of, so I personally didn't like it.