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

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a CI Legends Red Label by Perdomoo last night. At 1st, I wasn't really enthused about this cigar. It is the only torpeo in the Legends lineup, and it initially had a really tight draw, making it impossible to get anything but the faintest hint of flavor from the smoke. Eventually I said "fuck this", and trimmed another 1/4" off the end. The draw improved drastically after that. It now had the effortless draw Perdomo products are known for. And it was goddam delicious. Toasty core with prominent but mellow sweet spices. Nice med-full body. Another winner in this series; the only ones that may be better are the white and purple labels (and copper, if you like infused cigars). I think Vin might like these, given how full the body is. Also very cheap @ CI.

[V]

Funds are tight until the move... but I have made a note of the smoke in question, and will buy it at the first opportunity.

[Lola]

So,are we going to have to buy one of these for our house so you can enjoy a cig anytime?
http://www.humidorswholesaler.com/ac...FTERS+HUMIDORS

[V]

It would be nice... but we'll have to get everything sorted before I spend $200 on a cigar box. :*

[IggytheBorg]

DON'T call an essential piece of cigar herfin' equipment a "cigar box". Kind of like referring to your body armor as "an article of clothing".

[V]

OK!

I stand corrected... and if I have offended you by word or deed, then I sincerely beg your pardon.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Gurkha Park Avenue Maduro last night. Damned fine smoke. Much better than the standard blend. Had a nice spiceiness to it, and some maduro sweetness on the finishe. Just a bit fuller than medium, they have it all over the standard Park Ave. blend, IMO. Another winner from Gurkha. Pretty cheap ($60 for a box of 20 at CI), but supposedly a limited edition, so if you have any interest, you may want to act soon.

[IggytheBorg]

Just finished smoking a Nub Cain maduro. A very full bodied smoke, it remained consistent from start to finish. Not very nuanced, but well balanced & despite its strength (Cain is all ligero, and therefore packed with the fullest flavored/strength leaves), not harsh to me. Newbies may find it such, however. Vin would probably like these.

[IggytheBorg]

Literally on the heels of the Cain, I sparked up a 5 Vegas Limitada 2011. The string of disappointments continues. Flavorwise, this cigar was top notch. Or, at least I think it was. I did detect some strong notes of sweetness on the finisdh, which always scores points w/ me. BUt the draw was waaaaaaayyyy too fucking tight. Seriously impeded the enjoyment of the smoke. I certainly hope it was just that specimen, & not that this problem is endemic to the series. This was a Cigarfest freebie (and one of the ones I was most excited to get), but I'd consider buying another to see if another specimen really is as good as I think it is.

[IggytheBorg]

Funds are tight until the move... but I have made a note of the smoke in question, and will buy it at the first opportunity.

Now that I think of it, why not give the sampler a whirl? 1 of each of the Legends blends. I'd be willing to bet you'd like at least one of them, and if you find a new favorite, boxes or 5 packs of THESE are definitely priced right.

Also, CI sells humis, too. Their prices on these are almost as good as they are on the smokes themselves. COnsider buying one from them, when the time comes.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked something called a "Bench Made" OTW in to work this morning. This was a cigarfest freebie (I'm not even sure what eyar; '10, I think). It started out a little harsh, but mellowe a bit almost immediately. Harsh as the opening was, it also has up front notes of cream & chocolate. These faded from the palate, but remained present thru the nose for the rest of the smoke. Its core remained very full (perhaps shade fuller that I generally like), but because of the aforementioned nuances, was still a relatively intersting cigar. Unfortunately, I have no ideawhere to geth them, since they don't to my knowledge appear in the CI catalog or on their site, & I have never seen them anywhere else, either.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Gurkha Empire Series VI the other day. Very full, with a coffee-like core. Sweetness peeked its head in once in awhile, but only very faintly. I had to ditch it after only smoking half of it, and couldn't have cared less. Full flavored fans would probably like these, but they lacked flavor & nuances I like, so I don't think I'd ever buy another.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Gurkha Ninja OTW from court in SOmerset County to Union County this AM. Not bad. Very full bodied, with strong overtones of espresso. Midway thru, it picked up some notes of cream, and faint sweet spice, which complimented the espresso nicely. Not a favorite Gurkha by any means, but lots better than the Empire VI. Vin would probably like these, and I believe they're among Gurkha's "economy" offerings (along with the Park Avenue and Viper), so they're a lot more accessible price wise than Gurkhas typically are.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a Torano Virtuoso OTW in to work this morning in the Mobile Smoking Lounge. Not bad. Nice smooth, solid core of leather & woodsmoke. Some notes of cedar detectable in the aroma, & some hearty (but smooth & never harsh or overpowering) spices on the aftertaste. Definitely very full in body, and probably a little fuller than I generally like, but definitely not bad. MUCH better than an Exodus Silver, but not quite as good as a Casa Torano or a 1918. And nowhere near as good as a Fortress or a Casa Torano Maduro. Worth trying if you like fuller blends.

[IggytheBorg]

Smoked a La Herencia Cubana OTW to work the other day. This was good, but not great. Very full & hearty, w/ a leathery core and strong notes of coffee. Picked up a note of bittersweet chocolate for the middle 1/3, but it was too short lived to make this a really interesting smoke, IMO.

Today, I smoked a Drew Estate Natural Root. This was really fucking good. Say what you will about Jonathan Drew, but he definitely keeps you guessing. I was convinced after smoking a Natural Pimp Stick that this series isn't infused. But after the Irish Hops, I was convinced that one was. With the Root, I honestly can't tell. It had a very noticeable but subtle sweetness to it, in flavor & aroma. The smoke was thick & full. If it was infused, it was not overwhelmingly strong (kind of reminded me a bit of the Erin Go Bragh whisky infused). Definitely not as strongly spiced & aromatic as most Acid blends are. But it COULD just have been tobaccos w/ a strong note of sweetness being blended together, w/ a dark maduro wrapper. . . I just don't know! So far, Natural is 3 for 3, and I'm having a hard time picking a favorite. Jonathan Drew is a mad genius of cigar making, and his string of hits continues. I highly recommend you try these.