If you haven’t seen Part 1, check it out here. This short video is another walk through of Ed’s new shop. This time around, things are really starting to take shape, and progress has been made. We would all like to see it done NOW, but there is a lot more to opening a cigar shop and lounge then meets the eye.
So take a minute as we continue our journey of the birth of a cigar shop (In high-def!).
If you haven’t seen Part 1, check it out here. This short video is another walk through of Ed’s new shop. This time around, things are really starting to take shape, and progress has been made. We would all like to see it done NOW, but there is a lot more to opening a cigar shop and lounge then meets the eye.
So take a minute as we continue our journey of the birth of a cigar shop (In high-def!).
Awhile back, I visited the Bonita Smoke Shop. After a day of hanging out and smoking many cigars, I was sent home with a care package containing a nice selection of yet more cigars. I reached into the bag and pulled out today’s review, the Nestor Miranda 1989. They are available in two wrappers, an Oscuro, or Rosado. Today I smoked the Rosado variety. For the record, this is the only time I have tried this cigar. Hence the “First Impression” in the title. I paired this cigar with water and offer you my thoughts.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Rosado
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Belicoso 6 1/8 x 52
Price: $5.50
Pre-smoke & Construction:
The wrapper was smooth with small veins and very few flaws. The smell coming off of the wrapper was cedar and earth. The foot had the same smell with a slight spice. Overall the cigar was evenly packed, except towards the head, where there was a small hard spot. Nothing to worry about. The pre-light draw offered slight resistance, which is good. The pre-light draw had a sweet earthy taste along with natural tobacco.
The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for around an inch.
Flavor:
First third had a simple and easy mild spice when passing smoke through the nose. The flavors were very subtle. I picked up wispy earthy tones along with a toasty nuttiness. Smoke feel was a bit dry but not to an extreme.
The second this didn’t have a lot of change. The smoke feel became less crisp and leaned towards a creamy feel. The flavors were the same, so see my notes from the first third.
The last third had a transformation for the better. The smoke feel became very creamy with a lot of smoke volume. When exhaling through the sinus, there was that nice mild spice. The smoke coated the inside of the mouth with a nice buttery aftertaste. The earthy notes almost would come and go. There also were nutty flavors mixed with coffee. Everything just came together nicely.
Conclusion:
This was a decent mild to medium bodied cigar. The flavors were simple and fairly one dimensional, but good all the way though. I think this is a good morning cigar, but would fall short after a big steak dinner in the afternoon. I think it fits its price point, and is worth trying if this is your type of cigar. Also – Thanks to Bonita Smoke Shop for the care package!
As the title suggests, this is the first and only time I have smoked a Cu-Avana Intenso. I found it in a cigar bomb that Mike from Mikes Stogies sent me. I did nothing to warrant such an act, but I’m not complaining. Thanks to Mike for the smokes! Check out his reviews now, I think you’ll like his style and approach. He is always looking for ways to improve.
Anyway, back to the cigar. I know nothing about the company or brand. The name leads me to think this will be a strong cigar (duh). So with a glass of water, I reviewed the Cu-Avana Intenso.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: ???
Filler: Nicaraguan & Panamanian
Size: Toro 6 x 52
Price: Around $5.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
When I looked at the wrapper, one word came to mind: Rugged. This isn’t a bad thing. There were good sized veins running throughout. The odor coming off of the wrapper and foot was a mild earthy natural tobacco smell. When squeezing the cigar, I found a couple tight spots. This probably accounted for a draw that was a bit snug. The pre-light draw basically a dark earthiness.
The ash held for just over an inch, and the burn requires quite a few minor corrections.
Flavor:
The first third started with simple earthy natural tobacco flavors. After about an inch, there was a sweetness that I couldn’t identify. When passing smoke through the sinus, there were woody notes with some pepper. The smoke volume was plentiful and the draw opened up as time went on. Simple but good.
The second third: Like before, the flavor profile was simple but good. The sweet peppery spice had a nice punch and wasn’t harsh. The core flavors were unchanged – earthy natural tobacco and notes of wood. As time went on, I realized the unidentified sweetness was similar to coffee with sugar.
The last third crept even further into the full bodied range. I had a decent nicotine buzz going for sure. The dominant flavor was sweet coffee combined with woodiness. When blowing smoke through the nose, there was a blast of pepper and a touch of earthiness. The aftertaste was a lingering sweetness.
Conclusion:
Yes, as the name implies, this is a good full bodied, full strength cigar. Sure, the flavors were simple, but they were good. This is not a cigar for a novice, but you full bodied smokers may appreciate this one. I think it meets the price point. Thanks again to Mike from Mikes Stogies for the smokes!
I generally don’t like to talk politics on this blog because while we are all brothers of the leaf, our political differences can drive us apart and cause infighting amongst friends. But this past week we saw an election day blood bath occur before our very eyes, sending a message loud and clear to politicos everywhere that we will not stand for your vile and viscous crap any longer. It’s still OUR country and WE the PEOPLE will have the final say EVERY single time.
I have made it pretty clear over the past 3 years writing this blog, no matter what party they stand for, I believe that ALL fulltime, career politicians are evil scum – true to life gutter-snipes who are without question, the lowest of the low. And even though I do vote for scum (because that’s all there is to choose from), I generally choose who I feel is slightly less malevolent. When Obama was voted in, the people spoke – they wanted nothing to do with a government run by the same party that associated with George Walker Bush. “Change” was the new mantra and the country thought there was new hope. But now two years have passed and our nation’s economy is in a brutal mess as 70% of people surveyed in the exit polls said that our economic situation was by far the number one thing on their mind while standing behind the curtain.
About a month prior to President Obama’s election in ‘08, Nancy Pelosi stated that one of the very first things she would do when he was elected was to have him sign the SCHIP bill – a bill that would subsequently put a massive hurt on the already tax burdened cigar industry. President Bush had vetoed the bill a number of times, pointing out its flaws and points of contention. And was it ever a proud moment for the Speaker of the House as she grinned ear to ear, while as promised, placing the papers before her new Commander in Chief. And it was an even prouder moment for the American people this past week who sent a message LOUD AND CLEAR to Ms. Pelosi that she would soon be the ex-Speaker of the House. I ask you – shouldn’t her first real priorities have been to work hard at fixing our broken mess?
If you think I’m standing up for Bush, you are sadly mistaken. He let a lot of bad mierde take place and the American people sure as hell let him know it. And now, 24 months later, unemployment, housing, healthcare, and all kinds of other ugly problems have no upside in sight and the CHANGE that was promised was obviously the classic political rhetoric that WE the PEOPLE have been used to hearing for more than two centuries. In George Washington’s final speech at the end of his term as President, he warned about the inherent dangers of only having a two-party system to choose from. Thomas Jefferson also warned about big government’s intrusiveness as he strongly spoke against allowing career politicians to exist in our landscape.
In one of my very first ever blog posts here, I called for a voting booth button that simply said, “None of the Above.” How shocked would the slimy lifetime politicos be to see the results that such an action would produce. But since that isn’t an option, we do have to choose a candidate and there is no question that the elections of ’08 and ’10 have sent a message with a deafening and thunderous scream. The people of Minnesota told Jim ‘Porky’ Oberstar of Minnesota to take his 18 straight elected terms and go the f@#k home by electing Chip Cravaack, a total new comer to politics! 18 straight terms as a career pork barrel producing blowhard is long enough, and as all across the nation this past week, WE the PEOPLE had spoken. Hey, I swear to you that I’m not gloating or taking any kind of pride in what happened this past week, because the U.S. citizens were voting for the lesser of two evils. Independents ruled the roost this time out and that will certainly continue to happen, and the politico stooges of this country simply need to do one thing: Do WTF they say said they were going to do.
All any of us BOTL’s can really do is enjoy a fine premium, hand rolled cigar. And hey, may I suggest a flavorful beaut…
| CUESTA REY CENTRO FINO SUNGROWN CIGARS |
| Handmade DR |
| Wrapper: ECSU Binder: DR Filler: DR |
| Mild-Medium Bodied |
The Cuesta Rey Centro Fino Sungrown is a much fuller-bodied cigar than its cousins in the original Cuesta Rey line. This brand has Sumatran sungrown wrapper leaf from the Quevedo region in Ecuador. The filler is a five-year-old Dominican ligero and the binder is also from the Dominican Republic. This cigar, made by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia will appeal to those Cuesta Rey fans seeking more strength in their smoke.
That’s it for today, enjoy the week and somoke ‘em cuz ya gottem,
JR CIGARS Blog With the Zman
The sickness I had last month really threw me off of reviews. It goes to show just how much a simple sinus issue can effect your palate. It wouldn’t have been fair to do reviews in that condition. I recovered some time ago, but it also threw off my reviewing rhythm. So now, I am finally getting back into the swing of things. Enough idiotic rambling…
I picked up today’s review at a local shop. The Single Region name is pretty self explanatory. This cigar was blended using tobacco grown in Jalapa Valley. The concept of blending a cigar in this fashion sounded interesting, and I had to pick a couple up. I paired this cigar with a glass of water, I offer you my thoughts…
Wrapper/Binder/Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa Valley)
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Price: Around $6.50
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper looked nice, with minimal flaws and small to medium veins. The odor coming off of the wrapper and foot was earthy with a little poo. It sounds bad, but a tinge of poo can often mean a nice flavor profile. Overall the cigar was evenly rolled and packed. The pre-light draw was free, and had a prominently natural tobacco taste, with a tinge of wood and earth.
The ash held for about 1.5 inches, and the burn required several minor touch-up’s.
Flavor:
The first third had simple but good flavors. A well balanced mix of wood and sweetness was pretty much it. Way in the background lurked earthiness. When passing smoke through the nose, there was a smooth and easy sweet peppery spice. As I got further in, the smoke feel became thicker feeling but stayed dry.
The second third kept that woodiness, but the sweetness opened up and became mocha. When retro-haling, the peppery spice really mellowed out and became an easy smooth sweetness. Smoke volume increased. This thing just billowed clouds with a nice aroma. The smoke feel kept this thick feel, but became creamy and coated the mouth.
The last third kept the same core flavors that I wrote about in the second third. The difference was that some draws were crisp with dominant woody flavors. Other draws were creamy with sweet mocha. Other draws were a combination of both.
Conclusion:
This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. I am not a big Torano smoker. It’s not that I don’t like their cigars. For whatever reason, I usually am not drawn to them. The Single Region blend may have changed that for me. The flavor profile was simple but refined and, well, nice. I’d gladly smoke more of these. I’d recommend that you at least give them a chance. I’d be curious of your opinions.
For the last decade or so, my Halloween tradition has been the same – sit in a lawn chair at the edge of the garage, smoke cigars, drink scotch, pass gas, and frighten children and their moms. I definitely think I’ve become the creepy old man that lives up the street. Hey, everybody’s got to aspire to something and I believe I’ve found my personal inner greatness.
“But mommy,” cries the Little Mermaid in her flowing red wig. “What about THAT house?” “We’ll, uh, um… we’ll come back later, honey,” says the protective mother as she quickly scoots her offspring past the lingering aroma of a smoldering JR Principales. “Come on, mom,” pleads little Buzz Light Year, as he hops about in a sugar induced, glucose-laden tirade, “they’ve got Reese’s two packs over there!”
But momma bear will have no part of it. “Stay the hell away from that scary man. He’s is foul and disgusting and is leering at your mommy.”
And at that, I just raise my glass and nod as it is obvious that I have done my job here. Now listen, I know I shouldn’t smoke around the little one’s and I don’t. While I’m perched like a vapid scarecrow at the top of my garage entrance, I’m a good 35 feet from the front door. I don’t offer the kiddies any of my Balvenie Doublewood and I wait ‘til they leave to emit any guttural body noises. Hey, this is MY house and MY property, and if yer youngin’s want some free treats, then they’re just gonna have to put up with my appalling and tasteless idiosyncrasies.
Halloween time is incredibly nostalgic. Jeez, I remember when we were kids, people would answer the door in their boxer shorts with cigarettes hanging from their lips and a Budweiser clutched in their hand (and those were the women)… But we never minded one bit as the bowl of goodies they held was filled to the brim with Milky Way Bars the size of Hank Aaron’s bat and Peppermint Patties bigger than frisbees. The pillow sacks of candy that my brother and I brought home weighed 20 pounds each, and that was only half way through the 
afternoon! We’d have a quick bite to eat then head out for round two of our insatiable quest for candy. There was always a nice old lady or two that had fresh jelly and caramel apples, but that came to a grinding halt when various whack jobs and products of Hitler youth started putting razor blades in the apples. And, are you old enough to remember “Trick or Treat for Unicef?” I can’t tell you how many of the little bastards I grew up with actually kept the money they collected. What a time we had trick or treating back then. Ah, the spoils of my youth.
You know what, next Halloween I’m going to buy bundles of JR Alternatives and hand them out for the kids to give to their dads. How much you want to bet that I have about 50 cigar-sucking dudes joining me at the edge of my garage next year? I’ll do a BYOB Herf of Horror, set up my barbecue in the driveway, and I guarantee it’ll be the talk of the neighborhood. Hey, please do your RSVP now, it’s sure to fill up fast and seating is limited.
My final thought is that I simply can’t even fathom that it’s November 1st already and the holidays will be here and gone before you know it! Okay, that’s it for today… I’ve got a freezer full of left over Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to nosh on for the net two days. I’ve already alerted the paramedics to check on me every hour before I go into my chocolate induced comma. Yeah, how sweet it is.
Til next week, my Bruthas and Sistas of the Leaf,
JR Cigars Blog With the Zman
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