Archive for July, 2011

JR CIGARS is Like, Totally Social

Monday, July 11th, 2011

I think we’re all pretty much blown away by this social media revolution. It all kind of started with simple blogs like this one, and now FaceBook and Twitter has gone bonkers with hundreds of millions of people Tweeting and posting like crazy on a daily basis. I swear there are people who do absolutely no work and just post online all day… well, at least that’s what my wife accuses me of.

JRTube.FBI personally can’t believe how much social media has had a positive effect on the cigar industry as more information is being shared about the aged leaf than ever thought possible. On FaceBook, I have probably close to 6,000 friends and fans myself, and I’m betting three-quarters of them are cigar lovers. It really shows how so many people love the leaf and and crave information about their passion. I also think it says a lot about the camaraderie factor that cigar smoking has always been about.

This weekend I decided to build up my Twitter followers by searching out cigar lovers on the site, following them, so they might follow me in return (that’s pretty much how it often works.) To my utter surprise, I was finding thousands of people with “cigars” in their bios. But most of all, I am blown away how many guys have their own cigar blog or review sites. I came across hundreds of them and I was really happy to see how alive this industry is with an explosive passion like nothing I’ve ever seen.

Now, YouTube is of course a HUGE part of this crazy social revolution and our JR CIGAR TUBE with Nathan and the Zman Show is going great as we approach 20,000 uploads by the fans in just a very short period of time. Below you’ll find a quick little video from Stave Nathan and I, just thanking the fans for watching, commenting, and supporting every episode. If you haven’t seen our video cigar extravaganza, please check it out and tell us what you think! We run 2 part episodes every Monday and Thursday and like I said, the feedback has been just terrific!

Check out the show right here >

www.youtube.com/JRcigartube

Join & Follow JR Cigars on FaceBook >

www.facebook.com/#!/jrcigars

Join & Follow JR Cigars on Twitter > http://twitter.com/#!/JRCigars

See The Zman & Nathan Thank You video >

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgE6LptM2ds

Picture 8Now I hope you all know that JR CIGARS has a gorgeous new website, so stop visiting the old one and start with the new! Hey, our people worked hard on this and we’re all very proud, so give it a look and I bet you might wanna even buy some tasty cigars! Come on, what are you waiting for… CLICK AWAY!

www.jrcigars.com/jr

I speak for everyone at JR when I say THANK YOU for being a loyal customer. We’ve been around for a lot of years for a reason, and of course the fans and the followers are why!

Keepin’ it Social,

TZ.Sig.2

Tommy Z . JR Cigars Blog With the Zman

Posted in Cigars | No Comments »

Site Update–The Ed and Tom show

Saturday, July 9th, 2011

Many of you have been asking me lately… What’s up with reviews by Ed & Tom?! Read on…

Any new cigar review site who has asked me for advice has heard me say… Consistency is important. So now it is time for the Ed and Tom show to practice what I preach. With the success of Ed’s new shop, some complications were introduced in making video cigar reviews. I think we can now work around those issues.

EdandTom

Ed and I have a new review in the can, and we’ll be back on Stogie Review within the week. So stay tuned as we get back in to our old routine you’ve all come to expect.

It has been said by Jerry that the Stogie Review is your site – Yours, mine, everyone’s. It was that mindset that brought the Ed and Tom show into existence, as well as this site. This mindset remains true today. So keep an eye out over at Stogie Review. And yes, you will start seeing Ed and I over there more consistently. No more excuses!

Posted in Cigars, ed, Site Updates, stogiereview, tom | No Comments »

Trinidad Reserve

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

From what I could gather, the Trinidad Reserve was once a Dominican cigar. This latest version differs greatly from it, according to Altadis’ website. I ran across this little “Short Churchill” while browsing a local tobacco shop. As always, I paired today’s review with water.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Cubano

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran

Size: Short Churchill 4.5 x 54

Price: Around $5.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was pretty much flawless. A bump here and there, but nothing bad to speak of. I had a hard time trying to figure out what the wrapper and foot smelled like. It was some kind of mild sweetness. The cigar was very solid to the touch, which resulted in a snug draw. It wasn’t tight, just a little snug. The pre-light draw had a sweet, dark earthy flavor.

The ash held for about a half of an inch, and the burn required no corrections.

1 Trinidad_Reserve cigars

Flavor:

The first third went right in to a woody flavor profile. Pepper was up next. The interesting thing was, I could taste the pepper more in the mouth and less through the nose. After some time passed, the aftertaste became slightly earthy with some sweetness.

2 Trinidad_Reserve cigars

The second third had the same dominant woody and peppery flavors. The sweetness I mentioned before was still there, but it had a bitterness to it. Nothing else changed. The body crept up a bit into the full range, but that is it.

3 Trinidad_Reserve cigars

For the last third, the sweetness increased to something similar to caramel. It basically matched the strength of the wood. They mingled with each other nicely. The pepper picked up a notch and took on a cinnamon note. 

4 Trinidad_Reserve cigars

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. It started up kind of blah, but it picked up and developed a nice flavor profile. I think it meets the price point as well. There isn’t really anything more I can add, so I say give the Trinidad Reserve a try.

Posted in Altadis, Cigar Reviews, Cigars, trinidad_Reserve | No Comments »

Casa Fernandez Cuban Seed Corojo 2006

Monday, July 4th, 2011

I found this cigar while browsing Ed’s shop. I’ve had good experiences with Casa Fernandez cigars, so I figured I’d pick some up. As you’ve come to expect from me, I have no elaborate back story about this cigar. All I care about is how the cigar is, so here it is, my review of the Casa Fernandez Cuban Seed Corojo 2006.

 

Wrapper: Nicaragua Cuban Seed Corojo 2006

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Robusto 4.5 x 52

Price: $7.50

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

There were no noticeable flaws on the chocolaty looking wrapper, just some small veins here and there. It had a slight odor of barnyard, while the foot had a more spicy smell to it. The cigar was packed evenly and had a slight give when squeezed. The pre-light draw was just right, and had an earthy sweet flavor.

The ash held for about an inch, and the burn required a few corrections.

1 Casa_Fernandez_Cuban_Seed_Corojo_2006 cigars

Flavor:

The first third came out of the gate with woody flavors. Passing smoke through the nose was a zingy pepper. After a few puffs in, a smooth sweetness entered the picture followed by slight earthy notes. The core flavors ended up being cedar and a spicy sweetness.

2 Casa_Fernandez_Cuban_Seed_Corojo_2006 cigars

The second third had the same core woody flavor along with a sweetness similar to caramel. The pepper kept it’s zing, but it mellowed out a bit. The aftertaste was sweet and left a tingle on the lips and tongue.

3 Casa_Fernandez_Cuban_Seed_Corojo_2006 cigars

The last third had a nice sweet spicy flavor. It wasn’t quite like cinnamon but the feel of it was similar. The smoke was creamy, sweet, and reminded me like caramel. Some draws were woody, others were sweet. It basically switched between the two. Like before, the peppery spice through the nose had a nice zing.

4 Casa_Fernandez_Cuban_Seed_Corojo_2006 cigars

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. What can I say, it just hit the spot for me. The combination of flavors, body, and strength were just right. The price was a little high for a robusto, but I think you get your monies worth. This is definitely worth a try.

Posted in Casa_Fernandez, Cigar Reviews, Cigars, Corojo_2006, Cuban_Seed | No Comments »

Go Fourth & Carry a Big Stick

Monday, July 4th, 2011

Farmers, carpenters, inn keepers,  blacksmiths and all men young and old (some as young as 13) banded together under the guise of General Washington… an army of newly trained men and local militia were to fight the world’s most elite army. Oppressive taxes and brutal British rule caused a bunch of rag tag rebels to rise up and defend what they believed was right. And this is the day we honor those brave men, men like Patrick Henry who made it clear when he defiantly stated, “Give me Liberty of give me death.”

sampleJuly 4th, 1776 was the day that a group of determined men signed the world’s most famous document, the document that declared to the world that the United States of America and its citizens were forever free. Yet 235 years later, Anti-smoking zealots purport their fascism upon the masses, many being government officials who abuse their political power all in the name of saving us from our selves.

While we live in the land of the free, our personal freedoms are being stripped away at an alarming rate as government tells us they think they know best. But intrusive government, high taxes, and eliminating our personal choices is everything our founding fathers fought against.

The words of our 1st President, George Washington…

george_washington“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”

“I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery.”

“Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty.”

“When we assumed the Soldier, we did not lay aside the Citizen.”

The words of our 40th President, Ronald Reagan…

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

“Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have.”

“The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”

“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

“Today I raise my cigar in the name of freedom and I will fight the oppressors who wish to smolder my true love.” That one is all mine, people, so make sure to quote my Polack ash when you use it, for I am your Puro Patriot.

Long ashes my brothers and sisters,

TZ.Sig.2

Tommy Z . JR Cigars Blog With the Zman

Posted in Cigars | No Comments »

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