The Borons Cigar Blog

To many of you, this is old news. For the rest who may have missed out… On June 19th, 2011, Ed and I were guests on Stogie411.com. We discussed various topics that related to running a cigar shop, IPCPR, shoplifters, cigar blogger ego’s, and various topics.

The episode runs for about an hour. Make sure to go to Stogie411.com and check out what they have to offer. They are taking podcasts to a new level with some great content and guests.

Audio Only <-Right click, save as

The My Father El Hijo is the third installment in the Smoke Inn Microblend series. The first installment was the Tatuaje Anarchy, and the second was the Padron 1964 Anniversary SI-I5. As you may have gathered, these lines are exclusive to Smoke Inn. Back to the cigar at hand…

The foot was left unfinished so the first few puffs are wrapperless. The complete run is only 650 fifteen count boxes, which will be released August 12th, 2011 at Smoke Inn’s West Palm location. You can also order at their website. Now that we have the details out of the way, I paired up with water as usual, and smoked a couple of these cigars.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 5.5 x 52

Price: $9.75

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The dark brown wrapper had minimal flaws, and some medium to small veins. The cap lifted just a little but didn’t cause any problems. The wrapper had a mild earthy smell, while the foot was more spicy. The cigar was consistently packed, and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, with a dark coffee type of flavor.

The ash held for about 3/4 of an inch, and the burn required no corrections.

Flavor:

The first third immediately started with pepper with a nice zing. A woody flavor accompanied it as well. After a few puffs I moved past the shaggy foot and got into the wrapper. From there the smoke smoothed out a bit. The pepper also calmed a little, but it kept it’s zing when passing smoke through the nose. The flavor profile settled in to cedar, coffee and wispy earthy notes. After about 1.5 inches in, the smoke smoothed out into a buttery, velvety smooth feel.

The second third continued with that buttery smooth smoke feel. The main flavor was coffee and cedar. Through the nose, the zingy pepper remained but wasn’t hash. Sometimes there were hints of earthiness and an unidentified sweetness. At around the half way point the smoke became less buttery, not in a bad way. It simply dried out a little.

The last third saw a return of that buttery smoothness. Some draws felt dry, others were not. The core flavors remained coffee and wood. Through the nose, the peppery spice calmed in to a sweet cinnamon. The zing was constant throughout, leaving a nice aftertaste. The sweetness developed into something similar to caramel.

Conclusion:

This was a very very good medium to full bodied cigar. Thanks to Smoke Inn for sending me a couple samples to try. This is a slow burner with great construction characteristics and flavor. The price is on the high end of my comfort zone, but I think it delivers. I think they are definitely worth a try, especially if you are a fan of My Father cigars.

This is a first impressions review. I’ve never had this cigar before, but couldn’t resist picking one up from Ed’s shop. The price deterred me from buying more. Upon investigation, I found that this is a very limited production cigar. There is some hype and backstory that you can read about at Tatuaje’s website. Personally, I have no interest. I just want to know how the cigar is, so here we go.

Wrapper: Habano Nicaragua

Binder: 2009 La Estrella Habano Criollo

Filler: 50% Habano Nicaragua, 40% Criollo 98, 10% Pelo De Oro

Size: Robusto 5 x 50

Price: Around $13.00

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The chocolate brown wrapper was shiny with no visible flaws. The wrapper had a barnyard smell and the foot was more earthy. The cigar was tightly and evenly packed. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, and had a dark natural earthy tobacco flavor.

The ash held firm for around an inch, and the burn required one correction.

Flavor:

The first third had no warm up period. It went right into a dense feeling flavor profile. Up first was a dense woodiness that was not your typical cedar. Earthy notes were in the background. After about an inch, I picked up a subtle, sweet note of cocoa. When passing smoke through the nose, there was a nice peppery spice that had some kick.

I noticed an increase in sweetness in the second third. All the while, the woody flavor remained up there. A nice spice could be felt on the tongue and lips. Through the nose, that nice peppery spice remained, but it had a toasty crisp feel as opposed to the denseness in the first third. Some draws were very creamy, and others were crisp and toasty. In the far background, earthy notes were noticed from time to time.

In the last third, I could have sworn I picked up some black coffee bitterness from time to time. Otherwise, the same complexities remained that I described in the second third. It was a nice, rich flavor profile. It burned nice and cool all the way down to the nub.

Conclusion:

This was a good, not over the top full bodied cigar. The complexities were nice and the flavors were good. Price aside, I thought this cigar delivered where it counts. The price is a bit out of my comfort zone though, especially for a robusto. But for a nice treat, I could see having one on hand. I think any Tatuaje fan would like this. It is definitely worth a try. I may get another one for a treat.

If you read this blog, then I have to assume that you love cigars. Now, I said love, not like, but LOVE.  For me personally, cigar smoking is a passion and a hobby like nothing else I have ever experienced during my multiple decades here on earth. It’s hard to explain why there is such a love affair between aged, handrolled leaf and myself, but I am admittedly both intoxicated by romanced by premium cigar tobacco… and something tells me that you are, too.

Over the past few years I’ve talked a lot about the Smoke Nazis and the anti-smoking zealots who want to eliminate all forms of tobacco from the face of the earth, but I haven’t talked much about the people who wish to regulate it – and I’m referring to none other than the Food & Drug Administration.

This is a frightening thought, my fellow Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf. If the FDA has full reign over handrolled cigars, our smoking world may change like nothing we have ever imagined. Let’s face it – whenever government takes charge of something, it becomes an instant clusterf@#k, and the entire cigar industry is pretty damned worried and rightfully so.

First off, the beautiful ornate cigar box packaging that has been around for over a century could be replaced by labels, warning of death and disease, in font sizes larger than your head. And cigars stores won’t be able to have any tobacco products visible within their premises, but instead hidden behind closed doors where you would have to ask for someone to retrieve your smoke for you. (With JR CIGARS being the largest walk-in humidor retail stores in the world, I sure as hell don’t have a clue how that would work.) These are just some of the things that have been discussed and I can’t even imagine how it is possible in a country that is blanketed in a flag that stands for freedom and living a life of personal choices.

The good news is, I have read that the cigar industry has pushed our senators and congressmen hard to have premium cigars NOT regulated the way other forms of tobacco are. Let’s face it, so much of this is about keeping tobacco out of the hands of children, and children simply do not walk into cigar stores to purchase Camachos, Pepin Garcias, Gurkhas, and Ashton VSG’s that cost them as much as a coveted XBOX game. Thankfully, there is now talk of premium cigars being exempt from the FDA’s rule, which would be a saving grace to the entire cigar industry. But we can’t sit back and just HOPE everything works out all right. It’s up to all of us to email, phone, or fax our government representatives and let then know that they CANNOT take away our passion – a 100% LEGAL product that employs tens of thousands of people in the U.S. and other smaller nations who depend on this export to survive!

Guys, it’s no secret that powerful lobbies like anti-tobacco groups put a proverbial gun to the politicians heads when it comes election time, and the politicos respond with harsh anti-smoking laws, even though just about every single on of them enjoys the rich, smooth taste of a JR Ultimate, Montecristo, Punch, or Trinidad. It is hypocrisy at the highest level, but that is certainly NOT a surprise when it involves those who are full-time holders of office in our nation’s capital. Let’s continue to fight the good fight, people!

Tommy Z . JR Cigars Blog With the Zman

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DON’T FORGET TO JUMP ON JR’S 99¢ SHIPPING! This deal is only good thru July 31^st, so get your cigar orders in NOW!!!

And this week JR has two… that’s right TWO…Weekly Specials

JR has two weekly specials going to give you one last chance to take advantage of the 99¢ shipping.

Villar y Villar Cigars – All Sizes Just $15!

Villar y Villar cigars are handcrafted in Estelí, Nicaragua, with a classic medium-bodied blend of tobaccos from three nations finished with Colorado Ecuador Sumatra wrappers that are available in both Natural and EMS. They are solid, no-nonsense cigars, packed with flavor.

This week JR is doing something unheard of and closing out the entire line of Villar y Villar. Every bundle of 25 is now JUST $15 BUCKS. Buy these before July 31^st and the 99¢ shipping can get you a bundle delivered to your door for just $15.99!

La Primadora: Laguito & Presidente $10 OFF!

Made in Danlí, Honduras, this cigar is a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos with a charcoal-like flavor. The La Primadora is a consistent smoke at an economical price, and has proven to be a time-honored best-seller.

This week JR is closing out 2 sizes at unbelievable prices that make them under $2 bucks a stick! They are both available in natural Ecuador Connecticut and dark Mexican maduro wrappers.

Get ‘em now before they’re gone or before the offer expires on Wednesday, July 27^th!

http://www.jrcigars.com/jr/index.cfm/hurl/evt=ws

What is this, no cigar review today? I know, Friday I usually post a review, but as we all know, there are exceptions. I think this DVD release from Perdomo is worth mentioning.

While Perdomo cigars receive mixed reviews in the blogosphere just like anything else, I find myself smoking the Champagne quite often in the morning. They have quite a few blends that can appeal to a wide variety of cigar smokers. But this DVD goes beyond that…

Any cigar smoker, or anyone interested in cigars, will find this DVD educational. Hosted by Nick Perdomo, he starts in the tobacco fields of Nicaragua and goes through every step of making a cigar. By the time you get to the last DVD, he is showing you their process of making cigar boxes.

I didn’t realize that Perdomo is a completely self contained business. They control every aspect of their product. Nick covers in detail every aspect, from seed to completed boxed product. Along the way he interviews family/employees and translates to English for you when needed.

Keep in mind this video’s purpose is to showcase the way Perdomo makes cigars. There is no fancy editing or production. What counts is the audio and video quality is good, and you get an intimate tour of all that is Perdomo. Even if you aren’t necessarily a Perdomo fan, I think it is worth a watch.

The package has four DVD’s, each running around 45 minutes. They really could have squeezed all the contend on to two DVD’s, not that it’s a big deal. I paid around $20.00 for my copy via their “Introductory price.” How long this price lasts I don’t know. I think it was worth it. If this interests you, go to Perdomo’s website and get your copy.

As I’ve said in previous years… This is a cigar site and I try to keep the personal stuff out. But there are always exceptions.

Friday, July 22nd 2011 is the 4th annual Smoke a JJ for JJ day. It’s easy… Spark up a Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ and enjoy the time you’ll spend relaxing. Don’t have any Series JJ’s? No problem. Dig out your favorite cigar and smoke up.

For those of you asking “Why?” July 22nd would have been JJ’s fourth birthday. JJ is the son of Stogie Review founding member Jerry. He died of SIDS at 3.5 months of age.

So every year we have a Series JJ to relax, reflect, and show respect to JJ, Jerry, and family.

Long ashes…

Update – 7/22/2011

Wow what a great turnout for the occasion. Here is our little contribution from earlier tonight:

From earlier today-

My last IPCPR Show in 2008 was in the very same place as this year’s, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Venetian Hotel and Casino. While I didn’t get to make the trip this year, I have nothing but great  memories of that show.

First off, The Venetian is like the size of a small city. I remember it taking me a good 15 – 20 minutes to walk from my room to the show floor – all in the same hotel! It’s a spectacular place, done in classic, all-out, in your face, over the top, Vegas style. But I can tell you that there’s nothing quite like the site of 3,000 cigar smokers descending upon one place, having the entire hotel smell like finely aged smoldering leaf! I remember the Sunday night kick-off party for the attending retailers was supposed to be poolside, but a rare, heavy rainstorm sent the party inside as 1,000 or so stogie puffing maniacs spilled out from the ball rooms, into the hallways, as it was so smokey, you swore you were walking through the streets of London. Non-smoking guests who had to pass through the halls were holding their noses with shirts pulled up over their faces as hotel security and the fire marshalls were fit to be tied. They were clearly not prepared for this onslaught of us Brothers of the Leaf.

The most memorable thing I can say about this gathering was that the camaraderie was truly like nothing I had ever seen before. Cigar makers and retailers were there to support an industry that is facing a lot of set-backs, but nothing, I mean NOTHING was going to stop this event from being anything short of huge success. The store owners are there to see what new products the manufacturers are debuting, while purchasing products from the sales reps. And the reps are busy writing up orders while strengthening the relationships with their customers. Like I said, it’s camaraderie like I had never really seen before in all my life.

The big thrill for the shop owners is getting to meet the cigar makers and the master blenders. They line up, some thirty yards deep to personally speak with the likes of the Fuentes, Steve Saka, the Garcias, Lito Gomez, Nick Perdomo, the boys from Alec Bradley, Rocky, Nestor Miranda, and Placencia. Lucky for me, the good people at Camacho let me infest their leather seated pad, and I got to spend several days with my friends Dylan Austin and Christain Eiroa. And the best part was three straight nights of Camacho’s private after party, in a bar filled with cold drinks, hot women, and a couple hundred Neanderthals smelling like they just came from a Honduran barn fire.

Three people I remember the most from that trip are men who touched this industry like no others. First is Daniel Nunez, then president and CEO of General cigar, a man who treated me like the most important guest in the world when I visited his facilities in the DR and Honduras only a couple months prior. Everything about that man is total class and I’ll always remember our long talks about baseball and our favorite New York Mets. The other two are beloved gentlemen who passed away within the last year – the great cigar making legend, Frank Llaneza, and Camacho’s one and only, Sal Fontanna. Frank was telling me about his new cigar that he was so excited about, which unknown to me at the time was his 1961 namesake. And then there were the three days listening to Sal Fontana’s stories that had everyone laughing until we couldn’t breathe. Lew Rothman was very close to both of these good men and I’m sure I speak for Lew when I say that they are both so terribly missed.

So today the show begins in the desert – many a new smoke will be debuted to the cigar loving world, and I can’t wait to see what the manufacturers introduce! I may be there only on spirit, but I will smoke till my brain implodes in honor of our most awesome and leafy industry!

Smoke ‘Em Cuz ya Gottem,

Tommy Z . JR Cigars Blog With the Zman

Being a big Rocky whore, I am surprised I haven’t reviewed this cigar yet. I used to smoke them frequently. Rocky Patel sort of got me into premium cigars. They played a big part in it at least. I ran across this cigar at a local shop, and figured I should re-visit it. as always, I paired with water. Here we go…

Wrapper: Maduro

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Secret

Size: Battalion 6 x 60

Price: $6.65

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The dark wrapper had some minor flaws here and there… Some small water spots, a small tear in the wrapper leaf, but nothing that concerned me. Overall it looked nice. The wrapper had a barnyard odor, and the foot was sweet with mild spice. The cigar was pretty well packed, and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, and had a dark soily flavor.

The ash held for well over an inch, and the burn required several corrections.

Flavor:

The first third kicked things off with an earthy, grassy flavor. It didn’t take too long before I picked up a pretty strong dark coffee flavor. Through the nose, I could pick up woody and earthy notes along with an easy spice.

The second third had a dominant earthy and somewhat leathery flavor. Up next was that dark coffee I mentioned in the first third. As I got to the halfway point, a dry sweetness came into the picture. When passing smoke through the nose, the spice picked up a bit. There was a nice easy pepper as well.

In the last third, the sweet flavor picked up in strength. I can only compare it to cocoa. Up next was the mainstay flavors that have been here all along. Earthy leatheriness, along with dark coffee. The smoke feel became very thick and clung to the mouth and tongue well after exhaling. The pepper calmed down and was earthy.

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. It was full bodied in a subtle way if that makes sense. Nothing was really in your face. The flavors just mingled around with each other nicely. I think any Rocky fan would like The Edge Maduro. This is definitely worth a try.

Ed and I returned to The Stogie Review to review a brand we haven’t done in quite some time. As always, I post the review here for archive purposes.

The Arturo Fuente Magnum R Is a nice medium bodied cigar that can appeal to the newest of smokers and the seasoned smoker. The key to enjoying this cigar is to notice the subtleties of the flavor profile. We discuss every aspect in this review.

So take 23 minutes of your time and check out the video. This video is also available for your viewing pleasure in 720p hi-def. Just press the HD button on the player after you begin watching.

MP3 Audio Only <-Right Click, Save As

No big build up on the Don Tomas Clasico Maduro. I was browsing a local humidor, and saw this budget friendly cigar. It looked decent and had a decent price. I figured why not? So read on and see how the Don Tomas Clasico Maduro treated me…

Wrapper:Connecticut broadleaf

Binder: Connecticut broadleaf

Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua

Size: Robusto 5.5 x 50

Price: $3.50

Bought by me

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The brown wrapper was almost velvety looking. It was a rugged with some bumps and veins as well. The smell of the wrapper and foot was a simple grassiness. The cigar was a little soft when squeezed, and had some tight spots here and there. The pre-light draw was a little on the stiff side, and had a dark sweet flavor.

The burn required one minor correction, and the ash held for around an inch. The tight draw loosened up in the first third.

Flavor:

The first third opened up with a simple earthiness with pepper through the nose. After about 10 minutes in, a generic sweetness introduced itself. The smoke feel was dry with a woody aftertaste. It may not sound like much, but it wasn’t bad at all.

The second third switched things up a bit. The main flavor was a sweet and coffee-ish. Behind it was woodiness. Through the nose, that pepper didn’t go anywhere. The aftertaste remained dry and woody. The more I smoked, the richer the flavors seemed to get.

The last third had a dominant sweet/coffee-ish flavor. The sweetness was almost like mocha but may have been more similar to a dry cocoa. Like before, passing smoke through the nose produced a nice pepper. The aftertaste had earthy notes with a sweet tinge.

Conclusion:

This was a decent medium bodied cigar. Sure, there was nothing that made me say “WOW!” But this is a $3.50 cigar, and for that, I think it meets it’s price point. I was expecting another cheap h-hum smoking experience, but I was pleasantly surprised. If a budget smoke interests you, this one is worth a try.