Archive for the ‘cigar blogs’ Category

Beginners Boutiques

Wednesday, January 10th, 2018

Hello my friends, Nick Libretti here for JR Cigars.  I am use to saying that in my videos so lets just keep it going in the written word as well.  From my many YouTube videos which at least one person has watched (thanks mom), it is easy to see that I have a wide array of favorite cigars.  A good cigar for me has many factors including my location, what I’m drinking, my mood etc.  However, there are some smokes that I will like regardless.  I have done quite a few videos on beginner smokes, which are always my favorite.  I love being able to pass my knowledge (which is limited ill admit) to a new smoker and seeing how they enjoy your choices.  So for this article instead of doing my generic Beginner Cigar bit, I decided to do something more specific.  Being a fan of the emerging boutique cigar community, I would love to share my picks for the best boutique cigars for the beginner.

 

 

Espinosa Laranja Reserva

 

            Due to the size of the company, some might say that Erik Espinosa is not the epitome of a boutique manufacturer.  I couldn’t disagree more.  Erik focuses on small batches and expert craftsmanship to create some of the finest blends coming out of Nicaragua.  MY favorite among these, which I have discussed time and time again is the Laranja Reserva.  This medium to full bodied smoke is flawless in terms of burn, flavor and draw.  It is wrapped in a Brazilian wrapper with an orange hue to it.  It takes its name from the Portuguese word for Orange, which makes sense.  It has notes of citrus, a little spice and a little sweetness.  Even the band is brilliant, reminding me of a 1950s orange pop bottle, because I use to hang out at the corner store with Tony from down the way.

 

 

Warped Maestro del Tiempo

 

This cigar means the master of time… end of story.  Kyle Gellis has proven yet again that although he is one of the youngest major manufacturers, he is a force to be reckoned with.  His signature style can be seen brilliantly in this delicious little smoke.  It is produced, like many of his cigars, by Casa Fernandez and is crafted with their legendary Aganorsa tobacco.  It has hints of coffee, wood and nuts with a dash of spice towards the end for a great finale.  The 6012R size has become very popular among cigar enthusiasts for both its outstanding characteristics and its limited release.

 

Tatuaje Skinny Monsters

 

Its safe to say that Pete Johnson was one of the founders of the boutique cigar community.  He loves to due his event only cigars, special releases and limited brands that make his cigars all the more desirable.  With the MY Father factory being his producer, he is able to combined innovative marketing strategies with some of the best cigars on the market.  No boutique collection is complete with out some of the Tatuaje Monster series.  Pete releases a new blend every year, with each one taking its name from old time movie monsters.  My personal favorite is the Jason, because it is very hard to beat a Tatuaje with a broadleaf wrapper.  For a variety you should check out the skinny monster collection, with each different release being rolled into a perfect Lonsdale size for optimum flavor.

 

RoMa Craft CroMagnon

 

In the past half decade, no manufacturer has captured the hearts and minds of the boutique aficionado like RoMa Craft.  Their blends are outstanding, their presentation is brilliant and their creative names make almost no sense to the general public, but that’s the point.  If you haven’t tried a CroMagnon yet, then stop reading right now and go smoke one.  It is a broadleaf beauty that is full in flavor but smooth on the retro hale.  RoMa Craft is a must have for the boutique humidor.

 

 

 

Foundation Tabernacle

 

            I know you guys saw this one coming.  Nick Melillo has become a dear friend of mine but not because I particularly like him.  I mean he is ok I guess, but I am much more a fan of his products.  Foundation cigars has created hit after hit over the past 2 years with no end in sight.  While I am a huge fan of El Gueguense and its maduro sequel, Nick and I both find ourselves drawn to the Tabernacle.  Its brilliant broadleaf wrapper is grown in the heart of the Connecticut River Valley, which of course is located by the “mighty” Connecticut river.  It is a Connecticut broadleaf at is finest with rich chocolate notes and a nice subtle sweet spice from its Nicaraguan tobacco.  Nick is literally becoming the “Foundation” of boutique cigars. Love ya Nick!

Southern Draw Cigars – Your Perfect Pairing Companion!

Tuesday, May 9th, 2017

Southern Draw is a unique and extraordinary line of premium handmade cigars specially blended to complement the various styles of craft brews, boutique wines, and spirits. A  relative newcomer to the industry,  these patriotically inspired vitolas were founded by U.S. Veterans to honor their southern  tobacco traditions and the generations of  families who have cultivated, fermented, and aged it to perfection.  After rolling, every Southern Draw cigar rests in cedar lined aging bins allowing the flavors to marry and blend for the utmost in consistency and smooth taste. In addition, before leaving the factory, each stick is draw-tested to exacting standards assuring and easy and effortless draw.

Kudzu, the inaugural line boasts a double-fermented Habano Oscuro wrapper with a slick, oily sheen over binder and filler tobaccos made with aged Cuban seed Nicaraguan tobaccos. Available in three big ring sizes, full flavored maduro enthusiasts will enjoy a smoke loaded with dark tobacco, spice, cedar, and cocoa flavors.

Firethorn, Southern Draw’s second offering, features an aged and double-fermented Habano Rosado wrapper atop a San Andres Mexican binder, and Nicaraguan fillers made from Cuban seed tobaccos. Rife with a sweet tobacco aroma, and complex flavors of subtle spice, hints of cinnamon, cocoa, caramel, and pecan, this delicious, medium to full body recipe will enhance the taste and complexity of any adult beverage that you pair with it.

With the small ring enthusiast in mind, Southern Draw Quickdraw cigars, in boxes of 50, offers two 44-ring blends and two regular size 52- ring vitolas. The cigars come in your choice of a dark Pennsylvania Broadleaf, Ecuador Connecticut, and Ecuador Habano wrappers over a two-nation blend of aged binder and filler tobaccos. Quickdraw offers a perfectly balanced variety coffee, cocoa, and nut flavors in the lighter wrapper leaves, with espresso and sweet spice being the dominant component in the dark maduro broadleaf.  Once again, like its two cousins, these beauties are full in flavor and crafted to pair with your favorite beer, wine, or just about any adult beverage that you enjoy.

Pro Cigar and Birthday by Frank Seltzer

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013

Hangover Helper

 

The week-long Pro Cigar 2013 is over.  Wow what a time it was.  I am not saying anything about the amount of alcohol served during this period but at Corporacion Cigar Export (the home of Augusto Reyes) they had a very special set up for the morning tour….and many people took advantage. (I am not saying who, but you know who you are….and the Bloody Marys were very good.)

While on the subject of Corporation Cigar Export, they do something unique here, the rollers are on salary rather than being paid per piece.  The company believes it gets better results from the rollers this way.

Debonaire

Also, next door is a retreat called Debonaire House much like the Drew Estate Cigar Safari, with the exception that it is much more upscale and intimate.  Some of the rooms are suites and the chef came from New Orleans.  What a nice place for lunch…and I can imagine dinner.

At MATASA in the afternoon, after the tour, Michael Herklots passed out three blends for a new Nat Sherman cigar that the Quesadas are working on.  Herklots used the time for a focus group on the blend, packaging and price for this limited edition, which should hit by the summer trade show.

The White Dinner at the monument in the center of Santiago, is always a special treat.  You overlook the whole city while having a fine dinner.  We were given another pack of cigars, the La Gloria Cubana Rabito as I mentioned before (although it was called Special Blend ADP6) and a Don Carlos Robusto.  We also got the 2012 Limited Edition from EPC and a Davidoff Master Edition.  (Some very nice cigars.)

One Cigar per Day

Friday brought a tour of La Aurora—the oldest cigar factory in the Dominican Republic. Well this factory is not old in fact it is very modern, rather it is the company which began in 1903.  Often people want to take tours of cigar factories and La Aurora used to have a replica factory where it made Preferidos over at Centro Leon.  That factory is gone, and now, the company is opening up its factory to anyone. (If you want a tour, just call them  809-734-2563 and note the usual tour guide only smokes one cigar a day…but it is a 16 inch 1495. ) The biggest addition is a new company store where you can actually purchase La Aurora products and accessories.  The tour of the facility includes everything from the highest end hand rolled cigars to less expensive machine mades (Tatiana flavored cigars some of Altria’s Black and Milds are being made here).

La Aurora is the dominant cigar seller in the Dominican Republic and one of its top sellers it the Principe which is a value brand.

This year also marks another milestone for La Aurora.  3 years ago, the company released the La Aurora 107 to mark that anniversary, and this year, I think I like this better. The company had Dominican rum maker Barcelo come up with a very special 8 year old rum just for La Aurora…the La Aurora 110 Rum.  This rum has the touch of sweetness you expect from Barcelo, but more overtones of vanilla, chocolate and even a bit of orange.  The president of Barcelo—Jose Alberto Garcia- showed us a little trick to drinking this special rum.  Add 3 whole coffee beans and then let the rum warm up for a few minutes.  The coffee beans do not affect the taste per se, instead they add to the aroma and add a hint of coffee to the aftertaste.  It was very unusual and delightful.  The company is only making 3,000 bottles a year—those of us attending the La Aurora tour were presented with one. (If you visit the La Aurora tour gift shop, you can buy one, provided they have not sold out…only 15 bottles a month will be sold.)

Yuri Guillen at Centro Espana

 

The festival wrapped up Friday night with its Gala Dinner and party at the Centro Espana.  Dinner was terrific and the gala raised nearly $70,000 for Voluntariado de Jesús con los Niños –a non-profit organization to help sick children– and the Sociedad San Vicente de Paul — a retirement home for low income seniors.    Can’t wait until next year.

Happy Birthday Rocky

 

Today is Rocky Patel’s birthday. (Mine is tomorrow)  Today Rocky is marking his 51st year and to celebrate, he is coming out with a new cigar the ..well the name is Roman Numerals for 2/26 which would look like IIXXVI.  According to the birthday boy himself,

“ We decided to make a cigar for my 51st birthday and the box is a gorgeous lacquered box all white with simple black lettering and roman numerals which spell out 2/26/61.  It is a pretty full-bodied cigar made out of our Nicaraguan factory and it has a broadleaf wrapper and it has Nicaraguan fillers and one leaf from Jamastran and I consider the cigar medium to full very rich.  Price is 12.50 and should come out around March 15. “

Rocky also says they are working on a fuller bodied Xen from his brother Nish which will be out a little later.

 

Pro Cigar Continues (New Cigars and New Digs) by Frank Seltzer

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

Yesterday’s post was actually written before we arrived in Santiago…I admit I was cheating but with the Internet here you never know.  On the flight from Miami on Sunday, I spoke with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo who confirmed he was making a new cigar for Crowned Heads.  This is the Nashville-based company co-founded by Jon Huber formerly with CAO.  The cigar will be the J.D.Howard Reserve, who is better known by his alias of Jesse James.  According to Greg Mottola at Cigar Aficionado, Huber says Howard used to live in Nashville and he was intrigued.  The new cigar will come in 5 sizes but the price and boxes and bands have yet to be finalized.  The cigar should be ready for the industry trade show this summer.

Food and Beer in Santiago

So upon arrival in Santiago we met with Manolo Quesada who took us to a new beer bar (VinoBeber) which served an amazing selection, and had a nice outdoor smoking area.  The beer that impressed us the most was the Dogfish Head Miles Davis Bitches Brew (made at a small brewery in Milton, Delaware).  Released in 2010 to mark the 40th anniversary of Davis’s landmark album Bitches Brew,  it is an Imperial Stout mixed with a Honey Beer.  Amazing flavors as it warms up.  Who would have thought you come to Santiago to get a small han- crafted American beer. We also discovered a new restaurant not far from the hotel called La Comai (not sure of the spelling) but they served a full pound of Mofongo with fantastic Chicharrones for about 6 bucks…and it is probably the best Mofongo I have ever had.

On Monday, Manolo took us to his new factory in Licey.  I say new because they moved in a year ago, and since I was forced to cancel last year’s trip.

The factory has plenty of room now, compared to the original MATASA factory in the free trade zone.  I will officially tour the place later this week and will report more about it then.  On Tuesday night, about 60 people who spent the first couple of days at Casa de Campo in La Romana for the official start of the festival made the 5 hour bus ride to Santiago. A total of 250 people are signed up for the festival. At La Romana the participants spent a day golfing, or on the beach on Monday and then Tuesday morning they toured Tabacalera de Garcia—home to Altadis USA.

Fonseca Cubano Exclusivo

At Pro Cigar, a few of the factories often introduce new cigars and this year is no exception.  The Quesadas are unveiling their new Fonseca Cubano Exclusivo.  For years, the Fonseca brand has been on the mild end of the cigar spectrum.  The primary exception was the Cubana Limitada which had much more strength for the advanced smoker’s palate.  This new Fonseca is a middle ground for the brand.

While in the mild to medium range, it presents a fuller flavor so it is approachable for the novice while delivering a lot of taste for the more serious smoker.  Using Dominican HVA (Havana Vuelta Arriba) wrapper over a Dominican binder and Connecticut broadleaf, Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.  The cigar will ship next month in four sizes, Robusto (5.5” x 52), Corona Gorda (6 x 46), Belicoso (6.5” x 52) and Gordo (6.5”x 60).  The prices have yet to be determined.

New Digs

Litto Gomez

For Litto Gomez at La Flor Dominicana one of the newest members of Pro Cigar, his mind has not been on the festival.  Instead Litto has been working on a major expansion of his factory in Tamboril.  About 3 months ago, he was able to acquire the land next door to the factory and in that short period he was able to clear the land and construct new buildings giving him a lot more space.  Now, La Flor Dominicana has room for its tobacco storage (although not all of the tobacco is here some remains in a warehouse).  Litto has been concerned not only with the physical aspects of the construction, but also the aesthetics.  The results are beautiful.

His new expanded factory also has much more room for the rollers who now are producing about 3 million cigars a year.  Litto says once the construction is totally complete, he will focus on new cigars for this year…but he admits that his big push will come NEXT year when La Flor Dominicana turns 20.

Old Man Winter Don’t Like My Cigars, by Tommy Zman

Friday, February 8th, 2013

You know, I admit that I do tend to write about the weather a lot, but it seems there really is a lot to talk about these days. I know that I’m always griping about it being too hot or too cold or too wet, yada, yada, yada. But hey, living in New Jersey, I think I had a right to bitch about Sandy, so cut me a little slack, huh?

The weather really does effect smoking conditions for us who are in lust with the Latin leaf, and the north east has certainly dealt with some serious cold this Winter, making it virtually impossible to enjoy a good long smoke. Trust me, I’ve got a heater in the garage but it just doesn’t do a whole lot, and it’s just no fun when the important body parts start to go numb on ya… come on, bro, please don’t make me spell this one out, huh?

Now I admit, I do force myself to get outside and toast up many of the gars I loaded up on from the JR Catalog and website over the holidays. I mean, I got SO MUCH good stuff that I can only open the lid to my 200 humidors so long before I just bite the bullet to go stand outside and look like a smoking popsicle. I’ll get three of my stogie loving buddies to join me in my quest, as we huddle around a fire pit as my neighbors refer to us as the frozen four. A little rum, a little scotch and a nice big ash Nicaraguan maduro is certainly a beautiful thing, but when those important parts start freezing up, it’s time for thawing out inside.

And now it’s Thursday as I write this blog on the eve of yet another storm that is to blanket the entire north east with a ton of the flaky white stuff. I hate when they use the word “blizzard” as there have been a ton of false alarms in the past, but I can tell you that after that bitch Sandy rolled through these parts, there isn’t a soul who’s taking any predicted storm lightly.

For me in north western New Jersey, the weather geeks are saying six inches to a foot, but they’re calling for 2 feet up around Boston and up to 3 feet up in Maine! Damn, I hope we’re all spared from this crap, but just in case, I stocked up on bottled water and firewood and we’ll get some food supplies tonight even thought I’m sure the supermarket has been pretty much raided. Of course you’ve gotta top off the gas tanks, and good thing we did with the last storm as the gas shortage was just awful for two weeks.

But from this blog’s perspective, it really is important that you have your good cigars picked out and ready for smoking in case you become a housebound hermit for a few days. During Sandy we had no power for a week and we had an electric stove which I told Mrs. Zman NOT TO BUY, but noooooo, what do my opinions count. So just a few weeks ago we purchased a gas stove and a shit load of fire wood so hopefully we can ride out any outages… good God I do not want to go through that again.

So that’s it from the frozen tundra of Sopranos country as we brace for another snow covered slamfest. I’ve got the 12 year old scotch ready, and a bevy of hand rolled happy sticks as my ammunition.

PLEASE SUPPORT Cigar Rights of America as they continue to deal with congress, the senate, and all US legislators who need to be made aware that our cigars are the best friends we know of and we will fight like hell to keep them in our lives! >>http://cigarrrights.org

Smoke ‘em cuz ya gottem my friends,

TZ.Sig.2

JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

> CLICK HERE to Check out this week’s J•R CIGARS Weekly Special

Super Cigar Smoking, Food-Fest Sunday by Tommy Zman

Friday, February 1st, 2013

I hate when all of these advertisers have to refer to the NFL Championship as the Big Game because of trademark infringement. It’s the friggin’ Super Bowl and I really don’t know why you can’t say, “drink this sugar-laden tooth rotting juice during the Super Bowl,” or “fill up on these heavily salted, empty calorie snack garbage chip things during the Super Bowl.” From what I’ve heard, the NFL is actually listed as a non-profit organization but you sure as hell could have fooled me and everyone else on this earth.

This week we have a really nice match up of two teams that deserve to be there. First off you’ve got brothers as the respective head coaches of either team, a complete story in of itself. The 49ers have a young quarterback that has shocked the league since filling in for their injured starter. And the Ravens have a QB who is ready to climb to the pinnacle… and of course there’s a linebacker who just doesn’t want to go away, but this Sunday, it really is the guy’s retirement party.

Me – I’m just having a quiet little family get together – with enough food to go to the moon and back about five times. You name it, I think we’ll have it… Buffalo and BBQ wings, homemade pizza (Mrs. Zman’s specialty), Swedish Meatballs (thank you Ikea) tater skins, jalapeno poppers, chili cream cheese dip, weenies in da blanket, finga sammiches, pulled pork sliders, chips, dips, assorted nuts and cheeses, and ice cold craft brews pouring all throughout the evening.

Now, of course I will partake in premium tobacco goodness throughout the entire day. I’ll start light to medium, move up to medium for the pre-game festivities, at half time I don’t have a single urge in my body to watch Beyonce lip sync so I’ll be at the edge of the garage with some medium to full sticks… and finally when all is said an done, a full bodied maduro and a belt of good scotch will be the perfect finale.

As for the commercials, I used to live for them, but in my opinion, they have just sucked over the past 5 years or so. A couple of years ago, EVERYONE went crazy over the Darth Vader kid but the next day when I asked what was the product, NONBODY could tell me, which in my mind is a 2 million dollar FAIL.

Okay my buds, finally I have the official estimated statistics when it comes to the Super Bowl Sunday chow down…

• 1.2 billion Chicken Wings • 50 million cases of beer, 325 million gallons (An increase in the sales of beer compared to the average daily total = $11.8 million) • 15,000 Tons of Chips (lining up each and every chip would produce a trail of almost 293,000 miles – not quite 1.5 times the distance to the moon, or 6 feet per American) • $237.2 million spent on soft drinks at grocery stores during Super Bowl week • 8 million pounds of popcorn • 12 million pounds of avacados (That’s enough to cover Louisiana Superdome end zone to end zone in more than 27.5 feet in avocados.) • 2.5 million pounds of nuts • 30% increase in sales of processed-cheese loaves during Super Bowl week • 30% increase in sales of frozen shrimp • Frozen Pizza is the top Super Bowl seller at grocery stores • Fans at the game will eat 5,000 pounds of hotdogs. (If you laid those hotdogs end-to-end, they would stretch more than 5 miles.) • Average number of attendees for a Super Bowl party: 17 • Average number of calories consumed during the Super Bowl: 1,200 calories per person

As far as my prediction… this one is so close to tell… Does Joe Flacco finally join the elites with Ray Lewis going out on top… or does Colin Kaepernick become a national hero making his head coach look like a world class genius? Damn… I really have no clue… I think I’ll just watch and keep my yap shut this year.

PLEASE SUPPORT Cigar Rights of America as they continue to deal with congress, the senate, and all US legislators who need to be made aware that our cigars are the best friends we know of and we will fight like hell to keep them in our lives! >>http://cigarrrights.org

Smoke ‘em cuz ya gottem my friends,

TZ.Sig.2

JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

> CLICK HERE to Check out this week’s J•R CIGARS Weekly Special

The 5 Step Process of the Anti-Smoking Zealot, by Tommy Zman

Monday, March 19th, 2012

If you are a lover of the aged leaf, then you are well aware that over the past few years that we cigar smokers have simply become the lowlife pariah scum of the earth in the eyes of the anti-smoking zealots of our world. We basically can’t smoke ANYWHERE indoors anymore, they won that battle… and now these haters are trying to get rid of our precious puros for good.

Picture 7 copyWhat I find to be so incredibly ironic is that the Smoke Nazi contingent claims that we cigars smokers are rude, when in actuality, they are indeed the rudest, nastiest, and most obnoxious bastids to roam the land. We are basically looked upon as diseased laden lepers who should be banished from all society. They treat us with massive disrespect as if we have absolutely no rights at all and I’m completely sick and tired of it…. aren’t you? Of course you are!

This past weekend, on a gorgeous mid-60’s degree day, I took a little day jaunt into Little Italy in New York City. After a great big authentic Italian meal, I love nothing more than walking the streets with a nice premium hand rolled cigar as I take in the sights, sounds, and the smells. Now, here I am in the middle of the street, walking along when a couple of these zealots decide to give me their ten pounds of grief as they walked past me a good 25 feet away on the side walk. After getting treated so rudely by these self-righteous cretins time and time again, you’d really think I’d be used to it by now. But I guess it’s just the blatant disregard for human decency that really has me bewildered every time. What’s amazing is that every one of these indignant schmucks have the same exact act down pat, as if they attended some class on how to abuse the hell out of anyone they catch smoking. So I have come up with the 5-Step process that the Smoke Nazi’s have developed and shared with their fellow fascists across the globe. (All they need is a uniform, knee high black boots, and a high step kick to complete their attempt at world dominance.)

Okay, after much research and pure unadulterated abuse, I have decided to share this most wretched 5-Step method with my beloved Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf…

photoSTEP 1. The Look – As they walk anywhere in your cigar smoking presence, these acerbic foes will start out with a distasteful look on their face – the kind of look one does when perhaps your load-encrusted septic overflows into your living room. They want you to know that something has gone awry, and this pungent look is what leads directly into…

STEP 2. The Deadpan Glare – Now their head has turned in your direction, as you are the present recipient of the stare of doom. The eyes squint, the brow furrows, and the scowl on that puss is so twisted and vile that you start to wonder if perhaps you called this person’s mother an unsavory epithet in another life.

STEP 3. The Cough – or should I say the BIG FAKE cough that bellows through the street as if the black plague has found its way into the 21st century. Rottweilers are jealous of this pseudo-bark, and the coughers do not care that one hell of spectacle is being made in public.

STEP 4. The Wave – To accompany the dreaded howling cough, the hands begin to wave in front of their face with such ferocity that one would be convinced that the person was being attacked by a strain of killer bees. The Wave, combined with the cough is an amazing site to see, one riddled with ignorance, guile, and blatant stupidity.

STEP 5. The Confrontation – When all attempts at ruining your cigar smoking experience has failed, the psycho-zealot will have the oversized pair of cajones to get in your face and confront you. They will let you know with a brazen fervor that your cigar stinks and they do not like it. Yes, they will have no regard for manners or human decency at this point in the game, and if it were the Old West, 95% of these rude sons of bitches would be mowed down in broad daylight.

Now it’s the 21st century and our culture has supposedly evolved into a civilized lot, but me thinks that someone needs to inform these indignant anti-smoking goons that you simply cannot treat fellow human beings in this manner. Agreed? I think so.

Well, that’s my little public service announcement for my cigar loving fans and friends who need to remember that we have the right to live the way we choose and there isn’t an anti-smoking punk who can take that away from us.

Remember, as Always, Stay Smoky My Friends,

TZ.Sig.2

JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

Feel the Warmth From My Cigar by Tommy Zman

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Okay, every one of you guys know by now what an incessant whiner I am when it comes to the weather – especially the miserable winter months where smoking outside is a great discomfort and my weekly cigar intake drops dramatically. But this winter here in the north east has definitely been on the milder side with almost no snow to even speak of. And while that pretty much sucks for ski resorts, guys who plow, and the hardware store that is stuck with fifty full pallets of ice melting pellets, it sure as hell is a relief from shoveling that white crap, and worse yet, driving in it. And with a daughter on the roads and a son who gets his license in 10 days, trust me when I say that I don’t miss that stuff for a second.

Picture 4But as I sit here on my patio perfecting the hunt & peck typing method to a tee, it is 68 degrees here in early March, probably about twenty degrees warmer than the norm, and again, I am not minding it one damned bit! And just who is keeping me company while I write this weekly missive, but a thoroughly delicious Alec Bradley Tempus, a stick that resides on the fuller bodied side, and is enjoying being in the great outdoors every bit as much as I am.

For you BOTL’s in the south and all year warm weather places, you are most envied by us four honeybadger1season dwellers, and please know that it does get a bit tiring hearing you guys tell us, “why don’t you just move” – like hey, why didn’t I think of that – wow, guess I don’t really need this big red Staples EASY button. But right now most of us in the upper US regions are enjoying the hell out of this unusual weather, and enjoying a good cigar outside goes right along with the territory. Normally, right about now I’m going stir crazy, bound inside the house, jonesing like a mutha for a hand rolled happy stick. But thankfully Mother Nature has put the jonesing on hold, and for that I seriously want to take a brief moment to thank the old gal. And I say “brief” moment because anyone who has spent their life in the north knows that three-feet of the frozen white stuff can drop from the sky a couple of days from now, giving us that, “and you thought it was almost springtime” blizzard from hell. Much like the famed Honey Badger, Mother Nature don’t give a shit.

SanCristobalOkay, I think I’ve pretty much got all I can out of this AB Tempus, and good thing I thought ahead and brought along this dark-ass San Cristobal to help me finish out this bloggy. Man, another seriously impressive flavor bomb from the JR collection of finely aged premium tobacco products. I may have never been a boy scout, but when it comes to cigar smoking, this paunchy Polack is ALWAYS prepared! You know, I really do have a rough life writing this cigar love-fest, day in and day out. It’s hard work being a cigar blogger and I want you to know that I give my all for you guys, continually smoking the best stogies all for the purpose of your much needed entertainment. Pretty soon the wife and boy will be home and I’ll toss some charred carcass on the Weber, probably sneaking in a short robusto, all while planning on what cigar to smoke with my single malt night-cap. Damn people, I am friggin exhausted just typing those thoughts!

It’s this unusual warmth that has me in such a good mood while the neighbors drive by and wonder things like, “when is that moron going to get himself a “real” job (much like my loving wife thinks on a daily basis.) But I know that YOU guys appreciate the blood and sweat I’m spilling onto my laptop as this Pepin made Nicaraguan encourages me to keep on giving all that I’ve got. I know my purpose, and I’m proud to serve you all.

Well, I just looked and it’ll be 35 degrees here tomorrow morning. I knew that little tease Momma Nature couldn’t keep this up for more than a couple of days. But right now, I’m gonna get all metaphysical and stay in the present while I thank the Big Guy above for giving me the strength and courage to continue on doing what I do for YOU people.

You know… I think there’s a couple of icy cold bottles of Stout in the fridge. I give and I give…

Stay Smoky My friends,

TZ.Sig.2

JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

Cigar Tobacco Legislation: Chalk One Up for Us by Tommy Zman

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon is a man who knows common sense, and more importantly, knows a propaganda filled, spineless agenda when he sees one.

This past week in a ruling that effects the entire tobacco producing world, Judge Leon told the FDA & the US government that their proposed grotesque graphic labeling of cigarette packaging was indeed: UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

67373892_310335571_Unconstitutional_answer_1_xlarge_xlargeHell, yeah… Here Come Da Judge! (Showing my age with that one right there.)

Several months ago I wrote about Judge Leon’s decision to put a temporary injunction on the FDA’s labeling effort, but now it has come to a head and the gubmint has been given an official smack down – FINALLY – by a guy who understands the Constitution of the United States, and doesn’t take crap when it is doled out in extra-pungent proportions.

In his official 19-page ruling, Leon wrote, “The graphic images here were neither designed to protect the consumer from confusion or deception, nor to increase consumer awareness of smoking risks; rather, they were crafted to evoke a strong emotional response calculated to provoke the viewer to quit or never start smoking.”

Good Lord… someone in Washington actually possesses a brain AND a soul. Somebody get me a JR BRUTO!

It has come down to the fact that the FDA has been found in violation of the First Amendment and even though the ruling was for cigarette packaging, you have to know that if the FDA had won, cigar packaging was to be next in line – desecrating the industry’s ornate boxes and bands while destroying 150 years of tradition in an instant. I think this landmark decision also takes away some of the FDA’s ammo in trying to regulate the cigar industry, showing the public that many of their motives are unscrupulous with an agenda far reaching outside the boundaries of their jurisdiction: meaning the elimination of all tobacco products from the face of the earth (which btw, is my own personal and humble opinion, but you know that I damn-well speak the truth.)

p10b“Although the FDA conveniently refers to these graphic images as ‘graphic warnings,” Leon cited, “characterizing these graphic images as ‘warnings’ is inaccurate and unfair as they are more about shocking and repelling than warning.”

Seriously guys, can you even believe that there’s someone like this even alive in our nation’s Capital? (Hmmmm… maybe a La Gloria Cubana Serie R would be a worthy celebratory smoke…)

Last November, five of the major tobacco manufacturers filed suit against the government, accusing them of violation of their freedom of speech. And, make no mistake about it my Brothers and Sisters of Leafiness, this is indeed a victory in the cigar world’s continual fight against the clueless anti-smoking tyrants who use questionable logic and suspect data to further their “take no prisoners” agenda.

One more very frightening thought to ponder if the Judge had ruled in favor of the vile and offensive labeling is that it would have opened the door for the government to attack other industries in the same manner, such as meat, snack food, desserts, soft drinks, and liquor. And while I applaud the decision of this magistrate, I wonder if he REALLY knows what a profound effect that his ruling has when it comes to Americans rights and freedoms, now and for the future. This is truly HUGE, my friends, and while it is a victory for those who exercise their constitutional right to enjoy a legal adult product, we must all continue to stay vigilant and fight for what we believe to be rightfully ours.

In the closing of U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s ruling, he says with absolute conviction, “The government has failed to carry both its burden of demonstrating a compelling interest and its burden of demonstrating that the rule is narrowly tailored to achieve a constitutionally permissible form of compelled commercial speech.”

TRANSLATION: Up Yours, Dude.

Stay Smoky My Friends,

TZ.Sig.2

JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

Cigars: The Perception & the Reality by Tommy Zman

Friday, February 24th, 2012

The gods had blessed us here over the past few days in the northeast with temperatures exceedingly warmer than normal. And when the mercury moves upward, the cigars in my humidor move outward. A couple of nights ago I poured myself a glass of hearty cabernet and plopped on the front porch with a new friend of mine referred to as the JR Ultimate Bruto oscuro. Now I’ve loved the Ultimate line for as long as I can remember, but this new bomb of a cigar comes in at six inches long with a girthy 60 ring gauge, a chubby Honduran that packs a ton of seriously rich flavor. I love a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and this sumptuous smoke was just screaming out my name, “Smoke me, Zman, come on let’s do this thing, now smoke me!”

Picture 8As I stared at my leafy pal all ready to cut and light, my wife, who had snuck up behind me, said, “Are you talking to your cigar? I knew you were missing some important brain functions over the years, but now you’re talking to your cigars?

“”I always talk to my cigars,” I said in all truthfulness. “People talk to their plants and their pets, and I just happen to converse with the leaves I love.”

“ Converse?” she asked with one eyebrow fully raised, you know that look you get when someone is ready to hit the speed dial number for the insane asylum that they pre-programmed into the phone for just such an occasion. “You mean they talk back to you?

crazy_person_warning_mousepad-p144468674304630971z8xsj_400Whatta ya mean, do they talk back to me, I thought in my smoky brain as she shook her head with full intent on calling that number. Well, of course they talk to me, but at the risk of the local funny farm van showing up at the door, I played it on the cool side.

“Well, of course they don’t actually speak,” I assured her with the hopes she couldn’t tell that I was lying, I mean what cigar lover doesn’t hear their stogies talk to them? “What I meant is that their very essence is what speaks to me. All cigars are different and each one gives off its own wondrous and unique quality and personality.”

With a kind of glazed over stare on her face, it was as if Mrs. Z was dealing with a deranged human, and it’s hard to argue the fact that sometimes, I am indeed a bit “out there.”

“I’ll never understand the attraction,” she said with innocence and honesty. “You take a bunch of dried rolled up leaves, light them on fire, then suck hot smoke from one end until your clothes stink and let’s not even talk about your breath.

photoI guess for an outsider looking in, that is what it looks like, but you can bring anything down to the lowest common denominator if you want to. What is a juicy cheeseburger really but a ground up hunk of bovine carcass? While it is more than just a matter of perception, many who have never smoked a premium hand rolled cigar do look upon it as a disease-ridden, stanky old burning weed. And really, we brothers and sisters of the leaf don’t give a damn what people think of our precious sticks of joy, as long as they show some tolerance and respect for the pastime we love and hold so dearly. But the problem is that so many don’t – they look down upon us as low class pariah, when only a little more than a century ago only the rich and the aristocratic smoked fine cigars as it was considered an act of sophistication. Yes, Mr. Dylan, the times they are a changing.

Lucky for me, my wife wanted no part of smelling my putrid stink stick, um, I mean the sweet scent of my beefy Honduran treasure, as she went back into the house, leaving a call to the nut-hut 8oo number for another day. And I was left alone talking to my dark brown burning buddy once more, assuring my smoldering friend that I would indeed show him (her?) every ounce of my love and affection for the next 45 minutes of our lives together…

…Yeah… maybe somebody aught to call that number.

Til next week, stay smoky my friends,

TZ.Sig.2

JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

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