Cigar Slang You Need to Know Pt. 2
Friday, February 28th, 2020
Last month, I put together a list of cigar terms and slang that new smokers might not understand. So, here is part 2 of that list to bump up your cigar vocab.
Archive for the ‘ligero’ Category
La Flor Dominicana Ligero Oscuro
Friday, August 17th, 2012I’ve been smoking the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero for a few years now. The Ligero usually slips under my radar, until recently. I started enjoying these when I don’t want to risk the ass kicking of the Double Ligero. As always, I paired this cigar with water. Let’s see how it went.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder & Filler: Dominican
Size: L250 4 3/4 x 48
Price: $7.10
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper had a toothy and blotchy appearance. That may not sound so good, but it didn’t look bad at all. Perhaps “Rugged” is the word that fits here. I can only compare the scent of the wrapper and foot to sweet cedar. The cigar was solidly packed, perhaps too solid. This probably explained a draw that was a bit to tight for my liking. The pre-light flavor was sweet, and made the nose tingle a little bit.
It should be noted that I rarely have draw issues with any La Flor Dominicana cigar. Anyway… The ash held for just over an inch, and the burn required no corrections.
Flavor:
The first third came out of the gate with a nice black pepper. Retrohaling, when done with care, was no problem at all. Wood was up next, and it was of equal strength as the pepper. Espresso notes were noticeable in the aftertaste. The smoke feel was dry and crisp.
The second third kept that zingy pepper. If anything, I had to pay extra attention to retrohaling. The strength of the espresso increased, and it took on tinge of sweetness. Wood was up next, along with earthy notes. The smoke feel became smoother, but stayed shy of creamy.
Wood was the dominant flavor in the last third, behind the pepper that is. Espresso was up next, along with a note of earthiness. Everything was basically up front, and nothing stood out over the other.
Conclusion:
This was a very good full bodied cigar. As you might expect, it sits right below the double ligero in terms of strength. It offers plenty of flavor, minus the ass kicking. Construction is generally good. It was luck that I’d review the one with a snug draw. The bottom line is, I have liked these cigars for awhile now, and I’ll be smoking more.
CIGARS: Why We Like What We Like by Tommy Zman
Friday, January 6th, 2012I would imagine you guys know me long enough, where it goes without saying that I freakin’ love cigars. (Gee Zman, what a revelation… did your inner Polack just kick in?) Now I’ve been smoking long enough where I know what I like. I know the blends, the wrappers, the flavor profiles and the strength. But for the life of me I can’t figure out why I like what I like. That may sound a little dopey and your answer may be, “who really cares, just STFU and enjoy your stogies, ya fat bastid.” But I’ve been wondering why I like a certain cigar and another guy thinks it dog shmootz.
I guess you could wonder this about anything: food, alcohol, taste in women, yada, yada, yada, but this query has led me to think about how personal cigar smoking really is. If a guy tells you that he doesn’t like scotch, or liverwurst, or even red heads, no offense is taken whatsoever. (Let me just say that if you don’t like red heads, you are mentally challenged, but please don’t let me stray from the subject at hand.) You just figure it’s his personal choice and that’s all there really is to it. But offer up say perhaps one of your prized stellar maduros to someone and that knuckle-dragging ingrate tells you that it sucks, well you take great offense as if it were a serious personal affront. I’ve seen this on many an occasion in online cigar forums where a guy says he loves a certain brand and then someone else will reply that it’s a hunk of excrement, and suddenly a war of words begins. I even get mad at my own dad when I give him what I think is a nice stick, and if he tells me he didn’t care for it, I get all pissy and tell him to go buy his own friggin cigars!
So when it comes to cigars, why do we like what we like and why are we SO goddamned particular and uppity about it? Hey I don’t know, I’m asking you! You have any concrete thoughts? Cuz I don’t. I know one guy that smokes the strongest cigars on the planet and eats triple maduro / triple ligero for breakfast. He thinks everyone else is an out an out puss for smoking anything less. Then I know an older dude who’s been smoking for 45 years – mild delicate Connecticut shade wrapped cigars, the kind most newbies start off with. I’ll ask him why he doesn’t try bumping up in flavor to a medium bodied cigar, something with a little more depth, complexity, and flavor. And you know what he says to me? “I like what I like.” I know as a fact that the guy dines on a variety of tasty foods and fine wines, but when it comes time to lighting up, it’s that same golden yellow wrapper cigar every damned time.
Now for me, personally, it’s all about flavor. From medium to very full bodied is what I like and if I do smoke a lighter wrapper cigar, it’s usually in the morning or before I’ve eaten. Years ago, like most stogie lovers, I dug the mild stuff, but my palate has changed a lot and I just don’t get the flavor I need from a mild cigar. I’m sure many of you reading this are the same, yet, did you know that the basic Macanudo brand is the best selling premium hand rolled cigar in America? That’s because the casual smokers and newbies who smoke on the golf course, while camping, playing poker, etc., those guys want something mild that’s not going to leave them with Satan’s breath the following morning. Complexity means zilch to those guys, as where it means a lot more to us full time leaf-ionados. (That’s some writer’s license used right there, keep on reading….) Although I will say that complexity is definitely not as important to me as a cigar just having good flavor. There are certain sticks, like take the Cain Habano for instance, that really just has a nice medium to full flavor profile straight through and I’m totally fine with that. But then there’s times I have an expensive scotch or full bodied wine and I’ll reach for maybe an Ashton VSG to compliment the complexity of what I’m drinking.
Hey, I guess when it comes down to it, there really is no right or wrong answer, we really do just “like what we like” when it comes to cigars and I have to say upon final reflection that I’m totally cool with that. But if you tell me you don’t like red heads, I can assure you that you do indeed have some sort of mental blockage.
Happy New Year, Home Boys & Gals,
JR Cigars Blog with the Zman
LaFlor Dominicana Double Ligero(Maduro)
Thursday, May 28th, 2009Otherwise known as the “Chisel.” When I saw this cigar I had to pick up a couple and give it a go. On LaFlor’s site, they warn you “Eat before you smoke-em.” I’ve been known to smoke the fullest bodied cigars on an empty stomach. Since this is pre-dinner, I can’t wait any longer. Let’s get to the review and see if I get sick. As always, I’m paired up with filtered water.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian sun grown
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 54 x 6
Price:
Pre-smoke & Construction:
The wrapper looked dark, oily, and rugged. In other words, it looked potent. Squeezing the cigar revealed a couple small soft spots. Otherwise, the cigar was evenly packed. The wrapped smelled of a sweet spice, while the foot smelled like more of a peppery spice. I clipped a small amount off of the chisel end, and the draw was good, offering slight resistance. The pre-light draw had a spicy peppery taste. I only had to correct the burn a few times, and the ash was strong, holding for around an inch before I tapped it into the ashtray.
Flavor:
The first third didn’t play around. It started off in the full bodied range with a smooth pepper. As I progressed, my mouth felt coated by the smoke. It wasn’t a bad sensation, but my palate couldn’t pick up a lot of complexities. Despite this, I really enjoyed this third.
The second third continued with full pepper flavors. An interesting mocha flavor came about just as I hit this third. It wasn’t what I would call standard though. It was very dry, almost like powdered chocolate I poured into milk as a child, minus the milk. That dry chocolate would transform into a candy bar sweetness, then go back to the dry sensation again.
The last third went waaay into the upper full bodied range. That dry chocolate flavor remained, and still transformed into a candy bar at times. The pepper remained strong, but it mellowed out a bit. A touch of earthness crept in and I really had to pay attention to catch it.
Conclusion:
Despite smoking on an empty stomach, I did not get sick at all. I can’t deny a full nicotine buzz, but no nausea. I am the man. Say it. About the cigar… If FULL bodied cigars are your thing, I would have to recommend this powerhouse. There was no harshness, just a somewhat simple, powerful flavor profile. To the normal smoker out there, have this after a good meal.
