Archive for the ‘Misc’ Category

Walt White – Slimming Down Dad

Friday, June 26th, 2015

I’ve been out of the cigar blog thing for some time now. It wasn’t a conscious choice. Nothing specifically caused it, or so I thought. It took quite some time before I really figured out what change has distracted me from reviewing cigars. I still smoke them, for the record.

Logo01

Remember Walt from Stogie Review? I’ve known him for a number of years. Recently, he’s been changing some things in his life too.

Read on…

I tend to keep personal things personal. Struggling with weight fell into this category. Walt, on the other hand, did the exact opposite. He decided to hold himself accountable to his family, himself, and literally everyone. He has decided to be healthy, and document the journey on a podcast called Slimming Down Dad.

Check it out at slimmingdowndad.com.

What does this have to do with me? After listening to the first two episodes, I was compelled to join him on episode three. You can check it out HERE. We get a little long winded here and there, but I think the episode turned out well. I hope you join in and encourage Walt.

As for this site, I’m not sure when regular posts will return, or even if they will. I’m leaning towards finding a happy middle ground.

St. Pete Cigar Smoker Event & State of the Biz

Tuesday, May 13th, 2014

Mark your calendars for May 16th. From 4 to 8pm, St. Pete Cigar is having a La Aroma De Cuba Smoker event. If you drop by before the event date, make sure to get a ticket for a free $10.00 cigar.

La_Arome_De_Cuba_Event

On a side note, a couple of you may be wondering… Read on

Is Tom announcing a great comeback of cigar reviews? Is he ending the site? He dropped off the face of the cigar blog earth, what’s going on? Where is Ed?!

Nope, no great comeback is planned. Will I attempt to do reviews? YES. The site isn’t going away. There is no strife or events that have taken me away from this place. Ed is still plugging away at St. Pete Cigar, and I visit twice a week. For now, nailing down free time to do proper video reviews eludes us. It’s still in the cards though.

I still smoke cigars daily. In real life, everything is status quo. In fake cigar clique world, I’m one hundred percent removed from it. It took some time, but, I MADE IT! I suggest you look into it too. Log off of twitter and facebook, and make memories that are yours. Buy a cigar, and enjoy it alone, or with a friend.

There will be some changes around here though. No more paid advertising. I will keep banners of businesses I like, at no charge. Yep, the site will operate in the red, financially speaking. My goal will be one review a week, maybe more, maybe less. Obviously I won’t turn down cigars sent to me for review.

Oh… to both of you who have sent me emails, I’ll be in contact soon.

Jet 1300-C Butane Lighter

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

Call this post filler material, but I figured a little blurb couldn’t hurt. Read on…

Back in December of 2012, I was sent this lighter by a frequent visitor to the site. You may recognize him as JJO. I should mention, he included some cigars too.

If you do a quick Google search, you can find this for $3.00, shipping included.

 

Price: Around $3.00

Single Flame Torch

Obtained 12/1/2012

1 Jet_1300C_Butane_Lighter Cigars

One thing I really like is the clear fuel reservoir. It holds a lot of butane that lasts for weeks. There is no guesswork here.

4 Jet_1300C_Butane_Lighter Cigars 

This lighter is nothing complicated or special. On the bottom is a flame height adjustment screw. It takes a little experimenting, but once dialed in, you don’t have to mess with it. There is a safety lock on the ignition button, and a lever on the side, which locks the flame in the on position. There is also an included base, should you use this torch for jewelry soldering, for example.

3 Jet_1300C_Butane_Lighter Cigars

The single flame works quite well, and it is very focused. I can light any ring gage cigar with no issue. Sure, a 65 ring gage Oktoberfest will take some time, but it gets the job done.

2 Jet_1300C_Butane_Lighter Cigars

Perhaps the most inconvenient feature is the little flame nozzle cover, which is attached via a chain. It really hasn’t been an issue for me though.

 

Conclusion:

This is my favorite lighter now. It’s simple, reliable (so far), and cheap. If it breaks, or I lose it, who cares? I intend to keep a few of these around, because I have given up on high dollar lighters. I’ve had bad luck with all of them. Seriously, I’m done!

I now use this lighter, along with this table torch. Yep, a $3.00 lighter, and a $20.00 crème brulee torch from Bed Bad and Beyond, have out done all mainstream “Premium” lighters I have ever owned.

Thanks again to JJO for the smokes, and this great little lighter!

UPDATE: You can find the lighter here (As JJO mentioned in a comment).

Top Cigars of 2012

Tuesday, December 25th, 2012

2012 was a good year. Site wise, traffic reached all time highs, readers have been positive, and a few haters really made it all worth while.

TC6-Hi-Res

You know the routine… All the cigar blogs are posting their top cigars of 2012. Like previous years, I’m far too lazy for that. Below are a few cigars that stood out to me in 2012. Most weren’t even released this year. There are plenty of good cigars that I had the pleasure to smoke, but these just stick out in my mind, at this very moment.

In no particular order:

 

Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 – Due to limited availability in my area, these are a rare treat. It took a cigar bomb from good friends reminded me that the No. 9 is a must try. The T52 is great as well.

1 Liga_Privada_no9 cigars Drew Estate

 

Ortega Serie D – Again, a hard smoke for me to find locally. Thanks to the generosity of a kind person, I was able to smoke quite a few of these. A nice treat.

1 Ortega_Serie_D cigars

 

Room 101 One Shot One Kill – This may be my favorite Room 101 blend. Flashy packaging made me want to hate it. But, the end product squashed the angry Asian hate.

1 Room_101_One_Shot_One_Kill cigars

 

Emilio AF1 – I described this cigar as “Damn good,” and I stand by that opinion. Don’t be fooled by the no frills band. This thing is complex, and packed with flavor. It’s all there.

1 Emilio_AF1 cigars

 

My Father Le Bijou – This is something I smoke at least once a week. Chances are, if it’s a Friday night at Ed’s shop, this is what you’ll see me with. It’s just a great cigar.

1MyFatherLaBijou

 

Quesada Oktoberfest – For the second year, this has been a go to cigar. It doesn’t have the most complex flavor profile, but flavor delivery is excellent.

1 Quesad_Oktoberfest cigars

 

Casa Magna Domus Magnus – Another favorite of mine for two years. This cigar packs in flavor and complexities. I have yet to grow tired of it.

1 Casa_Magna_Domus_Magns_Limitada cigar

 

And there you have it. Here’s to another year.

Uh… Where is Tom?

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

No, I haven’t resorted to speaking in third person…

missingperson

I’ve had emails from some loyal visitors, and I’m sure a dozen of you are wondering… “Where are the reviews? What happened to Tom? I’ve had to resort to reading reviews by Scott Smyth!”

Well fear not. Real life has gotten in the way, at least for a week. In the mean time, I will tidy up some loose ends, smoke some good cigars, and return next week. I’ll see the twelve of you then!

Flavor–Extracting Flavor From Cigars

Monday, March 19th, 2012

I was a little pressed for time to do a proper review, so we’ll do something different today…

It’s been a while since I’ve done any kind of articles or videos that are geared towards new smokers (noobs). It crossed my mind that many smokers, ranging from new to seasoned, are missing out on a lot of the flavor that cigars have to offer. In fact, I’ve heard quite a few smokers say the flavors we describe is all in our heads, or maybe we just make it all up.

If you can only taste a “Smoke flavor” and you enjoy it, that’s great. Who am I to say you are wrong? Some smokers, new or old, want to explore the possibility of experiencing a bit more in terms of flavor. This was a realization I had as a new smoker pretty quickly, and it took cigar enjoyment to another level.

With that, I threw, and I mean threw, together a short video on how I extract flavors from cigar smoke. It may work for you, it may not.

And lastly… A lame video from some guy on the Internet does not compare to having a mentor to learn from. I am lucky that my friend and local tobacconist Ed Nazare of St. Pete Cigar really helped me out.

This video runs five minutes. Yes, I can get a little long winded. You already know this.

Tom’s Favorite Cigars of 2011

Friday, December 9th, 2011

It’s getting to that time of year when every blogger starts posting their top 10 cigars of 2011. I am jumping on the bandwagon a little early and doing just that, sort of… While there were quite a few good cigars in 2011, only a few really stood out from the pack in my opinion. They were just so far above the pack that they dominated and knocked everyone off of the list.

T-Logo-2

So without further ado, here are my top three cigars of 2011. Everything else just fell by the wayside.

 

3 – Tatuaje Anarchy

This is one of the few cigars that I called “Great.” It is full bodied with flavor and full strength with power. Everything just seemed to be in perfect balance. This cigar proves you can have power and flavor in harmony.

2_Tatuaje_Anarchy

 

2 – Quesada Oktoberfest

I called this cigar “Damn good.” I liked it so much, it was reviewed twice. I reviewed HERE and again with Ed HERE. While the flavors aren’t terribly complex, this full bodied cigar was simply a beautiful smoking experience. My only complaint is their limited availability.

1 Quesada_Oktoberfest cigars

 

1 – Casa Magna Domus Magnus

I summed up this cigar as “Damn Good.” I don’t even know if my review does it justice. This medium to full bodied cigar packed in the flavors and complexities that just hit the spot. What more can I say? It is just a great cigar. Like the Quesada, my only complaint is it’s limited availability.

1 Casa_Magna_Domus_Magns_Limitada cigar

 

And there you have it. My top cigars of 2011. While I had many good cigars in 2011, these three really stick out at the moment. That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it.

The History of Tabacalera Falto

Saturday, September 3rd, 2011

I am often a sucker for small boutique cigar companies. They often are more focused on quality in smaller quantities. Such is the case of Falto cigars, which at times reminds me of Canimao, another small boutique company. These cigars require your attention due to their subtle flavor delivery.

The 28 minute video below get’s in to the history and mentality of Luis Falto and his cigar company. While this is a promotional video, I still found it interesting. The video is sub-titled, but I enjoyed it and thought a few of you may feel the same.

As always, you can click on the HD button on the player and view this in hi-def. Check it out.

Sunday Filler-Stinky Cigar Floor Ashtray

Saturday, August 20th, 2011

StinkyThanks to Stogie411.com, who on August 4th, 2011 had the Stogie Review guys on as guests. During the show, Walt put a question out to the live audience. I never enter cigar site contests, but this was an exception. Considering I have been following Stogie Review since 2007, I knew I would be an instant winner, which I was. The prize was this great Stinky Floor Ashtray you see here. I picked jet black powder coated finish of course.

The contest was sponsored by the East Coast Cigar Company, who promptly had the winning prize at my doorstep. I will use this ashtray for years to come. If your smoking area needs an ashtray, check out the variety of products that Stinky has to offer.

While your at it, pay attention to Stogie411.com, who has bi-weekly video casts not seen anywhere else. It goes without saying that Stogie Review is the king of cigar review websites. But every now and then somebody new pops up that is worth paying attention to.

East_Coast_Cigar_Cojpg

By the way… Do you know the answer to the question that won me this prize? “What is the Stogie Review equivalent to a Rick Roll?” To my surprise, no one in the chat room knew. Duh… Winning…

The Perdomo Factory Tour Uncut

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

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.

perdomodvd__08588_zoom

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…

Perdomo_Seeds

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.

Perdomo_Rolling

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.

Looking for something?

Use the form below to search the site:

Still not finding what you're looking for? Drop a comment on a post or contact us so we can take care of it!