Archive for the ‘shop’ Category

Bonita Smoke Shop Giveaway WINNER!

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

As you all know, Bonita Smoke Shop hosted a great Christmas giveaway on the site this year. I can’t say enough good things about this shop. So just do yourself a favor and pay them a visit on the web, or in person if you are in the Bonita Springs, FL area.

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Out of the 93 of you who entered the contest, I drew a random winner. My method was simple. I put tickets into a bowl, mixed them up, and blindly grabbed a ticket.

So without further ado, the winner is Andrew DeVore! I already emailed you for your contact information, and will await your reply.

Thanks again to Bonita Smoke Shop for making this happen, and to everyone who visits the site!

The site grew beyond my expectations in 2010. The purpose of this place has been, and still remains a place for me to have a reference of the cigars that I smoke. I am certainly no expert or aficionado. If anything, I am an average casual smoker. The only difference is, I have this website. So keep coming back and let’s have a good time in 2011.

Stay tuned, as I am arranging another great giveaway in Jan. of 2011!

Christmas Giveaway Ending Soon!

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

For those of you who haven’t entered this great giveaway, click HERE and do it now!

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The contest will be over soon, and I’ll pick a random winner. So, if you haven’t entered yet, simply leave a comment HERE. And let’s not forget to thank Bonita Smoke Shop for this great contest!

Christmas Giveaway!

Monday, December 13th, 2010

The contest is now over. Thanks again to Bonita Smoke Shop for hosting such a great Christmas giveaway!

Bonita Smoke Shop is hosting a great Christmas giveaway here at TomsCigars. So before we get into it, I’d like to thank them for supporting the site and offering this great prize to you. Make sure you check out their online store. If you are in the Bonita Springs, FL area, do yourself a favor and visit this great cigar store. I drove over two hours to visit, and it was well worth the trip (check it out here).

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Now, on to the contest!

One lucky winner will receive a CAO ‘O’ red ashtray, and a box of CAO L’Anniversaire Cigars in the Churchill size.

The ashtray design is inspired by the letter O in the CAO logo, which is the founding name Ozgener. The ceramic body holds three cigars and has a nice deep bowl to hold plenty of ashes.

The CAO Cameroon L’Anniversaire features only the finest Grade One Cameroon wrapper and is paired with sublime Nicaraguan binder and filler. The uniqueness of this cigar is the difficult balance it achieves between the sweetness of the Cameroon wrapper and the earthy, richness of the Nicaraguan fillers. The CAO L’Anniversaire Cameroon possesses flavors of sweet spice, coffee, and caramel.

Prizes have a combined value of over $140.00!

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So you are asking, how do I enter to win? Easy… Simply leave a comment here. Any comment will do. Only one entry per person.

Make sure to leave a valid email address in the email section. All contact info given to me will be treated as if it were my own. I will not give any information to anybody, period.

There are only a few simple rules. You must be:

18 years or older.

Live in the United States of America.

Enter the contest only once by leaving any comment on this post.

Enter a valid email address in the email section.

And that is it. Simply leave a comment here to enter. I will randomly draw a winner in a week or two, and before you know it, these two prizes will be in your hands!

Enter now!

Christmas Giveaway!

Monday, December 13th, 2010

This post will be stuck at the top of the site until the contest is over.

Bonita Smoke Shop is hosting a great Christmas giveaway here at TomsCigars. So before we get into it, I’d like to thank them for supporting the site and offering this great prize to you. Make sure you check out their online store. If you are in the Bonita Springs, FL area, do yourself a favor and visit this great cigar store. I drove over two hours to visit, and it was well worth the trip (check it out here).

bonita198

Now, on to the contest!

One lucky winner will receive a CAO ‘O’ red ashtray, and a box of CAO L’Anniversaire Cigars in the Churchill size.

The ashtray design is inspired by the letter O in the CAO logo, which is the founding name Ozgener. The ceramic body holds three cigars and has a nice deep bowl to hold plenty of ashes.

The CAO Cameroon L’Anniversaire features only the finest Grade One Cameroon wrapper and is paired with sublime Nicaraguan binder and filler. The uniqueness of this cigar is the difficult balance it achieves between the sweetness of the Cameroon wrapper and the earthy, richness of the Nicaraguan fillers. The CAO L’Anniversaire Cameroon possesses flavors of sweet spice, coffee, and caramel.

Prizes have a combined value of over $140.00!

DSC05900

DSC05902

So you are asking, how do I enter to win? Easy… Simply leave a comment here. Any comment will do. Only one entry per person.

Make sure to leave a valid email address in the email section. All contact info given to me will be treated as if it were my own. I will not give any information to anybody, period.

There are only a few simple rules. You must be:

18 years or older.

Live in the United States of America.

Enter the contest only once by leaving any comment on this post.

Enter a valid email address in the email section.

And that is it. Simply leave a comment here to enter. I will randomly draw a winner in a week or two, and before you know it, these two prizes will be in your hands!

Enter now!

La Floridita Limited Edition

Friday, November 26th, 2010

Up for review today is a boutique cigar blended by Nestor Plasencia for the Famous Smoke Shop. The folks at Famous were kind enough to send me a couple to try out and review. Famous’ website touts this as a hearty, flavorful premium cigar. With that in mind, I got my usual glass of water and took some notes.

 

Wrapper: Mata Fina-Brazil

Binder: Indonesian

Filler: Nicaraguan, Mexican

Size: Magnum 5 x 60

Price: $5.75

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The darn Brazilian wrapper was virtually flawless, with small veins and no bumps visible. Sniffing the wrapper gave me hints of sweet tobacco, slight earthiness, and perhaps a tinge of wood. The foot smelled similar, but had a mild spicy pepper component. The cigar was solidly and evenly packed, offering no give when squeezed. The pre-light draw was a little snug, but was within my tolerances of being good. The flavor from the pre-light draw was basically a simple dark natural earthy tobacco.

The burn required a few minor corrections, and the ash held for about 1.5 inches.

1La_Floridita_Limited_Edition

Flavor:

The first third started off with simple earthy, almost grassy flavors. After about a half of an inch, a smooth peppery spice was noticed when passing smoke through the nose. While it wasn’t bad, things just didn’t seem to meld together as good as they could have.

2La_Floridita_Limited_Edition

During the second third, things seemed to come together. The grassy flavors diminished, and the earthiness was a prominent flavor. The woody notes remained in the background. The smoke feel became thicker and had a tinge of sweetness. Otherwise, there really wasn’t any groundbreaking changes. Like I said, things just seemed to come together and blended well. This was much more enjoyable then the first third.

3La_Floridita_Limited_Edition

The last third basically remained the same as the second third. The only real difference was in the smoke feel. It became creamier and sweeter. Otherwise, copy my comments from the second third, and paste it here.

4La_Floridita_Limited_Edition

Conclusion:

This was a decent medium bodied, slow burning cigar. First, the good – The flavors were good, and overall I found it to be a relaxing experience. The price isn’t bad either. The bad – Nothing unique was brought to the table. As my pal Ed would say, it was just another cigar.

Thanks again to Famous Smoke Shop for giving me a chance to try this cigar. If it sounds like something that would appeal to you, look them up at the Famous Smoke Shop website.

Olor Fuerte

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

After a short hiatus from what turned out to be a sinus infection/cold, I finally got over it. I figured I’d get my feet wet with reviewing a cigar with more of a simple flavor profile. Also, stay tuned as I re-work a Xikar contest!

The Olor Fuerte is a blended for the Famous Smoke Shop. They were kind enough to send me a couple to review. After letting them sit in the humidor for a little while, I got to smoking. Paired with a glass of water, I offer you my thoughts.

 

Wrapper: Talanga Cubano

Binder: Mexican San Andreas

Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Brazilian

Size: Robusto 5 x 50

Price: 5.60

 

Pre-Smoke and construction:

The dark natural wrapper had a nice sheen, with slight discolorations that gave it a blotchy appearance. The odor coming off of the wrapper and foot was a sweet natural tobacco. The cigar was firmly packed and had a hard spot here and there. The draw was a little snug, and had a sweet earthy natural tobacco taste.

The burn didn’t require any corrections, and the ash held for an inch.

1OlorFuerte

Flavor:

The first third had a dominant smooth earthy flavor mixed with a natural tobacco core. When passing smoke through the nose, there was a very very mild spice. It was easy to miss if you didn’t pay attention.

2OlorFuerte

The second third took on more of a creamy feel with notes of sweetness. Smoke volume increased as I got past the tight spot and the draw loosened up a bit. That sweetness coated the inside of the mouth and lingered in the aftertaste. Like before, the core flavor was earthy natural tobacco. When passing smoke though the nose, the sweet peppery spice was very mild, but slightly increased in strength.

3OlorFuerte

The last third really didn’t have any changes. It kept the pace of the second third.

4OlorFuerte

Conclusion:

This was an OK medium bodied cigar. The flavors were one dimensional and simple. I could see some of you picky smokers becoming bored with the flavor profile. If an easy, smooth cigar is up your alley, maybe this is for you. As for me… I thought it was OK. You can find these at Famous Smoke Shop for a decent price.

Rocky Patel American Market Selection

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

The Rocky Patel American Market Selection is an exclusive blend at the Famous Smoke Shop. The fine people there sent me a few samples to try. This cigar is aimed at those of you who enjoy a milder cigar. I tend to prefer fuller bodied stuff, but I’m always searching for a cheap and good mild cigar for the morning. For the sake of the review, I paired this cigar with water.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan & Honduran

Size:  Robusto 5.5 x 50

Price: Around $5.00 if you buy a box

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The light colored wrapper looked nice, with only a few bumps and small veins. The wrapper had a nice mild odor of cedar, while the foot had a natural tobacco smell. The cigar was firmly and evenly packed with tobacco. The pre-light draw was free, and had a mild earthy and woody taste.

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

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Flavor:

The first third had mild earthy and woody flavors. When I passed smoke through the nose, I didn’t get that common spice or pepper. Instead it was smooth cedar. A bit further in, a mild creamy sweetness wrapped around that cedary, earthy core flavor.

2RPAMS

The second third was very much like the first. It kept that core earthy and woody flavors. The smoke volume was thick and a little creamy. A very very slight spice developed and I noticed it if I passed a lot of smoke through the nose.

3RPAMS

The last third kept pace with the 2nd. Nothing really chanced. It stayed consistent with no bad flavors or harshness.

4RPAMS

Conclusion:

This was a good slow burning mild cigar. I couldn’t imagine smoking these later in the day. But for a morning cigar, these would fit the bill. I will probably try more of these and pair them with coffee. Thanks again to Famous Smoke Shop for letting me try these. If mild cigars are your thing, I’d have to recommend these for sure.

Bonita Smoke Shop 18th Anniversary

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Jackie from the Bonita Smoke Shop offered to send me some of their specially blended house blend cigars. Bonita’s 18th Anniversary Blend was specially blended by ETB cigars. These cigars are in celebration of 18 years in the biz. From what I understand, Jackie worked closely with ETB to dial in the cigar she envisioned. I’m always a little nervous trying shop house blends, so let’s see how the Bonita 18th Anniversary treats me. I paired this cigar with water.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican

Size: 6 x 50

Price: $6.95

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper had a somewhat rugged look, but had minimal flaws. When holding to a light, I noticed a nice sheen, and small to medium sized veins. The wrapper had an interesting sweet spicy odor with some earthiness. The foot had a similar smell, but was a bit mellower. The cigar was very firmly packed and hard to the touch. This resulted in a draw that was a little snug, but not over the top for me. The pre-light draw had a sweet natural tobacco taste with slight spiciness and hints of earth.

The burn required a couple minor corrections, and the ash held for over an inch.

1Bonita18th

Flavor:

The first third began with a smooth earthy flavor, and a nice pepper through the nose. After about an inch, I could swear that fruity notes were hiding behind a woody flavor. A coffee or espresso entered the picture after about 1.5 inches in. The pepper developed into a spicy sweetness that I enjoyed. Despite the somewhat snug draw, there was a lot of smoke volume. This third had a nice ramp up of complexities and flavors.

2Bonita18th

The second third kept those nice woody flavors combined with espresso or coffee. I had a hard time pinning down some flavors. Eventually I found a nuttiness that would be present in some draws, and absent in other draws. That fruitiness I spoke of before seemed to come and go, and hid itself way in the background. When passing smoke through the nose, the sweet peppery spice had an easy yet nice punch. It was interesting how each draw seemed to switch it’s dominant flavor. The smoke began to coat the inside of the mouth for a lingering and complex aftertaste.

3Bonita18th

The last third kept a similar pace as the second third, which was a good thing. A sweet spicy cinnamon left a little tingle in the nose and in the mouth and lips. The dominant flavor was wood and espresso, but like before, sometimes the flavor profile would change from draw to draw. The body crept into the full range. Otherwise the last third was very much like the second… A well refined melding of flavors that frankly I had a hard time picking apart at times.

4Bonita18th

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. I was relieved that this house blend didn’t have that typical cheap house blend taste you so often run across. The complexities had me stumped at times, and the overall experience was very nice. Even if you can’t run to Bonita to pick some up, they are available for a while online too. This slow burner is easily worth the asking price. Try some for yourself!

Bonita Smoke Shop-House Blend #3 Maduro

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Not long ago I took a little trip to Bonita Springs, FL to visit the Bonita Smoke Shop. You can get an idea of what kind of place it is by checking out this quick video. The owner, Jackie, gave me one of their house blends to try. I enjoyed it, and picked up a few more to review. From what I understand, this is considered their value line, with a premium line that is soon to follow. They also come in a natural wrapper, which I’ll have to try at some point. As always, I paired this cigar with water and bring to you my review.

 

Wrapper: Connecticut broadleaf maduro

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Size: “No. 3” 6 x 54

Price: $4.45

 

Construction & Pre-smoke:

The dark maduro wrapper had a rugged appearance, with some light and dark patches. There is no dying of the wrapper leaf for sure. The wrapper had a nice mild earthy & natural tobacco smell, while the foot had a slight sweet spicy odor. I pinched the cigar from head to foot, and found it to be a little spongy, but evenly packed. This made for a nice free draw that wasn’t too loose. The pre-light draw had a interesting taste that I couldn’t pin down. It was almost sweet but barn yard-ish. That makes no sense, but what can you do…

The burn required one minor touch up, and the ash held for about an inch.

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Flavor:

The first third started with nice earthy notes in the background. A coffee-ish flavor came in with a tinge of nuttiness. When exhaling though the nose, there was pepper that had a nice, yet easy “Nic-Zing.” That phrase referrers to a sensation you often get from Nicaraguan tobacco. One of the Dog Watch guys came up with that phrase. Anyway.. Back to the cigar. The smoke was plentiful and as I progressed it became thicker feeling.

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As I dug into the second third, a sweet flavor came in. It was like adding sugar to your coffee, but just a little bit. Eventually the coffee went back to it’s black coffee taste. The sweetness was mild yet typical maduro, and eventually developed into mocha. As time went on the sweet mocha increased in strength to match the coffee. Lastly, the pepper mellowed out and became more of a sweet spice with a nice zing.

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The last third stayed pretty much the same as the second third. The main difference was some draws would have a dominant mocha flavor. Other draws would have coffee as the dominant flavor. The sweet peppery spice remained and had a slight zing. There may have been some woody notes in there somewhere as well.

4BonitaMaduro1

Conclusion:

This was a good medium bodied cigar. Considering most store “House blends” are cheap generic bundle sticks, I am always leery of them. The Bonita house blend was a pleasant surprise that I actually enjoyed, and they are consistent. Before you haters say I am just pandering to a site sponsor, I can assure you I am not. Had I not liked it, you would hear about it here. For a nice cheap smoke, I have to recommend giving this a try.

Road Trip – Bonita Smoke Shop

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

You’ve probably read my rants on how bad some cigar shops can be. Anyone who has been visiting here for awhile also knows how I rave about Ed’s great cigar shop. This brings us to today’s post…bonita198

Matt, Reg, and I took a little trip to Bonita Springs to visit the Bonita Smoke Shop. This is about a two hour drive from my house. Just as we suspected, we were greeted with a spectacular staff and a great selection of cigars and accessories.

An added bonus was Luis J. Falto, President of the La Garita Cigar Company was there as well. He was very helpful and knowledgeable about cigars and his brand. I had never heard of this boutique brand before. The cigars were very good, and I’ll be looking out for more.

Do yourself a favor and visit the Bonita Smoke Shop. It is a perfect example of how a great cigar shop is ran. If you are too far away to visit, then go online. I have found their prices to be very competitive.

This short 3 minute video is a walk through. It was filmed right after the shop closed. The vast selection of cigars can’t really be conveyed in this video, but you’ll get the idea.

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