Archive for the ‘smoke’ Category

Flavorless in New York City by Steve Nathan

Friday, March 8th, 2013

All of you “New Joisey” commuters and native “New Yawkers” may already know that, in October of 2009, the Big Apple’s mayor created an ordinance that restricts the sale of flavored tobaccos throughout the whole city. So, if you’re looking to purchase some “Jamaican Me Crazy” aromatic pipe tobacco or a cognac-flavored corona, you’re in for a big shock.

 

Per New York City’s health commissioner, “Flavored-tobacco products are marketed to youth, their packaging resembling that of candy and gum, and young people are more likely than adults to try flavored-tobacco products. This law, one of the first of its kind in the country, ensures that youth will be protected from these harmful products.”

 

Okay, I can understand if the honorable doctor was referring specifically to the monitored sale of those cheapo candy-store flavored blunts sitting on the front counter at the local Quickie Mart and are many times irresponsibly sold to underage smokers with fake IDs, because I sure don’t see a market for those amongst the old farts that enjoy a good machine made cigar. And I surely can’t imagine my 93-year-old Uncle Irving enjoying a blueberry stogie after downing a bagel with a shmear: “Oy vey! What’s up with these farkakte flavors? Where the hell is my Dutch Masters?”

 

Regulating Tobacco

So, yes, I can see regulating such blatant unregulated abuse of tobacco. But to make a sweeping bill that affects allflavored pipe tobaccos and cigars, no matter where or how they are sold, is pure stupidity that just adds another nail in the coffin for those poor tobacconists that have already been kicked in the cajones with a 75% tobacco surcharge in thecity that never sleeps!

 

This is just another example of government telling us what to do. For our own health, the King of Manhattan decided he was going to fight obesity as the New York City Health Department became the first in the nation to ban the sale of sugared beverages exceeding 16 ounces at restaurants, mobile food carts, sports arenas and movie theaters. Well, guess what? If I consume four triple cheeseburgers and a bag of Cheetos with my “healthier” eight-ounce soda, I’m still going to eventually be fat enough to have my own zip code! And admit it, most very corpulent (lard-ass) people wash down their bucket of chicken with a diet soda anyway. Perhaps it makes them feel less guilty… but I digress!

 

Let’s get back to the flavored-tobacco ban. Show me one pimply kid living with his parents and making $120 a week bagging groceries who is walking into a fine tobacco shop and dropping 10 bucks on a Maker’s Mark bourbon cigar, complete with glass tube and fancy melted-wax cap. No way, fella! He’s headed to that Quickie Mart for a 65¢ blueberry dog rocket so he can smoke Latin lettuce in his bedroom without his mom smelling anything suspicious. And he certainly isn’t going to take his whole paycheck and buy an $85.00 Savinelli pipe and a tin of Mac Baren Cherry Cavendish to start his spiral into the depths of tobacco addiction: Unsatisfied by smoking just cherry pipe tobacco, he turns to marijuana, the gateway drug to opiates. And when the opiates become too expensive, he hocks his Savinelli pipe for a bag of crack. And sadly, when he is living in a cardboard box behind the Home Depot, he will forever regret that first bowl of Mac Baren Cherry Cavendish…

 

Luckily things are a little better across the pond in “Joisey,” where our main man hasn’t seen his shoes since 1983; we are still allowed the guilty pleasure of negotiating a giant Slurpee while loading our pipes with gobs of gooey-casing goodness or smoking any flavored cigar that our hearts desire.

 

Mr. Mayor, there are much bigger problems to tackle in your city. And one day, if you’re not too busy, maybe you can put on a gas mask and walk into one of your local tobacco shops to see for yourself that you are depriving responsible adults their freedom of choice to enjoy flavored tobaccos… as they have for many years before you interceded. And guess what? I’m also sure you won’t find any nicotine-starved young folks drooling over a jar of vanilla pipe tobacco and begging for a fix.

 

 

I Thank the Heavens for My Beloved Nighttime Cigar, by Tommy Zman

Friday, February 15th, 2013

I never can understand how anyone can not smoke—it deprives a man of the best part of life … with a good cigar in his mouth a man is perfectly safe, nothing can touch him—literally. ~ Thomas Mann (1875-1955) German author, critic

In these upside down, tumultuous times we live in, it seems that only a cigar could bring about an evening with such warm passion and fond, lasting memories . The cigar is simply the world’s most incredible relation and bonding tool. The alluring scent and ritualistic lighting and puffing can make the average night great, and a great night unforgettable. It is times like these that I am so grateful that I smoke fine cigars. I am so grateful that I have come to know the wonders of aged tobacco from far away lands basking in warm tropical breezes and indigenous island palms. No matter if strolling the Manhattan skyline or relaxing on your back deck, casting flies into a stream or a game of Texas Hold ‘Em with the guys, the cigar in your hand is the common thread that brings it all together.

I’ve found that there is absolutely NOTHING that can relieve the pressure’s and monotony of a long, hard work  day than tilting your head back and lighting up a premium hand rolled cigar. It almost doesn’t even matter how bad your day was because only five minutes into your ritual, your mind will unravel and your body will begin to melt into a state of euphoric relaxation. As the ash grows at the end of your stick and you watch the blue swirling smoke ascend into the heavens, there is NOTHING that can do you any harm at that moment. You are invincible to the chaos of the surrounding world as a force field of tobacco goodness keeps you safe from harms way.

I have often said that no $150 an hour session with a shrink or horse pill he would prescribe could replace what my nightly cigar does for me. I have read many of the books from the great positive thinkers and gurus of happiness, and while much of their advice has been beneficial to my well being, nothing transports my mind, body, and soul into to a state of sheer content than my Partagas, Perdomo, or Punch… NOTHING.

Now, in today’s world where so many are offended by our love for the cigar, great times may become fewer and far between. There are those in our political system who wish to eradicate smoking to the point of prohibition, and as history has shown us, that sort of thing never goes over very well. Human nature kind of says – tell someone they can’t have something and they want it all the more. We as a group – a brotherhood – need to stick together and do whatever possible to keep safe the hobby we love and cherish. We must defend the right to smoke our cigars at all cost because our relaxation and sanctity of life depends on it.

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

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.

bonita198

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).

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!

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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.

1RPAMS

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!

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