“Smoked Up” No.43
I am really enjoying the cooler weather we have gotten here lately. I just wish it would make up its mind and stick around! One day its in the 70s, the next its in the upper 80s. Its amazing how I stay from getting sick. The better weather and my new laptop allowed me to get in two cigar reviews this week. Hopefully the weather can stay pleasant and I can keep up the pace on the reviews.
Halloween went well, we went with the “in-laws” to a Trunk or Treat at a Church. Satori had a blast and got way too much candy than a 2 year old should ever have. Satori won the 0-3yr old girl’s costume contest too! Her mom spent a lot of time hand making her costume and was a great success. I went as a “hunter”, wearing full camo… which is not anything unusual for me as I wear camo here and there during the fall/winter.
Saturday, I was the winner of some Commonwealth Cedar Spills after I answered a Rocky Patel trivia question on the Kiss My Ash Radio show. They will be here in a week or so and am looking forward to giving them a try and let you know what I think of them.
Cigar Views
Emilio Draig Cayuquero Toro: The 2013 Emilio Draig is called the Cayuquero and I got a few to sample from Emilio Cigars. This year’s Draig had a better draw than the Draig K, although I did sit it outside on the ashtray, got sidetracked and almost forgot about it. So the humidity level of the cigar was a bit on the higher side; causing a tab bit thicker draw and slightly off burn. Started off with some hints of chocolate, cinnamon and a vegetal/floral twang to it. 2nd portion had some smooth wood, and coffee notes. The final portion had similar flavors as the middle portion, yet darker and richer. I didn’t care much for the long finish during the final part. I am on the fence about this cigar. If the draw of the Draig K would have been less snug, I would have liked it over the Cayuquero. None the less, it is a cigar I would suggest to try.
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NOMAD RELEASES MUCH ANTICIPATED “S-307” CIGAR
NOMAD RELEASES MUCH ANTICIPATED “S-307” CIGARÂ
EstelÃ, Nicaragua (November 4, 2013) – Nomad Cigar Company is pleased to announce the release of the much-anticipated Nomad S-307.Â
Nomad’s first full production cigar in Nicaragua, the S-307 is a box pressed Sumatra wrapped cigar blended and rolled at the AJ Fernandez factory in EstelÃ, Nicaragua.Â
In July 2013, Fred Rewey, founder of Nomad, made a significant splash at IPCPR when he expanded from his Dominican produced core line to include the Nomad Lot 1386, a Nicaraguan Limited Edition cigar that almost immediately sold out at the show.Â
Rewey then returned to Nicaragua with the continued goal of creating an even higher caliber cigar than the last all the while delivering competitive pricing for the consumer. The result is the Nomad S-307.Â
Name: Nomad S-307
Wrapper: Ecuadorian SumatraÂ
Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan
Factory: AJ Fernandez
Notable: 21 count, Box Pressed
Sizes / Pricing
Toro (6×50) – $7.95 MSRP
Robusto (5×50) – $7.75 MSRP
Torpedo (6.5×52) – $7.95 MSRP
In keeping with his trend, Rewey gave meaning to the name of his new cigar as well. The “S” stands for Sumatra. The “307” pays homage to the approximate square miles of the Estelì area.Â
“I am really excited to get this one in the hands of cigar aficionados. I received a ton of great insight and encouragement from some industry icons in Nicaragua. I am just taking it all in, learning, listening, and enjoying the journey,” stated Rewey.Â
Rewey launched Nomad in 2012 and immediately started adding his own twist to the cigar industry. Rewey was the first cigar maker to add social media to the outside of a cigar band by printing his personal Twitter account (@Godfadr) – an account that has continued to grow to over 20K people as Rewey engages in constant conversation with his followers.
Nomad has been gaining international attention of cigar fans due to creative marketing and noteworthy cigars. All the while, Rewey has remained grounded.
“I try and surround myself with really smart and experienced colleagues. I am always learning new things. New techniques, new aging methods, new blends. I am thrilled Nomad cigars are so well received, it has been awesome journey so far and I look forward to the future,” said Rewey.
The S-307 is now shipping to retail locations and is Rewey’s third cigar blend offered to the retail market, following the success of the Dominican line and Nicaraguan Lot 1386.
Contact:
House of Emilio Cigars – 615-691-1654
Fred “Godfadr†Rewey, Nomad Cigar Company
Twitter: @Godfadr
Phone: 855-MYNOMAD (or 855-696-6623)
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J&D Allure Habano Toro
J&D Cigars is a boutique cigar company that was founded by David Insignares & Jorge Gil.
Jorge Gil was born and raised in Cuba and was introduced to Tobacco at an early age. Now he lives and runs a successfully Tobacco business in Esteli Nicaragua.
David Insignares’s family hails from Colombia, but he was born and raised in NY. He now lives in Miami where he met Jorge some 20 Years ago. That is where their friendship and J&D Cigars began.
Jorge owns many tobacco farms and is in charge of the whole growing process. He is also a master grower with 12+ years of tobacco growing experience under his hat. The factory, in Miami, is ran by David. They have many Grade 9 (the highest level a cigar roller can reach) torcedores. Those torcedores are able to roll even the most difficult sticks, the Perfecto & Salomon. With all of their combined efforts comes the Allure line of cigars. The Allure is available in a Habano and Maduro wrapper.
Cigar Breakdown
Size: 6×50
Vitola: Toro
Wrapper: Equadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan from Esteli, Jalapa and Condega
Country: Nicaragua
“Smoked Up” No.42
The fall is upon us here in the deep south. The days are more enjoyable and the nights are way more comfortable for sleeping with the windows open. That means the evenings are getting way better for cigar smoking out under the carport. The work week has been one of the worst I’ve had all year. The “big wigs” came in and threw my next two plus work weeks in a whirlpool. Owell, I still have my job, so I’m not complaining too much.
I grabbed a handful of new cigars from a local Tinder Box as well as went to a Quesada Oktoberfest event held at The Cigar Shop Biloxi. The Cigar Shops’s Oktoberfest event was a good success. They had four or so types of German Sausage, kraut, onions, etc… Plenty of ice cold bottled Oktoberfest beers (Shiner, Sam Adams & Leinenkugel). I like the Shiner and Sam Adams, but the Leinenkugel I didn’t particularly care for. They also gave deals on Oktoberfest cigars and had some swag to give away with box purchases. I had plenty of beer, food & cigars. And yes, the Oktoberfest beers do pair well with the Quesada Oktoberfest cigars. Overall, the weekend was pretty good. Good weather, cigars, food, beer, friends etc… Although I did christen my new laptop with ash…. I knew it wouldn’t take long!!
I also got a sneak peek at the Viaje Full Moon cigars. They looked like a good smoke, but I will have wait till they are on the shelves to try. From what I was told, the price point on them will be estimated around the $8.50 price range. For a LE Viaje, that is a pretty good deal as many of the LE Viajes go for $10+. But I have seen a few sources online that say it will be more around $11+.  They also had the WLP Stuffed Turkey cigars and another similarly packaged Skull & Bones (with glow in the dark bands). I am not sure how many of the Viaje LEs I will get this season. Although I have had good luck in aging the LE Viajes in the past, I am not sure if I want to do it again this time. But only time and my mood will tell when it comes to purchase time.
Cigar Views
Ezra Zion Eminence*: A totally new smoke for me that I really enjoyed! Pretty much every Ezra Zion cigar I come across is a good smoke. Then the next blend they come out with seems to top the previous. This cigar is far from being a beauty queen, as the wrapper is not as smooth as other cigars I’ve came across. There were a few soft spots that did effect the burn some. But, it didn’t affect the smoke. Had a great draw that helped open up the cigar to its full potential. Produced thick billowing clouds of smoke. From that smoke came a fairly strong peppery flavor with some charred oak as well. Look for a full review of this cigar coming up in the next few weeks.
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Guayacan Toro by Noel Rojas
The Guayacan by Noel Rojas has been out on the market for a bit over a year now. They made a good appearance at the 2012 Chatanooga Tweet-up. Noel Rojas has a deep history in the cigar business. Born in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, he started working in the tobacco fields at the age of 13. After his mandatory military service, he went back to making cigars in which the Cuban Government shut him down for one reason or another. Then, he became an artist and made wooden sculptures from the Guayacan tree. Although he had a license to be an artist, he didn’t have a license to collect the Guayacan wood. Apparently, you need a license to many things in Cuba. After that bust, he left Cuba and headed to the United States to restart his cigar career.
Cigar Stats
Size: 6 1/8 x 52
Vitola: Toro
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ’98
Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo ’98
Sizes Available:
Robusto: 5×50. Toro: 6×52. Torpedo: 6 1/8 x 52 Box Pressed Churchill: 7×50
“Smoked Up” No.41
The last few weeks have been very busy around the house. I took a week long vacation for a yearly hunting and camping trip with my buddies. The fresh air felt great in the lungs and was good to get away from the city life and enjoy nature. I packed a slew of cigars to smoke while there, but only smoked one; which really surprised me! Last year, I pretty much always had a cigar in my mouth while up there, but this year was different in many ways. For one, our buddy “Uncle Bob”(RIP) didn’t make it on the trip, the squirrels were lesser (or better hiders) this year and had less people make the 700 mile round trip. All and all, it was a nice trip and really enjoyed myself.
I got back to “civilization” on Monday and went shopping for new shoes. Next thing I know, I am buying my daughter shoes and clothes and not the first pair of shoes for me! I think it was due to the friendly sales girl in the kid’s shoe store and the unfriendly sales people in the adult shoe stores. That’s why I will go back to buying my shoes online; poor customer service!
Next thing I know, I am looking around in BestBuy and walk out with a new laptop. The old laptop my girlfriend let me use, finally gave up the ghost a few months back. That is a main reason why I didn’t get out a lot of reviews and such in the last few months. I got a new “basic” laptop and it seems to be good enough for my likings. A new laptop will help me greatly getting out more reviews, more often. Lets just see how long it takes for me to christen it with cigar ashes!!Â
Cigar Views
Flor De Gonzalez 90 Miles “1980 Edition”: I also wondered into the local Tinder Box to see what they had in new on Monday. That small shop is always getting new and interesting cigars in. That shop amazes me of how many cigars they have in two small humidors. I found this cigar there and remembered I did like the original 90Miles and the owner told me the 1980 was just as good, yet somewhat stronger. He was dead on the money too. It was a nice bit stronger. Had a light pepper note with and even lighter hint of vanilla that didn’t linger long on the pallet. There was also a nice coffee flavor I got here and there that I really liked. The ashes were tight and long with no flakes. The draw was a bit past milkshake thick and was borderline unfavorable for me. Overall, it was a pretty good smoke that would have been better if the draw was easier.Â
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Delaware Cigars and Cigar Federation Announce Joint Partnership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Gary Griffith of Delaware Cigars along with Kyle Hoover and Chris Kelly of Cigar Federation announce a new joint partnership.
Cigar Federation will become the exclusive online retail outlet for the 30 Delaware Cigars retail locations.
“There are many folks who don’t live close by a great cigar shop†Griffith noted, “We need to find a way to serve them as well.â€
Beginning October 17th, the store will be live on at Store.CigarFederation.com. New products will continue to be added over the next few weeks. The site is managed by Logan Lawler and Rob Rasmussen.
“We are boutique cigar guys through and through. Our goal in this partnership with Delaware Cigars is to make hard-to-find cigars, rare cigars, and really special cigars available in the store.†noted Kelly, “Gary has a warehouse of amazing smokes some of which I haven’t seen on the market for years.â€
“We have some tricks up our sleeve. The cigars that Gary is making available on the Cigar Federation Store will astound everybody. Top shelf stuff all the way!†added Hoover.
For more information and to join the Cigar Fed community visit CigarFederation.com. To visit the store page go to Store.CigarFederation.com.
“Smoked Up” No.40
The threat of Hurricane/Tropical storm/ Tropical depression/ rain shower Karen has come and gone. At one point, my hometown was in the bull’s eye of her path. Later on the path drifted to the east, the next thing I know, its about a 2hour hard rain shower. So much for that! The good thing is a cold front moved in and it has been absolutely beautiful weather here the last few days. Mid to high 70s in the day and upper 60s lower 50s at night. Cooler weather for me means, more outdoor time, hunting, football, and more cigar time!
Although the cooler weather was a plus for the week, I have sad news to relay to you. Our friend “Uncle Bob” passed away Tuesday evening. We all knew it was coming soon, but it still hit us hard. I guess it was better that it came sooner than later. His quality of life was dismal and I hate to see anybody in that shape, let alone a great friend. We gathered up new and old friends on Friday evening and had a “Memorial Bonfire” in “Uncle Bob’s” honor. That’s the way he would have wanted it to be. There was beer, shine, cigars, jokes, stories and lies at the bonfire…. all the manly stuff we enjoyed together. Bob wasn’t there physically, but he was there with us laughing at and telling jokes all night. He will be missed deeply.
Robert McGrath
“Uncle Bob”
12/7/1936 – 10/1/2013
Cigar Views
Rodrigo La Fortaleza “Forte”: This cigar had a smooth & leathery flavor profile. There was some nice salted caramel notes as well. Had a thicker draw than I usually like. A good burn let loose some flaky ashes. About half to three-quarters into it, the cigar turned on me. I am not sure if the high humidity and heat from TS Karen had started to effect it, or what. I wasn’t in the mood to be fighting with a cigar flavor wise, so I laid it to rest there. But the first half or so wasn’t all that bad. Nothing fancy smancy, but something I will try again.
Quesada Heisenburg Project Corona: I have found a fondness for many Quesada Cigars. This one is one of them and is in my top 5 Quesadas. I had this at “Uncle Bob’s Memorial Bonfire” with a healthy dosage of “adult beverages”. I didn’t pay much attention to the flavors, but I smoked it to a nub. For being a corona and the activities I was involved it during the night, it held one heck of an ash! Worth the $5.50 price, most definitely! I will be adding a 5pk to my cigar short list. Luckily, the local B&M is getting them in soon, and I can’t wait to get more of these and the Octoberfest in my humidor.
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Ventura Cigar Project 805R
The Ventura Cigar Company has been around for a good amount of time. They have numerous lines of cigars from the affordable “Cuban Rejects” up to their new line “Project 805”. I was contacted them in regards to doing a review on the new line “Project 805” recently and gladly accepted. I did a little research and found out the Andulo tobacco they use in the 805 blend is not derived from the way the tobacco is processed. Yet, its a natural form of tobacco. I was sent a sample leaf of the Andulo tobacco and it smells amazing!! It reminds me a lot like some darker musty (perique) pipe tobacco. I am actually contemplating trying to smoke the leaf in a mix and alone in my pipe.
With the recent releases of the Leccia Black followed by the MUWAT Fire Cured with fire cured tobacco, the 805 fits in well with new forms of tobacco being used. Finding “new” tobacco or “new” ways of processing tobacco will keep companies one or two steps ahead of their competition.
Cigar Stats
Size: 5×50
Vitola: Robusto
Wrapper: Corojo Shade
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Blend & Andullo
Country: Dominican Republic
Factory: La Aurora
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Outland Cigars Joins House of Emilio Master Retailer Family
Charlotte, NC
October 3, 2013
Outland Cigars Joins House of Emilio Master Retailer Family
Nathan McIntyre announced today the addition of Outland Cigars, Charlotte, NC as a House of Emilio Master Retailer.
“Tom, Mark, and the staff at Outland supported us early on,” says McIntyre. “They’ve been dear friends and great supporters, and as House of Emilio grew, they grew with us. It’s an honor to have them in this special group.”
“Outland Cigars is thrilled to be recognized as one of a handful of retailers nationwide to be awarded Emilio’s distinguished “Master Retailer” program,” says Mark Boley, Outland Cigars Manager. “House of Emilio is one of the most prominent boutique lines in the U.S. They are one of THE companies to watch in the coming years. Great cigars, great people!!”
For more information, find Outland Cigars at 14185 Ballantyne Village Way, Charlotte, NC 28277 or 4625 Piedmont Row Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210. Interested customers may also call (704)369-5500.
Nathan McIntyre
Director of Sales, House of Emilio
Gary A. Griffith
