Gran Vida Habano by Rocky Patel
A week or two ago I reviewed the Gran Vida Maduro which was given to my to try by the owner of Emerson’s Cigars. Well today I’m going to be smoking the Habano wrapped version of that cigar.
The Gran Vida Habano has a medium to dark brown wrapper and feels pretty heavy in the hand. This cigar feel firmly constructed and even sports a triple cap. During the pre-light draw I could pick up some spice and a hint of cedar. Check out the video to find out how it smoked.
Avalon Juke Series
Today I’m firing up the Avalon Juke Series Red Lancero. I’ve been wanting to try an Avalon cigar for a while, but never found them in any of the shops that I’ve visited. That is until a few weeks ago when I found them in a relatively new shop outside of Annapolis, MD.
The lancero appeared to be constructed well and had an intense barnyard aroma. The wrapper had a few small veins and was a light to medium shade of brown. A pre-light draw yielded a light hay flavor an nice spice note on the tip of my tongue and lips.
Viaje Platino Edicion Limitada
This week I review the Viaje Platino EL which is an extension to the Viaje Platino line. Like the Oro EL, its the same blend as the regular Platino line, but in a special double torpedo size which is 6″ x 50.
- Wrapper:Â Nicaraguan Corojo ’99
- Binder:Â Nicaraguan
- Filler:Â Nicaraguan
Grade A Cuban seed
How does this cigar compare to the Oro EL and the regular Platino line? What the video and find out.
PS – Limerick winner was a tie, even though they were all really great! Winners……Matthew Easter and Adam! Congrats and email me your address.
Rocky Patel Decade Edicion Limitada
Two reviews in a row I’m bringing you a Rocky Patel product. Normally I wouldn’t do these back-to-back reviews, but when I found out about this cigar I knew I had to share it. The Rocky Patel Decade Edicion Limitada is indeed limited, because as far as I know only 250 boxes were made. And to add to the limited nature of this cigar, these cigars will only be available at Rocky Patel events. The event I attended last Thursday had 30 boxes on hand, and they were gone by the time I left. So what’s special about this cigar you might ask. This Decade features the same binder and filler blend as the original Decade. However, the wrapper has been switched to what remains of the Pennsylvania Broadleaf from the Winter Collection 2009. In addition this cigar is in the round as opposed to the original box-pressed Decade.
I was only able to pick up two of these stick so I won’t do a full review, but I will give you some of my initial impression from the two cigars I did sample. I’ll pair those with a series of pictures so you can get a feel for how well the cigar performs
Saturday Ashes – The Crescent City Crawfish Cigar Crawl 2010
The 2010 Crescent City Crawfish Cigar Crawl has been announced. One of the major sponsors is Crescent City Cigars which is one of the main shops I frequent in my area.
- Saturday, April 17, 2010
- With Other Events from
- Thursday, April 15 – Sunday, April 18, 2010
Since 1999, The Crescent City Crawfish Cigar Crawl has been your opportunity to share the finest cigars, entertainment, and cuisine in one of the most eclectic and exciting cities in the world. And the best part of the adventure is sharing all this with friendly people from across the globe.
You may attend any of the events that your taste and time allows. Or, as most folks do, come and enjoy the city with us for the entire four days.
And bring your spouse or friends, because even if your companion does not relish cigars as you do, we have activities planned that you can both enjoy.
This web site explains the schedule of events for 2010 as well as providing information on New Orleans hotels and travel and gives some tips for eating, drinking, and generally having a good time. We hope that you can join us in April and share the city with us!
Gran Vida by Rocky Patel
Today I’m firing up a cigar that was generously given to me by Scott Regina, owner of Emerson’s Cigars. This is the Gran Vida Maduro which is made by Rocky Patel for Emerson’s Cigars. This cigar features a dark and oily Pennsylvania Boradleaf Maduro wrapper which heightened my interest even before receiving the package.
When I initially looked at this cigar i noticed the dark wrapper, but secondly I noticed just how heavy it felt in my hand. Now I’m not sure if a cigars weight has any real bearing on the flavors or burn performance, but I can tell you that It’s something that generally peaks my interest. There were a few prominent veins on the wrapper that I would describe as common for many PA Broadleaf wrappers. Overall this cigar looked and felt to be well constructed. Pre-light aroma was full of barnyard and earth, with just the slightest sweetness at the foot. After snipping this head I took a few pre-light draws which seemed a bit tight, but yielded a blast of black pepper.
Once I added fire to this equation I was surprised at what I found.
Padilla Cazadores Robusto
The Padilla Cazadores was released this year at IPCPR with much less fanfare than its sister the Dominus. While the Dominus was promoted as a full body powerhouse that was full of flavor, not much was mentioned about the Cazadores. The Cazadores has a much lower price tag than the Dominus at about half the cost. But does it have the flavor and character that will help it survive the ever-growing cigar enthusiasts repertoire? Let’s find out…
Viaje Oro Edicion Limitada
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from everyone at NiceTightAsh.com!
Today, I’m reviewing the Viaje Oro Edicion Limitada. This cigar is an extension of the Viaje Oro line. Its a special size called the double torpedo and was release with a double torpedo in the Platino line as well:
- Oro  (5 1/4″ x 52)
- Platino (6″ x 50)
So, how does this new size compare to the rest of the line? Is this another pot of gold for Viaje? Watch the video and find out.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
– tradition Irish blessing
PS – Don’t forget about our March Contest!
PSS – I’m also holding a small contest for St. Paddy’s day. Whoever post the best limerick wins a five pack from me.
Illusione Epernay Le Elegance
In 2008 Illusione released the limited edition ECCJ to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the European Cigar Cult Journal. This cigar was pretty popular, but like all limited edition cigars they are nearly impossible to find these days. So in 2009 Dion Giolito released the Epernay, which is based upon the ECCJ blend. The Epernay, which is named after the famed grape growing region in France named Champagne, is available in cabinets of 50 and five vitolas.
Overall, construction on this Epernay was flawless, especially when taking a good look at the cuban triple cap. The wrapper was a medium shade of brown with a slightly reddish hue. Pre-light aroma was light tobacco. A quick cut revealed an effortless draw a mesh of cedar and nut flavors.
The Epernay was created to appeal more to the european market, so let’s see how it goes for me.
Sunday Fiver….with a twist
Usually on Sunday, we list five reviews on other blogs we found quite interesting. While I visited a lot of blogs this week and watched/read a lot of reviews, I thought I would do something a little different this Sunday. A new cigar shop opened on the Mississippi Gulf Coast this week called The Cigar Shop, which I will cover later, and my friend Lee Barton and I got into a discussion about cigars and prices. There are a lot cigars that cost a ton of money for one stick. We debated on, not if its worth it, but if the large price difference from some of our favorites really translate into how much better the cigar is. For instance, if cigar A cost $10 and cigar B cost $30, is cigar B really 3 times better? Usually, the answer is no. So, going off that, I want to list 5 of my favorite cigars that are in my sweet spot of $5-$8. This are is where I think you get the most value for your money. I list these in no particular order.
Read the rest of this entry »
