“Smoked Up” No.56

Posted by Shawn

February 4, 2014

Well, I made it out of winter storm “Leon” pretty good. It got way too cold for my southern blood. Last Tuesday afternoonÂ brought freezing rain with a few snow flurries. That night it got colder and almost all the bridges and a few roads were shut down in the area. Thursday afternoon they started opening up I-10 in the Florida panhandle as the roads were previously unsafe. I took a day off work on Wednesday, I only live 10mintues away, but wasn’t going to risk driving on any ice. I had enough of that the previous Friday night.

I made it to The Cigar Shop’s Super Bowl party on Sunday. They had the game on three TVs; one being a 12′ projection screen in surround sound in the shop’s private lounge. There was an abundance of food and beverages there. They also opened the shop side of the store and had a 20% off sale which was nice to stock up on some good smokes! Regardless if your team won or lost, everybody had a good time. They also did some raffles and “squares”. Although I didn’t win any money, I did win a 9ct Davidoff Sampler Box!!

Cigar ViewsÂ

Viaje Friends and Family OR: I would smoke boxes of this cigar if it wasn’t for the $17 price tag! Is it worth it? Pretty much. Produces great flavors with great construction for a good amount of time. This is from the original release of the F&F, so it has some bit of age to it. There were great notes of a sweet coffee, some nuttiness and rich hints of cocoa. At the band, it did go out on me, but I think it was my fault, or the weather. I haven’t had the newer (smaller sized) Friends and Family, but I may have to. I like the amount of smoke time this one gives off, but it could be too long for me when the hot summer months get here.Â

Camacho Criollo Toro: I like many of Camacho’s cigars, but the Criollo never really hit me as one I would smoke on a regular basis. I was gifted this one by my buddy and figured maybe they changed the blend some with the new bands. First off, the draw on it was darn near unbearable. It was about at the point of pitching quick. I let it go some and got some grassy notes with hints of a black pepper here and there. There was also a slight salty note I got around half way through the cigar. But after that point, is where I had enough of the thick draw and chunked it into the fire.

La Riqueza Cabinet No.5: This is one of the cigars I didn’t smokeÂ much of or at all last year and it was on my list to visit more often. ItÂ was a nice reunionÂ of a darn near perfect draw, great burn and nice flavors. Around halfway I got a smooth chocolate flavor that reallyÂ got meÂ more into the cigar than the first half. There was a smooth black pepper at the first half of the cigar thanÂ got muffled by the chocolate in theÂ last half. Although, the black pepper was more pronounced on the retrohale andÂ not too strong or weak then either. A great smoke that was nice to come back to.

Room 101 Master Collection One Mutante: I am a lancero fiend and when I realized my local shop did have the 101 Master Collection in the top shelves, I had to get this cigar to try. I had previously tried the Sucio and I really enjoyed it. The Mutante had pretty much the same flavors yet in a more fuller aspect. Nothing too bold, but a nice smoke none the less. Even though I love lanceros, the Sucio is still my favorite so far. I will be picking up some of the other sizes as well to get a good look at the blend. Really looking forward to the Master Collection TWO that’s coming out in the next few weeks.

L’Atelier Selection Special: I have had lots of good luck from the L’Atelier line of cigars. There isn’t a bad smoke I have came across yet. The Selection Special is just the same, but better. I think it could possibly be my favorite from L’Atelier. I enjoyed it with some HirschÂ bourbon and it really brought out some rich and chewy caramel notes. Had a great draw and burn with no construction issues or gripes from me. This will be a cigar I will definitely look forward to smoking again and again.