“Smoked Up” No.25

Posted by Shawn

June 24, 2013

I am back into the swing of things and getting this week’s “Smoked Up” out a little early. I usually put it out on Tuesday, but I will be on a vacation starting Tuesday. So my editing time will be none while on vacation.

MyÂ corneal ulcer from the previous weekÂ is gone, so that’s a plus in itself! With that being said, I have been enjoying a few more cigars this week than in the previous weeks. I made a trip over to a local shop (El Puros Perfecto)Â and got a few new to me smokes to try out. They gave me some good news of a humidor expansion in the near future. A local new shop expanding is always a plus for the patrons and owners.

But, all next week, I will be on a family vacation for my birthday, so the cigar enjoyment time will be almost null and void. But, I am planning on making a trip to Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga, TN and Buckhead Cigar Club in Buckhead (Atlanta) GA. I’ll be at Burns the afternoon to evening of June 27th and BuckheadsÂ in the afternoon ofÂ June 29th. If you are in the area, come by and hang out with me with a cigar and cold beverage. Just look for the “hippy”.

Cigar Views

CAO Soprano “The Soldier”: With the passing of James Gandolfini (aka Tony Soprano) I figured this was a fitting cigar for the evening of his passing. This cigar has been resting for about two to three years, so keep that in mind. Fairly smooth & somewhat creamy smoke at first. But turned kind of woody, but not a typical woody flavor.Â Some metallic tastes bounced around the flavors that I didn’t care much for. But, the taste is lesser in strength since the last time I had one of these. So maybe some age really helps these. Had a nice draw, and a decent burn. Worth the $14 price tag?? Not really. But a decent smoke that would be better at a third less the cost.

Sabor Nicoya Gourmet Robusto: I tried to do some research on this cigar and company and came up pretty empty. This was a gift from Robert S (Owner of El Puros Perfecto). He got them on a recent trip to Nicaragua at a market. The smoke was middle of the line. It wasn’t jaw dropping, but it wasn’t no slouch either. Started off peppery and then mellowed off to a woody and leathery flavor profile. The black pepper was always there in the smoke, it just mellowed off nicely in the last half of it. This would be a pretty good “yard gar”, depending upon the price of it though. From my understanding, its only available in Nicaragua for the time being.

Blanco Cigars Sumatra Toro: I am on a “mission” to try every line of the Blanco cigars. I’ve had the Nine and liked it. The Nine JT Limitado was pretty much a bust for me. The Criollo is my favorite so far. This time around, I tried the Sumatra and it was not the best sumtra I’ve ever had, nor was it the worst. I had it in the evening time after a few rum & Cokes and I maybe should have started my day off with this cigar (and not the Rum & Cokes). I will definitely smoke it again and pair it with some coffee to see how that works out. But, for around $7, they are a pretty good smoke for the money.

Valerosa Primavera Animoso: This cigar was supposed to be out for review today, but with getting ready to go on my vacation on Tuesday, I just didn’t have any time left overÂ to doÂ any photo editing for the review. I can give you a few hints on the review, it was a good, rustic/classic looking cigar that had some really good flavors. There were a few drawbacks to the cigar, but you will have to catch the full review to see what they were. The full review willÂ be out next Monday afternoonÂ (7-1-13).