“Smoked Up” No.99
Getting back into the rhythm of things here at the new house. There are still things that need to be done here, but time, money and patience is one of the barriers of my projects. None the less, I have been smoking more due to the weather has been pretty “decent” at night with temps from 70s-80s instead of mid 90s. Got to try a few new (to me) cigars recently (that didn’t make this issue) that I really enjoyed that may or may not make an appearance on this year’s cigars of the year list.
Cigar Views
Don Benigno: Costa Rica is not a country you usually associate with cigars, but that is where the Don Benigno comes from. I tried this cigar a few weeks ago and thought it would go great with a cup of chicory coffee. This time, I did try it with said coffee and it paired quite nicely. The oak, roasted nuts and a slight black peppery spice all paired nicely with the chicory coffee. There was no flashing lights with this cigar, but it was a good smoke with a subtle complexidity that kept me interested in it. For the $7 its a pretty good upper medium bodied smoke with a matching body strength and very good construction. Â
CAO Havana Daydreamn’ Margaritaville (pre-release): I was looking for a mild cigar to start my Sunday with and this new CAO was calling my name. I hadn’t done my research on it until a few draws into it, I didn’t realize it was a Pina Colada flavored cigar. The cigar was indeed mild and flavored. Light notes of a light soft-wood and even fainter pineapple and rum. The flavorings of the cigar were not overpowering, but were a bit lacking and I actually wanted a bit more from them. The pina colada could have been a bit stronger, if one wouldn’t have known, it could almost pass as a “traditional” cigar.
Villager Tobajara Toro: I have never heard of this cigar so I figured for about $7 it was worth a try. Although the spongy feel, the construction was spot on. The draw was great, nice ashes with substantial length. The flavors were fair with not much going for them. There was notes of minimal sweetness, black pepper and some other muddled flavors I couldn’t point out. To be quite honest, the cigar was fairly bland. I figured it being a Brazilian puro with a Mata Fina wrapper it wouldn’t be. The cost was a bit overpriced for me, I was expecting a good bit more strength than the pretty mild smoke offered.
Catelli Modella Perfection (lancero): Lanceros are “typically” a 38×7 size, but many times the blend is too compressed in the 38ring gauge and a tough draw can result. Don’t get me wrong, I love the lancero size, but they tend to have construction issues from time to time. The Catelli Perfection has a slightly larger ring gauge and a shorter length (6.6″) than most lanceros. I enjoyed the larger ring gauge as a thick draw was not present in the cigar. The smoke started off with a cayane peppery like spice kick that caught me off gaurd. Later it eased off a good bit and notes of a dark or charred wood, some esspresso & a slight saltiness appeared. The smoke changed up some with a little over half way through. The spiciness came back, but moreof a black pepper spice. Im on the fence on this cigar, but for about $6 and change I’ll take my chances on a larger ring gauge next time.
Cigar News
Ezra Zion Releases “Blending Sessionsâ€
MBombay Offers A Chance to Attend one of Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke
*Be on the look out for “Smoked Up” No.100 where I will be doing a contest to win some new cigars and accessories!
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