quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
Couldn't resist the pull of the Pinar del Rio Exclusivo I got in this thread karma. Quite a beefy stick and very well constructed. I'm halfway through and it has only needed one touch up which is my fault for screwing up the lighting. Started off with heavy molasses and now has settled into a milder sweetness with shades of pepper and leather. Incredibly smooth and definitely on my list to acquire again.

Thank you again goatboyz!

My pleasure! I've found them to be pretty good sticks.

Started the day with a Room 101 San Andres which was really good. I smoked it while running my ztr over the prairie in anticipation of burning it off. I then light a MOW ruination belicosso. I started it when I light the prairie. About half way through, I was starting to lose control of the fire and had to set it down. Once the fire was back under control, I relight the MOW. After finishing my burn off, I smoked a 5vegas Miami. I know that several have said that the 5vegas seem to be bland, and this lived up to that standard. I just lacked luster, and inspiration. All in all, it was a beautiful day with some pretty good smokes!

Tatuaje Jeckyll or Hyde which ever was this past Halloween. With a Samuel Smith IPA. Nice combo

Another Friday evening, another trip to Cigars International. I took a few sticks with me to enjoy. Ronin, I took along the Macanudo 1997 Vintage maduro and smoked that first. Very good cigar, the burn stayed even, and wonderful flavors. I was picking up white pepper, espresso, cocoa, and some earthy notes that I couldn't pinpoint. Nothing really stood out as being overpowering in this cigar. Though the smoke was smooth, it was dry and would be the only drawback of this cigar. Thank you Ronin for the opportunity to try this cigar!

After a bit of rest, I fired up a My Father le Bijiou petite robusto . This one was a flavor bomb. I was having some bad luck with these the past couple I had with not having the flavors. This one was like the very first one I smoked a few years ago that really got me into cigars. The cocoa was very present and slight pepper, smooth and creamy...I didn't want to put it down! Overall a good evening hanging out with my brother and his girlfriend smoking cigars and shooting the breeze. Oh, and the sneaky little F'er put an A.J. Fernandez 2nd that looks and is supposed to be the Viaje SuperShot in my Herfador to try out. Once the weather dries up and warms up, look for a review of this.

I havent posted here much lately, Kind of decided to cut back and only smoke 3-4 a week. Smoked a few this weekend, nothing new just a couple perdomos and Por laranaga cabinet seleccions. I will try some new smokes this weekend, and with the cigar festival coming up next month ill have pictures.

Sometimes you need to take a break in order to let your taste buds relax. I find sometimes that even though I am not able to smoke everyday, that I am not in the mood for anything in my humidor. Us in the North that experience winter are forced to take a break at times, unless you smoke indoors. Hell, when it was so cold out, I was down to 2-3 in one night for the week. With the weather turning warmer, I may be back to one an evening.

ha... I typically smoke about 1 a month.

I smoked one of these tonight, Alec Bradley 90+ 2nds 3.75x54. Quite a good cigar that falls in line with the Viaje SuperShot. It looks the same but has no band on it, so no way to tell for sure. The thing my brother can't figure out is that Alec Bradley does not roll the SuperShots, so who knows. The only downfall was that it does not last long at all. Maybe 45 minutes at the most.

I had an EP Crillo la historia good cigar for $8 I would put up with AJ Fernandez New World. I am traveling on business and found a nice cigar store with a large roomy lounge good selection and better hospitality. They had a box of "Old man and the sea" by Tatuaje I resisted the urge mostly cause I can't store it.

When I got home from work today, I noticed that the water level seemed to be rising where the culverts are. I made supper, sorry no pictures, pork chops in the cast iron pot, and went to work. I grabbed a La Gloria Cubana Serie N and the rake to see what was going on. Started pulling sticks and junk up and even small logs. A whirlpool formed and kept at it. The water level dropped about 6" and I was able to work further out. Another whirlpool and now have 3 distinct areas flowing. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to be sure it stayed open. These smokes get better the longer they age. I got them at Christmas and the flavors are starting to pop now. I still had some tar, but nothing like when they were fresh. It is supposed to turn colder for the remainder of the week with a chance of snow on Friday, so I may not have any others until Friday evening. At least I got water flowing and that off of my mind...for now.

Well I have decided to let myself have an occasional cigar, after smoking for several years I did not want to slide back into them.

Looking for a little guidance from the SF smoke trust.

Not looking to smoke more than once or twice a month.
- normal drink, Gin and tonic (in the summer I add a splash of orange juice
- everyday beer Bud platinum
- also enjoy stella, wheat beers, shiner (I am pretty sure it's a law here), fosters...you get the picture
- favorite pipe tobacco when I used to smoke one was Cherry Cavendish

I don't mind spending a bit for a good cigar since it will not be a daily thing but really need some guidance.

Looking for something fairly substantial +40 circumference.

Any ideas on a few to try?

There is a whole world of different flavors to try, if you wsnt to start with something mild, I'd go for a Perdomo champagne, champagne noir(more cocoa flavors), or a champagne sun grown(a bit more pepper, but the same as a champagne)

Just had a Black Pearl. Not impressed. Bitter and didn't burn well at all.

If you want a flavored/infused cigar, I am not much help. If you want a straight tobacco cigar with "natural" flavors, I can help.
If you want a mild cigar with great flavors, try a Man O War Virtue. Another mild cigar brand is Fuente, that is more of a straight tobacco flavor.
Tatuaje and CLE (Eiroa) are solid names that have good tobacco flavors and different labels have different strengths. Tat's usually change flavor profiles while CLE tend to make a good straight stick. The CLE Cuarenta is a good, smooth smoke that has good flavors. Tatuaje...well the Red label is good as is the 10 year Miami is very good. I hear the Black is very good too, but I have not had one yet. Pepin/My Father is a very solid cigar that has pepper in most all of their cigars. My favorite is the La Bijiou petite robusto. It is medium to full bodied and has a slight pepper/cocoa/coffee flavor profile.
For full body cigars, I enjoy quite a few in this category, CAO Flathead series. The Spark Plug and Camshaft are my favorites. The Brazillia is also quite good. La Gloria Cubana Serie N, I feel has a better flavor than the Serie R. To each their own. Man O War Ruination, Oliva "V", Diesel "Shorty" to name a few more. These here you need to smoke after you eat, otherwise you may get an upset stomach.
I hope this gives you a start to ask an employee at your local shop of what my fit your needs.

Lee, I have given up on Black Pearls. I had three of them and they were all bad flavor profiles. Mostly bitter with some ash mixed in. Three strikes and you're out!!

Serious got some new perdomos in, called Small batch. So far about half an inch in and I'm impressed. Nice black pepper kick, with some cream and twang.

Paired this with the last of my Ardbeg ueagidail(spelling?) And what a great combination! Some flowery almost fruity flavors of the Scotch blend nicely with the spicy caramel sweetness of this smoke. Some hints of vanilla and a very mild cedar flavor. Definately buying more.

The last 3rd is incredible, lots spice, some Bourbon and vanilla and caramel. Also picking up some oak flavors. The tobacco was aged in Bourbon barrels, makes for a very smooth and tasty smoke.

I just got in from clearing 6" of snow that fell. Heavy, wet snow and with the ground thawed, the blower on the tractor struggled with removing it. I started out by shoveling the deck and steps off with a CAO Flathead Camshaft. This did not disappoint and was a great stick. It burned even throughout the whole cigar and did not require any touch ups. A little pepper and coffee, the smoke was smooth but dry. I still recommend these sticks to everyone that asks...I feel they are that good and a very decent price.

Herrera Esteli Lancero best of the blend

I was fortunate to score a La Flour Dominicana Air Bender as a freebie. Very smooth, even burning with a chocolate hint. It lasted over an hour without a re-light.