Parting Shots

Concluding my blogging experiment, I'd like to give a shout out to some of my local cigar shops:

Capital Cigar: Rock on, Don. Keep listening, keep hunting, and we'll keep nagging Tatuaje on your behalf. It'll be great to make CC a regular herfing spot.

Cliff's Smoke Shop: Thanks for being so open, Miles, and providing a quiet spot for a man to have a cigar and friendly chat. 60 years in the biz, and looking forward to more.

Jake's Cigars & Spirits: Todd is the man, keeping the humi filled with our favorite treats to go along with the well-stocked bar. Nice spot to cigar and imbibe, but gets way too loud at night. I'm too old to enjoy the college bar scene.

Ted's Tobacco (Lincoln): Mike, if you haven't noticed already, it's long past time to get your shit together. Stock that humidor like you want to be in business in this town.


Okay, my work is done here, really. Moving on to much bigger and better things, but under my more professional nom de plume. I wonder who'll even notice...

Alec Bradley American Sun Grown Blend

The AB Mixologist, aka Snappy Bigman, has been through town, and the Alec Bradley stocks on local humidor shelves are plentiful. 'Chuno how that goes. He also was amenable to lunch with a couple of us locals, and spread some AB love around  by stopping our gobs with these American Sun Grown treats.

Alec Bradley American Sun Grown

Alec Bradley's branding has come a long ways from the old Trilogy and Ovation  labels, now sporting larger, classier labels with the the crowned 'AB' badge. Presentation is nice, but it's really the icing on some great tasting cigars.

After clipping the cap, I get a nice peppery spice on the lips from the Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, and nice earth and leather notes from the aroma of the unlit foot.

Heat the foot and go, I get some nice, almost medium-bodied leathery wood flavors, with just a touch of earth and a little spice. The spice hums in the background while the leather and wood take on an occasional citrus tone.

I like these a bit better than the American Classic, as the Sun Grown's wrapper adds a nice earthy heat to the blend. Great flavor, and at a $6-7 price tag, these are a good deal.

Panacea Black Label toro

I like finding cigars off the beaten path, and this one hit me from left field. My parents live in eastern Pennsylvania, and as a Christmas surprise, my mother hit me with a yuletide cigar bomb, which included a couple Panacea sticks.

Flatbed Cigar co. is based in Yardley, PA, which is just about as opposite to Miami as you can get in the USA without going to Alaska; Folks noshing on a hoagie and a Tastykake bought from the local Wa-Wa, drinking Yeungling beer and listening to the Eagles flail away in futility against all comers but maybe the KC Chiefs. Well, perhaps Miami does feel the pain of football futility.

Panacea Black Label toro

Black label Maduro sports a fine specimen  of Brazilian maduro wrapper, somewhat smooth with some prominent veins, and giving off a dark, earthy compost aroma with a hint of spice. The draw is nicely balanced through the Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.

Once the fire commences, I get dark, earthy leather and wood tones, and not really any spice.  After the first inch, I get flashes of tart citrus here and there, getting more prevalent near the end. There's a subtle spice nearer the nub, but never more than a cameo.

The Panacea Black label toro is a well-rolled cigar, with a chewy, earthy profile. I'm glad a couple of my local shops took the cue to try them on.

Alec Bradley Family Blend Robusto

Spring has finally sprung; BOING. Outside, smoking a cigar with an old friend over the lunch hour is my idea of a perfect way to usher in le printemps. I brought out an Alec Bradley stick recently ransomed from a local shop during a visit from regional AB rep, Snappy 'Chuno' Bigman. Snappy spins a good yarn, and the Family Blend story is a good one, but you'll have to hear it directly from him. I will say, though, that Snappy would put his sac on the line if he thinks it's the right thing to do.

The Family Blend robusto is a rustic-looking stick with a light brown Honduran wrapper and veins that would make a smack junkie jealous. A blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos make up the core. The draw is, as usual for Alec Bradley, perfect and the cigar burns okay, but outside in a light breeze I have to touch up the burn a couple times.

Once I get the cigar lit, I get mainly flavors of grass and _____ ; sometimes grass and tart wood, or grass and light coffee, but always the grassy flavor is there. Any sort of spice that may be there is hiding behind the grass. The last third features a tart wood flavor uprising against the oppression of the grass. At their peak the flavors get to almost medium-bodied, but not beyond medium.

Another colleague sits down to join us, and remarks "Hey, are you smoking a Cuba Aliados?" At his reference to the grassy blends of the dearly departed Don Rolando Reyes senior, I start thinking about it more. "No," I reply, "but close enough."

Perhaps Spring is in the air; grass is greening up, trees budding, and I'm tasting that green in this cigar. The Family Blend retails for a buck less, per stick, than the more tasty Black Market line, but I'm happy to pay up to move up a bit.

J. Fuego Delirium belicoso

J. Fuego Delicious Delirium is one of those maduros that keep me hooked to the Dark Side. Brazilian maduro wrappers are one of my favorites as well, like on the CAO Brazilia, Nub Maduro, and Panacea Black label.

J Fuego Delirium Belicoso

I'll occasionally get an unbiased olfactory opinion for my own calibration. Tonight's smelling panel is comprised of my children; I let them each take a whiff of the unlit cigar before I tuck them into bed and retire to the garage.  Their impressions are, from oldest to youngest: Chocolate, Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Chocolate.

Tonight's Delirium has spent four years in the humi, stash aging nicely. The dark, veiny Brazilian wrapper is a maduro fiend's dream. After clipping, the cigar has a fairly free draw through the Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers, and despite that does burn decently. White ash hangs out over an inch while puffing away.

Sweet leather, hint of cocoa dominate much of the profile once lit, with occasional light coffee and berry notes. A woody spice becomes apparent at we get near the nub. From start to finish a delicious, almost medium-bodied cigar.

Delirium is a great smoke fresh, and a spectacular smoke when given a little age. That's if you can hide them from yourself long enough to age them a bit.

Mystic Monk 'Midnight Vigils' blend

Mystic Monk 'Midnight Vigils' blend

Mmmm, mmm, mm. I know that the go juice is a necessity in the morning, but it can also be a pleasure. Of course, I write this with a mug of steaming, dark joy at my elbow.

Mystic Monk coffee is roasted by Carmelite monks in Wyoming, which isn't a real stretch when you consider the contemplative and mindful state a good roaster maintains. It's a perfect fit. They also use 100% organic, fair trade Arabica beans, which would be consonant with their Catholic views of social justice and environmental stewardship.

The Midnight Vigils blend is described as Central and South American beans (no specific regions noted), roasted "extra-dark", and man, is it oily! Check out the sheen on these beans in the picture here. I guess it would be both dramatic and punny to say that the aroma from the bag is "Heavenly"; sweet, woody, dark fruit, a little hint of caramel or vanilla. And once brewed there's a smooth, sweet coffee flavor along with dark fruit and caramel nuances.

Other varieties of Mystic Monk coffees I love are the Hermit's blend and Cowboy blend. Good, good stuff.

La Aurora Preferidos Ruby perfecto

There was a time that I was a regular at the Devil's cigar auction site, trolling for cigars at prices well below the those charged by my local shops (B&Ms). Sometimes you save a bit, some times you save more, especially on some top-shelf sticks. La Aurora Preferidos tubos go for $15-17 on the shelf around here, so I was tickled to get them @ $35/fiver.

I've long since wised up about the value of local shops, and now only get stuff online when the local shops aren't stocking what I want.

La Aurora Preferidos Ruby

The La Aurora Preferidos "Ruby" perfecto is their maduro of the line. The modest cigar is not quite so impressive once liberated from the shiny tubo, but the Ruby's darkness is quite a sight. The dark Connecticut broadleaf wrapper smells of dark, composty topsoil, and is both veined and toothy.

Of course, the draw starts a little stiff, but opens up as the cigar burns and foot gets wider. The first draws bring wicked bold flavors; Leather, citrus all coated in an earthy spice. Definitely La Aurora's signature Dominican blend of fillers, harmonized with the earthy notes of the maduro wrapper. Even into the fat midsection of the cigar, the tart leather and spice flavors stay present.

While it might be easy to be underwhelmed at paying $16 for a big glossy tubo, then seeing the modest perfecto inside, the Preferidos are a good cigar even at B&M prices. Get them how you will.

Alec Bradley Black Market torpedo

My first humidor was a Pinnacle golf ball box, and Alec Bradley cigars have been a regular in my humidor since those days. I have long since upgraded to a FootJoy shoebox, and now an igloo cooler. Over the past year, I've smoked about a box worth of the different sizes of the Black Market (enough so I could wallpaper my man cave with the huge foot bands) and look forward to the wee petit corona-sized Punk. I decided to review one of these torpedoes again after refamiliarising myself with the Family Blend.

Alec Bradley Black Market torpedo

At $8 or so for the torpedo size, the Black Market has a pretty good bang for the buck, especially versus the spendier Tempus and Prensado lines. Its Nicaraguan wrapper is a mottled, shoeleather-brown and has some moderate veins. Drawing through the Honduran/Panamanian fillers is a perfect balance of whim and restraint, and the burn is a little wobbly but care-free.

Right away, bold earthy flavors of leather, wood, and a sultry spice greet my first fiery kiss. The spice doesn't linger long, but the tart woody flavors hold the tone for most of the cigar and mix with cameos of coffee, bitter cocoa, and occasionally hay. Definitely a medium-bodied stick, all told.

The Tart wood/leather of the Black Market has a lot in common with the Family Blend, especially the last third of that cigar, but without the major grass overtones. I'll stick with the Black Market, and look forward to the wee Punk.

Trader Joe's Dark coffee

Mmmm, mmmm, mm. I love a good dark roast, and Trader Joe's 'Dark' roast coffee is a lively cup. Plus, $7-8 not terribly expensive for the 14 oz. can. And like any other working-class schlub, I'm all for having delicious AND cash left over.

The beans are a dark and oily blend of Ethiopian and Brazilian Arabica cultivars, smelling of coffee with notes of milk chocolate and vanilla. It's a sublime delight just to open the can.

Grind, drip and sip! Freshly brewed, there's a dark fruit note along with cocoa and mild to moderate acidity. Bold without being bitter, this is a pretty tasty coffee. Perfect for some get-up-and-go in the morning. Now I need to find a cigar to pair this with.. Perhaps the Padilla Reserva Maduro.

Padilla Reserva Maduro robusto

One of my favorite cigar shops recently took the plunge on some Padilla cigars, and these Reserva Maduro robustos are the first to hit the shelves. $9 a pop is at my top end for plunking down cheddar for cigars, but I wanted to support the local shop and his willingness to bring in new marcas.

Padilla Reserva Maduro robusto

Rolled by Oliva in Esteli, Nicaragua, the Reserva Maduro has a core of Nicaraguan fillers swaddled in a San Andres (Mexican) maduro wrapper. The rolling is pretty good, but I've never had a poorly rolled stick from Oliva either.

Getting this stick lit, a blast of bold leather, with a bit of earthiness hits the palate. The smoke is not super thick, but gives a nice soft spice to the sinuses. Woody leather gets bolder and tangier as we close out the cigar, the spice gets more pronounced near the nub.

Burn line wobbles a bit, like Lindsay Lohan staggering to rehab, but needs only one hit of the torch to even things out.

Nice stick, and every time I see that lion on the Padilla bands, I'm reminded of Aslan, the Lion of C.S. Lewis' children's fantasy series. Going back to those books as an adult, there are rich depths of theology there. [given my usual crass presentation, I bet you're shocked to see me write that].

Alec Bradley New York

Nebraska is probably as far away from New York as you can get, at least culturally, demographically, and in any other sense of "Small Place" vs "Big Place". So, to have the Alec Bradley New York marca show up in my local humidor, it really took me aback. I grew up on the East Coast, and visited NYC occasionally. Whether it was to catch the Ramones at CBGBs or to browse the PC World show at the Javits Center, I have many fond memories of New York. The super-classy Art Deco styling of the band brings one even farther back, to the times of George Gershwin and 'The Great Gatsby'.

Alec Bradley New York

The New York cigar features a earthy Honduran Criollo wrapper, smooth with a few veins, and a mix of Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. A nice earthy spice emanates from the unlit cigar.

Once the fire is started, the first flavor is a clarinet glissando soaring high.. er.. I'm thinking Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue'.. This cigar is really a 'Rhapsody in Brown'; Super bright woody and floral chords to start and sultry spice on the palate. The midsection brings some coffee and cinnamon stanzas and finishing with wood and savory spice notes.

 This is a great-tasting, medium-bodied stick, and it burns for over an hour and a half (amazing for a robusto). I don't get any hints of taxi exhaust, dumpsters, hygienically-challenged subway commuters, or even the slightest hint of the aromas that used to waft off the East River.

For just under $10, this is a good cigar; burns long, good flavors, and a nostalgic reminder of days gone by. Time to crank up some Duke Ellington and mix up a nice, dry Manhattan.

Numbers? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Numbers.

  I know a load of cigar bloggers provide rating numbers. I think it's a load of crap; Hugh Jass cigars don't need numbers. What the cigar is worth is inevitably up to you, the cigar consumer, not to some pretentious guy assigning value to a cigar that he had no hand in making.

Yet Another Hugh Jass Rant

  Yeah, certain cigar magazines have been pimping the concept that a true authority can quantify the value of a cigar. Then all the wannabes have to do the same, in order to appear to be discerning authorities in the craft of cigars. Of course, the rumors swirl that the ratings in the big mags aren't numbers based on the cigars themselves, but on the advertising budgets of the cigar makers. That's really beside the point. Cigars are a reality that transcends the numbers used to describe them.

  If Pete Johnson or Carlito Fuente want to assign a number to a cigar, they will, and usually it's called the Wholesale Price. It's a ballpark number that factors in the cost and care to make the cigar and bring it to you wherever you are. The cigar shop owner add a number to that representing his cost, overhead and taxes. The final number is the one that shows up on your receipt at the cash register.

  When you hit the cigar shop, the only numbers that are important are the digits on the bills, or card, in your wallet.