What a Hugh Jass I've been

Still smoking great cigars, still brewing great coffee, and still watching "The Humidor of Despair", AKA Ted's Tobacco, slowly die (from a distance).

Life is good, and life with a good cigar and good cuppa even better!

Capital Cigar has been hustling, bringing in Caldwell Cigars and in all shapes and sizes. I love them all; Eastern Standard (rocked through the AFC Title game with one), The King is Dead, and Long Live the King (which I puffed on to celebrate the birthday of the King of Kings).

Capital has been one of my go-to joints, with Don being very responsive to customer input. He's stocked lots of Room 101, Crowned Heads, Tatuaje (huzzah!) and even got those infernal "fireplace lickin' good" Kentucky Fire Cured line from Drew Estates. I'm always sure to leave the shop with a handful of tasty treats, like the new EPC La Historia:

Of course, I've also been spending loads of time at my "office at 12th & P streets", AKA Cliff's Smoke Shop. Being a rare spot to enjoy a good cigar in the winter, Cliff's has a good selection of delectable incendiaries to choose from, like the newer Camacho lines, Alec Bradley and New Rocky Patel offerings.

I've gotten over the Internet Cigar Board Mania that had consumed a good 4 years of my free time, and glad of it. Now, if you're done reading this; Go outside and play!

[my apologies to those whom for "go outside and play" means "go shovel 3 feet of snow out of your driveway before the plow comes by again". You have my deepest, drifting, wind-driven sympathies. ]

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.