New Theme for The Perfect Draw
Sometimes things get old, outmoded, stale. That’s what happened to my old theme. It hurt me just to look at the layout of the website for any length of time and I think it was a nightmare for navigational purposes to boot.
That is why I switched it to the theme that you see now (March 31, 2010 just in case I decide to change the theme again, which I probably will a couple of years from now).
You might also be noticing for the first time the addition of an advertisement. Miami Cigar Company recently purchased this ad space for their Tatiana and Nestor Miranda brands. I would like to thank Miami Cigar Company for their belief in this humble blog. Oh, by the way, I’ve been smoking a few of Nestor Miranda’s cigars lately and I should have a couple reviews of them up in the next month or so.
Well, until next time, thanks for stopping by!
My Humidor
Back during those halcyon days when I first took up cigar smoking as a serious endeavor I did not put too much energy into figuring out how I was going to store my extra stogies. And, in truth, there wasn’t much of a need for an elaborate humidor since I didn’t keep many cigars on hand.
Inevitably, my stock of cigars grew. A few years ago I purchased my first honest-to-goodness humidor. It was a cheap thing though, something that is really only good for protecting remote controls from the basic instincts of the adolescent Labrador. Fortunately that is the only function I can find for that humidor nowadays.
After a couple of months trying to regulate the humidity level in a substandard humidor I decided to bite the bullet and buy a cigar humidor; not a remote control humidor or an extraneous junk humidor, but a cigar humidor.
Setting out on the task of purchasing my first big guy humidor I had a couple of needs to fill.
- Storage Space: It had to be be big enough to hold about 100 cigars. This is enough to get me through a month with a couple of sticks to spare.
- Aesthetics: Pleasing to the eyes but not garish. Ideally, the humidor would have an elegantly simple design to it.
- Dividers: This could be in the form of a tray or one of those pressure fitting dividers or, ideally, both.
- Safety: Mainly to keep the prying hands of my young cousins out of my humidor.
I also thought it would be nice (and look good) if the lid was partially made out of glass. This way I could peek into my humidor without having to open it and disrupt the climate.
During my search I happened upon a number of stylish humidors but there was just something wrong with each of them. The color may have been a little light, no glass top, no shelf, or, what was really a sticking point for me, those humidors were just too expensive. Then I happened upon a great looking humidor with a fair price: the Pompeii Humidor at Famous Smoke, which you can see on the left side of this post.
As you can see it is a beautiful cigar humidor. It has a hygrometer installed in the front, a lock (with a tassel no less!), a tray and a divider. Plus it holds up to 100 cigars. Personally, I put my important (read: expensive) cigars on the tray so that whenever I peer through the glass I get excited about smoking another cigar.
I have had this cigar humidor for a while now and I have no complaints. It’s perfect for where I am at in my cigar smoking career and it is also a pretty good conversation piece. Even when the situation necessitates the purchase of another, much larger, humidor I will always have a place for this one.
Well, there you have it. You now know which humidor I use how about telling us which humidor you use.
Fonseca Cigar Review
Lately I’ve found myself going for more full bodied cigars; Diesel and Padilla’s Dominus to just name a couple. While those cigars are great – and they are in every sense of the word – it is nice to shake things up a bit every now and then. So, I went to my humidor and eyed this light brown cigar with the simple band.
Construction is nearly perfect. Manuel Quesada, the pater tobaccoist of this cigar, is truly a craftsman. My only quibble, if you can even count it as such, is that there are some minor inconsistencies with the coloring of the wrapper. The wrapper has a nice sheen of oil on it and the tobacco is snugly packed into the cigar.
The cigar that I am smoking, the Fonseca 5-50, comes in a natural or maduro wrapper. For this review I am smoking the natural wrapper version.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: USA (Connecticut Shade)
Binder: Mexico
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: Box 25 – $95 | Fiver – $25
Midday Flame!
I accidentally forgot about this cigar a number of months ago and, as a result of that accident, this cigar has had lots of rest and it seems to have aided in the flavor of this cigar. Oak, berry sweetness and some burnt hay. Overall, I’m liking the flavors. Unfortunately, this cigar does have an aversion to staying lit; that’s a pain!
It’s a mild cigar, probably too mild for my liking. The draw is nice and the burn is even (as long as it stays lit!).
After about an inch that sweet berry flavor goes up a couple of notches on the flavor-o-meter. Honestly, this is a weird cigar for me. I guess I like these flavors, they are pleasant, it’s just not exactly my concept of what is a great cigar.
It is a good cigar though. Very, very laid back. And the flavors are surprisingly strong for such a mild cigar. This is definitely one of the better mild cigars that I have ever had.
Nearing the end of this cigar and, despite the occasional burn problem, it is a good cigar. The flavors are enjoyable but I’m still not sold on this cigar. If you like oak and sweetness in your cigar then you will most likely enjoy this one. If you normally go for something a little spicier and full bodied then you will probably only be an occasional smoker of these Fonsecas.
87 points
Carlos Torano Casa Torano Cigar Review
Casa Toraño appeals to all the senses. The Ecuadorian-Connecticut wrapper is delicate, silky, and smooth. The binder is especially selected from the Toraño farms in the hills of Nicaragua; and the filler is a combination of Honduran, Nicaraguan, and a family blend of Central and South American tobaccos. Originally the Toraño´s private family blend, the Casa Toraño was made available to the smoking public and has received an enthusiastic reception.
Honestly, I am looking forward to a treat with this cigar. If it really started out as the “family blend” then this must be something that is truly astonishing. Or, what they consider to be a good cigar differs from what I think is a good cigar. I hope that is not the case.
Anyway, the wrapper is light but I do have to say that it is rather veiny. Furthermore, the foot seems a little misshapen. Finally, there is a soft feel to the cigar. Other than that, all is well.
Cigar Stats
Toro
Length: 6 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
Price: Box 25 – $128 | Single – $6.35
Lost Flame!
Creamy cigar smoke leads to a couple of strong flavors. First of all, there is a strong grassy flavor. No, scratch that, it’s more like bitter, leafy greens. Beyond that there are some cherry and oak flavors. It really is an intriguing mix of flavors that I’m not altogether convinced tastes all that great.
And then after the burn line crosses the one inch mark the flavors begin working in harmony. I guess since it is such a complex cigar that it takes a little while for the metaphorical engine to warm up but oh am I glad that it has warmed up.
Oddly enough, the flavors aren’t usually what I would go for. I like my cigars spicier than this one is. I also like leather and meat, neither of which is in this cigar. Even though the flavors present aren’t my normal cup o’ tea I find myself really enjoying this stogie.
In addition to the multitude of flavors I have already mentioned there is a milky flavor. It’s not as rich as cream but it’s definitely whole milk.
It burns well, the draw is great and it is a mild bodied cigar. Couple this with the great flavors and it’s a real treat of a cigar. Can’t say that I’m going to go back to it all that often but it is undeniably a great cigar.
91 points
Purchase as Part of a Torano Variety Sampler
Camacho Select Cigar Review
It’s a fairly good looking cigar, nothing special though. Tobacco is flaking off the cap, a few pronounced veins, soft, kind of oily and a couple of discolorations. The pre-light draw is easy but without a lot of flavor.
In what is a total surprise to me (I’m just basing it off of the pre-light draw, which was boring) the Camacho Select comes packed with a goodly amount of flavor. Even better, they are flavors that I like. Spice, oak and a background of smokiness that is very pleasing.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Honduras – Cameroon Seed
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Price: Box 21 – $120 | 1 cigars – $7.35
Go Flame!
After about an inch I wear the ash. Not a big deal, I was just entranced by this medium bodied cigar. Once that happened I regained my senses and realized that the burn had gone astray, quite a bit astray actually, and touched it up.
Now that I reach the halfway point I am at a crossroads. I really am enjoying the flavors but, alas, there is not a great deal of complexity. While that will prevent it from becoming an amazing cigar in my book it is still better than the vast majority of cigars that I have had the pleasure of smoking.
The oak flavor, mild at first, has almost vanished from this cigar. It was an imperceptible change and I didn’t really notice it gone until I started to really concentrate on trying to pick it up again. I get whiffs of it here and there but, for the most part, it isn’t coming back. In its place is a mild sweetness that is enjoyable.
Spice is still present, which I am thankful for, but the main flavor is still that smoky cross between what I can only describe as dry earth and leather. That makes it not a particularly smooth cigar but the flavors are definitely winning me over.
Even though the burn betrayed me at one point it righted itself after I corrected it. In the past I haven’t had a problem with the burn. I’m still at the halfway point as I write this and I don’t see any indication that the burn is going to misbehave any further. As is the case with nearly every Camacho that I have smoked, the draw is impeccable.
The final couple of inches of the cigar sees a little change. In addition to the smokiness there is a doughy flavor that comes on. Not bad but nothing special either. Actually, after my initial impression of this cigar it has tailed off a bit.
This cigar just seemed to fizzle before my taste buds. It started out really good and then, especially in the second half began a mini downward spiral. That being said, I do look forward to smoking another one of these cigars.
89 points
