A Crazy May

May has been an incredible month business wise, thus it takes away from the time it takes to write stuff down. I apologize but without the business, I can't buy the smokes.


So in May I won 2 different items, one from bestcigarprices.com and 1 from cigarsolutins.com . The cigars that came with the bestcigarprices.com contest were cigars made for them by Patel, Perdomo, and Alec Bradley. The Cigar solutions win was a travel humidor that holds 25-40 cigars. The Perdomo made cigars have a very cheap wrapper that has unraveled on every one I have smoked, but the Alec Bradley's have been  fine.

Since we are talking about Alec Bradley cigars I can give you a breakdown of the ones I have tried and broken down this month and even though I now have 6 humidors I still won't buy a box.

The easy one first the Prensado this is just an amazing smoke with a dark corojo box pressed wrapper. The Prensado has a consistent burn throughout the cigar, the smoke comes at just the right amount per draw, and the flavors are complex and changing from beginning to end.

 I could go into great detail about this cigar but it has been reviewed many times by writers much more talented, and knowledgeable than me. The Prensado has been a staple in my humidor from the beginning and will always have a place for several resting and waiting for the proper moment.

The Black Market. I had bought one of these several months ago and waited a while to let it age and besides it looked very nice in my humidor. This was a cigar that I liked very much and at it price point of less than $7 per cigar it is right in my budget.  The total construction of the cigar was flawless, from burn to draw everything was as it should be. The Black Market is packed with Honduran, Jamastran and Panamanian long filler with a dark Nicaraguan wrapper. This is a medium bodied smoke that was not necessarily complex, but was still enjoyable to smoke. I am sometimes in the mood to smoke a cigar that has a consistent flavor and feel throughout. The Black Market does this very well. I will probably always have several of these on hand too.

The Family Blend was probably my most disappointing Alec Bradley cigar.

There is nothing wrong with it but it was just flat it didn't get me excited and was overpowered by a mild bourbon that should have been complimentary instead. The construction again was perfect with no flaws in the burn or the draw. I was just looking for something that just wasn't there.  If you wanted to give me a Family Blend I would happily smoke it and it would be fine, I just like my cigars to wow me and so many of them do that I concentrate on them instead.

The American Classic is a  lighter to medium bodied smoke that is actually very flavorful. My palate tends to run medium to full bodied smokes so when I get a lighter cigar that makes me take a pause and enjoy it just that little bit more. The Creamy nutty, buttery flavor is enjoyable throughout the cigar. like all the Bradley's the construction again is flawless, the draw and burn are perfect.




I really like the Alec Bradley line and remember the Store brand cigars I was mentioning from bestcigarprices.com  well they have one called the Kensington that is very nice and very close to the American Classic.

The Newbie

Alec Bradley Event @TNT in Deland Fl

I try to go to as many events as I can, so I can learn from people who are much more knowledgeable than I am, when it come to cigars. I was really looking forward to this event because it was being held at a place I have become to feel more comfortable with after each visit. TNT Tobacconist in Deland Florida is a very comfortable atmosphere run by 2 brothers Greg and Mike, Mike is also known as @cigarhustler on twitter. It's great to watch a customer regular come in and get greeted as if he was Norm on Cheers. These guys have built a nice place to go have a smoke, and talk cigars, sports, business or whatever else pops up.

The guy in the middle is Kevin, he is the Representative from Alec Bradley. Kevin has a very engaging personality and welcomed everyone to the event as if he was having you enter his home for a small party, or to watch a game. This was the first event I have gone to where they had a raffle, and you didn't have to buy a box, to be a player. You know me I don't buy boxes I have 5 humidors now filled with cigars from research, recommendations, winnings, and I have a local cigar maker that sent me a couple of  cigars from all his lines. These boxes are full and I don't have room for a box, besides, as I recommended the other day to someone even more new to this than me, don't buy a box of cigars, and only smoke one, there are just to many cigars at reasonable prices, that are excellent cigars. Alec Bradley does a good job in that category with the Black Market, the Tempus, and The Prensado all under $10 per smoke. With the help of Kevin and the guys at TNT everybody was enjoying sitting around and smoking some kind of Alec Bradley product.

I got there a little early so I had time to peruse the humidor room, and look for that something different, that I haven't tried yet. It took a while because I was looking for something special, and they have lots of special cigars, but I walked by the Liga #9's, looked for a feral pig, but couldn't find one. After a good 20 minutes of searching I finally landed on this bad boy. I have smoked at this point I feel a good amount of cigars. This cigar was different than any other cigar I have smoked and when I mentioned this to Mike he said the same thing. The only one that I feel might even be near would be the LFD Dominica Oscuro. The flavors until the final third were totally new, like nothing I had ever had before. It was so interesting to smoke something so totally different.

Any way that's my Friday night, and as normal I did not win anything at the raffle.

The Newbie

Meeting a Legend

Monday night I had the pleasure of meeting a true Cigar legend. Carlos Fuente Jr. 

I am The Newbie so I of course had to try to get to Corona Cigar Company on Monday night and meet him. I didn't really know or understand how big a deal this was. I drove the 30 miles away from home and arrived with lots of time to spare. I got there and the place was packed with excited people, smoking cigars, having a drink and getting the opportunity to meet Carlos. I walked in to the store where I have never been, and ran in to the people I visit regularly at the Lake Mary Corona Cigar Company store. You've probably read my stories about Tommy and all the great guys at the Lake Mary stores and how they have been very instrumental in my journey into the world of cigars. I asked Tommy "What are you doing here," his response " I had to come and meet the Legend" to me that said it all. Tommy is one of the most knowledgeable cigar people I have had the opportunity to meet, and I value his opinion. I was also lucky enough to meet Jeff the owner of the Corona Cigar Company stores. Jeff was very hospitable and actually took his time and talked to me about some cigars and the business in general, and I took the time to tell him how much I appreciated his operations. I have been in retail since I was 16 and that is a very long time. I told Jeff my opinion of his people, his stores, and his whole operation as I see it. I told him he definitely has done it right, there is definitely a need for the stores he has. Now I'm not saying I don't like the Mom and Pop stores or the small individual stores I do, but Jeff and his people fill a bigger need.

Well as you can see I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Carlos that night. I told him a little about my journey and what I was doing, and then explained a little about my $10 rule. Everybody was smoking opus X's that night. Carlos said "you don't need a lot of money to smoke a really good cigar" "go pick out a magnum R they are my special blend and I think you might like that" So after exchanging our pleasantries, talking about the blog's Aficionado who Carlos knows from some big time events, I went to find the Magnum R. I got one and some other things to add to my collection. I lit the Magnum R and though I don't grade or rank cigars at shows because there is just too much going on to really concentrate on flavors, draws, burns and all the other things we reviewers talk about when we are in evaluation mode. I really enjoyed the Magnum R and these are definitely going to be a staple in my collection, because for $7 I can get A Robusto Magnum R that is especially blended by one of the master blenders of all time, a Fuente, and they are very enjoyable.

A note to Jeff if you take the time to read this, Thank you for having the people and processes you have, that allow someone like me, to meet Cigar people from all walks of life, enjoying cigars in a friendly comfortable atmosphere. Without you and your operations I would not have met some great people in the cigar industry like Carlos, or Victor, or Jason. To all the people that make your special blends for us to enjoy, I want to say thank you. My journey has been short but luckily for me I have had the chance to try many cigars and meet several important people in the industry, and of course tweet with some of them every day. 

The cigar industry seems to be very special. I have not met hardly anyone that I wouldn't take in to my home, go out for a cocktail, or just sit and have a cigar and great conversation with.

The Newbie

Quiet last week Crazy week coming up

Last week was a quiet one on the cigar front. I had the opportunity to smoke several cigars but only the Rafael Gonzalez from CRA was new. I can't grade it because I know nothing about it. It was very tasty and a nice milder smoke but that's all I know. I had old  Carguy smoke an AF-2 and he loved it, I am really spoiling him with all the different smokes he has tried, because of my journey. I enjoyed an AF-1.

This week it 's going to be busy crazy. Tonight I have the opportunity to Meet Don Carlos Fuente, at Corona Cigar Company in Orlando Fl.

 The Aficionado has met him several times and encouraged me to go. I was only hesitant because I'm cheap and most of the cigars are over my $10 budget limit but who knows maybe just maybe I'll get lucky. I'll let you know.







Friday night we have an event at TNT in Deltona with Alec Bradley. I have not had a bad AB yet. The best part of this is we already have 5 confirmed Central Florida Cigar Aficionado members, and hopefully we will get some more. I will get a chance to meet more BOTL, and get a face to face with people on twitter.

This week I should have 2 different shipments coming in. I got second prize in the cigar review contest at best cigar prices .I really wanted to win, the winning humidor looks cool.  But second prize isn't too bad, I get humidor #5 and another 10 cigars to try they are sending 2 of each. Besides I am a Newbie at this blog, and cigar stuff, so to get second I must be doing something right.

 The second shipment is from a small cigar maker here in Florida, he tried to buy a car from me but went another way. No problem sometimes that's the name of the game. We got to talking about cigars and he has promised to send a sampling of his products. I have read some reviews from some of the events he has done and they are all favorable. One reviewer says he is a review or 2 away from going the big time. If the cigars are good I will do my part to help. I will try them out see how they are and then truthfully give my beginner's opinion, then put The Aficionado to work and have him do the same.

After this week I should have lots of stories to tell.

The Newbie

AND THIS IS WHY I SMOKE CIGARS

The Liga Privada #9

Most of you know that the Liga Privada #9 was specially made for the president of Drew Estates Steven Saka. Liga Privada means private blend.

 The cigar is blended and aged to perfection because why would the president of a major cigar maker want anything less. As anyone who has read my blog knows I am a big fan of the Undercrown. The Undercrown is still my favorite under $10 cigar. I however had the opportunity to grab a couple of these #9's at a Drew Estates event with some throw in freebies to bring the cost into my budget. The Liga Privada #9 is a gorgeous cigar with a dark  wrapper. The complex blend of seven different tobaccos wrapped in a deep dark oily maduro wrapper makes for a complex yet smooth smoking experience. This cigar fits right in my taste profile of the medium to full body smoke. 

The #9 was on my list of cigars that are a must have and I actually was chasing these down for a while, and then when I joined CRA one of the 2 cigars they sent was a corona #9. I am saving this one for now and besides I am a Robusto guy. I had a weird week with some ups and downs and I wanted to treat myself. This was my first Liga Privada and the picture might give you an idea of how special it is. That hat is from MLB the night that the Red Sox won their very first AL Wildcard, Oil Can Boyd pitched a great game and I was with some of the boys in Red Sox management, and Rob told me to stay late after the game, I did and was rewarded with the after party with the players and their families in the Diamond room at Fenway Park. I was given that hat by a representative of MLB along with the T-shirt. Ok ramble over back to the cigar.




The weather was really cool, we finally got some badly needed rain, and it was thunder and lightning for several hours. The storm moved out of the immediate area and I headed for the porch with my Kindle, my torch, my cutter, and the Liga Privada #9. I go through my pre-light ritual, the cigar smells very flavorful, the foot a deep coffee, chocolate flavor, and the cold draw was spicy. The spiciness of the cold draw made me think we are going to be starting off on the pepper trail, but it never was the predominate texture anywhere in the cigar. The #9 was rolled very tight and the denseness made me apprehensive that I was going to have to work hard to get the amount of smoke I like. Nope not at all, single pull puff brought just the right amount of scrumptious, billowing smoke.

As you can see the ash was really nice and tight, the burn was very even, though I had one small curve partially through the cigar, it corrected itself. The flavors I smelled coffee, then chocolate, then leather, wonderful tabacco came through while smoking this one. The best part is they are very smooth and constantly changing throughout the cigar. There is no harshness, no bite to this cigar at all even though  it is a very complex cigar.

The ash on this cigar without me trying lasted to just about the halfway point. this cigar is so good I don't want to put it down. I keep sliding the band closer and closer to the edge. This cigar is proof of why you don't just smoke it to the band, there was at least 10 minutes of enjoyment left. In fact i took the band off and if i had some tools from my misspent youth I might have used them on this cigar.

If this is your first time here, I will explain that I don't do numbers because as The Newbie, I am not qualified to do numbers. I do know what I like and I am not afraid to give my honest opinion though. Are these Box worthy. Absolutely. Will I buy a box? No they are out of my regular price range. I always try to make sure I stay under $10 and that's on the high side. I do have 4 more of these stored away and I will save them for special occasions or a bad week pick me up. I was able to keep these under the $10 mark because of the freebies I got. So Is it worth going to an event even if it is a small one? Yes, because of the freebies you can get a greater value for your dollar, and if I hadn't gone to the Drew Estate event @ TNT Tobacco I would not have found these, and met some great people like Greg and Mike the 2 brothers that own TNT.  


I loved the # 9 in fact I think it is the best cigar I have ever smoked, and am looking forward to the T52 I have hidden away deep in humidor #3. Now I haven't ever had an Opus X or a God of Fire, Or the Davidoff #3 anniversary I have hidden in with the T52, but so far the #9 is my top ever.

The Newbie

The Nomad Cigars

A new cigar has hit the market recently from Orlando Florida, right down the street from me. Nomad Cigars, they are available in 5 different sizes.

Drifter – With a full 6″ in length and 60 Ring Size, the Drifter has become the new trend. The biggest of the bunch comes with…
Dominican Filler & Binder and the traditional Nomad Habano Ecuadorian Wrapper.

Navigator – This 6″ Torpedo is sure to please with its smooth draw and traditional shape. Always a classic.
Dominican Binder and Filler with our signature Habano Ecuadorian Wrapper.

Renegade – A traditional 5 1/2 x 54 Robusto packed with flavor. Don’t let the “Renegade” name fool you, this one has a soft side.
Yep, Dominican Filler and Binder. Habano Ecuadorian Wrapper.

Vagabond – 4 5/8 in length with a max ring size of 54 (the Vagabond is tapered on both ends). This cigar is a mini version of the Fugitive. For when you are short on time, but don’t want to give up the experience.
See a trend in excellence yet? Dominican Filler and Binder. Habano Ecuadorian Wrapper.

Fugitive – The 2012 Limited Edition is only available direct from Nomad. It is 5 7/8 in length with a max ring size of 64 (the Fugitive is tapered on both ends).
Dominican Binder and Filler with Habano Ecuadorian Wrapper. This is Nomad’s most popular smoke.

  * The descriptions above are right from the Nomad website but describes them very well *
 
 I have not tried all 5 yet I have had the Vagabond, Fugitive, and the Renegade. I got the 5 pack because I couldn't decide.

 *picture from the Nomad website

I had the Vagabond about a week ago. I am very impressed that I can get the amount of smoke from a cigar this tightly wrapped and tapered at each end. This is a very nice cigar with lots of flavors that you would get in a medium and just slightly leaning toward the full body side. This is a very smooth cigar with no harsh bite or pepper spices. So if you are looking for something to smoke that won't take you long, due to it's diminutive size but want all the flavor of a larger medium body cigar then this is a nice choice.

Last night after a long day at work I headed to my porch for a real testing of the Nomads. I am more of a Robusto kind of guy, I have found it is the right size for me unless I am playing golf. I take the Renegade and go through my light up, and evaluation ritual. I use a straight cut, smell the cigar, sniff the foot, and take a couple of cold draws. I get some nice dark flavors leaning toward the coffee or chocolate but not overpowering. I light the Renegade and anticipating maybe a heavy spice start but it never came, but that doesn't mean it wasn't flavorful it was. This cigar filled my mouth and nose  with tons of white billowing smoke. The flavors are consistent throughout the cigar, but with not many major changes. So the Renegade is very good just not overly complex.

A little while ago I tried the Fugitive The flavors are all good  but truly not getting the smoke I got from the other 2. I found I was working to hard to get a good draw of smoke. I am The Newbie so I might have cut it wrong or something but I just couldn't get it to smoke properly. I will blame this on me because I have made lots of mistakes on this journey. You got to remember this all started in February 2012.

My overall impression of the Nomads is that they are very good and I am looking forward to smoking the Navigator, and the Drifter I have left. These cigars are very nice looking with a medium colored wrapper, and a bit of an oily texture you would think of more on a dark wrapper. I will keep these in my boxes because they are good. This is a new brand and my opinion is they are definitely  worth trying out. I got the 5 pack sampler and I am very glad I did. 

My reviews don't have numbers because, I am to new, to get that exact. So would I buy a box? No but I definitely will get a 5 pack of the Renegades I really liked them. I would also get some Vagabonds for the times I need a quick smoke. 

The Newbie

The Aficionado's 3 Favorite Stores

Okay, so I have two favorite stores in the US, and one so far in the Bahamas.

The one in the Bahamas is the Havana Humidor Cigar Shop at the Atlantis resort.

You can get real Cuban's there, and they will be very helpful when you go in.

True Cuban's are not as easy to find as many people think.

Most shops sell counterfeits at inflated prices. Even worse, the real thing is frequently not as good as their reputation.
For most US smokers, living under a five decade embargo, Cuban's have gained an almost mystical reputation. Unfortunately the reality is far from the myth.
Communism has been a tragic failure anywhere it has been tried, and the cigar industry suffered as well.
Poor quality control is a major problem, and shortages are always an issue. Because of this, counterfeits show up in even many high end shops, and even when the cigars are real quality is difficult to find.
The only really consistent brand I've tried are Romeo and Juliet. Pretty much anything from them will be good to great.
I am one of the few people that take my cigars with me when I travel outside the US.

As for the US, I have two favorites, and I couldn't pick which I like more. The first, and a must visit anytime you're in Las Vegas is Casa Fuente at the Shops at the Forum mall adjoining Ceasar's Palace.

This shop is awesome from start to finish. Awesome, staff extremely well stocked bar, and a humidor that is filled with some of the finest cigars never rolled between the thighs of a cuban virgin.

The house blend cigars are great, and only available there. Smooth, flavorful and well crafted, these are a must try cigar that only get better with age and won't break your wallet.
They also carry a full complement of God of Fire cigars. They are priced at a slight premium, but not extreme. Almost a bargain for Vegas.
You'll also find a side variety of Fuente's, Ashton's and Diamond Crowns, a veritable humidor heaven.

The crowning jewel's there are a variety of the rarest of the rare in the Fuente line.

Fuente Fuente Forbidden X cigars, and Don Carlos Signature 13.

The Forbidden X is an aged version of the Fuente Fuente Opus X. These are true masterpieces, and rarely sold outside of this store.
You'll occasionally find them in a collectable gift set.
This store carries a full line. You will pay for them because of the rarity, but 50% of the proceeds go to benefit the cigar family foundation.
This provides a school, hospital and other community services to the workers and their families that work the tobacco fields in the DR.
In addition, they have one of the rarest cigars, I have ever tried the Fuente Signature 13.
Legend has it the cigar was created because of a bet made with Don Carlos, that he couldn't craft a great cigar using a blend of tobacco from every producing country.
No matter what the inspiration behind this cigar was, it is a masterpiece created by a true master craftsman. It is also one that you probably don't want to go in for unless you've hit the slots or tables and done well.
At 125.00 a stick it's one of those Vegas excesses that you don't do when you're thinking clearly.
I had one there watching the AFC divisional game in 2006, when the Pats were struggling against San Diego.
After a bitterly cold (it was snowing when we landed) weekend of partying with friends in Vegas, it seemed like the thing to do, and the game turned in our favor after lighting it up, so maybe it was.
There are lots of cigars in Vegas, but in my opinion the best of them are here.



My other all time favorite shop is Jack Schwartz Importers, in the lobby of the Chicago Board of Trade.

Established in 1921, the shop is one that is worth finding. Bill, Eric and Kenny can be found there from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm or so.

In addition there will be a group of some of the most interesting characters you'll ever light up with.

Floor traders on break come up to grab cigars and share the goings on from the futures pits.

One of the last markets that still have pits, the Futures markets are open twenty three plus hours a day, five days a week, which is one reason the shop is open so early, catering to the overnight traders working the floor.

The atmosphere is really cool, and the stories are worth trip. Their humidors are well stocked with awesome cigars of every type and price range. During the spring and summer you can sit outdoors at Ceres cafe next door and enjoy a beverage of your choice. Anyone with a fascination with the markets should not miss a trip here if you're in Chicago.

Unlike Casa Fuente, Jack Schwartz will ship and has a easy to navigate website, so if you can't get there, you can still get their great cigars.

There are many other shops I have had the pleasure of visiting, some are gone, some are still around. One of the things I love doing is finding new and out of the way shops just to see what they have and their take on the business.

The Aficionado