Sunday Update

Yesterday was event central for the staff of acigarsmoker.com. We attended a herf for Wounded Warriors at Hudson Valley Cigars in New Windsor, NY. The event was organized by Stogieman who is a regular on the cigar boards and while the majority of the attendees were from Cigar Pass, I attended representing Cigar Outcast. The event raised money for this worthwhile cause and is now in its 4th Year.

Oliva News: At the event I spoke to the rep about the Nub Maduro which Sam Leccia has been bragging on his facebook account that he has been smoking them on a regular basis. I was informed that they are still on target for a late March or an early April release and Oliva will also be releasing the O and G in a natural wrapper over the next few weeks.

In the evening we headed to the grand opening event for the 2nd location of Cigar Inn which is located in NYC. Cigar Inn is one of my favorite smoking locales in the city. The brothers Gus & Billy are 2 of the nicest guys in the business and I wish them nothing but success. In the coming days I will add photos that I took with the CAO Flavorettes, Avo Uvezian, and Rocky Patel.

Rocky Patel News: At the event we had the pleasure of talking to Rocky Patel who was very accommodating. He disclosed to us that both the Spring and Summer Collections were already created and will roll out with no delays. He also informed us that the Rocky Patel Winter Collection featured a Pennsylvania wrapper, Ecuadorian binder and Nicaraguan filler.

The Sunday Links:

Toms Cigars takes a brave pluge and reviews an infused cigar from Drew Estates, the Acid Red Nefasto.

Cigar Command which recently underwent a redesign reviewed a humidor by Avo Uvezian with the classic No. 5 Tubo.

Cigar News…

First off I want to welcome everyone who saw my website mentioned in the newest issue of Smoke Magazine. The first issue that I am a panelist in has hit the newsstands. For those of you who are unsure of the issue, it is the one with Tucker Carlson on the cover and my ugly mug is on page 77. The picture is when I shaved the facial hair, which is now back. The next issue will feature a picture of my handlebars.

CAO News: I was informed tonight by Jon Huber of CAO Cigars that the LX2 lancero will be available as a regular release and should start to appear in cigar shops sometime in March. No word yet on the MSRP. For those of you who have yet to have them it one of the best lancero smokes around today.

Oliva News: It has come to my attention that the Oliva V Maduro will be released yearly as a limited edition smoke. No word on when the 2009 release will be, but if they follow the 2008 pattern it will be sometime in the fall. In other Oliva news the Nub Maduro and Nub Miami should be out sometime in the spring with the Miami being a limited release.

SCHIP: The word/abbreviation that cigar smokers has come to hate. I have been informed that the federal tobacco tax will go to 40 cents a stick. While this is a big victory for cigar smokers, it does further put a crack in the dam. Don’t forget how small the first increases in cigarette taxes were before they ballooned to what they are now. Let your congress person know you are appreciative of the hike not being out of control, but it has to stop here!

Contest Time: In the next couple of days I will have a contest where you can win a 5 pack of Defiance and a Xikar cutter compliments of Xikar, Inc. If you have not yet smoked the Defiance from Xikar I suggest you give it a try. It is a great smoke!

On a final note, I will be back on Friday with a review of the Mi Dominicana cigar which I received today compliments of Altadis USA.

Cigar Review: Oliva V Maduro

Oliva V Maduro

Better late than never. I bought these limited edition cigars over at Barrister Cigars in Union, NJ and have been sitting on them ever since. The time to get them has gone and past, so posting this review might be pointless, unless Oliva decides to re-release them which I hope they do. The “initial” run was limited to 50,000 cigars and sold out really fast. On a side note, if anyone knows how to prevent photo booth on the Mac to prevent taking pictures in the mirror image leave a comment or drop me a line.

Cigar: Oliva V Maduro
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 6.5 x 52 (Torpedo)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Appearance & Construction (18/20): A typical looking Connecticut broadleaf with lots of veins showing on the wrapper. The oils are plentiful, although the cigar feels a little light in my hands. The foot shows off a little bit of a loose tobacco, but this was not typical of the rest of the box. The label is the same as the rest of the V line with the exception of word maduro to the left of the logo.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): Perhaps it has to do with aging the cigars but the prelight aroma on my cigar was a sweet cherry from the foot of the cigar while on the draw I get a bitter chocolate with some spices. As we light the first third of the smoke it offered some notes of coffee and wood which slowly crept from the background to the foreground. As we approach the second third of the cigar the primary note is wood, with some bitter chocolate and leather developing in the background as the final third begins. The cigar finishes with some bitter chocolate, pepper and leather notes which creates a nice little kick.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): The draw of the cigar was perfection, with it not being too loose, or too tight. The burn line was similar to a lot of my experiences with the maduro wrapper; slightly jagged. It never needed to be touched up though and the ash was a medium gray that held on tight and firm.

Overall (23/25): As I said before I hope that Oliva makes this smoke again as the broadleaf wrapper changes the complexity of the cigar. It is a full bodied smoke that can become overpowering if smoked on an empty stomach, but following a nice meal it is a great way to finish the day along with a nice single malt scotch.

Rating: 91
Price: 6.75

Cigar Review: Ashton VSG

Ashton VSG

Today’s review comes from Tiger Woo and is of the Ashton VSG Belicoso #1. According to the Ashton website the VSG is blended exclusively for Ashton by Carlos Fuente Jr. using 4 to 5 year old aged Dominican tobacco taken from the finest and most fertile plants. The distinct flavor of VSG comes from its wrapper grown on a private estate in Ecuador owned by the Oliva family where this proprietary wrapper leaf is grown for the Fuente Family exclusively for Ashton VSG. The leaf is taken from the higher primings and matures slowly by sunlight filtered through the region’s natural cloud covering. The result is the rich intoxicating wrapper which has made the Ashton VSG the most in demand cigar on the market today.

Cigar: Ashton VSG
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 5.25 x 52
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic

Appearance & Construction (19/20): When I think of an Ashton VSG, I’m reminded of the reason I like cigars in the first place. Without getting too philosophical, the Ashton VSG line seems to embody the virtues of a prototypical “good cigar.” Its classic character and beautiful construction all provide an experience that lives up to one’s expectations when they think of “relaxing with a good smoke.” This belicoso is no different. Its beautiful construction is highlighted by its dark, oily wrapper with a rough toothiness. While I usually smoke the Spellbound, this belicoso was a welcomed, shorter smoke.

Flavor & Notes (25/30): Pre-light, the aroma and taste was of classic tobacco notes with a hint of fertilizer. At the foot, floral notes accompanied fruit flavors reminiscent of plum. Upon lighting, I was welcomed by a medley of spice, cinnamon and a hint of clove. As the smoke progressed, these became a cedar sweetness with creamy notes of myrrh. In the last third, there was notable, but certainly not off-putting, bitterness accompanied by notes of raw peanuts. The sweet finish persisted through the end of the smoke, which left a pleasant after-taste.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): The burn was even and slow, leaving a medium gray ash which held through the midpoint before it fell. The draw was indicative of the construction: easy with a slight firmness.

Overall (23/25): Overall, I was happy with the smoke. Its very elegant flavors underscored the classic notes of tobacco which, in my opinion, is the hallmark of the VSG line. A great experience. Its price, though on the high side, is warranted as one is guaranteed a very satisfying smoking experience.

Rating: 89
Price: 12.00

Cigar Review: Oliva Serie G Tubos

Barry recently got a few cigars from a user group he is a member of and being that I am huge fan of Oliva cigars I confiscated them for my own personal use. My name is Sonny and I used to own a cigar lounge in Brooklyn, NY for many years, I am the person who is responsible for Barry first picking up a cigar. While I taught him how to smoke a cigar, he has taught me how to enjoy a cigar. Even though I won’t be a regular contributor here at acigarsmoker.com I joined Barry at his favorite spot to smoke on a comfortable September morning and offered to review this cigar.

The Skinny:

Cigar: Oliva Series G
Size: 6 x 50 (Toro)
Wrapper: African Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

Pre-Smoke: When I took the Oliva cigars off of Barry I agreed to do a review and on this fine morning it was something I was looking forward to. The cigar had fine notes of cherry on the wrapper, while the foot offered notes of Cherry with some cocoa added to it. The cigar was firm to the touch, and the wrapped showed some veins and white dots, almost like tiny white heads. I was informed this was little pockets of magnesium that should add to the quality of smoke. I clipped the cigar with Barry’s idiot proof cutter from hippotech and the pre-smoke draw was easy with notes of cherry and cedar.

Smoke: As you can see from the picture this is a cigar that held on to its ash for a long time. I was impressed with how tight it was and the light to medium color in gray it was. The strength of the cigar was medium, however it was full flavor. The cigar offered notes of chocolate that got bitterer as the cigar went on. Accompanying the chocolate was notes of coffee in the final two thirds, and some cedar was mixed in throughout the cigar as well. The finish of the cigar was very nutty and it remained with me for quite sometime which was very welcomed.

Overall: I was very impressed with the Oliva Series G cigar and it was without a doubt the best Oliva I ever smoked. The cigar seems to have been well aged, and it was stored in proper conditions as well. The cigar was a great way to start the day.

Rating: 92
Price: $37.00 a box of 10

Cigar Review: Nub Cameroon

At first glance the Nub looks like something my grandfather would have in his mouth all day. The cigar comes in 3 variations (Nicaraguan Natural, Connecticut Natural, and Nicaraguan Cameroon) and four different sizes (ranging from 3.7″ to 4″). The cigar I smoked was the Nicaraguan Cameroon 464 (4″ x 64 ring), which usually is to thick of a ring gauge for me, but being it was a torpedo I had no problem with its girth. The cigar was nicely constructed with little to no oils visible on the wrapper but had a nice spongy feel to it from being properly maintained in a humidor.

I was informed by the salesperson that the idea behind this cigar was that every cigar has a sweet spot and that every cigar in this line was the sweet spot. All the excess tobacco not inside the sweet spot was trimmed away and not used in any way for the cigar. A great idea if you ask me even though the size was quite funny looking. In fact until I tried it I thought the cigar was pretty much a novelty.

It wasn’t until I decided to write this review that I found out the cigar is made by the Oliva Family, whom I must admit I am not a huge fan of their product. But with the help of one of their sales reps named Sam Leccia who worked with Jose Oliva they realized that this was a complex and hearty smoke that they had created. And the success isn’t new for Mr. Leccia who was also the partner of an award winning Vodka.

The wrapper of the Cameroon Nicaraguan 464 is grown in Cameroon, Africa and due to the size of the cigar I thought it would smoke very hot. In fact I thought it would be too hot to enjoy. But the cigar proved that one can not judge based upon looks. A rich wonderful taste enveloped my palate. The hints of cedar and a glorious coffee taste remained for the 1 hour it took to smoke this beauty. So far this is the best cigar I have smoked in 2008, and quite possibly it will fall into my top 10 of all time.

Cost (At point of purchase): $4.75
Rating: 89/100