State of the Humidor - Jan 3, 2014 

I have shamelessly let this cigar blog lapse since last August.  It's going to bite me in the butt, too, because I've smoked a lot of good cigars and now I can't remember what they were. 

Here's the 2014 State of the Humidor:

New cigars to try in 2014:

1. E.P. Carillos Predelictos
2. Pinar Del Rio Small Batch Black Corojo Torpedo

Last cigar of 2013:

• Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story, while watching a Bears-Packers game with my brothers-in-law

First cigar of 2014:

• El Credito from the LGC factory in Miami, while watching Fiesta Bowl at Steve Laster's house

New cigars I tried in 2013, that I would purchase again in the future:

• Padilla Reserva Maduro Toro
• EP Carillo Core Natural
• Joya de Nicragua Antano 1970
• Dunhill Aged
• Cusano Habano LXI Sun Grown
• Pinar Del Rio Habano Sun Grown
• Casa de Fernandez Miami Toro
• Beale Street Maduro
• "My Uzi Weighs A Ton" Bait Fish
• Gran Habano Corojo Vintage 2002 (although I prefer the "non-vintage" version)
• Maria Guerrero Robusto
• Alec Bradley MAXX Brazil
• Cupido Criollo (but not the perfecto, due to persistent construction issues)
• Nat Sherman Timeless Collection #556

New cigars I tried in 2013, that I would not purchase again:  

• La Traviata by CAO
• Zino Platinum
• Gurkha Ghost
• Rocky Patel Private Cellar
• Dona Flor Robusto
• CAO Concert Churchill
• CLE Corojo

I'm running 3 humidors, and here is an approximate listing of their contents from memory:

• 5 Vegas Limitada 2011 Belicoso
• La Perla Habana Morado Toro
• La Habana Rojo Toro
• Famous Nicaraguan 3000 Torpedo
• 5 Vegas High Primings Double Corona
• 5 Vegas Miami Churchill
• Pinar del Rio (sampler of various blends)
• Oliveros Sun Grown Churchill
• Pinar Del Rio Small Batch Black Corojo Torpedo
• Legends Series - Camacho
• La Perla Habana Morado Belicoso
• Man O War seconds
• Pinar del Rio Sun Grown Dbl Corona (half box)
• E.P. Carillos Predelictos (5)
• Excalibur Legend Challengers (2)
• Padilla Achilles Toro (2)
• 5 Vegas Cask Strength Toro (single)
• Perdomo Patriarch Corojo (single)
• Perdomo Grand Cru Corojo (single)
• Perdomo 2 Limited Edition (single)
• Perdomo Lot 23 (single)

This doesn't count the Lost Sticks Cemetary, the top tray of my large humidor. I save the last cigar from each box and put it in this tray for long-term aging, just to see how some sticks will hold up for 3-5 years.

Cupido Criollo Doble

Size: 5.5 x 50 (perfecto)

Tobacco: Nicaraguan Puro

Price: $3.68 (online)

I have a love-hate relationship with all cigars from Cuban Crafters.  I love the way they taste: 

•         Tio Pepe - Earthy, floral flavors
•          Medina 1959 - Mild, nutty corn puff flavors
•          Don Kiki Green - Mint/ginger/cinnamon aromas
•          Don Kiki Brown - Heady, rich earth flavors

The Don Kiki Red was sort of an exception; their flavors were inconsistent from stick to stick. 

But construction problems seem to be endemic to these cigars:  plugged, tight draw, loose draw, canoes, and flaky ash. 

 

The Cupido Criollo Doble was no exception.  It featured dark, shiny, glossy wrappers.  Several cigars had alternating sweet-and-spicy flavors that I sometimes get from a really high-end criollo leaf.  Aromas and draw were nice.

But I couldn't keep one of these things lit to save my life.  The leaves were rolled very loose, which caused flaky ash and fast burn.  I would often have to relight up to 3 or 4 times to touch up canoes or because the thing would lose its cherry in the time it took me sip my bourbon or turn the page in a book.

Maybe the problem was the perfecto shape, which I've heard tell can only be accomplished by the most skillful of rollers.  If I ever try this brand again, I'll go with a larger vitola (to compensate for the loose draw and fast burn)  and I'll avoid the perfecto shape

Tio Pepe Churchill
SIze: 7.0 x 48
Tobacco: Nicaraguan Puro
Price: $1 (Closeout)

I just love the advertisement copy for this cigar (shown above). It reminds me of Joe R. Lansdale's novel The Magic Wagon about charlatans in the Old West who drove their clapboard stagecoach from town to town peddling cure-alls, potions, and salves for every possible ailment.

Perfect Recession Cigar!
Sweet Tobacco Taste with Light Cream Undertones!
Unique Rolling Technique Gives You 20% More Tobacco Per Cigar!

Eventually, according to CubanCrafters.com, this rolling technique got too expensive, so the brand was discontinued forever.

In truth, most of my Tio Pepe's have been either completely plugged or the draw was so tight as to make them virtually unsmokeable. Even after a year of aging at 62-67% RH. Even after two weeks of dry-boxing. There's just too much leaf rolled into a 48-ring to allow oxygen to pass through and ignite a clean burn.

Cigar forums on the internet also carry a few cautionary tales of beetles in this brand.

I will admit, though, that two Tio Pepe had a good draw, and tasted very good. No sweet vanilla undertones, but earthy and floral and consistent. Reminded me of my Perdomo Fresh-Rolled after a few months in the humidor. Great for relaxing for two hours in the pool.

Update 05/06/2014: I smoked the last Tio Pepe from the Lost Sticks Tray tonight.  Five years aging made a pronounced improvement.  The burn problem was completely resolved.  A nice tooth had developed over the wrapper.  Flavors were mellower and smoother than I remember, but at the same time more pronounced.  A solid medium-bodied cigar now, rather than the mild floral impressions I described earlier.

State of the Humidor - Jan 2010

New cigars to try in 2010: Don Kiki Brown Label, Don Pepin Serie JJ, Don Pepin Blue, Sol Cubano, Flor de Murias, Tampa Sweetheart #85 (second to Fuente 8-5-8)

Last cigar of 2009: My New Year's Eve lineup consisted of a Padron 1926 Anniversary robusto, paired with Maker's Mark, followed by an Omar Ortez Original belicoso.
First cigar of 2010: DPG Series JJ Maduro (celebrating the University of Alabama's 2009 National Championship in the Rose Bowl)

Best (new) cigar of 2009: Oliva Serie V
Worst (new) cigar of 2009: RP Olde World Reserve Corojo

New cigars I tried in 2009, that I would purchase again in the future: La Herencia Cubana, Africa by Don Lino, Perdomo Fresh-Rolled, La Invicta, La Tradicion Perdomo, Ashton Benchmade, Verdadero Organic, Vegas de Fonseca, La Flor de Cano, Graycliff 1666, Casa Magna, Rocky Patel Edge Maduro, Ramon Allones Reserve, Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro, Cuesta Rey Centro Fino Sungrown, Medina 1959 Miami Edition, CAO Gold Maduro,Man O'War, Oliva Serie 'O', Oliva Serie 'V'

New cigars I tried in 2009, that I would not purchase again: Fonseca 5-50, Fonseca Vintage, Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Corojo, Gran Habano 3 Siglos

I'm running five humidors right now. Here an approximate list of their contents:
(3) Gran Habano #1 Robusto
(3) 5 Vegas Limitada 2008 Torpedo
(3) Punch Gran Puro Bonita
(7) El Mejor Emerald Robusto
(19) Padilla Hybrid Robusto
(35) Fresh-Rolled Perdomo Cuban Wheel Double Corona
(50) Omar Ortiz Originals bellicoso
(19) Tio Pepe Churchill
(25) Don Kiki Brown Label Churchill
(20) Gran Habano #5 Pyramid
(25) Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet Toro
(24) 5 Vegas Miami Toro
(24) La Flor de Murias Epicure
(23) Ramon Allones Reserve Corona Gorda
(5) Gurkha Master Select Churchill
(6) 5 Vegas Cask Strength
(3) Gran Habano 3 Siglos Torpedo
(6) Bahia Blue Robusto
(8) Man O'War Churchill
(20) Legends Graycliff Toro
(20) Calle Ocho Churchill
(20) Perdomo Slow-Aged Glorioso
(20) Flor de Allones Maximo
(20) La Herencia Cubana Toro
(1) DPG Cuban Classic
(1) DPG Series JJ Natural
(1) DPG Blue Label
(1) DPG Legends
(2) Gurkha Class Regent

plus, I'm sure, a few assorted sticks, quietly forgotten, aging patiently until I find them again.

(This review was written on Sept. 16, 2009)

Medina 1959 Miami Edition Torpedo
Size: 6.5 x 52
Tobacco: Nicaragua
Price: $9

I bumped into a Cuban Crafters sales rep while on vacation in Gulf Shores and, inspired by that conversation, decided to splurge on one of their higher-priced offerings. Medina 1959 are hand-rolled at the Cuban Crafters Miami factory by their namesake, Manuel Medina, and his young protégé Oscar Medoza.

According to Cuban Crafters’ website, the cigar is “filled with delightful tastes of toasted nuts, mild spices and smooth waves of butterscotch with sweet malt cream”

Well, I lit this up two weeks later, during the long drive from Pine Hill, AL back to Memphis, TN. I didn’t get any of the butterscotch or sweet malt cream. This was a very mild cigar with nutty flavors, similar to a Gran Habano #1 or 5 Vegas Gold, with an oddly distinct taste of corn puff cereal. It burned straight with a thick line of black mascara and a gray ash. It smoked for about 90 minutes.

Relaxing, enjoyable, yes… but certainly nothing remarkable to justify its reputation. I would prefer any of their lower-priced Don Kiki lines instead.