No new review today. Last night’s cigar was a disappointing JR Alt-Monte #2. But the disappointment was my fault—not Lew’s. I had to let the cigar die 5 minutes in, because Kedron woke up from her nap early. When I returned an hour later, the wrapper started to unravel and split, which led to burn and draw problems. This marred an otherwise fine night of heads-up, no-money-wagered poker with Anthony on the back porch.

This brings me to tonight’s subject: I first became a fan of the JR Alternatives line in 2004, because they were the only quality hand-rolled, long-filler cigars that could be obtained for a buck. Yes, there are cheaper buys, but they are either segundos (which by their nature are inconsistent) or mixed-filler sandwich cigars, like Riata and Mister B’s. Back in 04, a bundle of JR Alt-Monte #2 cost $21.95, plus $2 shipping, or $1.20 per smoke.

But over time, Lew’s inventories dropped and shipping costs rose. Today, that same bundle costs $26.95, plus $2.63 shipping, or $1.48 per smoke. Still a great bargain for a very good smoke.

However, I recently found a site called CigarBid.com where boxes of name-brand cigars are routinely placed on the auction block at less than $10 and a feeding frenzy ensues. This site seems to specialize in new and boutique labels that became popular in the boom of the late 1990’s. I see more cigars with “by Rocky Patel” or “by Perdomo” in the name than Montecristo or Punch. Most boxes end up selling for 70% of retail; some even sell for higher than MSRP. But sometimes you can get a steal: I bought a box of Legends Series Camachos and a 20-cigar sampler of CAO, Gurkha, La Perla, and Puros Indios for almost the same price as the JR Alts ($1.68 per smoke, after shipping).

I’m excited about this, because it will mean more variety than what I find at JRCigars, at my present costs. I’ll post reviews soon.

Mister B's Handmade Cigars

You can't get many handmade cigars for $0.50 apiece, so I ordered a few bundles from JRCigars.com when they became available. Apparently, I'm not the only one who's had this epiphany, because more often then not these cigars are out of stock.

First, it just can't be ignored, these are some ugly stogies. The wrappers are often wrinkled, vein-y (is that a word?), and bumped. That's probably why they're sold at such low prices. But most of them smoke well, because as we all know, the wrapper rarely affects taste or burn. They are loosely wrapped concoctions, with fair but not great quality tobacco. On the plus side, they smoke fast when you don't have much time, but they also tend to go out quickly if you don't attend to them often. I don't particularly care for the taste of the naturals, but the maduros were smooth.

I may try them again, but for now I'd rather pay a little extra ($1.25) for the JR Alternatives






Macanudo Crystal Cafe

James and Laura gave me a box of 8 for my 30th birthday. & let me say, these are easily the best Macanudos I've ever had. Smooth, evenly rolled, slow-burning, perhaps a bit too mild -- but definitely a Ritzy cigar. They come in airtight glass tubes with foam-padded, gold-tasselled corks at the top. I probably can't justify the price (nearly $5 apiece), but a very good smoke. Redeemed the Macanudo brand name, in my opinion -- just don't give me anymore of those damn Hampton Courts!

















Excalibur Prensado (JR Alternative)

Another excellent heavy-bodied cigar from the JR Alternative line for the economically challenged. As good as -- if not maybe a tad better -- than the JR Ultimates.