Gispert Toro an amazing smoke for less than three bucks delivered - cigar review

Many of you may already be aware of his Gispert cigars, but until recently, I was not. That's the beauty of cigar smoking: discovering a new cigar and finding the time to savor and judge it.

The half dozen cigar shops that I frequent locally do not carry Gispert. One afternoon, in downtown Detroit, I was trying to decide which of the two best coney islands in the world (Lafayette and American) I noticed a small cigar shop right next door. I went in specifically to treat myself to a Romeo y Julieta something. Much to my dismay, they had none. Odd. Most tobacconists carry Romeo y Julieta since they are a well known name, a damned good cigar and a frequent choice of infrequent cigar smokers.

After informing the seemingly  knowledgeable owner of my dilemma, he recommended a Gispert, saying that it was manufactured in the same factory as Romeo. I purchased one toro stick for about 6 dollars and change (what I was hoping to spend on a Romeo).

Removing it from its wrapper I found a very firm, expertly constructed, hand made cigar. The end was flatter than most cigars making it perfect for plugging. If your a cutter this is a moot point. Upon flaming and turning I found a perfect draw and a rich, creamy, mild to medium-bodied smoke with a hint of nutty pepper (there did I cover everything?). The draw was very smooth with an ample amount of smoke. The ash was impressively consistent, and much firmer than you'd expect from a cigar in this price range.
I returned to buy two more to put in my humidor for an occasion where I could sit, enjoy and reflect on my feelings about this cigar. After the second smoke, I knew I had to get more and went online to research purchasing a box.

A little research showed that these cigars have had a stellar reputation in Cuba since before 1950 and currently use a fine blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos, a natural wrapper and measure a 50 ring by 6 inches. Perfect, if you aske me. Although they are a bit milder than my normal preference, the flavor and volume of smoke make my hand gravitate toward them when I open my humidor.

In this econonmy, I knew that my first purchase would be with the tobacconist with the lowest total price that I could find. The winner: Famous Smoke Shop. They came in at just under $70 for a box of 25, including shipping. That's a mere $2.80 per stick. Almost within my "everyday cigar" range. Maybe I'll just up my cigar price daily limit a little and give up something else.  Like dinner.

Oliva Serie G Corona cigar review - being square ain't so bad!

I've been a fan of Oliva cigars for quite some time. In fact, a few years back, after reviewing the Oliva bundled Robustos, Jose Oliva sent me a bundle of the cigars I reviewed, plus a box of their (at the time) new, premium box-pressed cigars. Of course I knew what to expect from the bundled cigar (still a great smoke for the money), but was really pleased with every aspect of the box-pressed sticks.

So, last week while visiting the Cigar Factory Outlet in Troy, Michigan for the very first time (more on this later), I decided to purchase an Oliva G Serie cigar. I chose a Corona, box-pressed, African Camaroon wrapped delight, with Nicaraguan Habano longfillers and binders.

Spicy, peppery. A bit oily. Even after allowing it to extinquish, it recovered nicely upon relighting and quickly returned back to it's near perfect full-bodied, smoke-filled draw. (This smoke is mostly referred to as a medium-bodied, but I found it to be a bit to the right of medium.)

Nice even burn. Reasonably smooth, firm ash. Excellently constructed.

The most remarkable aspect of this smoke for me was the fact that remained consistent down to the way-too-small-to-be-smoking size. If it starts getting too short to hold, but it hasn't gotten bitter, I may go searching through my vintage seventies stuff to find a roach clip to finish off this fine cigar.

They can be found online at about $100 for a box of 25, or you can probably get individual sticks at a local tobacconist in the six to eight dollar range.

As always, comments welcomed.

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...or not. :)

Cigar ponderings and smoking tips - Charlie Sheen, blowing your cigar, legal separation

• Should we, the cigar smoking community, hope that Charlie Sheen is never photographed with a cigar again? Or might it be a good thing?
• The first tip you should give to a novice cigar smoker: never smoke a cigar with a tip.
• If you blow into your cigar prior to letting it go out or putting it in a snuffer, it will have a much less bitter taste when re-lit.
• If you really want your cigars to smoke as they were intended, make sure you keep different brands separated (either with cedar separators or separate humidors).
• Should you remove the band  from a cigar when smoking? Depends where you live. In England, leaving the band on is an indication of rude arrogance (showing off the expensive cigar you're smoking, I imagine). In my case (since I notoriously smoke quality but inexpensive cigars as my everyday smokes), I try to carefully remove the wrapper so you don't know what the hell I'm smoking. However, to not risk damaging the cigar, it is best to leave the band in tact until the coal gets close to the paper. At this time, the glue holding the band together heats up and is easily removed without damaging the cigar.
• I try to handle anti-cigar smoking people with dignity and mature, calm discussion. But, fact is, they're poo poo heads.

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Macanudo departs from mild with the 1968 cigar line - and I like it!

The Macanudo line of cigars is probably the go-to cigar for the occasional cigar smoker. Everyone knows the brand. Always well constructed. Consistent, even burn. But, they're generally milder than what I prefer.

I recently received a 3 cigar variety pack of Macanudo robustos as a gift. I chose to smoke the Macanudo1968 first because I don't think I've ever had one and it looked a little meaner than your average Macanudo stick.

As you can see the photo, I didn't have optimal smoking conditions. I was banished to the cold and wind to try to enjoy my smoke. Damn people who don't understand or appreciate the all natural aroma of a finely built cigar.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover a medium bodied, rich flavor. The draw was consistent in spite of the wind, and the wrapper stayed in tact and never unravelled.

The 1968 does have a distinctive, tasty bitterness that you will probably either love or hate, but I liked it. Perhaps primarily because it was such a departure from my Macanudo expectations. And the second half was a bit hot, but then again, I was a bit cold and may have been rushing things.

So it seems that Macanudo is trying to expand from the mild blends into darker and richer products. And, even though I don't usually like to spend eight bucks on one cigar, I will make sure I have a couple of these available in my humidor.

The Macanudo 1968 line is available in a variety of sizes from a Churchill to a 60 ring Gigante.

Wrapper: Honduran San Agustin Havana Seed
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Ometepe
Size: Robusto (5 x 50)
Strength: Medium

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Cigar accessory review: push button cigar puncher

I believe that cigar smokers are the easiest people in the world to buy gifts for. Of course you can always buy me an expensive cigar, which will be greatly appreciated, but there are so many other things that are welcomed by tobacco stick suckers.

How about a nice bottle of Scotch (single malt or a good blend)? A new lighter perhaps (not a Bic)? Or, one of those clippy things to put your cigar on while golfing? A new humidor? Cigar cases? Cutters? Okay, maybe even some breath freshener. We're so easy.

I bought myself a cigar accessory gift a couple of weeks ago. More out of necessity than anything else. My two-piece pocket cigar puncher wouldn't properly snap closed, so it would come apart in my pocket, leaving the razor plugging end exposed and available to create holes in my pants.

I do own a few cutters, but prefer the cigar punchers for most cigars except torpedos. I have a cutter attached to my humidor, a bullet in my car (44 Magnum...most powerful cigar cutter in the world...), but I MUST carry one in my pocket so I'm always ready for the next cigar experience.

So, while at the cigar store stocking up on my bundle of Quorum's, I decided to blow a whole extra dollar and get the pop-out cigar punch with the push-button ejector ($5.95). So far, I love this little thing. Just make sure you keep your fingers away from the retracting button while you're doing the actual plugging. Watch the video demo below and then order your very own retractable cigar punch here:





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The winner of the 2010 Really Good Cheap Cigar Award is...

The winner of the very prestigious Really Good Cheap Cigar Award for 2010 is...a really good cheap cigar. But first, a little about the Really Good Cheap Cigar Award. This coveted award first came into the public eye, um, now. This is the first annual (if I decide to do it again next year) award presentation and I am the sole rule-maker and judge. The results are totally insignificant because I do not have the budget to try all that many cigars on an annual basis. I just smoke what I run across or what is recommended to me by friends and trusted tobacconists who know what I like. And that I don't have a lot of money.

On the other hand, by selecting the Quorum Corona, you're going to think I actually know what I'm talking about.

I hesitate to tell the world about this cigar, because some of you who have never tried one will seek them out and probably love them and then buy them regularly. Ten years ago, I wrote a review of the Flor de Oliva Robusto because it was an amazingly consistent, flavorful cigar for a remarkable price. I received a thank you email from Jose Oliva and he sent me some cigars. Very nice.

Then the price went up. I still buy them. I still love them. They are still very reasonably priced. And I'm pretty sure the 13 people who read my review didn't cause a spike in their sales, but I'm just sayin'. I hope the Quorum doesn't take a quantum leap.

Anyway, the Quorum Corona Naturals (and probably their other sizes as well) are almost in a league of their own. Hand rolled, long Nicaraguan filler and binder, an Ecuador-Sumatra wrapper creating a consistent burn and a smooth but rather rich, medium bodied flavor. WTF? How can you beat that? I puchase them at a local tobacconist for about $27 for a bundle of 20. I see them online priced anywhere from $29 to $40. I'm certainly not going to tell my local guy that he's cheaper than the internet. :)

On a scale of one to ten, and not just for budget cigars, I'd give the Quorum a solid 8.997488. Again, because I can.

So, the hands-down winner of  the 2010 Really Good Cheap Cigar Award is the Quorum Corona Natural. Now, hopefully the manufacturers will send me some freebies.

Cigar smoking tips and bits of advice I've learned over the years. Are they all true? Who knows?

I've been smoking cigars for many years and have visited hundreds of humidors across the continent. In my travels I have met many other cigar smokers and we often share little tips (some of which are probably total B.S.). Here are a few of the things I've learned:

• Don't lick or moisten your entire cigar. If it needs more moisture it probably isn't humidified properly.
• As you light your cigar, slowly rotate it over the very top of the flame without drawing. Then when the outer edge is darkened and slightly singed, begin drawing as you continue rotating.
• Never flick your ash off (hee hee, he said "flick your ash off"). If you must remove the ash, gently rub the ash on the rim of your ashtray or elsewhere.
• Don't use Zippo or Bic lighters to light a cigar. The flame gets crazy and flickers all over the place giving you an uneven light and burn.
• Don't buy expensive Colibri lighters. They are way too sensitive and a pain in the ass to mail back for repair/replacement. I currently have about $250 worth of useless Colibris.
• Do buy the much cheaper Firebird lighters (distributed by Colibri, but I don't think they make them). The also have SST torches (or something similar) for precise lighting and seem to last MUCH longer than more expensive lighters.
• Do not put cigars in the freezer. Seems like a no-brainer but I have run across many who have done this.
• As much as you may love cigars, never eat one.

Okay, I'm obviously running out of actual tips. If you have others, please send them for me to share here and on Twitter.

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