I need a cigar education!

[EventHorizon]

Well, BM11 was right, the Padron '64 Torpedo Maduro is great. I really enjoyed this cigar and I'm glad I let in sit at 65% for a few days before smoking it. I will say this however, I'm not finding a greatly different taste profile across Padrons. This cigar had a longer 'spice' zone for sure, and the last third had a slightly more pronounced and fuller flavour but by and large, it was very similar to the other Padrons I've had. While I enjoy the Padons, I would like to have a different taste from one to the other - like wine or Scotch for instances... perhaps the 5 years of aging mellows them all to a similar level of taste?

I might trade/sell some of my Padrons and try other brands. Certainly not unhappy, it was a very enjoyable smoke and I'm very nicely relaxed from it, just wanted something a different...

 

[rjacobs]

I will say that a lot of the cigars in a particular brand tend to have the same or very similar flavor profiles. They are all generally done by the same person, who typically likes a certain type of cigar and flavors and typically does that throughout the line. When you look at expensive vs. cheap in the same family its generally stuff like more aged tobacco vs. younger tobacco or higher quality tobacco leaves vs. lower quality, etc... but overall they look for similar flavor profiles. Thats my experience at least. If the cheaper Padron's taste just as good to you as an expensive padron I would stick with the cheaper sticks.

 

[bm11]

Well, BM11 was right, the Padron '64 Torpedo Maduro is great. I really enjoyed this cigar and I'm glad I let in sit at 65% for a few days before smoking it. I will say this however, I'm not finding a greatly different taste profile across Padrons. This cigar had a longer 'spice' zone for sure, and the last third had a slightly more pronounced and fuller flavour but by and large, it was very similar to the other Padrons I've had. While I enjoy the Padons, I would like to have a different taste from one to the other - like wine or Scotch for instances... perhaps the 5 years of aging mellows them all to a similar level of taste?

I might trade/sell some of my Padrons and try other brands. Certainly not unhappy, it was a very enjoyable smoke and I'm very nicely relaxed from it, just wanted something a different...

My findings are similar, every Padron Maduro tastes like a Padron Maduro. The 1964 Anniversary is a fantastic stick. The Serie 1926 is a similar flavor profile, but with a bit more complexity and body. The Family Reserve again has a similar base flavor only more rich and complex.

When you are in the mood for a change, a different Padron isn't quite different enough. However, I find the flavor profile of every Padron to be superior to every other cigar I've had, so often times I smoke something and think "yeah that was nice for a change, but it was no Padron." Going on the same track even further, the more I smoke Padron's the more I am able to discern the differences between them, and the more I feel like I am actually getting a different experience when I smoke the different varieties.

In any case, those are just my own findings and yours may be completely different! I could help you pare down your supply once I get my larger humidor built. Until then, my capacity is pretty well stuffed!

 

[bm11]

Just smoked this. Not a bad cigar, the burn was nice. Firm draw, medium amount of smoke. The smoke had a nice pepper that died off after the first third or so. After that, a pretty straightforward, one dimensional "toasty tobacco." Not sure what CA was smoking when they rated it the #3 cigar of 2012, because I can think of quite a few better smokes. However, for $7 and change, I don't think it's a bad smoke.

 

[bm11]

Todays selection: a Fuente Fuente Opus X Fuente Fuente (5 5/8 x 46), aged since 2010:

This was a gift from the shop owner at the cool Victorian mansion cigar bar I visited on Wednesday. He didn't have any for sale, but in conversation he determined that me and my smoking buddies were true connoisseurs, and I had recently smoked a young Opus X robusto, so he generously offered up an aged robusto that had been sitting in his personal humidor since 2010.

I let it rest at 60% RH since Saturday morning, clipped it with my Xikar cutter, and slowly toasted it with Davidoff cigar matches until it was ready to go. I smoked it with my friend who also received one, so we could compare notes.

It started off very peppery, but quickly mellowed. Through the first third, the smoke was very smooth and creamy, with almost zero finish and very hard to discern any flavors beyond the creaminess of the smoke. The strenth of the cigar was ever present in the background, quickly making the nicotine content known, but with such a subdued mild flavor it seemed unexpected (except that I WAS expecting it.)

The flavor profile grew steadily as the cigar progressed, developing more earth and leather, but never really became a "strong flavored" cigar. Plenty of smoke and very creamy in texture. The ash was white and flowery, dropping off flakes of ash here and there, but held on strong. The burn and draw were both excellent, the above picture makes the burn line look wonky, but it didn't require correction and was much more sharp for the majority of the smoke. The pepper returned in the last third, where the flavor was the richest.

Overall a very enjoyable smoke! I prefer a stronger flavor profile but the extreme smoothness and creaminess of the smoke made this a pleasure for being so perfect in that respect. Do I think that this cigar is worth the $20-$30 it fetches at the current demand based price? No. Do I think its worth it at retail ($9.50)? Absolutely. I do look forward to trying an Anejo at some point, which from my understanding is the same filler and binder tobacco with a maduro wrapper.

-BM

 

[rjacobs]

Imo that's when you know you have a great cigar. When you know it's strong but it's also extremely smooth at the same time. I think some people sometimes associate a "strong" cigar with something going to knock their socks off but when they have something like an opus, padron 26, fuente anejo, liga privada, etc... and its a power house that's also buttery smooth they take it a little differently and think it's not an ultra strong cigar and it bites them in the ass. Its a rare combination that can be smooth and powerful.

 

[Downzero]

I really enjoy the Kristoff Criollo's, Drew Estate Liga Privadas, Oliva Serie G and Serie V, and Punch Rare Corojos.

I used to smoke Fuente Hemingways regularly, but lean more towards a fuller bodied stogie.

I'm a huge fan of the Kristoffs of any flavor, and the Oliva Gs and Vs. I can't say I've had the others.

Visited Famous Smoke in 2009 and have been a fan ever since. My dad is my cigar supplier; he has a humidor with 600+ cigars aging on a regular basis. My humidor is much more modest.

I regard Switch as the master of scotches and cigars around here. I think we should have a forum just for the nectar of the Gods!

Many of my favorite cigars have turned out to be $3-4 a stick; using price to evaluate a cigar has often resulted in no conclusive evidence for me! I've had great cigars and crappy cigars that were pricey; I've even found Cubans that were not all that impressive. Cubans tend to be smaller ring sizes as well, and I prefer at least a 50 ring and prefer 54-58. Length isn't that important, and anything from 5-7 seems fine; most of the Presidentes I've had weren't as good as a Churchhill or Robusto of the same line.

 

[Switchblade]

I was mildly surprised by the recent Diesel I smoked. It had good flavor, was fairly smooth, nice notes and highlights, and after the first inch or so it definitely made a statement to richness and full body. I would say only rivaled by the Camacho SLR and 601 Maduro or Oscuro that is the standard to compare richness to. I desire a rich, full bodied cigar, I grab either the SLR or the 601. Nuff said. It's the reason it's on the list. It is also the reason the Diesel didn't make the list. It was measured up to the 601 and the SLR.
Don't think that list was well thought out or tested for tried and true? It took a few years, and five plus years of mediocre cigars compared to really good cigars to make. A few, originally 10, made the list, but as we speak on the list, it does hold places out to about 15 - 20 due to a few really great cigars. Here it is again:

Padron 80 Years
Padron 1926 40th anniversary
Esencia
Kristoff Maduro
Joya de Nicaragua Antano 70, and Dark Antano
Gurkha Shaggy Madruo
Gurkha Royal Reserve
601 Blue(Maduro) and Green(Oscuro)
Any Double Ligero(DL, and L series) La Flor Dominicana
Ghurka Legend
Diamond Crown Maximus
La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial Jocko No1 Maduro
Camacho Triple Maduro(for taste notes the above listed do not offer)
Cuban Bolivar
Cuban Monte Cristo
Cuban Partagas Cifuentes
La Flor Dominicana Factory Press
La Flor Dominicana Limitado(yearly small batch production)
Drew Estate Undercrown(LP T52 also)

My challenge to you is this:

Smoke one or two of each of the cigars on that list. Take notes. Go out and buy what you want to try. Smoke it and see how it compares to a similiar cigar on the list. Once you do this, you will see, this list is the standard for dark and medium wrapper great cigars. Fuente, they are good, but compared to similar cigars on the list, a bit harsh. Davidoff's? Mostly light wrappers, training wheels for real cigars. The list is what you graduate to, what you finally realize one day that nothing really compares to it. What you figure out, that if you had $5000 to buy a box of each, the list you would pick from. Of course if you cannot smoke all of that list without truning green, well, maybe you should stick to a few more training wheels such as the CAO Gold, and MX2, Griffins, or Zino Platinums(These are all very mild, really mild, I think only the green candela is milder)

 

[rjacobs]

Interesting that you rate the SLR so high. I have a box coming I got for $66. I also have another box of Camacho Diploma's coming that was stupid cheap as well. My previous box only has about 10 left(it smells like spicy tomato soup when you open it, its a wonderful aroma).

I have had quite a few of the cigars on your list. For you Maduro guys, you really got to check out the Kristoff Maduro as he mentions. They are amazing. Shaggy foot is cool too. I dont know if I would have the Undercrown on my list(I would sub it with the #9 and then the T52). I have had 2 or 3 and seen about 5 smoked and they all had issues, enough so that if I see them anymore(they arent that hard to find) I will skip them for something else. And IMO the #9 is currently my favorite cigar so I like that flavor profile.

 

[bohem]

Bohem: if you keep your cigars at 70% you should try dry boxing a couple cigars and smoke them a little drier and see how it suits you. Just take an empty cigar box and put a cigar from your humidor in there for a day or two. Obviously this wont work if you live in an area where the humidity is HIGHER than your humidor on a normal basis.

This is something that I can definitely try in the winter though right now the %Rh is running at 70-100% pretty consistently.

I stopped by the B&M shop nearby and picked up some empty boxes from Oliva, Padron, and RyJ that are basically branded little humidors. I conditioned one with Chivas Bro. 12yr and have a couple of "fell off the line" seconds from a friend that are picking up the flavor. The humidity control is filled with Chivas as well instead of DeMin/DI water. I had a RyJ recently that was treated this way with Jim Beam and was pretty surprised at how nicely they smoked, I figured that I would give it a whirl with some cheaper smokes and see how it worked out.

 

[bm11]

I bought some Kristoff Maduro a few trips back, but haven't smoked one yet. Due to the secondary recomendation by rjacobs, I'll light one up tonight.

What is the trick with lighting up the shaggy foot?

 

[rjacobs]

Just light it. Don't be afraid. Do you have a torch? I don't use matches, I have a xikar double torch. You can get a cheap torch at Wal-Mart the ronson brand for like 3 bucks.

 

[bm11]

Just light it. Don't be afraid. Do you have a torch? I don't use matches, I have a xikar double torch. You can get a cheap torch at Wal-Mart the ronson brand for like 3 bucks.

I have two torches but prefer a match if I am in a situation to use one. I find the quality of the smoke is better if I take my time and slowly toast with a series of matches, rather than scorch the fucker with a torch.

 

[rjacobs]

Eh, you can toast the foot with a torch just as good as a match. I'll spend about 45-60 seconds heating the foot then I'll purge the cigar to super heat and remove any butane then you just have to hit it with the torch real quick while you take a puff and its going. I've never noticed a difference between matches, torch, soft flame, cedar, stove top, camp fire, etc.... I wouldn't say I scorch the hell out of it.

But with the shaggy foot I would do a torch but you could try a match and see how it goes.

Only thing I use matches for is a figurado.

 

[bm11]

Got tied up at work last night and wasn't able to smoke the Kristoff, so my review will have to wait.

Here is a question: I'm having a humidor built, a cabinet style. How important is having a temp controlled unit? I live in Maine, one of the coolest states int the country. This will be kept in my finished basement. The hottest days of the year, the basement reaches mid to high 70's, but most of the year it sits around 60-65f. I'm aware of the risk of cigar beetles, but it doesn't seem like it happens too often. A temp controlled cabinet is a ton more money, which is why I ask if I need it.

 

[rjacobs]

skip it. I dont temp control mine, although its just a giant igloo cooler. Get a cigar oasis for your humidity and call it done.

Freeze your cigars for 48-72 hours when you get them and you will kill any beetle eggs.

Im getting a load of cigars delivered from UPS shortly(will post pictures when it arrives) and they will all come out of the boxes, into zip lock bags, and into the freezer till Saturday morning.

 

[Downzero]

Freeze your cigars for 48-72 hours when you get them and you will kill any beetle eggs.

Bad idea. It will also dry them out. 0* air is going to be dry!!

 

[rjacobs]

Bad idea. It will also dry them out. 0* air is going to be dry!!

not a bad idea at all.

do a google search for "freezing cigars" its an extremely common practice.

I have frozen probably 2000 cigars and have never had issues. I am sure millions and millions of cigars have been frozen with no consequences. Its not like you are leaving them in there forever.

 

[rjacobs]

How to properly freeze cigars?

The complete guide to freezing cigars

The science behind freezing


There are way more, but those were the 3 most informative.

 

[rjacobs]

What do we have here? UPS attempted to smash this box, but all contents were safe, just a little cellophane breakage on one of the bundles, no worries none of the cigars were damaged that I can tell.

And the contents. This is from Cigarbid.com aka the devil site. The prices on it are just ridiculous for what you get and you VERY quickly go overboard. You buy for a whole week and they combine shipping. Its basically an auction site for cigars and accessories.

5 Vegas Classic 55's
5 Vegas Series A Archetype
Camacho Diploma Maduro 6/60
Camacho SLR
Montecristo Media Noche Edmundo
2x Gran Habano Vintage 2002

I wont say what I paid for each thing, but the entire total plus shipping was $395. The only thing that isnt exactly as advertised was the Camacho Diploma's. It said they were a 6x60 it did not say they were Maduro. I have a box of 5x50 Diploma's with a Natural wrapper and they are superb, so I was hoping to get another box, just in the 6x60, but these are Maduro's. For the price paid I am not worried about it though.

Of everything I bought I have only had the Camacho Diploma's(or so I thought). Everything else got very good reviews and I know the Gran Habano's are a lot of guys on Puff.com every day smoke. The Camacho SLR's are extremely highly rated as well. Same with the Montecristo's(I havent had a Monte I didnt like). The 5 Vegas got some decent reviews of both, the Series 55 is a light bodied cigar while the Series A is a strong cigar.

Overall another successful order from Cigarbid.com. You have been warned to stay away.

 

[bm11]

Yeah I've been dropping bids in cbid here and there, ended up with a couple of Xikar lighters, some Padron 40th Anniversary Maduro's, etc.

Nice take! I need more storage before I go buy anything else. My "300 Cigar" humidor is just about full.

I haven't figured out 100% which way I want to go for a cabinet humidor, so I may go with a coolidor for a temporary option.

What do we have here? UPS attempted to smash this box, but all contents were safe, just a little cellophane breakage on one of the bundles, no worries none of the cigars were damaged that I can tell.

And the contents. This is from Cigarbid.com aka the devil site. The prices on it are just ridiculous for what you get and you VERY quickly go overboard. You buy for a whole week and they combine shipping. Its basically an auction site for cigars and accessories.

5 Vegas Classic 55's
5 Vegas Series A Archetype
Camacho Diploma Maduro 6/60
Camacho SLR
Montecristo Media Noche Edmundo
2x Gran Habano Vintage 2002

I wont say what I paid for each thing, but the entire total plus shipping was $395. The only thing that isnt exactly as advertised was the Camacho Diploma's. It said they were a 6x60 it did not say they were Maduro. I have a box of 5x50 Diploma's with a Natural wrapper and they are superb, so I was hoping to get another box, just in the 6x60, but these are Maduro's. For the price paid I am not worried about it though.

Of everything I bought I have only had the Camacho Diploma's(or so I thought). Everything else got very good reviews and I know the Gran Habano's are a lot of guys on Puff.com every day smoke. The Camacho SLR's are extremely highly rated as well. Same with the Montecristo's(I havent had a Monte I didnt like). The 5 Vegas got some decent reviews of both, the Series 55 is a light bodied cigar while the Series A is a strong cigar.

Overall another successful order from Cigarbid.com. You have been warned to stay away.

 

[30calDeath]

Last Sunday I smoked a Camacho of some sorts, it was too mild personally and I wouldn't smoke that particular cigar again. Then the next night I lit up a Ghurka Ninja and really liked it! I think I am into the more bold cigars. I am going back this Sunday evening with my Dad and the shop owner said he might have some Padrons, that would be fantastic. If not MAYBE I will smoke that Ghurka Ninja again, I liked the size and how long it lasted among other things.

 

[bm11]

Last Sunday I smoked a Camacho of some sorts, it was too mild personally and I wouldn't smoke that particular cigar again. Then the next night I lit up a Ghurka Ninja and really liked it! I think I am into the more bold cigars. I am going back this Sunday evening with my Dad and the shop owner said he might have some Padrons, that would be fantastic. If not MAYBE I will smoke that Ghurka Ninja again, I liked the size and how long it lasted among other things.

Cool! I haven't tried a Ghurka or a Camacho yet, though I'm looking forward to it. If you smoke a Padron, keep us in the loop, I think they are top of the heap.

Smoking a Kristoff maduro after a nice toasted pistachio mahi mahi fillet tonight. So far so good!

 

[bm11]

Smoking the Kristoff maduro as I type. Very enjoyable cigar! Good, smooth maduro flavors. I'm not detecting the complexity of a Padron, but that may because I ordered too many drinks at dinner. In any case, a nice smooth smoke with medium strength sweet maduro toasty earthy flavors. Definitely like it enough to order more!

Edit- the more I smoke the stronger and better the flavors get!

 

[rjacobs]

I had one of my Camacho Corojo Diploma Natural's tonight that has been in my humidor for about 2 years. REALLY mellow compared to the last time I had one of these. I have about half the box left, thought I had more, guess a good thing goes quick(glad I got another box being primed). Was not as strong as I remember. Camacho Corojo's are not known for their razor sharp burn lines, my guess is because Corojo tobacco is like a sponge, and I have experienced the jacked up burn line before, but this one burned great. Wont say it was razor sharp, but I didnt touch it up at all. Was an enjoyable cigar by all accounts. The nicotine is for sure present in these cigars which is what Corojo tobacco is known for. First time I smoked one of these was in Durango, CO and I smoked it a bit quick due to a time constraint and didnt want to waste half a $12 cigar. I got the nicotine poisoning of a life time. Sweats, nausea, headache, etc... Didn't puke, but I wanted to. So I came home and bought a box.

Im not so great with the descriptions of the flavors in the cigar, but the first bit of this cigar(and the smell you get when you open the box) is a spicy tomato soup smell and flavor. It settles in to a fairly peppery body, which is typical of Corojo's. Im not somebody who can pick up "leather", "earth", "wood", etc.... I can pick up chocolate flavors and the peppery flavors pretty well though. I am a pussy when it comes to retro-haling so I know I am missing out on a lot of flavors and smells.

BM11 I will send you a Camacho Corojo Diploma here next week when I send out BigJoe's package.

 

[bm11]

BM11 I will send you a Camacho Corojo Diploma here next week when I send out BigJoe's package.

Thanks buddy, I'm sure I'll enjoy it, and I'll post my thoughts up after smoking!

 

[rjacobs]

Got all the new stogies out of the freezer last night and into the fridge and then this morning onto the counter to come back to room temp and then just played a little cigar tetris to get them all into the cooler.

Welp, coolidor is full again. I could make more room by ditching the boxes and going to more plastic storage bins or getting the cedar drawers that a guy on Puff.com makes that fit right into the cooler perfectly, but for now this has been working for 2 years.

 

[Switchblade]

Got all the new stogies out of the freezer last night and into the fridge

NEVER. EVER. Do this ^^^

Do NOT put your cigars in a freezer, in a refrigerator, or anything but a good humidor. Sealed boxes in a coolerdor, fine, but separate cigars should only be placed in a good humidor.
Anyone who tells me they cannot tell the difference when smoking them has burned out taste buds and probably couldn't tell a faked genache from the real deal either.

Freezer??? Damn!

 

[rjacobs]

NEVER. EVER. Do this ^^^

Do NOT put your cigars in a freezer, in a refrigerator, or anything but a good humidor. Sealed boxes in a coolerdor, fine, but separate cigars should only be placed in a good humidor.
Anyone who tells me they cannot tell the difference when smoking them has burned out taste buds and probably couldn't tell a faked genache from the real deal either.

Freezer??? Damn!

Sorry I've been a victim of cigar beetles. I'll trust the guys on puff.com and a few other cigar sites that say to freeze every cigar you get. There a few resellers that freeze every cigar that they get from the manufacturer before they sell them. I haven't noticed a single issue or difference or anything by freezing them. Gives me piece of mind that I won't have a cigar beetle outbreak in my coolidor. I linked above to a few threads on freezing cigars. If it was a bad idea I think the guys on some of the other sites would say don't do it...They all say the opposite.

I'll continue to freeze my cigars, if you choose not to, that's up to you.

 

[Downzero]

Glad to see that my view has been vindicated by the man himself.

The air simply does not hold much humidity at 0* and it is NOT a good idea to freeze cigars. It cannot help but dry them out.

 

[rjacobs]

I take it you did not read any of the links I posted?

Never had one single issue with dry cigars, never. A cigar will survive outside a humidor for a week to 10 days.

Like I have already said if you think it's a bad idea, don't do it. I'll go with the guys on puff.com and continue to freeze my cigars before putting them in my humidor.

 

[EventHorizon]

ah the inevitability of drama...

many modern (non-Cuban) producers have freezing as part of their process. They freeze or chemically treat the loose leaves prior to rolling. Let's also look at some logic - plenty of foods are frozen are yet retain excellent taste profiles so why not cigar leaves? Cigars are fairly robust things, they can survive in a freezer and be restored in a humidor. They can survive for a few days (I don't know about 10...) outside of a humidor in a non-humid atmosphere and be restored.

Heck, I'll do an experiment with a Padron and see. It's the only cigar I've smoked recently so any change in taste and I will pick up on it. If I say so myself, I have pretty good taste buds.

Edit: I should add, the method or speed of freezing is probably important too. Fast is best.

 

[bm11]

It would be good to know the result of your experiment, EH. I personally have not done it, for no other reason that I feel like I will just take the risk. If cigar beatles were super common, I'd probably worry a bit more. It doesn't seem like people get struck all THAT often, though I can see that it would be devastating if it happened to a good collection.

Smoked an Oliva V Belicoso tonight. It started out rough, I think I must have scorched it a bit though I was careful when lighting it. After the first 1/4 inch or so the flavor settled in and it was an enjoyable smoke. I'll certainly keep some in the humidor for sure.

 

[30calDeath]

This evening I went back down to my local cigar lounge and smoked a new cigar. I am still such a noob that my palate hasnt really developed or matured. So it is hard for me to give a good review as I can not discern the different notes and flavors of cigars, I am working on it though. I smoked a Casa Magna Colorado, that might not be the correct description but that is what the label said. I enjoyed the cigar, it was really easy to smoke and I had to re light it maybe 2x. It was bold to me at least. Their is a possibility I MIGHT go back tomorrow to smoke something else but probably not till next week.

*Edit* here is the one http://www.cigaraficionado.com/cigars/top25detail/year/2008/rank/1

 

[bm11]

^^^Cool! I haven't tried one of those yet. Being that it was "#1 of 2008" and is relatively inexpensive, I'll have to make a note to grab one next time I see one. Maybe I'll get lucky and happen across one today?

Last night I had a Rocky Patel Vitage 1990. Generally a super solid smoke, but something went awry with this particular example. The wrapper had some cracks, and the flavor was definitely "off." Perhaps it had something to do with temperature hitting 92 yesterday, and being that I am out to camp, I have no climate control? Or it could just be a bad stick.

 

[EventHorizon]

Bohem's mentioned it earlier but he and I had some Comacho 10th Anni.'s and they were awesome. Full of flavour and a great mellow smoke. I had my first 'not so good' Padron last night. It was ok to annoying (went out, didn't burn even at all) and actually got better in the last part of the second third before going full on nicotine taste before being put out. I had this in a ziplock since Friday morning so...

I think these cigars are very prone to changes in humidity once out of the humidor (in that they are very quick to absorb higher levels if the ambient humidity is higher than the humidor). A shame really, as I don't have an indoor location to smoke as I prefer to smoke at night.

 

[bm11]

Checking in with a quick update, despite bad service here at the lake. On vacation, so I have more time to smoke.

Yesterday I smoked a Padron 1964 Annivesary Exclusivo (maduro.) As alway, the cigar was absolutely top notch. The size is about perfect for me as the formidable strength can get to be too much for me in a larger format.

While cooking dinner (a fresh, steamed 2.5 pound Maine lobster,) I smoked a Brickhouse robusto. My smoking buddy loves these, but I certainly didn't.A boring smoke of plain tobacco flavor and limited volume, I ddefinitely did NOT see what he saw in these. No complexity at all, unless mu palate is too undeveloped to notice it. On a positive note, the construction was great with a mostly perfect burn and nice tight ash.

This afternoon I relaxed with a Jack and Coke, and a Liga Privada No. 9 robusto. A very nice smoke! It had a tangy fruit taste and superb smoke volume. Some nice toasty notes mixed in and some earth as well. Construction was fantastic with a razor sharp burn that held onto ash forever, I only ashed it once. Medium strength I would say.

 

[Switchblade]

Sure, I ran a world wide distributing/direct sales, sales of over $6,000 to large companies(Revision Eyewear) cigar business at a profit after only four years. My so called expertise is questionable. I will say this though, not one of you has the hours or days spent in conversation with men like Charlie Torano, Steve Saka and John Drew, Litto Gomez, and a few others. I took every single bit of knowledge, asked way more questions than I should have, but got straight, right from the real experts mouths on what cigars, cigar businesses, and the love of the leaf were all about. I gleaned lifetimes of lessons learned from these people who's generosity was always present. My words are backed by the teachings of well over 150 combined years of expereince by the men who make what we enjoy and blend those lovely fermented tobacco's. Many of those men took a personal interest in my business because of how fast my distribution grew from a single state to a world wide status in less than two years, and also because I had a very fine view of what the military type smoker liked and enjoyed, the guy in the sand. I still speak with a few of these guys off and on each year, just because we like to BS with each other. They also like to push me toward opening up a brick and mortar shop here(I am considering Gurkha and all it's elevated leather and luxury), but I need at least a million or so to do it in nothing but the highest style that men like us prefer to enjoy when we smoke our tobaccos. Don;t listen to me, I don't know a thing about this area. I'm a complete cigar dumbshit.

When they say never freeze cigars(they do do it at the factory before shipping) after you get them, they speak with their integrity of their own crops and brandlines. If you get a beetle in your cigar, more than likely it came from a warehouse setting somewhere in Florida where most of this stuff comes into the country, but most certainly, it did not come from the manufacturer unless something got by their QC(I have had this happen one time, an older line of Torano's Signature series that came in small glass topped boxes that were not properly sealed...the beetles came in through the box, not in the cigar)
Freezing your cigars will stop any and all humidity in them. There is a reason some things are called 'freeze dried' and why things in the freezer dry out and collect freezer rot. If you are worried about beetles, simply open all your boxes, and cellophane each and every cigar and keep each one segregated in a different humidor. It is a not so nice part of our hobby to find the not so occasional beetle then shit all over ourselves trying to figure out if our entire stash has been compromised, then doing dumb shit like freezing it. The simplest way to see if your stash is compromised is to segregate your new purchases in a small box for about a month. If you have a beetle, it will manifest in about a week or so and you might lose one, maybe two cigars at most.


You want them to burn right? Store them at 65%Rh - 73%Rh, have a smaller box for weekly supply set to 55%Rh, smoke those. You will see they smoke much better, have way more flavor, and burn evenly and all the way to the nub without hitting that half to 3/4 bitter nasty place so many like to find that are not conditioned right and the tobacco resin collects in the center and befouls the entire cigar by turning it acidic

 

[Graham]

Got all the new stogies out of the freezer last night and into the fridge and then this morning onto the counter to come back to room temp and then just played a little cigar tetris to get them all into the cooler.

Welp, coolidor is full again. I could make more room by ditching the boxes and going to more plastic storage bins or getting the cedar drawers that a guy on Puff.com makes that fit right into the cooler perfectly, but for now this has been working for 2 years.

The colder the temperature the less moisture the air is able to hold. At cold temperatures it is impossible maintain a humidity level of 70%. At below 70% humidity cigars begin to dry out. Dry out a cigar and it is ruined. Sometimes you can revive a dried-out cigar, provided that re-moisturizing it is accomplished very slowly and it is not too damaged. But freeze a cigar and it can easily become damaged beyond repair.

And a cigar will not survive outside a humidor for a week to ten days... Unless the humidity in the air outside the humidor is at or above 70%.

BTW, last week I had the pleasure of trying a recent crop of RJ No. 3s and the very small Bolivars. It wasn't in Europe proper, and maybe they were Spanish market, but I was underwhelmed. No, they were not counterfeit. It appears to me as if the cigars available here are getting better while many of the second-tier cigars in Cuba, even those from first-tier manufacturers, are getting worse.

 

[rjacobs]

Were not going to ever agree on freezing vs. not freezing. I have seen zero ill affects from freezing my cigars. I freeze them for 48 hours. Any moisture in the cigar is quickly frozen, not eliminated. I put them in 2 zip-lock freezer bags to seal them from any bad odors or anything else in the freezer. I also remove as much air as I can from the bags prior to freezing. I have ruined exactly zero cigars doing this process and I have frozen probably 2000 cigars to this point. I personally dont have a refined enough pallet to determine if the flavor changes or not, but I have smoked enough cigars from a shop before buying a box that I can say that very little changes about the cigar IMO. Your all's opinion is different. If you come to my house to herf(and everybody is always welcome) you should bring your own stogies because all of mine will have been frozen upon arrival at my house prior to going into my humidor.

 

[bm11]

Cigar 2 yesterday was a Surrogate Skull Crusher. A full bodied smoke, I enjoyed it, but I had been drinking a bit so I don't recall what flavors I picked up. Damn, gonna have to smoke another one!

 

[Downzero]

Any moisture in the cigar is quickly frozen, not eliminated.

This is where you're wrong. Colder air simply cannot hold as much moisture as warmer air. 100% humidity at -10 or 0 degrees is DRASTICALLY lower than at 70 degrees. Freezing cigars HAS to try them out.

If your cigars were not ruined, they took well to being rehydrated. But I'm willing to bet that most cigars, if dried out to the point that you're suggesting, do not take rehydration well, to the point that they will have both burning and cracking issues.

No way in hell would I put my fine, hand-rolled delicacies in the freezer.

And it's nice of you to invite me to your house, and I'd love to take you up on that. I'll bring smokes for both of us and you can supply the booze, since we know your smokes are ruined.

 

[Switchblade]

In the last ten years, I have seen 1, ONE, tobacco beetle. That was the single specimen in the Torano Signature sample box that was not properly sealed. That is one single beetle in 5 years, and an average of 1800+ cigars a year, or an average total of 9,000 cigars in 5 years. In 10 years I have still only seen that one single beetle. Now mind you, that 1800 cigars per year is an average number taken from a gross business average that runs from $5,000 a year to $13,000 a year. That, sir, is a hell of a lot of cigars at wholesale prices, and does not account for the $6,000+ in purchases from Revision Eyewear. One lonely beetle in ten years and over 9,000 cigars. One beetle is not worth freezing good tobaccos that are perfectly fine. The loss of a single cigar, or even two or three, may well be the cost of enjoying so many great ones.

 

[EventHorizon]

Does anyone have a means (non-electronic) of lowering humidity to 55% if the ambient RH is higher? I've looked into Boveda packs and they only go down to 62%. I want to try Switch's method but only have a desktop humi.

Thanks

 

[Graham]

EH, I like your sig. line.

Since 1994, in countless cigars in seven countries on three continents, I have never seen a tobacco beetle.

 

[EventHorizon]

Review: Padron 1926 #2 Natural

Muy caliente!

And I'm not talking just about the weather folks! This blasted heat and humidity has wreaked havoc on my smoking but I've had a box of these waiting for me since Monday and so this evening I braved the elements and sparked up.

White pepper, full, rounded flavour of spice, leather, sandal wood and did I mention spice? Perhaps the cigar hadn't fully acclimatized from the journey or Padrons need a more arid humidor than my 65RH Bovedas provide but from the first draw to the last I knew I had a hot one here. I'm a fan of Indian food and when I was in England I would take clients to the best restaurants of their kind and in London one is not stuck for choice of high-end Indian cuisine. This cigar reminded me of the best of them. The trick to a good Indian dish is to allow the spice to bring out the innate flavour of the ingredients rather than to smother them with heat and so it was with my Padron. I could taste the familiar Padron tobacco and earthy notes but also, and more so than the Maduro of this size, I could taste the more subtle flavours of wood and leather. The main difference being however where the Maduro is a feast of creaminess, the Natural is a shot of heat.

The construction, again, is flawless. I would swear that Padron has a number of German-blooded rollers given the stoic nature of the white-stone ash that kept form and disciple such would put an Audi R8 on a dry runway to shame. When the ash, fully halfway down, did fall, it made my deck groan and must have woken the Kraken somewhere in Greece. But what would I care? I was Perseus exhaling a smokey Pegasus and watching it swirl up into the half-moon night air.

At about this point, the cigar newly fired from the influx of oxygen the flavour turned noticeably milder, but this is from a high level of strength initially - think Mike Tyson in round 4... This is a man's cigar, this is a cigar by which heavy options are weighed and commands given that determine the fates of men and nations. Or in my case the somber contemplation of the ever growing 'honey do' list waiting to ambush my weekend like a snake hiding 'neath the flower.

The color of the Natural wrapper is not the cafe-au-lait of some other cigars, the Nicaraguan darkness is not far from this wrapper but next to a Maduro it lacks the oily, brooding mystery of the Maduro's coffee bean complexion. I enjoyed it, and I think, strong as it was, it may have enjoyed me, it was my first Natural and not least because I have another 23 to go, it won't be my last.

Get in shape for this one chaps, it takes no prisoners, or names, and just wants to know if you have the cojones to light up...

 

[bohem]

Muy caliente!

And I'm not talking just about the weather folks! This blasted heat and humidity has wreaked havoc on my smoking but I've had a box of these waiting for me since Monday and so this evening I braved the elements and sparked up.

White pepper, full, rounded flavour of spice, leather, sandal wood and did I mention spice? Perhaps the cigar hadn't fully acclimatized from the journey or Padrons need a more arid humidor than my 65RH Bovedas provide but from the first draw to the last I knew I had a hot one here. I'm a fan of Indian food and when I was in England I would take clients to the best restaurants of their kind and in London one is not stuck for choice of high-end Indian cuisine. This cigar reminded me of the best of them. The trick to a good Indian dish is to allow the spice to bring out the innate flavour of the ingredients rather than to smother them with heat and so it was with my Padron. I could taste the familiar Padron tobacco and earthy notes but also, and more so than the Maduro of this size, I could taste the more subtle flavours of wood and leather. The main difference being however where the Maduro is a feast of creaminess, the Natural is a shot of heat.

The construction, again, is flawless. I would swear that Padron has a number of German-blooded rollers given the stoic nature of the white-stone ash that kept form and disciple such would put an Audi R8 on a dry runway to shame. When the ash, fully halfway down, did fall, it made my deck groan and must have woken the Kraken somewhere in Greece. But what would I care? I was Perseus exhaling a smokey Pegasus and watching it swirl up into the half-moon night air.

At about this point, the cigar newly fired from the influx of oxygen the flavour turned noticeably milder, but this is from a high level of strength initially - think Mike Tyson in round 4... This is a man's cigar, this is a cigar by which heavy options are weighed and commands given that determine the fates of men and nations. Or in my case the somber contemplation of the ever growing 'honey do' list waiting to ambush my weekend like a snake hiding 'neath the flower.

The color of the Natural wrapper is not the cafe-au-lait of some other cigars, the Nicaraguan darkness is not far from this wrapper but next to a Maduro it lacks the oily, brooding mystery of the Maduro's coffee bean complexion. I enjoyed it, and I think, strong as it was, it may have enjoyed me, it was my first Natural and not least because I have another 23 to go, it won't be my last.

Get in shape for this one chaps, it takes no prisoners, or names, and just wants to know if you have the cojones to light up...

You review cigars like queers write back-cover synopsis on grocery store lust-novels for women.

 

[EventHorizon]

You review cigars like queers write back-cover synopsis on grocery store lust-novels for women.

So you're saying you're pretty moist right about now huh?

lol!

Wait til you smoke one of these tomorrow, you'll be skipping round the place.

 

[bm11]

Eh- what Padron did you smoke? If there is a pic, I missed it, and I can't find it in your description, though it did make my mouth water reading it!

A few quick tasting notes before I run back to the lake- Weds I smoked a Rocky Patel Fifteen robusto. It was a great flavored cigar. The burn got a little jagged at times but that probably had more to do with the 15 mph wind I was smoking in. Nice toasty nuts flavor, it reminded me of a milder Padron 64.

Yesterday I smoked this Tempus:

Only got a third of it down before a buddy fumbled it into the water. Oh well, it wasn't starting off great anyhow with a charry aftertaste, and no great flavors of note.

 

[EventHorizon]

It was a #2 1926 Natural. I'm going to have another tonight I think. Then I'll write Bohem a poem and send him a Weiner shot just to make his day...