Life Goes On

To further my coffee education, about three weeks ago I contacted Simon Thompson, owner of Cravens Coffee , and arranged a tour of the roasting facility. Cravens Coffee is a local roasting company located here in Spokane, WA. Simon replied that they don't really offer tours, but invited for a cupping. This was my first cupping experience and there is only one word to describe the time spent at Cravens Coffee: Amazing! After our meeting, Simon provided me with three coffees to sample and review. This Sumatra Mandheling IKA is the first review of the three. I'll write a more detailed account of my visit in the days ahead. Quick Details Origin: Near Lake Toba in northern Sumatra Process: semi-washed wet/natural process Roast: Dark / Italian Notes: Mandheling is the finest of the dry-mill Sumatras. Brewing method: Pour over As I opened this bag of Sumatra Mandheling, two things jumped right out; the rich coffee and cocoa aroma and the oil sheen on the beans. Every

The Sosa Robusto is another of the cigars on my daily smoke list and I seem to always have a few in the humidor. These sell for around two bucks each and sometimes you can pick them up at prices lower than that. Quick Details Cigar Size: 5  x 50 Robusto Wrapper: Connecticut Broad-leaf Maduro Filler: Dominican and Honduran Cutting Method:  Colibri V-Cutter Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: $2.00 each in bundles of 20 If you look at the image of this cigar you can see that construction wise this cigar is top notch! The oily wrapper contains only the finest of veins and the Connecticut broad-leaf is wrapped on with near seamless care. Feeling down the body there are no hard or soft areas and testing the foot for aromas, there are notes of spicy cedar and earth. Once the end is clipped the same flavors show up while sampling the free cold draw. As the cigar burns there are flavor notes of toast, spicy cedar, earth, cocoa, molasses and rich tobacco. I wouldn't c

Over the past couple of years I have smoked several of these but have never quite had the time to do the quality review this AF-1 Robusto from Emilio Cigars  deserves. I have been picking these up from time to time and and have a few of these floating around in my humidors. I'm not sure exactly where this cigar came from so I will give everyone credit,   BuckHead Cigars , Cigar Train , and  House of Emilio . Quick Details Cigar Size: 5  x 50 Robusto Wrapper:  San Andres maduro Filler: Nicaraguan Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: $6.75 from Cigar Train This cigar has been around for a while and like I mentioned earlier I've smoked quite a few AF-1's. Being familiar with this stick one thing really stands out; consistency.  Every AF-1 I've smoked has the same top-notch construction, a great burn and the same fantastic flavor mix. Once out of the cellophane the AF-1 is a great looking cigar. The oily San Andres maduro wrappe

The newly designed brightly colored box and the bright new bands say bold, but is it? Read on and find out. Quick Details Cigar Size: 5  x 50 Robusto Wrapper:  Authentic Corojo (5th priming) Binder: Authentic Corojo Filler: Authentic Corojo (3 primings) Cutting Method:  Colibri V-Cutter Smoking Time: 65 minutes Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: $7.99 purchased at Cigar Train Camacho did a great job with the new packaging. The first thing you will see with this cigar is how striking the bright red band looks against the dark brown Corojo wrapper. Overall finish of this cigar is great, the oily wrapper has tight seams and only the finest of veins are visible. Feeling down the body, it's packed tight, but not overly hard, and I there were no soft areas to be found. To the nose, the cigar's foot had mixed aromas of anise, toast and molasses. The same flavor mix was present after clipping the end with my new Colibri V cutter and testing the free cold draw.  Also, the

This Colibri Cutter V-Cut is one of the gifts I received on Valentine's day from my fantastic wife. Quick Details: Operation: Spring loaded release Style: V-Cut Blade: Stainless Steel Cigar Size: Up to 60 ring Price: $ 39.00 For decades now I've been mainly using punches and low priced V cutters on my cigars. My typical V cutter is one of those I'd pay around $4.00 for and they really tear part of the cap out instead of cutting it. Once I pulled the Colibri out of its' nice gift box I was surprised by it's weight, it was hefty, and that it had a spring loaded opening system. I thought that was a pretty neat feature. The stainless steel blade is much different than the cheap V cutters, it has a trailing point so it actually removes the V from the cigar starting at the top of the cap and cuts the bottom of the V last. I have tested it on several cigars and so far the super sharp blade has not caused any extra cap damage.  A couple of things

BODEGA PREMIUM BLENDS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ICON MANN™ FOR 2ND ANNUAL “POWER 50” PRE-OSCAR DINNER EXPERIENCE Los Angeles  - February 20, 2014 - Bodega Premium Blends @BodegaCigars today announced their support of ICON MANN™ and the 2nd Annual pre-Oscar event.  ICON MANN™ is the leading lifestyle media company “championing the accomplishments and positive dialog surrounding the Diaspora of Black men.” Their impressive list of luminaries span from Award-winning actors/directors/musicians to Fortune 500 businessmen including numerous premiere Cultural Artistes, Media Moguls and Technology Entrepreneurs. One of the many goals of ICON MANN™, according to its founding partner and CEO, Tamara N. Houston is to “recognize men from multiple countries and a wide array of industries who are using their tremendous professional success to advance the lives of others, be it communities, or nations in some meaningful way. ICON MANN™ does not specify how this is done or have allegiance

This Cameroon Boyo from Cush Coffee  is my first review using my new burr grinder. Quick Details Origin: Boyo, Cameroon Elevation: 1550 meters above sea level Cultivars: Boyo (Jamaica Blue Mountain derivative) Process: fully washed, patio dried Certifications: Organic, More than fair trade The first thing I noticed was the amount of oil present on the beans. From first opening the bag, to pouring the ground coffee into the press, this Cameroon Boyo had strong aroma notes of chocolate and coffee. Once the coffee had steeped and was cupped, there was a nice oily sheen floating on top. With the first few sips I could tastes flavor notes of sweet fruit, semi sweet chocolate and wood. The body was light and brisk with a clean semi sweet finish. With the second cup from the press the woody flavor notes were stronger and the finish left a slightly acid aftertaste on my palate, but the underlying sweetness remained. Next I would like to try this coffee with a full bodied Cor

Right now I am using two of these Man O' War humidors, one for ageing, the other my to-be-reviewed cigars. I actually picked up three of these off auction site and then traded one off. I wish that I hadn't done that since the two I have are at capacity and I have my daily cigars in a tuper-dore. Quick Details 100 cigar capacity Spanish Cedar Lining, lift out tray and  three dividers SureSeal Technology Hidden Quadrant hinges Felt lined bottom Large rectangle humidifier analog hygrometer Dimensions: 13.5"W x 9.5"D x 6.25"H Retail: $99.00 These humidors have much better construction than any I have owned in the past. They both pass the dollar bill test, hold the their humidity well, the dividers stay where you put them and even the locks work. The downside is the rectangle humidifier and hygrometer that came with them suck! Oh sure they work OK, but they would not stay attached to the lid.  Both humidifiers have been replaced with Humi-care HX10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, February 18th, 2014 Williamstown, Kentucky BLUEGRASS CIGAR SUITE NAMED HOUSE OF EMILIO MASTER RETAILER Nathan McIntyre, House of Emilio National Sales Director announced today that Bluegrass Cigar Suite, Williamstown, Kentucky has earned the distinction of House of Emilio Master Retailer. "DK, and Jordan Kenner called us out of the blue several years ago having done their research through social media," McIntyre notes. "They are energetically engaged in online communication, reviews, and add a lot of creativity to being a retail tobacconist. It has been a pleasure to work with them from day one, and now to add this special shop as a Master Retailer." "When you have access to such a diverse line up of quality cigars, its difficult not to support it," states Jordan Kenner, Chief of Social Media Management and Humidor Director for Bluegrass. "Top to bottom, or better yet, left to right, the House of Emilio por

The Bahia Blu toro is another of those cigars that are part of my daily budget smoke mix. I pick these up quite often for a few pennies over a buck per stick and there are always a few in my humidor. Over the past couple of years I have smoked dozens of these yet have never reviewed them. So here goes... This Bahia Blu Toro cigar has nice construction, it's packed well, the smooth oily claro colored wrapper is rolled on with nice seams and it's nearly vein free. From the foot there are notes of tea and toast while the smooth cold draw provides notes of spicy leather.  Once the Bahia Blu is burning there are flavor notes of cedar, toast, butter, oak, white pepper and leather. All of the flavors are subtle and mild as the cigar starts in the mild body range and finishes its burn in the medium range. As the cigar burns a nice oil line develops on the wrapper and a soft light gray ash is left behind. I smoke these as driving and kick-around cigars because they fare we

On Saturday, March 15 th , 2014 The D.C. TweetUp Cigar Shop Crawl will take place. The organizers of the event have teamed up with Dissident Cigars and the DC KEG BUS to create a raucous environment, aboard the Shop Hop Bus, to enjoy premium cigars and travel in style between four different Tobacconists in the Washington, D.C. Area. Red_Ryan and Gweedo C of Dissident Cigars are excited for the opportunity to participate in this years event and plan to make the embarkation aboard the bus one for the ages, with antics, giveaways, and other sundry shenanigans. Starting at 10 a.m., the bus embarks on an entertaining journey to W. Curtis Drapers in Bethesda, Maryland. From there, it continues on to Tobacco Leaf in Jessup, Maryland, before traveling to Chesapeake Cigar Company. The final stop of the rolling party will be at Aphelion Cigar Lounge, in Gambrills, Maryland. Proceeds from the DC TweetUp this year will benefit the American Diabetes Association. Dissident Cigars formed in 2013

This review of the 1502 Black Gold Perfecto is the last of the three perfectos. Before you start asking where you can get this cigar, currently it is only available at 1502 lounges. Quick Details Cigar Size: 5  x 50 Perfecto Wrapper: Sun Grown Maduro Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi & Cush Coffee Nicaragua SHG cafe Price: Est. $7.00 - Samples provided Global Premium Cigars  a member of House of Emilio Construction of this cigar, like all 1502 cigars, was top notch. The firmly packed cigar was covered with a dark maduro wrapper that was rolled on with near seamless skill and it contained only the finest of veins. Feeling down the oily wrapper it was covered with a medium amount of tooth. Once both ends were clipped the aroma from the foot had notes of toast and chocolate, the free cold draw contained notes of mild black pepper and semi-sweet chocolate. Being a perfecto the cigar was easy to light and pro

Well we got a start on our coffee station yesterday. Here are before and after pictures. We are still going to add shelves and some other things in place of the current wall hangings. We took the buffet out of the kitchen and replaced the china hutch in the dinning room. Then removed the top from the china hutch for the coffee station. It has made a huge improvement to both rooms.

Most of you know the XIKAR Ash Can is not a new item, but it's a new item for me. Why I hadn't picked one of these up sooner is beyond me, I've needed one for years.  I take quite a few 20 - 30 minute drives and most of the time I don's smoke a cigar because I have no place to store the left over half. Well now my problem is solved. Quick Details Stainless steel construction Fits most cup holders Ring and spiral secures cigars Easy on lid keeps the ashes and odors contained  2.75"  x  4" Price $15.99 Amazon prime This XIKAR portable ashtray can is actually pretty sweet. On days I pick the kids up from school I can put the remaining half in the can, put on the lid and no longer listen to the kids complain about  my stinky cigar in the ashtray. It's a win-win for me. I give this XIKAR Ash Can a 10 out of 10 rating.

The last few trips to Cigar Train this Sons of Anarchy Gordo has been calling my name so finally, because of the artwork on the bands, I gave in and picked one up. Quick Details Cigar Size: 6  x 60 Gordo Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Oscuro Filler: Nicaraguan Cuban-seed Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Purchased at Cigar Train One can't help but notice the size of this cigar, it looks massive! Giving this stick the once over I can see the oily wrapper has a medium amount of tooth, contains only the finest of veins and was rolled on with near seamless skill. It's a great looking cigar. Checking the foot for aromas there are notes of sweet tea and tobacco to the nose. Once the head was clipped the free cold draw had mild notes of spicy cedar mixed with chocolate. I always worry about wrapper damage when removing bands from the foot of a cigar, but to my surprise this one was loose enough it slipped right off with ease. Once the cigar was burnin

For the past few years I have been a big fan of AJ Fernandez cigars I think he blends some great tasting sticks. Quick Details Cigar Size: 7 x 48 Churchill Box-Pressed Wrapper:  Sumatra Ecuadorian Oscuro: 7th cut Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero Cutting Method: Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi -  auto drip coffee Price: $7.00 Visually inspecting this cigar I found it to be well constructed. The oscuro wrapper was rolled on with near seamless care and it only contained the finest of veins. Testing the aromas from the foot I found a pleasant mix of dried fruit and tobacco. Once the end was cut the free cold draw had the same fruity sweetness with a touch of white pepper. To the hand this was a fairly light cigar, it was packed well, but not as firmly as I expected it to be but there were no spongy areas. Once the Fallen Angel was burning the first few draws were a mild bodied mix of caramel, brown sugar, white pepper and tobacco. Into the second h

Cigar Federation announces the release of it’s first cigar The Collective . The cigar was blended by Ezra Zion Cigar Company and manufactured in the Casa Fernandez factory in Miami, Florida. “New media has changed the cigar industry dramatically in the last few years. We feel it has started a second cigar-boom, especially in the boutique arena. We wanted to make a cigar that would pay tribute to that and The Collective project was born.” noted Kyle Hoover. “Smoking this cigar is a completely interactive experience. By scanning the QR code on the band when you light up will allow you to smoke the cigar with us via video. You’ll hear all about how the cigar came to be, the blend, the process. It’s like we all came over to your house, raided beer from your fridge and lit up the cigar with you.” said Chris Kelly.  The Collective is a micro-batch project and features a San Andres Cafe Claro wrapper over binder and filler of Nicaraguan. Total production is 250 boxes of 20. The

After my run of breakfast cigar reviews the last week I am excited to get going on the dissident SoapBox Rave. Quick Details Cigar Size: 5.5  x 52 Rave Wrapper:  Jalapa Binder: Double Esteli Filler: Nicaraguan  Jalapa Esteli Congdega Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: $8.49 Samples provided by dissident Cigars . Right out of the cellophane I knew this would be another great stick. The seamless wrapper was nearly vein free and the cigar was tightly packed full length. I can only think of one word to describe my initial thoughts on the cold aroma coming from the foot of the SoapBox; Enticing. To the nose there was a nice mix of dried fruit, rich tobacco and a hint of oak. Once the end was clipped the same flavor mix left a lingering aftertaste on my palate. After toasting and lighting the cigar's foot, the first flavors were white pepper, leather and brown sugar. After the few initial draws the pepper dropped off leaving a medium bodied m

It's cold out--too cold to smoke and review cigars. So consequently I am just sitting here reading and thinking; switching off between cups of diet Pepsi and auto-drip coffee. Next week I have an appointment with the owner of cravenscoffee.com , Simon. He is giving me a tour of his roasting operation and then invited me for a cupping. OK, so this is pretty cool, I have never done an actual cupping before. @BaristaOnDutY and I have talked about cupping a bit, so to learn more I've been reading and reading and then reading more. After all this reading a few things are running through my head so I will throw a couple questions out here. Not only do I review cigars, but in my own way I do coffee reviews too. Should I care about cupping? I have read about the benefits and the fun, but what I care about is drinking coffee and how it tastes, either from my press or by doing a pour-over. Is this thought process wrong? The second thing is; every blog mentions the importance o

The selection up for review today is the 1502 Emerald Perfecto and in my opinion it's another perfect breakfast time smoke. But before you go crazy asking where you can get one for yourself, the 1502 Emerald Perfecto is currently only available at 1502 lounges and this sample was provided by Global Premium Cigars . Quick Details Cigar Size: Perfecto - Box Pressed Wrapper:  Corojo Habano Filler: San Andres Mexico and fields from Estelí and Condega in Nicaragua Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: Est. $7.00 - Samples provided Global Premium Cigars  a member of House of Emilio After both ends were cut, testing the aromas from the body and foot I found a light scent of sweet toast. I found the cold draw free with notes of rich tobacco and brown sugar as the main flavors, while at the same time the wrapper left a slight sweetness on my lips. Construction wise this cigar, like all 1502 cigars, was top of the line. The Corojo Habano wrapper cont

Well this Romeo y Julieta RyJ is a Nica Puro that I can take off the to-smoke-list for this year. I picked this up at Cigar Train a couple of weeks ago and boy I'm glad I did. Quick Details Wrapper:  Nicaraguan Corojo Jalapa Double Binder :  Nicaraguan Jalapa & Esteli Vintage 2010 Aged Fillers :  Nicaraguan Jalapa, Nicaraguan Esteli, Nicaraguan La Mia Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Purchased at Cigar Train In the beginning I had a bit of trouble with the RyJ, not with the cigar itself but with the flavors. The cold aroma baffled me for quite a while. The best I can do is say it had notes of fruit and tea, maybe even muted orange spice tea. What ever it was, the aroma from the foot was nice. Once the end was clipped, the firm, but free, cold draw had strong notes of sweet tree fruit. Construction wise this cigar was just what you would expect from Romeo y Julieta. The oily Corojo Jalapa wrapper was rolled on with a tight seam and was virtually vein free. F

Quick Details Cigar Size: 4.5  x 54 Robusto Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Sumatra - high priming Filler: 3 year aged Honduran and Nicaraguan Cutting Method:  Vertigo guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi & Coffee Price: $6.99 purchased at  Cigar Train Outward appearance of  this cigar, from the double band to the seamless wrapper, was top of the line. The smooth, seamless wrapper contained only one fine vein and the cigar was packed tight, but not to tight full length. Testing for aromas I found sweet fruit and oak from the foot and the free cold draw had the same flavor mix. Once the cigar was toasted and burning the first few mild bodied draws had the same fruity oak flavor mix. The sharp burn left behind a tight light gray ash the fell right at the 1/3 mark, but a nice oil line was forming on the wrapper. As the burn progressed to the middle and into the final third a few more flavors slowly developed. I could taste nuts, leather, toast and sweet cream as I finished the cig

Quick Details Cigar Size: 5.5  x 42 Corona Wrapper:  Connecticut Broad-leaf Binder: Dominican Filler: Dominican Cutting Method: Vertigo guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: $5.99 purchased at Cigar Train Looking at the overall appearance this Henry Clay corona is a bit rough looking. These cigars are bundled with double bands, mazo style, then it appears stuffed into their box. This method causes a bit of distortion to some of the cigars. The stick I grabbed actually had a trapezoid shaped body. Construction of the cigar overall I would have to call "stout". The stout Connecticut broad-leaf wrapper was thick and hearty with bold veins for the vitola. Feeling down the body the cigar was packed firmly full length and it had a nice amount of tooth. Checking aromas, the foot had notes of cocoa and tobacco while the free cold draw had notes of nuts and cedar. Putting a flame to the foot it was quickly toasted and lit. For a budget cigar the Henry Clay corona