Life Goes On

It's Dominican. It's factory direct. It's a pyramid. It's a maduro wrapper. It's tasty. That's all I really know. Covered by a stout, toothy maduro wrapper, this Silvio Palomino pyramid is a chocolate bomb waiting to explode. Sure there were other flavor notes of earth, toast, molasses and brown sugar, but this cigar was a chocolate bomb right from the start. I picked up a 5-pack sampler the other day for $14.95 and second-day free shipping from palomino-cigars.com. I'll pick one of the other four and do an in depth review on DanGumm.com in the coming days. Rated 93

An oily, toothy, Nicaraguan wrapper covers a Nicaraguan binder plus Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. The cigar wrapped in great looking dual bands produced huge plumes of smoke with medium/full bodied favors of fruity red wine aged in oak, white pepper, earth, barnyard, toast, brown sugar, cream and charcoal. This CAO Earthquake came from Cigar Train . Rated 92

So far I've had pretty good luck with the cigars that come from Rocky Patel, including this box pressed Ocean Mist toro. I've seen these in catalogs from time to time and they've always sparked my interest but I had never found one in my price range. That is, until two weeks ago I hadn't.  A card came in the Mail from Holt's Cigar Company offering a 5-pack of Rocky Patel toros for the meager price of $12.00 including free shipping. Let me tell you, I jumped all over that deal. They arrived in the mail last week so here we are. . . Quick Details Cigar Size: 6  x 50 Toro Box-Pressed Wrapper:  Nicaraguan Binder: Mexican Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Smoking time: 65 Minutes Price: $8.55 at Holt's Cigar Company This Rocky Patel Ocean Club was a pretty nice cigar. The wrapper had a bit of tooth, a slight oil sheen, plus it was nearly vein free and seamless. Overall, it looked pretty sharp, p

Since time was limited today, I chose the Joya de Havana figurado #2 from Cuban Stock Cigars because of its smaller size. The Joya de Havana, is crafted from three year aged Cuban seed tobaccos that are grown in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Honduras. Quick Details Cigar Size: 5 x 48 Origin: Dominican Republic Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Binder: Dominican Republic Filler: Dominican Republic & Honduras Price: $8.20. Sample provided by Cuban Stock Cigars This Joya de Havana figurado #2 was a well crafted cigar. The dark, almost black, oily, Dominican wrapper was rolled on with near perfect skill and was nearly vein free. Testing the cold draw, I found a honey like sweetness from the wrapper to my lips, with the same aroma from the foot. The flavor profile was nice; the cigar started and finished with a nice full bodied mix of earth, oak and tobacco, but in between there were nuances of barnyard, brown sugar, cocoa, cream, raisins and caramel. As the Joya de Havana figu

Back a few weeks I reviewed the Reunión Digestivo Double Robusto by Bodega Premium Blends  and fell in love with it. Today, it's the Reunión Aperitivo Robusto. It too has the same great looking band that reminds me of the Minas Tirith flag  from the Lord of the Rings . Let's see if this cigar is also a fitting smoke for the King of Gondor. . . Quick Details Cigar Size: 5  x 50 Robusto Wrapper:  Nicaraguan Jalapa Habana Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi & Cravens Coffee Sumatra Mandheling IKA Smoking time: 55 minutes Price: $9.90 From Atlantic Cigar Co.  Sample for review provided by House of Emilio When I smoke a cigar, the flavor mix is my main focus. Sure it maters a bit how the cigar looks and I care about how it burns, but it's all about the flavors and the Aperitivo robusto is bursting with flavors from start to finish. Looking at the Aperitivo robusto I see a top-of-the-line cigar w

Well in the spirit of my last post, today's review is the Argyle Maduro Robusto from Holt's. Let's see how this cigar stacks up against the best. . . Quick Details Cigar Size: 5  x 50 Robusto Wrapper:  Connecticut Broadleaf Binder: Dominican Filler: Dominican Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi & Cravens Earth & Sky blend Price: $9.95 per six pack at Holts.com Today, let's start with the construction of this stick. Overall for a two buck cigar the Argyle Maduro Robusto was pretty decent. It had a triple cap, a fairly tight Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper, there was a bit of an oil sheen, a fair amount of tooth and it only had a couple of  medium sized veins. So far not to bad. There was one small wrapper  hole just above the band and there was a factory wrapper tear about half way up that had been glued down. That tear did bother me a bit, but it held tight until it had burned away. The cigar it self was packed a

Over the past couple of years I've smoked some of what I think are the world's finest cigars and have enjoyed every minute of reviewing these cigars. However, I started this site as " Cheap Ash Cigar ", with the intention of sharing with the "average Joe" cigar smoker which cigars give the best bang for the buck. While a lot of that still holds true since I am using a rating for price, I have moved away from the true "budget cigars,"  and I think that's a mistake. While I will continue to review premium and super premium cigars, I will add more budget cigars into the rotation. To accomplish this task I picked up a couple budget 6-packs from Holts.com  and will pick up more budget samplers from other retailers as I can to improve the review mix. Now, on to something that concerns all cigar smokers. Here is a list of must read articles on the current  FDA fiasco. Fred Reway, @Godfar of Nomad Cigar Company tells it like it is about the FDA and

This coffee sample is another one from my wife's office. Once again this Earth and Sky blend sample mysteriously arrived on my home coffee bar so I figured why not give it a taste and a quick review.  Actually to be honest, I asked her to bring these samples home because Cravens is one of my favorite coffee roasters and I wanted to try it out. Thanks again dear! On the Cravens Coffee web site, this Earth and Sky blend coffee is billed as "full-bodied, complex".  Let's see what we find. . . Quick Details: Flavor Profile: Shade-grown, full-bodied, complex Primary Origin: Organic Guatemala La Laguna Roast: Dark / Italian Details: Shade-grown, small-farm, certified organic Brewing method: Pour over Grinding method: Hand burr grinder Reviewing Cravens Coffee over the past weeks has been a fun and interesting experiance. So far each roast or blend has been quite different from any of the others. In the bag, the oily Earth and Sky blend beans gave off a

Most of the people I talk cigars with know that once I find out that A.J. Fernandez has a new cigar or a hand in someone else's cigar, it goes right on my "too smoke list". I smoke a ton of A.J. Fernandez cigars and love nearly every one. This Pinolero Figurado has an odd band and an odd name, but I bet it's another great cigar. Well, on with the show, let's smoke this baby and find out what it's really like. . . Quick Details Cigar Size: 5 3/4  x 54 Figurado Wrapper: Nicaraguan sun grown Binder: Ecuadorian Filler: Nicaraguan & Fernandez family secret. Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: $8.99 purchased at Cigar Train Construction of this Pinolero figurado is just what I would expect from an A.J. Fernandez cigar, top shelf. It was packed firmly full length with no hard or soft patches. The wrapper had a bit of tooth, a light oil sheen and just a couple fine veins. After clipping the cap and torching the fo

Over the past couple of years I've reviewed quite a few cigars in the Cuban Stock Cigars line and let me tell you, they never cease to amaze me. To date, every Cuban Stock Cigar I have smoked has great construction, burn and flavors. On their web site, Cuban Stock Cigars says the Exquisito Bleicoso Limited Edition is, "composed of the rarest tobacco in the Dominican Republic and handled by our most skillful rollers." Let's see if this limited edition perfecto continues the streak . . .  Quick Details Cigar Size: 5.5  x 46 Perfecto Wrapper:  Dominican sun grown Binder: Dominican Filler: Dominican Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: $10.00 Sample provided by Cuban Stock Cigars Right out of the cellophane this was one of the most unique cigars I've seen and it all in the cap. I have no idea what to even call the cap, but it's binder and wrapper bunched together then bound tight with some type of natural fiber. It's

Back in March, Gary Griffith, owner of Emilio Cigars , announced on From Seed to Smoke , a new cigar line. ". . .  I am pleased to announce the forthcoming release of "Mia Dora" by Emilio Cigars, dedicated to the beautiful woman I love.  Manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua by my dear friend Abdel Fernandez, the cigars, featuring a Habano Rosado wrapper and Nicaraguan filler, will be released in July, 2013 at IPCPR in Las Vegas". My suggestion, hop over to Gary's blog, From Seed to Smoke , to read the full story about the name and the band artwork. Heck even follow the blog, it's a good read. Once released the Mia Dora will be available in four vitolas, robusto, toro, torpedo, and corona. This review sample was provided by Emilio Cigars and I am honored to have an opportunity to smoke this as a pre release. With that said, this cigar had such an amazing flavor mix, let's start there today. . . Quick Details Cigar Size: 6  x 50 Toro Wrapper:  Haban

When I first saw the name of this cigar, I thought to myself, "what kind of name is "Carpe Noctem" for a cigar?" So I typed it in Google and  found this definition at  UrbanDictonary.com : "Seize the night. Get work done at night and sleep all day!" OK, so that's actually a pretty darn good name. Been there, done that for years. According to Emilio Cigars , this pre release sample is fresh rolled with no aging. Hearing that leads me to believe that once it's released, the aged versions should be even better. Better? I thought this cigar already had already developed an amazing flavor profile.  The Carpe Noctem should be released at the IPCPR show this year and will be available in three vitolas: robusto, toro and 6.5 x 60, each with a price point under $10.00. Well let's get on to the details so I can pass along some of my excitement over the new Carpe Noctem toro... Quick Details Cigar Size: 6 x 50 Toro Wrapper:  Broadleaf Binder: Ni

I'm always excited to sample a coffee that's new to me, this Rwanda Bourbon coffee is another sample provided by BunaMobile roasting company.  BunaMobile  is a small batch roaster that specializes in roasting for fund raisers. You can find more information about their charities and fundraising on their website . Quick Details: Appearance: .2 d/300gr, 15 + Screen Grade: A1 Processing: Wet Process (Washed) Region: Karenge, Eastern Rwanda Varietal(s): Bourbon Roast: City - full city Brewing method: Pour over My coffee reviews are a bit like my cigar reviews. I check the appearance of the beans and smell the aromas at every point along the journey. Opening the bag and checking the aromas from the whole beans,  there was a complex mix of walnuts, cocoa, rich coffee and even a hint of caramel.  As you can see in the picture, the beans show some nice oily caramelization. Once the beans were ground the aroma nuances changed to a mix of caramel and toast. I love the ar

The cigars created by Emilio Cigars never cease to amaze me. The other day I smoked the Los Regalos Quetzal Toro, and it really got me thinking. I've smoked most of the cigars in the Emilio cigar lines and their quality and consistency is amazing. I feel every cigar they produce is better than average. It seems they all have great construction, nice aromas and great flavors, plus they're affordable. This Los Regalos Quetzal Toro was no exception. Quick Details Cigar Size: 6  x 50 Toro Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Habano Binder: Nicaraguan and Dominican Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: Under $10.00 Sample provided by  Emilio Cigars member of  House of Emilio Starting with a smoothly laid down triple cap the appearance of this Los Regalos Quetzal Toro just got better and better. The vein free Ecuadorian habano wrapper had a bit of tooth, plus it was rolled on smooth and tight with nearly hidden seams c

I've been walking by a box of these  Studio Tobac , Cain F Lancero Tubos in the Cigar Train humidor, watching the supply dwindle for weeks now and finally just picked one up. There's always a higher priority with each visit but finally my thing for tube cigars won. For some reason I've always had a passion for tube cigars and usually pick one up when ever there's a new one to be had. Not only do I hoard cigar bands, I hoard cigar tubes. Perhaps its because most tubes are lined with Spanish cedar which seems to contribute some added spice. The Cain F Lancero Tubos is billed as a high performance cigar for those looking for a bold smoking experience and should be enjoyed on a full stomach. Let's see if these statements hold true... Quick Details Cigar Size: 7  x 38 Lancero Wrapper:  Nicaraguan Habano Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero from Esteli, Condega and Jalapa. Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Paired with: Diet Pepsi Smoking time: 70 minutes Price: $10.99 pur

So far this year I've smoked so many exceptional cigars that it's hard to keep track of them all and last night I smoked another great, the Herrera Esteli Lancero -  Edicon Limitada 2014. This cigar can be summed up with just a few words; it was a smooth, creamy and complex flavor bomb! This new Herrera Estelí lancero vitola is a limited run of 2000, flat 15 count boxes with a $180.00 MSRP. let's get on to the cigar and see what I found... Quick Details Cigar Size: 7  x 38 Lancero Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Habano Binder: Honduran Filler: Nicaraguan Cutting Method:  Xikar guillotine Price: $12.00 sample provided by Drew Estate Spectacular! That is the only word that describes the construction of this Herrera Esteli Lancero. The wrapper was rolled on smooth and tight with nary a seam showing, there was a bit of tooth and only the finest of veins were present. Feeling down the length of the cigar, there were no hard or soft patches to be found, it was packe

Once again Cascade Pride offers very little for details on this Tanzanian Peaberry coffee other than calling it single origin and saying it has vibrant flavor, medium body and brews up rich and snappy. You know me, I'm always on a quest to learn and needed to know more. I see the term "single origin" on coffee quite often and assumed it meant the coffee comes from one farm in one growing region, but after a bit of research I found that's not really correct. I found a good article about single origin on coffeegeek.com if you would like to read it for yourself. Now, let's get on to the coffee... Quick Details: Light roast Single origin Brewing method: Pour over & auto drip Grinding method: Hand burr grinder By accident I have two different brewing methods for this review. I had ground up some of this Tanzanian Peaberry to auto drip because I thought it had already been reviewed, but later discovered that it hadn't. I have used more than one brew

The AF Suave is the third release by Emilio Cigars in conjunction with AJ Fernandez. On the Emilio Cigars website there is a description of the AF Suave. "Wrapped in an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Suave is mild in body, with a flavor complexity often unattained in a cigar of this strength level". I'm mainly a maduro smoker, but do like throwing an occasional Connecticut into the mix and I'm pretty excited to give the AF Suave Toro a try... Quick Details Cigar Size: 6  x 50 Toro Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Cutting Method:  Colibri V-Cutter Paired with: Diet Pepsi Price: $7.40 Two words cover almost every aspect of the AF Suave, smooth and silky. That description pretty much sums up how the cigar looks in hand and how the flavors hit your palate. Being a big fan both the AF 1 and AF 2 I can tell right out the cellophane the Suave is going to be another winner. The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper contains only

I picked up this Psyko Seven Gordito the other day while on my weekly visit to Cigar Train . I smoked and reviewed the toro a few months ago and wanted to give this vitola a try to compare flavors. Well, yesterday while kicking back reviewing some coffee in the back yard I decided it needed paired with a cigar. After several minutes of digging through my cigar supply, I chose the Psyko Seven Gordito. The Psyko Seven in the Toro vitola was my first cigar to earn a 20 rating in the flavor category. Can the gordito match the toro? Let's find out... Quick Details Cigar Size: 4  x 58 Gordito Wrapper:  Dominican Hybrid Binder: Mexican Sumatra Filler: Multi County Blend Cutting Method:  Colibri V-Cutter Paired with:  Cravens Coffee Lost Trail Blend & Diet Pepsi Price: $7.99 purchased at Cigar Train As with the toro, construction of this gordito was top-of-the-line. The toothy Dominican hybrid wrapper was nearly vein free and it was rolled on with near seamless skill. Fro

Over the past year I am always looking for new coffee's to review. My love of coffee is second only to my love of cigars and I combine the two quite often. My wife is a project manager for an IT company here in Spokane and recently being unhappy with their coffee supplier, they switched to Cravens coffee. Well, I bet you can see where I am going with this. Her office has two different blend of Cravens Coffee on hand so she brought me home samples to review. Thank you dear! This first of two samples is the Lost Trail Blend. I looked on Cravenscoffee.com for growing and processing information but couldn't find the blend listed. That leads me to believe it's either to new and not published on their site, or they no longer create this blend.  I do know from a picture of the label, it's a combination light and dark roast with a with a full body, sweet, rich and hearty flavor profile. Well, by now you know my palate is a bit different so lets see what I come up with...

FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2014 CIGAR STATION OF SPRING HILL, TN JOINS HOUSE OF EMILIO MASTER RETAILER FAMILY Nathan McIntyre, House of Emilio National Sales Director announced  Thursday  that Cigar Station, Spring Hill, TN will be joining the House of Emilio Master Retailer program. “Chuck Horvath’s store is dedicated to the boutique cigar industry.” McIntyre stated. “He has done a masterful job of building a business with boutiques in a small community. He is a great owner with a great palate, and has supported the small manufacturers in this industry for a long time. It’s an honor to do such great business with him.” Horvath added, "My store has been carrying House of Emilio since September 2011. I can't say enough or express how much I appreciate the support I have received from Gary Griffith and Nate McIntyre. They have truly made me feel like I'm part of their family. They have attention to detail and have helped me become a better store owner. Their cigars speak fo

Back a couple of weeks, I had the opportunity to smoke the Nomad S-307 which earned itself a hefty 94 rating. Today I am pretty excited to give the Nomad Connecticut Fuerte Robusto Gordo a shot.  When I posted the picture on Instagram, I said this stick had amazing flavors, well it did. Actually it was crazy good, just like its' creator @GodFadr . Speaking of crazy good, if you get a chance, add yourself to the Nomad Cigars mailing list  and get a crazy good newsletter every week. By the way, this sample for review was provided by Nomad Cigars and House of Emilio . OK, so why do I say this was crazy good? The flavors, it's all in the flavors. It seems that in today's market nearly everyone is trying to recreate a Connecticut cigar. Well Nomad hit the mark with this one. From the cold foot there were modest flavors of sweet and rich tobacco and testing the cold draw I found the flavors to be bolder with a mix of tea, spicy cedar and sugar, with the added benefit of a l