Life Goes On

Doma Coffee Roasting Company - Post Falls, ID Organic Kigeyo Kivu Country:  Rwanda Roast:  Medium - full city Brewing method:  French press Price:  $15.50 - 12 oz. Deep, rich, complex and well balanced best describes this Rwanda Organic Kigeyo Kivu From Doma Coffee Roasting Company .  From, the bag, wet, and from the cup this roast radiates magnificent notes of sweet caramel to the nose. There are other aromas of cocoa, charred oak, pecans and sweet tree fruit mixed in, but it's the caramel that stands out from the crowd. The first sips are bold and syrupy with a heavy, but smooth mouthfeel, Yet at the same time there's an unexpected sweetness that washes across the palate. There are decadent flavors of pecans and sweet caramel, with just a hint of charred oak from the hot cup. As the coffee cools, the mouthfeel becomes a bit lighter, softer and even smoother, plus a bit of lime begins to develop.  This full city roast Rwanda produced surprisingly rich fla

Thanks to Cigar Train  and this month's Freight Train package, I finally had the opportunity to smoke the New World Navegante Box-Pressed Robusto From A.J. Fernandez  Ciga r s .  Boxed-pressed, dual bands, a dark Maduro colored wrapper, all of these make one good looking cigar. This Nicaraguan wrapper conceals a blend of ligeros from Esteli, Condega and Ometepe.  After punching the triple cap, the draw is free with flavor notes that are both sweet and spicy. The cold flavor mix reminds me a little of spiced peaches.  Once the cigar is toasted and burning there are several blasts of bold, full bodied red pepper right up front. Quickly the hot pepper yields to more of a medium bodied mix that tastes like cream and cocoa. Caramel, toast, oak, brown sugar and a hint of tree fruit take the sharp burn line to the mid point. Right at the mid point the flavor mix is dominated by chocolate with toasted almonds, earth, and hints of charcoal.  Testing the retro hale, it was

You know me, normally I'm not much of an infused cigar fan, but this Tabak Especial Robusto Negra Cigar by Drew Estate, is different than most. Before these cigars are aged, they're infused with Nicaraguan coffee.  With dual bands over an oily, dark Maduro colored Connecticut wrapper and a shaggy foot, this cigar looks great. The cigar has seamless construction, a triple cap, and there's some fine tooth to the nearly vein free wrapper.  Just holding this cigar in your hand, you can smell the coffee aromas. Checking the free draw there are notes of toasted tobacco and lots of coffee. The wrapper leaves a big sweetness on the lips giving the impression it's been dipped in sugar. Once the shaggy foot is burning, the Tabak Especial produces large mouthfuls of smoke with strong notes of toasted tobacco, coffee and sugar. As the razor sharp burn line moves up the body other flavors join in that complement the coffee. There are nuances of spiced rum, anise and s

If my memory is working correctly, the Romeo y Julieta House of Montague Toro is the first RyJ maduro that I've reviewed and I thought it was a great cigar.  This Famous Smoke Shop exclusive starts out with fantastic construction. Feeling down the body, the cigar is packed well full length, and it's covered with a toothy, oily, Brazilian Maduro wrapper. The wrapper is rolled on with seamless care, it has only fine veins and the cigar is topped off with a triple cap. Checking the cold aromas and draw, from the foot notes of fruity fermented tobacco hit your nose, while the free draw tastes liked spiced, fermented tree fruit. The first draws from the burning cigar are mild bodied with mixed flavors of cocoa and toast. A very tasty opening statement in my opinion. As the sharp burn line moves up the body there are added nuances of coffee, leather, earth and charcoal. After seventy-five minutes the House of Montague Toro moves into the medium body range and finishes i

(Miami, Florida) January 28, 2015 - The Dominican Cigar Review, noted as the most important cigar magazine in the Dominican Republic, has just made public its choice of “Untamed” by La Aurora as Cigar of the Year for  2014. La Aurora “Untamed” was unveiled last July in the IPCPR Show, in Las Vegas. The Dominican Cigar Review panel of experts concluded that due to Untamed’ s perfect balance between flavor and body,  and superior construction,  a FIVE STAR rating and the award of Best Dominican Cigar in the year 2014 should be awarded. Untamed by La Aurora is a new development, that combines the tradition of a century, working with the best tobaccos in Cibao Valley, with the will to stay ahead of the curve to provide the market new and distinct products. La Aurora’s team has achieved an incredible cigar that has no seco leaves in its blend: three different ligero Dominican leaves and a viso Nicaragua, with a binder harvested in Cibao Valley, Dominican Republic, and a p

Cigars like this Flor de Oliva Maduro Toro are the reason I chose the name Cheap Ash Cigar. I do my best track down cigars with quality construction, good flavors and of course, a budget price, then share my findings.  The Flor de Oliva Maduro Toro does a nice job of meeting that criteria. These cigars use long fillers and are handmade by Oliva in Nicaragua.  Holding this well packed maduro colored toro in my hand, I can see the thick, oily, Nicaraguan wrapper contains only a couple smaller sized veins and it's rolled on in seamless fashion. Once the triple cap is punched, the free draw has notes of sweet fermented tobacco and the wrapper leaves behind a sweet cocoa aftertaste on the lips.  From the burning cigar there are medium bodied flavors of musty cocoa, fermented tobacco and damp leather. Around the mid point the body moved into the medium/full range with a flavor shift to semi sweet chocolate and toast. After fifty minutes the Flor de Oliva Maduro Toro finish

Throughout my cigar smoking past, I've used a cedar spill or two when lighting cigars, but when I saw these Spanish Cedar Spills From  Cigar Reserve , I knew they deserved a review.  Over the last week I've used these spills to light more than ten cigars and in each instance these spills worked great. Timing several burns, the average burn time was right at 75 seconds. I found 75 seconds more than an adequate amount of time to toast and light a 60 ring cigar.  These spills burn super clean leaving behind almost no ash, the produce no flavors or toxic chemicals to taint the cigar's natural flavors and you can control the flame by adjusting the angle of the spill. The end result is a perfectly toasted and evenly lit cigar. Handmade in the USA from Spanish cedar in the shape of a Spanish sword, what's not to like? Plus, Cigar Reserve has custom engraved spills just in time for the Super Bowl. The options available are; Super Bowl XLIX, Go Seahawks! and Go Pat

This  E.P. Carrillo Encantos is another first for me. It's the first chance I've had to smoke any of the E.P. Carrillo line of cigars.  Covered in a thick and hearty Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, this Encantos looks rugged and packed with flavor. The wrapper itself shows some nice tooth and has fine veins for such a stout wrapper. It's rolled on the cigar with tight seams and finished off with a tight triple cap. From the cold foot there are notes of toasty, fermented tobacco while the free draw tastes a bit like dark chocolate.  The first flavors from the burning cigar were a medium bodied mix of cocoa, light black pepper and earth. By the mid point both the pepper and earth had faded away leaving behind notes of smooth, creamy chocolate.  After fifty minutes the Encantos finished its burn staying in the medium body range with flavors of charred oak mixed with a lot more chocolate. With the smooth creamy chocolate flavor mix this E.P. Carrillo E

Velton's Coffee - Evert, WA Mexico Nayarita Country:  Mexico Roast:  Light/Medium Brewing method:  Pour-over Price:  $16.00 - 16 oz. Here's the second review of a roast from Velton's Coffee, their Mexico Nayarita whole bean. In a nutshell, this roast was simply impressive. It starts right from the bag. Immediately upon opening the bag magical aromas of chocolate and strawberries rush out to great your nose.  As the coffee blooms during the pour-over, aromas of chocolate covered strawberries and whipped cream will make your mouth water in anticipation. From the cup, a pleasant aroma of chocolate covered strawberries is still present. The first sips are smooth, creamy and well balanced with a soft, velvet-like wash across the palate. There are soft flavor notes of strawberries, milk chocolate and a hint of macadamia nuts. As the coffee cools in the cup, it stays well balanced and flavorful.  I did find that water temperature is very important with t

This PDR Cigars Small Batch Reserve Maduro Double Toro is the first PDR cigar I've had the opportunity to smoke and to be honest, it was fantastic! PDR hits a flavor home run with this stick. Let's see what the Small Batch Reserve Maduro is all about. Covered in a toothy, oily, stout maduro colored wrapper this cigar looks great. It has seamless construction, a few medium veins, a tight triple cap and it's packed firmly full length.  From the cold foot there is an aroma of fermented tobacco, while the free cold draw reminds me of a fruity, dry, red wine.  Once the cap was perforated with the PerfDog , I lit the cigar with a cedar spill from CigarReserve.com . The first medium/full bodied puffs gave me a large blast of great tasting cocoa. Within a few minutes the fruity red wine found earlier joined in and the flavors were reminiscent of sipping a fine red wine paired with dark chocolate. Simply delicious!  As the burn progressed up the body the body mov

Featuring e-juice made in the USA, these  Tryst  e-cigars are a pretty sweet deal. The No. 2 Robusto Brandy is another great example of a cigarette alternative that give me cigar-like satisfaction indoors or wherever I can't smoke a real cigar. Like the last Tryst reviews, I've been puffing on the No. 2 the past two days while writing. Other than its brandy flavor, this Brandy model is just like the the other No. 2's. The tapered head makes it easy to hold hands-free between your teeth, the wrapper is durable showing no signs of wear, it produces a large volume of vapor and the brandy flavored e-juice tastes fantastic.  You probably know I'm not much of a flavored cigar person, but these American made e-juices from Tryst have fantastic flavor, this brandy is really close to tasting like brandy. I've tried other flavored e-cigarette products in the past and the flavors don't compare at all to the Tryst e-cigar flavors. Add together the great taste, the

Here's another stick from my  Cigar Train , Cigar Of The Month Club package a couple of months back, The King Is Dead Premier, From Caldwell Cigars .  Although this is only my second Caldwell cigar, I'm really impressed with the quality of their cigars. This well packed 5 x 50 Premier is covered by a hearty, seamless and oily, Colorado colored wrapper, plus it's topped off with a nice pigtail cap. From the foot there's a faint aroma of fermented tobacco to the nose, while the firm cold draw is both sweet and spicy.  Once the foot is toasted and burning the first mild/medium body flavors are a mix of sweet cream, toast and nuts. As the sharp burn line moves up the cigar an oil sheen develops on the wrapper, the body moves into the medium range and notes of sweet caramel join the flavor mix.  In the final third, the body builds a bit more as this medium/full bodied Premier ends it's sixty-five minute burn with nuances of sweet toasty caramel.  Overa

Roast House Coffee Noir Country:  Indonesia Reigon:  Aceh Roast:  Dark - French Brewing method:  Pour-over Price:  $15.45 - 16 oz. A soft, velvety smooth mouthfeel and complex flavors pretty well sums up this whole bean Noir By Roast House Coffee.   That description sounds great, but it's really not much of a review, so lets dig a bit deeper and see what this Noir is all about. From the bag, the lightly caramelized whole beans have aromas of nuts, smoke, cocoa and sweet fruit. Once the beans are ground the first aroma that hits your nose is tart and fruity, however each time you inhale, the smokey notes become more pronounced until it's the only aroma present.  Once the coffee is wet from the pour-over, there are aromas of warm bread, nuts, plum and a hint of smoke. After the brewing is complete there's a nice smokey aroma from the cup. The first sips are soft and smooth with a slightly sweet, syrupy palate wash. There are flavors of toasted oak, nuts a

This is the newest line from Regius Cigars , the Exclusivo U.S.A. Toro Extra Covered by an oily, smooth, seamless, Colorado Claro colored wrapper with only the finest of veins this Toro extra is packed well and has a neat little pig-tail cap. There are cold aromas to the nose of fermented, fruity tobacco and the firm cold draw tastes like spicy Spanish cedar. The first puffs are mild bodied with a sweet Chai tea flavor plus more great flavors soon join in. There are flavor nuances of nuts, coffee, raw sugar, leather and toasty caramel. The burn is razor sharp and the cigar produces a large volume of smoke. In the final third, the body jumps into the full range and the sweet mild flavors are replaced by deep rich notes of earth, damp leather, molasses, charcoal and black pepper. In the final third the burn gets wavy, bad enough it needed a quick correction. The cigar finishes it's seventy minute burn with a tasty, very full bodied mix of charcoal and molasses. Rat

I believe that now all the "Holiday Series" cigars from CAO Cigars  are in my humidor. I won a box of Nasty Nutcrackers from Rick Rodriguez at the Legends of Fire CAO event a couple of months back.  This 6 1/2" x 52 cigar is draped in a seamless, vein free, silky smooth, claro colored wrapper that's topped off with a triple cap. From both the cold foot and the free draw there are faint notes of floral toasted tobacco.  Once the foot is toasted and burning there are medium bodied flavors of toasted nuts, cream and raw sugar with lots of creamy smoke from both ends of the cigar. As the crisp burn line moves up the body there are hints of black pepper that show up for a puff or two then disappear. This is followed by nuances of toast, leather and oak.  The Nutcracker finished its slow eighty minute burn in the medium/full range with a nice flavor mix of oak and leather.  Despite the medium/full bodied finish, I think this CAO Nasty Nutcracker is

Here's a nifty new product I stumbled upon a few days ago, "The Perfdog™" Cigar Perforator from CigarPerforator.com . Unlike classic cigar cutters, The Perfdog punches 5 small holes in the cigar's cap to allow air flow.  Over the last week I've tested The Perfdog on between 20 - 25 cigars. While I've only tested The Perfdog on parejo shaped cigars, the video below shows how to perforate a torpedo. I can go into an entire page of details about how to use The Perfdog, but it's faster and easier for you just to watch the video below.  However, I can tell you The Perfdog worked great for me--after a short learning curve-- and it hasn't damaged one wrapper. It didn't take long for this to become my cutter, or should I say, perforator of choice. The only thing I'm unsure of is how long The Perfdog will stay sharp. Looking at the spikes and their small diameter, it looks like this tool will remain effective much longer than standard cut

I've mentioned it before, but it seems that with every new blend from Romeo y Julieta I smoke, I enjoy their cigars more and more. This Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet Toro, a Famous Smoke Shop exclusive, is another great example. RyJ cigars don't have them most complex flavor mixes, but their flavors are rock-solid in every cigar and I like that.  This Capulet Toro is wrapped in silky smooth, seamless, nearly vein free, Claro colored Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and finished off with a tight triple cap. From the foot there are sweet fruity aromas to the nose and the free cold draw has notes of fruit and fermented tobacco.  After toasting and lighting the foot, the initial mild bodied flavors are sweet, fruity and toasty. Tasty is the best way to describe the mix. As the sharp burn line moves up the cigar a few more flavors join in. There are notes of sugar, cream and toasted tobacco.  Around the mid point the body moves into the medium body range and some c

Velton's Coffee - Evert, WA Kenya Kiangoi Country: Kenya Reigon: Ngariama, Central Province, Kirinyaga East, Roast: Light/Medium Brewing method: Pour-over - French press Price: $20.00 - 16 oz. For my personal tastes I would classify this Kenya Kiangoi From Velton's Coffee as a desert roast. With its complex flavor mix I think this coffee would be a fantastic conclusion to a hearty lunch or dinner.  Opening the bag, pleasant aromas of sweet caramel, cocoa and tart fruit rise to greet your nose. Once the city + roasted beans are ground the aroma of tart cherries takes the lead, but the sweet notes of caramel are still present. Doing the pour-over the coffee produces a frothy bloom with notes of black cherries, caramel and a hint of toast. Aromas from the cup were a delicate mix of caramel and a hint of berries. The first sips were bright, clean and tart, but at the same time there was smooth, clean, mouthwatering palate wash. The first flavors w

It's still winter here and it's been cold this week so reviewing e-cigars suits me just fine. Not only can I smoke them inside, they cut my cigarette consumption drastically and that's a good thing! The last two days I've been testing a  Tryst No. 3 Panatella E-Cigar in Creme Brulee flavor. This No. 3 measures about 4-3/4" x 30 ring and it weighs just .6 ounces. The smaller size and lighter weight make this model a breeze to hold between my teeth while working. The smaller size also feels more like cigarette so I inhale more often, hence curbing my urge to stop and have a smoke.  . Durable is all I can say about the wrapper material. Just like the other Tryst products I've reviewed, this wrapper is tough and I've had no wrapper failures. Tryst did a great job on this Creme Brulee flavor mix. Each puff starts out with notes of vanilla, then in comes sweet caramel and it finishes with a deep toasty flavor. It's really a nice flavor mix. Agai

If you read  my reviews, you know I like budget cigars and this La Vieja Habana Brazilian Maduro From Drew Estate is another nice cigar for your hard earn dollars.  Covered by a good looking Brazilian maduro wrapper this cigar looks top of the line, and it should, it's created by Drew Estate. The wrapper shows a bit of oil, some really fine veins and it even has some fine sandpaper like tooth. I do have to mention, it had a 1" wrapper tear at the foot that was glued at the factory. However, the cigar burned through the tear with no ill effects.  From the cold foot of this 6 x 54 beast there were notes of fermented tobacco, while the free and airy draw contained hints of cocoa. Once burning the medium bodied Bombero produced a large volume of smoke from both ends with flavors of, toast, light brown sugar, nuts, oak, cocoa, cream, coffee, peat and caramelized pecans. The cigar finished it's 60 minute burn with a charcoal and leather flavor mix.  Since this was

A new assortment of short cigars ideal for aficionados wanting to put the day on hold. Basel, January 2015. Davidoff strives to ensure that time is filled beautifully, however short that time may be. Recognising that today’s hectic lifestyle leaves little time to enjoy the finer things, Davidoff  has assembled this refined selection of shorter format cigars. The new Davidoff ’Pause’ assortment presents a great opportunity to discover various Davidoff ranges and helps the aficionado to put the day on hold. The handmade cigars that make up the assortment have a diverse taste profile and palate stimulations which can be enjoyed within 35 minutes. "Davidoff ’Pause’ is ideal for aficionados who lead a life filled with commitments, but who would love toput aside a little time in their day to savour a delicious cigar. Luxury when time is a luxury,” says Charles Awad, Senior Vice President Marketing & Innovation at Oettinger Davidoff AG. About the Davidoff ’Pause’ time

Every once in a while something just hits you buy surprise. That's what the  Eiroa Cigars Maduro Robusto did to me. Until a few days ago I knew nothing about this cigar and boy have I been missing out on a great stick! The Eiroa Cigars Maduro Robusto is covered with a stout, toothy, and oily Oscuro colored wrapper. I was surprised that such stout wrapper, had such fine veins, plus it's rolled on with seamless skill and topped off by a hearty triple cap. Checking the cold aromas, the foot had vivid notes of coco-puffs cereal while the free draw had mixed flavors of chocolate and toasty tobacco. However the cold aromas shouldn't be to surprising considering both the wrapper and binder are Maduro.  Well the cold flavors and aromas from this cigar were great, but once the foot is toasted and burning the cigar shows its true colors. The first puffs were medium bodied with distinct notes of dark chocolate, while the wrapper leaves behind a pleasant chocolate after

Mad Rush Coffee India Chikmagalur Origin:   Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India Roast:  Light/Medium Brewing method:  Pour-over Price:  $14.50 - 12 oz.  This complex experience with whole bean India Chikmagalur from Mad Rush Coffee begins as you first open the bag. Big aromas of cocoa, nuts, toast with hints of ginger and cinnamon rush out to greet your nose. The city + roast beans are both uniform in size and color. Once the beans are ground the aromas change, both dry and wet the aromas of caramel, toasted nuts and just a bit of stone fruit take over. After completing the pour-over, the cupped aroma had notes of sweet caramel, toast, nuts and a hint of burning campfire.  The first sips were lightly sweet, and bright with a crisp, clean mouthfeel. There were flavors of sweet caramel, sandalwood, hints of cocoa, plus toasted nuances of nuts and oak. As the coffee cools in the cup, the brightness fades as syrupiness increases and the notes of caramel rise to the top in

Here's another E-Cigar product from Tryst , the No. 2 Robusto American Classic. I'm having a lot of fun reviewing e-cigars.  I'm not looking for a cigar replacement, but I like e-cigars because I can smoke them in places where I can't light up a real cigar. This Tryst No. 2 Robusto is exactly like the Kona Coffee flavored version in all ways except the flavor. It's about the size of a Robusto cigar, but it's shaped with a tapered head. I've found this shape makes this E-Cigar a bit harder to bite than other e-cigars, but the shorter length helps. Weight of the No. 2 is right at 1.1 oz. While that's bit heavier than a real cigar, it feels enough like a real cigar that I forget and find myself just puffing on it instead of inhaling vapor.  After the better part of two days, the wrapper of the No. 2 shows no signs of wear and the unit is still going strong. The box states it's the equivalent of eight cigars, so i'll probably get a cou

Oettinger Davidoff AG appoints new General Manager of  Tabadom Holding in Dominican Republic Oettinger Davidoff AG, the worldwide leading manufacturer of premium cigars, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, appoints Hamlet Espinal as new General Manager of its subsidiary Tabadom Holding, Inc. in Santiago de los Caballeros. He succeeds Henke Kelner, who remains Vice-Chairman of Tabadom's Board and continues in his key global roles. Basel, 15th January 2015 – Oettinger Davidoff AG has appointed Hamlet Espinal as the new General Manager of its subsidiary Tabadom Holding, Inc. as per January 1, 2015, reporting to Javier Plantada, Senior Vice President Global Production. Hamlet was previously the Head of Operations at Tabadom Holding in Santiago de los  Caballeros in Dominican Republic where the Dominican own brands Davidoff, AVO, Cusano, Griffin’s, Private Stock, Zino and Zino Platinum of Oettinger Davidoff AG as well as some select third brands are produced. “Haml

A NEW LOOK. A NEW ERA. THE CLASSICS PLAY ON. Basel, January 2015. AVO Cigars, the globally renowned cigar brand ventures into a new era. AVO Cigars is being relaunched in early 2015 behind contemporary packaging, new communication and a streamlined range that focuses on core lines. Avo Cigars started when the brand's founder; Avo Uvezian; a legendary jazz and cigar composer of global fame met the cigar master blender Hendrik Kelner in 1982 in the Dominican Republic. A fruitful cooperation between cigar pianist and cigar composer began to develop which resulted in the launch of the AVO Classic Series; an almost immediate success selling over 120,000 cigars in the year of the launch in the United States. Two creative masters collaborated with one purpose: help aficionados “Savor Every Note” in life through delightful cigars. "Avo Uvezian is a man of the world who savors every note to the fullest. He cherishes every moment in life with passion a