Smoke Rings

Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Natural

2008-04-06T15:30:00.005-04:00

Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Natural
6 3/4x 50

Wrapper: Conneticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican

While it may be a mediocre cigar at first appearance, the Double Chat has a few little surprises along the way that help it out quite a bit. The packaging includes a lovely cedar sleeve, which is nice for a purist for lighting purposes, but it hides a wrapper that tends to be a bit veiny. Despite this, the cigars are constructed well and rarely will they burst or crack if kept properly humidified. The construction is moderately firm consistently throughout the cigar, with nary a soft spot. The draw can seem a bit tight before you light, but as it burns billowing clouds of white are constant. A cigar that I come back to often, it has a firm ash that is a bit more white than grey, with a spatter of pepper. The Double Chateau has a surprisingly medium body, though its flavour smacks a bit of paper. It lacks the solid earthy tones I find in the higher end Fuentes, and its price (around $6.20USD) is just out of the bargain range, making it a bit over-valued. Perhaps the biggest saving grace of this smoke is the fact that although it starts out a bit weak in taste, it does build a bit in intensity and complexity if you are willing to stick around for the finish.

As far as a whiskey pairing, the nondescript taste is best paired with a bold bourbon, and Buffalo Trace fills this bill quite nicely.

In the end, though it remains an old friend in my humidor, I give the Arturo Fuente Double Chateau a 3.6 out of 5. Its lengthy start up time and relatively mundane flavour are helped out a bit by its wonderful draw and good ash, but at over 6 dollars for what turns out to be a surprisingly fast smoke, its not quite enough to push it over the hump into the 4 rating. That coupled with the difficulty in consistently being able to rely on Fuente's shipping schedules make this old favourite of mine unlikely to become one of yours.

Final Rating 3.6/5

Padron 5000 Maduro

2008-04-04T16:20:00.000-04:00

Padron 5000 Maduro
$6.25 USD

5 1/2x56

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

At first glance, the Padron 5000 Maduro is a little intimidating. It should be. If there is one thing that that the Padron family knows, its how to build a heavenly maduro. This baby's hefty 56 ring gauge will turn some folks off, but I encourage those who hesitate to give it a try. Its absolutely amazing draw produces volumes of billowing white clouds unthinkable to those who favour smaller ring gauges. This stogie's body falls into the medium category, with full flavour ranging from the expected coffee and leather that define Padron to a sweetness bordering on milk chocolate, with a nice cedar underbelly. The burn is fantastic, nice and even all the way to the little brown band (and beyond for those who like to enjoy every inch of a good cigar like I do) with no tunneling or canoing at all.

My whisky pairing for the 5000 is an Arbelour 12 year old malt. This relatively simple, yet very pleasant scotch won't mask any of the complexity of the cigar, and in fact, the slight hint of apple may even enhance it a bit.

I give the Padron 5000 Maduro a 4.6 out of 5. An excellent smoke all around, and a long, slow, methodical burn make this an excellent cigar for a very reasonable price.

Final Rating 4.6/5

Rocky Patel Vintage 1999

2007-04-06T08:46:00.000-04:00

Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Toro
6 1/2x 52

Wrapper: U.S. Conneticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan Ligero

Girly gold and white label, natural shade wrapper, unimposing box, I must say I wasn't expecting much from the Rocky Patel Vintage 1999. Upon closer inspection, the wrapper was actually oily, somthing I can't remember noticing on any other natural conneticut. Upon lighting, I instantly noticed that, though I had a firm cigar, the draw was fantastic. The next thing that struck me was that I had a solidly medium bodied cigar, with a sweet toasted flavour that could only be called deliciously mild. A lovely even burn gave way to billowing white clouds of smoke and a light grey ash with a hint of pepper. Every puff left a buttery aftertaste that pleasantly coated the mouth. Rocky came through again, and though you can always ask for a more bold flavour and a more full body, I can't imagine wanting much more out of a connecticut shade wrapper.

As for my whisky pairing, I'd have to go with a Wathen's single barrel Kentucky bourbon. Its bold, smooth flacour will well complement the solid medium body of the Vintage 1999.

Overall, I give the Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Conecticut a 4.2 out of 5, another great smoke from the hands of Rocky Patel.

CAO MX2: Review

2007-03-29T18:41:00.000-04:00

CAO MX2 Toro
$5.50 USD

6x52

Wrapper: Conneticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Brazilian maduro wrapper leaf
Filler: Blend of Honduran, Peruvian, and Dominican

The CAO MX2 is an intimidating cigar. Its dark. Its oily. Its stylish.

Don't be fooled.

The MX2 is a good stick, but its a stogie for the people. The start is the only time in the whole cigar you taste any spice at all. It soon mellows out into a smooth, sultry smoke with hints of sandy earthtones and a deep note of the vanilla char one would find in the barrel of a small batch Kentucky bourbon. Its a difficult flavour to peg with a sweet picante feel. The medium body is on the cusp of being full, and the flavour is mellow enough to not overwhelm the palate. The moderate to good draw couples with an even burn that leaves a delightful salt and pepper ash. A firm cigar, the MX2 stood up to the substantial chomping I am occasionally guilty of. For the price, this definately comes away with one of my Best Value awards.

My whisky pairing for the MX2 is Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon Whisky. The vanilla char notes will well compliment the sweet char flavour explosion of Blanton's, and the mellow flavour won't overwhelm a good bourbon.

I give the CAO MX2 a 3.8 out of 5. The smoke falls little short of full bodied, and the wrapper as a binder leaf, on rare occasion, can lead to some wrapper cracking. But if you want a smooth smoke that never fails to please, the MX2 is an old faithful you can rely on. Also available in a Robusto (5x50, $5.00USD) which draws a bit easier, and the Belicoso (torpedo, 7x54, $6.00USD) for a long lasting smoke.

Final Rating 3.8/5
Best Value award

Coming up next week, I take on the Rocky Patel Vintage Series 1999

Welcome To Smoke Rings

2007-03-29T10:50:00.000-04:00

In the hectic bustle of my day to day life, one thing gets me through the day more than anything else. Most people expect some sappy bullshit about love or patriotism right here. While I do hate to dissapoint, the answer is much more simple, and fairly predictable to those who know me well. I speak, of course, of cigars. Whether its a full bodied, flavour packed, oily kick in the teeth like a Rocky Patel Edge or La Gloria Cubana Serie R, or a smooth, easy drawing, medium bodied Cusano Paired Maduro, or maybe its even a special treat in the form of a Padron 1926; This is what I look forward to every day. Being able to take an hour and simply enjoy the weather, think about nothing but the cigar and its subtleties, and relax is the best part of my day.

My first cigar was a CAO MX2, given to me by my dear auntie Arlene, who at the time managed a cigar store in Kingston, NY. I loved the smooth draw, the fullness of the flavour, and the fellowship of being around other people doing the same thing. Soon after, I dove headlong into the cigar world, trying everything I could get my grubby hands on. When I try a new cigar, I smoke it to the end, no matter how bad it is. I usually give the cigar a second chance and smoke another one. (I have come across one exception to this, and that is the Drew Estate Java. I couldn't smoke it, and I almost threw up trying. Nothing against Drew Estate, but I think, other than Hitler, that is the worst piece of shit to ever be set on fire.) After I've gone a few rounds, I go over the smoke in my mind: Did it start hot? Burn evenly? Bite the tounge? Draw too tight? If it makes it past the first list, I get a bit more into the specifics: Did the binder compliment the wraper, or was it lost in the cloud? Was the wrapper too oily, or not oily enough? What did the flavour remind me of? Did I talk alot during the smoke? (A sign of good company or a lackluster cigar). Could I smoke this cigar with bourbon, or would I rather have a Scotch, or even an Irish Whiskey? Could I smoke this cigar with a big red wine? Did the smoke change throughout the cigar, or did it remain constant from start to finish? All of these things come together to form my basic opinion about the cigar. The details of the flavour, cedar notes, nuttiness, hints of mocha, etc, are the last and least thing that I concern myself with. I find it more important to recognise the quality of a cigar before announcing my preference. For instance, I don't care at all for anything made by Macanudo, but they do draw well, they have absolutely no bite, and they burn very well, even in wind, making them a great driving or golf course cigar. Because they lack body and an overpowering flavour, they are a great cigar for begining smokers.

A few people I know, some of my best friends, actually, will say that I am fairly arrogant in my knowledge of cigars. I won't argue at all with them. I am humble to the point that I know there is much that I can still learn, but I'm pretty sure that, with maybe 5-10 exceptions, I've not met anyone who has smoked the variety of cigars that I have, nor have I reccomended a cigar and had someone tell me my reccomendation was poor. I HAVE had people thank me for the cigar I showed them and ask me if I can think of anything else they might enjoy.

To the point of this blog. I am going to begin posting weekly with a new cigar review. I will rate these cigars with a 1-5 rating, and I will give a brief description of the smoke. My first review will be tommorow, and I will start where I began my journey; the CAO MX2.

See you on Friday!