Victor Sinclair Triple Corojo

Today was my sisters Birthday. After I called her to wish her a Happy Birthday I went over to Max and Irma's bar to have a cigar with Spence and Daryl and talk GooeyGlue.

I straight cut this one and paired with Nob Creek. An absolutely awesome cigar. every time I smoke one of these I want to buy more. I have really fallen in love with the Victor Sinclair cigars. I have not had a bad one yet.

From Cigars International:

Whether you’re a fan of Corojo tobaccos or just looking for a flavorful, satisfying cigar, I advise securing an order of these handmades pronto. Called Triple Corojo because it’s 100% Corojo - wrapper, binder, and fillers. The result is a firecracker of a smoke booming with chewy, rich, hearty flavors. A smooth, feisty bouquet of earthy flavors and ample spice. Full-bodied.

Victor Sinclair 10th Aniversario

This was Super Bowl Sunday! I was going to watch the Packers play the Steelers from home so I thought that I would go out and shovel a bit of snow while enjoying a pre-game cigar.

I straight cut it and paired with my new "go to", Wild Turkey 101. It was a great Great smoke. No issues. A finger burner and perfect strength.

From CigarsInternational.com:

A lovely and well-aged Dominican puro.

Meticulously handmade, this Dominican beauty has turned heads, featuring all Dominican tobaccos, including a lovely, triple-fermented Corojo wrapper. The new crown jewel of the Victor Sinclair family of brands. The smoke is toasty and layered with balanced, pleasant flavors, finished by a peppery-sweet aftertaste and wonderful aromas.
From Cigar.com:

This exceptionally complex blend is one of the only Dominican cigars on the market rolled with a coveted Dominican wrapper, which is packed with flavor.

To celebrate their 10th Anniversary, the blenders at Victor Sinclair spent several years perfecting a dynamic mix of Dominican tobaccos to make an exceptional cigar that sells at a reasonable price. The resulting blend has been one of the best ever created by Victor Sinclair and is only sold to a small handful of special accounts, which include Cigar.com!

Victor Sinclair 10th Aniversario is full-bodied and full-flavored utilizing tobacco that creates robust notes of spice, which carry into a very long finish. Over the course of the smoke, the flavor undergoes several changes keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Very complex and definitely note worthy, this cigar is a must buy, not only for fans of Victory Sinclair but also for aficionados worldwide.

Victor Sinclair Vintage Select - Lonsdale

Not much to say about these that I have not already said. I love 'em. Great for snow shoveling too. I straight cut this and paired with Wild Turkey 101. This was Blizzard 2011 and it was crazy cold, windy and snowy. So I did more smoking that shoveling. Great cigar.

From Cigars International:

Milk-chocolatey goodness from Victor Sinclair.

Victor Sinclair Vintage offers a dark, delicious Brazilian maduro wrapper and supremely aged mix of all Cuban-seed Dominican long-leaf tobaccos. Light one up and you’ll see it’s chock full o’ soothingly rich, milky-smooth flavors but also fairly light in strength. Crisply box-pressed and meticulously constructed with a pleasant aroma and slight sweetness, VS Vintage is a bargain that’s priced well enough to be your ’everyday’ handmade.

Victor Sinclair Vintage Select - Lonsdale

This was cigar number two for the day and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although I did make the mistake of stepping out to smoke it without my jacket on and it was damn cold out.

I smoked it on Spence's back deck and it was perfect as always. I V cut it and paired with bud light.

From Cigars International:

Milk-chocolatey goodness from Victor Sinclair.

Victor Sinclair Vintage offers a dark, delicious Brazilian maduro wrapper and supremely aged mix of all Cuban-seed Dominican long-leaf tobaccos. Light one up and you’ll see it’s chock full o’ soothingly rich, milky-smooth flavors but also fairly light in strength. Crisply box-pressed and meticulously constructed with a pleasant aroma and slight sweetness, VS Vintage is a bargain that’s priced well enough to be your ’everyday’ handmade.

JR's Alternatives Calidad Suprema

I bought this one at JR's in D.C. while I was there last time. I don't know much about the cigar and info on line is limited. I thought I paid about $5.00 for it. It was a pretty big cigar, basically a Churchill size.

I lit this one up midday while waiting to play Broom ball 2011. It was a very nice cigar with a lot of smoke and good flavor and strength. I had to throw it in the snow with close to a couple inches left because the game had started and it was too hard to run around on ice with a cigar in my mouth.

Victor Sinclair Vintage Select - Lonsdale

These are great snow shoveling cigars and that's exactly what I did while smoking this one. I V cut it and paired with Wild Turkey 101. It was a finger burner for sure. I love these. Perfect strength and flavor. The last 3rd of this one seemed to last forever.

From Cigars International:

Milk-chocolatey goodness from Victor Sinclair.

Victor Sinclair Vintage offers a dark, delicious Brazilian maduro wrapper and supremely aged mix of all Cuban-seed Dominican long-leaf tobaccos. Light one up and you’ll see it’s chock full o’ soothingly rich, milky-smooth flavors but also fairly light in strength. Crisply box-pressed and meticulously constructed with a pleasant aroma and slight sweetness, VS Vintage is a bargain that’s priced well enough to be your ’everyday’ handmade.

EP Carrillo Short Run

This is the second Carrillo I have had and have loved them both. This one was smoked at Max and Irma's bar while brainstorming with Daryl and Spence about starting a business.

I straight cut it and paired with Nob Creek whiskey. It was a great cigar for a great night. I had to do some minor corrections to the burn twice. Nice mild to medium flavor and strength. A finger burner.

From Famous-Smoke.com:

EP Carrillo Short Run cigars are the second release from EPC Cigar Company. Blended by the gifted hands of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, each Short Run cigar reveals a rich-tasting blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican longfillers deftly rolled in a beautiful Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper leaf. The cigars are medium to full-bodied and riddled with complex flavors of wood, nutmeg and sweet tobacco. Only 1,500 boxes of each size have been produced, so make sure you order your box before we run short.

Argyle Maduro Toro

I got this cigar for free last time I was at Holt's in PA. It normally sells for $3.20. This cigar had good firm construction and smells really nice. I gave it a V cut and paired with Wild Turkey 101. I was outside shoveling so I did not pay a huge amount of attention to the cigar but I did enjoy it.

It had good flavor, that I would place in the medium flavor range. Had a medium finish and medium to full strength. Nice kick.

I put it out at about an inch to go only because it was cold as Hell. Otherwise a finger burner.

From Holt's Cigars:

High quality, inexpensive Dominican cigars are exceedingly hard to come by. The best ones tend to be a bit spendy, and the cheap ones are often plagued by construction issues and offer little to please your taste buds. Taking all this into consideration we created Argyle: a mild blend of Dominican tobaccos finished with either an elegant, creamy Natural wrapper or a sweet, nutty Maduro wrapper. Those looking for a tasty, mild cigar under 2$ should look no further. Argyle has it all.

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Strength: Mild
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican

Victor Sinclair Connecticut Yankee

I V cut this one and paired with some wine on the deck in front of my propane heater while cooking bacon on the grill! I cooked chicken legs earlier for dinner.

It was a bit peppery at first but mellowed out to a nice flavor and strength. Nice construction, good burn. Still one of my favorites. Whenever I smoke one of these I hop on CigarBid.com and buy some more. Can't resist.

From Cigars International:

A genuinely unique cigar.

Victor Sinclair’s Connecticut Yankee features a Connecticut-grown Havana-seed leaf. Genuine Connecticut-grown, Havana-seed leaf is not common, as it is neither broadleaf nor shade-grown. However, 4 years ago Victor Sinclair purchased a small, experimental cache of this rare wrapper tobacco....and the results are nothing short of delicious.

Indeed, the wrapper delivers a distinctively smooth, rich flavor. And combined with its premium blend of aged Nicaraguan and Dominican long-fillers, Connecticut Yankee offers a medium-bodied smoke with a unique, mature bouquet of flavor including some rich, toasty and chocolatey notes.

H. Upmann Special Seleccion

This was a beautiful cigar beautifully packaged. I straight cut it and the trial puff was tight so then I V cut it. Paired it with Wild Turkey. Smoked on the deck in 25 degrees weather. Good thing I was sitting in front of the propane heater. There was a little bit of an uneven burn at first. After the v cut the draw was medium to tight but acceptable. Nice mellow flavor with a short finish. About half way through and strength was mild but hard to tell because I feel a little sick from a cold.

From the packaging:

World famous since 1844, these rich, smooth cigars exhibit flawless construction. Their nut-like flavor and cool-burning qualities have made this brand an enduring favorite with smokers of medium bodied cigars.

Victor Sinclair Vintage Select - Lonsdale

Another shoveling cigar. I straight cut it and again paired with Wild Turkey 101. I would shovel a bit while smoking, take a break from some whiskey and then go back to shoveling and smoking. I really enjoyed it. 

The cigar was a great smoke as usual, a finger burner. I didn't concentrate on the cigar much due to the shoveling but it was the perfect cigar for this occasion.

From Cigars International:

Milk-chocolatey goodness from Victor Sinclair.

Victor Sinclair Vintage offers a dark, delicious Brazilian maduro wrapper and supremely aged mix of all Cuban-seed Dominican long-leaf tobaccos. Light one up and you’ll see it’s chock full o’ soothingly rich, milky-smooth flavors but also fairly light in strength. Crisply box-pressed and meticulously constructed with a pleasant aroma and slight sweetness, VS Vintage is a bargain that’s priced well enough to be your ’everyday’ handmade.

Padron

I am not positive about which Padron this cigar was. I bought it at Tinder box for a bit over $7.00. I think it was a robusto size. Maybe smaller. I wanted something on the small side because I wanted to smoke it while shoveling the driveway.

I straight cut it and paired it with Wild Turkey 101. I got a bit of pepper on lighting. I was shoveling snow so I did not concentrate on the cigar a lot. But I did really enjoy it. It had great smoke and lots of it. A great medium flavor and the strength was medium. Definitely a finger burner that I would buy again.

From Famous-Smoke.com:

Padron cigars are patiently handmade with long-aged Cuban seed tobaccos grown entirely in Nicaragua. A true classic and unique-tasting cigar whose outstanding quality defies its affordable price. Distinguished by their square-pressed shapes, dark, oily wrappers and medium-to-full bodied flavor, these perfectly balanced puros brim with complexity and the essence of coffee and cocoa bean. Their consistency is attributed to limited annual production, which keep them at the peak of flavor.

Fumadores by Jose Pepin Garcia

Smoked this one on the deck on a cold night in front of the propane heater. I straight cut it and paired it with Bud Light. I was snowing like crazy, it looked like a snow globe. Beautiful.

The cigar started off with a bit of a peppery bite but mellowed out nice. It had a medium flavor and the strength was medium to strong. It had a nice kick.

This is a great budget cigar and I have enjoyed each of them that I have smoked.

From Holt's Cigars:

Fumadores by Jose Pepin Garcia

Our main man Pepin Garcia is a flat out stud. His brilliant style of blending has the cigar world awestruck! Pepin is currently gaining mass acclaim for his illustrious top-shelf cigars; however, his newest creation is a no-nonsense, mind-blowing value! The brand new Fumadores are handmade in Nicaragua and come in 3 fabulous sizes. Oily clay-colored Ecuadorian wrappers hug a scrumptious blend of Nicaraguan Corojo, Criollo and Habano seed tobaccos. The Holt's Tasting Committee has gone totally bonkers over these cigars. In fact, we think these gems could be the finest cigars for the money in the entire industry! They're constructed sandwich style, yet burn and taste like 100% premium long-filler. It's remarkable. When you first fire up one of these bad boys your tongue is immediately met with a barrage of spices. As you continue to puff, your nose and mouth get furnished with an earthy aroma accented by wholesome hints of oak, apricot and cayenne pepper. Overall these cigars are medium to full-bodied with a rich, hearty finish. Pepin is currently making a plethora of fine cigars, but when it comes to value our Fumadores are unbeatable!

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Corojo, Criollo, Habano

Tatuaje Havana VI

This was my New Years Eve smoke. The last cigar of 2010. Cigar number 162 since I started getting serious and blogging my cigars in May.

December has caused my smoking to be cut in half. It has been too cold to regularly smoke outside and I have been traveling a lot. But I had to get this one last smoke in for the year. I have been wanting to try this cigar for awhile so I picked one up the last time I was at Holt's. It set me back $7.25.

This was a fairly short cigar but since I was smoking with some friends during a New Years Eve party I didn't want to be too antisocial and be out on the deck all night.

It was a very warm New Years Eve, around 50 degrees, so smoking outside was pretty comfortable. I brought a couple of Quorum's for any friends that wanted to join me. I had two takers, Ed and Jim. They seemed to like the Quorum's.

This Tatuaje was very nice. A nice mellow taste with lot's of smoke. A bit milder than my past Tatuaje's but I think this blend is supposed to be on the lighter side. It still had plenty of flavor and was a finger burner. I would definitely buy it again, maybe a bit longer size though.

Happy New Year!

From Holts.com:

Length: 4.5 Ring: 49

Our good friend Pete Johnson is taking the cigar industry by storm! For the past year or so, Tatuaje has been the hottest thing since sliced bread. Now Pete is looking to bolster an already potent arsenal with his brand new Havana VI! This is a cigar manufactured in Nicaragua from 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos. It features a gorgeous chocolaty Corojo wrapper and a tasty binder and filler blend. The Havana VI is a completely different animal than the regular Tatuaje. It is blended in traditional Cuban fashion, but does not possess the strength and firepower often associated with the Tatuaje name. Instead of coming out with a cigar stronger than his previous one, Pete decided to flip the script and offer customers a lighter fare. The Tatuaje Havana VI is a medium-bodied cigar with rich earthy flavor and smooth subtle spice.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

Hoyo de Monterrey - Double Corona

This is the second of this batch of 5 that I have smoked. The first one had some serious wrapper issues so I decided to let the rest sit in the humidor for a few weeks to see if that would help.

The cigar has a very tight and hard construction. No soft spots. A bit of a barnyard smell.

I straight cut it and smoked it on the deck in front of the heater. I paired it with a Framboise Lambic (Belgian Framboise Beer) and then a Great Lakes Christmas blend.

From the moment it lit it thru the first third there was plenty of smoke. I did notice a slight pepper bite at the back of my throat but nothing too annoying.

At the end of the first third the wrapper burst. The flavor is mild but nice, and the strength was mild to medium.

During the last third there were no wrapper issues and the strength picked up a bit and I would call it medium to full overall.

Overall I do like this cigar. It was a finger burner.

From JRcigars.com:

Origin: Honduras
Length: 6.75
Ring: 48
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper Color: Medium Brown (E)
Wrapper Type: Ecuador Sumatran
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: DR/HON/NIC

From Cigar.com:

Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the oldest cigar brands in the world, making its start in Cuba before expanding production to their factory in Honduras. Today it is one of the most famous brands on the Market.

Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the most recognized names in cigars. With deep roots in Cuba, this brand has consistently been one of the best cigars to ever come off the island. In 1969, after the trade embargo, production moved to Honduras and was first harvested from a Cuban seed smuggled out of Cuba in a diplomatic pouch.

The unique multi country blend used to make Hoyo de Monterrey is medium bodied with a solid creamy flavor and great balance. The cigar is currently made under the supervision of Estello Padron at the Villizon Factory where other big names such as Punch are made today. Estello's commitment to quality and perfection ensures that each Hoyo de Monterrey is worthy of the name. Hoyo de Monterrey is and always has been a classic. Smoked by new enthusiasts and aficionados alike, it has a versatile flavor that appeals to many palates.

La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor

I smoked this one after having dinner with my beautiful wife at Club La Salle. The club has been my favorite local indoor cigar hangout for a bit now but they are going smoke free on 12/31/2010. So I thought that I would go one last time and enjoy a cigar there.

For dinner I had the pork chop. I can honestly say that it was the biggest and best pork chop that I have ever had. Fantastic.

After eating, I straight cut this cigar and paired it the rest of my Great Lakes Christmas blend that I had with dinner and then with an Amstel Light.

It was a bit peppery at first but mellowed out quickly.

I love this cigar and when I want to smoke a $8.00+ cigar this just may be my new favorite. It has a great complex taste but not overpowering. Has an easy draw, medium strength and always a finger burner.

I had to put this one out a bit earlier than I would have liked to because my wife was starting to get overwhelmed by the amount of smoke in the club. I put it down with a little over an inch to go and it killed me to do so because it was getting really good.

From Cigar.com:

Handcrafted under the supervision of Don Pepin Garcia in Nicaragua, La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor is an excellent cigar, blended to create a complex experience that completely satisfies your entire palate.

La Aroma de Cuba is an old-time brand with a unique and dedicated following. The blends under this line all maintain light complexities while remaining medium-bodied to create a balanced experience between strength and flavor. Now made in Nicaragua at Don Pepin Garcia's new factory, the La Aroma de Cuba brand remains consistent from start to finish and features some of the best tobaccos money can buy.

Mi Amor is simply an excellent addition to the La Aroma line. The blend brings a full-flavored but medium-bodied maduro to the mix and creates a hearty finish. Outside, you'll find a dark Cuban-seed Mexican maduro wrapper that conceals a flavorful concoction of Nicaraguan long leaves from Nicaragua's top growing regions. As the blend burns, you'll find espresso and coffee-like flavors throughout, all masked by earthy undertones and notes of black pepper. With a smooth, creamy smoke and long-lasting finish, expect Mi Amor to increase in strength from head to foot while still producing a well-balanced finish that you'll want to experience again and again.

Victor Sinclair Vintage Select - Lonsdale

I straight cut this cigar and smoked it without a pairing. I took the girls out to Diamond Lake for a walk on the ice and grabbed this cigar on the way out the door. The temps were in the low 20's and there was a very light breeze.

It was the perfect cigar for what we were doing. It didn't require any special attention, no burn issues, etc.. I really enjoy these cigars for times when I don't have a lot of time. They produce a ton of smoke, have a mild taste, and usually have just enough strength to have a nice kick.

It was a great walk and an enjoyable cigar.

From Cigars International:

Milk-chocolatey goodness from Victor Sinclair.

Victor Sinclair Vintage offers a dark, delicious Brazilian maduro wrapper and supremely aged mix of all Cuban-seed Dominican long-leaf tobaccos. Light one up and you’ll see it’s chock full o’ soothingly rich, milky-smooth flavors but also fairly light in strength. Crisply box-pressed and meticulously constructed with a pleasant aroma and slight sweetness, VS Vintage is a bargain that’s priced well enough to be your ’everyday’ handmade.

Victor Sinclair 10th Aniversario

I smoked this one on the deck at night. It was 20 degrees outside and I dressed warmly and sat in front of the propane heater. I also used one of the "Hot Hands" hand warmers that I got for Christmas.

I V cut it and paired with a Great Lakes Christmas blend and then with Bud Light. This cigar produces a ton of smoke and had a nice medium to mild flavor at first. I can't put my finger on the flavor note that I am getting. Maybe cedar?

The First two thirds were great with a nice mild to medium flavor and medium strength. I had to purge a few times because it was getting hot and bitey. I did have to correct the burn once in the last third. This cigar does tend to get a bit hot in the last inch.

The entire cigar produced great thick smoke and lots of it. I smoked it down to the finger burning nub. It left me wanting more.

From CigarsInternational.com:

A lovely and well-aged Dominican puro.

Meticulously handmade, this Dominican beauty has turned heads, featuring all Dominican tobaccos, including a lovely, triple-fermented Corojo wrapper. The new crown jewel of the Victor Sinclair family of brands. The smoke is toasty and layered with balanced, pleasant flavors, finished by a peppery-sweet aftertaste and wonderful aromas.

From Cigar.com:

This exceptionally complex blend is one of the only Dominican cigars on the market rolled with a coveted Dominican wrapper, which is packed with flavor.

To celebrate their 10th Anniversary, the blenders at Victor Sinclair spent several years perfecting a dynamic mix of Dominican tobaccos to make an exceptional cigar that sells at a reasonable price. The resulting blend has been one of the best ever created by Victor Sinclair and is only sold to a small handful of special accounts, which include Cigar.com!

Victor Sinclair 10th Aniversario is full-bodied and full-flavored utilizing tobacco that creates robust notes of spice, which carry into a very long finish. Over the course of the smoke, the flavor undergoes several changes keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Very complex and definitely note worthy, this cigar is a must buy, not only for fans of Victor Sinclair but also for aficionados worldwide.

Avo Uvezian Heritage

I picked this one up while on my last trip to D.C. and it was suggested to me by a tobacconist at W Curtis Draper.

I straight cut it and paired it with Bud Light while smoking it on the patio at the fire pit. It was Christmas Eve and I had a nice little fire. I think it was in the 20's outside but I was dressed warm.

The cigar was medium flavor and nice and mellow with no bite. The strength was on the strong side but not too strong. I liked this cigar and would buy again.

From Cigar.com:

A phenomenal blend from the hands of Avo Uvezian in collaboration with Hendrik Kelner, Avo Heritage remains one of the most satisfying Avo cigars ever created.

Avo cigars hail from the Tabadom factory in the Dominican Republic. This notorious factory is the same location where Davidoff cigars are also produced, and is known throughout the world as one of the most premier cigar facilities currently still in operation. Each stick is carefully blended by Avo Uvezian and Hendrik Kelner; top industry specialists who are known for producing some of the finest, most premium blends on the market.

Avo Heritage utilizes the finest selection of Cuban-seed tobaccos in the business. This cigar is one of the most complex Dominican blends ever created as it features Cuban-seed Dominican long fillers all encased by a Cuban-seed sun grown wrapper grown in Ecuador. With a super smooth character and a full-bodied, full-tilt flavor, Heritage will satisfy the most discerning aficionados and still features a relatively affordable price point.

Alec Bradley Tempus Maduro Torpedo

Picked this one up from a recontamination from Walter at the JR Marriott around the corner from Shelley's Backroom in D.C.. I bought it at W Curtis Draper for about $8.00.

I smoked it at Shelly's while hanging out with some of my cigar smoking Twitter friends like Evan, Bird and Brett. I gave it a V cut and paired it with Bud Light.

It had a great draw from the beginning thru the first third and then got a little tight. So I then straight cut it in hopes of opening it up more. It worked. It was a great smoke. Awesome full flavor, medium to full strength. Great draw after straight cutting. No construction issues. Loved it. A finger burner for sure!

From CigarsInternational.com:

A 94-rated masterpiece.

Here it is, quite possibly the crowning achievement of Alec Bradley Cigars. Tempus is truly boutique, right down to the tobaccos used. The Habano-seed wrapper hails from a small tobacco field located on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras, capturing the rich, hearty flavors of Honduras. This leaf is dark and leathery, and conceals a complex mixture of Cuban-seed long-fillers grown in both Nicaragua and Honduras. The cigar explodes with rich, but smooth flavors noting toasted wood and nuts. The finish is long and peppery with an enjoyable sweetness.

Thanks to a well-deserved ’94’ rating, the Alec Bradley Tempus was named one of the Top 25 Cigars of the Year!
"Dark and attractive with an effortless draw, this cigar produces a rich, semisweet smoke, leaving balanced impressions of wood and nuts. Big, delicious flavor."