Monthly Archives: August 2014

Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival (Preview)

I spent the last weekend in Broomfield, Colorado at the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival (RMCF). I have some stories to tell about this awesome event, but before I write it all out I thought I’d share some highlights with everyone.

Yes, these are (most of) the bands from all the cigars I smoked during the weekend.

Bands

Bands

We smoked the whole way there and back…

Riding there

Riding home

These cigars were included in the ticket price! (Mine, Tom’s, and Rich’s)

Grab bag

I got to meet and chat with a lot of my favorite cigar makers and reviewers…Pete Johnson, Delicia (Cigar Vixen), and Jonathan Drew!

Pete Johnson

Pete Johnson

Delicia, the Cigar Vixen

Jonathan Drew

Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate was cutting and lighting a free Liga “A” for anyone who wanted one.

Liga "A"

Liga “A”

A few of the stogies from throughout the day at the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival…

Iconic Leaf Recluse Amadeus

Iconic Leaf Recluse Amadeus

Oliva Serie G (box pressed Churchill)

Oliva Serie G (box pressed Churchill)

Liga Privada "A"

Liga Privada “A”

Butts and Rabbits!!

Butts!

Rabbits!

All in all I came home with around 80 cigars!

Cigars!

Wicked Indie

Wicked Indie

Wicked Indie

This cigar is from the East India Company, a sister company to Gurkha Cigars. Both are owned by Beach Cigar Group.

-Wrapper – Nicaraguan Habano
-Binder – Nicaraguan
-Filler – 3 year aged Nicaraguan
-Size – Toro 6 x 54
-Price – $5, $6.09 in Bozeman, MT

Appearance, Pre-light
This cigar has a firm bunch up and down its length. The wrapper is milk-chocolate brown with a few veins and has a dry, sandpaper feel to it. It is a little bumpy (not toothy, bumpy) and puts off a hay aroma from the foot.

First Third

First Third


First 3rd
The first few puffs on the Wicked Indie bring a subtle flavor of dry spices. There is a touch of sweetness towards the roof of my mouth and in the retro-hale that reminds me of citrus. A bit of bitterness is also present, and it helps define the citrus as having a grapefruit quality. The smoke has a dusty texture that I find in some other cigars, and that mouthfeel is one I find very enjoyable when done correctly. Sometimes it can really dry my palate out or give the smoke a gritty feel, but this cigar is just fine. The finish is pleasantly short and leaves no weird taste behind. After the first inch or so, some black pepper appears in the retro-hale.

Second 3rd
The pepper moves into the background at the start of the second third. The little bit of sweetness has abated quite a bit, and the spices have morphed into the baking-spice variety. So far the burn has been crooked and high maintenance, and the ash has been a light, dirty grey. At times the flavor disappears altogether for a few minutes, but the smoke output remains good during those times. Overall the Wicked Indie has remained fairly constant, besides some minor changes in the spice and sweetness. One nice thing is that occasionally I get a picture-perfect “Nicaraguan” sweet spice. The downside is this: that seems to be a happy coincidence as I’ve only tasted those that flavor twice in this first half.

Second Half

Second Half

Last 3rd
There’s not much of a change in the last third. The smoke output is still good, but the flavors are getting tainted by a hot, ashy characteristic. During this half there have been periods of a good burn line, but overall it has needed a lot of touch ups. About an inch and a half from the end I called it quits. If not for reviewing this cigar, I would have put it down earlier.

Takeaway
I would call this a good cigar, but that’s as far as it goes. There are some decent flavors to be found, and the price is good for a toro, but I would be willing to pay a little more for a better experience.

Not Bad...

Not Bad…

Flavor – Medium-minus
Strength – Mild-Medium
Body – Medium
Construction – Okay

Rating
I wouldn’t call attention to this stick if a fellow cigar nerd was looking for a new smoke, but I would recommend it to a novice. These would make mooching friends very happy, but cigar enthusiasts can find better sticks elsewhere. That said, the price makes this a pretty tempting offer.

2.75 out of 5

Jaxx LT

Jaxx LT

Jaxx LT

I smoked two Jaxx LT for this review. I received these cigars as a giveaway prize on Cigar Federation. These are La Sirena cigars, and will be rebranded as such when the current supply runs out.

-Country – Honduras (Plasencia factory)
-Wrapper – Ecuadorian Connecticut
-Binder – Nicaraguan
-Filler – Honduran, Nicaraguan
-Size – Corona 5 1/2 x 46 (Although only Robusto, Toro, and Gran Toro are officially listed)
-Price – $8

Appearance, Pre-light
The Jaxx LT has a picture perfect Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. It is light brown with zero veins, and the capillaries crisscross smoothly over the entire cigar. The band (appropriately enough) has some six-pointed jacks on the left of the “Jaxx” logo, and the four jacks from a deck of cards are on the right side. The fill is firm with a little give, and the foot has a light barnyard aroma.

First 3rd
Right off the bat I get a sweet, smooth, creamy smoke. There is a little bit of sweet spice through the nose, like a cinnamon sugar mixture. At the one-inch mark the spice through the retro-hale dies down, but the sweetness remains. The finish is very short, but I don’t mean that as a negative. Sweetness can be a nuisance if it lingers on the palate, but the Jaxx’s flavors disappear the moment the smoke leaves my mouth. As for the draw on these cigars, it’s perfect! Just the slightest bit of resistance lets me know I’m smoking something, but isn’t too loose as to overheat the tobacco.

Jaxx LT

Jaxx LT

Second 3rd
Into the second third a nice cedar woodiness appears. The spice has lost its sweetness, and the overall body is picking up towards the medium range. The burn is consistent, but uneven. One side lags a half inch behind the rest of the burn line, which makes me want to constantly touch it up. The strength has remained mild, with no indication of picking up anytime soon. The sweetness peeks in now and again, especially on the retro-hale, as if to remind me of the first third and (hopefully) to foreshadow more to come in the final third.

Last 3rd
Hooray for foreshadowing! The sweetness returns in an amazing way. Burnt marshmallow is the best way to describe it. Sugary sweet, but not cloyingly so, with that woodiness in the background. Also, a bit of grass is detectable in this third. That is usually a dominant flavor in Connecticut cigars that I don’t enjoy, so the fact that the Jaxx LT doesn’t show it much is something I really appreciate. The finish is a little longer now, probably due to the woodiness, but isn’t ashy or foul in any way. With an inch left, the smoke starts getting too warm, but the final nub is firm and only slightly hot.

almost done

Takeaway
This is an excellent example of a modern Connecticut-wrapped cigar. The flavors are noticeable, especially that little bit of spice, and the grassiness in minimal. While I enjoy this smoke in the morning, anything more than coffee would overpower it. The burn requires a bit of attention, which definitely affects the enjoyability of smoking this cigar. That said, I love the sweetness it brings to the table, and the low nicotine makes for an excellent morning stogie.

Flavor – Medium
Strength – Mild
Body – Mild to Medium
Construction – OK

Nubbin'

Nubbin’

Rating
An enthusiast might enjoy these in the morning, but any other time of day they will probably want something with a bit more “oomph” in terms of body and strength. However, the novice will definitely appreciate these, and the Jaxx LT just might encourage someone to look closer at the world of cigars and start trying out more sticks. For those reasons, I give it a…
2.75 out of 5

Cigar News for Friday, August 8th 2014

Industry News

As you may or may not know, the cigar industry’s biggest trade show finished up last week. This year’s IPCPR (International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers) was held in Las Vegas and boasted a wonderful turn out by cigar makers and retailers alike. Here are some in-depth looks at the show, brought to you by the industry leaders of cigar media.

Cigar-Coop

Halfwheel

Cigar Federation

New Cigars

With so many new cigars, it’s impossible to cover them all. However, I do have an exclusive scoop on a few of the new cigars that Poor Richard’s will be receiving from IPCPR.

Drew Estate’s Undercrown is in store now, along with the Nica Rustica.

New Padilla cigars are on shelves.

The new Gurkha Cellar Reserve is in-house now. I reviewed the 2013 here.

The incoming list of cigars has me drooling. here are my top three picks that I will be rushing out to buy as soon as they arrive:

Joya Red – If it is half as good as I’ve heard, I’ll be filling my humidor. Here’s a look at the Joya Red from Cigar Federation.

Illusione “R” Rothchildes – This is a budget line from one of the industry’s top boutique companies. It’s not new, just new to Montana.

Tatuaje Tattoo – Another budget cigar, this time from Pete Johnson. I love the Havana VI, so this is an exciting release for me. Here is the Half Ashed episode where they reviewed it.

La Antiguedad

La Antiguedad

-Country – Nicaragua
-Wrapper – Habano Ecuador Rosado Oscuro
-Binder – Nicaragua
-Filler – Nicaragua
-Size – Robusto 5 1/4 x 52
-Price – $7.50, $10 local

Appearance, Pre-light
The La Antiguedad from My Father Cigars, like the Flor de las Antillas before it, is the epitome of beautiful cigars. The band is a gorgeous painting trimmed in gold, and the wrapper is a flawless leaf of chestnut brown. It also has a red footer band for added attractiveness and protection against cracking. The cold draw offers a light cedar flavor that belies the strength of this blend. The wrapper smells of chocolate, and sniffing the foot adds a bit of barnyard aroma to the overall pre-light experience.

First third, great burn line


First 3rd
Right away I get a blast of chocolate sweetness. My Father Cigars are known for being peppery right out of the gate, but the La Antigedad starts out sweet. After the first few puffs the sweetness abates and a dark cedar profile takes over. There is still a sweetness in the background, and the retro-hale is nice and peppery. The draw is very good, just a little bit tighter than I prefer. A dark cedar taste remains constant in the first third, but a little bit of baking spice starts to creep in underneath it about one and a half inches in.

Second 3rd
The ash on this cigar is extremely white and holds on for almost two inches. The burn is wavy and uneven at times, but usually it self-corrects. The baking spice mentioned earlier is turning into a cardamom-like flavor, and the cedar had changed to oak. The sweetness is still present but has lost its chocolate quality. The pepper through my nose has mellowed out, and I’m starting to pick up some leather now that the retro-hale isn’t tingling so much. So far the flavors are noticeable but not bold, and the strength is in the medium-plus range. The body is relatively light.

Mid-point

Last 3rd
Coming into the last third the chocolate note has returned, but it is now presenting itself as a dusty cocoa flavor. I’m also getting a dark-roasted coffee bean taste. The woodiness comes around again towards the end, this time in the background. The finish is a little bit ashy in these last 2 inches, but it must have been nearly perfect for the other thirds as I didn’t even notice it! Leather is the dominate flavor now, and the sweetness has completely disappeared. Strength-wise, the La Antiguedad has pushed into full territory.

Takeaway
While I enjoy the flavors present in the La Antiguedad, for some reason I just don’t love smoking it. That said, I’m definitely in the minority as these have received rave reviews. The presentation is flawless, the flavors are easy to grasp, and the construction is usually top notch. This is a well balanced cigar and even though I’m not a fan, I would still highly recommend it.

Nubbin’


Flavor – Medium
Strength – Full
Body – Medium-plus
Construction – Very Good

Rating
In every respect the La Antiguedad deserves a…

4 out of 5