Review: Foundry Cigars

Ok… I need to start this post with a confession.

I love Steampunk. I love dressing up in the Victorian Retro-scifi get up. I’m not picky about it. I often mix and match my steam punk with my diesel punk (after the introduction of the combustion engine) and make the argument that Firefly (the all too short lived show by Joss Whedon – the guy who wrote and directed The Avengers for those of you not in the know) fits in the genre aesthetically even if not timeline wise. But never the less, I love the look and creativity of it all.

SO, when a cigar company, Foundry, came out with a line of cigars that was basically MADE for the Steampunk community I was all over that like sepia tones on an Instagram photo.

The Foundry Cayley. The funkiest shape of the four offered in the line.

I wanted to love this cigar. I wanted to love this cigar so much that I tried three different ones.
First I tried the Cayley, the most unique of them all.
Then I tried the Wells, the thinnest ring gauge of the bunch.
Then I tried the Talbot, the thickest of the quad of offerings.

First thing I need to make note of is the ring as seen above. I found mine easy to slip off. Of course I kept mine and anyone else’s who would give them to me because… well… I’ll get to it in a bit. Some people had a problem with it but it loosened up with warmth.

Next thing I need to make mention of is the delicate Connecticut wrapper. I make mention of this because the second I hit any cold air or dry, such as walking to a favored smoking establishment, or standing outside while smoking to get some air, the blasted thing split on me.  This happened to me on both the Cayley and the Talbot.

My Foundry Talbot Split walking from the vehicle to the smoking establishment. 😦

As far as taste goes… There was something about it that I couldn’t put my finger on. The taste was so mild, I couldn’t place my finger on what made it taste so different from other mild cigars I have had. And then, at last, it hit me. It was reminiscent of high end cigaret smoke to me. I still wouldn’t want to inhale it, but to switch some Steampunker from cigs to cigars, this is the perfect vehicle to do so.   I gave up on the Talbot because of the split. However I did gain some mild spice on the Cayley and the Wells.  Which is perfect for an “introducing someone to cigars”-type cigar.

I bought another Wells to keep in my humidor to see how well it ages. (Because just like fine wines, cigars age well when kept well.) I probably won’t smoke another one until it warms up outside because of the split issue. I think they would be a blast to bring to Steampunk conventions, such as The Steampunk Worlds Fair.

So the final verdict is that I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either.  I’ll probably only smoke these once in a while if I need something mild that day. I’ll probably also buy a few to see how they age. I recommend the Wells out of the 3 that I have tried, but I am bias because the other 2 split on me. If you are into Steampunk, and want to try a cigar, I’d give this a try. NOT just because they put some gears on it but because it is so mild.

I’ll be the one collecting the rings from these sticks so I can glue some gears on my costumes.

 

Review: La Gloria Cubana Trunk Show 2012 Liga YG-23

Ooooh, A smokable band!

Ok, I’m sorry to say this, but I was not terribly impressed with this offering. It just was not to my tasted. I gave it some time to grow on me and it was an “ok” cigar. Nothing to go wild about. It’s, to me, rather on the mild side and somewhat papery, rather than creamy. I wanted to see if the smokable tobacco band added anything to it. To me, it felt like smoking paper.

Now, other people in the shop disagreed with me. One loved what it added. I just didn’t get it. I did think the ink sticking to the ash was a neat effect but other than that the stick didn’t sing to me.

I am curious to see if this would age well so I may pick up one to let it sit in a humidor for a year or so.

As with all my reviews your milage may vary.

If you want to know more about this offering, check out this video from the makers of the cigar:

Review: LaFlor Dominicana AirBender Torpedo

Once again a birthday cigar that I would not have bought myself. I normally steer clear of the cigars that feel like I need to eat a full dinner and feel like I have eaten a 4 course meal after I am done. That is just my preference, your milage may vary.

Start of the action with my Torpedo Air Bender.

I’m actually smoking this one as I type. Yay for live reviews.

This stick is tightly rolled like most of LaFlor Dominicana offerings. It is a tight draw made for sipping. This started with a BOLD amount of spice. I wasn’t sure if I would like it. About half inch in I got some tart and salty flavors as the spice began to smooth out from its initial punch.

My beverage of choice an inch in is a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate  (a favored fall/winter cold weather beverage of mine), so after a single sip the spice smoothed out considerably. I still am getting a bit of that tangy flavor as my tongue hits the tip. It’s a pleasant complement to my beverage. The ash is holding well too.

30 minutes and some pallet cleansing water later the smoke is still smooth, spice is mild with a considerable citrus-like tang on the tip.

An hour and a half and 2 ashings later.

Another 30 minutes later, what is impressing me about this stick is that so far, it is not getting the bitter taste that I associate with cigars of this length and duration. I have not had to brace it yet.

15 minutes later, I am starting to get that spicy flavor again, which may be, with any other stick the time to brace, but right now I am enjoying the switch up.

Another 15 minutes and I am down to the last inch and a half. I could brace it but I think I’d melt my eyebrows. A two hour smoke is good enough for me.

Well done LaFlor Dominicana. Well done indeed.

Review: Padron Family Reserve 1964 – 46 Year

Pre-Action Shot of the Padron Family Reserve 1964 #46

Post Hurricane Sandy I was still waiting to hear from Family and Friends to see if they were ok. This was my “distraction cigar” for most of the day.

This is a full bodied, slower burn with a hint of spice. Though the smoke was smooth, it had a hint of bitterness to me that was reminiscent of a high percent dark chocolate. In fact, having a little dark chocolate to this cigar experience was quite nice. If you prefer medium to full bodied cigars, it would be hard to go wrong with this one. If you have a good humidor, pick this one up. I suspect it will only get better with time.

Cigar Chic Vocabulary: Bracing

Last entry I mentioned a trick I learned from one gentleman from my shop that he called “bracing” the cigar. The purpose of this was to extend the life of the cigar and burning off the tar and gases that turn a longer smoke bitter as it nears the end. This is especially good for longer sized smokes.

Now, if you like that bitter taste, by all means, skip over this post. But if you find yourself wishing to get a inch or two more out of that long stick (no pun intended) then carry on.

To Brace a cigar goes like this:

Step 1a: Brush all the ash from the foot (the lit end) of the cigar. Generally this can be done on the edge of your ash tray. Give it more than just a tap. The less ash, the better this works.

Step 1b: If you have longer hair like me, push it back get it out of the way. Burnt hair does not go well with cigars. This technique can cause singeing especially if the cigar is down to the last 2 inches. I know this sounds like a “duh” maneuver, but it’s one I’ve forgotten to think about because I am surrounded by men who don’t have this issue so I’ve never seen them have to do it.
Just remember, eyebrows can singe too. It may be worth doing this sooner rather than later depending on the length of your cigar.

Step 2: Bring your cigar up to your mouth and  flame source up to the end of your cigar as if you were about to light it.

Step 3: Start to gently blow into your cigar. It should light a yellow flame at the end. Remove flame source. Keep blowing. The yellow flame is all the tar and ick taste burning off.

Step 4: Keep blowing until the flame turns blue. Around this time the flame will start going out on its own.

Step 5: Enjoy your refreshed stick.

Step 6: Repeat if needed.

 

 

 

Review: Oliva Serie V Double Toro

As I mentioned in my previous post, yesterday was my birthday. As such I was gifted with a number of sticks that I would not normally purchase myself if left to my own devices. So it is likely that I’ll be reviewing a few of my B-Day cigars in the coming weeks.

One such cigar, gifted to me by one of my new old friends at my local shop was the Oliva Serie V Double Toro.

Oliva Serie V Double Toro Action Shot during a Hurricane Sandy Gathering

Unless you have been living in a cave you know that there is a ginormus hurricane/tropical storm meets nor’easter thing, which the media is calling a “Frankenstorm,” battering the upper East Coast. As such, everything in my area was shut down and the cigar shop was hopping with regulars enjoying their windy rainy day off smoking in the store. How could I pass up such a impromptu social event given the store is so close to home?

(Honestly, I thought it would be dead at the shop. How little I know about the dedication of others to smoking a fine cigar. The term “any port in a storm” took on a whole new meaning today.)

Not knowing how long I would have before winds and rain picked up to ludicrous speed, I chose my stick carefully. The Oliva Serie V was long and densely packed.  I was expecting a full bodied heavy spicy smoke.

I was rewarded with a slow burning, medium to full, smooth creamy draw with just the right amount of spice. To me the smoke was like caramel with a dash of cinnamon. It took me almost 3 hours to get through. Even as it got spicier, as cigars tend to do, I was pleased. I did have to brace the cigar once or twice to avoid it getting too bitter towards the end.

(“Bracing,” as the guys at the shop call it, is a technique that extends the life of a cigar by removing the tar build up. It’s actually pretty neat and as a new cigar smoker I am glad to have been introduced to it. I’ll make a separate entry for this tip so you all can bookmark it easily. )

Overall, I would say that the Oliva Serie V Double Toro is a good, smoothly spiced smoke for when you have the time to kick back and relax because you are going nowhere fast. You know. Like during a massive storm.

Review: Davidoff Special R

Today is my birthday and last night some of the gentlemen bought me some higher end sticks. The one I got to smoke first was the Davidoff Special R.

Now my love of this brand and its imprint Zino is well known. These cigars range from $9 up to about $40 and possibly more. It is because of this price point that I do not smoke them on a regular basis. When I do have the pleasure to do so I practically Camino it.

To Camino a cigar is to smoke it down so far one is in danger of burning their fingers and/or their lips. This slang is in honor of one Will Camino, a gentleman from my local shop who engages in this practice for every cigar he smokes.

As I was saying, this was my first time with the Special R. It was a lovely medium bodied spicy smoke that was just as good from beginning to end. It was one of the few sticks I felt the need to cut rather than punch to get a fuller experience from. Generally I like taking little sips from a punch. The only problem is that with a thicker ring gage there can be a bitter tarish build up that shortens the life of the smoke for me. To avoid this I had snipped the end on this one.

The only thing that could have made the experience better would to have had a nice tawny port at hand.

Review: Asylum 13 50×5 Robusto

Tonight I had a cigar surprise me. It taught me to not judge a cigar by its wrapper. I was expecting a full bodied, deep, bold, flavor that would leave me feeling knocked out. (Not unlike my previous review.)

The Asylum13 50×5 action shot.

What I got was a lovely light creamy smooth smoke, perfect for my pallet preferences.

Many might find it it “tasteless” at the beginning, but I found it refreshing, and building upon itself.  Like many cigars, this one got spicier and bolder as the smoke went on, and I found myself done with it about an inch or so before the end of it. This isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed it. And for the reasonable price, I see myself returning to the Asylum again.

Color me pleased.

Review: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva

I recently had the opportunity to try this new offering from the Ashton company imprint, La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva.

Now, recently, outside of flavored cigars, I have been finding myself favoring the more mild to medium bodied sticks. I say this because my review might be bias to my own preference.

This is one heavy cigar. With its robust coffee tones, it is a smooth smoke with very mild spice at the end, but when I was done with it, I felt like I had finished eating thanksgiving dinner. That is to say I was on the edge of needing a nap, or coffee and desert and not sure which was going to win.

(For the record, a chocolate milkshake from a local fast food joint won. Important safety tip – don’t smoke a maduro or oscuro without some substantial food in you.)

If you like a heavier bold rich cigar that you are going to want to take your time with, I highly recommend it.

If you are like me, and prefer the smoother creamier smokes, try the Ashton Classics.

 

“Sip, Don’t Gulp.”

One of the biggest rookie mistakes a n00b cigar smoker makes, especially if they are used to cigarettes is inhale the smoke.

I would like to paraphrase former President Bill Clinton on this one:

DO NOT INHALE!

Let me repeat that because it is vaguely important.

DO NOT INHALE!

Got it? Good.
Why?
Because you’ll cough your bloody lungs up, that’s why.

The best analogy I ever heard was from my local cigar shop manager when discussing this topic:

“Cigarettes are gulped. Cigars are sipped.”

Cigarettes are usually smoked in 15 minute breaks, as fast as one can, to get that nicotine rush and maybe catch up on some work info (read: gossip). Cigars are meant to be savored. Enjoyed for about a half hour and up. Cigars are a tobacco product of leisure.

This is probably why they project the image of opulence and wealth. One has to slow down to enjoy the cigar. Few have time to slow down, unless sitting in major metropolitan traffic, taking an 2 hours to go 15 miles. (Now you know why they make cigar ash trays for cars. If you are going nowhere fast, might as well relax during that time.)

So, when trying to avoid inhaling the cigar smoke, imagine sipping and holding the liquid in your mouth to taste it. I know you can do this with wine or water. It’s the same way with smoke. Let it roll around your mouth. Savor the moment. Take note of the qualities of the smoke. Is it spicy? Sweet? Creamy? Something else?
Then blow it out slowly.
This is how you avoid doing your impersonation of Doc Holiday at the end of Tombstone.

(For those who need an explanation: See Reference Here at 45 seconds in. Also, if you have not seen this movie, you should remedy this immediately.)