2 Cigars A Month: A Cigar Review Blog

Not being able to go to Hawaii this summer, I decided to have Hawaii come to me. Well, not really, but putting a hold on my two-a-month limit has been a very good consolation prize. I have always wanted to try a Camacho after reading reviews. Now, either I am really a lighter weight than I thought when it comes to cigars, or I just didn't appreciate the blend.

With a smirk on my face I read that the Camacho Corojo is one of the strongest cigars in the world. It has a blend of rich tobaccos grown in Honduras from a rare seed smuggled out of Cuba after the embargo. Now I have tried Litto Gomez's Double Ligero, Ghurkas Beast, and Rockey Patels Sun Grown cigars. These are particularly strong, yet perfectly balanced. I did not find Camacho to be like this. I would be a sport and say I will give this cigar another try in the future, but as July comes to a close, the 2 cigar limit will be back into effect. Therefore I aqcuiese to trying this particular cigar anymore. Sorry Eiroa family, I may be missing out, I may be too light weight, or I may be a good judge of a cigar. I guess I will never know.

I RETRACT I RETRACT. Full apologise to Sam Leccia and the Oliva family. I guess this month has been full of mistakes on my part. I was very hesitant to try this cigar. I once foolishly called it a publicity stunt, a ploy. Saying that only the gullible would part money with this joke. I WAS WRONG. I AM THE GULLIBLE FOOL THAT WILL PART WITH MONEY AGAIN FOR THIS CIGAR.

Now it is not a cuban, or Davidoff, but the "sweet spot" theory is true!!! From the moment that I lit this Nicaraguan delight, wrapped in a complimenting cameroon wrapper, it was sweet. Now the end was not sweet and I must say that with purchasing a torpedo is a waste as when you get to the end of the cigar you run out of room to hold it. (A problem easily fixed with purchasing the robusto size the next day.)

This cigar was excellently made. Even burn, great construction, and wonderful draw. That enormus ring size helped keep the temperature down but more notably, the flavor of the tobacco was mouth watering. This cigar is a must try, and a new favorite. One word of caution for quick smokers like me, TAKE YOUR TIME. Although it boasts that it will burn just as long as a regular stick, you will quickly start smelling your fingers burning as you are ending your experience with this wonderful creation. Great cigar!!!

Now this is a cigar that I do not frequent too often, but I was a proud recipient of this specimen from co-workers that gave it to me as a gift for the hard work I had given throughout the year. It was a real treat to see that my hard work was recognized, but more importantly, recognized with a fine cigar.

Any day of the weak I will compare a Davidoff to a Cuban. It is the first cigar I ever smoked and the owner of the store was right. I walked in never having the pleasure of a cigar before and I asked the owner, give me a cigar that will make me hooked. We walked out of the humidor, he directed me to a special cabinet where only Davidoffs are kept and he grabbed a $30 stick. I thought for sure he just wanted to make a sale, I mean, what could the difference be with a product going up in smoke? Needless to say, after a few more cigars, a blog, and my wife putting a limit to my new hobby, I was hooked.

This Davidoff Aniversario No. 3 like all Davidoffs are just superbly made. No flaws, no inconsistent burns. The draw is always smooth and easy. But the flavor/smell/taste/even feel before lighting, is just as pleasing till you start burning your fingers at the end. I don't know what it is but Davidoffs always give a little buzz towards the middle that you have to fight a bit. Not a bad thing, but don't try to drive while enhoying one of these beauties. You get a little light headed and just brace yourself to continue because it is so good. This Dominican treat is always a good stand by, if you can call a 15-20 dollar minimum cigar a stand by. Oh in the picture you can see a twin bed in the reflection. I was in a UCLA dorm room when I took the pic. Glad to know that our fine college insitutions are smoke friendly at 1am in the morning.

My family and a couple friends (30) to be exact went to Mendocino County to do a little camping. It was great. There is no better way to get away from work than to go to a place that has no cell phone coverage. Plus we escaped 100+ degree weather by going to Mendocino that boasted 76 degrees at the warmest part of the day. Well, there was one thing that made it better. The Cusano Corojo 1997. This full-bodied cigar features a nearly 10 year old Corojo wrapper and is one of the best values in cigars.

I have been a little hesitant to try this cigar bacause of its cheesy design and $5.00 price tag. But after scoring a 91 from Cigar Insider I thought I would give it a try. My buddy and I went into town to check email and sit on the cliffs overlooking the pacific. IT WAS GREAT. Oh the views were good too.

This cigar made its debut in 2004. A dark and smooth blend of wrapper, binder and filler makes this cigar a must try. Cuban seed grown in Ecuador, a Sumatra binder, and Dominican fillers. I also had bias before trying this cigar. I originally thought have so many different tobaccos was due to the maker not having enough or just putting any available/on sale tobacco together. Boy was I wrong. The Cusano Corojo is dark, yet smooth and spicy with a full-body and robust flavor. It has a wet and somewhat sweet finish. Superb Mr. Mike Cusano, superb!

Cigar.com calls this Nicaraguan puro the finest maduro on the market. I must agree. I had this to celebrate as today is officially the beginning of my summer vacation.

This perfecto was wrapped in a maduro wrapper, a process that ages and extends the fermentation process, so a natural sweetness is drawn out of the tobacco leaf. I could taste caramel notes. This blended with medium fillers, makes this cigar a sweet complement to the filet minon wrapped in bacon and a cup of 100% pure kona coffee. It was a great night. The perfecto shape is a personal favorite. Due to the complexity of wrapping this style, it of course comes with a heftier price tag. But at $5.75, it was worth every penny. I most note that this size and shape is unique to Cigar.com, so if you want one you'll have to order from them. But as everyone who reads this blog knows, they are my first choice to buy cigars. Cheap, high quality, quick and friendly service, plus a SATISFACTION GUARANTEE!!! I never had to use the guarantee, and I hope to never use it, but my friend did and they not only gave him a replacement, but more cigars to boot. Cigar.com, you guys rock!

My friend came over and I offered him a La Aroma de Cuba, churchill. He loved it. La Aroma is a rejuvenated brand from Ashton. They take Cuban seeds and replant them in Honduras. It once received a 93 from cigar aficionado. (In case you are wondering, I did smoke this cigar till my fingers burned.)

My friends that know me knows that I love my cigars with a kick. Smoothness is always a factor and so is the after taste the next day. Call me a light weight, novice, or what have you, but I do not want to experience my cigar in the morning when I wake up from bed. Gurkha has never failed me, and after a night in Bodega Bay, Gurkha are still batting a 100.

I was a bit leary though. I have been on a Cuban cigar fix so I knew that my next cigar had to be one of my all time favorites. It is like doing karaoke after Michael Buble, the next singer better be good or everyone will notice. Well this Gurkha was not bad as I said. It was a bit on the lighter side though (typical of a Connecticut wrapper). What was not typical was the binder and filler both came from Nicaragua (these regions typically produce stronger, yet blanaced cigars). I would have to say this was a bit unbalanced as it was too light for me. Good nonetheless. However, my particular stick was a bit dry and therefore it burned very unevenly. I actually had to sell my humidor so I have placing a couple smokes in bags. I guess having the Spanish Cedar really helps to give that flavor. I have a couple travel and small humis. I could just use those so I don't damage them before I get a new one. I am picky about my humidors so I am taking my time. The "bad" part is that I have to smoke all of my old stash soon and buy more when I get a new humi. (What a hard life I live...) Enjoy, and if you think that I am off on this commentary, please let me know. I wouldn't mind buying another Gurkha, the Rolls Royce of Cigars.

Last night was a good night. Barbecued ribeye steaks and asparagus. Garden salad with seseme seed oil dressing. Strawberry pound cake, and champagne. Topped off with a fine Cuban pinar. The only thing that could have made the night better was my Lakers to win and push a game seven! My hat goes off to the Celtics. They were the better team. Danny Ainge pulled off a late in the season miracle with acquiring KG and Allen. That alone brought 32 years of experience to a team that won less than 30 games last season. Plus getting PJ Brown, Cassell, and Posey, that added another 30 years of experience. Don't get me wrong, they won very convincingly. They wanted it more. But with a team stacked like that no wonder they had the best record and beat the "new" Lakers. Kobe, although he is somewhat of a veteran, is only 29. Pao, 27, and everyone else is younger than them. Including a big piece that we went without for the post season, Andrew Bynum. So Laker fans all over the world, rest at ease. We did win! We gain experience and we have youth on our side. Our Laker Dynasty will be revived once again. Plus, aren't we Western Conference Champs!?! Hold your head up, it was a great season. Even better next year!

Ok, sorry. Back to more important things. This cigar of course was cuban so all the cuban characteristics were there. Triple seemed cap, excellent construction, intoxicating smell, and just a hint of cuban spice balanced with a smooth draw and finish. Unfortunately the cigar was a bit wet. My friend is still getting used to properly aging and storing a cigar. Due to the high moisture it was hard to keep the stick lit, and the draw could have been more easier. It was no fault of the cigar though, so I am sure the rest of the beauties are just waiting to be ripened perfectly. The ash was very dark, and there was a bit of tunneling. But the taste was great, and the flavor it left on the pallet was spicy smooth. The after taste the next day, even right after was very minimal too. Had we waited to smoke these beauties it would have been up there on my favorite list. But with steaks, champagne, a game, and beautiful wives, we had to cap it off with a cuban.