Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Cain F and Nub Cigar Tour

Cain F & Nub Join Forces!Cain F Tour Header

Join the Cain F Tour at a cigar shop near you to meet the man behind 
Nub and Cain, Sam Leccia. Watch a rolling demonstration and get exclusive giveaways like hats, shirts, bottle openers, matches and more. The Tour events will also be the only place to try the limited edition Cain F energy drink and to get the currently unreleased Cain F Nub.

For a more detailed calendar of events (including time and shop address), visit the 
Cain or Nub websites. The Ohio locations are:



May 5th 4PM-8PM- The Cigar Affair, 323 Conant St., Maumee, OH 43537
May 6th 5PM-8PM- Jungle Jim's International Market, Inc. - 5440 Dixie Highway Fairfield, Ohio 45014
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Sunday, March 28, 2010

Scotch Review: Aberlour 12 DW


Eh, not double the deliciousness...

I decided on the Aberlour because I wanted to give it a try against my favorite, The Macallan 12. They are very similarly priced and I wanted to see how the tastes compare. I also like my Balvenie Doublewood and thought this doublewood could use a tasting.



Color: muscat or russet, a deep gold
Body: medium
Nose: brown sugar and a some notes of floral, almost like a daisy smell
Palate: very fast with a sweet and spicy, a little floral is tasted, and ends with a little smoky flavor
Finish: it is a short finish with the smoke and sweet fighting for dominance, the smoke wins but it bits the whole time!

I liked this whisky but it was not very complex, with only a few flavors and some very strong characteristics. It didn't have the fruity smells or flavors that I expect from a sherry cask. The oak took over here and really pounced what the sherry had to offer. The finish was short and the bit was medium to strong. It did have some great sweet notes, but it just wasn't what I expected it to be. I would say it is a whisky to have in the cabinet because of the price, but not one to keep on the top shelf. I give this one a 7 of 10.

Question for YOU: What is your favorite doublewood Scotch!?

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Cigar Essentials: The Humidor

The humidor, the most important piece to a cigar enthusiast, yet the most misunderstood! The humidor is the castle to your cigar kingdom, and without the right protection and care your kingdom will fall apart. It is essentially a porous box that is prime for keeping a certain humidity. If one thinks about what a cigar is, it becomes very apparent for special care. Because the cigar is a dried dead leaf, it can mold, lose taste, and dry up if the proper humidity is not maintained. That proper humidity is 65-75%. Monitoring that and achieving that, is done by getting special humidifiers and hygrometers.

So what should one look for in a humidor? Fist and foremost, it should be Spanish Cedar or Honduran Mahogany. These two porous woods allow for the proper breath-ability for the humidity levels to stay at 70%.

The next couple attributes are mainly personal tastes. Glass or no glass? I have one that is similar to the one pictured, but some people do not like or approve of glass tops. They don't have the properties of the wood and allow for sunlight to further increase temperatures and cause other problems. If kept in a dark place it doesn't really matter, in my experiences at least. I have had a great experience with the glass top and it holds the 70%. I also like the look of the glass top, it is up to you.

The location or allotment for the hygrometer is also a personal taste. I like mine to be built into the box, like pictured. This allows to monitor the humidity without actually opening the box. The only problem with these are that the analog hygrometers are finicky and I have had trouble with them in the past. I will recommend nice digital hygrometers in future articles.

Then there is the issue of shelves or dividers. I don't feel a particular preference either way, but I like the idea of being able to separate certain cigars from others. You wouldn't want to mix your sweet cigars with your earthy maduros. I would never recommend mixing flavored cigars in any box with normal cigars. An Acid or Java cigar can overpower other cigars and really alter the taste. I found it preferable to have 3 humidors! Ya that's right, 3. One for my sweet mocha cigars like the Java and Tabak Especial, one for aromatic Acids, and one for my traditional cigars.

Now that you learned just a few things about selecting a humidor lets look at how to season your new humidor. They say you need to season a new humidor because the wood has not absorbed any humidity and can literally suck the moisture from your cigars! You don't want a vampire humidor so always season new boxes! When you buy your humidor, “season” it by applying a moist cloth to the interior wood and then leaving a small, closed container of water inside the humidor for 12 hours. If the humidor “drinks up” most of the water, leaving the container near-empty after 12 hours, repeat the process for another 24 hours. Once the water stops evaporating, the humidor is ready for your cigars! Just add the humidifying solution to your humidifier and insert into the humidor. Make sure to sprinkle it into the device, do not drench it! It seems to actually cause it to not release enough humidity. Enjoy and I hope you found this helpful, feel free to leave comments and advice!
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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Cigar Review:Graycliff Professionale

Mmmmm, I decided to try this Graycliff after a few of the 1666's. I was in love with Graycliff's great full flavor and was trying to find one with a little less peppery of a taste. This was it!

It was smooth and rich, full of earthy notes and sweet chestnuts. It was great, and actually so complex I had a hard time putting my finger on the flavors I was experiencing! It is exactly what I am looking for. I love a good medium smoke, and this cigar was so smooth too. It had nearly flawless construction and a really great burn. The smell of a Graycliff is also worthy of noting, they have a sweet musky smell and it is much preferred over most cigars. All in all, I was very impressed and cant wait to get some more. Graycliff is my favorite brand at this moment, and I really respect everything they make. the price tag is a little hefty, but you can usually find some great deals at cigarbid.com. So check out this great smoke and make sure to buy online to save some bucks, it tastes better when it's a deal! I give this guy a 9 out of 10!

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