Cigar Review: Natural Irish Hops

Football, beer, and cigars! What could possibly be better?!

I was getting ready to watch a pre season NFL game and decided it was time for a cigar and beer pairing. I open up the man cabinet and pulled out the Acid humidor and snatched up a Natural. I have had the original Natural cigars and they have been pretty good, but this time I got the Irish Hops. It was a great choice, definitely a difference between the two varieties.

The cigar was visually the exact same as a normal Natural except the foot label. The fillers were a mixture of unique tobaccos from Brazilian and Nicaraguan leaves. These leaves are then coated by a dark and oily San Andres Negra wrapper from Mexico.Its nice oily wrapper was slightly sweetened. It lit great and man did it taste good. It was a creamy, sweet, toasted taste. It was smooth and full of flavor. Definitely sweeter than the original but in a good way. I was very impressed. So I paired this cigar with a nice German Hefeweizen, and the two were great together! The fruit like wheat ale was a nice accent to the sweet cigar. The game was coming on and I was loving it! What a good life huh?!

The Irish Hops Natural cigar by Drew Estate gets an 8.5 in my book! Maybe a little too sweet but still a very interesting smoke. It is a definite must try at least.

Cigar Essentials: The Hygrometer

I'll say it again and again and again.....a humidor is useless with out the right equipment. I have tried several different hygrometers and have found the most accurate and dependable hygrometers. I thought they would all work the same and that I could just get one and be happy.....yup that didn't happen. At first I thought it was the humidifiers or the humidor itself. After a few experiments I found that it was a poor hygrometer. So I will share some of the hygrometers that I have found to work!!!

The Analog Hgyrometer: These are cheap and most humidors come with some built in. They work great if you never have to adjust them or if they come pre-calibrated! Well most do not, so these actually suck. I have had so many problems with these, and adjusting them requires patience that I am not capable of. If you have them and love them good for you, I just cant stand them.

The Digital Hygrometer: Ya buddy these are my type! They are dependable and require no calibration, usually. I have had a great experience with all of them except one brand called Csonka. For some reason this brand couldn't keep a steady reading and was really messing up. I brought in a another hygrometer and it was fine in the humidor, it was the Csonka. I have included a few that I have and would recommend below! So I guess the only real insight here is to get the items below for they are proven in my book! I hope this helps.

Cigar Review: Cain "F"

What the "F" ?!
 I just got the new Cain cigar- the "F", and after smoking it, I think I understand the rationale behind calling a cigar a single consonant.....

To start it off, the cigar had great construction, nicely wrapped with few visible imperfections. The smooth Habano wrapper looked good enough to eat! (Well not really, I am sure cigars are not a good snack) The smell was quiet strong and reminded me of a peat bog or something along those lines. Don't be scared though, it is refreshing to have a such an honest earthy smell. I was really pumped up for lighting this new cigar.

The cut was made and the head cap definitely helps in determining how much to trim off the top. After lighting it, you can definitely feel the "F", it is very strong with lots of hearty earth and a faint nutty finish. As you smoke the cigar, about an inch in, it becomes noticeably sweeter and smoother. It picks more of that nutty taste and less of the deep peaty flavors. It is a nice little transition and really adds a little to the character of the smoke. It was a bit strong for my liking with its triple ligero leaves. Its bold character was warm and full as it lingered around us as we smoked. It felt a little too strong for the lighter wrapper to handle. The Habano couldn't quite hold in the power of the Ligero leaves. The cigar's perfume was quite strong and could be smelled from some distance and I was glad we were smoking outside. The nub picked up the intensity and held it strong. After we were done smoking, we had the strong but pleasant aftertaste for hours!

 I have always been impressed with the Cain cigars and I go to them when I am in the mood for a rich deep smoke, but that is less often than not. I prefer a medium-strong cigar over a strong one, and that is the only reason why I give this one a 8.5 of 10.

Cigar Review: Acid Satori

I believe in cigar therapy! So I ordered a bunch of cigars for my cousin in Afghanistan hoping they would ease the nerves and remind him what he is fighting for. This new Drew Estate Acid cigar was in his care package. This is called the Satori and it is part of the subculture line of Acids. I was very excited to try it and my cousin loves Acid cigars too. After smoking one I almost didn't want to send him any!

The cigar had a sugared Brazilian Mata Fina Oscuro Wrapper and had a three nation blend for the fillers. It was a very nice wrapper and featured a partially covered foot. It cut and lit easy, and the second it touched your lips you knew it was a sweetened cigar. It was very similar to the sweetness of a Kuba Kuba but had the spice of a Roam or Toast. The best part was the chocolate taste like an Opulence 3, my personal favorite of the Acids. It was excellent! I really liked this cigar and famous smoke shop had a pretty good deal for a 5 pack. I had this cigar with a nice Appleton Estate rum and it was a perfect pairing. The whole smoking/drinking experience was just what I needed, and I hope my cousin will enjoy it as much too! Now I have to figure out how to ship them without too much damage to the cigars....