Cigar Review: Gurkha Micro-Batch TPB1

I was very impressed with this Gurkha cigar. It was a bit small, as the picture indicates it is long but very thin. I think I would have preferred a thick fuller smoke. O' well still really impressive!

The construction was really good with a nice smooth Habano wrapper. It had very few imperfections and the wrapper had that nice oily look and feel typical of Habano wrappers. I botched another cut but I know it is my fault, not the cutter. The draw was light and fast but it still gave you enough time to thoroughly enjoy it because of that length. The actual cigar itself smelled dully of earth and sweet nuances. Upon burning it really started to kick in. The burn was average with some spots burning faster than others, once again probably my fault. Now to the taste! Ligero leaves have really started to grow on me and I loved the balance in this cigar. Its binders were Ecuadorian leaves with viso and ligeros leaves as fillers. It gave off a very easy to smoke, balanced, and complex taste of earthy and musty sugarcane. It picked up in intensity upon the first third and actually mellowed out after the half. Then ending picked back up as the cigar started to heat up. Overall I was very impressed and wish I smoked more Gurkhas. I will definetly be buying more of these to a see if it can rival my favorite brand Graycliff! I give this fine cigar a 9 out of 10!

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Cigar Review: Graycliff G2 Turbo

Turbos Engage!


I had my Graycliff Turbo for a while now and have been yearning to smoke it! I am a huge fan of the Graycliffs and have decided on them as my go-to cigars. Time after time, these cigars impressed me. I just haven't run into another brand like Graycliff...


Graycliff introduced the G2 line this year and they have two sticks in that line. I was not overly pleased with the regular G2 cigar and hoped the G2 Turbo delivered on the great Graycliff taste I have come to love. This cigar is a G2 per se, but only in the name. It was much more enjoyable and had a better taste and finish than the regular G2's. So lets get started on the actual review!


The construction of the cigar was impeccable! It is a Habano wrapper from the San Andreas Valley and its fillers are Cuban seed ligeros. It had a few large veins in the wrapper but all in all, the  leaves used in it looked great! It lit very easy and the maintained a great even burn with a nicely balanced draw for the whole hour we smoked it. It started a little spicy and strong and finished with a toasty aftertaste. Its spice faded as we smoked it and a  sweet cedar taste took over the finish. This was my favorite part of the cigar, it was sweet and had less of that peppery taste. The perfect burn of the cigar maintained the whole time. Towards the nub of it, the sweet toast taste finished the experience and really made for a strong ending.


This was a good smoke. I was not a huge fan of the pepper and spice in the beginning but the sweet cedar taste was excellent! It really made the smoking experience complex and more enjoyable. I coupled this cigar with a nice sweet white wine and it was a great way to start the night! I give this cigar a respectable 7 of 10.

Questions for YOU: What is you favorite Graycliff?

Whisky Essentials: A Proper Whisky Glass

I have had whiskey from all sorts of glasses, but I have come to appreciate certain glasses for their enhancement to the tasting experience. I am of course referring to a Glencairn glass! The Glencairn glass boasts an exclusive design meant for fine whisky. From the shape, to the composition of the actual glass itself, the Glencairn is engineered to help you appreciate the whisky. So the big question is, does it really do what it claims? Does it actually enhance the tasting experience?

I personally own a set of glasses and I am a beleiver! Basically, the shape and size of the glass is meant to enhance and constrict the smell and taste of whisky during consumption. It is the same concept of the new Samual Adams glass. The shape constricts the aromas into a certain area making smelling little nuances easier. The belly of the glass prevents to much disturbance as the liquid flows during actual drinking as the glass is tilted. The smaller mouth of the glass prevents your nose from being inside the ring of the glass as you bring the liquid to your lips. Most glasses allow your nose to work as you are drinking. With a small mouth, the nose and mouth work independetly and really make a difference when you are nosing a whisky and when it actually hits your tongue. I find that drinking from a glass like this helps (slightly) to elimenate the bite of whisky. This may be due to the nose keeping out of the actual drinking part. It goes from nose to tongue, and the two are not combined (obviously the tongue and nostrils are in the same passage), this is just keeping the vapor from hitting both the nose and tongue all at once. The strength of the whisky then isnt felt as hard, this is the only thing I could think of to explain why it seems so much nicer to drink from a Glencairn glass. I really do like my glasses and they make them with laser engravings of popular brands, so a nice collection can also be added to your whisky hobby! All I know is the right glass really makes for a better expereince. You are not going to drink an expensive liqour out of a plastic cup!

 

Cigar Review: Graycliff G2

I bought 5 of these knowing how much I respect and love the Graycliff brand. I was a little disappointed, but still an above average cigar. It was a little unrefined for me, too strong at points and not smooth and complex like the other Graycliffs.

It had a great constructions, smell, burn, everything physical about it. What it lacked was that smooth sophisticated taste that other Graycliffs brandish. I love my Professional series and 1666 for their complex tastes and smooth smoking experience despite the stronger wrapper and fillers. This was a shade lighter but tasted heavy because of the spicier fillers. It had a nice toasty oak taste and a little spice, but not much else as far as tastes go. It was good none the less, just too bold. I like strong cigars but this one felt like it was trying to hard. Almost like the Glennfiddich 15 of whisky. It has all the makings for a complex and smooth taste, but blows it, for there is just too much of something.  My only defense would be that I was smoking it in a car and the smoke just sat there, this could have made for a stronger experience. Either way still a better cigar than most but not like the other Graycliffs. I give this a 7.5 of 10.

Cigar Review: Tabak Especial Corona

I think I already reviewed the Tabak Especial but this one is the lighter wrapper and the corona size. What a great little cigar! All BWC students had finals this week and I wanted a little treat after some studying, this sweet little cigar really hit the spot. I love coffee and I compare the Tabak to the cigar version of Panera Bread's caramel frozen coffee. It really tastes of caramel and coffee, not just chemical imitators! I still to this day believe this to be one of the most flavorful cigars on the planet! The traditionalists are probably writing angry emails as I speak! Don't get me wrong, I like a "traditional" cigars over a flavored infused one, but you cant argue with the amount and intensity of great flavor in a cigar like this one.

Also thank you readers, I got my first check from the advertisements on my site. So in conclusion, take some time to yourself and lit up a coffee infused cigar by Drew Estate, the man, the myth, and the legend!

Cigar Review: Don Diego

I have had this cigar aging in my humidor for quite some time and couldn't wait to give it a go. I can honestly say this was my first don diego and I can also say ...not bad! It had a great smell and just looked delicious!

The construction was good but the cap was really little and I had to be careful with cutting it. The draw was average but where don came through, as with most cigars, was the taste. This was another mild Dominican with that light/sweet nutty taste. Not earthy but I did notice a very little spice at the end. It was a really good smoke. The burn was literally perfect, the whole time perfect circle. The taste was a little more complex as I progressed, a little almond maybe!? All in all a real pleasure to smoke. Will this be the next cigar I buy? No, would I pick some up if I found a good price? Sure would. Overall, I give don and his little creation a solid 8 of 10.