Cigar Review: Brickhouse Maduro

Maduro, maduro why art thou so damn tasty!?

I have tried Brickhouse before and liked them for the most part but I saw this Maduro at my local shop and just had to try it.

The cigar is a fat, thick and oily stick. Doesn't that sound appealing? Yikes. Anyway this cigar lit easy and smelled nice and earthy, like a good Maduro should.

It was surprisingly tasty, smoother than I expected and had a very clean after taste. It had a little caramely sweet flavor in there too. The earthy tastes of a Maduro just weren't there, but still very tasty. This medium bodied cigar was balanced and very pleasurable. I literally smoked every bit of this guy. I did encounter a weird issue with the construction though. It actually cracked as the cigar burnt down. The extra heat found a weak spot in the wrapper. Not good but it didn't really affect the smoke.

I like the Brickhouse Maduro better than the other Brickhouse I tried. It was savory, sweet, and rich. If it wasn't for the splitting wrapper I would say this is one of the best cigars I have had in months. But...

I give this cigar a 7 of 10. Silly wrapper, splitting is for kids.

Questions for YOU: Have you ever had a cigar split its wrapper?

Cigar Review: Gurkha Evil

Do you know what political ads and my next cigar review have in common?! They are both EVIL. Heyo! I'm full of jokes today.

The next cigar on my tasting list is the Gurkha Evil.I've had mixed results with Gurkha's but I am always up for a new smoke. This Brazilian wrapped gem is filled with spicy Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, and on paper looks to please. Albeit in a dark, mysterious way.....

The Gurkha Evil is a strong blend and you should be aware of this before lighting up. It has a little kick, nothing crazy but this is a full bodied cigar. Like most full bodied cigars, it has many strong and complex flavors. I enjoyed the earthy tastes and it had a little peppery finish as well. It's like a kick in the mouth, a surprisingly smooth kick in the mouth. I am not a huge fan of full bodied cigars, but this was balanced and smooth enough. I did have some burn problems as shown above. A little uneven, and I had to tend to it several times.

If I were to get more Evils, I would opt for the smaller sizes as to not overwhelm. You can get these in a robusto so I would start there. For those looking for a full, complex smoke here it is. The Evil also comes with a very reasonable price tag. Go on, give this feisty little guy a try! I give this Gurkha a 7 of 10.

Questions for YOU: How do you ensure a consistent burn? Any tips and tricks to share?

Cigar Review: Acid Toast

Just too good not to try! I have and always will enjoy a nice Acid Cigar . You have to respect them for their unique and interesting characteristics. It is so different from anything else out there, and that can cause some people to either love them, or hate them. Either way, the Acid cigar has transformed the industry and brought in MANY new smokers. Smokers who soon yearn to try other brands and broaden their cigar experience. For everyone that thinks they are cigar abominations, think twice. It is simply change, and a change that is making the cigar world larger for all. Accept it or not.

I had the Acid Toast, part of Drew Estates Subculture line. It was great! Probably one of my favorite Acid cigars, other than the 5’s and the Opulence. It had a fine presentation with a nice wrapper and that distinctive Acid smell. It had a nice easy draw and lit just fine. The sugared wrapper was obvious but it was the taste that was excellent. It tasted just like a spicy cinnamon, hot chocolate. It had the bitter sweet nuances of a chocolate and the spicy herbal taste like cinnamon or nutmeg. The cigar picked up a toasty taste in the middle, but finished how it started. The different tastes and smells really made this cigar one of the best Acids. My only complaint is that it is very straight forward with its tastes; it is a lot of flavor at once. The smoke itself is also worthy of noting. It has a pleasant smoke that people around me enjoyed for its sweet nuances.

I loved it and can’t wait to score some more. Some of the subcultures are harder to find but some online retailers carry older blends. Good job Drew and overall I give this cigar a sweet 8.5 of 10.

Question for YOU: What is your favorite Acid cigar?!

Cigar Review: Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro

Can't live like the top 5 percent? You can smoke like them though! 

You don't have to pay a fortune for an excellent cigar. In fact, cigar deals just seem like they are getting better and better. Brand name cigars are out there waiting for you. You just need to find the right retailer.

My advice is to check out a site's quick hitting specials. The daily and weekly deals are the best value. Stogieboys.com has the great quality smokes you want, at prices you can brag about. Check back on their Daily Deals  to see what I mean. 

Anyway back to the cigar at hand, the Perdomo Lot 23. I sampled the maduro cigar from this long standing company. Originally founded in Cuba, they have not forgotten their roots and this cigar is proof.

The leathery maduro wrapper was in great shape and the construction was generally blemish free. Cutting and lighting went off without a hitch, and you immediately got that rich, chewy smoke. I love a maduro that isn't too earthy and has a little sweetness on the finish. That is the kind of maduro that makes me one happy camper. Now I can't say this cigar has exactly that, but it's close.  The cigar starts with a rich deep flavor, then turns a little sharp like cedar. It then eases into a sweet brown sugary finish. It was a clean taste though. I will say the first third was a tad sour till it warmed up in the second third. A little heat really brought out the rich flavor Perdomo's are known for. This cigar uses Cuban seed Corojo & Criollo fillers/binders grown in Nicaragua, and I think that is why you get that nice blend of flavors.

Man, it is cigars like these that make you feel like a king. When you realize you only spent 5 bucks, it only makes it better! Perdomo made a good one here. Maybe I will review the Connecticut shade later too. This cigar earned a respectable 7.5 outta 10. That sour start is my only complaint.

Perdomo Lot 23- Smoke like a rich guy!

Cigar Review: Padron Handmade

Padron, just plain tasty. If you want a cigar to rely on, try this fella...

A friend of mine is a Padron guy and kept pushing me to try one. I gotta say I should have done this earlier. I am not to sure about the history and where this cigar hails from, but a quick Google search will point you in that direction.

The cigar itself looked great with its oily maduro wrapper and the construction was better than average. The burn was a little uneven, but it was that day. So my inconsistencies were probably due to being outside. It was a smaller sized smoke, but packed full of flavor! Medium bodied, and surprisingly complex. It was a little nutty, with a slightly sweet espresso finish. The more you smoke this cigar, the more of that espresso comes out too. Tasty! I wish I got a bigger size!

I was very surprised and really enjoyed it. I heard good things about Padron, but this was a real treat. I would definitely pick up a few more of these. I would even say that my humidor should always have at least a few sticks of these. The price makes it possible too. They go for $4 on cigarbid.com , if you are lucky. Anywhere else, I would say about 7 bucks. Overall, I give this go-to cigar an 8.5 of 10.

Questions for YOU: Have you had any other Padrons? Are they any good?

Whisky Essentials: The Max Benjamin Whisky Bag

Looking for a great holiday gift for the whisky lover in your life?

This is the ultimate in whisky and cigar luxury. You can't just toss your precious whisky and Herf-a-Dor into some gym bag and head out to course. Go in style and treat your delicacies right with the Max Benjamin Mini Cigar Bar Bag. 

It has three compartments inside the bag, each one large enough to hold a bottle. Included with the bag is a cedar lined leather cylindrical humidor, 4 stackable acrylic glasses, an ice container, and a  lighter. This is the ultimate addition to your whisky collection. I will be putting this bad boy at the top of my list for Christmas!

I might leave Santa some cigars and a glass of Scotch this year…

Cigar Rights- Support Them!

You should have the choice to do what you love. If smoking cigars is what you love, support that right!





This guy is sweet!



A small and loud group of people are infringing on our rights to enjoy. Restrictive legislative measures are hurting the industry and this will affect us, the smokers, in short time.

Yes smoking isn’t the healthiest activity but neither is eating cake. Hang with me here. Cake is a great way to eat a ton of fatty calories. Cake is full of saturated fats, cholesterol, sugars, chemicals, and all sorts of nasty (but tasty) things. This can lead to heart disease, obesity, diabetes …etc. Yet there is no regulation on cake. Why my analogy? Because we as consumers and citizens, should have the right to determine what we consume.

Political parties aside, the government telling us what to eat or smoke, is wrong. Good news though, there are interest groups out there to fight for your right to choose. I am a proud member of Cigar Rights of America and you should be too. Let professional lobbyists fight for your rights, but nothing is free. There is a small yearly due of $35 bucks that goes to political actions on your behalf. It is worth every penny if you ask me. Vote with your dollars as small issues like this can often be overlooked, but can have big consequences.

Like all indulgences, it is about moderation. A cigar here and there (which is what most cigar smokers do) isn’t any unhealthier than cake every now and again. Either way, we should be able to choose what we want and should be able to protect the industry that makes us our fine cigars. Cigar Rights of America , join now and get a few freebies too!