Cigar Review: The 5 Vegas Cask Strength

I have only smoked two 5 Vegas cigars my whole life, and well that just isn't enough!

This cigar was what I expected a "Cask Strength" to be. It was bold and refined, yet easy to smoke and surprisingly complex. It lit great and kept its burn fairly well, just a little work needed. It billowed a thick almost pungent smoke, not pleasant for non cigar smokers (I guess, I personally loved it). It had an excellent draw, really easy to get puffing. It was the taste that really made this 6 year old a joy. It was rich and earthy with some chocolatey sweet on the finish. It had a little spice and the strength of the Costa Rican Maduro really came out. Not much changed as you smoked it but its little flavors here and there really added to the cigars complexity. It would go great with a sweeter liquor, maybe gin or rum?! I will definitely try to get some more of these. I give this bold little cigar a hefty 8 of 10. Definitely a must try, especially at a very affordable price.

Cigar Essentials: The Xikar MultiTool

I was hesitant at first when ordering this tool. I already had a cutter and why would I need another?! Well I will tell you why, it's sweet!


First off, it is a Xikar so you know its good and it is backed by a great warranty. Second, it is really thin, this pictures doesn't do it justice. Third, it has some neat little tools built in like a screwdriver, lighter pressure spike, and the always needed bottle opener. The thing also has a VERY sharp cutter built in like pliers. It allows you a little more control on how you cut your cigar, unlike a traditional guillotine cutter. Plus it fits right on your key chain! I got the matte finish on mine, and it looks great and hides scratches. So there you have it, I would recommend this to any cigar connoisseur!

Cigar Review: Acid Atom

Sweet and sassy!

The Acid Atom maduro was an unexpected treat! I was rummaging through my flavored cigars humidor and found this Acid in there. I have had this cigar in there since I bought my first Acid cigar almost 2 years ago. It has aged nicely but I am uncertain if it has fully retained its flavor integrity. I keep all my Acids in a separate humidor but in that humidor I have every kind of Acid from Opulence 3's to Kuba Kuba's to Nastys.  So I am not sure how much of the other flavors it has absorbed.

Anyway, whatever it did in my humidor tasted great. It has a sweetened maduro wrapper with a nice herbal and citrusy taste. It was very light and easy to smoke, it burned great too!  I am surprised I haven't tried it before. It was so different than anything I usually smoke. Don't get me wrong, a little too sweet, but still really nice. I decided to pair it with a little Disaronno to see what would happen. Fireworks, that's what happened! It was a great pairing, but definitely sweet. I had this for dessert and man did it hit the spot. It was better than cake!

Well I have to go brush my teeth now, but man that was good. The cigar was great, too sweet for everyday smoking but PERFECT for desserts. I give this cigar a solid 7 of 10, and if smoked after diner a great 8.5 of 10!

Cigar Review: Graycliff Double Espresso

If BMW made cigars, this would be it!

I say that because of the similarities of the two brands and their products. Both are of excellent quality, not the absolute best, but definitely better than most brands. Both are expensive, this little stick ran me a good 20 bucks!  Both are industry leaders, this cigar was excellent in all aspect and truly challenges other cigar makers to top it in quality. If you couldn't tell I am also a BMW owner and fan!

Now a little bio from cigar.com-"One of the most limited and exciting releases from Graycliff, the Double Espresso is a special robusto blend packed with extra ligero for a premium full bodied flavor.

"Aficionados are very familiar with the Graycliff brand. Created by Enrico Garzaroli, founder of the Graycliff hotel and restaurant in Nassau, Bahamas, it is the world’s only 5 star brand. To create his coveted cigar line, Enrico teamed up with legendary cigar maker Avelino Lara, Cuba’s most accomplished roller who at one time rolled all of Castro’s personal cigars. He is also credited as the founder of the Cuban Cohiba brand. With Enrico’s palate for fine food and wine and Avelino’s extensive experience, the two created Graycliff cigars which today are counted among the finest and most expensive cigars on the market."

"The Double Espresso is a limited edition extension of the original Espresso line from Graycliff. Made only in a special robusto size, the Double Espresso is the strongest cigar in the Graycliff portfolio, featuring a special ligero filler that perfectly balances flavor and body. The Double Espresso is only available to fewer than six dealers worldwide, and Cigar.com is proud to be among them." from cigar.com 

Now on to my actual tasting! Well I lit up the little guy and was welcomed by the great rich smoke that I expected.  It was a very tight draw but that is a good thing with such a small cigar. It took me a good hour and half to smoke the whole thing. The flavor was excellent, it was very earthy with a little sweetness. It was balanced and rich and worth every penny! I was loving every puff and I couldn't put it down. I actually smoked it till I burned my fingers, and I actually got a pretty nasty nicotine buzz from this. I was smoking it so much I didn't want to put it down! Back to the BMW comparison, this cigar will shake up the competition. It is everything that a deep rich ligero should be and I hope other brands try to emulate this delicious cigar. Sorta like what BMW's have done with the car industry! I am going to have to give this cigar a 9.5 out of 10, only because I would love to see this cigar in a bigger size!

Cigar Review: Graycliff Original

I am starting to feel bad. I smoke way to many Graycliff cigars, I am starting to think it is affecting my ability to judge them with an unbiased mind. Today was just another lazy Sunday and I thought a nice cold beer and cigar would do the trick! I pulled out a Graycliff Original and Sam Adams witbeer, and my day started to get better!

It was perfectly rolled and presented, the feel and appearance were flawless. It burned perfectly and was flawless in my hand. Blended from Nicaraguan, Honduran, Brazilian, Ecuadorian and rolled up in a Sumatra Wrapper. It had a good flavor, nothing too extraordinary though. It was medium in body but was very smooth, and easy to smoke. It was nutty, almond like with little nuances of spice. It got a little more intense and toasted as you smoked it, but still very nice. I loved how the thick creamy smoke just rolled off the tongue. That was my favorite part. I just think Graycliffs are such great cigars and that they are always a crowd favorite (minus the G2, not worthy of the name in my book). I am seriously thinking about a humidor just for my Graycliffs!

I recommend every Graycliff to everyone but the Original is just good. It isn't stellar, it sure isn't disappointing, but it is a nice smoke and definitely one to buy. I give the Graycliff Original a solid 7.5 of 10.

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.