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!



Whiskey Review: Blanton's Original Single Barrel Bourbon

Seriously, what a sweet bottle

Blue grass goodness! I was enjoying a family get together when my uncle brought out this little gem. I jumped at the opportunity to try a new whiskey and was decently impressed by this Kentucky native. Don't get me wrong, nothing extraordinary, but still worth trying! It was Blanton's Original Single Barrel Bourbon. He was testing it out and I was excited to try a new bourbon!





First off, a little about the whiskey itself...

Type: Bourbon Whiskey
Mash Type: Sour
Barrel Type: White Oak
Bottle Proof: 46.5% Alcohol by Volume - 93 proof

Color: Reddish Amber, deep russet
Nose: Dried citrus and orange with a hint of caramel and vanilla.
Palate: Full and smooth, caramel, orange, and spice- cloves/nutmeg maybe?
Finish: Short and sweet with vanilla and citrus.

My first glass was neat, like I try to do with every whiskey I taste. Then the next glass was with an ice cube. I recommend that everyone try both ways, for it can really change how the whiskey tastes. You might find it is great neat or even better on the rocks. Variety is the spice of life righ!? For this whiskey I loved it neat and was not impressed with the ice. The ice diluted this whiskey to a point not worth trying.

Anyway, the first taste was a smoothier and sweeter Maker's Mark. It was more vanilla and spice than most bourbons. Its complexity was actually quite unexpected and tasty. I might pick up a bottle pretty soon here. This didn’t blow me away, but I think it would look good in my collection, plus that bottle is awesome! Overall, I give this bourbon a strong 7.5 of 10.

Questions for YOU:  Have you tried Blanton's yet? I hear it has quite the following and want your opinion on this.

New Twist on a Classic Drink: The Old Fashioned

What can I say? I guess I am Old Fashioned. Man that was cheezy. 

Anyway, I found this "new" recipe for a great classic drink. Check out the video by liquor.com below. I decided to give this one a try even though it was 10:30 in the morning. Weekends dont count right?! 

The brown sugar really made this cocktail pop. I have always used simple syrup but this was something else. Sweeter, but in a smokier way. I think I might have to reconsider my usual recipe for Old Fashioned's...

CLASSIC OLD FASHIONED

INGREDIENTS:

·       1 Brown sugar cube

·       .5 tsp White sugar

·       3 dashes Angostura Bitters

·       1 dash Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6

·       .25 oz Cold water

·       2 oz George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whisky or other American whiskey        (I used Woodford Reserve and it blew my f-ing mind)

PREPARATION:

In a rocks glass, muddle both sugars, both bitters and the water. Add the whiskey and a large ice cube. Twist slices of lemon and orange peel over the drink and drop them in.

Garnish: Lemon and orange twists

Glass: Rocks

Contributed by Dushan Zaric and Jason Kosmas of liqour.com

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Sungrown

Everything is better in the sun. Cold beer, volleyball, bikinis! So there is no reason why this Rocky Patel Sun Grown wouldn't be delicious.

Now the name "sun grown" can be a little misleading. All tobacco needs sun and is therefore grown in the sun (kind of).You can also grow tobacco in the shade. It still gets sun but not direct light. The difference is that shade grown is generally smoother and a little more bitter. The sun grown leaves develop a little rougher skin and have more veins. This direct sunlight also makes them sweeter though. Got it? But enough cigar babble. What about the cigar?

The cigar itself is made from a 5 year old Ecuadorian wrapper with Dominican binders and Dominican/Nicaraguan fillers. All masterfully blended by the fellas at RP.

Now to the smoking! The wrapper was ok, little veiny but that is ok (see above). The cut, light, and first puff all went off with out a hitch. That first puff was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Really bold tastes here. A little spiciness out of the gate, then mellows out real earthy like, then fades with a rich, sweet molasses kick. Wow! That was one hell of a first puff. Are you drooling yet? You should be. The thick sweet smoke swirled around me and I tell you, that was close to paradise (unfortunately I was sitting on a porch and not a sunny beach). Maybe next time...

Sun-grown, night-smoked

The important thing to remember here; this cigar rocks! From the first puff to the slightly spicier last, you will be longing for more.  Perfectly blended, great flavors, and a perfect finish. Man, how can you get any better? Well other than a little nicer wrapper and maybe a little more punch, you can't. I give this Rocky middleweight a strong 8 out of 10. On a beach with sun and cold beer, 10 out of 10. Done deal Rocky, done deal