Sunday, December 27, 2015

Be careful what you ask for

I often get cigars from my friends and clients for the holidays. They are well meaning and I truly appreciate the thoughts and effort. However more often than not , many of them know very little about cigars and this creates problems. 
The scene probably goes something like this. " I Need to buy some cigars for a gift but I don't know what to buy?"
The vendor replies, " how much do you want to spend and do you know what type of cigar he smokes?"
The answer usually is, " you decide but don't make them too expensive."
So the cigar clerk will make some choices based on a price point, popular brands and maybe a cigar they are overstocked. He will then say, " he will like these they are very popular."
The proper time comes and I get the gift of a group of cigars. Again let me remind you I always appreciate the thought but the selection rarely hits the mark. I open up the package and know the selection will either be re gifted to others who don't care what they smoke or are clueless about cigars. Either way the cigars in question are not what I would buy for myself or give to a true cigar maven. 
My suggestion is unless you know what you are doing , get a gift card from an established cigar merchant and let the giftee make the choice. This satisfies both parties and truly create good will.
Keep smoking.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

LA Cigar Blog: " The urban fishing pole ": A cigar with good vibes

LA Cigar Blog: " The urban fishing pole ": A cigar with good vibes: The Romeo y Julieta is a classic looking habano smoke . This is a cigar that needs a good hour, with uninterrupted time in your favorite cha...

A cigar with good vibes

The Romeo y Julieta is a classic looking habano smoke . This is a cigar that needs a good hour, with uninterrupted time in your favorite chair. I smoked it on a pleasant cooler Los Angeles afternoon. Impressive looking with an attractive wrapper with an oily feel. Let's do it and smoke away.

130 mm, ring gauge 55 : Habano

It started with creamy note of chocolate and almonds. Very smooth and flavorful but I expected a more spicy start. Very easy draw , medium in scope, not much heat.

After the first third still very smooth and the nutty profile hangs with us. Medium with perhaps a slight pepper aftertaste .

As we approach the end of the smoke, the burn becomes uneven which impact the appearance for sure.
It also got somewhat bitter which knocked the overall experience down a peg.

Final thoughts:

Overall a top flight smoke with a couple of minor imperfections . Here are my final numbers and rating.

Appearance and construction :  4.0 out of 5
Flavor, taste and aroma:  4 out of 5
Overall impression: 4 out of 5
If this smoke is available grab it.
Keep smoking