Great choice for a Saturday afternoon

Hot day in LA with temps about 90 . Most of the country would be drooling over this. Spent the afternoon with a couple of the cigar crew enjoying the fine day with a fine cigar, check it out.

Cigars and implements

When you smoke a cigar there is a whole world of toys that can be used to cut it, light it and maintain it.  You can just flick your Bic and get the show started. Others try for a more showy or civilized approach.
Cutters run from punches,  v cuts and guillotines to name a couple.  Each cutter has it's own merits, designs and costs.  Some of them can run into hundreds of dollars or more.
As for me I have several different cutters and it depends more on mood for me which one I will use. If I am traveling I will bring a cheaper cutter as not to lose it. They do not as a rule give your cigar an attractive or accurate cut but most of the time they do the job.
My favorite company for cutters and lighters however is Xikar a very good quality outfit. I use their cutters and lighters almost exclusively on my better, higher priced cigars.  Presently I own two of their cutters and three lighters.  They are well crafted and are easy to maintain and use. What I truly like about their products is their policy of 100% guaranteed, no questions asked if the product fails to operate.  This has happened several times to me with both lighters and cutters. Not sure if this was a quality control issue or not but they were true to their word. I sent the products in question back to their headquarters and in about a week, received a brand new product.  One time they could not duplicate the lighter as it was a special model but they delivered something very close to the original.
I could not complain at all . In effect, there are companies that back their wares up. Xikar is great about that and overall enjoy their products too.

Disappointed but not defeated

I was looking forward to spending some quality time with a Quai D'Osay  Habano corona this past Sunday. The cigar in question had a great looking wrapper and color, was very pleasant in appearance.  i used an Xixar cutter and their stratosphere lighter.  Right away we had problems as it started to tunnel. The smoke itself was of medium strength, with a pleasing aroma. However, the burn got worse and I tried to correct the unevenness of it several times. 

The failure of the burn marred what was probably a good smoke. The battle was not worth the end result. I have several more of these cigars as part of a large Cuban sampler I acquired. Will try again down the road. Overall would rate this a generous 6 out of 10.

Every one is a critic

This past Saturday I went to a birthday party to celebrate a 30 something age group birthday. I am sure I was the oldest person present but that was cool as they were nice folks.
People were smoking cigarettes outside and it appeared that was not a problem.  At least no one said anything.  I was prepared for the event and had a short corona Hoya Cubana with me. I lit up staying  away from the cigarette smokers and enjoying the smoke. No complaints , no hassle.
However a new batch of people came to the party and as they arrived a woman commented how the cigar smelled. Mind you I was the only cigar smoker yet there were 5 or so cigarette smokers puffing away at the same time.  Of course there was nary a remark about the cigarette smoke.  I said nothing , smiled and finished my hand crafted cigar. The moral of this story? Not really sure but I guess just enjoy your cigar despite what people think.

About time to get off my ash

Wow, it's been more than a year since I last put any thoughts or pictures here. Not sure anyone really noticed but plan to get back on board right away. Got a couple of cigars that have been recently taste, so let's talk about them. See you shortly.

7-20-4 Lancero , top flight cigar

Interesting shape as it's not something I usually indulge in. The construction was solid, no relights and flavor was smooth and delightful .  Medium strength with hints of cocoa and vanilla. Taste profile was a winner. Bought the cigar from serious cigars. Not easy to find but worth the hunt. California cigars do not carry many 7-20-4 products. This smoke makes my top ten list of 2013. My only regret is the price point should be $8 not 10. Have two more in my humi which I will let age a bit more. 

Cambridge Ma. Leavitt & Peirce , old school cigar shop

Back in the day when cigar smoking was acceptable to the Cambridge masses, Leavitt & Peirce had a great cigar lounge.  The upstairs space had tables which you could rent for a couple of bucks an hour,
smoke a cigar, play a game of chess and just hang out. You had a great view of the store , people watch or do nothing but smoke your favorite stick.  I went back to visit last week when I was in town and the place still looked great. The selection of cigars was first rate but they did not carry many boutique blends. I asked for the 7-20-4 and they never heard of it.  San Lotano was not available either.  Still , for most folks the selection was varied enough and the staff was very helpful. Just wish you still could smoke in the store.

San Lotano cigar night at Cig Zone , Los Angeles, Ca.

                                      Mark Solnick, Thomas Khammer and Clay Roberts of San Lotano Cigars groovin' on their smokes at the Cig Zone in Los Angeles.

The Crew making the scene at the Cig Zone, Los Angeles with Thomas, Ian Kesler, Matt Booth of Room 101 Cigars and his squeeze.

Clay Roberts displaying Pinolero Cigars from AJ Fernandez.  The new San Lotano Oval Conn. proved to be a great hit with the crowd. It's a mild to medium blend with a smooth start and finish. Very good burn , creamy with a vanilla and almond taste. All Conn. Oval cigars were sold out very quickly.  It is a buy for my humidor and will be a top choice when I desire a very smooth flavorful smoke.

Knockout TOC cigar, A TKO in the sixth round

Like the construction of the cigar, nice burn. Mild, smooth but not a great flavor profile. Still a good everyday smoke if you like mild smoke. Not a top tier cigar but that's OK. 

Rate it a 3 out of 5 

Knockout cigars , take a walk on the mild size

One of my favorites right now

                                                                 7-20-4 Robusto.

Sometimes you find a cigar that hits on all cylinders. Have smoked about 5 of these now and they all have been very solid. Nice burn , flavorful and smoked it right down to the nub.  I like to find good smokes that might have not been on every one's radar. I know this one has been around awhile but not easy to find on the west coast.  If I rated this beauty, it would be a 8.5 out of 10.
 I don't like rating  cigars as taste is  so subjective, however, construction and burn are not  and by those markers , this cigar was first rate.
If you find one a 7-20-4 ,  give it a shot, I know you will not be disappointed. I need to try other shapes too.