And the winner is. . .

The Leaf by Oscar

Oscar Villadares and Island Jim Robinson

Travelling to Copan, Honduras with my long-time friend Oscar Valladares, we talked about everything, as people on the road together do. Oscar said he was at the point in his life where he wanted to make a change, from working for others to opening his own factory.

If you don’t know him, Oscar is a man of strong character, a good man. No, a great man. His commitment to work, his family, and his friends means he tackles life the right way—with passion and dedication.

“I want one of the first cigars made in your new factory to be for me” I told him. The “Leaf by Oscar” was born.

We discussed types of cigars, what I like, what I would like to see. We talked about flavor profiles and sizes. After several months and several more trips to the factory, we settled on three of our current blends—the “Leaf by Oscar” cigar.

During the process, I envisioned the Leaf by Oscar as the house cigar for my little retail shop in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. When Oscar, after months of working together, asked about my first order, I told him “5,000 for the year.” At the same time, I thought, Wow, that’s a big order. How am I possibly going to sell that many of one cigar in a year?

Oscar looked at me and I could practically see his thought, All this work for only 5,000 cigars?

With the first batch done, all 5,000 cigars made, I realized I had no idea how to get them to Pittsburgh.

I happened to have a group of ten in Honduras at the time. Each person could legally bring back 100 cigars. That made 1,000 cigars for my retail shop. That will last me a while, I figured. And give me enough time to get the other 4,000 to the US. I was pretty pleased.

One week after putting the 1,000 Leaf by Oscar cigars on my shop shelf, they were gone. All of them. Sold. In one week. I needed a crash course in importing. I needed a broker.

The remaining 4,000 cigars soon made their way to the Leaf and Bean and within one month, they were gone. All of them. Sold. In a month.

******

Contrary to popular belief, Island Jim cannot do everything himself. His Wahoo! is frequently possible thanks to the following people:

Without the help of other manufacturers, there would be no Leaf by Oscar, Island Jim, or Big Johnny cigars. They have given me invaluable inspiration and insight into the cigar world. A giant Wahoo! and an even greater Thank you!

Vendors who have helped me become successful as a retailer, which gave me the knowledge and confidence to make my own cigars.

The Leaf + Bean staff, who provide the most excellent customer service. Without them, our small shop wouldn’t be a success. (Music starts to play.)

The people at Oscar’s factory who create our cigars. I am proud to be working with you and I can’t thank you enough for the consistently wonderful products I am proud to put my name on.

Without the distribution and sales staffs, we would never be able to share those amazing products with the outside world.

Island Jim and Oscar

Congratulations Oscar and Jim.  You hit a home run and I hope the ball never stops!

Irv CigarBroker

 

 

 

 

Puro D’Oro Magnifico: My Take

A couple days ago I joined www.cigarsense.com.  It’s a website created by Franca Comparetto that suggests to cigar smokers what they might enjoy.  You join and then you put in information such as what flavors you like, the body you prefer, and whether or not you like a particular length and ring gauge.   Then the information is run through the accumulated facts that have been compiled by a group of cigar experts, as well as those with knowledge of wine and spirits, and out comes a cigar that matches the information you provided.  (You can read all about her site on my Blog.) https://irvcigarbroker.wordpress.com.)

I found the idea fascinating and am now a member.  I ran with the test and out popped the following cigar:   Davidoff’s Puro D’Oro Magnificos. Needless to say I was so intrigued at the suggestion from a group of cigar “experts” whom I don’t know from Adam, that I went out and picked one up.  I wanted to see if indeed the site was right or wrong.

Just waiting to be tested.

It was the exact cigar.  So we’re dealing with apples to apples here.  The copy on the Davidoff site states:

“(The cigar) sings with flavor. The boldest cigar in the richest of the Davidoff series balances heady espresso, chocolate and nut aromas with earthy pepper and spice undertones for deep, luxurious enjoyment.”

Ok.  So I first took a good look at the cigar.  If I’m going to spend up to $20, I’m going to give it a thorough examination.  (By the way, I didn’t pay for it and how I obtained the cigar will remain my little secret.  I’m a broker don’t forget.  Hint.  Hint.)

So, the wrapper was a gorgeous chocolate brown but it did have veins.  (Veins!  Davidoff!)
After I picked myself off the ground, I continued to give it the once over.  Not smoking a lot of this brand, I wasn’t going to miss a thing.  It had a small pigtail, appeared to be rolled evenly, and there were no soft or hard spots anywhere in the interior of the cigar.  So I am guessing that this cigar’s draw will be flawless.

So I cut the end and lo and behold, it was a perfect draw.  Then immediately I detected a rich, tobacco flavor. It was so flavorful I drew on it a few more times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, or that I was just so enamored by the “D” name.  I took my torch and toasted the foot.

It took the flame and if the cigar could “sing” it would have belted out José Felliciano’s “Light My Fire.”  But I’m not sure that’s what the copy writer meant when he wrote “(the cigar) sings with flavor.”  I’m sure it was his idea of literature.

I drew in my first mouthful of smoke and in my notes I wrote, “Clean tobacco, aged perfectly.  Fresh.”  Now in the very beginning the burn was a little lopsided and this was a concern straightaway.  I have a Davidoff in my hand and I rather expect perfection.  But I must add that the burn did calm down and an architect could have used it as an example of a perfect circle.  It was delightful to observe.  This went on like this -the razor sharp burn – all the way to the end!  The ash was brawny, and the conical ember was on point.

Again I quote the description of the copy on the Davidoff site, “the boldest cigar…” Stop right there.  I disagree.  If this was bold, the other Davidoffs must taste like a cloud of cotton candy sans the coloring and the flavor. To my palate, it was medium and continued to stay in that category until the last quarter when the strength came closest to the  Davidoff’s website’s description.

The copy goes on to say, “balances heady espresso, chocolate and nut aromas…”  Ok.  Perhaps my olfactory sense is not as sophisticated as some, but I sure as hell can tell when something is reminiscent of heady expresso, chocolate, and nut aromas.  I got the chocolate and the nut, but the espresso must have been left out of mine because there wasn’t any.  Period. 

The copy ends with the words,” with earthy pepper and spice undertones for deep, luxurious enjoyment.”  I will give them that.  What stood out was the earthy pepper, though I must add that the spice was subtle and only appeared near the end of the smoke.  The first ¾ of the cigar was medium and pleasant and as luxurious as the description states.

So if I wanted to be a complete jackass, I would say that the Davidoff’s description was inaccurate, but it wasn’t, there were just slight differences.  And they were trivial.

But that’s not why I took the test in www.cigarsense.com.  I took the test to see if the experts’ pick fit my preference of the kind of cigar I like to smoke. And I have to give its assessment full marks.  The number given was 90% and I will tell you I’d add another 5%.  It was quite accurate. The cigar was perfect for my palate and I enjoyed it as I would a Bella Pizza here in the neighborhood.  In short, I could have had another and another and another.  The information provided by the site was on the money.  It’s just too damn bad that the cigar is going to be discontinued.  That’s the word on the street.  So here I find a cigar that I can truly say I enjoy and it’s not going to be available.  So what does that mean?  It means I have to take the test again and see what other cigar the experts pick for me. And I will give it the third degree just like I did this one.

So try the site.  It’s fun, fascinating and is an intellectual experience that might surprise you. It’s great for experts and novices alike.   I liked the professionalism that the site displays.  Kudos once again www.cigarsense.com – you have a true believer.

Cuba’s La Gloria Cubana Exclusivo

“Is it real,” I asked with a slight trembling in my vocal cords.

Sam took it in the light of his shop’s lobby, The Humidor in Westmont, Illinois.  He gave it a thorough examination – even the olfactory test, and returned to my chair.

“It’s real.”

I was so relieved I almost peed my pants.  I was given a La Gloria Cubana Exclusivo some time back and I was ready to smoke and critique it for this blog post.  But not having access to many Cuban cigars, I was not positive that this one was authentic.  But that concern vanished when he gave it back to me and affirmed its pedigree.

What made me want to smoke this one today was a lark.  I knew I had business to do with Sam, and why not smoke two cigars using one match.  Why not the Cuban one?  It’s been aging in my humidor for months and this seemed the perfect setting to get the job done.  What a job, uh?

So I first went over the cigars that I originally went to see Sam about and we talked about them at length.  One he hated – especially because of the high cost.  The other was a definite “Yes.”  The others?  There were too many varieties to evaluate all then and there.  And I knew that would be the case.  So I took the time before I visited to label in separate bags a couple of each cigar blend with notations so he would be able to identify them as he smoked through the batch, take notes, and pick the ones he will want to add to his selection.

But Sam was busy.  In fact, for a Friday afternoon before 2pm, the place was packed.  So he was running up and down, taking care of sales, and tending to his flock.  In the meantime, I thought this would be the most optimal time to light up the Cuban.  So I did.

You’ll notice the perfect roll, i.e. construction and the triple cap.  The wrapper had a few veins, but not enough to distract the ember from the center of attention.  I clipped it.  Poor draw.  Sam was walking by, “Take another eighth of an inch off and it may open up.”  So I did and he was right.  But I have to admit, I didn’t like the draw at all.  I was distracted by it.  If I wanted to suck on a Cuban chicken bone I would have sucked on a Cuban chicken bone.  But this was the precious treasure I saved for months.  Why wasn’t the draw perfect?

Ok.  It started out with a stiff draw that persisted throughout the entire smoke.  Which distracted me from concentrating on the flavors, which distracted me from tasting the excellence in aging that I was expecting from a CUBAN CIGAR.  How I chuckled to myself that so many guys may have had actual pseudo-sexual experiences thinking about the lifting of the embargo, and how ecstatic cigar smoking will be, and here I am with a real Cuban robusto, and so far I’m as disappointed as ever.

But I never give up – not on a Honduran, not on a Dominican, not on a Nicaraguan, and certainly not on a Cuban.  So I drew again and again and made every attempt to separate the flavors or at least recognize some combinations of flavors and exotic essences as I would expect from a discovery of a Mel Fisher expedition. 

Oh sure, the cigar was smooth as newly formed silk and the flavor that was readily recognizable was espresso mixed with a charred, sassy lilt of wood that made this a worthwhile endeavor.  But I certainly didn’t feel heart palpitations from the exquisite flavors that should be cursing over my palate that I think most cigars smokers are expecting when they light up their first Cuban cigar.

There was a bit of spice, but it was so lightly sprinkled in as one would deftly powder the porcelain-like skin of a world-famous model just to give it that slight nudge from perfect to unbridled, unequivocal perfection.  But it was not to be.

There was no annoying, spicy flavor, no bitterness at all.  Still smooth, and WAIT!  The draw is improving somewhat.  I’m almost done with the cigar and now it opens up?  Who’s going to wait that long with a domestic cigar?  If I were to bring in a cigar that finally opened up at the last third, I would have been pilloried and the cigar relegated to the trash can.

Sam sat down briefly and asked how it was going and I told him that I wasn’t all that thrilled with the draw, the flavors or the overall experience.  He wasn’t surprised.   He got up and continued to give his trade the fastidious service his lounge is known for.

But I smoked that La Gloria Cubana Exclusivo to the very end.   And I have to say that I’m glad that I finally did.  But I was so very disappointed in the cigar.  Nope.  I wasn’t around in the days when a Cuban cigar was likened to a roll in the hay, a 20-course meal, or a homemade, decadent dessert.  No.  Times have changed this once indescribable, delicious delicacy.  And I know I won’t convince a soul out there of my experience.  So you’ll have to try it for yourself.  Are there great Cuban cigars still out there?  Of course, this just wasn’t one of them.

 

 

www.cigarsense.com

There are literally hundreds of cigar sites on the web.  Today I joined one that I could not resist called – Cigar Sense.  I will defer to the web’s copy:

“Cigar Sense is the brainchild of Franca Comparetto, president of Cigar Sense Inc., and inventor of our cigar analysis process.  Franca is certified in both the United States (Tobacconist University CST) and her home country of Italy (CCA/Catadore) –  [CCA stands for Cigar Club Association.  It is an Italian association structured to support cigar clubs by means of services and benefits to the clubs’ members.  Born in 1999, it promotes the cigar culture, mainly by means of events and Catadores courses.  Since 2003 “Sigari!” is the CCA official magazine and is published 4 times a year for distribution to all members.  CCA is rapidly expanding.  Today (early 2016) it counts 40 member clubs, including Switzerland, Greece.  Requests for additional member clubs include France.]

She led tasting and educational events for cigar lovers in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She is also an experienced business manager and has worked for large multi-national corporations.  Franca is joined by her husband David Wells, an independent management consultant, computer engineer and lover of fine cigars.  Together they have launched Cigar Sense to help other cigar lovers easily identify – among the thousands out there – those products which will delight their senses.

Our team of international passionate and experienced smokers does the heavy lifting, rigorously analyzing hundreds of premium cigars to build our catalog.  Through blind-tests, they describe the mechanical, raw, gustative (of or pertaining to taste) and overall organoleptic (pertaining to or by a sensory organ) perceived  characteristics presented by each cigar at the highest degree of detail.”

Now, I’ve been communicating with Franca for some time through Linkedin.  A brief bio will also be taken from the site:

Franca is a Certified Catador [“Catador” is a Spanish term that can refer to either the cigar factory itself, or to the person who tastes or samples the cigar (which is much more commonly used). (Wiki)

Certified Sales Force Tobacconist (Tobacconist University)

Panelist at Cigar Journal

Contributor to the Italian/English magazine ‘LiveIn Style’

Served as advisor of the Board of the Puromotivo Torino Cigar Club, Italy

Served as contributor to the Italian nationwide Cigar Club Association

Creator of Cigar Sense

******

 I’ll be honest, and I apologize if this is slightly embarrassing to admit, I first noticed her – and then her association with the world of cigars.  Though I’m not exactly sure how we connected, although I know it was through Linkedin.

So today, I am a full-fledged member, and I even went and tried out the site http://www.cigarsense.com/.  I have to give Franca full marks for casting a wide variety of experts. She has a team working with her and has such an incredible array of details at her disposal that anyone can and should join to get a thumbnail of what cigars are best suited for your personal tastes.

I was shocked to see what the results were for me.  After I answered a variety of questions that had to do with taste, aroma, size, likes and dislikes, the cigar that I am 90% suited for is:  Davidoff’s Puro D’Oro Magnificos“(The cigar) sings with flavor. The boldest cigar in the richest of the Davidoff series balances heady espresso, chocolate and nut aromas with earthy pepper and spice undertones for deep, luxurious enjoyment.”  (I have to quote the site because I’ve never had one, but I’m going to now!)

STRENGTH:  *****

FORMAT: Robusto

PROVENANCE:  Dominican Republic

LENGTH:  5 1/8″

RING GAUGE: 52

ENJOYMENT TIME: 50 Minutes”

But I’m a boutique guy!  No matter, it’s good to know all the sides of your personality as best you can.  So my suggestion is to join Franca’s site and discover your inner cigar being.

http://davidoff.com/cigars/

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Rosa de Sandiego Cigars

 

The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the mid–20th century, best known for their numerous Columbia short subject films that are still syndicated on television. Their hallmark was physical farce and slapstick.” (Wikipedia)   Their names are synonymous with three.  There was a fourth stooge but he dropped out (think Pete Best – dumb move). Some things are just meant to be a trio. Peter, Paul and Mary, three blind mice, and La Rosa de Sandiego cigars.

I almost passed this brand up, and I haven’t signed on the dotted line either.  But I have to give the manufacturer full marks for creating three cigars that mesh as well as the above mentioned.  The company that manufacturers La Rosa is American Caribbean Cigars from Nicaragua.  They have been making cigars for others, but when the time to pull away and create a brand of its own came, it seems ACC may have hit pay dirt.

 

A lot of the info on the cigars has already been reported in the other blogs and I’m not one for repeating old news.  But I am one for dissecting the cigar and speculating how it’ll fare in the marketplace of competition.  And brother is there competition.  Plus you have these guys who smoke a cigar for a few weeks and they’re onto something else to contend with.

But I think this trio of cigars may have an advantage.  The first one I smoked was the Habano.  It was mild and had a smoothness to it that was carried throughout the cigar.  No bitterness.  What I didn’t care for was on its journey to the office here, it may have had a chance to dry out and that was an annoyance that may have given the cigar the heave ho.  But I did smoke it through and I enjoyed the flavor of caramel.  Though I have to admit it was light caramel, nothing too distinguishable but definitely there.

The second one I lit up was the Connecticut.  Disclaimer: I do not like that wrapper.  I don’t care where it’s from, I find it to be grassy and like sucking on hay.  Oh, I know there are those that don’t taste like that, but if I have a choice, I’m going for the Habano or the Maduro. 

This one had some flavor and the caramel became a bit more intense.  I liked that.  Plus the draw was perfect and that added to its cred from the get go.  The spice was subtle, like a few grains of pepper on ice cream.  (Try it sometime and you’ll get what I mean.)   So I have to say that one thing unique about this Connecticut was that it had some Pennsylvanian tobacco mixed in with the Nicaraguan.  I like PA tobacco.  It has a touch of flavor that is, shall I say it, is in the umami category.  If you read my blogs you’ll know what I’m talking about  – and I’m assuming you are – reading the blogs.

The third was the Maduro.  It has the San Andres wrapper and I can take it or leave it.  For a time no one wanted anything to do with San Andres and now it’s the gift of the Magi to cigars and I think it’s simply because the palates of the naysayers got used to it.  I’m still not a real fan, but then again it depends on a lot of factors and one is the fermentation process.  No secrets will be given away by any manufacturer so if it adds some depth to the smoke, it’s done right, if it adds bitterness – it’s done wrong.  And I’ve tasted plenty of the wrong.  Again the caramel essence came up but this time it was as if it has been roasted over a coal fire and I enjoyed that change up.   It not only added a characteristic that made this maduro stand out, but was just plain pleasant to taste.It’s done.  All three.  And If I were to rank the cigars in order of preference I would go for the Connecticut, then the Habano, and have the Maduro at third place – my opinion.  And, even though the blends are all different (you can read the blends for yourself), the cigars have a unity that make them the perfect trio – breakfast, lunch and dinner.  And I’m sure you would be craving for that caramel essence each and every time.

Will this brand survive and will I rep it? I can’t say.  But I can say it’s the ideal trio of blends that don’t conflict with each other, but rather complement each other.  Hey, it goes right along with Moe, Larry and Curley for laughter, the three blind mice for a silly rhyme, or Peter, Paul and Mary for the enjoyment of melodious harmony.

Ain’t got no…

 

Aretha Franklin is the only person on this planet who can sing “Respect!”  Others have tried, but it just isn’t the same.  The soul of the song isn’t there when others try.  I could go and play rendition after rendition and no one can get close to the power, the sparkle, the inner feelings she blasts out to her audience.  It is hers and she deserves first prize for giving the word such long lasting intensity and passion as she does.

And the word itself is one that has meaning that cannot be diluted.  The dictionary definition states, “A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.  Synonyms include: esteem, regard, high opinion, admiration, reverence, deference, and honor.

A simple sentence using the word would be, “I have great respect for the way he does business.”

Fact is, in today’s world there’s not enough of it.  It seems as if the word has been forgotten or ignored or not even considered.  And that’s a shame.

But I have to say something about being disrespected.  Of course, “disrespected” is just the opposite of being respected.  The dictionary definition states, “Lack of respect, esteem, or courteous regard.”  And I think there is more of that swirling around the world than what Aretha sings about.

There’s a city that has an old cigar shop in it.  It’s been there for years and years.  It does a good business.  The original owner was thought of as a good guy.  Time passes and so do people, so a new owner took over a few years ago and has kept the flavor of the shop intact.  It’s a bit messy, eclectic in nature, ha a small humidor but well–stocked.  The shop is fun to sit down in and have a cigar at.  It’s a neighborhood cigar store.  The neighborhood only needs one.

But recently, the discovery of the wave in space a few weeks back that shocked the scientific world was duplicated.  This is the discovery that another cigar shop is opening nearby the older shop shocked the cigar world.  In fact, you can see the new one from the old shop’s bathroom window.  It’s 99 paces away through the parking lot.  At least the wave is light years away and won’t bother a soul on earth.  This will bother a soul on earth – the owner of the old shop.

I know more details than I’m not going to reveal because I don’t have all the facts confirmed.  All I really have is what I saw.  And from what I saw the new shop is disrespecting the old shop.  Why?  I don’t know.  There could be a situation I’m not aware of.  Maybe the old shop is selling.  So why not open another in the neighborhood.  There can be a lot of reasons.

But I do know that I’m not going any further with the story until I get both sides of it.  But on the surface of it, the new owner isn’t giving the old owner any R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6cpQUcJfJI

 

 

Reviewing “Jochy’s”La Galera

Ask any store manager to review a cigar and you’ll get a positive response.  I asked Jimmy at Ultimate Cigar in Villa Park, Illinois if he’d give me his impressions of the newest addition to my portfolio – La Galera.  Well, he has a cold, but that didn’t stop him from lighting up the Connecticut and doing the best that he could.

La Galera is the brainchild blend of Jose “Jochy” Blanco, Jose Blanco’s cousin.  It’s made at IndianHead Cigars, the newest acquisition of Tabacalera Palma, manufacturer of Aging Room, Señorial and others.

Jimmy had no problem seeing that the Connecticut cigar had great construction and drew well throughout the smoke.  The flavors challenged him a bit due to the cold.  Plus he just finished eating a lunch of shrimp and peapods, a combination that could sully any taste – cold or not.  But he gave the cigar high praise and told me that he” had a few guys that would buy this cigar.”  And so I summarized that this one was a hit.

The Maduro I tried was in a class by itself.  (Don’t get a big head Fabian – Director of Marketing and Sales).  It has an excellent draw and the construction is equally impressive.  The flavor was solid with hints of chocolate and plenty of subtle spice.  The aroma, which I’ll admit Jimmy had a hard time describing, was – on my end – luscious and alluring.

The burn on both cigars was razor sharp producing a fuzzy swirl of the tobacco’s burnt remnant.  In short, it looked good all the way through.  The wrapper colors were even and had few if any annoying veins to redirect the burning ember.   And check out the bands.  Fabian designed them himself so give the guy full marks for knowing a classic design when he sees one, the perfect complement to this traditional looking cigar.

Read the stats in the photos and check out the sizes and blends.  There’s something for everyone.  Try one.  I think you’ll be in the category of heavenly cigars.

(PSA – Don’t forget you can download Irv CigarBroker: The Blog! app on the Android or Apple app store.) 

 

The Secret of a Cigar’s Success.

I have discovered The Holy Grail of cigar flavors and essences.  I have found that the bold, spastic combination of two notions that will define the unique characteristics found in some cigars that the smoker is unable to get his or her head around by using common word comparisons. For instance it tastes like a belt, or a tea cup, or a pair of jeans whatever the comparison is.  I have been able to bring up from the depths of nature what it is that will make one cigar run roughshod over another.   But to understand what I am jabbering about, I must delve into the two mystery mines that I have been able to excavate to find these treasures that no one can dispute exist.

First off, what’s The Holy Grail (be it theocentric or anthropocentric matters not)?  It is a dish, plate, stone, or cup that is part of an important theme of Arthurian literature.  According to legend, it has special powers, and is designed to provide happiness; eternal youth and food in infinite abundance (read cigar pleasure).  That would translate into meaning to the cigar smoker – Cigar Nirvana.   Don’t leave me yet.  This article IS about cigars and my discovering The Holy Grail of essences and flavors that have been undefinable by writers since reviews were first published.  So stick with me.

So how I arrived at this incredible discovery is based upon the understanding of two wonders in the natural, physical world that transcend common understanding that are perceived by the mind of man, just not recognizable.  These two miraculous marvels are:  Umami and Iridescence.

Umami (oo-MAH-mee) is a sensation of the “four elements of taste: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.  In 1908, Yokyo Imperial University researcher Kikunae identified a fifth taste that he called ‘umami,’ a word that has no exact English translation, but which may be loosely interpreted as ‘delicious’ or ’savory’ – that is, the essence of flavor –  another dimension.” (Food Lover’s Companion Sharon and Ron Herbst 4^th Ed.)

Are you still with me?   Cigar freaks will love this and they will sound so over-the-top that the average Joe puffing on his cigar at ABC Lounge will do nothing but stare at you when you bring this up.  The guy will give you this incredulous look of “WTF?”  This will be a great talking point to the cigar “know-it-all.”

Iridescence is in fact the shining of many different colors when seen from different angles.  Color commentary is as well-known as water, so color is, for this purpose, to explain my discovery and change “different angles” to different tastes or essences.  Poetic license, if you will.  So look at it this way, the tasting of various essences when “seen”, or in this revised definition “smoked” from different angles – again, poetic license – on different palates.  It’s not that far-fetched at all.  You see?

I was smoking an El Jefe when I noticed it for a split second, this flavor that cannot be described in known words, but that I prayed would return again, and after several minutes – it did, but for only a Nano-second.  I stress, it was a part of the blend and added to the cigar’s overall flavor combinations that could be identified.  That “blip” on the screen was the makeup of the cigar.  That’s what made the cigar unique.  That’s what made the El Jefe – El Jefe.  It was the unification of all the senses that allowed that cigar to have a most unique flavor, but could not be described in the usual descriptive words because it whizzes by so fast.  Yet, without that included electrical impulse of flavor would negate the overall taste of the cigar and would then be relegated to the “just another great cigar category.”  And there are so many.

And I’ve had this experience with other cigars as well, as I’m sure you have.  That’s why you buy another.  Yes, the combination is ephemeral, but it’s there and it’s gone in a snap!  But that’s The Holy Grail.  That’s the flavor that captures your attention if only for that one Nano- second.  It can’t be commonly defined, it has to be experienced and that spark of flavor erupts once or maybe twice during the entire smoke.  But it’s so addictive, it’s a high that’s sought after like Henry Morton Stanley’s determination in his search for Dr. Livingstone.

If that combination could be captured and a cigar blender could seize this atomic particle as it is whizzing by at warp speed, bottle it and reproduce it, he would have himself a cigar that would rise to the top of the heap and stay there quia in auternum (for all eternity).

Mastering an Art.

“It’s early Tuesday afternoon at London’s Elstree Studios, and in a little dressing room just off the soundstage, Jan Sewell, a makeup artist with a chic white bob, is putting the final touches on Eddie Redmayne’s face.  Redmayne and Sewell have worked  together closely over the past few years – she exacted the slow, progressive changes that advanced Stephen Hawking’s ALS in The Theory of Everything, which earned Redmayne his first Academy, BAFTA, SAG, and Golden Globe awards this year – and they’ve developed what she calls ‘a complete shorthand.’  Is the person who emerges from that wig too self-aware?  Does this color distract from a delicate expression?  The goal is to create a body that, working between the actual and the imagined, joins the actor’s form to a physique the character would be known to be her own.” (Vogue, Oct. 2015 written by Nathan Heller.  Photographed by Annie Leibovitz)

Sounds just like a master cigar blender does it not?  The finer points are always the ones that either make or break a character or in this case – a cigar.  It takes years upon years upon years to master the craft, be it putting on makeup to make a tantalizing and believable transformation, or a cigar that has that certain something that sets it apart from all other cigars.

Can anyone do it?  A makeup artist works on his or her craft to make the character stand out in such a way that the viewer is no longer thinking of who the actor or actress is but the character that he or she is portraying.  It is the same with the cigar blender.  He – it’s usually a he, though there are a few women who have mastered the craft of blending – and who can take the dried leaves of tobacco and almost magically blend them into a cigar that has the most flawless flavor ever experienced.  And the smoker is no longer thinking of the blend of the cigar, or the shape, rather they are mesmerized by the flavor and the essences that make this one particular cigar totally unique.  And that takes time.

It’s akin to watching a movie produced by Ed Wood and smoking a cigar blended by some kid who thinks he has the magic touch.  The end result is the same – a horrible representation of whatever blossomed in the mind of the makeup “artist” and the guy who “blended” the cigar.  I know many who think blending a cigar is a little bit of this tobacco and a little bit of that tobacco rolled into a tube and voila!  It’s a shot in the dark and the blender knows it.  I call it “dumb luck” but the newbie is not a true blender but a hack that comes upon what he thinks is the best blend next to the creation of the earth.

Makeup artists and master blenders are so very much alike.  It’s that certain feel or eye or taste that few possess that makes their work stand out and become legendary.

So many cigars are produced by neophytes who have others blend it for them or are arrogant enough to think that they really know tobacco better than a master blender that they can create – first time – an astounding combination of flavors and essences.  I could name one manufacturer that had a cigar that took the world by storm, only to hit the shores of destruction when the second blend was produced by someone else because he was not a blender, but an apprentice who thought that since the first one sold, everything he touched after that would be received with the same amount of anticipation and acceptance.  Today, that blender is going through hard times because he was not a blender in the first place or a good judge of blenders.

There are subtle nuances, touches, and swells of experiences that make one blend stand out, as it is with the makeup artist.  It’s not a skill that comes naturally, it has to be practiced and tried and gone over and over and over and over until it is finally mastered, and even then both the makeup artist and the blender know that they can do more, they can do better to bring richness into the final product.

But today?  Everyone wants it now.  “I want a cigar now”, yes Verruca, we hear you.  But the sad fact is that nothing can replace time and effort and experience. And as a result the smoker or the movie goer are disappointed in the end results and continue to go on the Quixotic quest to find that one blend or that one character that will snuggle them away from reality, if only for a few hours into a world of perfection and satisfaction.You see the top photo is Eddie Redmayne and the bottom is of Eddie Redmayne playing the character Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl, based on the historical novel written in 2000 by David Ebershoff.  It is amazing what makeup can do and it is amazing what a blender can do if they know what they are doing.  And the results?  Pass or Fail.  And not everyone passes.

 

 

Are Fat Cigars Here To Stay?

There’s a saying that goes something like, “Bigger is better.”  Well, in so many ways I suppose bigger is better, but not when you may be talking Nano-computer chips or atomic fusion.  In those cases smaller is better.  But if I take the above quote and use it with cigars, then the turn of logic takes a twist, and the question is repeated – “Is bigger better?”

For the past few years, the diameter of cigars has grown to ridiculous proportions.  At one time 48 was considered large, then 56 topped that, and then 60s came onto the scene, followed by 66s, 70s and now there are even 80s.  So is it relative?  Or are the manufacturers just filling a void in the marketplace?  If it sells make it.Since I’m not very fond of big ring gauge cigars, I have fewer to choose from for a test such as this.  The largest I had available was the Leaf’s Big Johnny weighing in at a whopping 8 x 66.  So that’s what I had, so that’s what I used.

First off I had to get used to the size in my hand.  I’m accustomed to a robusto or a toro so this is an unusual object I’m about to thrust into my mouth.  Which brings up another problem – the compatible fit?  Would I even be at ease with this thing opening my jaw to take in a broomstick?

Then I had to really see how much tobacco is used in these nautilus-sized cigars.  That’s a lot of tobacco in an 8 x 66 cigar.  To me the perfect, is either the robusto (5×50) or the toro (6 x50).  Both sizes are generalizations; I know they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.  There are variances. So let’s not get anal.  Both of the aforementioned cigars to me have the perfect proportion of wrapper to filler.  Some might argue with me but I’m not in the mood.  So the ruling stands.

I have to consider the time it’s going to take to smoke this King Kong of a cigar.  I would not be surprised if it could go for three hours easily.  For me that’s too much of a commitment.  Way too much even if it’s free.  You can have too much of a good thing.

Next I had to clip it.  I thought this was going to be a problem but it wasn’t.  I used a regular cutter, snipped off the cap with ease.The cut gave me plenty of draw space. No complaint.

Lighting it was another matter and that caused me some angst.  This was partially my fault because I used a single flame torch and I’m sure a quad would have done the job in half the time.  So I will leave this up in the air for discussion.

Finally I got it lit how I like it. I placed the beast in my mouth and drew.  I acquired virtually no smoke at all.  It was as if I had to prime the pump to get the amount of smoke I’m used to. But I was persistent and I drew until it finally produced clouds of aromatic smoke that I’m used to and that continued for some time.

It was when I became preoccupied with a phone call that the ember went south and I had to almost start all over again.  Until I noticed that the damn thing was beginning to morph into a shape so it could travel down the Colorado River as a custom-fashioned canoe.  Now, even in a robusto or toro I loathe when a cigar canoes.  I can’t say that this was a fluke or that they all do that.  I would think if it was a persistent problem the cigar wouldn’t be selling as well as it has been.  So I chalked it up to a fluke

I didn’t gently touch it up either, I dragged it over the cement floor of the garage to even it out and that did the trick.  But I don’ like to have to do that.  It’s unrefined.  Plus the quality of smoke I was drawing was inconsistent at best, and I like when things go velvety smooth.  I don’t want to have to readjust the ember or the sides every few minutes.  I’m there to relax with the cigar not take care of it as one would an oil rig pump that continues to need attention.

So I’m smoking this thing and smoking this thing and not much is happening with regards to flavor changes.  It’s just a lot of rolled tobacco and I can’t see me finishing it without getting green in the gut.  I love cigars as much as any cigar smoker, but this was not that pleasant.  It reminded me of the infernal everlasting gobstopper candy made famous by Roald Dahl in his book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”  No matter how long you sucked on it, the size and flavors didn’t change, it just kept on going and going and going, and I will admit that I got bored with it and dashed it out in my sand trap.

So, my time with the 8 x 66 behemoth of a cigar was not a pleasant experience, but I can’t say that it’s a bad cigar because if the smokers weren’t buying them, the manufacture wouldn’t be making them.  And brother they are buying them. Maybe the next one will be named after the character in the play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” – “Big Daddy.”