Earlier this year, I reviewed the Yellow Label and Small Batch from Four Roses. Both scored quite well. To complete my circuit through the Four Roses core line, today I’m reviewing Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon. Before we begin, big thanks to Baddish Group for the samples for this odyssey through one of the great names in American whiskey. And as always, I retain all rights to speak my mind, for good or ill.
Product Specifics
Whiskey Reviewed: Four Roses Single Barrel Whiskey
Fun fact here about Four Roses. They go into quite a bit of detail on their mashbill on the Four Roses website, going so far as to break down the recipe by whiskey.
Appearance
Classic bottle design, with a large embossed logo above the primary band. In the glass, the whiskey is a golden copper tone.
Nose
Concentrated notes of caramel, rye, dry oak and apricot.
Palate
Just heavenly. Medium to full bodied on entry, with caramel, salted butter, and strong oak. As the flavors progress, I pick up notes of toasted bread, cocoa, and some light fruit notes that I can’t quite make out. Some rock candy on the tip of the tongue too. In some ways this reminds me of the kind of experience I get with better premium cigars (the Davidoff Millennium comes to mind). Lots of flavor, great complexity, all highly concentrated. Not easy to achieve.
Finish
The finish is long and moderate. Not much different from the notes on the palate, but with a bit more breadiness.
Conclusion
Even though they each occupy a separate niche, Single Barrel probably goes down as my favorite of the core line offerings from Four Roses. It’s got quite a fair amount of complexity, loads of flavor, all at the cost of very little burn in the mouth. If you’re a bourbon drinker, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll love Four Roses Single Barrel.
Final Score: 92
Disclaimer: though by no means my first bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon, this bottle was gifted to Fine Tobacco NYC by Babbish Group. Though we’re thankful for the gesture, we retain full rights to say exactly what we think: good or bad.
Newer cigar smokers might not realize it, but Nat Sherman wasn’t always known for producing high quality premium cigars like the Nat Sherman Timeless, which has spent multiple years on the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 list. In fact, before Michael Herklots joined the Nat Sherman team in 2011, the brand was, in my estimation, subpar. That all changed when Michael Herklots came on as the Executive Director of Retail and Brand Development. He reinvigorated the 42nd St retail location by bringing on friendly and knowledgeable staff, updating the retail space, and greatly expanding the range of brands offered in the humidor. On top of that, he took the lead in blending and launching a number of successful lines, most notably the Timeless blend as well as the newer renditions of the core Nat Sherman lines.
In 2014, the company announced it would be releasing a cigar to commemorate the 75th birthday of CEO Joel Sherman. The Joel Sherman 75th Celebration scales in at 7 1/2 by 46, definitely a unique shape, and was released with a total quantity of just 25,000 cigars.
I’m a bit late to the party with this particular review, but after smoking this cigar it’s really quite impossible not to write a review and describe what an incredible blend I think it is.
Product Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Joel Sherman 75th Celebration
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Size: 7 1/2 x 46
Appearance and Construction
The Joel Sherman 75th comes presented with a regal looking, textured gold double band. The gold and maroon primary colors find some additional contrast with the red hands of the clock in the center of the primary band.
The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is a light, peanut butter brown color with a moderate oily sheen. The wrapper has a few minor imperfections but the cigar is rolled consistently and has a slight give when squeezed.
Off of the foot there are strong aromas of wood, salt and pepper, and a nice pop of grilling spices. After clipping the cigar with a straight cut, I test the draw and it is absolutely perfect. Just enough restrictiveness. The cold draw reveals finely ground black pepper, Oak, bread, and slight granola.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
After toasting the foot, the cigar is ready to go. As I take the first few puffs, I’m greeted by dense but medium bodied, flavorful smoke. On the palate, the smoke gives strong impressions of sweet Oak, fresh bread, bitter espresso, some pepper and a buttery texture. The notes have a lot of complementarity, but that’s not where the flavor ends. The aroma is strong, and curiously offers up its own separate set of notes: cream, floral, and wood.
What’s remarkable is how strong the flavors are in the smoke, all while the smoke itself is light and creamy. It’s a special kind of complexity.
An inch and a half in, the ash is still holding on. Flavor is shifting as well, with the texture morphing into more of a toasted bread flavor. There’s also an apricot note in the mix as well that pairs nicely with the bread note. Construction is absolutely impeccable. Perfect burn, great ash.
Into the second third, the body has picked up just past medium, but the strength of the flavor is bordering on full territory. So much so that this really is a cigar you want to pace yourself on. The faster you smoke it, the stronger the flavor (and that’s not always a good thing when you have balance to consider). Flavors include toasted bread, roasted almonds, black pepper, lemon peel, and bitter chocolate.
Wow.
And just when I didn’t think this cigar could get any better, it does. The final third shifts momentously in flavor and texture. The toasted bread becomes charred Oak with a healthy side of black pepper, nuts, and touches of leather. I burn this cigar to the nub and it’s one that I am very sorry to set down.
Conclusion
The Joel Sherman 75h is a masterful cigar. Perfect construction, amazing flavor and an unbelievably complex progression throughout the course of the smoke. If you find it, buy it in whatever quantity you can. It’s a cigar to hold on to for the most special occasions, and it absolutely deserves its high rating.
One of the great benefits of being a cigar blogger and event host is that I get to try great new products and meet the people behind them. Casta Cigars is one such brand. In February of 2018, we hosted a great pairing event featuring Casta Cigars and Ardbeg Single Malt Scotch at the Carneglie Club in Manhattan. We heard great feedback on the cigars so it only seemed natural to get some of the backstory in the form of an interview with Jon Kindig, the co-founder of Casta Cigars.
MC: Alright Jon, let’s start with the basics. Where are you and your family originally from?
My family is Swiss German. We received a land grant from William Penn and settled in Lancaster Pennsylvania in the late 1600’s.
MC: How long have you been a part of the cigar industry, and what brought you in?
JK: I have been in the cigar business for over a decade, and have been smoking cigars for almost 30 years. I owned a mid-sized HVAC business in the 2000s, and when the mortgage crisis took a toll on my business, I decided it was time to move on. I was in my early 40’s and was trying to figure out what to do with my life. A childhood friend said “ Jon, you love cigars, why don’t you make your own cigars.?” Having a huge passion for cigars, I thought ‘why not?’ My great great grandfather Alvin DeLong grew tobacco for a living in the Manchester area of Pennsylvania. So I guess tobacco is in my genes.
MC: Was there a particular moment when the opportunity of owning your own cigar brand was presented to you, or did the idea develop over time?
JK: As I mentioned above I was ending one career and looking for the next. And wanted to do something my heart was in. And thought no one currently using rare tobaccos. And the emphasis on cigars lately seems to have gotten very commercial. I realized there was an opportunity to use great tobacco to make small batches of cigars. Even though we’re considered a “boutique brand” I almost like to think of our cigars in the fashion of micro brews. We use better ingredients, charge a little more, and generally provide a better smoking experience.
MC: Are you a full time cigar brand owner, or do you have other work that you do alongside running Casta?
JK: Cigars are my full time gig. While living in Dominican Republic learning all I could about the cigar industry, I was approached many times by experts living there. And asked If I could repair or install systems, Air-conditioning systems. My reply was always the same. I could, but that chapter of my life was finished. I was completely dedicated to creating the best cigars.
MC: Where does the name Casta come from? Tell us a bit of the backstory there.
JK: The name Casta translates from the Spanish word casta, which means breed. I thought yes, good word, cigar smokers are a certain breed of people. My family, also was in the horse business for many generations. We provided the horses and Clydesdales that were hitched to the Conestoga wagons that took the settlers out West. We had many thoroughbred horses. And in my mind I like to think of our cigars as thoroughbreds.
On left: Casta Mago. Right: Casta Big Boy
MC: In an industry that experienced a boom in the 90’s and a continuing renaissance on the boutique brand side, what sets Casta Cigars apart from the major brands?
JK: Casta Cigars is focused on providing a great smoking experience. Cigars are a passion for us! I wanted to set us apart from everyone else. Especially when the cigar industry seems stuck in time to a degree. I wanted to bring a fresh new vibe to the industry. We want to to appeal to the modern and younger cigar enthusiast “millenials” who are looking for eye appeal and honest straight-forward information. We also want to appeal to the traditional cigar smoker. Everything about Casta breaks from the cigar “norm”, from our bands to our packaging and our goal to stay as green as possible. For example, no wrappers, recycling boxes instead of sending them to a landfill somewhere, and promoting humidor use. The serious smoker should always have one.
MC: Your website describes Casta Cigars as something of a small-batch minded company. Why have you decided to keep production in limited runs?
JK: Our goal was never to be the biggest cigar company! Again we like to consider ourselves the micro-brew of cigars. Small batch, high quality, awesome smoking experience. That’s a hard standard to maintain in itself, especially when you get too big.
MC: Another interesting part of the story is the ages of the tobacco that you are working with. Your website claims the tobaccos in your cigars are aged upward of 15 years. How did you come by such rare tobaccos?
JK: Our fifteen year old Brazilian tobacco was introduced to us by Lancaster Leaf Co. (correction all our tobacco is all 15 years aged). When I explained to them that we wanted to be different and use something that no one else in the industry is using, they introduced us to some rare tobaccos (most of which are not currently being used by other cigar companies, primarily because of cost and availability). Differentiating ourselves from everyone else was absolutely the way to go. I feel a true cigar enthusiast will pay little more for something that is unlike anything they’ve ever smoked before.
The 75 year old tobacco came from Domestic Tobacco of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Geoffery Ranck (owner of Domestic Tobacco) was a personal friend of the family. I mentioned to him my desire to produce high quality, small batch cigars in the Cuban fashion. He told me that in one of his tobacco warehouses he had the perfect tobacco, which his father had purchased. The rest is history.
MC: Any last thoughts for our readers?
Yes. Please support the fight to exclude premium cigars from “the end of cigars” legislation!
The AVO 22 released in 2018 is a re-release of the AVO 22 which was originally released in 2002. Why 22? The cigar is a tribute to the day of the month Avo Uvezian was born on, the day of the month his sister was born on, and the day he came to the USA, a 22nd. The cigar comes on the heels of the Avo Improvisation 30 Years, a cigar that was highly anticipated but (for me) fell flat.
So, I’m hoping the AVO 22 can cover some of the areas the Improvisation 30 Years needed some development in. In particular, balance (the Improv. 30 Years was dominated by salt and wood). But first, some background on the tobaccos…
The Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper has a couple of major veins but maintains a completely silky texture. There’s a ton of aroma coming directly off of the wrapper: salty spiciness, dry cedar, paper, and peanuts. The bands, as always with AVO, are spot on: an elegant combo of white, black, silver, orange, and gold.
After clipping the cigar with a straight cut, I test the draw and find it is fairly restrictive, though I image it will likely loosen up a bit after the tapered end burns through. There’s quite a bit of flavor on the pre light draw, mainly wood and spice, which gets me excited to light up.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The AVO 22 kicks off with mild bodied, lush smoke. Smoke production is good, and gets even better as the ember burns through the tapered foot. The character of the smoke is interesting: very creamy, noticeably sweet and floral, but with a toasted cedar note that complements the cream out nicely. Touches of spice on the retrohale round the whole profile out.
The ash holds for about an inch and a half, which is surprising given that tapered vitolas tend to be a bit more precarious on the construction side. The flavor and strength heading into the second third are both below medium though not quite mild. The flavor has shifted a bit, with the creamy floral note turning into something a bit closer to sweet cake dough. The aroma is also fairly sweet, but has a cracked black pepper note.
At this point, the AVO 22 is starting to remind me a bit of the AVO Improvisation 30 Years (one of the few AVO cigars I’m not fond of). The difference here is that the AVO 22 seems much more thought out, with more flavor and complementarity.
The final third is where this cigar gets more interesting. The black pepper note ramps up a bit, and there’s also a new flavor, something like lemon meringue that’s subtle but definitely there. The creaminess in the texture fades quickly, replaced by a dry cedar texture. In the last inch and a half, the strength ramps up to medium, with the palate dominated by cedar, black pepper and undertones of sweet grass and floral.
A nice end.
Conclusion
I can see why the AVO 22 was so popular when it was originally released all those years ago. It has a lot of finesse, even though the flavor profile doesn’t change radically throughout the course of the smoke. At around $17, this cigar has some tough competition. But it’s worth purchasing, and, if you’re an AVO enthusiast, maybe purchasing a box.
Fun little kicker here. Avo Uvezian was a masterful piano player. He’s known for having played with Frank Sinatra and written many of his own tunes. I found out just tonight while writing this review you that you can listen to the man himself play by searching Avo Uvezian on spotify.
Alan Rubin has been performing well with his Alec Bradley brand of cigars since he began in the industry. Each new line brought forth different flavors, styles and themes as well high praise in the cigar world. In one of his new releases the Alec Bradley Post Embargo Alan seeks to bring the notion of Cuban versus non-Cuban cigars a thing of the past. In this line Alan recognizes that his cigars are equal to that of Cuban cigars and that the public idea of Cubans being above all is not the case. The Alec Bradley Post Embargo certainly can make its claim that it is a cigar to be revered no matter what country it comes from. Enjoy!
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Alec Bradley Post Embargo
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Honduran / Nicaraguan
Filler: Honduran / Nicaraguan
Size: 6” 1/4 X 54 Toro
Appearance & Construction
The Alec Bradley Toro has a gorgeous milk chocolate brown wrapper with minimum veins. The cigar has a few soft spots and is expertly rolled. The band has “Alec Bradley” across the top in white and red with “Post Embargo” on the bottom. The patriotic band has the flag of Cuba on the right and the American Flag on the left with the Alec Bradley logo in the middle uniting the two. Alan Rubin has succeeded in making his statement that Cuba and other countries should be united in cigars at least.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
The Post Embargo begins with a little saltiness on the wrapper and a heap of toast to start. The draw is excellent and the toastiness turns to leather on the palate. Savory notes are detected very quickly and the profile is really attractive thus far. The leather seems to build up balanced by an earthy character on the mouthfeel.
Midway the Post Embargo delivers bing cherry along with a sweet and savory lingering finish. Notes of Almonds are picked up and the earthiness returns on the retrohale. A bit of coffee emerges adding to the complexity of this cigar. Every puff seems to yield an array of flavors hitting you all at once. This is clearly a cigar of character as the leather starts to build up with a mix of nougat and toast.
The final third gave some bitter undertones to start which diminished the flavor. Quickly this was corrected with more of that savory character noted earlier. The leather continues with less nuttiness than before. The cigar finishes with an interplay of earth and wood rounded out with a creamy finish.
Conclusion
I’ve smoked Alec Bradley cigars since their release with the Prensado and Tempus being some of my favorite and most original flavor profiles. The Alec Bradley Post Embargo Toro offers leather, toast and savory notes in abundance. If this was the signature of the blend then Alan Rubin nailed it. I would say this can compete with Cuban cigars as I like to view a cigar on its on merit regardless of its province. Will there still be the debate of whether Cuban cigars are better than non-Cuban? Until the Embargo is lifted I would say most certainly. My advice? Light up an Alec Bradley Post Embargo and judge for yourself.
Up for review today is the Camacho Coyolar, a re-release of the original Coyolar which was discontinued in 2013 when Davidoff revamped the Camacho brand. I can’t say that I ever smoked the original Coyolar, and I’m generally a fan of the products Camacho puts out, so I’m excited to review this cigar.
Product Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Camacho Coyolar Rothschild
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Size: 4 1/2 x 50 (Rothschild)
Appearance and Construction
The cigar comes presented in a strong, if blunt, black band. Camacho has run this visual branding play a few times now, with the Camacho Triple Maduro, Camacho Blackout, and Camacho Powerband all using black primary bands. Is it an attractive band? Sure, but it was damn near impossible to photograph and even to the human eye the name is only apparent when the light hits it just right. Not what I’d consider a good tactical play on the brand side.
In any case, the outer Honduran wrapper is mostly smooth with a few visible veins. When squeezed, the cigar has a moderate amount of give and is packed mostly consistently, though there are some minor soft spots about two thirds down the cigar.
The draw is perfect, and the cold draw is surprisingly flavorful, with a blast of fruit (something akin to mango/peach, which I’ve never encountered in a cigar before), and some mild spiciness. The foot is a bit more standard, with some minor chocolate and dried wood notes.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
The Camacho Coyolar opens with thick, medium to full bodied smoke. Lots of flavor and great smoke production. The profile is dominated by spice, black and red pepper, heavy leather, and some semisweet chocolate. The pepper is felt mainly on the tip of the tongue, the back of the throat, and on the retrohale. It’s very enjoyable, but I can already tell it’ll be overpowering at times as well. The retrohale is full leather and pepper, which reminds me a bit of the Camacho Triple Maduro.
Half an inch in, the body is above medium but the flavor is up to full. And I’m conflicted. Though I’m enjoying the flavors, I’m also aware that my palate is on track to get exhausted well before the cigar ends. For this reason, this would be a cigar I’d recommend pairing with a sherry cask finished single malt like Glenmorangie Signet, Glenlivet 18, or the Glenrothes Vintage 2004.
As the cigar heads into the second third, the flavors morph a bit along with the texture. The pepperiness settles down a bit and is replaced by peanuts. On the palate, pepper and spice are dominant, along with leather and a twinge of orange rind. The flavors aren’t often in perfect balance, but when they are, they work together well.
Construction wise, the ash is mostly solid but with a bit of flakiness. The burn is a bit wavy.
Burning into the final third, leather and spice are dominant. Otherwise, little changes and the cigar is ready to be retired right on time.
Conclusion
Camacho continues to produce high quality, enjoyable cigars. The Camacho Coyolar has all the hallmarks of a full bodied Camacho smoke. Extremely rich, quite strong, with good complexity and enjoyable flavor.
On the negative side, the smoke is often out of balance, which costs it a few points. As much as I’m a fan of full bodied flavors, the Coyolar gets a bit out of hand at times producing a smoking experience that’s at best overwhelming and at worst downright uncomfortable. Needless to say, I was glad I was smoking a rothschild size and not a toro.
Bloody Butcher Bourbon from New Liberty Distillery caught my eye, or more accurately, my ears, a few weeks ago on a visit to Park Ave spirits in Midtown. I heard one of the salesman giving a heartfelt recommendation to try Bloody Butcher Bourbon, so after the other customer stepped aside I snatched one of these beautiful bottles up.
The claim to fame for this particular whiskey is its use of the bloody butcher varietal of dent corn which has been grown since the 1800s but almost never used for bourbon (Widow Jane distillery is one exception). The corn itself is known for having one of the reddest complexions of any heirloom corn varietal.
New Liberty is also unique among many distilleries in that it is located not outside of town next to a solitary river but just a few minutes from downtown Philadelphia. The building that houses the distillery’s still and rick house was once a stable, presumably for the pre-automobile transportation industry.
Product Specifics
Producer: New liberty Distillery
Mashbill: corn, barley, rye
ABV: 47.5% (93 proof)
Age: 9 months
Aged in: new charred American oak barrels
Here’s what the New Deal Distillery website has to say about Bloody Butcher Bourbon:
In the early 1800s, European settlers in the southern United States blended their corn with a native variety. The result was Bloody Butcher corn: instantly recognizable for its striking deep red kernels and legendary fruity, buttery flavor. Unsuitable for industrial scale farming, this heirloom variety is grown by only a few farmers.
New Liberty Bloody Butcher Bourbon celebrates our nation’s early agricultural heritage. We sourced Bloody Butcher corn from Castle Valley Mill in Doylestown, PA, just 25 miles from our distillery, and combined it with malted rye and barley from Deer Creek Malthouse. This blend of corn, barley, and rye gives the bourbon a balanced flavor, with notes of milk chocolate, butter, leather, and stone fruit on the palate, and a dry spice on the finish.
Appearance
As you can see, in the glass the whiskey has a bright, full gold appearance with just a touch of reddish amber. In the bottle, it is a deep red, similar to stained cherry wood. The shape of the bottle is fairly straightforward, but it sports a really beautiful paper label decorated with a dark red corn motif.
Nose
A really nice nose, quite unique for a bourbon. Stone fruits up front, with additional chocolate chunks, oak, and maraschino cherry aromas. Unlike most bourbons which are very caramel/vanilla forward on the nose, this is a more fruit-forward whiskey which I like a lot.
Palate
Very similar to the nose. Bloody Butcher bourbon starts off on the palate with some oak and light vanilla notes. As the liquid coats the palate, the heavier fruit notes come into play, alongside some leather and a generic corn flavor. Above any others I get a nice dark cherry note which complements the more traditional bourbon notes immensely.
Overall, the flavor profile is unlike any other bourbon I’ve ever had.
Finish
The finish is where this whiskey shows its youth. There’s quite a bit of ethanol burn, along with vanilla, rye and some nice spiciness.
Conclusion
Bloody Butcher bourbon is a solid “buy” recommendation from me, particularly if you’re into bourbon and even more particularly if you are a follower of the American boutique whiskey scene. The flavor profile is truly unique among bourbons. I loved the cherry influence on the nose and palate.
The uniqueness of this whiskey reminds me a bit of the Copper Fox Peachwood American Single Malt. Though the two share nothing in terms of flavor or character, they both set out to produce something really unique on the whiskey scene, and both succeed (Bloody Bourbon more than CF Peachwood).
All that said, I think that a much older, carefully crafted whiskey using a similar set of ingredients could make for a truly mind-blowing American whiskey, so I’ll be looking forward to further releases from New Liberty.
After reviewing the Gran Habano Corojo #5, I must admit I was not all that enthusiastic about reviewing the Connecticut. There’s usually a less-than-fun period of trial and error that every new cigar company and quite a few brand new cigars have to go through before they get their unique quirks resolved. Based (albeit solely) on my first G.R. cigar review, Guillermo Rico’s company seems to be in the thick of that period right now. On the other hand, I know and firmly believe that first impressions are never everything, so I’m accordingly happy to be going toe-to-toe with Mr. Rico’s Connecticut #1!
Product Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Gran Habano Connecticut #1
Vitola: Gran Robusto
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano
Size: 6 x 54
Aesthetics Construction, & Feel
The Connecticut presents itself as a kind of sibling to the Habano Corojo #5. It’s body is quite tightly packed with no soft spots and very little flexibility. The wrapper is rugged and veiny, but very well-crafted and free of any breaches. This is especially the case with the cap, which is just as perfect as the Habano Corojo’s; evenly wrapped, with no seam breaches. The Connecticut has a hidden bonus, though; the cold odor is unlike anything I’d experienced up to now; a lovely and subtle sweetness that reminds me of, wait for it, a croissant.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
First Third
It quickly becomes apparent that the croissant-esque cold odor wasn’t just a pleasant fluke. The Connecticut #1 makes a smooth entry with a beautiful buttery bread foreground flavor that more than makes up for the predictably tight draw (which thankfully stays out of the flavor’s way). The aroma exuded by the velvety smoke clouds is just as sultry and buttery. The foundation is completed by a deliciously salty retrohale that perfectly complements the bread & butter of the foreground. There’s not much of a background flavor profile, but the foreground’s flavor once again more than makes up for it.
Second Third
The ash begins to split right down the middle at the start of the second third, but the burn holds its ground and stays even throughout. The retrohale also begins to strengthen with the addition of a sweet spice essence, which also provides an enriching contrast to the salt. The foreground’s bread begins to morph about halfway through into a flavor that almost tastes like sourdough, with the butter moving out of the foreground and into the background to provide a contrast similar to the one occurring simultaneously in the retrohale. The morphing of the foreground continues throughout the rest of the second third to the point that the bread tastes slightly immature, but not to the point of spoiling it.
Point of Convergence
The point of convergence is slightly anticlimactic as the foreground flavor’s maturity doesn’t recover to its original glory, instead merely bringing its decent to a halt. As the sweet spice and the salt begin to fight each other for control of the retrohale, the butter in the background begins to slightly reassert itself into the soured foreground, though not quite enough to save it. The pull begins to singe the tongue surprisingly early on, but this discomfort is alleviated somewhat by something every smoker longs to hear; that delicious soft crackling sound as the smoke draws ever nearer towards its inevitable end.
The Final Verdict
Much like its sibling the Habano Corojo #5, the Connecticut #1 displays great potential that has yet to be fully realized. The buttery bread foreground and the salty retrohale in the beginning of the experience made for a flavor profile that was downright heavenly. It also displayed a nice complexity when the buttery bread morphed into sourdough in the middle. Sadly, the middle was the pinnacle of the experience; the final third was a bit of a letdown as the maturity of the tobacco faded and the tongue singe began way too early. Again, however, this stogy has potential. I look forward to reviewing it again sometime in the future.
Today, I’m interviewing Craig Vanderslice of www.cigarcraig.com. Cigar Craig is one of the first blogs that I started reading when I started smoking cigars in the late 2000’s, and it’s a website that takes a down-to-earth approach to cigars.
In my interview with Craig, we discussed how he first fell in love with cigars, how he keeps up with the work of running a cigar blog, some of his favorite posts ever, his favorite cigar bloggers, and more.
MC: Let’s kick it off with some standard background. When did you start smoking cigars, and why did you start your blog?
CV: I started smoking premium cigars around 1995. I had been enjoying cheap cigars every Friday at lunch with a coworker and it was the cigar boom of the 90s so we decided to see what the big deal was with a premium cigar. We bought some Macanudo Hyde Parks and smoked them and got the bug. I don’t think I went back to the Garcia Vegas and Backwoods after that. Around the same time I was getting into the whole internet fad, and did some cigar research and found a cigar newsgroup on usenet, which was the ancestor of forums and Facebook basically. I ended up participating in that for ten years, travelling all over the country to attend herfs (the term “herf” was coined by that group, it’s taken on a life of it’s own) and met a lot of great people. Steve Saka and Christian Eiroa were contributors at the time. I got tired of the demeanor of the usenet group around 2006 and stopped contributing.
In 2009 my wife bought me the cigarcraig.com domain and I decided to start a blog as my creative outlet. It started very rough, but after taking my first trip to cigar country in 2011 it started getting visits and I settled into a regular schedule. I’m proud to say that if you search for “cigar blog”, “cigar bloggers” or just about any permutation of that in any major search engine, CigarCraig.com places very high in the results, in many cases the first result. I believe this was just a result of consistency and using appropriate keywords.
MC: Writing a blog takes a lot of work on a weekly and sometimes even daily basis. What’s kept you motivated to keep your blog up to date all these years?
CV: I spend much more time on research than actual writing! I like to think my site is a blog in the purest sense, it’s a web log of my cigar journey. This can be a recap of the cigars I’ve smoked, store visits, events either at stores or festivals, interviews with industry people and celebrity cigar smokers (it’s been a while since I’ve done a celebrity interview, working on that), and accessory reviews. Lately I’ve been sharing more press releases verbatim, while I have the time on my hands to do it. I should actually write an article based on the press release, but I’ve been taking the lazy route. I think it’s the variety that keeps it from getting boring, both in the industry and with my personal style. Also knowing I have a faithful readership that, for some reason I can’t fathom, looks forward to reading my nonsense! I deeply appreciate all those who choose to waste their valuable time reading, so I often have contests to reward the loyalty, or just send random stuff to people, it’s fun to share.
So what keeps me going is the interactions with the readers, having the opportunity to smoke new cigars and play with new accessories, and having sponsors who believe enough in what my site does to support me.
MC: What’s your favorite post on CigarCraig. Either one you feel the most proud of or that you’ve gotten the best response from readers on?
CV: Oddly, a post I wrote on my travel to Reykjavik, Iceland (linked here) about cigars there has been getting daily visits for the last year and a half. It comes up first in Google searches for cigars in Iceland, I guess the fact that there’s one shop in Reykjavik and no discernible cigar culture so there haven’t been a lot of articles written on the subject.
Probably the post I’m most proud of for the writing and the comments and discussion it produced goes back to 2012. I was frustrated (and remain so, not too much has changed!) with the IPCPR and wrote what I think was a well reasoned rant on the subject of “new media” being members and attending the trade show. The comments were from a who’s who of media, manufacturers and retailers. It was some of my best work, I think and it did lead to some changes for the better with the trade organization, although, six years later there are still IPCPR members who would rather not see bloggers at the show. It’s mystifying, and I’ve chosen no to be a member any longer as a result.
MC: Are there any other cigar blogs that you read or find worthwhile?
CV: I have had the good fortune of meeting many fellow bloggers and cigar media types, and consider them friends, so this is a loaded question! Certainly Halfwheel and Cigar-Coop are outstanding resources and come up in a lot of searches when researching specific cigars. While I don’t regularly visit a lot of other blogs, I check in to a bunch from time to time. Most of them offer a unique perspective. Some do a great job of reviewing cigars, others excel at presenting news items and everyone has their place. There are some that go off the rails a little I think, but overall there’s something for everyone out there.
MC: “Off the rails a little.” I love it. I’ve certainly seen some of that firsthand and far from being frustrating it’s mostly just entertaining to watch.
Let’s talk about the brands. In your time writing about cigars and meeting industry reps, you’ve likely had a chance to see a lot of companies fail and succeed. What in your mind is the ingredient that makes a successful brand in the cigar world?
CV: Great question! Today I think the brand owner or ambassador or manufacturer has to be personally involved at the retail level. Rocky Patel set the standard and has had pretty good success. Omar de Frias followed Rocky’s model and his Fratello brand enjoys a lot of success. Perhaps just being engaged with the consumer via social media is enough as long as the product is spectacular, in the case of RoMaCraft. Cromagnon started out being available largely through Skip Martin’s Twitter engagement. When Ernesto Carrillo launched EPC cigars his website was basically a map with tweets mentioning the brand popping up from wherever in the world they originated.
We have an unprecedented level of interaction with the principles in the cigar industry, and I think that reinforces a lot of brand recognition. I know, whether it makes sense or not, I enjoy cigars more when I have a personal relationship with the people who make the cigar, or are responsible for the blend.
MC: Man, that’s so true. I had a similar experience recently with Sans Pareil / La Instructora cigars. For a while I had been pretty skeptical, even after reviewing the La Instructora Box Pressed No 2 and enjoying it. But after meeting Aaron Saide at one of my private tastings and enjoying two hours of conversation with him, I experience his cigars in a completely different way (I’m still sitting on four or five unreleased La Instructora blends).
In any case, we’re at that point in the interview where I’ll go ahead and ask that most important and most hated question: what are your top two or three cigars? You know, the cigars that continue to blow your mind year after year, even after smoking dozens or more?
CV: There are a handful of cigars that I never tire of and pick up when I need a “sure thing”. Padron 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo, Fuente Hemingway Classic come to mind as cigars which are as tasty and satisfying today as they were 20 years ago. Drew Estate’s Nica Rustica is a go-to also, I love the no nonsense, straightforward flavor of this, and similarly the CAO Flathead. Over the last years or so I’ve defaulted to the Cornelius and Anthony Cornelius Toro for a special occasion smoke. It’s a refined and complex medium bodied cigar.
MC: Ah man. I’m so with you on Cornelius and Anthony. They make phenomenal cigars. The Daddy Mac is in my top 25 of all time for sure. Let’s send our readers off with something fun. What’s a fun fact about cigars or the industry you have in your back pocket that you think my readers would be surprised to learn?
CV: Fun fact? Sheesh. That’s a tough one. One thing that I find interesting that many may not know is that is costs about the same to make a Corona as it does to make a Churchill. Because the consumer equates size with value, most manufacturers can’t sell the small sizes at the same margins as larger sizes. So, if you think about it, when you buy a Corona, technically you are getting a better value. Maybe that’s not real interesting…
MC: that’s definitely a fun fact! For all of my readers here – you’ll get many more fun, quirky insights on www.cigarcraig.com so don’t forget to visit the site and subscribe via email.
Craig, thanks for taking the time to share about yourself and your work on www.cigarcraig.com.
Up for review today is the Plasencia Reserva Original Nestico, a cigar released in the summer of 2017. It’s a unique cigar primarily because of its size. At 4 1/2″ x 36, it functions just like a lancero but at half the length.
The Plasencia operation is also unique. The Plasencias have been growing and farming tobacco for decades providing quality leaf to many companies. They also feature their own cigar lines and this one in particular has the privilege of being a cigar grown with 100% certified organic tobacco. Whether organically farmed tobacco tastes better or worse than chemically controlled farming is debatable, but consumers can rest assured this tobacco was treated using natural methods. Whatever the process, one needs to smoke it in order to assess its true quality.
Product Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Plasencia Reserva Original Nestico
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 4 1/2 x 36
Appearance and Construction
This diminutive cigar has a white and muted gold band with the Plasencia name and the “Reserva Original” across it. The design is subdued for me with the attraction being its color scheme. On the foot is another band with “Reserva Original” across it. The milk chocolate wrapper has some veins without being excessive. Well rolled and a bit soft to the touch.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
The Plasencia starts off with some sweetness and spice upfront. The retrohale gives up a bit of black pepper and secondary flavors of wood and pronounced sweetness. The next few puffs coat the palate with a creamy texture and a bit of coffee on the finish. The draw and burn are excellent
The second half yields oak, allspice and cream. A bit of cocoa grabs you midway along with another hit of spice. Almond paste is coming through while the cigar burns. Lots of flavor emoting from this smoke and a slight nicotine buzz which catches you by surprise. Rounding out the finish is the all spice and clotted cream on the palate.
The last third sweet cream interplay’s with chocolate and spice. A taste of nougat and cocoa coats the mouth and lingers. The Plasencia finishes with a creamy pleasant nuttiness.
Conclusion
For a short smoke the Plasencia Reserva Original Nestico offers rounded flavors of sweet spice, cream and nuts. Its starts off medium bodied and mid way you get a nice hit of nicotine strength. This is not a morning smoke unless you’ve had a hearty breakfast then this would be a wonderful cigar with an espresso afterward. I recommend picking one up for a pleasant afternoon cigar or an after dinner smoke as it will hold up well.
