Garwin, or the Evolution of Taste

After a long break, from writing rather than from cigars, I return to reflect on what I've seen to be a pattern both my own smoking habits, and those of a larger general public.

When I first started smoking cigars, I was a bit overwhelmed by the dizzying number of choices I found at the local cigar shop and as such I relied heavily on the advice of the tobacconist who worked there.  He understood that my experiences with cigars had been very limited, and he steered me in the direction of cigars that tend to suit the tastes of people who taking their first steps in the cigar world.  The first cigar I bought from him was an Isla del Sol: a mild to medium bodied Drew Estate creation which I still enjoy to this day.

On a return trip to the shop, I decided to use what I liked about the Isla del Sol as a jumping off point to try to find other cigars which would suit my developing palate.  One facet I most enjoyed was the plethora of smoke it produced, and so I asked for a recommendation of a very smokey cigar.  I walked out of the store with a very large cigar with a very dark wrapper.  To be honest, I was a bit leery of my purchase as it seemed to be more cigar than I could handle, but I masked my skepticism and soldiered on.  When I finally lit up the cigar, I knew immediately that it wasn't really my taste, as it was unmistakably full bodied.  After smoking about half of it I had to put it down.
This experience taught a valuable lesson: everyone's tastes differ, and what one person finds to be an excellent cigar could be distasteful to someone else.  This is important to consider as you continue to explore cigars, and I encourage everyone who reads this blog to do the same.  That's part of the reason why I try to share my smoking experience with others, as opposed to using some kind of metric to assess cigars, as what I would call a perfect ten might seem more like a three and a half to someone who doesn't share my taste in cigars.

This is also why I try to dissuade people from what I call "cigar snobbery."  Far too often I find that people equate expensive, brand named, cigars with quality and assume that spending more money will make their smoking experience more pleasant.  While this may be the case in some instances, a new smoker is likely to get much more pleasure out of an Acid Toast than they would likely get from the Gurkha Beast, even though the Beast is twice as expensive.  Additionally, I've found that I get more enjoyment from a cigar when I pay less attention to the brand name and more attention to the cigar itself.

Acid Toast

After being on hiatus from reviewing (not cigars) for as long as I have, I thought it appropriate to return to a more regular schedule for posting.  Hopefully I can stick to it better this time! For my return to the world of fine tobacco reviewing I decided to do a review of what has become one of my favorite medium bodied, full flavored smokes: the Acid Toast.  When removed from its cellophane blanket, the Toast immediately greets the nostrils with scents of allspice, nutmeg and cloves.  This 6.5x55 stick is well constructed, with a few minor veins along its chocolate colored wrapper.  Cut with a wedge, the pre-light draw was near perfect, and the tip of the cigar seemed to be sugared to give each puff a taste of sweetness. 

On lighting, I'm treated with a burst of flavor mixing with the sweetness of the tip; it was everything the pre-light aromas promised, along with hints of cedar.  As pleasant as it is to smoke, so it is to smell.  The Toast was very smokey as it progressed through the first third.  Moving into the second third, the flavor profile shifts from spicy to subtle, while still maintaining the same delicious pairings present at lighting.  There is also a creeping earthiness which settles in at around the midpoint of the cigar and remains present through the end of the smoke.

The smoke had a very smooth mouth feel and was thick enough to play around with which adds to the enjoyment of any cigar in my opinion.  As mentioned earlier, the wedge cut allowed for a near perfect draw which helped to keep the burn even.  The ash on the cigar was a very light grey, and held on for an impressive two and a half inches.  As for pairings, I went with a cup of Eight O'clock Bean hazelnut coffee.  Keeping the coffee unsweetened, the smoke on my pallet mixed with the nutty flavors and acted almost as a sweetener.  This was an interesting combination, although I would also recommend pairing the Toast with a quality spiced rum, like Kracken.

No matter what you pair your cigars with, enjoy them!

Ave Maria Crusader

Deus Vult! God wills it, and so as not to disappoint I have made the Ave Maria Crusader the next cigar I'll review.  The Crusader, Ave Maria's appellation for their 5x52 robusto, is one of those special cigars that gave me a good feeling the moment I laid eyes on it.  The Ecuadorian habano wrapper is well rolled with a few veins and was adorned with one of the most beautiful cigar band's I've ever come across.  The band is trimmed in golden foil, and features a Templar Knight in full regalia. The pictures hardly do it justice, and it really is a wonder to behold.  One of the most interesting features, and one I cannot claim credit for noticing, were the words "Deus Vult" raised out of one of the golden borders.  My Latin being a bit rusty, a quick google search revealed that this was the rallying cry of Pope Urban II at the start of the first Crusade.  Clearly the creators of Ave Maria put a lot of effort into the creation of this band, and it really makes for an enjoyable start to the smoking experience.

The pre-light aromas are of rich, natural tobacco and a subtle nuttiness. On lighting my palate was greeted with medium bodied flavor with notes of oak and subtle spice.  This was very pleasant, and was without any harshness.  The first third was much the same, and as it rounded into the second, the spices mellowed out leaving the woody notes and rich tobacco goodness for the rest of the cigar.  In the final third, the body slowly increased and the cigar finished out somewhere between medium and full-bodied.  This was my second experience with this blend and honestly, this is definitely one that is worth multiple samplings. 

The smoke had a creamy mouth feel, and the finish, although not particularly long, was a pleasant one.  I found that some of the nuances, such as the subtle spiciness in the first third, were easier detected if the smoke was allowed to linger longer on the palate. The draw was, in a word, perfection.  I used a straight cutter, and the slightly longer than usual taper of the Crusader allowed for what I would consider ideal air flow.  The burn was decent, although I did make a small correction to a wayward wrapper in the final third.  This likely speaks more to my lack of attention to the burn than the cigar itself, but it is worth noting.  The ash on this cigar was a nice light gray color and held on for about two  to two and a half inches, which seems to be typical for this cigar.

As for what to pair with this cigar, I went with a cup of medium bodied Colombian coffee, which complemented the woody notes of the cigar nicely.  Another option I would like to explore would be a nice glass of Maker's Mark Bourbon.  The warm notes of oak and the spiciness of the drink would complement this cigar nicely, and play upon its strengths. 

This is one of those rare instances where the beauty of the cigar band accurately reflects the beauty of the cigar.  At around seven dollars each these cigars are a steal, and quite frankly I would probably pay more for them if I had to.  This is another one of those cigars I can see myself enjoying for years to come, so rather unsurprisingly a box of them may be in my near future.  As always, enjoy your stogies!

A Cut Above

At long last, a post about cutting cigars!  At the request of several people, I will now take the time to give a little background on common cigar cutting methodology and some of the benefits and drawbacks of each method.  When cutting a cigar, there are essentially two things you want to consider: ensuring proper air flow; maintaining the integrity of the cap.

The way you cut a cigar is almost directly related to the draw once you start smoking.  If you cut too much off, your draw will be really light and the cigar may smoke hot or you'll draw too much smoke.  If you don't cut enough off, the opposite is true.  To be honest, nothing impairs my enjoyment of a cigar like a draw that is too tight.  If I have to go blue in the face to get any smoke from a cigar, I'm generally not a happy camper.  

On to the second consideration: the cap.  For those who may not be familiar with cigar anatomy, the cap is the part of the cigar that you put your mouth on, and it keeps the cigar from unraveling.  If you accidentally cut the cap off, you'll notice that the wrapper will start to peel off or flake.  This can be really unpleasant, especially if the whole cigar starts to fall apart.  The cap is usually easy enough to identify and you want to make sure that when you cut into it that you leave some behind to keep the cigar together.  You also want to avoid squishing the cap, by using a cutter that is appropriate to the individual stick you are smoking. Certain cigars, such as those that are box pressed, are not round, and as such using a rounded cutter would likely cause the cap to deform slightly, and so a different cutting method may be more appropriate. Some oft used cutting methods are detailed below.

To start, one of the most common methods of cutting a cigar is by using a straight guillotine cutter.  These cutters can be either single or double bladed, and consist of a razor blade making a straight cut across the cap.  These cutters tend to give decent air flow and can be used to cut most cigars including tapered cigar sizes such  as a torpedo.  Some double guillotine cutters, such as the one shown below, have rounded razor edges and as such aren't easily sharpened, nor are they ideal for square or box pressed sticks. 

Another common cutter is the wedge-cut or V-Cut.  This cutter takes a "V" shaped slice out of the cigar while keeping the cap intact.  Wedge cuts tend to allow for more airflow and the controlled depth of the cut makes taking the cap off nearly impossible.  Wedge cuts can be used to cut a box pressed cigars if they are of small enough ring-gauge, although other methods may be preferable. 

The last method I'll detail here is the punch method.  A cigar punch is inserted into the cap of the cigar, and it makes a small hole in center of the cap.  Multiple or overlapping holes can be made on larger sticks for increased airflow if necessary.  This is, in my opinion, the ideal method for cutting box pressed cigars, because it keeps the cap from being deformed and allows for a more customized draw. 

Source: famous-smoke.com

So there you have it, a short and sweet post on cigar cutting for those just getting their feet wet in the world of fine tobacco.  Enjoy your smokes!

Beauty: by Gurkha

Beauty by Gurkha: a light silky Ecuadorian wrapper, aged seven years, encases aged Dominican binders and Nicaraguan filler tobacco which makes for a light-bodied counterpart for the Beast, undoubtedly a play on the traditional French fairytale.  This dichotomy seemed too perfect not to explore, and so I chose the Beauty as the next Gurkha I would review.

When I first grabbed one of these sticks out of the humidor, I was struck by how heavy it felt in my hand.  At 6.5x58 these Beauties aren't exactly petite, but more to love right?  The Beauty features on it two bands: the large one which Gurkha seems to put on all of it's super premiums and a second one which reads: Beauty.  The Ecuadorian wrapper had a silky quality to it, and had a single vein under the band, much like the Beast did. All in all, a well constructed cigar.

Then came the time to light up.  The pre-light aromas are of mild tobacco and a slight floral aroma.  After the foot was toasted I took my first puff and got almost no smoke.  I have a penchant for a firmer draw, but this was so bad I couldn't enjoy the opening moments of the cigar.  Even though I used a straight cutter, I had to cut it a second time to improve the airflow, and after a little bit the draw relaxed and allowed me to explore the flavor profile.  In the first third the light smoke carried with it notes of graham cracker, light tobacco flavors and hints of nutmeg.  As the cigar rounded out the first third, I also noted some cinnamon flavors which complemented the nutmeg nicely.  It was around the halfway mark where I stopped noting changes in the flavor, so the Beauty starts off with some complexity and then delivers smooth mild flavor right to the end.  As you can see from the pictures the burn was decently even and the head retention was excellent, hanging on for almost half the cigar.

I paired this with a cup of medium bodied coffee which helped to draw out the cinnamon notes in the cigar but while I was discussing this cigar with my brother, he suggested tea.  I have never heard of anyone pairing cigars with tea, but honestly I think this would do nicely with a cup of Earl Grey, as the light flavors of the tea won't overwhelm the flavors of the cigar.

Now for the big question: is this cigar worth the price tag?  Honestly I find myself hard pressed to recommend this cigar simply because you could get several cigars for the same price, and hours more enjoyment.  It wasn't bad by any means, but the problems I had with the draw were somewhat off-putting for me and honestly I tend to be partial to medium to full-bodied cigars that are full flavored, and this cigar doesn't really fit the bill. At no point was I unhappy with the flavor, but I found that at times it wasn't exciting enough to keep me focused on it.   In short, if you have a lot of money to throw around, then give this one a try.  If not, then you'd be better off looking somewhere else. 

... And the Beast: Gurkha Beast

A couple of months ago I was sitting around a fire pit in a buddy's backyard, a situation which begs for fine tobacco.  We found ourselves high and dry without stogies, as yours truly had forgotten to stop by the humidor on the way out of the house.  His father, however, was kind enough to let us raid his humidor and told us to grab whatever sticks we wanted.  My friend walked outside with a Montecristo #3, and I found myself holding a Gurkha Titan.  It was one of the finest smokes I've ever had, and I filed the Gurkha name away as a maker of excellent cigars.  Fast forward a couple months, and after a bit of a shopping spree, I find myself ogling my humidor, packed with twenty premium Gurkha smokes.  Gurkha only makes a thousand boxes of this blend each year, and the suggested retail price for a five pack is $102.  Definitely pricey, but is the price worth it?

When deciding which one of these sticks to review first, my eye was immediately drawn to the imposing figure that is the Beast.  An impressive cigar, measuring in at 6.5x58, this mammoth boasts a smooth, dark wrapper and feels quite heavy in the hand.  The band is characteristic of many of Gurkha's offerings, and features what appears to be a fierce (undead?) warrior brandishing a knife.  Below this is a second band with only a single word: BEAST.  These are well constructed sticks, and I found only one vein along about two thirds the length of the cigar.  The pre-light aromas are somewhat earthy, and this impressive stick seems to promise full-bodied goodness just sitting on the table.

After carefully toasting the foot, the cigar lit nicely and with a pleasant light flavor.  It was at this point that I began to wonder: is the Beast really just a gentle giant?  The first third carried on much the same way, with rich tobacco flavors and notes of toast and a woodiness I would characterize as oak.  Definitely a pleasant start, but not at all what I expected from such a large, dark cigar.  Many of these flavors continued into the second third, and were joined by subtle notes of leather and pepper.  The body seemed to be slowly filling out as the stick progressed, but at the midway point I would still characterize this as a medium bodied smoke.  That all changed though as the Beast entered the final third.  It was as if someone hit the throttle, and in about a half an inch the cigar blossomed into full flavored goodness, which continued to strengthen as the head approached my fingers.  The finish was long, and it seemed the longer I went between puffs the more distinct the individual flavors became.

Cutting the Beast was an interesting undertaking, as my double guillotine is only designed to cut 54 ring gauge cigars, although a slight taper at the end allowed for a nice clean straight cut.  Ideally I would have punched this cigar, as the draw with the straight cut was a bit on the light end of the spectrum and I tend to prefer a heavier draw.  The ash was a nice light gray color, and held on for about two inches, in spite of the breezy conditions I found myself in.  The burn was definitely affected by the wind, and did require one correction just after the ash fell off.

While I did not pair this cigar with anything, as it was my first of this blend, I took some time to consider what I will pair with the other four maturing in my humidor.  The first thing that came to mind was a cognac.  I sampled some the other day with another cigar and think it would pair lovely with this one as well.  While normally I'm not a huge fan of pairing cigars with beer, I felt part way through that this stick would be excellent with a malty beer like a Sam Adams Oktoberfest.  And last but not least, and no surprise coming from a caffeine addict, this cigar would pair nicely with a cup of medium bodied coffee, to help balance out the full bodied cigar. 

All in all, this was an interesting smoke, full of complexity and surprises, but one question still remains: is it worth the hefty almost twenty dollar price tag.  The answer isn't quite a simple yes or no, but if you're someone who enjoys a truly full bodied cigar then I'm sure you would find it's worth every penny.  Those of you who are newer to cigars would likely be happier with some of Gurkha's other offerings, which are a little lighter on the pallet, and on the wallet.  Stay tuned for reviews of some of those stogies in the coming days and, as always, enjoy your smokes!

Location, Location, Location

One of the most important and perhaps least discussed aspects of cigar smoking is the circumstances that you find yourself in when you decide to light up.  Think back to one of your favorite smoking experiences like the first time you puffed on what is now a go to favorite smoke, or maybe your first cigar, and think about the situation you found yourself in.  More likely than not, you were in a really positive atmosphere: be it celebrating a promotion at work; the birth of your first child, or simply relaxing alone on the front porch in the summertime watching the sunset.  These sorts of situations are quite conducive to an enjoyable cigar experience and blends we smoke during these times tend to carry with them positive associations into the future. 

Beyond these associations, the location in which we smoke our cigars plays a large role in how we go about doing that.  In the summer time, weather permitting, you can smoke just about anywhere.  There's nothing like having a couple of friends over for some grilling and stogies.  Smoking outside also means, in most instances, that you don't have to be tremendously worried about making sure you make it in the ash tray.  As if we needed another reason to smoke outside when the weather is nice.  But what about during the winter months, when the weather here in the good ol' Northeast isn't quite so friendly?  In such circumstances, I have found that my local cigar shop/lounge is just the place to enjoy a tasty stogie and some exceptional company.  The ambiance of many a cigar lounge is just the right balance of relaxation and refinement, which is sure to make your cigar smoking experience that much better. 

In short, there are a lot of places in which you can thoroughly enjoy a cigar, so leave your problems at the proverbial door and let the positivity flow like the smoke from your stogie!