Cigar reviews, news and ramblings by Kevin

Behold the mighty “A” size. It’s the 3 lb. Porterhouse of the stogie world — unwieldy, obscene, and usually pricy. But every now and again, it’s an act of manliness with no equal.

So on this lazy summer afternoon, my agenda is empty but for whipping up a habanero-mango sauce to go with some jerk chicken. Smoke an “A,” chop chile peppers, BBQ… Neanderthal Spa Day!

Fonseca’s Habana Seleccion is a relatively new blend from Manuel Quesada. Developed for Cigars International and released in late 2006, it is billed as a departure from Fonseca’s mild formula. It features an Habana Criollo ‘98 wrapper grown in Jalapa, Nicaragua, a Nicaraguan binder and five year-old Dominican fillers. The idea, according to Quesada, was to marry a spicy wrapper/binder combination with aged Dominican fillers he is accustomed to working with. Nine generations of test blends later, the result is a line of six vitolas including the 8.7″ x 48 Black Prince.

The Black Prince is decked out in a weighty, wooden box of 10. Each is signed on the inside lid by Mr. Quesada. Considering the rarity of wrappers large enough to cloak an “A,” the Black Prince is modestly priced at $80 per box and can be nabbed on C-Bid for much less (I paid $40 for this box).

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Ever since Ernesto Perez-Carrillo shifted most of El Credito’s production from Miami to the Dominican Republic in April 1996, a mystique has surrounded the handful of LGCs still produced on Calle Ocho. Some insist the Miami-born LGCs are stronger and/or better built than their D.R. brethren. Carrillo himself has stepped in to declare that the blends and construction standards are identical. But debate persists.

Before February of last year, I’m ashamed to say I hadn’t tried a Miami LGC. In part, that was because I’d smoked my share of the D.R. version and couldn’t see what the fuss what about. The LGC, I thought, was an average smoke at a fair price. Nothing more.

But on a visit to Miami in 2007, curiosity got the best of me. Like any jackass tourist, I bought a box from the factory under the pretense of investigating this Miami vs. D.R. controversy.

My first impression, though favorable, was that these needed time. The handful I sampled were surprisingly potent, if a little sharp. I didn’t recall the Dominican Wavell being this assertive.

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As the sun sets over my magnificent vega, I envision myself receiving congratulations from my contemporaries — Robaina, Padron, Nunez. Never mind that careless placement of the dime used for scale above nearly wiped out the crop of 2008.

Anyway, Don Alejandro can rest easy in the Vuelta Abajo. For now.

Now that daytime temps have dropped back into the 80s (after a rare and ridiculous spell of mid-90s), it’s comfortable once again to sit out back and enjoy a decent-sized smoke. And this is one I’ve looked forward to for quite some time.

Enough has been written about the Tatuaje brand and owner Pete Johnson that I can skip the preamble. I’ll just say that I’m not only a huge fan of his smokes, but I love that Pete bucks trendiness in favor of Cuban traditions, old and new. It’s evident in the style of his blends, of course, but also in his choice of sizes. For example, his forthcoming La Riqueza brand eschews forearm-sized ring gauges that have become the latest rage. Instead, Pete pays homage to some smaller, classic Cuban vitolas such as the Hermoso #4, a true corona gorda measuring 5.62″ x 46, and a 5.5″ x 52 belicoso fino.

Likewise, it is Habanos’ acclaimed regional releases that spawned the Havana VI Verocu East and West. A limited edition extension of the Havana VI line, the 6.25″ x 54 Verocu No. 1 “West Side” and 5.5″ x 54 Verocu No. 2 “East Side” are available only in cabs of 50 and retail at $10.00 a stick.

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Part One concluded after three minutes of roasting, with the beans taking on some color. Next, or so we had read, would come the first of two “cracks.” The heat causes the beans to expand, crack and shed a papery chaff. Sure enough, at about 4:30, we hear the first crack and begin to see some smoke and steam. Time to crank up those hood fans.

Now this is starting to look and smell like coffee:

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I’m a little late to the coffee roasting party, but I have arrived.

After reading about home roasting on message boards, my curiosity was piqued. This would be right up my alley, since coffee has always been my favorite pairing with a smoke. Easily distracted as I am, however, the notion slipped my mind as fast as it arrived.

Then two weeks ago, my girlfriend is flipping through one of her countless fair-trading, tree-hugging catalogs and says, “Why don’t we buy coffee raw from this cooperative and try roasting it ourselves?”

The price was certainly right. Even after shipping costs, I’d save more than $2.00 per pound, or a couple hundred bucks per year at my current rate of consumption.

The selection of “raw” beans is virtually limitless. We settled on Peruvian Norte, Tanzanian Peaberry, Ethiopian Yrgacheffe, Brazilian Poco Fundo, and my longtime favorite, Papua New Guinea. The only apparent drawback would be the cost of an electric roaster, which starts at $89. Reading on, we discovered that some found the Whirly Pop stovetop popcorn maker to be up to the task at a low, low price of $27. Electric, schmetric. Put me down for one Whirly Pop!

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It has been a crazy few weeks! Between travel, photographic gigs and other unexpected turns, I’ve barely had time to smoke, let alone report back. I shot a wedding, four days of muay thai workouts and BMX racing. Now, thankfully, things have settled down a bit, which allows me to return to regular posting.

Meanwhile, one of the more amusing developments is the birth of my tobacco “farm,” displayed in its full glory above. The seeds were a thoughtful gift from my girlfriend, and thanks to her knack for getting anything to grow under any conditions, I now have five varieties of seedlings springing to life. I don’t see myself riding horseback, Litto Gomez-style, through these lush fields anytime soon. But if these do half as well as our habaneros and Thai peppers out back, I’ll someday smoke an “estate grown” robusto. Frankly, I’d be happy to make a couple of cigarettes out of it. (Under-promise, over-deliver!) Stay tuned…

When the “Favorite Budget Smoke” thread pops up like clockwork on the message boards, the Don Kiki Limited Reserve always gets a mention. Mild controversy typically ensues. Some swear by their value ($2.00 per stick), while others say they’re cheap for a reason.

So, which is it — two buck wonder or dog rocket?

Cigarmaker Enrique “Kiki” Berger’s eponymous Brown Label is made at his Tabacalera Esteli factory in Nicaragua, almost entirely from leaves grown on his 200-acre farm.

Berger first came to prominence making the original 5 Vegas. (The 5 Vegas brand has since been purchased by Cigars International and is now made by Nestor Plasencia.) Success with the cult favorite Cupido followed. Today, Don Kiki produces a wide selection of brands available through his Miami-based distribution arm, Cuban Crafters.

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Mixed Filler is a quick collection of snippets from the online stogie community. For the slower burning, long-filler versions just click on the links provided. Enjoy!

Keepers of The Flame mourns the disappearance of the affordable Pepin and test drives a substitute Nicaraguan puro, the Famous Nicaraguan Corojo Corona.

Tom at The Smoking Lounge has the line of the week. In wrapping up a less than favorable review of the Te Amo World Selection Series Nicaraguan Blend, he writes, “Do not even approach this cigar without wearing a Haz-Mat suit.” Nice!

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I waited long enough to post a full review of a Pepin Garcia smoke, right? It might be a little sadistic to begin with the Achilles since (a) the days of Pepin-made budget smokes are all but over; (b) stock of the Achilles was swallowed up by greedy Pepin-whores some time ago. But let us wax nostalgic together…

The Padilla Achilles was made in one size, a 6″ x 50 toro, as an exclusive for Cigars International. This Nicaraguan puro, unlike prior Padilla-Pepin collaborations, was produced in Esteli, Nicaragua. CI’s website pegs total production of the Achilles at 50,000, other sources say 60,000. Either way, it wasn’t enough, as fans of Don Pepin still roam the net in search of hidden stash.

Aside from the limited production, the feature that made the Achilles noteworthy was the price. According to CI’s website, MSRP was an absurd $10 per stick. In practice, however, they went (in mazos of 6) for $2.00-$4.00 each on C-Bid. At a time when all things Don Pepin were blowing up in price and popularity, these were a steal rivaled only by the CI Legends Series Yellow Label.

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