Rocky Patel

Recently I read a mass email from my favorite cigar shop, Stogies on Grand, about a Rocky Patel event. I hadn't heard much of Rocky Patel cigars, but the man himself was going to be at Stogies promoting his line of cigars. Time and motivation kept me away from the event, but I found myself at the shop yesterday and decided to give a post-celebration salute to the cigars and try one.

I found myself of on the other end of a Renaissance. This cigar line has a dark wrapper leaf. I picked up a Coronas (typical sized cigar, round end, usually a little over 5" long and 40-50 ring size diameter).

This was a very smooth cigar. It had a cool smoke throughout and burned evenly. It was a bit difficult to get lit, but once it had a good burn it kept it up. My only disappointment was that it died out while I still had a good inch of "smokable" cigar left. I found that I had to smoke this cigar quicker than most to keep it going.

It was a strong cigar. Luckily I had eaten at Dixies just before and had about 50 pounds of BBQ meat sitting in my stomach to absorb everything. I would rate this cigar similarly to a Punch cigar, having more of the characteristics of a true Cuban.

On a side note, looks like we might be even closer to removing the tight restrictions of the trade embargo with Cuba. That would revitalize the cigar industry in America as we know it!

Happy Smoking!

How to smoke a cigar

Recently I had a moment that I need to confess. I read Cigars for Idiots. Yup, I went there. Here you thought I was a seasoned cigar aficionado only to have your conceptions dashed upon the rocks. Well take heart, all that means is you are not that far behind me in learning about cigars! I think its better that way. I always felt like (insert anything here) aficionados had an air of arrogance about them anyway.

Now I would like to share a few things that I learned from my studies, to save you time and increase your enjoyment of the next smoke.

First, clipping a cigar. Never clip off the whole end of the cigar. Just clip enough off that you can get a good draw, making sure you leave a portion of the rounded cap.

Lighting a cigar. It may take two or three or more matches. The key word there is matches. Either invest in a fancy lighter or buy wood matches. A BIC lighter will give an odd flavor to the cigar. When you do light it up, make sure you get an even flame on the end of the cigar. Once it is lit properly, give it a rest. Allow it to sit for about 30 seconds and you will get a better, more even burn on the cigar. Resting it allows the fire to become even before you draw oxygen through the cigar, potentially causing some areas to burn in further than others, leading to a strange burn.

Now, when you smoke the cigar, sip it like a good glass of wine. That will give you the best smoke, preventing the end from getting to soggy. Unless you want to look like a big shot with a cigar sticking out of his or her mouth... if so go for it. I'm just letting you know the best way, not the only way.

While smoking, don't keep puffing on the thing. Take a good draw, let the smoke swirl in your mouth before blowing out. Then wait a little while before taking another hit. Cigars are not like cigarettes. They won't burn themselves down quickly. You still need to take a few puffs from time to time or the cigar may burn out, but don't over do it. You'll end up loosing some valuable relaxing time and may be snickered at after you leave the cigar lounge.

Enough for now, enjoy your next cigar!

Joyo de Nicaragua

Didn't like this one. Didn't burn well and was rolled way to loosely. I had a hard time lighting it and it burned up one side and then went out. Horrible! They got a big rating in Cigar Aficionado, but I disagree. I won't spend my time on this again unless its free.

Macanudo [cigar review]

When you purchase a cigar that's sealed in its own glass tube, you have a certain right to look forward to a blissful smoke. That presupposition proved perfectly precise for my latest balcony vacation.

I must admit, I have sinned. Not just your typical day-to-day sins, but a very horrific sin. I did a good friend the nastiest trick I could have... Allow me to confess. During our latest wine party I cracked open the seal on a Macanundo that I purchased a while back and stuck it under my friends nose. Of course, I did this at about midnight and the two of us never shared the distinct pleasure of smoking it together.

Well I will share that experience vicariously with you now (and him if he has forgiven me and reads this blog again).

Today was not bad. It actually got up to 34 degrees F. After a long Minnesota winter, that's like a heat wave. So, I donned a light jacket, grabbed my el-cheapo cigar cutter, a pack of matches and I headed out.

This cigar was among the best smokes I have ever had. It has a rich undertone of oil with the smell of oak and leather. At the same time it wasn't overpowering even though it was a robusto. This smoked evenly right to the end. It wasn't a hot smoking cigar. What do I mean by that? Well it felt like I was getting the flavor when I took a draw and not the fire. Some cigars seem loosely put together and draw in to much of the heat. This was a perfect balance. I got a good draw that didn't feel like I was sucking air through a straw, while maintaining a smoothness that wasn't burning.

I would recommend this brand to anyone.