Name Change!

This morning I received an email from one of the co-owners of www.toastedfoot.com, politely asking me to change the name of my blog since, well, they had obviously thought of it first.  No problem, guys.  My bad for not making sure it wasn't already in use.

So, to keep them from inadvertently stealing any of my readers </sarcasm>, I'm renaming this blog C(ig)arpe Diem.  Which, I suppose, ought to translate as "daily cigar" but which I'm hijacking to mean "seize the stogie", since Latin is a dead language and there's no one left alive to prove me wrong.  The phrase was, so far as I can tell, invented by Do5ug (aka Doug (the '5' is silent)) at Puff.com.

And you know what?  I think I like this name better than the original...  Props to you, Doug!

I think I've found and updated all the self-referring links, but if anyone finds one I missed, please let me know.

Gurkha's Castle Hall

 

Gurkha's Castle Hall was the first hand-made cigar I ever had.  It was given to me by Jerry Gibson (yeah - the rum punch guy) nearly two years ago, and it opened my eyes to the world of premium cigars and made me realize what I'd been missing.  

But since joining a few internet forums I'm realizing that Gurkha doesn't get a lot of love among cigar aficionados.  Reviewers complain about bland taste, inconsistent body, burn issues, construction issues, etc...  I began to think that maybe I didn't really enjoy that first one as much as I thought I had.  Maybe I just didn't know any better way back then.  So, having acquired a couple of these in an awesome sampler from CI, I decided last night to call up my first girl and rekindle an old flame.

(Cue Foreigner's Feels Like the First Time...)

Straight out of the wrapper, the Gurkha Castle Hall (Toro: 6" x 54) certainly was as pretty as I remembered.  The Habano-seed wrapper was richly colored and slightly oily and only lightly veined.  And, although it doesn't matter really, I love the colors and artwork on the band.  It's firm, well-packed and it feels a little heavy in the hand.  Smells woodsy.  It cut cleanly, and the pre-light draw was just right.

Toast the foot and light it up:  yeah...  it's as good as I remember.  It's mild-medium in body, and filled with earthy, woodsy tastes.  There's leather in there, and nuts and mushroom and a little oak.  Under it all is a very subtle and sweet spiciness.

Construction issues?  What construction issues?  A cool, even, perfect burn.  I wound up taking a dozen pictures of the ash, expecting it to fall off at any moment.  No flaking, either.  This is the last one I took before it finally fell - and it made a solid thunk when it hit the deck...  The draw stayed perfect - not too tight and not too loose.  Lots of smoke, too.

Past the halfway point, the cigar intensified slowly.  What started off mild-medium was medium-full when I snapped the above pic.  The same great flavors as before, but they were stronger, too.  Still very, very smooth.  I caught myself "hmmmmm"-ing in delight after nearly every puff.  Notice that it's getting dark - my total smoke time was about an hour and twenty minutes, and then I only stopped because it was burning my fingers.

A wonderful, wonderful smoke - every bit as good as I remembered.  A great value at around $3 a stick, too.  All you Gurkha bashers out there: do yourself a favor and try one of these.

Appearance and Construction:  14/15

Flavor:  22/25

Smoking Characteristics:  23/25

Overall Impression:  32/35

Total:  91/100

Paid Forward... with Interest!

I participated in a Noobie PIF thread at Puff.com and I received this from Stogin (aka Brendan).

- CAO Gold Maduro (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 (Robusto Grande: 5.5" x 52)
- Cu-Avana Maduro (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- Padron (#3000: 5.5" x 52)
- Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 (Robusto: 5.5" x 50)

A very generous return on my investment!  Thanks Brendan!

BotL Small Batch 2010

Looking back, I don't know why I was so surprised by this cigar.  How could I expect anything less than excellence in a cigar commissioned by and produced for the Brothers of the Leaf?

Made in Nicaragua by Pinar del Rio, the BotL Small Batch 2010 (Corona Gorda: 6" x 46) is, first and foremost, a beautiful cigar.  Bumpy but firm construction, with a dark, very oily Brazilian Bahia wrapper that looks like well-oiled leather.  It looks rich and delicious, and it smells like old leather and cedar and spices.

It cut cleanly and the unlit draw was nondescript and so easy that I thought I might have trouble getting any taste or smoke out of it.  I shouldn't have worried - it had both in plenty.  Lots of leather, which I could have guessed, and red pepper and other spices, and nuts and dark chocolate.  Some cedar and a smoky-sweet coffee in there, too, more noticeable in the second half.  An incredible array of flavors that somehow didn't get in each others' way.  The burn got a little uneven here and there - due to the "bumpiness" noted earlier, I suppose - but it never detracted from the experience and always self-corrected within a half-inch of so.  The draw was effortless, but still produced plenty of flavor and smoke, all without burning too hotly or quickly - a very neat trick.  This wonderful smoke occupied just about half of a rainy and otherwise dull three-hour drive.

I would love to get my hands on some more of these beauties, but I was very sorry to learn that only 200 20-count boxes were produced.  Which, I suppose, makes the small batch BotL even more of a value at $6 and change per stick.  Mine, however, was free - courtesy of FireDoc83 at BotL.org.  Thanks, Matt!

Appearance and Construction:  13/15

Flavor:  23/25

Smoking Characteristics:  23/25

Overall Impression:  33/35

Total:  92/100

Nica Libre

I have had a couple of Nica Libres in my humi for a while, but the one I finally tried was from msirenoxed, a very generous brother from BotL.  I enjoyed this out on the deck, with a good friend, after a good dinner.

The Nica Libre (Exclusivo: 5.5" x 50) is a fine smoke.  Top-notch construction and very easy on the eyes - box-pressed, evenly packed, with a toothy, oily maduro wrapper.  Pre-light it smelled earthy and sweet (reminding me of raisins, somehow).  Once lit, the (plentiful) smoke was rich and creamy, tasting of leather, coffee and chocolate.  And raisins again - must be the wrapper.  A very, very pleasant and interesting combination of tastes.    It started off medium-bodied, and it seemed to me that it got a little stronger as it progressed.  It left a faint, peppery tingle on the lips and a long, sweet finish on the back of my tongue.  The burn got very uneven halfway through, and I had to correct it with my lighter, but that's my only complaint.  A delicious cigar that I could enjoy again and again.

Appearance and Construction:  13/15

Flavor:  23/25

Smoking Characteristics:  20/25

Overall Impression:  32/35

Total:  88/100

I thought it was over...

I thought I could get on with my life.  I thought I was safe.

FireDoc83 (aka Matthew) at BotL thought different...

 

Brutal.  Just brutal.  Look at this... this... cigarnage!

- (2x) BotL Small Batch 2010 (6" x 46)

- Perdomo Estate Seleccion Vintage 1991 (Prestigio: 6.5" x 54)
- Carlos Toraño Fortress (Double Robusto: 5.5" x 56)
- Macanudo Vintage Maduro 1997 (Toro: 6" x 54)
- Macanudo Vintage Maduro 1997 (Perfecto: 6" x 49)
- (2x) Romeo y Julieta Habanas (Churchill: 7" x 48)
- Illusione (~88~: 5" x 52)
- Graycliff Platinum Edition (Gordo: 6" x 60)

When my ears stop ringing and my brain stops rattling long enough for me to make sure I still have all my fingers, I shall have my revenge. For now, though, I'll just say "Thanks, Matt". This is an awesome collection of sticks and one princely gift.

Perdomo Habano Maduro

My stepson and his fiance gave me a tin of Perdomo Habano Maduros (Habanitos: 4" x 38) for Christmas last year and last night I finally got around to lighting one up.  I've never had a cigar this small before (my first thought was, "Cute little thing..."), so I was a little surprised by how "big" it tasted.

Before lighting I notice that it's unevenly packed.  Some spots are definitely softer than others, and it's downright spongy here and there.  It smells sweet and spicy (like most maduros do) and there's also a hay-like, barnyard aroma in there, too.  Not as unpleasant as it may sound.  I cut it with my guillotine cutter and the draw was nice and easy, so I toasted the foot and lit it up.

Like I mentioned earlier, I was surprised by how "big" this little cigar tasted.  Leather on leather and little else at first.  Reminds me a lot of the 5 Vegas 'A' I reviewed a while ago, actually, but without all the pepper.  Medium-full bodied.  Lots and lots of smoke, which I like.  The ash is medium gray, and firm enough to keep from flaking apart.  It got to be about an inch and a half long before dropping off on its own - not bad considering that's almost half the length of the cigar!

After the ash fell, it started burning unevenly; canoeing at one of the softer spots.  But by the halfway point it corrected itself.  The taste was smoother now, and richer, and very thick - I could feel it coating the back of my throat.  Still leathery, but creamy, and just a little spice on top of the maduro sweetness.  It was thoroughly enjoyable at this point - I was a little sad that I could only get another inch or so out of it before it was burning my fingers.

All in all, a "big" little smoke that started slow but finished like a champ.

Appearance and Construction:  10/15
Flavor:  22/25
Smoking Characteristics:  21/25
Overall Impression:  32/35

Total:  85/100

Oh, Come On!

OK.  This is getting a little ridiculous now.  I got blasted yet again with another bomb/care package, this time from Rock31 (aka Ray) at Puff.com:

The Victor Sinclairs: (two each, all Robusto: 5.5" x 50)
- Triple Corojo
- Vintage Select
- Primeros
- Connecticut Yankee

The tubos:
- Montecristo (6" x 42)
- CAO Italia (6.5" x 50)
- Oliva G Series (6" x 50)
- Excalibur Dark Knight (5" x 52)

And, oh yeah, Ray also sent me a nice humidor to keep them in!

It took less than two days to season and it's holding rock-steady at 63% RH (using the kitty litter that I got from Termite in this bomb).  I tell ya... I'm still shaking my head at this outpouring of generosity.  And it's not like I fed these guys a sob story and begged for cigars; as near as I can tell this happens to just about everyone there.  Now I know the idea is that I'll pay it all forward to others even noobier than myself (and I certainly will), but c'mon.  This makes 51 premium cigars and a humidor that I've been given in the last few weeks.  I've never known such a generous bunch of guys.  Is this the greatest hobby in the world or what?

My First Cigar Trade

At Puff.com, they have a program called the Noobie Sampler Trade.  It gives new smokers a chance to swap cigars with more experienced smokers.  This gives the new guys the opportunity to try new sticks, especially higher-end ones that they might not buy for themselves.  By design, the noobies always come out ahead in the trades.  But I had no idea just how far ahead.

I added my name to the list and drew kapathy (aka Kevin) as a trading partner.  I put together what I considered to be a pretty good bundle of sticks:

- John Bull (Prime Minister: 7.2" x 54)
- Graycliff Professionale (Pirate: 6" x 52)
- 5 Vegas Miami (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- Nica Libre (Imperial: 6" x 54")
- Perdomo Habano Maduro (Habanitos: 4" x 38)
- Macanudo Maduro (Ascot: 4.2 " x 32)

This was Kevin's retaliatory strike:

- Camacho Triple Maduro (4.5" x 50)
- Los Blancos Nine (Toro: 6" x 52)
- Ashton VSG (Torpedo: 6.5" x 55)
- Gurkha Empire Series V (5.5" x 52)
- Gurkha Triple Ligero (Toro: 6.1" x 52)
- Alec Bradley MAXX (The Fix: 5" x 52)
- Ave Maria (Crusader: 5" x 52)
- Camacho 10th Anniversary (Belicoso: 6" x 60)

What a smackdown!  I feel like a cat that picked a fight with a bulldog...  Thanks, Kevin!

La Libertad

I received a La Libertad (Churchill: 6.5" x 50) in a random act of cigar kindness from Mark (aka Termite) at Puff.com.  Never having heard anything about this brand I tried to find some information on it.  I had very little luck; this brand is either not very well known or everyone's trying to keep it a secret.  I even had to create the image above myself.

Here's what I was able to dig up:  it's made by Villiger in the Dominican Republic, with a Cuban-seed wrapper and a Nicaraguan-seed binder (both grown in Peru), and ligero long fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.  It's either Medium- or Full-bodied, and either creamy or spicy or nutty, depending on which comical "Language X to English" translation site you use.

Here's what I was able to figure out on my own: the La Libertad is one damn fine cigar.  The wrapper was a little veiny, but beautiful.  The construction was firm and flawless.  The cap was so solid I had to clip it; my punch cutter couldn't penetrate deep enough for me to get a decent draw.  It smelled like a cigar should - cedar-y and spicy and woodsy.  I lit it a little unevenly but it straightened itself out within a few minutes, and the burn was slow and cool and even for the entire 2 hours and 15 minutes of pleasure that this one gave me.  I would describe it as medium-full bodied, and very, very smooth.  The taste, which stayed the same from foot to nub, was indeed creamy and spicy and nutty, with some leather and caramel thrown in for good measure.  Highly recommended, and as soon as I find some room in my humi I'll be ordering some for myself.

Appearance and Construction:  14/15

Flavor:  21/25

Smoking Characteristics:  23/25

Overall Impression:  32/35

Total:  90/100

And Another!

Another bomb from another Brother of the Leaf, namely slave2theaxe (aka Nic).  I got it for "winning" a "Noobiest Noob" contest, but I don't mind - check out these goodies:


- Devil's Weed (Churchill: 7" x 48)
- Rocky Patel Edge Sumatra (Toro: 6" x 52)
- Ashton (Churchill: 7.5" x 52)
- Padron Maduro (#3000: 5.5" x 52)
- Tatuaje Cazadores Reserva (Petit: 4" x 40)
- La Aurora 107 (Robusto: 4.5" x 50)
- Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 (Robusto: 5.5" x 50)
- CAO Brazilia (Gol!: 5" x 56)
- Tatuaje Havana VI (Nobles: 5" x 50)
- 5 Vegas Gold Maduro (Robusto: 5" x 50)

The 5 Vegas Gold Maduro is the only one I've already tried (and I love them!) 

That's one warm welcome, bro!  Once again, I am blown away by the generosity of these guys... Is there another hobby in the world like this?

{Edit:  14 March, 2011.

I may need another humidor soon.  As it turns out, another BotL, this one named msirenoxed, saw that I had been declared the "noobiest noob" and took it upon himself to share some of his wealth, too...

So, as if slave2theaxe's gesture wasn't enough, I've also received:

- two Cuba Libre (Magnum: 5.5" x 55)
- four 5 Vegas Cask Strength (Toro: 6" x 52)
- four Gurkha G5 Avenger (Torpedo: 6" x 52), and
- two Nica Libre (Exclusivo: 5.5" x 50)

I've already had (and thoroughly enjoyed) the 5 Vegas Cask Strength, but the others are new to me.  The Gurkha G5s look absolutely delicious...}

Thank You Sir! May I Have Another?

It happened again!

One of the most remarkable aspects of the cigar forums I've joined is the incredible generosity of the members. It seems like these guys are just looking for new ways to give out cigars and expertise to the newer members.  Every day there are giveaways (called cigar "bombs"), trades between members, Pay-It-Forward and Make-A-Wish programs, all sorts of activities to help members try out different cigars and to help make new members feel welcome.  Random acts of cigar kindness are badges of honor at both sites.

A few days ago I posted about just such a random act from Termite, a member at Puff.com.  Two days later, on Sunday, I returned home from visiting my son Kieran at Liberty University to find my mailbox "blowed up" (thanks, Emmitt) once again.  This time courtesy of Shuckins (aka Ron) at Brothers of the Leaf.  Check out these fantastic sticks!

- Romeo y Julieta (Short Churchill: 4.8" x 50)
- Gran Habano Corojo Vintage 2002 (Churchill: 7" x 50)
- 5 Vegas Miami (Toro: 6" x 48)
- 5 Vegas Relic (Perfecto: 5.7" x 54)
- Pinar del Rio Clasico (Torpedo: 6.5 x 52)
- San Cristobal (Clasico: 5" x 50)
- Tatuaje Cabaiguan (Guapos 46: 5.6" x 46)
- Perdomo Habano Corojo (Robusto: 5" x 52)

Notice the personalized herf tube in the picture?  That just goes to show you how often Ron does this.  Amazing.  I am once again blown away by the unprovoked generosity of a fellow BotL.

I Got Bombed!

I have a theory that cigar smoking makes people... better.  Sitting down for an hour or two with a good cigar (and good friends, whenever possible) is better for the soul than an hour or two on any therapist's couch.  It has a way of putting the rest of your day in perspective.  It's a chance to relax and think, while enjoying one of life's truly luxurious experiences.

I joined a couple of online cigar forums last month, Puff.com and Brothers of the Leaf.  Both sites are wonderful, full of friendly, helpful (and generous!) members.  I love both sites and I sincerely hope that I can contribute in some small way to the character and camaraderie of both.

Yesterday, I returned home from work to find that Termite (aka Mark) from Puff.com had taken it upon himself to help a new member (me!) feel welcome.  Inside my mailbox was a Ronson JetLite cigar lighter, a mesh bag of gel kitty litter (which, I recently learned, makes a very reliable humidifier for a humidor) and five great smokes:

- Diesel (Unholy Cocktail: 5" x 56)
- CAO Gold Maduro (Churchill: 7" x 48)
- La Libertad (Churchill: 6.5" x 50)
- Gurkha Micro Batch (Liga TPB-1 Lonsdale: 6.5" x 44)
- Nica Libre (Torpedo: 6" x 52)

Someday, and soon, I'll be putting together a nice little bundle and blasting some poor, unsuspecting noob's mailbox to smithereens.  See what I mean?  It's catching!