Carnival Cruise Ship Pride: Cigars No Bueno

It’s been a while since I posted anything but I felt compelled to provide this PSA (Public Service Announcement) for all of my cigar friends that may be embarking on cruise ship vacations in the coming months. Let me preface the video by stating for the record, that Carnival is very smoker friendly to cigarette smokers but they hate true lovers of the leaf (read that to mean pipe and cigar enthusiasts). With that, check the video and tell me what you think or what you have experienced. Here’s the link: http://youtu.be/0FONW4Gdlls

DaByrdman33

The DC Cigar Tweetup 2013

It’s that time again!!! The 2nd Annual DC Cigar Tweetup is almost upon us featuring a bigger lineup of manufacturers and more opportunities for you, the cigar enthusiast, to get involved.

Our DC Cigar Tweetup is a charitable endeavor that marries our love for fine cigars and excellent spirits with our contacts in the cigar industry to bring you two awesome days of cigar related events in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The highlights of the event are our Friday night charity fundraiser and our Saturday bus crawl featuring Cigar Rights of America (CRA) Great American Cigar Shops in the DC/MD/VA area. This year’s event is scheduled for March 15th & 16th.

Our itinerary:

Friday March 15th, 2-7pm
Drapers Bethesda – Meet and greet event with Oliva Family Cigars. This is our event for those coming into the area where they can sit back, relax and get ready for the evening’s events. Great deals and exclusive Oliva cigars will be available.

Friday March 15th, 8-11pm
Civil Cigar Lounge by Drapers Tobacconist – This is our signature event. Fourteen manufacturers/representatives will be present for an evening of great food, spirits, cigars, and a live auction featuring items from every manufacturer. The great facilities of Civil promise to provide an awesome backdrop for the opportunity to help raise money for two awesome causes! This year we have chosen Autism Speaks and The Angel Joy Memorial Fund as our charitable benefactors. Austism Speaks is an organization that helps to promote austism awareness and is very near & dear to our co-founder, Paul D. Ballard, Sr., who has an autistic son. Angel Joy Thomas was a mother of three children, a 7-year old son and 2-month old twin daughters, who passed away suddenly & unexpectedly after suffering from severe Post-Partum Depression two weeks ago.

Each person attending Friday will receive a custom sling backpack with a cigar from each manufacturer (14 total). Also included will be a special 10-count box of limited edition cigars from a manufacturer that night.

On Saturday we will have a Coach Party Bus that will shuttle us to three shop-based cigar events; 2 in Virginia and the other in Maryland.

Pick up at 9:30am – Cigar and Coffee pairing on the bus

10:30am -1:30pm – Tobaccology Manassas, VA
Event – Tarazona Cigars and El Primer Mundo Cigars

Bus pickup 1:30pm – Cigar and Beer pairing

2-5pm Bailey’s Pub and Grille with Cigar Connection
Event – CLE, Asylum, OSOK, Dante

Bus pickup 5pm – Cigar and Spirit pairing
5:45-9:30 Chesapeake Cigar Company

Event – Ortega Premium Cigars and Miami Cigar Company

Bus will bring the group back to the hotel by 10:15

We will have for sale 2 packages to enjoy part or all of the festivities. Those prices will be available in a week.

I hope I was detailed in explaining our event and really look forward to you attending.

Thanks,

Lawrence aka LOD

Quick Hitter: The Crowned Heads Headley Grange

Once again, I’ve managed to pull myself away from the cares of life long enough to bring you a quick first take on the new Headley Grange from Jon Huber and The Crowned Heads. Let me start by saying this is not what I would consider a full-blown review since this cigar has not officially hit the market. This size is what’s being called the “Estupendos” and it is cloaked in a silky Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The cigar originates from the Dominican Republic, but that is where story ends with what I know. Let’s get into the smoke.

Pre-light: The cigar is firmly packed and has a clean appearance with a wrapper that is smooth, silky, and free of blemishes. Overall, this is a great looking cigar. Upon removing the cap, the draw is firm but not tight and yields a flavor of tobacco with a hint of sweetness.

1st third: After lighting the cigar, the first couple of puffs yield clouds of flavorful smoke with notes of sweet tobacco and a tinge of citrus with a peppery spice on the retrohale. The body and strength are both medium. The ash is mostly light gray and holds pretty firmly for the 3/4 of an inch. The resting smoke is delightful with a nice floral aroma. Just smelling it will make you want to keep puffing.

2nd third: The burn line thus far has been flawless while the ash continues to hold for almost an inch at a time before falling gently in the ashtray. The citrus note begins to dissipate at this point and is replaced with a heavier note of tobacco minus the sweetness. The retrohale has also mellowed and is very smooth through the nostrils. The body is now medium to medium-full, but there’s not much of an uptick in the strength beyond medium.

Final third: Nearing the end of the cigar, the dominant flavors are now tobacco and toast. The cigar continues to build in body and strength, but never approaches what feels like full to me. The burn has been immaculate throughout and the ash has been consistently firm.

Final thoughts: I can’t wait to get a hold of this cigar when it hits the market. I’m always curious to see how pre-release samples differ from the final product that hits the shelves. The cigar started with a flavorful bang that got my attention right away; however, after the halfway point it seemed to flatten. I can’t honestly say if it was the tobacco or just my palate adjusting to the cigar. Since I only smoked one for this first take, I’ll reserve any judgment until later. The cigar shows great complexity with the transitions between flavors throughout. I also loved the transition in body and strength as the cigar progressed. Overall, I would say this cigar is a definite buy considering I liked what I got out of the cigar and I want more of it. Expect a full blown review once I get my hands on the official release. If you’re lucky enough to get a pre-release sample, smoke it. I promise you won’t regret it. Special thanks to Jon Huber & my homie LOD for providing the sample.

Until next time,

DaByrdman33

PERDOMO PATRIARCH CORONA EXTRA

What’s up  B & B faithful? 

 

Back for the 3rd week in a row. I puttin out hits like a factory.

 

Thanks for stopping by to check out my latest review of the Perdomo Patriarch Corona Extra.

The Patriarch has a great story behind the production of this cigar. visit http://perdomocigars.com/brands_patriarch.html for more on the history of this cigar.

 

 

This was a cigar that I received from Cigar Rights of America for signing up for a new membership.

For everyone that is reading this post and you are not a member of CRA, may I suggest that you become a member TODAY!! Please visit their website www.cigarrights.org to sign up or renew your membership. That’s my PSA for the month. Back to the topic at hand.

 

Critical’s,

 

Manugacturer-Perdomo Cigars

Wrapper-Nicaraguan Maduro

Binder-Nicaraguan

Filler-Nicaraguan

Size- 5/58 x 46

Price Point Around $6 a Cigar

Smoke time – 60 to 75 minutes

 

I will be having this cigar with a little French Vanilla Coffee and Water.

 

 

Pre light/construction- The construction is good. No noticeable flaws or defects. The cigar is firm to the touch with a few soft spots. Getting a little of a mint smell from the wrapper and hints of cocoa on the pre light dry hale. Of course I will be using my Xikar cutter to cut the cap and my C I Lotus to toast the foot.

 

 

First Third-This Patriarch is starting out on a good note. Still getting a cocoa/coffee flavor with some spice on the end. The ash is holding strong with a beautiful gray color. The draw on this cigar is great and giving off plenty of smoke on the retro hale as well as a good amount of resting smoke with a good even burn.

 

 

Next 3rd-The burn on this Perdomo is still good, Steady and even thus far. The flavor has changed to an earthy profile with a bit more spice. This is a flavor profile that I would usually not get into because it would be to harsh for me. With me looking to enhance my palate and broaden my flavor profile of cigars, I’m sticking with it. The ash seems to hold for about an inch or so then it falls off.

 

 

 

Final 3rd- Flavor is holding steady with the earthy leather notes with the spice on the back of the palate. Nor the cocoa or coffee notes ever came back. On the strength side I would put this at a medium to full-bodied profile. I did have to relight at the start of this section but that’s because I was on the phone with moms not because of the cigar.

 

Final Thoughts-This turned out to be a very good cigar. It was very consistent with the flavor profile and the burn. The ash would fall almost like clock work. There were no issues with this cigar.

Using www.yourcigarratings.com for the rating, and it comes in at an 89.

This does not mean it was a bad cigar. I am just getting use to the flavor profile of a cigar like this.

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my opinion of the Perdomo Patriarch and as always, we welcome your comments.

 

 

Until next time,

 

 

Happy Smokin.