Drew Estate

Even with their 2013 releases (Nica Rustica and Kentucky Fire Cured) delayed, the Drew Estate table had no problem drawing the crowds, men and women alike, throughout the day.  With the No. 9, T52, Undercrown, Herrera Esteli, infused lines and Joya de Nicaragua products available, there was something for everyone. Fabian Ziegler, national sales director for Drew Estate, represented the company for their first appearance at Foxtoberfext.

Knowing it would be a full day of cigar smoking, I grabbed a Herrera Esteli to kick off the day.  The more I visit the Herrera Esteli the more I enjoy it. Tony mentioned to me that during his trip to Esteli earlier this year that he smoked a Herrera Esteli each morning. Something about the profile and the way it compliments a cup of Joe makes it a great morning stick.

It was a great event at a great location with lots of happy smokers.  I enjoy hanging and smoking with people who truly enjoy both the simpleness and complexity of a cigar. – Fabian Ziegler

 

J. Fuego Cigars

Jesus Fuego arrived at the event looking like he just finished a deep-sea fishing excursion. Whether on purpose or accident, his apparel was quite fitting since a box purchase of the Edicion de Familia could land you on a deep-sea fishing trip with Jesus. As Tony and I made our way around to Jesus’ table, he introduced us to his new Connoisseur line. My immediate reaction was to reach for the Original size but he insisted that we smoke the Gordo 5 by 60. He couldn’t have been more right. While still uncomfortable in the mouth, the cigar delivered in the flavor department. Unlike my past two experiences with the Connoisseur Originals, the Gordo did not become a dud at the halfway point.

As the end of the event drew near, I made my way back to the table to purchase a brick of the Sangre de Toro Originals as I did last year. Under $2 bucks a stick, I do not think there is a better deal on the market.

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars

Nish Patel attended Foxtoberfest in place of Rocky Patel this year. With a smile as bright as his head, Nish Patel lit up the event. One of the first cigar we were handed  was the Rocky Patel Royale. The Royale was one of several cigars released by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars this year and wears an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

As I mentioned in Post 1 of Foxtoberfest, Matt Booth really enjoyed his brief visit to El Paso. Well, Nish had only good things to say about El Paso as well and he will be making another appearance on November 6th at a local shop.

My Father Cigars

Everyone in attendance could agree that the true celebrity of Foxtoberfest was Sparky D’Lighter. Only making a few brief appearance during the event, we were able to capture a moment between Sparky and Jose Ortega. Along with being Sparky’s personal handler, Jose Ortega is the Vice President of Sales for My Father Cigars. You can follow Sparky D’Lighter’s adventures on Twitter, @SparkyDLighter.

Boutique Blends

Rafael Alejandro of Boutique Blends proudly displayed and promoted their Aging Room Maduro that was released at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show. Since its release, the AR Maduro has been making a lot of noise in social media and cigar review sites. After smoking the Aging Room Small Batch M356 back in February, I have been intrigued with Boutique Blends and keeping an eye out on their cigars.

Not being outdone by fellow manufacturers, Boutique Blends arrived at Foxtoberfest 2013 with a SWAG event exclusive cigar. Tony and I snagged a 5-pack of the SWAG exclusive and will be posting a review in the near future.

Ashton

I was introduced to Ashton’s La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva line at last year’s Foxtoberfest which I instantly fell in love with , so I was excited to be one of the first to get their  hands on the new San Cristobal Revelation by Ashton. Tony previewed the cigar before the event and had this to say:  “This new release features an Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper, the same wrapper used on Ashton’s Virgin Sun Grown of ‘VSG’ Cigar only using a lower “viso” priming wrapped around Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The cigar will come in 5 sizes, 3 of which are box-pressed and will carry a price point between $6.95 and $9.50 a cigar. This should be a regular production cigar and will come packaged in boxes of 24.”

262 Cigars

Clint Aaron made his second appearance at Foxtoberfest continuing to fight the good fight to bring lanceros back into fad. At the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show, 262 Cigars unveiled the Revere Lancero which was available at the event. While I did not grab one, this is a cigar I plan on hunting down soon. Along with the Revere line, the Ideology and Paradigm lines were also available. I am not sure if Cliff Coen was trying to punish Clint or was just looking for a little entertainment, but he stuck Clint right next to Matt Booth for the 8 hour event. I am sure Clint is seeking psychological help after that.

The folks at Fox seem to one-up themselves with each and every Foxtoberfest. I was honored to be in attendance again this year. Matt Booth frightened me though. It is true what they say, “Don’t feed the animal. – Clint Aaron

With all that was taking place throughout the day, we didn’t have a chance to visit the Xikar or Oliva Cigar Company representatives.

Below is a gallery containing all photos we took at the event. I know it may be a bit of a cumbersome gallery so if you’d like to view them on Facebook instead (no account required) click here.

[nggallery id=4]

The post Foxtoberfest 2013 – Event Coverage (Post 2 of 2) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

On Friday, Oktober (like the way I spelled that?) 18th you can spend the day sipping drinks, smoking cigars, and rubbing elbows at the golf course with Matt Booth from 101, Nish Patel from Rocky Patel, Fabian Ziegler from Drew Estate, Tony Gomez from La Flor Dominicana, Eddie Ortega from Ortega Cigars, Rafael Alejandro from Boutique Blends, Wes Thornton from the Crowned Heads, Clint Aaron from 262 Cigars, David Fraser from Xikar, Meera Levin from Ashton, Terence Reilly from Sag, Jeff Nolen from Oliva Cigars, and Glen Loope from CRA. If that isn’t enough, on Saturday you can hang out at the shop, enjoy some great beers and cigars while shooting the crap with these guys plus Jose Ortega from My Father Cigars and Jesus Fuego from J. Fuego Cigars. Cliff and Fox went HUGE on this one and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to the event. I could see this even becoming one of the premier cigar events in the southwest. Below is the full information on the event as well as pricing. If you plan on going buy your tickets ASAP cause they sold out crazy fast last year. You can keep up with any changes by follow Fox Cigar Bar on twitter, facebook, or through their website. We will provide you guys will full event coverage as well.

The post Fox Cigar Bar’s Foxtoberfest / Golf Classic 2013 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Aging Room cigars are produced by Boutique Blends, LLC an Oliveros Cigar company and available in six vitolas: Motivo (6 by 46), Forte (5 7/8 by 40-56), Major (6 1/2 by 60), Mezzo (6 by 54), Presto (4 1/2 by 48), and Rondo (5 by 50).  Here is a brief excerpt from a press release I located on www.pr.com.

At the end of 2011, Oliveros also introduced the Aging Room Small Batch M356 blend. The Aging Room is blended using a small batch of extra aged Dominican grown Habano. The blend M356 delivers a very robust and bold cigar with a full body and full of complexity. The Aging Room Small Batch, quickly received great reviews from consumers and experts alike and was the highest rated cigars of 2011 by Cigar Insider. The Aging Room Small Batch was also selected as one of the Top 25 Cigars of 2011 by Cigar Aficionado.

The Facts
Price: Approx. $8.50
Format: Toro
Size: 6 by 54
Wrapper: Dominican – Habano
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Pairing: Water
Smoke Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

Pre-light

The Small Batch M356 bears an oily, Habano wrapper that is medium brown in color, with a burnt  orange hue. Medium size veins run down the rustic looking cigar. Other than the foot being under filled, the rest of the cigar is firmly packed. Aromas of cooking spices and pepper come off the wrapper and the foot blasts me with a huge amount of pepper followed with cinnamon and clove.

After punching the cigar with this nifty Screwpop Cigar Punch, the free draw delivers clove, pepper, and minor spice.  My mouth is already experiencing some dryness from the cold draw.

First Third

The Aging Room instantly warms my mouth from the amount of spice hitting my tongue and back of the throat. With my palate now being fully engaged, I detect familiar Habano flavors of pepper, woodsy notes and spice. Due to the pepper and spice, I am a little hesitant to retrohale this M356.  Nonetheless, I give it a shot. I am pleasantly surprised by the ease of the retrohale that brings out white pepper and spice in a very enjoyable fashion.  While the draw resistance is nice, I am not able to draw the amount of smoke I prefer.  Knocking off the ash about an inch in, I clip the cap with my double guillotine cutter. The smoke production has literally doubled.  The thick burn line is carrying a slight wave but I don’t foresee any issues arising. I originally thought the flavors to be medium, but, after clipping the cap, they are definitely full with medium strength.

Middle Third

The flavors of the Aging Room have evolved to deeper notes of dark fruit (merlot) and roasted nuts.  The peppery core, wood, and spice remain relevant in the profile.  Farther along into the middle third, the cinnamon has come through that I picked up from the foot aroma. The finish is really unique with a lingering spice and oak flavor.  While a copious amount of smoke fills my mouth, it is on the light, dry side.  The grey ash holds on easily for over an inch. The burn remains wavy and has one of the thickest burn lines I can remember on a cigar. The strength has kicked up a notch as I finish up the middle third.

Final Third

After a minor touch-up, I am into the final third with a bang.  The dark fruit flavors have become much sweeter with an added toastiness and oak-like flavor. I am sneezing like crazy from the pepper on the retrohale and the finish is dry with hints of chocolate.  Small areas of the wrapper, mainly by the wrapper seam, are having difficulty burning requiring a couple of touch-up.  As I approach the final inch of the Small Batch M356, the flavors progress to coffee and roasted nuts. I usually find it difficult to pick up on the room aroma once I start smoking. However, this Aging Room has a wonderful cedar aroma like walking into a humidor or sauna. The ash has become flaky which is most likely a result of the touch-ups. The flavors remained full throughout the stick and the strength has moved way up leaving me with a nice nicotine buzz.

Wrap-up

The Aging Room Small Batch M356 received rave reviews when it hit the market back in 2011.  Somehow, I looked over this stick until now.  Well, this will not be a stick I look over any longer.  The M356 Mezzo offered complexity that was engaging and challenging and produced several flavors that I more commonly associate with Nicaraguan tobacco.  With a price around $8.00 a stick, this will be an easy buy in the future.  I encourage you to head to your local B&M, grab an Aging Room Small Batch M356 and let me know what you think of it.

Giveaway

Finally, the good stuff! The crew over at Screwpop Tool, LLC sent over one Screwpop Cigar Punch to check out and another to giveaway.  I’ve been carrying the Screwpop around for 2 weeks now and have made good use of it. The Screwpop has a cigar punch on one side and a bottle opener on the other.  While a cigar punch is not my go-to cut for a cigar, the Screwpop does free up a significant amount of real estate in my pocket by combining both a cutter and bottle opener in to one.  Not only are we going to giveaway a cigar punch/bottle opener, we decided to throw in a few cigars from our own humidors to sweeten the deal.  The giveaway includes the following:

Screwpop – Cigar Punch
El Suelo Prado (5 3/4 by 58)
Quesada – Heisenberg Coronet Cuadrada (5 1/4 by 44/48/55)
Arturo Fuente – 2012 Unnamed Reserve (6 by 47)
262 Cigars – Ideology Belicoso (5 1/2 by 52)
Undercrown Robusto (5 by 54)

This contest is open to anyone in the US  who is 18 years of age or older.  To enter the giveaway all you need to do is leave a comment below.  For additional entries, like our Facebook page here (plus 1 entry)  and share this post on your wall (plus 1 entry).  A winner will be chosen at random.  The giveaway ends February 20, 2013 11:59 PM EST.

The post Aging Room – Small Batch M356 (Plus Giveaway) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

FOX CIGAR BAR PRESENTS: FOXTOBERFEST 2012

Cigar and Beer Festival – October 27th, 4pm – 10pm

Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, AZ is proud to announce our first annual Foxtoberfest Festival! Foxtoberfest will be packed with premium cigars, a wide variety of beer, Oktoberfest themed food and entertainment. Great cigars, amazing beer, traditional cuisine, all while raising money for a local scholarship fund!

Special Guests Include Cigar Manufacturers:

Jesus Fuego – J. Fuego Cigars
Eddie Ortega – Ortega Cigar Company
Matt Booth – Room 101 Cigar Company
Craig Cunningham – Esteban Carreras Cigar Company
Clint Aaron – 262 Cigar Company

Fox Cigar Bar has teamed up with local brewery Four Peaks Brewing Company to provide some specialty beer created just for Foxtoberfest. In addition, Fox Cigar Bar has selected some of the best craft beer breweries from around the country to bring you a wide variety of Oktoberfest and Pumpkin styled beers.

Entry to this event is free. However, VIP tickets are available that allow guests to participate in cigar seminars with the manufacturers, sample additional beers and walk away with some additional commemorative merchandise.

Tickets can be purchased in our lounge, online, or over the phone (480.917.3117). Tickets go on sale September 15th and can be purchased in advance or at the door the day of the event.

Fox Cigar Bar is an 18 and over establishment that has a wide variety of premium cigars, craft beer, premium spirits and a comfortable atmosphere. Fox Cigar Bar has a large indoor smoking lounge as well as a outdoor patio area.

Fox Cigar Bar is located at: 1464 E. Williamsfield Rd. #105 Gilbert, Arizona 85295. Hours of Operation: Sunday – Thursday 10am – 12am * Friday & Saturday 10am – 2am

If you would like more information or to schedule an interview with Cliff Coen, please contact him at 480.917.3117 or via email at cigarcliff@gmail.com.

The post Foxtoberfest 2012 – Event Coverage appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Ideology was intended to diversify the line of 262 Cigars by bringing a smooth, mile and creamy profile.  The cigar is wrapped with a Rosado leaf which I find to be a great alternative to the Connecticut when seeking a mild cigar for anytime of the day.  As I mentioned in my last review, the 262 Cigar company is made up of a small group of passionate cigar smokers who have embraced the online and B&M cigar communities to promote their product.  By leveraging these communities they’ve been able to establish themselves as a good name in the cigar world.

The blend of leaves in this tobacco all come from some of my favorite tobacco leave regions including Nicaragua, Mexico and Dominican Republic.  Each of these leaves offers a unique and tasty profile and I’m excited to see how they blend together.  It’s nice to see a cigar aimed at the mild market when it seems a lot of new cigars are being aimed at strong, full bodied smokers.

Cigar: 262 Cigars Ideology
Drink: Erdinger Weissber Dunkel
Vitola: Box-Pressed Toro (6 x 54)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Mexican, Dominican
Price: $8.75 from 262 Cigars Website (www.smoketherevolution.com)
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A very clean and even square pressed toro cigar
• The wrapper is a nice matte chocolate brown color with almost no visible veins
• The head is finish with a clean triple cap and seems to have a little more shine then the rest of the cigar
• The foot is very well packed and the cigar is fairly firm to the touch with whole way through
• The cut was nice and clean, falling off in a neat bunch into the ashtray
• Draw is just right, not too much effort and not too airy

Burn:
• Toasting took a little while to get even but eventually glowed nicely
• Burn started off a bit wavy but quickly corrected itself and is burning razor sharp now
• Still no problems on the burn as I pass the halfway mark, this is a great sign since I usually have problems with box-pressed cigars, but not this one

Smoke & Ash:
• Getting a nice mouthful of smoke from each draw
• Resting smoke is fairly minimal
• The ash is producing a nice white color to it and looks tightly wound
• Despite it looking nice and strong, the ash fell into the ashtray after about an inch
• The one inch mark seems to be the sweet spot for this ash, but it cleanly falls into the ashtray without me having to worry about it at all

Tasting Notes:
• The aroma on the wrapper is very light but I get some hints of coffee and hay
• The foot gives off a bit more hay on the aroma and some hints of coffee and cocoa, maybe even a small touch of spice
• Pre-light draw brings mostly hay and a sweet tobacco type flavor
• Initial draws have a nice cedar flavor and some hints of coffee, starting off nice and mild
• Retrohale is very mild with no bite and at this early point is not giving any distinct flavors
• The coffee flavors have developed a bit more on the finish and also on the retrohale, cigar is still fairly mild
• Getting a bit of creaminess on the finish, a nice touch
• The creaminess has also translated to the retrohale and it also developed a tiny little bite
• The body started to pick up a bit near the end, it’s just teetering on the edge of medium right now
• The cedar/woodsiness made a more prominent appearance in the last third
• The mild smoothness of this cigar is very enjoyable and relaxing, not too in your face
• Some bitterness started to develop in the last inch or so of the cigar, but it wasn’t terribly off-putting
• Smooth cedar flavors lasted to the end

Final Thoughts:
This was a nice mild and enjoyable smoking experience.  The flavors were never overpowering and it smoked smooth and easy the whole way through.  It also had a great burn and nice amount of smoke from start to finish.  This cigar would be a good addition to a selection of early day smokes or when you just want something smooth and mild to relax with. It’s nothing overly complex but still a relaxing and enjoyable cigar.  It would also make a great option for beginner cigar enthusiasts looking for something that won’t knock their socks off.  It also sets itself apart from a lot of other mild cigars which tend to be Connecticut wrappers.  The Rosado wrapper gives it a different flavor while still keeping it creamy and mild.  Anyone looking for a change in their early morning smoke should give these a try.  Their price comes in a bit high to be an easy every-day smoke but still fair enough to be part of a weekly rotation.

Pairings:
After getting the initial notes of coffee and cocoa on the wrapper I decided to pair this cigar with a nice dark beer.  My choice was Erdinger’s Dunkel, a dark wheat beer that goes through a strict fermentation process.  It has distinct notes of coffee and dark malts and goes down smooth with minimal hoppiness or bitterness.  This ended up being a very nice pairing for this cigar with the flavors from each complimenting each other.  Similarly smooth and flavorful dark beers would also pair well here.  A nice cup of coffee or dark soda would also make an excellent pairing.

The post 262 Cigars Ideology Box Pressed Toro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Paradigm line has an interesting combination of tobacco that always made me wonder how they melded together. The filler is made of 3 types of tobacco, Seco and Ligero from the wonderful Esteli region of Nicaragua and some Cubito from Columbia. Holding the filler together is a Honduran binder, which is also where the factory is located. And finally the cigar is wrapped with a Brazilian leaf. I must say it sounds like a tasty combo!

The Revolution Cigar Co. is fairly active both in the online and B&M communities, making multiple appearances in the various cigar shops and holding a strong online presence. You can find their Facebook and Twitter pages from their home page too. I’m no marketing genius but I must say this was a great move by Revolution and it has no doubt helped spread the word about their cigars much faster.
I’d like to thank @jakrell and @thecigarnut for sending this stick over to me and I hope you enjoy the review.

Cigar: Revolution Cigars 262 Paradigm Box-Pressed Toro
Drink: Devils Pale Ale 666 from Great Lakes Brewery
Vitola: Box Pressed Toro (6 x 54)
Wrapper: Brazilian
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaragua and Columbia
Price: Just under $9 direct from www.smoketherevolution.com
Burn Time: 2 hours

Construction:
● A nice looking chocolate brown wrapper, also has some darker highlights
● Appears to be slightly box-pressed
● Finished with what looks to be a clean double-cap
● Foot is well packed with the band sitting around it
● A fairly firm feel, not much spring to it but even throughout
● Cut was a little difficult, very firm cigar
● Band had a little too much glue, caused some wrapper damage but since it’s near the foot it shouldn’t cause any problems
● Draw is a little tight at the start
● Draw opened up just before the halfway mark

Burn:
● Toasting was easy and even, no dark spots
● Burn has been razor sharp for the first couple of inches, let’s hope it keeps this up
● Burning nice and slow and still razor sharp, just how you would want all of your cigars to burn
● Past the halfway mark the burn went a little wavy but nothing alarming as of yet

Smoke Ash:
● Not a ton of smoke on the draw, just barely enough
● A decent amount of resting smoke giving off a light sweet aroma
● Ash is a nice white color with some grey accents
● A little bit of flaking on the ash but is generally pretty strong looking
● Ash held on nice and tight for just over an inch before falling into the ashtray
● Once the draw opened, I got a good mouthful of smoke, much better.

Tasting Notes:
● Wrapper has a mild sweet tobacco scent to it
● Foot has an in-your-face aroma of cinnamon and a bit of cocoa, very appealing
● Pre-light draw is very earthy with hay-like notes and a touch of sweet spice
● Initial draws bring flavors of cedar and earthiness with a touch of sweet cocoa in the background
● Starting off fairly mild in body
● Retrohale is also fairly mild with a smooth cedar finish, no bite at all
● Just past an inch the cocoa flavors started to make a bit more of an appearance in a slow progression
● A little bit of a cinnamon type kick has snuck its way into the retrohale, very interesting
● Some of the initial cinnamon spice flavors I detected on the foot are making its way into the finish
● The body has begun to build as I approach the half-way point
● Passing the halfway point, I’m starting to get a nice espresso tone to the flavor profile, the earthiness has mostly dropped off at this point
● The espresso and cocoa notes came into full force as I approach the end of this cigar, great finish too with a touch of cinnamon
● Body came into the Medium-Full range as I approached the last inch or so
● Just a tiny bit of bitterness towards the end, but was more like an Espresso bitterness, definitely nub-worthy

Final Thoughts:
This cigar had a great progression from mild and quiet flavors to something with a little more body and complexity. It burned excellently and slowly making for a great experience. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this cigar. It has a price tag that some would say is a bit higher than normal and is still a fairly new company, but it justified it’s price in great burn, quality and flavors. To my surprise, I must say I was pleasantly impressed by this cigar. Definitely worth a try and I’ll be looking for more in the future.

Pairings:
The “Devil’s Pale Ale 666” is produced by the Great Lakes Brewery out of Toronto, Ontario, the home town of yours truly! The 666 in the name actually has a little more meaning in this IPA. On the back of the can you get a list of ingredients that look as follows:
– 666 kilograms of malt
– 6.66 kilograms of hops
– 66.6 minutes of boiling
– 6% Alc./Vol.
– 6.6.06 Date of conception
Besides a slightly gimmicky name and recipe, this is actually a very tasty IPA. There’s a handful of hoppy bitterness in this brew but it’s well balanced and doesn’t leave a bad taste. It has a nice dark amber/ruby tone to it and a mouthful of enjoyable flavors. It paired fairly well with this cigar and could likely hold up well even against a full bodied stick. Other good pairing for the 262 Paradigm could be a full bodied wine, port, stout, dark diet soda, or a strong coffee.

The post Revolution 262 Paradigm Toro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.