The Good Stuff:

Last week I got a surprise package from my favorite Cigar people in Fox Cigar in Arizona. We’ve worked with Fox for about 8 years now, covering events, checking out their exclusive releases, and just all around hanging out and having great times with the awesome people over there. Back to the package, which was an awesome new collaboration between Fox and one of our favorite manufacturers Black Label Trading Co. The Araposa Negra is a new, exclusive cigar that will only be available for purchase at Fox Cigar.

“Araposa is dark, rich and extremely well balanced. This cigar has bold flavors and just the right amount of spice on the retro hale. The flavors of black cherry, anise and bitter cocoa let you know this is a Black Label cigar. The Nicaraguan fillers are topped with an Ecuadorian Habano binder and wrapped in both Mexican San Andrés and Ecuador Corojo,” says James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.

Created at the Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua the Araposa will come in a single box-pressed 5 x 54 format. The blend features a dual, barber pole-style Mexican San Andres / Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder and all Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. They will come packaged in soft packs of 10 and will only be available at Fox Cigar Bar starting THIS FRIDAY, September 24th and should run around $11 per cigar.

• Size: 5 x 54
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres and Ecuadorian Corojo
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: ~$11
• Pairing: Perennial Artisan Ales Black is Beautiful (Imperial Stout 12.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co. Araposa Negra’s obvious standout characteristic is it’s stunning wrapper. The dark San Andres wrapper is laid seamlessly over the Ecuadorian Habano resulting in a gorgeous barber-pole looking cigar. the wrapper itself feels very thick and dense with some gritty tooth and a ton of thick oils coating the cigar. The cigar as a whole feels heavy and hard and I am a huge fan of the soft-box pressed format as its just so comfortable both in hand and mouth. The cigar carries only light veining as it leads up to it’s round, double-wrapped cap. The Araposa is then polished off with a beautiful black and white band with the expected fox wearing a great silver crown along with silver markings carrying the cigar’s name.

The wrapper on the Black Label Trading Co. Araposa Negra’s wrapper gives off a huge amount of cinnamon, spice, and cedar aromas while the foot of the cigar carries much of the same aroma only with a little more earthiness and natural tobacco. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw carries lots of black pepper, spice, cinnamon, cedar, and dark berry.

First Third:

The Black Label Trading Co. Araposa Negra starts out with some great deep cedar, dark chocolate, brown sugar sweetness, black cherry and black coffee over light black pepper and an awesome musk that really sticks around on the aftertaste. Note: My tasting notes are very similar to the tasting notes posted by the James Brown above. This was not intentional. I actually wrote this review before adding the notes above. Just got lucky on my tasting notes . The draw on the Araposa is flawless as every little puff kicks out a massive cloud of thick white smoke which really hangs around for a while before dissipating while the cigar itself releases only a minor amount of stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a compacted trail of white and light-gray ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the The Black Label Trading Co. Araposa Negra and the flavors are just pouring in. The dark chocolate, cedar and black cherry still lead the charge backed by black coffee, spice, musk, and brown sugar. There are also these great floral notes that seem to come and go. While the pepper is completely gone from the experience, the retrohale brings it right back out while intensifying the spice at the same time. The burn is still flawless, and draw is brilliant. I close out the second third with nothing in terms of nicotine.

Finish:

Not a lot has changed between the second and third portions of this Black Label Trading Co. Araposa and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The complex flavor profile is still weighted heavily on the dark chocolate, cedar, and black cherry over brown sugar, spice and coffee. It took me about and hour and a half to take this cigar down to the nub and I didn’t want it to end. I experienced no harshness nor any extended heat and I finished the cigar out with only a very minor nicotine kick. I always love when I lear through an entire full-bodied cigar and it still finishes in the medium-strength arena.

Overview:

All bias aside, this is easily one of the best cigars I smoked all year. The Araposa’s flavor profile was incredible and easily kept my palate happy and busy with it’s complexity. The construction was flawless, and gets extra points for the soft-box press format. I’m really stoked to see such a great collaboration between two great parties. Again, this will go on sale THIS FRIDAY, September 24th at Fox Cigar and will sell out extremely fast. Make sure you get them while you can.

Pairing:

Brewed at the Perennial Artisan Ales brewery in Missouri, Black is Beautiful is a blend of 20% barrel-aged imperial stout and 80% fresh imperial stout. Comprised of a couple 23 month old Knob Creek Single Barrel Series and a couple 19 month old Rittenhouse Rye barrels, then blended with our base stout. Coming in at 12.5% ABV the beer leads with dark chocolate, sticky toffee and molasses, sweet cinnamon and spice along with a nice light malty body with a very heavy and sticky mouthfeel before finishing even sweeter and smoother with more chocolate, vanilla, and toffee over some very light barrel character. This beer is dangerously smooth with a great sweetness that showcases the beer’s great adjunct-free base stout. The cinnamon, chocolate, and sweetness went beautiful with the Araposa while the cigar itself added some great spice to the pairing.

The post Black Label Trading Co Araposa Negra Fox Cigar Exclusive appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Last week I took a look at the Robaina Eagle, the first of two Fox Cigar bar exclusive blends made in collaboration with Robaina. This week I dive into the Alejo. I’ll let the Fox Cigar website do the talking:

Allow us to introduce you to one of the FOX x ROBAINA cigars: The Alejo. It’s created with an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper and utilizes a binder and fillers that we can’t disclose. This limited cigar was rolled in a 5 1/2 x 58 Double Robusto format and is medium – full body. The Alejo cigar project was born when Hirochi Robaina wanted to commemorate his families 170th anniversary of growing tobacco in Cuba. This specific blend / cigar was then aged for 5 years in his Nicaraguan resting room. Robaina himself has now declared that they are ready for the public and has released them exclusively with Fox!

The cigar is offered in a single 5 1/2 x 58 format and comes in awesome designed boxes of 10 running $13.99 a stick. This is a limited run and Fox Cigar bar has them in stock now with free shipping, no minimum.

• Size: 5 1/2 x 58
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $13.99
• Pairing: Bruery Icky Thump (Imperial Stout 11% ABV)

Prelight:

The Robaina Alejo starts out with a gorgeous, consistent, choclately brown wrapper. The wrapper itself is very firm and dense while the texture offers some slight tooth, loads of oil, medium veins, and lots of natural webbing in the leaf. The cigar as a whole is incredible heavy and hard, it almost feels like a mini baseball bat. The wrapper is folded over itself seamlessly leading from the unfinished foot where the wrapper is folded over the foot of the cigar to the cigar’s triple-wrapped, stubby pigtail cap. The cigar is polished off with the standard maroon and gold Robaina family crest along with the addition of a gold, maroon, and yellow secondary band featuring our beloved Fox Cigar bar mascot.

The wrapper on the Robaina Alejo gives off only soft sweet floral aromas while the foot of the cigar carries much more natural tobacco and cedar scents. The cap cut like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces great cedar, gingerbread, and musk flavors.

First Third:

The Robaina Alejo starts out with a nice little burst of cayenne pepper which left my tongue and lips tingling for quite some time. Once the pepper began to fade the Alejo greeted me with loads of sweetness, cinnamon, coffee, cedar, and floral flavors over musk undertones. The draw is awesome. Each tiny puff kicks out massive clouds of thick, which smoke which really hang around for a while before dissipating. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of medium gray ash which held on for a little under an inch before falling into my ashtray (not my lap).

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Robaina Alejo and the flavor profile in this cigar is to die for. The cigar leads with musk, coffee, dark chocolate and cedar over soft floral, Carmel, sweetness and cinnamon. I am really getting into it. The retrohale brings out some sharp spice and a lot more of the cedar so I find myself doing it quite often. The cigar is still burning dead even without any help from my torch as I close out the second third with only a very minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

Rounding out the last third of the Robaina Alejo and this cigar is just, awesome. No two ways about it. The flavor profile is still pumping out heaping gobs of cedar, musk, and coffee over notes of dark chocolate, cinnamon, and a great floral flavor that has surprisingly been around for the long haul. The cigar took me 2 hours to take down to the nub and I loved every second of it. The burn line has been flawless, I never once had to reach for my torch to touchup or relight the cigar while I experienced no harshness, nor extended heat. I closed out the cigar with a decent little nicotine kick, but nothing overwhelming.

Overview:

Man, this cigar is just, phenomenal. I really enjoyed the Eagle, but to be honest, the Alejo blows it out of the water. A lot of that has to do with the flavor profile which is extremely subjective but is exactly what I look for in terms of flavors in a cigar. The profile is complex enough to keep me entertained while not overly-complex causing me to have to really think about the cigar. The experience in all was perfect. The price point is up there, but I would pay that in a heartbeat for the experience this cigar delivered.

Pairing:

Icky Thump is an imperial coffee stout brewed by the Bruery in California. Coming in at 11% ABV this beer is as close to iced coffee as you can get in a beer. Leading with heavy coffee notes, soft sweetness, and dark chocolate with a very light mouthfeel the beer finished clean with more coffee, chocolate, and sweetness. Its a simple, yet incredible beer and the alcohol is dangerously hidden. The coffee, chocolate, and sweetness paired perfectly with the same flavors in the Alejo resulting in a perfect pairing.

Giveaway:

It’s been a while since we have done a giveaway and as we near the end of the year expect quite a few more popping up. Thanks to Fox Cigar Bar we are pleased to giveaway a five pack of these Robaina Alejo! And we’ll even make it simple. Simple sign-up for our newsletter on the right column or below and you’re automatically entered! Just make sure you are over 21. One random subscriber will be selected and contacted Monday, December 9th. That means if you are already subscribed, you are already entered!

The post Robaina and Fox Cigar – Alejo + Giveaway appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Earlier this year Fox Cigar Bar announced a surprise collaboration with Robaina, one of the most respected names in the cigar industry. The two have collaborated on the release of two different blends, the Eagle and the Alejo. Today we are focusing on the Eagle. You can read more about the cigar on Fox Cigar’s website:

Allow us to introduce you to one of the FOX x ROBAINA cigars: The Eagle. It’s created with an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper and utilizes the same binder and fillers as Hirochi’s signature HR cigar. However the blend has received a small tweak when preparing to release this unique size, in collaboration with Fox. This exclusive cigar is limited in quantities due to the type of tobacco used. Add these to your humidor before they are all gone!

As stated above the Robaina Eagle uses a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper along with an undisclosed binder and filler. The cigar comes in a single 5 5/8 x 52 perfecto format. The cigars come packaged in incredible display boxes of 10 and run $11.99 a stick. These are only available at Fox Cigar, and they do still have some in stock now with free shipping, no minimum.

• Size: 5 5/8 x 58
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $11.99
• Pairing: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 2015 (Imperial Stout 14.3% ABV)

Prelight:

The Robaina Eagle stars out with a beautiful consistent, dark chocolatey brown wrapper. The wrapper itself feels very dense and hard while the texture sports some soft tooth and a ton of oils coating the cigar. The wrapper also features some heavy tobacco webbing as well as some minor veins running their course through the cigar’s tapered body. The foot tapers almost to a point before opening while the cap carries a sharpers texture which is double-wrapped and knobbed off at the end. The Eagle is polished off with The standard gold and maroon Robaina family crest along with an awesome matching secondary band sporting Fox Cigar Bar’s iconic Fox logo in yellow.

The wrapper on the Eagle gives off lots of sweet molasses and tobacco aromas while the foot of the cigar carries lots of cedar, spice, and oat. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw features lots of hickory, musk, and natural tobacco flavors.

First Third:

The Robaina Eagle starts out with a nice little black pepper punch which quickly fades allowing the cigar to release heavy notes of sweet hickory, musk and molasses over subtle notes of pine, floral, and natural tobacco. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out a huge amount of thick white smoke which hangs around for a while before dissipating while the cigar itself releases only a small amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of medium to light gray ash which held on over an inch before falling into my lap.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Robaina Eagle and the flavors just keep on coming. The sweet molasses leads the charge backed by bold hickory, musk, brown sugar and creamed coffee over light floral and natural tobacco flavors. The cold draw really helps lure out the spice adding yet another complexity to the flavor profile. The burn line is still dead even and razor thin while I close out the second third with only a minor nicotine kick.

P.S. I ashed in my lap again.

Finish:

Into the second third of the Robaina Eagle and not much has changed since the second, and thats a good thing. The cigar still leads with loads of molasses, hickory and musk backed by creamed coffee, caramel, and natural tobacco. It took me two hours to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I loved every second of it. I experienced absolutely no harshness, nor extended heat while I closed out the cigar with only a very minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

The Robaina HR has always been a cigar that I have handy for those special occasions. Its rare to Robaina partner with anyone so you can imagine my excitement went I found out it was out good friends over at Fox Cigar Bar. This cigar is incredible. The flavor profile was very similar to that of the HR with a bit more body and sweetness. I appreciated both the flavor profile as well as the complexity. And let’s not forget just how badass these boxes are. This is something I think that every cigar smoker would enjoy. The profile will keep the seasoned smokers entertained while the lower strength model won’t knock a novice on their ass. Get them while you still can.

Pairing:

Because of the heavy sweetness and wood flavors in the Eagle I decided to pair this cigar with an old-faithful Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout from 2015. Coming in at 14.3% ABV this imperial stout leads with sticky caramel and vanilla with notes of malt, brown sugar, chocolate, and bites of bourbon with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing with more chocolate, vanilla, and toffee. The sweetness and sweet flavors made a wonderful mashup with the Eagle while the cigar’s full body didn’t let the beer overpower it.

Giveaway

It’s been a while since we have done a giveaway and as we near the end of the year expect quite a few more popping up. Thanks to Fox Cigar Bar we are pleased to giveaway a five pack of these Robaina Eagles! And we’ll even make it simple. Simple sign-up for our newsletter on the right column or below and you’re automatically entered! Just make sure you are over 21. One random subscriber will be selected and contacted Monday, December 2nd. That means if you are already subscribed, you are already entered!

The post Robaina and Fox Cigar – The Eagle + Giveaway appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Each year the Crowned Heads releases their “Las Calveras” series. A series of cigars inspired by the Mexican “Day of the Dead” holiday which celebrates those we have lost. Each year I pick these up and smoke them in honor of my friends and family, especially my father who I think of as I enjoy the cigar and silently thank them for everything they have done for me. You can check out our reviews of each blend since their inception in 2014 here:

• Las Calaveras 2014
• Las Calaveras 2015
• Las Calaveras 2016
• Las Calaveras 2017

As always, the cigar is being produced at the My Father Factory in Nicaragua. This particular blend features a fitting Mexican San Andres wrapper over a Nicaraguan Filler and Binder. The 2018 Las Calaveras is offered in four sizes: the LC46 ( 5 5/8 x 46), LC50 (5 x 50), LC54 (6 x 54), and the last one, which is exclusive to the four count sampler in my pictures (5 1/2 x 56). Outside of the sampler exclusive each come packaged in boxes of 24 running between $9.95 and $11.95 per stick. I purchased mine over from our great friends at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, Arizona.

Size: 5 5/8 x 46
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $9.95
Pairing: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Northwoods Stout 2017 (Imperial Stout 12.6%)

Prelight:

The Las Calaveras 2018 starts out with a very consistent, deep, dark brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty with only a slight amount of oils. The wrapper feels very hard, and dense while the cigar itself feels nicely packed with no soft spots what so ever. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself with only the smallest of veins running their course through the cigar’s slender body leading up to a perfectly round triple cap. The cigar is the polished off with the traditional Las Calaveras band we have all come to expect only this one had quite the color departure from the previous palettes with a lime green base under white, gold, and red embossed ink. 

The wrapper on the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2018 gives off a very nice sweet spice, cinnamon, and and oak aroma while the foot of the cigar  carries the same spice and cinnamon over a more natural tobacco base. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw follows up the aromas quite nicely with more cinnamon, spice, gingerbread and oak. 

First Third:

The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2018 starts off with a nice little black pepper burst which quickly fades away as the flavor profile transcends into a very sweet mixture of cinnamon, spice, nutmeg, cedar, almond, musk and notes of natural tobacco/earthiness on the back. The draw is absolutely brilliant. Each puff kicks out a great amount of thick, white smoke which hangs around for quite some time before dissipating while the cigar releases only a small amount of thin, white smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of thick, white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray. 

Second Third:

As I enter the second third of the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2018 the musk flavor is leading the show backed by the cinnamon, spice, and sweetness with light hints of almond, nutmeg and floral flavors. I don’t think I could have found a more appropriate pairing for this cigar. The retrohale brings out a bit more of the spice and even a bit of the pepper that I have lost since the start of the experience. The cigar is still burning like a dream and I close out the second third with only a very light nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2018 and the cigar is burning like a dream. The flavor profile is still heavy on the musk and spice with lots of cedar and almond backed by sweetness, floral flavors, cinnamon, and even some light vanilla that the beer is really helping to bring out. It took me an hour and forty five minutes to take this cigar down to the nub and I loved every minute of it. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and quite frankly the cigar performed as perfect as it could have.

Overview:

Without hesitation it’s easy to say the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2018 is a fantastic cigar. I have been a big fan of Mexican San Andres wrapped cigars and this is a perfect example as to what the tobacco has to offer. Deep flavors, consistent burning, and wonderful presentation. The cigar is complex, balanced, flavorful, and won’t knock you on your ass. Need I say more?

Pairing:

Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Northwoods Stout is a variant of the famous beer brewed with blueberry juice and almond extract. The imperial stout comes in at a whopping 12.6% ABV and can be purchased on Black Friday each year. The beer leads with heavy sweetness, roasted malt, blueberry, almond, bourbon, booze, sticky toffee, and chocolate with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing even sweeter with a ton of bourbon, booze, vanilla, almond, and a blueberry aftertaste. I am not a blueberry fan at all but the flavor is so well balanced that I absolutely love the way it pumps body in an already bold beer. The almond is killer and I LOVE it. The flavors obviously mashed up perfect with the almond, cedar, musk, spice and sweetness in the Las Calaveras. This beer can really overpower some of the boldest of cigars but the Las Calaveras really had enough body that it complimented the beer flawlessly. 

The post The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2018 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Ever since Matt Booth made a reappearance in the cigar industry waves have been created. Farce is his newest offering making it’s debut earlier this year as a pre-release in the Phoenix, Arizona market before a full release this month. Produced at the Tabacalera William Ventura factory the Farce starts out with an Ecuadorian wrapper over an Indonesian binder packed with filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Pennsylvania. The cigar is offered in five different sizes: Papi Chulo (4 x 42), Robusto (5 x 52), Toro ( 6 1/4 x 54), Gordo (6 1/2 x 60), and Lonsdale (6 1/2 x 42) which all come packaged in sets of 20. As for the prices I am unsure of most of the formats, but the Toro I am reviewing today comes in at $10.79 a stick. Fox Cigar Bar was kind enough to send a few of these our way for review and were one of the very few select retailers who were chosen to host the pre-release.

Size: 6 1/4 x 54
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Dominican / Nicaraguan / Pennsylvanian
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $10.79
Pairing: Saint Arnold’s Bishop Barrel 20 (Dubbel 8.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The Room 101 Farce starts out with a beautiful smooth, silky, consistently-colored medium brown wrapper. The only discoloration is a few darker areas around the foot of the cigar. The cigar’s texture is very smooth with a good amount of oil. While the wrapper feels very thin and delicate the cigar as a whole is very heavy and tightly packed. The wrapper carries a few smaller veins leading from through the cigar’s thick body up to it’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a simple white pre-release band with Room 101, Farce, and Pre-Release written across the front. 

The wrapper on the Room 101 Farce gives off a bold cedar and spiced aroma while the foot of the cigar smells much sweeter with notes of cinnamon, plum, and natural tobacco. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw is very oaty/grainy with notes of cedar, plum, and lots of spice.

First Third:

The Room 101 Farce starts out with some nice subtle black pepper notes backed by bold spice, cedar, honey, musk and really subtle floral notes that seem to come and go. The draw is brilliant as each small puff releases a good amount of thick white smoke which dissipates pretty quickly while the cigar itself releases only a trace amount of thin stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of very tightly compacted light gray ash which held one or an inch before giving way. 

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Room 101 Farce and the flavors are incredible. The cigar is leading with musk and honey backed by spice, brown sugar, natural tobacco, soft pine, and a great floral flavor that keeps peeking in and out. I really dig the flavor profile on this cigar and it’s not one you encounter very often. The retrohale really helps bring out the spice as well as the floral flavors. The cigar is still burning beautifully and I close out the second third with only a tiny little nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Room 101 Farce and the cigar is really ramping up in both Body and Strength. For a majority of the experience the cigar sat in the higher medium range, but is now cresting the top of medium/full. The flavor profile still leads with a ton of spice and cedar backed my a mix of vanilla, honey, pine, cashew and even a bit of the pepper that quickly left the experience in the first few puffs. The cigar took me two hours to take down to the nub and I experience absolutely no harshness nor extended heat but I am certainly feeling quite more of the nicotine effects that I anticipated going into this smoke. 

Overview:

I loved everything about the Room 101 Farce. To me, it seemed like the cigar was trying to take everything that is wonderful about milder cigars but with more body and strength. Using Pennsylvania filler was something I haven’t seen done too often before and the result was awesome. The cigar had a flavor profile that was different than any cigars I have had in my recent memory. This cigar is perfect for any seasoned cigar smoker looking for something different, and any novice looking for a bolder premium smoke that won’t break the bank. 

Pairing:

Saint Arnold’s Bishop’s Barrell 20 is a Sorachi Ace Dubbel Aged in Red Wine Barrels with Brettanomyces and Raspberries brewed at the Saint Arnold’s brewery in Houston, Texas. Coming in at 8.5% this beer leads with very heavy raspberry, tartness, caramel, sweetness, honey, and a bit of hop with a very light mouthfeel before finishing with even more raspberry, honey, herbal tea, and caramel. It’s a perfect mix before a sour and and Belgian dubbel and married up with some of the flavors in the Room 101 Farce beautifully while added an extra layer of fruit complexity. I’d pair this cigar with an Belgian Dubbel or Tripel, Double bock, or some sweetened iced tea. 

The post Room 101 Farce appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

As noted on the band, the La Galera Maduro is manufactured at Tabacalera Palma in the Dominican Republic. The cigar features a Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper over Dominican internals. Available vitolas include: No. 1 (3 ½ by 50), Pegador (6 by 46), Chaveta (5 by 50), Cortador (6 ¼ by 52), El Lector (6 by 54), and Cabeza Caracol (7 ¼ by 50). And with prices ranging between $4 and $6.75, this cigar will be easy on your wallet. 

You can purchase the La Galera Maduro from our good friends at Fox Cigar. It doesn’t look like they are listed on their online store yet, but you can give them a ring at  (800) 730-2087.

THE FACTS

Price: $5.69
Vitola: Pegador
Size: 6 by 46
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Filler: Domincan Criollo 98 and Piloto Cubano
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

La Galera Maduro wears a milk chocolate wrapper that has a couple stitch like veins running the length of the cigar and a crazy amount of fine tooth. It is as if I am running my fingers across a fine grain sandpaper. The aroma on the wrapper is of nutmeg and meat seasonings, while rich cedar, pepper, and brandy are found on the foot of the cigar.

The double cap gets the job done and gives way to a perfect draw once cut. Flavors of cedar, baking spices, and brandy freely move across my palate on the dry draw.

FIRST THIRD

With the La Galera Maduro underway, cocoa, pencil shavings, and earth kick off the journey. A sweetness is tied to the cocoa that is rounding out the flavors as rich and creamy smoke coats all areas of my mouth. The pepper spice is medium and really stands out on the retrohale. There is a yeasty, bread-like flavor on the finish of the smoke. The cigar is  burning even as a good looking white ash forms. You can easily see the tooth from the wrapper in the ash.  

MIDDLE THIRD

The yeast has taken center stage with the cocoa sweetness and pencil shavings trailing close behind. The flavors are medium to full and a dark fruit flavor has joined in, but its appearance was brief. As the cigar progresses, the sweetness continues to gain ground and is hitting the tip of my tongue with each puff. 

FINAL THIRD

I am sad that I am already in the last third of the La Galera Maduro. The cocoa note is impressive and continues to build as the cigar takes  on a more earthy and gritty quality, which I am absolutely loving. And the sweetness is carrying along without interruption as the yeast from the second third has moved to the background and is appearing only every few puffs. 

WRAP-UP

Tony originally had this cigar on his review list and I am sure glad that he passed this one off to me to take a stab at it. The La Galera Maduro is an absolute treat for under $6. It burned along with no hiccups and offered up some medium/full flavors that evolved through the smoke. I am a sucker for dark and rich flavors that are rounded out by some sweetness and that is exactly what this cigar delivered. This cigar is right up there with the best of them and you won’t break budget smoking these. Go for a box purchase. You won’t regret it!

GIVEAWAY WINNER:

Thanks to our good friends at Fox Cigar Bar, we have had 2 awesome giveaways in the last couple of week. Make sure to show some love to Fox Cigar by visiting their online store HERE. And the moment you have been waiting for, the winner of the 2 LFD Andalusian Bulls, Drew Estate Ashtray, Liga Privada Hat and Cutter is…….

Chase TexicanEight

Congrats! Please send your address to casasfumando@gmail.com. And those of you who didn’t win, stayed tuned. We already have planned many more giveaways with Fox Cigar Bar. Also, keep up with our reviews here as we will be partnered up with them to give you guys straight access on how to get many of these newer/rarer cigars directly from them.

The post IndianHead Cigars – La Galera Maduro Pegador + GIVEAWAY WINNER appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Todo Las Dias is the newest offering from Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. It first made it’s debut at last year’s IPCPR show where it was released in very limited quantities, but wasn’t formally released to the general public until last week. Here is what Steve Saka himself has to say about the line:

“Todos Las Dias is my personal Spanglish translation meaning “All the Days.” The workers at Joya de Nicaragua often cringe at my casual butchering of their mother tongue, but in my opinion cigars are far more than a grammar lesson to abide, they are the physical manifestation of a feeling and of an experience. TLD embodies the classic bold flavors that represent the heart of their soil’s peppery tobaccos and the labor of their always working hands. For me, this spicy Nicaraguan puro reflects no pretentious airs or any of that ‘notes of pencil lead with a hint of fennel’ nonsense. It is an honest, hardworking cigar intended to be smoked by men who know what it means to be a cigar smoker and never give a damn about what others think.”

“It is a supple, sungrown Cuban Seed capa which encapsulates its intricate tripa recipe of rich Jalapa and Esteliano tobaccos. From the first puff, there is no doubt of the origin of this cigar or that it is intended solely for the seasoned cigar smoker. What I love about this liga is that it builds; so many stronger blends start off super peppery and robust only to mellow out as you smoke them. Whereas the Todos Las Dias does just the opposite; it begins smooth and then escalates in strength and body, it almost lulls you into false sense of security. It is a much heavier liga than you will have realized until you go to stand up afterwards.”

Thanks goes out to Cigar Coop for the info.

Todo Las Dias is a Nicaraguan puro line, meaning of course that the Wrapper, Binder, and Fillers are all from Nicaragua. The Todos Las Dias will come in four sizes: Short Churchill (4.75 x 48), Double Wide Belicoso (4.74 x 60), Robusto (5 x 50) and the Toro (6 x 52). Each format comes packaged in boxes of 10 running between $10.59 and $12.59 a stick. I purchased mine order from our friends at 2 Guys Smoke Shop.

Size: 4.75 x 48
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $10.59
Pairing: Prairie Artisan Ales Barrel Aged Bible Belt (Imperial Stout 13% ABV)

Prelight:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Todos Las Dias starts out with a stunning, very consistent dark brown wrapper. While the color is extremely consistent with it’s reddish-tinted dark brown color there are a few darker areas found through the natural webbing in the tobacco leaf. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty with a whole ton of oils that actually transfer onto my fingers a big as I inspect the cigar. The cigar’s wrapper is very dense, thick, and hard while the cigar as a whole is packed very tightly as it’s completely firm with no soft spots whatsoever. There are only a few smaller veins found running up the cigar’s slim body leading up to a very round double cap. The cigar is polished off with an elegant black and silver band with TLD, which stands for Todos Las Dias of course, embossed on the front and a smaller secondary foot band that carries the words “Todos Las Dias” across the front.

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Todos Las Dias’ wrapper gives off some subtle sweetness and spice while the foot of the cigar carries much more spice, pepper, with a bit of oak. The cigar’s cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a whole mess of sweetness, spice and oak.

First Third:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Todos Las Dias starts out with a quick blast of black pepper which quickly fades to reveal a good mixture of sweetness, oak, vanilla, spice, and dark chocolate. The draw is absolutely perfect. Each tiny little puff on the cigar kicks out a massive cloud of thick, white smoke which hangs around for a pretty long time before dissipating while the cigar pours out smoke like a chimney as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of very tightly compacted medium gray ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Todos Las Dias and I am loving this flavor profile. The oak and dark chocolate lead the charge backed by sweetness, brown sugar, musk, black cherry, and a good mixture of spice. The retrohale brings out a lot more of that spice and even a bit of the pepper that I picked up on my first few puffs on the cigar. The burn line is still flawless and I close out the second third with only a very minor hint of nicotine.

Finish:

I venture into the final third of The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Todos Las Dias wishing that it wasn’t so close to being over. The flavor profile in this cigar is amazing. The oak and dark chocolate are still the center of attention while vanilla, sweet brown sugar, musk, and a just a bit of berry back them up. The burn line has been dead even and razor thin the entire time. It never once required any touch up or relights while the cigar created absolutely no harshness or extra heat all they way down to the nub. For such a small cigar it took a long time to smoke clocking in at just a hair under 2 hours.

Overview:

As if it wasn’t already evident the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust hit it out of the park once again with the Todos Las Dias. This is an exceptional cigar with good construction, balance, and complexities all at a great price point. I always expect a lot when it comes to Steve Saka’s cigars, and seldom and I ever let down. This is box worthy for sure, especially since they come packaged in boxes of 10 which I wish more manufacturers would do. The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Todos Las Dias will please the seasoned cigar smoker while its a great jumping off point for those novice smokers looking to get into more premium cigars.

Pairing:

The first time I smoked The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Todos Las Dias I knew that I wanted to pair with with Prairie Artisan Ale’s Barrel Aged Bible Belt. Coming in at 13% ABV this imperial stout is basically Prairie’s standard Bible Belt aged in whiskey barrels. The beer leads with oaky barrel goodness, sickiness, malt, vanilla, cocoa, and brown sugar with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing with more booze, a bit of whiskey, cocoa, and malt. As the beer warms the cocoa and whiskey really take over. This was an amazing pairing. The vanilla, chocolate, barrel, and brown sugar went perfectly along side The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Todos Las Dias. Both the cigar and beer were full-bodied and neither overpowered each other which says a lot for the cigar as the Bible Belt can really run over most cigars.

Contest Winner:

Again, we can’t thank Fox Cigar Bar enough. They have been huge supporters of Casas Fumando since day one and continue to back us up as well as reward our readers. This week’s contest goes out to…

Tom Pinkowski

Congrats! Please send your address to me at casasfumando@gmail.com. And those of you who didn’t win, stayed tuned. We already have planned many more giveaways with Fox Cigar Bar. Also, keep up with our reviews here as we will be partnered up with them to give you guys straight access on how to get many of these newer/rarer cigars directly from them.

The post Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Todos Las Dias + Contest Winner appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Making it’s debut at the 2014 IPCPR trade show, the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares is part of an annul release which began with the 2013 release of the Aniversario Boheme No. 35. The Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares is rolled at the company’s Miami factory using a Nicaraguan Aganorsa Corojo wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan filler all grown at the company’s Aganorsa farms. The Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares comes in only one format, a 6.25 x 52 soft boxed pressed toro and is packaged in boxes of 10 with only 2,000 boxes produced running $12.50 a stick. I picked this up from our friends at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, AZ. Hit them up, they may just have a few left in stock.

Size: 6.25 x 52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Aganorsa Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Price: $12.50
Pairing: Ballast Point Victory at Sea (Baltic Porter 10% ABV)

Prelight:

It’s very hard to overlook the sheer elegance in that packaging of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares. It stars with am elegant white and silver band with the word “MIAMI” printed boldly in the center while “Fabrica de Tabacos Casa Fernandez” surrounds it. There is a second band with is primarily silver with white accents which says “Casa Fernandez Aniversario 2014” printed on it. Then, a beautiful, opaque, tissue/paper surrounds the rest of the body of the cigar down to the foot which aries multiple silver etchings of the cigar’s crest.

Once we take the tissue off the box pressed cigar is finally exposed. The wrapper on the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares is very rustic looking as it’s a light to medium brown with lots of darker spots as well as some more orangish-brown areas scattered throughout. There are very little sings of veins outside of one large on running thorough the front of the body as the wrapper’s texture is very smooth and silky with very little tooth and a good amount of oil. The cigar is polished off with a round, triple cap. The wrapper of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares gives off some mild spice and cashew aroma while the foot of the cigar is just as tame only showcasing some slight spice and grassiness. The cap cut clean and easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw tells a much different story as it leads with bold pepper and spice flavors with strong cedar, sweetness, and earthiness.

First Third:

The Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares starts out with a strong blast of cayenne pepper leaving my lips and tongue tingling. After a few puffs the pepper starts to fade out and I’m left with some cedar, plum, spice, and leather. I’m also getting this subtle metallic taste on my lips every so often. It’s a bit off-putting but it doesn’t happen often enough for me to complain about it. While the draw doesn’t really feel tight at all, i find the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares doesn’t product as much smoke as I’d like. I have to hit it a few times to get the draw I’m looking for. While we’re on smoke production, the cigar also lets out close to zero stationary smoke as it sits in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and leaves behind a beautiful trail of white, compacted ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares the draw has finally started to open up. Sadly, as the draw opened up the flavors began to mellow out. There is still a decent amount of cedar and spice, with some slight vanilla and not a whole lot else. As the draw opened, the cigar started producing much more smoke, but the side effect was a wild burn line. I had to touch it up a few times in the second third to keep it burning correctly. The retrohale produced some good cedar and spice helping raise the body of the cigar up a bit as I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine at all.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares and much remains the same. The flavors haven’t really changed since the second third nor have they increased in body. The cigar still leads with cedar and spice with some light vanilla, and a bit of natural tobaccos as well some some slight bitterness. It took me an hour and forty five minutes to smoke the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares down to the nub. I experience a bit of harshness, and bitterness but nothing really substantial in the nicotine department.

Overview:

I got into every Casa Fernandez cigar with high expectations, and seldom am I ever disappointed. Sadly, this was one of those times. With the Nicaraguan profile and Aganorsa Corojo wrapper I expected some pretty bold flavors. I got a few, but then they all just kind of washed out. I normally don’t complain about touchups or relights but this cigar had more than necessary. It’s not a bad cigar, it’s just not great. And at the $12.50 price range I just can’t justify adding this to my regular rotation. I may give it another shot later down the line, but after smoking a few it just didn’t do it for me.

Pairing:

I purposely paired this cigar with Ballast Point’s Victory at Sea to raise the flavor profile in it. While it worked, the cigar still felt short. Victory at Sea is a 10% Porter brewed in San Diego, California infused with whole vanilla beans and coffee. It’s not stranger to Casas Fumando as its one of my favorite beers to pair with. The Victory at Sea leads with a ton of sweet vanilla, caramel, and cocoa with a medium mouthfeel before finishing with strong cocoa, coffee, sweetness and malt with a chocolate aftertaste. All these flavors helped raise the body of the cigar adding some much needed flavors, but in the end it couldn’t round out the experience.

The post Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Fox Cigar Bar is probably one of, if not my favorite place to relax, and burn a few time. Both me and Jeremy stop by a few times every time we find ourselves in the Phoenix area. They are also the people responsible for the annual Foxtoberfest celebration, one of the largest cigar events in the southwest. Fox Cigar Bar already has quite a few shop exclusives and we’ve reviewed just about every one of them: Ortega “The Fox”, Illusione Sin Cinta Fox, and the La Flor Dominicana Foxtoberfest but this week we take a look at the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial “The Fox”.

The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Fox is an entirely different blend than the standard Reserva Especial in which Jaime and Fox Cigar Bar’s General Manager Cliff Coen blended together. The blend is a Nicaraguan Puro which features a Corojo Oscuro wrapper. The Fox only comes in a single 6 x 50 format which comes packaged in boxes of 20 running $7.99 a stick. These are only available at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, Arizona and their brand new location in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Size: 6 x 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $7.99
Pairing: Odell Fernet Aged Porter (Baltic Porter 9.4% ABV)

Prelight:

The Jaime Garcia Fox starts off with an extremely consistent milk chocolate brown wrapper which carries a good amount of oils over a very rough, toothy texture. The wrapper is scattered with very small, thin veins and a good amount of natural webbing in the leaf. The wrapper feels very dense, hard, and thick as the cigar itself feels decently packed with a little softness around the foot. The Fox is capped off with a round double cap, the standard Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial band, as well as an added double band using the same colors with Fox Cigar Bar’s logo in the front and “MMXIV” on the side.

The wrapper gives off a very nutty/musky aroma while the foot of the cigar releases some soft spice and sweetness. The cap cut clean and easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw releases some strong musk, spice, pepper and dark chocolate flavors with an easy draw.

First Third:

The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Fox starts out with a big black pepper blast which quickly faded after the first few puffs leaving behind some very bold dark chocolate, musk, sweetness, creamed coffee, and spice. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out a massive cloud of thick, white smoke. The burn line is razor thin, and dead even leaving behind of trail of compacted medium/light gray ash which caught me by surprised as it first ashed not even a half in and into my lap nonetheless. Sorry about not getting the chance for the first ash picture.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial the Fox and I’m impressed with how smooth and creamy this cigar is while still keeping my invested in the experience with great, bold flavors. The flavor profile is still leading with dark chocolate and musk over sweetness, creamed coffee and subtle spice notes with some nice oak starting to creep it’s way in. The retrohale is very smooth and enjoyable as it coats my nasal passage with lots of deep oak and spice. The burn line is still flawless and the ash is still falling more often than expected (which isn’t a bad thing, you just gotta keep it in mind) as I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine at all.

Finish:

While there hasn’t been a lot of change ups in the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Fox, the flavors are downright enjoyable so you won’t get any complaints here. The flavor profile still leads with lots of musk and dark chocolate over some ramped up oak and spice with subtle creamed coffee and sweetness. It took me about an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I experience absolutely no harshness (actually this one of the smoother cigars I have smoked for some time) and no nicotine whatsoever.

Overview:

I really enjoyed every aspect of the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Fox. First of all, the cigar leads with some semi-complex, bold flavors which all compliment each other creating a creamy and smooth experience. Add that to a medium strength cigar that won’t knock you on your ass and it’s easy to see why this cigar is a winner. Not to mention the modest price point. The only downfall about this cigar is it’s an exclusive. That being said, it’s just another reason for me to make the trip up to Phoenix, hang out with the gang at Fox Cigar Bar, and take a few back.

Pairing:

Brewed at the Odell brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado the Fernet Aged Porter is a 9.4% Baltic porter consisting of 50% porter, and 50% porter aged in fernet barrels provided by the Leopold Bros. The Fernet Aged Porter leads with roasted malt, coffee, spice, and chocolate with a medium mouthfeel before finishing clean with lots of spice, malt, vanilla and a bit of mint on the aftertaste. The coffee, spice, and chocolate made for a perfect marriage with the Fox while the vanilla and malt added a bit of extra character to the experience. An obvious alternative pairing would be some sweet, creamed coffee, a Belgian dubbel, or a nice glass of tawny port.

The post Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial The Fox appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

As I stated in my review of the Long Live the King, Caldwell cigars are non-existent in these parts, but thanks to our friends at Fox Cigar Bar I was finally able to wrangle up a few. Caldwell cigars is the brain child of Robert Caldwell who is best know for his partnership with Christian Eiroa running Wynwood cigars. Last year the partnership had dissolved and Robert has since teamed up with Henderson and William Ventura of Tabacalera Ventura in the Dominican Republic to create his newest blends. One note is that Caldwell cigars often uses rare tobaccos and vintages to create their blends. The Eastern Standard features a Connecticut Hybrid Ecuadoriano (Dark Connecticut), a Habana Dominicano Binder, and Criollo ’98 Viso Dominicano, Corojo Dominicano Ligero, and Habano Seco Nicaraguense fillers.

The Eastern Standard comes packaged in boxes of 24 and is offered in three standard sizes: The Euro Express (5.5 x 44), the Corretto (5 x 50), and the Cream Crush (48 x 7) running between $9 and $11 a stick. There is also one limited edition size called the Silk Road (7.5 x 40) which runs $12 per stick with only 500 boxes of 24 produced and features a tweaked version of the original blend. On top of that, there is a shop exclusive size out there called the Marble House (5 x 40) which features the same tweaked blend as the Silk Road, and is only available at Maxamar’s Ultimate Cigars of Orange, California which comes in boxes of 37 and runs $7.50 per stick. I got a handful of the Euro Express format over from our friends at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, Arizona.

Size: 5.5 x 44
Wrapper: Connecticut Hybrid Ecuadoriano
Binder: Habana Dominicano 2005
Filler: Criollo ’98 Viso Dominicano 2008 (30%), Corojo Dominicano Ligero 2006 (30%), Habano Seco Nicaraguense 2007 (40%)
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Price: $9
Pairing: Ommegang/Boulevard Spiced Saison (Saison 7.3% ABV)

Prelight:

I absolutely love the look of not only the bands, but the ruggedness of the Caldwell Cigars and the Eastern Standard is no exception. Starting with the rough, rugged texture the wrapper features a mix of medium to dark brown colors with some slight natural leaf webbing. The Eastern Standard carries some mild oils and a few larger veins running through the course of the cigar’s body to its round, stubby pig tailed, triple cap. The cigar is very firm and tightly packed with a bit of sponginess around the foot. The wrapper is a lot more dense than I come to expect with Connecticut leaf and is very firm to the touch. The Eastern Standard features a simple band with a sketched portrait of an older gentleman in black and white, surrounded by the words “Eastern – Live East” and “Standard – Die Young”.

The wrapper on the Caldwell Eastern Standard gives off almost no aroma. I really had to reach for it and all I pulled out was some soft cedar. The foot of the cigar is modest in aroma too but I was able to get some sweetness, spice, and natural tobacco from it. The cap cut clean and easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw produced a really piney, cedary, grassy mixture of flavors with some slight pepper at the tail end of it. The cigar lit up clean and easy using my S.T. Dupont Maxijet lighter.

First Third:

The first few puffs of the Caldwell Eastern Standard showcased some great, unexpended black pepper backed by a ton of sweet cedar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and earthiness. I wasn’t expecting the cigar to start out with as much flavor as it did. The draw on the Eastern Standard is awesome, each tiny puff kicks out massive clouds of very thick, white smoke which take forever to dissipate while the cigar gives off almost no stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin, and perfectly even leaving behind a trail of bright white ash which held up for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

The flavors in the Caldwell Eastern Standard have taken a step back into the second third, becoming milder and much more creamier. The cigar leads with some great cedar and brown sugar still with some nice creamed coffee notes, spice notes, and some slight grassy/earthiness buried in there. The retrohale rocks, coating my nasal passage with a really smooth cedar and cashew which I don’t really pick up in the standard experience. The cigar is still burning clean and even leaving me with absolutely no nicotine kick as I close out the second third.

Finish:

The body and strength have ramped it up a bit into the final third of the Caldwell Eastern Standard. The cedar has turned into more of a musky oak while the spice and earthiness are still rocking on with some nice coffee underneath. There isn’t a lot of changeups in the flavor profile of this cigar, but the flavors have remained enjoyable. It took me about an hour and fifteen minutes to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I experienced absolutely no harshness nor any type of nicotine kick through the entire experience.

Overview:

The Caldwell Eastern Standard is a great mild cigar. It’s not going to wow you in the flavor department, nor is it going to punch you in the face with strength, and that’s ok. Let the other cigars in their portfolio do that. The Eastern Standard delivers a solid smoking experience. While I tend to gravitate more towards bolder cigars, I can see having a few of the Eastern Standard in my rotation for the times I am craving a mild smoke, especially early in the morning or early afternoon. The price point is a bit high on this one for me, but that goes along with Caldwell’s reach into rare and limited tobaccos. Pick a few up, let me know what you think.

Pairing:

Tis the season for Saisons! That being said, there are two breweries in the U.S. who brew up Belgian style, Saisons like no other. Those two breweries are Ommegang from New York, and Boulevard from Kansas City and they both teamed up to create the 7.5% ABV Spiced Saison. The Spiced Saison is almost closer to a tripel in terms of flavor in my opinion, leading with lots of celery, citrus, banana, and brown sugar with a dense mouthfeel before finishing crisp with some nice lemon, caramel, and more fruity goodness. This was a refreshing pairing. It’s in the upper 80’s here so I wanted something that wouldn’t be too heavy while adding some great flavors to the Caldwell Eastern Standard and not overpowering it since it’s not the boldest smoke out there, and the Spice Saison was absolutely perfect. This cigar would also pair great with some black coffee, marzen, or a nice porter.

The post Caldwell Eastern Standard appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Back in October, Tony posted a preview of the LFD Foxtoberfest and had this to say:

Anthony Cantelmo shot over blend specifics, price points, batch size, and pictures of the cigar. It will be a 6.5 x 54 toro-ish vitola with a slight box press to it. The wrapper consists of a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper around a Comeroon Binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The cigars will run $8 a stick and will come 10 count boxes. Only 150 boxes will be produced and available at Foxtoberfest.

The Facts

Price: $8.00
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 ½ by 54
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 2 Hours

Pre-light

The La Flor Dominicana Foxtoberfest wears a dark brown marbleized Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that has deep red hue. Between the veins, the bumps and color imperfections, this is one rustic looking cigar. There is one soft spot midway down the cigar and the rest of the stick gives just slightly when pressed.

The aroma is faint off the wrapper with some mild vinegar and cedar. The foot gives off notes of chocolate, dark fruit, and chili powder. The small pig-tailed cap clips easily and I find a fantastic draw that is highlighting sweet chocolate, some nuttiness, and chili powder. There is no accompanying spice to the chili powder.

First Third

Harsh notes of toasted/burnt bread are prevalent right at the start of the Foxtoberfest. However, within a couple minutes the profile softens with some sweetness countering an enjoyable tartness, along with some cedar, earth, and spice. The spice really stands out on the retrohale and seems to be a brighter, white pepper spice. The spice and sweetness lingers on the finish of the smoke and there is also some cocoa to be found. The burn line is thick and lopsided. I will take the blame for the lopsided burn due to rushing the toasting process. With a quick touch-up right at an inch in, the burn is back in-line and things are looking good. The ash is dark, layered, and flaky but holding past an inch.

Middle Third

The cigar is burning incredibly slow as I am barely making my way into the second third after 50 minutes. The cedar has become a bit charred tasting, somewhat like the introductory flavor I picked up on but is not overpowering. The sweetness and tartness continue to balance out the harsher flavors. Cocoa and a savory, meatiness seem to be creeping into the profile. The spice has calmed on the retrohale and some yeasty, bread-like notes have joined the mix. The flavors have picked up from medium to full, as well as the strength.  The burn line is still meandering requiring another touch-up at the end of the second third.

Final Third

The charred wood continues to hold its ground, and there is some additional earthiness and leather. The smoke production is just awesome right now. The smoke remains cool. The sweetness has faded or at least is being hidden by the more dominant flavors. The burn line is sloppy and I am going to see if I can make it to the end without any additional fixes. Ash flakes are dropping all over the keyboard and I am making quite the mess.

Wrap-up

While I am no leaf expert, I was able to easily distinguish the different roles the leaves played in the flavor profile. The Cameroon binder showed off a wonderful sweetness, while the Connecticut Broadleaf  contrasted it with its common tartness and savory meatiness. The first and second third delivered complexity and a mostly balanced profile. However, the cigar did not end as well as it began when charred notes  arrived. I have almost a full box left so I am going to let these puppies age a bit and revisit in 6 months or so to see if the final third improves. The performance did not meet my expectations with a few relights and a crazy flaky ash. Overall, this was a good cigar that offered a unique experience.

The post La Flor Dominicana – Foxtoberfest appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: Sin Cinta, meaning “No Band” is a blend created by Dion Giolito of Illusione exclusively for Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, Arizona. The cigars are manufactured at the TABSA factory in Nicaragua. The Sin Cinta features a Jalapa Corojo Wrapper, Dual Corojo 99 and Criollo 98 binders (both from Jalapa), and Jalapa & Esteli Viso fillers. The Sin Cinta comes in only one size, a 6 x 52 toro and will be boxed in 50 count cabinets running $7.99 a stick. The only place you can get this cigars is Fox Cigar Bar in Arizona. I verified with Fox this weekend and they still have a few cabinets available and you can order yours by calling them directly at: (480) 917-3117 and placing your order. This isn’t the first shop exclusive that Fox Cigar Bar has carried. Last year Ortega Cigar Company produced the Fox for them to celebrate their annual FoxToberfest celebration, Boutique Blends created an exclusive Swag for the same event, and La Flor Dominicana created an exclusive cigar for the same event as well.

Size: 6 x 52
Wrapper: Jalapa Corojo
Binder: (Dual) Corojo 99 Jalapa /  Criollo 98 Jalapa
Filler: Jalapa & Esteli Viso
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $7.99
Pairing: Great Divide Orabelle (Tripel 8.3% ABV)

Prelight: One thing I have always loved about Illusione’s cigars is how much character their wrappers carry. The Sin Cinta is not exception carrying a very rustic looking, medium brown wrapper with dark and orange splotches throughout the leaf. Natural looking cigars like this really showcase the character the leaves carry. The Sin Cinta’s wrapper is a bit toothy, a bit oily, and seamless as the leaf lays over itself showing off only minor veins. The longest of which only goes about half the length of the body of the cigar. The Sin Cinta is polished off with a beautiful round double cap. The Sin Cinta feels very firm and very heavy while the wrapper feels a bit delicate and thin. There are no signs whatsoever of damage and the only soft spots seem to be concentrated around the foot of the cigar.

The wrapper on the Sin Cinta gives off a light tobacco aroma with some crazy floral scents while the foot of the cigar carries lots of cedar and sweetness. The cap cut clean and easy using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw carries some of the slight floral flavors I picked up from the wrapper alongside a lot of spice, cedar, and tobacco.

First Smoke: Illusione’s Sin Cinta starts out with a nice black pepper blast that only lasts through the first few draws. After the pepper faded out the Sin Cinta showcased lots of upfront spice with a bit of cedar, earthiness, citrus, and a some slight floral flavors tossed in there. The draw is spot on, each little puff pumps out a good amount of thick, white smoke. The burnline has a few slight waves while the ash is a mixture of bright white and medium gray. The ash is semi-compacted and held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: The first third of the Sin Cinta was very cream, and smooth but the flavors/body of the cigar really starts to ramp up into the second third. The cedar flavor has become pretty dominant with an awesome tartness moving in while the earthiness and spice stayed solid and floral flavors have completely dropped out of the experience. The retrohale really helps show off the strong cedar flavors and actually introduced a bit of sweetness that isn’t too evident through the Sin Cinta’s smoke. The burnline still carries some slight waves but I haven’t had to touch it up at all while I am feeling nothing in the nicotine department.

Finish: More of the natural tobacco flavors are starting to shine through in the Sin Cinta. That’s one thing I like about Corojo/Criollo based blends. The tobacco flavors are front and center and seldom get muffled by the overall experience. The spice and cedar are still rocking while the citrus, tartness have taken a backseat to the floral flavors who snuck back into the party towards the final inch. The burnline was a bit rigid the entire experience but I never once had to reach for my lighter. The Sin Cinta took about an hour and half to take down and I experience absolutely no harshness, even into the final inch. I was actually impressed with how balanced the cigar finished off.

Overview: I ended up passing one of these over to Jeremy for his thoughts. You see, I can be a bit of an Illusione whore and I really enjoyed this cigar and his thoughts were right in line with mine. The flavors are solid, the construction is flawless, and best of all the price is probably quite a bit under what I would pay for this cigar. Usually Illusione cigars are in the upper $8 – $10 range, which I would gladly pay, but with the Sin Cinta and last year’s release of the Rothchildes Dion is proving that you can offer world-class cigars at less that world-class prices. The Sin Cinta starts off smooth, hits you in the face with some great, bold flavors, and then finishes bold and balanced. You really can’t ask for more in a cigar. Luckily for me, Fox Cigar Bar is only a few hours away and my wife and I take trips out that way at least once a year so you better bet I will be loading up the next time I find myself out there.

Pairing: I have always been a fan of Great Divide’s brews. I recently picked up a six pack of their Orabelle which is basically an 8.3% ABV Tripel Belgian style ale. It’s the first time that I had seen this beer and I was glad I picked up a sixer and promise that I will pick up more. I’m a sucker for Tripel’s in general but Orabelle is a top notch Tripel featuring a very strong spice, citrus, and sweetness while finishing with a bitter kick with some interesting vegetable flavors. It’s a perfect winter/spring transitional beer and the spice and mellow body pairs incredibly well with just about any spicy Nicaraguan cigar.

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The sampler contains two cigars from each of their regular production lines – Four Kicks, Headley Grange, and J.D. Howard Reserve. I love the presentation of the sampler and, for under $50, it is a great introduction to Crowned Head’s portfolio.

The J.D. Howard Reserve was released at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show and it is the company’s fourth release since 2011. Tony has reviewed the other offerings from Crowned Heads, which can be found below.

Four Kicks

Four Kicks Mule Kick

Headley Grange

The J.D. Howard Reserve is produced at Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s factory, Tabacalera La Alianza S.A , in the Dominican Republic and is available in five vitolas: HR46 (6 by 46), HR48 (5 by 48), HR50 (5 1/2 by 50), HR52 (6 by 52) , and HR54 (5 by 54)

The Facts

Price: $8 – 9
Vitola: HR46
Size: 6 by 46
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

Pre-light

The J.D. Howard wears a dark brown Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper that has a deep red hue with almost no oils visible to the eye.  There are veins scattered down the bumpy leaf that has a very fine tooth, making this one rustic looking cigar. The J.D.H. is by no means the prettiest cigar I have ever seen, but, like I said in last week’s post, I love seeing the natural character of a leaf. Right above the band there is a minor crack on the wrapper. The wrapper is pungent with vinegar and manure aromas.

The fully packed foot has a rich chocolate aroma. The triple cap has been applied cleanly. Taking a shallow clip, I find a firm draw making a second cut necessary. Cutting a bit deeper, the draw is still firm but much more workable. The cold draw causes a slight spice tingle at the back of my throat and I note cinnamon, cedar, and rich chocolate flavors.

First Third

Upon lighting this 46 ring gauge cigar, I am immediately met with a blast of pepper that quickly subdues.  The smoke feels thick with deep notes of red wine, oak, and cocoa when it first hits my palate. The finish shifts to a dry cedar, pencil shaving-like flavor. The dry cedar flavor is the flavor I most commonly associate with Brazilian tobacco. The intensity of the spice increases and decreases from one puff to the next. The pepper notes are on the brighter side, closer to a white pepper. The burn line is thick but right on, producing a layered salt and pepper ash. There is a richness to the smoke that I can’t put my finger on.

Middle Third

The draw remains firm as I burn my way into the second third, however, a decent amount of smoke is still being produced and I do not feel like I am missing out on any flavors. There is such depth to the flavors that I am having a hard time pinpointing all of the subtleties. The retrohale really shows off the pepper and I think I feel a sneeze coming on. A rich cinnamon and a bit of sweetness have entered the mix and the cedar remains at the core of the profile. The ash and burn are still exceptional. At the halfway point of the cigar, I am beginning to feel a slight nicotine kick.

Final Third

The cocoa is developing into a sweeter, milk chocolate flavor that is similar to the silk chocolate pie at Village Inn. Additionally, some yeast or dough-like notes are bouncing in and out of the profile. I am finally coming to the small crack in the wrapper and, as far as I can tell, it did nothing to damper the experience. The woodsy notes can still be found but it is not the dry cedar from earlier. The woodsy notes are now creamier and richer. Down at the final inch and a half, a mineral flavor has arrived. The burn-line is still right on as I put the cigar down the final time.

Wrap-up

Since Crowned Heads first released Four Kicks in 2011, I have been a huge fan of the company and their cigars. I have a lot of respect for the way Jon Huber and Mike Conder run the company with a focus on honesty and integrity. But at the end of the day, no matter how much I like or dislike a company it comes down to the product they put on the market. So it is a good thing this cigar delivered in all areas. The J.D. Howard Reserve offered a complex profile with a core of cedar and spice and several variations within the more subtle notes. The burn-line was even for the entire one hour and fifteen minutes producing a solid ash. The J.D.H. an exceptional cigar that I will be keeping a steady supply of in my humidor.

The post Crowned Heads – J.D. Howard Reserve appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

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.

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

The Ashton Members Lounge is done up top-notch with leather chairs, ten flat panel TVs, private cigar lockers, and much, much more. According to Cliff Coen, owner of Fox Cigar Bar, the lounge is still a work in progress. The place already looks fantastic and I can’t wait to return to Fox Cigar Bar to see the final product.

Smoking our way into early Saturday morning with Wes Thornton of Crowned heads and Cliff, we headed back to the hotel to finally get some rest for the Saturday festivities. After a couple hours of rest, the wives were up ready to begin their shopping adventures and Tony and I were excited to get down to Fox Cigar Bar and enjoy what the day had offer.

Saturday was  turning out to be a beautiful day with the sun shining and the high being in the low 80’s.  At 1:00 manufacturers began to arrive and Fox Cigar Bar staff put up the final touches before the gates opened at 2:00 for Foxtoberfest 2013.

There was an unbelievable turnout at this year’s event. Those in attendance included Eddie Ortega from Ortega Cigar Company, Jose Ortega from My Father, Jesus Fuego from J. Fuego Cigars, Matt Booth from Room 101, Nish Patel from Rocky Patel, Fabian Ziegler from Drew Estate, Tony Gomez and Anthony Cantelmo from La Flor Dominicana, 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 Imports, Jeff Nolen from Oliva Cigars, and Glynn Loope from CRA.

Tony and I had an opportunity touch base with several manufacturers throughout the day.  Below, you will find highlights of the events but in no way does this encompass all of the day’s shenanigans.

Crowned Heads

Wes Thornton of Crowned Heads happened to be in the best shape when we arrived at Fox Cigar Bar Friday evening. While I am not sure of Wes’ official title, a blog post at crownedheads.com refers to his position as an ambassador of Crowned Heads who acts as a liaison between the company and their retail partners. Making our way to some open leather chairs, we sat down with Wes to shoot the bull and see what was in the works at Crowned Heads. One topic of discussion was the 2013 limited edition Headley Grange Drumstick. In Wes’ opinion, the Headley Grande Drumstick is the best cigar to come out of Crowned Heads to-date. The first shipment went out the previous Tuesday but had yet to arrive at Fox Cigar Bar the day of the festival.

The Crowned Heads booth showcased all three of their regular production brands: Four Kicks, Headley Grange, and J.D. Howard Reserve. A sampler made up of two cigars from each line above, named the 6 Shooter, was available for under $50.

Ortega Cigar Company

Making his second appearance at Foxtoberfest, Eddie Ortega, owner of Ortega Cigar Company, made quite the arrival with his Foxtoberfest exclusive cigar, appropriately named “The Fox”. Check out Tony’s review here. While The Fox was the talk of the event, the Ortega Serie “D” and Ortega Minis were also out on display. The Ortega Serie “D” has been a staple in my humidor since its release and I do not see that changing anytime soon considering the flavors and excellent price. And if you are looking for a great commuter cigar, I highly recommend trying out the Minis.

Tony and I were able to spend a good amount of time with the lady-killer throughout the day. While most conversation did not involve cigars, I did ask what his favorite cigar was in the Wild Bunch series. According to Eddie, Dandy McCoy (see Tony’s review here) ranks high up there. He even hinted of a possible continuation of the cigar after the completion of the Wild Bunch.

Cliff puts on a great yearly event and I’m very glad to be part of the manufacturers he invites. It was great event again this year, I think it just keeps growing and getting better every year. – Eddie Ortega

La Flor Dominicana

Tony Gomez and Anthony Cantelmo manned the LFD booth. For those unaware, Tony Gomez is Litto Gomez’s son. Also, you may be familiar with Anthony Cantelmo’s work at cigarbrief.com . Anthony was present at Foxtoberfest in 2012 but in a much different role, as an employee of Fox Cigar Bar. In Early 2013, he moved from Arizona to east Texas to start a new job with La Flor Dominicana as the Southwest Area Manager. Anthony must be a good salesman because he was able to get Tony Gomez to attend this year’s event. LFD has grabbed my attention this past year and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to grab the La Flor Dominicana Foxtoberfest exclusive cigar. The cigar sports a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Cameroon binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. Keep your eyes out for a review of this special cigar in the near future.

My impression was that it went really well and that the Folks at Fox are doing a fantastic job at creating a wonderful destination spot for cigar lovers in the Valley of the Sun. Our sales this year were great and we had a fantastic time making a special cigar to commemorate the festival. – Anthony  Cantelmo

I thought the event was just awesome. Mitch, Rob, Cliff, and the crew over there are top notch. You couldn’t ask for a better venue to enjoy a smoke & a cocktail with good company. It’s definitely an event worth going to. – Antonio Gomez

SAG Imports

Tony found his soul mate during the event, Mr. Terence Reilly of SAG imports.  Not only is Terence a cigar guys, but he is also a huge beer guy. As I smoked away, Tony and Terence lost themselves in conversation over beer. But for real, Terence is one of the most friendly, down to earth guys in the industry.

The SAG Imports table showcased the seasonally released Quesada Oktoberfest that first appeared in 2011. The cigar is blended to be paired with Marzen style beers that are enjoyed during fall season. Tony reviewed the 2011 release here and absolutely loved it. In conversation with Terence, he mentioned that while the 2011 and 2012 releases had very similar flavor profiles, he does note some profile difference in the 2013 release.

Foxtoberfest is an incredible event because it captures everything people enjoy about cigars. The store is incredible to begin with and has an amazing bar selection, and when you combine that with food music anda bunch of cigar lovers it creates an amazing atmosphere. – Terence Reilly

Room 101 Cigars

Just a few days before Foxtoberfest, Matt Booth of Room 101 was in our neck of the woods for an event at a local shop. It is extremely rare for El Paso to see individuals of his caliber from the cigar industry. Our busy schedules kept us from hanging out with Matt during his stay, but a couple of our smoking buddies stopped by. Chatting with Matt on Saturday, he mentioned that he really enjoyed El Paso. Hopefully, this is a first of many things to come for the cigar community in El Paso.

If you have ever met Matt you know he is quite the character with a quick wit. It was a good thing Tony had a few drinks in him because he was able to dish it back out. I on the other hand had to go hide in a corner.  For a $100, attendees could pick up a 10 pack of Room 101 cigars and an awesome ashtray. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I didn’t jump on the deal. I am kicking myself for that.

The cattle are dying, the answer is Room 101. – Matt Booth

Cigar Rights of America

Last year, Patrick Carr, Field Manager, managed the CRA booth single-handily. Whether it was from the great membership turnout the previous year or just not wanting to miss an awesome cigar and beer festival, Glynn Loope, Executive Director, made his way to Gilbert, AZ to enjoy the festivities, as well as represent an organization that is fighting for our rights to enjoy fine cigars.

If you are unaware, “Cigar Rights of America (CRA) is a national advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the rights of the Consumer, Retail Tobacconist, Supply Chain and Manufacturers of premium cigars. In an effort to combat the threats of enjoying, selling, and producing premium cigars, Cigar Rights of America serves as a voice at each level of government and with the public at-large on issues of significance to the industry as a whole, and the cigar consumers of America, specifically.”

I took the time to renew my membership at the event which only took a couple of minutes. The guys over at CRA were kind enough to throw in a travel humidor with the renewal. If you are not a member, I encourage you to sign up here.

CRA was well represented at this year’s Foxtoberfest, during the event we signed up over 75 new members and proceeds from the golf tournament also went to fight the battle to protect our rights to enjoy premium tobacco products. We would like to thank Fox Cigar Bar and its staff for allowing us to be part of this year’s event, Fox is a model B&M shop supporting CRA and our efforts to help protect our rights to enjoy premium cigars and keep our passion alive! – Patrick Carr, Field Manager

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.

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The post Foxtoberfest 2013 – Event Coverage (Post 1 of 2) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.