Cigar Blog

Mi Barrio El Forro
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Size/Strength: 7" x 48 / Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Estelí & Jalapa
Binder: Nicaraguan
Presentation: Box of 20 cigars

This week's selection is a cigar that is quite close to my heart. The Mi Barrio El Forro is a Churchill-sized, Nicaraguan puro made in limited edition by Don Jose Pepin Garcia. These cigars were originally distributed by E/O Brands (Espinosa/Ortega) at which time, they were very upmarket in price. The first Mi Barrio I ever smoked, The Puro, went for $250.99/box.

Here's a cigar I haven't smoked in a very long time, a La Gloria Cubana Serie R. I'd have to guess that it's been at least two years since I had my last. (I moved to the EPC Cigars line when Ernesto Perez-Carrillo started his new company.) In terms of flavor and blend, both brands are excellent, but have little in common other than the fact that Señor Perez-Carrillo was their original creator. All that aside, the Serie R I smoked recently was the stout little No.3, rolled in an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper leaf. To their credit, Yuri Guillen (GM), Leo Perazza (Master Roller), and "Team La Gloria" Director, Michael Giannini, have kept the La Gloria Cubana name strong and the quality high.

Iron Horse Robusto
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Size/Strength: 5" x 50 / Medium
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra Maduro
Filler: Dominican Cuban-seed Criollo '98 longfillers
Binder: Dominican Olor
Presentation: Boxes of 20 cigars & 5-Packs

Feeling impulsive? Sometimes it's fun to take a chance on something new, especially if the risk is low. Just off the boat from the Dominican Republic is the latest edition to our stable, Iron Horse cigars. Starting at under $48 a box* for the Robusto, Iron Horse offers superb quality and value. If you're looking for a good everyday cigar with plenty of flavor throughout, you'll find it in this selection.

With today being Veterans Day, I thought the following was worth posting. We get lots of requests from soldiers at the front asking us to donate cigars. Many of them even have their own makeshift cigar clubs. It just seems right, that in exchange for their service - literally putting their lives on the line for us here at home- we send them something they can use to help relax when they're not out on patrol. If you saw The Hurt Locker, then you have some idea of what they're dealing with over there. Unfortunately, not all of the requests can be fulfilled by retailers, but some cigar store owners have placed "Cigaars For Troops" boxes in their shops so customers can participate.

Earlier this month, Famous Smoke Shop donated cigars to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The following is a series of email correspondences from B Co. 45 BSTB, which is based out of Atlanta. A "care package" was also sent to a troop from Pennsylvania, though I have not yet heard from them.