Cigar Blog

Call it the best laid plans of cigars and men. When Famous Smoke Shop decided to move their headquarters and retail cigar store to a bigger and better location Murphy's Law predictably played a role in the process. In this case, it was Murphy's second law: Everything takes longer than you think. When the company moved all of its office personnel and equipment to the new address, the store was still under construction. Yet, within a week of the move customers began showing up looking to buy cigars. Cars would drive up, see that the store wasn't ready and drive away frustrated. That could only mean one thing: local customer dollars were being spent on cigars somewhere else.

Among the cigars I got to smoke this weekend were a La Gloria Cubana Wavell. I hadn't had one in quite a while, and I had just received a sampler of new EPC Carrillo cigars, so I thought it would be good to go back to one of Ernesto's classics and compare. I really enjoyed this cigar. It had a rich woody character, excellent balance, a dash of spice, and burned beautifully. Although Senor Carrillo moved on two years ago to start his new venture, the Wavell is still a well made and dependable medium-bodied smoke.

The next cigar I had was a La Flor Dominicana 2000 No.1 that I got in a La Flor Dominicana 2000 Test Flight sampler. I'm down to only a couple of sizes now, and frankly I thought this line extension would be better. They're not bad, just not great. However, so far, the No.1 has been the best of the bunch The construction is excellent with a semi- box-pressed shape, and the flavors were that of dark tobacco, sweet cedar, and notes of espresso in the later stages. The aroma was also well worth noting. I'm now looking more forward to the next one.

Cigar of the Week: Alabao by Perdomo Robusto

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Size/Strength: 5" x 54 / Medium
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Presentation: Box of 20 cigars

Alabao cigars have become one of my personal everyday favorites. Handcrafted in Estelí, Nicaragua at Tabacalera Perdomo, the base flavors are earthy, creamy, nutty and naturally sweet - just the way I like my morning smoke. The core consists of diverse Nicaraguan longfillers rolled in a silky Criollo Colorado wrapper. I also like the 54 ring gauge. It feels good in the hand and the sticks are well-packed, giving them some welcome added heft.

Fuente Feunte OpusX Perfeccion X
Size: 6 1/4" x 48 (en cedro)
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Dominican Habano
Filler: Dominican
Binder: Dominican

Some of the cigars I smoked over the July 4th Holiday weekend included a Gran Habano Triple Robusto, a Famous 70th Anniversary by Rocky Patel Robusto (one of the last), a Tabacos Baez Favorito, and finally, a special selection for the fireworks show on July 4th: A Fuente Fuente OpusX Perfeccion X that I've had aging in my humidor for about two years, which I paired with a Mike's Hard Lemonade.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Size/Strength: 6" x 56 Figurado / Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero
Binder: Nicaraguan
Presentation: Box of 24 cigars

Now THIS is a cigar of the week! Rated "96" by Famous Smoke Shop customers (and not surprisingly either), the Oliva Serie V "Ligero Especiale" Torpedo is, in a word, exquisite. I'm not much of a Torpedo smoker, but this cigar is one of my few exceptions. The blend is composed of all Nicaraguan-grown tobaccos, including a flawless Habano wrapper leaf.

What's most impressive about this cigar, as well as the other cigars in the line is, the smoke is so smooth and well balanced you really don't feel the potency of this cigar as you would with many full-bodied cigars that have an ample amount of Ligero. Oh, you may get a nice shot of peppery spice in the early puffs, but give it about half an inch and it's smooth sailin' all the way.