Texas Hold'Em Up

The cast

The whore

Howdy, Wild Bull Hardcock reporting back on the poker evening last friday. The entire Tamaki Makaurau chapter was present, including overseas returnees Smidgen (Andrew) and Stands-with-a-Flush (Zach), whose prognosis of an impending 30th bday required repeated and large prescriptions of liquor inhalation.

Perhaps the highlight of our cast of characters was this beautiful young lady (Gl(wh)oria aka Hadley) and her enticing assets: a bottle of 25 yr old Glenlivet and a Montecristo A. I will not dwell on the matter of prostitutes and their extremely well lubricated gran coronas, but i sampled one (orally!) a couple of times over the night and the cigar was a cracker.

The occasion certainly broke the midwinter-weather-imposed cigar drought for me, as i had a record three cigars and would have moved onto a fourth had a storm not interrupted proceedings (i suspect it was sent by the all-knowing Ministry of Health). It's amazing how whisky cleans the palate, and my careful progression from a light Nub 464, through a strengthening Vegas Robaina Clasico, to a nuclear-powered Illusione Bombone left me with no regrets... i thoroughly enjoyed the lot of'em. That nicaraguan Bomb certainly lived up to my name.

Other cigars present were a lovely cafe creme flavoured Quai d'Orsay Panatela (def. not a whisky match), more than one Bolivar Petit Corona, and Joel's consolation Bolivar Gold Medal.

Many thanks to ¡Chupapoya! (Sam) for setting up the occasion.

¡Chupapoya! y Wild Bull Hardcock

Chupapoya trades in Injun for chips

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Dapper Dan caught in Gloria's fishnets

Stands-With-a-Flush with a Quai d'Orsay panatela

TV Cigar Hero of the Month

Mainly because he has hair all the way down the front of his deltoids/biceps and narrowly escapes death by termination. [Yeah i saw it on TV last night.]

After the cowboys, indian and Glwhoreria have gone their separate ways

Candice and I went out for some romance tonight - cigar, chilli chocolate denso and strolls down the Parnell boulevard... score















Cohiba Siglo I

JULY-August: the Deadwood Batch

Howdy partners,

A very late batch but a good'un nonetheless. Poker is the theme, poker requires heavy liquor, heavy liquor requires heavy duty cigars. So that's what you've got...

• Arturo Fuente Exquisitos x2: little brothers of the Hemingway Short Story but with a maduro wrapper. Very handy. 
• Cohiba Secretos: a repeat prescription at Sam's request, not quite a full batch but hey. The tobacco in these ones is so full-flavoured it could happily be joined with the heavy stuff.
• Illusione 68 Bombones: this little 4x44 calibre shell is a nicaraguan puro that packs a big wallop. Specifically made to embody the spirit of nicaraguan tobacco - good chocolatey sheepshit. OOMPH. You have been warned. 
• Bolivar Petit Corona: recently video reviewed  these are only a year old but well into their stride and definitely deserving of a fine scotch. Spectacular.
• Nub 464 Cameroon: 4x64 sounds big but with a cameroon wrapper these torpedos have a smooth smooth flavour that won't get in the way of your favourite tipple (reminder: take almost 2hrs to get through)
• Partagas 898: This Churchill Party ain't as strong as a Short, but it has almost Bolivaresque tinges to it that match well with light whiskies. Still young but rich flavours which are hopefully maturing nicely - been a half year since we first tried it. 

How a master blender arrives at the blend you love

This is some interesting reading on cigar blending.
http://www.tabacordillera.com/tobacco-blending.htm

In Cuba, this is how it works for a new cigar (dixit Rob at Czars):
Habanos s.a decide on a new concept for a cigar. TABACUBA (separate to Habanos s.a. and owner of the fields, processing houses and factories) is then commissioned to come up with the cigar. TABACUBA is briefed on the vitola and marque which immediately gives them the parameters for blend.

TABACUBA selects a team of approximately 40 of their most experienced people and holds a series of meetings to discuss the new cigar. The questions covered are along the lines of:

"What will be the essential characteristics of the cigar in order to remain true to the marque?"
"How will we define this cigar in terms of flavour?"
"From what districts will the tobacco for the blend be drawn?" (ie there are approximately 16 districts in the Vuelta Abajo region. Take San Luis, it has 22 sorting houses to handle the tobacco grown from that district alone).

The TABACUBA team will decide on two different blends and commissions approximately 200 cigars of each blend to be rolled by the finest rollers available. Once rolled they are tagged and bundled separately and aged for 1 month.

After the one month a tasting team is assorted of the best tasters available and a blind tasting of each cigar (each taster is given a pair of unbanded cigars) is completed to a strict tasting sheet. In the flavour profile the core flavours only are assessed such as :Salty, Sweet, Sour, Tannin, Acid. Additional comments can be made on other flavours such as coffee etc. The tasting sheets cover wrapper, combustion, aroma, body etc.

Only half the cigars are tasted at this first session. A second tasting takes place exactly one month later. Tastings take place between 9am - around 1pm. Only luke warm tea is available to cleanse the palate.

The notes are collated and assessed and if the results favourable...the blend is chosen and final cigars submitted for final approval by Habanos s.a.

The blend is only known by a select few at TABACUBA. It is written down. It is not disclosed to Habanos s.a.