Batch de Abril-Mayo - Ageing considerations

 Welcome to Hadley who has joined us courtesy of Joel. Another one for the whisky fan club i gather!

• La Gloria Cubana Puritos x2
• Fonseca Cadetes or Hoyo de Monterrey du Maire: well known, i don't think the KDTs will do any better with age so sent the last few out now. Like the rest of 'em you will have to work on the draw...
• Por Larranaga Montecarlo: Another coffee cigar - quite mild - hoping these have lost some of the metallic tones by now. March '09 box.
• Montecristo no.4: Back to the classics... from newish Nov '09 box. Will be interested to hear how these are doing.  
• Ramon Allones Specially Selected: Great cigar last time out - how are they smoking now? ('08 box) Impressions follow.
• Bolivar Gold Medal: gold wrapper is one of its kind amongst cubans. Aug 09 box. Impressive appearance but will it be matched by good smoking at such a young age?

Bryan and the Partagas Serie D no.4

As usual you'll need to turn up the volume and the brightness to be able to see/hear my poor videos.

45mn - 1hr + smoke.
Vitola/Size: Robusto
Length 12.4cm Ring gauge 50.
Strength: Medium-bodied
Drink match: Port, Sherry, whisky at the end maybe...
Box date: April 2010

The Serie D no.4 is generally one of the fuller bodied cigars of this brand and exhibits all the typical Partagas profile - a balance between leather, cedar and rose woods, fragrance of wine berry, some light pepper, and a touch of honey and vanilla. This very young cigar is unusually approachable - almost too much so - and one would hope that with time it will develop into something bigger and bolder. Unlikely but possible. A very low maintenance example of the SD4 that is closer to the mild flavour of the Serie P no. 2. Enjoy it now.

February - March batch

First, I would like to welcome uncle Bryan (Greg's brother) to the club. Nau mai, haere mai ki te Hikari Hereteki o Aotearoa. As you can see above, Bryan is a warm and trustworthy gentleman who will make a great Heretic (he can also draw smoke with one ear and blow smoke-rings out the other - a talent reserved for audiologists).

As to this batch, apart from Bryan who has a special starters cocktail, these are the cigars you will receive.

• 2 La Gloria Cubana Puritos (cellophaned)
• Vegueros Seoanes: I have heard better things from many of you about these, and have shared a good one meself with Scott. Luck of the draw (ha ha).
• Ramon Allones Small Club Corona: these are fruity and smoking well now (box date May 2010 so very young).
• Trinidad Reyes - no need for introductions anymore, but this is a newer 09? box
• Montecristo Especial no.2: a special cigar and expensive to boot. Very mild, very rich, have it after a light meal, no strong drinks, and you'll see it is a gem. 
• Partagas Serie D no.4: this is pure Partagas flavour, robusto-style. Medium-Full body. This one is very young (Apr.'10) and I haven't tasted any of this box yet so you'll have to let me know!

Enjoy!

Chainsaws and Vegueros - Christmas in the Wild

 

Back before Christmas, Scott and myself Went Bush to go and find some christmas trees. Well ok, maybe that was just an excuse to go ape$hit with his chainsaw and scare some old ladies. The trick is to find the ones (pine trees not old ladies) that the Rangers haven't already cut down. We did get one in the end after getting sweaty traipsing round the hillside in hot humid weather.

Seeing as it was a heretics outing involving oily machinery, I took along a Vegueros Seoanes with a nice wrapper. As has been noted these have a leafy grassy green flavour to them with a hint of Unleaded 95 on the nose and a touch of 2-stroke motor oil on the arse. It was well suited to the occasion and more surprisingly was a smooth, palatable, and well-constructed cigar. You still have to be in the mood for the flavour profile on offer - fortunately for us, the chainsaw was revvin', the grannies a-screamin', and the 2 stroke smoke mingling with our own. Sweet harmony to the senses. Yeeahaarrr!

Byron's Eloge du Cigare

The Island by Lord Byron XIX.

But here the herald of the self-same mouth [60]
Came breathing o’er the aromatic south,
Not like a “bed of violets” on the gale,
But such as wafts its cloud o’er grog or ale,
Borne from a short frail pipe, which yet had blown
Its gentle odours over either zone,
And, puffed where’er winds rise or waters roll,
Had wafted smoke from Portsmouth to the Pole,
Opposed its vapour as the lightning dashed,
And reeked, ‘midst mountain-billows, unabashed,
To AEolus a constant sacrifice,
Through every change of all the varying skies.
And what was he who bore it?–I may err,
But deem him sailor or philosopher.

Sublime Tobacco! which from East to West
Cheers the tar’s labour or the Turkman’s rest;
Which on the Moslem’s ottoman divides
His hours, and rivals opium and his brides;
Magnificent in Stamboul, but less grand,
Though not less loved, in Wapping or the Strand;
Divine in hookas, glorious in a pipe,
When tipped with amber, mellow, rich, and ripe;
Like other charmers, wooing the caress,
More dazzlingly when daring in full dress;
Yet thy true lovers more admire by far
Thy naked beauties–Give me a cigar!

Heresy at the Home of Cricket

Yes my good man Scott kindly took me along to see some test cricket courtesy of free tickets he got from someone. I had forgotten how relaxing it can be to wile away the hours... bodies strewn on the green grass beneath a blue sky... men in white occasionally stirring in the middle... small crowd milling about as if on a mass cannabis prescription. Monday cricket at the Basin.

Perfect for large cigar smoking in fact. A little bit of smuggled port to top it off and 'all is for the best in the best of worlds'.

The toes come in handy for holding those big Punch Double Coronas as you lie on the grass verges at the cricket.

As you can see we shared a Punch DC, and like many of the big cubans it shines by virtue of its mildness and balance. Predominant cedar with a touch of wood. All the way through... no surprises. Perfect in the context. Well matched by a port. Must've taken at least one wicket to get through - on a flat pitch, with sturdy no-nonsense Pakistani test batsmen, and no real strike bowlers, that's a looong time. Long live summer.

Tasting some birthday Punch

Four and a half heretics, some good wine and a punch double corona


You get the cool guy.....


The " wooah I'm seeing double corona rainbows" guy.....


And the "what's he doing" guy.

But after 50something years of it you get the.....


Say no more, it's my Birthday guy.

Christmas-January Batch

Christmas for Communists: Fidel spelling it out in front of the Star of Bethlehem and Marx

Seasons Greetings to you all, my fellow Heretics!

Fidel may have banned Christmas in 1969, but he reinstated it in honour of the pope in '97, so I think we're allowed to have a good smoke to celebrate.
 
My right hand man Sam has returned, but to the Wrong Side of the Bridge, and as Greg is away I've sent him the latest batch, so he's the go-to man for your christmas smokes.

They are:

• La Gloria Cubana - Puritos: little cellophane-wrapped cigarillos
• Oliva Serie G: little nicaraguan nipples.
• Fonseca KDTs: rice-paper wrapped coffee cohort joys (when they draw! you might need to poke'em a bit)
• Ramon Allones Small Club Coronas: not as strong as their big brothers the Specially Selected, in a handy format and with a fruity flavour.
• Cohiba Secretos: very expensive, luxurious small cigars, maduro wrapper aged 5 years and filler 3 before they even roll them, rich chocolatey flavours, beautiful dessert smoke. 

and ... drumroll ...

some Punch Double Coronas, well aged, the largest mainstream format and 2 and a bit hours of smoking pleasure. Now, as they are really quite expensive, and Hugenormous, they are to be shared in the spirit of christmas, one for every two heretics. So i'm hoping you'll get together and share on chugging duties. Would be good for poker, watching the ashes, or a very intricate board game (axis and allies?).

Video - Rolling a cigar

Note: the next batch is ready, i just need to pop it in the post. Greg's going away so sending it to Sam on the North Shore, he should have it next week so you have something to smoke over the christmas hols...

Hoyo du Maire in Oruamotoro

Yes this is the kind of weather we've all had recently... long may it continue. Scott is there enjoying our 10am cigar date at the beach, we sat together on the edge of the water, romantically, and contemplated the generous flavours of this exquisite little cigar... cedar, nuts, cinnamon, something sweet, even a bit creamy. Pity that this box of '98s has to finish at some point...

Make believe French

Ja tem! ja ma pal Jowell! bon jore!
That's about as French as we could get smoking this cigar.

Quai d'Orsai

Nice

Quai d'Orsay Panatela

25-40mn smoke.
Size: Ninfa
Length 17.8cm Ring gauge 33.
Strength: Medium-bodied
Drink match: anything light. cafe creme.
Box date unknown.


Brand History:
The story begain in 1974 when the newly elected President of the French republic, Valéry Giscard d' Estaing, convoked his Minister of Economy and told him that he was very interested in creating a new cigar for the French market. The President said,"France is known the world over for its Perfumes,its Champagne, its Foies Gras, its Haute Couture, but nothing in the field of tobacco". In short, he asked that work would start on creating a new cigar for France made in Cuba.

Together with the help of friends at "Cubatabaco" in Cuba, they started to develop the Ligas that would make up the blend of this new cigar that Belaubre called, Quai d 'Orsay, after the name of the street where the Ministry of Foreign affairs is located in Paris. Quai d' Orsay was now
ready to join the very select club of Cuban cigar brand names that were not of cuban origin, along with Dunhill and Davidoff. The success of Quai d'Orsay was such that Seita and Cubatabaco
extended the brand in other small niche markets around the world. Since 1992,with the end of the Cuban brands Davidoff and Dunhill, Quai d' Orsay is the only brand left in Cuba with a non- Cuban name. Quai d' Orsay has a uniquely medium taste with its characteristic notes of honey, nutmeg and hints of café cream and leather.

Rice Dreams (Fonseca Cadetes)

Its a Thursday evening after work, its drizzling and I'm thinking cigar. I open the chest and pull out a little hoyo cafe cigar. Why a little one? I put it back and decide a review on our latest batch would be better. Besides, I got time. Was keen on a coffee so seeing that the Fonseca was listed good with; I thought good idea...
First look. some kind of funny yet elegant disguise. Remove. Check. Band went with the paper.

Clip and Smell. Could be the reason why the paper is there because once removed, it gave an exciting aroma of cigarness. Soft and lingering.

Size. Fits between the fingers. Almost like the size of my 'up yours' finger. Good size between the teeth. Nibble, slobber, roll around with ease.

Pre-light Draw. Sweet.

Light my fire. Won't go into much detail about the experience because I felt it was a good consistent full tobacco flavour with a smooth mellow taste the whole way through. Good draw right at the start then hit a tight knot like puff of about five in the first section then went back to that pleasant draw for the rest. Complexity was not there and if anything picked up almonds and earth.

Conclusion. Lovely evening stroll smoke after an espresso with bit more time than a little 15 minute pinner. I would give it a 7.0 but with the prezzie paper giving you so many options......
Using every part of the cigar......
I think it deserves a big 8.0

My Goodness ... My Bachilleres

I had to think long and hard before going out to smoke tonight ... reason being, it's a cold, dark night in Wellington. A southerly is blowing straight up from the frigid bowels of Antarctica, and relentless roar of the waves pounding the harbour shores is interrupted only by the occasional bout of hail on the tin roof. Charming. I pick out a cigar, then on reflection, I substitute it for one half its size. Time to head out onto the deck, silently thanking the good Lord for the hill sheltering our house.

The object of my attention is a Sancho Panza Bachilleres, one of a dozen obtained for my cigar club (box date unknown but this looks like a circa 2000 vintage). I've just realised the irony of this choice considering that my wife and baby have just landed in Heathrow - bachelor, indeed! (albeit in another sense of the english term)

Pre-light: the wrapper is odourless and rustic but an agreeable shade of brown. The cigar feels tightly rolled, especially at the head. A quick draw confirms this tight-arsedness, as well as, appropriately, a hint of sheep dung and earth. I nestle it close, as much for the warmth as anything else, and fire it up.

From the get-go this lil' feller proclaims his intentions loud and clear - a big dose of cedar and some leather, a touch of white pepper spiciness through the nose, and a trademark underlying body of salty earth. Altogether encouraging, and as a taste package, somehow comforting. I lean forward to avoid the latest bout of hail and massage out the knot at the head of the cigar with a degree of success.

Coming into the second third, and a dose of herbal remedies livens things up - the pepper has turned green and the smoke has developed a grassy quality to it. What I presume to be ligero is showing its colours somewhat, without dramatically altering the main body. Somewhere after the halfway mark there is a marked shift towards a hearty meal - as if someone had just pulled a shepherd's pie out of the oven, it becomes all meaty, yes we are talking mincemeat here (lamb mince to be precise!) mixed in with a hint of sheep dung and liver - haggis anyone? An ever so slight sweetness, which may have been present in lesser quantities at the start, is now developing around the edges with a cinnamon-like quality. There is a sudden injection of charred paper - ah yes, that would be the band burning, get it off, you twit - but apart from that it remains pretty much the same until the nub. In sum, a core melody of cedar, leather, salt, earth all the way through; and ligero grassiness tuning in but quickly replaced by the hearty meatiness of an honest man's meal.

I must say I was surprised to really enjoy this cigar, it was unexpectedly complex (which for me confirms my decade old hypothesis), and it lasted a decent while too as it was packed to the gunnels with tobacco. I would give it an A verging on A+ or a solid 8.5 out of 10: given the prevailing conditions, it did everything that was asked of it; but then trumped that with surprising complexity and evolution of flavour. Of greater note in the annals of cigar smoking - or at least, the irish ones - is that it's the first cigar i've really enjoyed combined with Guinness. The creaminess and slight bitterness of the latter married well with the salt, meatiness, and general un-fruitiness of the Bachilleres. I've had both separately before, but in combination, it was my revelation of the night. Now, time to get off to bed and enjoy the other bit of my newfound, temporary,bachelorhood: sleeping in without a child to wake me up three times in the night and then once and for all at 5am. Yippee !!



25-40mn smoke.
Size: Franciscano (yes like the monks)
Length 11.6cm. Ring gauge 40.
Strength: Medium-bodied
Drink match: anything. but Guinness is good for you.
Box date unknown.

Brand info:
Named after the rustic squire to Don Quixote in Miguel de Cervantes' famous 1605 novel of the same name, this very old brand was originated by Emilio Ahmsted in 1848. It is much admired for the larger sizes in its range, including the enormous Sanchos (23.5cm x 47!)

[Sancho acts as squire to Don Quixote, and provides comments throughout the novel, known as sanchismos, that are a combination of broad humour, ironic Spanish proverbs, and earthy wit. "Panza" means 'belly']

Clint meets Churchill

I thought I'd try my luck at two competitions with one cigar. Firstly, some Dirty Harry night-time bike repairs. A man's got to let off some steam after a day of police work.

Secondly, the pillar of ash. Romeo & Julieta Churchill. I think we did pretty well with the length here.

Cigar notes.

Draw- a good 8/10. Good for a cigar this size. Doesn't come of it's own accord but comfortable effort is required.

Size- Just right. Max limit on diameter for my taste. I enjoy giving it a good nibble and slobber to soften it up.

Ash retention- Prize-worthy.

Tastes- cinnamon/pepper and all things spice. Sweet/savoury kind of dance on the tongue. Wood fire oven. A hint of something Chinese but I can't figure out what. A green vegetable taste [eg. courgette, peppers] but not leafy, not grassy. Smooth.

Drink- Aberlour 10 y/o scotch. Very soft and dry with fruity aromas of early autumn (especially pear). The softness of the whisky was accentuated by the cigar. I had more whisky later- on its own and with chocolate- and it was much harsher. Perfect complement. The cigar made the whisky taste great.

The ash fell off eventually.

But let's not forget its former glory.

[Ed.: The facial expression reminds me more of this guy Aahnie than Clint...check it out!]