In case you didn't believe the mule story

Hadley returns

There was a mule that trotted the globe. From the deep dykes of Holland to the golden strip of Vegas. There he discovered new pastures of grass in which he decided to bring some samples home. Thus, a humidor that I have been the caretaker of is now very much full. This mule's instructions were to enjoy these with all heretics that trot my way. Come and get'em!  

Twilit Intrigue - Diplomaticos no.4

Twilit as in twilight-ed. To celebrate wellington anniversary, and the remarkably still and clear evening that it has brought, I have sat down with one of the most intriguing cigars in my humidor. The last of its kind, that i have been saving to see how age would treat it. Absent wife, who is out gallivanting somewhere with a friend, I sat down to a rather pleasantly un-vegan meal with a bottle of otherwise prohibited pinot noir. A nice bitey, peppery, fruit and thymey, long lasting Central Otago pinot, which also happened to be a Peter Anderson-reject. It put me in the mood for a zesty tannin-full cigar, and the Dip 4 seemed to fit the bill. So i fired away on the deck after unleashing Paco de Lucia's Sirocco on the sound system.

Paco dentro de mi suenos ahumados

The two go together, Paco and Diplomatico that is, and not just because they rhyme (!). Both are rather stimulating and intriguing - food for the brain as well as the soul. El viejo Diplomatico ha comenzado con un aroma agradable, a biting, peppery, rich and intriguing mixture that really asks questions of your palate. It has all of the tannin and cedar zing that i remember, a quite unique flavourprint... there is no sweetness really, just a beautiful dry zest (white pepper to be precise) and the slightest hint of citrus, followed by a slightly sawdust and mushroom melange. Halfway through, it softens slightly, with more hay filling out the body. This really is one of those cigars that deserves regular retrohaling in order to get the most out of all of these peppers and spices. Onto Zyryab now, the next in the Paco canon... and the very last of the puro. The hay has a bit of a roasted barley (?) quality to it now, which clues me in to a drink match - a bitey young mild scotch (Tomatin 10 y.o. c/o my in-laws). It is almost extinction time now ... the roast is getting smoky and the cup bitter, like the last dregs of an espresso... we are rattling the dags here, but i will keep going for the sake of science. A lot of capsicum and ash in this last inch. E' la hora de la "cancion de amor", amor perdido, pero no olvidado... adios, pequenito corona!

Hogmanay

Fidel loves bringing in the New Year. 

Bonne Annee, bonne sante everyone.

The last Nov-Dec batch was late due to an unfortunate supply issue... Greg - the latest Passeur Heretique - will hopefully bring back our Australian stock (via France to NZ how ironic) end of January to resolve that. Also i got some a few in from the U.S the other day so there will be plenty of cigars you have never tried in the months to come.

The only new cigar in this batch was in fact a tiny flavoured cigarillo donated by said Sheep's Bane: the Wellingtonians got the vanilla ones and the Aucklanders the cognac ones. Will synchronise perfectly with your short black. Speaking of Wellingtonians, the unheard of 30+ degree heat and heavy humidity was a bit of a challenge over christmas, certainly slowed down my eating and smoking during the day. Makes you wonder how the Cubans smoke at all in their climate!  

It is worth noting that Hadley is leaving our shores for browner pastures across the Ditch (Melbourne) but will keep in touch. If someone has a better job offer for him, make it now and he might stay (does being a high class Escort for poker players pay better?). Also Michael from Whangarei is back after suffering withdrawal from too extended a period without the loving company of the fermented leaf... another place in NZ to drop in for a cigar with a fellow member. 

Enjoy your New Year's celebrations...

Christmas greetings from St Auban sur l'Ouveze, on this day of our Lord's birthday - a gentle reminder of the importance to live life to it's fullest before one runs out of puff or that he returns in a blink of the eye before one has finished one's last puff. I have nonetheless been reassured after reading the scriptures that some words have been mistranslated and failed to capture the full flavour of the meaning contained within. For example, the world 'life' is actually a brand of cigar and so when Jesus says, I came to give you life, and life to the fullest, he was referring to a heavenly cigar brand and the latter part of the phrase would have been better translated 'of the fullest flavour'. I haven't the time now to extend the bible study but will get back to you at a later date.

P.S. 1 The wine was being coaxed past room temperature as the room was a bit cool. The name of the wine was 'Domain du Faucon Dored made by Lou Sanglier (very 'alcoholise' at 15%) and the cheese that is being caressed by my loving lips, was Beaufort with delightful tangy notes found in a mature gruyere.

P.S. 2 I was surprised to see Louisa's birth year inscribed in the brickwork.

Greetings from the snow sprinkled land of St Auban sur l'Ouveze.

Jean-Michel and I decided to do some hunting and after an extensive stalk in Le Hangar, we showed this boy who could hunt.

Some talk about a lamb to the slaughter but this fellow had balls and wanted to go out in style. He was still smoking it when he lost his test tickets. I must confess that I let out a yelp when the knife removed them. The beast in his mouth was a Nicaraguan 'Bahia Blu'.When he ran out of puff, I did the decent thing and finished it off.

Greg (Le Chasseur).
P.S. Pleasant cigar with hints of 'mouton'. I found the end a bit soft - the previous puffer had done a 'Gloria' and salivered it up more than was necessary.

San Cristobal + Pairing drink

Finally the wet butt hole of Auckland shone some sun rays.

This required my lonesome self to take heed of a little cigar time and light up. It's been hit and miss over the few years of trying this San Cristobal but I thought out of all the choices available in my humidor, this would be the best choice for the Founders Fair Maiden Ale that I was keen to quaff to the blue sky bliss.

Not sure if it was the mood, the weather or the age of the cigar but this was delicious. The San Cristobal gave great warm and soft draws the whole way through, filling the mouth to blow out plumes of whitish grey smoke. First third was sweet light wood developing into its 2nd third of dry cocoa a lastly, a dominant chilli skin or capsicum skin which was strangely good. All of these flavours went really really good with the fine organic NZ craft beer. The beer kind of lined the mouth with a balanced bittersweet freshness for inviting the cigar to do its thing.

Here's a photo of my first attempt in growing tobacco and the pairing drink that served well for accompanying the cigar

fala lala laa! it's the season for golf

A quick pause during a great 18 holes of golf to get this nub doing it's thing yesterday. Hadley shot his personal best for the course with a cool 76 and coming in 2nd place was my very contestable 105 hehe. The nub went great - never going out between swings and swigs and was the perfect size companion to the golfballs seated in their holders of the cart.

Montecristo Especiales no.2

Joined my son in a cigar on his birthday. I chose an Especiales because i had nothing to drink and it was around lunch... performed well, definitely bigger in body and stronger in flavour than a couple years ago (still mild though). From memory, nice leathery Montecristo style flavours without the cocoa of the No.4, maybe a touch of oaky fruitiness. Enjoyable and smooth. Deserved some kind of drink especially near the end... I still wouldn't smoke it after a strong tasting meal. Overall this box has improved with age, a little, but my overall impression is that the tobacco for both filler and wrapper was not the tastiest ... luck of the draw. Hence why i now try to get our boxes from merchants who will open them up and select according to requirements... 

Nub 464 - Handstand

A beautiful smoke in the little out side section at Motel. It went well with the unpronounceable whiskey I had at the time.

Arnold's Secret

Not much to do with cigars but Arnie smokes them, bourbon can accompany them, and they were great penalty shots at our invercargill poker game. So by Triangulation it has everything to do with cigars.

Essay Writing on Labour Weekend

The question is, what cigar do I smoke to console myself for not being in Wellington this weekend?

Review from Stonetown

Sept-Oct Batch

• Arturo Fuente Exquisitos Maduro: Great way to taste maduro wrapper over a coffee break
• Illusione Bombones: Try before breakfast. Call Ambulance. Or enjoy it with an islay malt. Smoke now as they are full of flavours and like many american market cigars will get boring with age. 
• Montecristo Especiales no.2: is to the Bombones what fairies are to pirates. Smoke on a clean palate after light food e.g. Joel's salad review . Mar'09 box. 
• Rafael Gonzalez Coronas Extra: another '09 box - as old as the club so a third anniversary special. Waves of ever-changing flavours, complex and reaching maturity as in this review. Mushrooms, cream, cedar etc ... more of a port cigar. 
• Ramon Allones Specially Selected: the last of our veteran Mar'08 box. Restrained complexity absent the strength of its youth. Pair with light sweet whiskies e.g. i tried mine just recently with a Glendronach (selected after tasting almost a dozen other whiskies ;-). Give it a good send-off.