Category Archives: Smoke Thoughts

11/08/2012 · 10:26 PM

I brought out the big stick for this round of golf… The San Lotano Oval!

I have been looking for an opportunity to light up this smoke since we attended the San Lotano event. Becuase of its large size..I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time. What better place to bring this XL cigar then the golf course. san lotano oval cigar

The first thing you notice when you see this cigar is its extremely large size and unique shape. AJ Fernandez has created a cigar that is more than box pressed…its almost flat. This makes it very attractive to smokers that usually chew or bite their cigars. I am not one of them but I can see the thought process. The cigar has a great dark wrapper and nice appearance.  I could tell that I was going to definitely enjoy this cigar over the new smoke (The Pinolero) that is also made by AJ Fernandez.san lotano cigar

The initial puff was very nice and I could taste the nicaraguan and Honduran tobacco immediately. The Gordo is a huge ringe gauge (6.5 x 60) so I had no problem getting a pretty decent draw and lots of smoke. The flavors were pretty solid throughout. I found it to burn very even and slow…made it through almost 9 holes! Which means a lot.san lotano

The last part of the cigar was still enjoyable to me and continued to smoke well. Most of my reluctance was put to rest regarding this cigar when it comes to the actual tobacco. I probably will smoke a smaller size in the future. I just have a hard time enjoying the super large ring gauges as much as I used to. If you are a big fan of them then this is a great cigar to try.san lotano cigar

In conclusion… Jk Recommends you give the San Lotano Oval a try. I’m not sure if the large Oval is for everyone, but you can also look into one of their many other sizes.


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11/05/2012 · 11:25 AM

Tampa Sweathearts.. a good cheap bundle cigar!

Every cigar smoker I know is always looking for a reasonably priced bundle cigar. There are tons of cheap bundles that taste like their price..not good. My good buddy Danny has been telling me about the Tampa Sweathearts bundles for a while now. I finally got one from him this weekend (the No. 280).

tampa sweethearts cigar

www.tampasweethearts.com

I really enjoy  the premium, high quality cigars of the world… but there are certain occasions where you aren’t as picky. This can be when I’m  golfing, on the boat, or basically outside and dont have time to give a higher end cigar the proper attention it needs… I would grab one of these.

tampa sweathearts cigar The Tampa Sweathearts are made by memebers of the  Fuente family and use dominican tobaccos. Dominican tobacco has a very distinct taste to me. Most of the smokes , like this one, are nowhere as strong as the more popular nicaraguan made smokes that I prefer. But they still hold a very strong place in the cigar market for good reason.

Tampa sweetheart cigar

Dominican cigars are usually very smooth and pleasant to smoke.The Tampa Sweetheart was light but had good flavor. I would recommend these if you are having a event where you need plenty of extra smokes, especially if you have some novice smokers in the crowd.

cigars and tailgating

In conclusion… JK recommends.  I think this cigar definitely can find a place in your humidor for certain events. The prices are very attractive as well.. between $35 -$50 for a bundle of 20. Click here to check out their online store or stop by the main office/warehouse when in Tampa.


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11/02/2012 · 11:33 PM

The San Cristobal Elegancia.. one of my favorites

I have few cigars that make it into the “regular rotation”. This smoke has quickly made itself a staple in my humidor! (and my Top 10)

San Cristobal cigar review

Picture from www.ashtoncigar.com/San-Cristobal-Elegancia.jsp

I was a huge fan of the original San Cristobal when it was released. I love most cigars that come from Nicaragua..especially when the Garcia family are involved. When I first saw the new version,The Eleganica, I wasn’t sure if it was for me. It has a connecticut-seed wrapper, which is usually associate with light-medium bodied smokes. But I gave it a try and was very impressed. It is definitely more mild than it’s relative (the original San Cristobal) but still has tons of flavor.san cristobal elegancia cigar The cigar band has some slight modifications from the original, but is still one of the best looking presentations I’ve seen. The construction and draw are great. I’ve smoked several of these and they are super consistent. san cristobal elegancia cigar

In conclusion… JK highly recommends! Make sure you give this smoke a try. I have handed these out to several of my friends and have never heard a complaint. They are even a great change of pace for someone that smokes stronger sticks usually. I bring them along for certain occasions.. especially a round of golf (as seen above).


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11/01/2012 · 11:14 PM

San Lotano event.. Casselberry

I love when retailers host cigar events where one brand is featured. It gives you a chance to try new smokes that you may have missed and better yet…get more detailed backround from a company representative. Today I had the pleasure of attending the San Lotano event at Ol’ Times Cigars (Casselberry FL).

I have to admit that I have been very reluctant to try this company’s famous stick…The Oval. It has received several high ratings by different cigar publications and blogs… but my main deterent is the specific thing that makes it stand out.. its large oval shape. I used to be very drawn to these types of large ring guage cigars, but have changed my preference more recently. I think a lot of smokers go through this phase and end up realizing that some of the much smaller sizes pack the same punch. I went into today looking forward to finally lighting an Oval. Ironically, I ended up smoking a different blend that promised to be stronger…the Pinolero.  

I didn’t find the Pinolero to be that strong. It had a very consistent taste for me and was very smooth. I have a tendency to smoke extremely full-bodied cigars. This definitely influences my judgment.. as The rep Jeff mentioned. I didn’t pick up on a lot of the spiciness that most of the nicaraguan-made smokes are known for. This was Ok, because the cigar smoked perfectly and was very well-made.

I am still very interested in trying the Oval, and am glad my father was generous enough to purchase a few to enjoy at a later time. You’ll have to check back soon to get the verdict on that one.  Overall, The event was a success as always. Ol’ Times put on a great spread of food and drinks. The usual crowd was in attendance and there were plenty of great times and good conversation. 

In conclusion… Make sure you come out to the next cigar event in your area. You can check with your local cigar store for the dates or even go to the different company websites directly. AJ Fernandez Cigars (the owner of San Lotano) was very well represented tonight. I would highly reccomend attending one of their company specific events. Click here to see their upcoming events in your area.

 


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10/29/2012 · 10:14 PM

My secret to a perfect humidor… The Cigar Oasis

I started out like most beginner cigar fans..with a relatively small humidor. In the early days, I would smoke my small inventory rather quickly. Therefore, I never really saw the effects of keeping a good consistent humidor on my cigars. Once I purchased  a larger (50 count) model I began to to see how difficult this could be.

www.cigaroasis.com

I found myself constantly (almost daily) checking the humidor. What started as a fun hobby…became work. I was determined to find a better way to keep cigars over time without the hassle. That’s when I discovered the “Cigar Oasis”. This little machine took away all the aggravation and has never let me down. 

The Cigar Oasis is relatively compact. It has a paper-thin cord that slips right thru the crack of your humidor opening, which allows it to be plugged into a power outlet at all times. The top of the unit has a digital display that you can adjust and always reads the current humidity level of your humidor. I have a glass top humidor and can check this without even opening the lid. Click here to see more pictures of my setup. The original water cartridge lasted me a while. Whenever I see the humidity level drop, I simply remove the cartridge and add some distilled water. This usually keeps it going for at least a month. There is very little additional work and I receive many many compliments on the condition of my cigars… Especially the ones that have been aging over the years. 

 

In conclusion…. I highly recommend the Cigar Oasis for your medium to large humidors (Especially when storing cigars for longer periods of time).  I know that there are several local shops in my area (and I assume yours) that will carry the Cigar Oasis. If not then you can definitely find them online. Price is based on model size and ranges between $80 -$200.

 


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