Part Four, the final chapter. Lots of great discussion here about tasting cigars off the bench and envisioning how they will taste as they age, too many 90 plus ratings? Joya de Nicaragua in the 1970′s, more advice for bloggers and the benefits for manufacturers. Cigar technology, dying of cigars, consumer education, sorting tobacco, seed variety, the decline of Cuban cigars, aging cigars and props to Rolando Reyes Sr. and Dion Giolito.

I hope you all have enjoyed the interview. This one is probably my favorite so far and not because of Pete Johnson but because of the expertise of George Brightman. Funny story, one day I called W.Curtis Draper-Bethesda expecting to talk to Paul Spence. George answered the phone and asked for Paul but he was away. George asked if he could help me and I said I’d just call back. I immediately sent John Anderson a text that said “who the fuck is George at Bethesda?” Little did I know of George’s background in the industry. Online retailers may have better pricing on cigars but it is the local retailers who offer something that is priceless.

This is Part Three focusing on questions from the audience. Is Pete still having fun? Times of crisis? Experience working with The Garcia Family. Second guessing blends, more info on Little Monsters, and blogger’s responsibility in the industry? Note to self, gotta invest in a third microphone for audience use.

Same format as an An Evening with Benji Menendez and An Afternoon with Ernesto Perez Carrillo. This weekend Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars was in Washington DC and Bethesda MD celebrating the start of W.Curtis Draper 125th Anniversary year with the release of the Cabaiguan WCD 120 Redux. Towards the end of the afternoon, Pete and George Brightman (W.Curtis Draper-Bethesda) sat down and talked about Tatuaje Cigars and the cigar industry in general.

This is Part Two of Four and has a lot of great content. The story of La Verite, the “romance” in the cigar business, a Tatuaje farm, who is to blame for current pricing, could the cigar industry self regulate itself, the golden age of cigars and an explanation on fermentation.

Same format as an An Evening with Benji Menendez and An Afternoon with Ernesto Perez Carrillo. This weekend Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars was in Washington DC and Bethesda MD celebrating the start of W.Curtis Draper 125th Anniversary year with the release of the Cabaiguan WCD 120 Redux. Towards the end of the afternoon, Pete and George Brightman (W.Curtis Draper-Bethesda) sat down and talked about Tatuaje Cigars and the cigar industry in general.

The discussion between Pete and George totals about two hours. To make the experience manageable and thus, enjoyable, I will be breaking the footage into four, thirty minute clips.

It’s pretty interesting to note that this celebrates five years of the 20 Minutes with Pete Johnson series of videos here on Stogie Review. So first I want to thank Pete for always being giving with his time. Secondly I want to thank W.Curtis Draper for giving me a home to record for the past five years. This series of videos has turned into a tradition that I hope continues for many more years to come.

In this interview Pete talks about the special release he does for W.Curtis Draper called the WCD 120 Redux. The WCD 120 Redux celebrates Draper’s 125th Anniversary and is based off a Cabaiguan cigar Pete did for W.Curtis Draper 120th Anniversary. Pete also talks about some of the projects we can look forward to in 2012. Most notably the addition of a Little Monster Series as well as an update on the next two releases of the Moster Series and the status of the next La Verité. Pete also takes some time to talk about the La Dueña, a cigar he blended for Janny Garcia, as well as many other things like his most underrated line, Saints and Sinners, Para Ti and FT114…

If the above video isn’t enough for you, stay tuned the rest of the week as I post footage from a two hour discussion between Pete Johnson and George Brightman (Cigar Aficinado fame). It’s a must watch especially for any of my fellow bloggers as they take time to discuss our role in the industry.

In a past Humidor Diving video, I spent a bit of time digging around in an old cooler searching for a Camacho Negro that I purchased a few years back. In my search, I came across an old Camacho SLR. I set that cigar aside and planned to feature it sometime later. That time has come.

I don’t know precisely how old the Camacho SLR is but there are a couple of points of reference. As you can see in the photo above, the cigar is sporting the old school bands. I don’t recall when the switch was made to the more trendy bands, but it has been a couple of years. The price tag on the Tubo listed the single stick price of $6.50. The Cigar.com pricing on a single is $7.10, without the tube, so we are looking at probably a $1.00 increase in price over however many years it has been since my purchase.

There was trouble from the very beginning. The wrapper exploded under my, apparently dull, Palio Cutter. Since the camera was already running, I opted to smoke through it until the wrapper was too mangled to manage anymore.

To my surprise, I was able to smoke the cigar down beyond the band. Don’t get me wrong, it was absolutely hideous, but smokeable. Smoke volume was hit or miss due to the cracked wrapper but the cigar burned well.

The flavor profile was mostly woody with waves of sourness coming and going. Age did not seem to help this cigar. It was a shell of its former self. The power in this stick, that made me grin in anticipation so long ago, was weak and disappointing. I’ll most definitely smoke the Camacho SLR again but it will be something a bit ‘fresher’.

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Purchase Fool in The Rain by Led Zeppelin (Music in the video)

Yes, my head is cut off on most of it. Some may say that is a good thing.

I hope you enjoy the review and as always, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. If everyone who dm’d, pm’d, emailed or even called me about this unit leaves a comment, I may have a new record.

The Padilla Black Bear seems to be one of those Cigars International and Cigar.com exclusives based on the popular Padilla Series 1968 blend. While I can’t confirm its the same binder and filler as the Series 1968, the Padilla Black Bear does have the popular Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper in the ever popular 6×60 size. Typically not a size I enjoy but lately I’ve been coming across blends where the 6×60 format actually works. At $7 a single you definitely appear to be getting a bargain. Highly rated 1968 blend in a 6×60 format with a killer Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. On the surface you have all the ingredients for a great cigar.

Video runs a little under 11 minutes and I found the Padilla Black Bear to be less than the sum of it’s parts. Like I said above, on the surface everything sounds great but the devil is in the details. There wasn’t anything that really brings the flavor profile together. Sure the slight pepperiness, sweet coffee and nutty flavors were delightful and until the end, nice and smooth. But I found myself tasting a spattering of flavors that didn’t really taste like it was a blend of flavors working together. Add to that the constant relighting and constant touch ups made for a less than enjoyable and definitely not a relaxing experience. Cigar smoking is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable and not meant to feel like a chore. Smoking the Padilla Black Bear felt more like a chore. I spent more time babysitting the cigar than I did actually enjoying it. $7 sounds like a great bargain but it really felt like I spent $14. $7 for the cigar and $7 on butane to keep it lit. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose…in this instance, the Padilla Black Bear was lost on me.

Several years ago I was a proud member of the Club Stogie community. Club Stogie was a popular cigar forum, with a large member base, that was ‘newbie’ friendly. The community has since been purchased and folded into a larger community, which is nothing like it used to be, however, it was there that I got my feet wet in trading cigars. My eyes were opened to a variety of cigars that I couldn’t buy locally and I found my luck far better than blindly selecting cigars from the vast offerings of online retailers.

When I wasn’t trading cigars or participating in box passes, I was reading up on what the new ‘hot cigar’ was. I recall reading about this new cigar on the market from Famous Smoke Shop, the Famous Nicaraguan 3000. It was a Nicaraguan puro that was offered as a once and done run. When the stock was exhausted, there would be no more.

Cigars were packed in naked five-packs and bundles with a low price point. There was a craze that rippled through the forum and everyone was buying up this inexpensive gem. I was one of the people that loved it and did my part in buying up the limited stock.

Even after the supplies were exhausted, demand was high and Famous came out with a second batch that they claimed took a lot of work for them to get ahold of. Those sold out and what do you know, a third batch hit the market.

By the time the third batch was released, interest began to taper off. While I didn’t personally buy any of the later releases, I recall people claiming that each subsequent release was less and less like the original.

While digging around in one of my coolers, I came across what I can only imagine is my very last Famous Nicaraguan 3000, from that original release. I thought it would be fun to fire it up and see how it held up with more than five years of age.

The video below features a cigar that is practically extinct. The chances of you stumbling onto one of these cigars is virtually zero. The suppose the purpose of this review is for entertainment and nostalgia.

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Well my friends I seemed to have forgotten to save the written part of my review for this Nat Sherman Timeless so you will be stuck with the video for this one.

I will tell you if I would buy it again. YES I would love to try more of all the sizes to pick the one I like the most but with the strength on some of them, I doubt I would smoke it all the time.

The story behind the Humo Jaguar is a simple one. The story goes that during the Honduran Cigar Festival this blend by Nestor Placenia was judged by 200 or so judges as the best blend of the Honduran Cigar Festival which I hear bears the same name as the cigar. Fast forward to IPCPR 2011 and the blend makes an appearance at the Miami Cigar booth. The Humo Jaguar is a Honduran puro with all of it’s elements (wrapper, binder and filler) originating in Honduras. Available in three size one of which, the 5 x 52 Robusto, I’m reviewing.

Video runs a little over 12 minutes and as my friend and former blogger, now turned marketing peep at Miami Cigar, Barry Stein would say, blew me away. Not an easy cigar to find and I ended up ordering from one of those “dirty” online retailers for $2 cheaper than I could find anywhere through local channels. We beat up online retailers and beat the drum about buying from your local B&M but hey…$2 cheaper! The Humo Jaguar shined with flawless construction and deep palate penetrating pepperiness that transformed into a rich sweet nutty flavor as I approached the halfway point. Beautiful bouquet of aromas that gave off a pleasant fruity/citrus notes that lingered even with me smoking outside. Double digit price tag thats well worth the price even if you don’t buy online.

One good thing about Cigar Aficionado’s Annual Top 25 List is that it occasionally puts the spot light on a popular cigar that we may have overlooked over the years. The La Reloba Seleccion Sumatra by My Father Cigars is one such cigar we’ve overlooked. Brian reviewed the La Reloba Seleccion Habano when it was released in 2010 and I reviewed the La Reloba Seleccion Mexico when the La Reloba line expanded in 2011. Some how we managed to review one of the original releases and the first extension but overlooked the La Reloba Seleccion Sumatra when it was released along with the Seleccion Habano. All three versions of the La Reloba feature the same binder and filler and as I’m sure you’ve figured out, the only difference between the trio are their wrappers. This Seleccion Sumatra features an Ecuadorian grown Sumatra wrapper.

Video runs a little over 10 minutes and to be completely honest. Its a winner. Its nice to have choices. Its nice to have an affordable cigar and not have to sacrifice construction, complexity or balance. The La Reloba Seleccion Sumatra doesn’t have that kick you in the nuts peppery blast that we’ve grown accustomed to from My Father Cigars. Its there but all things being equal, its not on the same level…and thats a good thing. Like I said, its nice to have choices. I’ll have to revisit the Seleccion Mexico and give the Seleccion Habano a try but right now, the La Reloba Seleccion Sumatra is a winner with it’s fuller body and complexity that you typically don’t find in this price range.

Wrapper : Ecuadorian Habano
Binder : Nicaraguan
Filler : Dominican
Source : Sent as a blogger sample from Altadis

Welcome to my first cigar review of 2012. I figured I would do something a little special for all my fans so we are going to take a look at the Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition.

I received this as a blogger sample from Altadis.

This cigar comes in only one size, a 6×60 box press and is only available in New York City.

MSRP is $14 so with your New York taxes….we will just say OUCH and hope they get that taxation under control soon.

Pre-Light

*this part was not on the video as I had to do a take two and forgot to do it*

Giving this Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition a once over and the wrapper is beautiful with hardly and veins showing at all. I get a bit of a barnyard and chocolate scent from the wrapper and kind of a sweet hay on the foot.

*this is all that was missing from the video, the rest is there*

I decided to punch this cigar.

Flame on!

First Half

Starting off this Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition and the main tastes are a leathery coffee right off the bat. Very nice open draw too.

Definitely a hit you in the face wood flavor coming through at around the inch in mark. Also getting some of the coffee but more of a sweetened coffee rather than black and some spice.

Draw started to tighten up as I got close to the end of the first half so I went ahead and clipped the cap. Draw is now again very nice.

Flavors have really intensified with the leather up front along with a little bit of a spice. There is still a small hint of coffee, the sweetened kind with cream but it definitely a lot less potent than the leather taste. There is also a bit of a musty taste. I really do not know how to classify this but it seems when I say a cigar has a musty type taste others say honey. I do not eat honey so I am just guessing so you will have to try it yourself to see.

Second Half

Diving into the second half of this Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition and I would say we are about a medium cigar at this point. Still a good slathering of leather and the spice started to hit the tongue a good bit. Most of the coffee taste has gone away, what little was still there, and more of an earth taste has crept in.

I am not getting that musty/honey taste any more either.

Have a pretty large hardened char piece on the one side of the cigar that I will try to get on camera. I would love to know what causes this.

This did not happen with the first cigar I smoked and since I really do not know what causes it, I do not know if it is a manufacturing issue, tobacco issue, or my fault.

There was a little bit more harshness in this last part but it may be due to that piece.

Musty/honey taste is coming back into the cigar and making it a bit less harsh right now. Still getting the leather and earth along with a tangy spice.

Medium body with full flavor for this cigar.

Wrap-Up

Would I buy it again? Very rarely. With a price at $14 then add on New York’s ridiculous taxes and it is just out of my ability to buy on a regular basis. Plus I live in Pennsylvania. It would make a great special occasion cigar or having a box in your humidor would be a great conversation piece especially if you live in the Big Apple.

As many of you know, I had to send the RabbitAir back so I ended up snagging this at my local Sears to replace it for now.

This unit cost a bit over $300 and actually has a higher CADR rating than the RabbitAir did.

I will be doing a full review of this unit in the coming months and since I will never have to send this unit back, I hope to do a longer term review on how long the filters lasted, etc.

That’s it, enjoy the teaser/unboxing video and I will return next week with a cigar review.

P.S. If you get motion sick it is not my fault, it’s Brian’s.

Five years ago (probably more than that, actually) I was looking around for a cigar called Havana Sunrise. A friend of mine was in love with the cigar and wanted to do a box split. I found them for roughly $60 per box so I placed an order and we broke up the box. Not long after that I ordered another box for myself. The remaining few cigars in that second box were set aside and forgotten about.

I dug that box out a couple of months ago after talking to Loren Gomez on Google+ and smoked one for old times sake. Ever since then I’ve been meaning to record a Short Ashes style review to talk about that cigar. As it turns out, the cigar has been re-blended since my purchase and isn’t even produced by the same manufacturer. Even so, I thought it would be fun to fire up the camera and talk about it.

The years in the cooler have been good to this old cigar. It remained mild to medium in body with a medium flavor intensity, much like I remember it. If anything, I think the age may have smoothed it out ever-so-slightly. The flavor components were wood and pepper with occasional tastes of salt and spiciness. Construction was solid but the the draw was just a little tighter than I prefer.

Considering what I paid for this cigar several years ago, I think this was a great buy. I’m sure the price has gone up over the years but if the new blend is close and the price is under $4.00 per stick, I think this is one promising bargain cigar.

The video runs about thirteen minutes and gets kind of comical at times. I was in my car while doing the review and on more than one occasion the camcorder went flying off of my dashboard. There are even a couple remarks made to myself about not knowing where I’m going (was taking a “short cut” to the highway after completing my first errand of the day).

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Wrapper : CT Shade
Binder : Mexican San Andreas
Filler : Dominican/Mexican
Source : Gifted from Rob Griff

Cigar

Not going to be a big write up today as it is Christmas Eve and watching my video on the Macanudo Vintage 1993 Number I is so much better than reading my drivel.

I will say I think the cigar has sat too long and lost a lot of flavors because if this is how it tasted in the beginning, nobody in their right mind should have paid that much for it.

Flavors – spice and natural tobacco.

Now I ruined the video.

As you can see this was up a bit late but I hope you still enjoy it.

Have a Merry Christmas!

P.S. I still love you Apple people.

Introduced at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show is the Undercrown by Drew Estate. Jonathan Drew gave us one of the most enthusiastic interviews we’ve ever had on the site and the Undercrown was one of my top cigars that really impressed me at the show. Its hard to believe no one has beat me to reviewing it. The story of the Undercrown is well documented. If you think the Undercrown is made with the left over scraps from the Liga Privada then you are wrong. The best I can tell you is lets say Liga Privada uses one part of the tobacco plant say viso, well Undercrown might use the seco part of that same tobacco plant. Same plant with Liga Privada and Undercrown using different leafs.

It’s really unfair to compare the Undercrown to the Liga Privada line (although I do in the video). They both are two unique stellar blends from Drew Estate. It’s like comparing apples to pears. Yeah they are both fruit and have similar fruity characteristic but both bring something unique to the table. The same is true for the Liga Privada vs. Undercrown. Its all about the mood you’re in. Sometimes you’re not in the mood for a Liga Privada experience but want something different, simpler but not sacrifice balance or flavor. I think the Undercrown is a winner and has been something I’ve been stocking up in my humidors. Ligar Privada is great and the Undercrown is equally as great. You can’t go wrong with either!

Wrapper : Nicaraguan Habano Corojo Hybrid
Binder : Nicaraguan
Filler : unknown mix
Source : received as a sample from ghcigars

I am finally back and able to do a cigar review for you! This week I have the G.A.R. Opium S.T.K. This cigar is available in one size (6×52) and in a limited production run of 1000 boxes at specific retailers.

I was sent these direct from Gran Habano Cigars so there you have full disclosure.

I will also point out, like I did in the video, that I was sent three of these cigars. When I smoked the first one it went without a hitch. I smoked the second one that

was plugged from hell and it exploded at about two and a half inches into it and with how far it split, there was nothing to be done to save it so I am basing my review off of the first cigar’s notes and this third one.

Pre-Light

Giving this G.A.R. Opium S.T.K. the once over and I don’t notice very many veins while the wrapper has a matte feel to it.

Snorting (I know, I will try and limit these puns) up the wrapper gives a nice barnyard hay scent while the foot has a very mild tobacco smell to it.

Putting the lighter to the foot and away we go.

First Half

Taking a few puffs on this G.A.R. Opium S.T.K. and I am met with a spice right up front that almost cools the mouth when you breath in. I also get a leather taste.

An inch into the cigar now and the taste has definitely changed to a wood and spice taste.

Flavor is switching between wood and leather almost for each puff. It is actually nice. It is a pretty dry smoke in that it is really drying out my palette and making me drink a bit more than normal while smoking.

Rounding out the first half is mainly the leather and wood along with a background of sweet spice and maybe a medium body. I was expecting this cigar to be a full bodied smoke but so far it is just a medium and towards the low end at that.

Second Half

Toking (I know, I know, I am trying to refrain) into the second half with the wood and leather flip flopping and some spice in the background.

Power has ramped up to a high medium or low full already. First cigar ramped up a bit before the halfway point while this one took till after and ramped up a lot faster. Getting mostly wood and a bit of a coffee taste while the spice has turned a little harsher but nothing terrible.

At the end of the G.A.R. Opium S.T.K. and it is getting a bit of an acrid taste to it. Most of the flavor dropped out except for a harsher spice and some wood.

Wrap-Up

Would I buy it again? maybe. I would have to try some more and maybe let them rest for a while. I smoked these samples within two weeks of receiving them so they did not have a whole lot of time to sit and meld flavors together or smooth out the final bit of the cigar.

I will admit, the Gran Reserva #3 is a lot better smoke for me than this one.

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from our good friend Steven over at Lighter Direct. Steven asked if I had any interest in reviewing a new line of lighters that he is having great success with. I was happy to accept and had a brand new Black Label El Presidente lighter in my hands just a few days later.

Steven explained that the Black Label line is made by the same manufacturer that makes lighters for both Porsche and Lotus. This particular lighter has what is called Flat Flame Technology. What this means, essentially, is that the torch flame on this lighter is thin but wide.

The flat flame took a little getting used to but I like the way it works. It is kind of a cross between the broad flame of a triple flame lighter with the fuel consumption of a single flame.

There were two areas where I found the lighter to be slightly problematic. First, when the butane level gets low, the flame begins to pulsate and causes frustration during the toasting process. Second, the polished metal cap, which the flame passes through, gets hot during toasting. A thin band of this polished metal is exposed when closing the manual lid. Not touching it while hot is difficult to do and results in accidental burns (nothing serious, just one of those “whoa, that was hot” moments)

The price on this lighter is a little steep but I’m very fond of it. It has a coolness about it that I really like. If you are interested in picking up a Black Label El Presidente, click through to Lighters Direct and order one.

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Wrapper : Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder : Nicaraguan
Filler : Secret blend of herbs and spices
Source : bought locally

Today I have for you the Xen from Nish Patel in the robusto (5×50) size.

I am going to let the video do the talking this week because I just deleted my whole write up and with doctor appointment times coming up fast I do not have the time to retype everything right now.

Basically this cigar is a surprise if you think all connecticut shade are mild to medium sticks. I even would say this stick hit the full range for me towards the end.

A nice combination of wood, sweet spice, coffee and even a bit of hay rounded out this stick.

Would I buy it again? Yes. Even with more strength the cigar really is a nice smoke. I would like to try the toro size but the local shop only had the short robusto and robusto.

I am also not a fan of the box press on cigars but it wasn’t too awkward to hold and smoke for me so it did not take away from the experience.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been telling myself that I need to finally get around to reviewing the Santos De Miami that Brad May was kind enough to send me a while back. Earlier this week I set that cigar aside and made plans to smoke it for todays review.

As it turns out, Brian snaked the review from Jerry, who would of in turn snaked it from me. Over the past five years, I don’t think this type of phenomenon has ever happened here at Stogie Review. Jerry was able to come up with a great post entitled Three Things I Know to be True (Cigars Edition) and I decided to go the Humidor Diving route and dig something old out of my humidor.

Rather than dig around in the cooler until I found something that interested me, I went in to this review looking for a cigar that I just happened to see recently on Facebook. Our friend Steve posted a photo of the old Camacho Negro and I was almost positive I had a couple lying around.

As it turns out, I had four of them buried in a rarely opened coolidor. After rambling to the camera for a couple of minutes, I set my cigar aflame and began my review.

With more than four years of age, the Camacho Negro left a lot to be desired. It seemed as though it had a bit too much rest and lost much of its flavor intensity. Some of the rough edges that I hoped to smooth out with age turned to absolute mush, so to speak.

The cigar burned beautifully and provided plenty of dense smoke. The flavor profile was too one dimensional for my taste and very light in terms of intensity. There was a flicker of hope when the flavor level ramped up but those hopes were dashed away just a few short minutes later when everything turned harsh and overly bitter.

If I had to guess, I would imagine that these cigars probably reached their peak about two years ago. At this point they were too subdued and lacked any wow factor. Even with this cigar as mild flavored as it was, I think they would make a good companion with a cup of coffee, first thing in the morning.

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Well here it is, my full review of the Rabbit Air MinusA2 SPA-780A air purifier with the odor filter used for the special filter you can choose.

This has taken a bit to get done because the wrong filter was included at first, which I never noticed till a month later and I was hoping to have it long enough to see when the filters would need changed with the amount of cigar smoking I do. Sadly I figured i better review this and get the test unit sent back before they send big scruffy guys to my door to retrieve their property.

Give the video a watch, it seems a bit “commercially” to me but I hope it will give you the overview you are looking for.

If you have any questions about it please let me a comment, email, tweet or forum post to ask it and I will do my best to answer.

It is not a cheap unit at $550 but I am really impressed with how it has worked and if I had the funds right now, I would be buying one.

There, so now you know how I feel about it but take a look at the video to get a lot more detail about the unit other than me being thoroughly impressed with it.

Here is a link to my preview video of the unit – CLICK ME

Tom and Ed Return for another Guest Review

As always, Ed and I have returned to Stogie Review for our guest spot. How long have we been doing this? I’ll have to look into it. Anyway… In this episode we are covering the Quesada Oktoberfest. This is a yearly release that is in celebration of one of the most famous festivals in the world. It is said that this cigar is intended to be paired with your favorite Oktoberfest beer. Quite a few people have told me that this pairing makes the flavors “Pop.” Since I am not a drinker, I found that it pairs well with a variety of beverages, even water.

This cigar is simple in terms of flavor, but something sets it apart from the pack. The flavor delivery, body and strength are in perfect balance. It is these strengths that put this cigar in my top three of 2011. The biggest downfall of the Oktoberfest is its limited availability. There are only 500 boxes made in each size (The Bavarian 5.5 x 52 and The Uber 6 x 65).

This review runs 24 minutes. So take few moments and see what we thought of the Quesada Oktoberfest.

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This week has been a bit of a mess. The east coast experienced a bit of a freak snow storm in October and it caused a lot of grief to the tune of two fallen trees, several broken branches, and 24 hours of living by candle light.

I’ve spent practically all of last week dealing with the aftermath and wasn’t able to record a cigar review as I would have liked. This weekend I had plans to shoot a pistol match and thought it might be a good idea to try and record something on my hour long drive to the gun range.

The end result is the video I have for you below. I smoked the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale and recorded my notes as best as I could. Recording in this fashion proved to be a challenge as I couldn’t see the LCD screen on my Flip Camcorder and wedging it between the dashboard and windshield didn’t make the most stable platform for recording. While I am in the shot, a portion of my head was cut off due to the camera moving while I’m driving.

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