I'm Back - JR Cigars Alternative Montecristo Eduro Five Pack

Short version.

I drank myself into a wheelchair. I now have a new set of challenges. Blogging faded.

Now I've learned and adapted enough to appreciate a nice smoke again.

Along with eggs the price of cigars has climbed a good forty percent since 2016; the last time I was here. So I restart this blog with my search for inexpensive yet decent smokes. Right?

JR Cigars of North Carolina was carrying the least expensive cigars of five sites that I explored.

An  Alternative Montecristo Eduro Five Pack for $13.99 (tobacco tax & shipping - $25.42)

First is a pet peeve.
When you pack an item you surround it, all six side with packing material. Nowadays it is the practice to place the item in the container and then add packing material. Leaving one side in contact with the outer wall of the box subject to damage.

Secondly I feel $9.99 to ship five cigars a bit excessive.

The smoke is 5.25 x 54 - a fair size. Dark in color. It's ad states,
"They are medium to full in body and loaded with mouthwatering flavors that are reminiscent of the real thing; they’re as close as you're going to get to the real deal without breaking the bank. JR Cigar is the ultimate place to buy premium cigars online."

I taste coffee. It's thick and mellow. JR rated the strength as a five out of ten. Since I haven't had any nicotine in three years I expected a rush of nicotine poisoning. There's been none.

The wrap was sloppy and dried out, not unexpected in an inexpensive smoke in an unsealed plastic tube. I'll moisten the others before consuming.

It is also more air than leaf, the wrap is loose fitting. For five dollars and eight cents, it's exactly what I expected. Inexpensive which means flaws and yet tastes good, draws easily, stays lit with long periods of inactivity.

Would I buy them again, yes.
Would I subscribe, no. Another pet peeve, another column.

12/16/2024

Victor Sinclair 55 Series Blue Label Maduro Churchill

Strong aroma, earthy smells that are harder than usual to identify.

From another site, this description:
"These babies are handcrafted with a blend of premium long fillers from five different countries of origin, and all aged for five years. Maduro-wrapped, medium to full-bodied Blue is robust and complex with a light, fruity finish."

Light fruity finish is right! That's it. Fruit! And chocolate.
Wait...Antique Fruit? 5 Years old!
It is very strong, and yet not overpowering. Hefty, if I can apply the word.

About $4 if you can find them. ***

Victor Sinclair Connecticut Yankee Maduro (7.0”x50)

Moldy smell under the cellophane - strike one.
(There were three in the sampler - the second one was 100% better, not a hint of mold)

Spicy scent although very mild. Pepper on the tongue. Lots of pepper.

The wrapper is dark & mottled, almost rich in colors. As other sites would say, "oily."

The pack feels inconsistently tight here, loose there..
(Again, the second one was much better)

Not bad at all but not for $5...maybe $3?


About $5 ***

Victor Sinclair Vintage Select (6.0”x54)

Square pressed . The wrapper is very fragile. It tore when removing the ring and then the foot began to unroll. That takes a star away.

A mild smoke with a nutty flavor. They burn well and relight easily.

About $3 ***

Oh, and I have to say Trump and his supporters are insane, vapid, without shame, loony etc and so on.

Relighting

A faux pas among the cigar elite.
When you allow a smoke to go out the ash cools and hardens, the tobacco has begun to dry and the taste when restarting...well, just say it can be incredibly harsh.

Most, therefore do not relight smokes. They complete the cigar in one sitting or toss the remainder.

I am too cheap. When I pay $5 for a smoke I have difficulty throwing out half .

Step one - wait for it to go out completely.

Two - cut the ash head off entirely.

Three - light it.

I would not replace the smoke in your humidor. And I would not hold onto a half of a cigar more than a day or two.

The first puff may be a bit hard but within one or two puffs it will be, if it's a quality smoke the same as when you first lit it.

However your cool factor will be substantially diminished.

Torano Vega Dominicana Toro

A very tasty smoke. Chestnuts, wood, dark chocolate and pretty strong.
Nice construction, solid woody ash (stems?)  Stays lit well with a very nice aroma.

Yes, there are stems in the binder. The ash has voids and breaks that jut out from the edges. And the wrapper began to unravel halfway through.

I like this. Although I think the price is a bit too high for my tastes. I got this as part of an over run sampler, so my cost was closer to $3 - at that price I'd certainly buy more.


About $6 - $7.50

Pirate's Gold

Strong spicy smells out of the cellophane. Almost nutty. And it also smells of grass.
The wrapper is oily, enough to color the cellophane.

The name alone turned me off.
"Whatta gimmick."

Um, I guess not. The taste is deep without being overpowering. Very rich with a hint of dark chocolate. Robust. Chewy.

Construction is less than firm, but not too mushy unless you tend to bite a lot.
It stays lit and the ash is white & consumed. When you smoke a cigar down to a small stub there must be something drawing you in.

This is really good. Especially for a very inexpensive cigars.


$2 ****

Villiger La Capitana Robusto

A nice aroma out of the cellophane with a very dark filler. I mean close to black.

The wrapper flaked off as soon as I lit it. The ash falls fast and easy. There are stems left on the binder. Which leads to more frequent relights.

It is strong with a great aroma of woody chestnuts and chocolate.


I wish it held up better. I'd like it more.

About $5 - $7 ***

Arganese CL3

A relatively mild smoke with so-so construction.
A woody ash and a peeling wrapper. Not a good sign.

The story is that Gene Arganese began by making these for himself. He began to hand them out to family and friends. From there it grew.

A pleasant taste, mild to medium in strength. Nutty and pepper tasting. Not bad at all.

$3.50 - $5 each ***

Pata de Elefante

It is touted as an "everyday" smoke. At $1 a smoke they are targeting the frugal smokers.

With a Connecticut wrapper it is a box pressed torpedo.

Creamy & sweet with a hint of cedar and mint even before I left it in my humidor for a week.

There are voids and stems poking through the wrapper and the foot.

Oh what a woody aroma! Mild and tasty. Taking a puff is almost like a mouthful of mild Listerine. The square shape is easy to hold onto. Like water vapor leaving your mouth. It floats throughout. Not too spicy. It would rate four stars if the taste was more meat and less mint. But for the money this is a weighted four stars.
This is like the piece of Bazooka you bought when you had a penny leftover.

The ash is mostly consumed but some black ash remains.

A dollar? $1?!
They were right when they called this your "everyday smoke."
*** (This is really a great cigar for the money)*

Don Rafael Connecticut

A Dominican smoke from filler to the binder and a Connecticut wrapper.

Construction seems middle to fair. The cap has little ears. The same as my badly placed caps on my home rolled Frankensteins.

The ring was so tightly applied that it had to be left on. The center was compressed a bit by the ring.
There are visible voids at the foot in the roll of the filler.

I put my lips on it and tasted a sweet taste...strawberries? Did the manufacturer applied a flavoring agent? HINT: When repairing the cap use an UNFLAVORED stick of lip balm.

The smell unlit is intriguing. Once lit it is woody with a touch of spice.Incredibly meaty...rich & creamy.

A really nice smoke.

$3 ***

Gran Habano Connecticut Gran Robusto Cigar

A mild smoke that is full bodied? Connecticut wrappers are milder than most South American leaves.
Match that with full bodied filler and you have an interesting blend.

Handmade. The wrapper flaked at the foot, but other than that construction seems okay.

Two rings? Pretentious much?

A very woody outer aroma.
Wrapper started to peel after about a third.  Okay construction at best. Man...
The trimming was poor as well. I found woody stem pieces left on both the wrapper and binder.
This is not by any means a mild smoke. Very strong.
Biting taste to the point of being harsh.

And the aroma when burning is not that nice.

About $5. * And I'll call a complete pass.

Punch Double Maduro

Incredibly aromatic before being lit. I have seen this described as a, "...big taste experience."

Maduro wrappers have such thick taste and smells. A rougher texture but I smoke for the smells and tastes not to look cool.

The flavor is spice and then more spice. Pepper and some green tasting aspect? It's not broccoli but... apricots!
There is a woody undertone. And chocolate.

There are two main bunches of filler. Voids as well.

I tend to enjoy a thicker cigar (ring size). Give me a double corona 6 3/4 length married to a 48 ring and I am happy. This is a perfect fit. It lasts me longer than purists would allow.
(We'll talk about relighting in another post)
I'll have two two-hour long sessions out of a smoke of this size.

About $5 ****

Mi Havana Torpedo Pyramid Dark

Very rich in texture and aroma. Leather and wood.

Not my normal fare. I was intrigued by the shape and the 'newness' of it. Since Mi Havana bought the molds of another maker they have a new variety of shapes at their disposal

The same Cuban fold which leads me to suspect they are using a new supplier rather than any rollers at all, new rollers or just another source rather than outsourcing.
It's not what they used to make.
The same hand crafted, one off aspect. But the folding of the filler is vastly different..

A hand made cigar is usually softer. .. compresses more.  Machine made is consistently "full".
The flavor is deep, rich. More woody. A medium in strength. The smell. ..an open fire.
$7.50 at Mi Havana. ****

Studio Tobac Robusto Torpedo

In my last post I mentioned a vendor with a great selection of smokes.
Time to sample one.

Gud Gawd, this is an inch in diameter.
I have to hold this like a microphone. Between my fingers? LOL

The aroma is of chestnuts, woody as well. Oh, and spice! As I rolled the end between my lips I got the strong scent of spices.

By the ash I have to assume this is machine made. That and the lack of "imperfections."

Strong and smooth.

It pays to buy the best.
Very tasty.***

Cigar.com

Even if you have a local smoke shop there will come a time when you will look elsewhere for your next smoke. Enter Cigar.com

Helpful staff, and very responsive to inquiries.

Note - $6.99 shipping unless you order more than $125 or if they have a special as they did in June for Father's Day.

They have a very large selection. Every brand, size et cetera. And then they have options available - such as:
Do you want that Patel in a Robusto? Oh, you prefer Churchills. No worries.
Then there are quantity options...buy one or five or twenty and the price will reflect that discount.

I recently ordered a ten pack sampler - ten cigars for $19.99 plus the $6.99 in shipping fees.
$26.98; that comes out to $2.70 a cigar.
I ask you, can you beat that? No.
And they are quality smokes - these are not flawed or unknown names.

Give 'em a shot the next time your favorite store is closed for vacation.

Humidor

If you buy cigars, you'll eventually need a humidor. If you smoke one a week, a zip lock bag works.
But if you buy three cigars every time you walk into your favorite shop, chances are your bag will soon be full.

First, I should point out there is no locking clasp as it says in the description.
Secondly it fairly reeks of cedar. My office smells like a cedar closet after unpacking. When you lift the lid the wafting smell is mesmerizing.

The front edge of the lid is weighted to keep the lid closed.
The hygrometer is not a fine instrument, but rather an indicator of the relative humidity. It has a polymer ring to seal the opening. When the humidor arrived the hygrometer read 70%?

No way a very hot and dry box is that humid. After charging the humidifier I let the box sit and the reading on the hygrometer rose to 80%. I took a small screw driver and adjusted the dial so that it read 70%. Done.

The humidifier has double sided tape. If you use the tape, expect difficulty recharging it in the future as you will have to lay the humidor on its side and pour water into the humidifier? I would not attempt to pull it from the cedar wall if affixed with the tape.


The divider has compression foam affixed to one end so you may move it at will and place it where you like.

It feels heavy and solid. Craftsmanship seems a 4 out of 5. It is the materials not the work that makes this less than 5 out of 5.


There is a ton of material available on the internet outlining how to properly break in your new humidor.
I suspect if you charge the humidifier everything will be fine. If you bought this box you probably are not smoking $30 Patels. Stop worrying and use your box.

Less than $30 for a nice box that will hold maybe 40 robustos.

It's Contrast That Makes It All Worthwhile

Like steak with a good wine, a cigar with a good drink or a steak or any other contrasting element is what makes life tasty.

You can mix a smoke with anything and come away with a full meal.

Yeah, I understand why the after dinner smoke became a thing.


In fact, there are some smokes that absolutely belong to particular realms of taste.
"This is very chocolate tasting - where is that red wine?"
Add some dark chocolate and you'll be in Heaven.

It's Like Wine

In moderation it's really not a bad thing. Especially when you're 60 or more.
The similarities are striking.

The taste.
Cleanse your palette.
Take a sniff.

Have some cheese.
Sip your wine.
Smell the smoke.

You are enjoying smells and the air and the sky and whatever is in front of you.

An hour later you are ready for your next adventure.

Mi Havana Dark Torpedo

Chocolate...so much deep and rich chocolate.
This is another Cuban wrap...in a concentric circle rather than book fashion where the filler is folded.

A quick smell reveals the thick aroma of leather and the aforementioned chocolate. Overwhelming in its strength. Putting the smoke near my nose was akin to sinking into an overstuffed, old chair.

The taste is thick although the it is not too strong.

Since the inner build has changed I suspect Mi Havana has hired a new roller or adopted a new way of making smokes as the builds are similar in shape only.
Consistency, trimming of the wrapper, the method of rolling have all changed.

$7 at Mi Havana ****

Rockey Patel Connecticut Churchill

In a mild, tan wrapper I was struck by the smell of freshly sawn wood.
A low nicotine blend so draws are very mild and aromatic.

I tasted hot pretzels?
It is a leisurely smoke that stays lit for a long time. A long mostly white ash.
Maybe three and a half out of five?

About $5 **** (okay four)

Mi Havana Robusto Dark Pigtail

Having acquired the molds from another maker that unfortunately went under, Mi Havana (Pomona CA) is preparing to roll out (yes, pun intended) several new line of smokes.
Robustos Pyramids, just to name two that are among the new sizes and shapes they offer.

I am looking at a dark Robusto pigtail. I bring it close, yet not touching my nose to inhale the aroma.
Chocolate and leather. Overwhelming leather, very strong with a touch of mahogany. And chocolate...this smoke and a glass of red wine is like eating dessert.

Pepper and a hint of mint? Sort of cool?

I noticed the wrap of the bundle is different. Usually the roller at Mi Havana use a Dominican fold in the filler. This one is a circular roll - Cuban style. It was full and didn't compress to the touch.

The filler is also a mix as some leaves in the center are lighter than the outer wraps.

The trim of the wrapper is excellent although the ridge at the seam is noticeable.

Relights well but it does get harsh towards the end.

$5 at Mi Havana ***

Sancho Panza Caballero 6 1/4 x 45

Square mold, cellophane wrapped.

The first thing I noticed was a thin nasal quality. But the aroma was intriguing.

Very woody, but a light wood. It is light easy taste. A hint of chocolate and an Autumn pile of wet leaves. A bit of the bread drawer, too.

The ash is very light and the tobacco is fully consumed. Very much a machine made smoke.
It almost reminds me of a large cigarette, the thin aspect of the smoke.

A good smoke with a beer - workman's smoke. If they ask for more than $5 pass.
***

Mi Havana Torpedo Light

In a light wrapper, one of my favorites from Mi Havana is a $7 smoke in a torpedo shape.

Although the builds are never consistent, some are too tight and some are more than loose, the flavor is.

An easy light leads to a smooth blend of moist wood with a tiny, tiny hint of fruit. Cherry almost.
There is a deep undercurrent of leather. The smoke is full bodied, be careful not to inhale or draw too often.
A hint of wood fire leads me to think the molds or the cure process itself are imparting a bit of flavor.

They are firm with a round body and a torpedo, pointed tip.

$7 at Mi Havana, Pomona ****

Post Script:

Mi Havana makes the same thing in a dark wrapper, natch. They also acquired the molds of a firm that went out of business so the line will be expanding. Today I saw some dark wrapper Robustos with a pigtail for a cap at $5.
So much to explore!

A Worthy Vendor

At Cigars dot com you'll find a huge selection of brand name smokes.
You'll also find some great Customer Service.

I had placed an order in May and was pleased with the result and my local vendor was closed for the week so I went back to buy another five pack.

For the month of June they advertised free shipping for Father's Day. In addition on the bottom of the website, a banner offered free shipping for the month for anyone clicking the banner.

Okay, you have me. (I hate shipping fees - some are reasonable but the majority are just another cash stream)

 I went ahead and  placed another order. However, this time no matter what I tried I was presented with $6.99 in shipping fees.
"Why the face?"

I was not about to cancel the order over this little faux pas so I sent a message through the website to their Customer Service department. Within a day I received an email saying they had answered my inquiry about the fees...I could not login to the website to view the reply.

When I had placed the first order in May I gave them an email address as requested. This email is not the email associated with my PayPal account; the service I used to pay for my order. Their website got lost and could not recognize the PayPal address and told me the password was incorrect for the other email.

Today, Cigars.com called me. Within ten minutes, which included three or four minutes on hold they had straightened the issue out completely in a friendly and very helpful manner. I hung up smiling.

Oh, as to the shipping fees?
It seems the head of Customer Service saw my inquiry and intercepted the order before it process at PayPal and reduced it to reflect free shipping.

I can buy a smoke at 7-11 but I would not have gotten such great service.
Kudos Cigars.com

Review: Rockey Patel Sumatra

I picked up a couple of Rockey Patel 'Sumatra' Churchills and had the opportunity to take one for a test drive.

The first thing that struck me is these are machine made. I am sure there are hands involved but the consistency throughout was incredibly even. It burned well & completely. It did not go out with a minute or three between puffs. It just wasn't hand made.

That said, it was a very enjoyable smoke.

The initial taste was rather in your face without being too strong.
A dark and firm wrapper, the draw was a full bodied mixture of woody aroma with a distinct pepper taste. The taste didn't vary from first to last. The woody element was deep and dense. Not light like a cedar aroma, which can be irritating to the throat.

The amount of nicotine was lower than other reputedly 'mild' cigars. One could easily have one of these lit all day long and never feel green; id est nicotine poisoning.

They relight well. One smoke lasted two days or there abouts.
(Yes, I cut the ash and save smokes that go out - stop looking horrified)

I don't think they are $7.50 caliber smokes due to the manufactured feel but they are a good smoke all in all.
***

Hand Rolled Versus Big Names

Big name cigar brands offer everything you'd want.

A consistent build. The same look, ash, smell.and the same draw...every time.

The same flavor each and every time.

The same price or even discounted in quantity every time.

And at that point, why go to a local shop at all? Ambiance? Not my thing.

My local hand rolled shop was closed so I went looking around the nearby towns for another vendor. A very nice shop in La Verne, with the requisite leather sofas and large screen tvs. A walk in humidor filled with brand names.

The least expensive smoke was $8.
Their draw is the hangout, the ambiance not the selection.

If you want the same brands at internet discounts, a site like Cigars dot com is perfect. This month they have a separate link for free Father's Day shipping.
(Hint)
 
For the same $17 that got me two Sumatra Rocky Patels locally, I could have bought four at Cigars.com.

And then there are hand rolled cigars.
Mi Havana is a local shop that is striving for the big time.
They are making it more like a lounge...to my dismay.

In my opinion they should be focused on selling their product and not providing atmosphere for customers.
Having someone smoke one of the three cigars they bought is not as good an upsell as allowing them to get what they need at a good price.
Loyalty.
With the three-for-two discount three $7, 7inch Torpedoes are $15.33

Their wares are inconsistent. One roller's build (I have seen two, so far) is far different from anothers. Some draw well, others not. Some fall apart as you smoke them.
But like any hand made item they have that distinct branding of foibles and inconsistencies that give them an aroma, a feel that is unmatched in any 'made' cigar.

Cigar Maxims

Relighting a cigar is generally seen as a no-no.
Here is the trick.
A light wrapper will progressively get "darker" in taste so allowing one ot go out and then relighting it will be harsh.
A dark wrapper will more or less remain the same no matter how many times it goes out. It'll only go harsh at the very end.

Cigars are very much like wine. Do you always drink the same wine? Sample as many different brands and types as you like. And then smoke what you like.

Unlike a cigarette, a cigar is not a stress reliever. It is something to be enjoyed in and of itself. So there is no rush. Smoking too quickly will overheat the tobacco and cause a harsh taste and may cause the cigar to fall apart.

Overwhelmingly common knowledge says do not stub out the cigar as you would a cigarette. Allow the cigar to go out. If there is a significant amount left, wait until it is out and cool and then cut the ash and burned tobacco off. You can enjoy the entire smoke if done right.

Leave the ash intact. Knocking it off will heat the tobacco and make it taste more harsh.

Just like wine, clean your palate in between tastes.

Xikar Envoy Cognac Brown Leather Single Cigar Tube Case

Yeah...more Xikar.
I wish they didn't import such great products so I could buy another brand now and then.

Almost an inch and a half in diameter, Cedar lined top & bottom with stitching at both ends of the tube. It had that ubiquitous silica gel bag stuffed too far down towards the bottom, but I was able to retrieve it after using a pair of forceps. The smell inside was something other than the cedar. I am hopeful it will fade with time and carrying fresh smokes.

It is too large to jam into pockets and such. It is not my grand uncle's case. He had one of those leather cases that held three smokes permanently parked in his breast pocket. I also have one of them but it is too flexible to adequately protect an expensive cigar. This case has metal caps at either end. Protection plus.

It can accommodate almost any length smoke from five inches collapsed to eight inches fully telescoped.

It is also an inch in diameter, so it will hold a 64 ring size, although it'll be snug.
(Ring size is in 64ths of an inch - a 56 is 7/8s of an inch)

Good for your bag or briefcase or your very large pocket.
Another win for Xikar.

Tips For Looking Cool While Consuming a Cigar

I do not subscribe to "looking cool." I care little what everyone else thinks. However I do not want to lower my personal standards of cool.
(Distinction is looking cool versus being cool - Think Sylvester Stallone versus Cary Grant)

I do not leave a ring on a smoke. No one cares. I also do not toast the foot. My lighter with a few (five, six) pulls allows for a fully lit smoke.
(People with torches report having to refill their lighters after five to seven smokes. I have not refilled mine yet - three weeks and I light other things besides cigars)

1. Tip your head back when lighting your smoke. Otherwise you end up drooling on the head of the cigar or choking upon the smoke.

2. If the smoke is going up your nose, exhale through your nose so you do not cough it out your mouth - push it out.

3. Stop trying to inhale. Even a small amount of cigar smoke is far too strong for you to inhale.

4. Enjoy the aroma.

Care of a Lighter

Once you have decided to smoke, chances are shortly afterwards you will find a need for a quality lighter. Torch or candle flame, either way you will spend between $30 and $200 for a quality butane lighter.
Okay. Now what?

Care and feeding of your lighter.

Butane.
Used to be a can of butane was a can of fuel. Now, things have changed a bit. The hi tech lighters have ignition coils and such that ask a bit of care to make them perform as new even twenty years later. This means you should be buying the most refined butane you can find.

There are many brands. Since I have no access to a laboratory I cannot verify the veracity of the claims of purity. I do however, understand a less refined products will leave carbon deposits that eventually will clog fuel delivery causing the flame to sputter or not light at all.

Turn the Flame Down...

Turn the flame height adjustment screw down to the minimum.

Bleed before you fill...

You are trying to remove any air in the fuel chamber.
I use a small hex wrench, but you can use a small screwdriver or a specific lighter tool and depress the filler tube. Hold it for ten seconds or until the hissing ceases. This will release any remaining fuel and air.

Not Shaken, either...

Do not shake the propane canister before refueling. In fact, never shake the can. When you shake the can of butane you are mixing propellant with the fuel. In some cases the propellant is - butane?! But most of the time it is compressed air. We do not want to water down our fuel with air.

Now Wait...

After filling the lighter wait four to five minutes for the fuel to settle and reach room temperature.

Reset and Go!

Set the flame height.

Use it well.

Why Do You Smoke?

Aromas reveal memories for me.
I smell a wood fire and I am eight years old, walking back & forth with my father...trying to keep warm at three in the morning.

I smell a cigar and I am six...Far Rockaway.
A Great Uncle...Yossie Savetsky always had a cigar clamped in his mouth. It had a green wrapper and was very fragrant. Harsh to the nostrils of a kid and yet there was an invitation to smell.
In his home or in his fruit stand there was always that cigar. Rarely was it actively being smoked. If he puffed once an hour that was a lot.
But it was always there.

When I was a teenager my father put me to work during summer vacation at the firm he worked. The two partners that owned Unity Electronics, Harry Holtzman & Lenny Meltzer both smoked cigars. Lenny like Yossie always had one in his mouth. They both had those bits of tobacco sticking to their lips in perpetuity.
Harry smoked when the occasion called for it or if he needed to make an impression - which was most all the time. But it was almost never lit. I think he was too cheap to consume one.

As I light a cigar I smell them more than smoke them. A little nicotine is fine but the main draw for me is the smell. The memories that flood in as I watch the smoke wafting away in the night air.
My youth gone...up in smoke?

I find I have time to think. I unplug completely. I sit and look...and think. I watch the wind and listen to the night coming in.

At the beginning of the year, I took a five day course in concentrating, single tasking, the art of not flitting about. One cigar teaches the same lesson.

Mind blown.

XI1 Cutter, Silver

Cutters perform a simple and yet essential function in the world of smoking a cigar...They cut the head in such a way to allow for a good draw while leaving the cap structure intact. Not that easy a task, really.

Cigars are thick and packed and yet made from a very compressible material. How to snip the tip without distorting the shape or crushing the bunch inside?

Scissors were the first try. They compress the cigar while cutting - No.
Sometime after the French Revolution (I assume) someone had the initiative to see a peaceful use for the guillotine. A cigar cutter. Et voila.

For about $5 and up there are a myriad of cutters for sale. Most consist of two semi circular blades with a finger hold attached to each end. You insert your thumb in one hold and your middle finger in the other. Insert the cigar the desired length and compress your fingers to cleanly cut the tip without any compression to the body of the smoke.
Since my initial encounter with Xikar was a very favorable one I decided to pursue it to the rest of their line of accessories.
They make one sort of shape for the cutters and then use a variety of materials for the handles. Anything from redwood handles to carbon fiber.

The Xi-1 series have screws holding them together and a one finger opening latch. Other models...the 2 and 3 lines have solid bodies or images printed upon them.
Pull the latch down and the blades open. Insert your smoke the desired length and close the wings. It's now locked and ready to go back into your pocket et cetera.

The blades are touted to be 440 carbon steel. The slicing action is far and away superior to trying to close your thumb and middle finger simultaneously. With this you just  - close the blades back into the locked position.

The only downside I have noticed is that it tends to collect bits of tobacco at the edges of the blades - not a place you want to be wiping off with a finger.

Everything Xikar makes is backed with a lifetime warranty. I read of one person sending the cutter back for sharpening and receiving a new one instead. Xikar does customer service very well.

Post Script - I contacted Xikar about becoming a reseller of their products and was told they are seeking Brick & Mortar locations only as they are having issues with price cutting.
Unfortunate indeed.
Ah well.
Exhale.

Hmmm

I lit my first roll. It was an easy light, very mild until the second half and stayed intact.

Consistency of the fill has to improve.
Capping needs to improve.

Application of the wrapper was pretty danged good, even if I say so myself. The seams were nicely lined up although placing the finished cigar back into the mold to stiffen up while it worked, made new flash lines which is a no-no.

Using a nickel instead of a dime to make the cap is a must.

Flavor was inconsistent which baffles me at the moment. The smoke was incredibly mild during the first half and got spicier as the time lit went on. Some of that is expected. I think the bunch and the way it's made...how tight et cetera determines this.

Overall I'd give my roll a five or a six if the locals are tens.

More to come.
Enjoy the time spent.

Voila

Wrapper attached.
I cut a new cap using a nickel rather than the dime cap seen in the photos. It proved too small.

Wrapper application is easy. I need to use the same technique on the binder as that was my faux pas this time around. There is no layer that can be anything but as tight as possible.
I'll let it dry and take it for a spin.

Rolled My First

Straightforward process but the technique to obtaining a consistent build of the bunch will take time.

My first try was too loose, not packed with enough filler, even though I used the proscribed three filler leaves.

I think my misspent time as a young smoker, rolling my own gave me some small insights. Knowing that the tightness of the bunch was important allowed for less trepidation in beginning. Keeping my fingers in line, rolling with one hand while flattening the leaf ahead of the coming bunch with the other hand...all came somewhat easily. Felt familiar.

It also told me I did not roll it tight enough. I unraveled it a bit and retried. And again. Finally, I got to a point where it seemed compressed and tight in the center but the ends were less than desired.
Into the mold my prototype went. I could have re-rolled it entirely or try to compress the ends in the mold. I chose the easy way out.

Forty minutes later I opened the mold to turn the cigar a quarter turn and found the ends were getting harder, more full. But I believe re-rolling was the choice to have made.
We shall see.

Rather than using regular C clamps I employed two, one handed ratchet clamps.

One at either end of the mold, which is cut from pine and therefore easily marred. They seem to do the trick very well.

The cigar is in the mold, setting overnight after having been turned once to re-flatten the flash that accumulates.

Tomorrow, the wrapper gets applied.

Do not inhale, but enjoy.

Xikar EX Lighter Brushed Silver

Xikar EX Lighter Brushed Silver

Xikar started with the smaller accessories. Cutters, picks and the like. Then they decided to expand into lighters, humidifiers, humidors, et cetera.

When I decided to try cigar smoking, the first thing I found out was a run of the mill Bic wasn't going to cut it. The cost adds up and I have a callous from using Bics - enough is more than too much.

The word was, "torch." A blue flamed lighter that burns at 2500 degrees F.
The 'Cigar Elite' have decided that you need this hot, hot flame to toast the foot of the smoke and then to actually light it.

Torches have their place, no doubt. But for me, most of the time I am lighting a pipe and then an occasional cigar. The trouble with a Bic is they do not light every time. They blow out in the wind. And the are disposable with which I have a philosophical problem.

I bought a cheap torch ($10) and it worked fairly well, other than the need to depress the ignition button several times before it would light. But it really had only the one use for me.

I decided to look for a quality lighter. I knew if I pursued cigars I would be replacing the $10 lighter twice a year. I firmly believe in the adage - you get what you pay for. (Although you have to find the true quality)

Xikar was one of the names that was repeated in the categories of "service," "quality," & "warranty."
Hands on, substantive & lifetime. Okay, I'll investigate.
Their lighters range in price from $30 to over $150.

But one of them caught my eye. Aesthetically as well as functionally. Why?
It looks like a Zippo and has a "Candle Flame." It's not a torch. I can light my pipe or my cigar. I can take it on a plane...something you cannot do with a torch.

It's hefty. Has a flip top...I dunno why. Other than to keep the element (a titanium coil ignites the butane) clean, protected.

Rather than a tiny, ill fitting plastic ring to adjust the flame height like the cheap torch had, this has an easily turned large knurled knob. It also has a slot if your are nerd enough to adjust by the millimeter and tool.

Oh, and it lights every freaking time. EVERY FREAKING TIME?!
I adjusted the flame up & down. Lowest to the highest...it lit each and every time.
And it is not wind resistant...it is WIND PROOF.
Blow on it as hard as you like. Hold it at any angle. It lights and stays lit.

As to it's use lighting a cigar? It's perfect for me. I have no snobbery...I remove a ring, I smell them more than I smoke them. It is truly something to just plain enjoy in and of itself.
I would like to, at some point time lighting with soft flame versus a torch.
I think the torch is more an affectation of the dapper dans out there.

I ordered it on a Sunday and received it that Thursday.
Xikar seems to be a very small organization based in Missouri that found a vendor in China they could deal with. They hold standards well worth the price.

And that leads to my next venture.
I am trying my hand at hand rolling my own brand of cigars.

Do Not Inhale

But enjoy.
I tend to find myself smelling the burning cigar as much as I pull on it for a draw.

I can also cut the burned foot of a cigar that has gone out and smoke it an hour later. I am not fussy. But I do like what I like.

Spicy flavor. Less woody.

I also find myself scoring a smoke by its quality with regards to the roll itself. Far too often the hand rolled specimens produced locally are too tight and have no draw. Or they are loose enough to form huge white nebulous ash that is consumed in less than an hour.

Also a wrapper that peels off or breaks when the cigar is still more moist than dried out.
Quality.

I found a site called Leaf Only where you can buy a DiY kit and try your hand at rolling cigars.
I'm a natural. I grew up rolling more of my own smokes than buy Newports at Scher's.
Fine, I'll give it a shot.

I'll document it here and report on my progress.
Here's to me becoming the next Rocky Patel.


Kit