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.