Mi Amour

The genius that is Pepin Garcia shines again in his latest offering for Ashton Cigars, in the newest edition of La Aroma de Cuba called "Mi Amour." There truly is something special about Garcia's cigars, from the blend to the construction, and nearly without exception, he continues to make rich cigars which can compete against any other on the market.

I had the opportunity to sample the belicoso size earlier this week, compliments of Dan at Cigars on Sixth in Denver. A brief note on Dan; when I had my cigar shop, he was my number one competitor. Geographically, we were relatively close to one another, and we "shared" a number of customers over the years. Yet with that relationship, Dan and I have always maintained some levels of friendship, and since I closed my shop, he has been nothing but gracious. So Dan, I thank you for the sample, and for being a gentleman in the face of an otherwise sad event for me.

The La Aroma de Cuba line has evolved steadily over the years, starting out as a rich, more affordable offering from Ashton. The quality was always there, but in the beginning, it seemed to lack some depth. A few years later, Ashton approached the Golden "Boy" of the cigar world, Don Pepin Garcia, to make a new blend for their La Aroma series. Garcia was gaining notoriety quickly, making the widely popular Tatuaje cigar for Pete Johnson, as well as his own limited number of offerings. The newly blended La Aroma de Cuba, at that time, elevated the line to a new level, where it was no longer relegated to a quality cigar for bargain hunters, but a legitimate contender within the premium cigar world. The new line for Ashton did so well in fact, that Ashton asked Pepin to blend an entirely new line for them, the even more popular San Cristobal. Pepin has since come out with other variations of the La Aroma line, including the EE blend, and now the boldest and most flavorful in the line, Mi Amour.









Mi Amour embodies everything that is good about a rich Nicaraguan cigar. The creamy yet full flavored smoke, the velvety smooth draw, the hints of dark chocolate and cherry (on my palate, anyway). This newest blend bends the line between medium and full bodied, while filling the mouth with nothing but full flavored joy. The burn was perfect, drawing smoothly and straight, producing a perfect blue grey ash.









Over the years, and even more now, I have gained a true appreciation for Pepin Garcia's cigars. Given the choice, with price being of no concern, I can honestly say I would reach for the complexity of Pepin over that of Padron. What I find even more amazing (though I really shouldn't), is that Pepin's own blends and those now for Ashton, are surpassing those he blends for other manufacturers. This includes those blended for Pete Johnson and United Tobacco (601 and Cubao - now made by Rocky Patel (and I'm not certain about who's blending). The size of Ashton compared to Tatuaje and EO Brands alone signifies what I can only imagine as a huge cash infusion to Pepin's operation. Pete Johnson may have put Pepin on the map, but mark my words, Ashton will slowly take all of that magical Don Pepin mystique away from Tatuaje, and put it firmly in their corner.

Full Bodied: Beauty and the Beast

I had the opportunity to try the new Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo yesterday. It was a delightfully full bodied experience! I had said in my last post that I would insist on trying new cigars, mingled in with the good-old stand by offerings. In fact, I said I'd try the newest Rocky Patel, but I just haven't been able to find it. So I've been able to try two new cigars this past week; the Double Corojo and the Cain F series.

Both cigars started with a full blast of red hot pepper on the palate. The Cain F (6 x 60) had a smooth draw and a fairly straight burn, which is quite a feat if you consider the fact that this is Ligero throughout. The problem I had with the Cain was the the fact that the first third was kick-you-in-the-teeth strong, it mellowed to a rather enjoyable smoke for the middle third, then kicked me right in the teeth again on the last third. So with all things being equal, maybe the Cain F Nub will be right up my alley? The whole point of the Nub is to get right to the meat of the cigar, the sweet spot if you will, so maybe it'll hit that middle third. To be honest, it was too strong for me. As my friend said as we sat together enjoying a smoke "I can't imagine how strong that is, if you think it's too strong!"

The Joya de Nicaragua Antano Double Corojo on the other hand opened up into a creamy smooth smoke. Not exactly the types of words you'd associate with a full bodied powerhouse, but in this case, it really stood true. Like the Cain F, it started out with intense pepper notes, but quickly mellowed and blossomed into a fragrant and tasty cigar. After the first quarter, that pepper bite actually changed, and took on a slightly sweet taste, with notes of semi-sweet chocolate. The La Pesadilla (4 3/4 X 60 belicoso) burned exceptionally well until the final quarter, at which time the burn started to become slightly crooked. Nothing horrible. And for a cigar under 5 inches in length, this little guy lasted me over an hour. Very impressive.

So there you have it. I've tried two new cigars. Maybe next time I'll try something a little lighter, and open my world to even newer, different experiences!

Pepin Le Bijou

It's been far too long since I've had a Don Pepin Garcia masterpiece, whether under his own label, or made for another manufacturer. Friday, that changed when I finally got around to smoking his newest creation, the My Father Le Bijou 1922. I first put my sights on this fine looking Toro at the 2009 IPCPR show in New Orleans. It's made with a very rare Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper called Pelo de Oro (Golden Hair). This wrapper is rarely used any more, mostly because it is so prone to disease, most growers won't risk the damage to the rest of their stock. This wrapper has been most commonly used in pre-embargo Cuban cigars.

With that said, the Bijou was one of those treats that really makes me wonder why it took so long for me to try it. My first impression, as a comparison to another, was that this cigar was the closest I've found to the spicy pepper flavors found in the Opus X. Notes of cocoa layered with various levels of pepper, from slight to intense, and touches of creaminess mingled in. The draw was flawless throughout, although I did experience some slight burn issues about half way through. Much like the Opus X, in my experiences in the past, the last third to quarter of this cigar suddenly became difficult to keep lit. Fortunately, this issue didn't take away from the overall pleasantness of this wonderful cigar.

As I've found myself saying in the past "why did I wait so long to try this?" I will be much more apt to reach out and pick up that cigar that I haven't yet tried. After all, unless it's a $20 cigar, what's the worse that can happen? It's bad? So be it. So with that being said, I pledge to try the Rocky Patel 1961 line. I've seen it on the shelves, and have even bought one for a friend, but have never tried it myself. Stay tuned, as my next post WILL be for the 1961.

Happy smoking.

A note for Aficionados everywhere

In my ever increasing bitterness towards Cigar Aficionado (and let me mention at this time that I have almost every single issue), I would like to make note that in the most recent issue there are exactly NINE pages devoted to cigars. Now granted, I've excluded the ratings pages, and the "moments to remember" pages - those don't change month to month. Nine pages. Two pages devoted to "Smoking in America," six pages on the Oliva family and one page on some cigar briefcase. And I'm giving that last one a little credit where it might not be earned; the one page article is about the briefcase after all, not cigars. But it is a cigar accessory, so I'm sneaking it in. I also excluded the 2 or so paragraphs where cigars are mentioned in the Phil Ivey and Bon Jovi drummer stories. Those are barely worth mentioning.

Now I'm not one to expect every page to be about cigars. I appreciate the occasional story about golf, fine wine and food, travel, etc. I just think that the magazine might as well drop the "Cigar" part of "Cigar Aficionado" at this point. They've already shrunk the font on the cover for the word "cigar" to a minuscule size anyway. Over the last year, I think Aficionado has had more pages devoted cumulatively towards golf, watches, private planes, luxury yachts, and other "high life" goodies that they have towards cigars.

I'm not going to stop my subscription, mind you, but if you want to read a great cigar magazine, I suggest either Cigar Snob or Cigar Press. The only disappointing thing about Cigar Snob is that it's based out of Florida, and thus most of the stories tend to be Florida related. But it's informative and fun, none the less, and has a 90% devotion to cigars, with 10% to "others" tossed in, versus the opposite numbers for the Big Magazine.

Rant over. Carry on.

Casa Disappointment

The cigar of the year, 2008 that is, was the Casa Magna Colorado. First, I was a huge fan, not only of the cigar itself, but of the fact that the same cigars (specifically, the same manufacturers) weren't constantly winning. After all, this blog was partially born out of the disdain of constant accolades given to a certain 2 or 3 non-Cuban cigar makers, by Cigar Aficionado. Any reasonable person reading CA with any regularity knows what I'm talking about. More over, anyone picking up three consecutive copies might jump to the conclusion that the Padrons, the Fuentes and Pepin Garcia aren't capable of producing anything less than a masterpiece. Again, don't get me wrong, these are indeed some of the finest cigar makers out there. Add to that the heavy hitters of the boutique world like Rocky Patel, Litto Gomez, and Jesus Fuego, and you've got a fairly formidable group. What of the Davidoffs of the world? If I were to pick up any given Cigar Aficionado, and go strictly by rating, I'm not sure I'd ever try a Davidoff or an Avo, as they typically round out the bottom of the ratings.

But I digress; I have had the pleasure of smoking about a dozen Casa Magnas in the past 12 months. Typically I go for a robusto, but that isn't always the case. Wednesday, while enjoying cigars, cocktails and dinner at Churchill Bar with a good friend, I jumped into a Casa Magna robusto with fevered anticipation. I typically smoke fairly spicy cigars, usually Dominicans, so the rich and more subtle flavors of this Nicaraguan Puro was going to be a well deserved change. In fact, I had smoked a La Flor Dominicana Ligero earlier, and had almost second guessed my following it with less-spicy Casa Magna.

I know what a good Casa Magna is supposed to taste like. I know what qualities are going to flood my palate; leather, cocoa, cream and coffee. It's every bit possible that those flavors were there, but I wouldn't know. Not that night. Instead, I experienced one of my favorite verb descriptors for smoking this type of cigar; it was like sucking a golf ball through a garden hose! Think about it, and you've got the mental image. Fortunately for me, our waitress gifted me with one of my favorite cigars - a Camacho Diploma - and all was good with the world again.

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender

I recently gave the new La Flor Dominicana Air Bender a try, after reading an article on CA about this new blend. It promised to be a strong yet smooth smoke, and since La Flor is hands down my favorite manufacturer, I figured there was no way I was going to be disappointed. First challenge; finding a retailer locally who even carried it. It took 3 or 4 whacks before I finally found it at Edward's, and only then because I was on my way down to Del Frisco's anyway. I picked up an Arturo Fuente Rosado (an exceptional new cigar from Fuente), along with the toro gordo sized Air Bender. The clerk asked if I had tried either, and when I responded that I hadn't tried the new La Flor yet, she stated that it was a very good cigar. I told her I had heard that it was a powerhouse of a smoke, and she said "actually, it's much milder than the Double Ligero." Seriously? That's not what I had read! But as I fancy myself a La Flor expert, I decided I could easily judge for myself.

For starters, I'd like to point out that this cigar had a flawless, silky smooth wrapper, and an absolutely perfect draw. It was smooth, and somewhat creamy for a full bodied cigar, and burned as evenly as any cigar could. The second noticeable and unusual thing I need to point out, is that this cigar burned for almost 2 hours. It's a 6 1/4 x 60, so it's not outrageously large. Add to that, the fact that I'm typically a fast smoker, and you get "proof" that this cigar was very well constructed indeed.

Now, bearing in mind that I was told this cigar was milder than the DL series, I started smoking with reckless abandon, puffing away, not monitoring the effects on my palate or my body. About half-way through this powerhouse, I turned to Sean and commented "I don't what the hell that lady is used to smoking, but if she thinks this is a milder cigar than my usual La Flors, then my hat's off to her." There was nothing mild about this spicy, yet smooth knock out of a cigar. The cigar was actually too strong for me (an unusual statement to be sure), the first time I tried it. I thought long and hard about it, wondering if it was the lack of food in my stomach, dehydration, or something else that was giving me this slightly green feeling. I know Litto wanted to make something powerful, but at the same time, I had my doubts that his intention was to knock your teeth in. By his own admission in recent articles, he has said that there isn't a need for anything much stronger than what's already in their arsenal.

Being the glutton that I am, and combined with the fact that I just haven't had a La Flor I didn't love, I decided to try it again. And again, and again. I've now twice had the 6 1/4 x 60 size (the Valiente) and once the 5 x 50 Robusto sized Matatan. Aside from my very first sampling, I have found the following two to be exceptionally rich and flavorful cigars. I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed with this new LFD, and I was absolutely right! It may be among one of my favorite new smokes, though I admit I am fairly biased. Now if I could only get my hands on the elusive La Flor Dominicana Solomone...

Down, but not out

Today is the first day of Lent, and for the first time in my life, I am actually giving up something that is very meaningful to me; cigars. I must be crazy! It's easy to give up broccoli or even Oreo Doublestuffed Cookies (that leaves regular Oreos wide open for the taking!), but to give up something that is not only a part of your life from an enjoyment standpoint, but from a social aspect as well, is really something.

So, I leave this blog temporarily, as I can't imagine needing to post anything if I'm not actually trying any new cigars. I will say this, I am looking forward to the opportunity to have my palate adjust, and to be able to enjoy cigars on a new level.

See you in 40 days!