Cigars and March Madness, What a Combination
It’s that time of year when most of us who are basketball fans are getting anxious. March Madness is a time when the combination of science, luck, and a little prayer go into putting together the right combination for a winning bracket. To make this a more fun event, Cigars Direct is sponsoring a March Madness Basketball Challenge.
What makes this contest fun is first, Juan Panesso at Cigars Direct has been doing this contest for several years. I participated many years ago and when their were only a few hundred playing. Juan and his group at that time were gracious enough to give great prizes to the winners as well as sample packs to every participant. However, this contest has grown considerably and the sample packs are just not going to happen. But, the prizes for the winners of the March Madness Basketball Challenge are more than decent. They are down right awesome. Anywhere from $45 gift of cigars up to $999 worth of Opus X cigars.
So, if your looking for a way to make your March Madness bracket picks exciting, cruise over to Cigars Direct and sign up for the bracket picks. Read the rules completely and remember this is a chance for everyone to to have a great time.
I am not a sponsor of Cigars Direct and I am putting this out there just because I am a fan of both cigars and basketball.
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In what can only be classified as one of the worst pieces of legislation, even for California, is pending in the legislation in the Golden State. It seems that California State Senator Mark DeSaulniers a Democrat from Walnut Creek and Assembly Member and Chairman of the Majority Causus, Jerry Hill a Democrat from San Mateo are introducing tobacco ban legislation.
These two “gentlemen” have introduced a sweeping piece of tobacco prohibitionist legislation that if passed would seek to close every existing location that Californian’s who enjoy legal tobacco products. Senate Bill 575 would ban smoking in all retail tobacco shops, private clubs, hotel lobbies, bars, taverns, banquet rooms, warehouse facilities, and employee break rooms.
As one who not only enjoys the occasional cigar and believes that government has been intrusive enough, this bill is very close to pushing the limits. If a bill like this can pass the State of California, a normally passive state when it comes to individual rights, then a very bad precedent could be set for the rest of the nation. At a time when our economy is hurting, taking the livelihood away from professional tobacconists along with personal freedoms just seems very wrong.
Man, I miss Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. A cigar lover who would have made sure that this bill would have been dead on arrival to his desk. 
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Another Rocky Patel Cigar Staple in a Box Press
As with many of my cigars, this one was part of a Rocky Patel sampler I bought from Cigars International a few months ago. I am a closet Rocky Patel fan as many of us are. We don’t tend to applaud Rocky and his offerings often as he is seen as a dominate figure in the cigar industry. Many cigar enthusiasts like to think they smoke something that isn’t mainstream. However, you just can’t take away the consistent quality and variety that the Rocky Patel team puts out every year. So here’s my take on the standard Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto.
Size: 5.5 x 55
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Origin: Honduras
Prelight / Construction: This is a box press cigar from Rocky Patel and as with many of his cigars, this one is well built. A dark, even wrapper with few flaws, the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto is a nice looking cigar sitting in the humidor. The initial aroma from this cigar is cocoa and a bit of tobacco. The tip when it was clipped had a bit of a tear that seemed to unravel the cigar while smoking it.
Flavors / Smoke: The first part of the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto had some spice as well as the cocoa, but it was a mellow smoke and not harsh. Definitely a medium strength and not overpowering. Had a little trouble with the tear on the tip that got bad while I continued to smoke it. However, I can say that this cigar held a great burn line and I never had to correct it.
My Overall Impression: If your a cigar snob, it is hard to like the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto. As I said, many feel that it as well as many of the brands that Rocky Patel offers are just too commercial. I for one don’t tend to go that route. A good cigar is a good cigar. Other than a little problem with the tip, the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto for me was a nice, average smoking cigar. Not too complex, and yet had enough flavor to keep me interested. My overall rating for the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto is a solid 7 out of 10. Would I smoke this again? Sure, in a heartbeat.
She Knows Me So Well…
My wife and I are not big on the Valentines Day traditions. We both love each other “every day” and really don’t need the “Hallmark” holiday to celebrate it. However, my wife surprised me with a very special gift on Valentine’s Day. Cigars. If that doesn’t scream love, I don’t know what does.
So she stopped into a local B&M and picked me up a CAO The Sopranos Edition as well as a Partagas Black Label and a La Aurora churchill. All three cigars are sitting in my humidor resting and I am going to enjoy them soon.
Thank you honey, the gift was right on and I appreciate the thought. Let’s hope that other cigar lovers have wife’s and girlfriends that are as intuitive as you are.
For the few readers and Twitter fans that take the time to check out what I have to say about cigars, thank you. This truly is like many of my fellow reviewers out there who write about cigars as a “labor of love.”
For anyone who has tried writing it is and interesting process. Taking the time to enjoy a cigar, break it down to categories everyone can relate to and getting them posted is time consuming. However, as I said, it is a labor of love and one that many of us really enjoy doing.
I do this site, because I enjoy cigars and the camaraderie with those who share this passion. I have no sponsors and what little advertising the site generates is just enough to pay for the cost of it being hosted. This is not a solicitation for a sponsor, I enjoy not having to worry about how my reviews might be influenced.
I tend to be just like a lot of cigar enthusiasts, I buy from cigar shops online and at the local “brick and mortar” as well as the occasional swap meet or even the local convenience store that installed a humidor in the back. I’ve died many a time with my auction bids at CigarBid, purchased at Cigars International, Famous Smokes, Cigar.com, Best Cigar Prices, and the list goes on. I tend to buy them in samplers so that I can enjoy a variety of different cigars and let’s face it, if you get cigar catalogs like I do, there are hundreds of different labels to try.
I am fortunate to live in a very tempt climate here in Southern California, so unless it is rainy or extremely windy, I get to enjoy my cigars. Personally, looking forward to baseball season and sitting in my backyard with the radio and a great cigar to listen to the games.
Again, thank you for reading and feel free to drop me a line or Tweet me about what you have been enjoying lately.
Mike
Can Alec Bradley Make Me a Believer Again?
Well, another year and another opportunity to indulge in my passion of cigars. The Alec Bradley Tempus has been a cigar that I’ve been looking forward to trying ever since it showed up in a sampler I bought a few months ago. For anyone who has been watching the news, the weather here in Southern California has been very wet for the past few weeks. Wet weather and cigar smoking don’t often go hand in hand. I for one refuse to sit in the garage just to smoke a cigar. However, the weather did let up a bit a few days ago and while sitting outside I took advantage of the sunshine and lit up the Alec Bradley Tempus Quadrum.
Size: 5.5 x 55
Wrapper: Honduran Criollo
Binder: Honduran Criollo
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan
Origin: Honduras
Prelight / Construction: I got to tell you, this is one good looking cigar. The right size and the right color. The wrapper is a bit reddish in color and almost no veins to speak of. The triple cap on the Alec Bradley Tempus Quadrum is attached very well and the wrap is smooth with no soft spots. The prelight aroma is spicy with a bit of cocoa thrown in to give it some complexity. The draw is easy but not too loose to worry about. This is a cigar worth the anticipation.
Flavors / Smoke: Though advertised as a full strength cigar, the Alec Bradley Tempus Quadrum is more on the low end of full strength. This cigar opens up with the spicy notes along with the cocoa hinted in the beginning. As I get through the first part of the cigar into the middle, coffee tones appear in the aroma as well. With all of that this cigar is a smooth tasting, well balanced smoke.
My Overall Impression: The Alec Bradley Tempus Quadrum does not disappoint. It is a smooth and full bodied cigar that I would be happy to keep a supply of in my humidor. This is an Alec Bradley cigar that the makers did well on. I am going to rate this a solid 9 out of 10 in my ratings. I am looking forward to the other Tempus offerings such as the Creo, the Centuria, the Imperator and the Magistri.
Finding Out What Makes Olde World Reserve a Great Cigar
From the research I have found, the Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve was first shown at the 2005 RTDA show. It was offered up in two wrappers, the maduro and the Corojo which is the one I will be reviewing today. I try to do a review on the maduro at a later date as it was a part of a Rocky Patel sampler I bought a couple of months ago.
Size: 6.5 x 52
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Origin: Honduras
Prelight / Construction: Right behind the maduros that I love, the Corojo wrappers are a close second for me. This Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve had a very nice smooth wrapper with little or no veins to speak of. The label is “classy” with brown and gold lettering and there is a label around the foot of the cigar as well. The prelight had what I can only describe as a kind of chocolate aroma.
Flavors / Smoke: The Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve as with many of Rocky’s cigars was a well made and solid cigar. It had no burn issues to complain about. The draw was nice and easy and the smoke was abundant. The hints of chocolate in the prelight were there during the smoke but not enough to distract. This is by far not a complex cigar, what you enjoy in the cigar is consistent throughout.
My Overall Impression: The Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve was an enjoyable cigar. I’ve been told it is hard cigar to find at many B&M’s and since mine was part of a sampler I can’t confirm that; however, it truly was a pleasure to smoke. This is definitely, one of the better Rocky cigars to pickup. I’m going to have to rate this a real solid 9 out of 10 on my cigar rating scale. Great construction, fantastic smoke and really an enjoyable time.
Checking Out One of the Offerings From La Perla Cigar
Since seeing the different offerings that La Perla has been showing in recent cigar magazines, I was intrigued. Many of those reviews on the different varieties that La Perla has to offer have been in the 90 plus range. So when one of my favorite on line cigar vendors was offering a great deal on a sampler of La Perla, I jumped on it.
La Perla offers some tasty cigars like the Classic, the Cobre, the Morado, and the Rojo. Since all of these were in my sampler, I will be reviewing them at another time. However, this is a review of the Black Pearl, a nice dark, oily looking robusto.
Size: 5.0 x 50
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Nicaraguan, Mexico
Origin: Nicaraguan
Prelight / Construction: My research has told me that the La Perla brand has been around for several years and was at one time considered one of the top brands on the market. However, it seems that as the company grew, they had issues with keeping the brand up. It seems that those have been resolved and that’s why we see a very good cigar coming from them. This is an excellent looking maduro. I found that it was firmly rolled and no soft spots. The La Perla Habana Black Pearl as with many maduros, the prelight aroma was spicy with a little earthiness.
Flavors / Smoke: As I expected the first taste is some spice along with the earthy and toasty wood. There is some complexity to the La Perla Habana Black Pearl and the strength placed it in the medium to full. The Brazilian wrapper balanced out the spiciness with a little sweet. This burn was very good and needed no touchup. A nice ash and lots of thick smoke. The smoke stayed smooth and delicious all the way to the nub.
My Overall Impression: The La Perla Habana Black Pearl was a very enjoyable cigar. The price was inexpensive and yet a nice cigar. Who doesn’t enjoy that combination as a cigar lover in this economy? I am giving the La Perla Habana Black Pearl robusto a cigar rating of a solid 8 out of 10. Since I have the others from La Perla in my sampler, I look forward to seeing how they fair against the La Perla Habana Black Pearl.
Talk with anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I have a little geek inside me. Not only have I made my living previously by being a part of the “computer geek” world, I have the mentality of a geek. My wife will attest to that gladly. Whatever subject I’m involved with, be it computers, electronics, hobbies, gift giving, traveling, and yes, cigars, I put my whole “geeky” attitude into the project. I will look it up, research it endlessly, and invest a lot of time, effort, and sweat. But, that’s what makes me happy and satisfied that I am truly getting the most from my experience.
So, when I got involved with my passion of cigars, I did a lot of research. For those who love cigars as I do, there is no shortage in websites claiming their expertise in stogies. It’s Not About Cigars is one of those sites; however, I will never claim to be an expert. This site is only about my experiences and an outlet for my writing. I love it and have a great time talking about all things cigars.
One site that I make a daily stop at is Cigar Geeks on the web. Cigar Geeks is a cigar discussion site. Members discuss and review cigars as well as the occasional oddball subjects. Most of the members (it’s free to join) are passionate about cigars and like I do here give their honest opinions about the good, the bad, and the ugly about cigars.
If you love cigars and want to know more, or just want to get connected to others who share your passion, Cigar Geeks is a site you will want to check out.
Somewhere in my past, I had a bad experience with some cigar in the Gurkha line. It has been way too many years and way too many brain cells ago to remember which one. Suffice to say, when I stumble on a Gurkha, I’ve been known to shy away. However, this Gurkha Park Avenue Torpedo was a gift, and I was persuaded to enjoy this cigar with the gift giver one evening.
Size: 6.2 x 52
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican Republic
Origin: Dominican Republic
♦ Prelight / Construction: The Gurkha Park Avenue Torpedo had a great looking light wrapper with just a few small veins. The cigar was a bit spongy but not overly so that you would notice. The pre-light draw was loose and the aroma was a kind of woody, spicy taste.
♦ Flavors / Smoke: First, you should know that the Gurkha Park Avenue Torpedo is a mild cigar. Very light bodied with that woody aroma I talked about previously. About an inch into the cigar the spiciness picked up a little bit. There were no burn issues on this cigar thankfully. Sometimes a looser cigar will give you problems on the burn.
♦ My Overall Impression: As I approached the last third of the Gurkha Park Avenue Torpedo and the taste started to pick up just a little as did the body. Not quite a mild into a medium but nearly so. The cigar generated enough smoke to make it interesting and the ash hung in there for quite a while. I’m going to rate the Gurkha Park Avenue Torpedo a very good 7 out of 10. It is a mild cigar that is well built and meant to be enjoyed for those times like at lunch or with coffee. The Gurkha Park Avenue Torpedo has made me rethink my opinions of the Gurkha cigar line. I just might need to venture out and try some others in their line.
