Saturday, March 1, 2008
An impromptu meeting of the 3Guys Cigar Club took place on a golf course today (Actually, Big Dog and I were joined by JimmyV and Pookie, Ace doesn’t play golf). We were in a 4 man best ball scramble and decided to smoke some cigars on the golf course, what a concept, eh? JimmyV and I had already tried an Alec Bradley MAXX Ego a couple of weeks before on a golf course, with great results including the cigar lasting over 10 holes. So, it was time for an official 3Guys sampling of this cigar, and, so therefore, a blog.
The Ego is a 9 ¼ X 50 monster of a cigar that is actually hard to fit into a 50 cigar humidor. The 50 ring gauge looks thin compared to the length, but it is every bit of a 50 ring. This beast is definitely a multiple hour smoke, making it perfect for the golf course. The cigar lit easily, butane torch due to the windy conditions, and BAM! right from the start, that fantastic MAXX flavor. Size is not an issue for this brand, everything from the Fix to the Ego has the same fantastic MAXX flavor. (I love the MAXX, as if you couldn’t tell). This cigar has a full, smooth flavor that is a pleasure to taste. I’m not sure what makes this cigar work, but the combination of Colombian, Nicaraguan, Mexican and Honduran filler, with a Costa Rican binder held together by a chocolate colored Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, hits the spot for TurboD. The large cigar stayed lit for me, but JimmyV had to relight his several times. The guy needs to puff more, methinks.
The golf started out great, a cigar in one hand, getting cold brews from the foxy cart lady, and playing golf! The only way this scenario gets better is …, well, I think it has to get X-rated (I would have to leave the guys back at the clubhouse in my fantasy). This is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Our cigars smoked beautifully. Mine and JimmyV’s lasted until the 10th hole, where I left the 1” remainder in a sand trap. Pookie and Big Dog were heavy hitters today, puffing hard on the cigar, not hitting golf balls, and finished theirs on the 8th hole.
Big Dog introduced Pookie into the Dog Club on the 8th hole tee. I call it the Dog Club, because Big Dog is the only guy I know who, when he’s smoked a cigar within an inch, he isn’t done, he snips off the burnt end, and puts the remainder between his cheek and gum. Pookie followed suit, and by the 8th green Pookie’s face matched the carpet. We were afraid we was going to chum in the sandtrap. (When pledging the Dog Club, many are called but few are chosen). I can’t blame him; the MAXX is a stout cigar, and no, I am not a member of the Dog Club.
The Ego rates a perfect 5.0, along with all of the MAXX’s we’ve tried. I’m still looking forward to the Nano and look for a review of the Vice coming shortly.
Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
CAO America Potomac
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Another Wednesday, another cigar. Tonight, the 3Guys were joined by just JimmyV, and Pookie, mainly because the temperature was in the low 50’s, a little cool for this part of Florida. We tried the latest offering from CAO, the America, which is at the top of the CAO list for fullness. This cigar has a mixture of Connecticut, Italian, Nicaraguan and Dominican filler, surrounded by Brazilian binder wrapped in a double Connecticut wrapper, giving the cigar a pinstripe look. The label makes you want to stand up and salute, very patriotic.
The America Potomac is a nice 5 X 56 cigar. This tasty number is a full bodied smoke that was very smooth. The cigar lit quickly, (butane lighter, too much wind for matches), produced an unbelievable amount of smoke (now I know where the smoke is from on the CAO website), and held its light. The flavor was more medium than full; slightly less flavorful than the Rocky Patel R4 Maduro we smoked last week. This cigar has hints of pepper, I know this only because we smoked a CAO Black VR Totem the previous Friday and it was a pepper bomb. Other tastes were what I would describe as earthy flavors. Compared to the Brazilia Gol, the Potomac is definitely a step behind. Maybe the cigar namers at CAO are soccer fans, clearly the Brazilia outplays the America for the 3Guys.
Big Dog smoked his down to less than ½ inch, prompting me to try another one. I couldn’t match the Dog’s ability to keep this cigar lit below the ½ inch mark; Big Dog is the king of the knub. In his own words “I may not choke ya, but your going to get a mouth full”!
Everyone thought the cigar was very good, had a nice look, nice construction, nice smoke, good flavor. The 3Guys rate this baby a 4.7 out of 5.
Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!
Another Wednesday, another cigar. Tonight, the 3Guys were joined by just JimmyV, and Pookie, mainly because the temperature was in the low 50’s, a little cool for this part of Florida. We tried the latest offering from CAO, the America, which is at the top of the CAO list for fullness. This cigar has a mixture of Connecticut, Italian, Nicaraguan and Dominican filler, surrounded by Brazilian binder wrapped in a double Connecticut wrapper, giving the cigar a pinstripe look. The label makes you want to stand up and salute, very patriotic.
The America Potomac is a nice 5 X 56 cigar. This tasty number is a full bodied smoke that was very smooth. The cigar lit quickly, (butane lighter, too much wind for matches), produced an unbelievable amount of smoke (now I know where the smoke is from on the CAO website), and held its light. The flavor was more medium than full; slightly less flavorful than the Rocky Patel R4 Maduro we smoked last week. This cigar has hints of pepper, I know this only because we smoked a CAO Black VR Totem the previous Friday and it was a pepper bomb. Other tastes were what I would describe as earthy flavors. Compared to the Brazilia Gol, the Potomac is definitely a step behind. Maybe the cigar namers at CAO are soccer fans, clearly the Brazilia outplays the America for the 3Guys.
Big Dog smoked his down to less than ½ inch, prompting me to try another one. I couldn’t match the Dog’s ability to keep this cigar lit below the ½ inch mark; Big Dog is the king of the knub. In his own words “I may not choke ya, but your going to get a mouth full”!
Everyone thought the cigar was very good, had a nice look, nice construction, nice smoke, good flavor. The 3Guys rate this baby a 4.7 out of 5.
Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Rocky Patel R4 Maduro
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Another Wednesday, another wonderful cigar. Tonight, the 3Guys and the usual group of JimmyV, Pookie, Artie and Louie, tried the brother cigar to the Rocky Patel R4 Corojo that we sampled on February 6th, see our blog.
The Rocky Patel R4 Maduro is a nice 5 X 50 number that is similar to its Corojo brother, just darker with a fuller flavor. This tasty number is a full bodied smoke that was very smooth. The cigar lit quickly, (wooden matches), produced a lot of smoke, and held its light. Mine burned a little unevenly, unlike the Corojo, but the extra strength of the Maduro easily outweighed the efforts to keep the cigar from running too much. Ace’s cigar ran entirely down one side, enough that Ace commented he only smoke a half a cigar. We’re not sure why some cigars run, other than wrapper construction, uneven humidification, etc. If someone has thoughts, please comment. Big Dog had no running problems, taking his down to less than 1/2 inch (See picture).
The Maduro flavor is definitely stronger than the Corojo and should not be taken lightly. This cigar brings the strength and flavor. The Maduro is my choice of the 2 R4’s we sampled, and for the price of the R4, wow these cigars are a great value. Like the Corojo blog states: if you’re looking for a good, smooth, full bodied cigar, the R4 Maduro fits the bill. If you find this cigar somewhere for under $3 bucks buy as many as you can get your hands on!
Everyone thought the cigar was great. The 3Guys rate this baby a 4.7 out of 5, due to the wrapper running.
Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!
Another Wednesday, another wonderful cigar. Tonight, the 3Guys and the usual group of JimmyV, Pookie, Artie and Louie, tried the brother cigar to the Rocky Patel R4 Corojo that we sampled on February 6th, see our blog.
The Rocky Patel R4 Maduro is a nice 5 X 50 number that is similar to its Corojo brother, just darker with a fuller flavor. This tasty number is a full bodied smoke that was very smooth. The cigar lit quickly, (wooden matches), produced a lot of smoke, and held its light. Mine burned a little unevenly, unlike the Corojo, but the extra strength of the Maduro easily outweighed the efforts to keep the cigar from running too much. Ace’s cigar ran entirely down one side, enough that Ace commented he only smoke a half a cigar. We’re not sure why some cigars run, other than wrapper construction, uneven humidification, etc. If someone has thoughts, please comment. Big Dog had no running problems, taking his down to less than 1/2 inch (See picture).
The Maduro flavor is definitely stronger than the Corojo and should not be taken lightly. This cigar brings the strength and flavor. The Maduro is my choice of the 2 R4’s we sampled, and for the price of the R4, wow these cigars are a great value. Like the Corojo blog states: if you’re looking for a good, smooth, full bodied cigar, the R4 Maduro fits the bill. If you find this cigar somewhere for under $3 bucks buy as many as you can get your hands on!
Everyone thought the cigar was great. The 3Guys rate this baby a 4.7 out of 5, due to the wrapper running.
Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The Great Smoke, Part 3
Saturday, February 16, 2008, The Belle of the Ball
After showing up late to the Great Smoke, sorry guys, I had a lot of ground to make up. I had to go back to the car and change into my official 3Guys shirt, many thanks to Otto. I smoked about 4 or 5 cigars in 2 hours, but around 4 o’clock we ran into Joe Cusano, representing Cusano Cigars . For the next 10 minutes we were transported to a fantasy land of triple wrappers and South American fillers as we listened to Joe describe his fine cigar. Our trip to nirvana was capped with the lighting of a Cusano 18 Paired Maduro. In my opinion, this cigar was truly the Belle of the Ball today. The triple wrapper consists of Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro, Brazilian Matafina Maduro, and Dominican Republic Oro(1985), and was the #1 rated cigar by Cigar Insider in November 2005.
A quote from the Curano website “the Paired Maduro, an oily dark wrapper covers this cigar. Light herbal and spicy flavors lead to a chewy finish with some black pepper notes. Flavors are rich and balanced. The Cusano 18 Paired Maduro has 3 wrappers in its construction. This combination produces the rich and juicy smoke.”
Now this means little to the average man, so let me give it to you straight: This is a bold cigar that produces a lot of rich smoke. The solid construction produced an even draw and a consistent flavor from stem to stern. I smoked this 5 X 50 beauty down to within a half an inch and almost cried as I burned my fingers looking for one last tasty sip of the sweat nectar of this cigar. This baby made my day complete
Amongst a sea of premium manufacturers, on this day, the Cusano 18 Triple Paired Maduro was truly the Belle of the Ball.
Big Dog
You send ‘Em, We smoke ‘Em!
After showing up late to the Great Smoke, sorry guys, I had a lot of ground to make up. I had to go back to the car and change into my official 3Guys shirt, many thanks to Otto. I smoked about 4 or 5 cigars in 2 hours, but around 4 o’clock we ran into Joe Cusano, representing Cusano Cigars . For the next 10 minutes we were transported to a fantasy land of triple wrappers and South American fillers as we listened to Joe describe his fine cigar. Our trip to nirvana was capped with the lighting of a Cusano 18 Paired Maduro. In my opinion, this cigar was truly the Belle of the Ball today. The triple wrapper consists of Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro, Brazilian Matafina Maduro, and Dominican Republic Oro(1985), and was the #1 rated cigar by Cigar Insider in November 2005.
A quote from the Curano website “the Paired Maduro, an oily dark wrapper covers this cigar. Light herbal and spicy flavors lead to a chewy finish with some black pepper notes. Flavors are rich and balanced. The Cusano 18 Paired Maduro has 3 wrappers in its construction. This combination produces the rich and juicy smoke.”
Now this means little to the average man, so let me give it to you straight: This is a bold cigar that produces a lot of rich smoke. The solid construction produced an even draw and a consistent flavor from stem to stern. I smoked this 5 X 50 beauty down to within a half an inch and almost cried as I burned my fingers looking for one last tasty sip of the sweat nectar of this cigar. This baby made my day complete
Amongst a sea of premium manufacturers, on this day, the Cusano 18 Triple Paired Maduro was truly the Belle of the Ball.
Big Dog
You send ‘Em, We smoke ‘Em!
The Great Smoke, Part 2
Saturday, February 16, 2008
CIGARS! 36 different smokes from 26 different vendors! Great food, great drink, great sights, and did I mention cigars? The Great Smoke is a fantastic event where you get to collect premium hand made cigars from the industries best that made it to this year’s event. When you check in you get a great duffle bag filled with goodies, and more importantly, 36 tickets, one for each cigar offered. You also get a wrist band that allows you to freely sample the food and drink stations scattered throughout the venue. (See the Great Smoke, Part 1 for our food and drink adventures.)
As you may note in The Great Smoke, Part 1, we started off with the box pressed Hoyo de Tradition 6 X 52 Toro from General Cigar. This tasty number brings all of the great flavor we found in the Epicure (see the Nice Ash blog), but with a longer cigar. Who can ask for more? The Toro is a well put together medium to full bodied cigar made from Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan fillers surrounded by a Cuban seed Jamastran wrapper from Honduras. Like the Epicure, this tasty number is hearty but with a smooth, pleasant taste. A perfect way to start a day of smoking high quality cigars!
However, with all that was happening, it was just too much to consciously rate this baby, but don’t worry, we kept one for our Wednesday night rating sessions. Look for a review of the Toro as we work our way through all 36 smokes we were introduced to at this magnificent event. Our intent is to review the cigars in the order of the tickets at the show, so after a month or so of cooking in the humidor look for a review of the Camancho offering.
Our next smoke of the day was a Fonseca Cubano Limitado, a 6.5 X 52 Belicoso. This dark wrapped beauty is a full strength cigar that consists of a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan grown Cuba seed filler with an oily dark Honduran wrapper. The cigar produced lots of smoke and held its ash; even with the bumping and jostling I put it through in my wanderings around the venue. I was a little disappointed in this cigar as it had a very light draw, which detracted from the richness I would expect from such a full strength cigar. Not to worry, my ticket cigar, which went into the bag, is aging in my humidor and should be fully stoked when we rate it at a Wednesday night gathering later in the year. Stay tuned.
Our continual wanderings around the venue, collecting cigars, eating, drinking, mingling, etc, eventually brought us the Drew Estate table. There, we obtained a 6 X 50 Chateau Real Gran Templar for our bag, and talked the vendor into giving us another to sample. This mild and smooth cigar lit easily, produced lots of smoke, and was a pleasant compliment to the Fonseca. We also got the opportunity to speak to the President of Drew Estate, who spent several minutes with us describing his own special limited edition cigar, the Liga Privada. This baby is cooking in the humidor, and will have its own special tasting with us 3Guys. I really am looking forward to trying this Cigar.
The next sample cigar that we were able to obtain was the Acid Kuba Kuba by Drew Estate, mainly because we were standing next to the Drew Estate table after the raffle give a-ways were done. The Kuba Kuba, a 5 X 54 Nicaraguan cigar with a natural Cameroon wrapper, has a very distinctive and unique taste. The tip is sugar coated which, although not unique, was a pleasant surprise, and the cigar itself had an aroma and taste that can be described as similar to floral botanicals. The oils and herbs, with the tobacco, combine for the smooth pleasant taste. JimmyV still had a sample of wine, which he suggested I try with the Kuba. WOW!, the dry red wine and the sweet aromatic cigar were such good complements that the 3Guys will have to have a special wine and cigar event when we smoke the Kuba to rate it.
As the day was winding down, we met Joe Cusano of DomRey Cigar Limited, and Cusano Cigars. Joe talked us into trying his Cusano 18 Paired Maduro, a 5 X 50 Robusto. (Actually, we asked Joe to try one, in addition to the one our ticket allowed us.) Big Dog was so enamored with this Maduro, he wrote his own blog, which will be posted later today.
A fantastic day for the Great Smoke, and another great time for the 3Guys Cigar Club. We talked to THE legends of the cigar industry (too many to mention them all by name), got a chance to sample premium cigars, great food, great drink, a great time had by all. Thanks to everyone involved in this event, and for the hospitality from each cigar vendor.
Saving the best for last, Ace’s friend Arthur won the Padilla raffle for a 1932 Signature Oscuro Limited Edition Humidor with 45 Padilla cigars, a $1500.00 value! Arthur came to the event from Miami, in a wheelchair!
Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!
CIGARS! 36 different smokes from 26 different vendors! Great food, great drink, great sights, and did I mention cigars? The Great Smoke is a fantastic event where you get to collect premium hand made cigars from the industries best that made it to this year’s event. When you check in you get a great duffle bag filled with goodies, and more importantly, 36 tickets, one for each cigar offered. You also get a wrist band that allows you to freely sample the food and drink stations scattered throughout the venue. (See the Great Smoke, Part 1 for our food and drink adventures.)
As you may note in The Great Smoke, Part 1, we started off with the box pressed Hoyo de Tradition 6 X 52 Toro from General Cigar. This tasty number brings all of the great flavor we found in the Epicure (see the Nice Ash blog), but with a longer cigar. Who can ask for more? The Toro is a well put together medium to full bodied cigar made from Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan fillers surrounded by a Cuban seed Jamastran wrapper from Honduras. Like the Epicure, this tasty number is hearty but with a smooth, pleasant taste. A perfect way to start a day of smoking high quality cigars!
However, with all that was happening, it was just too much to consciously rate this baby, but don’t worry, we kept one for our Wednesday night rating sessions. Look for a review of the Toro as we work our way through all 36 smokes we were introduced to at this magnificent event. Our intent is to review the cigars in the order of the tickets at the show, so after a month or so of cooking in the humidor look for a review of the Camancho offering.
Our next smoke of the day was a Fonseca Cubano Limitado, a 6.5 X 52 Belicoso. This dark wrapped beauty is a full strength cigar that consists of a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan grown Cuba seed filler with an oily dark Honduran wrapper. The cigar produced lots of smoke and held its ash; even with the bumping and jostling I put it through in my wanderings around the venue. I was a little disappointed in this cigar as it had a very light draw, which detracted from the richness I would expect from such a full strength cigar. Not to worry, my ticket cigar, which went into the bag, is aging in my humidor and should be fully stoked when we rate it at a Wednesday night gathering later in the year. Stay tuned.
Our continual wanderings around the venue, collecting cigars, eating, drinking, mingling, etc, eventually brought us the Drew Estate table. There, we obtained a 6 X 50 Chateau Real Gran Templar for our bag, and talked the vendor into giving us another to sample. This mild and smooth cigar lit easily, produced lots of smoke, and was a pleasant compliment to the Fonseca. We also got the opportunity to speak to the President of Drew Estate, who spent several minutes with us describing his own special limited edition cigar, the Liga Privada. This baby is cooking in the humidor, and will have its own special tasting with us 3Guys. I really am looking forward to trying this Cigar.
The next sample cigar that we were able to obtain was the Acid Kuba Kuba by Drew Estate, mainly because we were standing next to the Drew Estate table after the raffle give a-ways were done. The Kuba Kuba, a 5 X 54 Nicaraguan cigar with a natural Cameroon wrapper, has a very distinctive and unique taste. The tip is sugar coated which, although not unique, was a pleasant surprise, and the cigar itself had an aroma and taste that can be described as similar to floral botanicals. The oils and herbs, with the tobacco, combine for the smooth pleasant taste. JimmyV still had a sample of wine, which he suggested I try with the Kuba. WOW!, the dry red wine and the sweet aromatic cigar were such good complements that the 3Guys will have to have a special wine and cigar event when we smoke the Kuba to rate it.
As the day was winding down, we met Joe Cusano of DomRey Cigar Limited, and Cusano Cigars. Joe talked us into trying his Cusano 18 Paired Maduro, a 5 X 50 Robusto. (Actually, we asked Joe to try one, in addition to the one our ticket allowed us.) Big Dog was so enamored with this Maduro, he wrote his own blog, which will be posted later today.
A fantastic day for the Great Smoke, and another great time for the 3Guys Cigar Club. We talked to THE legends of the cigar industry (too many to mention them all by name), got a chance to sample premium cigars, great food, great drink, a great time had by all. Thanks to everyone involved in this event, and for the hospitality from each cigar vendor.
Saving the best for last, Ace’s friend Arthur won the Padilla raffle for a 1932 Signature Oscuro Limited Edition Humidor with 45 Padilla cigars, a $1500.00 value! Arthur came to the event from Miami, in a wheelchair!
Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Great Smoke, Part 1
Saturday, February 16, 2008
A near perfect South Florida day, (it could have been about 5 degrees cooler, but I’m not complaining), blue skies, a slight breeze, and CIGARS! The Great Smoke started officially at 1 PM, but people were getting in the gate earlier. I got there about quarter after and could not find a decent parking space, so I settled on a spot way out in the back forty. The line to get in was out past the quad and the through the back parking area. I finally got my wrist band, goodie bag and cigar tickets at about 1:40 and immediately went searching for the beer purveyor. Sam Adams, on tap and cold. I hooked up with JimmyV in the ticket line, and Ace showed up before we made it to the beer line. Ace had our new T-Shirts made especially for the event, new logo and everything, so I switched shirts and the three of us headed to the Sam Adams stand. Our shirts were custom made by Ace’s buddy Otto (see his site at: http://www.crazytees.net/). Check him out and order your own 3GuysCigarClub T shirt , or other witty attire that may strike your fancy. (Shameless plug, but Otto deserves it for the artwork alone.)
Big Dog finally showed up about 2:30, got into his T-shirt and we were off on our quest for the cigars. Our first stop was at General Cigar, where we ran into Signe (see the Nice Ash blog). This was Signe’s last event for General Cigar and we are going to miss her dearly. Best of Luck in your new adventures, Signe! Of course, we collected the box pressed Hoyo de Tradicion that was offered. Then Ace started the day off right, exclaiming “That’s one for the bag, how about another one for the mouth.” And with that the smoking began.
We were joined by several of Ace’s buddies, Otto, Alex, Arthur, Clint, Juan, and we chatted with several of our Wednesday night regulars such as SkiHo and Louie. Arnie and Pat, our two newest friends were also there collecting cigars and mingling with the crowd.
We visited each vendor, chatted with the guys and gals, passed out our cards and explained our cigar ratings and blog and invited everyone to check us out. Hopefully they’re reading this and thinking: I need to get those guys to review my cigars, maybe I should send them some samples! (Another shameless plug, but you know our tag line: You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!)
Interwoven between cigar stops, we visited the Sam Adams stand so often, the guy pouring the beer got to know us on sight, and then we didn’t have to wait in line for the next pour. Although waiting in line took you by the Big Apple Pizza stand and free pizza is hard to pass up. Next to the Sam Adams stand was the Village Wine and Spirits selections including a Saaga Vodka rep, with 1000 times distilled vodka. This stuff was smooth! Next was the wine stand (Osborn Solaz Wines), with a myriad of wines to sample. The best was the Lacryma Christi, literally “Tears of Christ”, a very tasty red that complemented the cigars nicely. But the best drink stand was next, with a selection of Habana Rum, Asbach Brandy, Magellan Gin and Absente Absinthe. The lady serving up the rum was, by far, in my opinion, the star of the show. This exotic beauty, with the long dark hair, dark eyes, and a well proportioned body enclosed in a black satin gown, was quite a sight for the Guys’ eyes. If she is what Ace was talking about in his fantasy (see the Goooooooool! Blog) well, hell, sign me up twice! And the rum was great also, a twist of lime, delicious!
Now for the food provided by Culinary Fair and Chef Richard. The pork tenderloin was out of this world and the chicken fajitas were outstanding. I missed the pasta and stir fry, but I heard they were quality also. I did try the John Bull Pub offering of white chocolate banana bread pudding, a delicious offering by Chef Paul. This was served instead of the salmon dish that stole the show last year. The bread pudding was definitely the winner again this year, unbelievable. All of the above, plus the cigars, what an event!
Now I know this is a cigar blog, but the Great Smoke was not just a cigar event. It was THE Cigar Event! And the cigars deserve their own entry. So, stay tuned for part 2.
Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!
A near perfect South Florida day, (it could have been about 5 degrees cooler, but I’m not complaining), blue skies, a slight breeze, and CIGARS! The Great Smoke started officially at 1 PM, but people were getting in the gate earlier. I got there about quarter after and could not find a decent parking space, so I settled on a spot way out in the back forty. The line to get in was out past the quad and the through the back parking area. I finally got my wrist band, goodie bag and cigar tickets at about 1:40 and immediately went searching for the beer purveyor. Sam Adams, on tap and cold. I hooked up with JimmyV in the ticket line, and Ace showed up before we made it to the beer line. Ace had our new T-Shirts made especially for the event, new logo and everything, so I switched shirts and the three of us headed to the Sam Adams stand. Our shirts were custom made by Ace’s buddy Otto (see his site at: http://www.crazytees.net/). Check him out and order your own 3GuysCigarClub T shirt , or other witty attire that may strike your fancy. (Shameless plug, but Otto deserves it for the artwork alone.)
Big Dog finally showed up about 2:30, got into his T-shirt and we were off on our quest for the cigars. Our first stop was at General Cigar, where we ran into Signe (see the Nice Ash blog). This was Signe’s last event for General Cigar and we are going to miss her dearly. Best of Luck in your new adventures, Signe! Of course, we collected the box pressed Hoyo de Tradicion that was offered. Then Ace started the day off right, exclaiming “That’s one for the bag, how about another one for the mouth.” And with that the smoking began.
We were joined by several of Ace’s buddies, Otto, Alex, Arthur, Clint, Juan, and we chatted with several of our Wednesday night regulars such as SkiHo and Louie. Arnie and Pat, our two newest friends were also there collecting cigars and mingling with the crowd.
We visited each vendor, chatted with the guys and gals, passed out our cards and explained our cigar ratings and blog and invited everyone to check us out. Hopefully they’re reading this and thinking: I need to get those guys to review my cigars, maybe I should send them some samples! (Another shameless plug, but you know our tag line: You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!)
Interwoven between cigar stops, we visited the Sam Adams stand so often, the guy pouring the beer got to know us on sight, and then we didn’t have to wait in line for the next pour. Although waiting in line took you by the Big Apple Pizza stand and free pizza is hard to pass up. Next to the Sam Adams stand was the Village Wine and Spirits selections including a Saaga Vodka rep, with 1000 times distilled vodka. This stuff was smooth! Next was the wine stand (Osborn Solaz Wines), with a myriad of wines to sample. The best was the Lacryma Christi, literally “Tears of Christ”, a very tasty red that complemented the cigars nicely. But the best drink stand was next, with a selection of Habana Rum, Asbach Brandy, Magellan Gin and Absente Absinthe. The lady serving up the rum was, by far, in my opinion, the star of the show. This exotic beauty, with the long dark hair, dark eyes, and a well proportioned body enclosed in a black satin gown, was quite a sight for the Guys’ eyes. If she is what Ace was talking about in his fantasy (see the Goooooooool! Blog) well, hell, sign me up twice! And the rum was great also, a twist of lime, delicious!
Now for the food provided by Culinary Fair and Chef Richard. The pork tenderloin was out of this world and the chicken fajitas were outstanding. I missed the pasta and stir fry, but I heard they were quality also. I did try the John Bull Pub offering of white chocolate banana bread pudding, a delicious offering by Chef Paul. This was served instead of the salmon dish that stole the show last year. The bread pudding was definitely the winner again this year, unbelievable. All of the above, plus the cigars, what an event!
Now I know this is a cigar blog, but the Great Smoke was not just a cigar event. It was THE Cigar Event! And the cigars deserve their own entry. So, stay tuned for part 2.
Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Gooooooooooooooooool!!!!!!
We had a great crowd for our hebdomadal Wednesday 3Guys meeting. Nine of us gathered to sample the CAO Brazilia Gol. The usual group of Turbo D, Big Dog, Barry V, Pookie, Louie and myself, were joined by three firstimers, for a really great showing.
The general consensus of the group is that CAO scores with this stick. I was particularly impressed with this 5X56 cigar. Upon removing the cellophane wrapper I was greeted by a very pleasant aroma. The cigar is constructed of Nicaraguan filler and a very dark, smooth wrapper of Brazilian leaf. I found no blemishes or unsightly veins. But the true test is in the tasting not the looking.
After a nice clean cut using a guillotine cutter I lit the cigar using a butane torch. The cigar lit well and burned evenly throughout the entire session. It produced generous amounts of smoke. This is a fairly heavy bodied cigar and I found it to have a very smooth taste with a slight spiciness to entertain the palate. The cigar remained smooth for the entire length. Actually I found that contrary to a lot of other cigars I’ve tried, it improved as I smoked it. I stopped smoking with a little less than 1 inch left but my friend Big Dog smoked his until there was less cigar than his fingers could hold. Very impressive.
I, for one, think CAO has achieved cigar nirvana with the Gol and I rate it a perfect 5.0. It did all that could be asked of a cigar at a reasonable price. Big Dog was heard to say that if the Gol is this rich, that the CAO America better eat its wheaties if it wants the 3Guys to agree that the America is king of the CAO lineup.
And now for my fantasy of the week: I fly down to Rio de Janeiro where I find my very own beautiful “Garota de Ipanema”. After frolicking on the beaches of the Copacabana she takes me to Maracana Stadium. There with a caipirinha in one hand and the CAO in the other, we watch as Brazil, with its style and grace, works its Samba Soccer magic and puts the ball in the back of the net. How could it get any better? A gol for the eyes and a Gol for the mouth. A delicious butt in my hand and a delicious butt on…. Well you get the picture: PARADISE!
Ace
You send ‘Em, We smoke ‘Em!
The general consensus of the group is that CAO scores with this stick. I was particularly impressed with this 5X56 cigar. Upon removing the cellophane wrapper I was greeted by a very pleasant aroma. The cigar is constructed of Nicaraguan filler and a very dark, smooth wrapper of Brazilian leaf. I found no blemishes or unsightly veins. But the true test is in the tasting not the looking.
After a nice clean cut using a guillotine cutter I lit the cigar using a butane torch. The cigar lit well and burned evenly throughout the entire session. It produced generous amounts of smoke. This is a fairly heavy bodied cigar and I found it to have a very smooth taste with a slight spiciness to entertain the palate. The cigar remained smooth for the entire length. Actually I found that contrary to a lot of other cigars I’ve tried, it improved as I smoked it. I stopped smoking with a little less than 1 inch left but my friend Big Dog smoked his until there was less cigar than his fingers could hold. Very impressive.
I, for one, think CAO has achieved cigar nirvana with the Gol and I rate it a perfect 5.0. It did all that could be asked of a cigar at a reasonable price. Big Dog was heard to say that if the Gol is this rich, that the CAO America better eat its wheaties if it wants the 3Guys to agree that the America is king of the CAO lineup.
And now for my fantasy of the week: I fly down to Rio de Janeiro where I find my very own beautiful “Garota de Ipanema”. After frolicking on the beaches of the Copacabana she takes me to Maracana Stadium. There with a caipirinha in one hand and the CAO in the other, we watch as Brazil, with its style and grace, works its Samba Soccer magic and puts the ball in the back of the net. How could it get any better? A gol for the eyes and a Gol for the mouth. A delicious butt in my hand and a delicious butt on…. Well you get the picture: PARADISE!
Ace
You send ‘Em, We smoke ‘Em!
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