3 GUYS CIGAR CLUB

A Golfing Ego

2008-03-06T17:54:00.007-05:00

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!

CAO America Potomac

2008-03-06T17:49:00.003-05:00

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!

Rocky Patel R4 Maduro

2008-03-03T07:17:00.017-05:00

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!

The Great Smoke, Part 3

2008-02-21T18:52:00.014-05:00

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!

The Great Smoke, Part 2

2008-02-21T18:43:00.006-05:00

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!

The Great Smoke, Part 1

2008-02-20T07:11:00.009-05:00

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!

Gooooooooooooooooool!!!!!!

2008-02-15T08:48:00.010-05:00

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 Great Smoke, February 16th, 1 PM to 5 PM, West Palm Beach, Florida

2008-02-08T22:16:00.003-05:00

I want to take up a blog entry with an unsolicited plug for the upcoming Great Smoke. Ace and I started serious cigar appreciation after last years Great Smoke, which was PHENOMENAL! (Big Dog joined us later in the year, and turned us into the 3Guys). I’ve been told by Abe, the purveyor of the Smoke Inn Cigar Shop and host for the Great Smoke; that this year will blow last year away. I can’t wait!

An earlier post talked about the Rocky Patel R4 being ranked 42nd out of over 80 cigars that Ace and I have ranked. The rankings started after last years Great Smoke, which may also explain why a 4.7 cigar is in the 40’s. We have been spoiled by the premium cigars that we got last year. Again, this year’s event will be even better. 34 premium hand made cigars from at least 30 vendors will stock anybody’s humidor with a very classy sampling. Vendors such as: Rocky Patel, CAO, AVO, Hoyo de Monterrey, Oliva and Perdomo. The complete list is on the website. Also, the men behind the cigars will be there also. Last year I got Rocky Patel’s signature on a cigar box, which is sitting in my office display case.

In addition to the fine cigars, this year’s event will have 7 food stations, and a variety of wine, spirits and beer stations. Last year, Ace and I sampled several types of $100 a bottle cognacs and scotches. The food was out of this world, we’re still talking about the grilled salmon with a corn salsa relish. We were in that line several times also.

If you’re thinking about cigars, (who isn’t?), the Great Smoke is one event you don’t want to miss. This will be the cigar event of the year for the South Florida cigar aficionado. While you’re there, look for us 3Guys and say hello to Big Dog, Ace or myself, Turbo D. We’ll have shirts on with our logos, sticks in our mouths and, beverages in hand.

Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!

Event Location:
Smoke Inn - West Palm Beach
801 Village Blvd
West Palm Beach, FL 33409
For More Information
Call1-888-SMOKES-1
or email info@smokeinn.com

Torano Exodus 1959

2008-02-08T22:02:00.000-05:00

Friday, February 08, 2008

I stopped by my local cigar shop, 3J-C’s, tonight while the wife was out with the daughter since I’m not supposed to be smoking cigars. Long story, but what the wife doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Me, maybe, but not her. I was there last night for their Perdomo cigar event, but that will be another blog. Since I didn’t stay long last night I felt a mighty urge to revisit this fine establishment, especially since it is in my neighborhood. My selection tonight was the Torano Exodus 1959 Double Corona, a nice 7X52 box pressed beauty that looked delicious, and with a $6.50 tax, tag, title, out the door price, it didn’t empty my wallet. Being by myself, this was not an official 3Guys sanctioned smoke.

Jeremy, one of the “J’s” was out, but Al was running the store and greeted me warmly. After taking my cash, Al clipped the cigar and held the butane torch while I lit this beauty. Right from the start I was impressed with the creamy, slightly spicy flavor, which I expected from the dark, richly colored wrapper. The cigar produced vast quantities of white smoke and held its flavor. In between customers, Al asked how I liked the cigar, and my only comment was that a cold beer would make it a perfect evening. Sometimes it pays to ask, as Al ducted into the back and proffered me a cold Miller Lite, left over from the Perdomo event. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and being thirsty, I happily popped the top and settled onto the comfy couch to enjoy my Torano. The evening was turning into quite a pleasant affair, watching the Celtics on the HD TV, smoking a good cigar and imbibing a cold one.

As I smoked, I noticed a little difficulty with the cigar running down one edge about half way through the cigar. This was the only blemish on an otherwise very pleasant smoke. The cigar was medium to full bodied, richly flavorful, had a pleasant draw, and it held its light even with the uneven burn. I puffed a little slower than usual, reading magazines, watching the game, BSing with Al, etc, and the cigar was ¾ done after an hour when I set it down so I could get home in time to shower, etc before wifeypoo got home. I have to rate this cigar a 4.75, mainly on the running of the wrapper. Definitely want to try one of these babies again. Try one, I think you'll like, and if you are anywhere near US 441 and Lake Worth Road in Wellington, stop by 3J's and tell them Turbo D sent you.

Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!

Rocky Patel R4 Corrojo

2008-02-07T10:01:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Another Wednesday, another wonderful cigar. Tonight, the 3Guys were joined by our newest friend, Ski Ho. Ski Ho earned his name because he missed last week skiing out in Vail, smoking an occasional cigar too I bet. JimmyV was getting fitted for a tux, for a friends wedding, not his, and BarryV is on some much needed R&R back in Houston. Both should be back next week. I still haven’t met the cigar chick, Pocket Aces. I’m beginning to think she was a figment of the Big Dog’s wild imagination. Still, a wonderful evening, wings, beer, and of course, a cigar!

We smoked the Rocky Patel R4 Corrojo, a nice 5 X 50 number that surprised me with its rather pleasant flavor. Not having heard of the R4, I was a little leery since it was an online special ($1.80 a stick, delivered) from Cigars International.com. In the past, I’ve ordered the Rocky “OSG”, which stands for Original Sun Grown, thinking that it should be at least as good as the RP Sun Grown, but I was sadly disappointed. The OSG has value in that I can give it away at the golf course as a RP to my fellow golfers and they think it’s great. WOW, a Rocky Patel, etc. Otherwise, run from the OSG.

Not the R4. This tasty number was a medium bodied smoke that was very smooth. The cigar lit quickly, (wooden matches), produced a lot of smoke, and held its light. I tried real hard to only puff once a minute and succeeding, I still had some of the nub left over an hour after the light. What a concept. The nub on this guy didn’t even begin to get hot until there was less than ½ inch left. Ski Ho was offering to get me and the Big Dog roach clips. The Dog was nubbing his R4 also, while Ace and Ski Ho had a bit left when I had to vamoose to another engagement. Ace or the Dog will have to fill in the parts I missed.

Everyone thought the cigar was great. Only Big Dog showed the slightest negativity, saying the cigar was very well constructed, had a good draw, great smoke production, never got hot or bitter, but it was just a little too mild for his taste. I thought the cigar was great. However, since we are 3Guys, I have to include Dog’s 4.6 rating, combined with my 4.8, to give this puppy a 4.7 rating, which is where Ace felt it came in at. The 4.7 falls about 40th in my ratings list of over 80 cigars, but well within the “Buy” range. If you’re looking for a good, smooth, medium bodied cigar, the R4 fits the bill. If you find this cigar somewhere for under $3 bucks buy as many as you can get your hands on.

Turbo D
You Send ‘Em, We Smoke ‘Em!

Popa’s N The House

2008-02-06T07:27:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday night (Feb. 2, 2008) I went to see one of my favorite blues musicians Popa Cubby, who was playing at the Backroom (http://www.thebackroombluesbar.com/) in Boca Raton. Popa is a guitar virtuoso who plays with a “No holds barred”, hard charging style. In the second set he played a Hendrix classic that did justice to the song. I’m sure Jimi must have been looking down from Heaven with grin as he heard “Hey Joe” being played because Popa’s rendition was righteous. For all you blues fans that haven’t heard of Popa check out his CD titled Big Man, Big Guitar. It’s not his latest but it’s the CD that got me hooked on his music. It is a live recording of his Paris performance on a few years ago. Great CD but nothing like seeing Popa live, especially in a small venue where you can be three feet away from the stage. To hear his guitar playing, you know definitely that Popa’s N The House.

How do you punctuate a great evening like that?, with a stick of course, and a Courvoisier. Since I didn’t leave the Backroom until past 1:00 am I chose to smoke a milder cigar than I normally would have had the evening been younger. My selection was a Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Connecticut which was given to me by my good friend Alex for my birthday back in November. I had great expectations; after all Rocky makes one of my favorite smokes in the RP Sun Grown. This stick had a lot to live up to.

Upon lighting it I found it to be very smooth with a slightly earthy taste. It was indeed very mild as most Connecticut wrapper cigars are. I found that the cigar stayed consistently pleasant until I had smoked about ¾ of the stick. At this point the Rocky started getting bitter, which for me, is a signal that I had enough of a good thing. I would rate this cigar at a 4.6 because my palate prefers a medium to heavy body cigar. A mild smoke is not my favorite. This cigar would be excellent for a person just starting out their cigar appreciation journey, but for me, give me my Rocky Patel Sun Grown.

P.S. I must note that this was not an officially sanctioned 3Guys event as I was the only Guy present so no delegates will be sent to our convention. (Hey, I do live in Florida).

Ace
You send ‘em, We smoke ‘em!

3 Guys All Time Top Fifteen

2008-02-01T15:24:00.000-05:00

Friday, February 01, 2008

I referenced our perfect cigars in the Cohiba post. I thought I would list our top fifteen cigars, as of today. The first criteria is Rating, with ties broken by the Rating/cost. This gives a sense of the value and a way to separate the ranking. (I apologize for the bunched listing, I haven't learned how to import tables yet.)

Let me know what you think.

Turbo D.
You Send Em, We Smoke Em!

Rank,Cigar,Maker,Size,Rating,Cost,Rating/cost,Date
1,Italia Novella,CAO,4 1/2X46,5.00, $ 4.35,1.15,3/11/2007
2,MAXX The Fix,Alec Bradley,5X58,5.00, $ 5.00 ,1.00,6/20/2007
2,MAXX The Curve,Alec Bradley,7X58,5.00, $ 5.00,1.00,2/17/2007
3,Sungrown Robusto,Rocky Patel,5.5X50,5.00, $ 5.70,0.88,6/7/2007
4,Lonsdale Grande Cameroon,Cohiba,6.5X47,5.00,$ 5.84,0.86,2/1/2008
5,Madero Toro, Old World Reserve,Rocky Patel,6.5X52,4.95, $ 2.56 ,1.94,10/5/2007
6,Cuba Aliados Doble Fuerte,Puros Indios,5X50,4.95, $ 3.25 ,1.52,5/30/2007
7,Brazilia Gol,CAO,5X56,4.95, $ 5.50 ,0.90,4/5/2007
8,Platinum Chubby,Zino,5X54,4.95, $ 13.50 ,0.37,2/21/2007
9,Criollo Bomba,CAO,6X50,4.90, $ 6.50 ,0.75,3/2/2007
10,Criollo Mancha,CAO,5 5/8X46,4.90, $ 6.50 ,0.75,2/24/2007
11,Black VR Totem,CAO,5X50,4.90, $ 6.60 ,0.74,12/6/2007
12,2005 Limited Harvest SpecialToro,Camacho,5.2X52,4.90, $ 7.75,0.63,5/5/2005
13,Centro Fina Sungrown Pyramid No 9,Cuesta Rey,6.25X52,4.90, $ 7.95 ,0.62,4/4/2007
14,Red Dot Robusto,Cohiba,5X49,4.90, $ 13.25 ,0.37,3/18/2007
15,Epicure Box Pressed,Hoyo de Tradicion,5.2X50,4.85, $ 4.50 ,1.08,1/16/2008

Cohiba Lonsdale Grande Cameroon

2008-02-01T15:14:00.000-05:00

Friday, February 01, 2008

An impromptu meeting of the 3 Guys Cigar Club happened at lunch today. Ace, Big Dog, and myself, Turbo D, met for a sandwich and a smoke in front of The Smoke Inn in beautiful West Palm Beach Florida. The weather was near perfect, clear blue skies, mid 70’s and low humidity for Florida. The slight breeze topped off the setting.

Today’s tasty number was a Dominican Cohiba cigar that I feel like I stole from a Thompson’s Cigar Company on-line special. This Lonsdale Grande Cameroon measured in at a nice 6.5” X 47 ring gage, and of course had the appropriate “Red Dot” markings. The cigar lit easily, wooden matches, and was very pleasant right from the start. The cigar produced a lot of smoke, and held its white ash very well. This medium bodied number held its flavor through out the smoke, its earthy undertones were nicely matched by a flavor Ace described as “Cognac”. The draw was just right, not too tight, not too loose, the way a cigar should draw.

The Cohiba made quite the impression and after a little debate, the consensus was a perfect 5.0. This is only the third cigar to warrant a perfect score by the 3Guys, going back to include our ratings prior to formally forming the Club. I smoked this baby down to the nub, and even Ace commented that he was close to burning his lips. Ace rarely smokes one to the nub, so when he didn’t put it down with only an inch to go, I knew we had something special. Unfortunately, Dog missed the exciting conclusion as he had to head back to work early; you would think government employees could slack a little more on Fridays. Well, somebody has to work, and he at least got to smoke an excellent cigar at lunch.

Turbo D
You Send Em, We Smoke Em!

CAO Italia Ciao

2008-01-31T07:18:00.000-05:00

Wednesday January 30, 2008

Another Wednesday, another round of wings, beer, and of course, a cigar. This week we smoked the CAO Italia Ciao, a 5 X 56 robusto cigar touted as being full bodied by CAO. Ace, Big Dog, BarryV and a friend of the Dog's, Pookie, joined us to try this cigar. Pookie was with us last week and if he keeps this up he may become a regular “guy”. Another friend, Louie, came by to join us, but was already smoking a different cigar, so he stayed for the banter.

The Ciao, matches the sizes of the Criollo Pato and the Cameroon Robusto we've previously sampled, so the Ciao was given a whirl. Big Dog picked up the cigars from our local tobacconist, The Smoke Inn, so the cigars were fresh out of the humidor. My cigar was a little slow to light, wooden matches this time, and tended to have a tight draw. Maybe the cigar was a little too humid; everyone else didn't seem to have difficulty with the draw. After the light, BarryV was heard to say "This is very good". The initial flavor was pleasant, even with the tough draw, and had a full body flavor that seemed to be lacking pizzazz. Definitely not as memorable as the CAO Italia Novella (which is one of my personal favorites), must be the size and my tastebuds. As the evening wore on, Barry V was moved to say "This one is becoming harsh" and he wasn't even half way through his cigar. I became disappointed in mine; as I had to fight the wrapper running almost from the start. I set mine down with over an inch left, which is almost unheard of for Turbo D. I have to give this one a 4.2, but have rated the Ciao a 4.6 in the past. Overall, I think the group would agree that the Ciao is a 4.5 cigar, a keeper cigar, but not in the league of the Criollo Pato or the Cameroon Robusto.

As I said above, the smaller Novella is one of my favorite cigars, but the larger Italia sizes leave a little to be desired, in my experience. I will have to try the Novella again soon, just to make sure that my tastes haven't changed. I think sometimes the size of the cigar can affect how the flavor of the wrapper and the filler combine, and in the case of the Italia, smaller is better.

Just a quick promo for our local watering hole, McPhails Pub. Check out their happy hour specials on the signs outside. Bill and Matt do a fantastic job, and we appreciate their support. We 3 Guys think this is the best happy hour in town. Come on down for the wings and drinks, and if you are so inclined, join us for a smoke!

Turbo D
You Send Em, We Smoke Em!

CAO Camaroon

2008-01-30T12:18:00.000-05:00

Greetings fellow cigar smokers:

Wednesday, January 16th 2008, the 3 Amigos met at our local watering hole, McPhail's Pub and partook of the CAO Cameroon. We had a special friend, Barry V from South Africa by way of Houston Texas had joined us. We ordered wings and beer, rum and diet for Ace, Guinness for Big Dog, and Bud Light for Barry and Turbo D. The wings were great, the beer was cold, and the cigar hit the spot.

This tasty little number had been cooking in the humidor for about 3 months since I ordered mine from Cigar.com as part of a CAO sampler. This 5" X 50 Robusto cigar with the fancy gold label, lit well, (butane torch), and was pleasant from the start. It held its light even when the wings came and I had to put it down for a few minutes.

The Camaroon is a pleasant medium bodied cigar with a mild disposition. The cigar is a little light for my taste, but still caries enough flavor to warrant a spot in the humidor. It is well worth a try and is especially recommended for those that find the CAO Brazilia too full a cigar. Turbo D gives the Camaroon Robusto a 4.75 out of 5 at this sitting.

Turbo D.

You Send Em, We Smoke Em!

CAO Crillo Pato

2008-01-29T20:56:00.000-05:00

Greetings fellow cigar smokers:

Another Wednesday (January 23, 2008) evening, another cigar at our favorite watering hole, McPhail's Pub in West Palm Beach Florida. This week's cigar is the mighty fine offering by CAO Cigars, the Criollo Pato. The Pato weighs in at a respectable 4 7/8" by 50 size with a neat little tie knot at the its tip. This Nicaraguan cigar has an enticing aroma and look right out of the humidor.

Tonight Big Dog and myself were joined by JimmyV and Barry V (not related), both experienced Guys, and several of Dog's friends. Quite a nice little crowd of cigar nuts makes for a very enjoyable evening. Ace was home sick, nothing serious, but with prayers and little luck, Ace will be back smoking again next week.

The Pato lit quickly, wooden matches, and immediately produced lots of smoke. This medium bodied cigar is exceptionally smooth with a very pleasant flavor. Barry V was moved to exclaim "This is a damn good cigar". I couldn't have said it better myself. The cigar didn't go out when the wings came, and again I smoked it down to a nub, only stopping when the heat reached my lips. As you may have surmised reading these blogs, I smoke my cigars rather fast, but it works for me. I can't get the hang of a puff a minute. Ace has this down, and Dog is usually pretty good, but last night the Big Dog sucked his down in about half the time I took for mine. I must have been talking too much, go figure, or the Dog was just happy with his stick. (Pun intended, if you know the Dog). Definitely a 4.9 out of 5, much better than the 4.6 rating we originally had back in March. This goes to show you that a well humidor'd cigar improves with age.

Again, a wonderful Wednesday night. This is definitely habit forming. Special thanks to Bill and Matt of McPhail's, you guys do a fantastic job. Smoke em responsibly and drink heartily,… or Smoke em heartily and drink responsibly, …, or Hell, just ...

YOU SEND EM, WE'LL SMOKE EM.

TURBO D.

Nice Ash

2008-01-27T21:23:00.003-05:00

Ace and I stopped into our local tobacco shop, Smoke Inn in West Palm Beach, the other day and lo and behold, there was a cigar sampling going on. With our motto, we felt like we died and went to heaven, Free Cigars! We were warmly greeted by the host, Signe from the General Cigar Company, who immediately lit us up the latest Hoyo de Tradicion, Epicure. As we were lighting up, Signe, who had a cold, suggested we light our own. At the same time, the shop owner, Abe, offered Signe his latest shirt, "Nice Ash", which showed a woman's silhouette from behind. (With a rather nice behind). At which, Signe said "I want her butt." Without a beat, Ace and I both exclaimed that we would love to have her butt too. In fact, I think every guy in the place would take a chance with the silhouette, but this is a cigar blog and not a butt blog.

The Hoyo lit well, butane torch, and mine was quite pleasant from the start. Ace's had a hard draw and went out quickly. Signe offered another from a different box, explaining that the box the box pressed cigar came from seemed to have a lot of cigars that were tight draws. Another customer offered that the sample box may have been over humidified prior to shipping, so that it arrived at the store ready to smoke. Obviously, some in the box were a little too moist. Signe went on to explain about the cigar, with its Honduran Rosado wrapper and a hearty blend of Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican filler.

After Ace's relight, we went outside to properly taste the cigar. And it was a fine cigar. Mine held its ash, produced lots of white smoke and had a pleasant taste. This is a well put together medium bodied cigar that lasted almost a full hour, even with my constant puffing. I finally had to put the stub down when my last draw not only burned my fingers, but was rather hot on the lips. All in all, a very tasty number. I have to give it a solid 4.8 out 5.

Signe was quite the host, chatting us up and generally just being fun to be with. This also added to the pleasant experience. As the gracious host, she also offered us another cigar for the road, suggesting we let it simmer in our humidor a while. This should bring the moisture down to a proper level and add to our smoking experience. We're looking forward to trying the Epicure again soon, so look to see if this little number's rating goes even higher.

Turbo D
You send, We smoke em!

Carlos Torano 1916 Torpedo

2007-12-31T08:38:00.000-05:00

REVIEW:
The wings were great as usual, the beer cold, the company was enjoyable, and the Torano 1916 Torpedo hit the spot. This cigar was obtained at a Torano cigar event held at 3J's-C cigar shop in Wellington this past April, so it was pleasantly aged in the humidor for almost 8 months when I broke it out last night. I was looking forward to the Torano, the Casa Torano Robusto that I had in April at the event was a very pleasant smoke, so I was expecting great things with the 1916. The aroma was pleasing as I pulled off the wrapper, and after wetting the end, the snip was a straight cut. This told me that the humidor was working properly, keeping the cigar fresh. It lit easy enough, wooden matches only, of course. The first few puffs were smooth, with a normal draw. The cigar was delivering on all fronts as I put it down as the wings arrived. Big Dog was smoking heavily on his MAXX by Alec Bradley, Ace was absent (something about having to pick up the wife instead of smoking with the boys, some times priorities get confused), but JimmyV was a guest wings and beer sampler last night. With that said, the first order of wings went fast and I was back to my 1916 waiting on the second batch to arrive. So far so good, smooth smoke, solid ash, and a pleasant aroma through the first half of the cigar. I let the 1916 rest when the second set of wings arrived, and these wings went down a little slower. When I got back to the 1916, it needed to be relit. At this point, the cigar went downhill, harshening up as I approached the last quarter of the stick. At this point, the check had arrived, since even smoking hombres have to get home before the kids go to bed. I left the last quarter, too harsh, and life is too short to smoke harsh cigars.
I give the 1916 a solid 4.7 out of 5. This cigar is well worth the $5.90 price tag at 3-J's and I definitely will have to try this one again. I'm wondering if the relight may have contributed to the harsh ending. Stay tuned for more on the 1916, although it may be several months before we get back to this tasty number.

Turbo D
You send em, We smoke em!