I didn’t think this process was going to be easy, and I was right. As many times as people say this happens all the time. Well it doesn’t happen all the time to me. The split was more or less a mutual agreement. We haven’t lived as husband and wife for a few years and to continue on that way would of been unfair to both of us.

With her moving out this past weekend and coming home to a half empty house, it’s a hit it in the gut that is difficult to take. It’s funny though how most people can’t wait to get home from work, I look forward to work in helping me get pass this with more ease.

As for cigars, I’ve been really into the San Latano Habano and Oval. The Oval Maduro….sorry guys, back to the drawing board with that wrapper. The Marco V Havana is been a frequent cigar in front of my lighter. The Kristoff Corojo Torpedo, I can’t get enough of those. Its like a fix at times. I see that Orange band and I start to get the twitches.

I’m enjoying the new Foundry line of cigars with a glass of Bowmore Islay Single Malt 12 Year Old currently.

Oh and to end this post on a odd statement…Lucas Woith is a disappointment to myself and to his ex close cigar smoking friends. He scammed money from Elvis a few months ago and has yet to repay him. Its sad to see this happen to someone close to me and from somebody we traveled with to smoke cigars and enjoy the brotherhood of the leaf. Shame on you Lucas. Shame.

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I know it has been a while since I last blogged about a cigar and I have a few still waiting to be published.

Recently life has been a little hectic to say the least. Just to get to the point, my wife and I have decided to split and go through the Big D. Its amicable at this point and hopefully it stays that way. I won’t go into details, but its just over time when two people just grow apart and there is nothing in common and you end up living like roommates. So thats the bad news, Good News is I start a new position at my current employer where I finally gain the title of ‘Engineer’. I’m a big boy now!

I hope once the emotional rollercoaster ride i’ve been on settles down and i’ll be able to focus on reviews on a more consistent basis, because I do have a few great cigars waiting to be smoked!

I hope your all doing well and are lighting up some great cigars!

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This review will focus on Costa Rican tobacco and the company Vegas de Santiago.

Vegas de Santiago – D8

Wrapper: Ecuador Habano 2000 Sun Grown
Binder: Ecuador Habano
Filler: Costa Rica with Double Ligero

The D8 has a chewy looking dark wrapper. I’m smoking the Robusto measuring the standard 5 x 50. The band is pretty standard with a white background with gold, red and black accents. The D8 insignia is smack dab in the middle of the band.

I made a V-Cut to the head of the cigar and lit with a match. The first impression there is a sweetness that rolls off the wrapper. A nice rich leather, coffee and oak jump out and hit the palate. Its quite smooth at this early going.

Getting to the 1/4 mark, I may of puffing a little fast, the burn was a little uneven. I slowed down and at this point it began to even out. The sweetness still invites you back for each draw on the cigar. The deep leather flavor is probably the strongest note at this point.

Halfway through the cigar has more of a tobacco flavor with the sweetness and leather stepping back slightly, though they are still there.  I’m really taking my time smoking this cigar just because its such a smooth and relaxing experience. Though the burn has corrected itself, there is slight jagged edge.

At the 3/4 mark the cigar is getting stronger. All the way through the cigar until this point was medium in body, but the strength is picking up with a pepper note and anise making an appearance.

The Vegas de Santiago D8 is a pretty, pretty, pretty good cigar. The cigar is smooth throughout starting out with some fantastic flavors and ending on a spicy note. Now its hard to say how much of the flavors come from the filler which is from Costa Rica whereas the rest of the make up of the cigar is grown in Ecuador. Either way, this cigar gives the cigar smoker a taste of Costa Rican tobacco which isn’t normally available in large quantities on the cigar shelves, but if you enjoy smoking unique cigars I would certainly try and find this blend. I give this cigar a 4 out of 5. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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The really ironic part is that last week I had thrown caution to the wind and ordered a bundle of 20 Tempus “seconds” at www.tampahumidor.com. I didn’t know what size they were, they just mentioned torpedo. So I was shocked today when they arrived in my office and they were the Magistri size! I was under the impression that size was a very limited edition. But since they were called “seconds” I expected the wrapper to be dryer or a different shade or the cigars to just flat out not taste the same as the gem Ironmeden brought me all the way from Puerto Rico.

I was shocked when I went home and compared the two. Exact same shape, exact same wrapper shade, exact same weight in the hand, which is quite heavy by the way. And after I smoked both the second and the original, Shut the Front Door! This is the same damn cigar!!

I have never ever had success with so-called seconds. It’s often a gimmick used to sell a cheaper cigar that doesn’t have a band and might contain some scraps or some of the same tobacco, albeit not aged as long, as the original. But when someone like CI or Thompson is selling them online or in a catalogue, there’s no way in hell they can be honest seconds…..cigars that were made with the same blend, by the same rollers, with the same tobaccos as the original, but didn’t make the cut because of a slight imperfection. That’s the true meaning of the idea behind “seconds”. Unless your rollers are all rookies, there’s no way they could make enough mistakes to stock the cheap ass humidors of Cigars International or other giant warehouses.

In fact, I got an e-mail special on Monday touting Alec Bradley seconds for $20 for 10 count bundles from CI. I immediately cried foul and called Mike at Tampahumidor to ask him point blank if the Tempus seconds I just bought were honest to goodness seconds in the true sense of the term. He assured me when they get them, they sell out in a day or two because they don’t get many of them and then it might be months before they see more. He also said they would not call them “Tempus” if they were indeed some knock off. Good point, the CI special didn’t list a specific line for their “seconds”.

I write on this subject as just another warning to the buyer out there to beware and don’t always believe what you see advertised. When in doubt, call the retailer and confront them head on and the good guys will be honest with you. I’ve never found a more honest, hard working bunch than the guys at tampahumidor.com. Disappointingly, I actually asked Alec Bradley on their FB page if their seconds were really true seconds and as of this date, they have ignored my question. But I think they are one of the good companies out there who as of yet haven’t watered down their brand by introducing a new cigar every day and selling for pennies on the dollar to the giant warehouses out there.

I realize I have now given away a huge secret and will have to wait many months before I can buy the Tempus seconds again at Tampahumidor but part of being a cigar man is sharing the wealth. Enjoy these diamonds at only $2.50 per stick if they still have them!

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Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican Republic

CAO Cigars has released a new size of the popular La Traviata Maduro. The Luminoso in the traditional Rothschild size of 4.5 x 50 has a very dark Maduro wrapper. There are a few light veins, otherwise the wrapper is smooth in appearance.  I clipped the head of the cigar and lit it with my Colibri Dual flame lighter.

Right away I notice a loose draw with lots of smoke. There is a light spice on the lips with a bitter/tart dark coffee flavor.

At the 1/3 mark, the spice  and bitterness disappears with the cigar smoothing out. The dark coffee is more bold with a deeper richness in flavor.

The 2/3 mark finds the cigar smoother with the spice making a reappearance.

The La Traviata Maduro Luminoso gets right to the point with its flavors. There is no waiting around for where the cigar is going when you light it up. Its a potent full flavor and body cigar. If your looking for a short cigar with lots of flavor this will be a certainly a go to cigar. I give this cigar a 5 out 5. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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