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Cigar Sasquatch- Last Minute Father’s Day Gift Buyer’s Guide

17 Jun

If your dad is anything like mine, the greatest gift he could receive for Father’s Day is time spent in comfort and relaxation in the bosom of his family. And fine cigars shared between father and son can provide just that. Cigars are family, cigars are tradition, cigars are ritual passed from generation to generation from fathers to sons throughout time. So what better way to honor your father on Father’s Day than with the gift of cigars?

I generally recommend purchasing box-quantities of cigars on-line, but with Father’s Day only a few days away, it’s a little late for ordering from the web. But finding a great cigar at a brick and mortar shop can be a daunting challenge. There are no on-line descriptions, no buyer ratings or reviews, and the staff is often no guide-book; they’re either busy with other customers, or more often the case, just don’t have any idea what they’re talking about.

What’s a Sasquatch to do? Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Dark Natural, Full Reviews, Maduro, Natural

Tasty Tuesday: Famous Private Selection Dominican Toro

15 Jun

“House Brands” and “Private Labels” have long been a way for cigar lovers to save a buck while still enjoying a fine handmade cigar. And like so many cigar lovers, I’m constantly searching for a cigar that offers the right balance of affordability and quality, something my BOTLs call the “daily smoker.” With prices and taxes as they are, and the economy still trying to recover, there’s no better time to take a closer look at one such house brand, and see how it stacks up against its higher-prices cousins.

The Famous Private Selection Dominican is exclusive to Famous Smoke Shop, and features a complex, 4-nation blend of Dominican and Peruvian fillers, a rich Dominican Olor binder, and a beautiful golden Ecuadoran Connecticut Shade wrapper. The Toro (6×50) is firmly rolled, and the wrapper is smooth and supple, without a vein in sight.

The flavors up front are toasty, mellow and smooth, with light, creamy Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Natural, Tasty Tuesday, Toros

Cigar Sasquatch- Graycliff Professionale “Blue Label” PG

29 May

It’s a cool, blustery afternoon, one that would perfectly befit late autumn in Southern California, but is highly unseasonable so for late May. As I reflect upon the fall-like weather my mind wanders to an upcoming trip to Jamaica scheduled for fall this year. And in that state of mind, I reach for a Graycliff Professionale “Blue Label” PG (5.25×50). The Graycliff brand, hand-rolled in small batches in a tiny factory, is the only cigar brand from the Bahamas, a neighboring Caribbean island to the one that will be my destination, and is widely considered one of the worlds fine boutique brands.

The notion of anticipation comes to mind, both for the trip, and the cigar, which has rested Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Full Reviews, Natural, Robustos

Cigar Sasquatch- CAO Gold Corona Gorda

22 May

The topic of today’s discussion is change. It was the early Greek philosopher Heraclitus who first comment thoughtfully on the concept of “flux” by saying, “Everything flows; nothing remains.” In this case, “remains” can be interpreted as “remains the same,” so we are left with the notion that the only thing constant is change.

How true this is. The most timeless, the most enduring of man’s creations, the Great Pyramids, have changed from the time they were built. The mountains, the deserts, the forests of the world are not the same, even from season to season. Even the very foundations of the earth are ever-changing. Climbers are standing on the summit of Mt. Everest even as I write this, and beneath the snow and ice, it grows taller year after year.

And today we welcomed into the world a new life, a first child born to dear friends. The changes that the new mother and father will experience in the coming months and years are only a shadow of the changes that this newborn child will experience in the world over her lifetime. With any luck, she’ll live to see personal jet-packs, flying cars, and the colonization of Mars, but more likely than the realization of our own fantasy future, she will see changes we couldn’t possibly imagine. Considering this child has a high-likelihood of seeing the 22nd century, I’d say unimaginable change is a guarantee.

So what does this have to do with cigars? Everything. And nothing. Every cigar you’ve ever smoked has been a microcosm Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Full Reviews, Natural, Toros

Cigar Sasquatch- Fonseca 10-10 Natural

08 May

I’ve always had a problem with the idea of cigars as special occasion or celebratory rituals. It’s not that I have any problem celebrating a special occasion with a cigar, but there are two issues I have with that philosophy. First, and I think this is well-accepted among many cigar lovers, a cigar–ANY CIGAR– shouldn’t require a special occasion to enjoy. If you want to smoke your most prized Davidoff or Opus X on a Tuesday morning, by all means do so and enjoy it. My other issue with this is that it completely overlooks the cigar’s ability to provide comfort in times of sorrow or sadness. In fact, what better way to brighten dimmed spirits than with the curling blue clouds of your favorite cigar. But whether smoked to celebrate or console, a cigar serves the same function: to raise the spirits and bring joy into the heart. So I recognize the cigar’s place as a celebratory icon, and today I’m celebrating a (not so) small accomplishment of completing a challenging project that I’ve been working on for some time.

You may recall in a recent edition of Tasty Tuesday the appearance of the Fonseca 10-10 Maduro. For this review, Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Churchills, Full Reviews, Natural

Tasty Tuesday: Rocky Patel American Market Selection Robusto

27 Apr

This large robusto (5.5×50) has a light, buttery Ecuadoran Connecticut Shade wrapper and Nicaraguan/ Honduran filler blend. It’s a smooth and toasty smoke, with mellow woody flavor, a large smoke volume and great aroma. The draw is open, and the burn is razor-straight with perfect 1-inch double-cone ashes. Overall, it’s a mild, easy-going smoke, bordering on boring at times, but all in all, it’s got enough texture and depth to keep it interesting to the nub. I give it a 8.4. The flavors are right in there, but sometimes you just want a little more, and it might be a little richer in a smaller ring or a longer length. At $6.50 for a single, it’s a decent bargain, and definitely nice as a light alternative.

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Posted in Natural, Robustos, Tasty Tuesday