CIGAR REVIEW - NEW RELEASE: H. Upmann - Sun Grown

My very good friend and drinking buddy, Rob Garrison (Territiory Manager - Altadis U.S.A.), recently gave me a new release from one of their premium brands, the H. Upmann - Sun Grown.  The Sun Grown was debuted at the 2010 IPCR and is currently making its way onto Tobacconist's shelves.  It is made in Honduras at the La Flor de Copan cigar factory and is being released in six vitollas: Churchill - 54 x 7, Magnum - 54 x 6, Short Churchill - 54 x 4-1/2, No. 2 - 52 x 6-1/8, Corona - 44 x 5-1/2, and Lancero - 40 x 7-1/2.  It is made with an Equadorian sun grown capa, a Connecticut broadleaf capote, and a Nicaraguan and Honduran blend tripa; ranging in price roughly between $6 - $8.  For this review I smoked the Magnum and No. 2.

The Sun Grown's capa had a few veins which gave it a good look and was smooth to the touch with a color I put somewhere between colorado maduro and maduro.  It squeezed nicely and was very firm, perhaps a little stiff in places but nothing of concern and there were no soft spots or visible flaws.  The foot revealed what appeared to be a well packed cigar, which I certainly like and explains the firmness of the squeeze.  The pre-light aroma was mild to moderate and very sweet and pleasant.  I made a straight cut with a double guillotine and tested the pre-light taste and draw.  The taste was sweet like the aroma and woody, while the draw gave decent resistance while being very smooth.  Using a match it took a little bit to light, due to the ring gauge and apparent good pack, but once lit was very even.

The Sun Grown started off with a little bit of spice on the tongue and retro-exhalation was easy with some spice around mid-sinus.  It didn't produce much smoke until about 1/4" to 1/2" in leaving behind a light grey ash with dark rings.  The spice essentially subsided early on and relatively mild woody flavor notes took over.  A little past 1" in a taste developed at the back of the throat which I couldn't really put my finger on and no other flavors jumped out or dominated through the first 1/3.  The ash dropped off at about 1-3/4" and shortly afterward I began to detect leathery notes that lingered pleasantly after each puff.  From then on through the final 1/3, wood and leather was the consistent flavor with a bit more spice emerging again in the last 2".  Throughout the entire smoke the burn was very even and never required a touch-up or re-light.

All in all the H. Upmann - Sun Grown was a pleasant, enjoyable smoke.  Fans of medium body cigars I think will certainly like it.  The sweetness of the aroma was one of my favorite aspects of this cigar and because of its over-all mellowness, it makes a good mid-day choice.  It is also a good choice for relaxing alone or with friends because you don't have to devote your attention to a complex flavor profile.

CIGAR REVIEW - LIMITED RELEASE: Tatuaje - Private Reserve Black Tubo

I know I haven't written a review for some time now, but I have read your e-mails and listened to the comments from those I have spoken with.  2010 has been a hectic year leaving me precious little time for some of the things I enjoy most; so to all the readers, web-sites, magazines, and news letters I write for, I apologize.  That being said, on to the good stuff.

The topic of this review is the Tatuaje - Private Reserve Black Tubo.  You may notice that as the background for the photos I used my chopper (another of those things I haven't had much time for).  I did this as a tribute to Pete Johnson, owner of Tatuaje, because the first time we met I had been out on it and Pete and I spent some time talking about our shared enjoyment of riding.  Pete said the inspiration for the Black Tubo came from a trip he took to, "an island famous for its cigars", which one can only assume is Cuba.  While there he was given an un-banded, very rustic looking cigar by a man who had it in his shirt pocket.  He later learned that among many of the local cigar lovers is a tradition of rolling their own blends for themselves to suit their personal taste, hence Private Reserve in the name of this cigar.  Pete never forgot how much he enjoyed that cigar and the Black Tubo is his tribute to it.

Released in 2009 the Black Tubo in my opinion is a Pyramid, even though it doesn't flare outward at the foot.  Some have called it a Torpedo but by definition a Torpedo tapers at the head and foot which this does not.  Made in Nicaragua and distributed only in a 6-1/8" x 52 vitolla in boxes of 10 each, it has a Belicoso style head and unfinished foot, and is a Nicaraguan puro with a Criollo '98 capa.  The capa, which I put between colorado and colorado rosado in color, was rugged in appearance with plenty of teeth and veins present, although surprisingly soft to the touch.  It passed the squeeze test with flying colors being very firm but not hard and had no flaws or soft spots.  The pre-light aroma was very sweet with strong woody and earth notes.  I thought I detected a cedar influence; however, it had been in one of my humidours for nearly a year so that has to be taken into consideration.  I have to say though that I spent many minutes just enjoying and trying to define the complexity of the aroma.

Finally I made a straight cut with scissors which was perfectly clean and never frayed or produced any debris all the way through to the end of the smoke; evidence of quality rolling and tobacco.  The pre-light taste was woody, like the aroma, and the draw was almost effortless.  It lit easily and evenly, even with the unfinished foot and produced plenty of smooth, light grey smoke.  The first puff was filled with pepper and had perhaps a slight woody finish.  Throughout the first 1/2", pepper was the dominant taste but then began to mellow and the slightest tingle started around the tip of the tongue.  Even in the first 1/3 this cigar was showing strongly bi-phasic qualities, coming right off the blocks with good strength which was followed by an extremely relaxed feeling even though I hadn't eaten in some time.  Retro-exhalation was a bit hot but that's expected from a strong cigar and the spice could be pleasantly felt throughout the sinuses.  The ash didn't drop off until almost a solid 2" in and was firm and crisp feeling, following which a slight touch-up was required.  Around mid-way mellow, woody notes were the dominant and consistent taste but as it progressed into the final 1/3, pepper and spice began to re-emerge but didn't overwhelm.  A slight tingle as well as what was perhaps a "roasty" taste also spread along the middle of the tongue and a second slight touch-up was needed.  It finished nicely and the taste lingered a little while but not at all in an unpleasant way.

I give the Tatuaje - Private Reserve Black Tubo very high over-all marks.  It was a very enjoyable cigar that you'll want to sit back and enjoy.  In fact, it was one of those cigars that you debate with yourself about when to let the nub go, probably right about the time that it burns your fingers because there isn't enough left to hold on to.  The bad thing about the Black Tubo is they are no longer in production, so if you see some at your tobacconist, grab them.

As always,
I wish you Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
The Cap'n

National Maritime Day

In 1933 Congress declared that 22 May of each year would be National Maritime Day in honor of all the U.S. Merchant Mariners who have faithfully served their country, "In Peace And War."  The date was chosen because that is when in 1819, the Steam Ship SAVANNA sailed from the United States to Great Britain, making the first Atlantic crossing under steam power.  During World War II, more than 250,000 U.S. Merchant Mariners served their country with more than 6,700 laying their lives upon the "alter of freedom", hundreds more held as prisoners of war and more than 800 vessels sunk or damaged.  Each year the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling on all Americans to observe National Maritime Day by properly displaying our national flag in suitable locations.


The U.S. Merchant Marine has always been a vital part of the success and survival of our great nation.  From serving as privateers and transporting combat cargo in times of war, to carrying the products that feed the global economy to and from the United States in times of peace.  Approximately 95% of everything we purchase or use every day traveled aboard a merchant vessel.


I hope you will take a brief moment of your day to think of and perhaps even say a prayer for the men and women who go down to the sea in ships, the United States Merchant Marine, In Peace And War - since 1775.

CIGAR REVIEW: Nestor Miranda Collection - Special Selection Rosado

I recently smoked the Nestor Miranda Collection - Special Selection Rosado with Mr. Rene Castaneda, Sales Director of Miami Cigar & Company.  This line was first introduced in 2007 and is named after the companies founder.  It is released in five vitolas in both Rosado and Oscuro: Robusto (5-1/2 x 52), Toro (6 x 60), Lonsdale, called the "Lancero" introduced in 2008 (7-1/2 x 40), Double Corona, called the "Danno" introduced in 2009 (7 x 56), and a Perfecto, called the "Ruky" also introduced in 2009 (5-5/8 x 52 figurado), costing around $8.00 each, give or take.  They are all hand-made in Esteli, Nicaragua under the supervision of Pepin Garcia.  Rene tells me the Rosados are mild to medium in body and the Oscuros are medium to full.  He hooked me up with a nice selection of each but for this review I smoked the Robusto and Perfecto - Rosado.

The Rosado is made with Nicaraguan and Dominican tripa, a Nicaraguan capote, and a Nicaraguan capa which was silky with nice veins, no apparent flaws, and colorado rosado in color.  It had a very pleasant and mild tobacco pre-light aroma, seemed well packed, and squeezed well.  I made a straight cut on each and tested the pre-light draw which on the Robusto was very smooth and easy; on the Perfecto was a bit tighter.  This is not at all unusual considering that the Perfecto vitola starts from a small opening in the foot, widens suddenly, and then reduces again toward the head.

They both lit very easily and almost right away the Perfecto's draw loosened up, certainly a result of skilled bunching.  They both started out with a nice, mild pepper / spice and the Perfecto seemed to have what was perhaps a mild coffee flavor as well.  In the first 1/3 the Robusto developed a mild tingle on the sides of the tongue and the Perfecto had a slight dryness on the tip.  They each produced plenty of light-grey smoke and a medium-grey ash which held on for over 2".  Retro-exhalation was at first slightly hot but became smooth, easy, and pleasant after easing into it a time or two.  The Robusto had more pepper / spice than I was expecting which was consistent throughout, but never got too strong or overpowering at any time and held onto its medium body.  The Perfecto mellowed some after the initial pepper and presented what I thought were roasted coffee undertones and a dryness that followed each draw.  Shortly past the half-way point, a touch of spice re-emerged in the Perfecto which remained through to the end.  Again, the ash held on for over two inches on each and the burn was excellent all the way to the end.  I smoked them both to the nub and they never got tarry or bitter, even to the last puff.

Overall I would have to emphasize the consistency of the Rosado throughout, and in my opinion they hold fast in the medium body realm.  They gave every indication of being a well made, high quality cigar both pre-light and while smoking.  The Nestor Miranda Collection - Special Selection Rosado is a very good cigar and I recommend you try it.  Its medium body and relatively mild strength makes it a good choice for early in the day or evenings and you don't need a full belly to enjoy it.  I'm looking forward to smoking the Oscuro, thanks again Rene.

BEER REVIEW: Clipper City - Yule Tide

The latest addition to Baltimore's own Clipper City Brewing Company - Mutiny Fleet is their holiday brew Yule Tide, a Belgian style triple ale, which like the rest of the Mutiny Fleet is distributed in 22 ounce bombers.  I realize I'm a little behind on this one being January now and all, but I have been busy and besides, its still cold out (below freezing where I live) which makes a strong holiday ale just right.  As I said, Yule Tide is a belgian style triple which is 10% ABV / 10 IBU.  It is brewed with two kinds of hops and four kinds of malts which they didn't specify.  Additionally it includes trappist yeast and Belgian candi sugar.


It poured with an attractive, slightly hazy, amber / orange color which I place at about a 13 on the Standard Reference Method (SRM) scale.  It didn't produce any real head or lace but what was there was thin and white to slightly off-white in color.  It also appeared to be mildly carbonated with some slow rising bubbles persisting throughout.  The initial aroma was a treat; very sweet and molasses-like with perhaps subtle notes of apricot.  The first sip was crisp and slightly sweet at first, giving way immediately to a mild spiciness, subtle citrus notes, and not much bitterness.  There was no strong alcohol taste or associated heat; however, some taste was mildly present.  The mouthfeel was at first tingly on the tongue, then soft and nondescript on the cheeks, followed by a little creaminess mostly on the tongue.  The final pour had plenty of floaties, mostly yeast of course which laid on the bottom of the glass, but there were some which were suspended in the liquid column up to two inches from the bottom and were darker in color, perhaps undissolved spices.


Overall, Clipper City's Yule Tide was OK but I didn't desire another one when I was finished.  To be fair though, I am not often a fan of some of the Belgian styles so as to not unfairly bias my review, I evaluated it against the standards of the Beer Judge Certification Program.  Yule Tide seemed to generally fall within the accepted parameters of Belgian triples and I thought it was medium in body (+/-), but on the down side in my opinion it was perhaps a little syrupy and I didn't care for the "coated" feeling it left in my mouth for some time after finishing.  As always, try it for yourself and you be the judge, the best beer is the one you like.

CIGAR REVIEW: Carlos Torano - 1916 Cameroon

The Carlos Torano - 1916 Cameroon was introduced in 2003 to commemorate Don Santiago Torano's emigration from Spain to Cuba.  It is hand-made in Esteli, Nicaragua in four vitollas: Robusto (5.5" x 52), Corona (5.5" x 42), Torpedo (6.5" x 54), and Churchill (7" x 48); each of which are cellos with a thin cedar wrapping.  The capa is Nicaraguan grown Cameroon, the capote is Havana-seed Nicaraguan, and the tripa is a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan.  Torano describes the 1916 Cameroon as being a, "slow burning, well balanced, medium body cigar with distinctive hints of pepper, caramel, nuts, and sweet spice with a long, smooth finish."  The vitolla I smoked for this review was the Robusto.

The 1916 had a very pleasant and sweet pre-light aroma with a color between colorado and colorado-rosado.  It had several lumps and bumps in the capa but no knots or hard / soft spots; however, there were some color inconsistencies with small greenish spots here and there.  It squeezed very firmly and judging by the foot, appeared to be well packed.  I made a straight-cut with scissors and tested the pre-light draw and taste which had pretty fair resistance and a slight bitterness at first which subsided right away and was followed immediately by a woody, sweet taste.  It took a little fire to get it lit well but I attribute that to the apparent well packed quality I mentioned a moment ago.  Once lit it began to burn very well and produced plenty of distinctive blue smoke with a noticeable woody taste.

About 1/2" in I began to detect a distinct pepper / spice tingle on the top 1/3 of the tongue.  Retro-exhalation was possible but had to be done gently, otherwise it would burn a little and trigger a cough.  As it burned it left behind a crispy, very light grey, almost white ash with a few dark spots which held on for the full first 1/3 before dropping off on its own.  Around the 1" mark the distinctness of the pepper was still present but the tingle had mellowed and each puff was followed by a dry finish.  The middle 1/3 continued to mellow but still had some pepper notes and the dry finish while a mild woody taste developed on the lips.  Farther into the middle 1/3 the strength of the pepper re-emerged across the middle-top of the tongue and the ash dropped off again on its own with the full middle 1/3 and part of the last 1/3 (indicating good long-filler tobacco and skilled rolling).  The final 1/3 smoked with slight wood and pepper notes and the dry finish continued to the end.

Overall, the Carlos Torano - 1916 Cameroon was a decent smoke.  From beginning to end it didn't require a single touch-up or re-light.  I thought it was going to need a touch-up a couple times but it corrected itself and continued to burn smoothly.  I didn't notice much in the way of complexity so it's not the kind of cigar you need to devote your full time and attention to; however, it struck me as being the kind of cigar that would be good with a beverage and while I smoked it, Macallan 12 year old single malt Scotch kept coming to mind, perhaps because its fruity nose and smooth taste would be a good balance and compliment to the wood, pepper, and dryness of the 1916.

CIGAR REVIEW - SPECIAL RELEASE: Tatuaje - Drac 2009

Pete Johnson, brand owner of Tatuaje, has been releasing annual special edition cigars around Halloween he calls the Monster Series.  One of this year's releases, and the subject of this review, is the Drac-2009.  Before I go any further, let me address some major issues which have surrounded this cigar.  The Dracs were shipped in painted and lacquered, coffin shaped boxes which have been at the root of the primary complaint.  There have been numerous complaints about a terrible odor emanating from the box and even some about that odor and even a flavor having been imparted to the cigars themselves.  The Drac is a Halloween themed cigar which of course, had to be released by 31 October, but according to Pete Johnson the box maker in Nicaragua wasn't able to complete the boxes until shortly before the release date.  This resulted in the boxes not having time to air out before they were packed, wrapped in cellophane, and ultimately shipped.  When opened by B&Ms or individual buyers at their final destination, the trapped odor from the paint and lacquer has poured out.  The second complaint about these cigars is that many of the wrappers were damaged when the boxes were opened and the cigars were still "wet."

For the first problem, Pete recommends that you remove the cigars from their original box and place them in your humidor to rest and age for a while.  If you want to keep the box, let it air out for a few weeks and he says it should be fine.  This is why I'm reviewing a Halloween themed cigar at the beginning of December.  For the second problem, he says if you have any damaged cigars, return them to Tatuaje in an uncut, unlit, unsmoked fashion and they will replace them.  I have heard some people say that they think the Dracs were released too soon and the moist tripa expanded causing the capa to "burst."  Who can say for sure, but Pete says they were in tact when they were shipped and each of the ones I smoked for this review had none of the reported bad smell or damage.  I also checked with one of the top B&Ms in my area and they said they had heard of these problems but had not experienced them.  There is an in depth explanation on the Tatuaje website of what I just reiterated, so on to the smoke.

The Drac was released in a 6-3/4 x 52 "fang-shaped" Torpedo vitolla, in 1,300 boxes of 13 cigars each with a recommended price of $13 per cigar (before taxes and other penalties of course).  There were also a certain number of "Spooky Tickets" placed in various boxes, the finders winning something from Tatuaje (reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).  The Drac is a Nicaraguan puro with a Habano maduro capa which was perhaps just a shade below maduro in color with no real visible flaws.  It was adorned with a simple black and red band at the foot, had a smooth texture with some nice veins but felt very light in the hand.  The squeeze test was a bit odd; it seemed to give too much close beneath the capa and didn't firm up until under pressure.  These could all be signs of poor packing, but I'm not certain this is the case here and that would definitely be out of character for Tatuaje.  The pre-light aroma was very mild with the slightest hint of sweetness but no real perceptible notes.  I made a straight cut with a single guillotine which the head stood up to without fraying.  The reason I mention this is because a single guillotine only cuts from one side and exerts pressure from the other which can easily cause damage, so this was sort of a quality test.  The pre-light draw was easy and had a slight woody taste, following which it lit easily and evenly and produced a good amount of grey smoke from the draw.

Initially there was a mild woody taste and a hint of bitterness on the middle-top of the tongue which went away quickly.   The tiniest spice tingle snuck up on the tip of the tongue about 1/4" into it and retro-exhalation was a bit harsh but could be done very gently.  As it smoked it produced a light-grey ash with hints of dark undertones which was soft and a little crisp and had an interesting 'rippled' appearance to it which held on for the whole first 1/3.  Up to this point it burned well but required its first touch-up about 1-1/2" in.  Into the middle 1/3 the ash became a little flaky and irregular and dropped off quickly.  A charred / burnt flavor would occasionally present itself but only briefly before passing.  Just past the half-way point it required a full re-light and bitterness became the dominant taste on the top of the tongue.  Through the final 1/3 it required minor touch-ups and couldn't shake the bitterness which ultimately took over the entire center of the tongue and lingered a while.

I met Pete Johnson a couple years ago and liked him which is when he turned me onto his Cojonu cigar (but that is another review).  As I mentioned above, cigars with quality problems would certainly be out of character for Tatuaje and I am a fan of their smokes, but I have to give my honest opinion here, "Puro Integritas."  Reputation is huge in this business and something like this can hurt a good company.  While they couldn't control the problems with the boxes, perhaps they should have bit the bullet and held on to them until next Halloween; the boxes wouldn't have been a problem and cigars get better with age.  Also, some of the problems others have reported, as well as the ones I experienced, could possibly indicate a "wet" cigar.  There is a time following a cigar's rolling known as, "the period of sickness."  Some say it is only a myth, some say it is true, but the general consensus among believers is that from a few months up to a year after being rolled, a cigar may still be overly humidified from the tobacco being moistened prior to rolling.  During this period it may still give off ammonia (which is alkaline and causes bitterness), have problems burning, or have not much in the way of flavor at all and should not be smoked.  I'm not saying this is in fact the case with the Drac, I'm just presenting some possibilities.  Don't let any of this put you off from smoking Tatuajes, they are a good company that makes good cigars which can frequently be found in my humidor.