For My Friend David (Craik).

[TonyU]

And anyone else that's interested in our little hobby.





So I take the cigars you sent me and put them in there for a little more seasoning before I light them up. Even though I know you took good care of them.
So I needed to go outside yesterday to take care of a little landscaping and grabbed a CAO La Traviata
Damn, I should have grabbed something else. My bad, that was inexperience on my part. It was too good a cigar to smoke as a work cigar. That's the kind of cigar one needs to smoke with some friends and some scotch.
All well, I know better for next time.

Btw, I can't stand landscaping. It's one chore I despise, but for some reason this year I can't wait to go out there and do what I need to do as long as I have a stogie. It's makes the chore much more bearable.

[David Craik]

Oh my gosh, Tony, I just saw this thread. I haven't been around here much and I must have missed it as even when I show up I just tend to scan. Sorry, brother.

Yeah, the La Traviata is definately a stick worth savoring in more restful circumstances IMO. I have a few left I think, and I want to see how they are with some age on them later. They strike me as cigars that will reveal new flavors as they mellow and age somewhat. I really get the impression that smoking them straight from the box just doesn't do them justice. CAO is a great brand. I have a big CAO America Bottle Rocket that will receive a Viking funeral this 4th of July, as I reflect that the very usurous taxation practices that precipitated our revolt against the English, are the same we cigar aficionados suffer under today - under our own nanny government.

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I'd be interested to hear your impressions of the ones I sent this last time with the gun stuff. They aren't expensive ones but just a few that I've been enjoying lately and regularly. Whereas many gush about the latest superpremium cigar (with a superpremium price), I like to prowl the internet and find good sticks at a decent price that I can enjoy everyday without feeling too guilty. I'll save the $13 or $20-a-pop cigars for special occasions and aging.

The Gran Habano with it's 2002 vintage Corojo wrapper is a very crisp smoke, with a steely sort of flavor - not at all unpleasant. They remind me a lot of some Cubans (like the Cuaba), and longtime smokers who had Cubans before the embargo and when they were still using Corojo seem to agree. For me, it goes very well with a quality IPA on a warm summer afternoon.

The Quintero is one that doesn't seem to be available anymore (except the original Cuban version - a different cigar entirely), which is a shame. They were very reasonably priced, well made and the Maduro is a great after-dinner med-full stogie. The cello is the tightest I have ever seen on any cigar. Even after blowing into it to inflate it a bit, you may have to make a small cut and peel it gently from the cigar like a banana if you want to keep the band on the stick. Which you may want to, the señorita on the band is smokin' hot.

The little Punch is my current commute stick, and an incredible bargain. I got it from JR but they seem to be either out of stock or no longer carrying them. They come in wooden boxes of 30 for only 20-something bucks. One would be hard pressed to find flavor like this in a Honduran handmade at that price. They would also be great for yard work or shooting, they last about 15 minutes or so and impart great flavors of oak, white pepper, and leather. If you like it, you can still get them here:

http://www.cigarhumidors-online.com/...sp?prodID=PUAP

The Astral is a deal from CI. They have been aged for a few years post-rolling and have a great cedar-nutty taste. That size was only a buck a stick and well worth it. Unlike many cigar nuts I actually prefer the smaller sizes on a regular basis. During the week I just often don't have the time to devote to a large size.

The El Cobre - well, you know about "The Lobotomizer". Smoke on a full belly in the evening. The little red marks on the cello I put on there to differentiate various batches I have bought. Those I have had in my humi about a year. One of my absolute favorites, they are truly an experience. Set aside some time and a nice Scotch or sipping whiskey for it.

Nice humidor! Quite a step up from the little Thompson one! It's amazing how it sucks you in, eh? One of these days I'm going to just throw in the towel and buy a big furniture sized piece. I buy cigars faster than I smoke them so I'm fighting a losing battle. Also, you now have a bigger one than any of mine and I can't let that happen! Gotta keep up with the Joneses...err...Urenas..

Just got a sampler of Padilla Dominus, 1932 Signature, and Miami to add to the collection. You may want to consider this deal yourself while it is still available:

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/p...adilla%20Miami

Not sure if you have tried these, but if you have I think you will agree that they are all excellent. You cannot find these sticks at this price from a cigar shop. Each tends to retail at over $10 a piece and they are still worth it IMHO. I already had Miamis and 1932's, but the Dominus intrigued me (after all, it's got a freaking lion on the band) and they are hard to come by unless you buy a whole box...which ain't cheap. Nor especially common, I think only 50 retailers worldwide were selected by Padilla to carry this brand. All these are truly worthy of saving for a special time, and in big, long-lasting Toro vitolas.

Interesting little bit of trivia in the latest JR catalog/magazine. At least to me, as it speaks to the popularity of cigars in the past as opposed to today when it is rather unusual to see somebody smoking one. In 1939, just coming out of the Great Depression, if you bought a couple of Roi-Tan cigars (around 5 or 10 cents a piece) at any corner store they would put them in a little paper sleeve that has a place for your name and address and you sent it to the company. Why? Because they gave away one of these, brand new, EVERY SINGLE DAY of the year:

1939-chevrolet-master-85-and-master-deluxe-1.jpg


Can you imagine? Not once a year. A new car every single day.

Must have been a great time to be in the stogie business.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy (or already enjoyed) them Tony. You are a dear friend. I see you have a Room 101 in there too. When you smoke this could you give me your opinion? I have yet to try one of these. Your humi looks a bit empty too...I may have to help you with this situation.

Do I see a naughty cigar in there, brother? Don't answer...couldn't be.