Cigar Monster - Famous Dominican 2000 and Value Line Honduran 100

I often push Cigar Monster as much as I can. I like the fact that I can fill my humidor with quality cigars for $20 shipped. Many people would be skeptical of this. Thinking that the cigars you would get for $20 would be cheap and taste like crap. I'd like to show you that it isn't necessarily the case.

The first cigar bundle I bought on Cigar Monster was the Famous Dominican 2000 Churchill. They were $19.95 for 20 sticks shipped. Since this was my first purchase I expected nothing more than a few cigars to have on hand in a pinch. I read a few reviews online that gave me the idea they weren't completely bad and said what the hell. The next day they were at my door.

I ripped open the box and was shocked at how long they were. I realize that Churchill cigars are long but it didn't really hit me as to how much cigar I was getting when I bought these. I eagerly walked out to my porch and lit up. The cut was good. The light was fine. The draw was fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised. The taste was completely mild but smooth. Exactly what I wanted. I didn't want something that was really bold. I just wanted something that I could smoke on a daily basis, that wouldn't kill me and didn't cost much. As you can see in the pictures below the ash lasted quite a while and the burn was very even.




















The Famous blends are made by other companies particularly for Famous Smoke Shop / Cigar Monster. As far as I can tell they are just a "house" brand but I may be mistaken. I was so happy with these cigars that I was completely sold on Cigar Monster and went back for more. Out of the original 20 cigars I now have 3 left. Which brings me to the next purchase.

The Value Line Honduran 100 Robustos were also $19.95 for 20 sticks. I love the Robusto size. I think it is just about perfect for a cigar. The name "Value Line" should have tipped me off that maybe these were going to be a bit less quality but I bought them anyway. I opened them up to find that there were no labels or branding anywhere on the cigars. The wrapper was also very veiny and rough. I went out to my porch lit up and gave them a try. They were definitely a stronger taste then the Dominicans but that was not what turned me off from them. What turned me off from them was the uneven burn and the gaping hole in the middle of the cigar.



It actually got worse as I smoked it. That was just the best picture I took. Parts of the cigar started to fall off the end. Not ash but more like flakes of the wrapper.

You can see the uneven burn in this picture. It got alot worse before I put it out. I haven't smoked another one since. I think they might just need some humidor time. Probably a months worth before they mellow out.

I would definitely buy the Famous Brand cigars again but I would stay away from the Value Line. With those you really do get what you pay for.

Update on the Value Line: The second one I smoked did not burn uneven or have a gaping hole. Probably (like many cigars) hit and miss. I will post again on these later for a final verdict.

Favorite Web Sites Explained

I recently added some links to the blog. I'd like to take some time to explain my selections.

1. Cigar Afficianado is probably the best resource for cigar news. You can pretty much find everything from up and coming cigar companies to the latest ratings of the top cigars of the year. I use this site to pick new cigars for my humidor. They give pretty good descriptions of the type of cigar, tobacco used etc.

2. Cigar Monster is probably my favorite cigar site. The daily deals are an amazing resource for picking up some cheap but good cigars. Most of the deals come with free shipping. I recieved most of my purchases next day. I bought some Dominican sticks 20 for $19.95 that are great for every day smokes. Add the Famous Smoke Shop reviews and you have an excellent place to shop for cigars.

3. Scotch Whiskey.net is a good place for all things whisky. I tried to find a good site for all around knowledge and this is the best I could find. It has some pretty good info.

4. Last but not least is Stogie Review. I was tired of just reading cigar reviews. I like to actually see someone smoking a cigar. Watch how it burns, how quickly, etc. This site has many written reviews but it is mostly made up of video reviews that give you a better idea about the cigar they are smoking.

Laphroaig 15 Islay Single Malt

Laphroaig 15 year single malt is a product of the Island of Islay. Islay is located just off the southern coast of Scotland. The distilleries on the island pride themselves with making whisky that truly is characteristic to that area. The characteristics of Islay scotch whiskies are an apparent peat smoke, almonds, and salt. The salt obviously comes from being distilled on an island. Lagavulin and Ardberg are other Scotch Whiskies distilled in this area.

The name Laphroaig means the "beautiful hollow by the broad bay". The distillery was founded in 1815 by the Johnston family and then it changed repeatedly until 1954. The distillery received a Royal Warrant by the Prince of Wales and the 15 year single malt is reported to be his favorite scotch. The royal emblem is actually on every bottle.

The presentation of the scotch is pretty typical. Normal cylinder casing with no real extras. I pulled the bottle out like a kid unwrapping a present at Christmas. It has been some time since I've had scotch due to financial reasons (note the abundance of cigar reviews). I uncork the bottle and get to it.

After smelling the cork I can immediately recognize the distinct smell of salt and smoke. So far the characteristics of Islay have wrung true. I got my favorite scotch glass, poured a couple fingers and added a few drops of water (this is recommended to make the "floral bouquet more apparent" - from the back of the bottle). The color of the scotch is bright gold. I would have to guess that the scotch is distilled a few times to reach this lighter shade. I did some research but came up empty.

On first taste there are tones of nutmeg and almonds but they are almost immediately overpowered by the salt and then by the smoke. The smoke taste comes so quickly that it is almost surprising. The combination of these make one mild, and for lack of a better word, conservative taste. The salt fades to leave just the smoke. There are some other notes but not enough to discern what they are since they leave quickly. The taste lingers just long enough so you know you just drank some good scotch but not long enough to make it uncomfortable.

I have enjoyed Lagavulin scotch ( a fellow Islay distillery) in the past and I have come to the conclusion that you have to enjoy the smokey taste of peated scotch to drink them. If you do not enjoy this taste then you will not enjoy this scotch. Lagavulin and Laphroaig are classic Islay scotches with plenty of salt and smoke. This scotch can be for beginners. It can be enjoyed on the rocks or neat. I will warn you that in my experience if you have it on the rocks the smokey taste will be even more apparent. Alot of people think that all whisky is like Jack Daniels or Wild Turkey. Not the case it can be enjoyed without making a face like someone just punched you in the stomach.

The Laphroaig website said that the 15 year is made in very limited quantities and may not be found in your local liquor store. I found a normal sized bottle at a store around the corner from my house for $64.99.

La Flor Dominicana Tasting - Part 2 - Oliva V Series Figurado

I headed up the second part of the tasting with another cigar that was again not featured by the visiting representative. I chose the highly rated Oliva Series V Figurado. This cigar uses a Habano sun grown wrapper, Nicuraguan binder and Jalapa Valley Liguero filler. Due to the sun grown nature of the wrapper and the Liguero filler this cigar is bound to have a stronger taste and higher potency. I was actually told by another frequent cigar smoker that this cigar would "put my dick in the dirt". I decided not to heed the warning and I lit up.

I'd like to start by saying that if cigars were school children this one would be the fat kid that knocks the wind out of you and steals your money. I immediately had issues with the draw and since I paid about $10 for the cigar I was not happy. I'm not sure if it was because of the shape or because it was very tightly packed. The tapered end of the cigar is supposed to ensure that it burns much more evenly.

This however was also dissappointing since after I took a few pulls it began to burn only on one side like it was racing to the cap. I corrected this as best I could with a torch but ultimately had to set it down and come back later. It eventually fixed it self and began to burn evenly for the remainder. The draw however was not improved.

As I fought to pull smoke I realized that the taste was really not bad. The bold and smooth taste was actually pretty nice. I complimented this cigar with a Brooklyn Summer Ale.

The tightness and lack of any real nice draw was a deal breaker for me. I ended up putting it out shortly after half way down the stick. I would try this cigar again because of the bolder flavors but I would not try this shape. For a better review on this cigar check out Dans Humidor at http://danshumidor.blogspot.com/2008/04/olivia-serie-v.html . He seemed to have better luck than I did. However we did both agree that a nice ale seems to be a good companion.

La Flor Dominicana Tasting Part 1 - Pregame - Rocky Patel Decade

Last night there was a cigar tasting at Cup O' Joes on Route 9 in Queensbury. The cigar featured was a cigar by La Flor Dominicana. We arrived pretty early and therefore needed some kind of warm up before everyone else got there.

I found myself standing in front of the Rocky Patel section of the humidor again. I chose the Rocky Patel Decade. Many people have heard of the Rocky Patel Vintage lines. The Vintage line ultimately made the Patel brand explode. Rocky Patel used to be an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. He was introduced to cigars by a friend and immediately started a cigar company called Indian Tobac Cigar Co. Sales were going well but he wanted to focus on quality instead of quantity. He created the Rockey Patel line in the late 1990s. He cut production down from 500 sticks a day to 250, combined some Honduran grown broad leaf tobacco and Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and the Vintage lines were born. The Decade comes five years after the Vintage to commemorate the success of Rocky Patel.

This cigar is nothing short of amazing. I have tried a few different sizes and I have been pleased with all of them. The light and cut were nice. You can tell these are somewhat loosely packed because the draw was incredibly easy. Some people don't like a cigar that draws too easy but I don't mind it at all. I don't like having to battle with a cigar to get some smoke out of it. I end up feeling exhausted and disappointed. The only thing I feel with these cigars is happy. The stick burned very well and lasted about an hour. The taste was smooth, creamy and a little sweet. The sweetness is not like a wrapper dipped in sugar type of sweetness but more of a subtle taste.

The thing I like the most about these cigars is that they are effortless. You light them once and you can smoke them at your own pace. You don't have to fight with them they just do what cigars should do every time. Alot of reviews I have read about the Decade line is that they are a strong smoke that is not for beginners. I couldn't disagree with that more. You may feel a bit high when you're done smoking it but anyone can enjoy these.

Ultimately of all the cigars I have had, if I had to smoke one cigar for the rest of my life it would be the Rocky Patel Decade.

Humidor Care - The Accuracy of Hygrometers

I am willing to bet that just about everyone who smokes cigars on a daily basis has a humidor in their house. Some people, as I was told today, have several. I received a humidor as a gift for being best man in a wedding. Up until this point I smoked cigars often but never thought about spending the money on one. Now that I had it I was pretty excited. I followed the instructions, got it up to the recommended 65% - 70% and started smokin'. Well fast forward to the present... I stopped smoking cigars for a little while and therefore my beautiful humidor just became a show piece on my entertainment center. When I started back up again, a little more educated now on cigars than I was back then, I noticed a few things not quite right.

After my last post I purchased a few sticks to have on hand. Two of which were the Cusano M1s and one was a Rocky Patel Vintage. I placed them in my Humidor, smoked one of the M1s and left the rest to burn another day. When I came home the following day I grabbed the Rocky Patel Vintage ($11.99), lit up and sat out on my porch. I immediately noticed that the draw was awful. I began to think that it was the cigar. I pulled hard and got barely a mouthful of hot nasty tasting smoke. Then I noticed the cigar was burning in weird patches and canoeing like mad. I began to get really disappointed. I love Rocky Patel cigars. I felt like I was let down by an old friend. How could they do this to me? I tossed it into my ashtray and went back in for the reliable, cheap M1 ($3.39). I sat down and lit up. I was just about to swear off Rockys for good when I noticed the same hot nasty taste coming out of the M1. I looked at the end to see the same patchy burn.

I started to investigate a little further. I started to examine the cigar to see if anything was different. I noticed that it seemed a little more "squishy" for lack of a better word. I pulled the Rocky Patel out of the ashtray and found similar squishyness. Finding the common factors I immediately went for the humidor. I noticed the hygrometer was dead center in the middle of the clearly marked "ideal" range. These results were anything but ideal. I pulled the hygrometer out to see that it has a screw in the back of it. This led me to believe that these things are not an exact science.

I turned to Google for my answers and I quickly found a way to test your hygrometer. Take a bottle cap and fill it with salt. Then drop some water on the salt (only enough to saturate, not enough to dissolve the salt). Then place your hygrometer and the bottle cap in a plastic bag. Leave it for 6 hours. The reading should be 75%. If your hygrometer is not at 75% use the screw on the back to adjust the reading accordingly. If you are in some kind of humidor emergency and need it to be perfect right now there is a less accurate but faster way to test. Remove your hygrometer and place it in the middle of a very damp paper towel. If your hygrometer is not reading 100% use the screw to adjust accordingly. After you return the hygrometer to your humidor you should be able to rest assured that your cigars are safe.

I tested mine using the salt method. The hygrometer was at 70% but dropped once it was in the plastic bag with the salt. My hygrometer was reading about 10% or more lower than it should have been. So my cigars were at 80% - 85% when they should have been at 70%. Just for reference mold is pretty much guaranteed at 90%+. So for those of you keeping track my faulty hygrometer cost me $15.38 plus tax by ruining two cigars. Now imagine if I had just bought that box of Rocky Vintage for $120+.

Now I'm left with a humidor that is at 80%. What do I do? It may take some time to get your humidor back down to an ideal reading. I left mine open for a little while to let it drop. How fast it drops depends on the environment. After it drops theres no guarantee that it wont go farther up or down. Keep an eye on it for a few days. You may have to repeat the initial humidor setup tasks.

The moral of the story is test your hygrometer before you put any cigars in your humidor. This goes double if you just bought your first humidor. If your cigars don't burn right or they taste awful this may be your problem.

You mean I've been doing it wrong all this time?

Many people have many different opinions on how to best taste a cigar. Whether you take a few puffs to first heat the oils of a cigar before that long puff to truly taste it.... or if you "swish" the smoke around in your mouth like you would with wine. Everyone has there own method. Recently a Rocky Patel representative rocked my world with some knowledge he was kind enough to pass on.

He began by telling me a story about a trip he took to the Dominican. While sitting around with some locals having a smoke he noticed that they weren't smoking the same way he was. While he had been smoking for quite some time he had never seen anyone take in cigar smoke and blow it out their nose. With cigarettes yes but you don't inhale cigars. He quickly asked the locals what exactly they were doing. They told him that you cant get the full flavor out of a cigar until you use your entire palette to taste it. You don't inhale the cigar but simply use your nose to blow out the smoke. Since your nose is the home to the majority of taste and odor receptors this is where you taste 80 to 90 percent of the cigars real flavor. While it is hard to master this without inhaling it does pay off.

I was skeptical. How could I have been missing something for all this time I had been smoking cigars? He made it sound like there was some elusive hidden flavor in every cigar that could only be revealed this way. He was persistent so I gave it a shot.

The first try was an utter disaster. I pretty much inhaled everything. After the burning sensation left my lungs and I stopped coughing I got back on the horse and tried again. He said to roll the smoke to the back of your mouth and push it out your nose. I got it partially right the second time. The cigar I had been smoking for twenty minutes or so suddenly had flavors that seemed to spring out of nowhere. I could pick out certain tastes that were previously completely dormant. I couldn't believe it. I thanked him and practiced the technique so that I didn't look like the idiot coughing and hacking up a lung because he didn't realize you weren't supposed to inhale. After I got the technique down it made me appreciate cigars that much more. This includes the ones that I didn't necessarily like the first time around.

Cusano M1

There are normally two criteria that I think about when I buy a cigar. The quality of the smoke and the price I pay to get that quality. I look at some of the more expensive sticks and wonder if they are really worth it. On the other hand I look at the cheap ones and think "wow I bet those are crap". Ultimately I'm looking for something that I will not only like but also something that I will ad to my rotation of frequent smokes. Most of the time the only real way to tell is to just walk around the shop, grab a little bit of everything, smoke them all and filter out the bad.

After reading a post on The Humidor (danshumidor.blogspot.com) about the quality of the Cusano C10, I decided I'd give them a try myself. I picked up the Cusano M1 Robusto for $3.39.

One thing I like about Cusano is that they try and make quality cigars affordable. They are often half the price of most "Brand Name" cigars and from what I've seen there is little sacrifice in quality. This cigar uses Dominican binder and filler with a Connecticut shade wrapper.

The cut and light were easy. I hate cigars that don't stay lit. When I'm playing cards or drinking scotch I like to be able to set my cigar down for a minute and come back to it fully lit and ready to go. This cigar stayed lit perfectly. This surprised me since I've smoked $18 cigars that I've had to relight more than a few times in a sitting. The draw was very nice producing mouthfuls of smoke with ease. The taste was smooth somewhere between mild and medium. No flavor transitions. Just an easy consistent creamy smoothness.

In the end I definitely recommend the Cusano M1 as an inexpensive, enjoyable. everyday cigar.

Great for the money.

Have I smoked better? Yes.

Have I paid a lot more for something a lot worse? Definitely.

Would I smoke it again? Absolutely... (In fact I bought 2 more this afternoon).

ACID / Drew Estate Cigars

For my first cigar post I'd like to choose a whole line of cigars that deserves some attention for it's unique flavors and ingenuity. The ACID line by Drew Estate is an acquired taste but I do believe that everyone should try them.


The company was started about eight years ago by two lawyers that gave up their careers for a shot in the cigar industry. It began with one cigar roller making their "house brand" for the shop they owned in Manhattan and grew to having their own factory in Nicaragua just a few years later.


They use a blend of tobacco from 12 different countries. This however is not what makes them unique. What makes them unique is that they "infuse" the tobacco with herbs, spices, oils, tea, coffee, rose petals, and anything else they believe will be good in a cigar. This infusion process gives their cigars enough flavor to be noticed but not enough so that it overpowers the taste of the tobacco. These are completely unlike any other cigars I have ever had.


There are a couple of standouts in their lineup. The most peculiar one is a cigar called the "Wafe". This cigar is the only cigar to ever have a patented shape. It is very flat, thin and a good for a quick smoke. The Kuba Kuba is one of their much more popular cigars with a much bigger (54 gauge Robusto) and more natural shape.

I have tried two of their cigars. I picked the most popular ones to try (mentioned above).

We'll start with the Wafe. This cigar was pitched to me as "Something that definitely shouldn't be a good smoke but somehow it just works". The light was fine and took quickly. The draw was surprisingly good and the ash lasted for a while falling at about 1 + inches. In the end however it began to burn unevenly and I became rather disappointed. I attributed this to the strange shape. Less than half and inch thick and flat is not how a cigar should be. The taste however was pretty incredible. Smooth with an odd sweet taste that never went away. I came to find out through some research that the cigar is infused with honey and cream.


The second was the 54 gauge Kuba Kuba. This smoke smelled a bit like incense to me but I was not disappointed. The light was nice and the draw was pretty good. Long lasting with no real flavor transitions. I honestly cannot tell you what makes this cigar taste the way it does. It is sweet and smooth but more earthy than the Wafe. Definitely the better of the two.

I have heard good things about the Earth and Spice cigars as well.

Bottom line: It is something different. I consider myself pretty new to the hobby but I recognize that these are not your typical cigars. If you try these and hate the cigars completely then I apologize. Smooth with enough flavor that your girlfriend might like them but strong and earthy enough so that you don't feel like a complete pansy. Worth trying.


They range from about $3.95 and up.

Johnny Walker Black

During a recent trip to our local Wine and Spirits shop for some wine, I found myself wandering towards the Scotch Whiskey section (as I often do). I had a dilemma. I needed scotch but I really didn't want to spend the $70 + for a nice bottle of Glenfiddich or Glenlivet. I asked if there were any smaller bottles that weren't so hard on the wallet. What I ended up with was a small bottle of Johnny Walker Black. I've had Johnny Red and Blue but never Black. I really didn't know what to expect.

I sat down to dinner with a glass. Neat. No rocks. I am a scotch drinker. I have no problem with letting the taste linger or "stomaching" the taste. I have many friends that can't take it. I am the type of guy that will drink harsh whiskey neat with a bottle of Tums at my side. That being said, I was taken back after my first sip. To say that I could feel it going down is an understatement. Initially the taste is tongue-numbing and burnt. After the second taste I realized that I'd need to do something else to enjoy this scotch. I added some ice, waited a minute and then dove back in.

The color of Johnny Walker scotch is difficult to discern because of its blended nature. Since every bottle is made of up many different scotches aged 12 years +, you cant really try and discover the origins by that alone. The same goes for the taste. The many scotches come together to make one strong tasting whiskey with no characteristic or consistent features. All of the tones noticable in Johnny Black seem to come together in one muted taste that left me a little bored.

This is a very average scotch. Many reviews label this scotch as "not bad for the money" and "not great but not bad". I say if you're going to buy a small bottle ($20) for a weekend fix, go for it. If you're going to spend the $70 + on a normal size bottle of Black, keep walking and pick up a bottle of Glenfiddich or Lagavulin (review to come). These are much more enjoyable.

Bushmills 10 Year Single Malt Whiskey

Normally I stick to scotch but someone purchased a bottle of 10 year Bushmills for me and I decided to post it. I was particularly impressed. The whiskey is unpeated and therefore there is no smoke taste. Bushmills apparently distills the whiskey three times instead of the normal two times for a single malt. This is most likely why it is mild for an Irish Whiskey. It is aged a minimum of ten years within the typical Bourbon Oak Casks.

There are very noticable vanilla tones in both taste and smell. Spicy with a taste of honey that passes quickly. The taste definitly lingers and is felt all the way down. Honestly one of the better Irish Whiskeys that I've tried. May be harsh on beginners.

This whiskey can be bought locally for $40 a bottle.

Glenlivet 15 Year French Reserve

Recently I bought a bottle of Glenlivet French Oak Reserve 15 year. This scotch is a bit more flavorful than any other Glenlivet scotch I've had. The nose is spicy with a bit of cinnamon, flowers, and pepper. The taste is smooth with a bit of fruit on the back end. The taste doesnt linger and lasts a decent amount of time. The color is lighter than other Glenlivet scotchs. This (I'm told) most likely comes from the French Oak cask since they are not charred like old bourbon casks. These casks are the same barrels used to make French Cognac and Wine.

This scotch is marketed by Glenlivet as the first single malt scotch ever created. This scotch is about $50 - $70 locally per bottle and is a very good middle of the road single malt. Good companion for a cigar.