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.