Camacho Liberty 2005 – 4th of July Fireworks Part I

Size: 6″ x 52

Vitola: Perfecto

Wrapper: Honduran Maduro

Origin: Dominican Republic

Age:  4 years

This is turning in to a real fun tradition.  Ever since the 1st release of the Liberty Limited Editions in 2004, I have made sure to enjoy one on our Nation’s Independence Day.  This year I decided to treat myself with one of the few remaining 05’s in my humidor.  This is probably their best of the Liberties to date.

La Flor Dominicana Culebra Lanceros

Size: 7 1/2″ x 39

Vitola: Lancero in the Culebra format

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra, Cameroon & Oscuro Ecuadorian Sumatra

Origin: Dominican Republic

Age: Infancy

What a lucky guy I am.  The La Flor Dominicana Culebra Lanceros are some of the hardest cigars to find.  The Double Ligero Lanceros by LFD are themselves a tough find.  But every once in a while Litto Gomez produces the Culebra Lanceros in super small batches, and Empire Cigars was lucky enough to get a whole bunch of them in recently.

The packaging is simple and elegant: cedar coffins housing the culebra in shrink wrap.  After removing the shrink wrap it was evident that the culebra goes into the coffin just so, do not get in the habit of pulling these in and out as you will damage the cigars!

Before I get to the actual review, I should point out another thing that makes the Culebra Lancero such a special cigar.  Unlike other culebras, this format features three different wrappers: a Natural, Oscuro and Cameroon!  I will review each of the wrappers individually and pick my favorite of the three at the end.

Manufacturer’s Spotlight – Don Pepin Garcia

There is no one cigar maker more popular than Don “Pepin” Jose Garcia… or busier!   His tiny little shop in Little Havana has exploded into several factories in Nicaragua and more brand names and collaborations than you can shake a stick at.  He has almost single-handedly changed what comes to mind when consumers think of Nicaraguan cigars.  He has helped make the lancero and salamone popular and sought after sizes.  And full-bodied cigars?  The bar has been raised through the ceiling.

Pepin & Jaime

Pepin Event at Empire Cigars

Last Friday we had the privilege of having one of the most popular figures in the cigar industry at Empire Cigars – Don Pepin Garcia!

Pepin showed up promptly at 3pm and the festivities began with Empanadas and Mojitos.  Our pal Hal Rubin, the owner, also splurged on a few bottles of Zaya, a 12-year old rum from Trinidad which was absolutely fantastic.

Dave preparing for the fun

There were great promotions that night, discount on boxes of DPG cigars and a free 5-pack with every box purchase.  Box purchases earned a ticket for the raffle which included a few pipe and baseball cigars and a few ashtrays as well.

New Alec Bradley – SCR!! A Tempered Down Tempus

From the CA website:

Alan Rubin, owner of Alec Bradley Cigars, has put the finishing touches on Alec Bradley Special Cabinet Reserve, a premium cigar with a similar but smoother blend than his popular Alec Bradley Tempus, one of Cigar Aficionado Magazine’s Top 25 cigars of 2008.

Pepin Garcia at Empire Cigars June 5th!!!

June 5th @ 5pm!!  This should be an awesome event!  I’ll be there taking pictures and trying to shmooze with the man behind Tatuaje, DPG, San Cristobal, Cabaiguan, Tabacos Baez, La Riqueza, La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial and many others!  Be there or miss out on an oppurtunity to speak with a legend in the biz!  Check out the Empire Cigars website for maps and contact information.

Perdomo Goes Hardcore with the Gran Cru!

From the Perdomo Cigars website:

Miami, FL – Perdomo Grand Cru, the newest creation from Nick Perdomo, Jr., is an extremely well-balanced “puro”, blended with all Cuban-seed (Semilla Habano) wrappers, binders and fillers. These exquisite tobaccos from a crop of 2004 have been carefully hand-selected and well-aged as the “Grand Cru”, or the best of the best yield from Perdomo’s farms in 2004. Perdomo Grand Cru offers a bold, full-flavored smoking experience in either a rich, earthy Corojo wrapper or a dark, oily Maduro wrapper.

HC (Havana Collection) Series from Xikar

Fear not those who mourn the demise of the Defiance (which may be news to most).  Xikar is squashing the Defiance cigar but at the same time is unveiling a new line: the HC Series.

HC Series by Xikar

Jesus Fuego

The Havana Collection Series cigar will pair up with a massive roll out of other HC Series themed cigar accessories from cutters and ashtrays to coasters and Cuban Jazz CDs!

The line is all blended by Jesus Fuego in one of Nestor Plasencia’s factories in Nicaragua.  Here’s the line from Xikar’s site:The XIKAR HC Series will offer consumers a choice of three distinct blends and wrappers: Connecticut Shade, Criollo and Habano Colorado.

Made from the tobaccos of five countries and rolled at the Nestor Plasencia owned Tabacos de Oriente factory in Honduras and Segovia Cigars in Nicaragua, each line will offer Robusto, Belicoso, Lonsdale and Toro sizes. The Habano Colorado line will offer two additional sizes: Churchill and Petit Corona.

Banana Republic Charity Event

One of our brothers needs your support.  Please, if you can, donate to this very important cause!  You can donate via www.brfashionshow.com

For more information visit www.leukemia-lymphoma.org

Rocky Patel Winter Selection ‘09 Toro

Size: 6 ″ x 52

Vitola: Toro

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf

Origin: Honduras

Age: fresh

This is the third of Rocky’s seasonal selections and has proved to be his most successful.  This supposedly is Rocky’s fullest blend to date, and stores have all but sold out of them.  I snagged one for myself to review before they disappeared forever (or until Rocky decides to make this into a regular line).

Rocky Patel Winter Selection '09