A Welcomed Return to a Familiar Welcome

“Any cigar smoker is a friend, because I know how he feels.” – Alfred de Musset

As some of my loyal readers know, in March of last year I got married.  It was a wonderful event that my wife and I will never forget.  Over 100 of our closest friends and family were in attendance, with some of our inner most circle joining us at the altar as members of the wedding party. 

One of my groomsmen, Chris Volpe, and I have a very unique friendship.  Over the course of our six year relationship journey, there have been only three occasions where we have not smoked a cigar together.  As we often tell people, our entire friendship has been dominated by one constant: the welcoming smoke from a premium cigar.

Chris and I spent many hours at Pop's Safari (the cigar lounge which I now work part-time) during our tenure at TCU.  It's the place where I introduced him to his first La Flor Dominicana, where he told me that we was going to ask his wife, Diana, to marry him, and finally where I asked him to be a groomsman in my wedding.



From left: Diana, Chris, Me, & my wife, Kris

 For the first time in a number of months, my wife and I accompanied Chris and his wife for a night of dinner, live music, beer, and, or course, cigars. 

All of us have that friend or group of friends where it doesn't matter how long you are apart, when you come together, it's like no time has passed at all. 

After dinner, I lit up one of Quesada's newest releases, the Espana.  Chris went with a Cusano 18.  We listened to some awesome live music and caught up on our comings and goings. 

Friendship is one of life's greatest blessings.  Cherish your friends and, in my opinion, cherish them with a great cigar.  Remember guys and gals, there is nothing wrong with knowing you are the best.

Regards,
Bear

Me with my Quesada Espana and Chris with his Cusano 18

Lighting Up that Special Cigar | News & Features | Cigar Aficionado

Lighting Up that Special Cigar News & Features Cigar Aficionado

Got Sol?

CAO Returns to the Scene with OSA SOL

"Brevity is the soul of wit." - William Shakespeare

Last year, the popular CAO brand of cigars became a part of the General Cigar Company. The first new blend of a CAO branded cigar since the merger debuted at the IPCPR Trade Show last month.  So, whatever your particular feelings on CAO are, throw it out the window.  Things are going to and have changed. 

If the CAO OSA Sol is a preview of things to come, then I am pretty excited.  

The OSA Sol is a medium to full bodied smoke that gave me pause to consider the new direction that CAO is now taking.  When I first heard of General Cigar's merger with CAO, I was concerned about the company's intention for the brand.  In the past, I haven't been a huge CAO fan, but it is an exciting brand that has seemed to have the pulse of the cigar community over the past few years.  The MX2, LX2 and Limited Release Sopranos edition in conjunction with the popular Brazilia line have proven fruitful for Ozgener, Huber, & Co. in the past few years, so let's just say I wasn't ready to say goodbye to CAO just yet.

General Cigar has since released OSA Sol and I was lucky to get my hands on one of these before its main release to the public.

OSA is an acronym for the region of Honduras where the blend of tobaccos for this cigar comes from. The Olancho and San Agustin valley produce unique leaves that contain lots of oils not found in other regions.  The wrapper is 2008 OSA. The Connecticut Broadleaf binder and blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler add to this cigar its complex character.

I smoked the robusto, which was five inches in length and had the traditional 50 ring gauge.  The ash has a very solid consistency and was light gray in color.  

The aroma was a little off-putting upon first light, but really settled into a perfect, well-balanced bouquet of rich, hearty earth, espresso, and oak.

The overall flavor and character of the cigar were surprisingly outstanding.  I am unsure what I was expecting, but this smoke definitely exceeded many of my expectations.  The rich flavor that protruded through the dark, oily OSA wrapper.  The construction held consistent and the burn was very forgiving.  

The smoke was plentiful and coated the palate with decadent flavor.  The medium bodied strength melded into some full body enjoyment by the end of the smoke as I took this stogie down to the nub.  

This cigar should retail for about $143.00 per 25-count box and should be a good value at that asking price.  Good Job CAO! Welcome back to the party.



My Ratings:

Appearance - 9

Pre-light taste- 8

Construction - 9

Draw - 8

Burn - 9

Aroma - 9

Flavor - 10

Balance - 9

Finish- 7

Total Rating: 8.7

Remember guys and gals, there is nothing wrong with knowing you are the best.

Regards,

Bear

Back from the Dead!



Manuel Quesada, me, & Manuel's rep, Brad

 "There are five things, above all else, that make life worth living: a good relationship with God, a good woman, good health, good friends, and a good cigar." -Prince Sined Yar Maharg


My sincerest apologies, readers, for my recent hiatus from blogging. I need to remind myself that not every post I write needs to be a novel or qualify, at least in my mind, for a Pulitzer.  However, just because I haven't been writing doesn't mean I haven't been smoking.

On the contrary, over the past few months, I have sampled some of the industry's best smokes.  In the past two weeks since the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) trade show last month in Las Vegas, it seems I've had a newly released cigar every day.

So, here's to reinvigorated inspiration, motivation and a love for one's passion.  And as always, remember guys and gals...There is nothing wrong with knowing you are the best.
Best Regards,
Bear

Double Review: Oliva Serie V, cigar making at its finest.

Going back just a few years ago, you could not have convinced me that Nicaragua produced top notch cigars.  Well, that's harsh.  Let me just say that there were quite a few tobacco producing countries above them on my personal list.

Oh, how some good quality hours of smoking and a little education can improve one's mindset. 

Cigarsdirect.com has done it again.  I have been given an excellent opportunity to take a look at one of the world's premier cigar makers: Oliva.  And in spirit of the season, I have lassoed one of my cigar-living friends to aid me in the endeavor of taking an in-depth look at Oliva's latest contribution to the Cigar Aficinado Top 25 Cigars of theYear: the Serie V torpedo.

Oliva Serie V Churchill

Before, I dive right into this awesome cigar, let me just qualify my education on Nicaraguan cigars by simply stating that 3 of the Top 5 cigars of 2009 hailed from that country.  I have smoked them all, and agree whole-hearted with CA's assessment.

Oliva's roots , of course, began in Cuba in 1886 when the patriarch, Melanio Oliva, began growing tobacco in the lush Pinar del Rio region.  After a stint in the Cuban army, he returned to the tobacco fields and continued making cigars until his son, Hipolito took over operations in the 1920s.  As the familiar story of the Cuban Revolution ran its course, and the tobacco industry fell into government control Gilberto traveled the globe searching for soil worthy of his Cuban seeds.  The family eventually settled in Nicaragua and is now the second largest grower of Cuban Pulito Tobacco Leaf.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  I enlisted another of my cigar smoking pals to help me out with the Oliva V cigars supplied by Cigarsdirect.  SNOB nation meet Eric "Gus" Gustafson, a cigar-smoking, big game-shooting, music-loving Cheesehead (Go Packers!).  Gus and I went to college together and were members of the same fraternity.  His life-long aspiration is to record music for a living (he rocks on a drum kit).

To the reviews.

OLIVA SERIE V CHURCHILL
By Eric "Gus" Gustafson

I recently had the pleasure of smoking an Oliva Serie V Churchill. I have had prior encounters with Oliva cigars, none of which had really “floored” me as far as the overall experience of the cigar itself. After having tasted those cigars I had pretty much written off Oliva. They just were never impressive. They were all show and no go for me. That was until I had the Serie V Churchill.

The blend of flavors combined with the exquisite draw all came together in a pure, perfect moment. The flavors of earth, nutmeg and coffee mixed with the right amount of spice were mesmerizing. Needless to say, the cigar has an amazing bouquet that is a delight to the nostrils and perfect, not overpowering at all.

This cigar could be paired with a variety of different treats. For example, whiskey goes great with this cigar. I would definitely recommend a good glass of Crown to accompany the flavors of the Serie V. For those who do not prefer to take alcohol with your stogie, I would recommend either Coca Cola or Pepsi. The spice and flavor of any of these three beverages would compliment the flavor of the cigar perfectly. This cigar is prime for having after a nice, hearty steak dinner or a pure, redneck barbecue. Final Grade is an A+ my friends. Do yourself a favor and have one of these cigars ASAP.

In closing, I have always considered making cigars as being a form of art. The cigar maker uses his colors, contrasts and techniques while putting his spin on the cigar creating what could be viewed as his art. That is exactly what this cigar represents, art.

Rock N’ Roll,
-Gus


Rating: A+

OLIVA SERIE V TORPEDO 
By Bear

I was really looking forward to this cigar.  After all, when a stick receives a 94 rating, it's usually as amazing as advertised.

This cigar had a little tooth to it, but had a pretty flawless construction.  The band is the most decadent of all the Oliva lines.  The pre-draw was rich with nutty, caramel nuances that gave way to what was going to be an amazing smoke to come.

The first few puffs warmed the palate with pepper and leathery spice.  As the cigar progressed through the first half it smoothed out considerably, with bountiful smoke and excellent rich flavors of coffee, nutmeg, and pepper.

The cigar burned uneven at first, but "corrected" itself and produced a firm, gray ash.  The ash held for up a solid 1" plus before falling off.

As the cigar began its second half, the roasted coffee, pepper, and leather amplified in strength as the flavor profile melded into full-bodied taste.  At this point, I realized why this cigar was so herald.  The complexity complimented the construction almost perfectly.

This torpedo smoked long, as I went to the nub with little challenge.  The flavor profile grew as the cigar progressed until it finished as a full-bodied, tasty treat.  The leather and pepper was prominent on the finish as it lingered for a bit.

This is definitely a Friday Night smoke.  With tons of flavor, and a very pronounced bouquet, this cigar will be a perfect compliment to a night on the town or as a night cap after an enjoyable evening.  Pick up a box or a sampler pack here at Cigarsdirect. 

My Ratings:


Appearance - 10
Pre-light taste- 9

Construction - 10

Draw - 9

Burn - 9
Aroma - 9
Flavor - 10
Balance - 9
Finish- 9

Total Rating: 9.3

Enjoy guys and gals, for Gus and myself remember:  There is nothing wrong with knowing you are the best.