Staff Reviews
One Village, one helluva good coffee.
When I got the call from Woody at One Village Coffee, a local company, asking if we’d be interested in carrying their line of coffees, I was skeptical…after all we are a cigar company. He grabbed my attention though with his passion and enthusiasm about coffee and by explaining the similarities between growing coffee beans and growing tobacco, and it didn’t hurt that he was a cigar smoker…always a plus.
Woody’s a licensed Q grader – which is apparently kind of a big deal…like a coffee sommelier or something and I wasn’t sure what to expect when Woody came in to do a presentation that included brewing coffee with some crazy looking equipment that could’ve come out of a science lab. There were scales, grinders, and some wild glass beaker thing called a Chemex…I was frankly amazed and was wondering where to put the K-Cup. Woody then explained how to properly brew a cup of coffee…hint, no K-Cups…and began throwing around all kinds of terms I had no idea about. Ever ‘bloom’ your coffee before to release the gases? We knew after the show that Woody and One Village were the real deal, and the coffee he brewed was nothing short of amazing. One Village Coffee routinely visits, searches out, and buys from many of the same areas that we make and buy our cigars – like Honduras. Their mission is a good one, they support and go to lengths to ensure the well-being of the farmers and make sure the coffee is grown in a responsible and sustainable way.
A few weeks ago, we fired up the old Bunn in the office and brewed a pot of the Honduras variety, and although I didn’t have all the fancy equipment, this was without a doubt the best pot of coffee I have ever made. The coffee is sourced from a single farm, and really highlights the quality of the beans. It smelled almost like a flower garden with flavors of fruit with some hazelnut on the finish, now I take my coffee black so this was a surprise. The best way I can explain this is using a cigar analogy…coffee you buy at a store is mass produced and contains a blend of beans, kind of like a Swisher Sweet, whereas One Village coffee is more of a super-premium cigar that contains premium tobacco, like a Man O’ War. I would recommend giving it a try and seeing what you’ve been missing out on.
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Relic by AJ Fernandez
Don’t ask how the sausage is made, son, just feast.
Relic hit us by surprise. As strong as our relationship is with AJ Fernandez, he somehow kept this beauty out from under our nosey noses. Probably a good thing, otherwise we surely would have bought every Relic cigar produced on the spot. It’s just that good. So yes, I will be giving this cigar a very strong rating. And yes, this review will be glowing. I refuse to make you wait for the end result. It’s a ’96.’ Boom. Read on if you want to. Go and buy a 5-pack if you’d rather not waste time. Ninety Six. Period.
So the brand is Relic. And, as I’ve already said, it hails from AJ Fernandez and his impressive Tabacalera Fernandez factory of Esteli, Nicaragua. This place is a veritable fortress, churning out delicious boutique handmades with power, including Man O’ War, San Lotano, Diesel, and so much more. As for AJ, he’s a mastermind at every point in a tobacco leaf’s life cycle: from seed to smoke. For two decades he worked alongside Cuban legend Alejandro Robaina in Cuba’s famous Pinar del Rio region. His cigars are a product of unrivaled learnings from a legend, with the boutique twist of a master. Relic is the latest example.
I’m going to tell you as much as I know about Relic. The long-fillers were born in Nicaragua’s soil, and they’re all extensively aged, top-priming ligeros. These pitch black leaves of various (unknown to me) Nicaraguan origins are secured inside a feisty Habano binder from Ecuador. And then the wrapper. The leaf that truly defines Relic and delivers flavor unlike anything AJ has produced to date. A rare, shade grown Habano wrapper from AJ’s farm in Esteli, Nicaragua. This dark, toothy leaf is loaded with power and flavor, took AJ nearly a decade to successfully grow to perfection, and is likely the reason Relic was kept secret from our greedy hands. That was more info than AJ wanted to tell us, but the wrapper was a proud moment, and his time to boast a little bit...so he was reluctantly eager to tell us.
The pre-light aroma from Relic is fantastic. Barnyard, sweet cedar, a little bit of pepper. The initial light is bold, awakening the taste buds and flooding the entire palate and nose with rich, toasty nuances. The bouquet is big up front, booming with notes of earth and leather, followed by a zest on the finish that’s just right. Like most big bouquets, the flavors mellow slightly, giving way to other intricacies. In this case, coffee enters the fray with a nice, oaky finish and the dash of pepper remains on the long, satisfying finish. The room note is equally big: thick clouds of aromatic smoke waft above filling my room with oily, woodsy smells.
Midway through, and I am fully aware: Relic is complex. Relic is unique. Relic is eventful. Relic is satisfying.
There’s a lot going on here, and I highly recommend trying Relic on a fresh palate, with no beverage other than water, at least once. The flavors are familiar yet unique. The coffee is like a roasted coffee bean, with a little bit of toastiness to it. The earth is rich and rustic, with a grittiness to it that smothers your taste buds. The oak is smoky and sweet; enhanced by the robust aroma filling my office. The pepper is fresh and inviting. Not spicy. Rather, a freshly cracked black pepper added to complement the bold flavors perfectly.
Three quarters of the way through, I realize my midway thoughts are now fully confirmed. So I said to myself, ‘magnificent self, I am going to enjoy this cigar til my fingers burn, and it’s going to be very difficult to put it down for good.’
Ahh. The final few minutes with Relic. Something I now know will be bittersweet. I’ve enjoyed this cigar thoroughly, and am enjoying the robust finale as I type the remainder of this review. Like many of AJ’s fuller-flavored creations, Relic ends with a charismatic crescendo. A truckload of flavor, delivered in a concentrated format that sits heavy on every last taste bud and lets you know, ‘I just burned something special.’ Something different. Something I want to have again – soon. No bitterness. No sharp notes. Just a rich, robust bouquet that’s big and smoky, blanketing my palate with a rush of dense, velvety smoke. Smooth from start to finish, Relic truly is something to be savored. Slowly.
Relic ain’t cheap. That’s for sure. But, once you try a few I’m confident you’ll agree, it’s far from expensive. Try it. Enjoy it. AJ can’t make a ton of them, but he can and will make enough for you to add this to the fabled short list of favorites.
94
Relaxing at the Hudson Bay
A few perks of working for Cigar’s International are, I get to work next to like minded people, talk to all sorts of customers from around the world, and try a different cigar every single day. Some of the best day’s are when something brand new comes in and we all give it a shot and compare between ourselves what we like or dislike about every cigar that comes through out doors.
Today the Gurkha Hudson Bay showed up on our shelves and everyone in the store is talking about it. Featuring a smooth and oily Mexican San Andres wrapper that just makes your mouth water. A binder from Ometepe, an island located in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, and a variety of Nicaraguan Cuban-Seed long fillers. A medium bodied smoke that is full of flavor from the initial light all the way down to the finger burning nub.
When I first lit the Robusto size of the Hudson Bay and took my initial draw I was surprised by the wonderful notes I was getting. A nice earthy taste paired with a hint of cocoa and a slight nuttiness on the palate. The retrohale introduced a subtle hint of black pepper and a slight spice. The construction is perfect. The even burn started forming a beautiful ash that held on for the first two inches of the cigar.
After the first two inches the flavor started portraying a smooth toasty note along with a build up of espresso and nice woody taste. The black pepper note on the retrohale starts getting stronger but still stays rather smooth. The spice is still apparent but that is what gives the cigar it’s complexity.
Once I started getting closer to the nub a mellow flavor of dark chocolate started teasing me. The woody note became more oaky with every puff and the sweet toasty flavor came back. The black pepper and spice is apparent on the retrohale throughout the entirety of the cigar. I smoked the Hudson Bay until my fingers started burning, I wanted nothing more than to light a second one up, so I did just that.
The Gurkha Hudson Bay currently is available in 4 sizes. A 5”x50 Robusto, 6”x50 Toro, 7”x50 Churchill, and a 6”x52 Torpedo. Ranging in prices from $49.99 - $69.99 per box. A complex and well balanced blend that will become one of your favorite daily smokes. Mellow enough for yard work, and flavorful enough for sitting out on the patio with your favorite bourbon or whisky.
~Jason B
~Cigars International Hamburg Super Store
90
Ladderball Pro Steel
Let me tell you, I have been to my fair share of tailgates…Go Phillies...and I have played just about every game in the book while under the influence of certain intoxicants. Washers, Quoits, Corn Hole, KanJam, Flip-Cup, 500, Chandelier, Beer Pong, etc…I’ve done it all. And no matter what, I always find myself partaking in a few rounds of, “Hey! I bet I can beat you in a race,” and, “Dude! Wanna wrestle?” But I must say, Ladderball is by far my favorite. It’s quite relaxing with a beverage in hand, and a slew of degrading taunts spewing from your mouth.
Unfortunately, I’ve only had the luxury of experiencing the plastic version…flimsy, cheap, and if you fall on the thing...Game Over! It explodes into a bazillion shards of PVC, and you look like Pinhead from those Hellraiser movies once you can stagger back to your feet.
That’s why I jumped on the opportunity to do a little product testing on the new Ladderball Pro Steel. Constructed of durable but lightweight steel, I was a fan 30 seconds after I pulled it out of the box. Assembly was crazy simple. Directions were easy to follow, it only took me 4 minutes 43 seconds to construct this masterpiece (I timed myself on purpose…I was slightly handicapped by the cigar in my hand). The Bolas were much nicer than others I have seen. Looks like they used a softer material for the balls but they still had a nice bit of heft. Playability was awesome, the ladders didn’t teeter or go bouncing around on all my manly tosses. One of the best features…unlike that pile of camping tents you have in the garage, this thing disassembled in no time and slid comfortably back into its handy storage bag with no trouble at all. A great buy for the backyard picnic or tailgate.
P.S. I paired this item with a La Herencia Cubana CORE and a couple Yuengling Lagers…bottles of course!
Unfortunately, I’ve only had the luxury of experiencing the plastic version…flimsy, cheap, and if you fall on the thing...Game Over! It explodes into a bazillion shards of PVC, and you look like Pinhead from those Hellraiser movies once you can stagger back to your feet.
That’s why I jumped on the opportunity to do a little product testing on the new Ladderball Pro Steel. Constructed of durable but lightweight steel, I was a fan 30 seconds after I pulled it out of the box. Assembly was crazy simple. Directions were easy to follow, it only took me 4 minutes 43 seconds to construct this masterpiece (I timed myself on purpose…I was slightly handicapped by the cigar in my hand). The Bolas were much nicer than others I have seen. Looks like they used a softer material for the balls but they still had a nice bit of heft. Playability was awesome, the ladders didn’t teeter or go bouncing around on all my manly tosses. One of the best features…unlike that pile of camping tents you have in the garage, this thing disassembled in no time and slid comfortably back into its handy storage bag with no trouble at all. A great buy for the backyard picnic or tailgate.
P.S. I paired this item with a La Herencia Cubana CORE and a couple Yuengling Lagers…bottles of course!
Alta Gracia Natural Cigarillo
Commitment is a challenging part of life. For me, this whole notion of committing to one thing means a painful, unappealing obligation which commonly ends with dejection and despair. Perhaps I am off-base with this whole idea of commitment. Maybe commitment is a virtuous trait that should be revered. Having said this, I’m just not into it.
Anyway, I’ve grown quite a reputation here in the retail division for being a connoisseur, aficionado, maestro and all around master of the miniscule entities known as “cigarillos”. The aforementioned “cigarillo”, or “little cigar” in Laymen’s terms, burns easy and goes down fast.
Having worked in every single retail store CI has to offer, whenever a store employee sees Brock walking through the doors on an off-day, they immediately conceal the display racks which respectively present the cigarillos out of fear of running out. Whether it’s a natural wrapper, maduro, flavored cigar or simply dirt cheap, I am willing to smoke any and all cigarillos placed in front of me. I love them so much!
I recently realized something about myself and the type of cigars I like. I’m typically a corona and/or robusto smoker with a heavy emphasis on cigarillos. This makes complete sense now! A little cigar such as the Alta Gracia is a tasty, satisfying morsel of tobacco which literally consumes a maximum of FIVE (5) minutes of my time! Little commitment! I am cigarillos. Cigarillos are me. We are intertwined in the forces of life, thus, producing a beautiful union of two entities!
While the Alta Gracia is offered in either Natural or Maduro, along with being featured in three (3) distinctive sizes (all of which I have smoked), it should be no surprise to you that the size I’m choosing to smoke in droves and review today is the cigarillo.
The Alta Gracia Natural Cigarillo is a small cigar which has roughly the width of a pencil and the length of a…um, golf pencil. The size is 3.1” x 23 if that helps.
In copious boxes of fifty (50) little cigars, you can basically fit an entire roll of them in your hand with ease. If you’re one of those weirdos who like to stick the entire foot of the cigar up your nose before sparking them up, you may want to reconsider this practice with the Alta Gracia. It’s too thin and you will have a high probability of getting it lodged in your nasal cavity. On second thought, go for it. Upon igniting this delightful treat, you will notice how smooth and mellow it is right away. Flavor-wise, I’m getting hints of tasty, natural mellow tobacco.
In the middle third of this cigar, the Alta Gracia Natural is holding the same flavor but is burning slightly hotter due to its size.
When this little guy gets down the nub, it burns hot as hell. Having said the aforementioned, I love these things so much that I literally smoke them down to my fingers, reluctant to put it down.
Just like Christmas, the cold weather is coming. Invest in some of these scrumptious little sticks if find yourself smoking outside often.
Listen, I’m not going to write an elaborate review for an inexpensive, value-brand cigarillo describing it with industry buzzword descriptors such as coffee, nuts, almonds, vegetal and whatever else the literary masters have to say these days. It’s small, quick, mellow, tastes like tobacco and only occupies roughly 5 minutes of your time. More importantly, it’s damn good and damn cheap.
Expert thought of the day: Don’t you love when a “good Samaritan” does an unseen good deed, then proceeds to tell EVERYONE they know? These fake philanthropists slay me!
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