Cigar Blog

Happiness is a good cigar

Chocolate Cigars From Italy

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Mobsters and cigars – they’re certainly a good match in the eyes of many. The mob and Italy – still another match. How about chocolate and cigars? Hmm, now I find that really interesting! If you think the way I do, then you would be very interested in the latest cigars to come out of the country that is shaped like a boot.

Toscanello Aroma Fondente is the latest cigar that would probably have cigar enthusiasts clamoring for more. This cigar is conical in shape and is half-sized. It is the color of chocolate, has the smell of chocolate, AND has the taste of this wonderful food as well! The maker of this cigar is world renowned Manifatture Sigaro Toscano. Name ring a bell? Well, they are only the cigar manufacturer that made the classic Italian cigars that Clint Eastwood smoked in his western movies!

Here’s more info on this delectable cigar:

The dark-chocolate-flavored Toscanello, which is 78 mm (3 inches) long and 14.5 mm (roughly a half inch) wide at its base, appeals to what Saccotelli called “dual smokers,” adults between the ages of 25 and 35 who alternate between cigars and cigarettes.

Despite their smaller size, Toscanellos are considered cigars in Italy. Italians have smoked them since 1948, when budget-conscious post-war consumers decided half a smoke was better than none.
Today, a pack of five chocolate-flavored Toscanellos cost about 4 euros ($5.44).

Here’s the bad news, though. These cigars are only currently being marketed in Italy. That means you cannot have them unless you know someone from there or you go there personally. You can try online, though, and see if someone is selling a pack.

Originally posted on October 7, 2008 @ 7:45 pm

Winston Churchill Cigar Line Launched

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Winston Churchill is arguably the most popular icon in the world of cigars. Though there are many other people who have become a symbol for cigars but no one has ever surpassed Churchill in the eyes of many a cigar smoker. So when I heard the news that Winston Churchill’s grandson has launched a new line of high quality cigars, I became more than interested.

Apparently, Winston Churchill the grandson (yup they have the same name) has teamed up with world renowned firm Davidoff to come up with a patented line of cigars. The Times Online UK reports:

The grandson of Winston Churchill, the former prime minister and arguably the world’s most recognisable smoker, has launched a range of cigars bearing his grandfather’s name.

The 67-year-old former journalist and Conservative MP, also called Winston Churchill, has spent the past eight years and £50,000 gaining exclusive worldwide patents for the range of exclusive cigars.

Manufactured by Davidoff, the luxury goods firm, they bear the names of places that played a significant role in the former prime minister’s life, including No 10, Chequers, Blenheim and Marrakesh, the Moroccan resort that was his favourite holiday destination.

The Blenheim, named after his birthplace, is the most expensive brand, retailing at $550 (£280) for a box of 25.

The cigars are manufactured in the Dominican Republic. The tobacco is grown from Cuban seeds and as such, the raw material is sure to be of only the highest quality. The cigars are now on sale in the United States while the United Kingdom is set to experience these cigars later this year.

Originally posted on August 3, 2008 @ 2:46 am

Blind Tasting Cigars (Part 2)

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In the last post we took a look at two important things when it comes to organizing blind tasting events for cigars. They were preparation and the visual aspect of cigars. Let us take a look at more things to consider when blind tasting cigars.

Aside from assessing the wrapper of the cigar that you are blind tasting, try to get a feel of how the cigar was made. Roll your fingers around the diameter and across the length of the cigar. Feel for sports which are soft, this means that the packing was not done perfectly. Also weigh the cigar in your hand – is it densely or loosely packed? These factors would definitely affect the way the cigar burns as you smoke it. As you light the cigar and take your first draw, pay attention to how easily you can puff from it. Also pay attention to the ashes that form as you smoke.

Of course, the most important factor that you are to consider when blind tasting a cigar is the flavor and taste. Is the cigar full bodied? Does it have a tinge of sweetness to it? As you continue smoking, does the cigar’s flavor become more intense? Less intense? No change? Another thing that you should consider is the after taste that smoking leaves in your mouth. What is the after taste like? How does it make you feel?

Pay particular attention to all that your senses tell you and note them down.

Originally posted on June 22, 2008 @ 4:04 am