Cigar Blog

Happiness is a good cigar

Canada: Your Source Of Legal Cuban Cigars

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Any decent cigar enthusiast would grab the chance to smoke a Cuban. Unfortunately for those in the United States, the trade embargo that was put in place many many years ago still prohibits Cuban cigars in U.S. soil. While you may be able to purchase Cubans from the Internet anytime you wish to do so, you never know if what you are getting are real Cubans or whether they are of good quality. So what is your next option?

Go up north and cross the border into Canada. Our brothers up there have no qualms about buying or selling these wonderful cigars. In fact, Cubans are perfectly legal over in Canada. Transported.org shares this tip:

The best way to buy Cuban cigars is to cross the border into Canada and purchase them legally. While you may or may not be able to take them back across, at the very least you can enjoy them there. Some people will remove the labels and bring the cigars back across the border although there is a chance that they will be confiscated. Instead you can simply go to one of the many tobacconists near the border and sit down and enjoy a good smoke.

If you are not near the Canadian border, then doing this will be much more difficult. There are places in the US to buy Cuban cigars illegally, but I do not recommend this. Your best option is to find a way into Canada to enjoy them there.

It might be a bit costlier to travel all the way up there but hey, at least you get to enjoy your Cubans.

Originally posted on August 12, 2008 @ 7:36 pm

Tatuaje Black

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It seems to me that this cigar is all the rave today. Everywhere you go, you’ll hear about the Tatuaje Black. I have not had the chance to try one myself but if I were to base my decision on the personal reviews that I have encountered online, I would have to get me several pieces of this cigar.

So what is the Tatuaje Black all about? When it comes to the physical appearance, it makes the top of the list. The Cigar Spy says:

First things first, the black label looks fantastic. I’m a huge fan of the color black and I just have to say that I love the label on this cigar. Another great looking thing about this cigar is the wrapper. It reminds me of that “Oscuro” wrapper from Illusione. Its dark, but not really dark, but still darker then most wrappers.

As you may know, I like to smell the foot of my cigar, but when I smelled the foot of the Tatuaje Black, I got nothing. It’s probably because its covered by the wrapper. Which is a nice touch and something I wouldn’t mind seeing on other brands. Construction is firm, the cut on the cap was perfect and I’m ready for the light up.

What about the taste? Zen and the Art of Cigar gives a great review:

As I bring the smoke in through my sinuses I get flavors of rich dark chocolate and espresso bean with not a touch of harshness at all. It has a nice long salt and pepper ash that seems like it could hold on forever.

The smoke is actually dry, which is somewhat surprising, as well as smooth and refined, I expected a lot of oomph from this cigar, but its real nice and refined.

As I smoke, the espresso flavor intensifies but fades to a nice anise and woody mix and rich tobacco at the heart of the flavors.

The draw was nice and easy as I began to really enjoy this smoke. The burn was dead-on even the whole way through, a sign of top notch construction.

Convinced yet?

Originally posted on July 6, 2008 @ 6:43 pm

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