I have been MIA the last week, its been a heck of a busy week at the office. This week I will be review the Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan

I’ve been interested in these smokes for quite some time, unfortunately Tatuaje is one of the few brands that my local B&M shops do not carry. Luckily, The Great Torpedo from stogiereview.com sent a few with a handful of other sticks earlier this week. Big thanks Jerry!

Now onto The Good Stuff: Tatuaje is a brand created by Pete Johnson. Pete Johnson is a very experienced tatoo artist hence the name Tatuaje (“Tatoo” in spanish). Tatuaje is actually one of the many brands that Don Pepin has his hand in right now. In fact, Cabaiguan is actually named after Don Pepin’s hometown in Cuba. Tatuaje is currently under fire by Altadis for his use of the le fleur de lis symbol on his cigar. I won’t go into that though.

The Cabaiguan Guapo is a limited edition cigar with very similar characteristics as the normal Cabaiguan with the exception of the wrapper. The standard Cabaiguan carries a Shade Grown Wrapper where as the Guapo carries a Sun Grown Wrapper.

Size: 5 5/8 x 54  -  Wrapper: Sun Grown Equador Connecticut  -  Filler/Binder: Nicaraguan  -  Origin: Nicaragua

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

Prelight: Tatuaje’s Cabaiguan Guapo is a hefty looking cigar. It’s very heavy and tightly packed compared to most cigars similar in size. The Guapo sports a very deep, rounded cap, with a small, tied nub at the end of it. I could only describe this as looking similar to the top of a chinese kids head, you know, in movies and video games. There are no softspots at all, this cigar is like a brick. The wrapper itself is quite a bit darker than the normal Connecticut that I’m used to, and it seems pretty hard, and fragile with tons of oil. I’ll have to handle this one with care. The wrapper omits almost no smell at all, the only real scent I could pull off was very light scents of cocoa. The foot was similar in absence of smell but i did give off a very hay-link aroma. It just wasn’t very powerful. There were quite a few veins, but nothing that will hinder the smoke of this cigar. The cold draw produced very earthy tastes, the cocoa didn’t come through on the the cold draw. The band, like most Tatuaje’s remains very simple and straight forward. It sports and Old English style “C” with the word “Cabaiguan” underneath accompanied by the words “CUBA” and “MIAMI” on either sides. The back carries the simple Tatuaje logo, and the Guapo has with it a small lacing of silver metallic on the edges of the band. This is something the standard Cuabaiguans do not have.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

First Smoke: The draw was a bit tedious to get going at first, but once I did it was non-stop. The guapo started off with a punch of pepper that only lasted to first couple of draws, then soon faded into a more soft, complex mixture of grass, leather, and what tastes like white meat. The draw itself was pretty massive, and smelled very similar to burnt grass with hints of oil. I don’t think this would be too annoying to your company. The smoke itself is very hefty, slightly brown, and lingers like there is no tomorrow. The Guapo produces mass amounts of stationary smoke, more so than most other cigars I have had. The burn line was pretty consistent once I got the entire foot going. I had a bit of trouble at the beginning but I evened itself a few puffs in. I got well over an inch and a half of ash before it dropped.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

Halfway There: outside of the vanquishing pepper, the Cabaiguan Guapo’s taste is remaining pretty consistent. I would best describe the taste as burning corn husk with hints of passion fruit. This is a very smooth and creamy cigar, and I don’t feel any nicotine in it at all. Honestly the Cabaiguan is turning out to be an incredible smoke. Perfect for that relaxing day. It’s great to be able to give my palate a rest. The burn began to get a bit wavy a little more than halfway though, but not enough to need any touching up of any sort.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

Finish: The pepper left and never came back. There were more hints of fruit towards the nub of this cigar. The fruit best resembled passion fruit or pomegranate, a bit citrusy, and very sweet. There were also subtle hints of vanilla and honesy towards the very end. The wavy burn line corrected itself almost right away and I didn’t encounter another burn issue again. The draw was just loose enough to produce massive amounts of smoke and flavor, but tight enough to smooth the experience out all the way though, and not get hot towards the nub. The band came off with ease.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

Overview: I feel ashamed that I let this cigar fly under my radar for as long as I did. This was one of the most enjoyable smokes that I have had recently. The flavors were just complex enough to keep me on my toes, but not slammed in there to overload my taste buds. The strength was very mild and smooth, with a great massive draw. Smoking time was about an hour and a half. I would, and will get more of these cigars. They are limited edition but according to Pete J. he is doing everything in his power to get the line back out on the market.

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Guapo

This Taguaje Cabaiguan Guapo was paired with North Coast Brewing’s Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale.

Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale

Sunday was a beautiful autumn day and I wanted to take a ride on the scooter (2005 Yamaha Majesty 400).  Last week we had come across a shop we hadn’t seen before, right on the main drag in Phoenixville, down the street from the historic Colonial Theater (one of the locations where the 1958 classic “The Blob” was filmed).  I decided it was as good a time as any to take a ride, check out a cigar store, and hang out with an old friend. I called my childhood friend Jeff, and we arranged to meet at the shop.  I arrived to find The Twisted Leaf closed, despite the fact that the sign in the window, as well as their website, said they were open from 12-5.  (There’s more to this that I’ll save for a future post, short story is: if you are going to say you’re open, you should be open!).  Fortunately I had a back-up plan in another Phoenixville shop, aptly named Cigar Cigars.  We spent some time in the humidor looking at the selection.  This shop has a pretty decent range of cigars.  When Jeff and I reconnected earlier this year, we discovered that we shared an appreciation for cigars, although I’m probably a little more of a fanatic than Jeff.  I wanted to select something on the milder side, since Jeff had mentioned Macanudo, so I was looking for something along those lines.  I noticed the Macanudo 1968, which I hadn’t yet tried, but have read many reviews and heard about them on the podcasts.  I was surprised to see the Trompeta in a box separate from the regular display box, and priced under $5.  I was surprised by the price, so I grabbed two and we took them to the clerk.  As they rang up at $7, I was asking the clerk why they were so much cheaper than the regular 1968 line.  It turns out that the box in the humidor was mis-marked, so we got a good deal.  Jeff picked up the tab for these, which is something I’m unaccustomed to, in my world, I’m the one who supplies the cigars…but Jeff, thank you, my friend!  The Trompeta is a brand new shape in this line, a figurado which tapers from 40 to 60 ring guage over 5 inches.  It was a very tasty cigar, much stronger than the regular Macanudo line.  I really like this format, it has the comfortable hand and mough feel of a corona, and the cool burning of a robusto.  Very nice cigar.  Hopefully Jeff will read this and add his thoughts in the comments of this blog.  We smoked the cigars in the shops lounge area, seated on leather couches with a game on the TV.  It was a very nice way to spend a couple hours.  I picked up a couple cheappies on the way out, something called “Rebels Choice”, which I’m guessing is a house brand, this chain of stores used to be called Rebel Valley, these were priced at $1.95 for a corona.   They look to have a shade grown wrapper, I will certainly comment on these in a future post.  The other item that caught my eye was a tubo called 3×3.  These are packaged in a plain aluminum tube, which contains an unbanded robusto (they had a churchill too).  It also looks like a shade grown wrapper, and, after doing a little research, it appears these come from Davidoff of Geneva.  I look forward to trying the 3×3, the Davidoff factories in the Dominican Republic are legendary for thier production of quality crafted cigars.  I expect a mild and flavorful cigar with an impeccable burn.  If this can be accomplished in a cigar that retails right around $3.25, I will have to get more of these.   One cigar I had in mind for Jeff to try and didn’t see on the shelf was the Santa Damiana, which I thought would suit his tastes.  These are a really tasty mild to medium cigar from the cigar making giant Altadis.   It turned out to be a great day to take a ride, have a cigar with a freind, and just sit for a couple hours before embarking on what turned out to be a very long work week.

Thank you for taking the time to read, and please feel free to comment.  I would really welcome the input.
Until next time,

CigarCraig

Stevens Hewlett & Perkins are delighted to announce that they have been asked to assume responsibility for the worldwide trade mark portfolio of Altadis following the acquisition of the company by Imperial Tobacco last year. SH&P will be responsible for the prosecution, defence and renewal of all brands in the enlarged Imperial Tobacco Group portfolio. The major Altadis brands include Gauloises, Gitanes, Fortuna and the famous cigar brand Montecristo.

The 10,000 mark portfolio will represent a significant challenge in terms of record integration but the Firm have gained considerable experience in dealing with large take-ons over the years, not least the 17000 trade marks of Reemtsma in 2004 and more recently the A Nelson portfolio which who owns brands such as Bach Flower Remedies and Rescue Remedy.

SH&P are extremely pleased to add Altadis to its client portfolio and is looking forward to working with local associates around the world to protect the business assets of the company in an increasingly competitive market.

For general Trade mark and Patent enquires you can contact SH&P by phone : 0117 922 6007 or email: mail@shandp.com

The material published on this website is for general interest and information only and is not intended to be a substitute for legal or other professional advice.  If you have a matter of particular interest you should seek specific advice from one of Stevens Hewlett and Perkins professional staff.  We accept no responsibility for any loss which may arise from relying on the material published on this website.

Sometimes a new cigar makes more smoke before it’s even released than it does when you finally get a chance to light one up. The Nicaraguan made Siglo Limited Reserve has done just that with its blatant and obvious play on the Cuban Cohiba image. The gold and yellow band with the checkerboard above the name and the italic logo below it is the first giveaway.

This mimicry extends to the flimsy box design. The only detail it seems to be missing is the diagonal Habanos strip across the corner. Altadis USA appears to be engaging in some advertising chicanery here, and veterans of the leaf are letting them know about it on the blogs and boards.  (Ironically those of us who are informed enough to be offended by these practices are not the consumers Altadis is targeting, so it probably doesn’t matter much to them… but that doesn’t mean we’re going to keep our pieholes shut.)

And as long as they’re borrowing frontmarks from the Cohiba “Linea 1492″ range, they might as well just take “Siglo” as a brand name as well:

• Siglo I – 4 1/4 x 44  petite corona
• Siglo II – 5 5/8 x 45  grand corona
• Siglo III - 6 1/2 x 44  lonsdale
• Siglo IV – 5 x 54  robusto
• Siglo VI – 6 x 54  toro
• Siglo VII – 7 x 48  churchill
• Siglo X – 6 x 54  torpedo

To my knowledge, General Cigar owns the rights to the Cohiba name and all its trappings in the United States, so I would presume that either Altadis (or its parent Imperial) has brokered a deal with General (or its parent Swedish Match) to put on this masquerade, or they are currently being sued over it. (And it wouldn’t be the first time. This stuff gets messy.)

In addition to all these design allusions Altadis borrowed one other crucial production factor: the blender. Frank Llaneza had a long history with Villazon before it was bought by General, and now Altadis is using his name quite prominently in their promotion as the master behind the Siglo Limited Reserve. I always did like Villazon cigars though, so I think I’ll just wade through all this merchandising smoke and get to the cigar itself.

The wrapper for the Siglo Limited is an Ecuadorian Habano leaf, beneath which is a Nicaraguan broadleaf binder. The filler is a Dominican/Nicaraguan combo.

Construction Notes

It’s not a bad looking cigar, overlooking the devious band design. The wrapper is a light colorado claro, consistent in color with a slightly sandy texture and a few veins that give it a rustic appearance. The roll is solid, and the Cullman style round cap is applied well enough that it’s hard to see any seams above the shoulder of the stick.

Both the toro and the robusto drew very well. Complain all you want about Altadis, but it’s extremely rare that I’ve had a plugged or tight cigar from this company. The burn is quite slow due to the large ring gauge but it is a little uneven at times — one cigar required a single correction. The flaky salt-and-pepper ash holds for as long as I need it to, but it crumbles a bit in the ashtray.

Tasting Notes

The Siglo starts up with a woody, straightforward tobacco flavor. Almost immediately the wrapper contributes a pleasantly floral aroma, similar to but a little heavier and sweeter than Connecticut Shade. There isn’t a great deal of complexity here, but it’s certainly smooth and enjoyable.

The aroma just gets sweeter as the cigar burns down, so much that it’s almost sugary at times. The flavor gets a little spicier, but by Nicaraguan standards remains quite mild. The body and strength of this smoke seem to level out around a solid medium.

The last section brings some cocoa to the fore while the aroma takes a back seat. The slightly salty finish lengthens into an earthy aftertaste which finally gets a bit dirty near the band.

I didn’t notice much of a difference between the robusto and toro sizes, aside from smoking time: they’re both slow smoking, solid sticks, with the robusto clocking in at around 45 minutes, and the toro about an hour.

What this is, I think, is a nice boring cigar. There’s nothing wrong with it, and I think a lot of newer smokers will genuinely enjoy it. On the other hand, it doesn’t offer the veteran cigar fiend anything new to crow about. It reminds me a little of the El Rey del Mundo Real — a decent medium bodied smoke with a fine wrapper that just bores the hell out of me. Which doesn’t mean that it’s bad… just boring.

The Siglo Limited Reserve is priced reasonably at around 5 bucks a pop.

Final Score: 84

~cigarfan

La tabaquera hispano-francesa, Altadis, adquirida por Imperial Tabacco, pactó ayer un expediente de regulación de empleo (ERE) que contempla una reducción neta de 613 puestos de trabajo en España. En concreto, la compañía eliminará 794 empleos, a través de jubilaciones y bajas incentivadas, y al mismo tiempo contratará a 167 nuevos trabajadores.
El ERE es una de las medidas contempladas en el plan de reestructuración de Imperial tras la compra, que por lo que se refiere a España contempla la supresión de «redundancias existentes» en las áreas corporativa, central y administrativa; de marketing y ventas, así como optimizar la red comercial. En cuanto a la actividad, la compañía británica apuesta por la fábrica de Logroño para fabricar todo el segmento de tabaco negro, lo que supone la desaparición de la planta de Alicante. La empresa argumenta la caída del consumo de este producto (un 63% en España y un 70% en Francia).
Asimismo, se mejoran eficiencias y ajustan las necesidades de producción de las plantas de preparación de tabaco en rama en Cadiz y Palazuelo (Cáceres).
Y en cuanto a la producción europea de cigarros se apuesta por Cantabria, donde se incrementa la producción y empleos (38 nuevos), al cesar la actividad en la planta inglesa de Bristol y francesa de Estrasburgo.
La dirección de Altadis agradeció ayer a traves de un comunicado, la buena disposición negociadora de los representantes sindicales.
Fuente: ABC

Under stundom händer det att jag njuter av en cigarr och ett glas cognac i goda vänners sällskap. Det var dags för en sådan stund igår. På terassen under den bara kvällshimlen till en början, men några regnskurar, eller stänk snarare, sände oss in under tak efter en liten stund. Nu gjorde inte det så mycket eftersom halva terassen har tak, så vi satt ändå ”ute i det fria” på nåt sätt. Vi, det är några musketörer som tycker om att diskutera ett och annat. Det är Manuel, José, Anibal och jag själv. Innan cognac och cigarrer inledde Manuel med att han tycket att allt ståhej om Obama var lite tröttsamt. Kanske inte så mycket Obama, men det här eviga tjatandet om att han är den förste svarte presidenten i USA´s historia. Och sen börjar man lägga på hög, tyckte Manuel. Dom kunde väl komma till Dominikanska Republiken om dom aldrig sett en svart president. Här bryr man sig inte så mycket om hudfärg, menade Manuel, det är personen som är intressant. José kände på samma sätt. Han hade tittat på CNN bland annat under dagen som gått – han har nämligen en TV på sitt kontor – och det hade handlat om detta tema hela långa dagen. Inget annat, sa han. Anibal och jag höll väl också med, men med det förbehållet att USA´s historia med sin svarta befolkning är en annan än den i DR. Dom har ju haft rasproblem ända tills helt nyligen, och vissa påstår att de fortfarande har problem på det området. Och det var MLK dagen också, så det spädde väl på temat en aning. Åja, sa Manuel, vår diktator under 30 år, var också rasist. Han till och med initierade ett omfattande program som syftade till att ”förbättra människorasen” i DR. Under 50-talet ”importerade han Spanjorer som skulle ge landet nytt och ”bättre” blod. Men inte håller vi på och ältar i detta 50-60 år senare. Så höll diskussionen på ett bra tag och vi enades om att det vore bättre för USA, och världen i övrigt, att glömma det där med ras, så snart som möjligt. Och dagens yra, med deras förste svarte President, svalnar väl så småningom när vardagens allvar gör sig påmint. Nu var det dags att tända cigarrerna som Anibal tagit med sig. Han är en riktig finsmakare av den ädla tobaken, jämfört med oss andra som knappast röker alls. José påminner oss om att Obama också gillar cigarrer, men att han inte får röka för sin fru. “Musketörsmötet” är kvinnofritt så vi har ingen som klagar på oss. Denna gång hade Anibal tagit med sig en cigarr av märket Monte Christi. Ett nummer hade den också, men det har jag glömt och minns bara att den var stor och tjock. Namnet på denna förnämliga cigarr skulle kunna komma från den stad eller by på nordkusten med samma namn. Här har man också påträffat bosättningar som man tror härstammar från den by C Columbus började bygga redan 1493. Byn totalförstördes dock av nån orkan och Columbus och hans anhang flyttade till den södra delen av ön Hispaniola, där man började anlägga Santo Domingo vid floden Ozama´s mynning. Han vet en hel del, den där Anibal, säger José, fast det är klart att det är ju lite svårt att kontrollera alla detaljer. Men han låter ju trovärdig och cigarren är finfin. Men nu var det så att Monte Christi cigarren var Kubansk från början, säger Anibal, och namnet skulle ha inspierats från romanen ”Greven av Monte Christi” av Alexander Dumas. Och om sanningen skall fram så flydde ägarna av Monte Christi cigarren till Kanarieöarna när Fidel Castro nationaliserade cigarr industrin. Där borta försökte man introducera märket igen, men föll på nån varumärkeslag som gav Castro rätten till varumärket. Men dom gav sig inte, och dom, dvs företaget Alfred Dunhill, flyttade produktionen till DR och började sälja Monte Christi cigarrer igen. Denna gång till USA, som inte erkänner Kubansk lag i någon form. Och efter en något stapplande början, fick dom till det väldigt bra. Det gick till och med så bra att efter att man varit ovän med Castro, så blev man vänner igen och man, som numera heter Altadis, förvärvade halva det statliga cigarrmonopolet på Kuba, Habanos, för några år sen. Anibal menar att den Dominikanska Monte Christi är mildare än den Kubanska, och mer i linje med vad världens cigarrafficionados efterfrågar idag. Vi som nu inte förstår särskilt mycket av det här med cigarrer, njuter dock i fulla drag, utan att ta in det där med politik och sanktioner. Cognacen är okontroversiell och av märket Camus XO. Samtalet pågår under många timmar och det blev mycket mera sagt om både Obama och Monte Christi. Men kanske ännu mera om de sidospår som de två huvudpersonerna gav upphov till. Men om detta får jag nog återkomma en annan gång. Huvudsaken är att nästa gång vi tänker köpa en cigarr, så skall vi komma ihåg att se till att den kommer från DR – världens bästa cigarrer…enligt Anibal!

C 01-18-09

Happy New Year everyone and sorry about the delay. I have been busy lately and haven’t had a chance to make a post. I have, however, smoked some tremendous cigars lately…some “tried and trues” and some newbies. The one that stuck out the most was the new masterpiece from Altadis called the Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition. I am not a big fan of non-Habanos RyJ line of cigars, though Altadis went all out on this one. The presentation of these

Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition humidor

cigars is exceptional. The shiny jet-black humidor, containing 36 cigars,  comes with a 3-D Giclee print by world renowned artist Charles Fazzino; each print signed and numbered. Each cigar is packed in a frosted glass tube, wrapped in cedar and a copy of the print itself. At first glance, I felt an overwhelming sense of overkill on packaging, seeing as I am a minimalist when it comes to what the cigars come in; the prize of which being the cigar itself. Once I tasted one, however, all of those initial ideas were quickly washed away. Encased in a Criollo 98 wrapper, the Connecticul Broadleaf binder teamed with a Dominican and Nicaraguan blended filler, this cigar is mouth-wateringly complex. I couldn’t have been more impressed.

01-18-09
Romeo y Julieta – Museum Edition
Dominican/Nicaraguan/Criollo 98
This 54 x 6 toro has a dark, silky smooth wrapper with a very earthy pre-light aroma. It had a perfect draw and burn; the ash was firm and salt and pepper colored. This complex cigar started right off the bat with sweet tobacco flavors very reminescent of a Cuban. The last half showed signs of roasted almonds, sweet cocoa and had a long spicy black pepper finish. Phenomenal.
97

C 12-30-08

Preparing for the New Year, with somewhat of a head cold, I reached into my smaller humidor, which is reserved for my everyday smokes, and grabbed a Royal Butera. These lesser known mild cigars, bearing a Connecticut shade wrapper, Indonesian binder, and Dominican filler, have become one of my favorite everyday smokes. This seemed a perfect choice because of my sub-par taste buds, but my palate greeted this robusto surprisingly well…

12-30-08
Royal Butera Vintage – Bravo Corto (Robusto)
Dominican/Connecticut Shade
Surprisingly oily, this cigar burned perfectly, showing hints of cream and roasted nuts during the first half, and gaining strength in the second half, showing spicy hints of white pepper. Not bad for a mild cigar, which is a rare occasion for me to smoke one. The almost bleach-white ash held strong for an inch or so, and the cherry was a perfect cone.
91

Cigar Reviews will return tomorrow, as I have solved my issue of smoking in the cold weather. For now I want to share with you all an event that a good fried of mine put together and he has brought me on board to help with the project…

The cigar community has been chastised long enough and it is time to make a good name for ourselves. So Pete decided to put together a little herf, and at this herf we will be holding a raffle in which the proceeds will go to buying a gifts for under privileged children.

Some great cigar manufactures have stepped up to the plate and have offered cigars to be raffled off for this great cause and some of the early arrivals will be given a bag of smokes as well.

So if you live near by, stop by and say hello. Ask for me (Barry) and if I am not there ask for Pete and tell him acigarsmoker.com sent you…

Date: Noverber 28th
Time: 1:00pm – whenever the owners kick us out
Location: 2215 Route 112, Medford, NY 11763
Parking: Small lot in front of the store, more parking on side and in back of the store
Directions: Take LIE to exit 64 South. Proceed about 3/4 mile and on your left hand side you’ll see a small park. Immediately after the park is a small shopping center. Goodfella’s in in there.

A special thank you to Steve from CAO, John from Altadis, Jim From Arganese, Xikar, and Goodfella’s Cigars.

H Upmann Reserve Maduro

Every month I look forward to my package from Altadis as part of their VIP program to see what cigars they have sent me. This is a good thing as they send me cigars that I have forgotten about because I have become boutique cigar frenzied.

H. Upmann cigars were founded in 1844 by a German banker named Hermann Upmann who was heading the Havana branch for his family’s business. He set forth to create a smoke that would become the envy of Cuba’s finest cigars makers. At least that was his goal.

The H. Upmann Reserve Maduro is the newest of the line and the subject of today’s review.

The Skinny:

Cigar: H Upmann Reserve Maduro
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 6 x 54 (Toro)
Wrapper: San Andres Morron (Mexico?)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua

Prelight: The cigar is typical of a mass produced cigar as it is very well rolled, or at least appears so to the naked eye. Upon further inspection this toothy wrapper has some soft spots throughout the cigar from head to foot. Nothing to bad, but in feeling the cigar you are aware they exist. The reserve maduro is a very oily cigar, with notes of sweet tobacco on the foot and on the draw. This is a perfect example of what a maduro cigar should be. Too many people equate maduro with strong, but a maduro cigar historically is supposed to be sweeter.

Smoke: First let me address the negative of this cigar. It has a lot of oils, but it felt like a wet cigar. I am not sure if I am relaying that correctly, but it felt like it was not dried/cured/aged enough and as a result I had to relight it a couple of times. The burn itself was acceptable but keeping it lit was a challenge. On the first 1/3rd of the cigar the sweet tobacco notes remained with a touch of cocoa and coffee in the background.

As I reached the 2nd third of this smoke I was teased with subtle notes of cherry for a little while, but when I had to relight the notes were gone. The coffee notes were much stronger in this third of the smoke and a touch of leather crept in as well.

The final third of the cigar was stronger than the rest of the smoke as notes of leather took over, but in the background remained the coffee that was present from start to finish.

Overall: While I am not a big fan of H. Upmann cigars as in general I feel they are a little too generic. This cigar was no different as nothing really leaped out at me to make it something I would reach for again and again. However, it was a nice change of pace for me on yet another fine fall day.

Rating: 87
Price: $30.00 a 5 pack at various online retailers

Size:  6” x 50

Vitola:  Toro

Wrapper:  Mexican Habano 2000      

Origin: Mexico

From the Vault:

Ah, the Mexican cigar.  Much maligned, but is the bad wrap it gets justified?

As far as appearance is concerned, this looks like a nice enough cigar, the draw was very easy and it took alight well.

But the flavor… it can only be decribed as muddy, not earthy but muddy.  And it has a barnyard aroma.  

And as for the construction, it canoed a lot and got hot real quick as it seemed to be underfilled.

This was not an enjoyable cigar, in fact it was so bad i could barely get halfway doen before i had to toss it.  Yuck!

So do all Mexican cigars deserve a bad wrap?  No?

Does this one?  YES.

Rating: 55 (F)

Altadis – one of the two cigar giants in the industry.  Formerly Consolidated Cigar Co., Altadis stands for Allied Tobacco Distribution.  Altadis’ most notable accomplishment is its acquisition of a 50% share of Habanos, S.A.

Altadis also recently purchased JR from Lew Rothman and now has a huge retail base for easier distribution and wholesale.  As a result they have created ton of other “new” cigars under Altadis wholesale division (aka JR).  The problem with Altadis though, is that they sell their cigars at a major discount at JR, but still charge premium at Brick and Mortar shops.  So they have recently tried to offer special blends not available for wholesale to B&Ms, like the Edicion Limitada line and the Cabinet Seleccione line.

Altadis also makes a lot of machine made cigars.  I won’t bother discussing them.  Wholesale lines (lines not available at B&Ms) are in bright red.

A. Turrent- Five generations of Pride, Passion and Commitment to Excellence summed up in one extraordinary cigar. Introducing the new A. Turrent. The cigar industry’s oldest family celebrates 125 years of heritage with their crowning achievement.

• A. Turrent – Available in 5 sizes and features a San Andres Criollo wrapper.  One of the few decent Mexican wrapped cigars.
• A. Turrent Six Generations – Available in 4 sizes and features a San Andres Corojo wrapper.  New line for 2008.

Bering – handmade in Honduras.

• Bering – Available in 14 sizes featuring a Honduran Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Bering Hallmark – Available in 6 sizes featuring an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.
• Bering Sabor Bundles – Flavored, available in 2 sizes with a Honduran wrapper.  Flavors are Amaretto, Irish Cream, Rum and Vanilla.

Big Butt- From the Altadiswebsite, “Hand-rolled in Honduras, Big Butt is a medium-to-full-bodied cigar witha superior balance of strength, spice and earthy flavor. This fusion of flavor and character of a Big Butt cigar makes for a great smoke. An engaging cigar that even the most experienced smoker will enjoy.”

• Big Butt – A silly name for a cigar.  Available in 4 sizes with an Indonesian TBN wrapper.
• Big Butt Maduro- Available in 3 sizes with a Pennsylvanian Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

Bock y Ca – famous for Gustave Bock , the man that invented the cigar band.

• Bock y Ca Edicion de Oro – Available in 5 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.

Butera- this line is probably my favorite line from Altadis.  It’s their answer for a Davidoff cigar.

• Butera Royal Vintage – Available in 11 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.  This is a nice creamy cigar.
• Butera Royal Vintage Maduro – Available in 5 sizes with an Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• Butera Vintage Select – Available in 5 sizes with an Brazilian wrapper.

Da Vinci- a recent addition from Altadis.

• Da Vinci – Available in 6 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.  I found this cigar very unappealing.
• Da Vinci Masterpiece- Available only at JR, this is available in 5 sizes with an Nicaraguan wrapper.  Don’t waste your money.

Don Diego- From Altadis, “Originating in the Canary Islands and now manufactured by hand with care under the supervision of master cigar maker and blender Jose Seijas in the Dominican Republic.”  I’m not a fan of any of the cigars in this line.

• Don Diego – Available in 11 sizes with an Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Don Diego Aniversario – Available in 6 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.
• Don Diego Privada Selecionne – Discontinued. A Wholesale line that featured a Connecticut Shade wrapper in 4 sizes.
• Don Diego Reserve – Discontinued. Featured a Connecticut Broadleaf or Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper in 6 sizes.

Don Melo – this brand is dedicated to the man who helped found the modern Honduran cigar industry.

• Don Melo Centenario – Available in 6 sizes with an Honduran wrapper.

Frank Llaneza 1961 – a new line to celebrate the newly acquired Frank Llaneza (formerly of General Cigar).

• Frank Llaneza 1961 – available in 4 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper.

Gispert – A cigar made to celebrate the people and country of Honduras.  Pronounced without the G and t.

• Gispert – Available in 7 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.  This is not half bad for an inexpensive smoke, creamy and mild.
• Gispert Maduro – Square-pressed, available in 6 sizes with an San Andres Morron wrapper.

Havana Sweets

• Havana Sweets – Flavored, available in 2 sizes with an Indonesian TBN wrapper.  Flavors are Honey, Honey Berry and Irish Cream.

H. Upmann – An old Cuban Brand.   For some reason, Altadisreally has allowed JR to come up with a plethora of brand extensions for the H. Upmann line.

• H. Upmann - Available in 14 sizes with an Indonesian TBN wrapper.  I’ve never had a good one.
• H. Upmann Anniversary Series – Discontinued. Featured an aged Cameroon wrapper in 4 sizes.  Precursor to the Vintage Cameroon.
• H. Upmann Banker’s Selection – a JR exclusive this is available in 4 sizes, tubed, with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.
• H. Upmann Cabinet Selección – Limited Release for B&Ms only.  Available in 5 sizes with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.
• H. Upmann Chairman’s Reserve – Discontinued. Featured an aged Connecticut Shade wrapper in 5 sizes.
• H. Upmann Connoisseur – A JR exclusive, available in 7 sizes with an Vintage 2001 Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• H.Upmann Edicion Limitada – Limited Release for B&Ms only.  Available in the robusto size with a San Andres Corojo wrapper.
• H. Upmann H2000 – Discontinued and was only at JR, featured a Habano 2000 wrapper.
• H. Upmann Millonario – Yet another JR exclusive, available in 2 sizes in glass tubes with a Vintage 1999 Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• H. Upmann Reserve – Available in 5 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.  Tried it, and it was ok.
• H. Upmann Reserve Maduro – New in 2008.  Available in 6 sizes with an San Andres Morron wrapper.
• H. Upmann Sevens- Available in the Double Corona size, yet another JR exclusive (“rolled only by Level 7 torcadors”), with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• H. Upmann Signature- Available in 4 sizes, with either a Connecticut Shade or San Andres Morron wrapper.
• H. Upmann Special Selection- Yet another JR brand extension, these are aged in cedar, available in 5 sizes with either a Java or Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• H. Upmann Super Fuerte- Available in 4 sizes, at JR, with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon – Available in 14 sizes with a Cameroon wrapper.  These are pretty good.

Henry Clay – named after the famous American politician from the early 1800s.

• Henry Clay – Available in 5 sizes with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.  Not a fan.
• Henry Clay Habano 2000 – Discontinued. This was box-pressed and available in 6 sizes with a Nicaraguan Habano 2000 wrapper.
• Henry Clay Honduran – At JR, this is available in 5 sizes with an Honduran Havana-seed Rosado wrapper.

Juan Lopez- another old Cuban brand.  It seemed like altadis just made this cigar to ensure US distribution rights would not go to some one else.

• Juan Lopez – Available in 5 sizes, this is a square-pressed Nicaraguan puro.  These are horrible.

Las Cabrillas – These have a sweetened tip.

• Las Cabrillas – Available in 9 sizes witha Connecticut Shadewrapper and 7 sizes with a San Andres Morron wrapper.

La Primadora – handmade in Honduras.

• La Primadora – Available in 5 sizes with a Honduran Maduro or Natural wrapper.

Maria Guerrero- This is funny, from the Altadis site, “Once upon a time, legions of men were seduced by Maria Guerrero…the legendary cigar named after the celebrated Spanish actress who graced the stage a century ago. Now it’s back in all its sensual glory… Maria Guerrero is once again seducing men everywhere.”

• Maria Guerrero – Available in 6 sizes with a Cameroon wrapper.

Mi Dominicana – new in 2008.

• Mi Dominicana – Soon to be available in 8 sizes this is a new Dominican puro from Jose Seijas and Altadis.

Montecristo- the most recognized name in cigars.  Montecristo has history as a Cuban brand first, but are also made for the US market in the Dominican Republic by Altadis.

• Montecristo – Available in 10 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Montecristo Afrique - Available in 10 sizes with a Cameroon wrapper, at JR.
• Montecristo Cabinet Selection – Discontinued. Was available in 7 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Montecristo Cabinet Selección – Limited Release for B&Ms only.  Available in 5 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.
• Montecristo Cigar des Artes – Discontinued. Was available in 8 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.  Featured artwork by French artist Michel Delacroix.
• Montecristo Classic – Available in 12 sizes witha Select Connecticut Shade wrapper, blended by Jose Seijas.
• Montecristo Club Cabinet Vintage ‘93 - Discontinued. For wholesale it featured a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Montecristo Edicion Limitada – Limited Release for B&Ms only.  Available in the belicoso size with a San Andres Corojo wrapper.
• Montecristo Flor Fina - made in Honduras, for Altadis’ wholesale division (JR), available in 5 sizes with a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.
• Montecristo H2000 – a wholesale line (JR), available in 8 sizes with a Nicaraguan Habana 200 wrapper.
• Montecristo H2000 Peruvian- another wholesale line, available in 3 sizes, box-pressed with either a Nicaraguan H2000 or Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• Montecristo Media Noche- Wholesale only at Cigars International.  Available in 4 sizes with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• Montecristo Platinum – Available in 6 sizes with a Mexican-grown San Andres Cubano wrapper.  This cigar is most famous for it’s racy ad.
• Montecristo Reserva Negra – New line not yet released.  Available in 5 sizes, all box-pressed, with a San Andres Morron wrapper.
• Montecristo Serie V – Discontinued. Was available in 5 sizes (all 5″ long) with a Cameroon wrapper.
• Montecristo Serie VI – Discontinued. Was available in 2 sizes (all 6″ long) with a Cameroon wrapper
• Montecristo Serie VII – Discontinued. Was available in 1 size (7″ long of course) with a Mexican wrapper.
• Montecristo Serie C – Available in 4 sizes with an African Cameroon wrapper.
• Montecristo Sevens- Available in the Double Corona size, yet another JR exclusive (“rolled only by Level 7 torcadors”), with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.
• Montecristo White – Available in 9 sizes with an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper.

Montecruz – 2008 marks the return of this old brand.  Originated in 1962, but has been out of production for a while.

• Montecruz (new) - Available in 7 sizes with a Cameroon wrapper.
• Montecruz (old) – Discontinued. Was available in 12 sizes with an Indonesian Java wrapper or Connecticut Broadleaf.
• Montecruz Negra Cubana – Available in 10 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.

Nat Sherman – “Tobacconist to the World”, since the 1920s.  Some of the discontinued lines can still be found at the Nat Sherman store.

• Nat Sherman 489 – Available in 2 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.  I actually thought this was a wholesale line.
• Nat Sherman 1400 Series – Available in 4 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.  I thought this was a wholesale line as well.
• Nat Sherman 5th Avenue – Discontinued.  Was available in 3 sizes with an Indonesian wrapper.
• Nat Sherman 5th Avenue Cameroon – Discontinued.  Was available in 3 sizes with a Cameroon wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Broadway Selection – Discontinued – Was available with a Ecuadorian wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Champion – Available in 3 sizes with an dark Nicaraguan wrapper.
• Nat Sherman City Desk Selection – Discontinued.  Was available in 5 sizes with a Mexican Maduro wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Gotham East Side Selection – Discontinued.  Was available in 6 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Gotham West Side Selection – Discontinued.  Was available in 6 sizes with a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Host Selection – Discontinued? This line is no longer on the Altadis website.  Most likely stilavailable at wholesale.  Comes in 7 sizes featuring a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Landmark Selection – Discontinued. Was available in 5 sizes with a Cameroon wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Metropolitan Selection -Discontinued? This line is no longer on the Altadis website either. Most likely stillavailable at wholesale. Comes in 6 sizes featuring a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Maduro Metropolitan Selection -Discontinued? This line is no longer on the Altadis website either. Most likely still available at wholesale. Comes in 6 sizes featuring a ”Maduro” wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Navigator – Discontinued.  Tipped, this was available in 1 size with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Private Selection – Available in 1 size called the Omerta with a Nicaraguan wrapper.  Another that i thought this was just a wholesale line.
• Nat Sherman VIP Selection – Discontinued. Available in 5 sizes featuring a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Nat Sherman Suave -  Available in 5 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.

Omar Ortez -in 2007, Altadis launched this unbanded value brand.

• Omar Ortez Originals – Available in 3 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.  Altadis’ answer to the Edge.
• Omar Ortez Honduran Maduro – Available in 4 sizes with a Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper.  (Shouldn’t it be “Nicaraguan Maduro” then?)

Onyx- handmade in La Romana, DR.

• Onyx Reserve – Available in 10 sizes with a ”Blackened” Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• Onyx Vintage ‘97- Another JR wholesale line, it’s available in 4 sizes with a 1997 Mexican Maduro wrapper.

Playboy- The “Hef” doesn’t smoke cigars anymore, but his fans must.

• Playboy – Available in 4 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.  Tried one a while back, not bad actually.
• Playboy by Don Diego – Available in 5 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.  Do not like these.

Por Larrañaga- an old Cuban brand dating back from 1834.

• Por Larrañaga – Available in 7 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.  Bland and boring.
• Por Larrañaga Cabinet Selección – Available in 5 sizes with a Habano 2000 wrapper.  Available only at B&Ms.
• Por Larrañaga Cuban Grade – Looks like it is discontinued.  Made by Cuban Imports for Altadis it was available 6 sizes with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.
• Por Larrañaga Cuban Grade Maduro- Also discontinued.  Made by Cuban Imports for Altadis it was available 6 sizes with a San Andres Maduro wrapper.
• Por Larrañaga Nicaraguan H2000 – Discontinued. Featured a Nicaraguan Habano 2000 wrapper in 6 sizes.

Primo del Rey – Inexpensive cigars made in Honduras.

• Primo del Rey Natural – Available in 5 sizes with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.
• Primo del Rey Maduro – Available in 5 sizes with a Mexican Morron wrapper.

Quintero - “Sexy.  Sultry. Smoking.”  That tag line always makes me laugh.

• Quintero – Available in 5 sizes with a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper.
• Quintero Maduro – Available in 6 sizes with a San Andres Morron wrapper.  This line is box-pressed.

Quintessa- named after a bottle of wine that the Senior Vice President of Altadis enjoyed one night.

• Quintessa – Available in 5 sizes with a Honduran Cubano wrapper.

Romeo y Julieta- one of Cuba’s oldest brands celebrating one of the world’s most famous couple.

• Romeo y Julieta 1875 – Available in 18 sizes with a Indonesian Shade Grown TBN wrapper.  These always taste sour to me.
• Romeo y Julieta 1875 Edicion Limitada – Available in the Churchill size with a Criollo ‘98 wrapper.
• Romeo y Julieta Aniversario – Available in 5 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.  Not a fan of these.
• Romeo y Julieta Cabinet Selección – Available in 6 sizes with a Cameroon wrapper.  Limited to B&Ms only.
• Romeo y Julieta Edicion Limitada (Tubed) – Available in 3 sizes with a San Andres Corojo wrapper.  This one was actually pretty good.
• Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve – Available in 13 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.  The newest edition to the RyJ line.  These are OK.
• Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real – Available in 19 sizes with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.
• Romeo y Julieta Reserve Maduro – Available in 5 sizes with a Connecticut Broadleaf  wrapper.
• Romeo y Julieta Sevens- Available in the Double Corona size, yet another JR exclusive (“rolled only by Level 7 torcadors”), with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.
• Romeo y Julita Viejo- Another CI exclusive.  Available in 4 sizes with a San Andres Maduro wrapper.
• Romeo y Julieta Vintage – Available in 9 sizes with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.
• Romeo y Julieta Vintage Maduro – Available in 9 sizes with a “Blackened” Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

Royal Jamaica – production was moved out of Jamaica to the DR years ago after Hurricane Gilbert destroyed the factory where the cigars were rolled.

• Royal Jamaica – Discontinued. Was available in 9 sizes with an Indonesian Java wrapper.
• Royal Jamaica Gold – Available in 7 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.

Saint Luis Rey – another venerable Cuban brand comes to the US via Honduras since 1996.

• Saint Luis Rey – Available in 10 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.
• Saint Luis Rey Maduro – Available in 7 sizes with a San Andres Morron wrapper.
• Saint Luis Rey Serie G Maduro – Available in 5 sizes with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• Saint Luis Rey Serie G Natural – Available in 5 sizes with a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper.

Santa Damiana – an old Cuban brand now manufactured in the DR since 1992.

• Santa Damiana Cabinet Selection- Available in 5 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Santa Damiana Connecticut Series – Discontinued. Was available in 7 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Santa Damiana Habano 2000 Series – Discontinued. Was available in 4 sizes with a Nicaraguan H2000 wrapper.

Santa Rosa- Introduced in 1995, made at the Flor de Copan factory in Honduras.

• Santa Rosa – Available in 7 sizes with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.

Seijas’ Signature Series- a new line to celebrate master blender Jose Seijas.

• Seijas’ Signature Series – Available in 7 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.  Limited to B&Ms.

Siglo Limited Reserve – a new line in 2009.  An obvious play at the Cuban Cohiba Siglo line.  This is the first line blended by Fran Llaneza, recently acquired from General Cigar.

• Siglo Limited Reserve – available in seven sizes with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

Te-Amo – means “i Love You” in Spanish.  Mexico’s most popular brand dating back from the 60’s.

• Te-Amo – Available in 7 sizes with a Mexican wrapper. 
• Te-Amo Maduro – Available in 3 sizes with a Mexican Maduro wrapper.
• Te-Amo Aniversario – Available in 5 sizes with a Mexican Habana wrapper.  Here I review the Toro size.
• Te-Amo Aniversario Maduro- Available in 2 sizes with a Mexican Habana Maduro wrapper.
• Te-Amo Cabinet – Discontinued. Was available in 5 sizes with either a Sumatran or Mexican H2000 Maduro wrapper.
• Te-Amo World Selection Series Cuba Blend – new for 2009, this is available in 4 sizes with a Criollo wrapper.
• Te-Amo World Selection Series Dominican Blend – Available in 4 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
• Te-Amo World Selection Series Honduran Blend – Available in 4 sizes with a Corojo wrapper.
• Te-Amo World Selection Series Nicaraguan Blend – Available in 4 sizes with a Criollo wrapper.

Trinidad – one of only two post-revolution brands to make it out of Cuba.

• Trinidad – Available in 8 sizes with a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.  These are very overpriced.
• Trinidad Maduro- Available in 6 sizes with a blackened Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• Trinidad 100th Anniversary – B&Ms only.  Available in 3 sizes with a San Andres Corojo wrapper.  This is actually a really good cigar.  Here I review the Toro size.
• Trinidad Edicion Limitada – B&Ms only.  Available in the Toro size with a Criollo ‘98 wrapper.
• Trinidad Habana Reserve – New for 2008.  Available in 3 sizes with a Ecuadorian Cubano wrapper.

Troya – this brand was formerly independent but has been recently acquired by Altadis.

• Troya Clasico Limited Edition – blended by Frank Llaneza, this new line comes in 5 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper.

Vega Fina- Hand-made at the famous Tabacalera de Garcia factory.

• VegaFina – Available in 7 sizes with a Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.

So, back on July 5th PO and I put together what turned out to be quite a herf…    This 1st Annual Modesto Herf turned out to be a great event with over 20 BOTL in attendance from a variety of cigar forums.  We ate, drank, and smoked until early the next morning.

One of the sponsors of our event was Altadis USA.  After a few emails back and forth, I was invited to join their VIP program for people throwing regional cigar events, etc. 

About a week after the herf, I sent thank you emails to all of our sponsors along with a few pictures…

A few days ago, I received the Altadis USA VIP Newsletter, “Cigar News”.  I read the front page and flipped it over to read the second page when I got a bit of a shock…   There was my mug looking right back at me — one of the pics from our herf made it into the newsletter!   Wow!

Here we are…

1st Annual Modesto Herf

And a closeup…  forgive the poor resolution, it was the best I could do…

Jebus, MaytagMan (me), Sergione, PO

As my regular readers know a few weeks back I was invited into the Altadis VIP program which has a few perks. These include merchandise, swag, and a newsletter…

One of the things listed in the newsletter was the addition of new cigars to the Altadis family. These cigars include:

• Mi Dominicana by Jose Seijas: an exquisitely constructed, full-bodied Dominican Puro.
• Montecristo Reserve Negra: a deliciously robust maduro worthy of the Montecristo name.
• A. Turrent Six Generations: perhaps the finest cigar from the industry;s oldest cigar makers made with hand selected tobaccos aged for seven years.
• Romeo Y Julieta Museum Edition: available in a limited edition of 2000 humidors each featuring 36 super premium cigars and a signed and numbered serigraph from renowned 3-D artist Charles Fazzino.

All cigar information reprinted from Altadis Cigar News August 2008 Volume 1 Issue 3

Also sent to me from Altadis USA was a couple of baseball caps from Montecristo one of which will be sent to a randomly selected reader of my blog. To enter please send an email to me, the address is listed under the contact section of my web page. In the subject line place, “I want the hat” and your shipping address in the body of the email. The winner will be randomly selected via a drawing. This contest is open from now til 9pm eastern time on August 7th 2008. The winner will be notified via email and the first name of the winner along with the city/state will be posted to the blog.

Best of luck, and long ashes to everyone….

Los fumadores pasivos podemos gritar, podemos estar cada vez más indignados por la inacción del gobierno a la hora de proteger nuestros derechos en el trabajo, en el deporte o en el ocio, pero la realidad es que nunca nos harán caso. Ya se ha hablado de que el Presidente del Gobierno es fumador, de que no respeta su propia ley antitabaco en su propio despacho, de que la Presidenta de la Comunidad de Madrid boicotea la ley en la capital del país, y de que el PP anunció con satisfacción que durante su reciente congreso en Valencia, “se saltó a la torera la ley antitabaco”.

¿Pero por qué desprecian tanto nuestras vidas nuestros políticos? ¿Puede ser porque hay demasiados jubilados y que quieren reducir la esperanza de vida para mejorar el equilibrio presupuestario? Es posible, pero hay otra razón mucho más contundente. La economía y la empresa española están profundamente ligadas a la industria tabaquera y gran parte de los empresarios y los políticos se forran con este sector asesino.

Sólo hay que mirar la página web de Altadis, esa gran empresa tabaquera hispanofrancesa, para ver qué otras empresas participan en la industria de la muerte en nuestro país.

- El Presidente del Consejo de Administración es Jean Dominique Comoli, consejero de la cadena de tiendas de Duty Free, Aldeasa (empresa propiedad de Altadis), también de Logista, Pernod-Ricard, entre otras.

- Consejero Delegado y Presidente de la Comisión Ejecutiva, Antonio Vázquez, también consejero en Aldeasa e Iberia.

- Vicepresidente 1o, Carlos Colomer Casellas, Vicepresidente y Consejero Delegado de Indo y Consejero de Telefónica y del Banco Santander.

Otros Consejeros

César Alierta, Presidente de Telefónica

Charles Henri-Filippi, Presidente de HSBC France

Amado Franco Lahoz, Presidente de Ibercaja

Javier Gómez Navarro-Navarrete, Presidente de Aldeasa y Consejero de Sogecable

Gonzalo Hinojoso Fernández de Angulo, Presidente del Consejo de Administración del Grupo Cortefiel y Consejero de Telefónica

Gregorio Marañón y Bertrán de Lis, Presidente de Roch Farma (sí, una empresa farmaceútica), y Consejero de Logista, PRISA, Sogecable, Viscofán y Lafarge Asland

Jean-Pierre Marchand, Director General Honorario de Societé Générale, Consejero de Seita.

Patrick-Louis Ricard, Presidente y Consejero Delegado del Grupo Pernod-Ricard. Consejero de Société Générale y de Provimi

Wulf Von Schimmelmann, Director General y Consejero y Presidente del Consejo de Administración de Deutsche Postbank AG, Consejero de Deutsche Post World Net Group y de Accenture.

Sólo he incluido los nombres más destacados pero está claro que con esta mafia al mando de la sanidad pública, y aún más en tiempos de crisis, podemos estar seguros de que el mundo político y empresarial se seguirá riendo de nuestros derechos. ¿Y por qué no? Si reciben tanto dinero a cambio.

Size: 6″ x 54

Vitola: Toro

Wrapper: Mexican Corojo (San Andres)

Origin: Dominican Republic

I do not like non-Cuban Trinidads, or any Altadis product for that matter.  To me it’s just another bastardized Cuban label.

I was intrigued by this cigar, not because of the Mexican Corojo wrapper, which I thought was just plain weird, but the fact that a post-revolutionary cigar had a 100^th Anniversary…

The was a little too easy, even for a bigger cigar and my worries were confirmed when the cigar began to canoe and tunnel (cannunel?) right away.

But just like the Cuba Aliados Anniversary cigar, it actually tasted good.  The problem with this cigar was that it actually tasted really good.  Right off the bat, I was hit with cream and milk chocolate with just a touch of spice.

There was plenty of smoke, but it had a very flaky ash.  The burn was also all over the place, but it still tasted good.  This is hard for me to write, because I usually like to bash the big guys (General & Altadis), but this cigar is making it difficult for me to do.

Worst of all, halfway through, it got better.  An Altadis cigar actually showed complexity!  The creaminess moved to the background as a warm licorice flavor took over.  What was also interesting was that the aroma was more barnyard than it would have seemed based on what I was tasting.  This was a seriously bi-polar cigar.

Horrible construction, funky aroma, but damn good taste.  Go fig.

Rating: 84 (B)

Hoy no hay clase en SEFED. Por la tarde vamos a ir de visita a la empresa que nos ha prestado el nombre para nuestra empresa simulada: Altadis Cantabria. La empresa está en un polígono industrial a las afueras de Solares.

Ver mapa más grande

Esta tarde haré la crónica de la visita. En principio nos vamos a desplazar en vehículos particulares hasta la fábrica. No nos han dicho el plan de visita a las instalaciones. Veremos.

Ni vet läget vid det här laget; en vända i Linköping resulterar i en nyhetsgenomgång… Så varför gå som katten kring het gröt? Onwards!

• Det har börjat bli en tradition att hänvisa till något på Keepers of the Flames hemsida, denna gång är inget undantag. Dock är det inte en recension som fångar ögat utan en artikel om vad som dyker upp på cigarrens täckblad. En nyttig genomgång för den som oroar sig för att man fått svamp i humidoren…
• Cigarrtillverkaren Ghurka är på gång med ytterligare en limited edition, denna  gång vid namn Ghurka Signature 1887. Cigarren har sitt ursprung i Honduras, kommer med två olika täckblad (maduro och natural) och finns i endast en storlek; toro (6 1/2 x 55). Priset ligger på dryga 8 USD för en cigarr.
• Det här får helt enkelt sorteras under “weird”: en italiensk gitarrsnickare har tillverkat tre gitarrer utifrån ett utjänt Lagavulinfat.
• Ska Amsterdam besökas? Kanske ska passa på att titta förbi det här stället; 1001 whiskysorter ska finnas för provsmakning eller längre åtaganden. Whisky-caféets hemsida hittas här.
• Det här låter konstigt… men kanske i linje med sedvanliga marknadskrafter: Altadis släpper fyra stycken Edicion Limitadas; Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Trinidad och H. Upmann. Det som gör mig konfunderad är att alla cigarrerna har samma blandning av tobak i sig – Mexikanskt täckblad, connecticut broadleaf som omblad och en blanding av tobak från Nicaragua och Dominikanska Republiken.

Mel Tormé – A foggy day in London

Svante Thuresson – Lets fall in love (med Katrine Madsen)