How the Smokies saved smoking

Just returned from a 3 family trip to the Smokies.  We do it every year as a reunion of the 3 kids's families from my own family.  My sisters all have families, leaving the confirmed bachelor to sort the world out for himself.  And left over from the original fab five is my mother, who once again proved this year that she can out-work any man.  73 years old I think?  She would be both gratified and mortified that I have no idea.  As a young man, she could easily outwork me.  Not outlift me.  Not outcarry me.  But when I was DONE, she merrily worked circles around me everytime.  It never did much for my self-esteem, but once I learned to embrace the humiliation, it was OK by me. 

MOM ROARING DOWN THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
ON ANOTHER DAY

So we are off to visit the Walker sisters homeplace above Little Greenbrier, and she looks like some kind of power-walker, leaving the ranger and our group in the dust.  She says it was in case she wore down, and by putting so much space between herself and the group, if she faltered and ran out of gas, she would then only be at the same point as we were.  To me it sounded like a RECIPE for wearing down, but whatever she says is fine by me.  She certainly kicked my own personal a$$.  But she didn't climb up to the summit of Mt. Leconte.  It's just as well, she would have embarassed me there, too.

THE VIEW NEAR THE SUMMIT of Mt. LeConte

ANYWAY, sometimes cigars can save a bad day.  Over the course of this particular week, the SMOKIES saved the smokes.  I had a box full of cigars, but with me having a pipe now and again and it being hot, I had occasion to smoke only two cigars.  A Cohiba Siglo II was launched while my brother in law created his championship ice-cream in two separate churns.  It was good, but not Cohiba good.  It's smoothness and refinement were features of it's 3 years of tube age, but the flavors were muted at best.  As I began to chain smoke the second half, I got a little cinnamon and spice, but outside of a few regular tobacco tastes, I got none of the characteristic bean notes that I love so much.  For my non-smoking follower Leslie, that's Vanilla, Cocoa and some other bean that escapes me.  We always find a way to have to describe the "bean flavors" even though by now with the term in common usage in cigar circles, we should be past it.  We come up with acronyms to describe drawn out concepts, and end up having to say BOTH the acronym and the long concept to be understood.  Ah, Humans.   I give the Siglo II about an 80.  ehh.

On the morning of our hike up to the Walker Sister's cabin, I spent my lunch at a picnic area, and fired up a 1998 Punch Corona.  It was surprisingly strong for it's age, although my personal taster Leslie said it was very smooth and subtle.  I enjoyed it while walking around in a stream that ran beside the picnic grounds, skipping stones and waiting for a woman of legal age to walk by in a bikini.  Luckily my family had mercy on me and did two things.  We MOVED to the Elkmont campground "play in the stream" spot where there was a girl in a tiny bikini to observe subtly through my aviator shades.  And 2nd, they let me let my cigar go out in the car on the way over.  As we prepared to leave Metcalf Bottoms I had offered the half smoked corona to a few old timers, and got no takers.  So even though it took more time than normal to go out with the stimulating breeze from the sunroof, it eventually did go out and didn't smoke up the car too bad.  Had I known we were leaving, I would have stopped puffing earlier and been less of a pain to endure.  The cigar had lots of slight creamy flavor and a tobacco core.  It was not overly complex by any means but continues to be the star of the re-discovered old cigars they found in King tut's tomb a few years back.  Box after box, stick after stick, just a great little cigar.  I'd score it 88. 

And as it turns out, the girl in the tiny bikini was not exactly of age to be ogling, but she was close enough to justify a close inspection to make that determination.  She was not hiding her light under a bushel, that's for sure.  And I certainly hope for her sake that she befriended the group she was with, since she appeared to be spending the afternoon with a large group of pretty fundamental folks.  The other girls were in skirts and barely got wet feet while the menfolk stripped to the waist in their surfer shorts and fully immersed themselves in the cool water and buzzed around the tiny bikini like bees.  There is something fundamental about it alright.  Fundamentally hypocritical, that is.  If the bikini girl was actually part of their group, I am sure they burned her at the stake later that night.  LET THE LADIES SWIM, I say.  For MY sake, if not your own.

A quick look at perfection

You don't see these anymore.

MMMMMMM....El Rey del Mundo Tainos.

2007 Ramon Allones Small Club Corona

There is so much competition for the best minuto and perla, with the dynamite Bolivar Coronas Junior and the great Partagas Short, Montecristo No.5 and Cohiba Siglo I.   But this cigar is pretty dang good, too.  I am not a huge fan of the Ramon Allones line.  All good, but there are so many excellent habanos in the size that I don't get to smoke too many of the Small Club Coronas. 

This example was dried for about a day, and by nightfall, it was ready to go.  Cut it with the Monte cutter, and it's funny that I use razors and cheap cutters so  long that I forget just how well a really sharp cutter can slice a cap.  It is such that it barely pauses at the head before zoom, it cuts right through. 

Lit it up and found a stout, rich cigar with bold coffee notes and a touch of twang.  Perfect draw and good smoke production.  It had a great, smooth medium brown wrapper and a perfect roll and feel. 

Not a standout, memory maker, but a really great small cigar.  88 points

00 Le Hoyo de Dieux and the big downpour

I dryboxed my de Dieux because of the miserable performance of the Bolivar Coronas Gigantes.  Dryboxed it for two days.  The I did the dumbest thing.  I walked outside for my evening walk, a 3.5 mile Bataan Death March through 98 degree heat and 90% humidity.  But it was 80 and cool and breezy?  Wierd, but threatening rain.  Mistake one is NEVER smoke a cigar while walking, at least if you are as out of shape as I am.  Mistake two is never smoke in the rain while walking. 
I did both. 
The first half of the cigar was delicious, with creamy and sweet, woody notes.  It ran a little bit, due I guess to the fact that it was laying on the counter.  I think the surface touching the counter for two days burned slower. 
And then the rain started.  A nice drizzle at first.  I was walking through the best neighborhood on my route.  It started out in front of Rhodes College, an institution dating back to 1848.  I then turned left into a subdivision called Hein Park, half million dollar and up homes and ancient trees.  And pouring rain.
But I actually nubbed the cigar, from cupping it in my hand and at other times protected by the brim of my cap.  The cigar was no longer tasting like anything but harsh yuck.  But it was the novelty of the thing.  Hoping people in their cool, dry homes could see me smoking in the pouring rain.  As I exited the subdivision, I tossed the nub into the gutter and made the second half of my journey chuckling as I walked with my head held high in a driving rain.  As I entered the tree covered walkway past the college, the rain turned to a drizzle and then stopped as I got back near home.  I mentioned to a couple of old ladies chatting on a porch that I thought it might rain.    This smoke rated 85 for the first half and will not be forced to account for it's poor second half performance.  I will smoke one right out of the box tonight to REALLY be fair to this excellent little cigar. 

On it's 'pro' side, this is the PERFECT cigar size.  No question about it.  It's smaller than a churchill, thicker than a lonsdale, longer than a corona.  Others may dispute the perfection, but I can't think of a vitola I enjoy more.  I like a piramide, too, but 1st place has to go to this cigar shape.

The Le Hoyo de Dieux

After reading a thread today on the greatest cigar forum on the internet, I thought about how strange it was that I never saw this cigar the way most other people do.  I love the idea of a complex, dynamic cigar that "smells like a bonfire of exotic woods."  But the one or two I smoked tasted like cigars, and smelled like 'em too.  I can't figure out if it's the supreme hype over the greatness of these, or if it's that they win the le Hoyo prize by default, or if people read great reviews of them and then decide that they too taste greatness, not unlike the viewers of the Emperor's New Clothes.  Gosh, does anyone even know what that means anymore?  Barney has led our youth around by the nose for so long it's hard to imagine any of them have heard these myths, fables, proverbs or allegories, whatever the heck The Emperor's New Clothes happens to be.
But I do not like to cast aspersions on the tastebuds of others, since mine are so poor and beaten down from decades of smoking.  And two cigars of 00 vintage is hardly a representative sampling.  But tonight I am going to give it another shot and see if it's just me or is this cigar not all it's cracked up to be.  And for the record, I think the de Depute is the marquis cigar in the le Hoyo line, anyway. :)

2008 Bolivar Coronas Gigantes

Ih what an inauspicious start to the 4th of July Weekend.  This was a much anticipated cigar, a TEB FEB08.  The cabinet open, stinks like the finest barnyard extravaganza in history.  But for some reason, from the pre-light draw, (which means nothing whatsoever to me) to the last disgusted puff, this cigar was totally unimpressive. 

Maybe it is due to my uncharacteristic smoking of a cigar that had not been dried out on the counter.  In fact, i am gonna guarantee that's what it was.  Because this cigar had everything going for it.  But it was just blah.  No REAL flavor, maybe some fruity hints. 

Oh this is just awful.  It had that airy nothing taste of a sick cigar.  But no, I think it is REALLY just the cigar wants to be dried out.  In this condition, and this particular cigar, a dismal 70.

4th of July Lineup

I have gotten my share of grief about updates, but I have to tell you ALL who expect frequent updates, you GOTTA smoke cigars to have a review blog.  And I have not been up to the challenge lately.  I am more of a cigar OWNER these days.  But I also know how frustrating it is to frequent a blog that does not update very often.  That's why I gave you 4 pages of content in a week, so you could read that while I got myself psyched up for some smoking.
The Fourth of July lineup is going to look like this.  Por Larranaga Petit Corona 2003, Cohiba Esplendido 03, Fonseca Cosacos 01, Ramon Allones Specially Selected 05.  This lineup might change a bit, but is basically set for now.  I may add to it.   I wish all my readers a happy Fourth of July.  Stay home and don't drink and drive.  Or worse, TEXT and drive.  Kinda makes me miss the good ol drunks.  They had alot less to prove.