Nica Libre principe, 4.5x46.  Little box pressed beauty.  Starts off creamy with hint of chocolate and saltiness.  Lots of smoke as it mellows to a nondescript creamy flavor.  Charcoal and toast toward the nub.  Average cigar for the price.

Paired with nice warm Tom and Jerry (made with Brugal rum).

51 degrees in calm overcast between drizzly rain.

5 Vegas Limitada 2008, belicoso 6.2x52.  Nice dark cocoa aroma prelight.  Starts off with a little pepper and quickly settles into a sweet spicy complex of flavors.  Medium bodied but great flavor.  A wonderful cigar.

Paired with Kirkland Tawny port.

59 chilly windy degrees, but sunny between rain storms.

Macanudo Cafe, Hyde Park 5.5x49. Very mild, ho-hum cigar.  Smoked it a little wet so difficult draw.  No spice or pepper, nothing special.  Solid mild cigar.

Paired with Yamazaki 18 year single malt, which was very special!

63 degrees and overcast.

Man O' War, double corona, 7.5x52.  Spice and pepper throughout, easy slow burn.  Nutty and toasty tobacco taste that sweetens as it burns to the nub.  Nice long smoking cigar.

Paired with ice water.

71 degrees on a windless beautiful afternoon.

Indian Tabac Super Fuerte, toro maduro 6x52.  Very smooth creamy spices, some chocolate and pepper throughout. Very lingering flavor, robust and rich.

Paired with Barefoot Bubbly Chardonnay champagne and my favorite breakfast at the Silver Legacy - eggs benedict.

Cool sunny morning in Reno.

Ruination by Man O' War.  Robusto No. 2, 6x60.  Luscious smoke right off, strong spice but perfectly balanced. Peppery to begin with settling into a complex spicy smoke the rest of the way through.  Again thanks to Karen and the Reno Tinder Box for the smoke!

Paired with 2006 JC Cellars Broken Compass Red.

Memorable night at the Silver Legacy, Reno, NV after a show - Abbacadabra (at Harrahs).

Padron 4000 maduro, 6.5x54.  Amazing cocoa and tobacco aroma pre-light. Medium bodied, creamy off the light, no spice until about half way in.  A small amount of spice picked up through to the delicious end.  Thank you to Karen and the Tinder Box in Reno, NV, for a great choice.

Paired with 2006 Rosenblum Rockpile Vineyard Zinfandel, pepperoni pizza and a shrimp/crab louie.

Beautiful evening in Reno.

5 Vegas Classic, churchill 7x52.  Long medium strength, toasty mild spicy flavor.  Above average everyday cigar.

Paired with Domaine Carneros Champagne.

Nice afternoon in Reno.

Tatiana Mocha, Caramely 6x50.  Chocolate aroma, mild breakfast smoke.  The usual.

Paired with Dominican coffee.

56 chilly degrees.

Gurkha Legend, robusto 5x50.  Fantastic smoke.  Woody and chocolately off the light, bold fruity spice moving in.  Easy draw, dark oily woody flavor to the nub.  Perfectly balanced.  One of my favorites.

Paired with Ardbeg Uigeadail.

57 degrees on a calm night.

Alec Bradley Maxx Brazil, toro 6x50.  Huge smoke and sweet spice off the light.  Very pleasant sweet toasty flavor throughout.  Produced an immense amount of smoke to the nub, with a very medium body of spice, sweetness and earthy flavor.  Very nice.

Paired with A&W root beer.

68 degrees on a calm evening.

Rocky Patel Decade, Toro, 6.5x52.  Dark chewy wrapper, smooth and creamy off the light. gaining spice and sweetness as it burns.  Third of the way in it gets stronger, full bodied and voluminous smoke.  Then it turns woody and earthy.  Very complex. Raisiny spice and little pepper toward the end.  Wow.  This is a big bold but balanced and flavorful cigar.  Fantastic.

Paired with Root Beer and vanilla vodka.

60 degrees, chilly windy evening.

La Riqueza (by Tatuaje), Maduro Robusto #4, 5x48.  This is one very nice balanced cigar.  Medium throughout, with coffee and slight sweet spices.  Flavorful right to the tiny nub.  A finger burner. Very nice.

Paired with Amstel light.

63 windy degrees this evening.

Diesel, torpedo, 5x56.  Strong pepper to start, quickly settling into flavorful spice and chewy toasty goodness.  An excellent cigar.

Paired with ice water.

74 degrees as the sun begins to set.

Cohiba, counterfeit Cuban.  Bleh, no taste at all.  Luckily it was a freebie gift so I didn't waste money on it.  Gotta smoke something else tonight!

Paired with ice water.

79 degrees but seems cooler.

Sol Cubano Artisan, salomon 7.1x58.  Big big flavor throughout.  Salty, earthy, toasty and creamy. After a very mellow smoke for most of the cigar, gets very good pepper and some spice toward the last third. A very interesting and flavorful change up.  A lot of smoke as can be expected with the bulbous shape.  A pretty good cigar.

Paired with ice water.

71 degrees with a slight breeze.

Etiqueta Azul, churchill 6.7x48.  An infused cigar from Drew Estates.  Aromatic and tasty.  Lavendar and other herbs dominate.  The first third was nasty, second third the herbal taste mellowed to a mild OK smoke.  Finished up with overwhelming herb tastes.  It smelled good though.

Paired with ice water.

69 degrees at sunset.

Nub, 460 Connecticut, 4x60.  A fat little cigar, mild to medium.  No big flavors or spice.  Enjoyable with a little nutty taste toward the end.

Paired with Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist. (which is not quite as good as the Ardbeg Uigeadail.)

71 degrees on a cool afternoon.

Isla del Sol, Toro, 6x52.  Get past the sweetened cap for a mild smoke, tastes of coffee and nuts.  Nice breakfast cigar.

Paired with Domincan coffee and coconut-pineapple pancakes.

Mild 63 degree morning.

Gurkha Estate Select Vintage Shaggy Maduro, Toro, 6x50.  Odd unwrapped foot made it easy to light.  Strong spice off the light, mellowing in a smooth earthy cherry sort of flavor.  Toward the end got notes of coffee.  This is a very fine cigar, rather pricey however.

Paired with Leasingham Magnus Reisling, 2007 Clare Valley, after lobster and asparagus.

Cool 68 degrees at sunset. Go Gaels!  St. Mary's advances to the sweet sixteen.

Romeo y Julieta Reserve Maduro, Robusto 5x50.  A dark rich spice flavor, no pepper.  Hefty smoke.  A nice cigar.

Paired with a Miller Genuine Draft 64, about as light a beer as can be had.

Warm calm 70 degree spring evening.

Tatiana Mocha Caramely, 6x50.  My favorite morning cigar, chocolate aroma, mild.  Full of smoke. 

Paired with Dominican coffee.

63 cool degrees after breakfast.

5 Vegas Series 'A', Apocalypse 6x58.  A fat dark oily cigar, full of smoke and flavor.  Light pepper, spice, toast, caramel, creamy.   This is really a flavor bomb.  Not as strong as some blends, but very full bodied.  One of my favorites as a daily smoker.

Paired with Pineapple soda and Malibu Rum.  The tropical sweetness really compliments the cigar.

79 degrees, winds calm, beautiful evening.

Tierra Del Sol. box pressed Torpedo, 6.4x54.  Smooth chocolate and coffee flavors.  This is an inexpensive cigar blended by Nick Perdomo.  Great cigar for the price.

Paired with Dominican Santo Domingo coffee.

Breezy 71 degrees on a beautiful Friday morning.

Graycliff 1666, Edicion de Aniversario, Presidente 7x48. Very nice medium flavor.  Nutty, slight charcoal.

Paired with Guinness.

77 degrees and a slight breeze.

5 Vegas Miami, churchill 7x48.  Strong pepper and spice off the light.  Mellows into nice spicey flavor through the long length, pepper returns at the last few inches.  Really good smoke.

Paired with 2008 Kosta Browne Russian River Pinot Noir, one of the best wines I've had this year.

77 beautiful degrees with no wind.  Erin Go Braugh.

Don Pepin Garcia Serie JJ Maduro, Selectos 5x50.  Pepper right off, and lasting midway through. Then it mellowed to a cedar nutty but very robust flavor, getting peppery again at the nub.  Strong well built smoke.

Paired with ice water.

Beautiful 73 degree evening, calm and no breeze.

Henry Clay Rothchilde, 5x50.  A very harsh poor tasting cigar.  Disappointing.

Paired with ice water.

Warm 69 degrees, calm breezeless evening.

TTT Trinidad, Robusto, 5x50.  This is a hearty woody smooth smoke, very flavorful at the end.  A most excellent cigar.


Paired with Villa Toscano 2006 Shenandoah Valley Zinfandel.

Cool beautiful night in Lotus.

La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte, belicoso, 5x56.  Strong pepper and spice off the start, then mellows into a wonderful flavorful smooth smoke.  Great build, oily wrapper. One of my favorite cigars.

Paired with Villa Toscano 2006 Shenandoah Valley Zinfandel.

Cool beautiful night in Lotus.

Rocky Patel Vintage Sixty 1990, 6x60.  A very balanced, mellow, creamy smooth smoke.  Chewy chocolate and woody flavor.  Excellent cigar.

Paired with Macallan 12 year.

Cool beautiful evening in Lotus.

Montecristo White Label Rothschilde, 5x52.  Very creamy and mellow smoke. Pleasant flavor,  Honey woody taste half way through.  Very nice.

Paired with Taj Mahal Lager, a nice beer from India.

61 degress in the breezy sunshine.

Tatiana Mocha Caramely, 6x50.  My fav morning smoke, chocolatey and coffee.

With Dominican Santo Domingo Coffee.

A very windy, chilly 47 degrees in the sunshine.

H. Upmann No. 100 Robusto, 5x50.  Medium cigar, unexciting. No distinct flavor, no spice.  Ordinary.

Paired with Bud Light Lime.

63 chilly degrees out after a beautiful day.

Oliva Serie 'G' Toro 6x50. Flavorful medium/mild cigar, perfect burn and nice sort of nutty flavor.  Another nice cigar from Oliva.

Paired with Kirkland 10 year Tawny Port,

61 degrees out, but seems colder.

Man O' War Robusto, 5.5x50, strong but perfectly balanced.  Starts spicey, then flavorful and perfect burn.  This is a perfect cigar.

Paired with Ardbeg 10 year single malt.

A very cold 50 degrees out.

Gurkha Legend Aniversario Perfecto, 6x60, beautiful cigar.  Starts off mild-medium body, then builds a little peppery spice at the fat part, end ups concentrated smoky, chewy, nutty.  Excellent cigar.


Paired with cashews and a Bud Light Lime.


65 degrees on a sunny, slow Sunday afternoon.