Cigars Hilton Head

My Father Cigars El Centurion Review

I’m always quick to grab whatever new comes into the humidor of my local shop. Last week, this was that cigar, so I grabbed a few. I lit my first up at the shop, in the private members lounge and let the flavors and strength sink in while enjoying a variety of whiskey, always on hand in the members lounge.

So, we come to today. I decided it had been far to long since my last review and that this should be my next and I’d review it tonight.

So, after another tedious day of work and a catastrophic suspension failure in my Jaguar, I find myself finally unwinding, starting my night with this cigar and a quite heavy pour of my ‘old faithful’ 10yr Talisker Scotch.

Construction makes for a beautiful presentation. Firm but not overly so with an excellent and even deep brown complexion. No visible faults and very light veining.

Initial light was a bit rough, but I attribute that to using my Dunhill with a soft flame and a wacky breeze by the pond.

Some minor burn issues initially that required touchup, but again I attribute this to a poor light up and the wind as the first one burned beautifully.

After a minor touch up, which I was able to accomplish with my Dunhill rather than grabbing one of my torches, burn evened out to not quite razor sharp, but very nice.

Ash holds at what I’d call above average. Not surprisingly long, but not bad by any means. The coloration varies from pure white to an almost caramel tint.

Flavor and Strength: This is a fairly bold cigar with primary notes of espresso and an nice complexity to flavor that develops nicely and evenly the whole way through. I’d consider this a solid medium-full body cigar though it starts out quite mild. It actually has enough oomph and flavor, past the halfway mark, to do what few cigars can and pull a marked sweetness out of the Talisker, a Scotch known for heavy Peat and Moss tones with a Sharp and biting flavor.

Overall: The price point ($9.10 here in SC for the Toro Grande, the largest and most expensive size) keeps it in line with other awesome smokes from My Father like the Flor de las Antilles. It is NOT, however a Flor de las Antilles. It just seems to lack that special something I’ve come to expect from My Father. It is by no means a bad cigar and those who gravitate towards the medium body range will not be disappointed, but it is not something I’ll keep a solid stock of in my humidor.

Grade: B+

Don’t come crying to me…

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Okay, this may be a bit of a rant but it’s been one of those days and some of this really needs to be said.

Today, while working, I decided to stop in downtown Savannah for some lunch. I noticed a lot, like every thirty feet, of signs about some new public smoking ordinance that was in effect. Seriously, first they wouldn’t let you smoke in a cigar shop, now you can’t smoke outside?!?!?

While doing my best to bring new members into the fold of CRA, I’m often met with a lot of resistance. It’s happening right here and right now, in our own back yard! Now, some may call my opinion extreme, but I was raised to believe that in this great country, adults have the right to make their own choices: about with whom they associate, about their political affiliation, about their health care and about their vices…so long as these choices did not affect others adversely. That’s what the CRA is about…freedom. Not just the freedom of the tobacco industry, but freedom to choose how we live our lives.

To the shop owners who don’t want to be a part of the Great American Cigar Shop program and help fight for this cause, I say: Yes, IPCPR is your lobbying organization as a retailer, and exclusively so. But where would you be without the consumer? Now, I could be wrong, I mean I’ve only taken myself from college drop out to living in a gated community at the beach by busting my ass in building my own, non-tobacco, retail business…..BUT, without consumers…..hell I wouldn’t even be saying ‘would you like fries with that?’ Consumers ARE the industry.

To the consumers: the FDA has made their intent clear. Canada is their model. We can beat this, but it’s not cheap. It’s also not about the money, it’s about the voices CRA can honestly claim to represent.
IPCPR represents a small number of voices in limiting themselves to retailers, distributors and manufacturers. That’s where CRA plays a key role. We are the voices needed to make this great and historic industry, as a whole, heard inside the beltway. Let Washington know that this is an issue which will affect your vote. More importantly, vote! The list of co-sponsors to HR792 and SR772 is readily available. If you don’t see your Senators or Representatives name on there, call their office. They work for you and as such, owe you an explanation to their official actions, be they co-sponsoring a bill or abstaining from doing so.

Join CRA, it’s only $35 per year…..the cost of three decent cigars, heck they’ll even send you two cigars that you can’t get anywhere else, as a thank you for joining the fight for our freedom.

And a last note. I’ve been planning a CRA membership drive locally to coincide with a two brand event at a local shop. Knowing that the reps typically bring along all sorts of goodies for raffles and what not, I contacted both to see if they’d be willing to do anything to help with my membership drive. One of these brands basically told me that they were doing me a favor just by letting me be there and, in slightly more subtle terms, to pound sand. You know who you are, shame on you…

Rocky Patel Event at Peaceful Henry’s in Bluffton SC June 28th 6:00PM

Join myself and the gang at Peaceful Henry’s for a Rocky Patel event on June 28 at 6:00 PM. There will, as always, be great deals and lots of fun!
There will also be a CRA membership drive at the event.

Xikar has generously provided one of their Xi1 cutters, one of their Executive II torch lighters and one of their 5 stick travel humidors. These items will be raffled of exclusively to new CRA member sign ups!

And an additional cigar will be provided to new sign ups courtesy of the awesome folks at J Fuego Cigars!

So, to recap: on top of all the great deals associated with a Rocky Patel event, new CRA sign ups will be entered in a raffle for great Xikar goodies and will receive 3 complimentary cigars instead of the nornal 2, courtesy of J Fuego Cigars!
Come on out for great deals and great cigars and join the fight to protect our freedoms as enjoyers of premium tobacco products!
I’m hoping to get even more goodies!

More details and events to follow!

Cigar Review: Room 101 Namakubi Ecuador Chingon

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OK, first off, let’s get the nitty gritty tech specs out of the way:

Honduran and Dominican fillers stuffed into a Corojo binder then made ready for presentation in a beautiful Habano wrapper. This newest iteration of the superb Namakubi line comes in 4 sizes, 3 of which are diadema/perfecto/figurado/whatever-the-hell-you-want-to-call-them, and all of them feature names that could only come from the mind of Matt Booth. The largest ‘Chingon’ is an 8×60 (at peak) monster. The ‘Filero’ and ‘Ranfla’ are smaller figurados and the ‘Papi Chulo’ is somewhere near a petit corona at 4×42.

Prior to review, I smoked one of the Filero (I’ll be lighting up another while I type this up) and several of the Chingon. As the Chingon is the best ‘Bang for the Buck’ and I typically smoke larger cigars, that is the one I chose to review.

On a recent short vacation to Pennsylvania, I made a point of stopping in the Cigars International Retail Store in Hamburg. There, I picked up 6 of these for a ~$55 between a ‘buy 5 get 1′ sale and CRA and Military discounts.

On to the SMOKE!!!!

All sizes come packaged in the same manner. An elegant black sheath with Samurai inspired artwork
Under the black sheath, the cigar is wrapper in what appears to be tissue paper Then we get to the cigar itself!Personally, I despise cellophane so I’m always happy to find a cigar that’s not smothered in that crap.

The wrapper has some definite veining, but not excessive and there have been no visible imperfections on any that I’ve smoked (including one I accidentally dropped)A quick snip and it’s time to light this puppy up!Flavor: Is not far off from the original Namakubi. It just has a bit more kick to it. There’s a bit of coffee and several earthy tones balanced nicely against a slight floral note. This is definitely a good pairing with virtually any IPA, but would also go well with a red wine featuring slightly woodier notes or a good Scotch. The flavor starts off a little soft, but by 1/4 the way through, it’s into the medium/full range and very well developed.

Construction: Ash on all that I’ve smoke has held on with a death grip. The Chingons I bought at CI have had some burn issues that require a touchup about 1/3 the way through. The one I smoked for review did crack a bit in the last 1/3, but others have not. I’m not going to immediately throw that ball into the Room 101 court as I suspect that the CI store is incredibly difficult to maintain with it’s entirely open layout. For that reason, I won’t be giving this cigar a grade yet. I’m going to give the remaining sticks some time to settle in my humidor and see if these issues resolve.

I had to knock the ash off at this point for a thorough touch up, but the ash was nowhere near falling of it’s own accord.Overall, the flavor was excellent and I smoked it down to the nub. After the 1/2 mark, things evened out a bit. I would definitely recommend this to any Room 101 fan. I’d also recommend purchasing them from Smoke Inn Here

While you’re at it, be sure to snag a box of Big Delicious: Reviewed Here

Both of these sticks have an awesome flavor profile that won’t disappoint!

Update: I’m smoking another Chingon right now that’s only been in my humidor two days to rest and recuperate. There is a very slight unevenness still, but it is markedly better. The issues I experienced seem to be pretty obviously associated with humidor maintenance at the shop.

Given these new observations, this smoke is an easy A+
Between an excellent price and superb flavor, this is a must for Room 101 fans and anyone who appreciates a solid medium-full smoke.

Update: I talked my local shop into bringing Room 101 back to his humidor with this stick. Not only have I bought……..umm…..a ‘few’, but it’s been a huge hit with other regulars.
Additionally, while the Chingon seems to almost always have a birn issue needing correction around 1/3 through, the Ranfla seems to consistently burn perfect.

Accessory Review: The Cigar Clip or, as I like to call it, the gentleman’s roach clip (meant affectionately)

OK, I know everyone has had a moment or two like thisWhere you just don’t want to put the cigar down! In this instance, it was a La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV, a cigar that has resulted in many scorched fingers for me.

I saw the Cigar Clip floating around on Twitter (@thecigarclip) and became curious, because honestly, I’d rather burn myself than stick a tooth pick through a Factory Press. After a brief inquiry, the great people at The Cigar Clip were kind enough to send me a sample for review. This review took me a little longer to get up because I wanted to run it through a variety of shapes and sizes to see how well it held each.

On to the product!Simple, to the point packaging that showcases what The Cigar Clip is all about, The Cigar Clip of course! So I set to it with the first cigar in testing a Tatuaje ApocalypseAt 48-52 Ring Gauge, this is one of the smaller cigars I regularly smoke. I did something odd and I followed the directions: a little bit of outward pressure and release onto the cigar.That was about as far as I could go as the tongs that hold the cigar were getting pretty toasty and the draw was just too hot with that little cigar left. Not bad at all, I’d certainly have left that cigar with sore fingers and most likely a fair amount more unburnt, if I’d not used the Cigar Clip.

Next I decided to hit the other side of my usual spectrum and try it on a 60RG Factory Press IVOne thing I did learn from some cigars you won’t see here is that timing is crucial, especially with larger Ring Gauge stuff. Waiting until the last 1-1.5″ is critical in maintaining an even burn. If you put the clip on before that, you look like a bit of a moron, but draw and burn are also affected. This appears to be less of an issue with cigars under 50 Ring Gauge.So, let’s take it down to where I usually start toasting my fingersThat was all of 1.5cm or so and I still took a couple of GOOD puffs before I called it on this Factory Press. No singed fingers this time!

The La Aroma De Cuba El Jefe was no problem at 58 ring gauge, a quick bit of outward pressure and the right timing and I nubbed another of my regular sticks with no burnt fingers(sorry for the pic quality, the shop lighting was funky and with flash everything came out overexposed)

Now let’s go down to the other end with a Cain F Straight Ligero Tubo Lancero (I wonder if I could pack a few more words into that cigar name?!?)Again, a quick reference to the packaging revealed that I needed to squeeze the pincers past eachother a bit before unleashing the Cigar Clip on a 38 ring gaugeI probably should have pushed them past eachother a bit more as slight pressure was needed to hold on. Nothing major, but I couldn’t set it down like I could with larger RG cigars and come back to it with everything in place. This could also have been due to some heavy usage on large RG smokes. Never the less, I managed to nub that one as well, with no burns!Some final thoughts:

It’s an interesting product that meets a niche need quite well while not looking like a piece of redneck engineering straight out of the trailer park. At $10, it’s a cheap, but valuable addition to any cigar accessory collection and worth every penny.

It’s not something I’ll use on every cigar, but I suspect it will see use several times per week and I really admire any company willing to put it all out there and place a great product on that market that truly meets a need.

Overall Grade: A

Just buy one and give it a whirl, it takes some getting used to, but it’s worth it once you have the hang of things and it’s only $10!

Currently, their online store appears to be down (I will update if I see that change), but they do have a store locator on their page as well as the information necessary for any store that wishes to carry The Cigar Clip
Their online store is back up! Click to get yours today!

Click HERE for their website. The dealer locator, instructions and information on becoming a retailer are all linked on the left hand column of the page.

Update with some pics demonstrating adjusting the pinchers for different size ring gauges:
For Larger RG, grasp the Cigar Clip like this

And push against the opposing pincher with your thumb

For smaller RG, tightly squeeze in hand

Let’s take a minute for a serious issue. Update!

Let’s talk about Cigar Rights of America, the organization whose primary purpose is to give you…us, the premium tobacco consumers of this great country, the voice we deserve, yelling in the ears of the politicians in DC.

So, are you a member?

If yes, then I extend my thanks. Every member is one more voice we can legitimately claim to represent while facing some serious issues being aimed at the cigar industry.

If no, why not? I would assume you don’t realize what’s at stake here. At the beginning of last year, President Obama gave the FDA carte blanche to enact regulation without the approval of congress. Here’s an excerpt from the pop up you’ll see when entering the CRA main page

Help Exempt Premium Cigars From FDA Regulation!
H.R. 792 – A bill to clarify the FDA’s jurisdiction over certain tobacco products
Did you know that on April 26, 2010, December 20, 2010, July 7, 2011, February 13, 2012 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration publicly posted their intent to regulate cigars in the Federal Register?Some of the measures FDA could consider, as we believe they are, include:

Ban on walk-in humidors, self serve cigar displays, and mail-order cigar sales;
Ban on all flavored cigars, that are enjoyed by legal-age adults;
Deface ornate, decorative cigar boxes, often considered an art form with grotesque images;
Ban on cigar events where free cigars (samples) could be available to legal-age adults;
Limits on cigar marketing and advertising;
Imposition of new ‘user fees’ [tax] on cigars, to finance regulations;
Limits on special release and small-batch cigars, due to mandates that cigar blends be submitted to FDA for pre-approval before release;
Limits on nicotine levels on cigars to near zero, severely impacting the flavor of cigars;
Ban on marketing cigar merchandise.

Here’s a link to the full text of HR792 At last count, we had 59 congressional co-sponsors to this bill and 215,377 petitions sent to our representatives encouraging them to support this land mark bill that would clearly define premium cigars and remove them from the purview of the FDA.

Of course, the up to date count can be seen any time you go to Cigar Rights Main Page

Do you remember the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994? Everyone said it’d never happen. People were complacent and our government took action against our individual liberty. Of course, after that ban, the NRA saw a massive spike in membership and has since, all the way up to today’s massive defeat of the bill Senator Pelosi introduced, been staunchly advocating the rights of their constituents.

We don’t have to let an Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 happen to the Cigar industry. We can’t, our freedom, hundreds if not thousands of small businesses and their jobs rely on our voice being heard.

And it’s not just the federal level that has problems. A great example is someone I’m proud to call a friend and a great role model in how to run a business, Abe Dababneh, owner of the Smoke Inn empire. With a dozen shops and one of the most recognizable online presences, he certainly qualify as a key player in the industry… Yet, Palm Beach county wants to enact an outdoor smoking ban that could jeopardize everything he’s working incredibly hard to create, including a good number of jobs which he provides in an economic environment that’s seen some of the worst unemployment since the depression. Where’s the logic in that?

Open your wallet, protect your freedom. It’s only $35 to join for a year.

Click Here to Sign up online

(please put: Joe Terry, Ambassador 0198 in the ‘referred by’ column if you go this route)

Or go to the main page, let them know where you live and they’ll show you the CRA Ambassadors for your state. Contact them if you want to actually talk to someone about why the CRA is so important.

And now, we have S 772 in the senate!
S. 772 Joins H.R. 792 – As Key to Warding off FDA Regulation of Cigars

With an historic act of political leadership for all those that have a passion for premium cigars, U.S Senator Bill Nelson, D-Florida and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida, have again joined together in a spirit of bi-partisan leadership to send a loud and clear message to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – “Leave Our Cigars, Alone!” Early this morning, it was assigned the bill number, S. 772.

However, Senators Nelson and Rubio are not alone this year in the launch of a bill to protect premium cigars from destructive regulations by the federal government.

In another display of bi-partisan cooperation, a diverse coalition of U.S. Senators have joined S. 772 as original co-sponsors. They include Senator Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana (and Chair of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee); Senator Jon Tester, D-Montana; Senator Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, and Senator David Vitter, R-Louisiana.

Cigar Rights of America commends the leadership of these Senators for our cause of Cigar Liberty from the tyranny of federal regulation. To have such legislation filed two years in a row, is a testament to the perseverance of all that share in the camaraderie of a great cigar. It is recognition by these members of Congress that by the FDA even contemplating the regulation of cigars, the agency is going beyond their legislative intent.

We ARE gaining momentum, but your help, as the consumer is Crucial! Join now and tell DC that we won’t have our freedom trampled!

We’ve blown past 70 co sponsors in the house and are building steam!
CRA is fighting for your rights, but we NEED your name on our rosters!
Join now!

Something New Again! All about the Beer (and coffee?!?!) Stone Collaboration Dayman Coffee IPA Review

Variety is the spice of life and with that in mind, I try to find new things to review while still remaining in the realm of my oh so enjoyable vices.

Tonight’s deviance from the humdrum of so many other reviews comes to you courtesy of Stone Brewing Company and their coconspirators on this intriguing beer, Aleman Brewhouse and Two Brothers Brewery via their new venture in coffee bean roasting.

At 8.7% ABV, this falls right in line with the majority of Stone mad science projects……errr….brewings. It does however sport a surprisingly low 42 International Bitterness Units (with Ruination, the flagship of their IPAs sporting well over 100 this is low for Stone)

I saw this oddity on recent venture into Whole Foods and, being the Arrogant Bastard that I am, had to pick some up. For the review, I decided to pair it with a La Arome de Cuba El Jefe, a strong cigar, but nothing with enough oomph to tweak my palate to much for this beer. (OK, I admit it, half of why I like the El Jefe is because I AM the damn Boss!)

Upon pour, into my superbly arrogant beer chalice, the color hints more towards a nice amber lager than to the coffee or IPA that lie ahead.

The first whiffs let you know that coffee is prominent, but so is a nicely thought out bouqet of floral and citrus scents.

The first sip hits you like an espresso with a twist of lemon added in, but much like Ruination and other hoppy Stone creations, there is so much more depth beyond. The coffee stays strong and bold throughout, but once your palate adjusts, the floral notes come into play lightly, playing third fiddle to the almost signature citrus in second. There is a definite sweetness that develops and, at times, you could almost think someone poured an espresso in your 8.7%ABV Sprite with the relatively low hops. Don’t get me wrong, the level of happy hoppiness is ideal to not overpower the coffee and hits just right to really bring out the other flavors of this beer, but at times you could almost forget it’s a Stone, save the superior blending of flavors that few others manage so consistently.

The Run Down: For a true Hop Head, you know who you are, chugging Ruination, Avery Maharaja and the like (or better yet, 10th Anniversary Ruination!) this is going to come of as a fairly light beer. Actually, being a bit of a Hop Head myself, this strikes me almost as a Stone ‘Summer Ale’ It would complement a warm summer evening after a hard day of work quite well.

This is a very nice beer that most craft beer drinkers should enjoy. It’s not my favorite Stone Collaboration (I’m looking at you Perfect Crime) but it’s not my least favorite either. Grab a bottle, give it a try, it’s definitely worth a go!!

Update: Review: Smoke Inn Exclusive Micro Blend Room 101 Big Delicious

When the news first broke of this brilliantly marketed stick, I decided to try my first Room 101 in anticipation of the Big Delicious.

Damn you Abe and Matt, I was hooked from the very first 808C I picked up at a local shop. 808′s, Namakubi’s, Ltd’s by Camacho, Conjura’s…….I was diggin’ ‘em all. As I type, there’s a fair stash of Ltd and Conjura in my humidor. All of them had bold and well defined flavors that lit my taste buds on fire.

First off, if you haven’t been to this cigars dedicated website and read the whole saga….DO IT NOW!

Big Delicious

Let’s flash forward to The Great Smoke 2013. Obviously, I made my way down to West Palm for this awesome event where the Big Delicious was being ‘previewed’. Those who went to the private dinner the night before walked away with 5 packs of these, long from release, sticks. Sadly, I didn’t make the dinner. I did however get my first taste of the Big Delicious from the man himself, Big Delicious, later that night. It was everything I’d come to expect from Room 101 and an excellent addition to the Smoke Inn Micro Blend series.

Flash forward to now and I managed to get another sample from Big Delicious himself and I have to review it!

The Nitty Gritty facts: A dash of this, a sprinkle of that and a whole lot of Room 101′s bold and defined tastes are all wrapped up in a gorgeous Habano 2000 wrapper.

The Big Delicious is a 6.25″x42-52 Torpedo sporting a shaggy, uncut wrapper at the foot. I dig the uncut wrapper at the foot thing. Think of it as the idiots guide to toasting, once the shaggy is gone, start puffing!

Construction and presentation: Construction is excellent, but the real gem is the band…seriously, I can’t stop wondering if Cigar Rings could make a ring out of this thing

The first draws are very heavy on wood, a little deeper than a cedar, and enough pepper to get your attention. Both are very distinguishable and well balanced.

About 1/3 in, the pepper tones down and melds into a slight hint of cocoa that stays in the background, but is present enough to tone the spice down. The ash is smooth and holds to about 1.5″ before freeing itself. Burn had a very slight unevenness that corrected itself with no touch up necessary.

I’m a Scotch guy and knowing the general profile before hand, I poured a ‘few’ fingers of Talisker 12yr Distiller’s Edition (Aged 10yrs traditional then 2 additional years in Oloroso Casks) as the sweeter notes of this particular Scotch were likely to play off the Big Delicious well. I was right, it is a superb pairing. However, I cannot recommend the pairing as the 12yr DE is not readily available anymore.

About half way in: The pepper has changed profile a bit and hits the back of the throat with the right amount of bite that really let’s you know you’re smoking a well thought out cigar. The wood and cocoa have maintained well and continue to balance the pepper very nicely.

Into the back half, a little bit of earthiness presented for a bit heavier taste reminiscent of the tail end of a Conjura.

Burn was excellent after correcting itself and the cigar did well with being set down for 10 minutes at a time so I could type. Construction was excellent and draw was light and easy.

Sorry for a bit of brevity, but the weather was less than cooperative and neither Macbooks nor Cigars are all that fond of rain.

The Rundown: I highly recommend this cigar. Abe never misses with a Micro Blend and this is no exception. At $8.95 per stick (free shipping if you pre-order) you can’t go wrong if you’re looking for something new and different in the medium-full body range.

Click Here to Preorder Now! The Big Delicious will be Shipping April 29th!

Update: The official release is TOMORROW and preorders will be shipping monday! Good thing because I just smoked the last of my prerelease stash!

They arrived yesterday in true Smoke Inn, super speedy, fashion! If you haven’t ordered them yet, you really need to!

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV

OK, so it’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of La Flor Dominicana products. The Digger is a very regular smoke for me, as is the Maduro Double Ligero Chisel. The Factory Press line though, is an entirely different story. My first interaction with the line was when a buddy of mine gave me a Factory Press I (later I managed several more from him). That original Factory Press left me with a passion….and slightly singed fingers from nubbing the hell out of it!

Well, at roughly a year and a half since release, the Factory Press IV is the most recent in the Factory Press line and still pretty tough to find. Time has treated these beauties quite nicely.

So, let’s get down to the fun! The wrapper is beautiful, smooth, milk chocolate complexion with light visible seams and veining.

A beautiful sight after a quick snip!

The Factory Press line are all offered in the actual box press framework and as a result have very sharp edges along the top with a slightly more rounded set of edges along the bottom. The sharper tops smooth out very shortly after smoking begins, but hold nicely in storage, even outside of the press framework.

A beautiful foot!

I had to take my Zino cutter back inside and grab my lotus for this as the Zino just doesn’t afford a decent cut on larger box press cigars.

So, time to hit the striker, toast her up a little and get to puffing!

Ash is smooth and just a slightly off-white complexion. It also held with no problems for nearly half the cigar.

Construction was perfect from the beginning to the end with no imperfections and only a minor unevenness in burn that never required correction.

Flavor and pre light aroma both have huge notes of unsweetened cocoa.

The Cocoa flavor last perfectly through the entire cigar, while earthy tones and a very light mossy flavor develop around 1/3 of the way through. The cocoa remains the base of the flavors, though the earth/moss is prominent enough to allow a perfect pairing with hoppier beers or a nice whiskey. What is surprising is a fairly light spice profile, though it is still very lightly there and plays foil to the cocoa nicely.

Decided to let Tiki have a puff…

Final thoughts and grade: A+

I get these for under $15/stick and at that price they are an absolute steal! They are always consistent and a beautiful smoke!

Perfecto Cigar Holder Review: Perfecto!

I was recently contacted by the folks at Perfecto Cigar Holder and asked if I’d like to review their product. I’d seen this product floating around the twitterverse, but never in person, and was intrigued so I jumped at the chance!

Let’s start with the official Perfecto description and info:

Perfecto Cigar Holder

@Perfectoholder on Twitter

If you are a cigar aficionado who enjoys a smoke while playing golf, you know how frustrating it can be to find a place to lay your cigar while teeing off, playing a fairway shot or putting on the green.

You may have tried one of the cigar holders that attach to your golf bag or fasten to the cart while gripping your cigar. These gadgets still don’t solve the problem of losing or damaging your cigar.

Perfecto Cigar Holder is the only cigar holder that:

gently cradles your cigar (like your favorite ashtray)

keeps the lit end of your cigar elevated, so it won’t touch the surface

safely holds the cigar in place while riding the golf cart, boating, etc

fits all cigar sizes

easily clamps securely to any surface

works on all golf cart models

won’t scratch or damage delicate surfaces

can be attached to golf carts, boats, motorcycles, RVs, decks and more

Simply squeeze and attach the clamp (easily with one hand!) to the console of your golf cart (or boat, deck or any other surface) and your cigar rest is ready.

Manufactured in the U.S. from the highest quality first-run virgin nylon, your Perfecto Cigar Holder is heat- and UV-resistant, corrosion-proof and will look great for many years to come.

Perfecto Cigar Holder really works, because it was designed by a cigar aficionado for other cigar aficionados.

Alright, that’s out of the way, let’s get down to my assessment!

Initially, I’d planned to test this in my garage, on my truck under normal use and while fishing and while fishing on my neighbor’s boat. The boat thing didn’t pan out due to some minor mechanical issues followed by poor weather.

The overall cigar rest and ash collection area is roughly 6.5 inches long with the ash collection area nearly 1.5 inches wide and a hair over 1 inch in depth. The cigar rest is roughly 2 inches long with a cutout accommodating of cigars ranging in size from Corona to the beastly La Flor Dominicana Digger.

I’ve had this holder about a week now and put it through it’s paces as best I could. It is truly an impressive accessory that fills a large need. The need for a cigar holder that’s easy to drag around in the outdoors, but that also does not damage the cigar. This last part is particularly important to me. Pinching, dropping or losing a LFD Salomon or Tatuaje Gran Cojuno just isn’t acceptable and the prospect of that kept me from enjoying some of the higher end cigars in my humidor while out fishing or just cruising in my old Land Rover. The clamp and feet of the Perfecto are a perfect balance of tension and grip. The Perfecto stayed perfectly in place on the slightly slick upper dash of my Landy, even with the downward angle of the bottom of the shelf.

The Perfecto also proved very easy to open and close. The product can be easily used, even by those suffering from arthritis.

I really can’t say enough for this balance. The idea of a rest instead of a clamp is great, but the gem of this product is the balance of tension. It’s perfect.

Despite not getting out on the boat, I did manage to find several great uses. It nearly instantly replaced the ceramic Alec Bradley ashtray I’d been using in my garage. It clamped right on whatever work surface I was using and staying in place, as well as kept the cigar in place, through varied pounding and drilling. The cigar did shift some, not a surprise, but it never fell.The manufacturer also claims that it can be used on motorcycles. I had a number of issues testing this claim. The first of which being that I never ride without a full face helmet. The second being that my Ducati 750SS was obviously not the motorcycle they intended. There is really nowhere on my Ducati for this rest to attach that would be usable while riding. However, the excellent tension and grip provided several places that could be used while taking a break from riding. Overall Impressions and Grade:

Despite not being able to get this out on a boat, the use on my truck while driving and fishing left me confident that it will do fine on the water in the vast majority of chop and surf conditions. My experience on the truck also left me confident saying that this holder will absolutely stay in place and keep your cigar in place on a golf cart with no problems…..unless you fancy yourself the next Schumi..

This is a valued addition to my cigar accessory collection and well worth the retail price of $19.95

Overall Grade: A+ Excellent execution of a great idea. It’s rare to see the execution of an idea play out this well.

UPDATE: Fishing season is finally here in the Lowcountry! Boat testing coming after this weekend!

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