Garo – Double Habano

Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Habano (Connecticut Oscuro)

Filler/Binder: Ecuadorian Habano

Shape/Size: Robusto-Toro-Torpedo-churchill

Strength: Medium

Box/Bundle: Bundle of 20

Flavored: No

 

 

 I consider myself the King of the budget Bundles and I have to say that I have found one I like very much and in fact I am on my 3^rd order of them as I do this review.

 The Garo Double Habano is well constructed with one of my favorite wrappers the dark and oily Habano Connecticut Oscuro, with an Ecuadorian Habano binder.

  This Central American smoke is a rich medium to full bodied cigar, with an earthy, woody flavor to it. I have not found a bad one in 3 bundles and 2 sizes (6x50 Toro and the 6x52 Torpedo), that’s not to say it will always be that way. It just means that at the very least this Budget bundle is still putting quality with its economically perfect price tag of $30.00 to $40.00 per bundle of 20.

These are hard to find in a Brick and Mortar (store) but they are listed in 2 different company’s catalogs and are well worth a try in my humble smoke filled opinion.

The ash is solid, not flaky at all and the feel of the cigars is firm and has a slightly bumpy feel, but don’t let that scare you they are tasty.

 There is one thing I do suggest and that is the you crank the humidifier up to 72% humidity, they are much better when they are very humidified, I have noticed that if the humidor drops to 68% humidity they get a small bite to them.

 

I rate these 5 out of 10

Happy Smoking –

~CigarAsh~

 As I post this review I am sadden of the news that the Garo Double Habano has met its untimely end, they have discontinued this fine budget bundle. I will smoke my last few and saver each puff.

CigarAsh’s Review of Victor Sinclair’s Vintage Doppel Gordo cigar

Victor Sinclair’s Vintage Doppel Gordo cigar

Origins: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Brazilian

Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican

Strength: Medium

Size & Shape: Gordo 6 x 70

Box Pressed

 What can I say about this cigar? I say please pass this offering from Victor Sinclair bye. This would be so far the only blemish on an otherwise good cigar line.

  I bought a bundle of these along with Smokehouse Brown (Also of the Cigar Stop Blog) and it was a triple threat, they burn bad, they taste like yard clippings from your lawn mower and a Box Press on a Gordo is just foolish the cigar is large as it is why make it an awkward shape. Putting this thing in your mouth is like putting your television remote in your mouth! The Cigar is almost bigger than a U.S. Quarter.

 

  Some cigar smokers love them, but I don’t get it. Out of the 20 only 4 did not canoe on me, the smoke was heavy and not appealing at all, the ash was flaky so any breeze at all and you are covered with cigar ash, and the taste was that of dirt and very gritty. I smoked all that I had, but one just to see if I would change my mind and guess what? I didn’t, in fact the one I gave away for someone else to try, said he did not like the flavor the size and that it burned only on one side (it Canoed) and he had to keep lighting the other side to make it burn even.

 

 So there ya go 3 of us that did not like them, but as I have said before this is only my personal opinion on them, I am just a regular guy that likes cigars and I am no expert nor do I represent any manufacturer, company or website. If you try one please let us know here at the Cigar Stop know what your thoughts are on them.

 I rate this Cigar a 1 out of 10

See you next time

B.T.O.L.

~CigarAsh~

You are Missed my Old friend...today we ride!

Septembers Cigar Tasting Event

Sorry to say That the Cigar Tasting has been postponed until most likely October due to scheduling difficulties for some members that wanted to participate.

  I am sorry for any inconvenience that this has caused and sorry to those new folks that expressed interest in attending, we are looking to try again in October, but will check with the current members before scheduling.

 I will let you all know as we get closer.

~CigarAsh~

CigarAsh reviews Torano's Hogs Head Cigar

Torano Hogs Head Cigar Review

Origin: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican and Pennsylvania broadleaf long fillers

Wrapper: Brazilian maduro

Size: 6.5 x 54

Shape: Torpedo

Strength: Medium/Full

 

 I do not mind telling you that at first sight this bundle scared me, it came in a burlap bag, What I will also say is that  the budget bundle is back with this medium/full flavored selection from the Torano family cigars.

The “Hogs Head” from the Torano Cigars is claimed to be a rich flavored cigar with a blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Pennsylvania broadleaf long fillers with a dark Brazilian maduro wrapper. The cigar itself has good construction, firm without being too stiff and has hints of coffee bean, black pepper, maple and cedar, or at least that is what they will let you think your pallet tastes.

 For me I got no maple flavor, no coffee bean flavor and maybe a ever so slight hint of cedar, Mostly I got the black pepper spiciness and what I can only describe as a gritty earthy taste to it, in fact the bundle comes in a burlap bag and if you smell the bag that is what the cigar slightly tastes like. It is a bit too earthy for my tastes. The spice of the pepper hits you right off and then fades as the cigar mellows. The construction is good and the ash is solid with no flaking. The 2 Torpedo’s (6.5x50) I had burned very even without canoeing and it never burned hot and never burned out, so it has that going for it.

  The Hogs Head will run you about $45.00 for a burlap bundle of 20 in most places I have seen them listed. I would try it again, but not sure if the Hogs Head would make my rotation in the everyday smoke department, however it is a good buy and would make my list of top 50 Budget Bundle cigars. Don’t be afraid of it give it a try for yourself and see if I am correct, everyone has different taste and I do not want to scare you off, but I do stand by my review.

 

  On a personal note there were 9 of us that tried these and more than half of us liked them and would purchase or smoke them again, which just proves my point as to I am just a regular guy and I don’t want to sway you or try and sell you on anything… it’s just my point of reference to help you make your choice on things.

 Over all I would give this cigar a rating of 4 1/2 out of 10 on taste and 8 on construction.

 Thanks for reading

B.O.T.L.

~Cigar Ash~

Patriot Day 2014

 I am taking time out from my regular Blogging entries in observance of Patriot Day, Thank you for your indulgence in what I consider very important to honor.

Patriot Day should not be confused with Patriot’s day, also known as Patriots Day, which commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, which were two of the earliest battles in the American Revolutionary War.

 

Patriot Day is an annual observance on September 11 to remember those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. Many Americans refer Patriot Day as 9/11 or September 11.

Patriot Day is held in the memory of the almost 3,000 innocent people who died during the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington DC and Shanksville Pennsylvania in the United States of America

What do we do to Observe Patriot Day?

On the direction of the President, the flag of the United States of America should be displayed on the homes of Americans, the White House and all United States government buildings in the whole world. The flag should be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect to those who died on September 11, 2001. Many people observe a moment of silence at 8:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time). This marks the time that the first plane flew into the World Trade Center. Some communities, particularly in the areas directly affected by the attacks, hold special church services or prayer meetings. People, who personally experienced the events in 2001 or lost loved ones in them, may lay flowers or visit memorials.

 Patriot Day is not a federal or state holiday it is merely a day to remember and reflect on those that lost their lives and to those that gave theirs saving others on that day of the terrorist attacks. Here is some background for those that have forgotten and those of you from other countries.

On September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked. The hijackers then deliberately flew three of the planes into two important buildings, the Pentagon in Washington DC and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. The fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The loss of life and damage that these hijackings caused form the biggest act of terrorism ever on United States soil. Nearly 3000 people died in the attacks and the economic impact was immense.

The attacks have greatly increased attention to national security in the United States. This has had huge implications for United States national and international politics. This is particularly true for the relationships between the United States and Islamic countries in the Middle East.

 I want to thank the men and women that gave their lives to rescue and treat all the victims of September 11^th and honor those that lost their lives in this tragic terrorist attack on innocent civilians not just from the U.S.

 

May we never forget 911

Thank you for reading

See you next time

Cigar Ash’s Review of the 5 Vegas Gold

             5 Vegas Gold

Size: 5 x 50

Shape: Robusto

Binder: Honduran

Filler: Honduran

Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut

Origin: Honduras

Strength: mild to medium

 I find that I am always satisfied with all the 5 Vegas line of cigars, and this one was no exception.

  The Gold series has excellent construction, had no blemishes on the wrappers. I smoked 5 of these and found them all consistently burning even without hot spots or canoeing of any kind. The flavor was light and the aroma was just as light with a mellow soft scent. The ash was solid and light gray, no flaking at all.

 

 I love my Oscuro and Maduro wrapper cigars and I was not sure how I was going to react to the flavor and feel of a Natural wrapper, however I had this particular one right after a heavy meal and it was the perfect topper to the experience. The Fillers themselves have been aged for 5 years and creates a nice mild leathery and woody taste that just relaxes your whole body.

 A box will set you between $60.00 and $80.00, defiantly not one of our budget bundles we usually review here at the Cigar Stop, but I can tell you they are well worth the asking price. The other good thing about the Gold series is that several dealers and companies offer them as singles and or sampler packs of 5 and 10 counts. There is also a 5 Vegas Sampler where you can try almost their complete line.

 

 I will be giving this one a high rating of 8 out of 10 for flavor, construction and taste.

See you next time

B.T.O.L.

~CigarAsh~

The 5 Basic shapes and sizes in cigars

 Ok so it can get confusing with all the numbers and terms when dealing with cigar catalogs and “brick and mortars”, but being the regular cigar guy that I am I will simplify it all down to 5 shape and sizes

Size matters

There are always two sets of numbers when describing cigars and to make it simple I will explain it real fast.

 The first number (always the lower of the 2 numbers) is the Length and the second number is the width which is called the “Ring Gauge”. For example if it reads 7 x 50 that would mean it is 7 inches long and is a 50 ring gauge.

  See very simple, now to Shapes.

 The Shape of things

There are at least a dozen shape of cigars all with their fancy names and connotations, I am going to give you the 5 basic shapes you will smoke 90% of the time.

1. Robusto: a short cigar, it ranges from 4 to 4 ½ inches and is a 50 ring gauge

2. Carona: a longer but thinner cigar than a robust, at 5 to 5 ½ inches and a 42 ring gauge

3. Toro:  a 6 inch long cigar with a 50 to 58 inch ring gauge and is the most popular size and shape.

4. Torpedo: a 6 to 6 ¾ inch cigar with a tapered end to a point and is a 50 to 54 ring gauge

5. Churchill: a long cigar at 7 inches long and has a ring gauge of 47 to 50

 

Like I said before there are many, many shapes and sizes with all kinds of fancy terms, but these five are the basic ones, you will expand your knowledge as you start getting interested in cigars and what you like and how it feels in your hand and mouth.  I hope this helps out you new folks and maybe refreshes some of us seasoned cigar smokers.

For those of you that wish to be confused or know more than the basic 5, I will post a Chart of Cigar Shapes and Sizes that will give you even more of a look into the infinite world of shape and sizes for cigars and just so you know this chart doesn’t even list all of them.

See you next time

B.T.O.L.

The Cigar Stop Guys

                                                 The Cigar Shapes and Sizes

 

Term	Length in inches	Width in 64ths of an inch	Metric length	Metric width	Etymology
Rothschild	4 + ½	48	11 cm	19 mm	after the Rothschild family
Robusto	4 + ⅞	50	12 cm	20 mm
Small Panatela	5	33	13 cm	13 mm
Petit Corona	5 + ⅛	42	13 cm	17 mm
Carlota	5 + ⅝	35	14 cm	14 mm
Corona	5 + ½	42	14 cm	17 mm
Corona Gorda	5 + ⅝	46	14 cm	18 mm
Panatela	6	38	15 cm	15 mm
Toro	6	50	15 cm	20 mm
Corona Grande	6 + ⅛	42	16 cm	17 mm
Lonsdale	6 + ½	42	17 cm	17 mm	named for Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale
Churchill	7	47-50	18 cm	19–20 mm	named for Sir Winston Churchill
Double Corona	7 + ⅝	49	19 cm	19 mm
Presidente	8	50	20 cm	20 mm
Gran Corona	9 + ¼	47	23 cm	19 mm
Double Toro/Gordo	6	60	15 cm	24 mm

Cigars Shapes and Sizes 

 

Irregularly shaped cigars are known as figurados and are sometimes considered of higher quality because they are more difficult to make.

Historically, especially during the 19th century, figurados were the most popular shapes; however, by the 1930s they had fallen out of fashion and all but disappeared. They have, however, recently received a small resurgence in popularity, and there are currently many brands (manufacturers) that produce figurados alongside the simpler parejos. The Cuban cigar brand Cuaba only has figurados in their range.

Figurados include the following:

Figurado	Description
Torpedo	Like a parejo except that the cap is pointed.
Pyramid	Has a broad foot and evenly narrows to a pointed cap.
Perfecto	Narrow at both ends and bulged in the middle.
Presidente/Diadema	shaped like a parejo but considered a figurado because of its enormous size and occasional closed foot akin to a perfecto.
Culebras	Three long, pointed cigars braided together.
Tuscan/Toscano	The typical Italian cigar, created in the early 19th century when Kentucky tobacco was hybridized with local varieties and used to create a long, tough, slim cigar thicker in the middle and tapered at the ends, with a very strong aroma. It is also known as a cheroot, which is the largest selling cigar shape in the United States.[citation needed]
Chisel	Is much like the Torpedo, but instead of coming to a rounded point, comes to a flatter, broader edge, much like an actual chisel. This shape was patented and can only be found in the La Flor Dominicana (LFD) brand.