Herf #13 - Meat Lover's Paradise

June 1st, 2008 - Woodway, WA

In attendance were Fernand, Robert, Eric, Pat, Joe, and Tom. As usual, we gathered to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner.

The Six of us feasted on Tom's famous smoked meats, on his back deck. The slow-smoked beef and pork roasts were amazing and combined with his artful grilled romaine heads and washed down with Joe's home brewed winter ale. Once everyone had their fill, it was time for the tasting session.

Our selection for this Herf was the Rocky Patel Decade Torpedo. A beautiful figurado measuring 6 and 1/2 inches long with a ring guage of 52. This Decade was Cigar of the Week back on May 12th which received a 95 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.

Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tasting. This proved to be a very well-liked cigar among our group of tasters.

After averaging our scores, The Cohiba Club's official rating for the Rocky Patel Decade Torpedo is 91. An outstanding cigar.

Here's the points breakdown:
I. Appearance & Construction: 14 pts (93% of the points possible)
II. Flavor: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)
III. Smoking Characteristics: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)
IV. Overall Impression: 32 pts (91% of the points possible)

With an appearance of high quality construction, we couldn’t find much wrong with these torpedoes (though there were a couple previous Patel horror stories recounted which did have us a bit cautious going forward).

As for the draw, several of us remarked that this was exactly the degree of draw that we like to find in a cigar. Perhaps a bit thicker smoke would have really made it, but this did not inhibit the experience much.

The flavor was powerful up front, very rich, pretty spicy. It was strong, but smooth in that there was little or no harshness or bitterness. We kept noticing throughout that the strong flavors would smooth out and then return again repeatedly.

All in all, a very enjoyable cigar which we highly recommend.

See you at the next herf, July 6th.

Blind Cigar Swapping

The Cohiba Club Blind Swap

Rarely do we get to do a truly blind cigar tasting. Simply taking the bands off of cigars that you’ve purchased yourself doesn’t quite cut it because in the end, chances are you’ll know what you bought. To really do it properly, you must depend on someone else providing the cigars for you to judge. Alas, we’ve come up with a way to do this which should prove to be fun and educational.

Between our regularly-scheduled monthly herfs, a few of our club members will be engaging in our new blind swaps. The following is an explanation and guidelines for how these blind swaps may be accomplished.

· This is a swap in which we'd simply trade equal numbers of cigars to each other.
· Since our regular herfs are usually four weeks apart, how about picking three rather different cigars to trade.
· Three because you'd have 3 weekends in which to smoke them before presenting your findings at the next herf (my kind of homework).
· They'd be unbanded at the time of swapping in order to conceal their identity, but numbered (of course) so that the 'giver' of the sticks knows which is which.
· I suggest picking cigars from different price ranges to make it interesting, so one would be 'a little spendy', 2nd a middle-of-the-road one, and last a bargain stick (country of origin could be different too).
· The recipient of the three blind sticks will not know which is costly or cheap and is encouraged to make that guess as part of his evaluation.
· Prices might range: $10-$12 for the high-end cigar, $7-$9 for the medium one, and $4-$6 for the value stick (one with great potential that you feel might surprise somebody).
· Also, the vitola shouldn't be overtly recognizable, like a Fuente Short Story, or an LFD Mysterio.
· So for those of us with cigars, it may simply be a matter of plucking a couple from your humidor and maybe supplementing with one more interesting choice from a shop to round out the trio.
· For those with no cigars at home, a quick stop by CigarLand in Shoreline will get you in the game.
· By trading, you're getting back roughly the same as what you gave away, so in reality, you're spending the money on yourself anyway.
· Remember, it's not a contest, only a 'blind' taste-test. There's no winning or loosing, just rating objectively (which we'd never get to do otherwise).
· To make it more interesting, we could also try guessing other stuff about them like where they're from or who they're made by.

Herf #12 - Spring At Last

May 4th, 2008 - Sammamish, WA

In attendance were Fernand, Robert, Eric, Pat, and Joe. As usual, we gathered to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner.

The five of us dined at nearby DC's Grill in Sammamish. The steaks were very good and next we were off to Eric's back patio where we relaxed around his outdoor heater for the tasting session.

Our selection for this Herf was the Oliva Serie V Torpedo. A beautiful figurado measuring 6 inches long with a ring guage of 56. This Serie V was Cigar of the Week back on December 17th of 2007 which received a 94 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.

Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tasting. This proved to be a very well-liked cigar among our group of ‘tasters’.

After averaging our scores, The Cohiba Club's official rating for the Oliva Serie V Torpedo is 90. An outstanding cigar.

Here's the points breakdown:

I. Appearance & Construction: 14 pts (93% of the points possible)

II. Flavor: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)

III. Smoking Characteristics: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)

IV. Overall Impression: 31 pts (89% of the points possible)

With an appearance of high quality construction, we couldn’t find much wrong with these torpedoes (though one did split from the foot not long after lighting). During the pre-light inspection, we detected a very sweet and rich ‘barnyard’ aroma along the wrapper.

As for the draw, a couple required a 2nd clip to get the airflow going then all agreed that these were beautifully smoking cigars. It should be noted that the smoke seemed a little thin, but this did not inhibit the experience.

The flavor was powerful up front! Very rich, but not really spicy like some others we've had recently. It was strong, but smooth in that there was little or no harshness or bitterness. We kept expecting the ligero in this full-strength cigar to sneak up on us, but it never happened.

All in all, a very enjoyable cigar which we highly recommend. The price is right too; we got them for around $7 (just under $8 with taxes). Why didn't we score it as high as CA, you ask? One reason may be that the flavor, as pleasant as it was, didn't have that complexity that you sometimes get. It seemed one-dimensional. There weren't any discernible like-flavors that we could pick out (except one of us thought he detected a cinnamon-like aftertaste in the finish). But then again, we're not exactly aficionados either. Bottom line - we did like it and a 90 is not too shabby.

In addition, a couple very nice liquors were consumed during this herf that deserve mention: A wonderful Pyrat rum with a mild, fruity, perhaps citrus flavor and a Dalmore's Cigar Malt. The latter possessed a hefty body with flavors quite complimentary to the Oliva.

Good times!

See you at the next herf, June 1st.

(click on images to enlarge)

Gift Review - Romeo y Julieta No. 1 Tubo

An occasional feature here on The Cohiba Club blog is a review of a cigar received as a gift. This current subject is a Romeo y Julieta No. 1 Tubo 'Cremas' Petit Corona, given to me by club member Tom, back in January of this year.

With it's tube design recently overhauled by Habanos, S.A. (no doubt a marketing attempt to make it a more appealing package) I was very hopeful and intrigued about what this little gem (5 1/2 x 40) might be like.

Following Cigar Aficionado's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) I sat down to rate this cigar while enjoying a glass of Scotch.

With a bumpy exterior, it appeared pretty rustic, though still seemingly well put together. The roll quality felt fine and the pre-light draw confirmed that it wouldn't give me any trouble there. Ultimately, it burned great, so I couldn't find much wrong with the construction except for the rough outward appearance.

Sadly, however, this little cigar produced smoke that was quite thin. The ash fell on me twice, not that I held it that long, and it's color was somewhat dark grey.

Flavors consisted of a floral character with a nice sweetness for the first half, mild and enjoyable. The second half was a different story. I began to notice that coming on rather quickly was an acrid, metallic, bitter flavor that I just couldn't get past and ended up putting it down after only having about two-thirds of it.

Unfortunately, what started out as a nice cigar simply 'turned' way to quickly. Perhaps the next one will provide a better experience. After adding up the scoring, my rating for the Romeo y Julieta No. 1 Tubo is 81.

Here's the points breakdown:

I. Appearance & Construction: 12 pts (80% of the points possible)

II. Flavor: 19 pts (76% of the points possible)

III. Smoking Characteristics: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)

IV. Overall Impression: 30 pts (77% of the points possible)

Gift Review - Ashton VSG Robusto

A new feature here on The Cohiba Club blog will be an occasional review of cigars given to us as gifts. First out of the gate is the Ashton VSG Robusto, given to me by my brother-in-law back in August of '07.

Created by Carlito Fuente, it features a dark, rich looking Ecuadorian-grown wrapper and measures 5 1/2 inches long with a ring guage of 50. The current Cigar Aficionado rating for it is 91.

Following Cigar Aficionado's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) I sat down to rate this cigar while enjoying a Smithwicks Irish Ale in honor of St. Patrick's Day (when I conducted this tasting).

With a slight box press, it appeared well-constructed, though I did notice a minor cosmetic flaw in the wrapper. As for roll quality, my initial impression was that it felt kind of light (in weight) as if it were rolled loosely. Ultimately, it drew and burned perfectly, so clearly roll quality was right on. This wonderful cigar produced lots of rich smoke and left a stable, white ash.

Flavors consisted of a dark cocoa bean, a hint of spice, and something nutty, perhaps like black walnut. I found it to be of medium strength through the first third. It sure was easy smokin'! Through the second third, I enjoyed it so much that wanted to smoke it too fast. An outstanding cigar to say the least!

My rating for the Ashton VSG Robusto is 90.

Here's the points breakdown:
I. Appearance & Construction: 13 pts (87% of the points possible)
II. Flavor: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)
III. Smoking Characteristics: 25 pts (100% of the points possible)
IV. Overall Impression: 30 pts (86% of the points possible)

Photo credit to Ashton Cigars

Herf #11 - Return to the Scene

March 2nd, 2008 - Tulalip, WA

In attendance were Fernand, John, Robert, and John.

This herf marked a return to the ‘scene of the crime’ as it were, back to where it all began at Herf #1 – the Tulalip Casino. As usual, we gathered to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner.

Initially, we’d planned to eat at Scuttlebutt Brewery in Everett, but once it was discovered that they would be closed on this Sunday evening, it was an easy choice to proceed to Tulalip Bay, the steakhouse inside the Tulalip Casino. There was no hesitation on our part in ordering steaks all around, and they were very good too! Paired with a great wine, it was a superb meal to enjoy with the anticipation of a good cigar to follow.
Next stop; the smoking lounge. Just a few minute drive back to the South, we arrived at Sassy’s Bar & Grill complete with smoking section (because the Tulalip Best Western sits on Tribal land).

Our selection for this Herf was the 601 Habano Robusto. A beautiful robusto from the ‘red label’ series measuring 5 inches long with a ring guage of 50. This 601 was Cigar of the Week back on October 22nd, 2007 which received a 90 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.

Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tasting. This proved to be a very well-liked cigar among our group of ‘tasters’.

After averaging our scores, The Cohiba Club's official rating for the 601 Habano Robusto is 90. An outstanding cigar.

Here's the points breakdown:

I. Appearance & Construction: 15 pts (100% of the points possible)

II. Flavor: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)

III. Smoking Characteristics: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)

IV. Overall Impression: 30 pts (86% of the points possible)

Clearly, Pepin’s high quality construction is exemplified in this cigar. We just couldn’t find anything wrong with them. During the pre-light inspection, we each detected that classic ‘barnyard’ aroma (a product of fermentation) . The draw was almost too easy, initially, but it corrected so quickly upon lighting that not another thought was given to it. Perfect.

The flavor was one of just good, clean tobacco, perhaps a slight leather, a little grassy maybe, but not too rich and never any harshness or bitterness. A good example of a quality, medium-to-full bodied smoke. We were very pleased to have made this selection and would not hesitate to recommend it.

Herf #10 - Pure Sun

February 10th, 2008 - Shoreline, WA
In attendance were Fernand, Robert, Pat, Tom, John, Tom, and Ed.
As usual, we gathered to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner.
Six of us dined at nearby Saltoro in North Seattle. The steaks were heavy on our table and were paired with a beer, a scotch, some wine and a couple martinis. Next we were off to Fernand's back patio where Pat joined us under the heater for the tasting session and some very enjoyable discussion.
Our selection for this Herf was the Ashton Heritage Puro Sol Robusto. A beautiful robusto measuring 5 1/2 inches long with a ring guage of 50. This Heritage Puro Sol was Cigar of the Week back on January 21st, 2008 which received a 91 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.
Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tasting. This proved to be a well-liked cigar among our group of ‘tasters’.
After averaging our scores, The Cohiba Club's official rating for the Ashton Heritage Puro Sol Robusto is 87. An excellent cigar.
Here's the points breakdown:
I. Appearance & Construction: 12 pts (80% of the points possible)
II. Flavor: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)
III. Smoking Characteristics: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)
IV. Overall Impression: 31 pts (89% of the points possible)
There were some minor construction issues with this cigar. Unfortunately, one of them split about an inch up from the foot not long after lighting. A few of them were rolled tight enough that the draw was a bit too firm. On the other hand, the flavor was the one attribute which received positive accolades during the entire experience; and some of these cigars got to be mighty short. There was a very pleasant nuttiness on the palate, some leather and never any harshness or bitterness. A good example of a smooth, medium strength smoke, and that aspect was appreciated as a nice respite from some of the full-strength sticks we've enjoyed recently. We were very pleased to have made this selection and would not hesitate to recommend it.
The surprise of the evening was the fantastic XO brandy brought to us by Ed. We highly recommend you try GERMAIN-ROBIN Alambic Brandy Select Barrel XO. Look for a future write-up here on this superb brandy.
Photo credit to Ashton Distributors, Inc.

Herf #9 - 7th Best

January 20th, 2008 - Shoreline, WA

In attendance were Fernand, John, Robert, John, and Tom.

As usual, we gathered to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner.

The five of us dined at nearby Thai Bistro in Shoreline, where the Panang was fabulous and the beers were tall, before heading over to John’s place to begin the tasting session and enjoy some much needed relaxation and camaraderie.

Our selection for this Herf was the Illusione ~cg:4~. A beautiful corona measuring 5 5/8 inches long with a ring guage of 46. The ~cg:4~ was recently awarded 7th best Cigar of the Year for 2007, which received a 93 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.

Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tasting. This proved to be a very well-liked cigar among our group of ‘tasters’.

After averaging our scores, The Cohiba Club's official rating for the Illusione ~cg:4~ is 91. An outstanding cigar.

Here's the points breakdown:

I. Appearance & Construction: 15 pts (100% of the points possible)

II. Flavor: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)

III. Smoking Characteristics: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)

IV. Overall Impression: 31 pts (89% of the points possible)

The Appearance, Construction, and Smoking Characteristics of this Nicaraguan puro are where it really stood out. The flavor scoring was also pretty high as well. There was an initial spice which mellowed into a smooth, consistent, and pleasant flavor profile over the remainder of the cigar.

A good example of a balanced smoke. We were very pleased to have made this selection and would not hesitate to recommend it.

Photo credit to Cigar Aficionado

Herf #8 - Viva La Gloria

December 9th, 2007 - Shoreline, WA
In attendance were Fernand, John, Robert, Joe, John, and Sean.
As usual, we gathered to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner.
The six of us dined at nearby Saltoro in Shoreline, where the steaks were fabulous and Scotch selection impressive, before heading over to John’s place to begin the tasting session and enjoy some much needed relaxation and camaraderie.
Our selection for this Herf was the La Gloria Cubana Reserva Figurado Selectos De Lujos Maduro. A beautiful, stylish perfecto measuring 7 1/4 inches long with a ring guage of 54 at it’s broadest point. The 'natural' colored version was Cigar of the Week back on November 5th, which received a 91 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.
Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tasting. This proved to be a well-liked cigar among our group of ‘tasters’.
After averaging our scores, The Cohiba Club's official rating for the La Gloria Cubana Reserva Figurado Selectos De Lujos Maduro is 89. An excellent cigar.
Here's the points breakdown:
I. Appearance & Construction: 14 pts (93% of the points possible)
II. Flavor: 21 pts (84% of the points possible)
III. Smoking Characteristics: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)
IV. Overall Impression: 31 pts (89% of the points possible)
The Appearance, Construction, and Smoking Characteristics of this tapered beauty are where it really stood out. The flavor scoring suffered slightly, bringing in only 84% of the points possible, but the sum-total of the experience garnered many positive comments and therefore the Overall Impression was appropriately high.
We were very pleased to have made this selection and would not hesitate to recommend it.

The real showstopper of the evening, however, was the lighters that Robert handed out as Christmas gifts. Here's the double-barrel shotgun lighter (click image to enlarge).

Herf #7 - A New Host

November 18th, 2007 - Shoreline, WA
In attendance were Fernand, John, Robert, Eric, Pat, Mark, and John.
A couple of us had dinner at Saltoro before meeting up with the remainder of the members at our new herf spot.
As usual, we gathered to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner.
Our selection for this Herf was the Coronado by La Flor. A beautiful, ample Double Corona measuring 7 inches long with a ring guage of 50. It was the #2 Cigar of 2006 which received a 93 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.
Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tastng. This proved to be a very well-liked cigar among our group.
After averaging our scores, The Cohiba Club's official rating for the Coronado by La Flor 'Double Corona' is 91. An outstanding cigar!
Here's the points breakdown:
I. Appearance & Construction: 14 pts (93% of the points possible)
II. Flavor: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)
III. Smoking Characteristics: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)
IV. Overall Impression: 32 pts (91% of the points possible)
The Appearance, Construction, and Flavor of this Sungrown-Jalapa-wrapped beauty are where it really wowed us. Perhaps having the ash fall frequently is what hurt the Smoking Characteristics a bit, but the Overall Impression was appropriately high.
As we sat enjoying the smooth, refined nature of this cigar, we mistook it as being of medium potency. Later, I learned that in fact what we'd smoked is categorized as a full strength cigar. It's a testiment to it's quality blending that it didn't come across as strong.
Click on image to enlarge.

Herf #6 - A Surprise Appearance

October 21st, 2007 - Sammamish, WA

In attendance were Fernand, John, Robert, Eric, Joe, Aaron, John, Ed, and Mark.

Our last outdoor herf for the year was at Eric's house, just a seven iron away from the fairways of the Sahalee Country Club. He prepared a fantastic sausage & vegetable stew for us.

The cigar selected for this herf was the Tatuaje Havana VI 'Artistas', which was Cigar of the Week back on October 8th earning a 90 from the expert tasters at Cigar Aficionado.

Following the great dinner and good conversation, we went out into Eric's impressive back yard to light it up. This was a very well-liked cigar by the club members. One of the sticks drew just a bit tight, but the others drew perfectly. A nice pleasant full smoke was emitted from these cigars providing a great peppery blast at first which then mellowed beautifully after about the first half inch of burn. I heard scoring numbers thrown out ranging from 89 to 93. There was never any bitter or harshness and plenty of these cigars got quite short before they were finished.

But if that wasn't enough to make the evening memorable, our distinguished guest Ed Dougherty brought out some very special aged cigars which blew everyone away. Without getting into their origin, it was clear that these churchill-sized cigars were very special indeed, older than most of us there, and giving off a very unique earthy-sweet aroma. Their finish was long, with a bit of a bite afterward as the cigar warmed up. A real treat, thanks Ed!

The surprise of this unexpected, second cigar of the night resulted in no group scoring being done on the Tatuaje. So while we have no group rating to publish for it, I can say that when I later scored the cigar, on my own, I came up with a rating of 91 for the Tatuaje Havana VI 'Artistas', an excellent cigar to be sure.

Herf #5 - Let It Rain

September 30th, 2007 - Edmonds, WA

In attendance were Fernand, John, Robert, Eric, Pat, Joe, Aaron, Brad, Tom, and John. Our best turnout thus far!

Everyone raved about the great meal prepared by Aaron and Jamie. The light rain was no deterent as everyone gathered afterward under Aaron's front porch around a very capable outdoor heater.

As usual, we were there to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner. Our selection for this Herf was the Don Pepin Garcia "Delicias" of the 'blue-label' line. It's a beautiful, ample Churchill measuring 7 inches long with a ring guage of 50. It was Cigar of the Week back on August 27th which received a 90 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.

Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tastng. This proved to be a very well-liked cigar among our group, which consists of many Pepin fans.

After averaging our scores, the Cohiba Club's official rating for the Don Pepin Garcia 'Delicias' is 88. An excellent cigar.

Here's the points breakdown:

I. Appearance & Construction: 13 pts (87% of the points possible)

II. Flavor: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)

III. Smoking Characteristics: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)

IV. Overall Impression: 31 pts (89% of the points possible)

The Flavor and Smoking Characteristics of this Nicaraguan puro were pretty consistent amongst the ten of us. Considering it's large vitola, this cigar was not nearly as formidable as one might suspect. Many of these got very short before the night was through.

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Cigar Tax Update

The President has vetoed the SCHIP tax increase as promised.

Tax on cigars would increase from 20.719 percent of the manufacturer’s price to more than 53 percent, but the killer is a 6,154 percent increase in the tax cap on cigars, from 4.875 cents per cigar to $3.00 per cigar.

The Democrat-controlled Congress will try to override the veto, of course. The bill passed by enough votes in the Senate to obtain more than a two-thirds majority, but failed to reach that level by about two dozen votes in the House of Representatives.

President Bush has proposed an expansion of the program by $5 billion over the next five years, but the Congressional request (as shown in the current bill) is more than ten times that amount.