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Cigars & Tobacco
Cigar & Tobacco Reviews
January 26th, 2025
10:19pm
Churchill Maduro by ???
I recently went over to my local cigar shop to take a look around and was thoroughly impressed at their selection, it would take me many many years to try every cigar they have there. My choice, however, was an inconspicuous box of cigars sat on the floor of the humidor labelled, "Churchill Maduro" with no brand name and no bands on any of the cigars. They might have even been wrapped in-house, but there's really no telling. Upon doing some research on "Churchill Maduro", I found that Churchill is the name of a particular size of cigars, usually 7"x47-50. A nice, long, dark cigar which, when I got home and smoked it for the first time, had a nutty flavor, like most unflavored tobacco. Here's an excerpt I found about Churchill Maduros from a cigar site:
You light up a Churchill when you’ve got time to kill and want to relax. This is your hour-plus smoke that promises big flavors and outstanding complexity. Perfect for smoking on the golf course, catching up with an old friend, and celebrating special occasions, allow 60-90 minutes to savor the glory of this iconic size.
I couldn't have said it any better myself. I just finished up working on my greenhouse for the day, and now I'm playing a new game, smoking the rest of my Churchill, and having a glass of Evan Williams Apple Kentucky Straight Bourbon to go with it. Things may have gotten pretty stressful and hectic this past week or two, but nights like these make it all worthwhile. If you ever feel like you're drowning, or being swept away in the river of life, give it a try. It's like pulling yourself out of the chaotic rapids and finally getting a second to catch your breath.
December 13th, 2024
7:34pm
Pipe Tobacco
Today, after work, I went down to a local cigar shop to see if they had any pipe tobacco for sale. I recently helped a coworker clean up her new house she'd inherited so she let me keep some of the things we found, one of them being her grandfather's pipe, which I gladly accepted. Down at the cigar shop, I had no idea what I was looking for, so I just said yes to whatever the first thing he asked was and I ended up with five ounces of cherry flavored pipe tobacco (which is a LOT). I just smoked it when I got home and got settled, and I can't tell if it's the pipe or the tobacco, but all I taste is plastic. I read that if your pipe doesn't have a layer of soot covering the walls of the bowl, you might get a strange flavor from the wood, which might be it, but I also think that it might be the cherry flavor, which is very strong and tastes like what you would imagine a cherry syrup to taste like, minus the sweetness. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to pipe smoking, but I think my first priority is getting an unflavored tobacco and comparing the two to see if the strange flavor is still there. If so, I just need to "break it in," as they say (smoke it until the bowl is caked in soot).
December 13th, 2024
7:34pm
Broadleaf by Rocky Patel
The most recent cigar I've purchased as of now, I was excited to try it because it smelled so good. Unfortunately though, it smelled much better than it tasted. With a drink, I couldn't taste anything at all, so I clipped the end and saved it for when I had a clean palate, and eventually that time came. The most apparent flavor is a burning sensation, which I found that afficionados call "peppery," and which I don't like at all. I've found that I like my cigars to be flavorful and sweet, with none of the "pepper," that comes with some varieties. I've read that a lot of Honduran tobaccoes have this flavor, so it could be that I just don't like Honduran tobacco, though I would have to try more to be sure. Overall though, it would be a nice flavor without the burning, and it smells amazing regardless, but it isn't something I would smoke again.
December 13th, 2024
7:13pm
What's This All About?
If you were to ask me exactly one month ago if I thought I would ever in my life smoke tobacco, I would've confidently said no. If you had asked me a year ago, I would've said hell no. But here I am, with a newfound interest and hobby. When I turned 21 just last month, my girlfriend took me to a speakeasy (a prohibition themed bar with a secret entrance). I can't remember if I've already told this somewhere on the website, but I suppose I'll tell it again. It was a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and the smell of fresh cigar smoke hung thick in the air. I ordered a drink, which I can't remember the name of or what exactly was in it, not because I'd drank too much later on but simply because I wasn't paying much attention and just asked for whatever the bartender recommended. Another drink, this time a Green Fairy, my favorite drink so far, made of Absinthe diluted with cold water poured over a sugar cube. About halfway through this one I began to loosen up considerably, not anywhere near "drunk," but very much relaxed and open, and this was all I needed to entertain the idea of getting a cigar myself, which I eventually did. I got myself a Drew Estate Java; Mocha, a cigar rolled from tobacco leaves that had been soaked in mocha/espresso for a sweet coffee flavor, and my girlfriend got an Eileen's Dream by CAO Flavours. It being my first time ever lighting a cigar, I didn't really do it right, so I eventually admitted defeat and put it out and saved it for later.
Anyway, I really liked the experience, and having a good cigar with the right drink has become something that I've learned to greatly appreciate. That being said, I'm still in the learning and exploration process, figuring out what I like that is, so here is a page dedicated to recording what I like.
Thank you for reading,
- Nolin
