My best cigar ever

I’ve been smoking cigars at one time or another for 16 years. It’s only been since 2009 that I began to dive into the hobby with gusto. In the early days, having no clue what to smoke, I would walk into a random cigar shop and then fumble around in the humidor for 20 minutes in complete terror because of the sheer amount of choices. Most of the time I was too embarrassed to ask for help in making a selection and when I did ask, it was if the tobacconist was speaking greek. I would tell him I was new to the hobby and could he point me in the direction of something good. Most of the time back then I felt as if they were suggesting what was on sale. The rest of the time I picked up cigars based merely on the band, of course further cementing the case that branding works. Honestly, I couldn’t have told you the the difference between a Connecticut shade wrapper or a maduro wrapper. Light brown or dark, I just grabbed it. At the time I did not have a humidor at home so I was buying and then smoking right away. Often I would smoke them too fast, thus the cigar would get hot and my experience with it would be ruined. A practice that I now know better than to do.

I had always been one to hop from cigar to cigar, not settling on any one as my favorite. I have since found a few that I like that I would say are my “go to” sticks. Recently, I tried to think back to my first cigar and couldn’t. I have no idea what it was.  It was so long ago and I never thought to take note of it. So I then turned to my favorite memory with a cigar. I thought about my best cigar ever. It was easy. A Bolivar 2009 Edicion Limitada petit belicoso. Ah yes, the forbidden fruit, a Cuban! (a gift from a trusted friend) It was, in a word, “outstanding”. The reputation that cigars from Cuba have is well earned and that Bolivar was no exception. Right off the bat I was hit with a creamy sweet flavor. It was if the cigar was made of vanilla! It was smooth and the smoke was plentiful. I decided right then to smoke as slow as possible. The ash held on for a good inch and half, the burn was straight and never needed a re-light. I sat there in a wonderland of enjoyment. That cigar tasted like no other cigar before it, or since. It was that good. Since then I’ve smoked countless cigars, a cuban or two, most non-cubans. While I’ve had great stogies from then until now, none of them have compared to my first stick from the island south of Miami. How could they live up to it? My memory of that great moment is so etched in my mind, at times I feel as if I can still taste it.

I could wax nostalgic about it again and again, over and over. But I digress…

 As my knowledge of cigars grows so does my love for it. The mistique of it all still gets to me. I have never come across another one of those Bolivars and I suppose that I won’t ever again. After all, they say it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. I’ll take that deal.

Fast Ash: Ditka’s “The Coach” by Comacho

I had previously seen in an industry mag that Mike Ditka was lending his name to a line of cigars called the “Kickoff Series”. Today at the cigar shop I was pointed in their direction. I was excited to see what Comacho and coach Ditka had come up with. There are three versions, “The Player”, “The Coach” and “The Hall of Famer”. Each one comes in a decorative box denoting the line and size. All three lines come in Toro (6 x 50) Robusto ( 5 x 50) Torpedo ( 6 1/4 x 54) and the big gun of the line, a 6 x 60. The Player and The Coach are both medium bodied smokes but with different wrappers and binders. Should you want to step up your game there’s The Hall of Famer, this one is a full bodied smoke. I purchased The Coach and The Hall of Famer.

It’s a rare warm day in January so I knew I’d be smoking a stogie on the Big Ash porch this afternoon. I chose to go with The Coach robusto and save The Hall of Famer for a later time.

As I usually do, I took a pre-lit sniff. It smelled of cinnamon and chocolate. It draws wonderfully and immediately produced big, thick amounts of smoke which continued the entire time. At a couple points I detected the distinct flavor of chocolate. The ash was dark grey and held on for an inch 1/4 before falling off. The Coach lasted me about 75 minutes and was very enjoyable. Comacho did a solid job on this, as I figured they would, I mean C’mon, would you want to disapoint coach Ditka? In the end I would say it’s worth trying a stick yourself. I give The Coach 4 ashes out of 5. Not bad, Mike, not bad.

Review: Crowned Heads Four Kicks Sublime

This is my first Crowned Heads cigar. I picked up the Four Kicks Sublime at the recommendation of a friend. I enjoy losing my “cigar virginity” as it were, to new brands. So, it was with great pleasure that I grabbed my cutter and lighter and headed to The Big Ash porch.

Upon first inspection the Four Kicks Sublime has an shiny oily wrapper with visible veins. It’s a bit toothy and seemed to me to be well constructed. That was until I noticed that the seam was loose on parts of the stick, nearly unattached in small segments. I wasn’t sure if this was due to handling or a manufacturing defect. I wonderd if this would affect the cigar as I smoked it. The pre-lit aroma gave away a generous smell of cinnamon with hints of vanilla and floral notes.

My first draw met with a slight but welcomed resistance. The loose seam didn’t appear to have an adverse effect on subsequent draws. The cigar was earthy with a faint spice during the first 1/3. It did not produce thick clouds of smoke, which I like, but instead stayed a bit on the thin side. This would not change for the duration of the smoke. The burn got away from me a little in the beginning but evened out in the 2nd 1/3 and stayed fairly consistent during the last 1/3. The ash was light gray, tight and hung on until I was just into the 2nd 1/3 of the cigar. In fact, the it was so tight I only ashed three times throughout my time spent with the cigar.

Halfway into the cigar I was hit with a pleasant amount of spice on the tongue and at the back of the throat. It was never overpowering but definitely made itself known. The draw opened up slightly as I began to notice a more earthy taste with hints of leather. It was at this time that I was hit with a very noticeable nicotine buzz that increased during the final 1/3. I started to draw less frequently in order to prevent getting a headache. This stick was showing it’s teeth and it was up to me to fight through till the end. The spice continued to roll out as I finished and seemed to overtake any earthy tones that were remaining. I smoked it as far to the nub as I could until it became overheated. At that point I laid it to rest as I scribbled my final notes down.

Overall Four Kicks Sublime is a decent stogie and a solid choice for the asking price. Unraveling seam aside, it is a well constructed cigar that comes packed with a punch. I don’t normally like spicy smokes but this one stood out among the crowd as one that I would have again the next time I was up for a fight. I won’t necessarily keep one in my humidor but I will buy it again on a one at a time basis. Crowned Head should be proud of the Four Kicks Sublime. It lived up to it’s name. My rating. 3.5 ashes out of 5.

Salutations from The Big Ash

Time spent with a cigar is time spent in the pursuit of happiness. A pastime that’s been carefully handed down from our fathersand grandfathers to us, the keepers of the flame. No matter how long you’ve enjoyed the hobby there is something uniquely human about easing into your favorite chair and lighting a cigar you’ve been anticipating the whole day.

I suppose that’s why I enjoy smoking them so much. For me, it’s a celebration. A celebration of relaxation, of times with friends and time spent away from the responsibilities of the world. It’s the one activity in my life that transports me back to a more simple time. A romantic time. Long before the hobby found itself under attack from anti-smoking groups. And yes, I’m talking about you too, FDA. I can’t remember a time in my adult life when I didn’t have a fascination with cigars. I didn’t always smoke them but they repeatedly called to me when I achieved a success worth celebrating. I have fond memories from times spent relaxing on my Big Ash porch enjoying a premium cigar. With each new one I light, I hope to continue that welcome trip into smoking heaven.
I’ll readily admit to not possessing the biggest cigar I.Q. on the block. But hey, If a regular Joe can’t have his say then it may truly be the end of days for cigar lovers. It’s a pastime that can be enjoyed equally by all, regardless of sex, no matter their social or economic background. I’ve yet to met anyone with a cigar in hand that I could not become friends with. I really enjoy smoking with groups of people. We share common ground, a mutual bond that is instantly identifiable. What brings us together ties us together. My hope is to make this place a semi-regular stop for you. A virtual cigar lounge, if you will, where it’s always casual.
It’s much to early to tell if this little blog will become a success. Perhaps, it’s merely good enough that an effort was made to positively impact the cigar enthusiast’s world. Much like the cigars I smoke, I do it for myself as much for the pleasure of the hobby. I hope you enjoy it and I wish you big ash.