
Thursday, March 31, 2011
E.P. Carrillo Elencos: The Continuation of a Masterpiece

Tuesday, March 29, 2011
My Father Special Cigar

Saturday, March 26, 2011
Industry Star @ Corona Sand Lake
So Don Pepin Garcia was at the Sand Lake store today for an event. If you don’t know who he is, there is a possibility he probably makes one of your favorite cigars. Not only does he blend and manufacture cigars under his own name, he also blended and manufactured Tatuaje, Cabaiguan, La Aroma de Cuba, 601, Murcielago and that’s to just name a few.
He and I walked through the cigar where we conversed about the industry in general. I asked him many questions about cigars, but some that really stood out where his thoughts on the industry. He said it is a challenge to create a unique blend that no one else has done before. He says he is constantly trying new hybrids of tobacco to create the next best cigar. His greatest success so far was the wrapper used on both vitolas of the My Father cigar. The original My Father utilizes an Ecuadorian Habano-Rosado hybrid and the My Father Le Bijou incorporates a wrapper called Pello de Oro (This wrapper is extremely difficult to grow because it is prone to many agricultural diseases).
I was surprised when Pepin started to ask me about other company’s cigars and how well they were doing. We stopped in front of the NUB cigars and he told me that it is very innovative. He is very surprised by the response of the NUB cigar sizes and they can’t be very cost effective because the amount of tobacco that they cram into each cigar. He also told me that walking through the store that you would be surprised to find out that many cigars are tied to each other; Tobacco growers might have an exceptionally good harvest will sell the same wrapper to 2 different manufactures but from 2 different primings.
In the short amount of time Don Pepin Garcia has been in the industry, he has become one of its shining stars. He has been leading the way in innovative cigars constantly scoring high marks in cigar publications. Not only that, he has been teaching his son, Jaime Garcia, the tricks of the trade and he too will be one of the industry greats. Check back soon as I’m going to write up the cigar I rolled during the Pepin event!!!Friday, March 25, 2011
EPC Connecticut: Ernesto Perez Carrillo Does it Again

It is always an exciting day for me when Corona Cigar Co. gets in a shipment of new cigars. It's like Christmas. Today we received two new cigars from EP Carrillo, the EP Carrillo Connecticut and the EP Carrillo Elencos. I decided to fire up the lighter of the two new cigars.
Ernesto has the golden touch right now. He is, in my opinion, producing some of the best cigars in the industry. The EPC Connecticut is just another addition to his already amazing line up.
The cigar features an Ecuadorian grown Connecticut wrapper and smokes like the core line only creamier. And I love the core line. This is a great cigar for the first of day smoke, as I tend to smoke very full-bodied. The cigar is medium in body, mellow in strength and full of flavor. The EPC Connecticut is a fantastic cigar and one I am happy to add to my smoking rotation.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Viaje Skull & Bones Limited Edition

So if you haven’t heard yet, Corona Cigar Co. was bombed by our new friends at Viaje cigars. Andre Farkas, Owner of Viaje Cigars, has given us the opportunity to be annihilated. We received an extremely limited quantity of the newest limited edition Skull & Bones (MOAB and WMD). These little sticks of dynamite are made with some of the strongest Nicaraguan tobacco available. Strong enough to peel the paint off a wall but the Skull & Bones is very flavorful with slight nuances of pepper and espresso bean. So if you’re in the mood for a face melting, Skull & Bones delivers!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro

The Don Pepin Series JJ Maduro was full-bodied, medium to full in strength, and amazing on every puff. The smoke is thick and earthy and has sweetness on the tongue and spiciness through the nose, a wonderful combination in a maduro cigar. Flavors of coffee and cocoa abound with nice earthiness. The Series JJ has, like most maduros, those deep, rich earth tones. A very well made, excellent cigar. Come by the event on Saturday March 26th from 12-8 and meet Don Pepin himself or if you are an online customer pick up a box; these are not to be missed.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Viaje White Label Project Candela
The Viaje WLP starts out very vegetal but quickly the "green" taste fades to the background as the cigar becomes very creamy. This makes a very interesting, very good contrast. Think pistachio ice-cream. The cigar is medium bodied and stay that way throughout. The cigar is slightly sweet and I want to say I detect some coffee bean hints toward the half way point. It has a very complex flavor; a very enjoyable cigar.
Green with envy...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Avo 85th Anniversary Limited Edition 2011

Avo 85th Anniversary LE 11 is blended using a combination of San Vincete and Piloto Dominican tobacco held together by a Peruvian binder and finished off with a Sun Grown Dominican wrapper. This blend gives the cigar a medium to full body with a medium strength. The Diadema shape really highlights the taste of the wrapper from the beginning. The Avo LE 2011 is rich and leathery; it coats the palate with a long finish tasting of coffee and cream. It is a very elegant and complex cigar. Pre-orders are currently available at http://www.coronacigar.com/.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Camacho Monarca Candela: The Hulk

The Hulk starts out full; it hits the palate with spice and a slight sweetness. Great combination. The smoke is thick and mellow in the mouth but full and spicy through the nose. The cigar has a light creamy finish with the distinctive leafy notes of a candela cigar. At various points throughout the cigar I picked up subtle notes of honey. This is a very good candela cigar, one I highly recommend.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Corona Nicaraguan 10th Anniversary Candela Cigar

I have never really been a candela smoker and the cigar that changed my mind was the very cigar that Jeff had created as our house blend candela. See, I was biased against this cigar. I don't like candelas right? So when Jeff handed me the cigar and said, "Try this." I did my best to give it a fair shake. And it was good, really good. If I was Darth Vader I would have proclaimed, "Impressive!" in a very deep voice. Even though I am not Darth Vader I believe impressive is exactly what I exclaimed.
The very first impression of the Corona 10th Anniversary Candela is the smoke is clean and crisp. The cap is lightly sweetened which creates a wonderful contrast at the beginning of the smoke. The smoke is mellow in the mouth and medium through the nose. The taste is wonderful, like al-dente green beans and Japanese seaweed salad. This is a fantastic Candela Cigar and one I smoke on a regular basis. This month and this month alone we are offering a special on our house blend Corona 10th Anniversary Candela Cigars (<---Click here to check it out).
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day: or What is Candela? for 500 Alex

Candela cigars were once the most popular cigar in the United States. They were so popular that the wrapper was dubbed American Market Selection (AMS). They fell out of favor in the 1970's but they seem to be making a resurgence with the popularity of Illusion's candela line, the small run Viaje WLP Candela, and the first full-bodied Candela, the Camacho Corojo Monarca Candela (Which I have nicknamed The Hulk).
Normally tobacco is cured over a 50 day period. The leaves loose the green color and slowly turn brown. Candela leaf retains its green color because the tobacco is flash cured using heaters thereby retaining the chlorophyll content. This tobacco is often mild and unique if flavor.
Over the next couple days I'll smoke and post various candelas Corona Cigar Co. has to offer. Tonight (in the next few hours) I'll start with our very own, very delicious, Corona Nicaraguan 10th Anniversary Candela.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Xikar Ash Can
Friday, March 11, 2011
Julius Caeser

The cigar is all Dominican, except for its chocolate brown, velvety Ecuadorian Havana seed Wrapper. This cigar just looks amazing, and it tastes even better. The tobaccos used for Julius Caeser have been aged for 5 years giving the cigar a very mellow strength.
Now, I am a full-bodied cigar smoker for the most part and when I took my first puff of a Julius Caeser I thought, "Oh no, this cigar is going to be boring." And then, 2nd puff in, BAM, I got hit in the mouth with this flavor that kept growing and growing with each puff. The smoke is thick but silky, slightly sweet: pure flavor. The strength of the cigar also builds on every puff, moving from mild to medium. It is truly an ever changing experience which is what I love so much about this cigar. As Ferris Bueller once said, "It is so choice, if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up." Pick Julius Caeser up at your local Corona Cigar Co. store or online at www.CoronaCigar.com.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Avo Dinner

Monday, March 7, 2011
A Confession

I used to be a snob when it came to cutting a cigar. It was a straight cut or nothing, although in a pinch I would deign to use another method. However, Xikar's newest V-cutter, the VX Metal V-Cut, has fundamentally changed me. It has shown me the error in my ways.
The innovative "reverse" V-cut does not tear the cigar cap like traditional V-cutters do as soon as they become the slightest bit dull. The cut is clean and smooth and does just what a V-cutter should do, give you the best of both a straight cut and a punch. The V-cut has the same open surface area of a straight cut while keeping more of the cap intact as a punch would.
And now for the shameless plug: If you like V-cutting at all you have to get this cutter. Heck, even if you don't like V-cutting, you have to give the Xikar VX V-Cutter a try. It just might change your mind as it has mine. Buy one today at www.coronacigar.com