3 Mar 2010

Perdomo Habano Cigar Review

As always, cross-posted at The Cigar Spy.

*****

Target Name:

Perdomo Habano Corojo

Target Vitals:

Wrapper: Cuban-Seed Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan (from Esteli, Condega & Jalapa regions)Vitola: Torpedo 6x54Strength: Medium Bodied
Duration: 1:45:00Average Price: $6.00-7.00 from either online or at a local B&M

Background Info:

Perdomo Cigars released the Perdomo Habano in August 2007. The company has touted this cigar in its use of three different tobaccos from different regions in Nicaragua, making for a balanced and enjoyable smoking experience.

Mission Debrief:

Like the La Escepcion from my last review, I found the Perdomo Habano by accident, the box stuck in a corner of my B&M's walk-in humidor. As I have not had as much experience in smoking the wares of Perdomo as I do of other popular cigar brands, I thought this would be a great time to get more acquainted with this line from Perdomo.

While I didn't find any issues or problems with the veiny, cuban-seed corojo wrapper pre-burn, I did find that once I removed the band (designed from Cuban artwork from the 1900's) I had an crack in the wrapper about an inch in length. I am unsure that if this was present pre-burn or if it happened during the smoking time. Thankfully, the crack didn't inhibit the smoking in any way. The cigar did have a strong cedar aroma pre-burn. This is most likely from the Spanish Cedar box that the cigars shipped in.

The initial hint of flavor that came right in the first draw of the cigar was cocoa, but dissipated within five minutes of smoking and was replaced with a hint of sweetness. The draw on this cigar was balanced: open, effortless with a minimum amount of resistance. During the halfway point of the cigar, I detected leathery hints, while the sweet flavors from the beginning took a backseat. In the last third is where I got a strong flavor of burnt coffee, and it stayed prominent throughout the end of the smoke time.

While I would categorize this cigar medium bodied, the last third of this cigar is much stronger than first two thirds because of that burnt coffee flavor. While I am a big proponent of full bodied cigars, this flavor doesn't go away and borders on bitter, especially when you have kind of flavor for at least 30 minutes.

No issues were found with the burn, although I did have to relight the cigar a couple time throughout the smoking time. Expect a white, firm ash from this cigar. I never felt I would end up with a lap or shirt full of ash, which is always a bonus. Because of the flavors of the last third of the cigar, the finish on the cigar is a bit longer than what I would consider normal (couple of hours). 

Final Analysis:
Another cigar that was good but didn't blow me away. The burnt coffee flavors from the last third of the cigar almost killed it for me. I would be curious to know if anyone has taken the time to let these sit for a few months to see if the final flavors toned down and got more in line with the rest of the cigar. I may end up doing just that to give this cigar proper closure.

           
Click here to download:
Perdomo_Habano_Cigar_Review_Ta.zip (6691 KB)

2 Mar 2010

The Best Pictures of Earth So Far

Really some amazing photos of our world. I think if more people could go up into space and see that we are a miniscule part of something much larger than we can really comprehend, I think we could start pulling our heads out of our asses and realize we are nowhere close to as powerful as we think we are.

   
Click here to download:
The_Best_Pictures_of_Earth_So_.zip (300 KB)

23 Feb 2010

Top 10 Places You Can't Go

22 Feb 2010

Paint by Karli

Our good friend Karli has a talent for painting. My wife asked her to come down and paint the baby's room. After her and Karli threw around some ideas, they ended up developing what the final product came to be. We thank her for the great job she did and we'll be holding onto the paint for her. Something she asked us to do for when she starts her own family in the near future. =)

       
Click here to download:
Paint_by_Karli_Tags_friends_co.zip (4973 KB)

18 Feb 2010

La Escepcion Classic Excepcionales Cigar Review

As always, posted at The Cigar Spy.

Target Name:

La Escepcion Classic Excepcionales

Target Vitals:

Wrapper: Honduran Habano Talanga
Binder: Ometepe Nicaragan
Filler: NicaraganVitola: 5 1/2 x 50Strength: Medium Bodied
Duration: 2 1/2 hoursAverage Price: $6.00-7.00 from either online or at a local B&M

Background Info:

Originally a Cuban brand started back in the mid 1800's, the La Escepcion brand was revived under the General Cigar banner, makers of Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagas and Punch to name a few. Honduran-made, this is the first cigar to boast using binder from the Nicaraguan island of Ometepe.

Mission Debrief:

This cigar qualifies as one of those that you are looking through your local B&M and the band or name catches your eye, and you don't recognize it right away (or at all in my case). I caught this one in a middle display, partially paired between a couple of boxes of La Traviatas, which I also purchased at that time. Always up for trying something unfamiliar to me, I picked up a couple to see what I could discern.

I did come upon two minor issues with the physical appearance of the cigar: one small cuff in the wrapper and a soft spot about the width of my pinkie finger around the middle of the cigar. None of these issues affected the draw or burn of the cigar.  Aromas of wood and a hint of chocolate were detected from the cigar pre-burn, which were confirmed in the flavors upon burning.

I used a cutter and butane lighter for starting the cigar and was met with an even, easy draw right from the onset. Wood hints and a bit of spice were the pre-dominant flavors at the beginning. While the spice faded away after an initial five to ten minutes, I did discover slight hints of chocolate closer to the halfway point in the cigar's two and a half hour burn time. While I enjoyed the flavors of the cigar and the draw, I felt a bit like the overall flavors stayed a bit monotone; it lacked the complexity of flavor that we can be accustomed to from other brands.

Expect a shorter draw with this cigar. While I would describe the flavors as medium bodied, the taste didn't stay with me for more than a couple of hours. The thick, grayish-white smoke was a nice touch as well. The only drawbacks I found with this cigar was that the burn did need a couple of minor corrections throughout the duration. The ash was also quite flaky and ended up with a lap or couch cushion full. While I am certainly a magnet to cigar ash, this particular cigar made it only that much worse.

Final Analysis:
I have to say that I enjoyed this cigar but it didn't necessarily blow me away. The complement of flavors were nice but it didn't have the complexity to really make this cigar a home-run hitter. The drawbacks were minor with this cigar and the price point I felt was fair. I'm curious to know if anyone out there has aged this for any length of time (three months plus) and if that would make this cigar shine a bit more. While I wouldn't turn this cigar down if offered, I can't say for certain if I would purchase this cigar again.

         
Click here to download:
La_Escepcion_Classic_Excepcion.zip (5120 KB)

17 Feb 2010

Betty White

Purely awesome!

8 Feb 2010

Bronx on the Bed

In her favorite place.

4 Feb 2010

Beware the Demonsheep!

(download)

The demonsheep has appeared and is making its way into political campaign videos! Beware!

4 Feb 2010

The Jameson Review: Rockstone Coffee

Cross Posted at The Cigar Spy.

I'm here with the second part of The Jameson Review, which is not a cigar review this time around. Part 2 consists of a review of their private label Rockstone Coffee. While I have been drinking coffee from a very early age thanks to the influence of one of my grandparents, this is honestly the first coffee review I have done.

So far, I have tried two of their offerings: the Sumatra Mandehling and Sumatra Blue Batak. Both medium roast. Both also come in whole beans, so grinding is a must. Preparation for both coffees was in the use of our French Press. Additives to the coffee include a little bit of milk and the rough equivalent of one sugar.

For the Sumatra Madehling, I was really impressed by a pleasant, smooth flavor of the coffee. Maybe even a slight nuttiness to the taste. Usually with certain store-bought coffee or even some offered in restaurants or coffee chains, the general attributes found are a burnt taste and slight (or moderate) acidity to the taste. With the Sumatra Madehling, I received none of the above. I also noted a very balanced body; very much similar to how I would look at a medium-bodied cigar. In fact, both of these coffees can pair well with just about any kind of cigar: mild, medium or full bodied.

As for the Blue Batak, which was also excellent, the only difference I could tell in the coffee was a bit more nuttiness to the flavor and maybe a slightly oily texture to the coffee.

Final Analysis:

If you're looking for premium coffee that has great flavor and can pair well with cigars, look no further. The price point in my mind for the coffee seems fair, depending on how much you are wanting to buy. While my wife and I are not huge coffee drinkers (and that could easily change when the baby arrives), this is certainly a brand that I would buy. It also makes it easy to pick up a few cigars at the same time. =)

       
Click here to download:
The_Jameson_Review_Rockstone_C.zip (5056 KB)

2 Feb 2010

An Interesting Way to Skydive

(download)

Clever, especially if you don't like falling out of an airplane.

Jon Siddle's Posterous

What you have stumbled upon is the random brain activity that takes the form of a guy who does IT/computer work during the day and is a freelance trombonist in the evenings.

You may not understand the brevity of what you could be getting into in reading this blog. Do you really want to listen to the ramblings of someone who has to deal with people's computer/printer/internet problems all day? And everyone knows what they say about trombone players...

You may find the random thoughts venture toward cigar reviews, writing, music, anything and everything Apple, productivity (or the lack thereof), South Park...the list could go on. You've been warned...

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