Cigar(s) of the Month(s): A Rocky Patel Bonanza! (Also, Bite me, FDA) (Also, join the CRA!)

I'm hoping this giveaway takes up some of the slack of going AWOL. Speaking of slack, I've mastered the slacker lifestyle when it comes to the blog. But I'm trying to be better! And I know you'll forgive me because I'm giving shit away, and you can be easily bribed. (No judgments. So can I.)

So without further ado,* I give you this:  (Wait. I'm not giving it to you yet. One of you can win it. Go to the bottom of the post for the actual Rafflecopter giveawayness.)



At least all this can be yours. Who knows what else we'll throw in!

We're at the point now that we could really use another 2,000-count humidor to go with these:



And this:

Actually overfull now... :(
And the shelves were bowed when we got it.
 

They're all super-full now! Like, "air-flow isn't flowing optimally because there's literally no room to breathe" full. 

When Valentino wasn't looking (or so I thought), I pulled these Rocky Patels from the masses to give to one of you. He caught me. But since I had already made the promise, at least in my head, he didn't chop off one of my hands.**

This arm-waving did happen, though:

So back in the old-timey days (pre-August 8, 2016), many cigar companies were kind enough to give me cigars to give you.

Then August 8 happened, courtesy of the FDA, and now, among other iron-fist rulings, cigar companies are no longer allowed to give away cigars for any reason, unless a cigar shop does not yet carry that blend. Then they get one to try.  This also means no charity donations, including to overseas troops. And no free cigars for you unless they come from our personal humidors.

Rocky and Valentino

In honor of Rocky Patel's visit to Rhode Island last year right about this time, we thought the selection apropos--even if it also means I have to go back to school shortly. ::weeps openly::

Rocky Patel (the man) is also an amazing supporter of Cigar Rights of America,*** so really, full-tilt serendipity brought this post together.  (If you aren't a member of CRA, do it now. Tell them I sent you! And pay attention to all the options on the Rafflecopter giveaway--there are bonus entries if you're a member or become one!)

In the meantime, enter, share, win. Maybe we'll even have more than one winner! (Don't tell Valentino!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Much Ado about Nothing is one of my favorite plays!

**Theres a place for a really dirty joke here, but I'll let you make it on your own; that way you can feel really clever at my expense. You're welcome.

***Full disclosure: I am a CRA Ambassador, so this is an official shake-down.****

****Kidding! I'm kidding! It's an UN-official shakedown!

One of our favorite places and some newly favorite cigars. (Plus, primerib--something for everyone!)

Phone blogging again, so I can be excused for all grammar and other faux pas. Wahoo!

Welcome! (Also, I have awesome sneakers.)

So here's something super cool: 

 

Havana Cigar Lounge in West Warwick, RI has revamped their bar area. It is freaking gorgeous! (I'd show you a picture, but it's packed with guests. Come see for yourself!)

We love this place anyway, but like many people in the Rhode Island area, any trip requiring more than 25 minutes in the car requires going to bed early the night before and scheduling nothing else that day. Travel is so exhausting. So we don't get here as much as we'd like. 

But we hauled our butts to Havana today because coolness would soon commence!

This is actually happening right this very second. The tobacco hugging is metaphorical.

 

New England's face of La Aurora, Willy Marante, escorted the company's master blender Manuel Inoa to town and rejoicing commenced, as did a prime rib dinner at Havana. (I now request my arrival into any town be feted by a prime rib dinner. Consider yourself notified.)

Willy, our hero, Havana owner Todd LaScola, and Manuel Inoa at Havana.

Now considered the leading cigar factory in the Dominican market, La Aurora "was founded on October 3, 1903 by Eduardo León Jimenes, a hard working man who was son and grandson of tobacco growers... [who] decided to go a step further with the creation of a cigar brand," according to the company's website. 

Speed forward  (math is hard) years, and Valentino is smoking the first (don't be an ass--not the actual cigar; the kind) cigar the company ever created. 

 In fact, Havana has the cigar in a facsimile of the original box:

Havana also has one of the company's most sought-after cigars, 100 Anos, made in a size (vitola) exclusively for them: 

We can't guarantee how long these will last. In addition to be proprietary, they're also limited. (Insert evil laugh here.)

 

The 100 Anos: 

Wrapper: Corojo (Valle del Cibao – República Dominicana).
Binder: Valle del Cibao (República Dominicana).
Filler: Valle del Cibao (República Dominicana).

When he finished that other cigar, he moved on to this: 

 

I know we always say we don't review cigars because you should make your own decisions, but Valentino wants to make an exception. This Puro Vintage Edicion III Anniversario Salomon is "fucking delicious." Boom. Review. 

Stay tuned for more La Aurora updates! Valentino has some serious smoking to do! And I'm pretty sure a lot of it will happen at Havana Cigar Club and Lounge. You should join us here!! (24 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI. www.havana-cigar-club.com)

Willy and our hero! 

For more info about La Aurora, visit www.laaurora.com.do. 

 

Happy birthday, Valentino!

Today is our hero's birthday!

 

 

 

 

 

Camp Kristoff, Part the First

Not too long ago,* Glen Case (Hi Glen!), the head-honcho of Kristoff Cigars, visited Habanos, one of our favorite hang-outs, a place in our own back yard...

You remember Glen, right? We first met him at Havana Cigar Lounge in West Warwick, RI.

Havana owner Todd LaScola, our hero, and Glen Case.

Well, one night we were shenaniganning** over at Broadway Cigars at a Montecristo event and then later rolled closer to home, into Habanos. And there was Glen Case! It was like we walked into our own back yard and happily found a cool kid from a neighboring neighborhood! Yay!

Unlike the first time we hung around with him, which was an actual Kristoff event, whereby he was required to be an adult in full-adult mode; this time he had the relaxation cranked up to 11.

After we settled in, giving out lots of "hello" kisses, Valentino lit one of these delights, which we'd previously purchased at that Havana event:

The 685 Woodlawn, on the right.
That's the star of this show.

Glen stopped mid-sentence and said, "Where did you get that cigar?"

Valentino took the cigar from his mouth and looked at it, just to remind himself which delicious stick consumed his senses. "At the event in West Warwick," he said, making his way to the bar with Glen and Jarrid Trudeau (Hi Jarrid!), a cool dude in his own right and Kristoff's Northeast rep, to sit with me.

"That's my favorite stick," Glen said. "I don't even have any of those in my humidor at home."

Now if you must know, I have some mad internet skillz.*** So when Glen reiterated the lack of 685s, I hauled out my laptop and began a search.

Pretend I'm currently searching and during the lull, we'll cut away to a montage of information about this cigar:

• The cigar's name comes from the house he grew up in. 685 Woodlawn in the suburbs of Chicago. See? That makes me love it already because you must know by now how much I love a good story. By the way, it's not the family homestead any more, but an ode to your first home? Awesomely cool. (As a side note, Mom and Dad? Don't plan on moving out of that house, especially to move to Florida, as all your peers have. Stay put.)
• A small batch released in April-ish 2013, only 2,000 boxes of 10 were made.
• The wrapper is from Brazil, binder from Nicaragua, and filler from Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and a super secret place--maybe Oz? Santa's workshop? Brigadoon****? 
• Comes in one size, the 6 1/2 x 60 perfecto--one of our favorite shapes!
• I love love love this cigar. (I seem to have a real fondness for small batches, as if the more I know I can't get it, the more I want it. But that's pretty much the way of life, right?)

Glen and Valentino***** whooping it up.
Actually, they were discussion serious life things
while I challenged the mighty internets to a duel.
I won.

So within moments, I found a few boxes of the 685 available for purchase and gave Glen and Jarrid the info. I guess if I were a really good person, I would have bought him a box, and a box for ourselves...but...no.  Of course I regret this now. Or I did! <--Blatant forshadowing.

That night Valentino smoked his one and only 685, filling my lungs with some serious sweetness with a background of pepper. Kind of like smelling and tasting the fruit pie Nana is making in the house while simultaneously inhaling the heavily-peppered steaks' smoke wafting from the neighbors' grill. If you could get both flavors in your face at the same time--the pepperiness, the fruitiness, and the creamy, buttery crust, you'd be experiencing the 685 Woodlawn.

The night over, we were left with some super fun memories of time with our Kristoff friends and the Kristoff cigars. Now the story should end there, but no, because there's another chapter to the story.

On our way to visit my son in West Virginia for the holidays, we accidentally drove by the most massive of cigar stores, Cigars International in Hamburg, PA. Come on, we were driving right by the exit. And we needed gas anyway...

Just a teeny tiny bit of the gigantean place!
Lousy picture by moi!

One of the first things we saw as we entered the store? (That foreshadowing comes into play now.) We saw this:

Oh my sweet darling...

We scooped these up and asked about more.  The very nice staff lady searched high and low, climbing ladders to look in way high cubbies and giving herself a headrush looking in the store's deep, dark crevices.  And know what? She found another box! That was some amazeballs customer service!  We took them and ran!

This isn't true. I held them close to myself, like a treasured Latin textbook****** and we slowly perused the entire store, twice.

We're heading home from our travels tomorrow and I hope on Tuesday we can do some more research with these, see if they will once again help me relive the long, slow, sunny days of a childhood summer--even if I am a grownup now (boo) and we've just entered a long winter (double boo). I may ask Valentino to bring two.





*Keeping in mind I have real issues with time passing quickly and not recognizing it.

**A real word in Penny World.

***Not nearly as good as my friend Shelagh, who could teach a master class, but still better than the average schmoe.

****One of my all-time favorite plays.

*****This picture is actually from later in the evening, when our hero had moved on to a different Kristoff cigar.

******I'm probably the only one who ever actually treasured a textbook, right? Especially a Latin one? Thought so. Just to let you know, I still have my high school Latin books.

Owl'll be seeing you...

Sometimes liquor is an awesome thing.

Oh, who are we kidding. It's always an awesome thing!*

Oh, Hemingway, you genius! [source]

How about come up with amazing wittiness when drunk(ish) and then refine and put that geniusness into practice while sober?  Cause, dudes?  That happened.

Please meet Will the Travelling Owl:

Will is the new, official mascot of Habanos, which we may need to list as a secondary residence now that the weather has turned on us**.  He's also the new spokesmodel for this blog, because, well, that's what he wanted.  Will is like that charming, always a little drunk friend you'd do anything for, mainly because he conned you into it and you didn't realize the con until it was too late.

One of my all-time favorite movies. I thought Valentino had seen it.
I ruined the ending for him when I referenced a key scene.
I am a wicked jerk. But in my defense, I didn't know! *** [source]

Will has his own Facebook page here, and has quite the following. He's hoping for a cult-like following, but for now, he knows he has to be moderately humble, to win you all over, so he asks that you please follow him and his adventures, which will include cigars, booze, and, as he likes to say, "the ladies."****

Come on, Will! It's only 9:00!!

He tells us he's planning to have a giveaway for all his followers soon, although Valentino is a little worried because Will manages to break into the humidor and make off with his cigars, which has caused Valentino to put the expensive stuff up high, where "the little guy can't reach them," he says.*****

We'd like to thank our friend Brian (Hi Brian) for enticing Will to relocate from Washington DC to Rhode Island.

Will has a ton of events already scheduled for his dance card, which annoys us because he's way more beloved than us--and he's only been in town for a couple of weeks! But if you're in the area, stop by and say "Hello!" to him.  We'll also let you know what events he's planning to attend--and which he's RSVPed "Yes" to but really has no intention of attending. He's a coy one, that Will.

But we love him anyway. Guaranteed that you will love him too!

What's not to love?
World traveler, cigar aficionado, ladies' man...er...ladies' owl...?

 

*Unless it isn't an awesome thing for you, in which case we love and respect you and your decisions.

**We're taking it personally.

***The Sting, in case you didn't know.  And if you didn't know, you should go watch it right now.  Seriously. Right. Now.

****Sometimes he calls them "dolls," but I think we can all agree that he shouldn't be faulted for that, considering his upbringing.

*****Will would like to point out that if Valentino calls him "The Little Guy" one more time, he's going to need to sleep with one eye open.

Helpy McHelperson, Part the Second

When last we left our hero, he'd been helping Brad choose some new (to him) cigars. If you haven't figured out by now, Valentino is 1. Incredibly outgoing; 2. Incredibly helpful; 3. Incredibly understanding.  I am, maybe, one and a half of these things, and neither the one, nor the half, is #1. That's why we're such a great team. I'm happy to stay in the background while he makes things happen.

Recently, we were at an undisclosed location* and a very nice man asked for recommendations, saying he liked medium-to-full strength and flavor. He didn't care for infused; instead, he liked a hint of creaminess. Valentino was about to offer help but then backed off, not wanting to step on the proprietor/Bossman's toes/ego/whatever, since he happened to be standing right near us. There's helpful and there's annoyingly take-chargy; Valentino knows the difference, understanding that Bossman likes to be in charge, and so he happily stood back and let the Bossman make suggestions.

Not the Bossman, although, now that I think of it, kinda...

The two men went into the humidor and, when they came out, Bossman headed to points unknown.  Of course, because we are nosy interested, we asked what our new friend would soon be smoking.

He held up a MUWAT** Kentucky Fire Cured. We wondered why Bossman would have suggested that.  He and I looked at each other and communicated with a series of eye rolls, questioning looks, and shrugs, the way people who spend a lot of time together do. Finally, after unfurrowing our brows, Valentino asked if he'd ever had that cigar before. Now don't get us wrong. We like the KFC just fine, but we were worried because based on what he'd said previously, this didn't seem like the best choice for him.

According to the Drew Estate website, "Kentucky Fire Cured is not something new to the world of tobacco, as it has been grown for over 200 years. Easily compared to the smokey taste attributed to a peaty scotch, the KFC picks up nuances of the roasted hickory, oak or maple wood."

Valentino told him about the deliciously rich, smoky, slightly-sweet flavor. The man furrowed his own brow and shook his head. He said he didn't care for any kind of smoky flavors, in his ham or anywhere else. Then he and Valentino returned to the humidor and found him something much more in line with what he was used to smoking: Herrera Esteli, "a medium plus blend that is exceptionally creamy with great balance of spice and sweet." This is the first in the Willy Herrera line; we chatted about the second here--and we're giving some away, so make sure you sign up!!

We came across this quotation the other day and it stuck with us, like gum on shoe--or a clue on a gumshoe. Whatever.

There is no perfect cigar--just the perfect cigar for you and your tastes.

A good proprietor will try to match you with your perfect cigar rather than one that is popular. If the person making the recommendation doesn't seem confident in their cigar discussion, by all means, ask for a second opinion. After all, a good cigar can cost as much as a co-pay; it should bring you an hour or more of pleasure. Smoking a cigar you don't care for can turn you off cigars for a while or, at the very least,  ruin what should have been a relaxing and enjoyable time.

Occasionally Valentino will start smoking something that he winds up not caring for. He'll make his way through the whole dang thing, not enjoying it, but feeling as though he made the commitment and should see it to the end, er, nub.

I, however, am an advocate of "If you don't like it, stop it!" and frequently (practically) jump up and down, saying "You don't have to finish it! I'll get you another! Stop the madness!" Sometimes he's right to press on for a bit, as he winds up liking the cigar after an inch or so, and you should totally give some time to the stick before writing it off. But come on, nubbing a cigar that you bitched about the entire time?*** That is 100% counterproductive to the cigar culture.

So enjoy that cigar and your time smoking it. Please. We're begging you!!




*And I'm not going to tell you where because we are very nice and have no intention of calling anyone out on anything. And it's a place we've never mentioned here, so don't go speculating.

**My Uzi Weighs a Ton--But if you're in the know, and of course we are (hahahaha)--you just call it Moo-wat.

***Hypothetically. Valentino doesn't do this. Not through the whole thing anyway!

Glen Case and Kristoff get all the sparkles!

The other day, when a certain someone* should have been home grading papers, she wasn't because she'd been whisked off** to a new place.***

Another new favorite place!
Hanging out in all these awesome places doesn't leave any time for work! 
Hold on while I go play the lottery!! We have lots more places to visit!

Our friend Brenda, who started working at Havana Cigar Club in West Warwick, RI not too long ago, had been enticing us with promises of a place filled with unicorns and rainbows.**** Yeah, yeah, yeah we said, since the lounge is maybe 30-40 minutes away from Casa Awesome.

But her wily ways took a stronghold the other day when she announced a Kristoff event at the lounge. We'd heard nothing but amazing things about his eminency***** Glen Case and we needed to bow to him, shake his hand, and offer to wash his car. At least that was my intention. Valentino said we could just make him laugh and smoke his cigars. Whatevs, dude.

Turns out his plan really was the best one, although I'll never admit that publicly.****** (It was really cold that night so washing the car was out of the question anyway.) And we certainly made him laugh. In fact, he and Valentino may share a funny gene.*******  OMG! It was like they were separated at birth! For realz!

And while all the jocularity occurred, he showed us his wares (heh heh), asking what Valentino likes to smoke and then made recommendations from favorites. That makes me happy, when a cigar rep or
owner or shopkeeper wants to match you with the perfect cigar for you, rather than pointing you in the popular direction.

These are just two of our purchases. The others disappeared magically somehow, swallowed up by the Humidor Monster perhaps?

We know what happened to this one though:

Up in flames, baby! Up! In! Flames!
And it made me have the glad, because man, oh man, was that fabuloso!!

The Kristoff GC Signature Series hit the flame first and released "rich notes of espresso, dried apricot, chocolate and a sweet-spicy finish." [source]  The delicious Brazilian Maduro wrapper reminded us a teeny bit of our old friend, the CAO Amazon Basin. The binder is Cuban Seed Honduran and the filler, the filler is all the delicious things! Cuban Seed Dominican! Cuban Seed Honduran! AND Cuban Seed Nicaraguan!

Our friend Brenda, she who enticed us there in the first place, had this and raaaaaved about it. I can't possibly share a second-hand smoke story with you because she's a fast little devil, moving a zillion miles an hour:

"The maduro ligero washes your palate with notes of espresso bean,
dark chocolate, a hint of mix berry and a sweet cocoa finish."
(I'd tell you the source, but I closed the dang window and moved on with my day and then...d'oh!)

The Kristoff website says, "The Kristoff Ligero has twice the amount of Ligero leaf in the filler than the original Kristoff. It embodies incredible notes of toasted nut, caramel, undertones of cedar, spice and a sweet finish. Made with 100% Cuban Seed tobacco, this cigar leaves a clean, fresh finish on your palate."

Anyway, Glen? Glen is awesomely awesome and he would never lead you astray--unless you asked him to, but that's something else again. Want to know why he's in the cigar business? "It was one of those mid-life crisis’.  I’ve always enjoyed a good cigar and decided to pursue, what was an interest at the time; but it quickly turned into a passion."  Yeah, that happens to a lot of us. Oh, wait. Midlife crisis? Nope. Don't know anything about that!

"I spent nineteen years in the corporate world; all in the financial services industry.  The last nine years of my career, I spent as an executive at one of the top five banks in the country. I actually started in this industry as an independent sales rep.  However, it was only about six months later that I decided I wanted to come out with my own cigar line.  That was over 8 years ago." [source]

Havana Cigar Club Owner Todd LaScola, our hero Valentino, and Glen Case!

So! Now we 1. Have a couple of new friends; 2. Found another cool place to hang out; 3. Have another new favorite cigar. Not a bad evening of fun, although when we finally returned home, the elves hadn't even started grading papers. It's so hard to get good help these days.  Sheesh.


*Me, in case you haven't caught on to our patterns of mystery here.

**Actual conversation went something like this... Him: Ready to go? Me: Yep.

***New to me; Valentino had cased the joint previously.

****Metaphorical, I was sad to find out.

*****Not Eminem, you jokers. The head honcho.

******Oh.

*******Not this funny Gene:
 

Yes! I have been remiss. Or: Lord of the Rings, part the second

This happened: 

Yes to all your questions. 

Yes Hamo, who made Valentino's ring, created this for me. He gave it to me and then we ran ran ran to Miami for a thousand million pounds of festivities and and fun fun and more fun. So I owe a about uppity gajillion blog posts from that, plus other ones plus...gah!!

Remember Valentino's ring? With the sapphires and diamonds?

Mine has rubies to match my totally-natural red hair!

Yes, there's a funny story. There's always a funny story with us!!

At one of the super awesome parties, a super nice lady (Hi Menrry!) complimented Valentino's ring. Her husband (Hi Eloy!) said, "Wait! I have a picture of a necklace like that!" And then he pulled up this picture:

"Hold on a minute," Valentino said* and came over to where I was hanging with some awesome LOLAs.** He grabbed my hand and we ran across the party like we were in an '80s Brat Pack movie. 

We skidded back to his original position and he pointed to my necklace. "This one?" he asked. 

They laughed politely. I may or may not have 1. Snorted 2. Screamed 3. Both.*** you know. Because I'm a classy broad. You can take the girl out of New England...

Yes, We sent them in Hamo's direction and you should head there too! Www.DesignbyHamo.com. 

Yes, it is perfect and wonderful and I get zillions of compliments on it.****

Yes, you should get one--a ring, a necklace, a moneyclip (which Valentino will be getting soon) or something else! 

So yes, you should call Hamo at 339-222-6100 and let him design the perfect piece for you!!

No, he didn't ask me to write another blog post about him!! Want to know more? Check out the October 16 blog post for all the deets about him and his amazingness!

One more picture, just because I can. 

*We're going with the omniscient narrator  for this story. Accept it with willing suspension of disbelief. 

**Ladies of the Leaf. Hi Kimberly! Hi Tee! Hi Tee! <--another funny story, and some of the nicest people ever. 

***If you guessed #3, you get a prize. 

****Of course, much to Valentino's chagrin, I don't revel in talking to strangers or attention that I don't seek out, so I guess this necklace is my arch-nemesis because it makes those things happen. But it is so pretty that I will forgive it all its sins. I'm pretty sure Valentino feels the same way. Hope so, anyway!!

Photo Finish or: Lots of Fun, Darling

You've probably noticed by now that the pictures of me on this blog are few and far between.* There's maybe one? I'm just not photogenic.  Apparently the animated faces I make throughout a conversation make me look like:
1. A crazy person
2. Someone who needs to be locked in a time machine and sent back to the time before George Eastman was born.

Or, when I'm trying to look pensive, thoughtful, dare I say enchanting, I allegedly look like I'm in pain. So yeah, there's that.

Sometimes I like to think of other things that LFD can stand for.
Loads of Fabulous Dancers? Let's Find Daisies?

Anyway, the other day, we headed to Broadway Cigars for a La Flor Dominicana (LFD) event, and of course we went, because:
1. Cigars
2. Broadway (Hi Bobby! Hi John! Hi John! Hi Sal! Hi other people whose names I've forgotten because school is in session and there's only so much room in my noggin for information!)
3. John Gallogly, the LFD Rep** who I realized I'd never actually met in person, although Valentino had the pleasure. But we are Facebook friends; that counts for something, right?
4. Sons of Liberty
5. LFD.

Let's freak out the people with OCD and look at these points out of order.***

#5. So we have a love-love-love-love relationship with LFD. Remember the Mysterioso shenanigans? The Mysterio adventure? The salamon situation? And the recent Litto Gomez games?

Attention!

Is it insane that I'm a little bit in love with a cigar brand?****  I will admit to being brand loyal and charmed by the inner workings of a small business with a big reputation for creativity and excellence. Plus, as we've chatted about time and again, I love an interesting backstory. So, yeah, LFD.

"La Flor Dominicana burst on the scene in the middle of the 1990s cigar boom. Known first as Los Libertadores, the brand was met with the same skepticism that most of the other new brands encountered, both in the marketplace and among industry old-timers. But something changed very quickly," according to an article in Cigar Aficionado.

"The attitudes of the owners, the husband-and-wife team of Litto Gomez and Ines Lorenzo-Gomez, were clear from the start: they wanted to learn about the business and about cigars. Instead of copying the behavior of some of the newcomers, which might charitably be called arrogant, Gomez and Lorenzo-Gomez buckled down, spending time with some of the wisest people in the cigar business. They moved carefully, growing slowly and methodically as they acquired more expertise, better tobacco inventories and, finally, their own factory."

"'A lot of people thought that I was crazy to start in an industry that was typically in the hands of people that had done this for generations,' says Gomez, staring from beneath the brim of his trademark Montecristi Panama hat. 'If you were an outsider, you had to prove yourself. Twelve years later, we’re honored to be considered a part of the cigar industry.'" [source] As an obsessive researcher, I can appreciate the desire to know the world you're jumping into before lining up for that swan dive. I also respect the idea of finding a mentor or seeking the knowledge of those who have led the way; the newcomers who think they know better than their professional elders--and this can be in any industry: cigars, food, writing...*****

If you're not familiar with the story of Litto and Ines Gomez, you neeeeeed to learn more.

The whole place is like the coziest rec room you've ever been in,
with the coolest and most interesting people.

#2 Broadway Cigars in Providence, RI: This is kind of like our own personal Cheers,****** We're always welcomed and we always feel welcome. This makes us have a giant happy.

The Perfect Storm: Whiskey and cigars!

#4 Sons of Liberty Spirits: "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker." From the Rhode Island company's website: "We started with a couple questions: "Why is no one distilling single malt whiskies from the beers we love?" and "Why are there so many seasonal beers, but no seasonal whiskies?" With a spirit for innovation, we set out to create a line of whiskies the world had never seen." Anything that tastes alcoholy makes me make a face that causes Valentino to erupt into stomach-aching laughter convulsions. And then usually he begs me to take another sip so everyone else can see the face. Naturally, I do it because it brings everyone else So. Much. Joy. So, yeah, that happened. But everyone else seemed to really enjoy it. If you're in the area, pick some up!

#1. Cigars: Do I need to really say anything here? That's what we're here for!

Valentino started with this little darling, the LFD Reserva Especial El Jocko*******:

"This special 'Reserve' blend consists of a flawless, Ecuadorian Connecticut seed wrapper that surrounds Dominican Piloto Cubano longfiller and a rich-tasting Nicaraguan binder. The result is an exceptionally flavorful cigar that is full-bodied with an intriguing complexity. A 'must try' for more experienced cigar smokers." [source] The problem, although I am using that term incredibly loosely because it's really no problem at all, the problem with an event is that I can't get right up in Valentino's grill and bogart his second-hand smoke. Luckily he purchased a few of these so I'll get another chance. Wheee!

 

He also purchased a bunch more, and then I did, too, for... oh. Shhh. Nevermind!

 

#3: Our fab LFD rep, the one and only John Gallogly! Sure, he's super cool and fun and sure does know all the things about cigars. But the man has mad selfie skillz. I can even prove it. Look! A photo of me that doesn't make someone call 911!

 

And then there were two pictures!

 

*Of course there are many many many of Valentino, and that's fine.  He's the face of the blog. I'm the nutty scribe. I'm perfectly happy with that arrangement.

**Who, to clarify, is not my personal LFD representative, regardless of what I think.

***I can hear the screams of anguish and angst from here! Bwah hahahaha!

****Shush, you.

*****The only things I know about. Well, those and cupcakes. And rainbows and unicorns. But that's all I know.

******Without the alcohol unless you bring your own.

*******Crazy name? Yes. Story behind the crazy name? Of course! "[I]n the late 90’s a man by the name Jacko Headblade visited Litto Gomez’s farm and factory in the Dominican Republic to check out upcoming products and tobacco.  While on the farm Jacko attempted to ride a neighbor's donkey, Gomez commemorated the harsh event by naming both the donkey and the cigar El Jocko." [source]