Still timely, thanks to the deflated balls fiasco, which keeps the SuperBowl in the news six months later

You know how I'm always a little behind because I get distracted by air and Hostess snack cakes? Someone cranked the procrastination up to 11 for this one!

We're not here to talk about the SuperBowl, which bandied on in the background as I started this blog post. Hahaha.*  I'd say no one even remembers what happened during the game (except maybe a couple of commercials), but yeah. This year's. We all know how it ended, with an entire Patriots Nation up-in-arms and a slew of giddy comedians imagining all the "ball" jokes they'd get to make.

Most memorable part of this year's Big Game for us? This La Flor Dominicana collection of beauties:

Wait for it...

And Boom! as our favorite LFDer and SuperFriend likes to say.
(Hi John!)

Whaaa? I KNOW!

Naturally, it all starts with Facebook, as so many things do. A post popped up, revealing these 5 3/4 x 60  babies, only available in Arizona. I started looking up flights and participating shops. 

 

But damn if Caballero #2 isn't the fastest cigar purchaser in the west. East, actually. While I fiddled around trying to find a flight not bogged down by the 76 feet of snow accumulated thus far, he got on the phone and called Arizona.** A few moments later, he sent me a message: He'd purchased a box for our hero.***

 

Of course upon their quick pre-game arrival, Valentino didn't want to open them and ruin the full box of ten.****  "Then I will only have nine," he whimpered. But we did open them, thanks to me making promises I might not be able to fulfill. He, sadly yet happily, set one aflame.

 

The other LFD-Jon in our lives, VP of Sales Jon Carney, said, in an interview with halfwheel.com, "[T]he cigar will be an entirely new blend that uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Dominican filler" and is based on an idea from Baxter’s Cigars in Phoenix.

 

The caballeros. Caballeri?

“The cigar is a celebration of football,” Carney said. I say it's a celebration of awesomeness, just like the entire stable of LFD cigars.

 

About the cigar: "This is fucking good."
(The photograph, not so much.)

"Well?" I asked, fingers poised over the laptop, as if I would actually write a timely blogpost and not be lured away by the delicious foods passed around Habanos as part of the big (game) event.

After declaring the cigar a winner, with no accusations later about deflated balls, those two gazed lovingly at the damn cigars with every puff.***** (You can read a full review by not me here.)

About that empty promise I made? Naturally, he remembered. I hit the internet again, beginning a new quest for things to light on fire.****** Found 'em at Fine Ash Cigars, owned by my from-that-point-on best friend Sam Lopez and his lovely bride Rosie.

Bought a box.

Felt content.

He smoked a couple more.

Oh you gorgeous thing.

 

And then I panicked. With four left from that original box, they'd soon be gone and, as I have not only met Valentino but know him better than anyone on the planet, he'd never open and smoke the backup box.

 

I crossed my fingers, began an oft-used mantra that generally accompanies cigar searches, "Please still have some. Please still have some," uncrossed my fingers so I could type, and travelled back to Sam's site.

 

And then there were two--one for my main caballero and one for the humidor.

 

As I type this in June, I worry about that other box getting low. ::types "LFD football edition" into search engine::

 

To again quote our pal, Boom! Found them! Of course I just told you my secret to finding hard-to-find cigars. Dummy.

 

I'll race you there--because the alternative, rewriting a portion of this blog post, would mean you wouldn't see it until the next SuperBowl.

 

Just hope that shiny Ring Ding package over there slows me down.

 

Photo from LFD, which explains is loveliness.

 

 

  

 

*Self-imposed goals/targets are stupid. So are deadlines.

 

**Not the whole state.

 

***Keeping track of the gifts these two give each other is becoming a full-time job. (Applications now being accepted.)

 

****As you may recall, or maybe not because I forgot to tell you, when I purchase cigars (sticks or boxes), I generally get one for each Caballero and one for the humidor.

 

*****Damn you, Litto Gomez (kidding! Love you!), for making that happen. Those looks are generally reserved for me!

 

******I can't help it, since my boy grew up in the 90s, but every time someone mentions football, my brain sees and hears this:

A million life bonus points if you know the show.
[source]

A most welcoming event with the most gracious people

While we roamed around Pennsylvania, waiting for the CigarFest kick-off, we donned our fancy-pants clothes and headed to To' Makao Fine Cigars in Bethlehem, PA. I actually begged (and not in  a lady-like manner) for the Band of Merry Caballeros to agree to go to this super-great ticketed event.

 

Owner Franklin Pichardo is one of the nicest, sweetest, kindest people in the Universe. We met him in Miami this past October at Cigar Cellar, owned by SuperFriend Rhea Planes. (We were in town for the Havana Nights fundraiser,* organized by another of the universe's most awesome people, Berta Bravo.**)

 

On this pre-CigarFest night in April, though, former Opus X roller Franklin celebrated the visit of his long-time mentor and friend, Carlito Fuente.



Naturally, Will needed to be the center of attention,
even though it was Carlito's birthday.

 

When we first arrived, we received  some of Franklin's hand-rolled cigars, both gorgeous and delicious:

 

 

 

During the evening, Carlito told us about his first meeting with Franklin and how he had grown into the amazing man we saw before us.

 



Great picture by Valentino.

Franklin was in tears and speechless, as were we all.





Terrible picture by me. Sigh.



Mike, the Honorary Caballero (left),
Carlito, and Caballero #2 at the event.

Our hero and Carlito,
who is one of the most gracious men on the planet.
(Our hero's not to shabby himself.)

Fuente Fuente Opus X Love Affair***



A beautiful cigar, made by an extraordinary man and his company.

Of course a raffle was held.

Of course Valentino won the grand prize, a Fuente Fuente Opus 22  unfilled gift box, which Carlito then signed, and told him to select any ten cigars from the Fuente lines.

In case you didn't know, this limited box, when filled and sold, raises money for the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, "a thoughtful cause dedicated to providing substantial humanitarian impact to communities in the Dominican Republic."



A very Fuente collection. The Opus box, a box of Opus X Love Affair,
and a variety of cigars, purchased at both Franklin's shop
and an earlier jaunt to Cigars International. 
(Photo by Valentino.)

And then photo by me of the same stuff.
Sigh.

If you happen to be anywhere near Bethlehem, PA, you MUST MUST MUST (MUST MUST) visit Franklin's shop. Tell him we sent you.

*This year's event, "A Fuente Family Affair" is on October 30. We're planning to be there. You should join us.

**Berta deserves her very own post, and will get it soon. Yeah, she's that great.

***The person who names the Fuente cigars should be sainted. Or knighted. Or something wonderful for the best cigar names ever.





Happy birthday!*

I couldn't choose which one was more favorite.

Then I saw this one, and it is the most favorite:

*Or, as my grandmother always wrote on our cards, "Happy brithday." Oy. Even as a ha'penny,** I knew that was so very very wrong.

**

"If you have no penny,
a ha'penny will do..."

The Two Caballeros: The second adventure (Part the first)

I had to be an adult yesterday and dress like a normal human being (not like a writer in the throes of summertime, although I still wore Converse sneakers--you'll never get all of me!)* and eat food with other adults and have actual conversation appropriate in public spaces (mostly). I promised my friend Shelagh I would not throw any food, but that was the only promise I made.  Being a grown-up is hard.

The Two Caballeros and their fabulous female companions headed out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants on Federal Hill last night. Insert frowny face here because the food wasn't as good as normal and service was blech. How embarrassing! Pinky swear that the experience is usually waaay better.

But afterwards I did get a lemon coconut cupcake at the bakery on the square, so all food faux pas were instantly redeemed with sugar, as well they should be.

Moving on... (I was setting the scene.)

After dinner, we took a walk along Atwells Ave., which you know I love to do.

Valentino smoked the Drew Estate Liga Privada T52 that was so tight** "I could only smoke half of it and then I put it down," he said, as we recapped the evening's festivities.



Was it good? Not sure. Maybe? I'll let you know with the next one.

Lots of folks on one of our favorite Facebook groups have been raving about the T52, so we were both anxious to stick our faces in the smoke. Or stick the smoke in his face. Whatever.

According to the Drew Estate website, "Meticulously blended over a period of two years to be a worthy humidor companion to our much heralded Liga Privada No. 9 recipe. With notes of black pepper and spice, it is our choice when desiring a stronger, more robust smoke. Like its predecessor, it is a complex marriage of seven distinct aged tobaccos handcrafted by only our absolute best torcedors. Each cigar is guaranteed to be flawless in construction, flavor and character…without exception." Apparently, there was an exception and we were the proud owners.

Honestly, he may have enjoyed it more if he didn't have to work so hard to keep it lit. I will say, it was a pretty strong smoke, or pretty strong second-hand smoke, but I liked the smell--not as harsh as I'd expected. There were lots of notes in there, but I couldn't focus on any of them for sure because I couldn't get any consistency.  "The Drew Estate Liga Privada T52 is tits, its [sic] gangsta and I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to smoke a cigar that perfectly balances out its strength with an rich array of flavors," stated the folks at Stogie Review. How can I not want to give it another shot after hearing/reading that???

There's another in the humidor, so as the Magic 8-Ball says,

[source]

His partner-in-crime, Doc, had the J. Grotto Reserve Lancero**** Limitado, made by our friend Paul Joyal. We had picked them up when at his shop a few days earlier, with the intention of (hopefully) me second-hand smoking it.  And it happened!

I forgot to take an action shot. Too much sangria? Maybe.
Too much off-key singing on the plaza? Probably.
So I stole this picture from here.

According to the Stogie Guys review, "Once lit, I find a flavor profile dominated by clove and nutmeg. There’s also earth and roast cashew, with just a hint of cedary spice on the finish, the only spice the cigar demonstrates. Construction is excellent, with no ill effects from the seemingly loose draw."

Halfwheel says, "Lancero all-hand-made cigars use three-year aged select tobaccos … a Nicaragua-grown Criollo 99 wrapper and Criollo 98 binder, plus a filler of Honduran-grown ligero and Jalapa leaves. Like all J. Grotto cigars, it is entubado-bunched for smooth, easy draw and uniform burn. Its pigtail-capped head enhances its distinctively traditional look."

I say it smelled earthily-delish, and I'm looking forward to the J. Grotto Lancero Silk, since we both already love the smell and taste of the 6 x 60 gordo--in fact, it's one of Valentino's favorite cigars! All day those lancero Silks sat in the store, a mere twenty or so miles away, taunting us with their Siren call, but lawns had to be mowed and furniture needed to be sanded today. Insert another frowny face here.  Being a grown-up stinks sometimes.

NOTE: Stay tuned for more adventures from this evening. I need a before-bed snack.


*Almost five years into our charmed partnership, I only learned this past week that sports bras are not flattering and I should probably not wear them.  I was about to protest when he told me this, but honestly, I wasn't doing anything sporty, except some quick typing, so yeah.

**I'm going to go ahead and let you put your own joke here; it's almost too easy.***

***That one too.

****I get giddy when lanceros are in the house. No, I don't know why. We'll dig into that issue another time.

Because Chocolate Cake..and Spice..and Supper!

I swear in the name of Betty Crocker that the cigar he is smoking right this very second as we sit out here in lawn chairs in the driveway talking about what to have for dinner like the old people that we are...

Damn. I lost track of that sentence.

I swear in the name of Betty Crocker that the cigar Valentino is smoking right now reminds me of chocolate cake. Thank heavens the wind is blowing in my direction, because...chocolate cake.

This Selectos De Oro (6 1/4 x 43) smells so good I want to lick it.
(Insert your own nasty comment here. It's almost too easy for me to do it.)
(Okay, add another.)

When we were at Mr. J's the other day, Valentino asked our friend and tobacconist (that is such a great word) Mark Feeley for suggestions on something new. You know, for variety. Certainly not because he was running low. Just because, you know, wandering taste buds and all...

Anyway, of the two new (to him) cigars he purchased,* this one is definitely a winner. I'm happy to sit next to him any day, but when he's smoking something this amazingly delicious, yowza.

The minute he lit it up, I recognized the taste and smell. Chocolate? Maybe. But something else. As I la-la-la-ed on the mighty internets, it came to me. The flavor in the back of my mouth and in my throat was the same I'd get at the end of a 12-hour baking class in culinary school. Delicious sweetness wafting around the room (or in this case the breeze)--not sweet enough to be cloying as some of the flavored cigars can be, just enough to make you hungry.

Get in mah belly. [source]

Okay, so as I'm typing, he's about halfway through and he just said, "This is getting sweeter."
And there's something else, too.  Some kind of spiciness. Almost like when I put cinnamon and roasted nuts or a hint of cayenne in my brownies. Oh jeez. Dammit.  I'm going to have to go to the internets for more information on the E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut.

The company describes the cigar as, "creamy and smooth yet it imparts a rich array of spicy, sweet, and nutty flavors." Yeah, bitches. Who doesn't even need to put the cigar in her mouth to enjoy the subtleties? This girl.

Other info you might want to know:

Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Body: Mild to Medium
   
"It's got a really good draw too," he said. "And it has a Cuban-like flavor."

"Like the sandwich?" I ask, mainly because I'm getting hungry.

He shakes his head and puffs some more deliciousness in my direction. Ahhh...that'll keep me going for a few more short paragraphs (especially if someone else wrote them).

In the New Wave Connecticut review on halfwheel.com, Brooks Whittington says, "The First Third starts out with more spice on the tongue then I was expecting (it is a Connecticut wrapper after all), but not overwhelming at all…Even with that, the profile is sweet and creamy from the beginning, with flavors of cotton candy, cedar, and leather…The spice does not increase during the first third, but stays at a constant level throughout…

"The Second Third remains sweet and creamy, but there is a shift in flavors: now I taste raisins, generic wood, leather and a slight earthiness…The spice from the first third has dissipated somewhat, but still remains in the background (thankfully)…

"The Final Third has most of the same flavors from the previous two thirds, but adds a nice tart, nutty note to the sweetness that really sets off the rest of the profile….The spice is up and down, but never gets in the way of the sweetness that is present, and actually enhances it…It never got hot at the end, and I was able to easily nub it …"

Good to the last drop, er...crumb, er...

Gotta go! Suppertime!



[source]

*The other didn't really match his preferred flavor profile range.  In other words, his head exploded as he smoked it because it was so strong.