Black Label Trading--We came; we smoked; we loved; we bought the t-shirt*

When I am Editor of the World--and this WILL happen someday--cigars I love will be readily available. I guess we're kind of working on that, with the continuing Saga of the Overfilled Humidor.  In this tale, a certain couple purchases a 2,000-count humidor from 1st Class Humidors in late August.  It looks like this:

 

By mid-December, this mofo was so filled that when our hero opened the door, certain cigars abandoned ship. I knew this happened when I heard, "Dammit!" from the living room, and then about five seconds later, heard "Dammit" again as the second wave of loose cigars dove into the great abyss.**

After Christmas, a second phone call was made, prices negotiated, and we currently and anxiously await this sight:

Yay! Two!

Here's why this humidor wound up so full so fast: Elves.

Your friendly, neighborhood
cigar elf. [source]

Hahaha. No. Because when Valentino had a cigar he really liked, we determined whether or not it was Boxworthy. Many were. So I guess I'm kind of Editor of the World. Penny World.

The other day, we received this fantastic package from the lovely and talented Stephanie Harris, she of Black Label Trading cigars:

The bands are so cool. And scary a little bit. (I'm a delicate flower.)

First up for smoking?  This sweetie pie:

The Royalty--a perfect start since I am a beautiful princess.***

Because I know this made Valentino giddy with delight, I'll share it with you: The filler is Nicaraguan.**** The binder is Honduran and the wrapper Ecuadorian corojo.

Keep in mind I am easily distracted. As I chatted with the lovely bartender at Habanos (because we were the only two females in the cigar bar), he lit it up. I may have been mid-sentence as the smoke wafted in my direction before being sucked up by the place's new smoke eaters.

I know the joke is majorly overused, but...
"Hey! Nice Ash!"

Dagnabbit, the pepperiness woke me up. I shake my fist at you corojo! But that's okay because that first blast was a tap on the shoulder telling me I should pay attention; this promises fantabulousness and I shouldn't miss a moment. You must always listen to the corojo, for the corojo is wise.

Of the Royalty, the Cigar Federation said, "Rich. Elegant. Unique. Royalty by Black Label Trading Company shows the world the quality of tobacco and blend masters BLTC work exclusively with. BLTC’s blender, who has over 30 years’ experience, brings a medium strength cigar and flavors you don’t see every day. Floral notes dominate, with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg and a mild spice finish make it truly a unique smoke."

By the way, Cigar Federation is your only online option for the Black Label Trading brand, although maybe your local B&M has them? Ours don't (hint, hint, hint), so it's Cigar Federation for us.

In case you didn't know, Black Label Trading punched its way into the cigar world in 2013 with not one or two, but six unique offerings, according to founder James Brown.*****

When asked what makes his company different from the other cigar companies, Brown said, "First and foremost, our blends. We have focused on defining very unique flavor profiles that you don’t see in cigars everyday. Also, our philosophy is simple – make a great cigar. If a cigar is perfect in a [r]obusto then why make it in five other sizes. We keep it simple with usually 1 or 2 sizes per blend. This also goes along with our small batch mind-set. We keep production very limited to ensure quality every time." [source]

We have many more Black Label Trading cigars to try, but this one, as our first foray into the brand means as soon as that new humidor gets itself in the door, we're getting ourselves a box. Yes, it's boxworthy.

Dammit. If the rest of them are as good as this, we're going to need to order a third humidor.

Hello, new friend.

 

*We really did buy the t-shirt. They're available here.

 

**I'm not sure what they thought was out there in the big, unhumidified world for them, but they were easily captured and returned to their rightful place.

 

***

****Valentino lurvvveeeees Nicaraguan tobacco. If you're tobacco and you say you're from Nicaragua, he has already fallen in love with you.

 

*****Not who you're thinking.  Another one.

The Litto (Gomez) Shuffle

Valentino and I had to run out of town today, and that journey just happened to take us in the direction of Old Firehouse Smoke Shop in Fall River, MA (and lunch with my parents--Hi Mom! Hi Dad!) and we just happened to stop in to say "Howdy!" to Wyatt.

Hi Wyatt!

Oh, and shop proprietor John Brandt! (Although one of us may or may not have greeted the dog first. That person may or may not have been me.)

Okay, full disclosure. John had something we wanted and as far as we have been able to figure, he's the only one who has them. I guess you could say he's our supplier.

Now, lots of folks have the Small Batch Litto Gomez. But John, John has the 2010 batch. (That's Batch #3, if you're keeping track.) We had picked up a couple (one to smoke and one for the humidor) a while ago just on a whim (okay, and a recommendation). Valentino smoked it at an event at the Connecticut Valley Tobacco Museum and swooned. (I'd like to pretend he was swooning over my awesomeness, but we all know it was Litto.)

Let's back up a second. In case you didn't know, Litto owns this little cigar brand called La Flor Dominicana. Hahaha--not little. One of our most super favorites!* I love all their cigars. Even the ones I haven't met yet! You may remember this gem. Oh! And guess what! One of our favoritest cigar friends is John Gallogly, our LFD rep!** Hi John!

According to Traveling Stogie, "Production of this cigar is limited to 30,000 packed in crates of 104 cigars which limits distribution to about 285 crates... [T]he plants used for this production cigar are grown on a blocked off section on farm where only the premium leaves are used."

 

Just now, before he lit it, Valentino tested the draw and said, "This is something. This is something that I can't place." Naturally, I asked the internets for help because you can get anything on the mighty mighty internets. And there it was. "Was it sourdough?" I asked, pretending I knew what I was talking about, but really, the genius belongs to the folks at Traveling Stogie. (Thank you!)

 

With Dominican filler and binder all nestled together with Dominican Sumatra, our new toro love*** has a gorgeous reddish hue on its shapely 6.75 x 52 self.

 

Hello, my pretties.

I'll admit, when I first saw them, I was perplexed. The tobacco leaf veins stood out and left the texture bumpy and craggy. This was completely different from the traditional smoothness of the cigars I'd encountered thus far. But it had personality. And charm. And a beauty I couldn't quite describe. Kind of like Ray Liotta. (Don't judge. Use your imagination.)

 

And now, as I sit here at Habanos with the gang (Hi Lauren! Hi Brian! Hi Nathalie! Hi Dave! Hi Sarah!**** Hi Mike! Hi Lexxie! Hi Doc! Hi Doc's cousin whose name I've already forgotten!*****) (Oh, Hi Valentino! XOXO), I get to second-hand smoke all its deliciousness. Its primary taste is leather, reminiscent of its look, accompanied by cedar and an underlying sweetness of molasses and cocoa.

 

When we picked up six today, I looked at the remaining dozen or so (maybe 18? Math is dumb.), and I'm still thinking I need to go back and get the rest. You guys know how I get about limited editions and "When they're gone, they're gone."

 

I mean, how can I not want him to be this happy for as long as possible?

 

Again, I'd like to say it's my awesomeness, but it's all you, Litto!

Mom and Dad! We'll be shuffling over there for dinner soon!

 

 

 

 

*I came, I bought, I'm actually wearing the t-shirt right this second!

**Technically, he's not OUR rep, but...well, you know. He exudes awesome. And he takes a hell of a selfie!

***Yes, yes, we know we are fickle. But we have so much love to give the cigar world. There's plenty for everyone! Don't worry!

****I'm going to post this before you get here. You'd better come or...I don't even know what will happen to the internets. They may be permanently broken. And then Brian and I will have the sad. Probably other people too.

*****Sorry! Lauren makes a hell of a drink!

The day Valentino's cigar life changed forever (with apologies to Dickens and A Christmas Carol)

Once upon a time, a man named Valentino happened into Mr. J's Havana Shop in West Warwick, RI. As usual, the proprietor greeted him warmly and they chatted about the Ghosts of Cigars Past and gazed at Cigars Future, which would be ghosts soon enough--just wisps of smoke, the unique perfume all that lingers, at least for a short time.

Like a kid in a candy store, Valentino chose his cigars carefully and deliberately.  And then Mark said, "I thought of you the minute this came in. You're going to love it."

And like Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of A Christmas Carol, the moment the flame touched the fundadores gordo (7.5 x 46), his life changed forever. There was love in his heart, hope in his soul, and brilliance in his brain. Oh, I'm just kidding. That stuff has always been there. But smoking the nearly-perfect Joel Sherman 75th Anniversary from the Nat Sherman company intensified everything, making his world a little brighter, a little better.

The beginning of a new beginning.

Or so rumour has it, for I did not partake of this Most Excellent Adventure.

When we met up at the end of the day, he sang the praises of this Dominican filler and binder, with the light Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, happily showing me the other two he'd purchased--and would probably never smoke. After all, this limited edition (2,500 boxes, ten in a box) would surely sell out quickly, so these would be saved for very, very, very special occasions.*

We've always** been fans of the Nat Sherman company; they exude class and maintain an amazing level of consistency in all aspects of the business. My introduction to all things Nat Sherman came in the form of a Mr. J's Havana cigar dinner, at which the amazing Michael Herklots introduced us to the fine details of blending and creating a cigar, as well as giving us a clear overview of the cigar industry. Oh, and provided us with delicious cigars, of course.

If we travel with the Ghost of Cigars Past, we'd see me, on that day, realizing a cigar really is more than a cigar--it's a community, a way of life, a way to connect with like-minded strangers, an industry composed of small and large businesses that care about their customers, an industry where you can share a drink and a laugh with those business owners.

Fast forward a bit and in July, I started to get excited about the Joel Sherman when the company released the info on the 75th Anniversary during ICPCA. I even told you all about it here!

Because he loved this so much, we took a trip back to West Warwick and purchased a box. That meant I would get to enjoy the cigar too.  And enjoy it I did. Valentino had earlier proclaimed it in his top three of all time. My turn had come (by way of second-hand-smoke) and I'd decide whether or not this was all hyperbole.***

It was not hyperbole. In fact, whatever the highest level of anti-hyperbole would be called, it was that.  He had earlier described it as the most amazing flavors, which didn't blend together like a rock band, creating one unified sound, but more individual tastes playing nicely together, side by side, some coming up for a brief solo and then receding, like an orchestra.

The "crest on the front of the box...was inspired
by a bass drum Sherman played when he was younger." [source]

According to HalfWheel, "The first third starts out with a great base of creamy peanuts, along with nice flavors of cedar, leather, white chocolate, earth and white pepper on the retrohale. A slight sweetness comes and goes, while there is a very distinct lemon peel note that starts about halfway through the first third and continues to grow stronger as the cigar burns."

I definitely noticed a creaminess throughout, but keeping track of each delicious smell and taste seemed almost impossible on this first go-round, especially since we sat on the porch and the wind stole away with the delicious flavors meant for me.****

 About the second third, Brooks Whittington of HalfWheel said, "An interesting buttery creaminess starts to invade the profile of the Nat Sherman product during the second third, combining nicely with a sweetness that tastes quite a bit like vanilla to me. Other flavors of peanuts, coffee, leather, earth and cocoa flit in and out, while the lemon peel tartness from the first third has actually receded quite a bit by the halfway point."

I couldn't believe we only had one spare before we'd have to open the box and I didn't want to negotiate what would constitute a very, very, very special event worthy of a Joel Sherman. So I went to a favorite online retailer and, using a 17% off coupon code, I purchased another box. Now we owned 2! [Added January 7, 2015. I think we have four and a half boxes now. Yay!]

Whittington takes on the final third of the 75th Anniversary, stating that it "continues the trend of evolving flavors with a hay note taking over dominance from the buttery creaminess that was in the second third. Leather, earth, chocolate, espresso and even a little cinnamon are all on display."

We've, of course, accidentally driven 40 minutes out of our way (a few times) since the initial Joel Sherman purchase and each time we do, another box sits on the counter of Mr. J's. And each time that happens, we pick up another one or two, because one day, they won't be there and we really will have to decide what constitutes a Very Special Occasion, one worthy of this cigar.

Yesterday, Valentino showed a true level of friendship. He gifted Cabellero #2 one of these precious sticks.

"Smokin a gift from my good buddy Caballero #1...a Nat Sherman ( Joel Sherman 75th),"
said Cabellero #2 on Facebook, when he posted this picture.

But given how happy it made our friend, I'm happy knowing it went to a good home.

"Ahhhhh..."

 And as the Ghost of Cigars Present, which has revealed itself in the form of the Joel Sherman 75th Anniversary, said, just a nub of its former self, "My time with you is at an end, Valentino. Will you profit from what I've shown you of the good in most men's hearts?"*****

Valentino burns his fingertips, unwilling to bid adieu to his new friend, but finally acquiescing. We retreat into the house, done for the day, as no other cigar can follow this one. "His own heart laughed; and that was quite enough for him."******





*I can't actually think of an event that would call for this kind of celebratory cigar.

**For the past few years anyway.

***Not that I was doubting him, but, you know, I just wanted to make sure.

****I shake my fist at you, Nature! I hope you enjoyed it!

*****This is where the apology to Dickens occurs.

******Here, too.

Call of the Wild (Wild West), Part the Second

When last we left our heroes, they'd made the acquaintance of some real purdy cigars--the CAO BraziliaAmazon Basin in all its 6 x 52 sexiness.

Speaking of sexiness, Hellloooo, you handsome devils!

Speaking of sexiness, Hellloooo, you handsome devils!

And, well, hello, you gorgeous creature! Pssst. Rumor has it you can smoke right through the band.
Valentino didn't get the chance because
I wanted to play with its sproinginess.

After rustling up some delish grub, thanks to our wonderful hosts and all-around good people Christine and Anibal, this happened:

In which the two caballeros become the three amigos! Fire is such a transformative element, don't you think?

In which the two caballeros become the three amigos!
Fire is such a transformative element, don't you think?

I crossed everything, from fingers to signals, and held my breath, hoping this cigar didn't wind up being unloved, especially since we had a canoe's worth coming up the river.

They're here!!

Then I remembered that breath-holding would prove counter productive to my ultimate goal of sucking in all the deliciousness while they did all the work.* I waited expectantly, fingers on iPhone ready to take notes of their every observation--just like a cub reporter following Marshall Bat Masterson around, trying to get a good quote for the newspaper.**

I really worried*** that these cigars might be bat-shit crazy strong, but once the fine gentlemen puffed their smoke in my direction, all worries abated. On first blush, the Brazilia Amazon Basin punches you with strong pepperiness, but after half an inch or so****, it started to smooth out and get creamy.

"Complex," Valentino said.

Caballero #2 nodded and said, "Leather bite."*****

There were certainly undertones of s'mores, although that may have come from the dessert making its way up to my mouth. (I'm a good multi-tasker.)

After the first third, all three amigos agreed that the sweetness increased.  And no, this had nothing to do with the chocolately goodness.  I love these guys, but share dessert?  Hahahaha. Just...no.

Thanks a million to Rolling Stogies (Hi, guys! See you next year!) for their travelling mercantile, which allowed us to own and share this amazeballs cigar. Mike Strategakis, who owns this superfun business (check it out!), reminded us only 2,000 boxes exist in the whole entire world. This forced our usually-slow shopping-hand in the first place.****** (Valentino likes to research before purchasing. I was jumping up and down behind him, shrieking, "They're getting away! Hurry!" At 2:00 a.m. Shut up. I was drunk on lobster tails.)

And then! Last night, while at Habanos, feting a friend's 21st birthday******* (Hi, Hollie!)

 

Wheeeeee!

 

..and simultaneously writing the last blog post, our friend Eric told Valentino that he had a couple of Brazilia Amazon Basins sitting in his humidor at home. He, too, said he was afraid they were going to be super strong and he should probably have an entire Thanksgiving dinner to prepare for the onslaught of the powerful cigar. Ah, the old adage, "Fight fire with turkey..."

But that's the sneaky illusion of the Basin. Even though the Ecuador Sumatra wrapper is darker than a thousand midnights (one of my favorite books!), it still errs on the side of medium-to-full rather than full-frontal. So don't be afraid, Eric et al. Light it up as you watch with a few amigos as the sun set over the chaparral. Or we could meet somewhere air-conditioned, enjoy the CAO Brazilia Amazon Basin, and watch a spaghetti western.




*And they work so very hard for me, these men do.

**"Never run a bluff with a six-gun." - Bat Masterson

***I'm a worrier. What can I say? It's a requirement of my birth order. (First.)

****We're very precise here. You'll just have to deal with it.

 

*****Description, not command, obvs. Not, "Leather, bite." That's a whole other kind of blog.

******Know when to hold 'em and all that.

*******I have socks older than this girl. I'm not even kidding. But still, Happy Birthday!

In which Valentino Gets his Silk(y) Wish

I'm quite a tactile person. If we meet and you're wearing a soft-looking shirt, I may ask to pet it. Don't pull away in horror. Pretty please? The irony of this is that I have very little feeling in my hands,* so I probably can't actually get the full sensation of your soft shirt. Is that silk by the way?

Speaking of silk, or more specifically the J Grotto Silk Series...

Ooooh.  Pretty. Shiny.
And one of Valentino's Top 3 Cigars of all Time!

As you may remember, from me telling you a hundred million times, we love to visit Mr. J's Havana in West Warwick, RI and give Paul and Mark and Tom and Rob all our monies. If we could give them all your monies too, we would.

Located front and center, right where you would go to exchange cash or credit for cigars,** sit the J Grotto Series, J Grotto Series Reserve, and J Grotto Silk Series. (And stay tuned for the Anniversary Series--it's so close I can almost taste it.)

Valentino has always*** been partial to the Silk Series, an Ecuadorian Connecticut blend, usually purchasing the Gordo 6 x 60. "Partial" is too slight of a descriptor. How about whole-heartedly adores? How about it's one of his top three favorites? How about LUUURRRVES? What is the foundation of this adoration? The cigar has a million tons of flavor, he says (my paraphrase, of course). "It's like a full-bodied mild cigar. A full flavor for the Connecticut wrapper folks." In fact, he hearts it soooooo much that it made the cut and got to travel to Bermuda with us. Sadly (happily?), it did not make the return trip.

Horseshoe Bay.
Pinky swear, one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been in my whole life.
And with one of his favorite cigars? Heaven on Earth.

Paul Joyal said upon its release in 2012, "I was test-smoking samples for our new J. Grotto Connecticut boutique cigar, the latest addition to our previous cigars in the line. Suddenly, the word 'Silk' came to mind. I realized it was the perfect name to describe this cigar...the wrapper's silky smooth feel and appearance, along with its flavor...fragrant and delicate, but with a surprise fullness of lush flavor nuances." [source]

But don't just take our word (or Paul's, although he may be a bit biased) about its awesomeness (even though we're wondering why you wouldn't be hanging on our every syllable).  Our friend Jake Healey from Hanley's Ale House in Providence said, "Being a medium to full smoker, Connecticut wrappers are often similar to smoking air for me. I also prefer lancero and smaller ring gauge cigars since the binder and wrapper contain most of the flavor in a cigar. There are some smokes that I will only smoke in smaller rings because the larger versions of the same blend don't have the same amount of flavor. The J Grotto silk has always been one of my favorite Connecticut smokes because it lives up to the name silk. You get a lot of thick, flavorful smoke with each puff."

Since falling in love with the creamy earthiness, with some pepperiness, Valentino has frequently begged Paul for a lancero Silk. "How about now?" he'd ask every time we went into the store.****

"Now?"

Every. Time. Kind of like this:

"Now?"

And then behold, the angels sang.

""...and the angels said unto them,
'Fear not, for behold I bring you tidings of great joy...
the J Grotto Silk Series Lancero.'"

And the Silk Lancero was born.

Hello, friends...  [source]

We may have done a happy dance, but it wasn't nearly as fun to watch as a cute couple in a romantic comedy doing a happy dance. Or Snoopy doing a happy dance--although ours ended about this same way as this:

So we bought some--okay a box--of the 7 1/2 x 40, plus a couple to smoke so we wouldn't have to break the box open, because... It's kind of like buying a candle you like and never burning it because then it will be gone. So, yeah, we still have a full box of ten. Okay, not exactly like that because he's gone in and bought more singles to refill the box, if you must know. I guess we could just buy another box--but as you know, we're having a humidor issue.

Here's Jake again: "[W]hen Paul told me he was coming out with a lancero and I would be one of the first to try it, I was over the moon. The lancero lives up to the silk name by still providing the thick smoke it always does, but with even more flavor than the other sizes. It had an excellent nutty flavor that is far superior to most of the Ecuadorean Connecticut cigars on the market, and its Indonesian binder gives it a ton of thick smoke synonymous with the name. I highly recommend the Silk to anyone who usually goes for a heavier smoke but wants something a little lighter in addition to anyone who is a mild smoker but wants a thicker smoke. If you haven't yet tried it, make sure to get your hands on one!"

Or, you know, way more than one.

"The lancero is a heavier gauge silk than the others in the line," Valentino says. "More concentrated. More silky. It's a heavier silk.  It's a winter silk..." It's a Silk he's going to be smoking regardless of the season.

A dream come true.

The other day when we were leaving the shop, Valentino said to Paul, "Now you need a salomon."

Paul shook his head. "You're killing me, Val."



*Some people say I don't have any feelings at all. I call them students. And I say your grade stands.

**If cigars had a hard instead of soft C-sound, this would be one hell of an awesome phrase.

***Always since they were born and he discovered them.

****I will not reveal how many times this may have been. That's between us and American Express.

In Real Time: Our New My Father (Our Father?)

So there we were, in Broadway, picking up Leafs (Leaves? This will stymie the grammarian in me until the end of time) and on the counter sat this:

Yeah, I'm shallow enough to be drawn to a cigar by its band. Can you blame me?
The answer better be "No" or we're going to have words. And I'll type my words in ALL CAPS.

So we're right now at Habanos and I realize Valentino has that lovely cigar. I swoon. Or maybe it's because I'm sitting next to him.*

A terrible picture** but proof that I really am writing this at the cigar bar in real real-time.
Yes, that is bacon.
Doesn't your bartender bring you bacon? My bartender is better than your bartender.
Thanks, Nathalie!!

I generally like the My Father line, but they are definitely a strong family. My Father could beat up your father. Yeah, that strong.

He cuts the cap and sucks in to test the draw."I know I'm going to like this already." I assume he said the same thing when he first saw my match.com profile.

He toasts the foot, starting their relationship. Ohhhh...

Then...THEN! He takes his first..."Wow. It's good." I barely hear him because I'm surrounded by butter. Butter? Creaminess. Cream? Have I died and gone to heaven? What do you call it when you're in love with My Father?***

Real time is hard when there's an Italian margarita taunting me, begging me to drink it.**** I keep getting distracted...*****

Oh, look. Time flies. Now we're here:

And things are starting to change. Added to the sweet deliciousness comes some nuttiness and "It's gaining more strength. More than a Connecticut usually does." And holy smokes (ha ha), pepper? Is that pepper? Not the black pepper from the grinder, but that sneaky red pepper that he smuggles into food and I don't know it's there and then BAM and I say, "You son of a..."

According to an article on the Cigar Aficionado website, "Aptly named My Father Connecticut, the blend showcases a Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador, a Corojo '99 binder from Nicaragua and a Nicaraguan filler blend of Habano and Criollo leaf.

"With the exception of the wrapper, every leaf of tobacco comes from the Garcia family's farms."

The My Father story is pretty cool and you should definitely read more about it. After all, you should get to know the whole family, right?

It's only mostly dead.
Is The Princess Bride the best movie of all time? Yes, yes it is.

Even with its increase in strength, this Connecticut is like a perfect relationship: starts out sweet and smooth, hits some serious spiciness with the sweet undertones remaining and continually builds strength. And just like an amazing relationship, you hope it will never end.



*Are you grossed out by my sappiness yet? What is my problem? I'm not usually like this! Ugh
.
**Any good pictures you see here? Valentino took them. Any weird or all-out bad pictures you see? That photographer is this girl right here.

***Creepy?

****Any misspellings or awkward language from here on out is not my fault. Lauren makes a mother-effing strong margarita.

*****Honestly, I get distracted by a sparkle in the air, so...yeah...