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.





Cigar Lounge Manners: Clean up after yourself

Whether you're sitting at the bar, standing at the bar, or settled into a cozy chair, guaranteed there's an ashtray nearby. Use it.

If by some chance your ash abandons ship prematurely, swoop the runaways into a nearby ashtray. This will take you fifteen seconds at the most.

This is an ashtray. Look how nicely it holds cigars.
It is equally talented at holding the cigar's ashes.

We understand that maybe you didn't realize. If that's the case, no harm, no foul.

However, spread your ashes around like rice (or birdseed) at a wedding and you're going to get a reputation--and not a good one. Yes, you will become, "That guy."

If you're okay with this moniker and all that accompanies it, you'd damn well better tip the bartender well for cleaning up after you. If you don't overtip, as you should, then your service is going to get worse and worse as the visits pass. Plus, no one will talk to you. It's their house you're messing up.

Cigar lounge regulars are like a family. They care about each other and take care of each other. You wouldn't go into someone's house and start making a mess, so don't do it at the cigar lounge either.

Speaking of ashtrays, look over there to the right (if you're on a computer; it doesn't show up on a mobile device).. You can win one. Just sign up for our newsletter/blog updates!

May Cigar(s) of the Month: CigarFest stuff!

First, congrats to Matt, who won last month's giveaway!

Nothing got done on time, what with CigarFest and the end of the semester coinciding, so in order to give the next sponsor the full month's worth of Wahoo!, we're going to lay down and beg forgiveness in making you wait.

So we went to that lovely event,* and brought home this:

That's 520 cigars right there. No, you don't get them all.

and this:

No, you don't get all of it. Sorry!

Again, you may not have all of it. But we'll put some of the loot together, and that will be your prize for entering this month's giveaway.

How do you get in on this looting?  This:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Okay then! Happy entering!

I'll be over here napping until the drawing, exhausted from all. the. things.



*CigarFest, not the end of the semester, although that was pretty darned awesome in and of itself.

November Cigar of the Month: Thank you!!! And we have a winner (or two)! (But you're going to have to work for it.)

And the winner of the Norteno cigars is...

First let me say, I was thinking the other, um, minute? That maybe I should shut the eff up because I was bitching in the last post about not being able to attend a few cigar events because I had to work. In honor of the season, I fully acknowledge that of course I am thankful I have an awesomely cool job and my students, for the most part, are fantasticly, or at least fantasticishly, awesomesauce.

Get it? Oh, I am dying of laughter! [source]

And then I decided I should not listen to myself complaining about bitching because:

1. I like the sound of my own voice (even the ones in my head)
2. Any sane person is going to have the sad if their partner-in-crime, er, cigars gets to cigar without their partner.*

The position has been filled!
Thanks, Valentino! Best. Partner. Ever. (Too mushy for the blog?)

I know you slogged through all that in order to get what you came for:**

The winner of the Nortenos is...

By the way, sorry I made you wait a few extra days. Since I missed five days of school recently because of the saddest of sadnesses, I've been trying the play catch-up and failing miserably. And then there was some badass food to be eaten. And then there's this deadline to revise a manuscript to perfection*** before sending it out, time crunched because of that lost week. And then the Christmas shopping that must be done and wrapped two weeks before Christmas... Zoiks.

So I'm a few days late. Since it's my thing and this is my blog, I can't even get in trouble.****

Evil laugh, of course! [source]

Also, by the way, thank you all so much for participating in the giveaway.  This was our most successful to date by a kazillion percent, so we are very very grateful that you shared your awesomeness with us.

Thanks for reading our blog! It really is a labor of love.*****

So without further...

Oh. Hold on. While we're talking about random things, I have to beg you to follow our friend Will the Travelling Owl on Facebook.****** If you like what we're giving away here, you'll totally dig what we have coming up at the beginning of the year over there!! Plus, he's pretty fun and has a ton of adventures, some of which we talked about here!

Okay, for realz this time. Except I'm stalling. I want to send you all something, but I suspect Valentino will be super pissed if he comes home to find the cupboard (humidor) bare.

So I'm choosing two of you. And he can't stop me because he isn't here. Insert that evil laugh here, too.

The winners are:

Denee Salazar and  JCarrier02 <<~~I'm assuming that's not his/her real name!!

Hahahaah. [source]

What's the December Cigar of the Month?

We're glad you asked!! A collection of cigars plus some swag from the amazing folks at Alec Bradley. Go here for contest details!!

Upon his return, Valentino will take a much better photo.
But yeah, you get this!!

*For heaven's sake, like I tell my students, although they don't believe me, I'm not a monster!!

**I was going to make a funny--very funny (in my head)--joke about it being similar to suffering through a fabulous dinner while on a date in order to have delicious sex with that devastatingly attractive and funny companion. But I didn't want to offend anyone. So there you go!

***Some might call this writing, but I call it revising with style.

****Because Valentino is away and doesn't know I haven't done it yet.  What? Oh.

*****Why am I so sappy today? Grrr. Buck up, soldier!

******No, it is not weird that we just called a stuffed owl our friend.  Check out the Facebook page and you'll see why it's not crazy at all!!

The Caballeros Ride Again: Cigar Dinner Edition!

Oh, you know we love a nice fundraiser, especially when cigars are involved!

About a hundred years ago--a month maybe?-- Caballero #2 told us about a cigar dinner to support the Young America Club in Plymouth, MA.*

But the really enticing part? The Caballeros would be together again, after a too-long hiatus, on which I blame 1. travel; 2. being an adult; 3. stupid crap. So we said "Meh!"** to the comedy show tickets we'd already purchased*** and readied up for some serious cigarocity**** at the Young America Club.

As the event was supported by General Cigars, upon arrival, we received this bounty:

And thanks, Brennan's Smoke Shop! Hi Geoff!

Caballero #2 dove into this beauty and our hero followed suit:

See those raffle tickets in the background?
They're going to play a part in the story soon...

According to the La Gloria Cubana website "Available only at fine tobacconist stores, Serie R® Estelí was the second blend to surface during the blending process. Beefed by a top priming Jalapa Sol wrapper and rounded out by a combination of visos and ligeros, Serie R® Estelí sings her Nicaraguan song at the top of her lungs."

Plus, there was food, and we love foods.***** Valentino and all the other boys we love (Hi Caballero #2! Hi Three Amigos!******)

I willingly gave up my lobster. Too much work for too little return.
Now mashed potatoes...yeah baby.

Then there was the winning portion of the show. Er, I mean, the raffle portion of the show. Oh, who am I kidding.  Of course we won. We win a lot.*******

So...this:

Thanks again, General Cigar!

We had our doubts upon receipt of these winnings.

Michael Giannini and his team created the Foundry Worm Hole line, which pays tribute to the concept of the  "Worm Hole" -  and time travel; the Foundry Worm Hole line pays tribute to the past, present, and future. "The inspiration for Worm Hole starts at the year 1964, moves to present day 2014, and finally 50 years in the future to 2064.  The Worm Hole series has a blend for 50 years past (1964 Blend),  Current State (2014 Blend), and 50 years into the future (2064 Blend)" according to an article on Cigar Coop.

"Consistent with most of the Foundry portfolio, the details of the tobaccos have not been disclosed, but these are said to include rare tobaccos that have not been used before." The 2026, which we now own (Thanks, General Cigar for the product donations!) features "a unique keepsake (non-paper) cigar band." when we opened the box and saw 24 6 x 52 cigars clad in plastic, our inner skeptics kicked the winning gene in the head and took over.

Then Valentino lit one up. Much happiness ensued. It was sweet and creamy, with a little pepperiness. Then I lost sight of the smoke (if that's possible) because then he won this:

And thanks again again!
And you can tell by the blurriness of this picture, that I took it.
Because I am that awesome.

So I leave you with this, the folks who helped us carry out all our loot:

Josh Rashid and his daddio Caballero #2,
General Cigar's Marc Lagace, and our hero, Valentino. 

Hahaha. Just kidding (kind of)! But thanks to you guys and the Three Amigos for being so great!********


*Yes, where the Pilgrims lived. No, there weren't any there.

**And by this, I mean we sold them on Craigslist.

***We were in the middle of saying, "Darn, I think we're going to eat those tickets" about three hours before the comedy show when his phone rang and someone asked if the tickets were still available. It was a ticket miracle! We're hoping that's not the only miracle we get for the rest of the year.

****That is too a word.

*****Although gentlemen planners, no dessert? What the what? Granted, there were only two women at the dinner (Yay!), but...but...

******Who are actually three brothers--triplets!

*******This has nothing to do with me.  I lose a lot. Valentino, like my dad, has the winning gene. Only occasionally does this gene shed its recessive trait and rear its winningness head.

********

Not really my Three Amigos,
but representative of their awesomeness.

The Crux of the Matter* <--Note the first sparkle!

We're sitting at the Mr.J's Havana cigar dinner in that seekrit location and the featured cigars are those by Crux.

"Who?" you ask, and rightfully so, because if you happened to spend the summer smoking old favorites, you might have missed this newcomer to the cigar scene. This past June, they launched the Passport, Ninfamaniac, and Skeeterz, followed quickly in July with Classic and the Bull and Bear.

At the dinner, we were given the first three and we jumped right in! We're nice like that!

First up? Passport, which comes in three sizes: the toro (6 x 48,which Valentino happens to be smoking right this second**), 5.5 x 44, and 7 x 40. The wrapper is Ecuadorean, the binder and filler from Nicaragua, which perked Valentino up before he even lit it. After all, as you must know by now, my guy is the #1 fan of Nicaraguan tobacco. 

True story.

When Valentino first toasted and lit the Passport, I waited patiently, slowly slipping the sangria that accidentally wound up in front of me. (That happens a lot at cigar dinners, for some reason.) He didn't make the "This is effing good," face that occasionally occurs upon the first puffs. But because this was something brand-spanking new, he took the time to savor over a third of the cigar (and I waited patiently, savoring one half of the sangria) before making the proclamation that it was pretty darned good.  Definitely worthy of some quality time.

I wasn't sitting directly next to him, poking him and annoying the crap out of him, like I usually am, not unlike a pesky mosquito (or should I say "skeeter"<--see what I did there?) and because there were so many guys smoking different cigars from Crux, I didn't get a chance to enjoy a good second hand smoke, although I did manage to capture and rein in an occasional chocolate and tobacco taste as friends stopped by our table to chat. Sangria makes me chatty.

Valentino said the Passport was hovering on the high-end of medium/low end of full.*** He also said he was getting a variety of flavors as he progressed through the tasty stick. The chocolate was an actual thing--not just my subliminal cry for dessert. He also picked up some cedar and citrus, along with pepper and leather. I continued drinking and accidentally stopped listening.

As the dinner portion of the evening ended, the raffle began and this happened:

Valentino won a travel humidor loaded with Crux cigars, compliments of the company. Thanks, guys! Our hero, along with the three other winners, and (L-R) Cigar Rep Mike Ferraro, Mr. J's Havana's Mark Feeley, Mr. J himself [Paul Joyal], and Tom, son of Mr. J! Huzzah! Congratulations! And if you must know, I also won--a table-top lighter offered by Mike! Thanks, Mike! Thanks all you super awesome guys! Signed, the token girl at the cigar dinners! XOXO

 

When the festivities wound down, we headed home, but then accidentally wound up at Habanos, where Valentino tried out the 7 x 33 Ninfamaniac, which comes in natural and maduro, although we only had a natural handy. The Esteli, Nicaragua filler and Indonesian binder are lovingly wrapped in Habana Jalapa.

 

Halfwheel.com had this to say about the Ninfamaniac's unique shape and taste: "There isn’t much problem burning through the closed foot of the cigar and establishing a somewhat firm but certainly acceptable flow of air that produces more than enough smoke. I do find myself adjusting how much of the cap to clip off in an attempt to preserve some of the pointed head while also ensuring there is enough of an opening to enable adequate air flow. There are touches of sweetness on the palate in the early going, along with some dry soil notes and a certain tangy zing that I’m inclined to think is coming from the Indonesian binder."

He finished that one, smoking it right down to the finger-burning nubbin and we didn't really feel like ending the evening (even though someone had an 8:00 class and had no right even being awake at that time!), so he fired up the third of the evening, the 4 x 32 Skeeterz--perfect for when you want quick and delicious. (Heh heh)  It has the same filler, binder, wrapper elements as the Ninfamaniac, although because of its unique size and shape, offered up a completely different smoke and experience.

Let's go to Halfwheel for the info about this one, because 1. I know he smoked it; I saw it happen, but I have no memory of any other sensory information about it other than seeing the smoke; 2. I forgot to ask Valentino to tell me descriptive words about it, and he's smoked umpity gajillion cigars since then. I've been a bad blogger.****

"Starting into the first third I’m immediately greeted with notes of fresh hay, a little licorice, a touch of light black pepper and some spice. Despite the earlier soft spots the draw is a little on the open end but still well within the ideal range. The smoke production from this little cigar is billowing and plentiful when drawing and drops down to almost no smoke coming off the foot a few seconds after setting it down. Less than an inch into the cigar and the black pepper has ramped up, coming more to the forefront to join the hay and the overall sweet spice while the licorice from the beginning has completely disappeared."

Yeah. What they said. If I were a really good blogger/reporter, I'd get him to smoke another so I could take in the experience and give you a first-hand report. But hahahahahaha. No. (He's out doing man things right now, so I couldn't ask even if I were so inclined.)

ANYWAY! You're probably dying to know who makes all these dandies.

Say "Hello!" to Jeff Haugen and Joel Rogers, co-owners of Tobacco Grove in Maple Grove, Minnesota!

Hello, Gentlemen! You've made our list of favorites! Welcome to the party!

"We have been retailers of premium cigars for over 20 years and have been truly blessed to be involved in selling a product that has done so much good for so many people. Cigars build friendships and community, uniting people from all walks of life. Cigars allow people to relax from the stressors of life, which allows us to sort out the challenges we face. Cigars allow us to celebrate the moments that matter most. Cigars reward us for our successes and help us accept our failures."

I know exactly what you're thinking: Penny***** needs cupcakes.  Ha ha ha. No.******

You were thinking, Sheesh! That's what Penny has been saying all along! The community! The friends! The culture! They're all favorites!

So...the moral(s) of the very very long-winded story:

1. The cigars? They are good! Super good! And...
2. The three we've had so far? Perfect for three different occasions: The "I want to leisurely hang out with friends" (Passport), the "I need to relax but I don't have a shit-ton of time" (Nimfamaniac), and the "Penny doesn't want to leave yet but the place is going to close and I don't want to fire up a cigar that I'm going to have to let die" (Skeeterz). Also...
3. These guys? They're super cool and you definitely want to support them and their new lines of fab cigars. So...
4. It's crucial that you try all the cigars in the Crux line.*******

 

*Sometimes these things just write themselves.

**And by "right this second," I mean this past Monday when I started this blog post. Sometimes, like a good cigar, they need to age a bit before they're released out into the wild.

***Glass half full, half empty. Whatevs.

****Yeah. Like it's the first time.

*****That's me, by the way, in case you haven't been paying attention--ever.

******I mean yes, I always need cupcakes, but that's not what you should have been thinking at that very moment!

*******See what I did there? Crux meaning the crucial point? Plus it's Latin for cross.********

********Yes, I studied Latin in school. And yes, I know my nerd-level just rose exponentially. Yay!

September's Winner!! Wahooo!

Before we get into the October Cigar of the Month, let's stop and say congratulations to our winners from the September festivities.

I printed out all the names of the folks who commented on the September post and the blog email subscribers. I said to Valentino, "Pick a number between one and a lot."

He said a number that would require me to actually work at counting, but you know I am willing to suffer for you folks, so I did it. I counted.

Me counting. [source]

And the winner is...Marc LeBlanc from Chicago!! (Hi, Marc!) Wooooohooooo! This makes me happy for two reasons: 1. I like giving Valentino's stuff away and 2. I went to college (Southeastern Massachusetts University, back when that was a thing) with Marc way back in the day!

Then I started to feel guilty, like you guys would think the whole thing was rigged, which it totally wasn't, so I told Valentino to pick another number. He did.

Yes, I make this face. Be quiet. Math is hard.

So our second winner is... Matt Rosenthal! (Hi, Matt!)

Both kind gentlemen will get at least one of these and maybe (probably) (definitely) other cigary things.

One cigar. Not one box. I'm an instructor at state colleges, for heaven's sake.

Want to know what's up next? For October? We'll post all the deets soon, but for now...this is a pretty good hint:

Yep! The brand-spankin' new J Grotto Anniversary Series! [source]

One of you will be receiving two TWO! Padrons! And the winner is...

As Valentino organizes his new humidor (which you will get to see as soon as it's prettified and stocked), I managed to lay claim to not one, but two Padron '64 Anniversary Series for you folks. Full disclosure: The humidor seems to be low on the torpedoes, so I'm sending you this instead (I'm sorry if it makes you sad that it's not torpedo action; please don't yell at me--I'll just cry and that's not something anyone wants to see). What was I saying? Oh yeah, this is coming your way:

'64 Anniversary Series Diplomatico and Exclusivo, coming soon to...one of you.
That's way better than what we promised--one measly torpedo!
What a bunch of cheapskates we are! Or at least we gave the illusion of being!

 Or at least one of you folks, since it's time for the reaping.

I bet you do. [source]

So we scientifically scribbled the names on paper--remember, one for a comment on the giveaway post and another for signing up for our mailing list--and tossed them into this beauty (below), which Valentino received as a birthday gift from our super fab neighbors. (Not these neighbors, because that would just be weird. And probably inappropriate.)

A visual representation--not the actual one because it's currently in use and if you know anything about me at this point, obvs I am not going to get up and wash an ashtray when I can steal a picture of a pristine one from the internet. Yes, it was clean during the choosing, but then cigars happened, as they are wont to do on cool, waning summer evenings.

 

And the winner is...Bryan Kizer!

Wahoooooo! Yay Bryan! [source] Now go check out the September giveaway!!

September Cigar of the Month: La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros

First off, let's congratulate Bryan Kizer for winning the August giveaway! Two Padrons will be on their way to him shortly!! Yay, Bryan!


So the other night at Habanos, we met up with our friend John from Broadway Cigars* and while we were chatting about all the things in the world, he handed Valentino an Artesanos de Tabaqueros from La Gloria Cubana.

She's a beauty, all right.

"You have to try this," he said.

We did. And boy, howdy,** was it ever great.

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade/Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Dominican/Nicaraguan/Honduran Proprietary/Secret
Binder: Secret***

According to the La Gloria Cubana website, this Dominican Republic cigar is "[m]eticulously crafted to combine two different wrappers and two distinct tastes in one eye-catching cigar. Artesanos de Tabaqueros is a world-class smoke that opens to a rich and intriguing spice and ultimately reveals a depth of flavor that can only be achieved through a precise balance of unique and rare tobaccos. Hand selected from General Cigar’s extensive library of Dominican and Honduran tobaccos, the cigars are dressed in both a supple Connecticut Shade and hearty Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. The blend is made solely of proprietary tobaccos, each aged five years or more."

Valentino and I both loved this stick from the first moment of toasting. Well, I loved it even before that because the complete coolness of the two-tone wrapper and the band placement.

The Connecticut wrapper started us slowly and smoothly, with a creaminess, which you all know I love. But as we moved to the Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf portion of the show, the potency and flavor ramped up to a richer, peppery, more full-bodied, earthy flavor. We liked it so much, five may have been purchased to reside in the new humidor we're going to keep telling you about but not actually show you. Think about how happy you'll be when the reveal comes!****

Then, the other night, at Valentino's Surprise Birthday Party,***** our friend Rick (Hi, Rick! Hi, Christen!) was looking for a recommendation. I knew exactly where to go--straight for the Artesanos de Tabaqueros! And he loved it! (How could he not?)

So, the point to this story is that choosing the cigar for this month was super easy!! Thanks, John, for pointing us in this direction!

No, you do not get the whole box. Sorry! We're not THAT nice!

Comment on this post to be entered to win.  (Be sure to leave your email address so we can get in touch with you!) Want a second chance? Subscribe to our blog posts by email--over there on the right side of the blog.

The winner will be chosen on the 25th of each month--because my birthday is on the 25th (of December; be sure to mark your calendars), and what better way to count down to the blessed event than to give something away?

So! Comment below. Wheeeee!



*That was quite a meta event, seeing a cool guy from one of our hangouts actually hanging out at another of our hangouts. The world was a little off-kilter there for a while!!

**What does this even mean?

***Duuuuudes...I can totally keep a seekrit!

****Yes, I watch too many HGTV shows because I love the transformative reveal at the end. So sue me.

*****Yes, I am behind on blog posts. Sorry! We'll catch up one of these days!

Valentino's July Cigar of the Month--Nica Rustica!

No, you are not getting all of these.  You get one. Or maybe two. But definitely one.

***UPDATE!!!***

We have a winners!!

Thanks to everyone who participated!!! You are all awesome! Check back in a day or so for the information on the next drawing! Here's a hint:

Again, no, not all these...but definitely this brand because...Oh, you'll see when we post the details!

Hi! Welcome to our first giveaway!

This month, Valentino has offered up one of his Drew Estate Nica Rustica.

According to the Drew Estate website, "Nica Rustica is a medium to full strength cigar that is blended to showcase native Nicaraguan tobaccos from Esteli and Jalapa. Aficionados will enjoy this rustic smoke that is robust and deeply satisfying. Genuine Connecticut Broadleaf encases Nica Rustica and imparts a subtle natural tobacco sweetness and spice."

Comment on this post to be entered to win.  (Be sure to leave your email address so we can get in touch with you!) Want a second chance? Subscribe to our blog posts by email--over there on the right side of the blog.

The winner will be chosen on the 25th of each month--because my birthday is on the 25th (of December; be sure to mark your calendars), and what better way to count down to the blessed event than to give something away?

So! Comment below. Wheeeee!