How do we love thee? Consider this an official public display of affection...

I was just writing a super bunch of stuff for our forthcoming website and decided, hey! I should self-plagiarize! So here's a portion of what's to come...

n.b.: If we left you off the list even though we have publicly professed our love for you in the past, it's because your lovely blogger was distracted by the bubbles in her ginger ale. Literally, it's not you; it's me.

Another n.b.: These are in no particular order.


Anyway, these are folks who actually speak to us in public. We support them, their businesses, their endeavors. They don’t look away when we make eye contact. Win-win!

Habanos Cigar Lounge—Where the magic happens. And by “magic,” we mean where words are written, friends made (where we found Caballero #2!), and cigars smoked. We consider this our “home base.” (Hi, well, everyone!) If you come by and we aren’t here, there’s a good chance we will be soon!

 

So...many...things...

Mr. J’s Havana—Owned by our SuperFriend Paul Joyle, this cigar shop in West Warwick, RI (located within Joyle’s Liquor) requires your immediate presence. Go ahead. We’ll wait. While you’re there, say “Howdy” to Mark and Nate and many of the regulars. They’re all awesome. Oh! And make sure you try the J Grotto cigars. You’re welcome in advance.

Actually, there's a new sign outside and the inside has been completely redone!
Broadway Cigars: Now! With more coziness!

Broadway Cigars—We’re big, big fans of this cigar lounge in Providence, RI, even though we don’t get there nearly as much as we’d like! They have fantastic in-house events and cigar dinners. Go for the ever-expanding repertoire of cigars and regulars, stay for the conversation and fun. Tell Bobby and JV we sent you! Oh! And it’s BYOB, just so you know!

This picture doesn't do The Humidor justice. But when you're swiping
pictures from the mighty internets, beggars can't be choosers.
Well, they can...

The Humidor--With three Rhode Island locations, all unique and yet amazing, our favorite is the East Greenwich, RI, shop, which features a huge lounge area, big enough to hold an excellent Drew Estate dinner, which we went to this past Thursday. Owner Jana is one of the coolest chicks we know; she hosts fabulous events and provides a fantastic selection of cigars and accessories. Tell her we said "Hi!" when you go!

Cigar Cellar and Lounge—A bit further from home than we’d like, this Miami spot is heaven. We happened upon it by accident and now we’re trying to figure out how to relocate the business, owner Rhea Planes, and all the regulars up to us. (And no, relocating to Miami is not an option. Too hot there for one of us.) Learn how to play dominos before you go and tell Rhea we said "Hi!" and we miss her, when you get there!

As wonderfully eclectic inside as it is out.

Leaf + Bean, Pittsburgh’s Strip District—There are almost no words for how eclectically awesome this place is. Owned by our pal Jim Robinson (he who created the Leaf by Oscar cigar, among others), this shop happens to be near Valentino’s hometown and not too far from Penny’s son’s home. We visit both a lot more now.

Churchill's Smoke Shop--Not a huge place, but definitely a hugely welcoming place! Valentino found this on his own, and when I eventually got there myself, I felt the need to arm-punch him for holding out. Owner Bryan and Joe are definitely guys you want to be friends with--trust me on this.

Yes, an actual old firehouse.

Old Firehouse Smoke Shop--This is another shop we'd heard about for ages and then practically stumbled over by accident while we were in Fall River, MA. So so so glad we did! John only carries boutique cigars; if you wander around for even a bit of time, you'll say, "Hey! I heard about these..." or "I've been looking for these..." more than a few times. Plus...there's a shop dog named Wyatt to love while you're there...

Premium 70/70 Cigar Shop and Lounge--Who's an ass? Make that a clueless ass...This girl. Premium 70/70 is in my hometown. The town I lived in for mumblemumble years! And I've driven by no less than one hundred million times, making a teeny tiny mental note of it. One day we had some extra time and said, "Hey, we should go there.." And we did. And we loved it, especially Nolan and the great cigar selection. Plus, there's a shop cat named Bob... If I still lived in town, I would make that my homebase for sure.

Havana Cigar Club--If you have an hour or ten, you should visit Havana's humidor. Take it in like an art gallery; that's what I do, while Valentino stands there saying, "Come onnnnnn" and one of the awesome staff members tells me about the cigars I regard with obvious longing. If you do actually choose (because you aren't indecisive like me), settle into a cozy leather chair and...ahhhhh. Become a member and you can settle into even cushier chairs in the private member room.

Ale House Cigar Bar—This really cool place to hang out, located in downtown Providence, RI, has its cache upped by the staff—welcoming, funny, and thoughtful. Honestly, we don’t get here nearly enough.  That needs to change—stat--partly because we miss Humidor Manager Jake!
 

Boulevard Cigar--A newcomer to the greater Providence area, stepping into this  place is like visiting your best friend’s living room—it’s welcoming, cozy, and…well, your BFF probably doesn’t have an amazingly stocked humidor, but ours does! A great cigar selection, especially for a new place. Bet you'll love it so much you'll want to be a member!

 

The other day, I said, “I’d like to quit my job and travel around the country in an RV, checking out cigar lounges and going to cigar events.”

Simultaneously, two friends looked at me and said, “Don’t you already do that?”

Oh. Actually, yes. Except we don’t have an RV.

What cigar lounges should we visit next? Tell us--we have the summer off, although can that possibly be long enough? Anyway, we want to find new favorites. Without an RV, obviously (harumph), but I can try to overlook that. I'll just have to settle for Valentino's luxury vehicle... 

This is no pig in a poke Or: These Flying Pigs landed right in our humidor

When a friend who knows umpity-gajillion things about cigars texts and says he has something super special in his work humidor that you might just want, you don't say, "Hmmm. Let me think about that and get back to you." You say, "Fuck yeah. I'll be in Friday."

That's what happened with our friend Jake, Jake from Ale House. He was the texter, in case you weren't following our precise line of reasoning.

It's Jake. Jake from Ale House.

So now we own this:

Open sesame.

 

Ooooh. Purty.

Surely I can't possibly tell you anything you don't already know about this pen of pigs, 
like the San Andrés Negro wrapper, the Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut and Cured Sun Grown Habano binder, and the Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Habano filler.

A sexy 4 1/8 x 60

Or its super sassy shape. So, in case there are three of you in the world (and I was one of them not too long ago, thus making four) who don't know, Flying Pig is a shape, not just a fun name to say and imagine.

We were all ready to share, in our own words, because that's the right thing to do, the Undercrown Flying Pig info with you.  But the story of its inception is so fantabulous that paraphrasing didn't do it justice. So here, swiped from the Drew Estate website, is...not really the rest of the story,* but the whole story:

"In early 2009 we asked our torcedores to smoke less Liga Privada cigars because they were leaving too few to be exported. This request was met with the disappointment you would expect, but rather than being disgruntled they responded by blending their own signature liga.

"Incorporating many of the same rare tobaccos, but of different vintages and primings, the cigar they created was no mere replacement. Rather it is an exceptional smoking experience of uncompromising quality and flavor that deserves to be smoked by all.

"It is always the master makers who are heralded, but the reality is that great cigars are the product of many talented people, most of whom toil in factories with no publicity ever. They are the uncelebrated heroes who make all of our lives more pleasurable with the cigars they craft. And therefore, it is with great pleasure that we are now sharing their factory floor creation with you as Undercrown, borne of our worker’s ingenuity, resourcefulness and passion for a great cigar."

This short, stout perfecto was initially released in the Netherlands and the world (except the Netherlandiers? Is that a word?) had the sad. But in June 2012 and again in August 2014, they became US citizens--and were summarily sucked up (and sucked in) quickly, which is why we were all "fuck yeah" when Jake beckoned.

Why the drooling cigar smokers jousting for the rogue box? Why can't there be a pig in every pot--or humidor?

Because the rolling process is completed by two mere mortals only.** "Described by many as one of the best and most satisfying Ligas ever produced (Undercrown or not), the Undercrown Flying Pig is a rare treat that every cigar enthusiast and collector alike should strive to have in their humidor." [source]

Valentino couldn't light it up fast enough and made sure Caballero #2 laid his hands on a couple also.*** When the hero of our story revved it up and the smoke started billowing, man, oh, man it wafted chocolate, vanilla, and coffee right smack dab into my sensory receptors. Honestly, the people who make faces and bitch about cigar smoke need to 1. Actually wake up and smell the smoke and 2. Shut the fuck up.****

Cabellero #2 partakes.

Of course, when we answered the Call of the Undercrown, we didn't just walk out with that one product. There were more purchasing shenanigans. Read about them here! You won't be sorry. Annoyed, maybe. Probably even bored. But sorry? Nope. See you there!

P.S. As a return favor, I worked some magic for Jake, Jake from Ale House. Well, not really magic--more like put my research savant skills to work for him.  He told Valentino about a cigar he loved but hadn't been able to find. Fingers ablaze, I found those motherfuckers***** for him, sent him links, and said "You're welcome." Boom. Mic drop.

 

 

*Anyone else still miss the late, great, Paul Harvey?

 

**And no superheroes

 

***You may start singing "That's what friends are for." You're welcome for the earworm.

 

****I'm very swearish today. Must be the prednisone talking. Or bitching.

 

*****Four swears

The owl made them do it Or: La la la...Flor Dominicana

Once upon a time, there lived a La Flor Dominicana beer stein at Ale House Cigar Lounge in Providence, RI.

A certain humidor manager at said establishment contacted via the mighty text messenger in the sky that aforementioned stein lived amongst the delicious cigars. Negotiations were made and it was decided the stein would reside in Casa Awesome.

Casa Awesome: Back when the snow was pretty and delightful.
Now it's a party guest that won't leave

Then the heroes of this story decided they should be fiscally responsible and negated the deal.

Then, two things happened:

1. They found out Caballero #2 had one. (Add your own comment about best friends and men and competition.)
2. They remembered who they were and they would have the sad if a limited edition piece of awesome passed them by.

They'd visited the Ale House humidor to partake--or really just take (after paying)-- this:

I know! Right? <--hate that saying, by the way

As they enjoyed the happy, thinking the story ended there--right after the American Express journeyed through the credit card machine.

They glanced around the humidor a final time, ready to evacuate, and then saw this:

Will stakes his claim.

Apparently, our heroes would be purchasing the beer stein after all. YOu must laugh here because the heroes--they really did believe they could leave it behind. If they've learned anything over the past six months as Idiot Handlers, it's this: You don't say "no" to Will.*

And as a result, they now own this:



note bene: I took this picture, obviously, since the clarity is nonexistant.
In my defense, I stood on tippy-toes and held the camera up in a shaky-arm photo op.

...which was filled with these:

Our heroes first picked up the LFD 1994 at Premium 70/70 in Westport, MA. It was love at first puff. The stein 1994 is the most special (6 x 54 with a maduro wrapper) of the new family of five (sizes**) celebrating Litto and Ines Gomez’s 20 years in the cigar business. The stein and its super awesome cigars are limited to 5,000 units carrying 20 cigars each.

You're surely most curious about this: the cigar's magical blend. Well, that comes from a Mexican San Andrés natural wrapper binder and filler from the La Canela farms in the Dominican Republic.

If you want non-stein 1994s, you can choose one of four regular production sizes:

Aldaba (6 x 58) ~ Conga (5 x 52)
Mambo (7 x 54)  ~ Rumba (6 1/2 x 52)

Actually, you shouldn't choose between them. You should get them all--and in boxes of 20 at that.

Anyway, according to the folks at Anthony's Cigars, the cigar begins with an earthy note and then adds citrus and chocolate notes. "Compared to the Ligero and Double Ligero lines, the 1994 is a medium bodied smoke with enough complexity to confound even the most complicated palates."

The La Flor Dominicana website states, "We have set aside tobacco for years in anticipation of this very special blend to commemorate our 20th anniversary. The complex and powerful flavors of the 1994 originate from the best fillers and binder grown on our farm in the Dominican Republic and are complemented with a sweet and savory Mexican San Andrés wrapper. This blend is as special as the occasion it serves to commemorate and is symbolic of the quality and pride with which La Flor Dominicana has built its name."

As you've been told you time and again, our heroes are super BFFs*** with anything and everything LFD. Luckily, they found room in our hearts for the new 1994. And even if there weren't room there, they could always use the stein for storage.



*Nobody puts Will in a corner.

**Vitola, if you will.

***Of course LFD doesn't know they're BFFs, but that's a minor sticking point.

Alec Bradley Black Market Vandal: It's a crime we can't get these everywhere!

"Where did we get this?" Valentino called from the living room, staring at the open door of the humidor as if it were a refrigerator and he wanted a snack.

As I was in the kitchen, I had a choice--beckon him to me or head in his direction. I decided on the latter, but we wound up meeting in the middle.* He held out this cigar:

Without the lovely background beverage.
That came later.

An Alec Bradley Black Market Vandal.

 

"CI," I said, reminding him of their location within the Cigars International Hamburg (PA) Superstore,** where we stopped on the way to visit my boy in West Virginia before Christmas. We'd bought it more for novelty purposes than anything else. Let's give this a shot and if we liked it, we'd get more from our lovely neighborhood Alec Bradley rep.

 

He lit it up this evening at Habanos and said, "This is fucking good." He posted this picture on facebook:

 

Know why this is a good picture? He took it.
Know why this is a good cigar? Keep reading.

"Very interesting!" said the Friendly Neighborhood Alec Bradley rep. (Hi Drinnan!) "Haven't yet had it: I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on how it compares to the classic Black Market."

 

Valentino read that to me and we both made the "What the what?" face.

 

He took to his phone, for typing purposes only, naturally. "What? I'm smoking an AB that you haven't tried yet? It's marketed as full but it's smoother than the classic. If that's possible. Actually, it's quite good and even box worthy. You NEED to try it ASAP!!"

 

He hadn't tried it?? We panicked.  How could he not have tried it? Were they not available? Would we have to get them from the literal black market? "How many did you get?" I asked Valentino, taking in the second hand smoke and loving the familiar yet different taste--kind of like when someone makes your favorite dish but adds something just a little more special.

 

(This actually happened as I worried where the next Black Market Vandal would come from--the folks at Habanos are working on a new menu and they sent out some hummus --which I LOVE-- but with pomegranate arils peeking out from the chickpea and eggplant paste. I loved the hummus' smoothness [and the deep-fried pita chips didn't hurt either]--but that kick of sweetness added something really special to an established favorite. Serendipity*** that they occurred simultaneously.)

 

You can be jealous of my hummus and pita chips. And those delicious chocolatey cookies, too.

 

Before Valentino could even try to answer my rhetorical question, we saw the light, which came shining through a Facebook notification: "It's a CI exclusive. Which means it's not in my portfolio."

 

Now what were we going to do? We'd planned on hitting up aforementioned rep if we liked them. Yes, we know about the mighty, mighty internets and all they can bring us.**** Naturally, we prefer to purchase from B&Ms whenever possible--especially at events, when additional goodies can be had with specific purchases!

 

Usually when we purchase single sticks, we get at least two--one to smoke and one for the humidor.***** Sometimes, three--those other two, and another for Cabellero #2.  But this time? This time we bought one. One mere Alec Bradley Black Market Vandal cigar. One.

 

As he hit the cigar's halfway point, I had the sad upon that realization. One. Know why? Because it's So. Damn. Good.

 

About their cigar, CI says, "The components may look familiar [to the original Black Market we've all come to know and love] – 4-country blend of long-fillers, stimulating Sumatra binder, and hearty Nicaraguan wrapper leaf. This is all carried over from the original version. But here’s where things get interesting: included in that long-filler mix is a super-charged, super-secret, extra special tobacco leaf that ratchets up the intensity big time. Tremendous notes of spice and pepper explode on the palate, and culminate in a long, lingering finish."

 

The original. [source]

We've been long-time fans (well, since the release in 2011) of the AB Black Market. (I'm afraid to see how few are left from the last box we purchased.)  In fact, upon our first Black Market smoke, I believe we bowed in Alan Rubin's direction--or what we imagined to be his direction.

 

The man himself. Thanks, Alan,
for another thing to spend money on!
(You're welcome.) [source]

During the Great Vandal Facebook Discussion, our friend Jake, Hanley's Ale House Humidor Maestro (Hi Jake!) said, "I love the smoothness of the regular Black Market so if it's smoother, it's awesome." That seemed to be the consensus from folks in our general smoking vicinity.******

 

Because this is a CI exclusive, you won't find a plethora of reviews from reliable, established sources. You already know what a crazy mad researcher I am, so don't get all, "Penny's slipping--she barely has any sources on the Vandal here" because I totally searched.

 

So you're going to have to take our word for it: Dudes, the Alec Bradley Black Market Vandal is the bomb-diggity.

 

You're welcome.

 

 

 

*True love.

 

**I'm a shopping savant. Or a visual learner. Or both.

 

***One of my most favorite words.

 

****After all, that's how we found each other! (Hi, match.com!)

 

*****What I usually say is "One to smoke and one for the monster."

 

******This makes me wonder: If you're smoking an amazing cigar, should you charge for the second hand smoke, or is it considered a community service?

Happy New Year! (The rest of the story)

New Year's Eve is happening. Right this second.* Although by the time I post this, we could be in 2016.

So here's a brief rundown. 

Our hero, Cabellero #1:

I actually took a cool picture! Yay me!

The Cigar Formerly Known as Mysterioso!  Thanks LFD for bringing it back this year, even though some asshat was mad about the Mysterio/Mysterioso name. (::cough:: click on the link for details ::cough::)

Cabellero #2 takes on New Year's Eve

Cabellero #2, upon us handing him a cigar and demanding he smoke it, had a Kristoff 685, which we told you about recently.

Remember?

Our friend Jake, the Maestro of Hanley's Ale House, loved on this baby:

The ash perplexed us.

It's the darned LFD Salomon, about which Cigar Aficionado said, "La Flor Dominicana Salomon is beautiful, strong, and complex. The man behind the cigar is Litto Gomez, who has become one of the most intriguing and talented cigarmakers in the world today. This Salomon showcases his considerable talents. His blend of homegrown tobacco from La Canela, Dominican Republic, and a stunning, dark wrapper imported from Nicaragua combines to bombard the palate with bold flavor of black cherry, licorice and rich cocoa."   

Okay, so the other day,** we were at Cigars International's Hamburg Superstore and I bought two salomons, natural and maduro, for Cabelleros #1 and #2 to smoke on New Year's Eve.

And I left them at home, in the humidor. Boo! I had the sad. That just means another smoke-together! Wahoo!***

Our friend Deep Dish Dave, smoked this for Old Times' Sake:

Because Jake ordered them for him

And then we started the new year with a new moniker for him. Deep Dish Dave is now LFDave, because our other hangout ran out of the Deep Dish, known for its "Sumatra wrapper, velvety smoke, and toasty sweetness." He needed something, so I bought him an LFD Capitulo 2 and he was done for. A goner. At least until ::hint hint:: the new Drew Estate order comes in.

Our hero ended the evening with this:

 

...of which he said, "Everything about this cigar is amazing." Yep. That's an Opus X Lost City Lancero, the great white whale of the cigar world, and for good reason. According to CI, "The Opus X Lost City was made with rare tobaccos grown on Chateau de la Fuente during the off-season for crop production, tobaccos that have been aging for 5 years prior to production. Made with 100% Dominican-grown tobaccos, this puro features dark Dominican wrappers and an eventful blend of Dominican long-fillers. The result is a bold, creamy smoke with robust flavors delivered in a mild, and smooth fashion complemented by a deep, cedary aroma. Rare, no doubt. Pricey, but worth it. Special, absolutely."

Our friend Jarrid (Hi Jarrid!) gifted the cigar to Valentino. THAT was amazing. Thank you a million times over, friend. A perfect ending to an imperfect year.****

*Hahahaha. Two days ago.

**Like, two? Three? weeks ago.

***Which is the opposite of Boo!

****Ask me some time about how Valentino almost missed the "Happy New Year!" portion of the show. Damn you, Rolex.***** ::shakes fist::

*****Operator error, actually.