January Cigars of the Month: La Flor Dominicana!

We have a January COTM Winner!

Congrats to Benjamin H!!

First, congrats to Bob L, who is walking away with this bounty of goodness, less the Lego construction worker, because that is all mine. (We need him to cut the cigars for us, obviously:

We'd planned a La Flor Dominicana event for January, and, like the marketing geniuses we are, chose this month's giveaway to correspond. But incidences beyond our control occurred, essentially a turf war in the Mean Girls vein but with old Italian guys at the hub. A stalemate occurred. Our event, literally stuck in the middle, fell victim.

We're regrouping and rescheduling, so the LFD even will still occur, just, sadly, not in the next couple of weeks.

Rather than reneg on the promised giveaway because the event was postponed, we're pushing through and that just means we'll have to have another when we have a new date!

In honor of the LFD-ness, we're giving away this collection, squirrelled away from our first LFD event in September:

See how I'm offering these to you graciously and his little Lego self is freaking out?
Just so you know, this is a perfect representation of his real-life freaking out.

As you would expect, Valentino is quite up-in-arms about me giving away "his" cigars. I reminded him these, technically, weren't his, never having made the trek into inventory. They've resided in the giveaway annex, which he doesn't know about. Or didn't, until I wrote that last sentence.

We'll probably add something to this six-pack of deliciousness, like maybe a hat or shirt or something, in addition to bodyguards, of course.


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It wasn't an Illusione after all! I do mix the metaphors into a dangerous concoction! Enter at your own risk!

Number three? Make that number awesome.

One of the millions of best parts of this movie.
[source]

 

We hadn't had Cigar Aficionado's #3 in their top 25 of 2014, the Illusione Fume d'Amour, yet...mainly because so many cigars, so little time. Sigh. 

But we're* at a cigar dinner sponsored by Mr J's Havana, our once a month festival of smoke and food and pals.  Yes, herfing.  But that sounds so...I don't know. Dirty? Kind of.

 

Anyway, Illusione is the featured cigar this month and (keep in mind I've been choking down huge quantities of prednisone lately) the Fume d'Amour Clemente is mother-effing fantastic.



The beginning of a love affair

You already know how we feel about best-of lists, since everyone and his brother has one, all based on an elusive, intangible selection process.  So keeping in mind that we're meh on it, Valentino lit up the Smoke of Love or Love Smoke and, I hate to say it, I fell in love.** 

Named #3 in the Cigar Aficionado 2014 year-end wrap up,*** this Nicaraguan puro, at 6 1/2 x 48 was "created by Dion Giolito, a cigar retailer from Reno, Nevada, who knew what he wanted in a great cigar and wasn’t afraid to push hard to get them just right," according to the Cigar Aficionado story. 

A few members of the regulars--Paul Joyle, Tom Joyle, our hero,
Mark Freeley, and Edgar Deckmange.

For this gang at Millonzi's in West Warwick, RI, the Fume d'Amour  is the perfect post-dinner...I guess you could call it dessert.****

"Limited production and high grade tobacco combine for what are some of the top-tiered blends on the market today, and Fume D’Amour stays true to that recipe." [source]
 

At the Mr. J's dinners, you receive two cigars.
Naturally, our hero gets four, because he makes off with mine.



Illusione spokesmodel Edgar Deckmange told us about how this cigar doesn't use any ligero, which is usually the leaf that punches you in the face, the heavyweight champion of tobacco leaves. Instead, Giolito blended viso and seco, the lower, milder primings, which created the full-bodied bout, without the 1-2 punch. But like a fight of experienced boxers, the small moves, the refined notes, create the technical knockout of other cigars in a sly, subtle way.

"You wouldn't know there's no ligero in this," said our hero, as he performed a magic trick, making the cigar disappear.


The hand is quicker than the eye.

"That's the 4-6 year old tobacco," Edgar told us. And Giolito choreographs different portions of the leaf, some closer to the stem, others towards the end of the leaf, which makes for the unique blends found in the Illusione cigars. The prizefighter makes sure all rollers are making cigars only to his liking.

It's true! Not only do you get great food and cigars, you can also LEARN things at these cigar dinners. 

If you're interested in whooping it up with us, the next two events will be:

Monday, April 6--Drew Estate

 

 

Monday May 4--Tatuaje

 

*I swear I start these things with the good intention of finishing them that night and being all timely--like back in the days when I was a newspaper reporter: Getting shit done right away. I was much younger and less distracted back then.

**I'm sticking with the present tense. If this bothers you, let me know and I'll get a Sharpie so you can change it.

***Sometimes I can be such a stupid girl.


****It IS Cigar Aficionado, so that's something.
 

*****Dammit. I want dessert. Why can I never ever get dessert at these damn cigar dinners, regardless of where they are held and by whom. 

Where We'll Be: Falto Cigars Early Release Event at Havana Cigar Club

This Thursday, March 12 at 7:00, we're heading over to Havana Cigar Club in West Warwick for a 20th Anniversary event with the one and only Luis Falto!

The man himself.

By the way, this means we'll get to try the 20th Anniversary cigar a full month before anyone else. (Although maybe, just maybe, a certain someone happens to have one in a certain humidor, and Cabellero #2 might also have one. Because, you know, we know a guy...)

Anyway, who's in with us?

How about if we said Luis was flying  in just to have a meet and greet with us--and you, if you come, you should come--and to chat about his amazing new cigar, the Falto Eminente. Rumour (::cough internet stalking cough::) has it, this cigar has the following elements: Habano Ecuador wrapper, Double (Dominican and Cuban Seeds) Ecuador binder, and Dominican filler.*

 

 

 

How about if we tell you that Luis' story, as well as the story of La Garita Cigar Company and Cigarros Falto is an interesting one and we couldn't possibly do it justice in this little old blog, so you should read about it here.**

 

 How about if we tell you that if you purchase any Falto cigar at this event, you'll get to try the 20th Anniversary Cigar--compliments of Luis!***

 

[source]

 

Luis Juan Falto is a young entrepreneur from the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. "A cigar smoker for more than two decades and connoisseur of everything concerning the culture of tobacco, his cigars represent the ambitious initiative to create an exclusive line of premium boutique cigars powered by his experience and knowledge," according to the company website. "At the same time, he created a unique philosophy of making cigars full of passion and love for the tradition of such art form."

 So we'll see you there? We'll see you there. We'll be looking for you. Look for us--we're easy to spot: The handsome devil and his socially awkward sidekick!****

 

 

 

*If this has changed and we're totally wrong, we apologize. We're flying without a net here. And by that, I mean one of us is quitting Diet Coke and grrrr.

 

**Consider it homework. There may or may not be a quiz.

 

***And we're not talking one cigar that gets passed around between all attendees. Because that would be gross. Although one of these days remind me to tell you about the guy who picked up one of Valentino's discarded cigars and finished it. It still makes me gag to think about it.

****We should get costumes with capes. Hopefully by Thursday.