I'm Back!

Well as most of you know I was gone for quite sometime. Well, I'm back now! I should have a review for you for you in less than a week. I think I'm going to review the Bahia Blu since I haven't found very many reviews for this stick. This is the review that inspired me to buy a bundle http://nicetightash.com/bahia-blu-b500-robusto/ Check it out, those guys at www.nicetightash.com know what they're talkin about! Anyway, I'm glad to be back!

My Xikar Warranty Replacement Experience

About a year ago I purchased my first Xikar cutter from the devil site. I was very happy with my cutter and use it almost daily. This past Christmas, I was included in my girlfriend's family's gift exchange. I had been curious as to how a Palio would stack up against my Xikar. So on my note card I requested a few things among those a Palio cutter.

Turns out the girl that drew my card couldn't find a Palio and got me a green Xi2. I was satisfied and didn't mind having 2 Xikar cutters. I kept 1 in my car and the new cutter at my girlfriend's house.

About 2 weeks ago I was sitting out on my girlfriend's patio and cut my Padilla Miami Torpedo. I took a few draws and realized I hadn't cut enough off, so I took another 1/8" off and the spring inside the cutter broke. It was stuck in the closed position. Needless to say I was a little disappointed since I have only used the cutter about 10 times.

I sent the cutter in within a couple of days and requested that they send me a MTX Multi-Tool, since I already had the Xi2. I wasn't expecting anything other than a quick replacement of the same cutter I sent in, but it was worth a shot.

So I get home yesterday, after watching the UFC fights at a buddies house, and I find an envelope from Xikar with a brand new MTX Multi-Tool in it. Great service if ya ask me.

Well now I feel like I owe it to Xikar to do a short review on their product. I'll use this cutter for all my cigars for the next couple of weeks. I'll take a few pics and let you know what I think about the functionality, and convenience.

Coming up, I'll have a review of the G.A.R. by George Rico of Gran Habano. Hopefully I can have that done by Wednesday.

Quick Smoke: Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles & Glenlivet 12 Year

As some of you may know, I caught a cold late last week. It made for a very unpleasant weekend. Well, I'm all better now! Last night was a rainy one here is Southern California, but I still managed to make room for a fine cigar and a few fingers of my first single malt scotch. The Tatuaje line is quickly becoming one of my go to smokes. I've been smoking many of the Havana VI vitolas lately. It seems to fit my flavor profile very well. The Angeles (petite corona) size offers very balanced notes of pepper, earth and wood. Through the nose the spice is medium in strength and smooth on the palette. The ash was long and white, and burned evenly. The aroma coming off of the cigar as very pleasant. Overall it was a very nice smoke that I think would benefit from some age.

As for the Glenlivet 12 Year, this was the first time I had tried the Glenlivet brand. I was at my local store picking up a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label, but they were out of stock. So I saw the Glenlivet 12 for a decent price and decided to give it a shot. I'm no whiskey expert, but I did enjoy it. I tried it with a splash of water, and decided I enjoyed it more with a few ice cubes. Nice notes of sweet smokey wood, with a sharp finish. I still enjoy my Johnnie Walker Black, but I normally add a touch of diet coke to that. I think I will keep both on hand for different occasions.

Hopefully I can get a full cigar review up by this weekend. I'm still working 2 jobs so it's very tough to post on a weekly basis, but I will do my best. Thanks for reading. Comment love is always appreciated!

Cigar Review: Tex Cigars House Brand

Cigar review time! Once again, this cigar comes courtesy of my good buddies over at Tex Cigars. Next time you need some cigars, check their site, they have some damn good prices.

The Story:

Not much is known about this cigar. The only information I was given was that it is made by PIO and will soon be Tex Cigars house brand with a price point from $3 to $4. I was lucky enough to smoke 2 of the Toro size (6 X 50) for this review. I am told the blend is from Nicaragua and the Dominican, and the wrapper is an Equadorian Criollo. Sounds like the makings for a nice smoke.

Construction/Pre-light:

The wrapper looked very rough with several veins, and the stogie was a little light for its size. I am told these are a few months from the factory, so they may be a little fresh. The pre-light draw was easy with slight resistance. Not too free, but not tight or plugged. The flavors I got from the pre-light draw was a slight spice on my lips and a nice woodsy/sweet flavor on my palette.

Flavors:

The flavors on this 6X50 Toro were consistent and pleasing. The smoke started with a nice woodsy flavor up front with a very subtle amount of spice. It produces lots of thick white smoke. After a few minutes the slight spice fades and a sweet carmel flavor shines through. This sweetness is more noticeable in the finish and stays on your tongue for sometime. My taste buds really enjoy this sensation. I found this cigar to be a solid medium bodied smoke. Towards the end of the smoke, a slight spice is introduced and a little bitterness. I believe if these are rested a couple more months that bitterness will disappear.

The Burn:

The burn started a little on the crooked side but it corrected itself very well. As you can see by the pictures this cigar had a very nice strong white ash. Only one touch up was required.

Overall:

This cigar was a nice daily smoke. I would recommend this cigar to people that enjoy Criollo wrappers and not so much spice in their cigars. For the price this is an awesome smoke. For that I give this cigar a deserving 7.5 of 10 rating. Solid smoke for a very nice price.

Cigar Review: Illusione 88 "Robust"

It's time for another cigar review! This cigar comes courtesy of my friends over at Tex Cigars. They sent me a package of several cigars to review, and this was the second I picked of the bunch. I can't thank Tex Cigars enough. Now, on to the review!

The Story:

The Illusione 88 is a 5X52 Nicaraguan Puro. I have tried a couple other sizes in the line; the 68 (Petite Corona) and it didn't do much for me, but the #2 (torpedo) was phenomenal. This line of cigars is made up of 1st Generation 99 Corojo, Criollio 98 seed, and wrapped in Cafe Colorado Rosado Wrapper. As I did my research, I find that the designation for the number "88" is for the year the owner of the brand Dion Giolito moved from Oklahoma to Reno to be closer to his home in Las Vegas. If you ever get a chance to visit their site, you should read about his story of how he came to make Illusione. It's pretty fascinating.

Construction/Prelight:
Looks nice, One large vein down one side of the cigar. It feels fairly heavy for its size. Nothing really to complain about. The prelight draw is free with the slightest hint of resistance.

Flavors:


Once lit, the first few puffs give off a mellow tip of the tongue spice, followed by that rich Nicaraguan tobacco taste. After a little over an inch I get a nice leather flavor with a slightly nutty back round. It is very enjoyable, the finish, in my opinion, is a tad too short. I wish the flavor would sit a little longer on my pallet. I smoked 2 cigars for this review, but I smoked 1 about 6 months ago and I found it too spicy for me. The two I received for this review were much more smooth and well balanced. I also believe my tastes have changed slightly since then. I now gravitate more towards spicy cigars.

Half way down I taste a slight earthy sweetness. Very subtle, but it's there. Actually, it is becoming more intense the further down I get. The more I smoke this the more I wonder why the first cigar that I smoked over 6 months ago was so different than the 2 I smoked for this review. It's very puzzling. The last third is right at the brink of overwhelming back of the throat spice. The 2nd cigar I smoked was more spicy on the last 3rd than the first. Maybe that's just my perception, or I might have smoked the 2nd cigar faster. The aroma that came off the cigar was very sweet and woodsy. Very nice.


The Burn:

The burn is pretty erratic, but I touched it up after the first picture. I've never really cared how a cigar burned, unless it's to the point of being a nuisance. Very Strong ash.

Overall:

I would say this is a medium bodied cigar that moves towards full the further you smoke it. All in all this cigar was a solid 8 of 10. With a price point of just over $7 per stick if bought by the box, this cigar is a little more than I would like to spend. If it were in the $5 range it might be a 9 of 10.