I SPY CIGARS : I NEED YOUR HELP. Please VOTE for me.

I SPY CIGARS : I NEED YOUR HELP. Please VOTE for me.: I need your help I have 72 hours to get 250 votes to help my CIGAR business expand. Please vote. This will help me expand the number of woun...

I NEED YOUR HELP. Please VOTE for me.

I need your help I have 72 hours to get 250 votes to help my CIGAR business expand. Please vote. This will help me expand the number of wounded warriors and disabled VETS I can also hire. Please vote and help.

https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/business/detail/112298

San Bajito Cigar review

Awesome Review by CIGAR FELLAS "MOOSE"

Cigarfest 2013 - A reflection

Cigarfest2013 -- a Hugh success!

It's been a couple of weeks now since I experienced Cigarfest 2013. Now as I reflect back on that time, I didn't have extraordinary expectations when I went but extraordinary things happened while I was there.  I initially thought everyone would just smoke a bunch of cigars to get rid of any pent up desire to "light em up".  However, this Fest was so much more than that.

Although all enjoyed a variety of well-crafted premium cigars, I came away from Cigarfest 2013 with a great appreciation of the enormous span of the people who enjoy a cigar and their reason to indulge.  Everyone I spoke with was deeply concerned about the direction of our great nation: too much government, too much regulation in the name of protecting us, and spending too much money without understanding the consequence of rapid spending habits.

These Americans were also concerned that we are in a place where individual responsibility has been supplanted with government regulation. It is like we are not smart enough to make our own decisions, only our elected (and appointed) officials know enough to tell us what to do and how to act.  Cigarfest folks want to just smoke a cigar in peace, without angst, and without everyone telling them where and when they can and cannot smoke.  It is not that cigar smokers are not sensitive to the fact that some do not like cigar smoke, it is just that accross the country more and more restrictive rules are in place because the non-cigar smoker might be offended. Don't cigar smokers also have rights? If you don't like cigar smoke then stay away from where people smoke cigars -- that is the sentiment expressed by those I had the privledge to talk with. Cigar smokers may have to become the next prohibition! Surely, we have room in our country for both groups. After, cigars are not cigarettes.

I was impressed with the camaraderie and enthusiasm displayed by all in attendance.  People were polite, civil, and genuine. Time and time again, people demostrated great respect and difference to each other. Didn't seem to matter where you were from, what you did to make a living, or any other trivial things we use to compare ourselves. It only mattered what your favorite cigar was and what you thought about the new lines that have been released.

At the end of the day, Cigarfest 2013 was well-organized, well-attended and well-loved by those who came. I am sincerely looking forward to cigar Fest 2014. Thank you Cigar International for putting on such a great show!


John

CIGARFEST 2013 After Glow

As of today, it's been a week since I returned from Cigarfest 2013. I have had a chance to recuperate enjoy cigars and talk to some of the cigar nuts from Cigarfest 2013.

So I thought I would start today off with the tail of the boss going to Cigarfest 2013.

Leaving from Cedar Rapids Iowa, I flew on United Airlines to Chicago O'Hare international Airport with an arrival time of 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening. Being blind and making your way through the old O’Hare airport, changing from Terminal 1 to the next terminal, then back to Terminal 1 or whatever terminal is no easy task. Luckily, I had a four hour layover.

I did, eventually, end up at the right gate (at 5:30 p.m.), only to be told that the flight was already running 30 minutes late. Why? The FAA and the furlough of air traffic controllers. Sigh…the government.

At 6:05 p.m., I was informed that we were changing to another gate. At this point I’m still not too worried since the plane as supposed to leave until 9:17 p.m. Rather than bore you with all the details, I will just tell you that I was still sitting on the airplane at O’Hare at 10:45 p.m. (after three more gate changes), waiting to leave for Allentown.

At 11:23 p.m., I was still sitting in the plane, only this time on the edge of the runway waiting for maintenance repair. It just never instills a lot of confidence in the airlines when you are sitting on the runway dealing with a maintenance issue. By this time, I had gotten two text messages from my business partner that he was already sitting in Allentown Airport with the rental car waiting for me to arrive.

At 00:07 (for those not used to military time that seven minutes after midnight) Allentown time, the plane landed. I sprint (a relative term) off to baggage claim, grabbed my one bag, and met my business partner John. We jump in the car and drive another hour north to White Haven, Pennsylvania, where we were staying near the Split Rock Resort in PA.

It is now 1:30 a.m.  John and I check-in and go to our rooms for the evening. Thank goodness for a smoking room to have a quick cigar before literally passing out for the night. The Cigarfest awaits us later that day!

I met John downstairs for breakfast at the hotel. It is now 9:15 a.m. We decide to follow the schedule and head back down the Allentown so that we can go to either the Hamburg Superstore for the CI nation or to the Bethlehem Superstore for cigars international nation.

We decide to head to the Hamburg Superstore so that we can meet with Nick Perdomo and the Perdomo cigar people. I am very glad we chose this route first as I was overdue another cigar already today. Smoking is allowed in the superstore. The staff and people at the superstore were phenomenal. I personally spent an hour in the blend room going through some of the personalized and private blended cigars that cigar international makes.

For cigar nuts this was as close to heaven as you could get. My personal preference is for a full body or extra full-bodied Madero cigars. I am very particular and picky about my cigars. Since I'm blind and can smell and really enjoy the aroma, John had a rather hard time pulling me out of the blend room.

We then spent well over 30 min. talking to Arthur and Joe of the Perdomo group. The time and education was well worth it. We then purchased a box from the crop of 2006 double Madero cigars and Nick Perdomo personally signed it “To my friends at I Spy Cigars.”  He is an awesome man and great person that I now count as a friend. I thoroughly enjoyed spending the time with him, Joe, and Arthur.

At the same time, we ran into Moose from the DREW ESTAES group and spent another hour of cigar education and information with him and the DREW ESTATES guys; another great bunch of guys. If you want an education about Drew Estates, I think there's none better than Moose himself short of the owners or the blenders at Drew Estates. 

After several rounds of pictures of the superstore, and looking at the details in the shelving and cigars and how they were being cared for, we decided to head out to the Bethlehem Superstore. Let's just say this was our fact-finding tour to help enhance I Spy Cigars, our store and smoking lounge in Iowa and San Antonio Texas.

It was time for another cigar at the Bethlehem superstore, which we enjoyed while we walk through and admired everything. All the staff at Bethlehem superstore were phenomenal; knowledgeable and extremely helpful and in everything that they did. 

We then went to the Split Rock Galleria to the smoking area lounge and got ready for the Man-of-War cigar people to come in and talk to us about Man-of-War cigars and meet AJ Fernandez, and Shorty Rossi and, of course, Man-of-War women!

We sat at a table with a father and son team that had come to Cigarfest for a number of years, Gary and Gary. While the younger Gary was watching the baseball game on his iPad, the elder Gary enlightening us with the ins and outs of cigarfests. He was giving us advice based on where we wanted to be, how we wanted to get to where we wanted to go, what we needed to do, what we didn't need to do, and all the good stuff that went with cigarfest; swapping cigars cigar stories and talking. Also the free beer from Sam Adams was awesome also. After having several cigars and being lubricated with Sam Adams, the afternoon with getting near an end.

Then it was back to the hotel for a quick nap before we left to spend part of the evening with Gary Sheffield and Rocky Patel. I am ever so happy and grateful that we did go back to the hotel for couple hours as Thursday evening got very long.(This meeting was another full blog yet to come)

We returned to the hotel at about 11:30 p.m. After 30 minutes in the hot tub, another cigar, and evening coffee, I crashed for the night.

Get ready for breakfast and start of Cigarfest 2013!

It's Friday morning, first day that the cigar nuts are allowed enter the tent for breakfast and all the beginning ceremonies for the Cigarfest.

The C I Nation women holding the banner, military veterans holding the US flag, honorary veteran cigar nuts, led by bagpipes and fife and drum start the opening ceremonies under the tent, post the colors and the celebration that is Cigarfest 2013 started.

Three thousand cigar nuts enter the tent for an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast. The C I models run back and forth with Cigarfest t-shirts for sale. The cigar nuts are on their toes. For some reason they would not let me “look” at the models. I guess they thought that the braille method was a little tacky. After John described what two or three of them were wearing, which was not much more than a couple patches of cloth and string, I fully understood why the braille method was not allowed. The girls would put on a t-shirt, go off into the crowd, and within a matter of seconds be without t-shirt again. After pictures or whatever, they ran back got another t-shirt and would sell it right off their back again.

Then it was time to get in line to get all the goodies for the early cigar nuts. A sports duffel bag and a humidor packed with so much stuff that when I put it on my shoulder it felt like I had 20 extra pounds already. I still had a cigar coupon book which you took to each vendor to get more cigars as you walk through Cigarfest 2013. Within two hours my duffel bag had over 180 cigars in it!

It was time to sit down and take a breather and watch the next group go in. At 12:30 p.m. an all-you-can-eat lunch was served. This was dry rub barbecue beef, chicken, sausage, pork, or sweet barbecue sauce on beef, chicken, sausage, or pork along with potato salad coleslaw bread and of course the beer. Other adult beverages continue to flow some free, some not so free.

And again, time for another cigar. The only problem now is which one to take and enjoy out of the 180 plus in my duffel bag!

It is now 2 p.m. in the afternoon and John and I have been going almost steadily since Wednesday evening. We decide to head back to the hotel relax, and start this all over again Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Yours truly has to get to the hot tub otherwise yours truly would not be moving too much come nine o'clock tomorrow morning.

8 a.m. Saturday morning and John and I meet and head back for Cigarfest and get in line for breakfasts. After opening ceremonies, we head in and get all the freebies and goodies again for our second day as cigar nuts.

Having been through the first day, we knew how to organize ourselves and this time instead of being done at noon we were actually finished at 11 a.m. We head back in the tent had some awesome coffee and smoke some awesome cigars, again having to decide which of the 180 plus cigars to choose from.

We then stayed for lunch again this time it was either Cajun barbecue or sweet barbecue sauce all-you-can-eat chicken or pork sausages. Along with Cajun beans with a sausage in it that had enough spices to light up your life without even using matches or cigar lighter.

Then I got in a very short line for a straight razor shave. Free for cigar nuts. Awesome shave.

John went picked up a couple 100 cigar humidors some other accessories and we headed out back to Bethlehem to the superstore for a meeting the people from AJ Fernandez cigar line.

On the trip there we had stopped at the hotel to get all the goodies from the first day and added them to the goodies of the second day, plus the purchases that we had made. We had figured out it was not going to fit in our luggage. So after spending another two hours at the Bethlehem Superstore for Cigar International, we decided to track down a UPS store or FedEx store to send our goodies home.

We finally found a FedEx store opened at 6 p.m. and went in there and assembled our boxes. I sent home a box weighing 50 pounds along with a flat box that had metal poster in it and a tube with cigar posters signed by different people for the office and the I Spy Cigar shop.

Having completed this, we headed back to the hotel organize our stuff. I headed to the hot tub and then back to the room for couple good evening cigars.

Sunday morning 8:30 a.m. John and I have decided were heading out to the Hamburg Superstore for keg and eggs with Drew States.

Having arrived at the superstore we decided it was also time for coffee. We ran into Adam, the owner of Benchwarmers Coffee outside the superstore. A man after my own heart, he is roasting coffee and cold brewing or slow brewing the coffee of your choice right in front of you. We spent an hour talking with Adam and over the time that we were at the superstore and he was handling the coffee, we came to agreement that I Spy Cigars will be carrying Benchwarmers Coffee, both ground beans whole beans and bottled cold coffee. More to come on that as the days and weeks go by. All I can say is awesome coffee, awesome way of putting it together. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoy being a coffee snob besides being the cigar nut.

We then picked up DREW ESTATE cigar eggs, one Madero, one Connecticut and promptly went and had scrambled egg breakfast out on the patio of the Hamburg superstore. Then, of course, being at the superstore I had a go spend some time in the blend room.

John and I then spent the rest afternoon at the hotel working on plans to enhance I Spy Cigars and I Spy Cigars mobile operations in Texas and expanding the smoking lounge in Iowa. We went to bed early that evening as my flight, if it left at all, was leaving at 5:30 a.m.

It is now 3 a.m. and we’re headed down the road back to the Allentown Airport. I get on my plane at 5:30 a.m. and actually arrive in Chicago O'Hare 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Don't ask me what happened, but I've never been in early on a flight to Chicago O'Hare ever before. I find my gate. I am supposed to leave at 12 noon then get a noticed that due to maintenance problems, the plane were flying on will be an hour late arriving. It takes hour and a half of maintenance on the ground. I finally get into Cedar Rapids at the Eastern Iowa Airport at 2 p.m.

Finally back home, I’m not anxiously awaiting the arrival of my box of goodies on Thursday via FedEx. More to come on the arrival of the box and all the goodies in the next blog.

Why Join CIgar Rights of America?

After finding this article this alone is one reason to join and support the Cigar Rights of America. Being one of the Iowa Ambassadors I work very hard to keep this nanny governments hand off my cigars. You should too.

Here from the Washington Post today:

Snuff that cigar

The government goes after a congressional favorite

The U.S. economy may not be growing, but the government sure is. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had explicit legal authority to regulate cigarettes and chewing tobacco only since 2009, and now the agency wants to go beyond the congressional mandate to shape up the American cigar industry.

Common sense goes up in smoke. The FDA wants to expand the categories of tobacco that fall under its authority and the targets are cigar aficionados, with the usual bundle of taxes, red tape and sales restrictions. This might not be so easy, since some Very Important People smoke cigars.

This all started in 1996, when President Clinton, who fancies a stogie, told the FDA to push Congress aside and regulate tobacco under its own authority. Cigarette marketing rules will expand to cigars under the dubious claim that rules were needed to “protect the children.” This should hardly apply to cigars; it’s not cool in teenage circles to light up a stogie. Not many teenagers can afford to pay $10 or more for a premium cigar. Retailers are prohibited now from selling cigars to anyone under 18, and cigar stores card anyone who appears to be underage.

But a bureaucrat never lets facts and common sense get in the way of seizing more turf. The FDA is mulling a range of possibilities, such as banning the sale of cigars online, which represent a significant portion of cigar sales; new and punitive taxes, and limits on “commemorative cigars.” Cigar-tobacco blends would have to be approved by the FDA. Popular events like the “Big Smoke” in Las Vegas and even walk-in humidors in cigar shops would be prohibited. Just about everything a cigar smoker likes appears to be on the table.

Cigar retailers are upset about the bad things they see coming their way. “If the FDA regulates the premium tobacco industry in the same way they do with other tobacco, it will be devastating, harming tens of thousands of domestic jobs and thousands of small ‘mom-and-pop’ Main Street businesses,” says Bill Spann, CEO of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.

There’s bipartisan outrage on Capitol Hill, where cigars are popular in the cloakrooms on both sides of the aisle. The two senators from Florida, Bill Nelson, a Democrat, and Marco Rubio, a Republican, have introduced legislation to snuff the FDA’s prospective rules. Rep. Bill Posey, Florida Republican, has introduced the companion bill to prohibit imposing cigarette regulations on premium cigar tobacco. This time, the federal nannies have quit preaching and gone to meddling.

Winston Churchill, who fancied a cigar with his champagne, once explained the allure of the stogie: “Smoking cigars is like falling in love. First, you are attracted by its shape; you stay for its flavor, and you must always remember never, never to let the flame go out.” Alas, bureaucrats are immune to romance.

Now get out there and help tell congress and the FDA NO NO NO.

http://www.cigarrights.org/main.php  Sign up now and remember Dr Robin Rushlo State of Iowa Cigar Rights Ambassador sent you.  Sign up , sign the petition and keep track of your cigar and smoking rights.

Read more: http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/1/snuff-that-cigar/#ixzz2S2bAjO7U

Torano Master Habano Maduro Robusto Review

Another great review for Scott Smyth.

Scott Smyth has organized Long Island Charity cigar events for the past five years and runs a cigar blog called "Scott Smyth's World of Cigars." He has attended and worked side-by-side with some of the biggest names in the cigar industry. Scott is also on social media lists for eight cigar...

http://www.examiner.com/review/torano-master-habano-maduro-robusto-review

Do not forget to get your father days cigars now. Visit  http://ISPYCIGARS.COM

Scott"s Martin Family of Cigars Platinum Series M Review

Scott Smyth is at it again. Awesome review

Scott Smyth, Long Island Cigar Examiner

Scott Smyth has organized Long Island Charity cigar events for the past five years and runs a cigar blog called "Scott Smyth's World of Cigars." He has attended and worked side-by-side with some of the biggest names in the cigar industry. Scott is also on social media lists for eight cigar..

http://www.examiner.com/review/martin-family-of-cigars-maduro-torpedo-review 

Martin Family of Cigars Platinum Series M

Torpedo - 6.25 X 52.

 Wrapper - MexicanMaduro, 

Binder - Nicaraguan Maduro, 

Filler - Corojo. Medium bodied.

For complete review http://www.examiner.com/review/martin-family-of-cigars-maduro-torpedo-review 

Awesome Review of Cuenca Cigars "Cuenca 5th Anniversary" Torpedo

As you know I am always looking and reading cigar reviews. Well I have read the blog by Scot Smyth. Ok a Smith, a Symth , really. Yes Really. Here is a quick paragraph from Linkedin about Scott:

Scott Smyth has organized Long Island Charity cigar events for the past five years and runs a cigar blog called "Scott Smyth's World of Cigars." He has attended and worked side-by-side with some of the biggest names in the cigar industry. Scott is also on social media lists for eight cigar...

Well here is one of his great reviews of the

Cuenca Cigars "Cuenca 5th Anniversary" Torpedo

http://www.examiner.com/review/cuenca-cigars-cuenca-5th-anniversary-torpedo-review

Click on the link and enjoy the review.

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Normally $59.95 plus shipping

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Disclaimer" Not all cigars in photo are available, but ten of the best"

I SPY CIGARS SMOKING SHIRTS

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They are Finally Here !

The New I SPY CIGARS private line is in. Bundles of 10 to make it easier for any one to afford.

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CONNECTICUT, Double Maduro, and The special ROSADO (Red or PINK). Try them today.

A private label line that has the 91 rating.

Rosado "THE UNDERCOVER"
A beautiful rare limited production red Rosado wrapper surrounds an assortment of select premium Long Filler Caribbean tobaccos delivering a smooth and spicy tasting premium long filler cigar.

Double Maduro "THE COVERT OPERATOR"
A deep, rich flavor from start to finish. Along the way creamy smoothness and subtle spices in a true premium long filler Double Maduro cigar.

Connecticut Shade "SMOKE SCREEN"
A very mild premium cigar blend that exhibits all of the quality and flavor of the most expensive Connecticut Shade cigars sold in the market today. Long on the flavor of a true Connecticut Shade.

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Does Size Matters: Long Live the Lancero

This is an awesome article that bears reading. That is why I am re-posting it here:

By Zen Cigar in Cigar Thoughts on Mar 22nd,2013

It's fun to be trendy, right?

For the longest time, the trend has been to make bigger, fatter cigars. Robustos became popular in the 90s during the Cigar Boom, and the trend continued into the new century. it seems that everyone was trying to make a fatter cigar. I think it stems from the American idea of "Go big or go home". America seemed to be infatuated with stronger bigger cigars.

But what did this trend do to the cigar?

Well, in my oh so humble opinion, it devalued the wrapper. How's that, you may be asking?

A cigar wrapper's impact on the overall flavor of the cigar is DIRECTLY proportional to the size of the cigar. The fatter the cigar, the more filler is in the cigar; which means the smaller the ratio of wrapper there is to the total amount of tobacco in the cigar.

The Cubans know what they are doing, and historically their most popular cigars have been thinner cigars. The corona, which averages a 42-44 ring gauge, has more wrapper tobacco than a robusto which averages a 48-54 ring gauge.

The trend to go big has gotten out of control as cigars began featuring a 54 ring gauge and many a 60+! Don't forget, ring gauge is measured by 1/64th of an inch, so a 60 ring gauge cigar is almost an inch in diameter. That's a big cigar to put in your mouth! And what are you predominantly tasting? That's right, filler.

You hear that this wrapper is aged 5 years, and this wrapper is only found on this farm, and so on; yet all sizes available are over a 50 ring gauge. That blows my mind. if this wrapper is so special, wouldn't you want to taste it?

Enter the Lancero.

The lancero has been popular with many cigar aficionados for quite some time. Before I get too carried away let me state that some folks have been making thin cigars for quite some time, like Davidoff, Arturo Fuente and Tatuaje to name a few. These sizes were often to please the manufacturers themselves or were lines that were blended for the more refined palate (a seasoned cigar smoker).

Now it is catching on with the general cigar smoking public. It began with Limited Edition Samplers and sizes, thanks to folks like Don Pepin Garcia, La Flor Dominicana and Rocky Patel; but now Lanceros are showing up in many regular lines (like the Alec Bradley Tempus).

(Now you big ring gauge lovers, don't fret, there's plenty of big ring gauge cigars out there for you to enjoy, and the Big Ring Gauge trend, even with the growing pupularity of thinner cigars, shows no signs of slowing down.)

But, finally (again) the wrapper can now be enjoyed as it should be intended.

So long live the Lancero!

Keep watching I SPY CIGARS. A new Lancero from CVM will be added very soon.

IS IT HOT IN HERE or is YOUR HYDRANT SHOWING?

Real Men Smoke Cigars. They also are Firemen. Also FIREWOMEN. Really Women smoke cigars too.

This comes from the website for the 
FIRE RESCUE CIGARS

I SPY Cigars carries these but first a word from the REAL MEN SMOKE CIGARS website:

HYDRANT
Brazilian Maduro Wrapper
Nicaraguan Filler
Medium to Full profile
52 x 6"

Now my Review:

Appearance :I give it 4.9 out of 5
  
The dark maduro wrapper is consistently colored from head to foot and has an excellent touch with no soft spots – the darkness and consistency of color made the wrapper seam dyed, but it is in fact just a great looking and well colored wrapper. The black, copper, and gold band was an excellent choice and pops off the maduro wrapper. The aroma is very pleasant, with a sweet cocoa aroma that only increases toward the foot.  

Construction : I give it 4.7 out of 5The veins are minimal and hard to notice on the dark wrapper, and the seams are well rolled. There is some definite texture to the HYDRANT, with a rough, dry exterior and some bumps beneath the wrapper, causing it to rise in several spots. The cap is fine, but cut nicely. The foot was perfect and easy to toast. Used a cedar spill to toast and light.

Flavor : I give it 4.85 out of 5
The aroma is very pleasant, with a sweet cocoa aroma that only increases toward the foot. There are also some notes of mild nuttiness of chestnut. On the draw, it reveals an appropriate resistance with flavors that do not stray from the aroma.  

Smoking:  I give it 5 out of 5
 
On the light, the aroma is very pleasing, with a sweet nutty and thick tobacco. It lights quick and a good pull gets it started evenly. 
These flavors provide a steady introduction into the first third, which does not vary much from the initial few puffs. The HYDRANT has a dry texture to it, causing the flavors to separate from each other, rather than creating a creamy, united core. Moving into the second third, a bit of the dryness fades a mild creaminess compliments the continued cocoa. Along the edges some barnyard notes arrive, mostly of dry hay. Closing out the smoke, the final third does not provide much transition, as this is not a shifty or complex smoke. The primary notes continue to be creamy, as the second third was, and are more gentle than before. 

Value : I give it 4.98 out of 5

This one fits it market perfectly.

Overall Rating : 4.99 out of 5
This was a good cigar with great complexity and balance. 

The construction was very good and the flavor profile was enjoyable.  I’ve enjoyed this line of cigars, especially for the value. The HYDRANT is different, coming in at under $6 a stick. I would recommend this cigar as a box purchase, especially if you frequently entertain guests that are not frequent smokers – they’ll enjoy this one.

Keep watching the website :

http://ISPYCIGARS.com

Passover is Coming. Are your Cigars Ready?

 Senor Solomon cigars are Kosher Supervision of America (KSA) certified. I have smoked certified organic and eco-friendly cigars before, as well as cigars having a religious name, but never a Kosher cigar. The ingredients and process of making these Kosher cigars are supervised and certified by a Rabbi. Being Jewish by heritage, keeping KOSHER is for the Orthodox and those keeping the rabbinic laws ( ie Messianic Jews).

Here is just a few bullets about the process:

The Senor Solomon Kosher cigars must meet higher standards than regular cigars in order to have the kosher certification. The rabbi supervises the production from leaf through pilon (fermentation). The box is sealed and shipped; it is supervised through all steps of manufacturing to make sure there is no contamination. The end product is 100 per cent tobacco with no additives, only the naturally occurring aromas and flavors of the pure tobacco leaf.

The differences between regular cigars and these kosher cigars include:
• The tobacco leaves must be grown and stored according to kosher law.
• The glue used must be from tree sap, not a flour (which is a grain) and water composition.
• Rollers of kosher cigars are not allowed to bring any food or beverage to the worktable, and the entire work area is inspected for compilation with kosher rules.
In addition, some standard practices, that most cigars allow, are not allowed such as:
• The outer leaves cannot be cooked in other substances to give it color, smell and texture. Some cigars are cooked in coffee or alcohol (which is a grain product), which is not kosher.
• To enhance flavor oils are often used in other cigars some of which are animal by-products (which are not kosher), to enhance consistency, flavor, color of the ash and the evenness of the burn.
• Fillers and binders, such as wheat and rye grass to enhance the flavor, are often used in cigars, which these kosher cigars do not use.
• In the rolling process, rollers of non-kosher cigars may use sprays which may contain alcohol or other non-kosher ingredients. 

Here in short for more knowledge of KOSHER  it is my understanding that if a product contains fermented or leavened grains, observant Jews cannot have it in their possession during Passover.

Senor Solomon cigars are made in Nicaragua by Gersho Aizenman. According to the company, the JLS perfecto cigar is a new addition to their line. They are available in  Habano, and Maduro wrappers, each having a different strength . 

Thus these are the strengths:

Senor Solomon cigars are available in two tastes:
• FULL BODIED. Their distinguished stout taste is described as full-bodied and intensely flavorful with well-balanced floral flavors and a leather undertone. There are hints of spices and nuts. It ends with whispers of coffee and chocolate.
• MEDIUM TO FULL BODIED. The deep complex taste is smooth, rich and exhilarating with creamy baking spices, eggnog notes and cedar woody undertones. The finish is crisp, relaxing and never overpowering.

I found Senor Solomon to be close to medium bodied at the start, with some unusual spicy/peppery flavors that tamed down after about five minutes. The rest of the cigar was actually very smooth, and more in the mild-to-medium range. The 4½ inch long perfecto shaped cigar that I sampled smoked perfectly for about 25 minutes down to just over one inch remaining. No relights nor touch-ups were needed. I enjoyed the last 20 minutes of the smoke more than the first five minutes, and give my first Kosher cigar a rating of 4½ stars. That was Yesterday

Today I smoked a Senor Solomon Torpedo Maduro 54 x 6.

This cigar was an awesome surprise.

The 6 inch long Torpedo cigar that I sampled smoked perfectly for about 55 minutes down to just over half inch remaining. There were no relights nor touch-ups with this cigar. I enjoyed the last 35 minutes of the smoke more than the first five minutes, and give my Kosher  Senor Solomon Torpedo Maduro 54 x 6 cigar a rating of 4.88 stars out of 5.

Time to visit us at I SPY CIGARS for all your PASSOVER  smoking  needs.

http://ISPYCIGARS.com

 

Cuban or Not to Cuban or Boutique or not Boutique? That is the question

I read this today and thought we all need to comment or review this some more if you are in the Cigar or even the tobacco industry,

Here you are:

Boutique or not Boutique? That is the question

Saturday, March 09 2013

OPINION | By Hayward "Lou" Tenney

A while back, when we had our original blog page, we reported on the flippant musings written by the former figurehead of a certain cigar retailer. 

Quoth the maven: Boutique cigars are theoretically limited production cigars made by people no one ever heard of before, and fabricated from tobaccos no one knew existed before. In other words, they're cigars that are targeted for brain dead people who happen to have money to burn.

Besides the obvious offense to smokers of brands like Tatuaje, Padrón, Jesus Fuego and countless others, it presupposes that use of the term "boutique cigars" is little more than a marketing strategy. Seems to me the term could use some clarification.

To employ a hackneyed device, Dictionary.com suggestions: of, designating, or characteristic of a small, exclusive producer or business...

So doesn't this encompass just about every cigar manufacturer? Well, not really. There are a couple billion dollar outfits that produce machine-made and/orhandmade cigars. Altadis (Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo, Trinidad, etc.) and General Cigar (Macanudo, Partagas, Punch, etc.) come to mind.

Here's the rub: in my experience, those who regularly smoke these "non-boutique" brands tend to be one or two-brand smokers. Call me crazy, but wouldn't "brain dead" sooner describe those who have limited their repertoire to the mechanical "enjoyment" of one or two brands? Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Okay, so the word "boutique" may not be an ideal descriptor; indeed, a purveyor of women's apparel on Rodeo Drive or a small-batch New England chocolatier are more probable candidates for the designation. But as I clip and toast my Cojonu 2006…Mmmm, damn that's good…Well, I forgot what I was going to say.

What defines a boutique cigar manufacturer? Sales? Size of operation? Please share your thoughts with a comment.

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Ok here is the real rub. 80% of all the Cigars I SPY Carries are from the small batch , single line manufacturers. 

So based on the quote of the Maven we here are brain dead. Well let me say far from that.

After finding some of these "B" cigars, I have found some that in my opinion surpass the NAME BRANDS and in some cases even better the best pre-embargo Cubans. So now it is time for your two cents. Let me Know.

Cigar Quote of the Day

Cigar Quote of the Day:

"Any cigar smoker is a good friend, because I know how he feels."
-- Alfred de Musset

Extend the friendship at http://ISPYCIGARS.com/

Swisher International ventures into premium market

Breaking News from MY Cigar Inspector. This is reprinted from:
By Inspector on Feb 19, 2013 01:57 pm

Swisher International ventures into premium market.

Swisher International is a cigar company better known for quantity than for quality. Swisher sells more than 1 billion cigars every year to customers in over 60 countries around the world. The company, founded in 1861 by David Swisher, is highly successful, and its Swisher Sweets cigar is the bestselling cigar in America. Nonetheless, its cigars have never approached the kind of quality you’d expect in a premium cigar. This is why premium cigar companies usually produce and sell far fewer cigars every year — it takes time and energy to produce that kind of quality consistently.
Swisher is now forming Royal Gold, a division which will be headed by cigar industry giant Alex Goldman. The cigars produced by Royal Gold will be very different from Swisher’s other fare. They will all be hand rolled, and will range widely in price, starting around $2.00 and going up to $10.00 for the high-end cigars.
“Royal Gold is a fresh start in the premium business for Swisher International,” explains Goldman in Cigar Aficionado. “Royal Gold will produce and market great handmade cigars at reasonable prices for the discriminating premium cigar connoisseur.”
Goldman comes from a family of tobacconists spanning back four generations. He is best known for running House of Oxford and Mom’s Cigars. In the interview, he describes the first cigar planned for release by Royal Gold as an inexpensive cigar called Gold Strike, which will cost about $2.00. The new cigar will be rolled in Nicaragua and will contain tobaccos grown in Tampa, Florida. Consumers can look to see it on sale as early as this April or May.
Over the summer months, we should start seeing some of the more expensive premium cigars from Royal Gold debuting at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers show. The first three premium cigars will include tobacco from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The least expensive will cost about $4.50 and the priciest will be around $8.50.
This is not Swisher’s first foray into premium cigars. Previously the company invested a lot of money into erecting factories in Honduras and the Dominican Republic to hand roll premium cigars. In 2002, the company shut down the premium division to focus on cheaper machine-rolled cigars. What will be different this time around? Swisher International isn’t investing money in new factories, but is instead partnering with existing factories to produce its new premium cigars.
Fans who enjoyed some of the old premium cigars made by Swisher International will be glad to know some of their old favorites are being resurrected. One familiar old cigar that will be making a comeback is the Casino Gold. How different this new cigar will be from the original hasn’t been discussed in detail.
Goldman is enthusiastic about being able to bring the associations he has cultivated over the years into play, stating that those will form the basis of the new operation. “Royal Gold cigars will be working with various factories and cigar personalities in Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic that I have had relationships with for years through my experience as a wholesaler, retailer, brand owner and distributor.” 

Awesome news Stay Tuned. We will let you know when I SPY CIGARS has them available.

In the meantime Visit us at http://ispycigars.com and order your favorite today.

If you cna not find your favorite cigar in our on line store email me at ISPYCIGARS@gmail.com and I will personally look into finding it for you.