Acid Atom Maduro

just to show the leaf folded over the foot

As you can see we have the Acid Atom Maduro.
To start this review is a little more in depth than it probably should be but that is only due to the unexpected - i actually enjoyed this cigar despite some negative rapore with many.

This guy put me out 5.70 - reasonable.

Right off the bat before it is out of cellophane there is strong perfume potpourri aroma.

I can't say it's a horrible smell but it isn't unlike opening your grammy's underwear drawer. This covers/masks in what my opinion seems to be a good cigar scent underneath.

I am also reminded of what someone told me about how this cigar will make you smell like you spent a night at the exotic dance club. Honestly, it isn't a nasty smell just pretty strong for what is sold as a natural cigar. This IS some kind of infused or flavor enhanced creature - you know this right off when your lips touch its sweet sugary leaf. Like an amped up more complex swisher sweet flavor just on licking.

Let's get to the light. Whatever you may think of the smell and taste before torching once you inhale a few times it is obvious there is a somewhat decent cigar buried underneath.

The sweetness on the toungue is also surprising with an unexpected cinnamon, christmas store, or holly taste - again this isn't nasty but is a surprise. These flavors compliment the cigar once it gets burning in my opinion.

I have to say I like the wrapper but when I think about it Acid is just not a good name for a cigar brand. It's harsh and the quarky non-polished look of the banding makes you wonder about quality. And while we are talking looks here their website is butt-ugly and really should be more pro for what they are trying to do. (However the Drew Estate site does look nice) This all clues you in on what Drew estate is all about and that it is a niche target audience which seems to be young males and females that are not cigar smokers but buy on impulse something that looks fun. It's not intimidating like some cigar aesthetics - like a really ornate box and band with classy names. It is still very well thought out however and not cheap looking. The boxes are nice and look well designed and thought out - so packaging isn't really the issue.

Back to the smoke - the first few minutes give a dark blast of robust flavor for all the pomp. Legitimate is a word that comes to mind. It is a mild medium cigar.

Puts out plenty of smoke with a minimal cut. First half inch turns to a nutty peanut.

Medium grey with sandy appearance to ashes.

Three distinct things are happening at once. One : the taste of the smoke. Two: the smell of the smoke coming off the cigar. Three: the taste of the sweetness. These all seem to compliment each other and are intended rather than just happening as with a natural regular cigar. Not bad.

Dark fruit or berry.
Next puff is tangerine citrus.
I am in an exotic dance club or drinking a thai tea that has white cream that filters down throughtout the drink. Yes, strong tea notes. It's like smoking a tea mixture with many different elements.

India incense comes to mind - not unpleasant. This cigar dosn't need all the make-up it would be fine without being dressed up.

I would drink a water with this but a simple wine might do. Perhaps a liqueur would be appropriate.

The smell below the burn is fantastic.

Ash held on a bit over an inch - felt like I could have knocked it easy.

Draw has tightened and smoke is richer and still volumatic - easy to get nice cloud.

Out of the blue the elfen image comes to mind of trolling about the forest floor. What if some LSD is in this cigar. Oh no! This is a stoner cigar - here come the self-transforming machine elves.

Anyway, seriously with a name like Acid it all comes to mind. This cigar has a target audience.

Back to the smoke - it is grapey or opium tinge.

Ash is secure and holds with knocking at 3/4 inch.

Smoke continues to evolve near middle without getting more intense. More sweet notes that are not the flavored or perfume at the start. Wet and more cedar.

I can imagine others thinking the smoke is offensive. The final third is like a Juicy Lucy sans sweetness.

Can't help but think of smoking a beedi or the scent of dragon's blood inscence.

The burn was quite even and good for a larger guage cigar. Smoked right down to the end without getting hot on lips or fingers.

I will buy more, but I can see why some would not. I would say this is a girl cigar but the actual cigar was good almost medium and not light so I hesitate to call it that.

Well, enough said.
Good Smokes,
Cigar Dave  

Recent Smokes List - before I started taking notes

I just wanted to jot down a list of a few cigars that i remember having in the past few months before i started taking notes and really paying attention. I intend to review these once i am back home and have access to some in my humidor and at the local cigar shop.

Oliva Serie O and V
Flor de Oliva
Arturo fuente 858
A decent local Amish cigar a friend gave me
Fittipaldi
Nub Conneticut 460, Cameroon, Maduro, and Habano ( one of my favorite smokes thusfar )
Quite a few more that i can't recall but i do collect the bands so i will have to look around when i get home.

Good Smokes,
Cigar Dave

Macanudo Maduro

Let's keep this brief. It's a macanudo nothing special. But it is my second smoke on vacation and why not follow that last Mac with the other one i bought.

To begin this set me back again around 6 bux.

First post-toast puff is nutty cashew, chocolate latte-ish
Light buttery, no spice yet, and i am having coffee with the stick. Probably just just the coffee giving these flavors.

Less than an inch into the cigar there is uneven burning and getting worse.

Corrected the burn line and at an inch and a half the ash is still dangling.

Ash is light grey with patchy medium grey and again areas that i see slight brown tans. ( for me, most cigars will retain a brownish tan or dark grey at the very foot - from toasting i guess )

Moving on, slight sweet coming out at end of first third. Ash fell just before two inches.

Draw has been very tight - i even cut it again while smoking to help out. Crazy.

Some wood bark notes at one third with peppercorn sting or bite. All very subtle though. Nothing powerful in the taste.

Good burn ever since correction.

Finally, this smoke ended a bit short due to lunch date. Dissapointed only becuse i set it down with two inches to go having paid what i paid. In my opinion every cigar shop has a stick starting around 3.00 that can give you much more than a nudo. Finall, i would say i enjoyed the Robust Macanudo more than this.

Good Smokes,
Cigar Dave

Macanudo Robust

Why not? For most people this might be their one and only encounter with a cigar. Easily obtained at virtually any place selling a smokable product and a likely purchase for any number of special events. This cigar is typically viewed as a beginner cigar. Many afficianado's will tell you it's tasteless and has nothing to offer the palette, meanwhile they have a box or empty box laying around. That said - sure it's not the greatest, but it's a start.

My recent Macanudo Robust was quite enjoyable. As far as price goes, i like to spend my dollars on something a bit nicer. To each his own.

Anyway, this was my first cigar and was the only cigar i could find during my recent trip to podunk Oregon until i managed to find a small cigar shop with at least some variety.

Copying from notes i took while smoking here we go:

Firstly, this stick set me back 6 bux.
It is a slight drizzle and around 55 degrees, little humidity - nice for a smoke. ( best smoke in my opinion happens late fall in the crisp cool outdoors )

Cut was tricky since i need a new cutter and the cut was a bit convex instead of a straight slice - no worries though.

I like to cut just enough, not too much - what i mean by this is that i prefer to leave just a bit of curvature from the rounded head end of the cigar and at least cut down to 3/4 the area of the ring guage when cutting a torpedo. In other words i don't like to puff on a cut which looks like the foot end - i like a tapper for whatever reason. Unless the prelight draw is bad i cut as little as possible and in the middle of a smoke if it tightens up, then i still prefer a good pinch or bite to loosen up.

Ok that said - first drag was nutty with sweet overtones.
An easy draw with lots of smoke, good nutty spit flavor with woody tastes too.
Dry but my mouth remains moist for the most part. A bit of acid on the tounge, but could be from the crappy pipe tobacco earlier.
Nice light grey ash with very slight browns. Some sinus burn, nothing crazy.
More of a dark flavor than expected from this smoke - perhaps just excited i found a cigar at all out here in east-bumble land.
Sweet smell is forefront with woody leafy.
Down one inch in fifteen minutes. Pepper spice coming in very sublte plus burnt pepper smell.
Smell of smoke has an offensive tang but also sweet smokey.
Ash holding great horizontal at two inches
Sort of like a stripped down tasteless Oliva O - an Oliva Ultra Light ( forgive me cigar Lords for this comparison )
Also same sweet dryness as a Flor de Oliva maybe.
Having a Coors light with this and flavor is not destroyed on either end - not much flavor too be destroyed however.
Clear and alert buzz - no empty stomach feeling or overpowering nicotene feeling potential.
Ash fell at two and a quarter - very even burn.
Flavor of coffee first puff after ash and flavor kicked up ever so slightly a notch creamy.
I notice that smoke off of stick is light blue with tad violet but white grey almost tan exhaled. (I have noticed this little fact with almost all cigars)
Ash tip formed a cone shape likely due to smoking a bit fast - the inside is buning faster and hot.
I am thinking of a nub habano or cameroon yet i am definately NOT having one - wishful thinking i guess.
Finish is ever so slightly more earthen.
Taking off the band at 45 minutes in and i am rushing since its gotten cooler outside.
Coffee an toffee come in and i realize that slight toffee is the sweetness it has maintained throughout.
Lunch is calling and i will save the nub to light later since it is not smoked as far down as it could go.

Well that's about it - sorta deep for a Mac but i was bored and took notes with nothing else to do but think about the cigar i was having. You know you want a box now don't you?

Good Smokes,
Cigar Dave    



  

Bon Voyage!

Well, here we go. Welcome to the launch of my blog space where I shall do my best as an amateur to review the cigars I smoke and share my thoughts and opinions about them. A bit about myself - I have only smoked cigar and pipe sparsely until recently when my father-in-law passed and I inherited a nice humidor loaded with plenty of good sticks and a decent sized pipe collection. When I turned eighteen a friend and I went and purchased pipes and tobacco but soon forgot about the hobby - ultimately I think this is because I never considered smoking pipe or cigar was anything more than smoking a cigarette - certainly not a hobby. But I have recently begun appreciating both again.

Until this past year I had only experienced cheap gas mart cigars unless I was at a cigar bar aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise boat. Even then spending ten bux on a stick and pairing it with a Disarono on the rocks was just guessing and a bit strange due to inexperience. Things like not getting a proper light or plowing through a smoke to make a lot of smoke come to mind.

Anyway, just for some clarification this blog will consist of me talking about my cigar experiences and perhaps occasionally I may bring up something pipe related, but this will be almost entirely cigar oriented reviews etc.. And just for clarification I am not an expert - this surely will be a process and if nothing else will log my personal thoughts and opinions in an organized way. I just love cigars and nothing beyond a personal review should be expected.

Good Smokes,
Cigar Dave