REVIEW--JR Alternative Edicion Limitada

Recently when I ordered a box of Havana Blend from JR Cigars, they sent me two complimentary examples of their Alternative Edicion Limitada cigars. These were modeled after the Cuban Montecristo C. A short corona with a dark wrapper and dark filler, it looked really good, and I thought it was a great way to promote the house blend. After all, Havana Blend allegedly has 1958 Cuban tobacco in it, so it was a good guess on JR's part that I would be interested in their "Cuban" cigar.

Well... I let them sit in the humidor for a bit and then smoked one of them. It was probably the fullest-powered cigar I had ever smoked, it made me crazy dizzy, but I finished the darn thing. It was good, but way too much. I smoked the second "Montecristo" about a month later, and it was a great surprise. It had mellowed considerably, and it was an absolute joy. I had my usual Coca-Cola (mixed into Jim Beam) while I smoked this stick. Very rich, very full-flavored and smooth, lots of smoke; letting it rest for a while was the best choice I could have made. I was so relaxed smoking that "Montecristo C" that at one point I leaned back in my chair, stretched, and the cigar slipped out of my mouth. Somehow it tumbled so the lit end wound up against my neck. Ouch!

The blister lasted about a week.

JR says that the Olivas are responsible for the blend, and whatever Oliva is involved with, I will smoke. I have yet to smoke a bad stick that has their fingerprints on it.

If you're looking for a full-power cigar that's easy on the wallet (I don't think any of the Edicion Limitada cigars are over $40, and you get twenty of them), look no further. They come in several sizes, but I wish they offered a greater variety of sizes, like a nice 6x50. The closest they come to that is a 5.5x50, which is fine. They also have a "Cuban Alternative" line which may or may not be as good, but it has the sizes I like; I haven't tried one of those yet, so that's another review!

REVIEW--Punch Elite 3-Pack

Well imagine my surprise when I visited the local smoke shop and actually bent down far enough to see what was on the lower shelf....I spied with my little eyes a package of three cigars bearing the name PUNCH followed by ELITE 3-PACK and had to buy one. The "Elite" is Punch's 5.25 x 46 corona-size cigar, and it's a great value, much cheaper than the larger Punch cigars and one of the better ways to experience one of the best medium-full cigars being made today. Contained in this 3-pack was a regular Punch, a Gran Puro, and an Uppercut, the three popular blends of this cigar. I have only smoked Original Punch, or Punch Classic, or whatever you want to call it, so I was eager to try the other blends.

The Gran Puro (so named because the wrapper, binder, and filler are all Honduran) was the first one I tried and it was delightful. Lots of spice and a strong flavor, but not overpowering. The spice mellowed after a while but the medium-full flavor remained, and it was very smooth. Punch makes this blend in several larger sizes, and they're offered as singles or five-packs by various on-line retailers. Yes, I'll buy more.

The Punch Uppercut is their Nicaraguan mix and they have their own approach to an otherwise standard medium-full smoke. I like Nicaraguan blends because they have a "bite" to them; it's sharp and tasty. It's mostly present with the full-bodied smokes (like Rocky Patel) but isn't as prominent in the medium-flavored sticks (such as Flor de Oliva). Anyway the Uppercut was a nice in-between flavor. It had the "bite" but it was tempered by the rest of the blend, and it was okay. I had higher expectations. I thought it would taste like a Rocky. I wanted it to taste like a Rocky so I would have another excuse to buy more Punches. I would try it again, but only if I couldn't get a Gran Puro first.

And what can I say about the Original Blend? I discovered Punch cigars by accident one day when I went looking for an Arturo Fuente Spanish Lonsdale, and the shop didn't have any, but they had the Punch equivalent, and the shop owner said it was just as good and a buck or two cheaper.... what the heck. Well, I was hooked after the first few puffs. Wonderful medium-full flavor, a blend of Honduran, Dominican, and Nicaraguan, very smooth. I can't remember the last time I smoked a Fuente, actually. That's right, I haven't smoked one since, and it's been at least three years. Hey, Punch: When I die, I want to be buried with a box of Punch Pitas, please. Thanks!

REVIEW--Hoyo de Monterrey Governor

If I had my way, all I would smoke would be Hoyo de Monterrey or Punch, in their various sizes. These are my favorite cigars. The blends are full but at the same time have a mild creaminess and I think that comes from the Dominican leaf they use (mixed with Honduran and Nicaraguan leaves). They're just plain good cigars, and I was able to experience the Hoyo Governor, their 6x50, tonight (it's the same as the Punch Pita). I can't remember the last time I smoked a Hoyo, so I was eager to light up. The usual flavor was there along with a terrific draw and slow burn. A friend was over at the house, and he lit up his pipe using his preferred Balkan blend, and we sat on the porch solving the world's problems and watched the fog roll in and listened to the coyotes in the hills wail and spotted a pair of stray deer that had wandered in from other parts of those hills.

Not a bad way to kill a Saturday night.

I smoke a lot of cigars so popping close to $100 for a box of my favorite Hoyos and Punches is out of the question. I like the Consuegra brand because those are Hoyo and Punch's seconds (and the seconds of other similar cigars) and I take the Connie band off right away so the only giveaway that the Consurgra isn't a "first" is the lumps or discolored wrapper--and those blemishes needn't bother anybody because it all goes up in smoke. These "seconds" are terrific cigars. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. And it's the best way for me to enjoy my preferred brand; every now and then I'll pop for a single or five-pack and leave the band on, but then I ask myself why I'm paying full price for a "pretty" cigar that also goes up in smoke.

For a while I was smoking the JR Alternative to those cigars, and JR makes a fine product, no question, but while they are "similar" they are not "the same" and the Connies are truly "the same" and can't be beat.

Everything else I buy is an attempt to find a similar blend that's cheaper, and while I find really good cigars and enjoy every single one of them (I've really been impressed with the Cubita Nicaraguan, for example, as an under-$50 premium bundle; another brand, Riata Nicaraguan, is a powerful smoke with it's Honduran blend and Mexican binder that's also a winner), I keep coming back to my opening statement: if I had my way, all I would smoke would be Hoyo de Monterrey or Punch.

Maybe when I get rich selling books I'll buy only those.

Then again, maybe not. There are so many cigars to enjoy....

REVIEW--Rocky Patel Vintage 90 (Box-Pressed Churchill)

After my last experience with a Rocky Patel cigar I had to try another, and the one I picked out was the Vintage 90 Churchill, box-pressed. I don't know about you, but I'm  really starting to like box-pressed sticks. I was skeptical at first, because why would anybody bother to do that? Cigars should be round, ham blammit. But then somebody got me a Punch Elite Rare Corojo for my birthday and it was box-pressed and there was no way I would going to turn down a Punch so I lit up and decided that a box-press wasn't so bad.

Anyway, this 7x48 stick is a good one, but doesn't have the same flavor as the Fusion MM I reviewed; this tells me that Rocky uses a variety of blends and this is a good thing indeed. Smoke any size Punch and you get the same flavor. That isn't a bad thing, either. But I liked the surprise with this particular Rocky; I thought I knew what I was getting, and I got it (a robust full flavor) but it was different enough from the other one and I didn't think I was smoking the same thing in a different size. It's a whole different cigar.

The draw was terrific, the flavor, as I said, robust and full, the construction was great and it took about two hours to smoke. It was never bitter or harsh and remained very smooth throughout. In fact, toward the end, the robust flavor turned a little creamy; a nice finish.

Check one out if you haven't already!

REVIEW--Rocky Patel Fusion MM

The best thing about smoking cigars is smoking them with a pal. Every week or so my buddy Nathan and I sit out on his porch and turn a stick and shoot the bull. We started this routine about two years ago when we were both out of work (I was laid off twice in these last three years--not fun) and needed a break from job hunting; he's still looking while I finally landed somewhere. The conversation is good and the cigars are great. He always always something new for me to try, and today it was the ROCKY PATEL FUSION MM.

I'm not a huge Rocky fan only because of the price. His stuff is way too expensive and I smoke way too many cigars to pay those prices. But I have to admit that sometimes the difference between a $2 and a $10 is more than eight bucks, and this is one of those cases.

The wrapper was tight with a few veins and a good pre-draw. I guess this was his Toro size, a 6.5x52. I'm a stickler for the 6x50--for me, that's the perfect size, though I like lonsdales and robustos too. But this was not a jaw breaker and seemed promising.

The first inch or so offered a very heavy flavor with a spicy kick. I liked it. The reason I don't smoke many Dominican brands is that I cannot for the life of me find a blend that matches the heavier Nicaraguan or Honduran blends (if you know of one I'd appreciate a tip). Toward the middle the spice went away and it was heavy but smooth. I mean really smooth. Makers Mark smooth. So smooth that when it got to the end I didn't want to have to put it out.

When I returned home I had to look up the prices of the Fusion MM but I cannot find anybody who carries it. However, I did discover Rocky Patel Seconds, which are still steep but more affordable, and you can get that I will partake in some of those very soon.

What's In Your Humidor?

I currently have four humidors full of stogies, a far cry from the days just a few short years ago when a "good cigar" to me was what came out of a pack of Dutch Masters (I liked their Panatellas and Cameroon Elites). Nowadays I smoke handmade stogies and thoroughly enjoy them, so much so that I wanted to do my own blog about what I smoke and what I think of it. The title, A Smoke and a Coke, comes from my preferred beverage when lighting up--Coca-Cola. I know it's a bit questionable, but I enjoy the combination.

I thought I would start my cigar blog by going over what I'm currently smoking. Of course, feel free to discuss your own current stash in the comments.

RED DOT--I bought these at JR Cigar. JR says they made these to recreate the old Royal Jamaican cigars; what the heck do I know, I've never smoked one of those, and Red Dot could be a dead ringer or so far from the ballpark it isn't even funny for all I know. What I do know, however, is that these are good cigars. You get Nicaraguan long filler mixed with Jamaican short filler, and with the mild flavor you get a sweet kick that takes you by surprise every time. I like 'em. I tried a 5-pack sample first, in the natural wrapper, and thought the maduro version would be really righteous, but the maduro is too strong and overpowers the sweetness of the Jamaican filler. Stick with the Natural if you want to try these.

PALMA REAL--I got these through Thompson. Dominican long-filler. At first I didn't like them. They had a toasty flavor but it was too powerful. I thought they would be my giveaway smokes but I let them sit for a month or two and tried another and holy cow, now you can't pry those out of my hands. Rich, yes, and still toasty, but they really mellowed out and have a great draw and terrific burn.

CUBITA NICARAGUAN--Another JR purchase, my most recent, in fact, a bundle of which I won in one of their auctions. The first Cubita I smoked was a disappointment, bland and tasteless. It has a mix of Dominican long-filler along with Nicaraguan long-filler and I thought that would be a great combination but I was not impressed. But after one week in the humi I tried another and as Howard Cosell used to say, HOLY COW! What a difference a week makes! Rich and spicy (think medium tobacco mixed with hot peppers), I didn't want it to end. The good thing is, I have 18 more of them waiting for me!

V.S.O.P. PREMIUM DOMINICAN--Another Thompson buy. The maduro is the best option, full of flavor and lots of smoke. It almost makes too much smoke--it's thick and rich but it's too much. You choke on it. But I like 'em. What I like even more is that Thompson now offers a Nicaraguan blend with a couple of wrapper options and I like Nicaraguan better than Dominican so you can bet I'll get those next.

FLOR DE OLIVA--These are terrific Nicaraguan long-filler smokes that I found by accident--and what an accident it was. I found them at my local shop. Go with the Corojo. Medium-bodied, good draw, good burn, nothing fancy. Just a good smoke.

HAVANA BLEND--Ahem. These are made by the Finck company in Texas and I try not to let the name of the company influence what I think about their products (haw haw) but they say these smokes are blended with 1959 Cuban tobacco. Who cares if it's true--these are great smokes. Very sweet and mild but similar to the Red Dot in flavor, and I like the Red Dot better so if I had to choose, Red Dot wins. But Havana Blend is worth a try and I like 'em a lot.

MISTER B--Here's another low-cost option from JR Cigar, a mixed-filler handmade. It's good. I like it. The candela wrapper gives you a mild, crisp taste; trade up to the maduro and let it sit in the humi for a week or two and you get something mild yet with a solid kick--or, dare I say it, a "punch". They're cheap, too, about $22 for a bundle of 20, and at first they'd be a knock-around smoke but I really enjoy them.

Those are what I have in the humi right now. What are some of your favorite smokes?