I did an interview a couple of months ago with word-of-mouth marketing evangelist Andy Sernovitz about the social media work I’ve been doing over at the Chicago Tribune.
Well, he posted the video portion of our interview. Enjoy:
Author: danielhonigman
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Brand: Rocky Patel
Line: Edge Lite
Vitola: Torpedo (6 x 52)
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Natural Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan/Honduran
Body: Mild
Strength: Medium
Box Price: $89.00 (Box of 20)
Blue Havana in Chicago has a free monthly smoke that I enjoy attending. But to truly get an idea of the type of shop it is, consider this: It’s part of The Alley group of stores on Belmont Avenue, a trendy little strip on the city’s North Side.
The May 2008 smoke, hosted by Rocky Patel, featured several of the company’s Edge sticks. And while I usually enjoy a medium-to-full bodied stick, I enjoyed the Rocky Patel Edge Lite so much that I picked up a couple to review.
The Rocky Patel Edge Lite has a smooth, slightly veiny wrapper and a good prelight draw. I noticed hints of almonds — almost marzipan — to start, so when I lit up, I wasn’t surprised that I got a toasty, nutty, slightly sweet flavor right off the bat. As the cigar progressed, it picked up hints of leather and cream.
As I smoked it down to the nub — it generally takes about 75 to 80 minutes — I noticed it stayed cool the whole time, which is a must-have for me. The Rocky Patel Edge Lite also had a good draw, along with an even burn and solid, dark-gray ash.
Verdict: One of the best $4-$5 cigars you’ll smoke, and at this price, I can think of some $8 smokes this outperforms. Not too overpowering for beginners, but a nice break for veteran smokers as well. (Mollie, my girlfriend, also liked this one!)
Similar cigars: I couldn’t think of an exact cigar to compare the Rocky Patel Edge Lite to, but the AVO Classic and the 5 Vegas Gold came to mind.
(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)
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Useful for Twitter and other microformatted sites. Play around with it a bit!
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Brand: Graycliff
Line: 1666
Vitola: PGX (Toro) 6 x 50
Origin: CAN’T FIND WHICH FACTORY IT’S MADE IN
Wrapper: Costa Rican
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Peruvian, Columbian, Brazilian and Mexican
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Box Price: $219.95 (Box of 20)
Graycliff is an interesting cigar company: The factory, run by Master Torcedore Avelino Lara, is part of the historic Graycliff Hotel in the Bahamas. And, as a result, it’s by far the best-tasting house brand in the biz, and one of my favorite brands overall.
I’ve smoked several Graycliffs in the past, but when I heard about the Graycliff 1666, needless to say, I was excited. The company has five main lines, all super-premiums, along with a budget line. Now it seems Graycliff is starting to expand a bit more.
Graycliffs seem to have some defining characteristics:
1. A soft, almost spongy texture.
2. A toothy wrapper.
3. Extremely flaky, but strong light grey ash.
4. An even burn, along with a amazing draw.
The Graycliff 1666, a dark cigar, has all of these qualities. When you first light it, you’ll notice its Costa Rican wrapper adds a ton of sweetness. About halfway through, the taste shifts to a more complex, spicy, leathery flavor.
Verdict: It’s strong enough to settle any stomach, but somehow it doesn’t seem overpowering. Versatile enough to satisfy many palates. One of my new favorites.
Similar cigars: The Rocky Patel Edge Maduro.
(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)
A funny thing happened right outside my window Saturday night: A family of ducks, probably from nearby North Pond, walked over to the corner of Clark Street and Arlington Place and just…hung out.
About a dozen folks from nearby bars gathered around the ducks. I started snapping photos, but Momma Duck got a bit nervous and started to gather up her ducklings, so I backed off.
Someone called Animal Control, but they didn’t come, so the ducks were ushered into a cardboard box and released back at the pond.
Anyway, here are some photos:
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Brand: Avalon Cigars
Line: Juke Series Ebony
Vitola: Double Corona 7 x 50
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Body: Mild-to-medium
Strength: Mild-to-medium
Cigar Price: $7.00 each
(This is the latest in my recent string of boutique and specialty cigar brands.)
I had never heard of Avalon Cigars until recently, when I read this post over at the Stogie Review. This company, which seems to be relatively new, is all about the Web, and perhaps is trying to market itself to the MySpace crowd.
So, to say the least, when I received a three-cigar sample pack from Avalon, I was a bit skeptical. But due to the company’s Web presence and its blogger outreach efforts, I took it seriously. Avalon seems to be a company that wants to succeed. I can respect that.
The Avalon Juke Series Ebony is a good-looking cigar: smooth, slightly veiny and with a nice sheen. I used a punch on this baby, but I was perturbed by its poor prelight draw. Why was the draw so bad, you ask? I took the cigar out to inspect it, when I noticed its sealed foot. (Duh.)
Anyway, once I lit up, I noticed it was a bit tangy to start, but then it smoothed out to become a buttery, almost almond-tasting stick. (An interesting note: Avalon ages many of its cigars in pecan wood.) I was instantly hooked. A bit of tanginess remained throughout the cigar, which was kind of interesting. With mild-bodied cigars, I usually enjoy a cup of coffee or just some water; I found myself itching for a glass of red wine. I indulged.
The Ebony stayed lit throughout and burned evenly. And in case you were wondering, the draw was fine.
Verdict: A pleasant cigar, but hard to track down, seeing as they’re sold mostly in the South.
Similar cigars: Similar to the CAO Black, I think.
(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)
Another bit of (Web-based) ink for yours truly! A few months back, I got a quick write-up on Todd Andrlik’s Marketing+Media blog.
This time, it’s personal branding guru Dan Schawbel contacted me about a week ago, wanting to interview me for his site, Personal Branding Blog. Being the personal brander I am, I had no choice but to comply.
Just kidding. It wasn’t that bad. Seriously. (Cough.)
Anyway, here’s the interview. Enjoy!
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Brand: Black Cat Cigar Company
Line: Dominicans
Vitola: No. 2 (Toro) 6 x 50
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Body: Medium
Strength: Mild-to-medium
Box Price: $74.95 (Bundle of 25)
The Philly-based Black Cat Cigar Co. seems to have a knack for nabbing blue-chip cigar blenders for its house brands. A few weeks ago, I reviewed the company’s Rey Miguel, a Pepin Garcia-made offering. Now, it’s time for the Black Cat Dominicans, a line made by Henke Kelner, blender and manufacturer for the famous Davidoff and AVO brands.
The Dominicans have a smooth, slightly veiny appearance, which is highlighted by the silhouette of — surprise! — a black cat on the yellow, black and white cigar band.
Upon my prelight draw, I could tell that it would have that signature Kelner smoothness. When I lit up, I was impressed by the BCD’s creamy, toasty flavor, with a nutty finish. As I smoked it through, I noticed it got a touch cedary, but the finish remained the same.
The draw stayed consistent throughout, and the burn remained fairly even.
Verdict: A fine Dominican cigar that’s smooth and tasty. A touch better than the Alec Bradley Occidental Reserve, also made by Kelner, but I’m not sure it’s worth $20 more per bundle.
Similar cigars: The Occidental Reserve.
(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)