A Tale of Two Cigars
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 11:14AM 
The surf pounded my brain as I stood on the weathered dock transfixed by the rhythmic surges of the waves on the beach. Smoke from a Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial curled from my lips and floated away on the salty breeze. My thoughts drifted from one hallucination to another as the tensions of modern life were released from their bondage and drifted into the morning sunrise.
I thought to myself how wonderfully full of flavor this new cigar from My Father Cigars was as I retro-haled the sweet spicy smoke. Flavors of roasted grains, white pepper and savory mushrooms filled my existence. This was truly a different kind of cigar from the famous Nicaraguan team of Don Pepin, and Jaime and Janny Garcia. The My Father Cigar compound in Esteli, Nicaragua has become the center of a growing revolution in the cigar industry that has witnessed the re-blending of some old favorites and the creation of a new generation of smokes for a new generation of smokers.
As I continued to imbibe the robusto, my mind drifted to another cigar that had filled a recent evening with anticipation but resulted in only in frustration. The night before I had sat in my leather chair eagerly clipping and lighting a La Flor Dominicana Limitado IV. I had enjoyed one of these several days prior to that evening and looked forward to a repeat of the event. And thus began, a tale of two cigars.
My first experience with the Limitado was eye opening. I had somehow come into possession of two of the intimidating cigars sometime ago and left them in my humidor as I passed them by for fear of their reputation as powerful cigars. Each time I looked at the cigars I considered their reputation and my experiences with the La Flor Domincana line which had usually been an exercise in endurance rather than an experience of bliss. Not that the LFD’s are a bad cigar - to the contrary. I have always found them to be of excellent construction and full of flavor. However, they have generally been too strong for me and often resulted in mild cases of nausea. Not what I am looking for in a cigar.
The LFD Chisellito had been a recent exception to this trend providing me with a full flavored cigar that engulfed my senses without overpowering my internal organs. So one day, I finaly found the intestinal fortitude to fire up one of the Limitado’s. It was an experience so filled with powerful flavors carried on a rich bed of creamy smoke that I found myself jonesing for another like an American soccer fan seeking a championship. Yes I enjoyed that cigar and raved about it on the show.
Returning now to the evening in question, I clipped the solid bodied cigar and carefully applied fire to the foot. Inhaling the smoke I was greeted with the familiar flavors of spice, leather and uncommon savory roastiness that assuaged my craving. My satisfaction was short lived however as the cigar began to tunnel and then burn up one side as the flavors evaporated into a sickly bitter brine that would make Shrek recoil.
Checking the foot of the cigar I saw that one entire side of the cigar had stopped burning. I quickly applied my triple jet flame to the non-burning portion and drew through the cigar. But it did not light; no fire erupted from the portion of the cigar in question. I tried several times to get the cigar properly lit but to no avail. I stopped before breaking out the propane torch in the garage but never got the cigar to burn. Very strange.
This brings me to the big question. If this was you, and you had spent in excess of $10 on this cigar, would you buy another? I understand, perhaps more than some, that these are hand made items and as such, flaws can occur. I except that but I cannot help but wonder if this is a more serious flaw than a few spots on the wrapper or a crooked burn. This is on a par with a plugged draw that refuses to budge. It made the cigar unsmokeable.
I will buy another and try it but if the problem comes up again, it will be the last time I smoke this particular cigar. I am left wondering how many times a single bad experience throws a smoker off a particular brand or line of cigars? This is a question that manufacturers have to ask themselves. Personally, based on my experiences in factories, I will forgive many transgressions unless they become a consistent barrier to enjoying the cigar. Lines that are consistently suffering from draw problems or burn issues like these will lose their place in my humidor; however, small visual flaws will not keep me from enjoying a flavorful cigar.
The sun was now in full bloom above the salty horizon and my exposed skin began to burn signalling the end of another beachside excursion. The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial had reached a point where it required alternative methods of holding it to continue. With resignation at the end of another great cigar, I dropped the stub into my pocket ash disposal system, turned away from the sea and headed to my parked fossil fuel conveyance satisfied that I had fully experienced both the cigar and the sea.
Reader Comments (1)
I find that if I am feeling generous, I'll give a cigar a second chance. It just depends on how pissed I was at the time. I've had a few cigars that were either plugged or weirdly sour and it happened at a time when I REALLY wanted a cigar. That pisses me off and I remember the bad experience for a long time. Even if I give a cigar a reprieve from my 'dead to me' list, its a very tenuous thing. That next one I smoke better be one of the best damn cigars I've ever tasted.
The price affects my feelings about giving a cigar a second chance as well. There are just too many cigars out there that are consistent and that I know I like to be messing around with a stick that I've already had a bad experience with. I am more likely to give a $4-5 a second chance that I am a $10-12 cigar. My cigar budget only goes so far to risk wasting on a suspect stick instead of a sure thing.