DogWatch Cigar Radio Podcast Episode #314: License to Smoke

This week listeners were heavily involved in the content of the show.  Bob and Dale answered emails from listeners Bryan Newbury and Kris Allen; herf lines from  Don Hubbell and Norbert; and a chat room question from Todd, who was viewing the show live at www.livestream.com/cigar_radio (where the show is broadcast live most Friday evenings at 9 PM EST).  This week's unbanded, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight III Maduro, was suggested by Jay LeDou.

Cigar of the Week  -  La Sirena - The Prince 5x50

Distributed by Miami Cigar & Company (Nestor Miranda & Rene Castenada); brand champion is Arielle Ditkowich. Manufactured in Nicaragua at My Father Cigars.

5 sizes - 5.5 x 42; 5 x 50; 5.5 x 52 figurado; 6 x 60; and 7 x 50.

MSRP between $8 and $10.50 before confiscatory taxes.

All Nicaraguan blend of Criollo ‘98 & Corojo ‘96; a dual binder using Nica Habano & Corojo; topped off with a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper.

Darkside - Fonseca No 1

Also....an unbanded dark side cigar from one of the DR trip participants.

Mercer Pinar del Rio Custom roll - Piramides 6.5” x 52  Dark wrapper & large ring gauge, would not have guessed all Cuban tobacco from PdR. Slight leather, but mostly bold spice with some hot chili character and a great sweet/astringent combination like toasted walnuts. Excellent construction, great burn and a med-full bodied smoke.

What else have you been smokin' Dale? 

Illusione Epernay LaMonde - The LaMonde is the newest size (released in 2010) in the Epernay line. At 6.25” x 52, it’s the largest vitola in the line, and perhaps the one I like most behind the original Epernay released for European Cigar Journal’s 15th Anniversary. The line is of all Nicaraguan grown Criollo and Corojo with a Cafe Colorado wrapper. Very creamy & smooth with honey, coffee & herbal flavors.

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel - The famous Chisel shape (6.5” x 54) in the Air Bender blend, the line also includes 6 other parejo sizes. Other than a Ecuadorian wrapper, all tobaccos are grown in the DR on Litto Gomez farm. In this size the blend expresses a strong coffee flavor on top of a leather core. It’s well balanced, but not extremely complex.

Fonseca Vintage Robusto - A true Robusto size with the old style Dominican character yet provides lots of flavor and satisfies as well as any “new style” cigars coming from any factory today. Cedar, leather & light coffee flavors are dominant, with a slight Rum sweetness, floral aromas and rounded spice notes, especially in the last half of the cigar. Excellent construction & burn, approachable and suitable for any occasion.  

What else have you been smokin' Bob?

La Tradicion Cubana Anniversary - These cigars are no longer in production and that is unfortunate, in fact I think I got the last full box that Luis had on the shelf in Miami.  These are really good cigars with complex flavors, long burns and packed with smoke.  The cigar burns so well that the other day I left one sitting in my car while I went in to Walgreens. When I came out, the cigar was still burning and required absolutely no effort to get back to smoking.  how many cigars can you do that with?  Barely a handful to my knowledge.

Perdomo Estate Seleccion Vintage (ESV) 1991 from Justin Bill.  The fillers are a mix of tobaccos grown in Esteli, Nicaragua and harvested in 1991. The wrapper is a Connecticut Broadleaf. Today's size is a 6 x 54.  Nice nuttiness - no bitterness and a short finish combined to make this a very nice after dinner relaxing smoke. Retrohale was slightly disturbing - very bitter almond aroma evoked an unpleasant flavor.

Tatuaje Black Torpedo Tubo - I was really disappointed in this cigar.  I had it in my humidor for a year waiting for an opportunity to compare it to the one I had a year ago. In my opinion, this was not a very good cigar; the flavors were off and the draw was awful.  I liked this cigar a year ago although I did not think it was spectacular. Now it is just mediocre and it was difficult to finish. 

What's My Band? - #949, Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight III Maduro. Suggested by listener Jay LeDou.

January Palio Cutter Contest Winner:  Craig Burcky from Wellington, Florida, won the black Palio Cutter.  Enter the February contest now to win a silver Palio Cutter.

Do you have a Herf Line Review?  If you call and leave a cigar review on the herf line and it is played on the show, you will receive a DogWatch Cigar Radio patch! You can reach the Herfline at 321-594-4373 - or cigar.radio on Skype. You can also send email to theshow@cigarmedia.tv.

Origin of the term HERF: From Cigar Craig, http://cigarcraig.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/the-origin-of-the-word-herf/

"Stump the Chumps" Do you have a suggestion for the unbanded cigar of the week?  Every week Bob and Dale include an “unbanded cigar” segment in their show in which they smoke a cigar without any markings and give their honest opinions.  Bob then opens a sealed envelope and discovers the cigar’s name and manufacturer.  If you have suggestions or donations for the "What's My Band?" segment (or as Craig Schneider refers to it, "Stump the Chumps"), please send them to liz@cigarmedia.tv.

Music provided by the Figurados from their new album, "Lesson Two," and The Surfonics. 

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