DogWatch Cigar Radio Podcast Episode #325

This week Bob and Dale discuss Operation Cigar Liberty which was launched by Cigar Rights of America to support  federal legislation (H.R. 1639) that calls upon the U.S. Food & Drug Administration – Center for Tobacco Products not to regulate premium/traditional cigars, as they do other tobacco products.   In commemoration of this proactive piece of federal legislation, as the first of its kind in history in the form of H.R. 1639, Cigar Rights of America is starting a national petition drive for 1,639 petitions from each Congressional District in America. With 435 members of Congress, that's 712,965 petitions. That's over 7,000 petitions to each member of the United States Senate.  When elections are being decided by dozens, hundreds and a few thousand votes, they will listen. So with one simple click, where all you submit is a name, email address and zip code, you can have a place in history. 

At the request of a listener, Dale keeps a diary of his cigars over the last week.  ER Doc calls in on the Herf Line to talk about Para Japon, by La Aurora and Cigar Tourism.  The cigar featured on the "What's My Band?" blind smoke test is the Oliva Series V Churchill Extra 7 x 52, which was provided by Liz.  The Cigar of the Week is the Punch After Dinner.

The Cigar Rights of America membership special for DogWatch listeners is still running!   Get two free cigars exclusively crafted for CRA members and a free CRA T-shirt when you sign up for a one-year membership for $35.  Go to www.cigarrights.org; click on the microphone in the upper right corner to go to the VIP section; enter "dogwatch" (one word, all lowercase) to sign in; then use promo code "dogwatch" when completing your payment information. 

Check out the live show!  Go to www.livestream.com/cigar_radio where the show is broadcast live most Friday evenings at 9 PM EST. 

Cigar of the Week  - Punch After Dinner Maduro.

This is a 7.25 x 46 version of the basic Punch line - well except its Maduro.  Wrapper is Ecuadorian Sumatra; filler is Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican (Piloto Cubano); and the binder is Connecticut Broadleaf.  Factory:  Honduras American Tabaco S. A., Cofradia, Honduras. 

If you like, as Bob does, a strong flavored cigar without any harshness or bitterness that also comes in at a value price ($78.95 / box of 25) then do yourself and your wallet a favor by trying these out.  The flavors are deep and dark with overtones of coffee and chocolate but with an overwhelming aged tobacco flavor.  Hits the spot any time of the day and is especially good with DogWatch Dark coffee from BlackDogCoffee.net.

Dark Side - - No Dark Side this week.

What else have you been smokin' Dale?  

I received an email asking what my “normal” week’s worth of cigars looks like. I’m sure my cigar weeks are anything but normal, but I kept track of every brand of cigar I smoked this week. Some I smoked several of, most I smoked just one..........

Tatuaje Havana VI Artisitas- La Requiza #4 - Oliva Serie G Maduro - Cain Daytona - Quesada Tributo - Padron 3000 Maduro - Famous Nic 7000 - Cain Habano - BOTL - Joya de Nicaragua Dark Corojo - Illusione 4/2g Candela - Illusione 888 - Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic 1979 - A.F. Don Carlos #2 - CAO Brazilia - EPC Short Run - J. Fuego Origin - LFD Air Bender - Famous Nic 3000 - Punch Rare Corojo.

What else have you been smokin' Bob?

Santos de Miami Haven (6x54) from Jameson Cigars - A powerful offering from the La Tradicion Cubana factory in the Dominican Republic made for Jameson Cigars, Brad Mayo.  This is really what power is all about in a cigar.  No harshness, smooth tobacco flavors with a very slight sweetness to offset the spicy concoction.  This is a square pressed (boxed in square forms to preserve the shape) beauty that smokes the way the finest Opus X’s should smoke!   Made with all Dominican grown tobaccos with a Havana Corojo wrapper, Criollo ’98 binder, and Corojo and Criollo fillers.  A value at $80/box of 10.

Cuba Libre One - I opened the humidor the other day and pulled out a cigar that I had been looking at for awhile -  the Cuba Libre One (a gift from a fellow cigar enthusiast).  At that moment I knew nothing about the cigar having lived in a cave for the last several months.  I hesitated slightly as I pulled it from the box.  I was looking for a good morning smoke to finish off my coffee and this was an unknown to me, but I clipped the torpedo head and lit up anyway.  That was perhaps the best decision I made until later that day I decided to take a break from work by enjoying my third cigar of the day, a Curavari red label.

Turns out that Cuba Libre One is a new cigar for 2011 from Nestor Plascencia and the Segovia factory masters.  This cigar flooded my palate with bold flavors of coffee, pepper and aged tobaccos with a decidedly umami character.  The cigar is well balanced and does not overwhelm with nicotine; a testament to its fine aging.  Made with a blend of Nicaraguan ligero from Esteli and Condega with a dual binder of Habano from Jalapa and a spicy leaf from Costa Rica.  The wrapper is a slick Honduran ligero that seems to bring the whole thing together.  Robust and refined, this will make an excellent addition to your humidor.  A mere $80 per box on-line.

Punch UpperCut - Did they change this blend?  I ask because I find the latest ones much more smokeable than before.  A decent cigar that may not meet the expectations of the famed island tobacco it is made from but it is a sweet spicy bundle of joy that pleases my palate morning and night.  Maybe these just needed a little more time to settle in to their prime smoking age? 

What's My Band? - this week's Unbanded Cigar, the Oliva Series V Churchill Extra 7 x 52, was provided by Liz.

April Palio Cutter Contest Winner:  DJ Shalifoe from Big Bay, Michigan, won the Burl Palio Cutter.  Enter the May contest now to win a Classic Black Palio Cutter.

Check out the show at www.livestream.com/cigar_radio where the show is broadcast live most Friday evenings at 9 PM EST. 

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/

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 for the "What's My Band?" segment, please send them to liz@cigarmedia.tv.

Thanks to Michael Howe for bumpers and special effects in this show.

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

Please visit our sponsors and let them know you heard about them from DogWatch!

• Black Dog Coffee: http://www.blackdogcoffee.net/
• Cigar Tourism: http://cigartourism.com/ 
• Esencia Cigars: http://www.esenciacigar.com/
• Friends of Habanos Cigar Forum: http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php
• La Palina: http://www.lapalinacigars.com/
• La Tradicion Cubana: http://www.tradicion.com/
• Miami Cigar and Company: http://www.miamicigarandcompany.com/
• Monte Pascoal Cigars: http://www.montepascoalcigars.com
• Palio Cigar Cutters:http://paliocutters.com/
• Primer Mundo Cigars: http://www.primermundocigars.com

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