Cigar Review: Gurkha Park Avenue 44 Torpedo

Thanks to our friends at CigarsDirect, I was able to have the chance to enjoy a Gurkha cigar that I hadn’t previously tried.  I have smoked many Gurkha cigars and their good reputation has always been reinforced for me with their quality products.  I was very excited to smoke this cigar because of the types of tobaccos used and the regions that they came from.  The wrapper is a Connecticut seed, grown in Ecuador and the filler is a Cuban Seed, grown in Nicaragua.  The combination of these leaves proved to make a very interesting blend.

Visually, the cigar looked beautifully crafted and its unblemished golden wrapper was very appealing.  The bouquet was complex, hinting at sweet leathery notes along with a faint nutty aroma.  My initial thoughts on the cigar after lighting was that I knew I was going to enjoy the smoke.  There is a feeling that you get when you know you have found a good cigar just from the first few draws, and believe me my smile was getting bigger with each puff.  There was a faint spiciness in the cigar that was mellowed out perfectly with very creamy flavors.  With a light to medium bodied strength, there was no harshness throughout the entirety of the smoke, and the sweet leather and cream flavors left a great after-taste in the back of the mouth.

Not traditionally being a fan of the torpedo style, I was still able to get a surprisingly easy draw.  With all of the amazing characteristics of this cigar, there was only one negative thing I could find.  Unlike most Gurkhas that I have smoked, this cigar had a very uneven burn.  I know I can go and pick up the exact same cigar and have the possibility of having a completely even burn, but I am reviewing the cigar that I smoked and for the amazing luck that I have, my cigar had a run longer than Forest Gump could even imagine.  Although the cigar looked beautiful on the outside, there was definitely a problem with the construction of my cigar and I had to keep wetting the area that wanted to burn quicker than the rest of the cigar.

Hands down, for the price of this cigar, it will be hard for you to find a better deal.  The one quality in this cigar that was obviously its strongest attribute was it’s flavor.  The balance between the sweet and leathery spices really made this cigar stand out among many stogies with milder wrappers.  For a person who doesn’t like a strong smoke and still wants to receive a lot of flavors, the Park Avenue 44 is definitely a cigar I would recommend trying.  For the price, a Park Avenue is absolutely a cigar to pick up and enjoy.  I loved every minute of my smoke (which was not that long).  The cigar lasted under an hour and I didn’t want it to end, even if I had to doctor it up a couple of times to maintain the smoke.

Cigar Review: Oliva Serie O

The Serie O is a beautiful chocolate brown cigar with a Nicaraguan filler and binder and a sun grown Habano wrapper.  I was excited to smoke this stogie, as I am a fan of the Nub line of cigars, but I feel that my anticipation may have built up this smoke too much.  As always, I want to thank Cigars Direct for providing me with their amazing selection.

My initial thoughts were very unpleasant.  Much to my surprise, I was getting a very acrid taste in the back of my mouth for the first half of the cigar.  I know there are a lot of Oliva fans out there, and I love a lot of their other cigars, but the Serie O is definitely not something I would try again.  The cigar did seem to balance itself out for the second half of the smoke, but my initial shock from the dislike of the cigar tainted my enjoyment.  There were some strong hints of woodsy flavors along with a very robust leathery taste which I enjoyed, but the distinct bitterness after every puff kept canceling out any pleasant opinions of the smoke.

You can tell that I did not enjoy the smoke at all, but I have to take my hat off for the superior craftsmanship of the stick.  The best thing about this cigar was by far it’s construction.  Even with a cigar that I do not enjoy, I have to give my respect to Oliva’s consistently made products.  The burn on the cigar was even throughout the smoke and the length of the ash was very impressive.

This is defintely not my favorite cigar, but for the price, I would still recommend this smoke for someone who is still tyring to expand their cigar palate.  If you are looking for a full bodied smoke with a complex flavor, I say go for it.   With an easy draw throughout the entirety of the smoke and the full bodied flavor, the Serie O is a good cigar to learn what it is about a cigar you enjoy and dislike.

Oliva Serie O

Take a look at that ash!

Cigar Review: Carlos Torano Exodus 1959

The Carlos Torano Exodus 1959 is definitely one of the better cigars that I have recently smoked.  I really want to thank our friends at Cigars Direct for providing me with this truly enjoyable stogie.  The wrapper and binder is Honduran, and the filler consists of blended tobaccos from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.

The cigar has a beautiful dark leathery wrapper almost hinting at it’s strength with its rich pre-lit aroma.  The tobacco was tightly packed in the cigar mostly due to it’s box pressed shape.  Although I traditionally smoke more rounded cigars I have to admit, the box shape made for an enjoyable feel in my hand.

When I starting smoking the cigar I was expecting an overpowering smoke with the almost maduro look to the leaf.  Much to my surprise, the strength of the cigar was not overwhelming at all.  The smoke starts off with a rich earthy flavor, coupled with a very creamy aroma.  The draw was near perfect making every puff that much more pleasurable.

I have to say, the only negative thing about this cigar was the burn.  There was uneven burning throughout the entirety of the smoke.  This never affected my enjoyment of this cigar and I definitely don’t think that an uneven burn should be a reason for not trying this stogie.

When it comes down to it, the cigar is medium in strength with a medium to full bodied flavor.  Initial strong creamy hints balance themselves out at the end of the cigar.  I still cannot emphasize enough on the complexity and luxuriousness of this smoke.  If you are looking for a full flavored cigar without being knocked back with overwhelming harshness, I encourage you to try this one.  On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this cigar a 9.  I was truly surprised with this stick and will definitely smoke this one again!

Blog Contest – Boss Box Giveaway

Hey guys!  I wanted to let you all know of a contest going on with our friends at TheVegasWeddingPlanner.com.  You now have a chance to win one of our products known as the “Boss Box”.  We are happy to collaborate on this giveaway, so please visit the blog and may the best contestant win!

You can enter to win by clicking here.

Coastal Cigars at the BMW Pro-AM 2009

Monday, June 15, 2009

BMW Pro-AM 2009

The Coastal Cigars crew was lucky to be a part of the BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament in Greenville, SC for the second year in a row. The week consisted of a four-day better-ball competition over three courses in the upstate region, and one celebrity driving demonstration at the BMW Performance Center. The golf courses where we preformed rolling demonstrations included, Carolina Country Club, Brights Creek, and Thornblade Club. Jimmy and Dave rolled cigars for the golfers before their tee-offs in the mornings and were happy to see some familiar faces from the previous year. It is really funny and flattering to have a golfer you met once for five minutes from the previous year’s tournament come up to you and remember you by name. That alone tells me that we are doing something right and our cigars are good enough to make a lasting impression.

The highlight of the tournament was the celebrity driving challenge at the BMW Performance Center. This was by far the most entertaining event for us. One, we didn’t have to wake up at 6:00 a.m. to get to the event. Two, we were able to meet some celebrities….Hercules himself, Kevin Sorbo, ever heard of him? And three, the cheese selection was ridiculous. Hats off to the catering staff for that event. It was like a fromage collage.

There was live music during the event, and to our surprise it was another local Charlestonian making his way to the upstate to entertain the guests. Bobby Houck from the Blue Dogs played a great solo acoustic set which was a perfect compliment to our cigars.

All in all, the week went as smooth as possible, and as an added bonus, it was a great escape from the office. We loved the opportunity to be a part of the BMW Charity Pro-am and cant wait for next year! You can see what’s on board for next year’s tournament at www.youcantmissit.com. Stay tuned for updates!

The Wedding Bells are Ringing in Charleston

Historical Charleston, located on the southern coast of South Carolina, has remained one of the top wedding destination locations in the country.  With the multitude of plantations, waterfront locations, and hundreds of years of history a Springtime wedding in Charleston allows for picturesque events everywhere you look.  Luckily, our company headquarters is located in Charleston, allowing Coastal Cigars to be a part of many of these amazing weddings.  Having one of our master rollers display the art of cigar rolling at a wedding really adds an extra touch of class.

Our strong local presence has allowed for us to grow our market to weddings located across the country.  Not only are we dominating the southern wedding scene, but our wedding events for this Spring have extended from Philadelphia, PA to Destin, FL, to Las Vegas, NV. If you are having a wedding anytime soon, whether you are in our home town or on the opposite side of the country, think about making your wedding one to remember by having one of our master rollers entertain your guests.   

Cigar Review: Cu Avana Intenso Torpedo

Our next installment of cigar reviews for our good friends over at Cigars Direct is the Cu Avana Intenso Torpedo. I have often seen and heard about Cu Avana, but being that the core of the brand stays on the milder side, I had not tried it before. However, the merits of the Intenso Torpedo were made all the more impressive because the Intenso represents Cu Avana’s first foray into more robust blends.

The Torpedo measures 6″ by 54, and is manufactured by Nestor Plasencia, one of the great tobacco men living today. The wrapper is Nicaraguan Corojo, and the filler is a rare to find all-ligero blend from Nicaragua and Peru. Peru and Nicaraguan tobaccos are two of the strongest tobacco sources today, and most filler tobacco is a combination of seco and ligero leaves, which gives the blend some highlights and lowlights in terms of strength. , rather an all-ligero blend that one would except to really blow your hair back. When I first read about the tobaccos used, I thought this cigar was going to be a real powerhouse, to the point of being almost indulgent, strong for the sake of being strong. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. The cigar burned beautifully, and while it was full-bodied, it had no harshness whatsoever and the flavors were very well-balanced. I would enthusiastically smoke this cigar again, as I really enjoyed the beefiness of the flavors and the long finish. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this cigar an 8.

Cigar Review: Don Pepin Cuban Classic 1979 Robusto

This week’s review for our friends at Cigar Direct is the Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic 1979 Robusto. I’ve written several reviews alread and those he crafts for others, and nearly all of them are outstanding. y for cigars by Don Pepin, including brands he manufactures under his own name The Cuban Classic Robusto is no exception, and its always a joy to be reviewing Don Pepin’s cigars.

The robusto comes with a fullness of shape that one normally finds in the excellent Cubans, such as Cohiba. There is a density of tobacco in properly rolled Cubans that cigarmakers in other countries have difficulty replicating, without negatively affecting the draw of the cigar. The Cuban Classic Robusto boasts a perfectly aligned triple cap, another sign of expert rolling.

The filler and binder is a combination of quality Nicaraguan tobaccos, and the wrapper is Corojo. Don Pepin always speaks to his belief in Nicaraguan tobacco, and the Cuban Classic line is the first cigar to be made in his new factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. There is a subtle spice, and the strength is medium- to full-bodied. I find the blend, especially for the price, to be an excellent fill-in for my personal favorite, the Cohiba Siglo VI. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give the Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic Robusto a solid 7.5.

Charleston Food & Wine ’09

This weekend marks the fourth year for the Charleston Food & Wine Festival, and we have been involved with the festival since the beginning. The festival is a great opportunity for people to get to know our city, and all of the talented people calling Charleston home right now in the hospitality industry. From purveyors, to chefs, to event planners, the who’s who all pitch in to put on a great show for the ticket-holders. You can see us all weekend with a killer booth partnership between Coastal Cigars, Trident Tech Culinary Institute, Stolzle, and Duvall Decor. We will also be rolling for nighttime events at the Opening Night Salute to the Lowcountry Chefs, Bubbles + Sweets, and the Legendary Evening in the Lowcountry. After that, you will see us passing out from exhaustion!

(Coach Mike Tice and Chef Bobby Flay)

March Madness Contest

Our partners at Cigars Direct are offering a March Madness contest, with the prizes for the Top 10 finishers are really impressive! Here is the list of prizes being offered:

1st  Place is a  2008 Opus X Charity Box - 22 Count…retail value:  $999.95
2nd Place is a sealed box of Opus X Robusto…retail value of  $839.55
3rd Place  is a sealed box of Hemingway Between The Lines... retail  value of $799.95
4th Place  is a sealed box of Arturo Fuente Anejo #77  "Shark"…retail value of $575.95
5th  Place is a sealed box of Padron 1964 Anny Torpedo Natural...retail value  of $319.95
6th Place is a sealed box of 2006 God Of Fire Robusto  Tubo...retail value of$184.75
7th  Place is a sealed box of Hemingway Short Story...retail value of  $139.99
8th Place  is a sealed 1992 Rare Estate Opus X Robusto  Tin..retail value of $94.95
9th  Place is a sealed box of Padon 1926 Serie Sampler Maduro...retail value of $74.95

For More Information about the contest, click here:

http://www.cigarsdirect.com/ProductCart/pc/viewcontent.asp?idpage=11