Long Ash Blog

Seriously Over Due

2009-11-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah... i know it has been forever. Besides running the Art show, prepping for the Film Festival, Pastoring a Church, Cooking for some private chef events, being a daddy and a husband... i have been doing a crazy number of weddings in the last couple of months.

This month alone, i did 4!

Which is kind of my inspiration for this posting.

I had the privilege of performing the ceremony for good friends Jeff and Cynthia De la Cruz last weekend at the Fl Aquarium. During the Rehearsal dinner Jeff Reminded me that i have been slacking on my Long Ash Postings.

You see Jeff is a fellow Cigar Connoisseur, now even though i haven't posted in like 5 months, i promise i have had the pleasure of tasting some great cigars.

As favors to all of us in the wedding Jeff bestowed upon us some of Alec Bradley's Finest... of for the not so subtle prodding and the great gift... i write this Review.

Alec Bradley "Tempus": (Genesis 42 x 5 1/2)

Now i had yet to try anything by AB even though i had heard great reviews, and even though a standard 6x 60 is my size of choice... this "Genesis" was one little firecracker!

I got to enjoy with a good buddy of mine who showed up unexpectantly, so we broke in this great Fl weather together.

All in all it was a WOW smoke, they have made a believer out of me.

Burn: Even and Consistent

Draw: it was a little on the tight side, although nothing uncomfortable.

Flavor: It tasted very earthy with hints of licorice, and a nutty finish. Very smooth taste!
Plume: Medium, the right amount of heaviness for those perfect smoke rings.

Ash: medium grey
Overall: i would give it a 8 out of 10 (even if its not my size of choice)
Price: 7.25- 8.50$

Label: Gold, Plum and Silver.

La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero

2009-03-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

I know this has been my first posting in months, so please forgive me if you have been waiting for your cigar information, i promise i have have been enjoying a few of what Tampa has to offer, but finding the time to write about it is another thing all together.

Yesterday afternoon, i had the pleasure of having lunch with good friend and cigar buddy Peter. We frequented one of Ybor City coolest places which is home to one amazing Cuban sandwich; King Corona right off on 7th.

The conversation was deep, as per usual, the day was exquisit, and the cigar... Just what the doctor ordered.

Yesterday it was La FLor Dominicana Double Ligero in a torpedo. The wind was a little breezier than i prefer, which made it imposible to get a line of perfect smoke rings, and to be honest it was pretty difficult to keep this torpedo lit.

Even though it took a little effort to enjoy, it was well worth the work.

Here are my thought on yesterdays smoke.

Burn: Pretty even, allthough the wind didn't help much.

Draw: Nice and smooth, pretty effortless and consitant which to me is a big deal.

Flavor: I found some almost dark cherry sweatness, with big hints of earthy coffee. No spice, but great full body.
Plume: Medium with a darker gray color.

Ash: Silver white
Overall: i would give it a 6.5 out of 10
Price: 5-6$

Label: Red, white and green with a black boarder.

Legend Ario Maduro Toro

2008-11-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

So this is my first posting in what seems forever... Life has been a little nuts here in the Cigar City (Tampa Fl)... but today definitely needed a great finish.

It is the first really cold day we have had this winter... as i write it is somewhere in the high 40's.. so after a dinner of Roasted red pepper marinara with Sausage and Farfalle pasta, a Glass of a decent Merlot, i headed to my porch with a sweatshirt and a new cigar.

The Brand is a Camancho Legend Ario Maduro Toro.

Now i have my favorite cigars, but every time i go to refill my humidor i always look for something new to try. Every now and then i get disappointed... but tonight, wow... pleasantly surprised.

The wrapper is dark... not too oily, but you can tell this one s going to have some deep flavors. the weather is crisp, but the smoke is smooth and rich... with a great even draw. so besides being highly impressed... here are my thoughts

Burn: Uneven at first light, but quickly evened out... very consistent with a moderate burn

Draw: perfect... not too tight, and not too lose.

Flavor: This one was deep, some black licorice hints, and i swear a bit of dark cherry or currant on the back of the pallet
Plume: Medium to full, with a light grey color.

Ash: Silver grey
Overall: i would give it a 7.5 out of 10
Price: 5-7$

Label: Brown, cream, and few silver embellishments.

Took me about and hour and a half to add a great finish to a great day.

A Favorite smoke, in one of my favorite places

2008-07-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

List night happened to be perfect. My family and i are up here in the blue ridge mountains of North Carolina for a well deserved vacation ( finally). We spent the day detached from cell phone, eating may too much food, and hiking the beautiful trails scattered all through out this mountain.

Around 10pm last night the family went to sleep, bellies full from my herb crusted pork loin with Oktoberfest sauce, so i set out for out wrap-around porch. Picture this... no neighbors, beautiful pine trees, a chill 58 degrees, and more stars than you could hope to count.

I found the perfect rocking chair, opened my neglected humidor, and pulled out one of my favorites. the Rock Pattell Red Label Sun-grown. Just me and the intoxicating aromas of this perfectly crafted work of art.

Something about being here that just breeds relaxation... i know i have already reviewed this cigar is a past posting... but i could not recommend it enough.

Perdomo Habano Maduro Torpedo

2008-06-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

I know i know it sounds like a mouth full... but as one of my favorite things to do when shopping for cigars, i like to try something new. To be honest i have not smoked much of Perdomo's line of cigars, but this beautiful lable, and delicious looking maduro wrapper seemed to be calling out to me.

Maybe because i haven't had 5 minutes where i wasn't falling a sleep due to exhaustion, or maybe it was because my mind has not stopped racing since yesterday afternoon, but tonight i needed some me time with a good cigar.

Jill and Annsley were both sound asleep and i was left to the conversations in my head, and a new stand by Cigar the Perdomo Habano Maduro Torpedo , and i could not have been happier!

Burn: Uneven and Medium to Slow

Draw: Average, just a hair loose

Flavor: I tasted toasted nuts, and very small hints of vanilla, with a touch of leather
Plume: Medium, would have rather it to have been heavier.

Ash: White to very light grey
Overall: i would give it a 6.5 out of 10
Price: 5-6$

Label: Beautiful silver and grey, very ornamental... striking really

Oliva Seiries O (Torpedo)

2008-05-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

It was last week, and a good friend of mine (Jeff) came over to talk about the new church we are starting, and of course what great conversation wouldn't be complete with out a really great cigar. A couple of weeks before Jeff had read this blog about one of my new favorites... Rocky Patel Sun grown... so he bought me a few...

So when he came over... it was only natural for him to to take the Rocky for a ride. While he was enjoying on of my favorites i tried a new stick the... Olivia Series O torpedo.

Now i have had all sorts of the Olivas before and for the most part had been completely satisfied... but maybe it was that Jeff was smoking a real winner of a cigar... or maybe i got bad egg... but i was not to impressed at all.

Here are my thoughts:

Burn: Uneven and fast

Draw: Tighter than i prefer

Flavor: Woody, and earthy... kind of a thinner flavor than i remembered from Oliva.

Plume: Medium

Overall: i would give it a 2.5 out of ten... Not Olivas best

Price: 5-6$

Label: Tan and bown

Camancho Triple Maduro

2008-05-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

So i have a favorite cigar shop... or at least my favorite place to get those hard to find cigars... it just so happens to be in the most unlikely place of all... brandon fl.

At the Tobacco depot off of bloomingdale, my buddy Cecil is constantly recommending something new for me to try... and last week he introduced me to the Camancho Triple Maduro. Now typically i am a HUGE maduro fan... being that i like substance, depth, and a hint of the rich sweetness that most maduros have to offer... but i have never in all my years as a cigar affionado tried anything of the Camancho label, let alone a "Triple Maduro".

Needless to say... the flavor was huge, i have never had more smoke come out of one stick... and to be honest... it kicked my butt!

Burn: Even

Draw: Very smooth... pleasantly surprised

Flavor: Big, huge flavor... touches of leather, and coffee, with a big earthy blast

Plume: HUGE, a heavy white smoke... that lingered forever

Overall: i would give it a 8 out of 10(if you are man enough) but for the faint of heart 2 out of 10 (it would break your stogie habit!

Price: 12-14$

Label: Silver and Black

Don Pepin Garcia Generosos

2008-04-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite ways to truly clear my mind, to get focused and really really is with a great cigar. Tonight i am learning the art of vacation... normally if i want to really unplug i have to leave town... but for this week i am here in town.

My little girl just went to bed, my wife fell asleep (we have a 6th month old who is teething), and i am on my porch with a Don Pepin Garcia - Generosos . Here is how i rated it.

Burn: Even and steady.... this is my first don pepin...

Draw: pretty even... i wish it had a bit more drag.

Flavor: Smooth, a hint of spice, with warm earthy flavors

Plume: Medium... i prefer a nice full plume

Overall: i would give it a 7 out of 10

Price: 7-8.50

Label: Blue, Red and White... very bright.

Padron Londres Maduro

2008-03-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

I guess it was Sunday night, my wife and i had just returned for the whirl wild family tour that happens every holiday (even more now that we have a kid), and i had way too much on my mind... and it was time to process.

For me, one of my favorite ways to clear my head, and sort through my soul is on my back lanai with a great cigar.

That night it was the Padron Londres (Maduro). I am an on again off again Padron fan, and to be honest with you i picked up a few of these Padrons to give to those friends of mine who do not yet fully appreciate a truly fine cigar.

With no real intention of smoking these, i reached in my humidor to find that these were all that was left! So i gave them a shot... and wow, was i surprised.

For a 3-4$ cigar i was really blown away with the even consistent burn, the smooth draw, and the great plume... All in all not a bad way to spend a few bucks.

Burn: Even and slow... for such a small cigar it smoked like the big boys

Draw: Even, not too tight- not too loose... to be honest, just right.

Flavor: Hints of leather and coffee

Plume: heavy, i was very surprised by this.

Overall: i would give it a 6.5 out of 10

Price: 3-4$

Label: Brown and white

Romeo Y Julieta 1875 Aniversario | Belicoso no.2

2008-03-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

This week just so happened to be the whirlwind birthday tour for the Triplett family. It started with my mom on the third, my wife on the 5th, and my father-in-law on the 8th. With our weekend completely packed with dinners and driving, nieces and sister-in-laws, and way too little down time.

So i took the most of a budding opportunity.

It was Friday night and me and the fam just arrived home from an incredible dinner at "Bonefish Grille". We put the baby to bed, got some energy out of our dog Rook, and sat out on the lanai all the while a torrential thunderstorm ragged around us.

I lit up an old stand by Romeo Y Julieta 1875 Aniversario Belicoso no.2 and sat listening to the pounding rain and the distant thunder. After 10 minutes or so Jill left me for the big leather couch, and it was just me and Romeo.

I was half way through the cigar when lightning struck not 20 feet from our lanai. Every hair went on end, and i have to be honest i have never moved so fast in my entire life. Needless to say i never got the opportunity to finish what started out to be a great smoke... but here are my thoughts none the less.

Burn: Even with a grey ash
Draw: Medium draw... pretty consistent
Flavor: Started with hints of Licorice and Cedar... finished like Caramel
Plume: Medium to lite... would have preferred it to be heavier
Overall: I would give it a 5.5 out of 10
Price: 6.50
Label: Black with Gold lettering and a white outline

Rocky Patell | Red Label Sungrown Maduro

2008-03-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

This is the first installment of the LONG ASH BLOG, and i have to say i started it out right with a new smoke from one of my favorite labels ROCKY PATELL.

Now as you continue to read along, you will quickly recognize that i am a huge fan of the Maduro... and most everything will be a Robusto or Bigger... as far as the ring gage is concerned... closer to the 50 the better, at least in my opinion.

So it was a Thursday night, a cool Florida February evening, on my screened in lanai. My beautiful wife Jill was reading the latest Domino, and i was enjoying a fine new cigar. To me there is something magical that happens in the plume of a truly great cigar... dream rush to the forefront of your focus, conversations seem to flow effortlessly, and then there is this peace... where maybe for the first time all day, maybe even all week where you can actually wrap your head around them.

To me taking the time a couple times a months to enjoy one of natures sweetest treats is essential to breaking the stress, deepening conversations, and dreaming like we mean it.

Burn: Uneven at first... might have been due to the breeze. After 5 minutes it evened out.
Draw: Perfect... not to tight, but just the right about of pull.
Flavor: Hints of Cedar and Leather with a touch of deep honey.
Plume: medium had a good hang time.
Overall: I will give it a 7 out of 10... very nice surprise and a great buy!
Price: 7-9$
Label: Blood Red with Gold Lettering 2Banded.