Cigar Review: Drew Estate Natural - Root

 The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly:  The Good 

 

Here's what the Pro's at Famous Smoke say:

Natural by Drew Estate Root cigars are the most distinctive in the series. Beautifully handcrafted with a bushy foot and filled with an enticing blend of earthy tobaccos that brim with creamy essences of mocha-cappuccino. Root finishes with a rich mouthful of smoky Oakwood and wine flavors.

Burn:     89

Consistency:     90

Draw:     92

Appearance:      92

Taste:     93

Construction:     92

Overall rating:     92

I think I have a thing for Drew Estate cigars.  

When Seth and I began the cigar reviews, we started with the Drew Estate ACID - Toast.  Wow!  We had never had a cigar that was so mild and toasty, infused with the slightest bit of sweetness with hints of coffee and cocoa, and that left no residue on the palate.  We both LOVED that cigar.  

Today, with Jonathan Drew coming into town Saturday, May 12th, 2012, at 7pm for a Drew Estates Special Event at www.cigarboxtulsa.com, I decided to try a Drew Estates Natural.  I had heard good things about their Natural cigars, and was looking forward to trying it.  I had been given advice that the Root was a good, medium to mild cigar, and was glad to take the advice!  I decided to buy an extra for HobbeSenior, since he had also expressed adoration for the Toast.  I quickly drove to his house and persuaded him to put down his paint roller (painting the TV room) and light up.  I didn't have to use much persuasion...

As we got out to the back porch, I breathed in the wonderful smell of Honey Suckle and Mock Orange, listened to the chirp of birdsong and the steady, slow drip of the fountain, and calmed my mind from the media B.S. about Romney bullying a "potentially" gay kid in 1965.  I gladly took the cigar from its package.

The cigar was "squeezish," not too much, but some.  It had a woodsy, mild bouquet, and a little sheen on its surface.  It had a very small cap, and I overclipped the end, later leading to it unwrapping a bit.  The dry draw had a taste of cocoa and a bit of cherry.

It lit up nicely, but the first draw was a bit sharp, causing me to worry.  As it warmed up, the smoke was heavy and full, and the taste mellowed to a toasty, woodsy, warm cocoa with a bit of that early cherry sweetness.  The smoke was so thick it looked like the back porch was on fire.  It left no pepper or spiciness on the tongue and opened up so well, you could choke yourself out on the volume of tasty smoke rolling through that stick.

The taste continued to mellow and warm through the second 1/3 of the cigar, and had us buzzing with accolades and adjectives.  The ash was loose, but not flaky.  The fire stayed lit without attempting to go out.  This was a GOOD cigar.  We both smoked this bad boy to the last inch.

We tried to determine where we would place the cigar in our top ten and settled on 2nd, under the Toast, with the Rocky Patel Nording a close third.  Also in the hunt would be the Drew Estates Tabak Especial, a cigar I have yet to review, but of which I have already had the pleasure.

My ratings:

Burn:     90

Consistency:     85

Draw:     95

Appearance:      90

Taste:     95

Construction:     88

Overall rating:     92

The Suggestion:  

First, you should use a punch on this cigar to avoid the mild annoyance of having clipped too far and having it leave wrapper chunks on your lips as you try to have a meaningful conversation.  Second you have GOT to try this cigar.  Third you have to attend the Drew Estates Special Event.  I have watched enough YouTube videos, and read enough about the company and Jonathan Drew to know that I want to meet him, shake his hand, and hopefully get a chance to talk some business and politics with him.  I hope I see you there Saturday night!

Cigar Review: Romeo y Julieta 1875 Reserva Real

The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly:  The Bad

This is what the pros at Famous Smoke say:

Romeo y Julieta Churchill cigars are blended with choice Dominican long-filler tobaccos and aromatic Indonesian TBN (shade-grown) wrappers. Laced with toasty flavors of aged cedar, nuts, and spice, the cigar is well-balanced and maintains a smooth, medium-bodied smoke from end to end. A classic!

 

 

Burn:     83
Consistency:     85
Draw:     84
Appearance:     88
Taste:     87
Construction:     85

Overall rating:     85

To begin with, a little history:  My family and my parents visited Athens, Greece, and Istanbul, Turkey, a few years ago.  One of the favorite memories of my stay in Athens is, after a long day of visiting museums, ruins, and having a nice Greek meal in a locals' restaurant (where we actually ate twice during that visit because it was SO good!), my dad and I visited a cigar shop and picked out two Romeo y Julieta cigars, went to our room in a nice boutique hotel, sat out on the balcony and smoked the cigars.  The view was grand, the weather was beautiful, the day was good.  And, the cigars were WONDERFUL!
I wanted to relive that experience after I wandered into the humidor at P & V Cigars and Wine Accessories in Tulsa and saw the R & Js sitting on the shelf.  I eagerly bought one and got to smoke it last night.


It was not what I expected...First, it had a nice, firm squeeze, fruity nose, and had a decent sheen on its skin.  The dry draw was moist and tasted of citrus notes and a pungent, fruity body.  The cigar lit easily and the first puff was smooth, and that pungent fruit taste was forefront on the palate.  The draw was nice, the smoke cool and voluminous, but the taste turned to a tart and somewhat rotten taste of overripe mango.  I am not a fan of mangoes.  The burn was a bit jagged, though it stayed lit.  Ash was light and, though not tight, wasn't flaky.


But, that taste.  As I progressed down the cigar, hoping against all hope that the taste profile would change after the first third, I became less and less interested in taking a puff.  I found myself dreading the next pull, and finally decided not to continue, about halfway through the cigar.


The R & J I smoked in Athens was clearly of different vintage as I remember it being warm, toasty, and left little aftertaste.  It was one of the best cigars I'd had up to that point.  The 1875 Reserva Real, however, was NOT that cigar.  There was much about the cigar that suggests it was well made, but I could not handle that taste.


My ratings:

Burn:     85
Consistency:     80
Draw:     85
Appearance:     85
Taste:     35
Construction:     85

Overall rating:     65

The Suggestion: 

Perhaps this would be a good after-dinner smoke with some brie and a fine Merlot. However, I hate all of those things (except dinner) so it was definitely not my cup of tea.

Do Tax Cuts Help or Hurt?

There are two distinct sides to this economic balancing scale. We see it as Republican and Democrat or even more so Conservative and Liberal. Advocates of tax cuts argue that reducing taxes improves the economy by boosting spending; those who oppose them say that tax cuts only help the rich because it can lead to a reduction in government services upon which lower income people rely.

Let’s look at this is a step by step format to first create understanding of our current system.  We can then discuss this as a pros and cons debate.

The Tax System
The federal tax system relies on a multitude of different taxes to generate revenues. 43% of tax revenues are generated through the federal income tax according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Personal income taxes are levied against income, interest, dividends and capital gains, with higher earners generally paying higher tax rates.  This in is based on raw dollars not necessarily higher percentage.

The second largest source of funds for the IRS is the payroll tax. This accounts for nearly 40% of total revenues. The payroll tax is a tax levied at a fixed percentage on salaries and wages, up to a certain limit and is paid equally by both employer and employee.  Payroll taxes have become an important source of revenue for the federal government and have grown more quickly than income taxes as the government has raised rates and income limits. Commonly known as the FICA (the Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax, the payroll tax is used to pay Social Security benefits, Medicare and unemployment benefits. Whether or not it is all used for that is one of the complaints.

The other major sources of revenues for the IRS are corporate taxes, and excise taxes.  They account for approximately 14% of the total tax revenue.

Tax Cuts and the Economy
Tax cuts, when used properly, have stimulated the economy. Here are some examples: 

President George W. Bush's tax cuts for moving the economy out of recession. Similarly, in 1964, Congress enacted an 18% cut in personal taxes to spur growth. The legislation was designed to encourage consumer spending - many believe that it succeeded admirably as consumers delivered a textbook reaction.

Ireland's recent tax cuts are believed to have improved living standards significantly. For years, the Irish were faced with high unemployment, budget deficits and high taxes. In 1986, Ireland faced a fiscal crisis (sound familiar?). After reducing government spending, the government lowered taxes on both individuals and corporations. Over the next 13 years, Ireland's per capita income went from only 63% of the United Kingdom's average to besting it in 2000. Ireland now enjoys one of the highest standards of living in Europe.

Fairness in Taxes

With the current ideal of fairness, cutting taxes is never a simple task. Two distinct concepts are horizontal equity and vertical equity.

Horizontal equity is the idea that all individuals should be taxed equally. An example of horizontal equity is the sales tax, where the amount paid is a percentage of the article being purchased. The tax rate stays the same whether you spend $1 or $10,000. Taxes are proportional.  This is where proposals like the Fair Tax and Flat Tax come in.

A second concept is vertical equity, which is translated as the ability-to-pay principle. In other words, those most able to pay should pay the higher taxes. An example of vertical equity is the federal individual income tax system. The income tax is a progressive tax because the fraction paid rises as income rises.  This is where the argument of “Fair Share” come in.

Why are taxes emotional and not logical?
Reducing taxes becomes emotional because, in simple dollar terms, people who pay the most in taxes also benefit most. If you cut the sales tax by 1%, a person buying a Hyundai may save $200, while a person buying a Mercedes may save $1,000. Although the percentage benefit is the same, in simple dollar terms, the Mercedes buyer benefits more. 

Cutting income taxes is more emotional because of the progressive nature of the tax. Reducing taxes 25% on a family with an adjusted gross income of $60,000 will save them approximately $2,042. But a smaller 10% tax cut for a family with a taxable income of $150,000 would save them $3,333.

This “imbalance” is the argument of the current administration to fight tax cuts. Tax cutters are always open to the rich versus the poor argument. Even when tax cut proposals eliminate the taxes altogether for lower income individuals, some critics still maintain the cuts support the rich. This is true, in a sense, but if a tax cut generates broad-based increases in disposable income, it is likely that people who pay the most in tax dollars will save the most. In other words, those who do not pay taxes cannot benefit from a tax cut.  Since 47% of the people in the US don’t pay taxes….  Ummm…

Another problem for tax cut advocates is balancing the budget. Cutting taxes, at least theoretically, reduces government revenues, which creates a budget deficit. To counter this deficit, the government could cut spending. However, critics of tax cuts would then argue that the tax cut is helping the rich at the expense of the poor.  In other words it removes the ability of the government to make people dependant as they can not funding all their entitlement programs.

Let’s look at it like this.  Cutting taxes generally increases disposable income, which can boost consumer spending, directly enhancing GNP. If tax cuts succeed in increasing economic growth, the rich and poor may both benefit.  You see if you have more demand for product you need more labor to make it.  If you need more labor you have to create more jobs.  If you have more jobs then you need less government assistance.  If you need less government assistance you need less government.  If you need less government then… well you get the point.  This is a chain reaction, a domino effect, and we are waiting for that first domino to fall.

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Nording

A Relaxing Nording on the Patio

At the previously mentioned Rocky Patel Event at Classic Cigars in downtown Tulsa, 3 out of the 4 at our table decided to get a bit crazy and went together to buy a 20 cigar deal, which came with a 10% discount, 5 extra cigars, and a Rocky Patel lighter.  We each smoked one cigar that night and have vowed to continue smoking and writing about these wonderful cigars. 

Before I say anything more about it, here is what the pros say about the Rocky Patel Nording:

"Rocky Patel pays homage to Denmark’s Erik Nording, one of the world’s most famous pipe makers, and the result is nothing less than spectacular. Nording Colorado Toro cigars are hand crafted in Honduras with primo Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos, Nicaraguan binder, and a dark Nicaraguan Colorado wrapper. It is reminiscent of well-aged Cubans, with an edgy strength, rich, medium-bodied taste, and aromatic flavors of sweet spice, caramel, and toasty finish."

Burn:                  87

Consistency:      84

Draw:                 92

Appearance:     89

Taste:                  84

Construction:    89

Overall rating: 87

Here's what I think:


Last night, after a final exam in General Virology(!), I decided to visit with HobbeSenior (my dad) and light up a Rocky Patel Nording.  Let me set the mood:  Sitting on the back patio, in the dark, looking at the heavily-forested greenbelt, listening to birdsong with my parents’ two dachshunds in our laps.  Nice! 

We clipped our cigars, took a dry draw that gave a mild flavor with a bit of pepper, sniffed a clean, light tobacco scent, and lit up. 

The Nording has a fantastic burn early on, great ash, and a perfect draw.  The first pull had a medium fullness, and lots of smoke.  As the evening was still, the voluminous smoke led to thought bubbles of smoke rings drifting from my lips while the conversation strayed to HIV-1 viral latency and drug treatments, the Chilean Megavirus, and RNA virus mutations. 

The ash on the Nording was firm and the fire required little maintenance with a straight, cool burn.  The mid-cigar flavor mellowed out nicely and, left with some back-tongue spiciness, began to raise my expectations further.  HobbeSenior, sucking his cigar down like a Rastafarian with a fat blunt, couldn’t stop talking about the full flavor and smooth ride.  Clearly going to be one of his favorites…

Toward the nub of the cigar, I began to lose the heat, but the taste remained true.  I had to relight a couple of times, but enjoyed the Nording down to about 2-1/2 inches, where I got bored with relighting.

One caveat:  Don’t smoke a premium cigar with diet root beer.  Even if it is A & W Root Beer.  Not a great pairing.

My ratings for this cigar:

Burn:                 85

Consistency:     88

Draw:                93

Appearance:    90

Taste:                85

Construction:   88

Overall rating: 88

The Suggestion:

This is a very good cigar with a medium body, solid smoke, and a smooth finish.  Definitely worth the time!

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Vintage 1999

I recently attend a fantastic Rocky Patel event at Classic Cigars in Tulsa and I choose the Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 and here is how the pro’s review this stick.   

Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 cigars are the latest edition to this marvelous series that's become a hit with cigar smokers 'round the world. Each Rocky Patel Vintage Connecticut 1999 Robusto Natural cigar has a perfectly-balanced blend of Dominican & Nicaraguan longfiller tobaccos - all aged 7 years - highlighted by a mild, 1999-vintage Connecticut wrapper. The cigars are aged 120 days after rolling, and unlike the Rocky Patel Vintage '90 & '92, are NOT box-pressed. A sensationally smooth, toasty, medium-bodied cigar that hits on all cylinders.

This is the rating per Famous Smoke.

Burn     90 

Consistency     91  

Draw     92

Appearance     92

Taste     90  

Construction     90

Overall Rating     91

As you may have noticed I prefer a mild to medium body cigar, and when reviewing the Rocky Patel website the Vintage 1999 caught my eye.  The cigar is beautifully wrapper in a golden Connecticut wrapper. I am not sure if this is true or not but I relate a lighter wrapper to a more mild cigar.  When I talked with the Rocky Patel rep there she let me know that there are many other things that affect that as well.  She also advised me is that a majority of the flavors you are going to experience in a cigar will come from the wrapper.  You learn a little everyday. 

I lit the cigar with a duel flame Rocky Patel lighter (which we received at the event).  It took to flame easy, and had a fairly consistent burn through out.  I used a punch on the cap instead of a cutter.  The cap of the cigar didn’t have any noticeable flavors or sweetness which had me a little worried that I might have gotten a cigar that was mild to a point it was going to be a little bland.  Once the foot had a good burn on it I took my first draw and I am happy to say my concerns were for not. As I let the smoke fill my mouth and truly sit on my palette I could since a creamy almost butter like essence.  It was very hard to drill down the exact flavor I tasted.  Not that is was odd by any means, but it had a complexity to it.  This was very intriguing as most mild to medium cigars do not have that characteristic.  I was enjoying a whiskey on the rocks, however at the time and it seemed to be a touch overpowering to the smoke.  This is a very mild cigar so it would need a more mild drink to go with it.  Now I did dip the tip in the whiskey once (because I saw someone else doing it) and that truly gave the cigar a different twang.  Different but not better.  This was such a velvety clean smoke I didn’t want to overpower or alter it with the whiskey. 

As I got into the middle of the cigar I was surprised that the construction remained extremely firm.  Rocky Patel does make many box pressed cigars which I, for esthetic purposes only, am not a huge fan of.  I know it compresses the flavors, and you get a great draw and firmness throughout, it is just the square feeling between my fingers that is the draw back for me.  Call me weird.  Fortuitously the 1999 is a hand rolled cigar so I was happy.  At times these cigars soften up and burn a little hot, but halfway through and we had no problems with that.  The other interesting thing I noticed is the flavors started to separate for me.  What I mean is I started to distinguish some notable hints of what seemed like a cashew nut and also a touch of buttermilk.  I know that neither of these were used in the construction of the cigar, but that complexity I spoke of earlier had really settled to a truly smooth and enjoyable experience. 

I found myself examining the cigar as I was getting to the end and pondering exactly how many draws I had left.  I was not looking forward to the end.  The only thing that would put on my wish list is a little better burn.  I never had to relight the cigar, but found myself on a couple occasion needing to take a couple of heavy and quick puffing to heat things up again. 

There are many times I want a cigar that stands up and screams “this is who I am, spicy, peppery, and bold”, and if I was in that mood I would not reach for the RP Vintage 1999.  However if my disposition is to sit on my front porch, enjoy a glass of table red, and truly unwind the 1999 would be a perfect fit.  You will be amazed at how this cigar packs a subtle yet distinct flavor profile while never taking over the moment.  It is the Guardian Angel of cigars; it sits quietly on your shoulder but has the power to amaze.

So here is how I size it up.

Burn     85  

Consistency     89  

Draw     92

Appearance    96

Taste     90  

Construction     90

Overall Rating     90

THE SUGGESTION:

If you are a fan of a mild cigar this is a definite to have in your humidor.  If you are a person who thinks a mild cigar can have a complex flavor profile this is a must to try.  It is the subtle yet unique bouquet of flavors that truly makes this a mild cigar stand out.

Rocky Patel Event At Classic Cigars In Tulsa

On April 27th, 2012, I had the honor and the privilege of attending the Rocky Patel Event at Classic Cigars at 118 North Boston Avenue in Tulsa, OK.  The event was kicked off with a brief meeting with owners Chris and Nina as they were hustling around getting everything just right for the crowd that would follow.  The Rocky Patel rep, Crystal LaTour, was not only an attractive gal, but extremely knowledgeable.  We had a chance to chat with her a bit before the patrons started to trickle in, and she was more than willing to give us the rundown on the cigars.  She was truly in her element as the humidor filled with customers.  She immersed herself in character and went through the prestigious Rocky Patel line of cigars on display.  From the Zen, to the Sun Grown, to the 15th Anniversary stick, she amazed us all with her quick wit, expansive knowledge base, and ability to flow from one description to the next.  She spun a beautiful tale of each cigar from its origin to its taste appeal.  She covered the region and method in which the tobacco was grown and whether it is was hand rolled or box pressed.  Crystal stressed the impact the size of the cigar had on the strength of the fillers as well as the nutty and spicy flavors we could expect from each cigar.  I found myself enthralled with the history of the line as well as the history of Rocky himself.  She, on many occasion referred to the website, which everyone should visit if for no more than an education on the true art form of the cigar process from seed to smoke.

I went to the event with a hodgepodge of four chaps.  There was the “Elder” (or HobbeSovereign’s father), HobbeSovereign himself, the “Trusted Companion” (a guy I’ve know since 7th grade), and myself.  We were mesmerized by Crystal’s product knowledge and found ourselves buying a mix and match box of Rocky’s finest.  The great thing was that Classic Cigars give an automatic 10% discount to any purchase of 20 cigars or more.  We also scored 5 bonus cigars, and a beautiful Rocky Patel duel flame lighter.  

However, before I go on , I would like to talk a little about the venue of the event and the owners of the establishment.  Classic Cigars is a wonderful place to sit back and relax with a perfectly made beverage and your favorite smoke.  The owners Chris and Nina Weis are absolutely fantastic people.  They, like Crystal, are extremely knowledgeable of the industry and have helped me along on my voyage to the sweet science of smoke.  They established the Classic Cigar era about 8 years ago with a goal to be a 5 star cigar in Tulsa and the premier cigar bar in the green country area.  Folks, they are well on there way.  In October of 2011 they opened there second establishment in Owasso, Ok.  Though the venue is smaller (approx. 1600 sq ft), the atmosphere and nostalgia is just as big as the downtown location.  When you walk in you are more than likely going to be greeted by either Chris or Nina themselves, and they are always happy to talk with you, examine your taste, and steer you in the right direction.   The shop in the Historic Brady district in Tulsa was the perfect backdrop to this amazing evening.  Though the place got packed with anywhere from 60 to 100 smokers at any given time, the 3 smoke eater units they had surprisingly kept the environment and smoke manageable.  My favorite part of the bar is the area they refer to as THE PIT where plush leather sofas, and the finest cigar accessories await you.  From large high top tables to cedar strips to get that perfect light, Chris and Nina have it all planned out.

The Jack Daniel Girls also joined in the festivities of the evening.  They were handing out t-shirts and glass give-aways through the evening as well as a drawing held toward the end of the event.  I unfortunately was not lucky enough to have my name drawn, but I was a true winner with some great political banter, a wonderful Vintage 1999, plenty of Jack to drink, and some true camaraderie with my closest friends. 

If you get a chance to get out to a Rocky Patel event DO IT.  You will not be disappointed.  If you live within driving distance of either of the Classic Cigar locations make the trip.  You will get the chance to purchase some extremely well-priced and perfectly preserved cigars, as well as have the privilege to chat with two cigar enthusiasts that are truly living the dream.

More pictures of the event to come... and yes the Jack Daniel's Girls.