The Camacho Corojo

Tonight I’m smoking a Camacho Corojo with a Bacardi Oakheart on the side. I have heard repeatedly that the Corojo is Camacho’s best cigar but honestly, for as much as I love Davidoff since the Eiroas sold Camacho to Oettinger, they haven’t been my favorite but I’ll approach it with an open mind. 

After the cut (punch cut on this one) before the light, I get the overwhelming sensation of Wild Bill’s beef jerky and black pepper. I immediately feel that rum was not a good choice and should have instead went with a peated scotch or a fiery bourbon. 

The first few puffs after the light are smoother than I had assumed and surprisingly, very green. The first thing I noticed was how loose the draw was and how watery my mouth was. I don’t particularly care for a loose draw and this is killing me. 

The first few puffs are not very pleasing at all, setting the top of my throat on fire and the through the nose is unbearable. I felt like I was drowning. I will say the mouth feel was very pleasent. 

10 puffs in I’m still getting very green notes like fresh elm and maybe oak. At 15 puffs particles are firing out of the stick into my mouth, which I don’t enjoy and I have to relight. Not good. 

Half way through the smoke its mellowed quite a bit. I’m now getting notes of well done steak and gym locker with a hint of day old spaghetti. The smoke is cool and mellow now but still still tastes of wet socks and old books, I’m wishing I was drinking black coffee instead of rum, which this cigar is crushing. The smoke is not holding a decent ash at all, which I know isn’t hugely important but to me it shows that this is NOT a well made cigar.

The back third of the cigar is like burning newspaper, black walnut, wet bark like the first day of buck season, a lemon wedge and of course that huge black pepper. 

I hate green notes and black pepper so for me this is a 3 out of 10. If you like green, robust flavors with a ton of black pepper, this is the stick for you. Word from the wise, pair this with a big, bold beverage.

Davidoff Colorado Claro Salomone

The Colorado Claro Salomone is hands-down my favorite stick thus far. This big, bold, beautiful baby is so incredibly special. Before the lighting I tasted sweet berries, dark chocolate, and warm coffee, I also notice what seems to be peanut butter on a graham cracker with a dash of honey. The first draw is perfect, so smooth, expertly rolled, I don’t have to pull to hard to coax the smoke out, just enough to know it’s there. The puff is dark, sweet, and oily. The flavor is balanced better than an acrobat perched perilously above a shark tank on a tight rope. There’s a huge caramel and coffee pop right up front followed by a touch of leather and toast.
I’m drinking Ron Zacapa and after a generous gulp I take another draw on the Wagner. The sweetness of the rum has highlighted the previously almost hidden tart flavors.There’s a bit of a pink Starburst in there with some cranberry juice and melon.

The next puff I pull across the roof of my mouth and exhale through my nose. This releases a warm vanilla and gingerbread, followed again by that touch of well worn leather.

About halfway through the stick the flavor profile REALLY opens up. There’s warm banana bread topped with crushed walnuts, there’s a dark espresso, there’s a warm buttery buttery note, there’s a rich, dark, wonderful sensation like the first time I tasted Pappy Van Winkle after a youth spent drinking swill and finally something that reminds me of all the GOOD smells that go along with growing up on a farm.

I should talk now about the smoke. Its rich and creamy like thick icing. There’s absolutely no harshness to it. The mouth feel is incredible. It makes me think of the first time I made-out with a girl in high school. 

The final third of the cigar saddens me even now. It pains me to think that I’m almost finished with this cigar. The back third of a cigar can be a scary place. What if all of the smoke from the front two thirds has tainted this end of the stick? What if it’s stale and dry? What if it turns on me and ruins the whole thing for me? I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case at all. I smoked this cigar until there was nothing but a hot nub burning my lips. 

The flavor here was cranked up to 11. The robust intensity kicked the body of this from a medium to a medium-plus almost full. It REALLY reminds me of a Maduro without some of the black pepper that can go along with that.

Final assessment: This cigar is PERFECT. 10 out of 10. I wish wish stronger words existed to express my love of this stick. I was completely transported to various stages of my youth. First my grandmother’s living room when I was a child, snacking on graham crackers just before bed, then growing up on a farm, then as a giddy teenager being mischievous with his first girlfriend, and finally into being a young man sipping a fine spirit for the first time.

If you are lucky enough to find this cigar, buy it.

Davidoff Signature 6000

Sometimes in life you have to remind yourself that life is excellent. Tonight I decided to do that for myself. I settled down with a great scotch and Davidoff Signature 6000 and prepared for a wonderful evening. 

Before lighting the cigar I got notes of hickory and butter cream with a spicy back, not a hot and peppery spicy but a nutmeg. When I first lit it I noticed the draw was looser than I like but I really enjoy a tight draw. The cigar is surprisingly more robust than I’ve come to expect from the mille series.

The most forward flavor is a lemon and birch beer mix, followed by a smooth buttery flavor that rounds to sort of a powdered sugar. After a couple puffs I pull the smoke to the back of my mouth and let it rest. There was a flavor I noticed earlier but couldn’t place, I smiled when I realized it was my first girlfriend’s mother’s pound cake. 

When I inhale the smoke burns the top of my throat a bit more than I like but the beloved scotch calms the storm. Into the second half of the stick, woodiness is much prevalent. I’m getting sort of a pine and maybe an elm. It’s not bad. I never liked oaked wine but if you do, you’ll love this. 

I’m to the tail end of this one and I’m LOVING it. I have come to love the mille series but when I started this one I was worried. This was nothing like the 1,2, and 3 thousand I adored. What treachery is this? Who have I besmirched so to take revenge on me in such a way? But when I hit that back third, hot damn I was home.

Overall the 6000 size and shape was a bit more aggressive than the others but I loved it in the end. If you like mild-medium smokes this is the Davidoff for you it’s absolutely delightful in that respect. For me personally this is an 8 out of 10 but if you like oaked red wines and and a more robust flavor this could be a 9, even a 10 for you.

Alec Bradley Prensado

Not a personal favorite but ya gotta try everything. The Alec Bradley Prensado is a strange blending of flavors. It takes like cheap whiskey and dirt. Some guys like an earthy flavor but I don’t especially not with the soft hint of bottom shelf bourbon that reminds me of my father’s breath.

There’s an odd sweet flavor living at the back of the smoke that I can’t put my finger on.  Maybe a honey or a berry of some kind. The draw from this box press is surprisingly smooth compared to others I’ve tried. 

The smoke is very dry, it pinches the cheeks and sits like pepper on the top of your mouth. It’s not unpleasant, especially if you like that but it’s not something I prefer. There’s a definite black coffee flavor that is quite pleasant and a darker flavor. I wouldn’t quite call it chocolate, maybe leather. It holds its ash for quite a few puffs and seems to be at least somewhat well made. 

I give it a 6 out of 10 over all. Honestly if I liked earthy, peppery smokes I’d go 7, or maybe 8 so if you like that kind of thing, try it out.

Davidoff Indy 500

A lovely evening indeed 

Today was a rough day from the start followed by a long (though enjoyable) night at work in the humidor. I decided to reward myself with a special cigar and a glass of rum or 10.

The cigar for the night is the Davidoff/Blend Bar exclusive, Indy 500, 100th running commemorative.

Before even lighting I am getting a rich leather, cedar, sandalwood, walnut taste. The first thing I notice after lighting is the easy draw, someone used a light touch rolling this one, which is certainly welcome.

Upon lighting I get a stronger sandalwood, perhaps chared oak taste, followed by a taste of a smooth bourbon like a Basil Hayden. A couple puffs in and my mouth is watering. I much prefer this to being completely dried out.

The through the nose puff reveals a flavor that makes me think of citrus peels and coffee grounds, gross to see in a bar trash can but lovely to taste.

I would say the body of this cigar is medium to medium plus but the choreography of flavors wouldn’t crush even the lightest scotch. True to the Davidoff legend, this stick is an extremely smooth smoke. Its almost surprising considering how robust the flavors are.

After about a quarter of the cigar I drink some particularly sweet rum, the next puff reveals a cantaloupe, some saffron, and some light pepper.

I decided to inhale a puff. It doesn’t burn my throat or make me wanna wretch. When I pause after exhaling I taste Gewürztraminer. Ruby Red grapefruit, rose petal, ginger, and Amber all come to mind.

I’ve got about a four inch ash going now (showing how well the cigar was made) and I am REALLY enjoying this smoke. At this point in the cigar the nutty flavors have taken center stage. Brazil nut, filbert, and chestnut sit comfortably in the middle of my tongue.

Honestly as an avid cigar smoker it’s rare the complexity of a cigar surprises me but this is blowing me away. I decided to let the stick stand for six or seven minutes. The smell and taste reminded me of the fragrance my wife wore on our first date. I have goosebumps. I honestly love everything about this cigar.

My favorite cigar ever is the Davidoff Wagner Salamone but this is a close second.  In my book 9/10.

A new adventure.

In my life I have been very fortunate that I’ve always been able to transform myself and adapt. After a series of events over the last year, I find myself adapting again. 

In my adventures thus far I’ve been a bartender at least 9 different times. It’s a profession I’ve always enjoyed and I’ve used the experiences I’ve learned on multiple occasions. I am now preparing to enter the world of fine drinking once again. 

To do it right, I enrolled in a bartending school, which I’m only days away from completing, jumped head first into a deep library of information on various cocktails, and have been trying to absorb every scrap of information I can find. 

I can’t wait to finish up school, get behind a bar, and start slinging drinks, meeting people, swapping stories, and making my mark on this wonderful world. 

I’ll keep you posted! 

How to be a gentleman.

Greetings, gentlemen.

The word gets tossed around a lot but what makes a man a gentleman? Originally a gentleman was someone born of noble or gentle birth and was part of the gentry. Next it was a man of leisure who was wealthy and did not need to work. Eventually it became a catchall term for all men.

There are those who say that in the last few years true gentlemen have all but disappeared but I don’t believe that is the case at all. Perhaps we weren’t as prevalent as we should have been, allowing cheap trends and poor style hide who we were. Perhaps we weren’t easily identified as gentlemen because we lacked any kind of social structure but we’ve always been here.

Gentlemen, its time for a revolution. Not one of conflict or chaos but one where we redefine and evolve the concept of a gentleman. A modern gentleman.
A true modern gentleman is someone who respects himself (dresses well, eats well, stays physically active, grooms properly, works hard), respects all women, respects his fellow-man (gives to charity, helps those he can however he can) takes pride in his home (can work around the house, contributes to the neighborhood and greater community), isn’t afraid to express himself, educates himself, is well spoken and in turn is someone who all respect in return. Never live your life to work, work only to live your life, to provide for yourself and your family and the rest of the time, ENJOY your life and your family.
Being a modern gentleman doesn’t mean you must be rich or snobby, it just means enjoy life. Dress well, eat good food, drink good booze, travel to new places experience new things and appreciate life for what it is. We live in scary times, there will always be a precipice that you’re dangerously close to falling into but that doesn’t mean you have to let the fear of falling cripple you. The abyss will always be there, it’s up to you to make the most of your life.

1) Respect. Respect yourself, respect others, respect everyone. Everyone has a right to the pursuit of happiness, no one is happy if they are disrespected. Treat men and women with equal respect, there is no “weaker sex”.

2) Dress well. This shows self respect. If you want people to identify you as a gentleman, you must identify yourself as one. This doesn’t mean you have to wear a suit everyday, it means, don’t give in to fads, don’t look sloppy, wear clothes that fit, wear clean, well-maintained shoes.

3) Be courteous. Address everyone as sir or miss. Don’t say ma’am, a lot of women don’t like that and “miss” is much more acceptable. Hold doors for everyone, be polite, study up on etiquette, and don’t discriminate against anyone.

4) Groom yourself. Get a good haircut, if you have facial hair, maintain it, wash yourself, brush your teeth, get manicures. Look good and smell better.

5) Exercise restraint. Moderation is key. If you like to drink, don’t be a drunken ass, if you like to partake in other substances, don’t let yourself turn into an animal.

6) NO VAPING. I cannot be clear enough on this. A gentleman never vapes. It’s a trendy fad and beneath you.
Just avoid fads in general.

7) Educate yourself. Learn as much as you can all the time. The more things you learn, the more opportunities you have to help others.

8) Be tidy. Keep your living space and work space neat and well organized. You’d be surprised how much confidence this builds and how much easier it will make your life.

9) Try your best at everything you do. Be dedicated. Be prepared but don’t ever be prepared to fail. A true gentleman will fail until he succeeds.

10) Smile. Always smile.

The life of a gentleman is not for everyone and if it’s not for you, that’s ok too but if you want to be a gentleman its pretty easy to do.

-Reverend Rocky

Instagram?

Hey folks! If you Instagram check me out there: rockyturbeaux

A Quick Stink: Bond No. 9 Manhattan

Manhattan from Bond No. 9

Nutmeg, saffron, black plum, gingerbread, sandalwood and vanilla. This scent is INCREDIBLE. If you ever had describe all the joy in life as a fragrance, it is this.

It starts off as something innocent like that perfect girl you knew in high school but didn’t want to kiss because it would sully her.

After about 20 minutes it dries down to something more flirty and adventurous like your first college girl friend. New, exciting experiences abound.

After about five hours you hit the bass notes. This is goddam Bangkok. ANYTHING YOU WANT, BABY! This is a serious excursion into the unknown.

Man or woman, you NEED to get this stuff TODAY!

A Quick Drink: Oculto

I bought a case of beer I’d never heard of before based solely on the packaging.

This is an occult i wish someone would rescue me from

It’s beautifully done and I was a total SUCKER for it.

The beer tastes like flat But Light lime that was mixed with 7Up. I honestly can’t convey to you how terrible it was.

When I finally pulled up reviews I learned that it is ACTUALLY flat But Light lime that was mixed with 7Up as it is brewed by AB INBEV.

Up to this point I went over 6 years without an AB INBEV beer but you used skulls and cast glass and beautiful packaging and you tricked me, you dirty son of a bitch.