The “Little Puff” is Draper’s signature fundraiser, an intimate gathering of cigar lovers (limited to 300 people). Proceeds from ticket sales and the auction benefit three local academic scholarships (The Erik Kristensen Memorial Scholarship in honor of a Navy SEAL killed in action; The Pat Krimm Scholarship & The Anne Berman Memorial Scholarship).

 

Attendees can interact with representatives from the best names in cigars (i.e., Ashton, Fuente, Padron, La Flor Dominicana, La Aurora, CAO, Carlos Torano, Rocky Patel, Camacho, Davidoff, Zino Platinum, Cuesta-Rey, Gran Habano, Hoyo de Monterrey). Past attendees have included: Carlito Fuente, Arturo Fuente; Arielle Ditkowitch, La Sirena Cigars; Janny Garcia & Jose Ortega, My Father Cigars; Nestor Miranda, Miami Cigar & Co.; Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Cigars and Jorge Padron, Padron Cigars among many others.

 

Well, there’s an event called “Breakfast at Drapers” tomorrow, Wednesday, August 10 at Drapers DC & Bethesda! This is where you can be the first to get your little puff tickets! The two different locations have different operating hours: Drapers DC opens at 9:30 AM; Drapers Bethesda opens at 10:00 AM

So it looks like the first 25 walk-in customers to either Drapers DC (640 14th Street NW) or Drapers Bethesda (4916 Del Ray Avenue) will be among the first to get their tickets to the coveted 12th Annual Drapers Little Puff. Gee, I wonder if there will be a line out the door, Apple store style…

Tickets for “Breakfast at Drapers,” are $225.00 and customers are limited to two tickets per customer.

The Breakfast includes:

• a Smoker’s Ticket to The 12th Annual Drapers Little Puff
• a light breakfast and
• cigars courtesy of The Ashton Family of Cigars.

Via W.Curtis Draper Tobacconist

Fuente Aged Selection

1. The November 2011 release of The Fuente Story comes with the biography of Carlos Fuente Sr., and 4 rare vintage Fuente Aged Selection cigars:1 Don Arturo Gran AniverXario, Natural; 1 Don Arturo Gran AniverXario, Sun Grown; 1 Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario, Double Robusto; 1 Fuente Fuente OpusX, Scorpio Maduro
   The cigars will come in the limited edition macassar ebony Fuente Story travel humidor (humidifier not included). There will only be 2,011 released and MSRP will be $160.00.
2. Carlito Fuente has created a new cigar, Don Arturo Gran AniverXario, in a tribute to his grandfather,Arturo Fuente. These cigars are made with the legendary wrapper leaves from Chateau de la Fuente, the birthplace of dream. Carlito Fuente made Don Arturo Gran AniverXario cigars in 2001 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Arturo Fuente Cigar Company,which was founded by his grandfather in 1912. He planned to release Don Arturo Gran AniverXario cigars every year, starting in 2002, to celebrate the 100th anniversary. However, these cigars were never released except the limited releases in 2008 and 2009. Don Arturo Gran AniverXario Gran Corona cigars have been aging in the Fuente aging room since 2001. These 10-year-old cigars are being shipped to retail tobacconists
   worldwide this year to commemorate the 99th anniversary of Arturo Fuente Cigar Company and the release of his father’s biography.

Those are just 2 of the many being released as part of the Fuente Aged Selection. You can view the full brochure in PDF format.

God of Fire:

1. The God of Fire Serie B will be released this year in 2 sizes. The Robusto Gordo at 5 1/2 x 54 ($22.00 MSRP) and the Gran Toro 6 x 56 ($24.00 MSRP). Each size will have 10,000 cigars released.
2. God of Fire by Don Carlos will be released in a Robusto Gordo coming in at 5 1/2 x 54. The MSRP is $22.00 and will have a release quantity of 10,000 cigars.

Those are just 2 of the many being released as part of the God of Fire Selection. You can view the full brochure in PDF format.

Prometheus:

Prometheus stole fire from Zeus, the king of Olympian Gods, to give it to mankind. Enraged Zeus ordered Prometheus to be bound to a desolate rock and attacked by an eagle. Prometheus was punished for his love of mortals. The above painting, Prometheus Bound, portrays his unwavering endurance of suffering. Prometheus is a  ourageous hero for mankind, and also known as God of Fire.

For a look at the new lighters and humidors being released check out the full brochure in PDF format.

My only concern is will they compare to the Work of Art Maduro, or will they fail to capture that magic.

Cigar: Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature Maduro
Size: 6 x 47 (Perfecto)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature Maduro

Appearance and Construction: The Hemingway Signature Maduro features a gritty looking Connecticut Broadleaf that is rolled to perfection. Finding a seam, notable vein or any flaw is impossible which helps make these rare cigars even more special. The cap is perfectly placed and the slightly longer perfecto tip is flawless. The cigar feels a little light in the hand but there are no soft spots under the fingers.

Flavor & Notes: Prior to lighting up the cigar the cold draw offered a slight sweetness, while there was a rich tobacco note from the wrapper/foot. As I lit the nipple of the cigar there was a slightly leather note but some sweetness emerged as we moved past the tip of the cigar. As we worked our way into the first third the notes of leather are gone as some notes of chocolate take hold. As the cigar approached the second third the notes of chocolate are joined by some fruit that borders on apples with some coffee lingering around the finish. The final third of the cigar has notes heavy on coffee with some chocolate lingering around with a strong espresso finish.

Smoking Characteristics: I have a friend Alex who refuses to smoke a perfecto cigar because most of the have a hard draw before lighting up and this cigar is a perfect example of that time and time again. Until you smoke past the nipple the cigar is right, but thankfully that is only for the first few draws and then the cigar opens up beautifully. The solid white ash held on for half the cigar before I opted to ash. The burn started out uneven but it corrected itself within the first inch where it remained perfect all the way though to the end.

Conclusion: While the cigar did not reach the epic levels of the Work of Art Maduro this cigar is still above the traditional Cameroon line. If you happen to see these they are definitely worthy of a box purchase and they will only get better with age.

Rating: 94
Price: $9.00

Disclaimer: As always the typo’s and spelling mistakes have been left in this review for your amusement and to annoy my good friend Gary Arzt. However, I recently purchased Grammar for Dummies in an attempt to clean up the site some.

When I was there this week they had some of the great Fuente rarities in stock. Opus X Maduro, Opus X Scorpio and more. That is how I got my hands on these cigars for review today, the Don Carlos Lancero which is an extremely rare Fuente stick.

Cigar: Arturo Fuente Don Carlos
Size: 6.75 x 38 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium
Facebook: Arturo Fuente

Don Carlos Lancero - Cello

Appearance and Construction: The Don Carlos line of cigars utilize a Cameroon wrapper that has a beautiful look about it. The wrapper has some sheen in spots from the oils and is virtually vein free. The Cameroon wrapper is usually a brittle wrapper with minimal veins due to the lack of rainfall in the region they are grown. This Lancero is rolled to perfection with a slightly pig tailed cap giving it a truly elegant appearance.

Don Carlos Lancero

Flavor & Notes: Both the foot and the cigar have me wondering if this is a cigar or a piece of candy. They both offer a wonderfully sweet cinnamon note with a slight bit of molasses. I could just enjoy the cigar at this point without lighting it as the notes drain all the stress from my body. Once lit and I dive into the first third it starts off with some slight leather to begin with but after a half inch some of that delicious cinnamon comes back with some cedar and nuts. The second third of this smooth cigar is mouthwatering. The notes of nuts and cinnamon continue with some cedar and seem to be amplified a bit making it oh so enjoyable. The final third of the cigar continues to impress with coffee notes added to a spicy cinnamon note with cedar and nuts along for the ride giving this stick and incredibly long finish.

Smoking Characteristics: Perfect. A part of me wants to leave it at that, but I will go into some detail. For starters the cigar burned razors edge straight with the carbon line being as thin as one. The medium to dark color ash held on firm with absolutely no flake. The draw was perfect and the amount of smoke produced by this vitola was more then Ive come to expect from the size. The aroma was as sweet as the prelight draw making it enjoyable to those around me.

Conclusion: The lancero is probably the most flavorful of all cigars due to the ratio of wrapper to filler and binder. A lot of cigar smokers don’t understand this or comprehend this. In a market that is trending toward bigger is better very rarely will you see me smoke a cigar larger then a 50 ring gauge with my preference being a corona or lancero. If you smoke a bigger ring gauge I challenge you to smoke the same cigar in a small ring gauge to see the difference, you will be amazed. This particular lancero is among the best I ever smoked in the vitola and despite the hefty price tag before taxes I can see smoking these again, except in NY after August 1st because of the tobacco tax making this a $27.50 cigar.

Rating: 94
Price: $20.00 before taxes

I’ve been enjoying delicious cigars since 1988. I was only 20 years old then, in the US Army and stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. At that time I was only familiar with the machine made cigars. My Grandfather, Guadalupe Cantu (we just called him Grandpa Lupe) used to smoke Travis Club and White Owl cigars. I fondly remember how nice they smelled and how cool he looked driving down the road in his 1963 Chevrolet Pickup with the cigar stuck in his jaw as it slowly smoldered. I was an impressionable young man at that time but as I grew older I soon began to realize the peacefulness, stress relief, and sheer pleasure that he got from having a cigar to enjoy. That first year I was in Frankfurt I didn’t really know too many people but I made friends quickly. I would sit outside on my patio or out on the golf course and puff away and soon found myself surrounded by a handful of soldiers with similar interests. One of them was my next door neighbor Brian, and as a result we hung out quite often. It turned out he liked golf and cigars too! (Then again, who doesn’t – save for a few?) Brian grew up in Florida if I recall correctly and of course there are some very nice golf courses out there and it’s mighty close to Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and South America so I’m sure he had access to very fine cigars as well. It was he, who introduced me to the world of handmade cigars over 20 years ago. One of the first cigars he ever shared with me was an Arturo Fuente, I would later learn why that was such a milestone for me. Fast forward a bit, a few years ago I was visiting with my Uncle Johnny, we were both enjoying a cigar and reminiscing about the days when Grandpa Lupe was still around and how we wish we could have all been enjoying a cigar together. We talked about all the good times we had and as we sat and visited I learned that one of my grandpa’s favorite cigar was an Arturo Fuente. Apparently the machine made cigars were for everyday smokes and he reserved the Fuente’s for special occasions. Ever since then, Arturo Fuente has held a special place in my heart. I love and miss my grandpa dearly and wish he was still here today. My only solace is that I know he’s in a better place and will soon be able to sit around and enjoy a delicious cigar with him one day. Today I’ll be revisiting this line of cigars and I will focus on the Gran Reserva Maduro. To my old friend Brian, Thank You – wherever you are. This one’s for you grandpa…

Cigar: Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva
Size: 7.25 x 48 (Churchill)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf (Maduro)
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Strength: Mild to Medium
Facebook: Arturo Fuente Cigars

Appearance & Construction: The band is the traditional red with gold embossing and a green accent; it has a cedar sleeve and a green ribbon at the foot. It appears way more elegant than it costs which is a bonus, especially if you’re trying to make an impression. The wrapper is very dark and slightly oily. There are a few veins and one sun spot near the foot but the overall construction appears top notch. It’s a little light in the hand and slightly spongy. The nose is delightful, slightly sweet and very aromatic -thanks to the dark, oily wrapper and the cedar band.

Flavor & Notes: Once the cigar is out of the cedar sleeve the nose is slightly diminished. I taste of the wrapper prior to punching it and the flavor is slightly sweet and very slightly spicy, the nose inhales the cedar notes and it’s quite a pleasing combination. The cap holds well to the punch and the pre-light draw is very loose, probably a result of the sponginess of the cigar. After careful toasting the foot takes the flame well and the first puff is quite delectable. There are notes of cocoa, coffee bean and allspice that fill the palate while the nose takes on cinnamon, cedar, oak and a slight spiciness. After a few more puffs there’s a faint dark vanilla and leathery compound in the background that develops, it’s especially noticeable when the smoke is retro haled through the nose. These profiles are quite pronounced for the first 20 minutes of the smoke but soon mellow out to a somewhat non-distinct sweet, earthy flavor. The sweet and earthy flavor takes on the greater part of the stick and while it’s enjoyable it’s not nearly as memorable as the first 20 minutes of the cigar. The complexity at the beginning is very intriguing and will easily capture both the novice and most experienced aficionados at first puff. However, I do wish that the initial complexity would stick around for the entire length of the cigar. The smoke continued to billow out plentifully and the fragrance was quite pleasing until the last 2” of the stick. At that point the flavor and aroma turned bitter, it wasn’t an unpleasant bitterness but more like a black coffee and dark molasses kind of bitterness. I assume it was a result of it being smoked for nearly 90 minutes coupled with the buildup of compounds near the end. Of course, not everyone will appreciate that particular taste profile. It was quite a surprise to me to say the least! Overall this is a one of the mildest maduro’s I’ve encountered. This is one that most will appreciate because it’s got some complexity and it’s not overpowering in the least. I continued to enjoy this one all the way down to the nub at about 1” in honor of my grandpa.

Smoking Characteristics: The ash holds firm and is salt and pepper colored, leaning a bit more towards the grey. The burn line is a very jagged but that may also be due to the very easy draw. I didn’t need to touch up the cigar until the last few inches because it started to tunnel. (That’s also when the profile went bitter!) There’s an ample amount of smoke produced and the fragrance fills the air very nicely. I’ve had this one a few times and it seems to be consistent. This is great smoke for the price if you’re willing to endure a little bitterness in the last few moments, of course you can always quit early too and avoid it altogether. If you’ve not tried a maddie yet, then this should be the first one to try!

Conclusion: Available in almost 20 different sizes from 4.25 x 30 (Exquisitos) to 8.50 x 52 (Canones) and sold individually, or in boxes of 10, 20, 25 or 50 – depending on the size you choose. Available at most B&M’s this is a stick that will please for the most part, especially for the price of admission! I encourage you to give this one a chance in your humidor and see if you don’t agree. It pairs well with a fine Root Beer or a Brown Ale.

Price: $5.75 a stick a Famous-Smoke Shop
Score: 87

Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum

The first time I came across the Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum was at Cigar Inn in NYC. This cigar flew in under the radar for me so I was eager to try it because I knew absolutely nothing about it. It turned out to be a decent cigar so I grabbed a lot more and I am now at the point to review them.

When I got home that first night after smoking I saw online these sticks were limited to 300 stores but I have yet to been able to confirm that. Further research has revealed that these wrappers were grown 8-10 years ago by John Oliva when Fuente first created the sungrown line. The difference between the original line and this one is that the Rosado Sungrown Magnum wrapper comes from a lower priming and results in a milder smoke.

These cigars were rolled over one year ago and have been aging ever since. They are available in three sizes, 52 (5 x 52), the 54 (6.25 x 54) and the 56 (5.5 x 56).

Cigar: Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum
Size: 5 x 52 (R 52/Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sungrown
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Mild/Medium

Appearance and Construction (18/20): When I first caught these on the shelf out of the corner of my eye the one thing that threw me off was the label as it is different then most. The Fuente crest is present but the surrounding area has a new design and states, “A. Fuente Rosado Gran Reserve”. The cigar itself has a beautiful looking wrapper that is almost vein free. The cap had a Cuban feel to it as it was flat and spotting the seams on this flawless roll was damn near impossible. The one negative here appears to be a glue issue as some cigars that I have smoked have had residue on the stick beneath the band.

Flavor & Notes (26/30): Prior to lighting up I went through my usual ritual. Off the foot I got some subtle spices while the draw revealed cloves. The first third offers some subtle spices of which clove stands out and cedar. The second third continues with subtle spices and cedar remain but I also find some notes of nuts along for the ride. The final third of the cigar began to change for me as the spices kicked up notch and the primary note reminded me of a smokey single malt scotch. But what really got me on the final third was the strong licorice notes on the finish that were outstanding.

Burn/Ash/Draw (25/25): A nice slow burning stick that was even from start to finish with thinnest of carbon lines. If only all cigars burned like this one did. The ash was incredibly tight and a light gray color. It held remarkably well, and I didn’t loose it til the mid way point. The draw once the cigar was cut seemed to be a little tight but once lit it was ideal.

Overall (21/25): I have mixed feelings about this cigar. The first two thirds of the cigar did just enough to keep me interested and the cigar is better suited not to be broken down. It is a nice mellow relaxing cigar that is mild to medium. The final third of the cigar it becomes closer to full bodied and the notes become more defined that make you want to smoke it again. I rated this cigar a 90, but the majority of the smoke is an 88, while the finish is more of a 92. It was a nice change of pace from what a regular Fuente has to offer.

Rating: 90
Price: $8.50 (NYC Price)

858 Sungrown

I will be the first to admit that the “rare” cigars that Fuente releases around Christmas and Father’s Day are some of the most over hyped cigars around. Yet every year when I walk into my friends cigar shop and he tells me, hey I got this or that in I am all over it. The Fuente 858 Sungrown is pretty much as rare as they come from Fuente as the cigar was only made available to people who took part of a window display promotion in 2002. The cigar utilizes the same sun grown wrapper as all the other sun grown cigars from Fuente and it is produced by Oliva cigars.

Cigar: Arturo Fuente 858 Sungrown
Size: 6 x 48
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sungrown (Natural)
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Strength: Full

Appearance and Construction (15/20): Sporting the same traditional label as the regular 858 the only thing that lets you know this is the 858 Sun-grown (other then the wrapper color) is the fact the cigar comes wrapped cedar with a red ribbon at the foot and it states so on the box. The 858 is a cigar that in my experience generally is one of the worst looking Fuente cigars. The ones that I smoked had at least one significant vein on the wrapper. The cigar has a nice sheen to it, and a lot of tooth. The cigar feels a bit heavy for one of its size especially near the cap. There are no soft spots to be found although the foot of the cigar is very loosely packed.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): The foot of the cigar has a lot of spices to it, and as usual it sent me into a sneezing fit. There is also a faint sweetness hiding out in the background. The prelight draw offered notes of earth. As with most sun grown cigars the stick starts off with a significant amount of spice and pepper. What sets the 858 sun grown apart from the rest is the fact there is some sweetness a long for the ride in the background. As we near the second third of the cigar the pepper remains but it slowly fades to the background and some notes of raisin and cedar become the focal point.  The final third of the cigar becomes spicy with notes of nuts and a faint sweetness remains on the finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): When I first lit this cigar up it burned pretty fast due to the foot being a little under filled. Thankfully it slowed down after the first third of the smoke. The burn was a bit jagged throughout but it never once showed any signs of getting out of hand. The ash was strong, with no flake and was medium gray in color. Prior to lighting up the cigar there was a slight draw issue that had me concerned. I was worried there would be no draw once lit but thankfully that was not the case. The cigar offered a slight resistance which is what I prefer in a cigar.

Overall (23/25): The Anejo Shark and the 858 sungrown are cigars I never regret stocking up on if I find the right price. However due to the “rare” Fuente cigars being over hyped a lot of stores price gouge on these smokes. I’m lucky the cigar store I visit for these isn’t too crazy considering the NY tobacco tax rate. If you see these for the right price I would recommend them. If they aren’t at the right price, run away as fast as you can.

Rating: 88
Price: $8.75

On to the Sunday Links:

Cigar Choice has a review of a cigar I reached for a few times this week to do a review but I never got around to it. The cigar, Diamond Crown #4 (Robusto).

Keepers Of The Flame has a review of the Short Story from Arturo Fuente. The ultimate dog walker. (A cigar that’s perfect in duration when walking the dog)

The Cigar Spy has a review of the ORTSAC 1962 a cigar I plan to smoke today and review for Thursday. Will we agree?

Have a cigar you want to see reviewed? Let us know in comments!

Diamond Crown Maximus #5

I had intended to do a Diamond Crown Maximus cigar smoking experience but for some odd reason the picture on the left was the only one in focus. Turns out the lens on the camera was a little dirty from ash from a prior cigar I smoked.

I smoked today’s cigar at my favorite B&M Barrister Cigars in Union, NJ. The owner Dave is a friendly chap who never complains when I bring my own cigar to smoke for my review and that is exactly what I did today on a cold rainy day.

Cigar: Diamond Crown Robusto #5
Size: 5×50 (Robusto)
Origin: Domincan Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian El Bajo Sun Grown
Binder: Domincan Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic

Appearance and Construction (19/20): This dark sun grown wrapper has some veins but none of them are large or above the surface of the cigar. The cigar itself is exquisitely rolled with a nice cap and weight. The foot reveals a well packed cigar. The bands of this cigar is very busy but it works when on the shelf of a busy humidor causing the cigar to stand out.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The prelight draw on the cigar reveals some earthy notes. The cigar offered some spices on the first third with a faint hint of sweetness. As we entered the second third of the cigar there were some faint cocoa and coffee notes with some nuts as well. The final third of the smoke had more coffee notes with an earthy finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): The burn of the cigar was slightly jagged at times but it never once got out of hand. The ash of the cigar was a marble color and it held on well. I never lost the ash which was enjoyable. The draw while offering some resistance was acceptable.

Overall (22/25): The Diamond Crown Maximus is one of those cigars that don’t live up to the hype for me. While at times it reminded me of an Ashton VSG I could not justify spending the money on these smokes unless I was going to an affair and wanted to have a touch of class on me to hand out. But given the smoking laws the opportunity to do that is far and between.

Rating: 91
Price: $172.99 a box of 20 @ Tex Cigars

Between The Lines

The Arturo Fuente Between The Lines is a rare smoke. Not many stores get them and they usually fly off the shelf. I came across two of these cigars via a trade with a great brother of the leaf on twitter by the name of Matt. The cigar is also an example of cigar websites that need to be updated as the JC Newman website makes no mention of them, and other limited releases.

Vitolas.net has the following information posted about the Between The Lines: “The BTL was originally created at the request of Cynthia Fuente, who wanted a cigar that wasn’t too heavy but still had an enjoyable smoking profile. The maduro spiral is not simply added to the cigar after the Connecticut shade wrapper has been applied. During the rolling process, the two wrappers are cut to the same size, placed one on top of the other so that they overlap, and then the two wrappers are wrapped as one onto the cigar. This means that there are equal quantities of maduro and Connecticut shade wrapper tobacco on these cigars, influencing the taste profile of the cigar.”

Cigar: Arturo Fuente Between The Lines
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 4.5 x 54 (Short Perfecto)
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade/Maduro (Stripe)
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican

Appearance & Construction (20/20): One of the best looking barber polls in the cigar industry today. The foot of the cigar is evenly split on the roll, with one side being a maduro, and the other side Shade. Everything about the cigar is a vision of beauty.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): As we light the nipple on this perfecto the first third of the smoke offers a dominant note of what one can best describe as toast that has been toasted just a little too long. It’s note quite burnt, but it is well done.  That flavor continues past the nipple as the cigar burns into the body of the smoke where it is joined by subtle notes of chocolate. As we approach the second third of the smoke the cigar the notes of toast remain joined by coffee notes and a very subtle chocolate. The final third of the smoke finishes out with some notes of chocolate and coffee.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): The burn is a bit uneven but that can be attributed to the barber pole. It never gets out of hand even though at times it might appear it is getting close. The ash held for an amazing 3/4 of the cigar only needing to ash in order to remove the label. The draw was very typical of a short story, with just enough resistant to make it pleasurable.

Overall (22/25): This smoke is a stick I will always grab when I have the chance, but it is because of how rare it is, not how great it is. Given the choice to smoke this or the Short Story I will almost always opt to smoke that. But for a rare smoke, this cigar is definitely worth the MSRP.

Rating: 91
Price: $15.00