Weekly Email – October 7th, 2015

Join us TOMORROW (that’s tomorrow, as in October 8th, also known as “the day after today”) 4:00 to 8:00 pm, for a Duran Cigars event with our pal Miguel, who will be bringing an array of excellent cigars by the formidable Roberto P. Duran (no relation to the boxer). Specials will be available on all lines, includingAzan White, Azan Burgundy, Azan Maduro, Neya, and Duran Signature. See how well they pair with a variety of exotic rums (yes, there will be a rum tasting component to this event…)! PLUS: a free Xikar butterfly cutter with the purchase of any box of Duran, Neya, Azan Maduro, or 2 boxes of Azan White! To recap: CIGARS! RUM! FREE STUFF!

We have dozens of new cigars from the previous several weeks…so get yourself over here and try any or all of them! Villiger Trill… CAO Flathead Steel Horse…Henry Clay Tattoo… Nat Sherman Host… Fratello Bianco… La Palina Mr. Sam… La Boheme… Rocky Patel Sun-Grown Maduro… Quesada Oktoberfest… Dunhill Heritage… Curivari Buenaventura Pralines andAchilles Mirmidones… Nica Puro Rosado… Nomad Therapy… Montecristo 80th Anniversary… A.J. Fernandez Enclave… Padron Damaso… There’s a wealth of new blends to fall in love with, so come by and see what strikes your fancy!

Our supply of the indescribably excellent cigar from Villiger is dwindling…and if you haven’t yet tried one of these, you’d better get your hands on one (or more) soon! A mysterious release which emerged from the 2015 IPCPR trade show, the Celebration is a mild but very flavorful cigar comprised of undisclosed ingredients. This cigar comes with its own set of rules, however:

Wait, wrong set of rules. Let’s try again:

Is it worth all this trouble? YES IT IS. Very few people who have tried this cigar have not come back for a full box. We’ve received an allotment of these by acting fast, and their availability is finite. It is unknown if any more of them will even be entering the country…so get them while you can!

I hereby defer to Jeff, our taciturn Pipe Guru, who says:”Black billiard. Sandblasted. Factory pipe. Flat bottom. Hard to find. Pretty nice. Check it out.”

There you have it. It also has a very capacious bowl and a cryptic engraving of a lamb on the bottom. We have a few on hand, so pick up a Tsuge Tasting Piperight away!

Soon… Very soon… you will experience the magic of El Güegüense.*

* Pronounced way-wayne-say, El Güegüense is an important character in Nicaraguan folklore, the Wise Man.

This week, we’re dipping into the bulk tobacco at ASW and sampling a rather obscure offering:Newminster English Luxus. Newminster is owned and distributed by Villiger for the US market, and their tobacco is sold only in bulk.

The blending components are Burley, Virginias, Cyprian Latakia and Black Cavendish. This last ingredient is used in English blends more often than most people realize, and it has an unusual “taming” effect on the room note; it tends to dampen the pungent Latakia note, which makes things easier on others who may be easily offended by a strong aroma.

The cut is a fine ribbon, long strands of golden Browns with black strands intermingled. Loading and lighting are a breeze with this cut, and the dry draw prior to the match reveals the earthy, somewhat bitter flavor so typical of a good Latakia blend.

One-third of the way in, Luxus showcases the Latakia and burley with a nutty, mushroom-and-steak flavor profile; the Virginias really don’t bring much to the table until I’m nearly at the halfway point, when some sweet, sugary notes begin to surface (but never overwhelm).

Hands down, the toughest thing for me to wrap my head around with this blend is the price! It’s easily our most affordable pipe tobacco as well as one of the better-quality bulk offerings on the shelf. If you enjoy a nice, medium-bodied (yet rich) English pipe blend, I encourage you to come in and try a bowl. I’d bet you’ll be as pleasantly surprised by it as I was.

A full 5 out of 5 pipes for this week’s selection! Puff On!