Hey um, hi, so, I maybe, just a little, over did it last week and change. Its not you, Its me. What happens in Vancouver, stays in Vancouver, unless you have social media and a blog? Thats a saying right?!
Okay well, whats done is done.
Okay so had an amazing cigar experience in Vancouver for a few reasons.
One, the locations you could smoke at the hotel were wicked great, rain or shine! As you can see from on pic above, there were these very nice patios set up with flora and fountains and water features. So that was great then having to hang out in some alley way or standing around the front of the hotel.
Second, there were def a couple of days, where a fella needed to be alone with his thoughts and have a cigar.
Third, a fellow cigar smoker was revealed and it would be bad etiquette to not carve out some time to have a smoke together.
So lets run down the sticks, the accompanying beverages are not my usual fare, as I was away i didnt have access to my liquor cabinet and on a couple of failed searches there was not much in the way of local whiskey, found one, and it didnt look appealing for the price tag. Some of the single malts I am usually drawn to, were all at least 20$ more expensive then I could find at home, so my scottish/irish heart would not allow me to spend that on something I could get cheaper at home. So most cigars were accompanied with a Kickstart. Again not the best choice for a diabetic, but you cant beat the #puppymonkeybaby of it all.
So first up the Partagas Corona Tubos. This one was sent to me from friends of the show, Marjie and Monica on a recent vacation in Cuba. Literally sent it while still on vacation and I received it while they were still on vacation. I can tell you how much I liked this cigar. Really nice draw, easy to light, great ash, very good smoke time, and had nice peppery and coffee notes throughout. Its so nice when others indulge my habits, so thanks again to team M&M for the great treat.
Next up was a DR Cohiba and a new to me whiskey called THUNDER BOLT!!! hahahaha
Yes I bought it because of the name. It hails from High River Alberta and exclaims proudly on the bottle that it is 100 proof!! Sign me up.
I was expecting it to be really rough, but it was actually extremely rough haha. I think it was more akin to paint remover then whiskey but it took the edge off, the sides off, and maybe some underbelly. The cigar of course was great, I really have enjoyed smokes these cohibas over the last month or so, so no big news, enjoyable flavors, great length of time, and draw. It was the better part of the pairing by a country mile.
Third on the list was a new to me cigar the Padilla Artemus Toro. I was really in a mood the day I smoked this and wanted something that was going to last a while to get me out of my funk. It was paired with a delightful KickStart Cherry flavor haha.
It was a bugger to get lit, but it was windy and raining so that may have played into it. It had a hang time on smoking, i think at least an hour or more, and flavor wise, right in the money spot for where I like cigars. It was one of my last Cigar of the Month Club cigars. Here is there review:
The Padilla brand is built upon high quality, low volume handmades that utilize rare, very expensive materials. It continues to earn high ratings, receive top honors, and wow enthusiasts at the same time. The limited edition Padilla Artemis Toro you have in your shipment today borrows its name from the Greek goddess of the hunt, forests & hills, the moon, and archery. Manufactured at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, this handmade features a zesty blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos, a Honduran binder, and a Nicaraguan Cuban-seed Habano wrapper. Light it up and you’ll find flawless construction and rich Cuban-esque notes of cedar and earth, with a sweet peppery finish. We paired it with a bourbon and found it to be an excellent accompaniment.
Last on the list was another COTMC selection the Don Thomas Sun Grown. I am not a stranger to the Don Thomas brand and to be truthful I have left this one on the sidelines for a while because of how many of them I have had over the last couple of years.
COTMC says:
Don Tomás cigars have been the pride of Honduras for generations. Released in August 2007, this Honduran puro is no different, even earning a 90 point rating from Cigar Aficionado. Painstakingly handcrafted in the old fashion, this handmade uses carefully aged long-fillers and binder, and is cloaked with a leathery brown sun-grown Honduran Connecticut wrapper. Together, this medium-bodied smoke has a tasty bouquet of earth and tobacco with a sweet spicy finish. Perfectly constructed, enjoy this baby with a scotch.
I did not have scotch, but i did have some vodka on ice with lime and it was a really refreshing pairing. Of all the Don Thomas I have smoked this one was probably the best. It had a great taste, and was really hitting the spicy/sweet notes, held a great ash almost all the way through until the wind took it out. Really enjoyed it. I know its probably not the coolest cigar to smoke, but I really liked it.
Even better was getting the chance to enjoy a cigar with a fellow enthusiast. I dont often meet others that enjoy cigars like I do, so it was a great chance to talk some cigartalk with another dabbler. I am sure as we continue on in our conference lives we will get this opportunity again, its just to bad we live on opposite sides of the country.
So there you have it, one legit #cigarSunday and 3 shameful, bad bad boy ones.
Okay this is already crazy long and I havent even gotten into my cigar shop reviews. Maybe another blog post is in order, suffice to say, not all intraweb reviews are created equal. There is a pick of my new to me beauties, gonna have to work my butt off this week to get one!!!
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan
Okay well, whats done is done.
Okay so had an amazing cigar experience in Vancouver for a few reasons.
One, the locations you could smoke at the hotel were wicked great, rain or shine! As you can see from on pic above, there were these very nice patios set up with flora and fountains and water features. So that was great then having to hang out in some alley way or standing around the front of the hotel.
Second, there were def a couple of days, where a fella needed to be alone with his thoughts and have a cigar.
Third, a fellow cigar smoker was revealed and it would be bad etiquette to not carve out some time to have a smoke together.
So lets run down the sticks, the accompanying beverages are not my usual fare, as I was away i didnt have access to my liquor cabinet and on a couple of failed searches there was not much in the way of local whiskey, found one, and it didnt look appealing for the price tag. Some of the single malts I am usually drawn to, were all at least 20$ more expensive then I could find at home, so my scottish/irish heart would not allow me to spend that on something I could get cheaper at home. So most cigars were accompanied with a Kickstart. Again not the best choice for a diabetic, but you cant beat the #puppymonkeybaby of it all.
So first up the Partagas Corona Tubos. This one was sent to me from friends of the show, Marjie and Monica on a recent vacation in Cuba. Literally sent it while still on vacation and I received it while they were still on vacation. I can tell you how much I liked this cigar. Really nice draw, easy to light, great ash, very good smoke time, and had nice peppery and coffee notes throughout. Its so nice when others indulge my habits, so thanks again to team M&M for the great treat.
Next up was a DR Cohiba and a new to me whiskey called THUNDER BOLT!!! hahahaha
Yes I bought it because of the name. It hails from High River Alberta and exclaims proudly on the bottle that it is 100 proof!! Sign me up.
I was expecting it to be really rough, but it was actually extremely rough haha. I think it was more akin to paint remover then whiskey but it took the edge off, the sides off, and maybe some underbelly. The cigar of course was great, I really have enjoyed smokes these cohibas over the last month or so, so no big news, enjoyable flavors, great length of time, and draw. It was the better part of the pairing by a country mile.
Third on the list was a new to me cigar the Padilla Artemus Toro. I was really in a mood the day I smoked this and wanted something that was going to last a while to get me out of my funk. It was paired with a delightful KickStart Cherry flavor haha.
It was a bugger to get lit, but it was windy and raining so that may have played into it. It had a hang time on smoking, i think at least an hour or more, and flavor wise, right in the money spot for where I like cigars. It was one of my last Cigar of the Month Club cigars. Here is there review:
The Padilla brand is built upon high quality, low volume handmades that utilize rare, very expensive materials. It continues to earn high ratings, receive top honors, and wow enthusiasts at the same time. The limited edition Padilla Artemis Toro you have in your shipment today borrows its name from the Greek goddess of the hunt, forests & hills, the moon, and archery. Manufactured at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, this handmade features a zesty blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos, a Honduran binder, and a Nicaraguan Cuban-seed Habano wrapper. Light it up and you’ll find flawless construction and rich Cuban-esque notes of cedar and earth, with a sweet peppery finish. We paired it with a bourbon and found it to be an excellent accompaniment.
Last on the list was another COTMC selection the Don Thomas Sun Grown. I am not a stranger to the Don Thomas brand and to be truthful I have left this one on the sidelines for a while because of how many of them I have had over the last couple of years.
COTMC says:
Don Tomás cigars have been the pride of Honduras for generations. Released in August 2007, this Honduran puro is no different, even earning a 90 point rating from Cigar Aficionado. Painstakingly handcrafted in the old fashion, this handmade uses carefully aged long-fillers and binder, and is cloaked with a leathery brown sun-grown Honduran Connecticut wrapper. Together, this medium-bodied smoke has a tasty bouquet of earth and tobacco with a sweet spicy finish. Perfectly constructed, enjoy this baby with a scotch.
I did not have scotch, but i did have some vodka on ice with lime and it was a really refreshing pairing. Of all the Don Thomas I have smoked this one was probably the best. It had a great taste, and was really hitting the spicy/sweet notes, held a great ash almost all the way through until the wind took it out. Really enjoyed it. I know its probably not the coolest cigar to smoke, but I really liked it.
Even better was getting the chance to enjoy a cigar with a fellow enthusiast. I dont often meet others that enjoy cigars like I do, so it was a great chance to talk some cigartalk with another dabbler. I am sure as we continue on in our conference lives we will get this opportunity again, its just to bad we live on opposite sides of the country.
So there you have it, one legit #cigarSunday and 3 shameful, bad bad boy ones.
Okay this is already crazy long and I havent even gotten into my cigar shop reviews. Maybe another blog post is in order, suffice to say, not all intraweb reviews are created equal. There is a pick of my new to me beauties, gonna have to work my butt off this week to get one!!!
Sean "BigBoyRunning" Ryan