Cigar Details

Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican

Rafael Nodal is a classically trained musician and has created a few cigars to reflect his love for music. He brought his energy to the forefront in the La Boheme a cigar named after the famous opera. The Number 12 cigar of the year in 2015 is a great partnership with Blender Jochi Blanco out of the Dominican Republic.

Rafa was in New York without telling anyone in the industry and happened to drop in on the Town house. When he did I happened to be smoking his cigar. A genuine coincidence that lead into a friendship. He was so taken back by the fact that I was smoking his cigar in a place that barely carried anything close. We stayed close and years later he gifted me the small format in the La Boheme. I aged the cigars and brought them along on a trip to Reggae fest in Austin Texas. By day two of the festival all the cigar smokers back stage were smoking the La Boheme and raving about it. It was small enough to not be overly committing and good enough to want to start.

I saw Rafaa couple months ago and we were able to catch up. Nothing like a small cigar with a Giant Flavor profile.

In this episode I say Room 101 instead of Aging Room, my bad. Aside from that, we talk about a crowd pleaser cigar, combustion, taste, small formats and time with a cigar.

Cigar Details

Wrapper: Ecuador Summatra
Binder: Costa Rican
Filler: Costa Rican/Nicaraguan

I spent a lot of time smoking unbanned cigars, honing in on understanding flavor without knowing where the tobacco was from who made it or how much it costs. There were times that the name of the cigar didn’t matter for better or for worse. Every so often I was given a prototype to smoke for something that wouldn’t hit the market till much later. The Panamericana was love at first smoke. A cigar so good that it made me drool. I couldn’t believe how good it was and even thought it was a fluke. I only understood how good it was after the second time I smoked it and of course drooled. I could not believe it. It was supposed to be a limited edition for a one time release.

I believe the consensus of everyone who smoked it was that this needed to be part of the core production. Thank goodness for a communal opinion. This became my all-time favorite Nat Sherman Cigar and I would smoke this on every vacation I went on since its release.

Sumatra tobacco originated in Indonesia and has a natural sweetness that is unmatched in any wrapper in the world. This seed varietal grows very well in Ecuador and has become a successful substitute. Oily and a great start to a blend. Costa Rican tobacco tends to be expensive and usually only used for a component or two in a cigar. Costa Rican tobacco has a sweet and salty flavor profile during combustion and it plays really well with Summatra.

The Epicure size is a tall robusto that burns so evenly that the ash sticks even through the half way mark.

In this episode we talk about the Nat Sherman Panamericana, salivary affects, prototypes becoming an on the market cigar, creating a blend, time playing a role in a cigar, choosing a blend, bleeding a your lighter, Pre-Embargo Cigars, inexpensive good cigars, aromatics in a cigar, putting down a cigar, putting out a cigar and combustion.

If there are words or terms that you’re unfamiliar within this episode, we highly recommend you check out the Sunday Cigar Glossary.

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Cigar Details

Wrapper: Yamasa
Binder: San Vicente
Filler: Nicaragua

If you’re ever smoking a cigar and find yourself folding like a lawn chair, you’ll need sugar underneath your tongue. When the body takes in a heavy amount of Nicotine, blood pressure tends to drop.

The first time I felt the immobilizing feeling was at the Davidoff Factory in 2011. The Puro D’Oro had just released and we were trying it for the first time. As we made our way through the wrapper sorting section of the operation, Michael Herklots said “Yo Juan Come check this out”. As I looked over he was taking a wrapper leaf in hand and rolling the wrapper tobacco into a perfect cigarillo sized roll. He specifically said “Don’t take more than 3 puffs”, I looked at him and took a few puffs. After the few puffs, I puffed some more. Michael had walked away to speak with someone and I kept on puffing. Huge Mistake. Before I knew it I was sitting on the cold floor in the hallway, trying to gain my composure. Folded me right up. Nausea, cold sweats and chills came over me. Michael came over with a coca cola and saved me from more embarrassment.

The Puro D’ Oro is now a very limited cigar and the new kid in Town is the Davidoff Yamasa using that very wrapper. There’s more of a follow through with the Yamasa Blend, a better finish as well if you ask me. The Yamasa became a quick favorite of mine after my second time having it. Yamasa is a seed varietalbirthed in the Dominican and fathered by the Davidoff Operation.

No one else uses Yamasa tobacco but Davidoff and this is the Signature to that.

In this episode we talk about eating before you smoke a cigar, Davidoff as a brand, Yamasa and what it means, brief career in the cigar industry, Henke Kelner, taking in the flavor, art and Juan Rodriguez.

If there are words or terms that you’re unfamiliar within this episode, we highly recommend you check out the Sunday Cigar Glossary.

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We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode. Leave a comment on the Apple Podcast App and don’t forget to rate the show.