Montecristo Especial No.2 (1981)

Produced: 1981
Made by: Laguito No. 2
Vitola: 513
Shape: Parejo
Ring Gauge: 38
Length: 6 inches
Purchased: Davidoffs, London, UK 2006.

Date: November 14th, 2006
Time: 9:30pm Central
Location: Hyatt Lost Pines, Austin, Texas
Conditions: Clear Skies, Balmy 75 degrees

The Locations
I’m attending the annual executive retreat in the Texas “Hill Country” just outside Austin, Texas. The Hyatt Lost Pines resort just opened in June and is nestled along the Colorado River.

A large and expansive property isolated inside a huge mesquite forest, the amenities are great for kids and families but it is infested with the largest beetles and flying bugs I’ve ever seen….welcome back to Tejas amigo!

A full 2 days of air-conditioned meetings, BBQ’s, iced tea and endless Powerpoint culminate in an evening session with James Carville and Mary Matalin. Polar political opposites that have been married for over 10 years, they gave their explanations for the latest election results as well as who they predicted would win in 2008. Buckle your seatbelts as both predicted that Hilary and Guiliani would run for President.

Mary formerly served as assistant to President Bush and counselor to Vice-President Cheney, and was the first White House official to hold that double title. She also makes frequent television appearances and has a particularly sharp wit and free-spirited repartee that makes for great entertainment.

James Carville (aka The Ragin Cajun) is America’s best known political consultant and has a long list of electoral successes with a knack for steering overlooked campaigns to unexpected landslide victories and for re-making political underdogs into upset winners. He is best known for getting Clinton into power in 1992. My favorite quote from him is "When your opponent is drowning, throw the son of a bitch an anvil." And of-course he has starred in multiple films and one of my classic favorites “Old School” with Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn.

It was a great evening and after dinner I spent time with some of my corporate associates at the fire pit by the river and smoked this exquisite cigar.

The Smoke!
Not an intimidating cigar that looks that impressive, this Especial No.2 would definitely surprise anyone with it’s incredible taste and finish. Having been kept in great condition at Davidoff’s in London, this was the last in a box that had been acquired back in the mid-80’s. The wrapper is in excellent condition with no perfections. I apply a standard cut as there is a small beautiful tie knob on the cap. The draw is delicate and it lights up very easily.

The experience starts off sweet and fruity and this is quite a delight to smoke in the humid, tepid conditions by the river in this Texas swamp. This size, which is identical in size to the Cohiba Coronas Especiales is particularly comfortable to hold given it’s smaller gauge.

As the smoke progresses, it evolves some spice and strength and finishes in a pronounced and robust manner….wow, what a great smoke and so easy to enjoy….wish I could find more of these 81’s! This was definitely ready to smoke and do not require any further ageing. I never have to relight or tend the puro as the ash is firm and breaks only twice during the 2 hours of enjoyment.

Home tomorrow as I need to get back to SFO and meet up with an old friend from OZ….and perhaps enjoy a smoke or two…


Rating: (4) OUTSTANDING
(5) Classic, (4) Outstanding, (3) Very Good, (2) Average, (1) Don’t Bother

Humidor: SMOKE NOW
Smoke Now, Smoke Soon:1–3 Years, Put Away:3–7 Years, Vault:7-12 Years, Inheritance Gift:12+ Years

Rafael Gonzalez Coronas Extra (1981)

Produced: 1981
Made by: Coronas Gordas
Vitola: 505
Shape: Parejo
Ring Gauge: 46
Length: 5 5/8 inches
Purchased: Davidoff, London, UK, 2006.

Date: September 30th, 2006
Time: 6:00pm Pacific
Location: 2006 San Francisco Greek Food Festival, San Francisco, California
Conditions: Overcast, Temperate 68 degrees

The Locations
I’m starving! This frickin organic-vegetarian-natural-fiber-low-carb-low-fat-green-tea-mumbo-jumbo diet that L has me on is driving me nuts. I want some meat and fat… and I want it now! I’m desperate and if I suggest a steak at Harris’s or a burger at Myth she’ll cotton onto me. And so I deftly suggest: “Hey honey, how about we do something cultural & ethnic tonight and experience the Greek Festival”? By carefully omitting the word “Food” from the festival description, we were on our way down to the Mission District with visions of Souvlaki dancing in my head.

As we crossed over Market Street and approached the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral (alarm bells will ring if I cross the threshold), I could see the billowing smoke from the open BBQ pits. Oh joy, this is going to be good.

The Greek culture really focuses on family and enjoying food and although I am not Greek, I really enjoy the cuisine. There’s something about the wine, food and erhhhh, their friendliness that is very inviting. Having grown up in a city that has the largest Greek population outside of Greece, I have an appreciation for mixing meat and yoghurt (not kosher, right?). The first person to correctly email me the identity of that city will receive a Cohiba Siglo VI!

As we entered the Cathedral grounds, I conducted a quick reconnoiter and started salivating. Food glorious food! BBQ’d Lamb, Pork, Octopus, Chicken all basted in amazing herbs and spices on open grills. At each station there were these elderly Greek gentleman (most of them named Nick or Nicky or Nicholas or Con) eagerly throwing meat at me as if they knew of my dietary purgatory.

We wandered around squeezing through the attractive all Greek crowd sampling the Pastitsio, Moussaka, Spanakopites, Tiropites, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Dolmathes, Greek Style Green Beans, and my favorite, a variety of spreads: taramosalata and skordalia. We had some mediocre Greek beer and then finished off with some spectacular pastries: Koulourakia, Galatobouriko, Baklava, Kataifi, Melomakarouna, Kourambiedes…. Pass me the pepto..

I grabbed a table near the fountain and watched the children dressed in their traditional costumes practicing for their upcoming dance performance. As L ran off to get some of those fried donut balls that are drizzled with honey and walnuts, I enjoyed the moment knowing full well that my menu for the next week would consist of wheat grass juice, cold tofu and raw grains…. It was at that point I reached for this Gonzalez.


The Smoke!
Muddy tan in color the cigar has a slight green tinge spot near the tip. It has solid construction with a beautiful yet understated cap. One hardly notices the band as the thin brown strip melds into the cigar. The lettering is miniscule and I struggle to read it even with my 2.5 multiple glasses.

This vitola is generally recognized as the best cigar made by Gonzalez. The full name of the brand is “Flor de Rafael Gonzalez Marquez” and it was created by a Spaniard named Marquez Rafael Gonzalez in 1928 for the British market. Once again, pandering to the British Empire! I guess back in those days when there was an empire, if you made it there, you could make it anywhere.

By 1936 the brand was acquired by Rey del Mundo Cigar Company and production was suspended in the early 1960’s to be resurrected in 1965. In the UK and especially by the guys at Davidoff it’s always been very highly regarded and was recommended by Zino Davidoff as an essential part of any aficionado’s collection.

I apply a cat’s eye cut and quickly get this smoke going. Initially it has a grassy flavor and a slight salty taste. The first third of the smoke is very pleasant and strong. As I progress, it starts to transition from a very good smoke to a truly outstanding experience. Not a subtle smoke, the flavors turn sweet with a floral and herbal taste. The salt is still on the lips (very different experience) but the herbal aroma is exquisite.

The folks at Davidoff told me they peak after about 10 years of ageing, so I’m very interested to see if this has faded since it’s over 20 years old. The final stage is even more pronounced and quite persistent. Still strong it becomes woody and sweet….this is an OUTSTANDING smoke that does not require any more ageing…. Clearly it should be enjoyed NOW.

L returns with the donut balls and they are absolutely wicked. We wander some more and I notice some interesting glances at me….”there is no bloody way I am extinguishing this smoke”….Oopah, better head for the exits before things get ugly.


Rating: (4) OUTSTANDING
(5) Classic, (4) Outstanding, (3) Very Good, (2) Average, (1) Don’t Bother

Humidor: SMOKE NOW
Smoke Now, Smoke Soon:1–3 Years, Put Away:3–7 Years, Vault:7-12 Years, Inheritance Gift:12+ Years

Bolivar Supremas Churchill (1980)

Produced: 1980
Made by: Julieta 2
Shape: Parejo
Ring Gauge: 47
Length: 7 inches

Date: August 18th, 2006
Time: 4:45 pm Pacific Time
Location: Calistoga Ranch, Calistoga, California
Conditions: Sunny skies, 80 degrees
Purchased: Davidoffs, London, UK, 2006


The Purchase
This was purchased at Davidoff's off St. James in London. I obtained two of these from the back humidor in the store. They were the last two in a box that had been in the store since 1985. Apparently the original box had been acquired at auction.


The Locations
It's the eve of my 6th wedding anniversary and Leslie has made plans for us to spend the weekend in Napa. The three of us (including Amber) jump in the car and head north to Calistoga. On the way we stop at a couple of wineries in Napa.

The best of which is the private tasting at Far Niente. Not only were the wines great, we also wandered amongst the collection of incredible Ferrari's in the barn. At the tasting we sampled the following incredible wines along with some great cheese pairings. Ofcourse it didn't take much to make some acquisitions and waive our tasting fee.

We visited two other wineries: Miner and Sinskey. We were not impressed with either of them. Sinskey's wines are mediocre and tailor to the tourist buses, and our experience at Miner was nothing short of horrific. A young in-experienced sales woman (Salesperson NP) obnoxious, abnoxius and attempted to overcharge us for a half-case of their Pinot. We decided to retreat to our accommodations for the weekend, The Calistoga Ranch. For more on our experience at The Ranch, checkout this special review.

The Smoke!
This was a tubed cigar re-packaged in the UK by the then distributor Joseph Samuel & Son (taken over by HunterÂ’s and Frankau in 1993). It was distributed in a silver tube with Spanish cedar inside.

I have come to expect a spectacular smoke with these older cigars in tubes. And I was not to be disappointed with this one. I unscrewed the tube and the aroma that wafted out was distinct yet subtle, a very woody and aromatic smell. I carefully tipped the tube and the 25 year old Habanos emerged.




As you can see the condition of the cigar is almost flawless. It has a tan brown wrapper with a few bright yellow veins. The cap has a triple ring and is smooth and even. Pressing the tip I notice a fair amount of "give" indicating the draw will be easy. The cigar is firm and somewhat elastic to feel. The wrapper is oily and very smooth to touch.

I apply a traditional cut and light the smoke with a stick of cedar. The first few puffs are effortless and there is no need to relight. The burn starts evenly and the ash is a silver beige. At the beginning, the flavor is distinctly earthy where I can taste leather and even coffee. As I settle back I notice the flavors start to change and become more aromatic and woody. I start to sense cedar and even some pine in this smoke. Within 15 minutes the character and experience has totally changed.

I was reading the latest issue of Baseline magazine, and after 30 minutes with this Bolivar I have laid the magazine to one side entering an almost zen-like trance.

This is an amazing smoking experience. As I reach the last third of the Churchill the taste becomes stronger (but not bitter). I have only lost ash once getting to this point and realize I will be enjoying this right down to the very end.

The sun is starting to set behind the hills of the Napa Valley. As the twilight starts, this beautiful Bolivar comes to an end. Oh well, I now need to get dressed and head down to the Lakehouse for a gourmet dinner with the wife.

Rating: (4) OUTSTANDING
(5) Classic, (4) Outstanding, (3) Very Good, (2) Average, (1) Don’t Bother

Humidor: SMOKE NOW
Smoke Now, Smoke Soon:1–3 Years, Put Away:3–7 Years, Vault:7-12 Years, Inheritance Gift:12+ Years