Thanks For The America!

So, Mark calls me this morning and says, "Do you still want to make a bet on the Georgia-Tennessee game?" I said sure. We decided that we would wager a CAO America cigar on the game. Based on the line that I looked at, Georgia was favored by 1 point. So Mark was willing to give the point and the friendly wager was made.

FYI, Mark lives in Georgia and is a Bulldogs fan. I live in Tennessee and am a Vols fan. Final score of the game: Tennessee 45, Georgia 19. Enough said :-)

I do like the America, but somehow I think I will enjoy this next one even more than usual. BTW, Mark, no pissing on the cigar before you send it or anything like that!

Dave

Anniversary Cigars!

Today is my wedding anniversary, and the above pic is what my wife gave to me. You see in the picture one of my very favorite cigars…the Oliva Serie G maduro. One that I have never tried before, the Camacho Triple Maduro, which is supposed to be the world’s only all maduro cigar. Yes, Mark I’ll let you know how it is :-)

Also, you see the red tin containing 10 CAO maduro mini cigars. I’ve already tried one of these. I’ll give it a 5 on a 1 to 10 scale. But then the big dog is the tubed cigar to the right. This is the Zino Platinum Double Grande. She said she wanted to get me one “expensive” cigar. She tried to get a Titan, but the place didn’t have one. This Zino is a $32.00 cigar. I can’t wait to smoke it, and I’ll write a review once I do.

Happy Anniversary to my wife, and thanks for the smokes.

Dave

Man Cave on Location: Chattanooga

This past weekend, Dave and I met in Chattanooga, TN for a weekend of guns, cards, beer, cigars, and more guns. We started off the weekend at an outdoor public gun range on Friday sending several pounds of lead down range. Then we headed back to the hotel for some ice cold Bud, perfectly humidified cigars, and a friendly game of Texas Hold 'em. I am not much of a poker player but ended up sending Dave home with lighter pockets.

The weather was perfect. We were only able to stay one night but maybe next year we can talk the wives into two nights. I am already thinking about a destination for next year. I had a great time and look forward to doing it again.

Mark

The Smell Alone Is Worth A Visit.

A new cigar shop opened not far from my place of employment. After work, I went in to check it out. As I always do when visiting these shops, I asked for the owners' recommendation. The LegendArio by Camacho was the recommend stick I headed home with. It is much cheaper to order from online retailers, but I have always enjoyed the experience and smell of a quality cigar shop. Forgive the out of focus photo. It was starting to rain and I wanted to get a shot before this guy turned to ash.

It was a long enjoyable smoke. The rains came down and I savored every draw. To me, the perfect setting for a good smoke is late in the evening with a good, hard, steady rain to help drown out the stresses of everyday life.

Mark

Perfect Saturday Evening...

How's this for a Saturday evening? Start out with grinding 100% whole grains into flour. Convert the flour into pizza dough. Add a base of home made pizza sauce, red onions, black olives, jalapeno peppers, pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms. Top it off with a nice combination of mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano and Asiago cheeses. Wash it down with an ice cold Bud served in frozen mug. Kick back with a few more cold ones while the NASCAR Nationwide series takes place in Missouri. Finish with a Oliva Master Blends III.

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Let's go racing boys!

Mark

New Favorite Cigar Day?

Could have been the low humidity evening. Could have been the ice cold Bud after a long stressful day. And it could be that I have found a new favorite cigar. This is the Carlos Torano Signature cigar. This is a medium-full bodied masterpiece. This is one of the most flavorful cigars I have had. Boasting a Brazilian Maduro wrapper, this is a very complex blend with changing character form start to finish. I do not want to crown this guy King just yet. I need to try him a few more times before I am willing to replace "The Edge" by Rocky Patel as being number 1 on my list.

Another fine cigar by Mr. Torano. Also on my list of favorites are his "Virtuoso", and the Exodus 1959.

Mark

Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms

Over the past year, I have been slowly working on a photo booth box. What started out as a simple cardboard box inspired by a photography forum post, has turned into a very over-engineered 30-pound wooden box. I am not a seasoned amateur photographer. I have not even reached the beginner level to be honest. But I do have an interest in photography. And I like to build things.

I took some sample shots today and the photo above is the best I could do. I can’t figure out how to get the background completely white. It may have something to do with my light source. I will continue tweaking the box and experimenting with lighting techniques. As my photography skills develop, I will post more photos here on the blog.

In the photo: A bottle of 80 proof Wild Turkey. A fine Kentucky Bourbon that is waiting for me to break the seal. The cigar is a Gurkha Titan. He has been hanging out in the humidor since March of this year. The Titan has become my annual birthday cigar and it was nice seeing the Smith & Wesson model 669 again. We have made plans to head to the range together in the next few days.

Mark

Summer Selection -- Part II

Got 'em! Thanks, Mark! I received the package he mentioned in his last post, and last night we hooked up on the phone and smoked the Padilla Obsidian. This is a full-bodied smoke that is very strong, and rich on flavor. I liked it and Mark loved it. It will be an interesting summer as we work our way through this great collection of cigars.

Dave

Summer Selection

I thought this would be a good way to kick off Summer. I put together a few smaller samplers to create this Kick Ass cigar buffet. Heavy on the Maduro, light on the sissy sticks. I will be boxing up any dupes and sending them your way Dave. But first, I need to make sure atleast one of these passes my quality control standards.

Mark

Dry Cigars Are From HELL!

This really sucked. My wife picked up the Ashton #10 Maduro for me on a recommendation from a guy at the cigar store. I had not tried this one before and was looking forward to it. So, I poured a shot, cracked a beer, got Mark on the phone, and fired it up. I must say it was terrible. Even though it was in the humidor where she bought it, it must have just come in and was dry. Talk about disappointed...I was looking forward to a good smoke. Oh well, Mark and I talked about it and have a way to remedy this kind of situation. I'll let him tell you about it.

Dave

Salsa And A Smoke!

OK, so my wife gets home from work tonight and tells me to go to the spare bedroom and wait. I do, and after a few minutes she says to come into the kitchen. The above pic (click to enlarge) is what I saw. As anyone who knows me knows, I love El Chico salsa. She had picked up some El Chico salsa and chips and a couple of cigars for me! The cig to the left is the Oliva Serie G, and to the right is one I have never tried, the Ashton #10 Maduro, which was recommended to her. I'll post a review once I've smoked it! What a great way to end the day. Well, I can think of something better, and hey...the night's not over yet :-)

Dave