Nicaragua
5.50×38
Full
Color: Medium Brown
Shape: Parejo
Size: Petite

I ended up finding this cigar kinda by accident. I found them, on sale, because Montecruz was about to update their logo and merchandising. So the stock that was on-hand had to be liquidated in order to make room for the new, updated version. I bought a box of them for several reasons; they were gonna be ‘giveaways’ at a party being attended by both regular cigar smokers and those that might just take a couple of drags and toss the rest.

All that to say, we were very surprised and pleased with the outcome of our blind buy. There have been a couple of duds amongst the box we bought. The flavor was a little too bitter for my taste, but judging from the reaction of the crowd, they were still enjoyable. The overall size of the stick mixed with the purchase price, didn’t lock you into a lengthy commitment that other cigars might command.

Generally speaking, the draw was marginally harder (I’ve had some issues keeping them lit) but the burn was still good and even.

6 out of 10

By: Jonathan M

We’re about to work on another round of reviews so we are giving you the heads up. We encourage you to do you’re own reviews of these and send them in. We may post some of those in our reviews or excerpts of parts of it. Here’s the list broken up into what else than; Beer, Wine & Cigars.

Beers:

• Sam Adams - Black Lager
• Whitbread - Pale Ale
• Sierra Nevada - Porter
• Spaten - Oktoberfest
• Guinness - Extra Stout
• Theakston - Old Peculier

Wine:

• Jewel - Viognier
• Martini & Rossi - Asti

Cigars:

• 5 Vegas Gold Churchill (7″ x 50)
• Carlos Torano 1916 Cameroon Robusto (5.5″ x 52)
• Fonseca 5-50 (5″ x 50)
• Gurkha Connecticut Reserve Robusto #4 (6″ x 50)
• Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Belicoso Maduro (5.5″ x 52)
• Perdomo Slow-Aged Lot 826 Glorioso (6″ x 52)
• Perdomo Reserve Champagne ’R’ (5″ x 54)
• Pirate’s Gold #2 (6.5″ x 42)

We will probably throw other’s into the mix but these are a few we know are coming. There will also be several more wines that we’ll add later in an updated list.

We are about to launch our forums that will allow for you to discuss beer, wine & cigars all in one place. We have our basic forum structure already set but we would love your input. What boards and topics do you want to see in the Beer, Wine & Cigar’s forum? For example, there will be boards for breweries, wineries, cigar makers, homebrew, etc. Thanks for your input and thanks for participating in the creation of the internet’s next and most comprehensive website on these overlapping passions.

Our selection for the week of 9/14-9/20 is Corkd.com. Cork’d is a free service for reviewing, sharing and discovering wine.

Cork’d is a free service for wine aficionados. You can use Cork’d to catalog, rate and review wines you’ve tasted. You can also keep track of wines you’d like to try and buy as well as subscribe to what your buddies have reviewed.

1. Ask for Advise. Wine is one of the easiest items to get advise on before buying. If you’re buying from a wine shop then be sure to ask for help. At any good wine shop they will generally ask you for a few of your favorite tastes and smells or a few other similar questions and then begin to recommend some wines. Don’t be embarrassed to give a price range either. They will appreciate knowing where to start. Also, a lot of grocery stores with good wine sections are also getting into the game and hiring good help for the wine isle. Look for these people and ask them for advise. Sometimes these guys are just as knowledgeable and even more helpful than the wine store guys because they have less riding on each sale. As a last resort just do some online searching. A quick google search or a few minutes on a wine review site could be all you need. However, even though we want to become a great resource for you the personal attention of a local can go a long way.

2. Buy One Bottle at a Time. Hold back the temptation to buy a case to save some money or from buying one of every variety on your first few visits. As a new wine drinker you are just now introducing your palatte to a whole new world of taste and flavors. You are destined to have a few sharp turns as you figure out what you like. Then what are you going to do with the rest of the case or that pile of bottles that you have now determined you will never enjoy? Eventually you will get to the point where you are developing your palette but wait until you know where your headed to stock the cellar.

3. Buy Inexpensive Wine. You can’t impress your taste buds with a high dollar wine, they just don’t care. The reality is that at first you will probably not be able to distinguish the difference anyway. Even experieced wine drinkers can enjoy a solid $10-$25 wine so why waste your money if you don’t have to.

4. Buy Foreign Wine. You may be tempted to buy a wine just because you can understand the label. It’s not a bad thing but think of items such as fine watches, Hi-Fi stereo equipment and luxury sports cars. Yes, the US can make these items very well but they are known best for their connections to other countries. Wine is somewhat like that. Don’t avoid US wines but if you don’t look at wines from around the world you will be missing a large portion of the best wines available.

5. Go to Wine Tastings. There are far fewer and cheaper ways of finding wines you like then going to wine tastings. In alot of areas you can find low-cost or even free wine tastings at local wine shops, cultural and arts centers or resturants. Use these tastings as opportunities to eliminate wines from the buy list and add others. These events a lot of times can also be very educational and a great way to meet new people.

Our selection for the week of 9/14-9/20 is FreeTheHops.org | Alabamians For Specialty Beer. As you may or may not know there are several states that have bans or limits on what beers can be legally sold within their borders. Free the Hops is the website created by those in Alabama and those friendly to Alabama that are attempting to get their restrictions removed. They seemed to be close to accomplishing this during the last state senate sessions but the vote didn’t make it to the floor in time. Here is a bit more information from their site.

Free the Hops is a grassroots, non-profit organization whose mission is to help bring the highest quality beers in the world to Alabama. These beers are commonly referred to as craft beers due to the skill and artistry required to brew them, but they are also appropriately classified as specialty or gourmet. You might think of them as the Mercedes of beers.

Visit FreetheHops.org now!

Cigars International has a great deal on eight premium cigars plus a small humidor for only $15. This offer expires on October 15, 2008. To get the special price, just follow the link in about.com’s Cigar Forum.

Here’s the copy from CI on the deal:

A first class, introductory humidor + cigar offer.If you like handmade cigars, you’re gonna love Cigars International! To prove it, I’ve compiled a sampler with 8 of the finest cigars in the world plus a free 20-capacity humidor for one super-low introductory price: instead of the normal retail of $85.31, I’m betting once you receive these outstanding cigars, together with our 52-page cigar catalog, you’ll become a lifetime customer. Now that’s an offer you can’t refuse!

First Class Humidor Sampler includes:
1 - 5 Vegas Gold Churchill (7″ x 50)
1 - Carlos Torano 1916 Cameroon Robusto (5.5″ x 52)
1 - Fonseca 5-50 (5″ x 50)
1 - Gurkha Connecticut Reserve Robusto #4 (6″ x 50)
1 - Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Belicoso Maduro (5.5″ x 52)
1 - Perdomo Slow-Aged Lot 826 Glorioso (6″ x 52)
1 - Perdomo Reserve Champagne ’R’ (5″ x 54)
1 - Pirate’s Gold #2 (6.5″ x 42)
1 - Cigar Mosaic Humidor II (20 Capacity)

Note: from time to time, a substitution may occur.

Amazon.com plans to launch a new website devoted exclusively to wine in the next month. Consumers in 25 states, constituting three-quarters of the U.S. population, will be able to buy wines at the site by the end of October, with expansion to other states planned for the future.

Here are two articles that give a bit more information on this new move by Amazon.

1. Wired’s article on Amazon’s new venture
2. Wine Spectator’s article breaking the news

Montecristo Villanueva
5 1/2 x 50
Natural
Dominican Republic

I stumbled onto this stick mearly by chance. While browsing one of the online dealers that I shop from occasionally, I noticed it in the ‘recommended’ area. They were selling it by the box, of 10. I forget the price, but it was in the neighborhood of $80 for the box. Anyway, I bought the box and went through it pretty quick, I’m currently into my second box.

All that to say, the first impression in appearance was very good, it’s cedar-wrapped in a sealed glass tube. Very smooth and cream-colored wrapper.

This relatively mild smoke had very good construction, as it had a even draw and smooth burn. I regularly enjoy this smoke. I think that’s obvious, since I’m on that second box.

8 out 10.

JM