So, as I'm trying to better educate myself on cigars and how to smoke cigars I've been poking around the internet looking for info. Luckily, everyone and their mom has an opinion on cigars, so I'm not lacking in advice.
In my poking I found this video where he explains the process of retrohailing and how it's exhailing the smoke that you're holding in your mouth out through your nose with out drawing it into your lungs. Makes sense, that's part of tea-tasting, wine-tasting, chocolate-tasting, food-tasting, just tasting in general.
So, I tried it.
Please, someone, call the police. This man is clearly trying to kill me.
In his defense, I think I might be doing it wrong. So, maybe I need to practice a bit more because there's no way I'm going to be hacking and gagging like this in public.
I'm still looking for any and all info. So, if you have some I will gladly accept it.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day Two, Thursday, January 28, 2010
Couldn't wait another day. We were right across the street from Jake's and we stopped in for just a quick cigar. We picked only from Petit Coronas and then cheap ones from there.
Dal chose a Flavours by CAO Karmasutrasplash
Size: Petit Corona
Wrapper: Cameroon
Filer: Dominican
Price: $5.00
Description from cigar.com: an exotic concoction of sweet Hawaiian mango nectar and mint chocolate chip ice cream. The Grade 1 Cameroon wrapper and mellow Dominican filler leaves issues a sweet citrus flavor backed by rich, chocolate. Refreshing and smooth.
Perhaps it was a little too smooth. Dal and I can't really remember anything about this cigar. Both of our notes just say "was okay".
Overall: Wouldn't buy it again. Wouldn't refuse it if we were offered. Very ambivalent cigar.
I decided we should just get the Flavours by CAO collection out of the way and picked Eileen's Dream.
Size: Petit Corona
Wrapper: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican
Price: $5.00
Clearly, CAO has their basic mild cigar formula down since all of their Flavours collection have the very same wrapper and filler. Not that I'm complaining, it's definitely a combination that works.
From cigar.com: quite possibly the most unique of CAO’s Flavours. Comprised of a smooth Cameroon wrapper and mild Dominican filler that have been infused with an explosion of ingredients including Irish whiskey, cream, coconut milk, hazelnut, white chocolate, almonds, cocoa, and vanilla bean. This is a must-try.
Well, I agree with that last statement, this is a really fun cigar. It was sweet enough to appease my sweet tooth yet doesn't go overboard, like Swisher Sweets.
Overall: I definitely plan on buying it again. So far, from what I've seen of the Flavours of CAO collection they're definitely approachable and are turning out to be good introductory cigars. The smoke isn't too heavy, the cigarillos and petit coronas are of course smaller and therefore less intimidating. You could almost consider them practice cigars, you get the chance to go through the motions of cigar smoking without wasting good cigars on undeveloped palates.
Dal chose a Flavours by CAO Karmasutrasplash
Size: Petit Corona
Wrapper: Cameroon
Filer: Dominican
Price: $5.00
Description from cigar.com: an exotic concoction of sweet Hawaiian mango nectar and mint chocolate chip ice cream. The Grade 1 Cameroon wrapper and mellow Dominican filler leaves issues a sweet citrus flavor backed by rich, chocolate. Refreshing and smooth.
Perhaps it was a little too smooth. Dal and I can't really remember anything about this cigar. Both of our notes just say "was okay".
Overall: Wouldn't buy it again. Wouldn't refuse it if we were offered. Very ambivalent cigar.
I decided we should just get the Flavours by CAO collection out of the way and picked Eileen's Dream.
Size: Petit Corona
Wrapper: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican
Price: $5.00
Clearly, CAO has their basic mild cigar formula down since all of their Flavours collection have the very same wrapper and filler. Not that I'm complaining, it's definitely a combination that works.
From cigar.com: quite possibly the most unique of CAO’s Flavours. Comprised of a smooth Cameroon wrapper and mild Dominican filler that have been infused with an explosion of ingredients including Irish whiskey, cream, coconut milk, hazelnut, white chocolate, almonds, cocoa, and vanilla bean. This is a must-try.
Well, I agree with that last statement, this is a really fun cigar. It was sweet enough to appease my sweet tooth yet doesn't go overboard, like Swisher Sweets.
Overall: I definitely plan on buying it again. So far, from what I've seen of the Flavours of CAO collection they're definitely approachable and are turning out to be good introductory cigars. The smoke isn't too heavy, the cigarillos and petit coronas are of course smaller and therefore less intimidating. You could almost consider them practice cigars, you get the chance to go through the motions of cigar smoking without wasting good cigars on undeveloped palates.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Day One, Friday, January 22, 2010
Dal and I went out to eat first for my birthday. We went to Dish and I had a SoCo and Coke that was mixed way too strong for a before meal drink. I had the daily special of the Coq au Vin, which was so good. I highly recommend getting it if you have the chance.
After dinner we went to Jake's Cigars and Spirits. Dal and I forgot what we had first. Whoops. I'll have to double check when I go again this friday but I'm 90% sure that we had Cuestra-Rey Centro Finas of some sort.
With it I tried my very first scotch ever, Johnnie Walker Green on the rocks.
From the Johnnie Walker website: Johnnie Walker Green Label is uniquely different. It's fresh and distinctive flavor is created by blending only the finest single malt whiskies, rather than grains. Each of these mature malts has been specifically selected for the intensity of it's flavors and aromas.
I thought it was too bitter at first and had too much of that "rotten" flavor I find, and hate, in beer and wine. Remember, though, that I have a rather untrained palate. In fact, after the ice melted a bit I enjoyed it quite a bit. I definitely agree with the "fresh" description. It went very well with my cigar, whatever cigar that was.
Overall: It was on the expensive side, at least for me, although I definitely want to revisit this after I've developed my palate more.
After about an hour or so after finishing our mystery cigars we decided that it was time for a second, this was a celebration after all.
Dal picked an Acid Blondie, which he had tried a little bit before.
Size: Short Panatela
Wrapper: Cameroon, Honduras, Indonesia
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua
Price: $4.00
Dal's Thoughts:
-was good the whole way
-smooth
-good flavor
He's a man of few words, ladies and gentlemen.
Ej's Thoughts:
I couldn't stop stealing this from him. It's so wonderful. I want to be best friends with this cigar. It's been described as the "clove smoker's cigar" which is pretty apt. Cloves were the only cigarettes I ever really liked. It had a honey and vanilla taste, with the honey staying as a nice aftertaste.
Overall: Dal: Liked it. Will buy again.
Ej: Loved it. Will buy it again.
My second choice was the Flavours by CAO, Cherrybomb.
Size: Cigarillo
Wrapper: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican
Price: $20 for box of ten
I'll be honest, I kind just wanted that tin. But I found that the cigars inside were excellent. They are flavored but it's not an overpowering taste, something I fear from trying flavored cigarettes and liquors. The namesake cherry flavor is very bright and it has a nice, mellow vanilla aftertaste. It's an easy to smoke cigar, but not something I'd pick if I wanted a more serious smoke. I would definitely recommend this, especially the cigarillos, for getting a girl into cigars due to it's mild and fruity flavor.
Overall: I'd buy again and am glad I got a box.
With it had some whiskey sours with Jack Daniels. They made an excellent pair. Some of the best whiskey sours I've had. My only problem with them is that they were so drinkable that I could see myself losing track of how many I had.
Dal tried a few new beers this evening, but unfortunately doesn't remember them since this was a while ago. However, he would like to note that they were all very good. I would like to note that they all tasted like rotten bread.
After dinner we went to Jake's Cigars and Spirits. Dal and I forgot what we had first. Whoops. I'll have to double check when I go again this friday but I'm 90% sure that we had Cuestra-Rey Centro Finas of some sort.
With it I tried my very first scotch ever, Johnnie Walker Green on the rocks.
From the Johnnie Walker website: Johnnie Walker Green Label is uniquely different. It's fresh and distinctive flavor is created by blending only the finest single malt whiskies, rather than grains. Each of these mature malts has been specifically selected for the intensity of it's flavors and aromas.
I thought it was too bitter at first and had too much of that "rotten" flavor I find, and hate, in beer and wine. Remember, though, that I have a rather untrained palate. In fact, after the ice melted a bit I enjoyed it quite a bit. I definitely agree with the "fresh" description. It went very well with my cigar, whatever cigar that was.
Overall: It was on the expensive side, at least for me, although I definitely want to revisit this after I've developed my palate more.
After about an hour or so after finishing our mystery cigars we decided that it was time for a second, this was a celebration after all.
Dal picked an Acid Blondie, which he had tried a little bit before.
Size: Short Panatela
Wrapper: Cameroon, Honduras, Indonesia
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua
Price: $4.00
Dal's Thoughts:
-was good the whole way
-smooth
-good flavor
He's a man of few words, ladies and gentlemen.
Ej's Thoughts:
I couldn't stop stealing this from him. It's so wonderful. I want to be best friends with this cigar. It's been described as the "clove smoker's cigar" which is pretty apt. Cloves were the only cigarettes I ever really liked. It had a honey and vanilla taste, with the honey staying as a nice aftertaste.
Overall: Dal: Liked it. Will buy again.
Ej: Loved it. Will buy it again.
My second choice was the Flavours by CAO, Cherrybomb.
Size: Cigarillo
Wrapper: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican
Price: $20 for box of ten
I'll be honest, I kind just wanted that tin. But I found that the cigars inside were excellent. They are flavored but it's not an overpowering taste, something I fear from trying flavored cigarettes and liquors. The namesake cherry flavor is very bright and it has a nice, mellow vanilla aftertaste. It's an easy to smoke cigar, but not something I'd pick if I wanted a more serious smoke. I would definitely recommend this, especially the cigarillos, for getting a girl into cigars due to it's mild and fruity flavor.
Overall: I'd buy again and am glad I got a box.
With it had some whiskey sours with Jack Daniels. They made an excellent pair. Some of the best whiskey sours I've had. My only problem with them is that they were so drinkable that I could see myself losing track of how many I had.
Dal tried a few new beers this evening, but unfortunately doesn't remember them since this was a while ago. However, he would like to note that they were all very good. I would like to note that they all tasted like rotten bread.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
About: My Bar
In a lot of my posts, actually probably all of them, I'll be mentioning Jake's Cigars and Spirits. Instead of having to have the same paragraph at the beginning of every single post, I'm just throwing this up here.
Jake's is one of the very few smoking bars in Lincoln and is the only one downtown, however they only allow cigars and pipes, no cigarettes. The staff in the cigar half are very helpful and are always willing to answer questions and never give off an elitist vibe. They have a nice broad cigar selection, but isn't overwhelming. It does have a bit of a hipster clientele on Friday and Saturday nights, but has a more quiet, mature crowd on weekdays.
It's not the only cigar and tobacco shop downtown, there's also Cliff's Cigars and Tobacco which I'm told leans more towards the the pipe side of the equation. It is strictly a shop though, no smoking allowed. Since I've never been I don't really have an opinion on them. Someday I'll browse around there, though.
Jake's is one of the very few smoking bars in Lincoln and is the only one downtown, however they only allow cigars and pipes, no cigarettes. The staff in the cigar half are very helpful and are always willing to answer questions and never give off an elitist vibe. They have a nice broad cigar selection, but isn't overwhelming. It does have a bit of a hipster clientele on Friday and Saturday nights, but has a more quiet, mature crowd on weekdays.
It's not the only cigar and tobacco shop downtown, there's also Cliff's Cigars and Tobacco which I'm told leans more towards the the pipe side of the equation. It is strictly a shop though, no smoking allowed. Since I've never been I don't really have an opinion on them. Someday I'll browse around there, though.
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