A Smoke and a Song, Installment 5

Cigar:
Brand - Cohiba (Dominican)
Series - Red Dot

Wrapper - Cameroon (African)

Shape - Robusto

Price - ~$11 (B&M)
Review - 

http://www.cigarjack.net/2008/05/20/cigar-review-cohiba-red-dot-lonsdale-grande/

Just picked up a 5 pack of these and life is good. I love me some Cohibas. It's kind of ashame to know that these are just a ripoff of the real (Cuban) Cohibas with no true affiliation, but rather a 100% theft of the namesake. I've yet to have a real Cohiba (or any Cuban for that matter) but assuming that they are better than these I can only imagine they are awesome. 

So, anyway. This cigar is full of delicious complexity, not as much as its Black counterpart, but it is still quite tasty. It starts out with a smooth and creamy earth tone which builds with the flavour of nuts and caramel. It's like a friggin candy bar, but heavier and much more satisfying. The smoke is thick and rich , again not as much as its more expensive big brother but still awesome. 

I would continue to describe it, but that just makes me want to go smoke another one, so use the review link if you want to hear more about this stick.

Song:

Artist - Black Star feat. Common
Song - Respiration
Album - Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black StarGenre - Hip Hop

"So much on my mind that I can't recline 

Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine 
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine 
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline 
Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call 
I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathin 
Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening 
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving"


And that is the backdrop to which I enjoyed the first of this series. A Cohiba and a classic makes for a good noight cap (I realize that I spelled that wrong, but when I went back to correct it I decided to keep it that way in honor of Bernie Mac).

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeTnog5RRQo

A Smoke and a Song, Installment 4

Cigar:
Brand - Alcazar
Series - No. 5

Wrapper - Maduro (Connecticut)

Shape - Torpedo (6.5 x 52)
Price - ~$3.50 @ B&M
Review - (The closest that I could find to this exact cigar)

http://www.stogieguys.com/2007/04/04182007-stogie-commentary-we-smoke-%E2%80%99em-so-you-don%E2%80%99t-have-to-part-iii.html

During a recent trip to my local B&M I asked for a budget Maduro. The Alcazar No. 5 is what I came out with. I can't really recommend it, but I haven't found a great price point Maduro at a B&M yet so I can't really recommend anything else either. 

The construction was fine, no complaints, and the smoke wasn't bad at all either. The problem with this stick is the flavor, or the lack there of. It delivered the taste of hardwood throughout, with little to no variance. Usually you can expect some development through the middle and even more so at the end, but alas, nothing. I suppose if you love a nice woodsy cigar and don't tend toward complexity then this is the one for you.

If I were to give one word to describe my overall experience with this cigar it would simply be, boring.

Song:

Artist - Led Zeppelin
Song - Stairway to Heaven
Album - Led Zeppelin IV
Genre - Classic Rock

This track is as classic as they come. To my taste nothing matched the woodsy feeling of the cigar like this. I hate to put such a take it or leave it stick as the Alcazar alongside one of the arguably best classic rock songs out there, but the song takes you though a forest of textures and does match the flavor of the cigar well. Not to mention the vibe of this song fits well with the overall smoking experience. 

Disclaimer: To be clear, as you'll see on the Youtube page, there is a lot of controversy surrounding this song and where it was birthed from, and I don't disagree that it is filled with dark spiritual undertones. However, as an avid music listener and a Christian I feel that any responsible adult can separate whatever the intended message is from the music and enjoy the  song for it's musical value. >>End Rant

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1Z2jaPN2dU