Padilla Miami Cigar Review

Posted on May 22, 2018 by thecashkeepers

I remember a few years ago hearing some about the Padilla Miami from a rep. I don’t recall ever smoking one though! One of my friends, David, was kind enough to gift me with 7 cigars from his personal collection. The Padilla Miami was one of them! From my research and understanding, they aren’t made anymore or it was possibly limited (one site says it was extremely limited). Either way, it was very generous and I am happy to take it back with a few years with this smoke. David said he thinks they have been in his humidor about 6-7 years. So remember it could have changed a bit over time! Here we go!

Blend Profile
Wrapper: 2002 Corojo Cuban-seed wrapper
Binder: ???
Filler: Nicaraguan
Vitola: Torpedo. 6×52

Appearance & Smell
This cigar has a rich brown wrapper with a tint of reddish to it. It’s a little bit toothy also. It has some vines but they are not overly noticeable when you are holding it. It looks and feels well-constructed. During the aging process it looks as if it was very well taken care of. The smell is deep, earthy, and spicy.

Smoke Preparation
I used my trusty Xi1 cutter to put a flat cut on the torpedo and a Xikar Enigma double torch to light it up

Burn & Draw
You can see after the first picture, it looked to be burning a bit crooked but it corrected itself over the smoke. The draw was good but slightly tighter than many cigars today. It wasn’t overly tight though. I enjoyed it.

Strength & Body
I thought this cigar would be a medium to a medium-plus…. Ooooowwweeee! It came in starting at a medium-plus and finished full. It had a great body to go with the strength! Cocoa notes stayed pretty consistent, red spice was evident, the earthiness also stayed from the original smell. It didn’t seem to get one-dimensional at all, it stayed fluid.

Final Thoughts
I am especially grateful to my friend for sharing some of his personal cigars. It was so very kind of him! Part of me is also sad that I won’t be able to get more! To hold that much strength and body with proper aging, this is one heck of a cigar! If you happen to have any left. I would suggest hanging on to them or only giving them out for special occasions. From my research they went for $8-$12 retail. Enjoy them if you have them!

RoMa Craft Intemperance EC XVIII Industry Review

Posted on May 13, 2018 by thecashkeepers

This was my second RoMa Craft cigar ever. The Intemperance caught my eye the first time I saw it but this was my first chance to sit down and give it a try. Here are my thoughts on the staple of RoMa Craft!

Blend Profile
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican Republic
Vitola: Torpedo, 5.5×50

Appearance & Smell
This cigar has a beautiful appearance. A lovely wrapper that looks almost elegant with such a simple band on it. Not overly veiny, pretty smooth to the touch. The slightly loose foot gives the cigar a little flare. The smell gives me some hay, nuttiness, and cream.

Smoke Preparation
I decided to use my trusty Xikar Xi1 to put a flat cut on the cap. I also used a Xikar Enigma double torch to get the cigar evenly lit.

Burn & Draw
I was quite impressed with the draw and the burn on this cigar! The draw had enough resistance to keep the cigar burning even if I set it down for a few minutes but it wasn’t too loose either. From the pictures you will be able to see the even burn and the way that this cigar held the ash was awesome.

Strength & Body
I would definitely put this in the mild to medium category for strength. This cigar brought a lot more complexity to the table than a lot of other Connecticut cigars I have smoked. It was rather complex with flavors which kept me intrigued and interested in what was coming next as I smoked it.

Final Thoughts
This was only the second RoMa Craft cigar I have ever smoked. This was a fantastic introduction to this company. I was very impressed with the blending and rolling of this cigar. I think for a small company RoMa Craft is making big moves! For the price ($7.59 at my local shop), I would definitely recommend grabbing this smoke. It would be perfect for hot, sunny days!

Source: Purchased Locally
Brand Information: RoMa Craft Tobac

La Aurora Connecticut Robusto Review

Posted on May 1, 2018 by thecashkeepers

Blend Profile
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Vitola: Robusto, 5×50

Appearance & Smell
It smells of nuts and cream. A slight hint of hay is also detectable. The color is a nice creamy colored Connecticut. The seams are noticeable but it doesn’t take away anything from the overall look. The two bands are simple but look good.

Smoke Preparation
I cut this cigar using a Xikar Xi1 to put a flat cut on the cap. I then used a Xikar Enigma double torch to light the cigar evenly.

Burn & Draw
The draw was very easy. Almost too easy! But it did provide some really nice clouds of smoke. The burn was pretty even throughout the whole smoke. If the burn got uneven, it would even itself out without me having to touch it up.

Strength & Body
The is definitely a mild cigar when it comes to strength. It started to push a little towards medium at the end, so I suspect that the toro and larger sizes will have a tiny bit more strength. The body was very nice. The nuttiness from the original smell was definitely there, hay, cedar, and earthiness all made appearances throughout.

Final Thoughts
If you are a person who enjoys a cigar in the morning from time to time, then this is a cigar for you! I can definitely imagine myself smoking this in the morning with a nice cup of coffee. If you enjoy milder cigars in general or on the gold course, this would also be a great cigar for you. It’s a tasty smoke and it’s not expensive.

Source: Gift
Brand Information: La Aurora Cigars

Golden Duke Dr. Grabow Refurb

Posted on May 1, 2018 by thecashkeepers

This part of a group of pipes that were sent to me from a friend to be refurbished. I love the way it turned out! Check out the before and after pics. I apologize for the lighting in the after pics but you get the idea!

Stem
To remove the oxidation from the stem I wet sanded it. I used 500 grit, 1000 grit, and 1200 grit. I then sanitized and cleaned it out with high proof vodka and pipe cleaners. To finish up the stem I gave it a buffing of red tripoli and a buffing of carnauba wax. I used the adjustomatic feature to straighten up the stem with the bowl.

Bowl
I reamed the bowl to get rid of build up. I then cleaned it out and sanitized it with q-tips and high proof vodka. The shank was then cleaned with q-tips and vodka too. I lightly topped the bowl to get rid of blackening. The bowl was finished with a buffing of red tripoli and a buffing of carnauba wax.