Alpha Absinthe Maduro Robusto Review

Posted on July 31, 2018 by thecashkeepers

I had seen an advertisement or mention of absinthe infused cigars somewhere. The idea intrigued me and I was curious about what they would be like. I have only seen them in one local shop on the other side of town. That day I opted for the La Aurora ADN. Well, I finally got around to trying one of the Alpha Absinthe Infused cigars! Here is my take on the smoke:

Blend Profile:
Wrapper: San Andres Maduro
Binder: Olor Domincano
Filler: Honduran
Infusion: French absinthe, 15 different herbs
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Vitola: Robusto, 5×50

Appearance & Smell:
This cigar looks very well constructed. It has a few larger veins in the wrapper but nothing to be bothered by. The smell is… different. It’s hard to pick out distinct smells when there are so many!

Smoke Preparation:
I went back to my trusty Xikar Xi1 to put a flat cut on it and my Xikar Enigma double torch to get it evenly lit.

Burn & Draw:
The draw was perfectly fine. Not too tight, not too loose, just enough resistance to keep it well lit. The burn stayed pretty even for the most part, I only had to touch it up once or twice.

Strength & Body:
I smoked this cigar, it really stayed in the medium to medium plus range. That San Andres wrapper definitely gives it some nicotine kick. As for the body… well, it’s complicated. When I first heard of this cigar, I thought it was strictly absinthe that it was infused with. Even when I smoked it I didn’t know that there were 15 different herbs used to infuse it also. So as I was smoking it and trying to pick out distinct flavors, I was having a hard time. It’s a bit overwhelming, perhaps too many herbs?

Final Thoughts:
If you want something “different”, this would be great for you! Would I try it again? Yes, I would. Would I go to a shop looking for it specifically? Probably not. Construction, draw, burn, everything was perfect but the confusion on the pallet really left me wanting a more distinct direction for the cigar. It didn’t live up to what I had hoped it would.

Source: A friend
Brand Information: Alpha Cigars

Camacho Corojo Toro Review

Posted on July 28, 2018 by thecashkeepers

It’s been a hot minute since I have indulged in any of the Camacho blends. I have smoked this blend before but it’s been at least two years if not longer! Also, you will notice that this cigar is a bit cracked at the foot. Every cigar smoker wants the perfect smoke but we have all had that one cigar that got smooshed, got cracked, or the cap started coming off after the cut. Sometimes things don’t go perfectly. So I decided to smoke this cigar and review it anyway. Enjoy!

Blend Profile:
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Corojo
Filler: Honduran
Country of Origin: Honduras
Vitola: Toro, 6×50

Appearance & Smell:
The appearance has a color that is a little bit lighter than I remember it being but it is beautiful. Very light veins, generally smooth. As I said before, the foot was slightly cracked on this one. The bright red band is eye-catching. The smell is RICH, earthy, with a hint of deep spice.

Smoke Preparation:
I had my Xikar Xi1 nearby, so I put a flat cut on the cigar. To light it, I used my Xikar Enigma double torch to get an even light on it.

Burn & Draw:
Wow! Even though the foot was cracked, it burned perfectly even from the start! I didn’t have to touch up this cigar once. The draw was nice, maybe just a hair too easy but it didn’t burn too quickly.

Strength & Body:
This cigar is touted as a really full body cigar on multiple reviews and descriptions. It only came off to me as a medium plus. It was a really nice balance of strength and complexity. There was quite a bit of stout earthiness and spice throughout the smoke. Some deeper notes of cocoa and sweet spice could be tasted when I got deeper into the smoke.

Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a delicious smoke! For the $8-$9 price, I think it is definitely worth it. If you don’t like spice, then avoid this cigar like the plague! But if you enjoy spice in your smoke, this is a cigar you should give a try!

Source: Purchased Locally
Brand Information: Camacho Cigars

Dunhill Pipe Refurb

Posted on July 22, 2018 by thecashkeepers

Ooooweeeee! I got this pipe 2-3 years ago in a lot I bought on eBay. I kept putting off the refurb because it looked like a no-name pipe to me. Upon closer inspection, I found that the stem had a dot on it. The dot looked yellow because of the severity of the oxidation to the stem. But after I found the dot, I whipped out my trusty magnifying glass and took a closer look at the writing on the bottom of the bowl/shank. I could make out a “Du” and “England” and a few numbers. I thought to myself, could it be? Is it possible that this is a Dunhill? It is indeed! Here are the goods:

Those first two pics I took on the fly and prior to a bleach bath for the stem. Here is after the bleach bath:

Stem:
After the bleach bath on the stem, I wet sanded to get the remaining oxidation off. I used 500 grit, 1000 grit, and 1200 grit. In addition to the hole in the stem, the end of the stem had been deformed. I used a patching solution to slowly layer on the hole and build it back. I then used more of my patching solution to rebuild the walls near the button on both sides to even it up. I then cleaned/sanitized the inside of the stem. I finished the stem with a buffing of red tripoli and then a buffing of carnauba wax.

Bowl:
The bowl was in better condition than the stem. I reamed the bowl clean of old carbon build up. I then sanitized/cleaned the inside of the shank and the bowl with a very high proof vodka. After the bowl/shank dried out, I added a professional grade bowl coating to the inside of the bowl. The bowl was then finished with a buffing of red tripoli and light buffing of carnauba. I didn’t buff the sides too much because I didn’t want to get wax stuck in the crevices.

Here is the final result:

Thank you for checking it out!

Punch Signature Robusto Review

Posted on July 12, 2018 by thecashkeepers

The Punch Signature hit the shelves of retailers about 3 years ago. I have seen it in many shops but was never drawn to grab one. It’s time to change all of that! I picked up the Punch Signature robusta. Here’s the Breakdown:

Blend Profile
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Connecticut Habano
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Vitola: Robusto, 5×54

Appearance & Smell
It has a nice milk chocolate color to the wrapper. A few veins but it’s not overly toothy. It looks well rolled. It has a small crack on the foot. The smell has some earthiness, nuttiness, and a little bit of pepper.

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

Burn & Draw
The draw on this smoke was perfect. It wasn’t too tight or too loose, it was just a really nice middle-of-the road draw. The burn was pretty even throughout the smoke. Anytime it would start to burn crooked, it would correct itself. I didn’t have to touch it up once!

Strength & Body
This cigar was a solid medium. The cigar never seemed to deviate from medium even towards the end of the cigar. I can see why this is a popular favorite for many cigar smokers, it definitely provides a variety of flavors in the body! I picked up some earthiness, oak, red pepper, and a little bitter nuttiness.

Final Thoughts
Would I purchase this again? Maybe. Even though it had some nice body to it, perfect draw, and perfect burn, it just wasn’t gold to my pallet. I have nothing against it at all and would be more than willing to suggest it to customers in my own humidor. It just didn’t speak to me. For the price, it would make an excellent “everyday” smoke for some cigar smokers!

Source: Purchased Locally
Brand Information: Punch Cigars

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Monthly Archives: July 2018

Alpha Absinthe Maduro Robusto Review

Camacho Corojo Toro Review

Dunhill Pipe Refurb

Punch Signature Robusto Review