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E-cigarette

02 Feb

Having enjoyed my fair share of cigars and pipe tobacco over the last few years, I certainly had many reservations about e-cigarettes. Well, I held out as much as I could, expecting as times that the new fad would die out, and that e-vapor would never be able to come even close to the awesomeness of real tobacco. While the latter is still largely true, I decided that the technology had evolved sufficiently for me to give vaping a genuine shot.

halo e-liquid longhorn

Not being one to pussyfoot around, I decided to give myself the best shot at sampling what e-cigs had to offer. I decided to jump right into a rebuildable atomizer and a high end battery mod. I also purchased a variety of e-liquids from the likes of Halo Cigs, Green Vapes among others.

I have to say it probably took me a week to get used to vaping, to learn the ropes of coiling and wicking, applying Ohm’s law, voltage and resistance, you name it. As I sit here, I’m vaping a Halo e-liquid called Longhorn on an OBS Crius RTA, with a dual coil build coming in at .43 Ohms, vaping at 35 watts in my new eNVy 22 by Athena. I told you I went straight to the top!

OBS Crius RTA

Now, what about the verdict? I must say I have found vaping extremely enjoyable! I am still experimenting with VG-PG percentages, various resistance ranges etc. I gotta say that the tobacco flavors have apparently improved tremendously since the early days. I have thus far sampled several brands that really hit the spot. Granted, it’s not real tobacco! But being able to vape in the car, when out and about, in my office at work, whether its rainy or windy etc. The bottom line? I’m really liking it.

Athena eNVy 22

Oh yeah, and I fully expect to come back and give my impressions on the various brands and flavors of e-juices I have tried. Go figure, one more thing to get into!

 
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My New Wine Cellar Is Here

08 Jun

There are some definite advantages to living in a Parisian apartment. Unfortunately for me, having a built-in wine cellar isn’t one of them. Those like me, who passionately believe that drinking young wine before it’s truly ripe, is a sad, sad waste, have but two choices: either age their own wine or pay a premium for decent wines that are purchased when they are “ready to drink.” For the last ten odd years, I admit, I have been doing the latter. Why?

Ten years ago, I walked into a popular wine shop here and was determined to buy some high end “keepers” to put away and begin my cellaring once and for all. Although the wines I was considering to purchase would have made a nice sale for the shop owner, I was met with much skepticism and reluctance. “Do you have a good wine cellar?” – the shop keeper asked… I hesitated, and that right there was the end of our conversation. This guy was not about to let me purchase some great vintages of some already prestigious chateau’s if I wasn’t going to store them properly and they’d end up ruined. He certainly made an impression on me, and for the past ten years I waited and waited for have an “ideal” space for a temperature controlled wine cellar to begin my collection.

Well, I’ve finally decided that I’m never going to have an “ideal” place! Unwilling to continue my trend of paying more for “ready to drink” wine, I decided to go to the next best option: An electric wine cellar. Sure, they’re not as dramatic as an underground cellar, or a space underneath a trap door in the kitchen, but my research tells me that wine will age perfectly well for decades in a wine cabinet that has been designed to keep the humidity and temperature levels at the ideal mark.

Electric Wine CabinetI decided to go easy, at first, and try my hand at a 150 bottle wine cabinet from a reputable manufacturer. There are cheaper alternatives out there, but ever since my conversation with that shop keeper ten years ago, I just can’t bring myself to store great wine in a cheap cabinet that could fail long before my first bottles mature; a decade at least!

I just got it delivered yesterday, and here are some of the vintages I have in there so far (with much more to come):

  • Château du Tertre “Margaux” – 2009
  • Château du Tertre “Margaux” – 2007
  • Château du Tertre “Margaux” – 2006
  • Château la Gurgue “Margaux” – 2009
  • Château Lagrange “Saint-Julien” – 2009
  • Château Gloria « Saint-Julien » – 2009
  • Château Belle-Vue « Haut-Médoc » – 2009

There is a lot of expensive wine out there, but believe me, there are plenty of little château’s out there producing superb wines, with excellent aging potential, to be had for very little because they are still relatively unknown. Those are the bottles I look for all the time! Sure, if I came across a good deal on “Château Margaux” etc., I’d take it, but there is way too much “average” wine being sold at premium these days. To me, there is no greater pleasure than discovering an excellent wine sold for €6.99 that promises to evolve and improve for the next ten years. Perhaps I’ll come back a little later with some “top value” of these recommendations.

 
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On smoking my first pipe — just when I thought I couldn’t spend any more!

14 Dec

The first tobacco pipe

I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone convinced me to put down my cigar long enough to give pipe tobacco an honest shot. Well, that time came recently during Monday night football. I must say I had been intrigued by the different process that pipe tobacco goes through, such that when smoked, the room is filled with such an appealing aroma–often so much so that even no-smokers are delighted at the mere sight of a pipe.

Mac Baren plumbcake pipe tobacco

As with most things, pipe smoking isn’t something that you can get into lightly. There happens to be quite a learning curve in terms of pipe shapes and materials, tobacco types and origins, as well as preparation and smoking technique to insure a good experience.

Having versed myself on the basics, I finally lit up a beautiful rusticated pipe gifted by a well meaning friend and I was off to the races before finding myself engulfed in one of the most pleasant and relaxing smoking experiences. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love my cigars, but I quickly found that there is a certain indescribable mellow character to pipe smoking that quite simply cannot be dismissed, and neither should it be.

Tobacco Pipe bowl and stem

And so, the bottom line is that I found my first pipe to be a delightful experience; so much so that a few days and a few dollars later I can report that my cigar bar has unexpectedly expanded to include a growing collection of pipes and tobacco. What’s more, I think I sense a series of articles forthcoming! Who knew?

 
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Posted in Pipes

 

San Cristobal de la Habana, la Fuerza (Cuba)

09 Aug

Looking at a San Cristobal de la Habana, La Fuerza, it strikes as a superbly constructed cigar. For people like me, who have often mourned the trend away from genuine quality in favor of sheer production out of Cuba, the look and feel of this robusto extra is not only a welcome surprise but perhaps also a sign that a change is coming… for the good.

San Cristobal de la Habana cigar

I can barely get over how good the wrapper is on these– just oily enough, with the right thickness and consistency–giving the whole cigar a very solid feel and combustion. I find the aromas slightly sweet, reminiscent of light cloves or ginger, with an underlying note of pepper, though not necessarily spicy; and certainly not “hot.”

San Cristobal de la Habana lit cigar

Lighting up is a surprise; a good one. I suppose I’m just not used to this type deep creamy texture and taste from the classic Habanos. You can tell that the arrival of this puro is a deliberate attempt out of Havana to add yet another “dimension” to the perception of what is classically Cuban.

San Cristobal de la Habana

The cigar is overall on the milder side of medium bodied, the smoke, rich and creamy throughout, and the progression, a subtle one. Light pepper and creamy musk evolve slightly well into the first third to take on some woody and mildly leathery notes. It will intensify well into the last third to take on a much more pronounced leathery profile with dominant woody notes right through to the end.

San Cristobal de la Habana, La Fuerza, Nub

The finish is surprisingly light, brief and pleasant. I would recommend this cigar to any novice looking for a milder Cuban cigar or to anyone who enjoys a lighter smoke in the morning or early afternoon. It’s certainly not a powerhouse, and can come across as too linear for those of us who may be used to a more complex progression or earthier, darker profile. Yet, overall, I would say that I enjoy the San Cristobal de la Habana, La Fuerza, when the mood strikes.


 
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La Aroma de Cuba Monarch

27 May

As much as it has ever been, a visit from the stork is still a moment properly celebrated with a good smoke and a glass of the finest cognac. No, I’m not talking about myself, but a good friend of mine whose family has been enlarged this week. I realize that I have not been spending much time around here lately, but there’s simply no way I would let this occasion pass by without a fitting salute. Plus, let’s be honest, I’ll take any excuse I get!

La Aroma de Cuba Monarch

… and so, out comes a La Aroma de Cuba Monarch and a little nectar I picked up at the Hennessy distillery while on a tour dubbed “Fine de Cognac”. Temperature and humidity fluctuations, due to my most recent move to another country, had left my humidor wanting, but this Aroma de Cuba proved to be a resilient little stick.

The Honduran wrapper is very oily with a pleasant sheen. Aromas of musk, leather and perhaps a little cinnamon are present on the pre-light. These notes, I found, form the core of this cigar, from beginning to end, and a solid base for its evolution as the smoke progresses.

Aroma de Cuba ash

Lighting up quickly and effortlessly with traditional matches this time (after all this is a celebration), the foot lets off a slightly spicy smoke full of the core notes with a very creamy and velvety texture. I was a little surprised at this point, expecting something generally more rustic.

About an inch in, the smoke has a nutty character, like toasted almonds with the underlying musk; a very pleasant combination indeed. By now, I can already predict a more rustic characteristic taking on perhaps around the half way mark. When I say rustic, I mean it in a very positive sense as far as cigars go. I can see that what began with subtlety and finesse will eventually end with a bang.

La Aroma de Cuba cigars: nice burn.

About half way, the smoke begins to concentrate a little. The aromas seem to come together to produce an espresso like aftertaste following a draw. The intensifying musk and leather from the core, leave behind a taste that reminds me of the old Star Bucks espresso shots I used to sip over ice, way back when they actually offered real espresso.

This profile goes right to the end, leaving a somewhat spicy finish of cedar and musk for a good while. La Aroma de Cuba is clearly not a smoke to be compared to its other cousins from the Ashton line. Its merits make it stand on its own, in a rustic and satisfying way.

La Aroma de Cuba smoked to the nub.

 
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