Thursday, February 1, 2007

Don Tomas Dominican Selection Corona Gorda


6 X 50 Natural

It seems to me the more that I explore it, the more I find to enjoy about the various permutations of the Don Tomas Line of cigars. All quite reasonably priced, and none that I can say I view in a negative light, with an emphasis on the Corojo line, which I have bought several boxes of in the past, when I did such things. Well today I got to try another in this line, the Dominican Selection, and again I was pleasantly suprised!

This lovely reddish shaded Toro sized cigar, this stick came in a nice looking fairly severe box-pressed design. I love that shape, especially, like in this case, when it does not hamper burn in any way, and does not split at the seams. This cigar was constructed well, burned nicely, and had a fabulous draw. Tastewise these cigars have two distinct phases. the first half of this cigar is decidedly sweet. I suprised me. I tasted of honey and maple, and was very smooth. The second half of the cigar build strength and was spicy, with black pepper and sage. I have to say I really enjoyed this cigar, and they are quite reasonably priced, from the research I did, though hard if not impossible to find.

But good news, I found out they are bringing this line back here:

U.S. Cigar Sales, Inc. expects to resume shipments of its Don Tomas Dominican Selection by late February. The company's newest premium cigar was forced into a backorder situation not long after its launch at the RTDA show in August, due to overwhelming demand.

"We knew we had a winner on our hands with Don Tomas Dominican Selection, but we weren't prepared for the sheer number of orders. It was truly an overnight success," remarked Pepe Gutierrez, president, c.e.o., U.S. Cigar Sales.

Key to the brand's success has been the new Talanga Cuban wrapper, grown on the company's farm. "We could have used a lesser quality wrapper to keep the brand in supply, but we chose to maintain the flavor and overall integrity of the product that earned the success in the first place," noted Gutierrez.

Fulfillment of Don Tomas Dominican Selection is expected to resume in "relatively good quantities," said Gutierrez, noting "good things come to those who are willing to wait."


Good to hear!


TomC

Sister's Wedding Photo Tease





Just a teaser of some of the professional pics of my sister's wedding. More to come. Also, you can find some pictures of the wedding, which I snapped on my parent's camera, HERE!

TomC

Migration

I am going to move some of the posts from my old proto-blog over here but until then, this is where it can be found.


TomC

Arturo Fuente Añejo #77 (Original Maduro Variety)



Cigar name: Arturo Fuente Añejo #77 (Original Maduro Variety)
A.K.A.: "Shark"
Vitola: 5 5/8" x 54
Wrapper: Connecticut broadleaf maduro (aged approximately 3 years)(aged/cured in cognac barrels for 6-8 months)
Binder: ?? unknown
Filler: Añejo blend

(with a little help from this site)

How fortunate that I get to smoke a Classic #77 while close enough that I still have the Cameroon version still fresh in my head. I already knew I loved these bad boys, so I can dispense with the formalities right away. Anyway, on to the review.

Construction: That beautiful dark wrapper. Dont you just wanna tear it off and eat it? NowI know that that would probably be gross, judging by looks alone, wouldnt you want to? This one was smooth and veinless and firmly wrapped in that fabulous characteristic half box pressed pyramid shape. Just a joy to behold.

Pre-Light: Clipped easily and as is my want with pyramid style cigars, drew quite easlit with a rather small hole, better to concentrate the flavors on my palate. Pre light was chocolate and cedar, and a little of that almost imperceptable note that I get from Añejos.

Burn/Flavor: Amazing as always. I will say you could tell that this was an '06 Shark, it was a little young, and maybe a tad vegetal tasting (raw), but that in no way detracted from the flavor experience for me. The cigar drew like a dream, with billows of flavorful fragrant smoke wafting all around me, and enveoping me in an intoxicating haze. Burn was fabulous, long (at least 95 minutes in duration), slow, cool, and razor straight, not need ing a touch up till the very very end, as I was trying to milk it to a nub. Flavor wise it was more ASSERTIVE than the Cameronn version, lots of cocoa and leather at first, the cocoa staying and cedar and that toungue lingering tobacco flavor wafting in and out. This one built a decent heat of steam, more so than I remember (though its been more than I year since I have had one, and the ones I had were aged), and reached a fabulous Mocha Esspresso white pepper crescendo about two third of the way through (rounded off on the toungue with that note that I still insist must be from the special aging Añejos get). The tang I experience in the Cameroon version must have been from said wrapper, because that was not present here. An experience to be sure.

Overall a command performance. The hype is real with these bad boys too. I was lucky to acquire another one with the stick I burned, and I plan to sit on it for a while to see how it develops. GOOD STUFF!

TomC