L’Atelier La Mission | Wordless Wednesday

   
    
    
    
   

Shoe Game | Wordless Wednesday | Ivy League Style

                

Get ‘Em While They’re Hot | Two Cents Tuesday

When they’re good, they’re good. We have all been there, picked up a new cigar that has come out, tried it, and loved it!!!! Now, everyone else had the same opinion and you just can’t find those damn sticks anymore!

Then, you are at your local shop or on your computer and see that their back😍😍😍. You purchase a box and you are wildly surprised they are significantly different from what they were. Their just not good and they don’t have that pop, finesse, or flare that you found on the first smoke.

Our #tct is to tell you when you like a cigar, buy them while they are HOT! When a cigar is good on the first production and customers are buying them fast, manufacturers have to increase production in order to meet the demand. When this happens, steps get skipped, sourcing of the same high quality tobacco is sacrificed, and the new production run is just plan different.  Because of the variables that come in to account with mass production, the second batch of cigars are probably not going to taste like they did they first came out. So, if you really like a cigar and it is brand new make sure to buy a box or 2 to last you. You won’t regret this piece of advice.

Cigarfest 2015!

              

Smoke ’em if you got ’em | Two Cents Tuesday

Spring is here so start tearing through those old cigars that sat over the winter. Make room for some more fresh cigars. We’re saying this because we are over the whole aging thing. There has to be a point of no return for a cigar.

In our opinion, there is only really 2-3 good years for a cigar, after that the pepper that was once was is gone forever, among other flavors. We know it’s cheezy but, “smoke’em if ya got’em”! Don’t get us wrong, you can get some crazy changes in the flavor of a cigar within a year or two, but there is no point to wait around too long. There is nothing more disappointing than waiting and aging a cigar, then trying it and not living up to expectations.

Don’t let those cigars loose their Pop! Smoke them up and keep them fresh.

Banned | Wordless Wednesday

La Pluma | Saturday Stogies

Jonathan Maccia owner of La Pluma
Made by Placencia
Robusto

Wrapper is a very dark chocolate, is very smooth, and has no veins. The wrapper is giving off this sort of hay or barn type of smell with a slight cedar. The foot smells like a real earthy tobacco and there was enough black pepper in there to make me sneeze!

First third starts off with a hint of chocolate however, a sweetness is trumping the chocolate. There is a slight cedar in the background. Pepper is milder than I thought it would be based off of the wrapper smell. The aroma is deep and oaky with every plume of smoke. Draw is a bit on the tighter side but really good and we are settled in at a medium body and medium strength.

Second third is much like the first. Body has increased to a full bodied cigar. The earthiness is coating our palate nicely. Strength is still medium. Burn is seriously the sharpest I’ve had In a long time.

Final third is just like the first two. The chocolatey flavor is completely gone but the sweetness is still there. Mild pepper has carried on throughout the entire smoke and the oaky aromas fill the room.

Overall a very solid stick. Not very complex but not one noted. The flavors it presents married very well together and we are very interested in trying other sizes and blends in the future.

Caldwell Cigar Co. Gibraltar | Saturday Stogies

Size: Robusto
Wrapper: Dominican Habano 
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Price: MSRP ~$6.00

Wrapper is like a rose brown, a little toothily, and a little oily. Foot smells of some kind of nut. The pack has some give and it is wrapped up tight with a pigtail cap.

First third starts off with a tight draw that we hope loosens up as we smoke on. Gibraltar starts off with a mild to medium body and a mild strength. Smoke output is at a minimal with the tight draw that we mentioned before. We are picking up some cedar on the palate and in the aroma straight up. Not much of an underling flavor, all we pick up is a little bit of oak.

Second third  continuers with the cedar profile of the first. The retrohale brings through a new black pepper taste that was not in the first third.Draw is still very tight, and the light is going out very often.

Final third is pretty similar to the first two. Draw opened up a little more but still a bit tight. Other than it being tight, the burn was really good. This cigar was very consistent throughout the entire smoke.

Overall the anticipation of large flavor from the name of this cigar was underwhelming in the end. Our palates are more catered for a more full bodied smoke but we smoke a lot of medium bodied stuff. This cigar wasn’t too complex, and a little looser draw, in our opinion, would have brought out some more flavors.

Tatuaje Cigars | Wordless Wednesday

Expand Your Pallet | Two Cents Tuesday

The brand list is endless in the cigar world. With a new brand of cigars releasing every other month, it’s hard to keep up. Don’t feel like you have to try everything that comes out, but Ivy League Cigars wants its members to have an open mind about the cigars they smoke.

We all have our brands, and most times we don’t usually stray too far from them. You’ve tried a cigar and had a great experience with it, and it’s made it to the top of your all time list. This cigar and cigars from that same manufacturer are all you can find in your humidor. We understand and want people to smoke what they like, but do not want our fellow Leaguers to become complacent.

Expand your palate and venture outside your brand, try brands and types of cigars you wouldn’t normally smoke. Yes, it will be weird and you will not want to, but we are encouraging you to do this in the spirit of looking out for your best interest. Confuse the palate with something from another country. You will taste flavors and variations of familiar flavors you never tasted before. This will only help build your sensory receptors and add to your catalog of cigar flavors.

We challenge you to set a timeline for yourself. We want you to try some different smokes, and want you to find some new favorites. Find some different cigars that you can put in that humidor and add to your classics. When you feel complacent again, repeat the process. The constant reinventing of your palate will only benefit you. Who knows?–a brand you said you’d never try might be your new favorite!