Smoked two good cigars

Have I ever mentioned that I love the time of year when the IPCPR come around. Its a cigar junkie's Christmas. All the cigar companies are releasing their newest lines and the rumors start flying. I get giddy when I hear about the newest additions to the Liga Privada lines. Also everyone wants see what the newest member of Tatuaje monster series is gonna look like (Wolfman looks awesome btw). We also get to try some of the new releases.

So the other day I got to try Kurt Kendall's newest addition to his very popular 7-20-4 line. Its called the 7-20-4 1874 series. It gets its name for the year that the original 7-20-4 factory opened. Now this cigar is a little different from the original 7-20-4 line. It features a Habano wrapper from the Jalapa region of Nicaragua. I found it to be a medium bodied cigar with a nice pleasant finish. I have just started to retro hale out of my nose a tiny bit. That usually makes my eyes water and I start sneezing. Its not a pretty site. But for this cigar it did not produce that reaction. It was a pleasant surprise. I actually got a slightly tangy, almost tart taste, right off the bat. It reminded me of a granny smith apple. It was really unique. After about the half way point, it turned over to bit of spice mixed in with some nice earthy flavors. I have to say I really enjoyed this cigar as a change of pace.

Today I got to try something that I ordered for the shop. This is not a new cigar but I have wanted to try it for a while. It was the Gran Habano Azteca. My friend Alex joked that it is the cigar of choice for the Apocalypse. I have to say that this is one of the most amazingly packaged cigars that I have seen. It comes in 20 count boxes that are shaped like Aztec ruins. The cigars have a very intricate top band that is rather large. A smaller band is on the foot that states the size. The Azteca is wrapped in a very dark San Andreas Maduro leaf. I have really been enjoying the San Andreas Maduros lately. Its supposed to be a full flavored cigar, but I felt it was more of a heavy medium. Not really full. I had a nice coffee undertone. Toast was the over prevailing flavor. It burned smooth and never got hot. I nubbed it right down to where I couldn't hold it any longer. The price point makes it even more enjoyable. I have a good feeling that these will do very well in the shop.

I can't wait for my boss to get back from the show to see what we are getting. Hopefully he will bring some back for me to sample. So what is everyone looking forward to seeing coming out of the IPCPR show? Feel free to leave a comment of things you would like to hear about, or just leave a comment about what you like/don't like about my blog. And remember please check out www.pipesandcigars.com.

Smoke a good one,

Andy