Dark and Merrily ever after...

The year is ending, and the blog posts have fallen behind. It would be nice to say we finished strong this year. Christmas is winding down, but the lights have retained there sparkle. The Christmas lights in Cuero were vandalized and that seems to be in vogue lately. I am sure the perpetrators will have their day in court. The underwear bomber will certainly get his. I didn't think the jihadists wore underwear. The Guantanamo terrorists will get their day in court, while the terrorist in Havana will remain as a fly in the ointment of a wonderful cigar crafting country. The New Year is looking menacing as the US Congress is threatening "Health Care Reform" - like they could take the best system in the world and make it better? They have a bad track record. It looks like we can count on even more cigar taxes in the future - no hope, but some spare change...

How in the face of all this do we smile? It would be a struggle if our hope was all in the here and now!

Looking backward as we plan forward, I stumbled upon an excellent and inexpensive dark maduro wonder: the Augusto Reyes Maduro Belicoso 6.5x54. I would say it was my cigar of the "end year".

From Cigars International - "Full-bodied and layered with rich, toasty flavors, this dark-chocolate colored cigar utilizes a true Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and filler blend of aged Dominican Criollo, Corojo, and Cuban-seed tobaccos. The result is a rich, hearty smoke with deep tobacco flavors, coffee notes, and a spicy-sweet finish. Satisfying and complex, Augusto Reyes Maduro is a fine Dominican-made maduro."

Gary's Cigars Blog at About.com Guide to Cigars
"You may have heard of Rolando Reyes, the cigar master behind Reyes Family Cigars and the Puros Indios brand, but who is Augusto Reyes? Augusto's family has been in the tobacco business for over 150 years in the Dominican Republic, and they are not exiled Cubans like the other Reyes family who make their cigars in Honduras. For the last couple of years or so, Augusto Reyes has been producing his own brand of Dominican puros made entirely with tobaccos from the Dominican Republic. I decided to try an AR Grand Cru the other day, and found it to be a full-bodied cigar that is tailor-made for the most serious cigar smokers. All others, beware! These are not cigars for beginners, and they will probably not appeal to the palates of most occasional cigar smokers, either. However, if you are looking for a strong cigar with a big bold flavor, this could be a brand to try. Just don't confuse these cigars with those made by Rolando Reyes."

My 6.5x54 cigar had a regular band and a gold one at the foot. It had the density - firm - that I prefer, yet still with a good draw. I could tell I was going to get my money's worth (at $2 per stick). I cut it with the guillotine cutter that has the smaller hole (made by Cuban Crafters). The cigar was very dark, oily and had a very pleasant pre-light aroma. The taste was a wonderful mix of earthy dark sweet chocolate and expresso. The smoke was ample and the burn was symmetrically even. The flavors held through much of the cigar with a medium finish throughout. I was pleasantly looking forward to the next smoke and the next year...

The elf that threatened Santa needs a caining!

Lindenau is a calm and friendly rolling hill place. Reminds one of the Tennessee hills. The ambiance is that of a calm sheep pasture. One can close their eyes and imagine anything, as the only disturbing sounds are those of nature. Maybe it is not Austria, but only a low budget version of such. The Hills are filled with iron and the water bleeds burnt Texas orange. Kinda reminds one of the Iron Hills of Tolkienian Middle Earth lore. One could easily imagine dwarfs and elves wandering around in search of iron or even game - to a glorious feast. There is not much forestry there, but there are some magnificent trees and some astoundingly fairytale views. Some dilapidated barns and old houses are a far cry from the dreams of Narnia. If an elf was found in Lindenau, it would probably be the same elf that was found at the mall in Georgia.

'Elf' jailed over dynamite hoax on Ga. mall Santa

We don't have much dynamite in Lindenau, but we do have a Rifle Club. Although The Rifle Club is actually a dance hall. Instead of dynamite, we do have a house or two with a humidor and a fine cigar or two. We are happy about Christmas, and one year we even witnessed a Santa clone driving around in a white pickup truck. Needless to say, he was counting deer. The white tail deer are abundant, but the reindeer are scarce to nonexistent...

The cigar to mark this astounding event and assault of our Claus is the new much heralded Cain Maduro torpedo - as our little elf could use a nice caining. It was a dark oily 6x54 torpedo with a nice band on the foot. It was a cold morning with a brisk north wind, so I made a trip to Starbuck's and enjoyed it in my jeep with a warm White Chocolate Mocha Cappuccino. Although I have been smoking for many years, I have never tried a Cappuccino and cigar combination before.

The cigar was well made and lit easily with a perfect draw. The wrapper is a thick and toothy, and tasty Mexican ligero maduro - visually it is much like my favorite CBLM. The filler and binder are both Nicaraguan ligero. The taste was one of coffee and chocolate with a sweet hint. I was unsure of this given the Cappuccino until I read other reviews and found similar flavors noted. There was a woody leather bit also noted, and the flavors persisted intermingled with a peppery ligero. The burn was perfect and the finish was not long. It was the perfect combination. I may have to try some iced coffee with my next cigar!