What up everybody so glad you're here. It's Coolio with the flow back in your ear. 

Been busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.  Job searching is a job in itself hopefully something will come up soon.  

January - March is the season, event season, in the PHX. Auction week kick off the events,  Auction week includes Barrett Jackson, Russo and Steele, Gooding and Co., RM Auctions and Kruse Auction and this year alone there was nearly $234,000,000 in sales.  Among the top sellers was the George Barris' Batmobile which went to some asshat for $4,200,000!  

Auction Season, is followed by the Waste Management Phoenix Open, NASCAR at PIR, and Cactus League Spring Training.

I got to spend some time with Lana Fraser, the Premium Event Manager for General Cigar, when she was hanging out in the Cohiba Lounge at Barrett Jackson.

Recently, I enjoyed a La Gloria Cubana Wavell a very nice medium bodied cigar that I think is often overlooked. This is prompting me to bring back Wavell Wednesday. I mean look at the ash on that cigar....

One of the more unique cigars I have acquired is the CAO Left Coast.  Exclusive to Cigar Shops on the West Coast, this massive 6 3/4 x 74, is actually shaped like a Trapezoid.

As I am unemployed, and Arizona Unemployment Benefit is a paltry $240 per week, I am all about the budget cigar.  Ambassador Fine Cigars has a bundle package of 10 Cigars for $45.  The retail value of the cigars is approximately $100.  There is a little bit of this and a little bit of that in each package but I tell you these cigars have some serious age to them. Which make smoking them all the more enjoyable.   This past weekend, I enjoyed the Gurkha Beast (MSRP was roughly $21).For this picture I put the cigar and the wrapper up against my wife's portable photo studio to show the age as evidenced by the discoloration of the wrapper. 

So I am sitting on the Hillbilly Hilton (TM) minding my own business, and I drop my lighter.  Now the damn thing won't work. I grab my wife's bic and the cedar that wrapped the a fore mentioned Gurkha.  The cedar won't stay lit, the metal on the lighter burnt my fingers trying light this behemoth of a cigar.  Getting frustrated I decide use this bad boy toast my cigar.  Thank God, the profile didn't change to that of Lamp Oil! 

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

If your wife, girlfriend, mother, grandmother are into paper arts (card making, scrap-booking, etc.,) follow my wife's blog Passionate Paper Creations

The photo below actually uses a box from Kristoff Cigars as its "foundation." I am very proud of her especially since her work was recognized by Hobby Lobby and by design teams as far away as Australia.

There is this cigar line that I have been trying to get my hands on, and when I set my mind to doing something I get er done.  Emilio Cigars, as of last count I think there is only one, maybe two stores,  that carries them in Arizona (Fox Cigar Bar in Chandler and Goodfella's in Phoenix).  Earlier this week, courtesy of  Kevin Bishop, I added to my Humidor the  Emilio AF-Sauve, the AF-1, the AF-2 and the Le Musa Movao.  Part of  the reason I was hellbent on getting these cigars was because Gary Griffith, the owner of Emilio Cigars, was one of my first followers when I started posting #NowSmoking Tweets.  Gary's interaction with his customers, retailers, and other manufacturers is second to none and I respect that.

Yesterday I lit up the Emilio AF-Suave, This cigar has beautiful Ecuadorian Connecticut Wrapper and for a Connecticut was fairly complex. I smoked it down to the nubbin, using a small eyeglass screwdriver to hold the nubbin try to get every thing out of this Robusto that I could.

Finally, Saturday marked one year since our friend Bruce Gaudet was taken from us.  Bruce was a Sales Rep for General Cigar in the Western Region.  I also had to priviledge of working with him on the promotion of several events held at Ambassador Cigars

RIP Bruce and know that you are missed...

My First Blog Post of 2013

Feliz Ano's Nuevo....

So far it's been a smokin new year, with lots of great cigars to be enjoyed.  I will be doing things differently this year.  Chris Davidson (@psu_chris) brought up the question about tracking your inventory.  I, with a boatload of help from Chris, have been playing with a variety of options, everything ranging from Cigar Boss and other apps, to my Journal, to excel.  At this juncture I am leaning towards the excel option until someone (hint, hint) develops or releases a better mouse trap.  Here are a couple of snapshots of what I have been doing, it also is helping me with my handwritten journal, which will soon consist of "many leather bound books."PS I also keep a printed copy folded inside my journal.

I started off the year, with another Foundry at the suggestion of another #BOTL,  this time I tried the Cayley.

The Cayley measures 6 1/2 x 60 x 56 x 43 and has a wrapper that is proprietary to General Cigar. The Cayley was a much more enjoyable smoke that the Wells or the Lovelace, but it still not what a boutique cigar should be.  With the Cayley I also experienced some construction issue up near the band, which I am beginning to thing has something to do with the metal gear positioned over the band itself.

The Mundos Semilia Habano Grand #1,  Little is known about this cigar, except that this is or was a Tatuaje project.  As I understand this particular cigar uses B & C grade tobacco and my experience with this particular blend was that it was a bit on the tight side and not overly complex.

I am becoming a big fan of the San Cristobal line from Ashton.  Here is the San Cristobal Classico, this cigar had a nice amount  age on it and good flavors throughout, it was dark, oily, earthy with notes of chocolate and espresso.

Short on time pick one of these up, the Oliva Series G SPCL G, a great value at $4.55.  A nice medium bodied cigar, with a nice tight white ash.

I am also a big fan of Habano wrappers, This EP Carillo Club 52 had a bit of earth, wood, and leather.  However there were some construction issues which consisted of unraveling in the last third of the cigar.

I love perfecto cigars, which is narrow at both ends and slightly bulged in the middle. I don't know why I just do.  This Avo 787 is well aged, which is becoming quite common for my humidor, medium-bodied with plenty of sweetness and excellent balance. The cigar developed into a creamy cigar with flavors of  roasted nut flavors.

Dark in color very oily, and very full bodied is the best way to describe the Viaje 50/50 black label.  It is definitely not a first stick of the day.  Viaje does it again, and is one of my favorite boutique cigars.

Here is a solid, and I mean solid, medium bodied cigar with a wood flavor profile that transitioned into a  flavor profile that is not only rich, but earthy and includes notes of chocolate in the last third. This cigar is  also slightly box pressed, which I liked a alot.  Thanks to Stephen La Pre Jr (@CigarChairman) for the gift it was very much appreciated.  

Until next time stay toasting, uh toasty...it's cold in the PHX!