Grandparents, Tatuaje and a 200 MPH Beach Party

So this morning, at 6:40am I get a text message from Stephen.  Stephen is my oldest step-son, and someone I am very proud of.  About 15 months ago, Stephen realized that he need discipline and direction,  and enlisted in the Army.  While currently stateside, at Ft. Riley in KS, I anticipate a deployment sometime in the next 6 months. 

The Text Read:
Stephen: Mom Up Yet
Me: Yup, Everything OK
Stephen: Yes Sir
Me: Carry On Soldier

30 Minutes or so later, I'm stuck in traffic on the 101 and my phone rings it's my wife. She tell's me we are...

GOING TO BE GRANDPARENTS...

The text continues:

Me: So Dad
Stephen: Yes Grandpa


This afternoon, on the way home from work, I picked up this little gem. The Tatuaje Conoju 2012.  And thus continues my love affair with Tatuaje Cigars.

A final thought,  this weekend would be the 3 day weekend I used to spend with my Dad at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Just the two of us, this tradition started in 1986 and lasted until 2000

The photo at right was taken in April 200, in Toyota's Pit Row Suite.

This was  the last Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach  I would attend with my Dad.  Sure when I moved to Scottsdale in 2001,  with Dad's ties to Toyota Motorsports, Arciero/Wells Racing and Dan Gurney All American Racers, we would attend IndyCar Test Sessions, Champ Car Races, and one or two NASCAR Races at Phoenix International Raceway. Yes it was Indy Cars, Yes it was with Dad but it wasn't the Beach.

In 2002, while working at the Orange County Register,  I went to the Beach by myself,  I spent most of the time, wandering through the Garage area, Pit Lane, Pro Celeb Tent, on the phone with my Dad.  It wasn't the same...

#MissYouDad

What's your S H I T Smoke???

I like to think it's been a smoking good week.  Unfortunately I've managed only a few cigars this week.  Another stellar recommendation by Chris Davidson, the San Lotano Oval by the fine folks at AJ Fernandez.  Tobacco that is aged four (4) year makes this one a real winner.

So now I must answer the question, what exactly is a S H I T smoke...It's the day before T G I F!   S H I T stands for So Happy It's Thursday. 

My S H I T smoke was a Casa Magna Oscuro a recommendation by Jim Rendar. It was Dark, It was Oily and it was pretty damn tasty.  Issue's with having to relight it though.  Then Again I was multi-tasking and not paying as much attention to the Cigar as I should have.  Regardless a thoroughly enjoyable S H I T smoke.  I think I need to track down the Casa Magna Colorado Diadema which was number 10 on Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars for 2011.

Now for the best part of this smoking week I've been having.  Every once in a while I have the luck of running into Manufacturer Reps...today was one of those days. This is a Zino Platinum Z-Class 654-T, courtesy of Pam the Davidoff Rep in Arizona.   Described as a "Sophisticated Tobacco Blend" I am looking forward to enjoying this one. 

Stirring the Pot with Monday Post.

I have a goal, a small goal, to not smoke the same cigar day in and day out.  Yup I am getting away from the preverbial Go to Smoke. OK feel free to call BullSh*t on that one one cause we all know I am a creature of habit. But I am going to guarantee you that I am not going to blog about the same ol cigars.

Anyways, I am about halfway through a thoroughly enjoyable smoke. The Sencillo Platinum. Through some research, OK call BS on me I Googled it, I learned that Sencillo means simple.

I also learned that this is created by the same folks who created the God of Fire line of Cigars.  This stick is priced under $7 and is a great smoke all around.

Anyway, looking forward to this Wednesdays Meet-up of the West Valley Cigar Club.  Its a BYOC, Bring Your Own Cigar, Event so now the question remains what do I bring? I have an Alec Bradley Prensado and a Perdomo Champagne 10th Anniversay Magnum 50. I think I am leaning towards the Perdomo, with a Tubos, that my wife had not managed to get her hands on.

And That's the Way It Is

It's getting hot here in the PHX, looking for something different.  Soon the Hillbilly Hilton, will be on summer, evening only hours.  This week I got on a kick where if something came in a tube I was buying it.  Ironically, when my wife Rhea, saw the tubes she had to have them.  So the Tubos are No Mas. The Cigards are still there, just sans the Tube!

This is a Cain Series F Super Ligero.  Full Bodied but damn this is smooth!

Meet my Step-Son Ryan, AKA the Hookah King, I guess Hookah Lounges are quite the rage and Ryan does (all 6'5" of him) work in a lounge.

It is what it is...

Ryan's older brother, Stephen,  is in the Army and is protecting our Freedom. 

For the past 3 years Fumar Cigars in partnership with "Blue Star Moms" has sent thousands of "sponsored" boxes to troops currently deployed in the Middle East theater of operations

Fumar Cigars, in collaboration with Oliva Tobacco, proudly manufactures cigars for all 5 branches of the military

Looking for something different I searched up and down the humidor at Stagg Tobacconist in N. Scottsdale. Rick Hopkins, the owners, has  three stores Ye Olde in Phoenix, and Stagg locations in Metro Phoenix, and N. Scottsdale.  They, along with Cigar King, are the premier retailer of Perdomo Cigars.  Here I am enjoying a Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne Magnum Tubo

Continuing with my Perdomo Sunday, I moved onto a glass of 2010 Prisoner, a Napa Valley Red Table Wine, 44% Zinfandel 26% Cabernet Sauvignon 18% Syrah 9% Petite Sirah 2% Charbono 1% Grenache  it made for perfect pairing with another Perdomo, this time the Perdomo 2, 2008 Limited Edition.  Did I mention this was a box press  and I love box pressed cigars

Didnt have a chance to smoke much this week, business commitments limited me to two cigars this week.  This is Viaje Skull & Bones MOAB,  The Mother Of All Bones.  This bomb was dropped on Cigar Retailers in late March, and well it is pretty tasty!

We've developed quite a little network on the Twitter, and recently a few of us have been sharing unquie cigars Jim Rednar, introduced me to the El Tiante Oscuro, Chris Davidson  has Hammer+Sickle Moscow City and last week  this bad boy.  The LFD Cameroon Cabinet,  this was unique in the fact it was a Chisel, and not your traditional torpedo, robusto, etc.  I will be buying  more of these, infact today I enjoyed a Cameroon Cabinet #1 (Not pictured).  Thoroughly enjoyable when paired with the Masters, even if the Masters was a replay on the Golf Channel. I mean seriously who works on Good Friday.  Tomorrows another day, its moving day at Augusta. 

F1, Cars, and Cigars

A couple of month's ago I joined the West Valley Cigar Club. I finally managed to attend one of their meet-ups. Held outside on the patio, at  Johnny Fox's Public House, it was a great time and I will definitely be making this part of my becoming a true Cigar Aficionado (sic).  The smoke I chose for this particular evening was the Alec Bradley Black Market, which I paired with a couple of Guinness Drafts and Fish & Chips.  By the way this place apparently has All You Can Eat corned beef and cabbage til 6pm every Thursday!

Sunday, me and a few of my closest friends held a Formula One Viewing Party at Ye Olde Pipe and Tobacco  in, the Biltmore Arcadia area, of Phoenix.  F1 Races, once you get the past the pre-race BS, usually have a 2 hour time limit. Racing in Malaysia is always sketchy, and due to the fact that the track is in a freakin rain forrest, this one had a 50 minute red flag for a torrential downpour!  My intent was to select a cigar that would last the entire race!  In theory it worked!  The cigar I smoked was the Padron Series Magnum Maduro,  50 x 9! 

I love cars! Yesterday while out and and about, in Scottsdale,  I came across this bad boy!  A Lingenfelter Corvette, with 650 HP to the rear wheels I referred to this car as Flat Black, Bad Ass and Wicked Fast

Last evening I found myself wondering aimlessly around the humidor at Ambassador Fine Cigars.  The photo is ONLY half of the humidor and  I was in there for a good 10 minutes.  Randy popped to make sure I was OK.  My response was yeah I'm just meandering.   About 5 minutes after Shelly popped in and....

...handed me this, the Viaje White Label Project Candela. The White Label Project,a according to Viaje, is  a series of small experimental releases that don’t fall into Andre Farkas’ various series of limited release lines.  This little gem was was actually created for St. Patricks Day!

I Got Nothing

Ah a vacation day, and I am sicker than a dog.  What was the old NyQuil commercial stuffy head fever can't rest? Yeah that's this guy... I figured I play some catch-up, yes I'm playing catch-up again.

We all know I love the international flavor of F1 and the American LeMans Series (BTW their TV package SUCKS 2 hours of highlights from the 12 hrs of Sebring)  so based on a recommendation from Chris Davidson I searched high and low for this cigar, the Hammer + Sickle Moscow City....Great flavor, I mean great flavor, but lousy construction!

Happy St. Patricks Day from the Hillbilly Hilton Guiness and an Alec Bradley Family Blend.

 

St. Patricks Day also called for a Gurkha Vintage Shaggy. After all it is Shaggy Saturday!Oh and Say hello to Chip The Furlough Puppy...

 

Wow it got cold over night,  we had a terrific night out celebrating Mark and Lori's wedding, Saturday night the winds kicked up and  dropped the temperatures damn near 30 degree's! It made smoking outside a tad uncomfortable, but we muddled through.  The smoke is an Tatuaje Havana VI,  the Beer Negra Modelo which interestingly enough STAYED COLD

Playing Catch Up

I have apparently failed at my quest...OK I suffer from ADD, with some hyper activity, I gave up lost track or lost interest in the top 25 Cigars of 2011.  So here's what I have been enjoying.

At right is the Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R Vitola “Fifty-Four” this is a nice little smoke...



To the left is a Tatuaje SW Riserva I'm a huge Tatuaje fan! Huge fan! I probably smoke more Tatuajes that any other cigar. The Black Label Petite Lancer, La Riqueza, Riserva SW, El Triunfador, and the Cabaiguan Guapos are some of my favorite cigars day in and day out. OK Pete Johnson does a great job with all of his blends. 

                                                                                           

Luis Tiant, El Tiante, a Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, who finished his career with my NY Yankees.  Recently, with his son Daniel workin alongside, El Tiante has gotten into the cigar business.

I took great pride in telling Daniel of the Day in 1979 where at Yankee Stadium El Tiante, his father, signed my glove.

At right, is the stronger of the two cigars, the Habano Oscuro.






At left is  is the milder Habano Rosado...

Hard to find in the PHX  (only Fine Ash Cigars in Avondale, The Scottsdale Cigar Club, Goodfella's Cigar Lounge in Phoenixm, and  Mojito Cigar Lounge in Cave Creek...But its worth the effort

 My favorite place to enjoy a Cigar is Ambassador Fine Cigars  recently Vartan Seferian, aka the Ambassador, opend a second location close to home.  I stopped by his past Saturday, spent some time in the Embassy Club, the Private Members Club of Ambassador Fine Cigars

Ah the Cigar, at Right is a Vartan Zoravar, this cigar is made for Ambassador Fine Cigar by Davidoff. It is one of the finest cigars made today.






At Left is photo take from the seating area, the lounge boasts a full kitchen, two (2) 60" Flat Screens with Direct TV, a poker table and lockers for the Members...

Finally, we are caught up....Sunday was spent outside enjoying a beautiful Arizona afternoon watchin NASCAR, side note I can't wait until Saturday night when F1 starts, followed by the ALMS and Indy Car the following weekend.

As we know I am huge Alec Bradley fan, from the Prensado, to the Family Blend, Black Market, and the Fine and Rate.  Sundays afternoon smoke was  The Tempus Maduro.  Great stick, full bodied, screwed up with the beverage though should have paired it with a Negra Modelo, or even a Guiness!

I will close with a quote from my friend "the Ambassador"

"Have a Smoking Day."