Ashton VSG Belivoso is one of my all time favorite cigars. I was looking for a good way to introduce the VSG to you, the readers, but could do no better than the Ashton website it self. And after reading about who is involved in creating this amazing stick - you too will realize that the Ashton VSG is something special:

“For those who desire a powerful and intoxicating flavor with a complex rich finish, look no further than the Ashton VSG. The VSG is blended exclusively for Ashton by Carlos Fuente Jr. using 4 to 5 year old aged Dominican tobacco taken from the finest and most fertile plants. The distinct flavor of VSG comes from its wrapper grown on a private estate in Ecuador owned by the Oliva family where this proprietary wrapper leaf is grown for the Fuente Family exclusively for Ashton VSG.”

Construction: Dark, spicy, and perhaps rugged are just three words I would use to describe the look of the Ashton VSG wrapper. The Ecuadoran Sun Grown wrapper has an oily sheen that not only looks amazing, but makes this cigar such a great build. Little veins run through the firm stick but do not effect the cigar in a negative way. Smoking down to the nub will not be an issue with this perfectly rolled stick.

Draw: Belicoso shapes do not leave many options for obtaining your draw: Cut or V Cut.  Choose your preferred method of cutting and enjoy because the draw is perfect. In reality this is the kind of draw I wish every cigar had.

Burn: How picky do you want me to be about the burn? Had this cigar been in the 5 dollar range - I would say it was perfect. Except this cigar sits in the $10-$12 range (depending on markup, taxes, etc) so I have to say… the burn is good.  While it does get a little off track the stick did a great job of correcting itself.

Taste: Let’s start by giving the Virgin Sun Grown cigar the “nose” test. Doing so will give you an indication of the spice you will soon encounter, the sweetness, and what I would call a light moca smell.

The 1/3 of the cigar punches you with an amazing amount of spice - it is a medium-full bodied smoke from the start. Once you overcome the spice you get an amazing nutty flavor with a hint of coffee - or perhaps a light chocolate(?). The smoke is full and flavorful giving you a nice creamy finish and a firm white ash.

At the 2/3 point (midway of the cigar) the spice of the Ashton seems to die a bit and take backseat to a sweeter taste.  This “sweet” taste only introduces what’s to come: leather, woodsy,  and cedar like notes. The body is now in the full spectrum and the smoke is just as creamy. The ash is still white and firm but burned a little uneven.

Grand Finally: The VSG is still in the full range and the leather flavor is what dominates the smoke. The leather taste is supported by the spice (this spice never fades) and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Perhaps it is a sweeter cedar - but it compliments it very nicely making the Ashton VSG easy to smoke to the nub. Again the smoke is creamy and the ash is firm and white. I would like to note the uneven burn corrected it self.

Verdict Is: This is a cigar you should have in your normal rotation and can easily be found in many retail tobacco establishments. I also found that the VSG is even more amazing when aged. So while this is a bit expensive to some (or anyone who smokes everyday) it is okay to buy some and save the VSG for that perfect day.

Other Cigars:

At this current time the only other cigar I can recomend (as in same spciy taste, full body smoke, and quality) is the Opus X.

His Majesty’s Reserve is the official name of this limited production cigar. Fewer than 100 boxes are produced each year. Twenty sticks come per box and each cigar is placed in a crystal tube and sealed in green wax.

The wrapper, filler, and binder are all from the Dominican and is said to have a mild-medium strength. What is most interesting of this 7.5×50 sized cigar is that it is generously (an entire bottle) infused with Louis XIII Cognac. Technically this would make the cigar a “flavored cigar“.

President of the Gurkha company personally decides which retailer qualifies to receive the $15,000 box of flavored cigars.

Doing the math: Individually the cigars sell for $750.

Cigar in a Bottle (Forbidden X Bottle)

Walking through the Fuente booth at the 2008 IPCPR one would see a beautifully lighted display sticking out like a sore thumb. Inside the display was a bottle of Grand Pommier XS Calvados brandy, and inside the bottle of apple brandy was a Forbidden X cigar.

Fuente Fuente Forbidden X is the unique cigar especially made to sit inside the capsule of the bottle. It is rolled to a size of 6 3/8 x 49 and made of tobacco grown on the grounds of Chateau de la Fuente. The X cigar is then placed in imported empty French oak Calvados casks for 45-60 more days (to add a hint of apple sweetness).

The brandy / cognac like liquor is made of hundreds of green and red apples that grow locally in the French region. Apples are removed at different times in the growing season, washed in purified water, and pressed to make juice. The apple juice is then double distilled and placed in the casks for 30-40 years.

The cost of this unique item is around $600 per bottle or around $60 a shot (at Casa Fuente).

Cohiba Behike

Cuban cigars are generally more expensive when purchasing them while on vacation or having the sticks shipped into the USA.

Cohiba Behike cigars were named after the cheif of one of Cuba’s indigenous tribes. 4,000 of the honorary cigars were produced by Cohiba and every single last stick was rolled by hand. In fact Norma Fernandez, the cigar roller at the El Laguito factory in Havana was the lone roller.

These cigars come with an Elie Bleu designed humidor. It is made with Galuchat, black ebony, mother of pearl, sycamore, cedar and ox bone. The humidor will also be personalized with the production number, the cigars are numbered and the owner’s name. Only 100 humidors, with 40 cigars each will be sold upon exclusive order of Habanos distributors, double ringed and numbered from 1 to 4000.

Gurkha Black Dragon

This is not the Black Dragon that you can pick up at your local cigar lounge. I do not know if the cigars that come in the box are similar (except aged).

Black Dragon cigars are hand-crafted by the Gurkha factory in Honduras. Each cigar contains African Cameroon, Dominican, and Connecticut tobaccos wrapped in a dark chocolate maduro wrapper. Aged for 12-15 years the 7.5×52 cigar is said to be very strong and very spicy.

The beauty of the 100 count cigar package has to be the box. The box is made in India of camel bone and solid brass.

The production package was limited to just 5 boxes and retails for $115,000.

The names of the Illusione cigars is something that is not-so-familiar. I have gotten multiple requests to get this information posted - so here it is. I would suggest going to the PDF file (in the link I provide below) and read the story of how Dion Giolito got started.

Additionally the Illusione website has an official statement regarding the names from the owner Dion Giolito. You can click here to download the PDF file.

~68~ - Bombone
This was the year I was born hence, the smallest cigar in my line. It was also an homage to Paul Garmirian – BIG influence in my career as a Tobacconist along with Zino Davidoff. 68 is also a “happy” number.

~88~ - Robust
No secret here. It harkens back to 1988 when I made that fateful decision to leave Oklahoma to come to Reno for College. “Robust” was just something different than Robusto. It speaks more for the body of the cigar than the nature of its size.

~F9~ - Finesse
F stands for “finesse” which I wanted this cigar’s taste profile to be. I told Romai and Arsenio at the Factory that if can perfect the blend for this vitola, it will rule the world. They laughed. 9 also stands for the 9th planet Pluto, well not really a planet since it was demoted to orbiting rock a few years ago by some brainiac in the Astronomy field. What does he know!?

~4/2g~ - Church
This was the cigar that got me thinking about brand identity and packaging. “4” stood for 2004, the year I opened my own store, “2g” referred to the style of cigar I wanted it to be. I always liked how RAG’s had “2 gears” in the smoking journey, mild/medium in the first 2/3’s of the cigar then – BAM rich, full and spicy in the last 1/3. Even though it isn’t a Churchill per-se, more a double corona, I decided to put “Church” on the side of the box. It mostly reminded that I am a bad Catholic and that I need to get my ass to Church more often.

~888~ - Necessary and Sufficient
Here’s where I delve into my faith a bit more. The name Jesus (IhsouV) adds up to 888 in Hebrew numerology called Gematria.. Each letter is assigned the corresponding number. “Necessary and Sufficient” both describes the balance and profile of this cigar. It also represents to not go wanting, He is all I need, He is necessary and sufficient.

~M7~ - Magdala
Woman from Magdal. This may appeal to you Holy Blood, Holy Grail/Davinci Code Types out there. The M7 is a Salomone – shapely and perfect – woman. She is also Pregnant.

Cg:4 – The White Horse
I wanted to associate it with the wine country – French wine country. I called Pete when he just happened to be in Miami celebrating Pepins’ birthday. He handed me off to Pepin and I wished him happy birthday. When Pete got back on the phone, I asked him what the cliché should be on the side of my box. I told him it was Cg:4 Corona Gorda….. He said Cheval Blanc “The white Horse” PERFECT I thought – Corona Gorda, the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse, The White horse which is the Conquer, the false prophet – Revelation 6:2.

~2~ - And Crowned of Thorns
No explanation here is really needed. 2 is the son of God doing battle against evil, the enlightened one, the soul-saver, all forgiving.

~1~ - The Dark Prince
Again, no explanation needed. Administered Original sin. Also took lead from The Cuban “Black Prince” Punch as well.

~2/3~ - Tre in Uno
My Culebra. Here’s the goof. Originally the cliché was to be 3/1. After a long night in front of the computer hacking out the box design, I put 2/3 instead. It kinda worked out okay with me because 23 is always a number I bet on along with 9. 23 is the The “23 Enigma,” the Discordian belief that all events are connected to the number 23.

~MK ~ - The Teaching Machine
As with my 88, I sampled a few to you in the forums for review when I was re-working on the blend in ’06. I did the same with the mk. There were two versions, the ~MK~ and the MKULTRA. MKULTRA was much stronger than I wanted it to be. I called Paul Palmer which in turn relayed my information to the factory to correct the issue. They have a gold band along with the ~hl~ because they’re more of an artisan blend better represented in those particular sizes. They’re 20% different than regular illusione black and white bands. As some of you know, I let out my stock of MKULTRAS because I just wasn’t pleased with the blend. You guys ate them up! Thanks. Project MKULTRA was a government experiment in creating “zombie soldiers” if you will, through experimentation with LSD and subconscious suggestion when under the influence. MKULTRA was also referred to as the “teaching machine.” The classic corona size is the teaching machine vitola. It is the perfect vehicle for delivery of flavor, if the blend is right.

~hl~ - The Holy Lance
My Lancero , the lance. Get it? Constantine was the first Christian Emperor to lead Rome. It was fabled that he had possession of the very spear that punctured the side of Jesus while on the cross. He was said to carry this relic into battle and, it was said that it helped him win his many battles. It is an artisan blend and, the mildest of all my cigars.

Walk through any cigar bar, cigar lounge, or plain tobacco shop that sells cigars and you will see a plethora of cigar boxes. Some of the cigar boxes will have bright vivid colors splashed across the front, maybe they have a unique shape, or you see a combination of both.

What you might not notice is a box built with rough wood - that really looks like it has been sitting in the sun for years. Once you pick this up you will have two thoughts running through your mind: 1. This cigar is a low quality sham or 2. This stick has to be something great, and they can get away with it.

You can make your own decision, but before you do let me provide you with some information about the cigars inside the beat-up box: They are made by United Tobacco (the same company who makes 601), blended by Pepin Garcia, and wrapped with a Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper . Welcome to Cubao.

Construction: Milk Chocolate. That’s how I would have to describe the Cubao wrapper in two words. After smoking many of the Cubao’s and looking at the other cigars in the family I can tell you that the construction is high quality. Small veins seem to crawl the non-oily wrapper and you can usually see one going down the cigar - but it doesn’t effect the actual smoking. When the “pinch test” was done the Cubao felt a little less firm then I would have liked but does not come undone during smoking.

Draw: For most of the smoke sessions with the Cubao a punch was used (maybe I feel bad about making the robusto any shorter?). The draw was absolutely perfect but I tend to think cutting the cigar made it maybe a little too easy. Either way you will get a full mouth of thick, white, lovely smoke.

Burn: Cubao started the burn off a little bit jagged and seemed to stay that way throughout the smoke. It was really nothing to worry about. The rate of burn was perfect and it created a peppery ash that was easily removed with a simple tap.

Taste: Pre-light of the #6 was just as exciting as the actual smoke. I was instantly hit with a freight train of pepper.

First third of the cigar kept the pepper taste in full force. Each puff brought my pallet lots of enjoyment and ended with a bit of sweetness. There is something else to this great cigar that’s hard to pinpoint. It was complex. Smoking this Cubao reminded me of some Cubans other well traveled cigars I tend to enjoy.

Moving on to the middle of the robusto the enjoyment only continued. The complexity continued to increase as the smoke became more flavorful and full. Chocolate and coffee displaced the pepper as the primary flavor coming through. A “hoppy” beer is something that comes to mind when I try to discribe the other bitterness that comes through. Do not let the word “bitterness” scare you - It is a good addition to this cigar.

Eventually you will come to the final third of the cigar (its sad, I know). Chocolate and coffee remained as the primary flavors. You will find the “bite” of the Cubao #6 really pick up and stay with you a little longer with each draw. The smoke leaves a really creamy finish that, enjoyably, lingers.

Verdict Is: If you love complex, full bodied, perfect cigars - then go buy this now. This is a great buy that everyone should have in the humidor. Cubao #6 is only a $6 cigar that will put up a good fight, and win, against all the higher priced sticks.

I will buy even more boxes of the Cubao. Aging these cigars, while not necessary, should be amazing.

Other Cigars: I will edit this post when I can find cigars similar, and in the lower, same, higher price ranges. The only thing that comes to mind is the Oliva V.

As October is coming to an end I have to invite everyone to their Saturday event at Stogie Cutter.

Clear your schedules, the weather is perfect and the beer will be cold.

Company spokeswoman Debi Lehr estimates the total cost will be $65,000. This estimate does not include the overseas shipping charges on about 5,000 boxes (30 cigars per box average).

Keith Meier, president of Cigars International, said:

“If you enjoy cigars now and then and you’ve been overseas and under duress, it’s nice to have a little treat like this.“

Not everyone agrees with actions of Cigar International. Deborah Brown from the American Lung Association was quick to look down upon the troops gifts:

“We send these products over to our soldiers who are fighting to defend our country and they come back addicted to their product. They’re providing them with an unhealthy choice, whether it’s donated or whether they have to pay for it.“

What do the soldiers have to say about this?

Perhaps somethings can be left unsaid - I once read that a picture was worth a thousand words (352,000 words).

PuffingCigars.com Statement to the American Lung Association:

Ms. Deborah Brown please remember that our troops are putting their life on the line for one thing: Freedom.

Smoking may not be considered healthy to all, but let us celebrate. Celebrate because the soldiers (and you, and me, and everyone else in our great country) actually have the choice, the freedom, to smoke the cigar (or not smoke).

A cigar they might enjoy after dodging bullets, facing dangers, and missing anything and everything that would remind them of home.

I will, like you should have, thank anyone who puts effort into making their time a little bit better and/or supports to our troops (Keep in mind I have not said you couldn’t voice concern).

Thank you Cigars International and everyone else who has made private donations across our blogs, web boards, local shops, and everywhere else.

You may be pushed to find a solution for many reasons - but everyone knows the truth. Your significant other wont talk, kiss, lay, or even look your way unless you clean up.

Dr. Nick’s Breath Purifier is the solution.

Dr. Nick’s Breath Purifier is a small  (size of a chap stick), easy to carry mouth spray that does not cover up the stale taste or smell- this product actually removes it.

The official product description is as follows:

“Dr. Nick’s Breath Purifier is dentist formulated from 100% natural ingredients and Lycitrate, proven to combat the main causes of bad breath while improving oral health. It actually purifies your breath and doesn’t just cover up odor. Dr. Nick’s Breath Purifier is alcohol free, tastes great, and will leave your mouth feeling fresh.“

Using this product really will cleanse your pallet.

Many cigar companies and even cigar reps will carry Dr. Nick’s Breath Purified because it will allow you to smoke one cigar after another (don’t let the old cigar alter the taste of your new cigar).

The bottle is small and usually goes for about 100 sprays (you only need one to clean up).

Cost: $3 (on average)

The Chateau Fuente King B was officially released in 2005 at the then RTDA convention. Released to the market as a limited cigar; you can usually find this cigar at your local B&M - and you can surly find this cigar online.

Story has it that the King B was named after a local tavern that Carlos Fuente Jr very own grandfather liked to frequent. This tavern was conveniently located behind his grandfather Arturo’s house and it was the place all the cigar makers would meet. The King B tavern no longer stands but this cigar gives proper tribute.

Chateau Fuente King B comes well protected in a cellophane wrapper. Underneath the wrapper is a large cedar sleeve secured with the signature black ribbon across the bottom. The King B has a beautiful presentation and I almost hesitate to undress the cigar.

Construction: The reddish brown color wrapper looks familiar to Fuente’s other sun grown cigars in the lineup.  Small veins covered the entire King B - however they were small enough to not effect the smoke. It was tightly wrapped which enabled it to hold its composure while smoking (no unwrapping). Again - the Chateau Fuente is a quality build from the Fuente family. Nothing is unusual with this.

Draw: I would have to say the King B has a medium draw, depending on the stick you happen to select. I usually have perfect luck with the Fuente products but many sticks in this box required me to double cut. Either way I given it has a medium draw - or a draw that you can fix with very little effort.

Burn: The Chateau Fuente King B burned perfectly. I was a little hesitant with the cigars that had the tougher draw - but stick after stick my worries were put to rest. King B created a thick white ash that was well formed.

Taste: As expected the King B had the initial taste of the cedar it was wrapped in and a bit of sweetness that just stays in your mouth. I detected a hint of spice throughout the finish of the first third of the cigar.

Two thirds of the cigar brought out the pepper and the spice stayed around to make it a great smoke for me. Everything is really smooth and compliments each other quite well.

The King B is still a medium bodied cigar and it remains a medium body cigar through the entire smoke.

Finally the spice seemed to fade away as the cigar was coming to an end. You could really get more of the earthy type of flavors. This finish was still smooth but there seemed to be a hint of bitterness that just faded into the cigar.

Final Verdict: You can add this cigar to your humidor. Going into a cigar lounge to purcahse the stick will cost you around $9.xx. You will not have any trouble finding this cigar online and the price is a bit better at $7.xx.

The Chateau Fuente King B is easy to smoke in warm weather, cold weather, morning, day or night. It’s a versatile cigar that everyone should at least try.

This would be a great pick up at the $7 range but I as you get into the upper $9 range there might be some better cigars out there. If you don’t have a cigar budget - or have everything else in stock - then pick this King B cigar up.

Other Cigars:
Lower Priced: JFR
Same Price: Fuente Cuban Belicoso
Higher Price: Ashton VSG

The Golden Zeus cigar was exhibited in Munich, Germany at the Millionaire Fair.

The Millionair Fair is a trade show, established in 2002, that displays the ultra luxury goods.

For the not-so-millionaire cost of admittance ($50) you  can wonder around the exhibit and  see what the “good life” is all about.

PuffingCigars.com Official Opinion…

This cigar is for amateurs.

PuffingCigars.com would smoke no less then a platnium covered cigar.

On a semi-more serious note: PuffingCigars.com will attempt to obtain a Golden Zeus and write a full review.

The company was owned by the Eiroas family who also mainted 9 other cigar brands; Baccarat was one of the more popular brands that Davidoff would acquire.

Davidoff has expressed intrest in keeping the Camacho brand as is - for now. Eiroa will remain as president of the brand, and while the tobacco farms were not part of the deal there was a supply agreement in the terms.

Cigar Consolidation Continues…

It appears as if the online cigar community has come under consoldiation because of an individual named John Caputo.

John Caputo has recently purcahsed CigarLive.com, ClubStogie.com, Cigar-Review.com and Top25cigar.com. The plan is to consolidate these communities under one umbrella that will be known as Puff.com.

In postings (on all the forums) started by John Caputo he states the goal is to create the “largest cigar social site on the planet it will enable us to do things that apart would not be achievable.” Even more interesting was his idea to start a “cigar advocacy group whose voice can be heard and respected“.

While an advocacy group is great and always needed to us, cigar smokers, there is an uneasy bit of tension throughout all the original members of the forums. Not knowing what will truly come about and the feeling of a “family” being broken apart has caused lots of negative comments and concern.