Custom Cigar Band Rings Review: don pepin

Showing posts with label don pepin. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Puff, Puff, Keep!

This past Sunday, February the 24th, the temperature in West Palm Beach, Florida reached 85 degrees. Not hot, but in the middle of 'winter', this is about as good as it gets.

I couldn't resist the call of the soft breeze, and warm afternoon sun any longer, so I headed to the pool (I know you probably hate me by now, but it gets worse!). Along for the ride was a couple of Magic Hat #9 cold-ass beers, and a beautiful Alec Bradley 'Connecticut'.

This cigar is dressed in a seamless Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper and chock full of Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers. Typically a light Connecticut share wrapper is not my tendency. In fact, I can't recall the last time I bought a natural cigar, favoring heavily the maduro wrappers. This guy got in my bag of goodies at the latest Great Smoke event sponsored by The Smoke Inn...my favorite day of the whole year!

Well, well, well seems like I've been missing out on a little piece of heaven. This cigar almost melts in your mouth with a wonderful pallet of flavors, easy draw and long finish. Nothing overpowering or hot, just a ture pool side companion to soak in the rays.

While I usually do smoke it down to the nub, I was truly looking around for a clip or stick or someway of smoking this puppy down to my fingers! Not very classy I know, but there was hardly anyone else there! LOL!

Now I love Alec Bradley's amazing and ornate bands, many of which I would like to turn into a custom cigar band ring, but I equally love their smokes. This is a natural cigar that I will absolutely keep in stock (which to me means it will last in my humidor at least one week).

Enjoy!

John Garcia
Custom Cigar Band Rings

Custom Cigar Band Rings

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Friday, January 4, 2013

What do you love the most about the cigar industry?

My uncle Pepe has been rolling cigars since he was a kid in Cuba. Now reaching 70 years old, I guess he can qualify as a Master Roller even if his Boquilla / Havana Cigars never made it to the mainstream.

Havana Cigars - Union City NJ

I didn't smoke my first cigar until I was 27 years old, 16 years ago. It was just one of things at my cousins party where I was offered a cigar and this time gave it a shot. As any seasoned cigar smoker can tell you, it was love at first puff!

From there my thirst for quality cigars grew and low and behold, I found out I have an authentic cigar roller in the family with his own cigar shop, not far from my house...life is good!!! I went over to my uncle's shop, and there is my older cousin, working there and telling me about plans to open a second store!

I was so excited, I went everyday and helped in anyway that I could. My cousin was able to get an investor to help him open the second store, complete with a smokers lounge, with big screen TV's, comfy lounge chairs and lots and lots of great cigars.

It did not take long for to me appreciate what smoking a great cigar is really all about...camaraderie. I'm not talking about just a bunch of guys, wasting away a couple of hours watching sports, I'm talking about men, sharing philosophy on life, politics, libations and of course stories of adventures (of all types!).

People from all walks of life, mostly men but a few very cool woman too, would come in and stories would just sort of ooze out. It was a type of atmosphere and companionship that I have not seen before or since. Some of that is my own fault since there are some great smoke shops near me, and I haven't made the effort to frequent them enough.

In any case, I can enjoy a good cigar alone without any conversation, perfectly fine...thank you very much! However, what kept me coming back, and building my love affair with the leaf, was all of the great talks, games, laughs and memories I shared at the smoke shop!

For more visit www.customcigarbandrings.com or our Facebook or Twitter page. Thank you!

Link to 'Smoke Magazine's' story about my uncle Pepe and my cousin Bobby in 1985.

Monday, December 10, 2012

The Top 10 Cigars of 2012!

The CCBR Top 10 Cigars of 2012

I’ve read countless reviews, I’ve smoked thousands of cigars, and I’ve invested in good humidors and proper care of premium cigars. In all this time, I’ve yet to smoke a cigar with flavors of cinnamon, cedar, pepper, chocolate, etc.

To me cigars are either strong, medium or light in body, have a good draw or not, give your lips a good spicy taste or not, and are consistent throughout (or not) because there’s nothing I like better than smoking it right down to the nub!

So with my less than sophisticated pallet, but my absolute pure passion for the leaf, I bring you the CCBR top 10 of 2012. These cigars meet my standards of spicy on the lips, easy draw, lots of kick and delicious all the way down to the nub!

#10 - Rocky Patel Edge