I hate gimmicky packaging.  Diablo cigars have it in spades.  Does it follow that I hate Diablo cigars?  Nope.

Consisting of a Dominican & Nicaraguan longfiller blend wrapped in a dark Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Diablo cigars have been around for a while.  I remember Brother Dicksbain purchased one from Vendome when we first started smoking cigars back in 2005.  I remember him telling me it was just “OK.” With that less-than-stellar review, I never bought one for myself.

Until last week that is, when Famous-smoke.com’s “Monster Deal” featured a box of Diablo Pimientos for just $39.95, including shipping.  I checked out the reviews on top25cigars.com and was surprised to find that these cigars have been ranked rather well.  So I decided to gamble.

I know I tend to overrate cigars (e.g., CAO America), but Diablos are actually fantastic little smokes.  They have a “peppery” aftertaste that is very similar to an OpusX–it’s not as refined as an OpusX and it doesn’t have the same depth.  But the overall taste is in the same family.  Think of it as a cheaper, dumber cousin of the OpusX.  Simply marvelous for $1.60 a stick.

(If they cost $1.60 a stick everyday, I would give them a 9.0).

PS: Speaking of Diablo, word is Blizzard is going to announce Diablo 3 this weekend.  Let’s hope that’s true and that it’s not an MMORPG.

Update:  IT’s TRUE!

See the trailer here.

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I was browsing our site while smoking a CAO Brazilla Gol! this evening, and I realized that we’ve never done a review of this terrific smoke (other than the brief review in the HudGar2006 mega review).  If you like CAO cigars — hell, if you like cigars at all — then in all probability you’ve tried at least one of these sticks.  I’ve been smoking them consistently since 2005.  At first, I wasn’t a huge fan.  They tasted more like burning plastic to me than a noteworthy smoke.  Over time, however, I grew to love these toothy little sticks.

What the Brazillia line lacks in complexity, it more than makes up for in sheer power.  The construction is as good as any other CAO cigar — above average, but far from perfect — and they are one of the less expensive CAOs.  (Next to the CAO Gold, quite possibly the best value cigar ever made, the Brazillias are typically the cheapest CAO at any cigar store).

If for some reason you have avoided these sticks because of the campy packaging, I encourage you not to read a cigar by its band and try one they next time you’re looking for a powerful stick but do not want to pay top dollar for a Litto Gomez or Gurkha Beast.  I suggest the Gol! (a fat robusto), or better yet, the Impanema (roughly a Churchill in size).  These gars are better in longer sizes with slightly smaller ring gauges.

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Hello again.  We’re not having Dominican Mornings this weekend (or the next) because we are both traveling.  Brother Dicksbain is in the UK (for two weeks), and Uncle Moneybags is in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles celebrating his first wedding anniversary (my how time flies).

In the meantime, we both have webcams now (welcome to the party, pal), so we’re now able to have Dominican Mornings live, via telecast (at least between each other).  We did a trial run on Wednesday night and it worked flawlessly.  Given that both brothers are generally technocrats, it’s surprising that it’s taken us this long to adopt this technology.  Nevertheless, you can be sure Dominican Mornings will continue, now that it has been enhanced with video.

Lastly, for those of you looking to try something new, or for those who want to revist an old favorite, please consider this Carlos Torano sampler.

I’ve always been a silent fan of Torano.  I think its easily the best brand of Honduran cigars.  Rich, creamy, complex flavors.  Always something interesting, and plenty to choose from.  I recently ordered the above sampler, and I’ve been nothing but impressed with each cigar.  Each is easily better than the average cigar.  At just three bucks a stick, this deal should not be missed.  (Just for the record, we don’t make any money from our recommendations or reviews, so rest assured we’re not making bogus claims just to earn a fast buck.)

Have a great weekend.  Summer is here.  Light one up, prepare for Fourth of July by ordering a box, sit back, and savor the moments while you can.  One day, you will smoke your last cigar (hopefully by choice and not because you died–or is it the other way around?)  See you next week!

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Realizing that we haven’t smoked an “Aristoff” in over three years, we’re taking suggestions for a new banner for our site.  Please post suggestions for the cigars we should use.  We would just go with Opus Xs and Padron 1964s, but we don’t want to appear snooty to our casual readers who probably are smart enough not to pay ridiculously more for cigars that are only marginally better than cigars half their cost.  Please give us your ideas below!

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I’m not sure how many of you read OJ Simpson’s book “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer” I didn’t, but the title gave me an idea. Instead of doing an official review of a Cuban cigar, I could do a “hypothetical” review. That way I’m not admitting that I actually smoked such a cigar, but I get to communicate my thoughts regarding such a cigar to you–assuming I did smoke one.

If I smoked a Cohiba Sigulo VI, for example, the review would go something like this:

COHIBA SIGULO VI - Toro (6 x 50)

“What an amazing smoke. Next to the Montecristo No. 2, this is easily the best Cuban cigar I’ve ever smoked. The draw is perfect, the taste is amazing, the depth is unsurpassed. That’s not to say it’s perfect. It smokes a little fast, for instance, and burns a little unevenly. Nevertheless, this cigar embodies the classic “Cuban” flavor like no other. If I could switch off between these and Padron 1964, there would be no need for anything else. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”

Hypothetical Rating: 9

Or I would, if I were doing a review of the Sigulo VI. Sadly, our government (at least for now), refuses to allow us Americans to buy these cigars or even smoke them in foreign countries. I express no opinion on the merits of the government’s decision, except for this pithy insight: I don’t really think Cuba is that much of a threat anymore, now that Russia is gone–and has been for almost 20 years. We won. Time to leave the cold war behind us.

Enough said, no politics, etc. (Actually, I think the embargo helps keep Cuban cigars so good because it decreases demand and ensures higher quality production).

Not that I’ve ever smoked one…. If you have, let us know what you think. I’m dying to find out whether they are really better than Dominicans or Nicaraguans.

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Werd. Well, we’re officially back. Taking it slow, to be sure, but we’re back. And DMs are back on as well. Nothing much going on this weekend. Weather is good for both of us, and we’re enjoying the weekend as best we can. Brother Dicksbain is playing BF:2 and finally reached First Sergeant. Uncle Moneybags officially retired from that game, but is enjoying Mass Effect (crashy, crashy, however) and his new Dell M1330 laptop (fully loaded). After a successful week at court, Uncle Moneybags deserves a break. But he’s only getting a limited one: win one case, get sacked with another for the weekend. They didn’t put that in the brochure….

Topics Discussed:
New A/C for Brother Dicksbain upstairs.
The Return of Leafytimes.com
Drinking and more drinking (Unclemoneybags currently on hiatus)
New Laptop for Unclemoneybags
Games
Trance (Infected Mushroom)
Father’s Day gifts
Jazz (Gil Evans, Bud Powell)
Work woes
Southern California OS/2 User Group - Should we attend?  Is this a support group for recovering OS/2 Users?

Cigars Smoked:
CAO Gold Robusto (x2)
Romeo y Julieta Bully
Padron 1964 Exclusive Maduro
God of Fire by Carlito

More to come!

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As you know, the only thing we love more than a good cigar is a good cigar cheap.  I’ve added several links in the right navigation pane to highlight some of the weekly specials and deals that I know about.  Feel free to post in the comments.  I’ll try to highlight some of the weekly specials each Friday for you.

Tinderbox.com Weekly Special - Rosewood 75 Count Humidor

For $69, you won’t find a better deal this week if you’re in the market for a super humidor.

Cigar.com One Day Deal - Rocky Patel Lanceros

I’m not a fan of the lancero size, but at the prices offered, these are a steal.

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The Arturo Fuente King B Belicoso has a truly regal name. As I was smoking my second one of these, I was trying to figure out what the “B” stood for. Bold, brass, big? Maybe it’s a self-grading like the hippie teachers would ask you to give your own art project back in grade school. Maybe the “B” was Fuente’s way of calling these seconds or segundos. Let’s find out.

This cigar is basically a Chateau Fuente with a sun grown wrapper and belicoso shape. The construction was classic Fuente; near flawless. Unfortunately, it was down hill after admiring the exterior craftsmanship. This cigar notably suffers from tight draw issues. I’ve had two and my brother has had three and we’ve both experienced the same tight draw. I really haven’t had any draw problems with cigars since I stopped buying crappy $2 bargin smokes. Bad draw is one of the worst conditions to affect a cigar. It prevents you from ever unleashing the tobacco goodness. It’s like having a Ferrari Hamann 599 GTB Fiorano with flat tires. Sad.

The taste was not that impressive either. Grass, cardboard, and blackberries. Finish was bitter. It never gets roaring with pepper and spice like most Chateau Fuentes. And because of the draw issues, the smoke output from this cigar really left me tasting blind and not enjoying myself.

We Brothers are huge fans of Fuente … we even made the pilgrimage to Casa Fuente last year and purchased many grossly overpriced cigars. The King B is overpriced at any dollar amount until the can fix the draw issues.

LeafyTimes.com Rating: 5

Another take from the StogieGuys: “Despite the sporadic burn problems and occasionally bitter finish, this is another excellent cigar from Fuente with a full, complex, and balanced flavor.”

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Another fine weekend is here. Weather is good for both of us (for once). We had a good time getting back to our old habits. Meaning we had some good smokes. Come out to the coast, we’ll get together, have a few drinks, have a few laughs.

Topics Discussed:
Mass Effect - The Greatest Game Ever Made
BF:2 - UncleMoneybags retires after discovering padding servers
Indiana Jones - Both going to go see this weekend.
New Dell M1330 Laptop for UncleMoneybags
New Suits for Dicksbain
Updating your suits? Huh?
Dicksbain’s Garage progress/decks - looking good, but more work is needed

Gars Smoked:
Artuero Fuente King “B” - not so good, tight draw, flavor so-so. Great name.

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