Cigar Snob Hits The Road

Tomorrow, the Cigar Snob and family are making a mad dash out to beautiful Wyoming for a quick trip. All week the only thing I've been thinking about is enjoying a smoke on top of the Big Horn Mountains on our way out there. It is the most beautiful place in the world as far as I am concerned and I could not think of a more peaceful place to hang out for a while.



In my preparation for this 12+ hour road trip I like to keep tabs on the weather, especially this time of year with mountain driving. Things can get hairy real fast up there. Well, as luck would have it, it's going to snow in the Big Horns, and snow a lot. We are already planning on a detour, which will take us south of Gillette, to Casper then up Highway 20. This route avoids the beautiful mountains, which sucks. Nothing like driving in the high plains of Wyoming in the middle of nowhere.



Now comes my plug for the Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce. If you ever get a chance to take this drive, I could not recommend a more beautiful relaxing drive (as long as it not in blizzard conditions). The splendor and awe of this range, hardly tapped by man is unbelievable. A great place to see some Elk, Moose and every other critter you can think of.

Cigar Review: Olor Fuerte Robusto Dark Natural

During my 15 minute break at work tonight, I cracked open the traveler humidor and lit up a Olor Fuerte Dark Natural Robusto. This Cigar hails from Nicaragua. This once again came in the Fruits Of Their Labor taster that arrived on Monday.

My first impression was not good. I don't know if it was a manufacturing flaw or just poor handling by the vendor, but the appearance of the Olor was not good at all. The paper was cracked and it resembled a crocodile with a pattern of tears.

Things didn't get any better once I lit up. The Olor had a very bad taste and burned like crap. I stomped this thing out half way through. I was hoping things would get better the further I went, but they did not.

Two more Olor's came with this sampler, so I hope the other two are better than this one. I'll reserve judgement till I get into these other two, but so far I give it a big thumbs down.

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Decade

This puro just arrived yesterday with my latest shipment from Famous Smoke Shop. It was one of many in their "Fruits Of Their Labor" package which sells for $69.99. A good deal, considering you are getting a taste of 26 premium cigars.

I just recently grew fond of the Patel line, and there are many to pick from. This cigar has an impressive look and feel to it. It had a good burn and was a very enjoyable smoke.

With the weather not cooperating, I was stuck in my garage which is now set up well for a good smoke. While enjoying this fine cigar, I had some nasty import beer to go with it. This was so bad, that I don't even want to mention it in this post and just forget about it.

The smoke on the other hand was very good. Not the best one I have had, but I would recommend it and I plan on purchasing a box in the future.

Choosing A Cigar

Many people get caught up on what to smoke, and what not to smoke. My answer is smoke whatever makes you happy. If going to the location gas station and getting a pack of Swisher's trips your trigger, than go for it. Trust me, I used to do that quite a bit.

In my old age and economic condition, I can now afford to splurge a little on my smokes. I don't go crazy with my cigars. I try to combine value with quality. By checking the online shops on the right column, you will find good companies that I have done business with. You also can't go wrong with your local cigar shop (if you have one). The closest cigar store for me is an hour drive, so I do most my buying online.

If you are at a store and can get hands on with the cigars, squeeze the cigar gently and make sure there are no bumps or other surprises. Check the entire length. Also inspect the wrapper for any discoloration or any tears or wear.

As far as a particular style of cigar, the sky is the limit. You just have to go out and smoke away and find a preference. I prefer to smoke the shorter robustos at work since I don't have a lot of time. I keep the Churchhills for home, when I want to relax and take my time.

The bottom line is you just have to buy some smokes and find out what trips your trigger. Many people (I am guilty of this) like to use a fine cigar as a status symbol. Lucky for me, the people I hang out with don't know the difference between a Montecrisco Espicial #2 or a gas station special, so my show goes to waste most of the time.

I would recommend buying some sampler packs from various vendors and experiment with everything that is out there. All retailers and most cigar producers have a 5 or 10 cigar sampler. You can't go wrong there!

Happy smoking.