Espinosa Murcielago (2017, AJ Fernandez) - Cigar Review

It's easy to predict the third-time as being the charm whenst ya got AJ Fernandez involved. This is, to be clear, the third iteration of the Murcielago name. The line debuted in 2009 as part of the United Tobacco/EO Brands’ parcel in a portfolio under the ownership of Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega. Whenst the partnership dissolved, a college-try of a crack was taken at mimicking the blend for a 2015 release -- since the Garcia family, manufacturers of the original at their My Father factory -- retained the blend information. Now, this. According to Director of Operations for Espinosa Premium Cigars, one Hector Alfonso Sr., the success herein is within well-aged tobaccos. Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle dipped in buttermilk.

To be succinct in review, this is the Murcielago with the shiny, not anything reminiscent of Batman logo, silver/black band. (Its name means bat, by the by.) The name was also employed as a model of Lamborghini from 2001 to 2010. Also, some folks don't know exactly what's in the cigars they take credit in creating. But hey! Let's light this bad-boy up and get me some blog hits. 'Tis a cynical Monday morning 'round these parts to be sure.

NOTES:

Well-built and verily-so. Even draw, tight seams, no hard/soft spots, and the box-press holds perfectly. Combusts in a cruise-control manner on a slight curvature. Pacing is moderate and temperature of smoke is cool 'nuff all the way through. Voluminous smoky-smoke off each end both active and resting. Ash is a medium-to-dark grey marbled and somewhat aerated stack a' dimes.

• Black Pepper
• Chocolate (semi-sweet, fudge)
• Cayenne
• Baking Spices
• Cuban Coffee
• Molasses
• Leather (Boot)
• Grains
• Marshmallow (Toasted)
• Meat (Smoked)
• Sarsaparilla
• Manure
• Compost

Well-balanced 'nuff sans sour appearances. Full, rich, well-rounded notes. Heighty sans bite/bittering. Front-loaded piquantly with warmly sweet bracings. Salt and bitter notes play well. Savory all the live-long. Retro-hale is sharp and adds no complexities, so is deemed unnecessary but it doth trim the schnoz hairs well. Complexity all told is a bit lacking as the Bat flies straight from gate-to-wire. Finish is a lengthy extension of the primary draw.

All-told a muscular straight-forward thing that is ultimately perchance not pleasant per se, but verily satiating. A hearty entree that don't need an appetizer and leaves bupkis room for dessert. All-told, Part II, verily an AJF offering of the high upper-middling shelf.

WRAPPER: Mexican
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

STRENGTH: Full
FORMAT: Robusto Box-Press
ORIGIN: AJ Fernandez San Lotano factory, Nicaragua.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

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Graycliff Silver - Cigar Review

I understand that each box of these Graycliff Silver cigars comes with a certificate of authenticity. PayPal me 'nuff moolah and I'll write you up my own certificate of authenticity. For one shant be careless whenst perusing blogs, ya see. There is the Dark Web and too there are Russian hackers 'round every corner purveying fake news. Foward gelt HERE. What price to pay for the safety and security of you and yer loved ones? Soitenly we can think of a monetary figure which suits each of our budgets. 

Ah, but on-to the cigar at frozen autumn-morning hand, the aforementioned Graycliff Siver...

NOTES:
Burns coolly even with occasional self-correcting and oh-so-slight wobbles as to nowt mention a thing, lo I just-did. Languidly paced. Rolled verily-well with tight seams and well-assembled cap and shoulder; sans hard/soft spots and nary a softening through progression. Excellent smooth draw set to an even-keeled medium+ tension. Smoke hits the palate cool as a cuke which allows for a look at some sparkling complexities. Texture is quite velvety with a slight but lively tingle.

Citrus-intwined creamy cedar along-side a complex array of subtle exotic spices. Grains, blonde vanilla latte, and a caramelized sugar'd suede flesh-out the softly bulging middlings. Under-belly is clay dirt sweetened by traces of golden hay and honey malt. The finish exhibits a sashaying extension of draw and out-stretched toasting of the grains, roasting of the woods. Oak plays hither and thither as does a salted fusty influence.

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian
BINDER: Ecuadorian
FILLER: Costa Rica, Honduras, Philippines, Nicaragua

STRENGTH: Medium
FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Bahamas

FINAL GRADE: A
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

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Macanudo Inspirado White - Cigar Review

Looking out the window whilst washing the dishes this morning, I saw a neighbor walk past with a new dog, a black and white fluffy medium-sized thing. The dog, not the neighbor. It was nice to see. Nicer was my feeling of somewhat belonging or at least familiarity to or with the area I've lived in for the better part of a decade now.

Mind you, I have no idea where exactly this fella lives, nor have I ever spoken a single word to him. I have no intention of changing that, either. The idea of it truthfully makes me cringe. It's 'nuff connection as it is to make my morning a lil more okay than it may've otherwise been. Just a peek outta a window into the life of some vaguely familiar fellow human-being. Distances. Comfortable distances.

Please now read this review of a Macanudo Inspirado White offering. No need to tell me ya did, I'll know someone has, just by looking at the ol' blog stats and maybe even think fondly of that over the next sink of crusted-over plates and flatware.

NOTES:
Burns evenly and offers a smooth medium+ tensioned draw which satiates and saturates well particularly given the profile's mildness. Well-rolled sans soft/hard spots with nada softening via heating. Smoke stays cool to ye olde nub. Burnt-offerings grow-well lo, delicately-so in a nigh whiteness. Verily a smoky-smoke with delicate sweet room-note of pale floral spices. Lively yet gentle pepper-spice tingle. Subtly complex from draw to finish via them spices mingling-well with sweetnesses. Draw is spice then sweet, finish flips the script on longer legs than ya'd guess. Well-rounded with a zesty richness.

• White pepper
• Allspice
• Cream
• Wasabi
• Lemonade
• Chamomile
• Vanilla bean
• Caramel
• Grass
• Hay
• Earth

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
BINDER: Indonesian
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Mexican

STRENGTH: Mild-Medium
FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

IN ADDITION:
Macanudo Inspirado Goes Black & White - Cigar News
Macanudo Inspirado Black (Original Blend) - Cigar Review
Macanudo Inspirado Black (Revamp) - Cigar Review

Sample courtesy of Fumare.
Reno's most exclusive Cigar Boutique.

Specializing in rare and hard to find cigars.

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Giancarlo Stanton & Jose Altuve Named 2017 MVP Recipients

The announcements were announced and how long is it again till pitchers and catchers report? I slunked back into my chair and took a deep breath, which is hard to do whilst slunked so I got a little light-headed but I pulled through OK. Ah, baseball's year-end let-down. The last of the awards biggies are in the bag.

Giancarlo Stanton, he of the Miami Marlins and super-bright retinae-searing toothy grin and Houston Astros spark-plug Jose Altuve (hey, have you heard he's on the short-side???) were tapped for the National and American League most Valuable Player awards, respectively. So spoketh the Baseball Writers' Association of America. As through-out the Big Four year-end trophy dole-outs, the production value of the MLB Network presentation was similar to that episode of Home Improvement where Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor let his oddest and youngest boy mock-up a video for Tool Time. The high-light of which was Jose Ramirez appearing live via satellite in what seemed to be hostage footage. Never have I doubted more the words of an interpreter; aside from every sign language translator ever.

Whilst Ramirez had the same crack at winning to-day as did yester-day's Cy Young Damn Yankees representative Luis Severino, Aaron "Dave Kingman" Judge was there to make things at least tighter than the space twixt his two front teefs. For this, it was opted not to lead with his post All-Star break slump and 200+ strike-outs. I adore stuff being stufft down my throat, don't you? Really though, it was rightly J.Altuve by a country-mile and deservedly-so. In the match-race of this ceremony, there was but only one pony whom put forth splendidly from the campaign's start to finish, and as mentioned nay it weren't A.Judge. Altuve, too a goodly-gloved second-baseman, racked up quite the MVP resume with a 346 batting average, 204 base-knocks, 81 ribbies and a tie for career-high 24 homers. He also led the league in the hustle-quotient of infield hits. He also-also set the league mark with his tally of three-hit games. He was second in runs with 112, third in stolen-bases with 32. He was nigh tops in many an other category, but I don't get paid by the word. So that's a succinct wrap on yer AL MVP. I might add that I still ain't used to the 'Stros being an AL squad, gentlepersons.

Onto the Senior Circuit, it was as mentioned, a big night for the also (if not equally) deservant Giancarlo Stanton. Now, on the strength of finally having a non-injury-plagued season, lettuce follow his chase for a long-term big-moolah contract. Speaking of chases, G.Stanton spent much of the '17 campaign chasing the home-run record of his choosing -- the 61 of Roger Maris. If only he'd called into target Babe Ruth's circa 1920 standard of 54, then doing away with all else. His 59 woulda been the best ever, in that case! Accompanying the prodigious HR total were 132 RBI and a batting-average of .281. The Marlins' right fielder too put in a top-five showing in runs and total bases. He also walked 85 times and legged-out 32 doubles. Ultimately, Stanton set personal-bests nigh across the offensive board. The Marlins finished their campaign with a losing record of 77-85, so one (me) must bend one's (mine) thoughts on what an MVP doth mean and do -- but in years as big as this was for Stanton -- that's practically doable. I'd come out and say Charlie Blackmon shoulda won, and Stanton was the best only of the three finalists from wherest C.Blackmon was somehow omitted... but Colorado as a whole seems to think well 'nuff of itself sans my help.

Of note is each honoree was a first-time honoree and that the National League's vote saw a record hair's breath separation twixt Stanton and the best hitter now hitting on G-d's green but really mostly blue earth: Joey Votto. Now if ya excuse me, there's a salty snack bowl waiting for me to turn it in into crumbs on the front of my sweatshirt.

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