Padron 1964 Anniversario Principe - Cigar Aficionado's Cigar of the Week

Perhaps you have noticed, perhaps you have not. But in the right hand column, I have designated some room for Cigar Aficionado's Cigar of the Week. I really love this feature and applaud the Web-sters for coming up with it. It practically gives you a reason to:

1. Check in every week
2. Go to your local tobacco shop to try the smoke, or at least
3. Develop a rapport with your tobacconist

This week's cigar of the week is the Padron 1964 Anniversary Series Principe. Named after one of the most mistranslated books in modern history, Machiavelli's The Prince, this cigar is every bit a landmark, watershed, insert your favorite superlative here as the Renaissance Man's famous work (purely speculative on my part if they named their cigar after the book, but it sounds right).

In college I had the great fortune to take a class solely on Machiavelli taught by Kenneth Pennington -- who revealed that to this day, scholars debate over the thought process behind this great work. While Machiavelli was a great philosopher, he was also an esteemed playwright, a comedian, a lyricist, and a satirist (which I guess is the same as comedian, I was just grasping for one last "ist".)

People often attribute the phrase "The ends justify the means" to The Prince, however, this was mistranslated. What Machiavelli actually wrote was "si guarda al fine" which in Italian means "one looks to the end."

Anyway, enough nerdiness. Cigar Aficionado gives The Prince a 91 rating. I have yet to smoke this cigar, but the 1964 Anniversary Series is one of my favorites and I have no doubt this cigar measures up to the others in this series.

Tiger's Streak Continues - Give the man a cigar!

7 straight PGA Tour victories.

5 straight Buick Inivitational Championships.

The names behind him may be new and different, but Tiger Woods keeps on chuggin'!

We have to just be in awe of what this man is accomplishing, but at the same time, he's not the only person to be dominating, check that, obliterating his sport.

Roger Federer won the Australian Open over the weekend and didn't drop a set in the entire tournament.

Welcome back to the roaring 20's. Give these men a cigar.

Forecast for Reserva Nieto Malbec - Cloudy, store at a high of 16 celsius

I know a little about wines. Well, maybe a more than a little. Not as much as my friends over at Drink the Vine , but enough to be handed a wine list and pick something out that everyone can enjoy.

So lately I have been following their site and on a tip from the writers decided to try out the Bodegas Senetiner Nieto Malbec. I had never had a Malbec before and knew only what to expect from the review the boys had posted.

Right off the bat, I was taken by the very dark red complexion of this wine. With my unfamiliarity of Malbecs, I grasped for a comparison, and couldn't really find one. Perhaps the taste would jog a memory.

While I certainly enjoyed the cherry and plum flavors, the wine proved more powerful than I had anticipated. In fact, it reminded me of the "bug juice" Red Zinfandel that my grandfather used to make.

In reading the back label of the wine, it seems that Malbecs are rather tempermental wines. The producers made it very clear that the wine is unsettled and needs to be stored at 16 degrees Celsius on its side, of course.

At $9 a bottle, this wine seems to be of good value. As my friends at Drink the Vine astutely point out, the wine develops as it breathes so be sure to decant it a half hour (or more) prior to serving.

Mr. C Says - explore some new wines and try this out. And for more wine info, be sure to hit up Drink the Vine.

Lions and Tigers

Earlier in the month, I raved about the La Aurora Preferidos Platinum edition. A memorable smoke. Expecting something of equal or greater pleasure, I fired up the La Aurora 100 Anos Churchill. Long and strong, this limited edition smoke had a very sweet cedary scent prior to lighting.

Well constructed, this churchill was easy to smoke. However, I noticed a very acidy and metallic taste to the cigar. I felt my acid reflux was about to kick into high gear as I got 1/4 of the way done. But fortunately for me, and my esophagus, the cigar evened out and gave way to some strong coffee notes.

Mr. C Says - At $14, it's not worth it. Churchills are perfect for the golf course, because you have 4 hours to get the smoke done. I gave it an 85, the metallic taste was rather overwhelming and in comparison to the Preferidos Platinum, it was fairly diappointing.

He's lurking. In his 2007 debut, Tiger Woods is a mere two shots back of the leaders at the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA. Woods (-9) made clutch par puts and stayed out of trouble for the most part. Ahead of him are Nationwide Tour graduates Andrew Buckle and Brent Snedeker (Both -11), and Kevin (Jack Bauer) Sutherland (-10).

Welcome to the Doormatt - CigarAdvisor.com

In my search for valuable information on cigars, I have come across CigarAdvisor.com. I think it is a very useful and well-done site. They also allow for RSS feeds, which I have subscribed to and have featured on the right-hand column.

Check out his Templeton "Faceman" Peck story from Jan. 10. Anyone who watches the A-Team knows what I am talkin' 'bout.

CAO has Vision for the future - it includes selling to European tobacco company

I was just in the middle of writing a post that gave CAO President Tim Ozgener credit for being a blogger.

Of all the CEOs and heads of cigar businesses, he is the only one with a blog (to my knowledge, as of January 26th, the year of Lord 2007).

And in this edition, which is sporadically published and could be a really useful marketing tool if utilized properly, Ozgener talks about his latest production, CAO's Vision line.

That was until I came across this exclusive from Cigar Aficionado announcing CAO's sale to Wintermans. To my surprise, Wintermans is one of the world's largest cigar producers, but they specialize in miniatures and flavored cigars (yuck!).

After hearing this news, I went straight to Tim's Blog, hoping I would see some inside dope on the transaction. Not a peep.

Another example of the cigar industry being behind the times. Tim should use this opportunity to tell his story to the faithful that purchase his family's products (like the Doormatt).

Entrepreneur of the Day - Gene Arganese

Here's to you, Gene Arganese.

This Trumbull, Connecticut real estate entrepreneur pretty much created his own idiomatic expression earlier this week -- if at first you can't succeed at building a 140,000 seat indoor NASCAR dome in Connecticut, go out an buy a cigar company in the Dominican Republic.

He clearly got it right the second time; cigars and the Dominican Republic go together like hand and glove. Even cigars and Connecticut (a popular wrapper tobacco) makes sense.

NASCAR and Fairfield County, Connecticut on the other hand, go together like hand and bear trap.

It is curious that NASCAR in the country's wealthiest state (per capita I believe) can't get along. I mean have you ever driven on the Merritt Speedway, I mean Parkway. Hell, you'll get pulled over if you:

• Don't own a Saab, Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, or Porsche
  
• Can't drive faster than 95 mph
  

Anyhow, here's where I would use Art Buchwald's (may he rest in peace) famous line, "Give that man a cigar" but it looks like he can give himself all he needs. Look forward to tasting some of Tabacalera Arganese's finest. I am sure they will taste like victory.

Cohiba Siglio VI - New label threw me off

I was wrong.

I admit it, I was wrong and I almost made a huge fool of myself in the process.

My Aunt Nancy is one of the most tenderhearted individuals to walk God's green earth. And her tender heart is ailing like mine this Monday as our Patriots made an earlier than usual exit from the NFL playoffs.

At any rate, she had purchased a small box of Cohiba Siglio VI's during her most recent trip to the islands and brought them back for her cigar-loving nephew.

At first glance, I was excited, of course. But upon opening them and removing them from their individual boxes, my heart felt the same way it does today; hurtin'.

When I inspected the label, I noticed something was off -- the boxes. My poor aunt had been had by some theivin' bastards taking advantage of American tourists, I thought.

As it has been pointed out to me several times, there is an easy way to prove that a Cohiba is either a PURO or a FUGAZI. Historically, the blue and yellow label has the words La Habana, Cuba written in red ink. Also, the field of white boxes in the blue field should show two rows above the block that says COHIBA, and four row along the sides.

I hate seeing people waste money, especially when it is on me. And I came this close to letting my Aunt know that she had wasted hers. But to the rescue is Cigar Aficionado's Counterfeit Finder Lo and behold, Cohiba made a change.

So the moral of the story, never look a gift horse in the mouth and be vigilant when it comes to the label on expensive cigars. There are chiselers out there playing upon your egos who wish nothing more than to sell you rolled up fertilizer for $$$$$ and call it a Cuban.

Big Bad Tadd

Well, that's a misnomer. 16-year old Tadd Fujikawa is neither big or bad. In fact at 5'1, this high schooler reminds me of Buddha than a world-beater. But Big Bad Tadd lit up the leaderboard over the weekend at the Sony Open in Hawaii and captivated golf fans and non-golf fans alike for his courageous effort.

Each time I see the highlights, the story has given me the same goosebumps that the Jason McElwain story gave me last year.

Golf is that kind of sport, though. You see the ridiculous Hollywood stories about 12-year-olds who can throw a 120 mph fastball and pitch the Cubs to the World Series. I mean come on, the Cubs? That's unbelievable!

But golf does not discriminate. The clubs are the same size, the balls are the same balls, the yardage is the same for Tiger Woods as it is for a 16-year-old kid and this guy made it happen this weekend.

Sure, in the end, Tadd finished tied for 20th and because of his amateur status, won't see a dime, nor would he if he would have won it all. But his level of play was so unconscious he seemed like he could do no wrong.

I am sure there is a lot of lessons that young Mr. Fujikawa will take away from this -- but here is maybe the biggest. Tadd stole the Sony Open spotlight away from another Hawaiian teenager this weekend, Michelle Wie. At this tournament a few years ago, Wie made huge headlines by almost making the cut. This year, Michelle Wie looked and played like she'd rather be doing something other than playing golf.

Young athletes can get burned out very quickly and hopefully someone is behind the scenes putting earplugs in Tadd's ears to block off the whispers from those who are looking to make a buck off of him.

If he were of age, I'd say give Mr. Fujikawa a cigar. For now, make his a bubble gum cigar.

Partagas 160 Robusto Minor - Viva Mexico

You'll get a double dose of knowledge on this posting, I assure you!

After a tiresome week and finally being in my Manhattan office on a Friday, I decided to take a stroll to Nat Sherman on my lunch break and enjoy a smoke.

"What's New?" I asked my moustache-eod friend Armando.

"You gotta try the new Partagas 160s," he explained. " A small batch robusto, lots of flavor but it not to harsh."

Sounded like the perfect lunch.

In my first visit to this cigar landmark, Armando introduced me to the Ashton Estate Sun Grown Churchill, which they stopped selling as soon as the ball dropped on Times Square.

I have long enjoyed Partagas and many other brands put forth by General Cigar and this was no exception. In fact, not only was this cigar packed with a nutty, creamy but bold flavor, I even got to kick back in the smoking lounge with a few other Joes taking a break from work.

Off course, in preparation to this post, I wanted to find some knowledge on these limited edition smokes, which retail at $20.20 at Nat Sherman.

Now think back readers, remember my hemming and hawing about cigar companies and their Web presence? You guessed it, I am going down that road.

For such an exclusive smoke, you'd think there would be a page. Something special. Glitzy. Enticing.

I challenge you to find any mention of it on their site. In fact, if you do find something on it, I will BUY YOU A PARTAGAS 160 ROBUSTO MINOR. How's that for a challenge?

So I referred to the experts -- Cigar Aficionado, of course to get the low down on this smoke. And as usual they didn't disappoint. In fact, they totally shocked me.

While the cigars are handmade in the Dominican Republic, the filler and binder tobacco used hails from Mexico.

MEXICO? I paid $20 for a Mexican cigar? Back in the day, when I was first learning about cigars, I stayed as far away from Mexican cigars as possible. Te-Amo was Te-Terrible. So finding such pleasure in a Mexican cigar has made my Friday even more interesting.

Mister C Says - The Partagas 160 Robusto Minor is a major smoke -- even if it is made of Mexican tobacco. Armando hit the nail on the head -- it is flavorful, yet refined. I give it an 87.5 because the cigar had a few cracks in it and resulted in some flaking. There cannot be any question about Nat Sherman's humidor system as the warm, damp air inside the humidor was most welcome on this cold and windy day in Gotham.

Cigar Aficionado's Cigar of the Week - Aurora Preferidos Platinum

It took Cigar Aficionado 4 weeks to finally select a Cigar of the Week that the Doormatt hath smoken!(I know that is improper English, play along will ya?) And this one is truly special.

Before my nuptials, I had switched jobs. I am not bragging, but Mr. C was beloved at his former place of employment. And people cried on my last day of work. And they threw a parade. Well, no they didn't throw a parade -- but they cried damnit!

Anyway, the day before my wedding leave of absence began, my supervisor pulled me into his office and presented me with an early wedding gift from himself and the staff. I was floored, I didn't expect such generosity from a place I had only been gainfully employed for only two months.

The brown bag from Nat Sherman was handed to me and in it was a sampler pack of the Aurora Preferidos. Within it was this platinum gem.

Our first night in paradise (aka Kauai), I had to celebrate by sparking up this cigar. And yes, one of those torches by my head was used to light the smoke.

While Cigar Aficionado's description is nearly the way I remembered it, the cigar I smoked lacked an oily feel. Perhaps it didn't travel well. Among the Ruby, Sapphire, Diamond and Gold included in the sampler, the Platinum was the best of the bunch.

Mister C Says - I'll always have a soft spot for this cigar for plenty of reasons, therefore I will one-up Cigar Aficionado's 88 ranking with an 89.

Vote for Drink the Vine as a best wine blog!

A few weeks ago, my good friends Manny and Dan started a new blog, Drink the Vine. Knowledgeable and insightful, these gents are looking to make an immediate impact on the blogosphere by entering their site into localwineevents.com top wine blogs.

Take a moment and support my buddies by voting here and check out there site. Who knows, the next time you are handed a Wine List at a restaurant, you may look slightly knowledgeable thanks to their insight!

Get in my belly (putter)

18/19 in putts from 10 feet and in. How does one say "that's nasty" in Fijian?

Those were Vijay Singh's stats during last week's Mercedes-Benz Championship at Kapalua.

A while back, Vijay was widely criticized for using the belly putter. In response, Vijay "manned up" by ditching the belly putter and going with the traditional flatstick.
And then he stopped winning.

So when the 2007 season opened this year, Vijay brought back the Never Compromise Milled series belly putter and walked off with his 30th PGA TOUR win. He also became the 17th player with 30 or more wins in PGA TOUR history and his 18th since turning 40 breaking the legendary Sam Snead's tour record for victories over 40.

Most importantly, Singh walks off with 4,500 FedEx Cup points -- new for 2007 where the top 10 points leaders square off for a 4-match playoff for $10 million.

Man I gotta get on that tour.

American Cigars Rate High On Cigar Insider

American Cigars.

What, you mean like Phillies Blunt?

Even better, "What, you mean like Marlboro Reds?"

Believe it or not readers, cigar makers in the good ol' US of A are making their mark in the cigar world.

The December 19th Cigar Insider ranks the top performers of the year and on this poll, the US ranked third behind Cuba (go figure) and Nicaragua (love those Padrons). 20% of the US cigars that made "the list" scored 90 points or higher. The US was actually higher than the Dominican Republic and Honduras in this regard.

Don Pepin Garcia, Cabaiguan, and Tatuaje Conoju made America proud in this year's ratings.

These growing brands, all made in the Little Havana section of Miami, Florida are rising in popularity. I have yet to enjoy this brand but have it tops on my list to be in my new locker (details on that to follow).