Posts from Smoke of the Fatherland

People smoke here.
And they write that they smoke, why, for what reason, and so on.
And the smoke of the fatherland is sweet and pleasant here, as nowhere else in this world of gray skies and electric light.
And if fire does not warm your hands, tobacco will warm your soul.

Today is a true tale of how Count Orlov lusted after the Valkyrie, but he was left only to preserve his Viking Honor, since he did not dare tangle with the Russian Bear. What does smoke have to do with this, other than that smoke is one of the main flavor dominants of all Highlands? It's because on this cold evening, when the young count had just stopped before the humidor cabinet, still naively convinced that his companion for the evening would be some sturdy but modest "Havana," a Ghost Angel appeared out of nowhere and grabbed him — and both disappeared behind an impenetrable veil of smoke...


I didn't want to open this topic. I didn't want to deal with this country. I didn't want to deal with this format. I just wanted to smoke a strong Havana, washing it down with my favorite rum. It is not my fault that everything went sideways.
During the day, I called a sea monster, namely the Kraken bar. The "monster," picking up the phone, politely inquired what the illustrious young man desired, and upon learning that the young man wished to taste true vice — to enjoy the taste of cigars and rum simultaneously — burst into apologies: saying that an enemy of all tobacco had infiltrated the ranks of the organization, and in the premises, one is only allowed to suck on robot whistles (iQOS and other vaporizers), and advised me to go to another den of own — where, apparently, such debauchery reigns that people not only drink but also, oh horror, smoke. But I already knew this place perfectly well...

I had been dreaming of the Valkyrie since Rusborg-2018. Of Highland Park Valkyrie — since WhiskyLive 2018, but I missed it, just as I missed all the best years of my life. And then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw it — but didn't dare approach. Today I was full of determination, and my wallet — money, but it was all in vain — they took it away, they took away my happiness. I have long since accepted the fact that I have no chance with women, but I certainly didn't expect such betrayal from this one. Well... At least there is honor, honor is always there, and today honor is even on sale — well, that's fate. Women are temporary, honor is eternal, and my wallet won't defeat the Russian bear anyway — so it turned out as it did.

Well, since the Valkyrie didn't work out — we will seek solace in these "women for an hour," the own vicious and sultry natives of Cuba. Or maybe Dominican Republic. Or Nicaragua. But generally, yesterday I was sure that today would be exactly Cuba and exactly a strong one — Partagas or Bolivar. But the devil, my eternal enemy, who this time took the form of a plump and stunted salesman in a blue shirt, decided to pull my tongue after all.
(I, boredly examining Bolivars and Partagases) — Mhm-mhm. So... Well, let's look at Nicaragua too.
(Salesman, animatedly) — Yes, yes, let's. There is Gurkha here, strong ones. Have you tried Gurkha?
(I, indifferently) — No, I haven't had the chance. Heard a lot. A lot of bad and a lot of good...
But then the humidor opens — and truly lightning pierces the heavens, white letters "Ghost Gurkha" cut through the black gloss of the tube, the field of vision narrows fivefold, thoughts get confused, and lips faintly utter:
— Wow, you have "Ghost Angel"...
That's it. The Ghost Angel carried the Count away.

Gurkha Ghost Angel
Format: Torpedo
Length 152 mm * RG 52
Wrapper: Maduro. Frequent vein, shiny, oily, smells of salt, moss and untanned leather

In the cold draw, there are grassy floral notes, a moldy scent and, quite distinctly, mushrooms

A lot of smoke, it is very dense, truly "stands like a pillar" — it doesn't dissipate all the way to the ceiling. A single smoker of this cigar could provoke a fire brigade call. The smoke lives its own life; thick white clouds drift from the cigar even if you puff once every two minutes. Forget about smoking at home unless you have decided to exorcise your roommate demons in this way.
The smoke is sweet, with a dominant nutty note, against which one can feel spices, then malt, then biscuit

First third: meets the aficionado softly, with moderate sweetness and strength. The taste features hazelnut, damp wood, grassy flavors and light notes of either biscuit or pastry

In the second third, the cigar hardly gets stronger, but the taste becomes muuuuch brighter and changes significantly. Black chocolate is clearly felt, Yunnan tea, woody-campfire aromas, roasted nuts and roasted meat, prune. Sweetness retreats but does not disappear completely. Until the end of the second third, the cigar gives a bouquet of "forest" aromas

In the last third, black pepper wakes up, prune "turns into" fig, abstract "campfire aromas" now take on the distinct form of burnt coniferous wood, either dustiness or earthiness makes itself known. Notes of cardamom and oak flicker like phantoms. At one point I caught a rich floral-perfume taste, but it didn't last long. The strength increases significantly.

In the finale, the cigar disappointed me. Coffee and tanned leather woke up, but many previous flavor shades were lost. The cigar becomes truly strong, but the taste coarsens and even becomes bitter toward the end. Not surprising — remembering the volume of smoke, it's scary to imagine how many resins and oils settled inside the cigar.

Result: A curious, very unusual cigar of moderate strength. The Maduro wrapper demonstrates its best here, and throughout the smoking process, a rich taste of dark chocolate plays on the lips. The smoke is worthy of a separate article — so good that in between puffs I held the cigar under my chin and smelled the smoke, waving my hand. The cigar has interesting flavor dynamics — at first I thought it was about hazelnut and background sweetness, but it turned out to be about campfire smoke and cured meat. Not too strong; due to its large format, it gives an impression of completeness and doesn't leave one "hungry." But I felt a slight lack of richness in taste; the finale was disappointing.
87/100

The cigar should be accompanied by unsweetened black tea. Pu-erh is ideal. The first third would go with green tea. With "Viking Honor," the "Ghost" unfortunately did not get along — the malt is too light, honeyed and floral; it doesn't combine with a smoky cigar and loses out.

But this is the dead language of professionals, for which I have an unhealthy and disgusting inclination. Usually, this prevents people from understanding what I actually felt when smoking or drinking. Today, it seems, it prevented me from feeling it myself. The cigar is not too strong — I would give it a general score of 5/10, starting at 4 and ending at 7+; it is perfectly balanced, flavors are expressed subtly — and I spent most of the time gripping the pen in a death grip, striving to put everything on shelves, to transfer it to paper. I should have just sprawled out on the sofa, turned on some music, and enjoyed myself. By the time I thought of this, it was already too late.

But I will try.

I had heard a lot about it, but now that it was in my hands, I had already forgotten everything, just as I had completely forgotten its existence, and therefore this was a "blank slate" tasting.
The design is beautiful. I opened the tube with trepidation: inside, a ghost-angel was imprisoned. I don't know what I expected, demandingly studying the wrapper and cold draw, but no revelation followed — the spirit will be free only when I perform the ritual of fire. Thick clouds of smoke enveloped me; I inhaled their dense, sweet aroma with pleasure — the journey began, the room in a white haze ceased to exist — the ghost was released from its prison, picked me up and carried me on its wings.
We began our path somewhere in a field. Grass... Damp wood. A sweet taste of pastry, very faint and distant. The journey must have begun where my companion's past life had its beginning. Somewhere among fields, when a soft summer rain caressed the earth. These must have been pleasant memories.
The ghost is a Northerner; there is no doubt about it. Damp aromas of the forest, then — campfires, cured meat, fatty roasted nuts. The ghost protected me from the cold; sometimes the smoke was so thick that one might imagine I was truly drinking tea by a campfire in an autumn forest, eating meat roasted over coals. A very cozy, warming cigar, as if it envelops the smoker with its soft but very rich taste. Those were the young years of my companion — vivid memories of forest hikes and good food. The second part (1/3 — 3/3) of our flight was the best. Not a "sweet life," but real, strong aromas weaving together in a single harmony. Sometimes it was hard to understand what the Ghost was showing me — it wasn't even worth trying. I should have watched and felt — then I would have understood everything. But I was distracted.
The last third of the way — and the Ghost suddenly "bit" me. A peppery taste burned me by surprise, and the soft aroma of a campfire changed to burnt wood. For what, my friend? For my inattentiveness? For the attempt to understand the movements of the soul with the mind? Forgive me. I won't do it anymore. I'll just turn on some music. Spirit of the North, ruler of the smoky haze, you will like this. This song is about you.
Röyksopp - Skulls
I closed my eyes to see. And I saw an angel; his breath could be recognized in the sweetish aroma of herbs even at the beginning — but then I was blind. The angel was always there — in the softness, the velvetiness of the cigar smoke, and now he had to leave us at the end of the path. That floral-perfume taste — a farewell kiss.
We flew further, and the Ghost remained grumpy. The moment of parting was near — he would release me and then rest himself — now forever. The ghost burned my lips and fingers, first smelling of strong leather and coffee, and then wept bitter tears. And even if his company had become a doubtful pleasure, I didn't want to say goodbye. It was a good, long journey, but if only for a little more... But no. It is time.

Waking from the delusion, I sighed deeply and leaned heavily on the table. A butt on a toothpick was fading in the ashtray, everything around was shrouded in smoke, a barely started bottle of whiskey stood on the table, lighters and a scribbled sheet of paper lay in disorder.

I would call this a cigar of an autumn night, a cigar of a northern nocturne. Soft, relaxing, and very smoky — just what is needed when lyrical sadness washes over you.

That's all.

Now that’s what I call a smoker – a real one. Not like those youngsters sneaking puffs in corners (or whatever else they usually puff on), uncles like Vasily smoking at bus stops, and those girls who think they’re cool while smoking.

Smoking is allowed here.

Did you watch the movie?

No.

Good.

Vegueros Centrоfinos

Format: Centrofinos
Length 130 mm * RG 50
Wrapper: Colorado Claro, slightly oily, very thin. It gives a bright floral-honey aroma and a slightly noticeable nutty taste on the lips.
In a cold draw, it gives hazelnut and dry dustiness, with some grassy notes in the background. The draw is slightly heavier than usual, but still not as difficult as most Cuban cigars.
In the first third, the cigar demonstrates a dense nutty profile (hazelnut and pecan) combined with heavy dustiness, as well as a distinct anise flavor, and a very faint honey note. The taste seems not sweet and not strong; at this stage, the cigar is not too impressive, but the beginning is rather pleasant. The smoke aroma seemed quite mild to me, floral-perfumed, but without being cloying. My neighbor at the table stated that a "Bolivar" from another smoker had a more pleasant room note. The smoke is thick, but without being miraculous. The cigar holds the ash column very well – about one and a half times better than most of its counterparts.
In the second third, flavors of leather and white pepper appear, but the dust continues to dominate. The taste becomes slightly sweeter, but, as it seemed to me, it becomes poorer. The middle part of this cigar is the least pleasant. Towards the end of the second third, malt notes appeared.
In the last third, the cigar fully reveals itself. Coffee, cedar, molasses, and grassy flavors, among which mint is particularly distinct and pleasant. The sweetness increases significantly, but does not become cloying. Also, there is a strong alcoholic aftertaste; I couldn't find a better comparison. It is closest to tequila Reposado.
The strangest thing is that I didn't finish it. First, my head started to ache, although before that, my body had easily handled much stronger and larger cigars. Second, in the last 1/8, the palette of flavors became very scarce, and besides coffee, almost nothing remained. Third, my emotional state left much to be desired, and this, in fact, could have significantly distorted the impression. A great advantage of smoking at home, as well as a pipe in at least slightly warm weather, is that you can light up as soon as you catch the right mood. But let's still try to deliver a verdict on today's defendant.
But before that, I will note that it seems that the cigar was either stored in not the best conditions at some point, or it (like most Cubans, as I read) simply requires higher humidity in a humidor, but it came into my hands slightly overdried. When removing the band, the wrapper was even slightly damaged – although this can also be explained by the fact that it was too tightly glued.
In total: in this form, I can give the cigar barely more than 80/100. There are positive moments in the taste, good construction, a good last third, but overall – it's a bit boring. The cigar is more good than bad, but it doesn't cause delight. It is very "average" – in everything, in sweetness, in strength, in format, even in price. And if we talk about the price, I would not say that it is worth the money.
On the other hand, I generally like the bouquet; I just don't like the balance of dustiness in the middle, and the first half could be a little sweeter. And it would also be nice if my head didn't hurt, and if I had to pay less... And since that's the case, the smaller formats of this brand are worth a look. Therefore, although Cenrofinos did not make a strong impression, I am not going to give up on getting to know Vegueros cigars.

What a successful person I am, I smoke cigars and beat people up.

I smoked maybe two or three times. The first two or one time was at school with the guys, just for fun. I don't remember what it was. And another time, when I was with a girl. She took a cigarette and offered it to me. I think it was some kind of sweet, maybe fruity, cigarette.

I don't understand why people smoke. It's stupid to ruin your health and pay money for it. The same can be said about alcohol. I myself, honestly, sometimes drink beer, although I know that it's not right and I need to stop.

So what if you don't ruin your health? You'll live five more years and get a pension of 15,000 rubles. What a great plan. And even that's not a certainty, because you could die from any other type of cancer, heart failure, or be hit by a drunk son of a prosecutor/stabbed in an alley.

And at my previous job, my boss often sent me to buy cigarettes. And I was very happy about it because I got tired of sitting in the office at the computer and really wanted to go outside for a walk. As far as I remember, they smoked various Bond cigarettes with a button, Winston watermelon flavored ones... Something like that.

Added 4 minutes later

You'll live 5 years longer and get a pension of 15,000 rubles.

But you have to live to see that.

Let's say, if you smoke like a steam engine and cough up tar every day, then yeah, it's probably better to just give in and not even get to that point. But what if you need to socialize with the workers near the gazebo? You can, of course, stand there with your hands in your pockets and breathe in other people's smoke. Or you can share in the rye-buckwheat brotherhood and take a puff of that tobacco-paper thing yourself; the difference between these two processes is minimal. Either way, a person living in a city, in society, is forced to adapt to it and sacrifice here and there bits of their health in order to achieve success, or at least just survive. Sitting in a chair for 9 hours, not getting enough sleep, listening to the shouts of neighbors in the anthill, breathing in dust and exhaust fumes, eating discounted, second-rate products of category G made from palm oil. Does it really matter – one more negative impact, one less? On the contrary – it's just another way to toughen up your body. Evolution, brother.

Astrologers have declared it "Cigar Week," and the number of reviews has increased.
Today, a true celebrity of the cigar world, the Montecristo No. 2, is the focus of our attention.

Format: Pirámide
Length: 156 mm × RG 52
Wrapper: colorado, even, beautiful, but not particularly remarkable. Simplicity and elegance – like a good business suit. It has almost no aroma of its own, nor does it have much flavor on the lips. The latter can be seen as a significant plus – it doesn't distract from the taste of the smoke.
In the cold draw, there are notes of licorice and nuts, but overall, it's quite bland, and you can start smoking without any unnecessary preliminaries.
The cigar burns evenly, and the draw is traditionally Cuban – tight, almost to the point of being restricted. I often took 2-3 puffs at a time in an attempt to extract more smoke and get the maximum flavor.
The cigar starts softly but confidently: light almond notes are mixed with biscuit notes, and sometimes there is a slight herbal freshness, a hint of cedar. Both the strength and the sweetness in the taste are noticeable, but moderate. The dense but not overly abundant sweet and spicy smoke pleasantly tickles the nostrils with aromas of baked goods, hazelnuts, and wood. The cigar definitely knows how to entice: the tight draw and very mild taste make you take puff after puff, and I reached the second third very quickly.
In the second third, the taste begins to lean more towards spicy and floral notes. Clove, tea rose, and a refreshing hint of peppermint. Also, there are notes of cookies and caramel. The second third is a harmonious development of the first: spicier, richer, and slightly stronger. Yes, this cigar can not only attract a man but also keep his interest!
In the last third, there are notes of black pepper, dark chocolate, heavy but not harsh oak tones, still caramel, and almost imperceptible fragrant orange zest. The cigar becomes noticeably stronger. The aroma of the smoke at this point becomes brighter and more mature: it contains nutmeg, baked goods, and fresh leather. Everything is wonderful, but over time, coffee and pepper begin to dominate. Remembering the advice of the cigar and pipe sensei of all Erehwon (he also takes these wonderful photos, by the way), I smoked it down to about the band level and let the cigar fade out.
Excellent balance throughout the smoking experience, wonderful smoothness with a rich bouquet, and normal (around 6/10) strength. It may seem that it doesn't have the most intense flavor, but all its components are so harmoniously combined that it becomes impossible to make any complaints. An extremely pleasant and cozy cigar, moderate sweetness, enveloping strength, and a classic flavor dynamic. In my opinion, this is a benchmark. It would be an excellent choice as a first cigar, but the flavor notes in it are quite subtle, and to appreciate them fully, you need to approach the cigar with at least some experience.
It can be paired with a low-acid white wine (Chablis, for example). But tea, coffee, or even a light whiskey will also work. You can even just have water. The cigar is quite versatile and will only not tolerate one thing – drinks with an overly strong flavor.
I will give the cigar 91/100 points. Ah, Dumas didn't live to see this...

What if you want to socialize with the workers near the gazebo?

No need.

Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez

Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano 2000
Binder: Criollo '98 Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Format: Robusto box-pressed
Length: 107 mm x RG 54

This is the first box-pressed cigar. The first cigar in the Robusto format. The first smoke outdoors (and it's devilishly cold). This should be interesting!
The cigar is, of course, very luxuriously and neatly designed. It looks solid and expensive. The wrapper is perfectly smooth, dense, and strong, oily, and fragrant: almond-vanilla-flowers-honey, which is very unusual for a Maduro. The roll is quite tight, and the draw is slightly tighter than ideal.
The beginning is confident, with notes of coffee, marzipan, cured leather, a strong spicy background, and a distinct tobacco flavor. When I say "tobacco flavor," I mean the taste of Kentucky tobacco. It has a solid strength. Unfortunately, the wind didn't let me appreciate the aroma of the smoke.
As the first third turns to ash, a slight lacquer flavor appears. Coffee-chocolate notes. The flavors of walnut and oak dry out the mouth and make the cigar bitter, but it's a pleasant bitterness. The strength increases linearly.
After the halfway point, the smoking experience suddenly became much less enjoyable. First barely noticeable, the lacquer flavor turned into a distinct and remarkably unpleasant acetone taste. Until the beginning of the last third, I wasn't smoking – I was enduring it. I have no idea what was wrong. Maybe I'm an idiot and overheated the cigar. Maybe there's some internal flaw in the roll – a poor roll usually gives exactly this effect and often – throughout the smoking experience.
In the last third, the acetone disappears, as does the bitterness. The cigar delights with a dense coffee-leathery taste with notes of pecan, black pepper, a barely noticeable caramel sweetness, and a light minty freshness. Magnificent, I didn't even expect that from such a small format. Let's say this cigar is apologizing for that nightmarish acetone. Apology accepted, damn it! My face broke into a satisfied smile – for the first time in a week. Indeed, such a bouquet would satisfy even the most demanding smoker. And sweetness, and spice, and astringency, and freshness – and all this with the highest strength. It seems that it couldn't get any better, but the cigar still has a couple of aces up its sleeve – nutmeg and baked goods join in at 1/6.
Verdict: a very decent cigar. I would say "excellent," but remembering my feelings from the disgusting chemical taste after 1/2, I can't do that. In everything else, it's above all praise: rich, full-bodied, strong, with an excellent draw, and even in windy, cold weather, I was able to light it with matches. By the way, if I had smoked it indoors, and not shivered from the cold outside, the review would probably have been more detailed, and the rating would have been higher. The fact that the cigar performs so well in such uncomfortable conditions is a credit to it. Very strong, especially at the end, but the nicotine hit is moderate. It will be very good with dark roast coffee and slightly less good with aged rum – the main thing is not too sweet. I'll rate the strength at 8/10, and I'll give the cigar itself a 86/100

The week of cigar orgies continues. Today, a once very famous and iconic, but now perhaps past its prime, Nicaraguan puro will be reviewed:
Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic

Format: Robusto
Length: 127 mm x RG 50

Wrapper: Colorado Claro, velvety, with aromas of a barnyard, flowers, and honey. The color is quite uneven. On the lips, it gives a slight leathery-nutty taste, barely noticeable.
The start is very unceremonious: the cigar is strong, "prickly," even somewhat uncomfortable to smoke. A strong spicy profile, anise, graphite, and musk. At the same time, the smoker perceives the aroma as quite mild, spicy-woody, but I'll say in advance that the lingering smell in the apartment from three of these cigars smoked on the balcony lasts for more than a day, and the smell is something between a barn and a tannery. If you want to drive your roommates out of the apartment, this is your chance.
By the beginning of the second third, the cigar softens noticeably. The taste remains spicy, but a slight sweetness of baked goods and honey appears in it, along with a little dried meat and light-roast coffee. The smoker is immersed in the sweetness of the aromas of almonds and baked goods, created by the dense smoke of the cigar. It's already very good – I wonder what else the cigar will surprise me with.
In the last third, the cigar changes significantly: the spicy theme is still noticeable, but it no longer dominates. The taste has strong animal and smoky notes, a noticeable sweetness of molasses, vanilla, peanuts, and chocolate. Closer to the very end, the flavors of legumes and vegetables become noticeable, and I have already begun to doubt the possibility of their existence in the context of cigar flavors. The taste is very mild with a quite serious strength.
In the end, it's a very good strength, excellent taste dynamics – from the spiciness, boldness, and anger that slightly disconcerted me at the start, to a very full, rich, and mild taste in the finale. A shock cigar, a festive cigar, bright and memorable. It shows the smoker one mask after another, sometimes repelling and as if testing the smoker's resilience, and then, on the contrary, charming so obligingly that you won't want to part with it. But whether it is truly "evil" or "kind" is up to each person to decide for themselves. As a big fan of strong and rich cigars, I declare: definitely kind! But even though you put the cigar in the ashtray with a feeling of regret, it's a pleasant nostalgia for the happiness that has passed, and not disappointment from a wasted encounter. Moreover, thanks to the quite decent smoking duration for its length and good strength, it does not leave a feeling of hunger – neither taste nor nicotine. I would rate the strength at about 7.5/10, and the final score will be 91/100. Very worthy.
Flavor pairings? As usual, it goes well with coffee. I tried it with "Templier" rum – not bad, but the rum is too sweet. I think cognac would be more appropriate here, maybe even Armagnac, or even Scotch – I would suggest, for example, Glen Scotia 15, Highland Park 18, maybe even "the bear." In fact, there is much to think about, but the region is definitely Highland.