Almost a year ago I joined a number of you at Addison Cigar and Tobacco to participate in a "Holy Smoke." I must admit at the time, I was far from even being a beginner cigar smoker. What I did like was the fellowship: time spent with other men of faith, enjoying a good cigar and just plain being men.
I am introducing this Blog as one more avenue of authentic male, Christian fellowship. I will drop an occasional Catholic Christian motif, but the primary purpose of the Blog is to share my latest review of a new cigar and beverage consumed with it. Who says men can't get together and enjoy a good smoke and adult beverage?!? We have atleast some proof that Christ himself participated in feasts. Take a look at his first public miracle at the Wedding at Caana in which the wine had run out. That is some serious feasting.
After a date spent on reflecting Divine Mercy, I wanted to smoke something a little on the mellow side. My choice: a Zino Platinum Scepter Bullet (48 x 4). Immediately upon remvoing the cello, I was hit with the rich, yet smooth smell of this cigar. The Zino Platinum Secpter series is a Connecticut shade grown Ecuadorian wrapper covering a mix of Peruvian and Domincan fillers that are aged over four years. The series is available in a Chubby (54 x 5 1/16), the Grand Master (52 x 5 1/2), the Stout (52 x 7), the Lowrider (42 x 6), the
Shorty ((42 x 4 1/2), the Bullet described above, and the XS (30 x 4). I smoked the cigar down to my knuckles, which is a rarity for me. The total lenghth of the smoke was about 40 minutes. I would say I picked up a slight hint of creme with a more subtle chocalate flavor later in the smoke. The smoke was precisely the smooth medium body described by raters and my local tobaccoist, Tommy at In the Humidor on Josey and Keller Springs; I am a light weight (no jokes please) in the boldness category and this smoke did not leave me light headed in any way. The price of the cigar is the mid $7 range and I will definitely smoke this again as a weekly smoke.
My choice drink this evening was a bottle of Fat Tire Amber Ale produced by the New Belgium Brewery. I stumbled (no not literally, those days are way behind me) across this brew at Stoneleigh P Bar and Grill on Maple in Downtown. It may be purchased at your local grocery for about $6.99. Its appeal is in its feat of balance: Toasty malt flavors (sorta like biscuits just pulled from the oven) coasting in equilibrium with crisp hoppiness. It just plain tastes good: a bit of a kick without the "sour face" bite. I am not sure it was the most appropriate choice of drink with the smoke, but I just didn't feel like hard liquor tonight.
All of this was capped with the company of my wife who smoked a Tatianna flavored mini cigar. We listened to Santana's Supernatural while we talked and looked up at the clear sky. We savored the night outdoors, knowing that summer is soon upon us with its blistering heat. I closed out the night by reading a few pages in a book entitled American Gospel, which explores the historical relationship between religion and politics in this country.
I will be in Austin next week and I will hopefully have a review of cigars smoke with Jordan St. Clair, who is recently engaged to one of my girls, Sara, former studet now at Texas State University.
God bless you all and my all your smokes be holy,
Don
JMJ
