July Herf

For the July Herf, Jason brought the Alec Bradley Black Market.  It's one of my top 5 cigars, but I've already gushed enough about this one.  Suffice to say, it's a good 'un.

Partagas (original, red-label).  I remember smoking this one back in my 20s and as much as I love the Partagas Black Label, I figured it was time to revisit this one.  It had a smooth but noticeable flavor that I could match up somewhat with the Black Label.  I got it at a single from Up In Smoke and it felt a little fresh, likely due to a quickly rotating stock.  It would have benefited from a month or so in the humidor.

Punch Uppercut.  I've become a fan of the original Punch and the Uppercut takes it up a notch.  The same woody flavor with a bit of spicy-sweetness but bumped up a level. I'm not sure if it's a replacement for the original, but it would serve as an occasional substitute for the original.

Gurkha Black Beauty.  Wasn't bad.  Not as good as the Status Maduro, Spec Ops, but in that same flavor range.  I nabbed a couple of these from Jape, so we'll see how well it ages and give it a full accounting in a couple weeks.

I've also revisited a few sticks that I've enjoyed in the past.  The Gran Habano Corojo #5 is still a great smoke at a great price.  I'll be supplying a batch of the robusto size for the next Herf.  The Gurkha Status Maduro and Spec Ops I mentioned a couple of posts back are even better (into the realm of the Finger Burner) after a month or so in the humidor.

May Herf

The pic to the right is the new humidor as it's stocked today.  The May Herf was this weekend.  This month's selection was the Gurkha Special Ops which I reviewed last month.  Not much has changed since last month.  Going to let these sit in the humidor for a couple of months and revisit them.

Punch.  Named as CA's #8 cigar of 2011 (well, the Cuban version was), this is another I've been wanting to try for a while now and it was mighty good.  It had a slightly fruity sweetness to it with hints of wood and nuts.  A definite finger-burner.  And the price is fantastic.  A box of 25 of the Elite size (5.2 x 45) I had runs for around $60 depending on where you shop.  I'm looking forward to trying some other Punch varieties (there are six other blends in Punch's repertoire).

La Harencia Cubana Core.  Dark and rich in flavor.  Lots of leather and wood with a bit of pepper to it.  Not my thing most days, but I can see why others like it so much.

Gurkha Status (Maduro).  These dark, oily beauties came packaged in a brushed glass tube.  They were so pretty, I didn't even want to light one.  When I did, it was a tough smoke.  A bit tight and difficult to get smoke from.  What I did get was earthy, sweet, and slightly creamy.  It was too fresh, though.  Going to let this one age for a while then I'll revisit it.

Joya De Nicaragua Antano.  I didn't care much for this one.  It was flavorful, but not memorable.  I'm not sure how it got a 91 rating from CA.  Very meh.

Alec Bradley Maxx.  This one had a lot going for it.  A dark wrapper positively glistening with oils, a 91 rating from CA and 9.6 from Smoke Magazine, and Alec Bradley, one of my favorite brands lately.  Unfortunately, it didn't deliver on some rather high expectations.  A very earthy flavor that reminded me of clay and a slight sweetness that came off like fresh-cut grass.  All in all, it reminded me of working in the yard of my parent's house in Georgia when I was a kid.  Not an unpleasant memory, but not something I want from a cigar.  Definitely a disappointing smoke.