Tuesday 23 December 2008

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

Hello all!

I just wanted to thank you all for the past year! I really appreciate your support to World of Cigars. Despite and due to the current global financial turmoil truly hope, that next year will be profitable for you all, and that together we can continue supporting the cigar industry and the good life.

Cheers,

Mikko

Review - CAO Maduro Belicoso - 83/100


Something was terribly wrong with this cigar. I do not know, if this review is going to give the full picture of the CAO Maduro Belicoso, and i will have to revisit it as soon as i can, but i will review it rather sooner than later anyway.

As you know, many factors are essential to a full experience of a good cigar, and if any of the factors is a miss, then the experience can be most unsatisfying. This is what happened with my CAO Maduro. Do, not get me wrong here. I enjoyed it to an extend, but to get to the enjoyment part, i had to face some serious obstacles. First "fragrance" rising from the cigar was unmistakably manour. Nothing more, nothing less, just manour. I had to think twice wether or not i should light up the cigar at all.

The cigar is well rolled and looks good with a shiny wrapper on top. It draws well and burns quite evenly. Furthermore, the cigar has a medium body and a good blend of sweet tobacco and coffee flavours with a hint of spice and cedar in the finish. Most enjoyable mix of flavours, if it were not for the manour on the side, pushing to your nose and making the whole cigar fall out of balance and high scores. All the points the cigar gets from me, raising it to a decent 82 points , are to do with other things than taste and aroma, scoring only 2/10 in that category. And those two points in aroma are gifted to the other characteristics of the blend

As i said, i have to revisit the CAO Maduro Belicoso asap, as i have to believe, that my experience was a onetimer. Later then...

Origin: Nigaragua


Construction 18/20
Appearance 18/20
Smoke/Ash 8/10
Burn 18/20
Draw 18/20
Aroma 2/10 (2,3,2)

TOTAL POINTS 82/100

Review - CAO Cameroon Belicoso - 90/100

The CAO Cameroon L'anniversaire Belicoso is one of the few box pressed cigars i have smoked in a long time. Somehow, i prefer the round shape. The pressed ones just do not sit so well on my fingers. Blame the fingers.

Anyway, the cigar is very beautiful. The veinless wrapper shines in golden leather colours and the rolling and construction seem to be almost flawless. And that really shows and feels in the draw and burn.

I have always liked the Belicoso/Piramide vitolas, as they usually have great draw and they allow the tobacco to burn cool and even, simultaniously focusing the flavours towards the tapering end...

Flavourwise, the CAO Cameroon Belicoso is a great cigar. It has a certain "honesty" in its essence. On the milder side, the cigar offers some profound earthy flavours, combined with a sideline of spices. Toss in the sweet tastes of caramel and roasted sugar and there you have it. Nicely balanced, interesting cigar, with enough character and depth to receive a high score.

Origin: Nigaragua

Construction 19/20
Appearance 17/20
Smoke/Ash 7/10
Burn 19/20
Draw 20/20
Aroma 8/10 (8,8,7)

TOTAL POINTS 90/100

Monday 22 December 2008

Review - CAO MX2 Beli - 86/100


The CAO MX2 Beli is a huge cigar. It is huge, not only in size, but in overall appearance too. Its shiny, next to black Conneticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper is an awesome sight. The wrapper is also one of the thickest i have seen in a while. The wrapper is however very uneven and has strong discolorations, and that lowers the total points unfortunately...

Similar to the Sopranos edition from CAO, the tobacco used in the MX2 is from all around. In addition to the Conneticut wrapper, the binder comes from Brazil and the filler from all over Central America. This should give the cigar complexity and depth, but once again, the different leafs with different charachteristics seem to dissapear behind one layer of simplicity.

The medium bodied MX2 Beli is a good, well balanced cigar, with an earthy profile with tones of dark chocolate and espresso - familiar flavours for maduro lovers... The cigar also has a nice spicy touch. The overall flavour profile did not develope much after the spicy beginning smoothing down when reaching the half way mark. From that point forward, the cigar had a very generous creamy feel to it.

A decend smoke that needs a lot of spare time due to its monstrous size. For that, not an everyday smoke.

Origin: Nigaragua

Construction 18/20
Appearance 16/20
Smoke/Ash 9/10
Burn 18/20
Draw 17/20
Aroma 7/10 (7,8,7)

TOTAL POINTS 85/100


Review - CAO Sopranos Associate - 89/100


You probably cannot smoke and review any CAO Sopranos cigar without some expectations of what to come. I know I already created a clear picture of the Robusto sized Associate cigar inspired by its name and appearance only. However, what came as a surprise to me, was that the image in my head did not fully go together with the true nature of the cigar.

In a local magazine, Mr. Olli Alho described the wrapper to be "as dark as a hitman's soul", and indeed, it is a fair picture of the mentality of the TV series Sopranos. However, that is where the similarities between the series and the cigar end, atleast in my view about them both together and separately.

I think the Associate is generally considered as a full bodied smoke, but i quite did not buy that one. A robust medium perhaps. Medium, medium to full...

As mentioned before, the wrapper is very dark brown with a beautiful golden hue to it. The cigar feels great in the fingers and the unlit, sweet chocolate and tobacco fragrance makes your mouth water. What the cigar loses in a slightly uneven burn, it gains in great draw, good looking ash and generous white smoke.

What comes to the flavours of the cigar, it could be much more complex. Although the tobacco leaves used as wrapper and filler are from all over the map, they do not succeed in giving all their potential depth and variety into the blend. The blend is balanced, in the sense, that no flavour becomes overpowering in any stage of the cigar, but all in all it is a simple and straight forward in taste. All along the way, the cigar is sharing out sweet tobacco, coffee and chocolate flavours.

All in all, the CAO Sopranos Associate is a good smoke for an afternoon coffee or together with a darker beer, but it probably is not what you would expect the Family to be like, if you would meet them in person. I hope you will not owe them money if you ever do...

Origin: Nigaragua

Construction 19/20
Appearance 19/20
Smoke/Ash 9/10
Burn 17/20
Draw 18/20
Aroma 7/10 (7,8,7)

TOTAL POINTS 89/100

Friday 19 December 2008

House of Grauer Luxury Chocolates - The Cigar Smoker's Chocolate Companion


I think there is no better time to write and review some luxury chocolates, than now, Christmas on our door step, just asking permission to enter our prepared homes. What makes this write up even more enjoyeable, is that the chocolates made by House of Grauer have been made for enjoyment with quality cigars. This unique concept combines two things i love profoundly.

According their own words, Grauer chocolates are an online revolution for cigar aficionados. Grauer House has created the concept of "chocolate and cigar pairings" based on a very simple idea, namely that the pleasure of smoking should not be limited to the universe of the cigar. When enjoyed together, chocolate and cigars bring out the very best in one another. With each mouthful you will experience a new alliance, and your palate will discover an unsuspected world of harmony.


The chocolates themselves are produced by hand according to the tradition of Swiss chocolates, using traditional techniques but modern recipes. Each different type of chocolate has their distinctive character build up from the high quality ingredients carefully picked to create an unique composition of taste, appearance and texture.



The philosophy behind the Aficionado's Collection is to create new sensations together with the characteristic flavours from the cocoa bean and the tobacco leaf. The aim to create a harmony between the flavours and to offer something more - a new experience through the balance of the two products.

Online, House of Grauer presents their carefully selected pairings and gives guidance on how to select the right chocolate for the right range of flavors in a cigar. In all simplicity, you can order your chocolates online, delivered within 48 hours worldwide, then go to your humidor, pick your favourite cigar, check out the pairings on the web to choose a suitable chocolate and finally enjoy the extended experience.

The selection of chocolates is wide, and i have to say, they are all exquisit! From all the different flavours and pairings i tried with the small sampler provided, i found two over the others.

1. The Hawaiian Kona Coffee Bean chocolate together with Cohiba Maduro 5 Genios cigar

2. The Italian Lime chocolate together with Ramon Allones Specially Selected cigar


I myself, did not take the pairing guidance from the pages as given, and went with cigars i thought had some of the characteristics described there rather than blindly going with the suggestions.

I will not go into describing every different chocolate, as they are all unique, and you might as well go to http://www.grauerchocolates.com/ and try them yourself. All in all, I highly recommend the experience.


cheers and happy holidays!

Mikko

Sunday 23 November 2008

Review - CAO Vision Prana - 93/100


The CAO Vision Prana is the first of the ten CAO cigars i received in the CAO Champions sampler, that i am going to review here in the near future. The sampler contains ten highly ranked cigars which represent a wide range of the CAO lines. If i were to review the whole sampler in one go, i would give the packaging and appearance 100 points. See for your self:


What comes to the CAO Vision Prana individually, I dare to say, that i enjoyed it tremendously. From the first moment of seeing the cigar and smelling its unlit vanilla fragrance to the last draw and the 2nd degree burns on my fingers, i simply thought the cigar was exceptional.

The draw is loose but not too so, and if anything, it just offers a generous amount of white smoke with a medium body. The cigar has a cedary profile with leather and vanilla notes. At first, it seems that the cigar will not grow complex, but then flavours of sugar roasted nuts and something which resembles fresh baked bread step into the picture. Half way through, the flavours intensify, the nutty flavour taking more room and bringing along a creamy finish with fruity edges.

The CAO Vision Prana is a well balanced and complex cigar, that will not dissapoint anyone. Even the burn was perfect all the way. I really did not want to put this one down. There was no sign of any bitter or harsh flavours in any point. Full pleasure. Next time i will smoke a CAO Vision Prana, will be after a delicious Sushi meal. I Can't wait.

Origin: Nigaragua

Construction 19/20
Appearance 18/20
Smoke/Ash 9/10
Burn 19/20
Draw 18/20
Aroma 10/10 (9,10,10)

TOTAL POINTS 93/100

Review - Arganese Cigars ML3 Robusto - 82/100


Arganese ML3 Robusto - What to write about this one? The question arises to me, as with this, i have to balance between the overall quality and the performance of the cigar, and the personal preferences of flavour and my "Nordic Palate".

To start with, the ML3 has a nearly black Brazilian Maduro wrapper, and although it has a beautiful oily shine to it, i just do not consider cigars this dark to be beautiful. The unlit aroma is excellent. Full of dark chocolate, cocoa bean and sweet tobacco.

Luckily, the sweet chocolate flavours show up in the smoke too and through the somewhat tight draw, notes of cocoa and espresso are noticable. What next appears, is that the cigar is a little too sweet and a little too juicy with the maduro profile to suite my taste. On other hand, i assume, this cigar will do great on the US market. After the half way mark, the exotic and "bloated" body of the ML3 smoothens down to give way to some woody and grassy flavours with a hint of acidity, and that finally leads to a bitter finish. The ML3 could go great with a light Lager or Ale beer, but on its own, it is a little too exotic for me.

I also had to go and correct the burn a few times while smoking, which i did not like.

Despite it few flaws and its America targeted profile, i tend to think the ML3 Robusto is a good cigar. It is just not ment for my (or the Finnish) palate.

Origin: Dominican Republic

Construction 19/20
Appearance 18/20
Smoke/Ash 9/10
Burn 14/20
Draw 16/20
Aroma 6/10 (6,6,5)

TOTAL POINTS 82/100

Review - Arganese Cigars - Nigaraguan Figurado - 90/100


The Nigaraguan Figurado from Arganese Cigars is a beautiful cigar. It is expertly rolled and has a stunning, brown wrapper with a bronze shine. The cigar feels good in your hand and gives away a strong, full fragrance unlit. The burn is a little off at times, but corrects itself with no problems.

The draw begins a little tight, but loosens up in a little while. And as the draw corrects itself, generous flavours of rich, sweet tobacco and coffee notes become obvious. This full bodied smoke lends some characteristics of the Cuban Maduro cigars - It has the same dark feel to it. What the cigar wins in the generous, dark power it loses in complexity. Over all, the cigar does not develope significantly along the way, some hints of chololate or cocoa can be detected though.

Oils and tar gather t the tapered end of the figurado, giving it an even more intense flavour in the end. Although the flavours fill the palate completely, it remains smokable and enjoyable until you burn your fingers. Highly recommendable.

Origin: Dominican Republic

Construction 20/20
Appearance 19/20
Smoke/Ash 9/10
Burn 16/20
Draw 17/20
Aroma 9/10 (8,9,9)

TOTAL POINTS 90/100

Review - Arganese Cigars CL3 Robusto - 88/100


The Arganese CL3 was one of the smokes of ASH2008. As such, i heard a lot of opinions from the quests and they were all positive.

The CL3 is "to the third power", which stand for the triple ligero construction of the cigar. It is rolled from 100% First Generation Cuban Seed tobacco, trying to reach the "Cuban Profile".

The wrapper is a little uneven in color, but a treat for the eye non the less. The cigar feels quite hard but gives you a perfect draw. From the first draws, it is clear, that the CL3 carries a lot of power and character. The full bodied smoke offers a spicy and leathery profile with hints of nuts and cedar. The finish is somewhat dry.

The hard character of the powerful tobacco and spiciness mellow down half way through, but do not think, that the intensity would diminish. This cigar gives its all to the very end. At the very end, the flavours turn a little papery though.

In the end, the CL3 is a skillfully rolled and a great tasting cigar, which maybe does not offer you the world, but does not dissapoint you either. A good choice for an after dinner smoke.

Origin: Dominican Republic

Construction 18/20
Appearance 18/20
Smoke/Ash 8/10
Burn 18/20
Draw 19/20
Aroma 7/10 (7,8,6)

TOTAL POINTS 88/100



Thursday 20 November 2008

Heads Up! King of Smokes 2008 Awards


This is just to give you all a heads up on the new part of my realm.

After the year is over, i will be revisiting all the cigars reviewed during the past year and will be awarding them in different categories. All the details are not clear yet, but will be, when it is time for the awards. I will work hard to get all possible samplers sent to me before 10th of December to fit in this year's awards, but i have a few waiting for reviewing already.

Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions

cheers,

Mikko

Wednesday 5 November 2008

ASH 2008 - The Aftermath

The 2nd annual Autumn Smoke Herf - ASH 2008 - took place on October 17th at the Ahjo NightClub, Helsinki, Finland. After last years informal and relatively small gathering of a few friends, this year's event grew larger and more robust in all areas. Over 25 lovers of the leaf and the good life, gathered to enjoy fine cigars, drinks and the company of similar minds.


Most of the guests represented Finnish Cigar Clubs i.e. Robaina Club and the Cigar Club of Lahti. Cigar lovers from the Moskow Cigar Club brought an international aspect to the else so Finn based group of guests.





In addition to the widening range of participants, what really made this year's event special, was its charitable nature. Together with the generous sponsors, we managed to raise 600 Euros. Not bad, as my goal was to gain only half of that (due to the non-commercial nature of my operations). The income was built up by selling cigars, drinks and apparel live at the event. Every Cent donated, will go directly to the Children's Hospital of Helsinki, my personal choice of charity.


The cigars were provided by Cigar One, Arganese Cigars, Devil's Weed Cigars, JS Cigars, Finest Cuban Cigars and Me personally. Drinks, in addition to the venue free of charge, were provided by Ahjo Bar&NightClub. The apparel was donated by Spreadshirt. Thank you all for your generosity! I truly appreciate it!





More specific descriptions and reviews on the products involved to be provided later...

All in all, I had a good time. According to my guests, they had a great time, we smoked and tried out some excellent cigars, enjoyed fine cognacs and celebrated the night away. And we managed to do some good at the same time.


The good doing is going to continue until the end of 2008, as i have made a decision to donate all my income from


online shops to the previously named charity.

Unfortunately, due to the Finnish legislation, there will be no 3rd annual Autumn Smoke Herf at the Ahjo Club. The continuance on the permit to smoke in some restaurants will end on June 1st 2009. Our only hope, is to gain an access and/or establish a private club, at which the art of cigar smoking could take refuge after the feared date. We'll see, if there will be something similar in the spring, but i do not have any plans for that. If anyone has any solutions, please, let them be heard!




If you have any questions or need for more information, please do not hesitate to contact me through the "contact me" tab on the navbar.

Yours,


Mikko
World of Cigars

Saturday 25 October 2008

Success! ASH 2008 - Been there, done that

Hello,

I want to thank all the sponsors and quests of the ASH 2008 event. It was a huge success. A lot of people came by, a lot of networking and future plans were made, many great cigars smoked, and most of all, a good amount of money was raised for charity. The final calculations are not in yet, but we should now hard facts next week. I will, then, write a full feature story about the event and all the things involved. Just please wait a bit more...

cheers,

Mikko

Saturday 4 October 2008

ASH 2008 Donations "Pricelist"

Non-Cuban Cigars
5 eur

Devil's Weed 515
Devil's Weed Nicot
Arganese ML3
Arganese CL3
Arganese Nigaraguan Perfecto
FCC Private Reserve
Cuvée Rouge Churchill
Cuvée Blanc Robusto
Cusano 18 Conneticut Robusto
Cusano 18 Maduro Churchill

Cuban Cigars
10 eur

Hoyo de Monterrey Épicure No. 2
El Rey del Mundo Choix Suprême
Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas
Fonseca Delicias
Sancho Panza Belicosos
H. Upmann No. 2
Juan Lopez Selección No. 2
Trinidad Reyes
San Cristobal de La Habana El Morro
Quai D’Orsay Panetelas
Ramon Allones Specially Selected
Partagas Petit Corona

Drinks

Fussigny XO Cognac (with cigars)
5 eur

WoC Apparel

WoC Long Sleeve T-Shirt
25 eur
Woc T-Shirt
20 eur
WoC Cap
20 eur
WoC Sun Vizor
15 eur
WoC Polo Shirt
30 eur
ASH2008 Limited Edition Polo Shirt
35 eur
ASH2008 Limited Edition T-Shirt
25 eur

Tuesday 30 September 2008

ASH 2008 Updated - World of Cigars Shop / Spreadshirt


Regarding the ASH 2008, I have the pleasure of announcing a sponsor to the Charity Event, that is not directly related to cigars. Spreadshirt is a company which enables people to design, custom, buy and sell unique print clothing and apparel.

Spreadshirt makes it possible for those with private and commercial internet sites to market their homepages quickly, simply and independently. Anyone with an internet presence can create an online shop with individually created products and connect it with their homepage within minutes. You just need internet access as well as your graphic and logo data. Spreadshirt will take care of the rest from payment processing, production, and shipping to after-sales service. You simply just have to market your products online.

Spreadshirt can be found at http://www.spreadshirt.net/

In celebration of the 2nd Annual Autumn Smoke Herf, i have established two separate WoC shops, in which you can either buy the official World of Cigars clothing and apparel or create and order your own desings. From all WoC products which are purchased before the ASH2008, I will donate to the children’s hospital the whole comission i gain from the sales. From sales After the event and before 2009, I will donate 50% to the named charity. The rest of the comission goes to running and developing the World of Cigars Blog.

Some samples of the products are available for purchase at the ASH2008 event against donations, Compliments of Spreadshirt.

The Official WoC apparel is for sale at:

http://www.worldofcigars.spreadshirt.net/

and the Designer to create your own products can be found at:

http://www.worldofcigarsdesigner.spreadshirt.net/

More information can be asked simply by sending me e-mail through the contact me tab on the navbar of my pages.

Have Fun... and most of all: Please buy to benefit the Charity.

PS. I will soon post a “pricelist” for all the cigars, drinks and products you can buy against the donations for charity at the event. Stay Tuned.

Thursday 25 September 2008

Tested and Reviewed - Cigar Caddy Travel Humidors

Finally i got around to write this review on the Cigar Caddy Travel Humidors. It has been a while since i got the three samples from Josh Richardson at Cigar Caddy and i have been trying to put them through the purgatory ever since.

The Cigar Caddy is basically an Otter Box case suited to carry cigars. The case is made from durable ABS plastic that’s reinforced with fiberglass. It is air and water tight with a proper foam cushioning inside. The test subjects were the travel humidors for 2, 5 and 10 cigars. In addition to these, Cigar Caddy can be acquired also for 15, 18 and 30 cigars.


First of all, these babies can handle almost everything. You can drive your truck over them, throw them around, drop them in the water hazard at the links and smack them to a wall. Yet, cigars travelling inside safe and sound. At least, i was not able to destroy my precious smokes by keeping them in the Caddy through all the above. And, what is also extremely important, the cigars stay humid, thanks to the humidifiers inside the 5 sticks and above versions of the Caddy.



I sent one Caddy overseas to the US (i live in Finland) and asked the recipient to tell his views on it, how did it handle the trip, how were the cigars inside and if he is likely to use the Caddy going forward. All comments were as i expected, the Caddy was in pristine condition as were the cigars. As far as the usage of the Cigar Caddy goes, he was thrilled to have a decent travel humidor to take his smokes around, instead of some DIY solution for the task.



All in All, I highly recommend getting yourself one or two sizes of the Cigar Caddy if you want to travel with your cigars, smoke while playing a round of golf and/or spend quality time on your boat or summer house. My job requires me to go around and i trust the Cigar Caddy to keep my cigars safe wherever i might end up or whatever period of time i will be away from home.


If i would rate accessories, i would give Cigar Caddy 100 points out of a 100.

Monday 22 September 2008

ECCJ - Cigar Trophies 2008

Highest accolade in the cigar trade awarded in Dortmund



Dortmund, September 21st, 2008. – Today, the European Cigar Cult Journal awarded the Cigar Trophies in Dortmund, Germany at the 30th Inter-tabac trade fair. This was the eighth time the prizes, regarded as the highest accolade in the trade, had been awarded since 1998.


This time a total of 13 prize winners were selected in four categories. The award for the “Best Brand” from their country of origin went to …
- Trinidad (Cuba)
- Winston Churchill (Dominican Republic)
- Flor de Copan (Honduras)
- La Meridiana Celebración 10 Años (Nicaragua)

In the country's "Best Cigar" category, the choice fell on …
- Cohiba Espléndidos (Cuba)
- Fuente Fuente OpusX PerfecXion X (Dominican Republic)
- Flor de Selva Tempo (Honduras)
- Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Imperial (Nicaragua)

The award for the cigar with the best price-performance ratio (“Best Value”) was awarded to …
- Mythos Solitude (Costa Rica)
- Cuesta-Rey (Dominican Republic)
- Peterson (Honduras)
- Casa de Torres (Nicaragua)

The hotly awaited cigar industry “Lifetime Achievement” award went to José Orlando Padrón, founder of Padrón Cigars, Inc.

Saturday 20 September 2008

Review - Cohiba Maduro 5 Genios - 96/100


"You don't know the power of the dark side..."

As the largest of the Maduro 5 line from Cohiba, also the Genios has been created to reach the growing market for maduro smokes. The Maduro 5 line is nothing like any of the previous Cohiba cigars, but succeed in being at the same level of quality.

The Genios is a decent size cigar (140mm x 52 ring gauge), and with its dark, oily wrapper it demands you to light it up. The rolling and construction are flawless, cap perfect and cold aroma intoxicating... A temptation too big to be passed by

The overall flavour profile has similarities to the Siglo line, VI in particular, but at the same time does not come even close to being the same. The maduro wrapper brings a sweet twist to the mix of cocoa, chocolate, espresso and some spice.

The Genios is a full bodied cigar, that is perfectly balanced and very rich in flavour. The flavours evolve and intensify throughout the cigar but without overpowering the palate. The finish is creamy and spicy. Draw resistance and burn leave no room for complaints and the beautiful light grey ash and generous smoke add value to the over all aesthetic experience.

I am a big fan of the Siglo VI, but the Genios seems to just add that little something to atleast create some genuine competition on the title of the best Cuban cigar in production. A couple of years on this cigar should make it even a stronger candidate for the position. The Genios is another cigar, that fits my taste perfectly and absolutely earns its place high on my list.

Origin: Cuba

Construction 19/20
Appearance 19/20
Smoke/Ash 9/10
Burn 20/20
Draw 19/20
Aroma 10/10 (10,10,10)

TOTAL POINTS 96/100

Friday 19 September 2008

World of Cigars Online Shop Opened - www.worldofcigars.spreadshirt.net

Hello,

Just to let you know, that i have opened the World of Cigars Online Shop at


The selection is now including WoC clothing and apparel, as well as ASH 2008 Limited Edition clothing and accessories.

The shop works so, that i get a comission of few EUR on every order. The most of the price goes to the manufacturer of the products.

Check it out and give your opinions (and order some)

I also thought, that if you want to uplift your visibility, you can send me graphics and the license to use it and i will design the products for you and put them for sale. Details can be negotiated...

I thought this might be a fun idea.All suggestions and feedback are welcome

cheers,

Tuesday 9 September 2008

ASH 2008 - DATE IS NOW CONFIRMED - OCT 17th


Hello,


ASH 2008 is going to take place on OCT 17th at Ahjo Club, Helsinki, Finland


RSVP by 30th SEP!


cheers

Sunday 7 September 2008

ASH 2008 Announced!!!

Hello,

now it is finally here! ASH2008 with the same mode as last year's ASH but bigger and better. Spread the open invitation, just be sure to let me know if you are attending. RSVP via e-mail, 30th SEP at the latest. This is to ensure enough space for all... The place of the event is still under negotiations, but from last year's experience Ahjo would be the right place.

This year I will be also accepting donations for charity. All donations over 5 EUR will be greeted with a quality cigar! All Donations go directly to the Organ Transplant Department of the Helsinki Children's Hospital. Every cent will be appreciated!





More info from me through e-mail...

Hope to hear from you soon!

Cheers!

Friday 29 August 2008

2nd Annual Autumn Smoke Herf - ASH 2008

Hello Hello,

It is time to start planning the 2nd annual Autumn Smoke Herf - ASH 2008. Last year was a success for a first timer, and i hope this year will be even better.

I just thought i might give you all a heads up and maybe some time to think if you want to be a part of it all... All help and all guests are always welcome.

The event will take place in October, and again will be a somewhat informal get-together of
cigar smokers to enjoy the good life and to share the passion.

You can find stories and pictures of the 1st ASH at http://www.worldofcigarsblog.com/search/label/ASH%202007

Please, get back to me as soon as you can, if you would like to participate in a way or another.
I am open for all suggestions.

I will share a preliminary banner of the event later on, when i know a little more details...

cheers,

Sunday 17 August 2008

WorldofCigarsBlog.com

As some of you might have noticed already, my blog has moved from the worldofcigars.blogspot.com to a new worldofcigarsblog.com address.

Everything else remains the same

(both addresses will work in the future)

cheers,

Saturday 16 August 2008

World of Cigars - Logo Design Competition

This is simple:

Design a Logo/Header for World of Cigars (www.worldofcigars.blogspot.com)

The header on my pages is 960x100 pixels, but the logo can be of any size...

Style free.

Competition will be open at least until the end of September.

Winner will get a prize including perhaps cigars and accessories, but i have not thought that through yet (for this i am sorry).

You can send me the designs via e-mail (contact me tab).

Does this sound fair? did i forget anything?

Questions? just give me a holler

cheers,

Tested and Reviewed - Havana style Panama Hat

I had been looking for a good quality smoking hat for a long time. As i happen to own lots of caps and wool hats, i was closing down to get a panama hat. Fortunately for me, Casey Dazell at Panama Hats Direct jumped to my rescue and started to consult me on having a right kind of a hat.

After a while, i came to own a gorgeous hand made Havana styled hat with 3 inch brim and "fino" texture. The band is made of silk, and beautifully compliments the color of the hat.

Now, i can smoke in style... check out the pictures:





A beautiful, high quality hand made hat... Thank you Casey!

Saturday 2 August 2008

Sorry for the downtime

Hello all,

as you probably noticed, IE was not able to show my blog for a while. The reason was due a third party service, that did not allow this for some reason...

the problem is solved now however, enjoy the blog!

cheers,

Mikko

Thursday 31 July 2008

Tested and Reviewed - Xikar Xi3 zebrawood cutter

The Xi3 double bladed guillotine cutter by Xikar is a great example of design and engineering. It looks great, especially the zebrawood on the shiny steel. The mechanism of the blades is ingenious, but combined with the sleak form, it can be a little tricky to handle. A tleast, it requires a little time to get used to.


I have heard a few cases, where the wooden parts have come of, when dropped on the floor, but otherwise, the Xi3 seems to be safe and sound to use even in a rough spot. It feels solid to your hand, and gives you the feeling you are using your whole hands to cut instead of just your fingers.


Partly from the solid structure, rises the singe downside to this cutter. The blades, although extremely sharp and extremely powerful, are somewhat too thick and can cause pressure on the cigar. The pressure causes the cigar to give in just enough to possibly crack the wrapper and ruin the cigar. I have seen this only on a very few occasions, and it can as well be a result of something entirely different reason.

I use it, i like it

Wednesday 30 July 2008

Tested and Reviewed - An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars

Author: Min Ron Nee
Honorary Consultant: Adriano Martínez Rius
Second Reprint 2005
492 pages



The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars is often referred as the "cigar bible", and is very much true to this name. It's author, Min Ron Nee, is undoubtedly one of the few true Aficionados of Cuban cigars, and happens to own one of the most amazing collection of Habanos on this planet.


Thru his wide knowledge of probably every single Cuban cigar out there, Min Ron Nee has put together an extremely wide study on the post-revolution production of Habanos and related subjects. He has described the characteristics of every cigar, and even discussed the aging potential and profile, as difficult a task that can be with published information lacking beforehand.



What goes for the book itself, the printing is flawless, pictures are beautiful, and the materials premium. All in a coherent and a concise form to give you an next to perfect reference guide to the world of Habanos.


The one thing i most like about this book is, that although in addition to hard facts it gives you (among other things) detailed descriptions on flavor profiles of certain cigars, Min Ron Nee has done this with the notion that this all is through his own personal experience and subjective opinion. As he says:

"The beauty of this world is that everybody has different beliefs, opinions and preferences. It does not matter at all whether yours are the same or different to mine."

I was fortunate to have my dear friend David Haegens at La Casa de Puros provide me with the copy reviewed here.

My point being: Get your copy and enjoy!