The Project - 3rd Time's a Charm!

Finally, the humidor is starting to make sense on paper. Hopefully, all my ideas will translate to real life without any bigger problems... Take a look at this beauty!

Complete:

Lid up:


Lid and tray up:

Be sure to visit for updates!

Cheers,

Mikko

The Project - 2nd view

I thought i might as well share some pictures of the plans, as i am waiting for some parts to arrive. As soon as i start the assembly and manufacturing process, i will share some "live" images of the product.

Meanwhile, you'll just have to settle with these...

Visol Digital Hygrometers provided by eLighters:

These will probably be the Humidifiers, provided by Heartfelt Industries:

And here is a few pictures about the cedar parts for the humidor:

Cheers,

Mikko

The Project - 1st view

This is the first look into my new project, which is done under the brand of Hammer Head Humidors. This will be a large tabletop humidor made of acrylic and cedar, combining cool design with great performance.

Parts for two prototypes have been already ordered and now it is a matter of me putting things together and refining the design...

Keep your heads up for more updates!

Cheers,

Mikko

Small-batch cigars—what are they?

Small-batch cigars are what the name suggests—they’re cigars with limited production. Similar to micro-brew beers or small-batch bourbon, they’re created in limited quantities—sometimes very limited quantities—and marketed to people looking for something different from mass-market products.

What makes the production of small-batch cigars limited can be any of a number of factors. Some are fashioned from rare and/or vintage tobaccos that are only available in small quantities, or from tobacco grown in limited quantities as a test of seed and soil. Others are produced to commemorate a special date or event—the Padron Anniversario 1964 series, introduced in 1994 to commemorate the manufacturer’s 30th anniversary—is one of the better known of the latter, but there are a number of others as well. Still others are crafted by small manufacturers who aren’t aiming to be all things to all people, and who prefer to limit their output and appeal to a niche market.

What sets all small-batch cigars apart from the others is their “specialness,” for lack of a better term. Even if they come from a fairly large manufacturer, they’ll be distinctively different from the manufacturer’s other offerings. You’ll often see them described as containing specially aged or hand-selected tobacco. They’re often limited in distribution, and in availability. Production runs of less than 20,000 or 30,000—cigars, not boxes—aren’t uncommon. In some cases, and especially so if they’re made to honor a special event or if they contain very rare or vintage tobacco, once they’re gone, they’re gone.

As you might expect from any product that’s limited in nature, small-batch cigars can come at a fairly hefty price. You can expect to shell out upwards of $15 to $20 for some of them—and there’s one, Gurkha’s His Majesty’s Reserve, which can set you back a whopping $750 for one cigar…and that’s if you can even find it. The reason for this stratospheric price? A combination of some of the rarest tobaccos in the world and a unique infusion process that melds the flavors of this ultra-exclusive tobacco with an entire bottle of Louis XIII Cognac, resulting in the production of less than 100 boxes annually. But small-batch cigars can also be more reasonably priced, and especially so if they come from a small manufacturer with lower overhead and limited distribution.

Still, the price tags on many small-batch cigars puts them out of the range of everyday smokes for most people, and especially so in these economic times. But for a special occasion or a special event of your own, they’re definitely something to seek out, and to enjoy.

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Provided by Cigars Direct

Review - Partagas Serie D.5 Edicíon Limitada 2008 - 95/100

Little sister to the Partagas Serie D.4, the Serie D.5 Edicíon Limitada 2008 is almost a perfect cigar. It quietly whispers to be of the Partagas family, but from another branch of the family tree. The compact new vitola holds all of the Seven Wonders of the World under one wrapper.

Dark in appearance, the D.5 is rolled with exceptional skill and devotion. No doubt, one of the most high quality cigars out there. Like a Turbo charged D.4, that is...

D.5 is full flavoured and perfecly balanced. The roots of its flavour are deep in the fertile Cuban soil and its trunk rises from the spirit of the earth. The trunk is twined with pepper, spices of the Orient and roasted herbs. Somewhere in the distance, you can even sense a sweet fragrance of cocoa

No need for further words, Partagas Serie D.5 Edicíon Limitada 2008 is a born classic.

Origin: Cuba

Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba

POINTS 95/100

Review - Cuaba Piramide Edicíon Limitada 2008 - 90/100

Cuaba is know for the fact, that the label has always concisted only of very charming figurados. Now, the Cuaba Piramide Edicíon Limitada 2008 breaks that spell. An end of an era, if you will. The Cuaba Piramide is then an exception from the rule, which as such does not lose to its figurado-sisters in any aspect.

Cuaba Piramide is a beautiful cigar. Its dark wrapper with a bronze oiliness lures its ignorant victims to face some serious pleasure. Combined with an extraordinary performance, its appearance already guarantees high points for this beauty. What else can you ask for?

Whatever you are asking for, this cigar fulfils your desires also flavourwise. Its generous profile is filled with creamy coffee, followed by the bittersweet end of cocoa beans and dark chocolate. The finish of this medium flavor cigar is almost burning in spiciness.

Origin: Cuba

Wrapper: Cuba

Binder: Cuba

Filler: Cuba

POINTS: 90/100

Review - Montecristo Sublime Edicíon Limitada 2008 - 93/100

The limited Sublime made by Montecristo is a massive cigar. It is almost frightening in appearance. The enormous measurements combined with the dark, seductive wrapper are enough to scare away most novices. The Sublime as a size is also very intriquing and it challenges the smoker to a genuine fight.

The Monte Sublime is related to the No 2. of the same label in appearance as well as in character. Its earthy profile with fresh breeze of cedar are a solid basis for a balanced experience. a pich of spice and a hint of almond bring the cigar to a perfect finish.

This cigar truly reveals all of its dark secrets, if you have the patience and courage for a long conversation at the corner tables of the smoke filled lounges. Be careful, though. This full flavoured, example of a perfect rolling and appearance of a beast is not for beginners or snobbish smokers. But to a dare devil hedonist, it truly offers a great experience!

One of the top limited edition Cuban cigars out there!

Origin: Cuba

Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba

POINTS: 93/100

LXRY 109 - Viva la vida, Viva la Cuba

My first article was published in the LXRY Magazine in the start of the year. It basically just takes a peek at the current general situation on the cigar market and lists a few reviews of cigars i consider Cuban Classics.

Next issue of LXRY (209) will come out soon...

Meanwhile, check out my article in Finnish from this link:

http://www.4shared.com/file/97470425/e7f60707/LXRY_109.html

Cheers,

Mikko