Records And Cigars Show: Kolumbus Cigars

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Gents,

We developed the Records And Cigars Show to be the leading vinyl and tobacco resource for beginners and connoisseurs alike. Filmed April 2016 it took a while but better late than never.  Our first episode features Kolumbus Cigars from La Palma, Spain in the Canary Islands. Apparently Christopher Kolumbus brought the tobacco seeds back to Spain.

From their website:
“On the 28th of October of 1492, sixteen days after the discovery of the Indies, Christoph Kolumbus landed in the Cuban bay of Bariay. His biggest surprise was to find indigenous people smoking dried leaves which formed a blue and aromatic smoke. He later discovered that these cigars where used to cure skin illness, alleviate suffering and to celebrate its ritual ceremonies.”

We hope you enjoy the review and vinyl! Can’t go wrong with James Brown and Kolumbus Cigars! Stay tuned for more episodes.

 

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Are Cuban Cigars Good Because They Are Forbidden Fruit?

Gents,

In the early 1960’s American culture was conservative and the hippies and beat-nicks had not made their impact upon the world. The Super Powers (USA and Soviet Union) were engaged in a race to land on the moon and the birth control pill was approved by the FDA. These events were pre-1962 in which the Super Powers had a missile crisis in Cuba H. Upmannthat led to the USA imposing a trade embargo against Cuba.

Before President John F. Kennedy signed the trade embargo he sent his press secretary to buy 1,200 boxes of H. Upmann Petit Coronas, Cuban cigars, before they were made illegal. This act by the President demonstrated the value and importance of Cuban cigars before politics.

Since 1962 Cuban cigars are no longer imported into the USA. Current policy only allows $100 worth of Cuban tobacco products that can be brought into the country which amounts to 2-6 cigars (depending on quality).

For the last 50 plus years Cuban cigars were a forbidden fruit in the USA. Cigar TBJ Cohiba box and tubosaficionados have differing opinions on whether Cuban cigars are the apex of tobacco but make no mistake the climate, tradition, seed and history is firmly planted on that island and incomparable. Cuban cigars hold such a high regard there are plenty of fakes on the market so buyer beware.

A few online companies sell them but do your homework and make sure they are credible and don’t sell fakes. One great website is www.TopCubans.com who supplied the Cohiba Siglos IV for this article. Make sure to visit their website and explore the extensive offerings and deals.

We have many different cigars in our humidor/coolidor and must admit the Cohiba’s are Cohiba and hatunique. It’s not only the iconic logo and black, gold/yellow color scheme that sets them apart but the quality of each cigar is amazing. The triple cap, embossed label and quality of the leaf is everything a cigar should be.

Much like everything else in life everyone’s five senses will not be identical but Cuban cigars should be highly regarded because the history and tradition can produce one of the best smokes of your life.

Cuban cigars are not “good” because they are the forbidden fruit their reputation and quality is what sets the benchmark for all others. Many companies state “Cuban seed” tobacco that is grown somewhere else which is an indicator of the powerful lineage and that is the true greatness of this unique tobacco that is planted on a beautiful island 90 miles away from Florida.

Mr. M
Founder/Editor
Psalm 34:4

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Morgan Pipes: This BlackJack Scores 21!

Gents,

18tolkienpic-superJumboAs soon as humanity was able to harness fire I am sure smoking tobacco soon followed. This long tradition is flourishing today due to amazing craftsmen that are forging traditional tobacco pipes with high grade materials.

History reflects a variety of men that enjoyed a tobacco pipe as a luxury and relaxation. And for many it became an iconic symbol of sophistication. J.R.R. Tolkien (left) the author of the Lord of Stalin pipethe Rings famously enjoyed the pipe. This leisurely activity was not only reserved for the literary minds but also dictators such as Joseph Stalin (right) partook of the pipe.

The pipe is a DIY for tobacco connoisseur’s because you are able to blend various types of tobacco to produce a unique and enjoyable blend. Maybe you prefer a sweeter cherry flavor with a dash of vanilla or you may prefer a strong whiskey blend. Either way you can customize and experiment to your taste.

Recently we received a great pipe from Chris Morgan owner of Morgan Pipes and let me tell you I am impressed. He sent the BlackJack series Shape 20 that is made of briar wood “which is a tumor-like outgrowth that develops between root and stem of white heath (Erica arborea)” https://pipedia.org/docs/CharacteristicsOfBriar.pdf. This special wood is heat resistant and ideal for pipe making.  The pipe has a nickel silver band and acrylic stem. The construction is solid and well made.

Morgan pipe side viewThe pipe is handmade in Italy to Mr. Morgans demanding specifications with a sandblasted carnauba wax finish that provides just the right amount of matte. Although the pipe is black there is a great contrast with the nickel band and shiny acrylic stem. There is an imprinted Morgan Pipes rabbit on the pipe and model name. Every nook and groove of the pipe declares that it is handmade and produces tons of character. The pipe smokes wonderfully and every draw is smooth and enjoyable.

A major upside to smoking a pipe, besides producing your own blends and looking hell a Morgan pipe top viewcool, is that depending on the depth of the bowl and how much you pack it with you can enjoy on average 30-45 min smoke and up to 1.5 hours.

We highly recommend Morgan Pipes BlackJack Shape 20. All great products begin and end with the owner/craftsmen.  Have no doubt that every detail of the pipe is a reflection of Mr. Morgan’s passion.

In addition to the handmade pipes from Italy there are highly sought after custom one-off pipes that Mr. Morgan produces in the USA on a commission basis. Another great product is the briar cigar that is really impressive. We hope to review more products from Morgan Pipes so stay tuned!  On a personal note I really admire Mr. Morgan because in a day and age where people can become fake or a personality he is genuine and real.

Mr. M
Founder/Editor
Psalm 30:2-3

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A Cigar Fit For An Admiral

The following review was done by our good friend Elias Kotsios. 

Historical Note: “On the 28th of October of 1492, sixteen days after the discovery of the Indies, Christoph Kolumbus landed in the Cuban bay of Bariay. His biggest surprise was to find indigenous people smoking dried leaves which formed a blue and aromatic smoke. He later discovered that these cigars where used to cure skin illness, alleviate suffering and to celebrate its ritual ceremonies.” From Kolumbus website in which he is referred to as the Admiral. 

Kolumbus Premium Cigars are located in La Palma, Spain. All of their cigars are TBJ II Kolumbus cigars focused lid nothandmade and seasoned in Spanish cedar cellars.  I was anxious to try these cigars, the pictures and description piqued my interest.  The cigar I decided to go with first was the K-Azul Piramide, the cigar had a very nice appearance and had an appealing Connecticut wrapper. During the dry draw there was a vanilla taste that existed and peppery notes were present as well.

Once lit it had a nice smooth draw not too tight and the taste was pretty straight forward, the vanilla was no longer present and my pallet was filled with more pepper and nutty notes. The cigar had a consistent burn with no tunneling and the construction held up well, when a cigar begins to unravel it is irritating for every cigar smoker (I’m sure I’m not alone).  Towards the mid point of the cigar is when I began to notice a difference in the flavor, at that point the vanilla began to slowly come in but it wasn’t overwhelming. I was really enjoying this cigar and it began to become more complex towards the shoulder of the cigar, at that point I was reaching about 40 minutes of smoking.  The end of the cigar Elias screen shot kolumbusdid not change much continued with the well balanced taste that existed from the initial light up, total smoking time was about 55 minutes.

Overall this was a great cigar, I will definitely add Kolumbus cigars to my humidor. It was a smooth consistent smoke the whole way through with a great draw that didn’t tighten up at all. This was their mild strength option, there is also the K-Rojo (mild/full) and the K-Negro (moderate). Stack some of these sticks in your humidor they will not disappoint.  I’m patiently waiting to see what the gents over at Kolumbus cigars have coming up in the future, if these cigars are an indication of what we have in store, the cigar community will be very pleased.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 -SPECS-                                                                                                                                  -Length 156mm                                                                                                                    -Diameter 20.64mm                                                                                                             -Ring Gauge 52

filler from Breña and Claro Connecticut wrapper.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             -Elias Kotsios-

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