It’s a dreary, rainy Sunday afternoon in my little corner of Central Florida. So, what better way to spend it than to have a cigar and do a little daydreamin’ about returning to the Dominican Republic for CFC this week. I am entering into full-blown all-Fuente-all-the-time mode for the next 5 days, until our return. Come to think of it, that’s not entirely different than normal; a significant portion of the time I will reach for one of their products. Admittedly, in recent years I have branched out to a great extent into other makers and have to say I am enjoying the variety and depth I’ve experienced in that time. I have added numerous makes and models into my regular rotation. Nonetheless, when smoking for for pure joy, with no need for close attention or review-writing…I love many Fuente cigars. Today, I’m starting with what appears to be a standard Rosado Magnum R52. I say “appears to be standard”, because this particular stick came from the CFC gathering last year. Most of the cigars that were given out on that trip were limited/special/different in some way – and I did not make any notes about this one. It appears to be the same size as normal production (5X52) and wears the same band, so I’ll say it is the same. The only thing that gives me a hint about its origin is the little yellow sticker I placed on it with the date and where it came from. It does have a more mellowed, almost caramel character to the finish that I don’t normally associate with these, but that very well could just come from the extra year of rest. But, this is not a review, merely a ramble.
I did want to mention a couple of other happenings for those who might be available and interested. I have no vested interest in either of these items, aside from being a fan of both. If you live in South Florida, there is to be a Tweetup at the Charmed Leaf next Friday and Saturday (March 3 & 4). There will be a number of boutique cigar manufacturers, bloggers, and cigar-related Twitter personalities in attendance. The Charmed Leaf is a brick & mortar tobacconist in Delray Beach, Florida that specializes in boutique, sometimes hard to find cigar manufacturers. I have not yet been to their establishment, but the correspondence I’ve had with them about the upcoming event leads me to believe they are a class act and great folks to deal with. There is no cost to attend, but they have some great package deals for cigars, etc. if you want to – check them out here. I’m sure they have something you need to smoke and can’t get at your local shop. The four members of The Cigarmy that will be attending CFC 2012 in the Dominican will be stopping by the Tweetup on Saturday, around lunchtime. We love to meet new folks who share the same interests and enjoy a cigar or two.
The other item of interest has a broader circle of availability. Dogwatch Cigar Radio is a cigar show and podcast, which is available live at showtime or later for download through iTunes, or other outlets – including apps for your smartphone. For good reason, it is one of the longer-lived shows out there. They just celebrated their 365th episode, which puts them just over the 7-year mark for producing the show. Bob McDuffee and Dale Roush (and Bob’s fabulous executive producer – and significant other – Liz) put on a fantastic show, rife with great information and a friendly, open format. The podcast is available for download weekly, but if you find yourself free on a Friday night around 9:00pm EST you should definitely tune in for the live show. They also make available a chatroom during the live show, which is always friendly, fun, and accessible for anyone. My wife and I have made this our Friday night ritual for the past several months. They have a finger on the pulse of the industry, and always provide fresh, relevant content. If you happen to be in the area for the Charmed Leaf event, Bob & Liz will be there as well on Saturday, I believe. You can tune in to the live show by clicking the link above and selecting “Dogwatch Live” from the menu bar around showtime.
I will try to post at least a picture or two while we’re in the Dominican, but expect a full trip report some time next week. As always, thanks for checking in and for your continued support while we get The Cigarmy off the ground – and if you have any comments or suggestions feel free to add them here, or drop me a line at: [email protected]
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