I just wanted to give a quick heads up to all of our Joe & Jane smokers out there for 2 great events that are being promoted by our friends at Buttheads Tobacco Emporium. What two great things are happening for sports fans this Monday? Well The Yankee Season opens (Look for the Joes at the home games every Sunday, and join us for a quick smoke in the lot!), and the NCAA Championship is played (am I alone in having their brackets destroyed?) In celebration of these two events, Kevin from Buttheads has Oliva coming to the store. The Yankee game will be on, and as always they will be running vendor specials for Oliva & Nubs. The real treat comes after the Yankee game. The March Madness dinner will be a private party at Gary’s Rib House in Danbury. Check the site for full details, (http://www.buttheadstobacco.com/MarchMadnessCigarDinner.html) but $40 gets you dinner, and some Oliva & Nub cigars. The real treat; they are making the Rib House smoke friendly for one night, and one night only! Taking us back to the days where you could have a cigar after your meal, and not be forced outside like some kind of criminal! (Remember when cigar smokers were treated like “People” in Connecticut? Next thing you know someone is going to tell me that the SCHIP tax is just a big joke!)

The event that I am really excited for is on Wednesday April 8^th. They have the one & only Manny Ferraro from Ashton cigars coming to the store to talk shop, tell you what is coming down the line, and yeah sell you a cigar or 4!. This event is $20, but that entry is applied to you purchase. (If you plan on going, I’m sure you are going to buy something, so to me that is a non-issue). The kicker, you will be entered into a raffle to be one of 2 people to have dinner with Manny!

I know we all work, but if you can make it to the Danbury area, these are 2 events worth attending. See you there.

The Oliva Connecticut Reserve. The light color stick that's full of flavor.

After my “bad date that ended with a handshake” experience with Oliva’s Seri “O”, I had some new found doubts on their lines. I was willing to write it off as the bad apple in the bunch, but in the words of Great White, those Rockers that know how to burn down the house “Once bitten, twice shy” (it’s not too soon for that joke, is it?)

This smoke had a nice even burn

But as any informed smoker knows, one experience does not a brand make! So at the recommendation of Kevin Page at Buttheads Tobacco Emporium, I decided to give their Connecticut Reserve line a go. Good thing I wasn’t my usual stubborn self! This Torro was a nice light enjoyable stick. As standard with Oliva’s, this cigar contains Cuban seed Nicaraguan long-leaf fillers tied together with a Ecuadorian grown Connecticut Leaf bow. This mild treat is full of flavor that opens up within the first inch of its burn, and that smooth smoky flavor would continue strait to the final draw. The only negative was that the leaf started to break down near the end.

Now that is the face of a man enjoying his Oliva!

Size: Torro, 6 inches with Ring gauge of 50.
Time needed: 45 minutes to enjoy this one.
Shelf Rating: 4/5 points for the Average Joe
Price: $5 to $7 a Cigar / $100.00 to $140 a box

Should you buy: Yes, it is not often that a light cigar will pack this much flavor. This can be a great addition to your everyday smokes, and a great option for someone new to the “Way of the Cigar”. I had this with a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, and wow, they played nice together.

This went perfectly with the Cherry Wheat brew.

A sample of the cigars showcased at the event

Tom O’Hearn from Perdomo, and Kevin Page from Buttheads

For those of you that don’t know, let me tell you a little about Buttheads, and the man behind it Kevin Page. He is down to earth, and very honest. He will tell you flat out that he may not be the lowest price around, but he is fair (I can attest to that as a regular customer), and there is a good chance that if it is a brand you are looking for, he has it. They offer over 1,800 open facings! You heard me right, you can choose from over 1800 different smokes in this cigar paradise for Joes like us. Now if that is not enough, once the upcoming renovations are complete, they will increase their offerings to over 2000! This is a place that understands that cigar smoking is all about choice, and Kevin prides himself on that. On top of this they are a must hit for cigar tasting & events in Connecticut. They are quick to break out the grill & the coolers making it the perfect cigar barbeque. Smokes, beer, burgers, brats, and good people; what more could you want? (Aside from maybe a poker game, a pole and adult entertainment, I think it is all there!) Another great thing is the knowledge that staff has. They are not about the big sale, or the box sale, but making recommendations based on taste, preference, value, and enjoyment. This is a smart philosophy that helps to build a loyal customer base. Even though Kevin has his run of the store, his 2 current staple smokes are the CAO MX2 Torro, and the CAO Brazalia Box Press. Both cigars can be had for around $7.00 and, I will be doing write ups on both soon.

Here I am with Tom & Kevin. I have a smile that can only come from a nice Maduro!

Today they had Tom O’Hearn from Perdomo cigars at the store. He was talking about their products, their stance on the tax, and of course handing out some great smokes for us to enjoy. At Tom’s recommendation I lit up a Perdomo Habano Maduro (a good follow up to the Perdomo Habano Corojo that I reviewed yesterday). This is a nice hearty smoke that lasted for 60 tasty minutes, allowing me to give it my JoesSmoke stamp of approval. It is a great Maduro for around $6.00. He then talked about the man behind the cigars, Nick Perdomo, and his quest for perfection. He has held back releases, almost to the detriment of his business just to assure that his cigars meet his high standards before they are released. Talking to Tom, you find out that Perdomo is a brand for the Joes. They don’t over invest in advertising, which helps to control cost, and they are actually lowering some of their prices as a result of SCHIP tax (or it’s official name, the evil, we hate cigar smokers’ tax). How about that? A company that is doing something proactive to combat the tax. This is a smart business move, sacrifice some upfront profit, and get it back in customer loyalty, and new customers. We know how powerful word of mouth can be. When talking to Tom he would tell me to look for some new and exciting things to come in the next 6 months. Perdomo is committed to delivering a quality cigar at all price points. While the Champagne is one of their top sellers, he believes that the new Lot 23 will become a strong contender for the Perdomo line. With their great taste, low price, and the quality that goes into the tobacco look for these to be a mainstay. (See Albert’s review of them a few pages back)

Reggie talking shop with Tom from Perdomo, and buying sticks at his recomendation.

Remember how I said that Tom recommended the Habano Maduro (you should, it was in the beginning of the last paragraph!) Well that is hands down one of his personal favorites. He has access to the different Perdomo lines (including the ESV, 10^th Anniversary, and Silvio’s), and he picks the Habano. Are you seeing a theme here? The people in the industry, who have access to the great, amazing, and tasty high end cigars know that a great stick does not have to break the bank. So rest assured you shouldn’t either.

We had a great time at Buttheads, and look forward to what Kevin will bring us in the future. Check out their site at http://www.buttheadstobacco.com for upcoming events and information, and we hope to see you there. 

Perdomo, Perdomo, and more Perdomo.