Bob interviews Bill Paley of La Palina Cigars. Cigar of the Week - Illusione Epernay Dion Giolito, the man behind the highly sought after Illusione cigars and Cruzado cigars, has created the Illusione Epernay. The Illusione Epernay pays tribute to the famous Epernay region in France, the Capital of Champagne, and has been blended to pair perfectly with a glass of champagne. The Illusione Epernay originally debuted in 2008 through the European Cigar Cult Journal's 15th Anniversary limited release. From this blend, Epernay has been made with a combination of Nicaraguan Criollo and Corojo tobaccos. The Illusione Epernay is finished with a superior-grade Café Rosado wrapper.

Cigar of the Week - Savinelli Liga Especial Torpedo - brought to you by FullersPullers.com

May Palio Cutter Contest Winner (Black Classic Palio): Gregg Rabb.

[Nicaragua: available in 4 sizes]

This line debuted in 2005 and is also made at Tabacos Puros de Nicaragua. It’s double banded with the words “Liga Especial” (in Spanish, “special blend”) below the same band as on the Savinelli Fuerte.

The Liga has a dark, oily wrapper and showcases both caramelized sweetness and a spicy finish right from the start. This parallel taste experience offers a complexity that’s easy to appreciate and is accented by the richness of the caramel-like flavors in mid-course.

The flavors are more muted in the second half and the spicy aspects come out more strongly toward the close. It’s once again a bargain at retail prices of $4.50-$5.75 each (before local tobacco taxes).

Growing from a small pipe shop opened in 1876 in Milan, Italy, Savinelli became so respected that the Savinelli pipe factory was opened in 1948 and remains in operation today. However it was not until the 1990's (taking advantage of the cigar boom) that Ruben and Robert Ysidro, heading up Savinelli here since the 19070's, began to branch out to the cigar industry.

Dark Side - Quintero Nacionales

Origin: Cuba Manufactured: Hand Made

Gauge: Medium Length: 140

Format: Nacionales Ring: 40

Weight: 7,6 gr. Score: 6.2

Presentation:

Semi Plain Box: (With cellophane) Boxes of 25; (Without cellophane) boxes of 25.

Cardboard pack: (With cellophane) Boxes of 5 in boxes of 50; (Without cellophane) boxes of 5 in boxes of 50.

Herf line submissions: Call the Herfline, 321-594-4373! - or cigar.radio on Skype, to leave a message or a cigar review. You can also send email to [email protected]

What else have you been smokin' Dale?

Padilla Signature 1932

Tabacos El Triunfador #4

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especiale

Punch Rare Corojo

A. Fuente Rosado Gran Reserva

Cohiba Puro Dominicana

5 Vegas 'A'

G.A.R.

Jose Piedra

Romeo y Julieta Short Churchills

La Aurora 107

What else have you been smokin' Bob?

La Aurora - 1495, 107 and a couple of new ones, the 107 Corona and an unnamed new cigar for IPCPR.

Davidoff Maduro Robusto - Blended by Henke Kelner. He used specially selected Dominican filler and San Vicente binder specifically to complement the unique flavor of its wrapper - a dark, Cuban seed, Nicaraguan leaf sun-grown in the Jalapa Valley to create a 'natural maduro. This is a cigar that demonstrates what can be accomplished when the right tobacco is treated in the proper manner. It does not have that dark or black look that we usually expect from a maduro but when you light it up, the flavor comes rushing at you in a glorious bath of dark bitter chocolate and coffee carried on a bed of savory roasted bread.

What's My Band? - 917 From Liz: Occidental Reserve

Every week Bob and Dale include an “unbanded cigar” segment in their show in which they smoke a cigar without any markings and give their honest opinions. Bob then opens a sealed envelope and discovers the cigar’s name and manufacturer. If you have suggestions for the "What's My Band?" segment, please send them to [email protected].

Music provided by 25 Smokin' Figurados and The Surfonics

Bob talks about his trip to the La Aurora factory.

Guests this week: Craig Schneider and Troy Keifer

Cigar of the Week - La Aurora 107 Robusto (4.5x50)

The 107, which uses a Sun Grown Ecuador wrapper over 6-year-old fillers and a binder from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, will come in boxes of 21 with a suggested retail price between $6-$8, plus any local taxes. There will be 3 sizes: Robusto (4.5x50); Toro (5.5x54); and a Belicoso (6.25 x 52). The 107 will only be available at brick and mortar tobacconists.

Dark Side - Vequeros Especiales No 2

A post-revolution handmade brand that comes in 4 sizes, Seoane (short panatela 5x33), Mareva (petite corona 5.5x42), Especiales No1 (long panatella 7.5x38) and tonight's Especiales No. 2 (Panatela 6x38). First exported in 1997 after being offered as a local brand to visitors to the Pinar del Rio region of Cuba.

Special guest Colin Ganley from European CIgar Journal - cigar-cult.com

Cigar of the Week - Dominicano from Nestor Miranda

With his new cigar, Nestor Miranda’s desire was to pay tribute to the tobacco and cigar heritage of the Dominican Republic. The collaboration brought together the tobacco growing expertise of Guillerom Leon of La Aurora, the blending and manufacturing genius of José "Pepin" Garcia and the marketing talents of Miranda and his associate Rene J. Castañeda. The cigar comes packaged in boxes of 20 and is produced in 5 vitolas and will be available in both a Rosado and Oscuro wrapper. Today's featured cigar is the 5.5-inch by 54 RG Robusto Grande.

Wrapper - Dominican

Filler - Nicaraguan

The FDA is coming after cigars! Aren't you fed up already? Enough is enough! Join Cigar Rights of America and start fighting for your rights before we are taxed and legislated to death. http://cigarrights.org/

Cigar of the Week - Cain Maduro The Oliva Cigar Company and Sam Lecia introduced a new cigar during 2009, called the ‘Cain.’ It comes in three sizes: 550 Robusto 5.7x50, 654T Torpedo 6x54, and a 660 Double Toro 6x60. The Cain is available in a Maduro or Habano wrapper. The CAIN is primarily ligero tobacco! Sam Leccia (Mr. ‘Nub’) has challenged all of us to try this very interesting blend and see how it measures up to Oliva’s Serie V, which is a double ligero.The cigar is a blend of aged ligero tobacco from Esteli, Condega, and the Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua, some of the tastiest growing regions in the world. Tonight we focus on the Maduro which sports a dark, rich, San Andreas wrapper to the 25% Esteli Ligero, 27% Condega Ligero and 30% Jalapa Ligero blend (I am no math major but that leaves 18% unaccounted for). According to the Cain website: Esteli Ligero is the strongest of all the Ligeros and as such needs to be tempered with other flavors or types of Ligero to prevent overpowering the cigar. Condega Ligero is a medium body Ligero grown north of Esteli that exhibits complex richness and a tame strength. Jalapa Ligero is the smoothest of these Ligeros and grown in the northern most area of Nicaragus. The Jalapa Valley is a unigue tobacco growing region that enjoys less direct sunlight and produces a full body leaf with a broader range of flavor.

Dark Side - PUNCH ROYAL SELECCION NO 12 Length: 5 1/8 inches (129mm) Ring Gauge: 42 Factory Name: Marevas Shape: Parejo

Herf line submissions: Angry Bill calls in to talk about the Nosotros cigar and the H. Upmann Magnum 50. Call the Herfline, 321-594-4373! - or cigar.radio on Skype, and leave a message or a cigar review. You can also send email to [email protected] What else have you been smokin' Dale? La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros 650: Punch Gran Cru Robusto Claro : CAO Brazilia Gol!

What else have you been smokin' Bob? Punch Uppercut Grand Corona: Padilla Dominus Double Robusto: Graycliff Blue Label Profesionale PGX 6x50

What's My Band? - #911 from Liz: Tabacalera Tropical Casa Fernandez JFR Connecticut Music provided by 25 Smokin' Figurados and The Surfonics

Cigar of the Week - Illusione MJ12 - Majestic 12 54x6 The Illusione line of cigars was created by a dream team of tobacco master blenders. Illusione cigars are constantly rated highly in Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider and the Illusione MJ 12 is no exception. Each cigar is hand-crafted to meet the needs of even the most demanding cigar smokers. The Illusione cigars are great smokes, have a pleasant aroma and wonderful construction, and provide an overall cuban-like experience. Each cigar has the distinctive triple cap for which cuban cigars are so well known. The Illusione cigar is made from first generation corojo tobacco wrapped in a Cafe Colorado wrapper. These cigars are fairly hard to get because they are made in small quantities to ensure quality of product Dark Side - RAFAEL GONZALEZ CORONAS EXTRA Origin: Cuba Manufactured: Hand Made Gauge: Thick Length: 143 Format: Corona Gorda Ring: 46 Weight: 11.41 gr. Presentation: 2 Layers in a Box of 25 According to “An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars,” this brand is believed to have been created in 1928. Initially it was called “La Flor de Marquez,” after Marquez Rafael Gonzalez, a Spanish aristocrat, and was distributed in the British Market. Later the Rey del Mundo Cigar Company acquired the brand and renamed it “Flor de Rafael Gonzalez Marquez.” Production was temporarily discontinued in the early 1960’s. In 1965 the Rafael Gonzalez was resurrected by the Rey Del Mundo Factory (now called the Romeo y Julieta Factory) and is still primarily produced by them today. In the 1990’s, the brand was produced in a limited quantity and was very difficult to find. It is considered a high-end brand with floral, herbal, mellow woodiness and honey sweetness as the main flavors and a mild tobacco taste. Herf line submissions: This week Angry Bill called about the death of Alejandro Robaina. Call the Herfline, 321-594-4373! - or cigar.radio on Skype, and leave a message or a cigar review. You can also send email to [email protected] What else have you been smokin' Dale? Oliva Serie V Double Robusto 5 x 54 - Nicaragua tobaccos with ligero from the Jalapa Valley and Habano Sungrown wrapper. Very rich with subtle spice. All the Nic Zing one could want balanced with some dark chocolate, sweet coffee and well fermented tobacco flavors. Pinar Del Rio PDR 1878 - Smoked another corona - same great creamy, nutty flavors with pepper & spice developing throughout the stick. Esteban Carreras 187 - Craig Cunningham was in town yesterday & today, called to see if I'd smoked these yet. I love the savory, meaty flavors and smooth smoke. Full bodied with a chewiness to the smoke that's incredible. What else have you been smokin' Bob? Cubao Maduro Rothschild - Deep dark chocolate spice, A savory cigar that really brings out the traditional tastes of maduro, chocolate, espesso with a nice addition of spice to keep you on your toes. Produced in Esteli by Pepin Garcia. Company: EO Brands / 601 Line: Cubao Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Flavor: Medium-Full Strength: Medium-Full La Aroma de Cuba New Blend Monarch - New blend of the long time LAdC that I used to love. Taking off the band removed the wrapper. And not a little-the whole wrapper began to unravel. New blend had some spice but was also a little harsh; overall not as enjoyable as the old blend. Burned too hot and tasted too harsh. Made in Nicaragua by Pepin Garcia. CAO Barizillia - Wrapper from Brazil and everything else from Nicaragua; pleasurable smoke with nice spice and a solid ash. Respectable and yes, I would buy another one. What's My Band? - #910 from Liz: Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Music provided by 25 Smokin' Figurados and The Surfonics

Colin Ganley, editor of European Cigar Journal, joins Bob and Dale this week. Cigar of the Week - Adrians Maduro Naturally aged and fermented maduro wrapper. Ecuador Havana 2000 wrapper. It's the same wrapper as the habano 2000 only aged longer and you can taste the difference. Costa Rican Filler and binder. Dark Side - JUAN LOPEZ PETIT CORONAS According to Perelman's Pocket Cyclopedia of Havana Cigars: "Here is one of the few Havana brands which is offered only in handmade styles, started in 1876 by Juan Lopez Diaz. After his death, the brand was owned by Cosme del Paso y Cia. until nationalization. The range of sizes is limited, but the workmanship is first-rate and the flavor is considered to be medium-to-full in strength." Herf line submissions: Call the Herfline, 321-594-4373! - or cigar.radio on Skype, and leave a message or a cigar review. You can also send email to [email protected] What else have you been smokin' Dale? Pinar Del Rio PDR 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Maduro Corona Nosotros Churchill & Corona Extra Illusione f9 & 88 What else have you been smokin' Bob? Elogio Lancero - A spicy full flavored lancero from Nabil and Carlos, pure Nicaraguan excitement. Padron Serie 1926 - What can I say, I have really fallen for these exceptionally smooth and powerful cigars from one of the premier manufacturers. Illusione 88 - Another top notch cigar in a week of outstanding cigars Esencia Robusto - Can't get enough of a great thing. Addicted to these full flavored treats. My Father Le Bijou - Still the best Pepin Garcia in my humidor. Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo Doble Fuerte - Deserves much more notice in the cigar world. From a tradition that goes back generations in a land of turmoil. My value cigar this week is the Elogio Petite Corona, spicy, flavorful and worth every moment. What's My Band? - #914 from Liz: Oliva Serie O, Perfecto Music provided by 25 Smokin' Figurados and The Surfonics

Cigar of the Week - Carlos Torano Exodus 1959 - 50 Years Copper Dressed in a captivating Brazilian Arapiraca sun-grown wrapper. This wrapper - highly regarded for its bold, spicy flavor - combines perfectly with the natural sweetness of the Nicaraguan filler tobaccos from the regions of Esteli and Pueblo Nuevo. Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca Sun-Grown Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Honduras Esteli & Pueblo Nuevo. News Items: A Fatter San Cristobal, Perdomo drops prices, Torano amping up 2010 tour, Cigars International expanding, Davidoff of Geneva moving to FLorida, new cigars from La Aurora and a new collaboration called Garcia y Leon.. Dark Side - La Flor de Cano Petite Coronas: According to Perelman's Cyclopedia of Cigars, "Tomas and Jose Cano founded their factory in 1884 and this brand in 1891. At the time of nationalization, it was made by the firm of Juan Cano Sainz. Today, it is often hard to find due to the small production quantities, but it offers a medium-strength smoke and excellent workmanship in the handmade sizes. Machine-made shapes in this line were also produced with machine bunching and hand-rolled wrappers prior to 2000." Got your iPad? Now get your Perelman’s Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars as an iPad/iPhone/iTouch app? Now at the iTunes store! The app does not have as many cigars in it as say Mobile Stogie or Stogie Fresh but it does contain an excellent and simple presentation of the brands, the vitola specifications (name, length, ring guage) and the Perelman description of the brand. It also has the ability for the user to add their own notes to each brand page, not as specific as Stogie Rate or Mobile Stogie. Searching in the CigarCyclopedia app is not very well implemented. For example, I tried to search on this weeks cigar, the Torano Exodus but came up empty looking for Torano or Exodus. I could understand that perhaps the cigar was too new for this edition but I could not get any hits searching on Torano. Turns out, they are listed under Carlos Torano and the app only searchs from the beginning of the name. Thats a problem as it restricts the user to knowing how Perelman decided to record the name. Mobile Stogie has no search function and Stogie Rate has an extensive search capability but does not search the reference databasde, only your collections. What else have you been smokin' Craig?- 2006 Pepin Custom rolled short Salamon from Tropical, Gran Habano Tres Siglos, 2001 Gran Habano #5, Opus X Lost City Robusto Discussion about strength being effected by perception; taste bud burnout?? What else have you been smokin' Bob? - JL Salazar Hermanos El Primer MundoRosado Oscuro Perfecto What's My Band features a surprising La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial El Jocko. Next week Dale is back and we also have special guest Colin Ganley. Cigar of the Week is the Adrians Maduro , Dark Side is JUAN LOPEZ PETIT CORONAS Music provided by 25 Smokin' Figurados and The Surfonics.

Cigar of the Week - Rocky Patel 1961 Rocky Patel was born in 1961, and that was enough to inspire the creation of the ROCKY PATEL 1961 Cigar. Blended with a Habano seed wrapper from Ecuador, a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan fillers. ROCKY PATEL 1961 is the inaugural brand hailing from Rocky's newest cigar factory in Nicaragua called Tabacalera Villa Cuba. Sizes: Robusto 5 x 50 Torpedo 6.125 x 52 Toro 6.5 x 52 Corona 5.5 x 44 Dark Side - FONSECA NO.1 NAME: No. 1 FACTORY NAME: Lonsdale RING GAUGE: 44 LENGTH: 16.20 CM / 6.3 INCHES TASTE: Spicy According to Cigar Cyclopedia, the image of Francisco Fonseca, who opened his factory in 1891 and trademarked “La Flor de Fonseca” in 1907, still adorns the box today. Herf line submissions: Call the Herfline, 321-594-4373! - or cigar.radio on Skype, and leave a message or a cigar review. You can also send email to [email protected] What else have you been smokin' Dale? My Father Cedros Deluxe No. 4 - Esteli Nicaragua grown filler & binder with an Ecuadorian grown Habano Rosado wrapper. La Flor Dominicana Air Bender - 5.5" x 52 Maestro. All Dominican grown filler, binder and Habano wrapper from Litto Gomez farms. "Intense, Sophisticated and Powerful" according to LFD marketing. Casa Fernandez Arsenio - Nica Puro with a Corojo 2006 variety wrapper. This week I tried the Robusto - 4.5" x 52, really a pudgy Rothschild. On the hunt for their Lancero offering (7.5" x 40) as I think this blend would totally excel in that vitola. Drew Estate Liga Privada T52 Toro - Has taken firm hold in my rotation as a cigar I have to smoke at least a couple of every week. La Gloria Cubana Serie R2 - Dom Rep & Nic filler, Nic binder and a Conn Broadleaf maduro wrapper. What else have you been smokin' Bob? Viaje Oro Edicion Limitado Perfecto - wrapper is Nicaraguan Corojo 99 Cafe, Nica binder and filler. Padron 1926 Serie No 2 - an expensive cigar that I decided to treat myself to this past weekend. It was worth every penny of the $16 I spent on it. . Elogio LSV - Nica puro, spicy, full flavored and from the grandson of Alejandro Robaina. When you visit with Carlos Pareda Robaina you meet a very quiet but confident man who obviously cares about his rollers and other employees as if they are family. Carlos is a talented roller and blender and the LSVs are an excellent cigar that highlights the spice and savory flavors of Nicaraguan tobacco. Joya De Panama- A medium bodied afternoon delight, light, flavorful and relaxing. Be open to trying cigars from different, less traditional locations. BOLIVAR ROYAL CORONAS - A habanos with considerable pedigree, slight salty taste on the tongue, medium to full flavored with delightful hints of leather, wood smoke and a fast finish. Wonderful retrohale, perhaps the best part of this cigar. Bolivar is regarded as one of the more full bodied Habanos and this one lives up to that. Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Criollo Poderosa 6x54 - A full bodied cup of dark roasted flavors that will drive your tastebuds to scream NO MAS! but in a wonderfully dark way that makes you feel mysterious and bold. A great smoke and a new arrival at FullersPullers.com. Joya de Nicaragua is perhaps one of the least known, most recognized brands coming from Nicaragua. J FUEGO - Gran Reserva and Origins - Smoked the new Origins Original and Robusto. Originals are packaged five cigars in a heavy paper wrapper reminiscent of the classic British 'Fish n Chips.' Jesus Fuego is a 3rd generation Cuban tobacco grand master, and you can see and taste his passion in his cigars. Esencia Corona Gorda What's My Band? - #909 from Liz: Padron 6000 Music provided by 25 Smokin' Figurados and The Surfonics.