Kirkland Cigar Club

¿Alec Bradley Prensado Número Uno?

2012-01-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

My lovely wife and I were up at the Lit Lounge on Friday night - weather was too crappy to be smoking outside in Kirkland, plus I think most of the Kirkland gang were already up here.

I wanted to try Cigar Aficionado's number one cigar pick of the year: The Alec Bradley Prensado.

BTW, you still have time to enter the raffle for the Cohiba Humidor that's on display at the Lit. All you've got to do is buy one of the selected Cohibas. (God, I'd love to win this!)

Anyhow, so back to the Prensado.

I've smoked a few different varieties of the Alec Bradley line, so I was sure that this one would be stellar as well. It truly is a good looking cigar - perfect box-pressed, rich dark colored wrapper, Churchill size, just feels right in your hand.

So what did I think? Meh, what's all the hype about? Believe it or not I'd gladly take a Tempus over this one. I'm not saying in any way that this was a bad cigar, no, not at all, it was in fact very good, but in my opinion the Tempus is better.

One little problem that I had with it was the draw - WAY too much work. I really had to puff on it to get the amount of smoke that I like. If I could have solved the draw problem, I would have rated this on the same scale as the Tempus.

Would I buy one again? Yes, but mainly out of curiosity - curious if they all have the same draw?

Interesting how this was the number one choice this year....

OK, so I wanted to review one more cigar this weekend - I've actually been waiting for my friend Ryan to put in a review for me, but unfortunately hell hasn't frozen over yet.
;)

Liga Privada Undercrown Maduro

The one word that I think best describes this cigar is "BOLD". Seriously, I thought it was too bold for my taste. Good burn, nice ash, excellent draw, oily wrapper, but just a hair outside of what I like to smoke. Now that's just my taste, and generally speaking I'm a real weenie when it comes to cigars. Maybe had I let this sit in my humidor for a few years? Might have smoothed it out? Next time...

If you like your cigars a little more full-bodied, not necessarily kick-ass, or nicotine-bombs, but just something with a more distinctive taste, this cigar is for you. You'll love it...

Side note:
While we were up at the Lit, just before we were getting ready to leave, one of the members of our group left to go play the slots, he wanted to play for a minute before he had to leave. Well, a few minutes later he returned to our table and told everyone: "drinks are on me!" He had just won $15k on a slot machine. $15,000 !! Holy CRAP! I asked him how he did it and he said that he was betting $8 a pull - he started with $100 and was down to $50 when he hit the Motherlode.

Sheesh, only in my dreams would that ever happen... Nice job Walt!

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - Monday, January 30, 2012

2012-01-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Since the snowy weather caused such a poor turnout for our EP Carrillo event earlier this month, we're going to try again on Monday, February 6th. Join us as we feature a great Buy 3 Get 1 Free deal on the fantastic EP Carrillo line of cigars along with drink specials on Dewar's 12 year old Scotch. We'll have prizes to give out as well. The event will be in Lit from 6-9pm. See you there!

The Lit lounge area will be reserved for a private party for the Super Bowl on February 5th. You will still be able to purchase cigars and drinks, but the seating area is not available until after the game ends. We will be setting up tables on the outer ring of the Mist bar, complete with cigar ashtrays for those who are looking for a place to enjoy a cigar while watching the Super Bowl. Thanks for your understanding.

Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 of 2011

We are currently stocking a number of this year's top 25 cigars including the Alec Bradley Prensado, La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor, Illusione Epernay, Casa Magna Colorado, A. Fuente Magnum R, Oliva Serie V, and more. Try them and see if you agree with their list!

One of the most anticipated events of the year in the cigar industry is the release of Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 Cigars. While we don't agree with every cigar on the list, it generates plenty of buzz for the chosen cigars and highlights some great smokes. Congratulations to Alec Bradley for being #1 on this year's list! Take a look at the list and let us know what you think.

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

J&J Cigars Newsletter - January 23rd, 2012

2012-01-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

Casa Magna Event!

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year everyone! Gung Hay Fat Choy!

This month, we are welcoming Brad Weinfeld and Ed Ryan from Casa Magna Cigar Brand to Seattle and will be featuring a fantastic Sales Event on Friday, January 27th @ 4:00pm - 9:00pm! The Casa Magna was just rated as the 10th best cigar of 2011 by Cigar Aficionado!

Please make time for Cigar Happy Hour each Tuesday - this month, our featured cigar is Rocky Patel! Your first Rocky Patel cigar each Tuesday during Happy Hour is 50% off!!

Have a wonderful day and I will look forward to seeing you all soon!

Sincerely,

John Ohm
J&J Cigars

Casa Magna Cigar Event!

Come meet Brad Weinfeld, Vice President of Marketing of the Casa Magna brand of cigars on Friday, January 27th @ 4:00pm - 9:00pm as we kick off a fantastic Sales Event featuring the Casa Magna portfolio of cigars.

The Casa Magna Diadema has recently been named #10 Cigar Of The Year 2011 by the Cigar Aficionado

Here are a few of the Specials you can expect:

Buy 3 Cigars, Get 1 Free
Buy 5 Cigars, Get 2 Free
Buy 1 Box of Cigars, Get 7 + ashtray

Plus - We're Raffling off Ashtrays and Lighters too!

I look forward to seeing you all there!!

Cigar Happy Hour - Tuesdays At J&J Cigars!

Every Tuesday from 3:00 until 6:00, J&J Cigars is hosting Seattle's First "Cigar Happy Hour"!

The 1st cigar you purchase from our featured list each Tuesday during Cigar Happy Hour is 50% off!! This is a great opportunity to try some fantastic new cigars at an incredible price!

For the month of January & February during Cigar Happy Hour Tuesdays, we will be featuring:

Every Tuesday this month, ALL ROCKY PATEL

So come down and join us every Tuesday this month from 3:00pm until 6:00pm and your 1st featured cigar on the Happy Hour menu for that day is 50% off!!

J&J Cigars - SODO
3207 1st Avenue S.
Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 724-0111

Hours:
Mon - Fri: 11:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 1:00pm - 8:00pm
Sunday: Closed

--DON'T FORGET!--

HAPPY HOUR TUESDAYS

3:00-6:00 Every Tuesday!

The 1st cigar you purchase on our featured Happy Hour list is 50% off!!!

About J&J Cigars
John Ohm of J&J Cigars has always catered to the needs of the discriminating cigar enthusiast. Specializing in hard-to-find premium boutique cigar brands, you will find the walk-in humidor of J&J Cigars replete with the finest selection in Seattle.

Not sure what cigars to try? Ask John or one of his friendly and knowledgeable Tobacconists for a recommendation and they will be more than happy to help you choose something for your enjoyment.

In need of cigars for Corporate events, Wedding parties, or general Get-togethers? John Ohm and his staff will be glad to assemble cigar packages custom tailored to your specific needs!

Be sure to stop by or call for the best selection in Seattle, whether fine hand-crafted cigars, premium lighters, handmade briar smoking pipes, or all your humidification needs, J&J Cigars is here for you.

Nadi Cigars

2012-01-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well, the 14 inches of snow that we had on our deck is just about gone, it's been raining pretty good over the weekend. Never thought I'd wish for rain. You see to get to my place, you've got to go up and down a few pretty steep hills, including the street that I live on - my little car just doesn't cut it in this crap. On the other hand, my wifey-poo's car (FX35) will go just about anywhere, so thankfully I don't have to worry too much about her getting around. Anyway, looks like we're back to our normal Seattle weather. (Thank-God!)

I have a feeling that the snow might not return this year though: I bought a snow-shovel today.
;)

I wanted to tell you about some boutique cigars that I recently bought from Nadi cigars. Ever heard of them? Nor had I until I stumbled across their website.

It turns out that one of the cigar reviewer that I like to watch on the web has actually gone out and bought a cigar brand. (Holy Cow!) I assumed that since she does such a great job reviewing cigars that she probably wouldn't buy any ordinary brand, it must be something pretty special. So, I bought one of their sampler packages to check it out.

This is from their website:

The Ecuadorian Habano leaf wrapper on our Classic Habano line has moderate oils and is rich and smooth. The aroma has a slight sweetness along with leather and wood. The fine quality tobacco inside is a blend of aged Dominican Olor, Cubano and San Vicente long filler. Their superb construction provides a steady, consistent burn throughout the smoke making the quality of these medium bodied, well-balanced cigars notable. There are flavors of sweet wood and cream with hints of almonds and vanilla.

The Classic Habano line is available in seven vitolas, named after historical rulers:

Genghis Khan - A 5 7/8 inch long, perfecto shaped cigar that is 64 ring gauge at the thickest part in the center and tapers to a 38 ring gauge at both ends
Caligula - A Toro size at 5 3/4 x 52
Attila the Hun - A classic 6 x 60 sized cigar
Gilgamesh - A classic Churchill at 7 x 50
Ramses - A Torpedo shaped cigar 5 7/8 x 52
Alexander the Great - A classic Robusto at 5 x 50
Cleopatra - A smaller version of our Torpedo, at 5 x 50

Anyway, the last couple of days I've had an opportunity to try out a few of these sticks.

So what did I think? I liked them! Excellent draw, perfect burn, medium-bodied, plumes of rich creamy smoke, and a very consistent taste. Actually I thought the Caligula (Toro, 5 3/4 x 52), might have started out a little rough, but developed into a very smooth, rich flavored cigar. Very nice indeed. However, the Ramses (Torpedo, 5 7/8 x 52), has been my favorite so far. Superb cigar! Love that torpedo shape!

Would I buy them again? Yes, I believe I would. They're good cigars! Maybe not as sweet as some of the Nicaraguans that I like to smoke, but these are definitely worth it. If you are looking for something a little off the beaten path, you really ought to give these a try!

Side note: If you want to check out Nada's cigar videos, you can find her at: SmokingCigarGirl

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - Monday, January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T16:27:00.000-08:00

Please Note

The limited spaces for our cigar tasting on January 23rd are full. Thank you for your great response to this idea. We'll post details for another similar tasting soon!

The Lit lounge area will be reserved for a private party for the Super Bowl on February 5th. You will still be able to purchase cigars and drinks, but the seating area is not available until after the game ends. We will be setting up tables on the outer ring of the Mist bar, complete with cigar ashtrays for those who are looking for a place to enjoy a cigar while watching the Super Bowl. Thanks for your understanding.

Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 of 2011

One of the most anticipated events of the year in the cigar industry is the release of Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 Cigars. While we don't agree with every cigar on the list, it generates plenty of buzz for the chosen cigars and highlights some great smokes. Congratulations to Alec Bradley for being #1 on this year's list! Take a look at the list and let us know what you think. We have several of these cigars in stock already, and even more on order. We're planning a tasting of the top 3 cigars some time in February, so keep checking this newsletter for updates.

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve

2012-01-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back when I was up at the Lit Cigar Lounge, I asked my friend Josh (El Jefe), what cigar he likes to smoke? He held up the cigar that he was smoking at the moment and said: "I really like this one". He was smoking the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve. I replied back to him: "I don't think I've seen those in the humidor?" He told me that they're kind of hidden in the back - probably something to do with it being a limited release.

Anyway, last weekend I had an opportunity to try one while I was in the bar.

Details:
6 1/4 x 50 box-pressed Torpedo
Wrapper: Connecticut Broad-leaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

So what did I think? Josh was right, GREAT cigar! Exceptionally smooth, medium-bodied, full flavored smoke. Really, really nice draw and a flawless burn. I love the box-pressed torpedo shape as well - just feels right in your hand. I paired it with a glass of Zaya rum, on the rocks. Oh man, what a perfect combo!

Would I buy one again? If they still have them, YES! Apparently Josh only has one box left. (limited release).

Speaking of the Lit Cigar Lounge, they've got a little contest going on where if you buy a Cohiba Capa Reserva 2011 (6 different sizes, limited production), you'll be entered to win the beautiful Cohiba humidor that they've got on display up there.

Let me tell you that this humidor is even nicer than the Partagas humidor they had for the last contest. The photo doesn't do it justice, it is very, very cool, probably holds a million cigars. God, I've gotta win this - Please! Please!!

Side note: Snowed 8" at my house yesterday - Winter is here! I know what you're thinking: 8" is nothing. Well, if Seattle were flat-like-a-pancake, we'd have no issues too, but unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at, it's nothing but hills and mountains out here, plus an abundance of California drivers. Yeah, look-out when it snows here!

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - Monday, January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

A big thank you to everyone who joined us on New Year's Eve in the Re-Lit satellite cigar lounge! It was a great time. Our good friend John from the Kirkland Cigar Club did a great writeup on the event and included pictures which can be seen here.

Join us this Sunday, January 15th from 6-9 p.m. as we feature EP Carrillo cigars and Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch whisky. We'll have great deals on both as well as prize giveaways throughout the event. See you there!

As another "Thank You" to all of our loyal Lit email list members, we're going to be doing another special cigar tasting on Monday, January 23rd from 6-9 p.m. We've stocked away some rare cigars that are either one time releases or limited annual releases. For $35, you'll get 4 cigars:

If you'd like to attend this event and smoke these rare cigars, please RSVP by emailing me at jweltmer@snocasino.com
There are only 25 spaces, so please get your RSVP to me as soon as possible if you wish to attend.

New In Our Humidor

We've just received the very limited Cohiba Capa Reserva 2011 cigar, featuring a 30 year old Cameroon wrapper from the legendary vintage crop of 1980!

Production of these cigars is limited to only 2,500 of each of six different sizes. What's more, for every Capa Reserva cigar purchased, you'll be entered to win this beautiful Cohiba humidor! It's something you have to see to believe. Come on in and check it out, and try this wonderful and very rare cigar while they're still here!

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Carlos Toraño Noventa

2012-01-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note about the Re-Lit Event on New Year's Eve up at the Snoqualmie Casino - GREAT TIME! Live music, comfortable seating, plenty of booze, friendly staff, and of course the main reason you came up here in the first place: "Enjoy a fine cigar!"

What they did this year was set up an area for us in that long corridor section right in front of the main ballroom entry doors. You've probably seen it before, good size area, maybe triple the size of the Lit Lounge, plenty big for a NYE party.
;)
Josh my friend, you really know how to please the cigar smoking community. My wife and I, and I'm sure the rest of the gang, had a night to remember. Job well done!

Anyway, did you have a nice Holiday? Mine was most enjoyable! Got some pretty cool gifts too (new camera, single malt scotch, cigars, etc...). We had planned on spending the week after Xmas in Europe or Mexico, but we waited too long to buy our tickets and missed out on going. I've got to tell you though, the week after Christmas has got to be the most expensive week of the year to travel. JEEZus! The secret is to make your travel plans months in advance, that's what we did last year when we booked our New Year's Eve cruise in the Caribbean. It's all in the planning...(next NYE I'll be in South America!)

OK, so I wanted to tell you about a cigar that I've been smoking lately:

Carlos Toraño Noventa Santiago
5"x 50 (robusto)

I saw these online for an amazing price, plus they threw in "free shipping". Holy crap, I couldn't resist the deal, especially since they were Toraños. (favorite cigar: Masters)

Anyway, I've been smoking these exclusively for a couple of weeks now and I've got to tell you that they kind of grow on you. No kidding. I like 'em! Jeez, for the price I frickin LOVE them!

The first time I smoked one, just before I lit it up, I took a little whiff of the wrapper, then asked my lovely wife: "hey Honey, what's this smell like?" She said: "kinda like a barn". Yes indeed I said, it does kind of have that barnyard aroma to it, and I mean that in a good way. In my opinion, its rich chocolate color wrapper has an aroma of a very fine cigar. Wonder why these never sold?

So how did it smoke? For me, great! Medium-bodied, a little firm on the draw at times, beautiful white ash, and extremely smooth. An occasional hint of sweetness to its rich taste kept me interested. The flavor is consistent throughout.

So how does it compare to the almighty Masters Series? Well, that's a different story. I hold that cigar pretty high on my list, but the Noventa does pretty good measuring up against it. I definitely will pickup a few more of these. They're good!

Well, I'll probably head up to the Casino again tonight for a cigar at the Lit, just too cold and crappy to go downtown Kirkland. Heck, the Kirkland group will probably be up there anyway!

Happy New Year gang! I'm glad you took the time to stop by and read my stupid little blog. It's good fun for me and I hope it's entertaining enough for you. Let me know if have any comments, I'd love to hear what you're smoking?

Take care,

Re-Lit New Year's Eve Party 2011

2012-01-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

If you missed it, here are a few photos from the Re-Lit New Year's Eve party up at the Snoqualmie Casino.

Side note: Thanks for putting this together Josh, everything worked out perfect! Great time my friend!

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - December 27, 2011

2011-12-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Join us this Thursday, December 29th at 6pm for the Alamo Bowl as the Huskies take on Baylor. We'll be featuring a great deal on a Macanudo Cru Royale Cigar and Glenkinchie 12 year old single malt scotch for only $15! See you there!

Thanks to everyone who RSVP'd for our New Year's Eve Re-Lit event! RSVP early entry at 9pm is now full, so if you didn't RSVP, you can still join us at 10pm when we open to the public. Admission is free, and we'll have live music, drinks and cigars! Come ring in the new year with us!

New In Our Humidor

We've just received the very limited Cohiba Capa Reserva 2011 cigar, featuring a 30 year old Cameroon wrapper from the legendary vintage crop of 1980!

Production of these cigars is limited to only 2,500 of each of six different sizes. What's more, for every Capa Reserva cigar purchased, you'll be entered to win this beautiful Cohiba humidor! It's something you have to see to believe. Come on in and check it out, and try this wonderful and very rare cigar while they're still here!

Here's to a safe and wonderful end to 2011 and a prosperous 2012!

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Season's Greetings!

2011-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Have a great Holiday my friend -Wishing you and yours the very best for the New Year!

Take care!

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - Monday, December 19, 2011

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Join us this Thursday, December 22th from 6-9pm as we feature Alec Bradley cigars and Dewar's scotch whisky. We'll have plenty of great deals to take advantage of for the holiday gift giving season as well as drink specials and prize giveaways. See you there!

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Tuesday Night Cigar Club Event last week featuring Woodford Reserve and Rocky Patel. A great time was had by everyone.

We made a special announcement at this event - earlier this month, we travelled to the Woodford Reserve distillery in Kentucky and blended our own special batch of Woodford, which will be available sometime early next year. I was involved in the selection, and, let me tell you, you will not be disappointed! We've posted some pictures on our Facebook page.

New Year's Eve

Nothing rings in the new year like a great cigar shared with friends and there's nowhere better to share a great cigar with friends than Lit.

Unfortunately, we get so busy on New Year's Eve that many of you, our loyal customers are left without a spot to enjoy your cigar. We're doing something about it this year!

Join us as we create a special New Year's Eve cigar lounge near the casino ballroom: We're calling it Re-Lit! To thank all of you who support us throughout the year, everyone on our Lit mailing list who RSVP's will get exclusive early entry to Re-Lit from 9-10pm as well as a free cigar.

At 10pm the space will be open to the public. We'll have live music, cocktails, cigars and comfortable seating, making this the perfect spot to enjoy the New Year's Eve festivities. If you'd like to join us, please RSVP by emailing me at jweltmer@snocasino.com.

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Alec Bradley SCR (Select Cabinet Reserve)

2011-12-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

Alec Bradley SCR
Select Cabinet Reserve
Churchill 7 x 48

Friday night my lovely wife and I were down at the Tobacco Patch with the gang, nice little turn out, bitterly cold though. KCC No.1 was there as well. (Good seeing you again Chris!)

Anyway, I brought along an Alec Bradley SCR from home and my bride picked out a La Flor Dominicana El Jocko Perfecto Natural at the shop - it was highly recommended by Erik.

So what did I think of the SCR? I liked it. Turned out to be a pretty good medium-bodied smoke. No issues with the draw or burn, flavor was OK, smooth taste all the way through. The final third of the cigar was probably the best part, the taste really developed into something special.

Would I buy one again? Maybe... I kind of like the other Alec Bradley blends better. I'd never turn this one down though.

Side note: I took a few puffs off my wife's LFD El Jocko - outstanding cigar! Perfecto size, super smooth, just a hint of sweetness, and billows of smoke. I think I'm going to buy a box of these little guys!

Saturday night we were up at the Snoqualmie Casino. We zipped through our allotment of gambling money quicker than expected, so we strolled over to the Lit Lounge for a cigar. We may have been unlucky gambling, but we had no problem finding a seat in the lounge - believe me, on a Saturday night that would be considered very lucky!

Whenever I come up to the Lit Lounge, I like check out what's new in the humidor. The Thunder by Nimish cigar caught my eye this time. I asked one of the guys that works there if it was any good. He said "Oh yeah" with a big grin on his face. Seemed like a good choice. My bride picked out one of the flavor infused sticks, "delicioso"?

Well I've got to tell you that I liked the Thunder better than the SCR. It's more full-bodied, probably more my style. The only issue I had was the draw - it was too loose, or airy. The taste and the amount of smoke on each puff were perfect, but there wasn't enough resistance in the draw. The cigar felt pretty firm too. Did that make sense?

Anyway, yes, I would definitely buy one of these again. Very good smoke indeed!

Side note: So we left the Casino around 11:30 PM. If you've never been here, it's basically located at the foot of the Cascade Mountain range, and generally it's a tad cooler up here than down below where most humans live. Anyway, 11:30 at night, middle of the winter, I look at the outside temperature gauge - it reads: "50º"!! Holy Crap! What month is this again? Man, I couldn't believe it!

Antaño Dark Corojo BP

2011-12-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

Joya de Nicaragua
Antaño Dark Corojo
La Niveladora Box Press

On the Pros side - beautiful dark oily, box pressed, firm wrapper. Very nice feel to it.

On the Cons side - I had a hard time with the draw. I like a cigar where you only have to puff it once to get a good volume of smoke. If I have to puff it twice, well that's pretty much OK too, but three times I would considered a bad draw. Of course that's only my opinion...

Another little issue - the taste. I didn't think there was much. It's possible that I was looking for something that might not have been there to begin with. Who knows, I just thought this would have been a powerhouse of flavor. I even tried to help it out - tried pairing it with a full flavored beer - wrong choice. Then I moved to plain water - Meh, didn't help. Lastly, some expensive rum - well, that helped me mentally, but it really didn't bring anything out of the stick. I should have tried dark coffee - that always works!

You know a while back I smoked a JOYA DE NICARAGUA ANTAÑO 1970. I hate to say this, but it wasn't all that different. Again, just my opinion, don't shoot me!
;)
In an effort to be totally fair though, I plan on giving the Antaño Dark Corojo another try...

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - Monday, December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

We'll be having another one of our big Tuesday Night affairs in the Sno Lounge on Tuesday December 13th from 5-8pm. Join us as we feature great bourbon from Woodford Reserve as well as cigars from Rocky Patel and EO Brands, including our new favorite, the Thunder by Nimish. We'll be joined by our good friends Jon Stave from Woodford Reserve and Tim Wong from Rocky Patel. We'll have drink specials, appetizers and prize giveaways, as well as a very exciting announcement to make.

On Thursday, December 22nd from 6-9pm, we'll meet in Lit to feature Alec Bradley cigars, including the new Black Market and Tempus lines. We'll have some great deals, drink specials and prize giveaways. A great chance to get some last minute holiday gifts!

On New Year's Eve, December 31st, we're setting up a temporary cigar lounge Re-Lit, located near the casino ballroom. To thank all of you who support us throughout the year, everyone on our Lit mailing list who RSVP's will get exclusive early entry to Re-Lit from 9-10pm as well as a free cigar.

At 10pm the space will be open to the public. We'll have music, cocktails, cigars and comfortable seating, making this the perfect spot to enjoy the New Year's Eve festivities. If you'd like to join us, please RSVP by emailing me at jweltmer@snocasino.com.

New In Our Humidor

With the Holidays right around the corner, we've received a great selection of new products and gift sets to make your shopping easy. Of course, you can redeem Crescent Club points for cigars at Lit too. Here's what's new:

- CAO La Traviata Amatista Jar - 7 cigars and a ceramic humidor jar for only $50!
- La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV - a very limited and big ring gauge cigar from Litto, with a rich Mexican Maduro wrapper.
- Alec Bradley Fine and Rare - this cigar sold out in 2 days last time, and we've got our second (and last) shipment.
- Ashton Samplers - great gift idea. We have VSG samplers and also samplers with the complete Ashton line.
- Macanudo Vintage Humidors - we have a few of these left, which include out of production Vintage cigars dating all the way back to 1984!

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

San Lotano Cigar Event @ J&J Cigars Dec. 15h

2011-12-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

Come meet Clay Roberts, Vice President of Marketing of the AJ Fernandez brand of cigars on Thursday, December 15th @ 4:00pm - 9:00pm as we kick off a fantastic Sales Event featuring the San Lotano portfolio of cigars.

The San Lotano "Oval" has recently been named #2 Cigar Of The Year 2011 by the Cigar Journal (formerly called European Cigar Cult Journal).

Here are a few of the Specials you can expect:

Buy 3 Cigars, Get 1 Free
Buy 6 Cigars, Get 2 Free
Buy 1 Box of Cigars, Get 7

Plus - We're Raffling off a TRIP TO NICARAGUA!! All food, lodging, and travel within Nicaragua is included. Winner is responsible for airfare to and from Nicaragua.

I look forward to seeing you all there!!

J&J Cigars - SODO
3207 1st Avenue S.
Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 724-0111

Hours:
Mon - Fri: 11:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 1:00pm - 9:00pm
Sunday: Closed

Union Cigar Society Holiday Event - Dec. 15th

2011-12-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

Join us Thursday December 15th for our first annual Holiday cigar event! Lots of great giveaways. The first 10 people to buy a box of cigars at the event will get to go on a holiday cruise that night with 9 others. Wine, food, scotch and of course cigars will be provided on the cruise! The event starts at 5:00pm, the boat leaves the dock at 6:30. Be the first to get on the boat!

Union Cigar Society
2046 Westlake Ave N., Ste 201 (at Crockett St)
Seattle, WA 98109

Thanks for the info Chris!

Operation Hope @ Rain City Cigar

2011-12-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 16, 2011 2 pm-6 pm

Rain City Cigar

Invites you to an afternoon of cigars, camaraderie and caring to benefit

THE MONTECRISTO RELIEF ORGANIZATION

This is a time of year when we count our blessings and entertain thoughts of giving back. With the season of giving in mind, Rain City Cigar invites you to participate in something meaningful:

OPERATION HOPE

Thanks to your generous support, the Montecristo Relief Organization has raised millions to build new homes, schools and medical facilities, and provide economic opportunities to disaster victims in the Caribbean and the U.S.

Donate $50 and receive this gift package of Montecristo Cigars and

Tri-Flame Lighter, valued at over $100. Supplies Are Limited!

Each Pack Contains:

1-Montecristo 75th Aniversario Edmundo 5.5x52 Reg. $17.50
1-Montecristo 75th Aniversario Toro 6x52 Reg. $17.50
1-Montecristo Classic Toro 6x52 Reg. $9.99
1-Montecristo White Toro 6x54 Reg. $7.20
1-Montecristo Reserva Negro Toro 6x54 Reg. $8.99
Cigar Savor Tri-Flame Butane Lighter, Reg. $49.99

Proceeds from your tax deductible donation will support Operation Hope and The Montecristo Relief Organization.

Rain City Cigar will be offering special promotions during this event.We will have our event day discounts in effect on all Altadis products all day long.

5% off each cigar
10% off five cigars
15% off full or mixed boxes of twenty or more

These discounts will be in effect all day!

Eligable Altadis products:
Montecristo, Don Diego, Romeo y Julieta, Saint Luis Rey Serie G, Gispert, Onyx Reserve, Frank Llaneza, Trinidad, Primo del Rey, Por Larranaga, Royal Jamaica Gold, H. Upmann, Juan Lopez, Las Cabrillas, Omar Ortez Originals, Vega Fina, SIGLO Limited Reserve - Jose Seijas & Mi Dominicana. A. Turrent Triple Play - Don Diego Fuerte - H. Upmann Sun Grown - Warlock and the amazing Montecristo 75th Aniversary!

Mr. Steve Martin of Altadis USA will be on hand from 3-6pm to discuss all of the fine cigars offered by Altadis USA as well as Operation Hope and the Montecristo Relief Organization.

We know that this has been a difficult year and that times are tight but, we hope that you and your friends will join us for this worthwhile event at Rain City Cigar.

Come early for best selection!

Sincerely,

Event Staff
Rain City Cigar
206-767-3619

Toraño Vault Robusto

2011-12-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to try this cigar for a while now, but somehow it keeps moving further and further down my list. Well the wait is over, I tried one on Saturday afternoon...

What did I think? I liked it! Very nice medium-bodied cigar - no issues. I think I read somewhere that this blend was supposed to be stronger than some of their others? Not sure where I read that, but in comparison to the Toraño Masters, I found it to be milder. Still had an excellent medium-bodied flavor, but just not as full-flavored as the Masters. (one of my favorites)

Would I buy one again? Heck yes! If I didn't like the Masters so much, I think I'd buy a box of these - great cigar! Exceptionally smooth!

Till next time...
;)

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - Monday, December 5, 2011

2011-12-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

On Wednesday, December 7th from 6-9pm, we'll be joined in the Lit lounge by Don Hanes and whisky expert Ari Shapiro as we feature the Don Pepin Garcia and My Father cigar lines and Glen Grant single malt scotch. This event will go from 6-9pm and we'll have prize giveaways as well as some great deals on all of our Don Pepin Garcia, My Father and Jaime Garcia cigars. This is our first My Father event in over a year and a rare chance to get event specials on these fantastic cigars, just in time for the holidays!

We'll be having another one of our big Tuesday Night affairs in the Sno Lounge on Tuesday December 13th from 5-8pm. Join us as we feature great bourbon from Woodford Reserve as well as cigars from Rocky Patel and EO Brands. We'll be joined by our good friends Jon Stave from Woodford Reserve and Tim Wong from Rocky Patel. We'll have drink specials, appetizers and prize giveaways, as well as a very exciting announcement to make.

By the way, the Arturo Fuente Anejo cigars are here! These rare cigars only ship around the holidays and we've received about 6 boxes. Ask your tobacconist about them.

New Year's Eve

Nothing rings in the new year like a great cigar shared with friends and there's nowhere better to share a great cigar with friends than Lit.

Unfortunately, we get so busy on New Year's Eve that many of you, our loyal customers are left without a spot to enjoy your cigar. We're doing something about it this year!

Join us as we create a special New Year's Eve cigar lounge near the casino ballroom: We're calling it Re-Lit! To thank all of you who support us throughout the year, everyone on our Lit mailing list who RSVP's will get exclusive early entry to Re-Lit from 9-10pm as well as a free cigar.

At 10pm the space will be open to the public. We'll have music, cocktails, cigars and comfortable seating, making this the perfect spot to enjoy the New Year's Eve festivities. If you'd like to join us, please RSVP by emailing me at jweltmer@snocasino.com.

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - November 28, 2011

2011-11-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Join us on Thursday, December 1st at Lit for the prime time Seahawks vs. Eagles game. We'll be featuring some great deals on Partagas cigars and Bowmore Scotch whisky. We'll have prizes to give away as well!

On Wednesday, December 7th, we'll be joined by Don Hanes and whisky expert Ari Shapiro as we feature the Don Pepin Garcia and My Father cigar lines and Glen Grant single malt scotch. This event will be in Lit and go from 6-9pm and we'll have some great deals on all of our Don Pepin Garcia, My Father and Jaime Garcia cigars.

We'll be having another one of our big Tuesday Night affairs in the Sno Lounge on Tuesday December 13th from 5-8pm. Join us as we feature great bourbon from Woodford Reserve as well as cigars from Rocky Patel and EO Brands. We'll be joined by our good friends Jon Stave from Woodford Reserve and Tim Wong from Rocky Patel. We'll have some great specials as well as appetizers and prize giveaways.

New In Our Humidor

With the holidays approaching, we're getting in our limited edition gift sets every day. My favorite is the wooden Macanudo ashtray with 6 cigars (pictured,$60). We also have gift sets from Alec Bradley, CAO La Traviata, Arturo Fuente, La Flor Dominicana, Partagas, La Gloria Cubana and more. These always sell out fast, so stop by and do some holiday shopping at Lit!

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Padrón 85 Years

2011-11-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

How was your Thanksgiving? Ours turned out GREAT! Our kids and some of their friends came over for the annual feast this year. Boy, talk about a ton of food and booze - JEEEEZUS! My lovely wife really outdid herself this year, probably the best Thanksgiving dinner we've ever had. Nice job dear!

One little tradition that we have after our turkey dinner (weather-permitting) is to finish the evening off with cigars and drinks out on our back deck. We lucked-out this year, the rain had stopped and the skies were clearing. I lit up the fire-pit, turned on the patio heater and I brought out an assortment of Toraños and a few of the Dona Flor cigars that I had picked up in Brazil the week before. In the booze department, we had 2 bottles of single malt scotch, my favorite rum, 2 different type of cachaça, and of course multiple bottles of wine. Hey, it's all about choices, right?

Anyway. what a fantastic evening, it couldn't have been more perfect! (only minor snag was that I ran out of propane for the patio heater - emptied both tanks. UGH!)

Friday night, another pleasantly warm evening, temp surprisingly in the low 50's and no chance of rain in the forecast. I would have thought that the gang would be out tonight in downtown Kirkland, but no dice - it was totally dead..I'm guessing that they needed to recuperate from all the food they ate the night before...

Saturday night, temperatures still very mild for this late in November, but a slight chance of rain had been predicted, so we headed up to the Snoqualmie Casino - seems like ages since we were here last.

Anyway, skipping ahead a bit - My first pull on the slot machine I won $15. Holy Cow! How often does that happen? Never! My whole evening seemed to go that way, I won at slots, poker and the craps table. Unbelievable! Time to celebrate!

At the Lit Lounge we were greeted by Josh (El Jefe) and Narong. BTW Josh, the beard looks great!

Lots of people were here watching the Apple Cup on the big screen TV's. I'm a Husky Dad, so naturally I rooted for the Dawgs.

"You know what the difference between a Husky and a Coug is?"

"They both applied at the UW."

So while I was searching for a cigar in the humidor, my friend Narong pulled out a box of cigars from the cabinet underneath. He gently opened the lid of the box and with a smile on his face, he showed me the treasure inside. You'd think we were looking at bars of gold or something? He told me that these were the very special:

Padrón 1964, 85 Years.

Very special indeed.

So what did I think? I loved it! Excellent, excellent cigar in every category. Size, shape, color, feel, draw and burn were all perfect. Rich flavor and exceptionally smooth from start to finish. My only complaint is the price - you'll break the bank smoking these everyday. $$$

Thank-you Narong for pulling this one out of the cabinet for me! I hope there are a few left when I come up next time!

Side note: If you use a limo or towne car service frequently to get around town or go to the airport, check out this company's app, it's pretty cool!

Back from Vacation

2011-11-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting little item that I picked up at the Duty-Free shop in São Paulo.

Nice happy 5 pack of Dona Flor cigars.

And here is what the back of the box looks like.

Nasty, eh?

Side Note: No food issues at the 5-star hotel in São Paulo this year (Read more here). They had a GREAT looking buffet too, but because of what happened last year I decided to order À La Carte. Probably a wise decision.
;)
Have a GREAT Turkey Day!

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter November 7, 2011

2011-11-12T04:17:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Our next event in Lit will be on Wednesday, November 16th from 6-9pm.

Join us as we feature Jameson Irish Whiskey and the Oliva family of cigars. Ambassadors from both Jameson and Oliva will be on hand, and we'll have some great specials and plenty of prizes to give away.

If you haven't made it into Lit on Sundays to watch the Seahawks or all the other NFL games, you're missing a great time. Every Sunday, we'll be having a prize drawing every time the Seahawks score! But wait, you say, the Seahawks hardly ever score! We understand that, so if that's the case, we'll draw a prize periodically to take the pain away from another punt or interception. Go 'Hawks!

Come out and join us for all the games and enjoy a $5 Finlandia Bloody Mary or a $6 El Jimador Cointreau Margarita.

Save the date for our next Tuesday Night Cigar Club in the Sno Lounge. We're still working on all the details, but the date, December 13, is set. More info in the coming weeks.

New In Our Humidor

The Oliva V Maduro 2011 Edition has arrived. These are extremely limited cigars and come out only once a year. This year's size is one of my favorites, a 6x50 Toro, and features a San Andres Maduro wrapper.

Here is a detailed review from the Smoking Stogie.

Next time you're in, check out our revamped drink menu. We've added some exciting new cocktails that you will enjoy!

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Cohiba Siglo II (Cuba)

2011-11-10T12:44:00.001-08:00

Just returned from a little 3 day jaunt to a resort area not to far from my home here (Brazil), had a great time with some friends of ours. Too bad none of them are cigar lovers. No worries though, they didn't mind if I smoked my Cuban cigars next to the pool. Very nice people....

Anyway if you're curious, the temp here has been in the mid 90's everyday, just beautiful - I don't think we had one day in the 90's all summer long in Seattle!!

So what did I think of the Siglo II? Meh... It was OK. I liked the size, the feel and the look, but I would gladly take a Toraño Master Robusto over one of these any day of the week. The Siglo II is somewhat mild, but occasionally I'd notice a little bit of a bite to it - UGH. Also, the slightest breeze would cause it to burn uneven - seems to be a common problem with Cuban cigars. On top of the uneven burn, I had to re-lite it numerous times. Kind of a pain in the ass cigar.

I'm not sure what my friends paid for this little 3 pak of cigars, but I would imagine that it cost them a pretty penny. Cigars generally aren't cheap here and Cuban cigars are ridiculously expensive. Amazing how they stay competitive...

Side note: I'll be back home by the end of next week. Looking forward to Thanksgiving with the kids!

Alec Bradley Black Market Robusto

2011-11-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Tried this cigar the other day. Overall I liked it, however for some reason it started out real nasty, just a bad, bad taste in my mouth. It's possible that the matchstick I used to lite it might have been the cause of the rough start, but thank God the unpleasant taste went bye-bye. Pretty decent smoke, little more full flavored (stronger) than I usually smoke, but very enjoyable. Burn and draw was flawless...

Would I buy one again? Yes indeed. Something about the Alec Bradley blends that I've always liked. Never found a bad one in the bunch.

Side note: Vacationing in the south of Brazil for a while. A good friend of mine gave me a box (3-pak) of Cohiba's the other day. Yeah, I'll smoke these pretty quick, you can count on it...

Tchau tchau (yes, they speak Portuguese in Brazil, not Spanish!!)
;)

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - Oct. 2011

2011-10-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

First of all, we'd like to thank everyone who came out and enjoyed the Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival. It was a huge success, and we will most certainly be doing it again next year.

We'll be having another small event in Lit on Thursday, November 3rd, featuring a great deal on cigars selected by online bloggers as their favorites. It's an assortment of 6 cigars for only $30 and will only be available at Lit during this event. We'll also have drink specials and prize giveaways. Join us on Thursday, November 3rd from 6-9pm for this special event!

If you haven't made it into Lit on Sundays to watch the Seahawks or all the other NFL games, you're missing a great time. Every Sunday, we'll be having a prize drawing every time the Seahawks score! Come out and join us for all the games and enjoy a $5 Finlandia Bloody Mary or a $6 El Jimador Cointreau Margarita.

New In Our Humidor

We've received a very limited quantity of the 4th installment of Tatuaje's Monster Series - The Wolfman. These cigars are very rare and highly sought after, so we're requesting that for every Wolfman cigar ($15) purchased, that you must also purchase 3 additional Tatuaje cigars. Here is a great synopsis of the Monster Series, as well as a review of the Wolfman.

We also have the brand new La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale, another innovative cigar from La Gloria. These are creamy and complex cigars with a Connecticut seed wrapper that has been beefed up just a bit to give a fuller, richer flavor than other Connecticut-wrapped cigars on the market.

Thanks again for all of your business and continued support, from all of us at Lit! We'll see you soon.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

La Reloba Sumatra Torpedo

2011-10-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

Tried this cigar on Friday night down at the Patch. Not a bad night for a cigar!

What did I think? Meh... medium to full-bodied, maybe leaning more toward the full-bodied side - I wasn't real thrilled with it, nor was my lovely wife, she told me that she thought it was too strong for her.

Anyway, I'd recommend pairing this with a dark/rich coffee, maybe an espresso, something with a bold taste. (bolder than the cigar, so to speak)
;)

Would I buy one again? Nah, sorry.... Too many other cigars out there that are more my style. I wouldn't turn it down, but I doubt I'd buy one again.

Side note: Heading south on vacation next week...

:)

Favorite Toraño Cigar: No doubt about it - Master Series

2011-10-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

If you didn't make it to the Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival up at the Snoqualmie Casino Ballroom, you better plan on going next year. What a great time! Josh and his team really put together a First-Class event for the serious cigar smoker. Everything was perfect - the cigars, booze, food, and music were all top-notch, and holy cow they had some amazing prizes to giveaway! (wish I would have won one of those humidors!)

Anyway, Josh told me that the event "sold-out", so if you planning on attending next year, don't procrastinate - buy your tickets early! I know I will...

;)

Well, if you follow this blog you already know that my "go-to cigar" is the Oliva Serie G Churchill, but I've got to tell you that my taste in cigars is changing a bit and my "go-to cigar" is no longer the Oliva Series G, that's not to say that I don't still like the Series G, I do, it's just that I've moved up the ladder a bit to a more flavorful smoke. Now the cigar that I've got to have on-hand at all times is the Carlos Toraño Master Series. It doesn't matter which size or shape, they're all excellent medium to full-bodied cigars, exceptionally smooth, loads of creamy smoke, and a rich taste that I just love. I must have smoked 4 in a row on Saturday night at the event and I thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. In fact, I liked them so much that I bought a box of the BFC size.

Now you're probably thinking that I'm just saying this because the Toraño rep is a good friend of mine? No way José! Believe me, I'd tell you if it weren't the God's Honest Truth . In my opinion the Master Series cigars are superb, and you really can't beat the price!

If you usually smoke a mild to medium cigar and you're looking for a little change, something more flavorful, I highly recommend that you move up to the Masters.

Side note: Nice turnout at the Patch last Friday night for the Macanudo/Excalibur cigar event - I showed up kind of late, but still had a good time. Few new faces in the crowd made it fun.

Now that the weather is starting to get a little crappier, I have a feeling that we'll be heading up to the Lit Lounge more often. That'll be nice...

Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival Photos

2011-10-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a few photos that I took on Saturday up at the Snoqualmie Casino.

Excellent event - in my opinion everything was perfect. Great job Josh! You and your crew are to be commended for a job well done!

:)

Upcoming Events

2011-10-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Couple items to mention:

The Tobacco Patch in Kirkland is having a Cigar Event on Friday, Oct. 7, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. I'm not sure on all the details since I haven't been down there in a while, but the web says that it will be a Macanudo/Excalibur Putting Event.

Also, Saturday, Oct. 8, is the Washington Cigar and Spirits Festival up at the Snoqualmie Casino. I've mentioned it a few million times on this blog, so I'm sure you've already got your tickets. If not, I think there still might be a few available on Ticketmaster.

Side note: I noticed the first dusting of snow on the Olympic Mountains on Wednesday. Crap... Winter is just about here.

Playmate! Cigars! Spirits! Manny! October is finally here!

2011-10-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival

Only a few days left until our big Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival in the Casino Ballroom October 8th from 5-10pm!

If you haven't gotten your tickets, do so soon, because space is filling up fast. We'll be joined by Playboy Playmate Stacy Fuson, Georgetown Beer's brewmaster Manny Chao (yes, THE Manny), as well as cigar and spirits experts from over a dozen different companies.

Tickets are only $65 and include spirits, beer, cigars, food, along with $25 credit to spend on cigars at the event!

Get your tickets at our casino box office or through Ticketmaster.com

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

J&J Cigars Sales Event - October 1st, 2011

2011-09-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

Rocky Patel Cigar Event

Featuring the new

"Thunder" and "La Bomba" lines!

Join us at J&J Cigars on Saturday, October 1st alongside Tim Wong, Brand Representative of Rocky Patel as we feature specials on "Thunder" and "La Bomba" - the newest offerings from the Rocky Patel and 601 Brand portfolio of cigars!

The event will kick off at 12:00 Noon and go until 4:30pm - here are some of the specials you can expect:

- Buy 3 Cigars, get 1 Cigar free.
- Buy a Box, get 6 Cigars free + a Shirt.
- We'll also be raffling off a prize!

Come down and join us for some incredible smokes and Spirits. You don't want to miss this one!!

J&J Cigars - SODO
3207 1st Avenue S.
Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 724-0111

Hours:
Mon - Fri: 11:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 1:00pm - 9:00pm
Sunday: Closed

The Vertigo Club

Seattle's only exclusive, private luxury cigar club - where the class, elegance, and swank of the 1920s and 30s is only a fine cigar away!

Located in Seattle's SODO neighborhood, The Vertigo Club was designed for discriminating gentlemen & ladies in mind: well-appointed dark leather sofas and club chairs, a beaux-arts granite top bar, a private conference room, WiFi, personalized & humidified cigar lockers, poker table, etc. - all with a Speakeasy-style ambiance.

A limited number of memberships are currently still available. Non-member visits are available by appointment only.

For more information, please contact William J. Daly II,
Owner of The Vertigo Club
by email at William@TheVertigoClub.com

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Arturo Fuente Opus xXx "Power Ranger"

2011-09-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I've never smoked an Opus xXx before. I guess I've always assumed that the xXx on the label was a warning of some kind to beware of the kick-ass to follow. Well, I had an opportunity last Friday night down at the Tobacco Patch to check this out, one of the guys in the group handed me the Power Ranger. Appropriate name, no?

So what did I think? Probably one of the best cigar I've smoked in months. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't the lethal weapon that I thought it was going to be. In fact, it was a deliciously smooth medium-bodied cigar, excellent draw and outstanding taste. I don't think I could find anything negative to say about it, although I hear they're somewhat expensive?

Anyway, don't let the X's stop you from trying this little gem out - it's really a fantastic smoke!

Couple other noteworthy cigars that I enjoyed over the weekend:

LFD Perfecto

My good friend Chris gave me this one, he thought I might like it. Boy, he was right - I loved it! Another outstanding medium-bodied cigar, perfect for a Sunday afternoon. I paired it with an ice cold Amber Ale. Oh soooo nice. Great draw, smooth rich flavor, tons of smoke, plus that perfecto shape - the perfect fit.

Thank-you mucho Chris!

Lastly, the Don Abram Harris Cigars Presidential Reserve 1993

Churchill size, not sure if this was the Cameroon or Connecticut Shade wrapper, I'll go with the Cameroon since it had a slight sweetness to it.

Overall, I liked it. Nice cigar, somewhat mild, but very enjoyable. I paired it with a fine bourbon, seemed to do the trick.

Would I recommend it? Maybe... It's not really the taste that I'm looking for, but that being said, it's not a cigar that I would refuse if offered to me.

Side note: Only one more week till the Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival up at the Snoqualmie Casino. Have you bought your tickets yet? I'll see you there!

Lou Rodriguez Edicion Reserve Maduro

2011-09-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

Lou Rodriguez Maduro
Edicion Reserve Robusto 5 x 50

WRAPPER: San Andres
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Proprietary Nicaraguan Blend

Nice... I smoked this on Sunday while doing a little computer work out in the garage. The garage? Yes, the garage. It's kind of my "man-cave", but also it's the only place "inside" my house where smoking isn't prohibido - Hey, when the weather's crappy, this works just fine.

Anyway, I really liked this maduro - great draw, perfect burn, tons of smoke and a very smooth medium-bodied taste. My only advice is that you smoke it slowly. It's not a nicotine-bomb, but it can sneak up on you.

Would I recommend it? Heck yes! Very nice smoke indeed. I would have preferred it to be just a tad sweeter, but overall it was great!

Cusano 18 Double Connecticut
Robust 5 x 50

I smoked this cigar on Saturday night out on my back deck. Of course it started raining just as I lit it up. Not a real big deal, the house has an awning that gives just enough protection to keep one from getting drenched. Thank-God...

So the cigar looks good, however this one had a slight ammonia smell to the wrapper. That's usually not a good thing. It turned out to be not all that bad though. Burn and draw were perfect, amount of smoke was excellent, taste was OK. It started out kind of crappy, but improved as it went along. Nice medium-bodied smoke at the end. No complaints.

Would I recommend it? Not really. Had this cigar started like it finished, it would have been stellar. Oh well...

Side note: Tried out a new restaurant over in Bellevue the other day with some friends: Amazon Grill. Yes, another churrascaria (BBQ) on the Eastside. It was pretty good, much better than Novilhos over in Factoria. The one thing that I might recommend if you ever try this place out is that you DON'T eat anything wrapped in bacon. (unless of course your stomach is made of cast-iron)

;)

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter September 17, 2011

2011-09-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Join us this Wednesday, September 21st from 6-9p.m. in Lit as we celebrate the release of the brand new Alec Bradley Black Market!

We'll be joined by Alec Bradley VP of Marketing Sam Philips to debut this tasty blend, a medium bodied smoke featuring a Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper and Honduran and Panamanian long filler.

Alec Bradley's cigars are consistently the highest rated in the world, and this one is no different. Take advantage of great event specials - Buy 3 Get 1 free or Buy a Box, Get 8 free.

We'll have drink specials and prizes to give away as well. See you there!

We'll be open at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 18th, just in time for kickoff of the Seahawks' game against the Steelers. Join us for the game and get $5 Finlandia Bloody Marys or $6 El Jimador Cointreau Margaritas with a souvenir shaker!

Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival

Click on the image to the right to see our event flyer with all the details and participating vendors.

Only three weeks until our big Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival in the Casino Ballroom October 8th from 5-10pm! Get your tickets for this fantastic event!

Playboy has confirmed that we'll be joined by Playmate Stacy Fuson, who will be available to sign autographs and take photos with those buying Playboy Cigars at the event!

Tickets are only $65 and include spirits, beer, cigars, food, along with $25 credit to spend on cigars at the event!

Get your tickets at our casino box office or through Ticketmaster.com

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Brick House Bash Tasting Event at Rain City Cigars

2011-09-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

Rain City Cigar

presents the

J.C. Newman

Friday, September 23, 2011 3-6pm

Rain City Cigar

in beautiful downtown Georgetown

WOW! Can you believe it's already the middle of September?! Seems like we just finally got summer going and now there is a touch of fall in the air. Oh well, no matter, let's celebrate the change of seasons with another fun event at Rain City Cigar!

For this event we are featuring Brick House cigars.
Brick House cigars have exploded onto the scene! Come out to Rain City Cigar Friday, Sept. 23 to see what all the buzz is about at the Brick House Bash - an event chock full of freebies and unbelievable savings.

Brick House - Handmade in Nicaragua
Brick House is a beautifully made Nicaraguan puro. It starts out earthy and crisp, yet has a distinctive flavor like no other cigar. As you experience the cool even burn of this handmade cigar, it builds into a well-rounded, smooth taste with hints of oak and maple syrup. It leaves you excited for your next Brick House Cigar.

"Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars"

These days everybody is watching their budgets and looking for great value for their dollars.

Brick House fits that to a T as they top out around $6.50

"Best Bargain of 2009"

Mr. Rick Zunt represents J.C. Newman Cigars and will be here in our store for this event with a couple of great deals for you.

BUY 3 BRICK HOUSE CIGARS GET A FOURTH ONE FREE

BUY A BOX OF BRICK HOUSE CIGARS, GET EIGHT FREE

AND OTHER COOL BRICK HOUSE STUFF

Of course we will have our Rain City Cigar event day discounts in effect

5% Off Each Cigar
10% Off Five Or More
15% Off Full Or Mixed Boxes Of 20 Or More

We hope that you and your friends will join us for this event at Rain City Cigar. In the event of inclement weather, or excessive sun, the Rain City Cigar "25 Foot Cigar Lounge" will be open so that you can enjoy your cigars in comfort.

Sincerely,
Event Staff
Rain City Cigar

Rain City Cigar | 5963 Corson Ave. S. | Seattle | WA | 98108

Room 101 Connecticut

2011-09-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

Can you remember the last time we had weather this nice on Labor Day weekend? Jeez, it was gorgeous!

So one of the cigars that I had high hopes for over the weekend....

Room 101 Connecticut
315 (Robusto): 5 x 50
Medium-bodied

Comments:
Meh... it was OK. The burn started out bad with some major canoeing, but luckily straightened-out after about a third smoked. I didn't care much for the overall appearance, I thought the wrapper and label looked somewhat cheap - just an opinion. Best part of the cigar was the final third, that's when I thought the flavor improved quite a bit. One other item on the positive side is the billows of smoke that this stick produces - very nice!

It's not a bad cigar, but I doubt I'd actually go out of my way to buy one.

Now on the other hand, I was talking to my friend Chris and he said that he also smoked the Room 101 Connecticut over the weekend and he liked it. Go figure!

I have one more of these in my humidor, I'm going to let it age a bit.

Few other cigars from the long weekend:

Rockey Patel The Edge Maduro - Didn't like it. In fact, it was so bad that I put it out. That's pretty bad for me to do that. Stick was hard as rock, terrible draw and a taste that matched the draw. Total waste.

Oliva Serie V - Bought this to replace the Edge. Excellent cigar, loved every minute of it. Not many cigars better than this.

Murcielago Maduro - Outstanding cigar. Love the box press and dark oily wrapper. Smooth and delicious taste.

Casa Fernandez - Excellent cigar in every category. Don't know why we don't see more of these? They're a fantastic smoke!

Side note: Anyone notice the big forest fire that's going on over on the Olympic Mountains? You can see the plumes of smoke big-time from Kirkland.

A.J. Fernandez Cigar Event Featuring the new San Lotano Cigars!

2011-09-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Join us at J&J Cigars on Thursday September 15th alongside Clay Roberts, Vice President of Marketing for A.J. Fernandez as we feature specials on San Lotano - the newest offering from the A.J. Fernandez line of cigars!

The event will kick off at 5:00pm and go until 10:00pm - here are some of the specials you can expect:

Buy 3 Cigars, get 1 Cigar free.
Buy a Box, get 8 Cigars free.
We'll be raffling off a full box signed by A.J. Fernandez
A minimum $75 purchase grants you access (during the event only) to The Vertigo Club, Seattle's Only Exclusive, Private Luxury Cigar Club where you'll be welcomed by lovely Cigar Girls who will be happy to assist you in cutting & lighting your cigars.

You don't want to miss this one!!

J&J Cigars - SODO
3207 1st Avenue S.
Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 724-0111

Hours:
Mon - Fri: 11:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 1:00pm - 9:00pm
Sunday: Closed

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - September 3 2011

2011-09-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Finally, the NFL season is starting this week! Lit is going to be open at 10 a.m. each Sunday showing all the NFL action on our 3 HD screens!

We'll have these great drink specials during all Sunday football action: Get a Finlandia Bloody Mary for only $5.00 or an El Jimador Margarita with a souvenir Cointreau shaker for only $6.00!

If you think you have what it takes to pick NFL winners, join our Lit Cigar Survival Pool on Yahoo. Pick one game correctly each week and move on. The catch is, you can only pick a given team once. If you're the last one standing, we'll have a special prize for you!

Click here to join. The group # is 21742 and the password is 'cigars'. Best of luck!

Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival

Click on the image to the right to see our event flyer with all the details and participating vendors.

We're getting closer to our biggest cigar event to date, only five more weeks! We urge you to get your tickets in advance so that you aren't left out in the event of a sellout!

We've added some more spirits vendors to the mix - Dewar's, The Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Woodford Reserve will be represented as well. Tickets are only $65 and include spirits, beer, cigars, food, along with $25 credit to spend on cigars at the event!

Get your tickets at our casino box office or through Ticketmaster.com

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Tuesday Night event last week with Xikar, Milbrandt Vineyards and Knipprath Cellars. We aren't going to have a Tuesday Night event in September, as we're busy gearing up for the Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival. We hope to see you there!

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

New Travel Humidor

2011-08-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

Got a new Toraño Travel Case the other day.
Nice, very nice...

Perdomo Cigars event at Rain City Cigar THIS FRIDAY!

2011-08-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 2, 2011

3-6pm

RAIN CITY CIGAR

IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN

GEORGETOWN

FEATURING

PERDOMO CIGARS

Hot summer weather is finally here, and what better way to enjoy a Hot August Night than with another hot cigar event at Rain City Cigar!

For this event we will be featuring the excellent offerings of Tabacalera Perdomo.
Nick Perdomo is one of those guys who is a cigar smokers friend. Remember about two years ago when Congress raised the federal SCHIP taxes on cigars by forty-five cents each? Here is how Nick responded:

Perdomo Absorbed SCHIP Taxes and Reduced Prices!

"I say we're in this together. That's why, Perdomo Cigars has absorbed these ridiculous taxes, reduced prices, and passed the savings on to you, the customer"!

Nick Perdomo

Two years after SCHIP and Nick is still "eating" the tax so you don't have too!

This event is a good time to come down show your appreciation of Nick and his fine cigars. Mr. Don Hanes represents Perdomo and he will be here at our store to discuss all things Perdomo. We are not featuring any specific cigar this time so all lines of Perdomo cigars will be on sale.

Don will have the following offers going during this event:

Buy any four Perdomo Cigars and you will receive another one FREE!
Buy a full or mixed box of 20 or more and you will receive this
Quadruple Flame table lighter + another three cigars FREE!

(Excludes Perdomo Fresco)

Heck, that lighter is a $65.00 retail value!!!

Of course we will have our Rain City Cigar event day discounts in effect

5% Off Each Cigar

10% Off 5+ Cigars

15% Off Full Boxes & Mixed Boxes Of Twenty Or More

Then celebrate your labor this holiday weekend in style!

Come early for best selection!

Can't make it on Friday?

No worries Mate, we'll run the event discounts on Saturday too!

(Sorry, no free cigars or swag on Saturday)

Sincerely,

Event Staff
Rain City Cigar

Cigar WX

2011-08-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Probably the nicest guy I met at the Seattle Cigar Expo was Sean Williams with El Primer Mundo cigars. Honestly I thought he was a celebrity or pro-ball player, he just has that star-power about him. Super nice guy though. This was his first trip up to Seattle and he was surprised at how nice the weather was. Heck, so was I, and I live here - blue sky and 85º is a rarity in my neighborhood.

Just a little note about the Seattle Cigar Expo - GREAT, GREAT event! The people who put this together did a superb job and I'm already looking forward to next year. Some might say that the $150 price tag was a little high? In my opinion - No way! For what you got in return I'd say it was a bargain. The entertainment, the food, the booze, and of course the cigars, all added up to a phenomenally good time, plus the higher price probably kept out the riff-raff. If you're a cigar enthusiast, I highly recommend that you plan on attending next year - don't miss it!

Anyway, skipping ahead...

Friday night we went to the Buenos Aires Grill in Seattle for dinner. I've got to tell you that the place has gone down hill since the last time I was there about a year ago. Food quality and presentation have gone way down, plus no Tango - what's up with that!??

So after a mediocre dinner it was time to enjoy a fine cigar, we stopped by the Patch. I had packed the cigar that Sean gave me at the Expo - El Primer Mundo Liga Miami. Big-ass Churchill. He said it was for the VIP's. Nice touch Sean...

Overall I liked it - size, draw, burn and flavor were all right on the money for a mild cigar. Yes, I thought it was somewhat mild. For me this would be a great morning cigar with a rich cup of coffee, at least that's how I picture smoking the next one. I'll grab my Sunday newspaper, sit out on the back deck with my coffee and cigar, no interruptions, and just escape for an hour or so. La dolce vita, no?

OK, Saturday I was down at the Patch again, my lovely wife next to me. You know when it's nice weather, Kirkland can be a pretty cool place - loads of people, pretty good restaurants, and probably more cigars smokers than anywhere else in King County, with the possible exception of the Lit Lounge and the Vertigo Club. ;)

Gorgeous evening though. I brought along a San Lotano Maduro. Beautiful dark wrapper, box press, robusto size. Very nice...

What did I think? Loved it. Flavor, strength and draw, all exceptionally good. What will really draw your attention is the amount of smoke this stick puts out. Sheesh, it's a smoke-bomb! And believe me, I mean that in a good-way. Volumes of rich creamy smoke. Great cigar! (Thanks Clay!)

BTW Clay, if you happen to be reading this - my lovely wife made an observation about the maduro the other day. You see I had just taken the San Lotano label off the cigar so only the Maduro label was showing. Well, my wife said that the cigar looks "prettier" without the San Lotano label - her words, not mine. But you know what, it kind of does look better with just the simple maduro label. Amazing, but true. Leave it to my designer wife....

Sunday night out on the deck, I cracked open a bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon. My better-half bought me a bottle of that and a bottle of Oban single malt Scotch for our wedding (33rd) anniversary. Yeah, I'm a lucky guy, I think I'll keep her. ;)

Anyway, I grabbed a Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro robusto from my humidor. Boy, talk about a firm cigar - this sucker is hard as a rock, you could probably use it as a nail. Surprisingly, for this being such a tightly wrapped cigar, the draw is quite good. No, not even half as much smoke as the San Lotano, but overall it is an excellent smoke. Strength and flavor were perfect - medium to full-bodied and exceptionally smooth taste. I really enjoyed it, especially with a glass of bourbon, no ice, neat. Now you're talkin!

Looking forward to the Holiday weekend coming up. What will you be smoking?

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter 8/23/2011

2011-08-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Our next Tuesday Night event in the Sno Lounge is scheduled for Tuesday, August 30, 2011 from 5-8pm. We'll be joined by our good friend Woody Brown from Xikar.

We'll have some great deals on the outstanding HC Series cigar as well as 20% off all Xikar accessories. We'll be partnering with two of our favorite Washington wineries, Milbrandt Vineyards and Knipprath Cellars. We'll have representatives from both companies on hand as well as some great deals on different varietals. As always, great prizes, free appetizers and lots of fun! Please join us!

Also, tickets are on sale now for our very own Washington Cigar & Spirits festival on October 8th. Click here for more information.

New In Our Humidor

We have quite a few new cigars for you to try and even more arriving in the next few weeks. Among them:

EP Carrillo Core Line Maduros and Elencos series cigars are finally here! These are some of the best boutique cigars in the business!

We have only a few left of the Jaime Garcia Limited Edition. If you are a fan of Nicaraguan tobaccos and the Pepin tradition, try these before they're gone.

The Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva have been getting great reviews as well. A stout Nicaraguan smoke rolled in Miami.

Thanks for your continued support! Stay tuned for details on a special in store event featuring the rarest of the rare Arturo Fuente cigars!

WOW - What an Event!

2011-08-21T21:52:00.000-07:00

Few photos from the Seattle Cigar Expo!

Seattle Cigar Expo this Saturday!

2011-08-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

Well, the day that you've all been waiting for is just about here. Saturday is the Seattle Cigar Expo over at the Seattle Center.

Got your tickets yet? Don't worry, you can still buy them online or even at the door. I got mine awhile back so I'm all set. (I'm generally an expert at procrastinating)

Anyway, I'm planning on taking my camera along, so if you see some nut taking all kinds of pictures, don't be offended, it's just me...

So last Wednesday a very good friend of mine invited me over to the Vertigo Club for a little get together with some friends. I generally don't smoke during the week, but I definitely will make an exception for the Vertigo Club. I don't care what day of the week it is, if I'm invited, I'm going! Love that place...

Few highlights from the evening:

Master by Carlos Toraño BFC 6 x 60

Wrapper: Habano from Ecuador
Binder: Esteli, Nicaragua
Filler: Esteli & Jalapa, Nicaragua

GREAT cigar. This is one of my favorites - absolutely love the Master series. Rich flavor, perfect draw/burn, medium to full-bodied taste - delicious.
I heard that BFC stands for Big Fricking Cigar, and that's a fact - the 60 ring gauge is gigantic!
Surprisingly these are somewhat difficult to find in the local stores. What's up with that??

San Lotano Habano by A J Fernandez, Robusto 5.5 x 54
Wrapper: Brazilian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua / Honduras /DR

This was given to me by Clay Roberts, he's with A.J. Fernandez Cigars - super nice guy, really knows the business. The San Lotano turned out to be another fantastic smoke. Smooth, medium to full-bodied, rich flavor, great draw, nice feel to it, just loved it! Problem is finding them. I think JnJ is the only place around that has any?

Little tidbit that I discovered while I was down at the Vertigo was that in addition to enjoying a glass of rum or single malt scotch with a fine cigar, I've found that a good Bourbon works well too. Well maybe not any Bourbon, but Bulleit Bourbon. You see, I grew up around Jim Beam, so I just assumed that all Bourbons tasted alike. WRONG-O! There's no comparison between Beam and Bulleit.

Yes, I'll be at the liquor store this weekend purchasing a bottle for my own collection. Good stuff!

One other noteworthy cigar that I smoked over the weekend was the J Fuego Originals series - I was over at Rain City last week and I picked up a 5-pack of the Sangre de Toro Originals. I was going to buy the original Originals, but the gal that works there kind of talked me into trying the new stuff. She said the Sangre were sweeter? OK, I'll bite...

What did I think? Ugly little cigars, but they smoked exceptionally well. I liked 'em! Talk about a ton of smoke. Holy Cow, these are smoke-bombs! Delicious though.

I thought because of their size that they'd only last for a half hour or so, but I clocked it the other day and it took me an hour to finish. Nice, very nice cigar! Definitely one of my favorite now.

Next on my To-smoke list:
Carlos Toraño Loyal

My sincere thanks to everybody over at the Vertigo Club - you guys are the best, and I truly mean that from the heart! Thank-you!

Dan - don't forget what we talked about, OK?

Watch the Seahawks Game at Lit

2011-08-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

Seahawks Tomorrow Night!

We'll be showing the Seahawks Preseason opener against the Chargers at Lit and to celebrate the return of NFL football, we'll have a great deal to offer!

Come watch the game with us and get a La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigar and a Trippel Karmeliet Belgian Ale for only $10.

The game starts at 5p.m. FOOTBALL IS BACK!

Seattle Cigar Expo!!

2011-08-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The first-ever, history-in-the-making, Seattle Cigar Expo is finally here! Saturday, August 20th marks this momentous event - the only event of its kind in Seattle history, benefiting Cigar Rights of America!

Almost every major cigar manufacturer in the business will be attending along with some of the most prestigous lifestyle brands available, as well as some of the finest reastaurants that Seattle has to offer. Fine spirits, local wineries, and breweries will abound and top-notch live music & performances top off the event!

Purchase your tickets now to the Seattle Cigar Expo where all attendees will be given a Membership in the Cigar Rights of America organization, 15+ premium cigars by distinguished manufacturers from around the world, samplings of the finest wines & spirits, food coins valid at all Cuisine vendors from Seattle's best restaurants, entrance to key Seminars hosted by industry insiders, opportunities to meet with Cigar Makers, and much more!

Friends, we are only 2 weeks away from the Seattle Cigar Expo - DO NOT MISS OUT! Check out the article below and the Seattle Cigar Expo website for more information. As always, if you have any questions about the event, feel free to contact me.

I look forward to seeing you all there!!

Best Wishes,
John Ohm
J&J Cigars - SODO
3207 1st Avenue S.
Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 724-0111

Seattle Cigar Expo - We're Making History!

Ladies & Gentlemen,

In the heart of the city and at the home of the famed Space Needle - for one day Seattle Center will be transformed into Seattle's Biggest Cigar Lounge benefiting CIGAR RIGHTS OF AMERICA.

Adults will converge for a weekend of on site indulgence, lifestyle vendors, cigar retailers, fine cuisine, Pacific Northwest wine sampling, premium spirits sampling with a large portion of all of these elements hailing from right here in the Pacific Northwest. Cigar enthusiasts from around the Pacific Northwest will converge to ply their passion for cigars, reunite with old friends, make new friends, and celebrate the cigar culture. You are invited to join us in this year's premier Cigar Event.

When: Saturday, August 20th 2011

What Time: Noon - 1pm VIP entry for meet and greet (Limited to 100 Tickets)

What Other Time: 1pm - 8pm General Ticket

Where: Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion, 305 Harrison St. Seattle, WA 98109

What: Cigars, spirits, wine tasting, fine cuisine, boutique coffee roaster, cigar retailers, lifestyle vendors

What Else: music, burlesque performance, panel discussion, CRA seminar, Cigar rolling

What Opening Party: Friday August 19th @ Brouwer's Café (VIP's, Retailers and Manufacturers)

What After-Party: Saturday August 20th @ The Vertigo Club

Tickets are limited so buy your tickets today at

www.SeattleCigarExpo.com

Click HERE for the latest Expo updates!

About J&J Cigars

John Ohm of J&J Cigars has always catered to the needs of the discriminating cigar enthusiast. Specializing in hard-to-find premium boutique cigar brands, you will find the walk-in humidor of J&J Cigars replete with the finest selection in Seattle.

Not sure what cigars to try? Ask John or one of his friendly and knowledgeable Tobacconists for a recommendation and they will be more than happy to help you choose something for your enjoyment.

In need of cigars for Corporate events, Wedding parties, or general Get-togethers? John Ohm and his staff will be glad to assemble cigar packages custom tailored to your specific needs!

Be sure to stop by or call for the best selection in Seattle, whether fine hand-crafted cigars, premium lighters, handmade briar smoking pipes, or all your humidification needs, J&J Cigars is here for you.

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter August 8, 2011

2011-08-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Our next Tuesday Night event in the Sno Lounge is scheduled for Tuesday, August 30, 2011 from 5-8pm. We'll be joined by our good friend Woody Brown from Xikar.

We'll have some great deals on the outstanding HC Series cigar as well as discounts on all Xikar accessories. We'll be partnering with a Washington winery to pair with these cigars and have some fabulous drink specials and of course prizes and free appetizers as well. Mark your calendars!

There's a huge cigar event coming up you should know about, the inaugural Seattle Cigar Expo on August 20th at Fisher Plaza in Seattle. Click here for more information.

Also, tickets are on sale now for our very own Washington Cigar & Spirits festival on October 8th. Click here for more information.

New In Our Humidor

We have quite a few new cigars for you to try and even more arriving in the next few weeks. Among them:

- Playboy - This is a medium bodied Dominican with a nice oily Sumatra seed wrapper. It's one of the many cigars that we'll be featuring at the Washington Cigar & Spirits festival. Even better, they'll be bringing a Playmate to the event!

- Fausto and Fausto Avion - Two new cigars from Tatuaje. These are some of the strongest cigars we've seen.

- Cain Daytona - Another cigar that we'll be featuring in October. It's the third blend of the Cain cigar, this one being the most balanced of the three.

- Illusione Maduro and Illusione Ultra - We've received very few of these cigars, so if you are looking to try one, get it soon!

- We also have new sizes in the Trinidad Habana Reserve, Oliva V, My Father and Nub lines as well.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Seafair in Seattle

2011-08-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Did you see the Blue Angels buzzin around for Seafair? OMG! Very impressive! I think more people go to Seafair to watch the Blue Angels, than the Hydroplanes.

Big cigar weekend...

Carlos Toraño Signature Collection Torpedo 6 x 52

Wrapper: Sun Grown Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican Cubano Ligero/Nicaraguan Habano Ligero

The Signature Collection from Toraño has everything going for it - beautiful dark wrapper, great shape/size, perfect firmness, eye-catching label and a good price.

I've come to the conclusion though that I'm not a big fan of cigars that have the Ligero leaf. I mean I'll smoke them, but for my weenie taste I think they're a tad bold. I smoked this Toraño the other night and thought it was just outside, not by much, my comfort zone. The draw and burn were right on the money, and it delivered in the smoke department, but I just couldn't quite warm up to the Ligero flavor. Don't get me wrong, I smoked the whole thing down to the nub. :)

I think if I had paired it with a dark cup of coffee, or maybe an IPA beer, I might have enjoyed it more. Oh well, next time.

If you smoke a lot of cigars, I have a feeling that you'll really like this one. Definitely for the "big-boys."

My Rating: 7+

Few other cigars over the weekend

HC Series Connecticut Shade
Toro 6.5 x 52

Smoked this one while watching the Blue Angels down on the waterfront. I wasn't real impressed with it - too mild. Nice looking cigar though, had a perfect burn, even with the strong breeze that was coming off the lake. The problem in my opinion, was that it really lacked in taste. I've smoked plenty of mild cigars that I thought were pretty good, but this one just didn't cut it for me. So sad...

Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros Marco
Figurado 6 1/4 x 49

Very nice cigar - cedar worked well. Medium to maybe a full-bodied cigar, good draw, neat shape, plenty of smoke. I liked it! No doubt about it, I'll buy one of these again.

Casa Magna Colorado
Torpedo 6 1/2 x 52

OK, so this was probably my favorite cigar over the weekend - smoked it last night after dinner. Beautiful evening too, temp around 72º, light breeze.

Anyway, I've smoked these quite a few times before and I've got to tell you that these still are one of my favorites. Delicious medium-body cigar, really nice in just about every class. I paired the cigar with a nice cold bottle of Red Hook ESB. Great combo!

My only little complaint was that it got too hot towards the end. Excellent smoke though!

Perdomo Cigars event at Rain City Cigar

2011-08-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 12 2011

3-6pm

RAIN CITY CIGAR

IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN

GEORGETOWN

FEATURING

PERDOMO CIGARS

Perdomo Absorbed SCHIP Taxes and Reduced Prices!

"I say we're in this together. That's why, Perdomo Cigars has absorbed these ridiculous taxes, reduced prices, and passed the savings on to you, the customer"!

Nick Perdomo

Two years after SCHIP and Nick is still "eating" the tax so you don't have too!

Buy any four Perdomo Cigars and you will receive another one FREE!
Buy a full or mixed box of 20 or more and you will receive this
Quadruple Flame table lighter + another three cigars FREE!

(Excludes Perdomo Fresco)

Heck, that lighter is a $65.00 retail value!!!

Of course we will have our Rain City Cigar event day discounts in effect

5% Off Each Cigar

10% Off 5+ Cigars

15% Off Full Boxes & Mixed Boxes Of Twenty Or More

Come early for best selection!

Can't make it on Friday?

No worries Mate, we'll run the event discounts on Saturday too!

(Sorry, no free cigars or swag on Saturday)

Are you planning on attending the Seattle Cigar Expo?

Saturday, Aug. 20, Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion will be transformed into an upscale cigar lounge where adults will unite for a day of indulgence. Ticket includes: Selection of over 15 Premium Cigars, Spirits, Wine tasting, Sampling of Seattle's finest restaurants, Memberships to CRA, Cigar Association of Washington, Seattle Business Magazine, Plus much more...

Rain City Cigar will be representing the Cigar Association of Washington (CAW) at the Seattle Cigar Expo. Stop by our booth and sign up for a free membership in the Cigar Association of Washington.
If you make a contribution to CAW we will give you an ALTADIS cigar!

The Cigar Association of Washington is fighting hard in Olympia to represent the interests of Washington Cigar Smokers and Tobacconists.

CAW Members successfully fought in 2005 to reduce our state tobacco tax from 130% down to just 50 cents per cigar!

In 2010 CAW members fought back an attempt to impose a tax of $3.10 PER CIGAR!

This year CAW defeated legislation to BAN all forms of flavored tobacco products. This would have included pipe tobacco and all flavored cigars.

We also have pending legislation which would allow the return of Cigar Bars like Tini Bigs, El Gaucho and The Wooly Toad, as well as allowing Cigar Lounges in Cigar Stores. We fully expect to see this legislation pass in the 2012 Legislature.

The forces of Anti Tobacco WILL NOT STOP in their attempts to prohibit you from smoking cigars.
Rest assured, the Cigar Association of Washington will be there
Defending Our Industry and Fighting For Your Rights. But we cannot do it alone, we need your help! Please stop by our booth to learn more!

Sincerely,

Event Staff
Rain City Cigar

UPDATE

Rain City Cigar EVENT CHANGE

Due to unfortunate circumstances we will not be hosting the Perdomo Cigars event as previously announced. We hope to reschedule this event in the not too distant future.

Fortunately we are talented retail professionals! Light on our feet, and able to quickly shift gears!

GENERAL CIGAR

is the new featured company for this event

This will be a Buy-Three-Get-One-FREE event.

INCLUDES
Astral, Bances, Bolivar, CAO, Cohiba, Don Rex, Don Tomas, Dunhill, El Rico Habanao, Havana Honey, Helix, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Escepcion, La Gloria Cubana, La Traviata, Macanudo, Partagas, Punch, Sancho Panza, Stradivarius, W&D, White Star.

Rain City Cigar Discounts In Effect

5% Off Each Cigar
10% Off Five Or More
15% Off Full Or Mixed Boxes Of Twenty Or More

RAFFLE - RAFFLE -RAFFLE

YOU COULD WIN THIS

Char-Broil Portable Gas Grill and Cooler Combo at this event!

For every three General Cigar cigars you buy you will receive one raffle ticket. If you buy a Full or Mixed box, you will receive an extra FIVE raffle tickets!

We hope that you and your friends will join us for this event at Rain City Cigar.

In the event of inclement weather, or excessive sun, the Rain City Cigar "25 Foot Cigar Lounge" will be open so that you can enjoy your cigars in comfort.

Come early for best selection!

Can't make if Friday?

No worries Mate, we'll run the event discounts on Saturday too!

Event Staff
Rain City Cigar

J Fuego Origen Series Original (5" x 44)

2011-08-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

My friend Charles gave me a couple of these the other day while I was on my walk. He told me to try them out and see if I like them? Well, I knew that I would like them because I've had an Origen before, just not this size. I've smoked the Belicoso and I loved it!

Anyway, we had friends over for dinner on Saturday night. Beautiful evening, finally... I barbecued lamb. (my favorite)

After dinner we broke-out the cigars and I made some rich dark coffee. In my opinion it's one of the best things to pair cigars with.

So the Origen was actually my second cigar of the evening. The first one was a mystery. My friend brought his stash of cigars along with him and he told me to pick something. Whatever it was that I picked I wasn't paying attention and I threw the label into the fireplace. Knucklehead! Good cigar too!

Anyhow, after the first cigar I grabbed a couple of glasses and some of my good rum to accompany the J Fuego Origen Original. I wanted to give this one a try.

The cigar is of course hand-made, but with no mold, so each cigar is slightly different from the other. It has a pretty rustic look to it and the ends are actually already cut - all set to lite up.

What did I think? I loved it (of course). Medium to full-bodied, perfect draw, very slight sweetness, and plumes of delicious rich smoke. Only complaint was that I smoked in about two seconds, well, maybe it took a little longer, but it's a quicky, that's for sure! Now I see why they come in packs of 5.

My rating: 9+

Couple other note worthies from the weekend:

Ashton Aged Maduro #40 - 6 x 50 - another excellent Ashton cigar, and I might add that this is the last Ashton in my humidor. Yeah, I've got to grab some more. If you're a maduro smoker, you can't go wrong with this one. Absolutely one of the best maduro's I've smoked. I could smoke these all the time. Not too strong, but packed with flavor.

Lastly, my lovely bride smoked an Oliveros Flavors cigar on Friday night. She was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. Personally speaking, there's only one flavor infused cigar that I like and that's the Drew Estates Java. Nice change every now and then.

Side Note: This week is Seafair, so the Blue Angels are in town. Going to bring my camera to work and see if I can catch some of the action. They'll be buzzing around until Sunday. Neat-O!

Charles - thanks again my friend! Great cigar!

Beautiful weekend - Finally!

2011-07-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous weekend, temp in the mid 80's, beautiful blue sky. Of course it's raining again today, but boy it sure was nice!

Anyway, so this gal I work with came over to my desk the other day and dropped off a cigar. She said that it belonged to an old boy friend or ex-something-or-other", I wasn't paying attention when she was talking, I never do, anyway, I took a look at the label and thought to myself: "Now who can I pawn this off on?" You see she handed me a Thompson's cigar. I mean I've never actually smoked one before, but I'm guessing that this is going to be one of those nasty smokes that you can buy for just about nothing. Very cheap indeed...

So the cigar bounced around the office a bit, no one wanted it, even for free no one wanted it. Jeez! So I took it home and put it in my humidor, making sure that it didn't touch any of my premium smokes. ;)

Skipping ahead - Saturday afternoon, I had some free time and it was absolutely beautiful outside, so I grabbed a cold beer from the fridge and took a look in the humidor for something nice. Oh what the hell - I grabbed the ugly duckling and headed out on the deck.

Thompson Corojo Cubano Lonsdale

So here's what their website says:

Corojo Cubano is a handmade combination filler cigar in a delicious Corojo wrapper for less than what you'd expect to pay for a machine-made drug store cigar. This handmade cigar is made from a delectable blend of Dominican Piloto Cubano and Olor combination fillers, Dominican binder, and a beautiful and oh-so-rich smoking Honduran Corojo wrapper.

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

Well, I've got to tell you that I actually liked it. Hah! Go figure! I mean, it's not on the top of my Hit-Parade, but for what these actually cost, it's definitely an OK cigar. Smooth, good draw, somewhat mild, and no nasty taste. Surprise, surprise!

Would I go out of my way to buy one? No, it was good, but not that good, plus I can afford a little luxury in my life. :)

My Rating: 7+

Smoked an Ashton Cabinet #6 - 5 1/2 x 50 on Friday night down at the Patch with the gang. Nice to see Chris and Dan again. Anyway, it was a good smoke, but honestly I've tasted much better from Ashton. This one tasted a lot like La Aroma de Cuba EE series. My opinion remains the same: Meh...

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter July 25, 2011

2011-07-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Join us in the Sno Lounge tomorrow, July 26 from 5-8pm for a free Tuesday Night event! We'll be featuring Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey along with Rocky Patel cigars.

We're express shipping the brand new 601 La Bomba cigar for this event - you'll be the first in the area to try it! La Bomba is an extra full bodied Nicaraguan cigar made in the My Father factory by Don Pepin Garcia. We'll have some great deals on this cigar as well as the very popular Rocky Patel Vintage lines.

As always, we'll have some great prizes to give away, appetizers and drink specials too! We appreciate your participation in these events so that we can keep using the Sno Lounge on a regular basis.

Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival

Click on the image to the right to see our event flyer with all the details and participating vendors.

Tickets are now available for our October 8th Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival! You can get tickets at our casino box office or on Ticketmaster.com.

Tickets are $65 and include:

- Your choice of three cigars from our array of participating brands, including La Gloria Cubana, Rocky Patel, Alec Bradley, Oliva, Carlos Torano, EP Carrillo, and more!

- Manny from Georgetown Beer will be on hand giving beer tastings and seminars for everyone in attendance.

- Your choice of five 1/2 ounce spirits samples from our wide selection of spirits vendors, including Glenmorangie, Remy Martin, The Glenlivet, Bowmore and more!

- $25 credit to our event cigar store - featuring great specials from all of our participating vendors. They'll all have their best deals of the year for you to take advantage of.

- Prize giveaways - we're pulling out all the stops, including Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition humidors and full boxes of cigars!

- Appetizers, special guests, informational and interactive exhibits and more!

Event Update

We've just received word that the 601 La Bomba cigars will not be here in time for the event tonight. We sincerely apologize for this, but the event will still go on as scheduled, with plenty of prizes, appetizers, delicious Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey cocktails along with Rocky Patel Vintage series cigars.

I just wanted to let you know in advance that we were unable to get the La Bomba. Hopefully we'll still see you tonight for a great event!

Thanks,
Josh

Ashton ESG & Alec Bradley Tempus

2011-07-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

"Bite of Seattle" and "Kirkland UN-Corked" were last weekend. Generally speaking these are two very big events, unless of course it rains! You guessed it, crappy weather all weekend long, not a lot of rain, but overall it was cold and cloudy the whole time - minuscule crowds compared to what should have been. Planners are probably shooting themselves right about now... Oh well...
:)
Anyway, we were up at the Lit Cigar Lounge on Friday night. By the way, make sure to get your tickets for the Washington Cigar and Spirits Festival that's coming up in October. It's going to sell-out. Josh, El Jefe up at the Lit told me how many tickets were available and believe me there ain't a helluva lot of 'em! I bought mine just to play it safe...

Anyhow, a while back I smoked an Alec Bradley Tempus Centuria up here - great cigar, just loved it. So I decided to buy another one last Friday. I've got to tell you that the first 10 minutes were identical to the one that I had previously - excellent cigar, perfect in every category. However, after 10 minutes of heaven it started running into major problems - it was plugged. I couldn't get any smoke out of it. I'd puff away like a madman, but no dice. CRAP! Surprisingly after a while it would kind of come back to life - loads of delicious smoke, great taste, but a minute later it was like sucking a marble through a straw. No fun at all. Needless to say I gave up on it. Too bad too, because it has so much potential.
No ratings for this one this time....

Saturday we went out to dinner over in the U-Dist. There's a Brazilian restaurant out there that has the BEST "feijoada" in town, well, maybe it's the only place in town that serves it, but Holy Cow, it is without a doubt the most delicious feijoada I've ever tasted, even better than the one I make. God it was good. Anyway, if you're interested the place is called "Tempero do Brasil" and it's located on the "Ave" up by Ravenna. Service and prices are excellent! It may not be the fanciest place in the U-District, but boy-howdy it's got some great food!

So after a BIG high-carb meal like that I've just gotta have a bold cigar:

Ashton ESG - Estate Sun Grown
23 Year Salute - 6.25 x 52

We stopped by the Patch and sat down with the group. I thought there would have been more people here, especially with the UN-Corked event going on just a block away, but I guess the weather might have been a deterrent.

Anyway, so what did I think of the Ashton? Well, my first thought was: "Does Ashton even make a bad cigar?" I mean it seems like every Ashton I've smoked lately has been "stellar," this one included. Smooth, yet bold taste from start to finish. Not a nicotine bomb or anything, just a very, very fine cigar.
Would I buy one again? Hell yes!

My Rating: 9+

Side note: Don't forget about the Seattle Cigar Expo. I know I haven't mentioned it in a while, but it's coming up pretty quick. Those VIP tickets look pretty tempting! Unfortunately I had to buy the General admission ticket for fear of being disowned by the wifey-poo....

Oh well, I'll be there for sure!

Rocky Patel Event at Rain City Cigar

2011-07-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 29, 2011

3-6 PM

RAIN CITY CIGAR

IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN GEORGETOWN

FEATURING

ROCKY PATEL CIGARS

For this end of July event we are featuring one of the hottest selling brands on the market; Rocky Patel. We are not featuring any specific Rocky line, this time ALL Rocky lines are included and you can mix and match to your hearts content.

It's a Rock-em, Sock-em, Stock-em up on Rocky event!

Tim Wong with Rocky Patel will be here with three great deals for you.

! Buy-3-Get-One-FREE !
!! Buy-A-Box-Get-7-FREE !!
!!! Buy-Two-Boxes-Get-15-FREE !!!

Boxes can be full or any mixed box of 20 or more Rocky Patel cigars!

Rain City Cigar Event Day Discounts

5% OFF EACH CIGAR
10% OFF FIVE OR MORE
15% OFF FULL OR MIXED BOXES

We hope that you and your friends will join us for this event at Rain City Cigar. In the event of inclement weather, or excessive sun (lets hope), the Rain City Cigar "25 Foot Cigar Lounge" will be open so that you can enjoy your cigars in comfort.
Come early for best selection!

Event Staff
Rain City Cigar

Rain City Cigar | 5963 Corson Ave. S. | Seattle | WA | 98108

KCC No.1

2011-07-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Side note: A very Happy Birthday to you too Dan!

San Cristobal

2011-07-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

San Cristobal Selección Del Sol
5 x 52 Robusto

Smoked this on Friday night down at the Patch with the gang. Excellent cigar! Very, very smooth medium-bodied cigar with a ton of flavor, perfect draw and loads of smoke. Thoroughly enjoyable! I don't really care much for the label, but technically we don't judge cigars by their label, do we? Yeah, I know, it's part of the experience...

Would I buy one again? Yes!

My Rating: 8+

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - July 10, 2011

2011-07-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Our next Tuesday Night event in the Sno Lounge will be on Tuesday, July 26th from 5-8pm.

We'll be featuring the newest release from Jack Daniels - Tennessee Honey, with a special cocktail served in a logo souvenir glass.

We'll also be joined by our good friend Tim Wong from Rocky Patel as we feature a few of Rocky's blends as well as an exciting new cigar from Espinosa Ortega - The 601 La Bomba. It's a very full bodied cigar produced at Don Pepin's My Father factory in Nicaragua.

This should be a big hit for those of you who love powerful cigars. Mark your calendars for the 26th... we'll see you in the Sno Lounge!

Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival

We've partnered with Issaquah's Hilton Garden Inn to offer attendees to the October 8th event a special room rate and shuttle transportation to and from the casino. It's a great opportunity to enjoy yourself without the hassle of having to drive home after a long night of cigars and spirits.

Take advantage of this great offer ($99) and let us take you back to your room after the event! Click here for more details, or call the Hilton Garden Inn at 425-837-3635.

Presale tickets are now available for our October 8th Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival! We're giving our loyal Lit customers the first opportunity to get tickets at a discounted price, before they go on sale to the general public on July 16th. You can get tickets at our casino box office or on Ticketmaster.com with the special code "Lit"

We're holding a special pre-sale for our Lit mailing list at a discounted price beginning July 1st - Presale tickets are $55 and include:

Your choice of three cigars from our array of participating brands, including La Gloria Cubana, Rocky Patel, Alec Bradley, Oliva, Carlos Torano, EP Carrillo, and more!

Manny from Georgetown Beer will be on hand giving beer tastings and seminars for everyone in attendance.

Your choice of five 1/2 ounce spirits samples from our wide selection of spirits vendors, including Glenmorangie, Remy Martin, The Glenlivet, Bowmore and more!

$25 credit to our event cigar store - featuring great specials from all of our participating vendors. They'll all have their best deals of the year for you to take advantage of.

Prize giveaways - we're pulling out all the stops, including Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition humidors and full boxes of cigars!

Appetizers, special guests, informational and interactive exhibits and more!

Because of the limited amount of tickets available, this event is going to sell out, so take the opportunity to get your tickets early at a discounted price during this presale by going to the casino box office from July 1-11. After this tickets will go up to $65 and be available everywhere via Ticketmaster.com

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

I think I can count on one hand the number of times that we've had nice weather on the 4th of July. Yes, sunshine on this special day is a rarity indeed, but this year was an exception to the rule - beautiful blue sky, nice breeze out of the north and temps in the high 70's - picture-postcard perfect day!

Few items to report - My friend Charles bought me a Brick House cigar on Saturday night while we were down at the Patch, he said that it was one of his favorites and he thought I might enjoy it. Neat-O! I had a chance to try it out the other day...

Brick House Corona Larga 6.25 x 46

Very nice medium to full-bodied cigar. Draw started out a bit tight and maybe the taste was a tad peppery, but everything smoothed out quite nicely. Honestly I didn't think much of it after the first few puffs, but once it smoothed out I found it hard to put down. Thank-you Charles! Very good cigar my friend!

My Rating: 8

Sunday we were up at the Snoqualmie Casino. I wanted to try the Craps tables again to see if it was indeed "Beginner's Luck" the last time we were here. Unfortunately the Craps tables were totally jam-packed when we arrived, so we decided to have a cigar over at the Lit Lounge first.

I'm pretty excited about the big event that's happening here in October: The Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival. I guess I better get my tickets soon - this event can actually sellout. YIKES!

Anyway, Josh showed me a few new items in the humidor and of course I managed to pick one of the more expensive varieties.

Tatuaje
La Vérité Churchill 2009

I won't bore you with all the details, but let's just say that this is a "sought-after" cigar.

So what did I think? For the price I thought it was "Meh", but if you throw out how much I paid for it, I thought it was great! No really, everything about it was very good, just the price was painful. Very nice medium-bodied smoke, good taste, excellent draw, perfect burn and it lasted for frickin ever.

Would I buy it again? If you cut the price in half - YES!

My Rating: 8

I watched the fireworks down on the waterfront last night. Holy shito, did you see Seattle's show over on Lake Union? You could see it from Kirkland. OMG, it put our show to shame. Unbelievable how cool it was!

So after the fireworks I swung by the Patch to say "hi' to everyone. Lots of people still here. Heck, it's the 4th of July! "Big Erik" handed me a Davidoff Grand Cru No.4 and wished me a Happy 4th. Nice guy! Since it's just a shorty, I decided I had time for it.

OK, so I haven't smoked a Davidoff in ages, but I've got to tell you that I enjoyed this cigar a lot. Again, another very nice medium-bodied smoke, perfect in just about every category, no complaints at all. I finished this little cigar in record time and made it home before it got too late. Thank-God.

My Rating: 8

Side note: We went to Novilhos Brazilian Steakhouse in Factoria the other day. It was OK, nothing special. I thought the meat in general was too salty and the salad bar wasn't fully stocked most of the time. I know you're probably saying that the meat at a churrascaria is supposed to be salty. No, not that salty. What made matters worse is that my lovely wife was sick the next day, and believe me her stomach is made of steel. Anyway, if they were to cut the price in half, I'd say it MIGHT be worth it.

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about the craps table at the casino. Yeah, it was "Beginner's Luck" last time. We finally squeezed into a spot at the table and I quickly lost all my money.
Damn 7's.

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter July 1, 2011

2011-07-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival

Presale tickets are now available for our October 8th Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival! We're giving our loyal Lit customers the first opportunity to get tickets at a discounted price, before they go on sale to the general public on July 16th. You can get tickets at our casino box office or on Ticketmaster.com with the special code "Lit"

We're holding a special pre-sale for our Lit mailing list at a discounted price beginning July 1st - Presale tickets are $55 and include:

Your choice of three cigars from our array of participating brands, including La Gloria Cubana, Rocky Patel, Alec Bradley, Oliva, Carlos Torano, EP Carrillo, and more!
Manny from Georgetown Beer will be on hand giving beer tastings and seminars for everyone in attendance.
Your choice of five 1/2 ounce spirits samples from our wide selection of spirits vendors, including Glenmorangie, Remy Martin, The Glenlivet, Bowmore and more!
$25 credit to our event cigar store - featuring great specials from all of our participating vendors. They'll all have their best deals of the year for you to take advantage of.
Prize giveaways - we're pulling out all the stops, including Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition humidors and full boxes of cigars!
Appetizers, special guests, informational and interactive exhibits and more!

New in our Humidor

We have some exciting new cigars in stock as we move into Summer. Many companies are floating their new releases onto the market before the IPCPR trade show in July. We've brought in a few and they've all arrived this week:

Tatuaje La Verite 2009 - This is a limited production cigar that is sold out well in advance of its release, in the same way wine futures are offered. The cigar is a Churchill size with all of the tobacco grown on a single farm in Esteli Nicaragua and produced at the famous My Father factory. Here's a review from Smoking Stogie.

Two new lines from EP Carrillo arrived this week as well. We have a small amount of the 2011 Short Run. The 2010 version was one of the most sought after cigars of the year, and since only 1,000 boxes were produced, the 2011 version will be gone quickly. We also have in the Elencos from EP Carrillo, which are the same blend as Cigar Aficionado's #8 Cigar of the Year, the Edicion Limitada. Here's a review of this fantastic cigar.

Last, but not least, we have our most limited cigar of any of them. Murcielago has released a special size only for the Northwest region called the Pacifico. Only 100 boxes were produced and we got five of them. It's a gorgeous 6 1/2x46 long corona, with a tiny pigtail. Like the regular Murcielago line, it has the same dark, rich San Andres Maduro wrapper, but the Pacifico is not box pressed - so it burns longer with a fuller taste than the rest of the line. For only $7.50, it's a great deal on such a limited smoke. They will be gone quickly.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Toraño Single Region - Serie Jalapa

2011-06-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

I'd already smoked my quota of cigars by Sunday afternoon, but on Sunday night after a big dinner my lovely wife says to me: "We ought to go out on the back deck for a cigar?" My reply of course was a no-brainer: "Really? Well, OK..." I didn't want to sound too eager.

Anyway, I made some dark coffee, turned on a little Latin music, and picked out a beautiful, firmly packed, dark wrapper robusto from my humidor. Nice choice!

The Details

Toraño Single Region
Serie Jalapa - Robusto 5 x 52

Wrapper: Criollo 98, Jalapa, Nicaragua
Binder: Jalapa, Nicaragua
Filler: El Estero Farm, Jalapa, Nicaragua

Skipping ahead...

You know if you're like me and tend to read a lot of cigar reviews, you probably skim over all the fluff and focus on the bottom-line: Did they like what they were smoking? (Unless of course the author writes something personal - that always perks my interest)
:)
Anyway, so what did I think of this Toraño Single Region? Great cigar! Delicious medium-bodied, smooth from start to finish, perfect draw and tons of creamy smoke. Sweet? Maybe. It definitely had a unique characteristic about it, and that was one of the things that caught my attention. Even the "wifey-poo" commented on how much she liked it. Definitely gotta have one of these again!

My Rating: 9+

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter June 25, 2011

2011-06-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Join us on Tuesday, June 28 from 6-9pm as we feature Makers Mark bourbon and La Gloria Cubana cigars. Come for the whiskey and stay for the great cigar specials, prize giveaways and free appetizers. The party goes from 6-9pm.

After this, our next Tuesday night event will be July 26 in the Sno Lounge. If you're looking for something new to do in the meantime each Tuesday, look no further than our Happy Hour at Terra Vista

Our very own bartender Nicole will be at Terra Vista each and every Tuesday, pouring some great Happy Hour drinks at amazing prices. They also have delectable dishes for only $8. Drop by and check it out!

Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival

We're very excited to announce our biggest cigar event to date. The Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival is going to take place in our casino ballroom on Saturday, October 8 from 5-10pm. We have been very busy bringing together the very best of the cigar and spirits world to create an evening to remember!

We're holding a special pre-sale for our Lit mailing list at a discounted price beginning July 1st - Presale tickets are $55 and include:

Your choice of three cigars from our array of participating brands, including La Gloria Cubana, Rocky Patel, Alec Bradley, Oliva, Carlos Torano, EP Carrillo, and more!

Manny from Georgetown Beer will be on hand giving beer tastings and seminars for everyone in attendance.

Your choice of five 1/2 ounce spirits samples from our wide selection of spirits vendors, including Glenmorangie, Remy Martin, The Glenlivet, Bowmore and more!

$25 credit to our event cigar store - featuring great specials from all of our participating vendors. They'll all have their best deals of the year for you to take advantage of.

Prize giveaways - we're pulling out all the stops, including Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition humidors and full boxes of cigars!

Appetizers, special guests, informational and interactive exhibits and more!

This event is going to sell out, so take the opportunity to get your tickets early at a discounted price during this presale by going to the casino box office from July 1-11. After this tickets will go up to $65 and be available everywhere via Ticketmaster.com

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Rain City Cigar Presents Cigar Independence Day 2011

2011-06-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Rain City Cigar

Presents

OUR BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR

Thursday June 30, 2011
12 noon to 6 pm

Beautiful Downtown

Georgetown

CIGAR INDEPENDENCE DAY

Cigar smokers of every star and stripe,

On July 1, 2005 cigar smokers across the great state of Washington had much reason to celebrate, for on that date we were finally freed from the shackles of the oppressive 130% rate of taxation on our cigars.

Remember...
Montecristo #2's were about $25.00 not $12.50?

An Excalibur #1 was about $16.00 not $8.25?

Rocky Patel's were twice the price they are today?

All of America's great cigar smokers are hereby cordially invited to join us at Rain City Cigar to celebrate the Sixth Anniversary of Cigar Independence Day!

This revolutionary event will feature Fireworks from three big companies in the world of premium cigars

Altadis Cigars with Steve Martin

Featuring:
H. Upmann Sungrown & Don Diego Fuerte
Buy-3-Get-One-Free
Buy a box, get 7 free
Buy a box of any other Altadis brand, get a 7 cigar Cigar Lovers Diary.

General Cigar with Patrick DeWitt

Featuring:
CAO cigars! Buy-3-Get-One-Free
Buy a box, get a 7 cigar Conmemrativo sampler.

Rocky Patel Cigars with Tim Wong

All Rocky Patel Lines
Buy any three Rocky Patel cigars, get-one-free.
Buy a box, get 5 cigars plus a Rocky Patel ballcap.

Now is the time! This is the event!
!!STOCK YOUR HUMIDOR!!

All of the following brands will be on sale

on Cigar Independence Day

ALTADIS

Montecristo, Don Diego, Romeo y Julieta, Saint Luis Rey Serie G, Gispert, Vega Fina, Onyx Reserve, Frank Llaneza, Trinidad, SIGLO, Primo del Rey, Por Larranaga, Royal Jamiaca Gold, H. Upmann, Juan Lopez, Las Cabrillas, Omar Ortez Originals, Jose Seijas, Mi Dominicana, A. Turrent Triple Play, Don Diego Fuerte, H. Upmann Sun Grown, Warlock.

General Cigar

Astral, Bances, Bolivar, CAO, Cohiba, Don Rex, Don Tomas, Dunhill, El Rico Habanao, havana Honey, Helix, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Escepcion, La Gloria Cubana, La Traviata, Macanudo, Partagas, PUnch, Sancho Panza, Stradivarius, W&D, White Star.

Rocky Patel Cigars

1961, Vintage 1990, 1992, 1999, Decades, The Edge, Old World Reserve, Patel Bros., Sun Grown, Spring 2009, TAA Signature Series, a Rain City Cigar exclusive.

(ALL BRANDS LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND)

Steve, Patrick and Tim will be wheelin and dealin, usin all their good old American ingenuity tryin to out compete each other. When the cigar smoke clears, one thing is sure, you, our great customers will be the big winners!

CIGAR INDEPENDENCE DAY FEATURED BRANDS DISCOUNTS

5% OFF EACH CIGAR

10% OFF FIVE CIGARS

15% OFF FULL BOXES & MIXED BOXES OF 20 OR MORE

Come early for best selection!

Sincerely,

Event Staff

Rain City Cigar

5963 Corson Avenue South #130
Seattle, WA 98108-2646

Cubao No.5 - 6.1 X 50

2011-06-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Light drizzle falling on Saturday night, too boring to hang around Kirkland, so we head up to the Snoqualmie Casino. I told myself that tonight we'd try something a little different: Craps! When we were in Vegas I played this game once and lost my shorts so fast that I didn't know what hit me. Anyway, since then I've done a little research on how the heck you play and I think I kind of get the drift now, hopefully I won't look like a total dork when I step up to the plate.

Moment of Truth
The casino has a bunch of craps tables and all of them are pretty full, but I find an open spot towards the end of one of the tables. I put my money on the table and they pass me my chips with the customary "Good Luck!" My lovely wife is standing right behind me, she really has no clue as to how this game is played, so as the evening went on I would tell her which numbers to pray for. :)

To make a long story short, I was pretty nervous at first, but I think I got the hang of it quite quickly - I actually tripled my money! No shito Sherlock! There were a couple of shooters that were rolling everything except sevens, so we did GREAT! It took a long time, but it really paid off. I decided to quit while I was ahead - heck, I could have played all night! What was really amazing were the guys that were gambling right next to me. Holy Crap, these guys were putting down some BIG money and of course winning big money in return.

Amazing... definitely my new game of choice.

So after an exciting and stressful venture over at the craps table, it was time for a cigar at the Lit Lounge. Naturally when we arrived it was standing room only. No worries though, our usual hangout in the corner over by the bar is available.

Anyway, I brought along a Cubao No. 5, from Espinoza y Ortega Brand (EO Brands). Pretty good size cigar, big ring as well, feels comfortable in my hand, not too firm, not spongy, yeah, it feels just right. I give it a cut and light it up .Nice, very nice... full of flavor, medium bodied, smooth, creamy smooth. I like it! My lovely wife helped me smoke it as well and she thought it was quite good. This is a big cigar, so needless to say it lasted a long time. Towards the end the flavor turned a little peppery and I think the nicotine kicked up a couple of gears, so I had to slow it way down. Overall I really enjoyed it, but I highly recommend that you take your time and don't rush it, it'll sneak up on you if you do.

Would I buy one of these again? Heck Yes!

My Rating: 8+

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter - June 18, 2011

2011-06-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Thank you to everyone who joined us last week as we brought our Tuesday Night Cigar Club to the Sno Lounge. The crowd was great and everyone enjoyed the gin, the cigars, the big spacious room, stunning views and awesome sound system. We're excited to keep these events coming!

Meanwhile, we are winding down the weekly Tuesday events in Lit. We still have a few more to go! Join us this Tuesday, June 21 as we feature Johnnie Walker scotch whisky. We'll be joined by Master of Whisky Breck Taylor who will be on hand to talk whiskey and enjoy some great cigars with us as well. We'll have prizes to give away, free appetizers, drink and cigar specials and plenty of ear piercing whistles from Richard. The party starts at 6 pm!

Lit Connoisseur's Club

One of the great running promotions we have to reward our valuable regular customers is the Lit Connoisseur's Club card.

How does it work? It's simple, just pick up a free card the next time you're at Lit, then fill it up by smoking all of the brands listed on the card.

Once you fill your card, you can exchange it for a great custom Lit gift. We have travel humidors, lighters, and a brand new Xikar cutter - all with our Lit logo! Ask for your card, next time you're in!

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Quai D'Orsay (Cuba)

2011-06-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

I was down the Patch the other night and my friend Brent surprised me with this beautiful Cuban cigar - Quai D'Orsay. Ever heard of them before? Me neither, but last night I had the pleasure of smoking one.

What did I think? I'm not going to say that I loved it, but I liked it a lot. Everything about it was very good: size, shape, feel, color, draw, burn, all pretty much right on the money. Nice mild to medium-bodied flavor as well. No complaints, especially since it was a gift! It's definitely a cigar that you could smoke any time of day.

My Rating: 8+

Side note: I finally bought my tickets for the Seattle Cigar Expo!

:)

Ashton VSG Eclipse

2011-06-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

We drove up to the Lit Cigar Lounge late Friday night and hooked up with some good friends for a cigar and a drink. We thought about going to the Tobacco Patch, but the threat of rain was looming and I didn't want to worry about getting all wet. Besides, we hadn't been to the Casino in a while.

Skipping ahead...

Ashton VSG Eclipse 6 x 52

I was a bit skeptical if this cigar would live up to my expectations, I mean $20 for a cigar is about double what I'd usually pay. Anyhow, it had been recommended to me by a trusted source, so I had to give it a try.

They tell me that you only live once...

Well luckily this was indeed one of the best Ashton cigars that I've smoked. I loved it and I think the price was pretty close to being worth it. (how often does that happen?)

Delicious medium body, smooth as all get-out, creamy rich smoke, perfect draw.. No complaints at all for this big daddy - totally satisfying smoke! The flavor remained constant and consistent throughout. Amazingly good...

Would I buy it again? Heck Yes!

My Rating: 9+

The rest of the weekend I was smoking my "Go-to" cigars - yes, the Oliva Serie "G". Great cigar for the money. Saturday night we were at the Patch with the gang and Sunday afternoon we sat in the sun out on our back deck - glorious cigar weather. :)

Side Note - New Italian restaurant just opened down at the marina: "Amici". We tried it out on Saturday night. Food was good, but the service was slow, probably to be expected since they just opened. We plan on trying it again soon.

BTW, "Olive You" restaurant, which is just up the stairs from "Amici", is off my favorites list - just not as good as it used to be. Too bad too, it used to be outstanding!

Hey Chris - everything go OK for you on Saturday?

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter June 11, 2011

2011-06-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Join us this Tuesday, June 14th in the Sno Lounge for our bigger and better monthly Tuesday Night event!
This one is a celebration of Summer, featuring the Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros, a unique cigar that is very exciting. We'll also have refreshing cocktails from Tanqueray, along with great specials, appetizers and prizes. The party goes from 5-8pm and there's room for everyone, so invite your buddies and meet us in the Sno Lounge!

New In Our Humidor

We have just received three different sizes of the Brick House cigar from J.C. Newman. This is one we carried for a little while last year and because of popular demand are bringing it back. Brick House is a Nicaraguan puro with a medium to full bodied flavor that has been critically acclaimed including a spot in Cigar Aficionados Top 25 of 2010. It's a great value in the $5-7 price range.

We also have just received the last remaining boxes of Romeo y Julieta's extremely limited Museum edition cigar. We have both the 2008 edition and last year's La Vida Buena edition. They're elegantly packaged in a frosted tube with artwork by acclaimed artist Charles Fazzino. Both Museum Edition cigars are $20/stick.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Seattle Cigar Expo August 20th 2011

2011-06-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

Ticket Info

La Aroma de Cuba

2011-06-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

Beautiful sunny weekend here in Kirkland. Yes, you heard me correctly, it was gorgeous - temps in the mid to upper 70's and a nice little breeze out of the north. Doesn't get any better than this!

Anyway, I tried out three different varieties of La Aroma de Cuba over the weekend...

Friday
Mi Amor - Magnifico 6 x 52
Excellent! Loved it!

Saturday
EE Edicion Especial #5 - 5.5 x 52
Meh.. Didn't really like this one. Kind of a nasty taste to it.

Sunday
Belicoso - 5.5 x 52
Excellent! Love it!

All three of these cigars are medium to full-bodied, so they are considerably more complex than the mild Oliva's that I like to smoke. The Mi Amor and the Belicoso were fantastic and I'd gladly buy them again, but the "EE", well I smoked it, but I didn't really care for it. Seriously, it left a bad-ass taste in my mouth.

Oh well...

Side Note: I read in the Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter that someone other than myself won the Partagas humidor that they were giving away. Darn-it!

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter June 4, 2011

2011-06-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

We're finishing strong during our last month of the weekly Tuesday Night Cigar Club events. This Tuesday, June 7th, we'll be featuring Ardbeg 10 year single malt Scotch and Rocky Patel cigars. The good folks at Ardbeg are bringing their custom chopper, The Biest, to show it off at Lit. You can enjoy a great deal on this wonderful scotch and enter to win The Biest!

The party starts at 6 p.m. at Lit. We'll see you there!

The following Tuesday, June 14th, we'll be holding a free Tuesday Night event in the Sno Lounge from 5-8pm. It's a celebration of Summer, featuring specials on Tanqueray gin and the Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros cigar.

We'll have free appetizers, great cigar and drink specials and some fantastic prizes to give away. It's a great chance to enjoy the beautiful views of the Snoqualmie Valley from the Sno Lounge deck while having a drink and cigar! We'll see you there!

New In Our Humidor

We are excited to help take part in a great project, Para Japon, a cigar made by La Aurora who are donating proceeds to earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan.

The cigar is a robusto size with a Nicaraguan wrapper around a blend of Nicaraguan, Brazilian and Cameroon tobaccos. It's medium bodied and delivers excellent flavor for a great cause. We have a limited amount so pick one up next time you're in!

Congratulations to Trevor W. who won the Partagas 150 humidor we've been displaying at Lit. Thanks to everyone who participated and enjoyed the extremely rare 150 cigar.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Cigar Bar Legislation - Good News - Bad News

2011-06-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

I just received this email from Rain City Cigars:

Dear Rain City Cigar customers,

As you have probably heard by now, the Cigar Bar legislation that we (you and Rain City Cigar) have been advancing during the just concluded session did not become law.

This is one of those 'good news, bad news' kind of things. The bills passed the Senate's committees without much problem but when it got down to the last hours of the special session it did not make it through the House of Representatives. Our bill was one that didn't make the final cut and was suspended. That's the bad news.

The good news is that this legislation is not dead! It was not voted down and defeated! It was placed in suspension for consideration in the next session. This means that it will be revived in it's current form and status next legislative session. We will however have to wait until next January.

A lot of people worked very hard on this effort and will again in the future. These efforts would have been in vain though had it not been for YOU our loyal customers who took the time and put in the effort to contact your lawmakers and support the legislation! It does show the power of united efforts in changing laws and opinions.

Rest assured that we are not giving up on this effort! We will be calling on all of you again next session to help push the Cigar Bar bill across the finish line!

Thank you all for your participation.

With kind regards,

Event Staff
Rain City Cigar

CIGAR ASSOCIATION OF WASHINGTON

Rain City Cigar Event - Friday, June 10, 2011

2011-06-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 10, 2011
3-6 PM
@
RAIN CITY CIGAR
IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN GEORGETOWN
Featuring
Tatuaje Cigars by Pete Johnson
&
La Verite Vintage 2009 pre-sales

La Verite Vintage 2009

The extraordinary Tatuaje La Verite 2009 cigars will be released soon, and here is your opportunity to pre-order a box.

We will be pre-selling boxes of the La Verite for $120 for a 10 count box. Robusto size only, while supply lasts. We only have 20 boxes to pre-sell, so come early!

Once the La Verite are released later this month, the box price will be $190.00

La Vérité is an idea that was conceived when Pete first saw the tobacco growing in the Garcia's first wholly owned farm (finca La Estrella) in late 2007 that was cropped in early 2008. He realized that the tobacco was going to be spectacular but didn't know how it was going to blend. It wasn't until late 2008 while the tobacco was still under going fermentation that Pete realized the tobacco was smoking perfectly and would make a great single farm vintage cigar.

La Vérité debuted in 2009 and shipped to consumers in 2010 and uses only tobacco from a single farm in Esteli Nicaragua. Much like a single vineyard wine, La Vérité showcases the soil (terroir) where the tobacco was grown. The seed varietal varies from year to year based the crop planted and the tobacco yielded.

***MADE IN NICARAGUA by Jaime Garcia at My Father Cigars S.A.***

We will have our event day discounts in effect on all Havana Cellars cigars including...

Tatuaje, Cabiguan, La Riqueza and Ambos Mundos.

5% Off Each Cigar
10% Off Five Cigars
15% Off Full Boxes
or mixed boxes of 20 or more.

Mr Terry Coleman, representing Havana Cellars cigars, will be here at Rain City Cigar for this Tatuaje event. In addition to La Verite, Terry will also be available to discuss all things Tatuaje!

Terry will be giving out a 3 pack of the rare Tatuaje Black Label cigars with box purchases. He's also going to have some cool Tatuaje swag to go along with those box purchases.

(some restrictions may apply)

Rain City Cigar | 5963 Corson Ave. S. | Seattle | WA | 98108

The Perfect Cigar

2011-05-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

It's not often that I smoke a cigar that I would consider to be "perfect" in every category, but believe it or not I think I smoked one yesterday. I've got to tell you that this wasn't your run-of-the-mill cigar though, it was hand-rolled by Felipe Sosa, world-renowned cigar roller and a creator of THE MASTER cigars for Toraño Cigar company. Yes indeed, this was a very special cigar and I've been itching for an opportunity to smoke it ever since it was handed to me.

Details? Well, there's the problem, I don't have any. My friend Alex with Toraño Cigars gave me the lowdown on how special this cigar was, but idiot me wasn't paying attention. Oh well. You'll just have to trust me on this one.

When I say that it was perfectly rolled, that's an understatement - it was masterfully rolled. Have you ever picked up a cigar and you just knew that it was going to be a big hit because of the way it felt in your hand? This was one of those cigars. Solid, good weight, perfect size (Churchill?), flawless wrapper, everything that only a perfectionist would know when he rolled this "hunk of love". Yes, that's right, I wasn't holding a cigar, I was holding a masterpiece.

I gave it a guillotine cut - it sliced through like butter - Nice...

First puff - Heaven... Medium to full-bodied, smooth as hell, excellent draw, perfect burn, plus it's a major smoke bomb. I loved it! You know it's nice when a cigar lives up to your expectations.

Anyway, the cigar continued on its flawless path to glory and I enjoyed every minute of it. I kept saying to myself - "WOW"...

My Rating: 10

PS - The photo below was taken at the Toraño cigar event at the Vertigo Club by my good friend Herman "Sir Godfather". Great shot of Alex and Felipe from Toraño Cigars!

Thanks again John for putting the event together for us - what a great time!

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter May 28 2011

2011-05-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

We hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend. Join us this Tuesday, May 31 as we feature Crown Royal whiskey and Partagas cigars. We'll have drink specials, appetizers and prizes along with a great cigar special at the perfect time to stock your humidor for the warm weather!

The party starts at 6 p.m. at Lit. We'll see you there!

Mark your calendar and invite some friends to join us on Tuesday, June 14 for our "Celebration of Summer" event featuring the new Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros cigar and Tanqueray Gin.

Of course, we'll have great prizes, drink and cigar specials along with a fantastic venue to enjoy the weather, including the Sno lounge balcony with some unbelievable views of the Cascades! Mark your calendars for this one!

If you are unfamiliar with the cigar, it's the result of a unique immersion process in which the cigars are aged in cedar shavings for eight months, which imparts a wonderful cedar flavor and aroma to the cigar. They are available now at Lit. Come by and try one!

The End of an Era

After two and half years of hosting a weekly cigar event in Lit every Tuesday, we are going to discontinue our weekly Tuesday Night Cigar Club event at the end of June.

Instead we are going to focus our efforts toward holding bigger monthly events in the Sno Lounge along with our biggest cigar event yet, the Washington Cigar & Spirits Festival, which will take place this fall in our casino ballroom. Stay tuned for more info.

It's exciting to look ahead to bigger and more exciting events, but we also want to thank those of you who have come out on Tuesdays and made the Tuesday Night Cigar Club such a success. We've made a great many friends, and our hope is that by focusing on bigger events in these bigger spaces, we'll be able to accomodate a larger group of people. Thank you again for all of your support.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Toraño Exodus 1959 - 50 Years

2011-05-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

You know I thought Washington State had it bad when it comes to smoking laws - Guess what? It's worse in Canada! Sure you can buy your favorite Cuban cigars up there, but try to find a place to smoke them. Smoking is not permitted in any public space or building, including pubs, bars, lounges, clubs, restaurants or malls.

I know what you're thinking, what about Casinos and private clubs (like our Vertigo or the Lit), isn't it the same as here in Washington?
Negative! The BC Ministry of Health says: "These establishments are not exempt from the smoking ban. Prohibiting smoking provides a level playing field with other hospitality establishments in our province and protects people from the hazards of second-hand smoke."

Great....
And then there's the matter of price. Have you ever bought a Cuban cigar in Canada? Holy Shito! Spendy is an understatement. I was talking to my tobacconist the other day and he said that the price is so high because of us (Yanks) - with the embargo we're willing to pay just about anything for something that we can't have at home.

Wonderful...

Cuban cigars are way overrated. Kind of like Apple computers... (smile)

So last night I was down at the Tobacco Patch for my Friday night cigar. We lucked out, it wasn't raining - thank God! I've been looking forward to trying this Toraño, Exodus 1959 - 50 years cigar all week. My good friend Alex with Toraño Cigars gave it to me a few weeks back. Anyway, on the way over to the Patch, my lovely wife and I stopped for a mocha first. Weird thing about downtown Kirkland - there's a million places to get coffee, but only two are open after 9 PM. No kidding. We swung by Caffe Ladro, it's just across the street from the Patch.

Skipping ahead...

Details:
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca Sun-Grown
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Esteli & Pueblo Nuevo, Nicaragua
Size: 5 1/2 x 52
Shape: Torpedo

So what did I think? I really liked it! I'm sure it was because of the dark Brazilian wrapper - really great full flavored taste. Something unique about a Brazilian wrapper - not sweet, just a rich taste that you just can't put down. You know usually I don't do a "v" cut on torpedos due to draw issues, but I forgot my cutter at home, so I had to use the one at the counter at the Patch. I think I might start doing a "v" cut on a regular basis - the draw was absolutely perfect! Just the way I like it. Not too tight, just billows of smooth rich smoke. Nice....

My Rating: 9

PS - Alex, if you happen to read this, take a look at the photo below. That's my primary humidor that I've had for years. Recognize the name? Totally forgot that I had a Toraño humidor.

Back from Vacation

2011-05-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to need a vacation from a vacation? I've been super busy the last couple of weeks entertaining some friends from South America - took them all over the place, Las Vegas, Vancouver BC, Victoria BC, Whistler BC, and just about every shopping Mall and tourist attraction around King County. I'm beat, but I must admit that I had a really good time - these guys were pretty cool.

OK, so did I smoke any good cigars on my vacation? Yes and no.

First the Yes. While I was in Las Vegas I stopped by Casa Fuente Cigar Bar over at the Forum - Nice place! Anyway, I asked the gal there if they had any cigars that were new or maybe unique to this store and she said: "yes indeed!" Kewl - I gotta have one! Since I was with my non-smoking friend at the time, I decided on a robusto - I would have loved to have made an afternoon out of this, but I didn't want mi amigo to get too bored. The gal was nice enough to cut and toast the cigar and then handed it to me for the final fire-up.
My thoughts? WOW! What a nice cigar! Rich, smooth, full flavored, loads of smoke and a perfect draw. Jeez, what more do you want! I loved it! We sat up at the bar and had a few drinks while I enjoyed this exceptionally good cigar. My friend, the non-smoker, said he really enjoyed it here. Is that possible?

BTW, if you're in Vegas there's one show that you can't miss: Cirque du Soleil "O" over at the Bellagio. Oh my God, that was the best frickin show I've ever seen. Of course we had the best seats in the house, but holy cow what a production. You've got to see it to believe it! Amazing, simply amazing...

OK, now onto the cigar that I thought was going to be a stellar smoke, but turned out to be on the average side.

While I was in Victoria BC, I discovered a quaint cigar store downtown called "Old Morris Tobacconist" (est.1892). Excellent selection of Cuban and non-Cuban cigars, very knowledgeable friendly staff and prices on par with the rest of Canada. I picked out a Bolivar Exclusivo Canada Cuban on the Tobacconist recommendation.

So what did I think? Meh... nothing special. Reminds me of a Montecristo No.2 Dominican. Not bad, but not quite the full flavored taste I thought it would be. I liked the Casa Fuente cigar a helluva lot more than this one. Oh well, you'll never know how good a cigar is unless you try it, right? For the money, don't bother with this one.

Now a note from my friend Josh over at the Lit Cigar Lounge:

Upcoming Events at Lit

We have a very special Tuesday Night Cigar Club on May 24. We'll be featuring Macanudo and Excalibur cigars and giving everyone who buys any three of our featured cigars a golf wallet that includes a cutter, tees, golf pencils and a Macanudo Cru Royale cigar!

We also have a great grand prize to give away - a Callaway Club Macanudo golf bag!

The party starts at 6 p.m. at Lit. We'll see you there!

We're excited to announce our next "big" Tuesday Night Cigar Club event in the Sno Lounge. Join us on Tuesday, June 14 from 5-8pm for our "Celebration of Summer" event featuring the new Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros cigar and Tanqueray Gin.

New Beer on Tap - Lucille IPA

We're pleased to announce the arrival of Lucille, the IPA from our friends at Georgetown Brewery, the guys who brew Manny's Pale Ale which has been a favorite at Lit for years now. This beer has a great hoppy flavor with some outstanding citrus notes that would hold up to even the spiciest Nicaraguan cigar. We're sure you'll love it! Try one the next time you're here!

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter May 5, 2011

2011-05-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

A quick correction: The Kentucky Derby begins at 1 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Come on down to Lit to enjoy the race, great specials on Woodford Reserve bourbon and get a souvenir glass with your Mint Julep. We have some cool prizes to give away as well.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Fiesta de Mayo event on Tuesday in the Sno Lounge. It was a great success and we are busy planning our next Sno Lounge event for Tuesday, June 14th.

Meanwhile, our Tuesday Night Cigar Club moves back into Lit next week, Tuesday May 10 as we feature Hennessy Black along with a great special on La Gloria Cubana's new Artesano de Tabaquero cigar. The party starts at 6, but unlike in the Sno Lounge, space is limited, so come early!

Thanks for your continued support. On behalf of our entire team, we appreciate your business!

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter April 30, 2011

2011-05-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

We're just a few days away from our first grand scale Tuesday Night Cigar Club event in the Sno Lounge, Tuesday May 3 from 5-8 p.m. It's a Fiesta de Mayo, featuring Victoria beer, El Jimador tequila and A. Turrent Triple Play cigars - three great products that celebrate the heritage of our neighbors to the south (Mexico, not Oregon!)

We'll have live Mariachi music, great drink and cigar specials and plenty of prizes. It's going to be a great time, so tell your friends to come join us as we take over the Sno Lounge on Tuesday!

On Saturday, May 7, be sure to join us for the fastest two minutes in sports, the 137th annual Kentucky Derby! Enjoy all the race coverage while sipping on Woodford Reserve, the official bourbon of the Derby. The festivities start at 2 p.m. and we'll have specials on Woodford Reserve, including Mint Juleps served in a collectible souvenir glass!

Cigar Spotlight - A. Turrent Triple Play Belicoso

It's the perfect time to spotlight this fantastic cigar, Cigar Aficionado's #14 Cigar of 2010, because this is the blend that we'll be featuring during Tuesday's Fiesta de Mayo event in the Sno Lounge! The Triple Play is an all maduro cigar with a wonderful sweet and nutty character and flawless construction that has been a huge hit at Lit since it came out last Fall.

Don't just take our word for it, see what the folks at Cigar Aficionado had to say in their glowing review.

We'll have some great deals on the Triple Play during the event, including a free $50 Montecristo Signature cutter and 6 free cigars with any box purchase! There's no better time to stock up on this exquisite cigar with the warm weather on the horizon!

Click on the image to the right to see the event flyer.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Adopted by the Toraño Family

2011-05-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

How can I describe this? Let me see... Have you ever been invited to a friend's house for a big Thanksgiving dinner and you were the only one there with a different last name, or maybe you went to your girlfriend's house for the first time to meet her folks, do you remember that feeling you got when the family went out of their way to make you feel welcome, how they introduced you to everyone as if you were now a part of their family too? Well, if you ever have the pleasure of meeting Alex with Toraño Cigars, you'll feel like you just became part of his big family too. He's an amazing guy! I mean really, I'm a nobody, but he treated myself and everyone else in the group as if they were long-lost brothers home for the Holidays. Truly a charming and charismatic guy.

(Señor Carlos, you're very lucky to have him on the Toraño team!)

OK, so what led up to all this? Friday night my lovely wife and I were invited to the Toraño cigar rolling event with Master Roller Felipe Sosa over at JnJ Cigars. The event started at 6 PM, but of course we didn't get there till 8 o'clock. We're always late to these things. Anyway, it wasn't raining so I expected to see a boatload of people out in front of John's (JnJ) store smoking cigars, but no one was out there and the main entry door to the store was closed. That's weird, it's usually wide open for events? Well to my delight the event wasn't in the cigar store, it was upstairs in the Vertigo Club. SWEET! If you've never been invited to the Vertigo Club (private club), it's a cigar smoker's paradise. I'm serious! If I were a member I think I'd probably be there more than my own house. Well, maybe... :) Anyway, we went up stairs to the club and found it to be jam-packed full of people!

So just to give you a glimpse of what was going on - To our left as we entered the room was the Toraño display table, lots of goodies. Right next to that was Felipe's table - he was masterfully rolling cigars for one of the prizes that was to be given away later in the evening. I asked Felipe how many cigars he's rolled in his lifetime? He chuckled. Further down is the bar, fully stocked - there were also trays of sweets at the bar - my wife said that chocolate thingy was delicious.

The club has plenty of big leather sofas and chairs throughout the room, of course every seat was taken tonight. What was really impressive was seeing a hundred aficionados having a good time and enjoying fine Toraño cigars.

John, Bill, Alex and all the others that put this event together, you are to be congratulated! Fantastic job guys!

So cutting to the chase, what did I think of Toraño cigars? Honestly I've got to tell you that I've been smoking them all weekend long - Friday at the Vertigo Club, Saturday at the Patch, and Sunday out on my back deck at the house. GREAT cigars! I smoked the Master and Single Region blend, and I'm looking forward to a couple others that I've got in my humidor. You know this was the first time that I've smoked a Toraño cigar - I must be living under a rock or something? Anyway, I can guarantee that you'll be seeing more Toraño reviews on the Kirkland Cigar Club blog in the near future, guaranteed.

It was really a treat to watch Felipe roll those cigars with such ease, each one perfect in every way. Yeah, he's probably rolled a million in his lifetime, easily...

Side note:
Have you bought your tickets for the Seattle Cigar Expo yet?

Ashton Family of Cigars

2011-04-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

I was invited by my friend Josh (El Jefe de la Lit) to an Ashton cigar tasting seminar up at the Lit Cigar Lounge Wednesday night. Brutal traffic getting out of Seattle, plus the added bonus of torrential rain mixed with snow, an exceptionally pleasing trip. Typical weather for the end of April right? Anyway, I wasn't about to miss this event, so after an hour of being on the road, I finally arrive at the casino. My Better-half couldn't make it this time, so no need for valet parking. I drove around back and parked in the garage. Simple.

Up at the Lit Lounge I was greeted by Josh, who checked me in and showed me a few selections of cigars to choose from for the evening tasting: Mild, Medium and Full-bodied. He also handed me a gift-box that contained a beautiful black Ashton ashtray, compliments of Ashton Team. (NEAT-O) Anyway, I chose the bag of medium-bodied cigars since I had not ate dinner yet. Wise choice. I looked around the room and spotted one of the few remaining chairs. Place was packed for a Wednesday night.

The two gentlemen representing Ashton Cigars:

Manny Ferrero - Senior VP
Saiid Karroum - West Coast Sales Rep

Manny was the one who would give the lecture tonight. You know, I thought I knew a little bit about cigars, but compared to Manny I know squat! Seriously!

Anyway, this was indeed a cigar tasting, so we were instructed to try all three cigars and discover how three cigars in the same category could taste so different. This turned out to be true for me - I only had time for two cigars, but each one was uniquely different and I must admit that I loved them both. (more on this in a future blog)

Manny is a pretty cool guy, sharp dresser, articulate, and knows how to work a crowd, especially a group like ours. He gave an excellent presentation on the finer points of producing an Ashton cigar. He also explained how the pairing of different drinks affects the taste of what we like to smoke.

Great talk Manny!

Anyway, after two very good cigars, I had to call it a night - school night you know! I would however buy two handfuls of a variety of Ashton cigars, so needless to say I'll be reviewing a lot of these in the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to it!

My thanks to Josh and the Lit for inviting me to the event and to Manny and Saiid for a superb evening of cigars. Good job guys!

Side note: Thanks for the 20% discount Josh!
:)

Toraño Cigar Rolling Event featuring Felipe Sosa!

2011-04-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

From my friend John over at JnJ Cigars...

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is a treat! Felipe Sosa is a world renowned cigar roller and a creator of THE MASTER cigars for Toraño Cigar company, which by the way just received a 91 from Cigar Aficionado! He will be at my shop in Sodo this Friday for an Event! Come and meet the MAN and smoke his freshly rolled cigars! The specials are as follows:

BUY 3 AND GET 1 FRESHLY ROLLED CIGAR
BUY 5 AND GET 2 FRESHLY ROLLED CIGARS
BUY BOX AND GET 7 FRESHLY ROLLED CIGARS, with additional 10% off
BUY 2 BOXES AND GET 10 FRESHLY ROLLED CIGARS AND A NICE TORAÑO POLO SHIRT, with additional 10% off

WHEN: Friday the 29th of April from 6 PM TO 10 PM
WHERE: 3207 1st Ave S., Seattle 206-724-0111

As always, we will be sampling fine adult beverages too!

Regards,
John Ohm

The Seattle Cigar Expo August 20th 2011

2011-04-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Click image for more details

For those of you who haven't seen this yet, there will be a BIG, BIG cigar event coming in August to the Seattle Center:

The Seattle Cigar Expo!

General information and ticket sales can be found on their website. Check it out!

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter April 23, 2011

2011-04-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

Join us for our next Tuesday Night Cigar Club on April 26th as we feature Bulleit Bourbon and Rocky Patel cigars and celebrate the return of a familiar face to Tuesday Nights. As always, there will be drink and cigar specials, appetizers and prizes. The party starts at 6pm.

New in our humidor: Casa de Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf and Arsenio, two bold, spicy and complex blends from the manufacturers of some of your favorite cigars, such as Illusione and Alec Bradley. Also, by popular demand, we've brought in the El Rico Habano Double Corona, another great cigar from Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. Try one next time you're in.

Fiesta de Mayo - Free Cigar Event - May 3

Our first "big" Tuesday Night Cigar Club in Sno Lounge will be a Fiesta de Mayo event on May 3 from 5-8pm, featuring Victoria beer, El Jimador Tequila and A. Turrent Triple Play cigars. Oh, we'll have live Mariachi music!

As with our usual Tuesday events in Lit, admission is free, we'll have appetizers, drink and cigar specials as well as plenty of prizes to give away. If you've been staying away from our Tuesday nights because the room gets too crowded, then this is a great time to come back! Click on the image to the right to see the event flyer.

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary

2011-04-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

Did you happen to see that strange color in the sky the other day? What was it? Blue? :)

A couple of weeks back I smoked a Punch Rare Corojo cigar up at the Lit Lounge - you might recall that my lovely wife picked this one out for me, she thought it was the"prettiest" cigar in the humidor. :) Anyway, it turned out to be a pretty damn good smoke, and seriously, I've never been a fan of Punch cigars!

OK, flash-forward to last Friday night up at the Lit Lounge again - Josh, El Jefe, mentioned that he was saving a Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary cigar for me. Could it be as good as the Rare Corojo? Oh brother, the 10th Anniversary turned out to be even better! What's up with Punch anyway? How long have they been making cigars like this? You see my problem is that I will sometimes stereotype an entire brand on one cigar. I know, I know, you don't need to tell me...

Anyway, this was really a superior smoke. If you see one - buy it!

My Rating: 9

Saturday night we were down at the Patch, well I should say that "I" was down at the Patch. My better-half was there for a while, but decided it was too damn cold and went home. She told me that she'd pick me up when I was ready to go. Wow, that was nice!

Quick rundown on what I smoked:

Berger and Argenti Clasico - my friend Chris gave me this cigar a couple of weeks ago when we were down at JnJ Cigars. Not a bad smoke, but it had a little wrapper issue.I can honestly say that it wasn't half as good as the Punch. Maybe Chris will give me another one to try just to confirm my thoughts?

Murcielago - EO Brands - Now this one I liked. Box pressed, dark wrapper, great feel, but more importantly it was a delicious smoke. Smooth, rich taste, great draw, and loads of smoke, not as good as the Punch, but definitely worth trying!

Sunday - The return of the Oliva Serie G Churchill. After a very busy day of working in the yard, I rewarded myself with a litre bottle of cold Radeberger German beer and one of my "go-to" cigars. What can I say, I like Oliva's, however, I'm starting to notice my taste-buds shifting towards a more full-bodied cigar. Yes, I'm growing up...

Side note: Thanks for saving me that cigar Josh, and for finding us a nice place to sit on Friday night. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated my friend!

Looking forward to the 27th!

Lit Cigar Lounge Newsletter April 16, 2011

2011-04-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Events at Lit

This Tuesday, April 19th, we'll be joined by a good friend and one of the nicest guys in the cigar business, Mac O'Donnell from Casa Fuente in Las Vegas. We'll be featuring some of the classic Fuente cigars and as a special bonus, Mac is bringing up a box of Casa Fuente cigars just for the event. The party starts at 6pm, but get there early to make sure you get a seat! As always, food, drink specials and prizes...

Our Thursday Night Cigar Wars blind tasting event is really taking off. Last week, we had a great turnout as you rated the Murcielago belicoso an 88. Join us this and every Thursday to enjoy a cigar and your choice of well drink or draft beer for only $10!

Make sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to stay on top of all of the happenings at Lit! I'll share many of the cool cigar related things I don't have space to put on here, such as this awesome video of Pepin's farm in Nicaragua.

Fiesta de Mayo - Free Cigar Event - May 3

Because of the overwhelming success of our Tuesday Night Cigar Club event, we've decided to hold one Tuesday night event per month in the Sno Lounge so that we can accomodate more people and do some new exciting things.
Our first "big" Tuesday Night Cigar Club in Sno Lounge will be a Fiesta de Mayo event on May 3 from 5-8pm, featuring Victoria beer, El Jimador Tequila and A. Turrent Triple Play cigars. Oh, we'll have live Mariachi music!
As with our usual Tuesday events in Lit, admission is free, we'll have appetizers, drink and cigar specials as well as plenty of prizes to give away. If you've been staying away from our Tuesday nights because the room gets too crowded, then this is a great time to come back!

Lit Cigar Lounge/Snoqualmie Casino | 37500 SE North Bend Way | Snoqualmie | WA | 98065

Rain City Cigars Event April 29

2011-04-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Friday, APRIL 29, 2011
3-6 PM
@
RAIN CITY CIGAR
IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN GEORGETOWN

Featuring
A. Turrent Triple Play
from Altadis

Here is an all Maduro cigar featuring leaves from four countries!

A. Turrent Triple Play are medium-to-full bodied cigars which feature Mexican Maduro wrappers, Conneticut Broadleaf Maduro binder leaves and a stout filler blend of Honduran, Mexican & Nicaraguan tobaccos. All of it Maduro!

These platinum banded black beauties have received Cigar Aficionado ratings from 88 to 93 and have also been named one of the Top 25 Cigar of the Year!

If you like your cigars dark and fuller bodied, Triple Play is a cigar for you.

The 25 Best Cigars of the Year 2010

#14

A. Turrent Triple Play Belicoso 6 1/8" x 54

The Turrent family of Mexico has long made cigars in the San Andres Valley, typically using its homegrown tobaccos. Recently the company has expanded its portfolio, exporting its tobacco leaves, working with blenders from other factories and creating new cigars made from a variety of types of tobaccos. The A. Turrent Triple Play Belicoso is made with a combination of Maduro tobaccos from Mexico, Honduras and Connecticut, and the resulting mix (which involves blending several vintages) is sublime. The Triple Play Belicoso smacks of espresso bean and cedar, and is one of the best cigars to bear the Turrent name that we have ever smoked.
Our good friend Steve Martin of Altadis will be here for this event to answer all your questions about A. Turrent Triple Play cigars as well as our extensive selection of Altadis brands.

Steve will have a Buy-3-Get-1-Free deal running on A. Turrent Triple Play. For every 3 A. Turrent Triple Play you buy, Steve will give you another one FREE!

Buy a box of A. Turrent Triple Play and Steve will give you your choice of free goods.

7-FREE Triple Play cigars
OR
4 FREE cigars + your choice of a Montecristo Signature Cutter or Triple Flame Lighter.

We will have our Rain City event day discounts in effect on all Altadis products
5% Off each cigar
10% Off 5+ cigars
15% Off full or mixed boxes

Eligable Altadis products are:

A. Turrent Triple Play - Don Diego - Frank Llaneza - Gispert - H. Upmann -Jose Seijas - Juan Lopez - Las Cabrillas - Mi Dominicana - Montecristo - ONYX Reserve -Omar Ortez - Por Larranaga - Primo del Rey - Romeo y Julieta - Royal Jamaica Gold - Saint Luis Rey - SIGLO -Trinidad - Vega Fina - Warlock

Sincerely,

Event Staff
Rain City Cigar
206-767-3619

We hope that you and your friends will join us for this tasting at Rain City Cigar. In the event of inclement weather, or excessive sun, the Rain City Cigar "25 Foot Cigar Lounge" will be open so that you can enjoy your cigars in comfort.

Come early for best selection!

Rain City Cigar | 5963 Corson Ave. S. | Seattle | WA | 98108

Blind Lion Scotch Night April 16th

2011-04-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

EO 601 Serie Cigars

2011-04-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

I had to sand and paint one of my decks on Saturday, would have been a breeze but the drum-sander I rented didn't work worth-a-crap, basically tore-up $40 worth of sandpaper. Anyway, I needed to get this done rather quickly, mainly because it was one of those rare occasions when "not raining" and "Saturday" both came together simultaneously, but more importantly, J and J Cigars was having an event that started at 1 o'clock!

My lovely wife and I worked our butts-off, didn't finish the deck until late in the afternoon. I wasn't sure if it would be worth going all the way into Seattle or not, plus the event was supposed to get over at 6 PM.

"Oh, what-the-hell. Let's go for it!"

To tell you the truth I've never been to an event at J and J Cigars. I've been to his store quite a few times and I've even been to his place on the day of an event, but never have I seen what a great job they do for these occasions. I think the key is that John knows how to "get the word out". I was thinking maybe 10 people max would still be there when we arrived, but I it was closer to 20-30, and surprisingly I recognized a whole bunch of them! Amazing cigar community here!

Anyway, it was cool meeting Erik Espinoza with EO Brands (Espinoza y Ortega) - He was super nice to everyone, real social guy, plus he's what I would call an extremely cool dude - you'll know what I mean when you see him. What he really has going for him are his cigars. I tried the 601 Green label and the 601 Box-pressed Blue label Maduro, both are phenomenally good smokes! You'd think a weenie like me would probably pass out from these big-boys, but believe me these are some of the smoothest, full flavored, rich tasting smokes you'll find. I totally loved them, and NO, I didn't have to lay down afterwards.
:)
My Rating for both: 9.5

Would I buy one of these again? Hell yes!

Just a note, the Maduro starts out peppery, but smooths out quickly. You'll love it! Trust me!

Side note:
This was a really nice cigar event. John you did a great job! My wife and I really had a good time. Thank-you my friend! (I especially liked the Pomegranate juice with Vodka - that was the perfect drink)
Herman, Sir Godfather, always a pleasure talking to you. Thanks for bringing me up to date on what's been going on, plus all the pointers on Vegas. I'm definitely going to name-drop when I'm there next month.
Chris and Dan, good talking to guys, and Chris thanks for the cigar - I'll smoke it this weekend. I'm also looking forward to that review.
Big Bill - good seeing you again. When am I going to try your special blend coffee again?

Till next time - Take care!