By: tx_tuff

This is newest V-Cutter from Xikar, but if you have used the Wolf V-Cutter from Xikar in the past then you know this is going to be a real treat. When I first heard of this new V-cutter from Xikar I got really excited, in the past this would not have been the case. You see I was never a fan of the V-Cut, I mean why would I want a funny looking notch taken out of my cigar when I can just have a straight cut?

My love with the V-Cut started over a couple years ago, and I should clarify that. It is not a love with the “V-Cut’ but a love with one cutter. A friend of mine gifted me a Wolf V-Cutter probably close to 3 years ago now. First thought was “ok” thanks? I didn’t want a V-Cutter and besides I had a Xi cutter that I used. I put the Wolf in my truck door panel and pretty much forgot about it.To make a long story short I had no cutter with me one day and grabbed the Wolf to use it, and thats all it took. In one word, flawlessly! The blade cut through the cigar like a hot knife through butter. Needless to say this quickly became my go to cutter. I learned shorty after that it was sold by Xikar and they backed the product which pretty much explained everything.

Fast forward to today and Xikar has a new refreshing version of a metal V-Cutter coming out.. And the President of the company, Kurt Van Keepel, was gracious enough to send me one to try out.

Brand: Xikar
Model: VX V-Cut
Style: V-Cutter
Finish: Metal body with Gun Metal finish
Blade: Inverted V-Cut, Stainless Steel
Size: 4in x 1 1/2in
MSRP: $49.99
Release: Mid September to early October

The Cutter is made in a factory that makes all the Xikar knifes and also brands such as Gerber and CRKT. So I know it is made with supreb quality and workmanship.

Appearance:
Looking at the cutter from the business side (top side) there is nothing fancy about it, nothing extreme. The cutter has a curved out surface on the top and all edges are rounded off including the finger holes. The bottom side is concave to give it a smaller profile (plus it can hold your cigar if you need to set it down) and has 6 small stainless steel hex head screws holding it together, this is a nice contrast against the flat gun metal finish of the cutter. Also embossed along the bottom is the trademark Xikar logo, really classy looking

Ease of use:
Being that this new cutter has a metal body it has more heft to it then the plastic Wolf V-Cutter, giving it a much better feel in the hand. The cutter has two large finger holes, and a large bowl to place the head of the cigar in for the cut.This large bowl makes it easier then most V-cutters I have used or tried to use in the past, and along with the large finger holes I don’t see anybody having problems holding or using this cutter. Operating the blade is nice and smooth with just enough tightness to make it feel quality made and not cheap and loose.

Cut:
The best part, as it should be! The cut on this Xikar is just crazy, I have never had any cutter no matter size, style, or make that cuts better! There are two key factors to why this cutter works so well, of course the opening/bowl that you place the cigar head into. It is nice and deep, so you get a nice and deep cut with a wider opening then I have seen from other V-cuts. Part two is the blade, now the blade is very sharp but that is not the key to the good cut. Most blades on V-cutters start at a point and you are cutting the cigar from the inside (middle of the head) out. The blade on the Xikar is inverted, so you are cutting the cigar head from the outside moving in. This makes a very smooth clean cut with no tears to the wrapper at all. So you are left with a deep, wide, flawless cut every time.

Warranty:
Do I really have to add this? If you don’t know by now then you need to. Xikar has a lifetime warranty. Any problems and they replace it! LIFETIME!

Overall Thoughts:
Not a whole lot to add here, you can tell from my review I love this new cutter. I have used it on several cigars already and my friends have used it as well. All but one person was impressed right off the bat, the other thought it was a great cut but just didn’t like the way it felt in his hand. One last thing, the Wolf V that I use everyday has basically the same blade and has been used on roughly 900 to 1000 cigars between myself, my friends, and co workers. Besides the blade not being as sharp it still works and cuts perfectly and I expect the Xikar to do just as well if not better.

XIKAR FOR LIFE! http://www.xikar.com

by: tx_tuff

The Room 101 cigar was shown off at last years IPCPR show but I have yet to review it and had one calling my name. I’m sure most know the story behind the cigar but for those that haven’t here is a little background. Matt Booth, the owner of a premium line of silver jewelry, clothing, and accessories, decided he wanted a cigar with attitude to go along with the rest of his line. Camacho Cigars turned out to be the company for him and they produce the Room 101 Cigars.

Room 101 by Camacho
I Purchased this cigar from Serious Cigars
Size: 305, 5 x 50
Wrapper: Semila 101, Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras, Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium
Retail: $7.50

Appearance/Pre Light:
The stick was firm with a little give from head to foot but no soft spots, along the way are two black and silver bands. One large with a aggressive style with Room 101 and the other letting you know it was made by Camacho Cigars. It had a nice round triple cap, a medium chocolate brown wrapper that had a scent of tea leaves while the foot had a rich tobacco smell. The pre light draw was easy and had a weal tea taste.

First 3rd:
Plenty of smoke right off the bat with an easy draw. The flavor in this 3rd started off slightly sweet and earthy with no spice. It then turned to a sweet hay and stayed that way with a dull finish, like something wants to come out and say hi but is shy. The burn started off uneven and stayed that way but not bad enough to touch up. Ash was medium and dark gray and sideways due to the burn but held this whole 3rd.

Second 3rd:
Taste moved back to more of an earthy flavor before going back in forth between hay and leather without anything ever sticking out and taking control. Some sweetness did come back at the end of his 3rd. The finish did start to come out a little more but I never could put a finger on it, was still playing hide and seek with me. Ash did fall right before the half way mark of the cigar and the burn was still uneven but never got any worse then what it already was.

Last 3rd:
The sweetness got strong and I even got a little bit of spice out of this 3rd. The flavor ended up with the tea I was smelling on the wrapper and that I got from the pre light draw. The finish got stronger as well and I finally picked up some real flavors such as coffee and nutyness. Ash fell again about midway of this 3rd making it just a two ash cigar as well as the burn correcting itself.

Final thoughts:
This is a medium body smoke, medium if strength and medium in flavor. It had some decent flavor to it but nothing tha really stood out and said this is a great cigar. Construction was very good with a nice draw though out with a large volume of smoke. The burn was uneven for most of 2/3rds of the cigar but it never needed to be touched up and did correct itself. If you enjoy medium body cigars then the Room 101 is worth a try, but if you are looking for a bold full flavor cigar, stay away.

Well Justin talked me into joining this great site Las VegASH TV and here I am. I have been smoking cigars now for about 6 years and have spent a lot of time on cigar forums, most recently as a moderator on EO Brands Cigar Forum helping Eddie Ortega out, well still be doing this. I have also been using Twitter for less then a year and I guess been posting enough links to get Justin’s attention.

I wouldn’t call myself a writer but I do love cigars, and when I do post something I will do my best to keep the reader in mind. I have done a number of cigar reviews in the past so that is probably what you will see the most of from me. But one thing you won’t see s a number rating on the cigar, instead you will get a Final Thought and will be able to decide for yourself if you want to give it a try.

I want to think Justin and hope I don’t mess anything up to bad,

Celebrating 15 years of anything is remarkable, and this year Rocky Patel celebrates 15 years in the cigar industry. To commemorate this historic occasion, they naturally released a special cigar. I was fortunate enough, thanks to Patrick of Rocky Patel Cigars, to get a pre-release sample. I was sent the Corona Gorda, a 6 x 46 box pressed cigar. My sample did not have the final labels, in fact it did not have any labels at all.

The ash on the cigar is a nice white color, however it is not a very strong one. I found myself ashing the cigar frequently.

The first third of the cigar was very earthy with some very powerful pepper notes on the retrohale.
The second third continued to bring on the pepper notes and produced a nice creamy flavor.
The finish of the cigar was about the same as the second third.

Overall I would say this is a good smoke, but not a great smoke.

Check out the video for more:

Cigar provided by Rocky Patel Cigars

Available sizes
Corona Gorda (6×46)
Robusto (5×50)
Toro (6.5×52)
Torpedo (6.125×52)

Smoking Time:90 minutes
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Jalapa
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium to Full

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RockyPatelCigar

Other reviews:
Jerry of Stogie Review
Barry of A Cigar Smoker

Tags: Rocky Patel

La Flor Dominincan, not know for being a mild cigar manufacturer, is always coming out with something new and exciting. This time around they brought out the Air Bender. The Air Bender blend is not a new one for La Flor Dominicana. This blend was exclusive to special events. Mr. Gomez wanted to make sure he had enough of the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper before making this a public. After a few years of stockpiling the wrapper, he feels he now has enough tobacco to keep a consistent blend.

The Air Bender is currently available in four vitolas, Matatan (5 x 50), Guerrero (6.25 x 54), Maestro (5.25 x 52), and Valiente (6.25 x 60). Each of these names honors a kung fu warrior, something that Mr. Gomez is enamored with.

I am smoking the Maestro.

Cigar: La Flor Dominican Air Bender
Size: Maestro (5.25 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Beverage: Water
Smoking Time: 8:00
Humidor Time: A few weeks
Web site: http://www.laflordominicana.com/
Follow them on twitter: @LFDCigars

The Stogie Guys has a great article on the Air Bender here. Thanks to their great article for providing some details about this cigar.

Check out A Cigar Smokers review here.

Tags: la flor dominicana

Cain cigars, another brain child of Sam Leccia of Oliva, billed as a straight ligero cigar.

Smoking Time: over 60 minues
Size: 550 (50 X 5 3/4)
Tobacco: 25% Esteli Ligero / 27% Condega Ligero / 30 % Jalapa Ligero
Website: http://www.nubcigar.com/cain.html

Its happening yet again, another hospital is refusing to hire smokers. They claim they want to practice what they preach in terms of health. In reality some jackass, or a collection of jackasses, want to stop people from smoking, so they file it under this crap. I am tired of hearing about companies wanting to control what you do in life in order for you to get or stay employed.

If a hospital says they want to only promote healthy habits, and they deem smoking to be a non healthy habit, whats next. Lets walk down this crazy road and see how this could be very bad for everyone.

This hospital wants to promote health, then that means all overweight people will be fired, no one will be allowed to eat fast or junk food, everyone must have a healthy lifestyle as deemed by the hospital. Work at a health/fitness club, well then the same rules apply for you. No more drive-thrus, no smoking, better have a good BMI and be in shape.

It really begins to set a precedence that is VERY slippery.As I have said in the past, an employer has NO right to control what you do on your own time that is legal and does not affect your ability to do a job. You are hired to perform a certain job, as long as you are doing that, your off time is your time.

I write code for a living, whether that is a web site/application, or working on iApps, that is what I do at my day job and at home. I like to enjoy a cold beer and cigars. I often have a cigar at lunch time too. Guess what, neither affects my ability to perform my job, I could argue they improve my work.

I have had enough of this crap and it has to end. This is not a smokers right issue, this is a can my employer control my life issue. I support an employer not allowing smoking on their property, but not to try and ban it at my house, my car, or my body.

Here is the article on this crap.

Thanks to @TimD_C4 and @WaltW for the link.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5/5 X 52 (Robusto Grande)
Smoking Time: 8:30
Refreshment: Water
Website: GHCigars.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GHcigars

Tags: cigars direct

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com wrote a book called Delivering Happiness. I was sent an advanced copy to read and review. Here are my thoughts.

For more information Book site

This book is now available in paper format via Amazon $13.19, Borders and Barnes and Nobles $14.03.
You can also buy the digital version on iBooks $10.99, Kindle $10.99 and Nook $10.99.

Follow Tony on Twitter

Ok gang I’m finally in New Orleans and at the end of my multiple city run from hell. So just for ease sake and because I am lazy I’m going to lump the shops I have been hanging out at in one post.

Esteli Cigar 515 Saint Louis New Orleans. It’s a nice shop with a fairly decent selection. Prices are a little high but not crazy. They have some nice leather chairs and a couch to sit and smoke and chess board if you want to play. I picked out a Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Perfecto (which was $10.99)and sat down for a pre-dinner smoke. As it almost always does the conversation turned to Vegas once they find out that’s where I’m from. We had a great conversation about several different topics including hurricane Katrina and what it did to the area. it’s a very laid back place even though it’s in the French Quarter and it seems locals like to hang out there which is way better than hanging out with tourists.

Cigar Factory New Orleans 415 Decatur New Orleans www.cigarfactoryneworleans.com. All of the cigars they sell are their own brands which are rolled in the shop all day. I never get tired of watching the rollers work. It is such a cool process to watch. I picked myself out a Tres Hermanos which is their Maduro cigar. It was good smoke, not much in the way of complexity but it was consistent all the way through. Then I smoked the Vieux Carre which is their Cameroon wrapper. Kind of the same thing going on with this one, not very complex just the same all the way through. So the shop is really big, they have plenty of tables to sit at and you can bring your own drinks in. Since it is New Orleans you can pretty much drink anywhere. It’s kind of loud in the shop and not much conversation goes on. So I just sat at my table and smoked my cigars and drank my beer.

Don Leoncio Cigar Lounge 430 Canal Street New Orleans www.donleonciocigars.com. I found this place completely by accident I was walking up Canal St. heading to my hotel and decided to cross the street earlier than I usually do and there it was. This place is huge, it has several couches and leather chairs to sit in. There is also a fully stocked bar in the back with plenty of drink options. Their selection is pretty good and the prices are a little high but not overboard. Since it is right in the heart of the tourist area it’s not a surprise about the prices. They have their own brands but I wasn’t feeling very adventurous so I picked up a Casa Magna Torito. You just can’t go wrong with this cigar. Anyway, so I sat down by the front door and people watched while I was smoking and I was not disappointed!!! There were plenty freak shows walking around.

So if you find yourself in New Orleans check out these shops (there are several others, i just didn’t have time to get to them). My next scheduled trip is Los Angeles in June so as usual if you have any suggestions for a shop I should visit or want to meet for a smoke drop me a line at sean@lasvegashtv.com.

See Ya,

Sean