Yesterday, as I sat in the lounge at West Coast Cigars chatting with Father Bob (one of the owners), I noticed that he was smoking a cigar with a very light wrapper. If you know Father Bob, you normally see him smoking something with a dark wrapper, and it’s more often than not a LDF DL-700.
To say that I was surprised that he was smoking what was obviously a Connecticut-wrapped cigar was an understatement. He is the only man I know who can suck down a DL-700 in less than an hour! So I asked him, “Father Bob, is that a Connecticut wrapper I see? What cigar is that?”
He replied, “The Jaime Garcia Connecticut.”
Incredulous, I responded with, “No way! A Connecticut from the guy that tugs down DL-700s in an hour! That’s quite a change for you!”
He chuckled, then explained that he had been trying out lighter cigars as of late to see if he liked any, and said he really liked the Jaime Garcia because it wasn’t like other Connecticuts that tended to be too mild and bland for him.
Then Kyle, the other owner spoke up and said, “Yeah, that cigar is mild in strength, but it’s full-flavored. You’ll like it.”
After smoking a gorgeous 2026 Super Sea Monkeys, I took a short break to reset my palate, then I purchased a Toro. When I smelled it, I was surprised by what I smelled. Hay, honey, cedar, and some baking spices. Father Bob was observing me, and I just turned my head and said, “Hmmm…. that’s VERY interesting.”
I lit it up and didn’t say anything for several minutes while I let the flavors sink in. Then, turning to Father Bob, I said, “This is DAMN good! It’s grassy and cedary with an underlying nectar-like sweetness. Even in this first half-inch, there’s all sorts of shit going on! I’m a fan.”
“Wait until you get more into the cigar. It gets a little stronger, but you’ll love the complexity,” replied Father Bob.
I smoked it down to the nub! Normally, I find that Connies get too harsh near the end, but while the flavors intensified, they never got harsh. And while I normally prefer a much more full-bodied texture to my smoke, this cigar’s smoke had a light touch, but it was packed with flavor in every puff! There was nothing weak about this smoke. It was gorgeously complex, but that underlying sweetness really got to me – in a great way.
I will be purchasing a lot more of these. While many might view this as a great morning smoke, I could smoke this any time of day and still be satisfied. It’s now on my to-buy list!
Unco B's Stogie Diary 