Nancy McCoy

Our Review of Ashton Symmetry

This review was done for Cigar Retreat by Brad Frazier, whose highly developed palate more than qualifies him for this task. The opinions expressed herein are Brad’s alone.

Cigar Reviewed: Ashton Symmetry

Size: Robusto

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan

Brief Background:

This is the first new cigar branded as an Ashton in nearly a decade. It has been much anticipated and discussed as it represents a departure from other Ashtons in terms of flavors, make-up and strength level. The Symmetry debuted at this year’s IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. The Symmetry was blended for Ashton by Carlos (“Carlito”) Fuente, Jr.

Price: $12

Construction and Appearance:

Slight box press with a medium brown veinless wrapper and low sheen. The cap is a triple and is very firmly constructed. The cigar is only medium firm to the squeeze and has no noticeable soft spots.

Flavor Profile:

The cigar lights without incident. The initial flavors are of sweet earth with a spicy finish. The spice is amplified through the nose but does not carry a burning attribute. The taste is rich and falls in the medium plus to three-quarter range. Working my way into the first third hints of cinnamon and leather reveal themselves. The wrapper, while not always having an even burn, will self-correct with a rotation in the hand. The second-third offers stronger notes of earth and leather with and an occasional note of black coffee. In the final third many of the previously found flavors give way to a rich, very pleasant tobacco note. The cigar holds its body the whole time and offers a richness cleanliness of flavor the entire way.

Conclusion:

I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar from start to finish and it absolutely warrants the price asked. The cigar definitely offers a new flavor range for the Ashton brand.

Rating:

Perfect Day for Golf, Cigars, Food and Friendship

Last Saturday, November 1, we had the privilege of hosting our annual Mike’s Cigar Room Golf Tournament at High Meadow Ranch Golf Course. Co-organizers Frank Kos and Jack Bridge did a spectacular job of pulling it all together and we extend to them our sincerest thanks. To Frank and Jack’s credit, almost everyone who played last year returned for this one. Also, there were numerous comments about how fun the tournament was. There were 28 total participants this year, another tribute to Frank and Jack’s efforts.

In addition, we got lucky on the weather. Several golfers noted that it was a perfect day for golf.

First of all, what would a Cigar Golf Tournament be without an appropriate goody bag? This is what the participants got for just being there: a Fonseca F150 Cigar, a San Lotano Maduro Churchill, a Camacho Criollo Tubo Robusto, a Camacho Corona Churchill, a coupon for 10% off at Golf Galaxy and a Golfsmith coupon for 10% off on a purchase of $30 or more!

It was all mostly for fun, of course, but the guys still played their hearts out. All Hail the winning team, who won by 4 strokes! That was Steve Cocke, Jerry Gregurek, Tom McClung and Jimmy Street. Also on the honor roll, Shot of the Day, Simon Lau; Closest to the Pin, Allan Patrick; and Longest Drive, Jimmy Street.

Frank Kos began the awards ceremony afterward by graciously thanking everyone for participating and also Mike’s Cigar Room for its involvement.

The winning team congregates around the prize table.

And then it was time for door prizes, which were outstanding: a box of 10 of Camacho Criollo Cigars, a box of 10 of Tatuaje Pudgy Monsters, a 75 count Savoy Humidor, a Montecristo Soft Flame Lighter, a CAO Ashtray and an Oliva Ashtray.

I am told there was something of an after party, a fun one involving, what else, Guys Smoking Cigars. Thanks to Frank Kos for hosting that.

And thanks to P.T. Frazier for providing photos. Also to Brad Frazier for being the on site representative of Mike’s Cigar Room and for sending photos and helpful narration and commentary.

Hope you were there. If not, as with all Mike’s Cigar Room events, you will have another chance. We’ll let you know about all future events via email (if you need to be added to the list email us at info@mikescigarroom.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikes-Cigar-Room-Conroe-TX/187621414601521?ref=bookmarks) and Twitter (@MikesCigarRoom).

Cheers!

Mike, Nancy, Brad & Tony

Our Biggest Party of the Year. . .

Oktoberfest at Mike’s, the 5th Anniversary Customer Appreciation Celebration, has come and gone. But don’t be sad. We have great memories. And there will be plenty more fun events to attend at Mike’s Cigar Room in the not too distant future. Last Friday, Oct. 24, was the Big Day. The featured cigar, appropriately enough, was the Oktoberfest by Quesada, a cigar designed by master blender Manuel Quesada specifically to be enjoyed with beer. Especially dark beer. It’s a great cigar and, even if you missed the event, you can still pick up some of them. For your kind consideration, there is an independent review of the Oktoberfest Cigar found at http://www.sethshumidor.com/2014/09/cigar-review-oktoberfest-krone.html

Quesada also provided some excellent swag, including an event-only cigar, hats, lighters, and some beautiful beer glasses.

As is our custom, the 5th Anniversary Party featured incredible food provided by our good friend, Master BBQ Griller Chris Hoffmeister. Take a look at the awesome meats Chris prepared this year: Brats and, because it was Oktoberfest in Texas, Chris’s famous Jalapeno Poppers! Anybody who hangs around at Mike’s Cigar Room knows Chris. In case you don’t, here is a picture of him, taken at Mike & Nancy’s house this summer. Chris is second from left.

Also shown, l-r, David Holmes, Deana Mohr, Ronny Falcon and Joan Falcon. Seated: Nancy. (Okay, this picture has nothing to do with the Oktoberfest Event. I just like it!!!)

Our friends at Silver Eagle Distributing generously provided Oktoberfest-themed beers for the occasion. That kind gesture was much appreciated by all!

David Brophy, the Quesada sales rep, made his appearance. We like David. We have known him for many years. Hope you had a chance to harass David. It’s one of the best parts of any Quesada event.

Our friend Gene brought Anniversary Balloons, as he did last year. We have such wonderful customers!

And check this out. Scott wore the correct shirt for the occasion. Even if accidentally.

Before we ate, Tom proposed a toast to Mike’s Cigar Room and its 5th Anniversary. Everyone was happy to join in. Cheers!

After that, it was fun, lively conversation, cigars, beer, brats, poppers and even a couple of sides provided by Nancy. Specifically, 2 kinds of pasta salad and a strange but interesting pumpkin and green sauce-based dip. Whatever, people liked it. The festivities continued as long as reason and good sense would allow.

As a special treat, Brad’s wife Ashley joined us for the party. Aren’t they a cute couple?

That was about it. All great things must eventually end. Hope you were here and had a blast. And thanks for your support. If not, there will be other events. For example, please look for emails as well as Facebook and Twitter posts about the upcoming Launch Event for the brand new Ashton Symmetry, the first new Ashton Cigar in nearly a decade, on Friday, November 14. if you are not on our email list to be kept apprised of events, deals, etc., please drop us a line at Info@mikescigarroom.com and ask to be added. Also, please Like us on Facebook, Mike’s Cigar Room Conroe, TX, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikes-Cigar-Room-Conroe-TX/187621414601521, and Follow us on Twitter, @mikescigarroom.

Cheers!

Mike, Nancy, Brad & Tony

My Father Event Was Fun and a Success

Last Saturday, September 18, we had the pleasure of hosting a great event featuring My Father Cigars. And by “My Father,” I mean the event specials included all the Don Pepin Garcia lines, including My Father, My Father Bijou, Jaime Garcia, El Centurion, Don Pepin Blue, Don Pepin Black, La Antiguedad and the former Cigar Aficionado No. 1 Cigar of the Year, Flor de las Antillas.

For the best source of information on My Father Cigars, please see http://www.myfathercigars.com/

The deals were great on this exceptional brand and many chose to take advantage of the box specials. Box purchasers received free cigars, an extra box discount, a t-shirt or an ashtray, and a ticket for the door prize: a beautiful, engraved humidor.It was, quite frankly, the nicest door prize we had seen in a while.

Setting the stage for the event, we thought some refreshment might be in order. It didn’t go to waste.

At this event, we were honored to receive as a visitor Jose Ortega, V.P. of My Father Cigars, who flew in all the way from Miami for our event. Jose is such a nice, fun guy, and our customers enjoyed visiting with him. As did we.

Pictured above, from left to right, Nancy, My Father sales rep Jason Poehler, Mike, Brad and Jose Ortega. Thanks to Larry Byers for taking this picture for us.

As always, there was great conversation. The customers enjoyed the high quality My Father cigars and smoking them with each other. Also, as always, people knew they could relax, use their electronics if they chose, and just be free to be themselves without the pressures of life intruding.

The day stretched out a little beyond the actual closing time, because everyone was having such a good time. Jose and Jason left a little after 8, and then, it was time to wrap it up and go home.

The next day, the festivities continued for Greg Grant, who won the free humidor!We hope you were here to enjoy this great event. If not, there will be others.

In fact, the biggest event of the year is coming up on Saturday, Oct. 25. It’s our 5th Anniversary Blow Out Customer Appreciation Party Featuring Quesada Oktoberfest Cigars! There will be deals, freebies, swag, beverages, food featuring Super BBQ, and a few surprises. Please watch for emails and Facebook/Twitter posts on this one, because it is a huge event for us and you will not want to miss it. Believe me when I tell you the food alone is worth the trip. If you are not on our email list, please just drop us a line at info@mikescigarroom.com and ask to be added. The Twitter name is @MikesCigarRoom and the Facebook page can be found at Mike’s Cigar Room Conroe, TX, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikes-Cigar-Room-Conroe-TX/187621414601521.

Cheers!

Mike, Nancy, Brad & Tony

2014 Mike’s Cigar Room Golf Scramble Sat, Nov. 1

It’s that time again!

Please come by Mike’s Cigar Room and register for the 3rd Annual Mike’s Cigar Room Golf Scramble! Here is what you need to know, courtesy of co-commissioners Frank Kos and Jack Bridge:

It’s a terrific poster. But, okay, it doesn’t convert perfectly to this format. So here’s the cheater Reader’s Digest condensed version of its contents:

3rd Annual Golf Scramble Saturday, Nov. 1. Lunch at 11:30 & tee time 1:30
High Meadow Ranch Golf Course, 37300 Golf Club Trail, Magnolia
Register at Mike’s Cigar Room by 10-30-14
$80, or $83 if paid by credit card
Entry fee includes lunch, green fees, range balls, cart & goody bag. (I have it on pretty good authority the goody bag will include cigars.)
Teams consist of A, B, C & D players drawn at random
Players 60+ with averages of 80+ play white tees. All others green
Bogie maximum on each hole
Players selected at random on 10-31-14
For more information contact Frank Kos (281) 639-7576, knarfsok@gmail.com; or Jack Bridge (713) 419-5353, bridge.jt@gmail.com; or Brad Frazier bfrazier21@hotmail.com
Also, the flyer includes a couple of great shots at Larry Byers. Just because.

In case you missed last year, here is a glimpse of the festivities:

Below, the winning team!
Also, this just in: Duc is a dork.

We’ll see you soon at Mike’s so you can sign up for the 3rd Annual Mike’s Cigar Room Golf Scramble!

Cheers!

Mike, Nancy, Brad & Tony

H. Upmann Banker Event Was Fun

Last Friday, August 8, we hosted an Event featuring H. Upmann Banker Cigars, the bolder and more complex cousin of the other, more well established, H. Upmann cigar lines.

As always, there was plenty of swag to entice our customers to give this high quality, well-priced cigar a try. Altadis, makers of such fine brands as Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo in addition to H. Upmann, sent scratch-off tickets to be given away with already discounted cigar purchases. Everybody loves a scratch-off contest. The scratch-off prizes included hats, ashtrays, money clips and, the grand prize, a cigar mold full of Banker Cigars!

The day started out with a bang. Besides it being H. Upmann Banker Day, it was also Terry Hughes’ birthday. Terry’s wonderful wife, Carolyn, surprised him with a little party-within-the-party including cake and sandwiches for everyone!

Happy Birthday, Terry!

And with that the Event was off to a terrific start!

Candace Martin, the H. Upmann Banker Rep, was on hand to provide product information and assistance.

And then the funniest thing happened. The very first sale of the day, and the very first scratch-off ticket, was the Grand Prize Winner!!!

After that, things went pretty much as all events go at Mike’s Cigar Room this time of year: Great Smokes, Great conversation, golf on TV, relaxing with personal electronics, and maybe a beverage or two. Event Day at Mike’s is just a great way to spend a lazy Friday afternoon! After golf, of course, which preceded the event for some of the regulars.

If you were here, thanks, and we hope you had a good time. But, if you weren’t, there are still plenty of opportunities to get in on the fun. Please join us Friday, August 15, from 12-7, for the Alec Bradley Event! Great cigars, great company, big fun, and, always a surprise or two. See you then!

Cheers!

Mike, Nancy, Brad & Tony

2014 IPCPR Trade Show Offers a Few Great New Cigars

PRELIMINARY NOTE: Cigar Retreat was the victim of some cyber evildoers. Somebody hacked into the site and damaged the content. So much so that all past posts had to be deleted out of an abundance of caution to insure everyone’s computer safety. The back-up was also affected, so that was the only reasonable option open to us. But we will not be defeated by hoodlums or other general miscreants. Please enjoy today’s post and look forward to future ones!

Vegas, Baby. What a place to hold a trade show! Especially since all of our friends in the biz, retailers, reps and manufacturers alike, tend to be so well-behaved amidst temptation.This year’s IPCPR trade show, our big event of the year, was held in lovely Sin City. Doesn’t it make your heart go pitty-pat just to think about that? Las Vegas. It is essentially fake. They have a fake Statue of Liberty, a fake Eiffel Tower, a fake pyramid, fake castles, fake skies, fake buildings, a fake St. Mark’s Square, a fake Grand Canal and fake gondola rides. Just for starters. It’s also utterly over the top and full of drunks. And I love it so.

This year we decided to bring in only a few new cigars, but they are good ones. Some are exceptional. And we’ll be adding sizes to those popular brands and lines we already carry. IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all of these cigars have been shipped to us yet. They will be coming in, as available from the manufacturers, throughout the summer and fall. We will be letting you know through Facebook (Mike’s Cigar Room Conroe, TX https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikes-Cigar-Room-Conroe-TX/187621414601521?ref_type=bookmark) and Twitter (@MikesCigarRoom) as soon as we have them! Please Like us and Follow us to keep on top of the deliveries.

My personal favorite among the new cigars, so far, is the E.P. Carrillo La Historia. As with most of the cigars featured in this post, they are coming soon. They will be worth the wait. Mostly medium bodied, the La Historias have a fair amount of spice in the second half. And they are remarkably smooth. Ashton is also releasing its first new cigar in nearly a decade, the Ashton Symmetry. The Symmetry was created by the master himself, Carlos Fuente, Jr. It is medium to full in strength, and contains tobaccos from Ecuador, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. This is the first Ashton branded cigar ever to contain Nicaraguan filler. For more information on this cigar please see http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/17691.

Speaking of Ashton, we also highly recommend you try the limited edition La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse. Made by My Father in Nicaragua for Ashton, there will only be 3000 boxes made. The Noblesse is a little pricier than some of the other new cigars, but it’s worth treating yourself. Please see http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/17701 Tatuaje has announced the release of its next two incarnations of the wildly popular Monster series. Halloween of 2014 will feature the Jekyll, and 2015, the Hyde. We have also picked up the Tatuaje Tattoo, a delicious and affordable everyday smoke, in 4 sizes, given the popularity of the Robusto size we already carry.

The new, repackaged Octoberfest will be out this fall. Do you like unapologetically bold cigars? The La Flor Dominicana Chapter Two is coming out, and it’s exactly that. That the Chapter 2 packs a punch may be an understatement. La Flor Salamones will be back as well. It’s been a few years!

Another cigar coming soon is the Perdomo Vintage, aged 12 years in bourbon barrels (I can’t wait!). We will also be adding the new My Father Connecticut, offering that wonderful blending of a bold, spicy blend with a lighter, Connecticut wrapper; 601s; a new Cohiba; Rare Air and Chillin’ Moose from La Gloria’s Michael Giannini; this year’s Foundry; a new Dunhill and the Alec Bradley Coyola.

Just a couple of more points about Vegas. It’s full of fake stuff. (Did I mention that?) Here’s a glimpse of fake Venice, for example. I’ve been to Venice. The real one. It was not 108 degrees there. Also, I’m pretty sure it isn’t surrounded by huge American casinos. But this one is kind of pretty, don’t you think? I have no explanation for why things appear to be crooked in this picture.

Also, look! A real balloon is stuck to the fake sky in the fake St. Mark’s Square at the Venetian! Be looking for the new cigars. These are going to be great!

Cheers! Mike, Nancy, Brad & Tony