Stewed Cigars: a Cavendish
This is a Cavendish made by pressure-cooking whole cigars. These particular cigars were a gift to me. My decision to cook 7 of them comes from the fact that these particular cigars are not what they are said to be.
Rocky Patel Liberation by Hamlet Corona Gorda
The marketing:
"Experience the exceptional Rocky Patel Liberation by Hamlet Corona Gorda, a medium to full-bodied cigar artfully crafted by Cuban Master of Tobacco, Hamlet Paredes. Enveloped in an Ecuador Habano wrapper, it boasts a Nicaraguan binder and a harmonious blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos."
Bob's assessment:
These are unquestionably wrapped in Indonesian-grown Sumatra. Although I cannot identify the filler, it bears no resemblance to any Honduran/Nicaraguan blend filler that I have smoked over the past half-century. The construction of these cigars appears to be a stack of leaves rolled-up as a single bundle, rather than properly bunched. And I am not certain that they even have a distinct binder. Also, the double cigar bands are so carelessly glued that their removal causes the thin, underlying wrapper to tear on about ¾ of my careful attempts.
Although they are generally okay smokes, reminding me of some actual, Indonesian-made Djanger cigars, I saw them as a perfect opportunity to attempt a Cavendish using whole cigars. The foot is naturally open, and each of the heads has been v-cut.
The cigars were run under the faucet, placed into a quart canning jar, and some additional water added. The jar was sealed, then pressure-cooked for 4 hours at 15 psi (250°F or 121°C). The aroma while cooking was awful. The foul smell persisted for the remainder of the day. (Curiously, upon my going into the kitchen the following morning, the air smelled as though I had been baking chocolate chip cookies!)
The bottom ends appear to have wicked up more water than the open, heads.
After resting overnight in the sealed jar, the cigars were sliced into coins, and then the coins sliced in half. [Note: no "baking cookies" aroma here. The soggy cigars stink.]
Two of the stewed cigars cut into coins and then split in half.
All seven stewed cigars.
I immediately rubbed them out, and spread them onto a baking sheet to dry.
The baking sheet was then placed on a wire shelf in my enclosed back porch, where it was exposed to filtered (December) sunlight during part of the day. Since the back porch is always kept open to the kitchen, it's temp will always be at least about 60°F, and low relative humidity (RH) during the winter.
How did it come out?
This photo is taken with a flash. The previous photo is shot in natural light. The actual color of the tobacco is in between the two.
I am enjoying this more than the original cigars. In a pipe, the stewed cigar cavendish lights easily, and burns well, leaving a light gray ash. I sense no tongue bite. The aroma is rich, and seems to have lost its "cigar" character.
I will allow this to rest for a few weeks, since I know from experience that every Cavendish changes its character noticeably over the first few weeks after cooking. I will eventually do some blending trials with this.
Bob
This is a Cavendish made by pressure-cooking whole cigars. These particular cigars were a gift to me. My decision to cook 7 of them comes from the fact that these particular cigars are not what they are said to be.
Rocky Patel Liberation by Hamlet Corona Gorda
The marketing:
"Experience the exceptional Rocky Patel Liberation by Hamlet Corona Gorda, a medium to full-bodied cigar artfully crafted by Cuban Master of Tobacco, Hamlet Paredes. Enveloped in an Ecuador Habano wrapper, it boasts a Nicaraguan binder and a harmonious blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos."
Bob's assessment:
These are unquestionably wrapped in Indonesian-grown Sumatra. Although I cannot identify the filler, it bears no resemblance to any Honduran/Nicaraguan blend filler that I have smoked over the past half-century. The construction of these cigars appears to be a stack of leaves rolled-up as a single bundle, rather than properly bunched. And I am not certain that they even have a distinct binder. Also, the double cigar bands are so carelessly glued that their removal causes the thin, underlying wrapper to tear on about ¾ of my careful attempts.
Although they are generally okay smokes, reminding me of some actual, Indonesian-made Djanger cigars, I saw them as a perfect opportunity to attempt a Cavendish using whole cigars. The foot is naturally open, and each of the heads has been v-cut.
The cigars were run under the faucet, placed into a quart canning jar, and some additional water added. The jar was sealed, then pressure-cooked for 4 hours at 15 psi (250°F or 121°C). The aroma while cooking was awful. The foul smell persisted for the remainder of the day. (Curiously, upon my going into the kitchen the following morning, the air smelled as though I had been baking chocolate chip cookies!)
The bottom ends appear to have wicked up more water than the open, heads.
After resting overnight in the sealed jar, the cigars were sliced into coins, and then the coins sliced in half. [Note: no "baking cookies" aroma here. The soggy cigars stink.]
Two of the stewed cigars cut into coins and then split in half.
All seven stewed cigars.
I immediately rubbed them out, and spread them onto a baking sheet to dry.
The baking sheet was then placed on a wire shelf in my enclosed back porch, where it was exposed to filtered (December) sunlight during part of the day. Since the back porch is always kept open to the kitchen, it's temp will always be at least about 60°F, and low relative humidity (RH) during the winter.
How did it come out?
This photo is taken with a flash. The previous photo is shot in natural light. The actual color of the tobacco is in between the two.
I am enjoying this more than the original cigars. In a pipe, the stewed cigar cavendish lights easily, and burns well, leaving a light gray ash. I sense no tongue bite. The aroma is rich, and seems to have lost its "cigar" character.
I will allow this to rest for a few weeks, since I know from experience that every Cavendish changes its character noticeably over the first few weeks after cooking. I will eventually do some blending trials with this.
Bob
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