As much as it has ever been, a visit from the stork is still a moment properly celebrated with a good smoke and a glass of the finest cognac. No, I’m not talking about myself, but a good friend of mine whose family has been enlarged this week. I realize that I have not been spending much time around here lately, but there’s simply no way I would let this occasion pass by without a fitting salute. Plus, let’s be honest… I’ll take any excuse I get…

… and so, out comes a La Aroma de Cuba Monarch and a little nectar I picked up at the Hennessy distillery while on a tour dubbed “Fine de Cognac”. Temperature and humidity fluctuations, due to my most recent move to another country, had left my humidor wanting, but this Aroma de Cuba proved to be a resilient little stick.

The Honduran wrapper is very oily with a pleasant sheen. Aromas of musk, leather and perhaps a little cinnamon are present on the pre-light. These notes, I found, form the core of this cigar, from beginning to end, and a solid base for its evolution as the smoke progresses.

Lighting up quickly and effortlessly with traditional matches this time (after all this is a celebration), the foot lets off a slightly spicy smoke full of the core notes with a very creamy and velvety texture. I was a little surprised at this point, expecting something generally more rustic.

About an inch in, the smoke has a nutty character, like toasted almonds with the underlying musk; a very pleasant combination indeed. By now, I can already predict a more rustic characteristic taking on perhaps around the half way mark. When I say rustic, I mean it in a very positive sense as far as cigars go. I can see that what began with subtlety and finesse will eventually end with a bang.

About half way, the smoke begins to concentrate a little. The aromas seem to come together to produce an espresso like aftertaste following a draw. The intensifying musk and leather from the core, leave behind a taste that reminds me of the old Star Bucks espresso shots I used to sip over ice, way back when they actually offered real espresso.

This profile goes right to the end, leaving a somewhat spicy finish of cedar and musk for a good while. La Aroma de Cuba is clearly not a smoke to be compared to its other cousins from the Ashton line. Its merits make it stand on its own, in a rustic and satisfying way.

I picked up a bottle of Connemara 12 on a recent trip and decided to give it a try right away. In case you haven’t had this before, it is traditional Irish whiskey. What makes it so traditional, you ask?  Well, the peat. Need I say more?

Peated whiskey is made from barley that has been kilned over peat fires. Connemara 12 year old peated whiskey hails from Ireland’s Cooley Distillery and has already been awarded several distinguished prizes around the world.

I find this single malt to be very powerful on the nose. What starts as strong peat evolves to more perfumed notes of dried apples and chamomile blossoms. At this point, you know you’re in for a very unique whiskey experience.

The palate is, again, quite unique. There’s a clear evolution from fruit notes to bittersweet spices. First I get something like lyche fruit that goes to nutmeg, almonds, and cedar. There is a very distinguishable undertone that reminds me of banana flavored starburts. A very smoky cedar finish lingers elegantly for a good while.

I decided to pair this with a lighter bodied cigar, as I thought that anything too pungent might just clash with the strong aromas of the whiskey. I ended up picking up a Davidoff Serie R and it was a great choice. All in all, it was a fine evening.

Alright, I want to show off my new acquisition from LightersDirect. It’s a table top lighter; meaning that it’s not something you’ll want to take in your shirt pocket, but which should be found among every aficionado’s cigar gear, and here’s why:

These things are as awesome as they are solid. There’s definitely a major “wow” factor that comes with a table lighter, but the real attraction is in how practical they are for perfectly and effortlessly lighting a cigar.

Take my new Lotus T3 table lighter with its triple flame for example. Not only does it look great on my desk, but the extra large tank capacity means I can use it more than twice as much as my regular lighters without having to refuel. Any other triple flame lighter would run out of gas after just a few cigars.

The massive triple flame of the Lotus T3 actually means lighting that cigar much faster and evenly. I was really taken back by how quickly I could light those large formats with this, and how effortlessly even the resulting burn is.

The T3 is solidly built with all metal construction as evidence my the sheer weight of it. Refilling is easily done through the metal valve which is available through the bottom of the base. No special screws, means no special tools or screwdrivers needed to refill; just tilt the thing, flush and fill the tank.

Everyone needs of these, definitely!

Having had a good experience with its Vintage 1999 line, I pulled the Graycliff Château Grand Cru from the humidor with good expectations. Being in Europe, it’s hard for me to gauge how popular these cigars really are, since we rarely find non Cuban cigars at our tobacconist, but one thing is clear: Graycliff really does make a great tasting cigar.

Profile wise, in contrast to the Vintage 99, the Château Grand Cru is much nuttier with less darker notes like cacao or caramel. The smoke is dense, creamy and plentiful. I would pair this cigar with a glass of fine Champagne or Alsacian Riesling.

The wrapper is sweet on the nose with obvious notes of red pepper corns and spices. The cigar is rewarding form the start. The first inch or so is chock-full of toasted almond notes with some pepper hints.

You will love the sweet aroma of the Grand Cru. The even burn means no retouching with the lighter, which keeps the aromas pleasant.

The flavor profile evolves past the half way mark toward cedar accompanied by roasted nuts and light spices in the background. These notes stay in place through to the end, with perhaps a small hint of licorice if you take it far enough. The finish consists of sweet wood and nuts.

I recommend the Graycliff Château Grand Cru heartily to everyone. The lack of sheer power means it should be enjoyed by even the novice.

Check it out at Cigars Direct, where I got this lot, and as always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.