Episode 85
Dad Likes Me Best! 2 United Cigars Go Head-to-Head | Box Press Ep. 85
Is one cigar worth 2X the other? It's a "Big Brother Versus Little Brother" showdown! Join Boveda's Rob Ganger and Nate Beck as they compare 2 sticks from United Cigars' storied line of cigars. Boveda are those brown 2-way humidity packs you put in a humidor to preserve cigars. When you own a humidor, you need to make sure the cigars inside stay well-humidified or they can be hard to light, burn to too fast or get moldy. With Boveda in your humidor, you'll get better flavor from a cigar. Boveda has been keeping cigars tasting great for more than 25 years.
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Transcript
- Mine already went out, man.
Speaker:You said these don't ever go out!
Speaker:- They don't.
Speaker:- If you know how to smoke right.
Speaker:- Some people are highfalutin and can
Speaker:figure out prices of cigars,
Speaker:but they can't smoke for shit.
Speaker:- Some people.
Speaker:Some people.
Speaker:I'm just gonna give this, the number four torch.
Speaker:Hey, kids, remember not to burn your tobacco.
Speaker:- Ha!
Speaker:- [Rob] There's a story inside every smoke shop,
Speaker:with every cigar, and with every person.
Speaker:Come be a part of the cigar lifestyle at Boveda.
Speaker:This is Box Press.
Speaker:(upbeat music)
Speaker:Welcome to another episode of Box Press.
Speaker:I'm your host, Rob Gagner.
Speaker:- And I'm your other host, Nate Beck.
Speaker:- Yeah, and we have no sponsors,
Speaker:so there's no sponsors to rattle off,
Speaker:but, obviously, it's produced by Boveda, so guess what?
Speaker:Keep your cigars fresh,
Speaker:protected, with Boveda.
Speaker:That's all we're gonna say, all right?
Speaker:Head over to BovedsInc.com.
Speaker:If you want to save 10% and you want free shipping,
Speaker:subscribe and save.
Speaker:It's the easiest way to do it.
Speaker:Get it shipped to you every three months.
Speaker:You don't even have to think about it.
Speaker:- Do it. - All right?
Speaker:That's all we have to say about that.
Speaker:- That's it.
Speaker:- Coming off of last week, well, we just dropped it today.
Speaker:We're pre-recording this.
Speaker:So what you guys are listening to right now,
Speaker:or should have been listening to,
Speaker:is a segment on whether or not
Speaker:you can taste quality in a cigar.
Speaker:Nate and I did four cigars from $5 to $35
Speaker:and everything in between.
Speaker:And we decided
Speaker:you can taste quality.
Speaker:- [Nate] You can really taste quality.
Speaker:- You can taste quality. - Yeah, you can.
Speaker:- So then, that got us thinking,
Speaker:big brother, little brother.
Speaker:Or big sister, little sister, I don't care what you call it,
Speaker:but there is always going to be, probably,
Speaker:in a decent cigar brand's lineup, a very premium stick,
Speaker:and a very budget friendly stick.
Speaker:- [Nate] Yes.
Speaker:- With this brand,
Speaker:we didn't go very budget friendly at all.
Speaker:- Kind of not.
Speaker:- But it's still interesting because
Speaker:there is a $12 price point between these two.
Speaker:And we want to know if there's a difference.
Speaker:Can you taste quality between big brother, little brother?
Speaker:And how much of that quality should you pay attention to?
Speaker:Because, sometimes- - [Nate] Right.
Speaker:- You can't always have a Padrón 1964,
Speaker:and you gotta just pick up
Speaker:the 5000 series and call it good.
Speaker:- [Nate] Absolutely, and sometimes you want that because-
Speaker:- [Rob] Yes.
Speaker:- You're gonna have a lot of your day
Speaker:that can't be focused on
Speaker:savoring,
Speaker:analyzing,
Speaker:appreciating, you know, subtle,
Speaker:unique flavor notes or complexities.
Speaker:You might be the kind of guy like me, or you Rob,
Speaker:where we wanna light a cigar,
Speaker:smoke it in the car on the way to work,
Speaker:and it doesn't have to be too complicated,
Speaker:it just needs to taste good.
Speaker:- Out mowing the lawn.
Speaker:I always have a cigar in when I'm mowing the lawn.
Speaker:And that is the last place I want a Padrón 1964.
Speaker:- [Nate] Totally.
Speaker:- I don't want an expensive cigar when I'm just
Speaker:mowing the lawn.
Speaker:But I love the flavor of a good cigar
Speaker:while I'm doing the stuff I like to do outside.
Speaker:So, let's get into it.
Speaker:- It's like me with my snowblower.
Speaker:- Yeah, me too.
Speaker:You and I both snow blow and smoke cigars.
Speaker:- And those of you that have watched us for a while
Speaker:will remember when we discussed the Ciccar.
Speaker:The holder that allows you to smoke your cigar
Speaker:all the way down to the end.
Speaker:Both Rob and I loved it.
Speaker:They make an add-on that is a silicone
Speaker:ring with a fairly stout magnet on it.
Speaker:With that ring, I can just stick my cigar
Speaker:under the snowblower.
Speaker:So I'm not using both hand grips
Speaker:and crushing my cigar in between puffs.
Speaker:Because, usually, I gotta wear
Speaker:a nice big pair of Minnesota choppers.
Speaker:- Yeah, man.
Speaker:- And I can smoke my cigar with those,
Speaker:but I just pop it on the
Speaker:snowblower and away I go, it's awesome.
Speaker:- Yeah.
Speaker:- But after I'm done, then I wanna smoke the big brother.
Speaker:- Oh, yeah, oh, yeah.
Speaker:And these two are two heavy hitters.
Speaker:We are going straight for United Cigars
Speaker:and we are picking up two cigars.
Speaker:We've pre-smoked these and now we're smoking them again.
Speaker:So we've kind of already done our tasting notes on these.
Speaker:And, to be honest, I couldn't find mine
Speaker:in my notebook over here.
Speaker:But it's really evident
Speaker:and I remember everything I said.
Speaker:And if I don't, I'll make it up as I go.
Speaker:Because I make up flavor notes all the time.
Speaker:- You know what we rely on in those moments, Rob?
Speaker:- [Rob] What?
Speaker:- Unagi.
Speaker:- Unagi, yes.
Speaker:Unagi.
Speaker:I will tap into my unagi
Speaker:and tell you all about these cigars.
Speaker:- That's two for two on "Friends" references.
Speaker:- That's great, though, I love that.
Speaker:- Gotta keep this train rolling.
Speaker:- So, we got two cigars
Speaker:from United.
Speaker:The first one, is from the Bandolero series.
Speaker:The Badolero, that is, basically,
Speaker:the bandits that were taking tobacco outta Spain
Speaker:because Spain was ridiculous in prices,
Speaker:and then, they were making cigars and bringing them back.
Speaker:So, they're called the Bandoleros.
Speaker:- Kinda cool. - Cool name.
Speaker:Yeah, very cool name.
Speaker:This cigar that we're actually smoking, I gotta scroll down,
Speaker:it is the Serie A.
Speaker:It comes in right around like 14, 15 bucks retail.
Speaker:- [Nate] Yep.
Speaker:- [Rob] And the size that we're smoking
Speaker:is the 4 1/2 x 54.
Speaker:Not a huge size, but dang is it good, tasty.
Speaker:Wrapper is Ecuadorian.
Speaker:And everything else is undisclosed
Speaker:except for Peruvian Seco in the filler.
Speaker:- Cool.
Speaker:- Which I kind of hate, that they do that,
Speaker:but, you know, whatever.
Speaker:- Oh, that they don't give us everything.
Speaker:- Yeah, man, I like to know.
Speaker:- I know. - I like to know.
Speaker:- Wouldn't you think, wouldn't you say-
Speaker:- That pisses me off sometimes.
Speaker:- That that's happening more often.
Speaker:- And I think it was because of FDA regulations,
Speaker:and all that other crap, but, it just,
Speaker:undisclosed is so,
Speaker:like as soon as I read that, I'm like,
Speaker:"Oh, thanks a lot for nothing."
Speaker:God.
Speaker:- As Rob chucks his cigar across the room
Speaker:in a fit of rage, because he's had it.
Speaker:- I will not enjoy this cigar
Speaker:because I don't know what is disclosed.
Speaker:- Nothing about this is good anymore.
Speaker:- Just kidding. - Done with you.
Speaker:- I will enjoy it, but, man, I'd sometimes like to like,
Speaker:you know, see some similarities.
Speaker:Like, "Oh, yeah, you gravitate towards Habanos.
Speaker:Or you, you know?
Speaker:And, really, what does that mean?
Speaker:Does it really mean anything? I don't know.
Speaker:- This is
Speaker:not only the little brother,
Speaker:in our little brother, big brother
Speaker:with the next cigar that we're gonna talk about.
Speaker:But it's also the little brother
Speaker:in the same family as our $35 cigar
Speaker:from the episode that we dropped two weeks ago.
Speaker:Our episode on how can you taste quality?
Speaker:Because, as Rob said, we are pre-recording this.
Speaker:Our $35 cigar was the Alfonso, which is also made by
Speaker:United Cigars and Selected Tobacco.
Speaker:And Rob and I were both blown away by that cigar.
Speaker:And this is tasting fantastic.
Speaker:Often, when you pick up a cigar like this,
Speaker:and this holds true for both of these two cigars
Speaker:that we're smoking today,
Speaker:they are
Speaker:so firm like, and so well packed.
Speaker:That you would expect, in any other cigar,
Speaker:that you are gonna have trouble getting a good draw,
Speaker:as you smoke this cigar,
Speaker:and it couldn't be further from the truth.
Speaker:- Yeah, I was pinching after we cut the caps,
Speaker:which were like-
Speaker:You cut it, and you were like, "Oh, my God!"
Speaker:And I was like, "What?"
Speaker:- [Nate] Yeah. - I thought you screwed up.
Speaker:And you're like, "No, no, no, look how like just crisp."
Speaker:- [Nate] It's like glass.
Speaker:- "Show the camera, that it is so crisp, there's no flakes."
Speaker:- And it's just perfect. - There's no major spaces.
Speaker:It looks like you literally chopped, like a candy roll.
Speaker:- Absolutely, it's perfect. - [Rob] In half.
Speaker:- And, I will admit, it's one of the things
Speaker:I really enjoy in a cigar, when I cut that cigar,
Speaker:and it's often in
Speaker:a little more expensive cigars, because
Speaker:they're crafted better.
Speaker:There's, generally, more tobacco.
Speaker:They still have a great draw.
Speaker:But I love it, when I cut a cigar,
Speaker:and it's absolutely clean across.
Speaker:- Yeah.
Speaker:- And I always have a thing, I often do it on my watch.
Speaker:Sometimes on the table.
Speaker:I'll just lightly tap to get any loose bits of tobacco.
Speaker:And this cigar had nothing.
Speaker:- Phenomenal cigar.
Speaker:The construction on the outside looks great.
Speaker:I mean, minimal veins.
Speaker:If you compare it to our other cigar,
Speaker:the Byron Reserva 3 Anos, I don't know if I can
Speaker:really tell a whole lot of a difference.
Speaker:- [Nate] Color is very similar.
Speaker:- [Rob] Very similar.
Speaker:Talk about the flavor of the Bandolero.
Speaker:I get like this very meaty, like
Speaker:just hardy flavor.
Speaker:- [Nate] Sure. - And I love it.
Speaker:- I noticed on the cold draw,
Speaker:for this particular cigar, it tasted like
Speaker:gourmet, chocolate covered cherry.
Speaker:As a kid, chocolate covered cherries at the holidays
Speaker:were one of my favorite treats, loved them.
Speaker:But it combines all of those notes
Speaker:that you often get in cigar tobacco.
Speaker:A fruity note, sometimes it's raisin,
Speaker:sometimes it's dried cherry, sometimes it's prune.
Speaker:- Holy crap, off the foot, it smells like cinnamon.
Speaker:- [Nate] Yeah.
Speaker:But it's like a gourmet chocolate covered cherry.
Speaker:It's creamy.
Speaker:- For $15- - Sweetness, $15.
Speaker:- This is a banger of a stick.
Speaker:Banger, like the aroma coming off of it.
Speaker:The flavor of it.
Speaker:The whole-
Speaker:This is, I would buy a box of these, hands down.
Speaker:- It tastes like chocolate.
Speaker:It's creamy.
Speaker:- Oh, it's so good.
Speaker:It just has this
Speaker:kind of meaty, back-boney kind of like-
Speaker:- [Nate] Yeah.
Speaker:- Like it's got body.
Speaker:This is a perfect example of like,
Speaker:when you think of like, what does body mean?
Speaker:Now when we go to the Reserva Anos, 3 Anos?
Speaker:Less body,
Speaker:in my opinion.
Speaker:Much less body.
Speaker:That mouth feel.
Speaker:- Yeah, mouth feel is a good word.
Speaker:Like, it feels, this feels almost syrupy, the smoke does.
Speaker:Whereas, this feels a little more
Speaker:light and delicate.
Speaker:- And here is a trick, because I can already tell
Speaker:that my Bandolero is heating up
Speaker:because I'm getting so excited.
Speaker:So, the nice thing is, is just
Speaker:smoke another cigar at the same time.
Speaker:If you're very excitable, like me.
Speaker:And make it the Byron Reserva 3 Anos
Speaker:and do this with us,
Speaker:because that's our big brother.
Speaker:This sucker's coming in at, I think-
Speaker:- [Nate] I think $28.
Speaker:- [Rob] 28 Bucks, 30 bucks, depending upon where you're at.
Speaker:- [Nate] Depending on your state and what the-
Speaker:- [Rob] $12 is technically at like,
Speaker:you could literally buy two Bandoleros,
Speaker:or you could just say, "Well, I'm gonna buy one Byron."
Speaker:- Totally.
Speaker:- So, what's the difference here?
Speaker:- [Nate] Just spectacular, again.
Speaker:Look at that, just perfect
Speaker:cap, it's just, the cut is clean.
Speaker:- If you're listening to us on podcast platform,
Speaker:you can easily see these images over at YouTube.
Speaker:But,
Speaker:just know that,
Speaker:there's a little bit more sheen in the Byron.
Speaker:I feel, of the wrapper.
Speaker:- Oh, dude, the retrohale is so different.
Speaker:- [Rob] It's so good.
Speaker:- Oh, my gosh.
Speaker:- And there's a sweetness to the retrohale in this.
Speaker:- Sorry there, I got a little excited.
Speaker:- That isn't in the Bandolero.
Speaker:- [Nate] Yeah.
Speaker:- But yet, we still talked about a candy,
Speaker:but it's just different, what is it, like?
Speaker:I don't understand what it is, but it's different.
Speaker:It's way more rounded and there's no like-
Speaker:Like the Bandolero had like this great like,
Speaker:"Ha ha, this is what you're tasting."
Speaker:And I don't know what I'm
Speaker:necessarily getting out of the Byron.
Speaker:- Again, I go back to beverages a lot.
Speaker:This would be
Speaker:the same wine, right?
Speaker:Fresh from the vineyard, or off the liquor store shelf.
Speaker:- The Bandolero. - The Bandolero.
Speaker:This has been sitting in your cellar for
Speaker:five to eight years.
Speaker:- The Byron? - The Byron.
Speaker:- So, it just kind of mellows out?
Speaker:- Everything is softer. - Yeah, it is.
Speaker:Here's what I'll say about that, though.
Speaker:There is a stark difference.
Speaker:But,
Speaker:are either one of them like disappointing?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So then, at this point,
Speaker:my money
Speaker:is on
Speaker:the Serie A
Speaker:because
Speaker:I just get more out of it.
Speaker:- [Nate] On the Bandolero.
Speaker:- On the Bandolero, Serie A.
Speaker:I just get more out of it.
Speaker:I don't know what it is about that,
Speaker:that I'm just like, "Dang, that's good."
Speaker:- I might agree with you on that.
Speaker:It might make a real difference if we were smoking
Speaker:one of the other sizes of the Byron,
Speaker:or one of the other sizes of the Bandolero.
Speaker:Because the blends will make
Speaker:a difference in different sizes.
Speaker:- Yeah, what size are, okay, we have, for the Byron,
Speaker:we have the,
Speaker:I'm gonna butcher it, but it's the red label,
Speaker:and it is
Speaker:52 x 5 inches.
Speaker:So, we were trying to kind of stick in the same vein.
Speaker:Although, they do make a 50 x 4 inch.
Speaker:That would probably be more similar to the Bandolero, but
Speaker:the Byron series- - It's pretty close.
Speaker:- [Rob] Has four sizes.
Speaker:Same thing, I think, with the Bandolero.
Speaker:- [Nate] I think the Bandolero was also four.
Speaker:Yep, four vitolas.
Speaker:- Vitolas.
Speaker:- If we're gonna geek out.
Speaker:- And they're both like, okay,
Speaker:Ecuadorian Shade on the Byron.
Speaker:Undisclosed, undisclosed.
Speaker:Nicaraguan and Peruvian Ligero.
Speaker:- [Nate] And, Rob, let them know, also,
Speaker:they list, on the United Cigars website,
Speaker:how many years each of these sizes was aged.
Speaker:So, over there, under vitolas
Speaker:how many years of age-
Speaker:- Oh, that's interesting. - After rolling,
Speaker:did this cigar sit?
Speaker:- Oh, I just got this Byron too hot
Speaker:and it was like a bitter.
Speaker:- So this is the Poemas, I believe is the size.
Speaker:The Poemas, right, number two there.
Speaker:- [Rob] Three years.
Speaker:- Three years aging on this.
Speaker:- But then, all the other ones, which is funny,
Speaker:all the other ones are four years.
Speaker:Two of them are four years, and one of them is five.
Speaker:Because the Grand Poemas is five years.
Speaker:So, I wonder if that would like,
Speaker:you know, tick up like a different flavor profile.
Speaker:- [Nate] I bet it will.
Speaker:I bet it would.
Speaker:- [Rob] So then, you have to do this again.
Speaker:We have to do this again with like the other ones?
Speaker:Oh, man.
Speaker:Shoot.
Speaker:It's such a rough job that we have.
Speaker:But, you know, maybe we'll do it.
Speaker:- I don't know if others of you, out there,
Speaker:struggle every morning rolling out of bed,
Speaker:and coming into a job that is such a chore.
Speaker:I guess it's the cross we have to bear, Rob.
Speaker:I'm fine with it.
Speaker:- We'll help you guys out, we'll smoke them for you.
Speaker:The Byron has that same kind of like, cinnamony
Speaker:off the foot and it's just
Speaker:so, like mouthwatering.
Speaker:It's just amazing.
Speaker:And a good amount of like, oil is happening.
Speaker:- I feel like parade princess. - Yeah.
Speaker:I do have a little bit of an uneven burn,
Speaker:but I struggled with lighting the Reserva.
Speaker:It went out on me.
Speaker:Nate says they don't ever go out
Speaker:because there's such good quality, but he's a liar.
Speaker:- Yeah, I'm fine with that.
Speaker:- Pretty little liar, you are.
Speaker:- Another cross I bear,
Speaker:a completely inept smoker to my left, over here.
Speaker:- Hey, what flavors do you have?
Speaker:How about Rice Crispy Treats and some gummy bears?
Speaker:And then Nate goes, "Uh, wrong, wrong."
Speaker:- Freshly cut garden hose.
Speaker:- Okay, Psalm.
Speaker:- A brand new can of tennis balls.
Speaker:- You do have a big schnoz.
Speaker:Not from a perspective of like anatomy,
Speaker:but like smell wise.
Speaker:Because we were at the club the other day
Speaker:and Derek lit a candle.
Speaker:The club, Club Carraway,
Speaker:private club in Minneapolis that were members of,
Speaker:and he lit a candle and he was in the other room.
Speaker:And like, within seconds Nate was like, "Oh, what's that?"
Speaker:And Derek's like- - What scent?
Speaker:He's like, "What, you smell that?"
Speaker:I'm like, "Yeah, what is it?"
Speaker:He's like, "I just lit that."
Speaker:And I said, "Yeah."
Speaker:- My wife actually just got me,
Speaker:for Valentine's Day, like tobacco soap.
Speaker:And I feel like they always miss the mark.
Speaker:- It's never kind of what it smells like,
Speaker:or like it's never what is advertised.
Speaker:- I want it to smell like this.
Speaker:Which is like cinnamon, spicy,
Speaker:like leathery, chocolatey goodness.
Speaker:- One of the only things that ever smells
Speaker:exactly like it's supposed to is
Speaker:any of those Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap.
Speaker:Like the black bars.
Speaker:- [Rob] Oh, yeah, pine tar.
Speaker:- Yeah, and you open up the package and you're like, hello.
Speaker:- Yeah, can I get another version of your spruce, please?
Speaker:Yeah, that one's totally different than the other one.
Speaker:- Literally, you're like,
Speaker:you know, you get outta the shower and suddenly you're
Speaker:one of the characters from Frozen or something like that.
Speaker:- Oh, yeah.
Speaker:- You're talking with an, you know, a Swedish accent.
Speaker:- [Rob] Yeah.
Speaker:(Nate speaking jibberish)
Speaker:Bandolero does have a bit of a piney, sprucey,
Speaker:kind of woody note to it.
Speaker:- Oh, for sure woody.
Speaker:- I love the woody flavor.
Speaker:I think, maybe, that's what's jumping out at me
Speaker:that is the big difference between these two.
Speaker:- You had mentioned sort of a meatiness.
Speaker:I bet you that's part of that.
Speaker:- [Rob] Yeah.
Speaker:- Almost kind of like a- - Hardy.
Speaker:- The amazing smell that comes off a barbecue smoker.
Speaker:You know, it's a rich mixture of
Speaker:whatever meat you're cooking, plus the wood smoke,
Speaker:and then whatever else is in the air.
Speaker:It's just, it's awesome.
Speaker:- Smoked meats.
Speaker:We might have to go to Baker's for lunch.
Speaker:Texas barbecue.
Speaker:Oh, yes.
Speaker:Anyways.
Speaker:- I'm a big fan of this one.
Speaker:- The Bandolero
Speaker:is
Speaker:banging.
Speaker:- For $14.50? - Dude.
Speaker:- There are a lot of cigars.
Speaker:- [Rob] It tastes better.
Speaker:- In the $14, $15 range at any tobacco shop right now,
Speaker:and I'd put this up against any of them.
Speaker:I mean, this is a phenomenal value.
Speaker:- Oh, yeah.
Speaker:- You know, there are brands that their smaller vitolas
Speaker:smoke exceptionally well because they're able to use
Speaker:those smaller top of the plant leaves
Speaker:that can't make it onto a Toro, or a Churchill.
Speaker:- Right.
Speaker:- But you can put it on a Robusto or a Petit Corona.
Speaker:- And if they're on the top of the plant,
Speaker:that means they have more flavor.
Speaker:- Yep, more nicotine, more flavor.
Speaker:More sun exposure, right?
Speaker:And we're understanding that correctly?
Speaker:- Yeah, you know what I think is interesting?
Speaker:The Byron says it has Nicaraguan and Peruvian
Speaker:Ligero in it.
Speaker:- Ooh.
Speaker:Which, oftentimes, Ligero is gonna add
Speaker:a decent amount of strength.
Speaker:But in this case, I don't-
Speaker:I don't tend to notice that.
Speaker:- The Bandolero, it says Peruvian Seco.
Speaker:So, maybe, that's where you're kind of getting that
Speaker:really like woody flavor, from the Seco?
Speaker:- The meatiness? - I don't know.
Speaker:- That might be a good guess, yeah.
Speaker:- The wrapper on the Bandolero says Ecuadorian,
Speaker:but then, when you jump to the Byron,
Speaker:it says, Ecuadorian shade.
Speaker:- Oh.
Speaker:- So, I don't know what that does to flavor.
Speaker:- So, both are Ecuadorian? - [Rob] Yeah.
Speaker:- But the Byron is an Ecuadorian Shade.
Speaker:- Correct.
Speaker:- Anything that has shade in it,
Speaker:Connecticut Shade, Ecuadorian Shade,
Speaker:they literally grow it under
Speaker:a canopy of cheesecloth, basically.
Speaker:Or like muslin.
Speaker:- Or, in Ecuador, it's just so much cloud.
Speaker:- It's shaded by the clouds, yeah.
Speaker:- So much cloud cover it's shade grown.
Speaker:- Yep.
Speaker:- Whoa, that was weird.
Speaker:I went back to the Bandolero
Speaker:and I almost got like a chlorine pool taste.
Speaker:- Really?
Speaker:- Yeah, it wasn't that great.
Speaker:- Interesting.
Speaker:- But, I don't know, I went from the Reserva,
Speaker:or the Byron to the Bandolero.
Speaker:So, maybe, it was messing with my flavors.
Speaker:The Bandolero is smelling on the foot now.
Speaker:Smelling more woody
Speaker:than sweet cinnamon.
Speaker:- Now I know that, you know,
Speaker:when somebody mentions a flavor, it often impacts
Speaker:your experience the next time you taste that or smoke that.
Speaker:I see what you mean about that
Speaker:chlorine pool, yeah.
Speaker:- [Rob] It's weird.
Speaker:- It's, yeah, it is weird.
Speaker:- It's like the woodiness is changing.
Speaker:- Like, I wouldn't say it was a, like an off flavor,
Speaker:but it, certainly, was something unique.
Speaker:- Take everything that we're saying with a grain of salt
Speaker:because you may not have that experience.
Speaker:Plus, flavor is totally subjective.
Speaker:- And if you decide
Speaker:to smoke both of these same cigars,
Speaker:while watching this video,
Speaker:leave your tasting notes in the comments.
Speaker:Let us know what you think of the Bandolero and the Byron.
Speaker:- Or, if you're listening on podcast,
Speaker:shoot us a message at info@bovedainc.com.
Speaker:We'd love to hear from you.
Speaker:- Hmm.
Speaker:That Byron is-
Speaker:- Yeah, now I'm getting a little bit of a
Speaker:kind of meaty back bone to the Byron,
Speaker:a little bit back there.
Speaker:I kind of feel like it's-
Speaker:- Kind of building a little bit?
Speaker:- Yeah, like it's a little juicy steak.
Speaker:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker:Little juicy steak.
Speaker:- [Nate] Little porterhouse.
Speaker:- Remember those steaks we cooked when we went camping?
Speaker:- Holy smokes. - On the cast iron.
Speaker:- Oh, my gosh.
Speaker:- Those prime New York strips.
Speaker:- Rob and I went with a couple buddies
Speaker:and did late fall camping,
Speaker:almost early winter,
Speaker:on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Speaker:If you haven't ever been winter camping,
Speaker:you owe it to yourself to try it.
Speaker:It's an amazing experience.
Speaker:But we cooked
Speaker:some
Speaker:skillet potatoes in about a pound of butter
Speaker:right on the open fire.
Speaker:- [Rob] The whole stick, we just threw the whole stick.
Speaker:- [Nate] Yeah, it was a whole pound.
Speaker:- [Rob] Just go.
Speaker:- [Nate] And then New York strips
Speaker:in cast iron, and it was pretty exceptional.
Speaker:- That was one of the best steaks I've ever eaten.
Speaker:And I think it's also like the situation, right?
Speaker:Like warm food while you're camping is really, really good.
Speaker:You probably haven't had anything to eat like that
Speaker:for a while, you know, at least 24 to 48 hours.
Speaker:- We'll make sure to find a picture in-
Speaker:- Well, it's on my Instagram.
Speaker:- Oh, it will include it?
Speaker:- @Boveda_Rob. - Oh, yes.
Speaker:- You can see the smoke,
Speaker:or the heat coming off of the cast iron.
Speaker:The two steaks are right there.
Speaker:And then, my face is just-
Speaker:Like mouth open.
Speaker:Drool coming outta the side of my mouth,
Speaker:and I'm just like, "I can't wait to eat these."
Speaker:- We had to cook them in, the steaks in two rounds,
Speaker:in order to get enough heat
Speaker:in the cast iron skillet to do it.
Speaker:- Yeah, and you heated up the cast iron, which was smart,
Speaker:because you're like, "Hey, before we put
Speaker:these back on, the cold steaks,
Speaker:let's heat up the cast iron again."
Speaker:I was like, "Ah, that was brilliant."
Speaker:- Yep, now, by the time we made the second two steaks,
Speaker:you were done.
Speaker:Completely done.
Speaker:"How was it, guys?"
Speaker:"Mm, mm."
Speaker:- I didn't wait for you guys?
Speaker:- No, because we told you to eat.
Speaker:It was getting cold.
Speaker:- Okay, good.
Speaker:- That's just ridiculous.
Speaker:- I don't even remember.
Speaker:- It was 24 degrees outside.
Speaker:We go to all that work to make those steaks
Speaker:and have them be delicious, you know?
Speaker:And then sit on it while we make the other two.
Speaker:Take another 10 minutes, they'd be ice cold.
Speaker:- Phenomenal.
Speaker:The Bandolero has almost like a pencil.
Speaker:- Mm, okay. - Like a pencil wood note.
Speaker:Byron, not at all. - [Nate] Nope.
Speaker:All right, let me see.
Speaker:And it's interesting that that
Speaker:flavor note, like pencil lead or
Speaker:the wood in a pencil.
Speaker:- [Rob] Yeah.
Speaker:- Is one of those
Speaker:aromas that almost everybody can recall.
Speaker:- Well, I wonder if the next generation will know
Speaker:because everything is digital.
Speaker:- That's a good point.
Speaker:- Like, we had to sharpen pencils, so like
Speaker:you know what that smells like.
Speaker:- [Nate] Yes.
Speaker:Let's see if we can just slide this off.
Speaker:- And if you were anything like me as a kid,
Speaker:you were like, "I need to go sharpen my pencil,"
Speaker:when it was perfectly sharpened.
Speaker:Either A, just to get that smell, or B,
Speaker:because I don't want to do whatever I'm supposed to
Speaker:be doing.
Speaker:So, "Oh, I need to go sharpen my pencil."
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:- The classic stall tactic.
Speaker:- [Rob] Oh, God, I was the king of that.
Speaker:- "I gotta go to the bathroom."
Speaker:"Not now."
Speaker:- I don't think I ever played in computer class.
Speaker:I don't think I ever played
Speaker:past the first round of "Oregon Trail."
Speaker:- On floppy disk? - Yeah.
Speaker:Because
Speaker:I was always so slow at typing.
Speaker:Everyone else would be playing and I'd be like,
Speaker:"Oh," and then I'd be distracted,
Speaker:because I'd be looking at like, "Oh, what kind of
Speaker:things are you gonna get at the store,"
Speaker:and blah, blah blah.
Speaker:And I was like, just watching them play.
Speaker:And then I would finally get done,
Speaker:and I'd put my floppy disc in,
Speaker:and the teacher would be like,
Speaker:"All right, that's the end of class."
Speaker:I'd be like, "No!"
Speaker:- "Come on, man."
Speaker:- "I just got my wagon set."
Speaker:- I'm trying to remember, Rob,
Speaker:like what was the really desirable model of Apple computer?
Speaker:Was it like the 2GS, or the 2C?
Speaker:I'm trying to remember which- - Oh, I have no idea.
Speaker:- Which model was the-
Speaker:- I didn't even know how to type on it,
Speaker:how would I know the name?
Speaker:"What is this?"
Speaker:"Well, that's keyboard."
Speaker:"How do you use it?"
Speaker:"I don't know."
Speaker:(Rob pretend typing)
Speaker:- We're just far enough apart in age,
Speaker:when I went to school, it was,
Speaker:what were they, five inch floppy disks?
Speaker:The black ones that were-
Speaker:- Oh, that's what I had.
Speaker:- [Nate] That's what you had, okay.
Speaker:Because then they went to the-
Speaker:- Technology budgets back then were not very high
Speaker:so it was kind of like, "Yeah, we bought these
Speaker:and that'll serve for 10 years."
Speaker:And you're like, "Really?"
Speaker:- Then they went to the plastic ones
Speaker:that had the little metal slide
Speaker:you could pull over and see the disc inside.
Speaker:- I remember those because those were like,
Speaker:"Whoa, look at this, so much more room."
Speaker:Now, it's just in the cloud.
Speaker:"Where's your homework?"
Speaker:"It's in the cloud."
Speaker:So, can you even say your dog ate it?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:You could just say the cloud consumed it.
Speaker:- [Nate] Yeah.
Speaker:- Just erupted. - Yeah.
Speaker:- Cloud rained. - Yep.
Speaker:- Rain cloud. - Yep.
Speaker:- Homework's done.
Speaker:- SpongeBob's got it.
Speaker:- SpongeBob Squarepants got it.
Speaker:- Patrick.
Speaker:- Byron. - Yeah?
Speaker:- Sorry. - Oh, squirrel.
Speaker:- Doritos. - What?
Speaker:- Yeah, like that corn.
Speaker:Not like Doritos flavored,
Speaker:but like Doritos, like corn chips.
Speaker:Like, just regular corn chips.
Speaker:- Fritos.
Speaker:- Fritos, yeah.
Speaker:For some odd reason, I went to Doritos.
Speaker:- [Nate] Fritos.
Speaker:- That kind of like after flavor,
Speaker:a little bit of the corn chip.
Speaker:- [Nate] All right.
Speaker:- It was good. - [Nate] Corn chip.
Speaker:- But I kind of like, I was like, "Whoa."
Speaker:You saw my face, I was like, "What?"
Speaker:How did I get corn chips out of that?
Speaker:Nate's like, "Yeah, no, that's there, buddy."
Speaker:- Not so much for me.
Speaker:- No?
Speaker:- Not yet.
Speaker:- I got, out of the Byron just now, I got some floral.
Speaker:- Mm.
Speaker:- But like, more of the green
Speaker:floral than like
Speaker:the flower floral.
Speaker:- Yeah, like- - [Rob] Green plant.
Speaker:- Yeah, like, sort of, if you have a,
Speaker:I guess they're may be all called conservatories,
Speaker:but if you have a, you know,
Speaker:a local zoo that has a greenhouse.
Speaker:Like, our local zoo, here in Minnesota,
Speaker:is called the Como Zoo.
Speaker:And they have a beautiful conservatory and it has,
Speaker:you know, lots of different rooms,
Speaker:and one of those rooms is the fern room.
Speaker:- [Rob] Yeah.
Speaker:- And it smells like greenery.
Speaker:So, I will often say, when I,
Speaker:and I think we've talked about this before,
Speaker:when floral comes up in cigars,
Speaker:I'll often say it's like walking through a garden.
Speaker:It's not just the flowers.
Speaker:It's also the herbs, the greens.
Speaker:Or, you know, the leaves. - Right.
Speaker:- It's the soil, or the mulch you have down,
Speaker:it all kind of makes a floral.
Speaker:- I went back to the Bandolero.
Speaker:Lot of wood.
Speaker:A lot of wood like,
Speaker:oak wood.
Speaker:Like, fresh cut wood.
Speaker:Like in a good way.
Speaker:- It's very woody. - [Rob] Really good way.
Speaker:- Very woodsy, yeah.
Speaker:So if you like cedary, oakie, woodsy cigars,
Speaker:the Bandolero is gonna be right up your alley.
Speaker:- I think that Bandolero would give the
Speaker:Davidoff Anniversary No. 2, Aniversario No. 2,
Speaker:a run for its money on the wood notes.
Speaker:- And it's a very different smoking experience
Speaker:than that Davidoff Aniversario No. 2,
Speaker:because this doesn't have that prominent
Speaker:grassy, hay quality to it.
Speaker:- [Rob] Sure.
Speaker:- But it really, I think,
Speaker:goes over the top on that woody quality.
Speaker:- [Rob] Yeah. - Yeah.
Speaker:- It's amazing how you can get different flavors
Speaker:out of the types of tobacco you blend.
Speaker:- Unbelievable.
Speaker:- We were talking about it earlier, like,
Speaker:that's what made me get into cigars.
Speaker:Because it was like, "Oh, my gosh,
Speaker:there's so many possibilities and so many options,
Speaker:and I won't be able to try them all before I die."
Speaker:- You know what I'm getting now of this Byron?
Speaker:Like, fine leather.
Speaker:Like the smell of walking into a leather shop
Speaker:or a like a high end shoe store.
Speaker:Tanned leather.
Speaker:Oh, fantastic.
Speaker:- Oh, that cinnamon sweetness
Speaker:is coming back from the Byron on the foot.
Speaker:Oh, God, it's good.
Speaker:Oh, yeah, huge chlorine
Speaker:on the Bandolero, when I came back from the Byron.
Speaker:There's gotta be something in there that's like
Speaker:fighting each other, that flavor.
Speaker:- That cinnamon and creaminess in this Byron is
Speaker:just outta sight.
Speaker:- Are you switching your preference?
Speaker:Is it being teased out of you?
Speaker:- I don't know, because this is such a good value.
Speaker:For the flavors that we're getting.
Speaker:- Yeah, I'd hang out with either one of these brothers.
Speaker:- [Nate] I would too.
Speaker:- And, I think, maybe,
Speaker:I would probably pair the Bandolero with like,
Speaker:you know, barbecue.
Speaker:And the Byron would have to be like,
Speaker:it would go really well with like a seafood.
Speaker:- If you were, or you are
Speaker:a fan of
Speaker:great Scotch, great bourbon
Speaker:this would be your jam.
Speaker:- Bandolero? - Yeah.
Speaker:Because that oakiness, that cedariness,
Speaker:if you had a bourbon that had a lot of vanilla sweetness,
Speaker:you know, that flavor that often comes off of oak?
Speaker:That brown sugar, this would just be a flavor bomb.
Speaker:Don't you think?
Speaker:- Yeah, I don't drink, but, man.
Speaker:- Right?
Speaker:- I can see how that would work real well.
Speaker:- Our good friend, Charles, who has been
Speaker:on the show on two separate occasions
Speaker:doing cocktail pairings, if you have seen those,
Speaker:brought in, to our private cigar lounge,
Speaker:or our private cigar club, Club Carraway,
Speaker:a coffee from Onyx Coffee Roasters.
Speaker:And it was a, I believe, it was an
Speaker:anaerobic natural processed Ethiopian coffee.
Speaker:And we are part of a coffee subscription,
Speaker:called Fellow Drops.
Speaker:And Fellow is
Speaker:a coffee company that predominantly makes coffee equipment.
Speaker:Grinders, gooseneck, pour-over kettles,
Speaker:different equipment to brew and make coffee.
Speaker:But they have this text service that is just awesome.
Speaker:And once a week on Tuesday,
Speaker:they drop a new coffee.
Speaker:I would say, the majority of roasters come from the U.S.,
Speaker:but they do some from Europe, some from other places.
Speaker:It's really, really unique.
Speaker:And they're usually in the,
Speaker:I'm gonna say, $22 to $24 range, plus shipping.
Speaker:And it's $2 to $4 shipping.
Speaker:So, it's a nice treat.
Speaker:Well, this particular coffee, I think with shipping,
Speaker:came to $41 for 10 ounces of coffee.
Speaker:- Whoa.
Speaker:- And he almost bought two bags,
Speaker:and then looked at the price and went,
Speaker:"Oh, no, I'll just get one."
Speaker:So he brought it into the lounge.
Speaker:- I missed it.
Speaker:- It is,
Speaker:I have to say, it's the most exceptional coffee
Speaker:I've had in the last couple of years.
Speaker:And, literally, when you brought the cup up to your nose,
Speaker:it smelled like flowers.
Speaker:It smelled like berries.
Speaker:It smelled like
Speaker:tangerine.
Speaker:It had all these layers.
Speaker:And that Byron
Speaker:would be amazing with that coffee.
Speaker:- Did you guys smoke with the coffee?
Speaker:- We did. - Okay.
Speaker:- I think the one that we ended up mostly smoking,
Speaker:the group of us that were down there,
Speaker:several of us had the
Speaker:Southern Draw Rose of Sharon.
Speaker:- [Rob] That's super creamy.
Speaker:They'd go great with that, not overpower it.
Speaker:Bandolero would definitely not be one
Speaker:that I would pick with that.
Speaker:I got that question today.
Speaker:Went and got my hair cut,
Speaker:guy was like, knew I worked for Boveda and he was like,
Speaker:"Hey so do you have a favorite cigar?"
Speaker:And I go, "No."
Speaker:He's like, "What do you mean?"
Speaker:I was like, "It's, you know,
Speaker:it's kind of like food, you know?"
Speaker:Are you craving burgers or are you craving pasta?
Speaker:I can't have a burger when I'm craving pasta.
Speaker:It's not gonna suffice.
Speaker:And vice versa.
Speaker:So, I can't do that with cigars.
Speaker:- Like if you're dying for some sushi,
Speaker:you are not going to have a porterhouse steak.
Speaker:That's just gonna ruin the mood.
Speaker:- So the same thing with cigars.
Speaker:Like, "I'm in the mood for this type of flavor."
Speaker:Okay, pick your cigars accordingly.
Speaker:- I would say we probably could
Speaker:easily pick out a top five.
Speaker:Like, most enjoyable cigars we've had.
Speaker:We could probably put together a list like that.
Speaker:Don't you think?
Speaker:Maybe, top 10?
Speaker:- Yeah, I mean I can do a top, but it's-
Speaker:- [Nate] Even then it's hard.
Speaker:- It's situational in what I've had,
Speaker:and there's so many things that I haven't had, like these.
Speaker:- Because you include a top favorite cigar
Speaker:when you're mowing the lawn.
Speaker:Do you include a top cigar when you are sitting
Speaker:almost asleep at your favorite cigar lounge?
Speaker:Which one do you wanna smoke?
Speaker:(Nate snoring)
Speaker:- Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, wake up.
Speaker:You're burning a hole in your shirt again.
Speaker:- There's Captain Narcolepsy.
Speaker:- I'm just so relaxed.
Speaker:- Anybody have those people at your favorite cigar lounge
Speaker:that can literally fall asleep in the chair
Speaker:with the cigar in their mouth or in their finger,
Speaker:and it's still there,
Speaker:and they're not burning themselves with it?
Speaker:We got a couple at our local shop.
Speaker:- Oh, yeah, sometimes Derek's so quiet
Speaker:I check to see if he's asleep.
Speaker:- He is, with his eyes open.
Speaker:- "What are you doing right now, Derek?"
Speaker:"Oh, I was just sleeping with my eyes open."
Speaker:- This Byron is-
Speaker:- I mean, we're pretty much down to the final third.
Speaker:So, what is it gonna-
Speaker:What are you, where are you going?
Speaker:What are you doing?
Speaker:Which one are you gonna say?
Speaker:- Are we at that drum roll moment?
Speaker:- Yeah, man,
Speaker:we're there.
Speaker:We've been there for a while.
Speaker:- I think in this pairing,
Speaker:think I'm gonna side little brother.
Speaker:This is such a spectacular cigar for $14.50, $15
Speaker:that, I would smoke this all the time.
Speaker:- Yeah.
Speaker:- [Nate] This is fantastic.
Speaker:- I'm gonna have to stick with the same,
Speaker:Bandolero as well, because,
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:Even though, I think I was getting that off like chlorine-
Speaker:- Cedar, it's just awesome.
Speaker:- Yeah, from the mixture.
Speaker:So, I think if I just smoked this,
Speaker:which I did earlier when we were smoking these
Speaker:and the whole time I was just like, "Oh, this is so good."
Speaker:- This would be a cigar that I would love to smoke
Speaker:alongside the sensory panel.
Speaker:- Cigar Sense.
Speaker:- Cigar Sense, thank you.
Speaker:Cigar Sense, excuse me.
Speaker:I would love to smoke this
Speaker:to figure out what wood are we tasting.
Speaker:- [Rob] There you go.
Speaker:- That would be fun.
Speaker:- Get the aroma wheel out.
Speaker:- So, Franca, if you happen to see this,
Speaker:Bandolero.
Speaker:- There you go.
Speaker:- 4 1/2 x 52, right?
Speaker:- I believe so.
Speaker:That is the end of this podcast.
Speaker:And
Speaker:please like, subscribe.
Speaker:Let us know you're out there, leave comments.
Speaker:If you're gonna watch this, go over to YouTube, you can.
Speaker:If you didn't see the "Can You Taste Quality?"
Speaker:You owe it to yourself to go watch that,
Speaker:light up a cigar, it's worth it.
Speaker:There's a Box Press every Friday being dropped.
Speaker:And so, stay tuned, because we have
Speaker:all of our PCA Box Press episodes
Speaker:being dropped every single Friday,
Speaker:or every other Friday I should say.
Speaker:And they are some really good interviews.
Speaker:I felt like it was one of my best interviewing segments.
Speaker:- It's fantastic.
Speaker:- I got a little excited.
Speaker:Like the first one that we dropped
Speaker:was the Cigars for Warriors
Speaker:and there were a couple of comments that they're like,
Speaker:"Dude, Rob, you're like all excited."
Speaker:I was so energized by everyone at the show.
Speaker:It was just a ton of fun.
Speaker:So, I apologize if it comes off too strong,
Speaker:but I was just feeling and vibing.
Speaker:- Passionate. - And in the moment.
Speaker:I was, yeah, I was passionate.
Speaker:I'm a passionate person.
Speaker:- Yep. - So, yeah.
Speaker:- One of your most endearing qualities.
Speaker:- Thank you. - Yeah.
Speaker:- And, as always, if you need anything for that humidor,
Speaker:head over to BovedaInc.com, subscribe and save.
Speaker:Get 10% off as well as free shipping on any subscription.
Speaker:Thank you all for watching, and have a great weekend.
