Czar customs

[micha]

A good day fellow cigar friends,

first of all I want to thank Rob and the whole Czar crew for picking me out in the last freestyle review and for sending those beauties to my home. Let me tell you that I feel very honoured.

They arrived yesterday in perfect condition and I just wanted to share some pics I took right away. First thing I noticed that the cold aroma of those sticks is so intense it totally blew me away. I honestly haven't had a cigar that intense before (well, neither have I had a cigar that fresh before). The Czar gave me old leather, beautiful tobacco flavour and some bitter sweet chocolate. The Tampa also delivered old leather, a touch of sweetness and even a bit of cheese was noticeable. It was almost overwhelming. Interesting that I seem to be getting the chocolate aspects more from the Czar than the Tampa, guess it should be the other way round. Anyway, I'll see how they turn out once they have settled in my humi.

The construction is just georgious. They really couldn't look more handcrafted with beautiful dark wrappers (the Czar being some nuances darker than the Tampa). The wrappers are rough in a way I just love it, not that fine and delicate paper-like wrappers where you fear to break it just by cutting the cigar. They have character, they have class and look solid. Also very worth mentioning is that beautiful coat of oil on those wrappers, they have just the perfect sheen. The foot on both cigars adds the last touch of class and really makes them "custom".

If the cigars smoke anything like they smell and look, you and your blender have done a very fine job, Rob. So far, I have to say that they appear to be a great statement of your knowledge and dedication to cigars imho and the Tampas a perfect tribute to their namesake. I'll try to let them rest for a while before lighting one up, but I'm not sure how far my patience will get me or if I give in to temptation soon. I'll surely be waiting for that beautiful autumn day worthy of it.

So again, Rob, thank you very much for that prize and I hope to give them an appropriate review.

Cheers,

Michael

The Tampa

The Czar

The lineup

[adic88]

The look wonderful! where can i order some of these...

[CigarmanTim]

Outstanding!

[nonameno]

Hi Micha,

Congratulations! Beautiful pictures as always. I'm wondering how long you will be able to leave them in your humidor before you give them a try. I look forward to a review of these beauties.

Thank you for sharing,

Curtiss

[Warren]

Very nice, you'll love them. I had a czar the other night and was very impressed.

Rob has done a great job with these.

[Liuk]

they look very nice

[mbrody]

Drooling! I'm not sure if I can hold out the 60 day period!!!

[brian1]

Prez,

Where does the leaf for these customs come from? I would assume the vast majority if not all of the primo leaf goes into regular production not to mention the RR,ELs,Books,Jars and other one offs. Is there leaf that is set aside for the Hamlets of the world to do with as they wish, which seems unlikely? There seems to be more and more leaf that is now being used for customs. I dont get it. Is this leaf that doesnt make the cut for whatever reason?

[Colt45]

The look wonderful! where can i order some of these...

email Lisa. I believe another member has mentioned they may be out of Tampas already - these are small runs / limited supply.

Where does the leaf for these customs come from?

Not to speak for Rob, in another thread, he has mentioned that there are a few things he cannot reveal regarding these cigars

And I agree with the rest - they look great, but the smell......... incredible.

[cigcars]

*Mine arrived just yesterday I'm so excited - I just couldn't dive into them that second when they got here! Yes, I will probably just peruse and admire them for a bit. They have a WONDERFUL, luxuriant, warm Havana scent

[buster]

And I agree with the rest - they look great, but the smell......... incredible.

*Mine arrived just yesterday I'm so excited - I just couldn't dive into them that second when they got here! Yes, I will probably just peruse and admire them for a bit. They have a WONDERFUL, luxuriant, warm Havana scent

+1!! Man 'o' Manischewitz! Opened mine today. I thought opening up a "regular" Czar delivery was exciting... this was a whole new ball game. They look like a cross between dark and milk chocolate, the Tampa just a shade lighter. Absolutely beautiful construction, a "refined roughness" to them. When I opened the ziploc, I could smell and feel the humidity and I thought I was on the factory floor. Strong aroma to both, a bit of barnyard and pungency, with a distinct more sweetness to the Tampa. This is going to be fun.

Rick

[adic88]

Prez,

Where does the leaf for these customs come from? I would assume the vast majority if not all of the primo leaf goes into regular production not to mention the RR,ELs,Books,Jars and other one offs. Is there leaf that is set aside for the Hamlets of the world to do with as they wish, which seems unlikely? There seems to be more and more leaf that is now being used for customs. I dont get it. Is this leaf that doesnt make the cut for whatever reason?

I can speak for Czar's cause i know so little about these customs.

But what can comment on is how Cuban rollers (or at least the ones that are allowed to travel) operate. I've spoken to at least 3 different rollers, all Level 9s, and they confirm the same.

When they are sent out for assignment, they get their pick of the tobacco BEFORE any of the regular factories get their hands on it. Yaidi Morales who visited several years ago, selected her tobacco from a pile put aside for the Sublimes. So it does seem that these rollers have quite a bit of "pull" in the sense that they are given a free hand in whatever they need during their trips. See my review here of her custom rolled cigar: http://mycigarblog.org/blog/?p=719

Of course, this is probably just a very good marketing idea -- you make sure your best artists have the best tools when they are doing special events for your customers. But still, i'm tempted to believe that something like this goes on in a regular fashion even back in Cuba. Brinones told me that he makes his own cigars, all sorts of funky shapes and cigars with whatever tobacco he finds lying around the factory (and not the scraps!). He is so good at what he does, all he needs is a few pieces of leaf and his thigh, and voila a cigar is born. It's not pretty, of course, but apparently Cubans don't smoke the "pretty" cigars they sell us.

[micha]

Thanks to all of you for those - as always - very nice comments.

Hi Micha,

Congratulations! Beautiful pictures as always. I'm wondering how long you will be able to leave them in your humidor before you give them a try. I look forward to a review of these beauties.

Thank you for sharing,

Curtiss

Curtiss, I'm wondering too. Really don't know how long I'll be able to withstand. It is so damn tempting, but luckily I'm not the only one having that problem. Guess, there will be quite a few reviews popping up pretty soon.

Have a great weekend, gents!

[brian1]

Thanks Aizuddin,

Very interesting. Good to see you on the boards again.

I can speak for Czar's cause i know so little about these customs.

But what can comment on is how Cuban rollers (or at least the ones that are allowed to travel) operate. I've spoken to at least 3 different rollers, all Level 9s, and they confirm the same.

When they are sent out for assignment, they get their pick of the tobacco BEFORE any of the regular factories get their hands on it. Yaidi Morales who visited several years ago, selected her tobacco from a pile put aside for the Sublimes. So it does seem that these rollers have quite a bit of "pull" in the sense that they are given a free hand in whatever they need during their trips. See my review here of her custom rolled cigar: http://mycigarblog.org/blog/?p=719

Of course, this is probably just a very good marketing idea -- you make sure your best artists have the best tools when they are doing special events for your customers. But still, i'm tempted to believe that something like this goes on in a regular fashion even back in Cuba. Brinones told me that he makes his own cigars, all sorts of funky shapes and cigars with whatever tobacco he finds lying around the factory (and not the scraps!). He is so good at what he does, all he needs is a few pieces of leaf and his thigh, and voila a cigar is born. It's not pretty, of course, but apparently Cubans don't smoke the "pretty" cigars they sell us.