As a rather uneventful and relaxing weekend comes to an end, I certainly cannot complain about any of the fine sticks I enjoyed. I dug deep in the humidor this weekend and reached for some unusual and larger smokes that I had stashed. I intended to take advantage of the warmer weather and with temps dipping back into the 20’s this evening, I am glad I did.

Friday Afternoon: La Aurora Cien Anos Robusto

After a week of working through lunch, I made damn sure I got outside on Friday afternoon to enjoy the weather and have a smoke. With temps climbing into the 80’s, I reached for a 100 Anos Robusto from La Aurora. Created to celebrate La Aurora’s 100 year anniversary in 2003, these were limited to 300,000 cigars. Blended with a Dominican Corojo filler and Corojo wrapper, this stick was smooth and flavorful. Medium in strength with a nice balance of wood, cocoa, spice, and a faint sweetness. It might just be the perfect lunch smoke IMO. A “Fiver” if you can find them.

Friday Evening: Viaje Skull & Bones MOAB (2012)

With multiple limited releases from Viaje this month, I can honestly say I have smoked more Viaje than any other brand in the last few weeks. Friday evening was no exception as I looked to pair something bold with a glass of Ron Zacapa Rum Centenario (23 years). I decided to reach for one of the newest renditions of the Viaje Skull & Bones. This is the second release of the Viaje S&B Mother of All Bombs (MOAB). The flavor profile of earth, espresso, and pepper was a fine contrast to the sweetness of the rum. Like the recent Viaje Super Shot, this stick has some power, so take heed. Worthy of a “Fiver” for those moments when you want something with some kick.

Saturday Morning: AVO Limited Edition Diademas – 85th Anniversary (2011)

The month of March brings the release of the newest AVO Limited Edition Anniversary. Since 2001, AVO has released a new LE every March to celebrate the birthday of the company’s founder Avo Uvezian. Last year’s release was the 85th Anniversary Diademas. I enjoyed this stick immensely, and ranked it at the top of my favorites from 2011. After almost nine months, I raided my stash to see how this beauty was smoking.

The cigar opened with the same woody core and offered a lot of pepper up front. By the middle of the second third, the pepper settles down and smoke becomes very smooth and creamy. A nice caramel sweetness lingers on the finish. Although, it is smoking great, I do think that some of the flavors were muted during the second half. Smoke em if you got em! And keep an aye out for the 86th Anniversary!

Saturday Afternoon: Tatuaje Cojuno 2003

I am embarrassed to admit this, but it had been well more than a year since I have had a Tatuaje Cojuno. While spending a beautiful Saturday afternoon on my deck with the wife and boy, I ended the day by pouring a glass of Rum and sparking up a Tatuaje Cojuno 2003 that had been resting since my birthday last October.

Wow! What a smoke! I will be picking more of these up soon (along with the 2012 release that is due to land next week). A no brainer! “Box Worthy”

Sunday Afternoon: Kristoff Criollo Matador

Sunday brought doom and gloom via the weather, but I did manage to brave the dropping temperature and rain to do some grilling with the company of this 6.5 x 56 Toro from Kristoff. This stick performed well with a free flowing draw and a ton of smoke.The flavor profile didn’t change up much but it was enjoyable. Something I would certainly smoke again in a similar situation. “The Angler”

Until next week, keep burning!