A pleasant surprise . .

In the "try everything" phase of cigar smoking, which is where I may be for several more years, you can't ignore a chance to smoke something different.

I was at the City Market this afternoon picking up a couple red peppers and I decided to stop in The Wine Cellar on the NE end. I had no idea they carried cigars, but carry them they do. A small cabinet humidor at the back of the shop has a modest selection of popular brands. Among them I found H. Upmann Aperitifs; tiny cigarillos measuring only 4 x 28. I've been looking for something small and flavorful for times when I don't have 2 hours to spend on a smoke, and H. Upmann doesn't make junk. So, for just over $2.00 I went home with one and fired it up.

WOW! This little cigar packs a lot of flavor into a 45 minute smoke. It's not the best cigar I've ever tasted, but for $2.00 (half that if you buy them online or find 10x tins) it's VERY hard to beat! A box-pressed Dominican product with a rich maduro wrapper and medium body, it smokes just like a robusto in half the time. I'll be adding a tin of these to my humidor ASAP.