House of Emilio February Newsletter

The Best of the Boutiques 

News and Reviews from and about the House of Emilo

Family of Cigars

Review of the Bodega Cigars Digestivo by The Smoking Greek: "The Digestivo was a flavorful, well constructed introduction to the line for me. Knowing the Bodega family’s passion for tasty cigars, food, and beverage I had high hopes. The Digestivo didn’t fail to meet my expectations. The whole experience encapsulated, for me, the idea behind Bodega’s philosophy of the lifestyle."  Link

 Casas Fumando reviewed the Ezra Zion Eminence: "just how great Mexican San Andreas is as a wrapper when it is blended correctly, and that’s exactly what these boys did with the Eminence. They created a bold, flavorful experience leading off with great maduro flavors followed up with some awesome sweetness which then evens out to finish off creamy and smooth. You can’t really ask for much more in terms of experience. The construction was on point, and the price is within reason."  Link

From Dan Gumm's Cheap Ash Reviews, on the 1502 Cigars Emerald Perfecto:  "I found the cold draw free with notes of rich tobacco and brown sugar as the main flavors, while at the same time the wrapper left a slight sweetness on my lips."

"Overall I thought the 1502 Emerald Perfecto was a fantastic cigar. The complexity of the flavor mix actually took me by surprise and the coffee with cream finish was superb! Hopefully this review shows the consistent quality that goes in to each cigar they produce."  Review Here

Bourbon & Broadleaf declared the Nomad S307 a "must smoke" in their review: "The strength almost seems too perfect at a solid medium. The flavors were not too rich and did not jump around throughout the cigar.  These spice and pepper flavors stayed the entire journey of the smoking experience.  It mellowed out towards the end in a light sweet finish with great leather notes finishing off the puff."

Read the review here

Casas Fumando reviewed the Epicurean Cigars AG Azul: "The performance of the AG Azul 2008 was exceptional, allowing me to sit back and relax for almost 2 hours. The cedar and pepper made up the core of the profile but the shifts in the intensity of the spice, sweetness, and cocoa finish made this an engaging ride. The flavors were medium/full and the strength ended right around the same range." Link here

Stogies on the Rocks reviewed the Bodega Premium Blends Aperitivo: "From the beginning, I am greeted by the sweetness that I got from the aroma.  It is pretty close to molasses, so that’s how I will describe it.  That note mixes well with earth, wood, and a mild white pepper.  As this section develops, some savory and floral notes jump in the mix as well."

"It definitely seems like the type of cigar you would start the night out with friends with.  Taking what the Aperitivo aims to be in mind, I say it is right on the mark!"   Read the full review here 

2 Gentlemen Review had this  to say about the 1502 Cigars Emerald:  "As a cigar lover, I am always impressed with a blenders ability to make cigars so complex. I love when flavors change, and give the palate a swift kick. It really is amazing. However, something I love even more is when a blender crafts a cigar with such great flavors that constant changes are not needed."

"This is a box worthy cigar, and it is on my short list of box purchases."

The full review is at this link

Robusto Cigar Babe gives her take on the Bodega Cigars Digestivo:  "a bittersweet cocoa emerges and a touch of espresso with the spicy peppers subsiding just a little and my palate begins to get acquainted with a creamy taste. Then all of a sudden a delectable sweet black cherry emerges that compliments the cocoa very nicely and then after a few puffs it fades into a complex leather with some accented sweetness"   Read the complete review here

Cigar Memoir reviewed the Emilio Cigars AF2: "This impeccably constructed torpedo was enveloped in a nearly flawless, dark toffee colored wrapper."

"The savory aspects of the AF2 reached their climax in the final third. Surprisingly, the leather came on strongest, becoming the singular note in the AF2 while the cayenne dropped to an undertone. The pine-wood transitioned into a flavor more reminiscent of oak, while waning slightly in strength. A new dimension introduced itself during the final third, hazelnut, which was the first appearance of a nutty note."  Full review here
 

Cigar Nubs reviewed the Bodega Reunion Digestivo: "By the halfway point, a slight peppery spice has shown up, while the dried fruit and raisin has faded a bit, allowing a rich and creamy earth to settle in. There is a still a fair amount of sweetness, maintaining that delicious balance you’d hope to find in a premium cigar."  Read the full review here

Dan Gumm reviewed the Emilio Cigars AF1 and rated it a 94! : "After toasting the foot and lighting the cigar, the first two draws are a mix of black pepper and cocoa. After the initial black pepper is gone the flavor changes to a medium body mix of cocoa, tobacco and toast. As the burn progresses toward the cigar’s mid point the cocoa notes change to more of a semi-sweet chocolate flavor. In the final half the flavor shifts to a mix of coffee, cream, chocolate and charcoal. This flavor mix is what I call “burnt mocha”, and it’s my all time favorite flavor mix, giving this cigar a long, flavor bomb finish."

The full review can be viewed here

Cigar Tipsters reviews the Bodega Cigars Reunion Digestivo: "Talk about dessert, this cigar reminded me a little of chocolate covered cherries, but not in a syrupy calorie laden way. Midway through the smoke a delicious wine soaked oak emerges, mixing very nicely with the leather, earth and touches of pepper and cocoa. I think this is when I realized that I didn't want this cigar to end. The Digestivo never got too hot to handle so when I smoked it down to almost the nub, I wasn't shocked when my mind starting thinking about smoking another one"

Full Review Here 

Catfish Bluezz reviewed the 1502 Cigars Ruby on Cigar Federation:  "Final Third: The coffee and cocoa flavors became much darker at this point, leaning towards dark cocoa and espresso flavors.  The retrohale left a distinct sweetness that was the key to the balance of the blend with the darker draw notes.  Underneath everything lied the pepper and cedar still, with the sweetness bringing the draw and retro together for a symphony of flavor.  I did find a soft spot, which was the culprit of the weird burn, and took a touchup.  That did not affect my notes though, and I sat back and enjoyed the final inch"  Review here

Video reviews this month

Rodrigo Cigars La Fortaleza by Cigar Review TV

1502 Cigars Black Gold by Beard Cigar Beard

Nomad Cigars S 307 by Cigar Review TV

Emilio Cigars AF2 by Half Ashed

1502 Cigars Ruby by Beard Cigar Beard

And by the way Dora Paoletti Lilly. I will love you until the day I die. Thank you for being my inspiration.

The Miracle of Ascoli

There is a small town in the Marches province of Italy called Ascoli Piceno. It is a beautiful, historic little city, graced with a central square in the middle of which is a fountain.

In 1909 Ferdinando Paoletti, his wife and daughter made the trip from Italy to the United States.  As family lore has it, when they arrived either his wife Mariantonia or his daughter Carolina had developed a severe cough, and was denied entry. Mariantonia and Carolina returned to Italy, presumably to await Ferdinando raising enough money to send for them again. They returned in 1912 through Philadelphia, and reunited at last the couple went on to build a life for themselves in Wilmington, Delaware.

It was here that their son Nicholas was born. Stationed in Georgia during his service in the Army Air Corps he met and married his wife, and this is where the story, for me, really begins.

I have always believed everything happens for a reason, that somehow there are few things in life that are unordained, and that the patient soul is always rewarded.

I grew up about 20 miles from Wilmington, attended High School in Elkton, Maryland, and had a pretty ordinary experience there. Of all the 220 people in my graduating class there were few I interacted with. I was shy, studious, and more inclined to sit at home and read a book or paint than date, or attend parties.

Move ahead 4 decades. As our 40th class reunion approached a few classmates made a concerted effort to reconnect many of us through Facebook. I happily accepted friend requests, but since our reunion fell on the weekend of our annual cigar festival it was certain I would not attend. The weekend before, however, I was scheduled to make an appearance at a small wine and food festival.

On a hot and sunny Sunday afternoon, as I sat on a dock along the Susquehanna River, I was approached by a beautiful woman who looked vaguely familiar. As it turned out, we had gone to the same High School, had no classes together, and as far as I can recall if we had ever even spoken it was only a few times. On September 9th that all changed in a wonderful way.

We spoke for perhaps a half hour, and I found her deeply intriguing. She had noticed the announcement of the event, and though she initially had decided to make the hour drive there threatening weather almost changed her mind. Cajoled by her sister to just go ahead and make the trip, there before me she was.

As she moved to head home, in an uncharacteristiclly brash way, I asked her to dinner. A few days later we met at a restaurant near her home, near the city if her birth, and the place she had returned to after graduation. Were it not for her taking that drive on that particular day chances are we would never have encountered each other again.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Today I am pleased to announce the forthcoming release of "Mia Dora" by Emilio Cigars, dedicated to the beautiful woman I love.  Manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua by my dear friend Abdel Fernandez, the cigars, featuring a Habano Rosado wrapper and Nicaraguan filler, will be released in July, 2013 at IPCPR in Las Vegas.

The decorative art for the bands and boxes will feature themes and colors from the flag of Ascoli Piceno, the city in which a young family made the bold decision over 100 years ago to ultimately deliver an angel to me.

I love you Dora Paoletti Lilly . This is my gift to you, in my own way, in the art form I know best.