I’ve been an avid coffee drinker since my freshman year of college, when I discovered this curious beverage’s amazing ability to ensure success when “pulling an all-nighter.” At the time I drank the swill produced in five-gallon lots by the staff of Van Houten cafeteria, cut by generous amounts of chocolate milk to enable threshold-level palatability. After hours I supplemented it with the rotgut stuff which could be had at the nearest all-night convenience store. Coffee was, for me at the time, a utilitarian beverage, hardly meant for enjoyment.

All that has changed. I had a friend in the early eighties who had spent several years stationed in Hawaii; while there he became enamored with the local coffees, especially the celebrated Kona variety. It was at his behest that I tasted my first premium arabica brew. Strong, dark, aromatic and seductive -- uncut with the typical condiments of cream, milk nor sugar, and unspoiled by industrial food-grade adulterants as are many commercial brands -- this stuff had my name written all over it. And I haven’t looked back since.

My latest infatuation has been the range of coffees produced by Allegro. Having purchased varietal coffees for years, and exclusively from small, local, boutique shops, I discovered Allegro one day in the late nineties while on a wine run at the now-defunct Merchant of Vino in Ann Arbor. The wine steward noticed that I was looking at their sizeable display of coffees, so he came over and offered me a sample which he had poured from a freshly-brewed pot in the back room. It was an Allegro variety (which one escapes me); I was immediately impressed by its quality and flavor. When I checked the prices, I was converted. This coffee was every bit as good as the types I had been buying from boutique coffee merchants, at a fraction of the cost. Over time we tried the entire line of offerings. I eventually settled on the Extra Dark French Roast, which, more than any other, duplicates the experience of the finest coffees in the finest restaurants in the City of Lights.

Well, when the Merchant of Vino suddenly closed a year or two ago, I was heartbroken. Until discovering that the Allegro line was now owned by Whole Foods Markets, which just happened to be opening a store just a mile or two from the old Vino location. Here, Allegro coffees are roasted before one’s very eyes, to order, by well-trained and knowledgeable staff. I like to watch through the cylindrical, clear glass “business end” of the roaster as the constantly-moving beans slowly turn from light olive green to an oily, dark chocolate brown. The aroma is unforgettable. And due to the freshness, the coffee is even better than that which I had previously obtained from The Merchant of Vino.

I enjoy dark, full-flavored cigars; I also prefer full-flavored coffee. Allegro Extra Dark French Roast is the darkest and most robust coffee in the line. I would add that it is perhaps the most flavorful. A blend of select Indonesian and Central American beans, the base material is far superior to that of many more common, so-called "French roasts," which typically utilize inferior beans and cover their poor quality through excessive roasting. This is a quality blend, roasted impeccably.

An aromatic brewing experience is capped by the pouring. This coffee, when properly prepared, is as black and opaque (but never cloudy!) as a coffee can be, with abundant, dark bubbles caressing the rim and a hint of oil darting about on the surface. The first sip is marked by an immediate impression of soft tannin and toast. An almost contradictory lightness of body may be noted -- followed almost immediately by a burst of flavor. One knows instantly that this is a superior brew. The deepness of the roast comes through in its uniquely rich smokiness, while a hearty, complex bean flavor excites the palate. The finish is long and characteristically French. Like the unforgettable coffee served at Hôtel Lancaster, my favorite hotel on the Champs Elysées -- this coffee could, by flavor alone, rouse a weary, jet-lagged traveler and get him off to his first meeting with a smile on his face.

This superior product from Allegro is sensibly priced, widely available, and has proven to be absolutely consistent. Curiously light-bodied but incredibly full-flavored, not too winey but full of soft, supple tannins and enticing smokiness, the Allegro Extra Dark French Roast has earned its place as my favorite morning coffee. It is highly recommended.

Some time ago I picked up a handful of these smokes at JR Cigar in Southfield, mainly because of the price.  A 6.25 x 50 Honduran toro that looks this nice, for under three dollars?  I figured it'd be worth a try.  The tobacconists warned me that they're milder than my usual sticks; I agreed but suggested that even a full-bodied-cigar smoker may have occasions where a mild to medium cigar is called for.  After all, I have one side of one humidor that's filled with Montecristos -- the best-known, and one of the finest, most complex milder cigars out there.

These La Corona toros have been in one humidor or another for months now.  I had already smoked a few of the sticks before taking notes for this entry; this time I paid careful attention to the experience.  As with the others I had smoked, the construction appeared to be excellent.  Wrapped in a medium-buff Conneticut Shade wrapper, this slightly veiny cigar was nevertheless attractive.  It had a medium-weight feel in the hand.  The most noticeable characteristic isn't the cigar itself but the gaudy band.  In my opinion, this label is overdone -- a too fancy, gold-leaf-dominated thing with a cheesy picture of a woman in the middle.

The appellation on its label, Raclette au lait cru du haut-Livradois, indicates that this semi-hard cow's milk cheese hails from the mountainous region of France known as Livradois.  Raclette shares its name with a traditional Alpine French / Swiss dish which is made with this cheese as an ingredient.  The name Raclette comes from the French infinitive racler which means to scrape; this reflects the traditional recipe for making this dish.  Age-old custom specifies that a sizeable wedge of Raclette cheese be warmed gently over an open fire; and when warm, that it be shaved or scraped over a special preparation of boiled potatoes, thick pieces of ham, select vegetables, and cornichon pickles.

The dish sounds fabulous.  But Raclette cheese is quite marvelous on its own.  One may find Raclette cheese which has been produced on either the Swiss or the French side of the border; the type I have before me is of the French variety, made in Auvergne by the Société Fromagèrie du LIVRADOIS, or SFR.  It is certified to have been carefully aged over 60 days before being packaged and shipped to eager cheese-lovers in the New World such as myself.

My sample is a 1.13 pound, 30º wedge, cut from an approximately 12" diameter by 2.5" thick wheel.  This massive block of cheese set me back $9.33 at Bello Vino Market in Ann Arbor, Michigan; I'm sure that, if consumed slowly and in small quantities over time, it will provide us with many weeks of occasional enjoyment.  Raclette cheese typically features a natural (read: edible) brushed rind; this example's rind appears to be delicate, parchment-colored and quite non-threatening.  The flesh appears to be slightly soft, is medium-yellow in color, and is punctuated with a small number of tiny holes.  As with all fine cheeses, one must never attempt to consume Raclette straight from the refrigerator; care has been taken to ensure that this cheese has reached the ambient temperature in an undisturbed manner.

Upon unwrapping the wedge, a distinct and unmistakable aroma fills the room.  And I mean, fills the room.  To the uninitiated this aroma this might be described as "stinky," but to the cheese aficionado it is heaven itself: indicative of that well-nuanced complexity which comes from proper preparation and aging.  The wedge slices smoothly but offers a surprising resistance, betraying the fact that it is firmer than its appearance suggests.

Texture is slightly grainy, but not overly so.  The graininess does tend to distract, but does not quite reach the objectionable stage.  It is unclear whether the origin of the graininess is the rind or the flesh.

But oh, the flavor -- this is a generous and complex cheese.  This Raclette has a very full flavor, dominated by notes of cream, butter and melon.  Flavor literally bursts onto the soft palate.  The finish is long and delightfully milky.

To test its warm qualities I gently melted a bit onto some aged ham (I wish I had some proscuitto around!).  The Raclette melts smoothly and assumes a viscous, creamy texture.  The flavor does not appear to be harmed by the heat; indeed, a nuttiness becomes evident, although the finish is somewhat subdued.

This Raclette is an attractive, aromatic, somewhat grainy but delightfully complex, semi-hard French Alpine cheese which would go equally well with fruit or preserved meats such as proscuitto, calabrese or sopressada.  All in all I would declare this delightful cheese to be recommended.

This gorgeous SMS cigar was given to me by my sixteen-year-old daughter as a gift for Christmas.  My wife later related to me the story of its selection.  Sometime before the holiday the two gals had secreted themselves off to one of my three favorite tobacconists, to search for just the right stick to package and wrap as a present for the cigar-smoking man in their lives.  Once in the humidor, they enlisted the assistance of the proprietor's son, who knows my preferences, likes and dislikes quite well.  My daughter wanted to get me something I would thoroughly enjoy, she told him, but which I might not select for myself.  A tall order, but one that this particular chap delighted in.  The Oliva "O" Maduro line was suggested, since he knows I am a long-time lover of full-bodied smokes, and am becoming quite the maduro fan of late.  He suggested that, in particular, the giant Orion vitola was the king of the line.  Sold!

After unwrapping this beauty on Christmas morning, I carefully placed it in one of my humidors to assure its thorough rehumidification.  After a week or so it appeared to be in perfect condition.  The stick was so beautiful that I simply couldn't wait any longer.  One recent evening during a time of relaxation in the family room, in an environment where the cigar could be the center of my attention for two full hours (i.e., the television was tuned to some "chick flick"), I selected, cut, and smoked my "O".

The appearance of the cigar was an immediate enticement.  Wrapped in the elegant and unique cloth band characteristic of Oliva "O" cigars -- in this case, blue rather than the EMS-standard red -- this Nicaraguan work of art featured a beautiful, deep maduro (nearly black!), finely-veined wrapper.  Construction appeared to be impeccable.  The subtle, floral aroma of the still-unlit tobacco surrounded me as I cautiously clipped the tip of the pyramide with my trusty Davidoff guillotine cutter.  I then prepared my Colibri for the task at hand.

Clouds of surprisingly-intense smoke filled the air upon the flawless lighting of this behemoth -- enough that the event secured the immediate attention of my wife and daughter, who turned away from their tearjerker long enough to remark at the astonishing volume of attractive incense coming from the cigar.

For me, the initial impression was one of heady strength -- this is not a mild maduro, by any stretch of the imagination.  This 54-ring-gauge monster had the initial strength of a 42-gauge full-bodied corona, perhaps more.  The flavor profile started right out with doses of cocoa, anise and cedar, in impactful quantities.  The experience was overwhelming.  As my family enjoyed their program and the delightful aroma of this incredible stogie, I, blissfully unaware of my surroundings, repeatedly interrupted their electronic entertainment with forceful exclamations of "Oh, my goodness, is this an incredible cigar!"

As the stick neared the 1/3 mark the intensity settled down a bit, and the flavor profile became yet more complex.  Hints of nuts and leather now introduced themselves against the heady maduro backdrop of cocoa and cedar.  Like a 19th Century Wagnerian overture the final third of the cigar returned a bit to the initial theme of complex strength, but this time in a more subtle manner.  All through the experience, the finish was atypically long and pleasant, the ash was fine and compact, and the burn was immaculate and perfect -- all reflecting this smoke's impeccable construction from the finest Oliva family tobaccos.  It was a knuckle-burner, for sure.  The attractive blue cloth band now rests in my collection.

I chose this particular cigar for my first review here, simply because it was the most recent "great cigar experience" I have had.  While not every review will be this positive, this one could not be more so.  I heartily declare the Oliva "O" Maduro Orion to be highly recommended.

Greetings and welcome to The Cigar Journal, a new home for cigar, coffee and other reviews.

First, allow me to introduce myself.  For the purposes of this journal I shall assume the pseudonym cigarjunkie.  I am a technical professional who resides in America's sixth largest MSA (metropolitan statistical area).  I am married and am the parent of three, including two teenagers.  I care for an elderly father, and otherwise live a normal, urban/close-suburban life -- not upscale, but certainly not banal.  I am an avid aficionado of fine cigars, having smoked them (never the cheap, supermarket varieties) for over two decades.  Among my avocations besides fine cigars are: fine art, fine music, and travel (especially of the European kind).

The purpose of this journal is to promote the appreciation of life's bounties.  About half a year ago I had a close call with death.  The trauma of this event caused me to reassess my formerly stoic, passionless, plain-vanilla existence.  I no longer take life for granted; I now devote much of my attention toward its appreciation.  As a result I have given up my preference for large quantities of low-cost, pitiful substitutes for "the real thing" in favor of smaller quantities and/or lesser frequencies of the very best life has to offer.  Today I strive to avoid those equally destructive vices of extremism -- stoicism and hedonism -- adopting instead a lifestyle of appreciation for all things aesthetic.

As for my passion for cigars: My pseudonym is in jest, for I am certainly no junkie, nor do I endorse addiction nor an unbalanced use of cigars.  My competence as a reviewer of cigars is certainly not in the expert category; my intent here is merely to report what I've enjoyed, with the hope that the information could be useful to others.  Perhaps my reviews might entice someone to forego the low-quality, mass-produced version and try the good stuff.

While this is primarily a cigar journal, I shall not limit my attention to cigars alone.  My plans include reviews of other items which offer intrinsically asethetic value, such as: various fine coffees, cheeses; other fine imported foods such as sausages & meats, chocolates; fine art, fine music ... but alas! because of my accident and the medications prescribed to me I may no longer endulge in my former passions of fine wines & single-malt Scotches.  If I review these, the impressions will most certainly be from memory.

I may also engage cigar-related topics such as: humidors and my own cigar storage systems; accessories such as lighters, cutters, and ashtrays; sources of information about cigars such as books, videos, magazines, and websites; suppliers of cigars such as tobacconists and clubs; the making of fine cigars; cigar history -- and the best environments I've found for enjoyment of cigars.

At times I may also write about somewhat more controversial subjects such as anti-smoking hysteria, tobacco taxation, or the differences between cigarette and cigar smoking.  And I may also attempt to debunk some of the common misconceptions about cigars and cigar smoking.

There will undoubtedly be other subjects, but I shall never stray from the intent of this site to promote the appreciation of the aesthetic side of life and its enjoyment.  For example, my entries may perhaps include discussions of my philosophy of the enjoyment of these finer things in life.  I may also contribute posts on health and self-improvement, such as my supplement regimen and anti-aging program; seminars and courses such as Dale Carnegie, Life Success Seminars, etc.  I shall not, however, delve into the topics of religion nor politics in this blog, except perhaps as they may directly relate to cigars and their enjoyment.  I may also contribute reviews of men's products such as fashion eyewear, fragrances, select clothing, or skin / hair care products for men.  There may even be entries on other aesthetic and stylistic subjects such as furniture, home decor and home improvement, etc. -- especially as I begin now to engage in these additional, finer-things-in-life improvements.

Rest assured that I won't get into those ultra-super-premium products such as Lamborghini automobiles, as do strongly upscale publications such as Cigar Aficionado (however, I may someday write about the low-end luxury car that saved my life).

For my cigar reviews (and, for that matter, for my reviews of anything else) I won't use a sophisticated rating system, as do the cigar mags.  I'll simply state my impressions of the overall smoking experience, together with my recommendations (or warnings, as the case may be).  I'm an American citizen, so unfortunately those reputedly-ultimate smokes, Havanas, aren't available on my home front; however, I do travel to Canada frequently (and to Europe somewhat more infrequently), so I have the opportunity to legally sample the finest wares that Cuba has to offer, and may report on the same in this blog.

Comments, suggestions, and requests are quite welcome -- in fact, they are encouraged.  I hope that you enjoy my humble attempt at this, The Cigar Journal.