El Pulpo by Artesano del Tobacco: A Full-Bodied Masterpiece

I picked up a five-pack of the El Pulpo by Artesano del Tobacco about four weeks ago. Since then, I’ve often caught myself eyeing them in the humidor, tempted to light one up. But I try to give new cigars — especially those that arrive by mail — at least a month, preferably longer, to settle in before smoking. Exactly four weeks to the day, I gave in to temptation and lit one up on a cool evening.

El Pulpo — Spanish for “the octopus” — is the result of a collaboration between Artesano del Tobacco and AJ Fernandez, released in 2023. It wears a dark, oily Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers grown on AJ Fernandez’s farms. The Robusto Grande vitola I chose is a 5 × 56 sharply box-pressed cigar. 

From the first draw, I was enveloped in thick, rolling clouds of smoke — easily one of the smokiest cigars I’ve lit up in some time. Rich flavors of dark chocolate, coffee, and roasted nuts greeted my palate, soon joined by a dark sugar sweetness that struck a beautiful balance between bitter and sweet.

El Pulpo delivers a full-bodied yet remarkably smooth experience, never crossing into harshness. While the burn line wavered slightly at times, it never required correction. Smoke production was both ample and flavorful, providing about 75 minutes of satisfying enjoyment.

To accompany the cigar, I poured a glass of Peerless Small Batch Bourbon. At four years old and bottled at 115.4 proof, it carries some heat but is still a surprisingly approachable pour. Bold notes of caramel, cinnamon, butterscotch, and brown sugar dominate. A few drops of water tame the heat and let the flavors shine — an excellent complement to the richness of the cigar.

By the time I set the nub down, I was already contemplating a box purchase of El Pulpo. The only decision left is whether to stick with the Robustos or spring for the slightly longer 6 × 56 Toro.

Cheers!

Late-Winter Evenings: El Pulpo & Valentine’s Chocolate

We continue to enjoy some moderately warmer weather and ever-later sunsets — welcome signs that there’s more time to linger outdoors with an after-dinner cigar. Earlier this week, the El Pulpo from Artesano del Tobacco, paired with some Valentine’s Day candy, made for a sweet treat as the sun settled below the horizon and the evening air began to cool.

The El Pulpo is a smoke I’ve been enjoying often of late. Balanced and rich, notes of dark chocolate, black coffee, and roasted nuts are supported by a palate-pleasing dark sugar sweetness. Though the burn wavers at times, the cigar produces copious, flavorful smoke and remains an easy one to revisit. As the smoke progressed, the bitter notes of coffee and dark chocolate moved from medium-bodied into the fuller range. At the same time, the sweetness deepened in the finish, maintaining balance.

Chocolate treats rarely fail when enjoyed alongside a darker-flavored cigar. The creamy chocolate and hazelnut fillings in the candies were satisfyingly decadent, their sweetness complementing the cigar’s deeper notes. Not a bad way to spend an evening as the days begin, almost imperceptibly, to stretch.

Cheers!

The Overnighter: A Bold Cocktail and Cigar Pairing

The Overnighter cocktail is a four-ingredient drink that’s right up my alley as a fan of bitter and sweet combinations. It’s a flavorful, well-balanced cocktail that’s every bit as enjoyable as it is easy to make.

The Overnighter

• 1.5 oz Rye Whiskey
• .75 oz 22.5 ml Campari
• 1 oz Dry Vermouth
• .25 oz Bénédictine
• Orange wheel for garnish

Combine the liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled. Strain over a large ice cube into a rocks glass and garnish with the orange wheel. Some recipes call for a smoked orange wheel, which would undoubtedly add another layer of complexity.

I used 90-proof Sazerac Rye for my drink. The Overnighter is moderately strong and meant to be sipped slowly, allowing its contrasting bitter and sweet notes to unfold with each taste.

I’ve seen some versions of the recipe call for ¾ ounce of Bénédictine. I tried one using ½ ounce and found the resulting drink a bit too sweet for my taste. The quarter-ounce measure keeps the herbal liqueur in balance, adding depth without overwhelming the other ingredients.

A bold cocktail like the Overnighter calls for an equally bold, well-balanced cigar. I reached for the El Pulpo by Artesano del Tobacco, a cigar I’ve enjoyed often and was one of my favorite cigars of 2025.

The cigar’s rich notes of dark chocolate, black coffee, and roasted nuts paired beautifully with the Overnighter. It had been a while since I’d smoked an El Pulpo, despite still having an unopened box resting in the humidor. This smoke served as a welcome reminder to crack open that box in the near future.

Cheers!

The Best Cigar Is the One in Your Hand

The personalized license plate on my car offers a subtle hint at my enjoyment of cigars. Recently, while pumping gas, the guy behind me called out, “What’s your favorite cigar?” I hesitated, then stumbled through a reply listing a few brands I’ve enjoyed lately. In truth, my usual answer to that question — whether it’s about beer, bourbon, or cigars — is simply, “The one I’m enjoying at the moment.” It may sound flippant, but it’s also the most honest answer I have.

In my 2025 year-in-review post, I went out on a limb and declared a couple “favorites” of the year: the El Pulpo by Artesano del Tobacco and a Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Wegmans Private Selection. If I could distinctly recall every cigar smoked and every whiskey poured over the past year, would I still choose those two? I’m not entirely sure — but they clearly left a lasting impression. Reflecting on that choice, I decided to enjoy them together as my first sip and smoke of the new year.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked store pick doesn’t appear to have been mentioned previously in these Musings, though it has shown up more than once on my Instagram feed. Compared to the standard bottling, this pick leans less on peppery spice and more toward a sweeter profile of caramel and oak. It’s an easy, enjoyable pour — and since no trips back to New Jersey are planned (or desired), I’ll be savoring this bottle while it lasts.

The El Pulpo, on the other hand, has been mentioned here before. Although it debuted in January 2023, it wasn’t until the summer of 2025 that I picked up a five-pack — and promptly followed that with a full box in the Robusto size. It’s a balanced and flavorful cigar, offering notes of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted nuts, and earth, capped by a pleasingly spicy-sweet finish.

After revisiting these two “favorites” together, I’m comfortable standing by my 2025 declarations. Still, the next time someone asks, “What’s your favorite cigar?” I'll prepared to answer a bit more quickly — with my usual reply: “The one I’m having at the moment.”

Cheers!

2025: A Year of Recovery and Small Pleasures

It’s time for the requisite year-in-review post. Although 2025 marked my first full year of retirement, it was a low-key and, at times, frustratingly sedentary one. After a previous year marked by chronic pain and ineffective treatments, I underwent back surgery — including a spinal fusion — in February. Healing from the procedure and recovering from months of severely limited physical activity has been slow and, to some degree, remains ongoing. Only in the final months of the year was I able to be a bit more active, and even now there is some lingering pain and restricted movement.

Unsurprisingly, that reality is reflected in my shooting journal. In 2025 I managed a meager four trips to the range for practice and just two IDPA matches. On the bright side, that represents a meaningful improvement over the zero outings logged in 2024. I fired my first shots since December 2023 in August and finally made a tentative return to competition in October. With luck — and continued progress — I’m truly hoping for more shooting sports participation in 2026.

Travel plans were also shaped by recovery with most travel in 2025 limited to weekend or overnight outings. We did attend several Virginia Tech Hokies football games. Weekends in Blacksburg, joined by our son and daughter-in-law, were enjoyable, even if the final scores were seldom in our favor.

We did get away for a week centered around a horticultural-focused convention that helped feed my indoor gardening passion. The event was held in New Jersey, which isn’t typically high on my vacation destination list, but I was pleasantly surprised — and pleased — to do a bit of bottle shopping and return home with a couple of excellent store-pick bourbons. Among them was a Wegmans Private Selection of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, a bottle that may well be my favorite find of 2025.

On the upside, one doesn’t need to be especially mobile to enjoy good cigars and fine whiskey. Despite other limitations, I’ve been able to maintain a fairly regular “smoke and sip” routine, usually on the screened porch that we renovated into a three-season room over the summer. That space has quickly become one of my favorite places to slow down and enjoy an evening.

The one true vacation of 2025 was a week at the beach, taking in the surf and sand, good food, and cigars by the sea. During our stay on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, I paid a couple of visits to the OBX Cigar Lounge. Being able to pair a cigar with a beer or whiskey — while smoking indoors — was a particular pleasure. Under Virginia’s nanny-state regulations, that combination is nearly impossible, save for a handful of exceptions.

We managed to squeeze in two very different musical outings this year. May brought Metallica to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, while December closed things out with a Tab Benoit show in Leesburg, Virginia — about as big a genre shift as one could ask for.

On the blogging and social media front, I remained fairly active. Despite the limited activity, I managed 156 posts in 2025. In addition to these blog posts, I regularly share cigar and beverage pairings on Instagram. I also added an option for readers to receive these Musings by email, providing another way for readers who follow along to stay connected.

One final note for those who care about such things: my favorite cigar of 2025 was El Pulpo by Artesano del Tobacco. It’s not often I reorder a cigar while I still have some on hand — make of that what you will.

All told, 2025 wasn’t a year of big adventures or bold accomplishments, but it was a year of recovery, small pleasures, and quiet progress. If nothing else, it helped lay the groundwork for a more active and engaged 2026 — and I’ll gladly raise a glass and light a cigar to that hope.

Happy New Year!

Cigars by the Sea: A Relaxed Week in the Outer Banks

I took a short break from posting last week while we slipped away for a much-needed trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It had been three years since our last visit to the OBX, and the return reminded me why this stretch of coast is a popular destination. We've been visiting regularly for the last 40 years and still find it an amazing place — even if I am no longer tempted to jump in and battle the waves. This was not a trip packed with schedules or excursions. We simple enjoyed a laid-back week devoted to the art of leisure. We spent our days relaxing, eating well, laughing over board games, and, for me, savoring some good cigars.

Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown

Most of my smoking time was spent on the deck with a view of the Atlantic or right down on the sand, enjoying the steady rhythm of the surf. A persistent breeze occasionally forced a lopsided burn, but overall the oceanside weather cooperated nicely. I even carved out time for a couple of visits to the local lounge, OBX Cigar Lounge — a welcoming spot that deserves its own write-up, which I’ll share in a separate post.

Black Label Trading Company Royalty

As usual, I packed more cigars than I realistically expected to smoke. I like to give myself options depending on my mood, and there’s always the chance a stick might misbehave. That variety was further expanded by a few purchases at the lounge, which added some fresh finds to the rotation.

Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro

The weather turned out to be surprisingly kind. Aside from a few clouds, there was very little rain — quite a contrast to our last visit, when gusting winds and near-constant downpours limited me to a single cigar the entire week. This time, the conditions allowed for plenty of relaxed smoking sessions without interruption.

El Pulpo by Artesano del Tobacco

In the end, the vacation was everything it needed to be: unhurried time with family, simple pleasures, the sound of the ocean, good food, and cigars enjoyed without rush. Sometimes the best trips aren’t about doing more, but about slowing down and enjoying what’s right in front of you.

Cheers!