Tobacco in Hawaii

[El Presidente]

I was reading about the battle of a company to set up a coffee and cigar retail facility on their land in  Kauai County. good story if you have the time: http://www.civilbeat.org/2017/09/retail-shops-on-hawaii-farmland-kauai-dispute-could-set-a-precedent/

Their cigars are Kauai Cigar Co cigars. 

members who have smoked them, let us know how they smoke. 

How much cigar tobacco is grown in Hawaii? is there a unique "Hawaiian" flavour characteristic?

 

[PapaDisco]

They grow coffee AND tobacco?? Paradise!

 

[cigcars]

     * I've smoked both the Makahela and Hawaiian Vintage Series from Kauai Cigar company. The Makahela was a bit dry and dull in taste. The Hawaiian Vintage Series with the unibrow dude on the cigar band was MUCH more flavorful, enjoyable, and sweet to the taste. 

[ChanceSchmerr]

I picked up a Kauai cigar in Honolulu in February and gave a try a month later. Was very impressed with the flavours I did pick up, certainly better than most DR and many NC cigars i've tried.  I look forward to a Hawaiian puro when they are able to roll one (I think currently the cigars use a blend of Hawaiian and Nicaraguan tobacco)

I couldn't tell you too many details on what makes the particularly special though.

[Islandboy]

Good article, thanks for posting. Very reminiscent of the day-to-day challenges from the local government and various interest groups I encountered regularly in my previous career at Maui Pineapple Company - a 100 year old enterprise that is no longer in business (not my fault ).

I see them at the local supermarkets, but have yet to try a Kauai Cigar Co. offering. Gotta admit, I’m a bit apprehensive based on the less than stellar reviews. That, and I decided a year ago to spend 99.9% of my cigar funds on CC’s. But....my wife brought home one of their cigars a few months ago. An impulse buy while standing in line at checkout - I’m sure it’s a real cracker . Anyhoo, I’ll take one for the team and smoke the sucker tomorrow. Wish me luck. 

[JaeVee]

I haven't smoked a Hawaiian cigar but I can speak to the coffee. I am a home roaster, and somewhat of an affocianado. A friend of mine grows coffee in Kona and I lived in Honolulu for 8 years. The best of Kona coffee is good, but there are much better varieties available from other countries. Ethiopia, Columbia etc.. 

The reason kona coffee is so expensive is because Americans pick it, or presumably people to whom a much higher wage is paid then the pickers in Ethiopia. That ridiculous price ia not indicitive of quality. As I said my friend grew kona coffee and I had access to the best of the best for reduced prices and I used to order coffee from other countries. 

 

Maybe I'll have a friend there send me some sticks. 

I wouldn't mind trading some expertly roasted coffee for some Cubans

[LLC]

My wife and daughter were in Hawaii in May and brought me back a Kauai cigar that came in a nice wood box. Wasn't sure if it was something I'd smoke but now this has peaked my interest so I may give it a try soon.


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[JustTheMessenger]

18 hours ago, ChanceSchmerr said:

I picked up a Kauai cigar in Honolulu in February and gave a try a month later. Was very impressed with the flavours I did pick up, certainly better than most DR and many NC cigars i've tried.  I look forward to a Hawaiian puro when they are able to roll one (I think currently the cigars use a blend of Hawaiian and Nicaraguan tobacco)

I couldn't tell you too many details on what makes the particularly special though.

I picked up a few when I was in Kauai.  If I recall correctly, it's only the wrapper that is grown there, binder and filler were Nicaraguan.  But it's been several years since I was there.  I could be mis-remembering   They are a bit too tart/sweet for me, and they don't age well at all....they seemed to get even more tart over time.  But it was cool to smoke them while on the islands.

[Islandboy]

Here goes. As promised, I smoked my one and only Kauai Cigars stick. I’ve had it kicking around in my humidor for a few months.

Labeled as “Hawaiian Vintage Series”, it has a bust of King Kamehameha on the band, not sure which one (first, second, third, etc), and one of Captain Cook’s sailing vessels in the background. An ominous image for those in the know of Hawaii’s spotted history of missionary introduction.

I went into this with very low expectations, foolishly it turns out. As you can see, it’s quite the perfecto, even had a complete cap of wrapper over the foot. This was cause for concern after cutting, and taking the first cold draw, only to be confronted with an extremely plugged cigar....until I took a good look at the fully covered cap. This turned out to be a complete non-issue upon lighting.

The cold draw only revealed a very peppery taste on my lips, but for the most part, the pepper barely entered the picture. Once lit, the draw and smoke output immediately went to near perfection. And remained this way throughout.

The first third was extremely mild, both in flavor and intensity. So mild in fact, my first couple of retrohales had me wondering if I had lost the ability to do so. I tasted nothing through the nose. But the cigar’s smoothness and aroma was obvious. Very light white pepper, pleasant woodiness at the start. But absolutely nothing offensive, just smooth, mild tobacco. Almost too smooth.

Turns out this stick took me on quite the journey of tastes, starting out very mild, but building in sweetness and complexity - tastes encountered ran the gamut of sweet cedar, maple, milk chocolate, coffee, then in the final third, hay, honey, and even sweet green pepper and sourdough.

Burn was perfect, smoke output was admirable, the ash held on forever - the only drawback that comes to mind is how mild this cigar was. Which also means it was surprisingly smooth, with somewhat of an aged element.

If they marketed this cigar towards giving occasional smokers on vacation a pleasant experience, they hit the bullseye IMHO.

I’d smoke it again.  

 

[Duxnutz]

I have smoked one and found it quite enjoyable, Hawaiian Vintage as shown in pic above. I see the other Kuaui cigars at lots of the abc stores. 

 

[canadianbeaver]

We were in Hawaii in June. I went and found Hawaiian cigars right away in this three pack wooden little case in the big local “buy everything store”, including wine and liquor.

These Hawaiian cigars did not do it for us I am sorry to say. The smoke was light and airy, but smooth. I prefer depth and a different taste as the stick progresses.

I snuck off and found this cigar store and the owner was the nicest guy! That’s him in the Red t shirt.

CB

[bigfunkyg]

Kauai is my Hawaiian island of choice.  Ill be there again this coming winter.  As for the cigars I have tried the Kauai Cigar Company selections on a few occasions but have never been impressed.  I believed the were the Island Prince series but I will seek out the Hawaiian Vintage on this trip.  I tend to bring my own "unbanded" selection with me when I travel.  

As for the coffee, the Kauai Coffee is very good.  It's generally available at most Costco's and although it isn't what I would call a dark roast its a very nice everyday coffee.  

Interesting to note in the article where is says “It definitely does not serve Hawaii’s sustainable food goals to turn valuable agricultural districts into faux-farm amusement parks.”.  Kauai as an island is somewhat less pro-development than perhaps other islands.  The seem to take preserving their island very seriously which is something I can respect. 

[Fugu]

10 hours ago, Islandboy said:

An ominous image for those in the know of Hawaii’s spotted history of missionary introduction.

Yep, but at least sporting a Hawaiian signature shape as it seems - surfboard, shark ?!! 

[Islandboy]

17 minutes ago, Fugu said:

Yep, but at least sporting a Hawaiian signature shape as it seems - surfboard, shark ?!! 

The shape kinda reminded me of my youth. Having grown up here and being the Islandboy that I am, it seems I’ve at least seen this perfecto before in a Cheech and Chong film