Leaf n Grain Society ~ Focus on inspiring awareness and education of cigars, beverages, and food through pairings in our communities.
Al Capone is always top of mind when we think of Chicago. In the heart of Chicago’s Norwood Park neighborhood is the midwest’s largest 1,800 square foot humidor, at Norwood Royal Cigars, owned by Vick Shah, aka “The Don.” Vick has been selling cigars for over twenty years; he knows the game, the players, and the cigars! Long-time customer, John Dzailo, refers to Vick as “the most Italian-Indian man I know.” In fact, all of Vick’s loyal customers know him as The Don, which is a gentleman or mafia leader, but in this case, a cigar industry leader. Norwood Royal Cigars is the place to visit in Chicago for cigar aficionados of all levels. Near O’Hare International Airport, on the northwest side of Chicago, located at 6046 N. Northwest Hwy, the number of cigars in the oversized humidor can be overwhelming. It’s like being a kid in a candy store for cigar lovers. You simply have to see it to believe it! Among the hundreds of cigar brands featured in Vick’s shop, Oscar Valladares Tobacco is one of his favorites. Vick has collaborated with Oscar Valladares to produce his cigar line, called The Don V. Vick said, “my customers call me ‘The Don,’ so it made perfect sense to acknowledge that by calling my cigar The Don V.” Vicks personal goal with his Don V cigars is to make sure his customers “Light it, Smoke it, and Love it!” Vick’s original Honduran Puro blend was introduced to the market in the fall of 2021, the red-labeled Don V Corojo. This sun-grown Corojo tobacco is grown exclusively in the Jamastran valley of Honduras and aged for two years. Corojo tobacco was used extensively as a wrapper for many years on Cuban cigars, with the tobacco’s spicy “punch” becoming…
The San Antonio roast by H-E-B demonstrates two things in a coffee. One is why you should try different roasts of coffee. H-E-B considers this roast as a medium, whereas I would want to call it a dark…
Leaf n Grain Cigar Review – TIMELESS PRESTIGE by Ferio Tego Brand: Ferio Tego Vitola: Hermoso 5.5×54 Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua Wrapper: Honduran Maduro Binder: Dominican Republic Flavor Intensity: Medium Bold Body: Medium Boldness Price: $11 What Makes It Special Michael Herklots is easily the sexiest man in the cigar industry, and so are his Ferio Tego cigars. Ferio Tego is the Herklots family motto to “Strike and Defend,” launched by Michael in 2021. When it comes to blending, Michael’s goal is to ensure his cigars’ flavor is “compelling, interesting and satisfying…compelling enough to make you want to take another puff.” I had the pleasure of meeting Michael on April 20, 2022, at the Corona Cigar Company & Montecristo Lounge in Lake Mary, Florida. I covered a pairing event featuring Michael’s Elegancia cigar and Dalmore expressions with Whyte & Mackay’s Senior Whisky Specialist, Ben Boice. Micheal is energetic, hilarious but classy, and fully invested in his cigar line. I have personally been enjoying Ferio Tego cigars since. The Timeless Prestige is easily one of my favorite cigars, so the opportunity to review it was a no-brainer! Visual / Pre-light Draw Beautiful shiny medium brown maduro wrapper with lots of oil and very toothy veins. On the side sniff, there is very bold fresh hay that has been recently rained on. The nice shiny gold red and black band displays “TIMELESS” over “Prestige,” with a nice shiny gold secondary band displaying “Exclusively for FERIO TEGO.” The dry foot odor has nice chocolate cereal oat notes, while the dry draw produces faint vanilla and bold oak notes. First Third Big leather and oak on the first puff. Fantastic draw with a perfect amount of smoke input and output. Then a nice transition to a nice soft vanilla extract. The…
Summer Moon: A Coffee Review by David Jefferies Do you want to try a different coffee? Not some flavor-infused coffee or single-origin coffee with very subtle notes. Well, I have an excellent option for you. The coffee from…
The Art of Pairing: “It is Good for Kinsmen To Do So” by Reuben Ndjerareou In the West, there is…
Recipes & Cocktails
BEER CAN CHICKEN As winter comes to an end and warmer weather is upon us, it’s smoker season in Texas!…