Our first event at the Boardroom in Brandon was going on strong by the time we decided to head on to South Tampa Cigars. Although we were having a great time at the Boardroom, tasting excellent rums provided by Top Shelf Liquors while enjoying a gret smoke courtesy of Altadis' Saint Luis Rey, our presence was required at the Rocky Patel event and so we said our good byes and got on the road. Twenty minutes later we were chatting with Patrick Vivalo from RP and the guys from South Tampa Cigars. There was no actual tasting so we bought some RPs and did our own, while also enjoying the snacks and beverages gracefully provided by the cigar shop. Towards the end of the night we had the opportunity of talking to the folks from Cigar City magazine, and we all shared our desire to continue working toward our common goal of preserving Tampa's rich cigar history for generations to come. So in a nutshell, yes, it was worth it. And so we wrapped up the night. So many cigars, so little time!

Sometimes you wonder why cigar shops step over each other's toes when it comes to choose an event's date. Like, they have a whole week to choose from, but they all decide to do an event on the same night! Well, this is not the first time (nor it'll be the last) that I find myself cigar shop-hopping so I can participate in multiple events in one night. Last time it was from Temple Terrace to Brandon, this time from Brandon to South Tampa. Is it worth it? It all depends. Distancewise, it was only 20 minutes so that's no biggie; the hard part is having to leave an event at its peak without knowing what the other event is going to be like; it's the risk you have to take. The payoff? I'll tell you in my next blog!

Last night we got not one but two events! Those of you that did not make it to either missed out some special treats. At Cigar Castle on 56th. the beer was flowing and John Maniscalco from Perdomo paired his fantastic cigar with beautiful dames more than willing to light up your cigar. And at Topshelf Liquors in Brandon an amazing line-up of whiskies (mostly single-malt scotch) provided the perfect companionship to the cigars provided by The Boardroom. Excellent! 

The week went by and I never got around to mention the two events from the week before. First, the Perdomo cigar tasting at the Boardroom in Brandon on Thursday was fantastic! Not only a great cigar but a whole selection of single-malt whiskies courtesy of Top Shelf Liquors in Brandon. What a treat! Then on Friday it was Rocky Patel at Edwards of Tampa, with RP in person passing RP sun grown cigars and some excellent wine and Tijuana Flats' food to pair them with. A crowd pleaser as usual!