Rocky's Cigar Blog

KRISTOFF COROJO LIMITADA

2011-12-20T07:43:00.000-08:00

KRISTOFF COROJO LIMITADA

The next new KRISTOFF is the COROJO LIMITADA. This cigar is almost a puros Nicaraguan cigar. The wrapper is Nicaraguan Corojo with a Nicaraguan Habano binder. This is followed by a mix of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler. This should be an interesting smoke.

In my ritualistic lighting of my cigar I begin to draw on my stick. The overwhelming flavor is the Nicaraguan corojo and is a nice pleasant surprise being that I don’t smoke too many Corojo wrapped cigars. The smoke has started out very smooth and has a touch of pepper and toasted nut giving a smooth taste to the cigar. The construction of the stick is nothing less than what I have become to expect from this great company. Even burn and nice ash close out the points on which this cigar is constructed. I am really enjoying this smoke and have lost track of time. At the halfway point I am totally relaxed and I rest easy thinking of how I could easily sell this cigar. The experience of this smoke is right up there with the Liga Privada and the La Serina, although completely different tasting smokes they are all in the same class. With the cigar down to a third left I’ve decided to take out my tweezers and attempt to smoke it all the way through. At the end of this smoke I’m prepared to buy a box and maybe buy one for a gift…

KRISTOFF GC MADURO SERIES 6x60

2011-12-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

KRISTOFF GC MADURO SERIES 6x60

The first of the 2 new Kristoff cigars is the GC MADURO. This line is named for Kristoff owner Glen Case, one heck of a cigar man. His namesake cigar consists of a Brazilian Maduro wrapper, a Honduran binder and filler containing Dominican and Honduran leaf. I will be smoking my favorite size a 6x60.

The night starts with a warming of the entire stick and then ceremonial act of lighting my cigar with my trusty piece of cedar. The first initial flavor to hit my palette is sharp spice of the Maduro. This is accompanied by chocolate and espresso. The burn and draw are excellent and showing me why this cigar has the reputation it does. One of flavor, quality, and consisitency.
As I get one third of the way in the spice has evened out and is allowing the surrounding flavors to take off. The smoke is very smooth for a Maduro and is very enjoyable. At the halfway point the smoke has become an awesome experience. The ash is intact and the burn is even and consistent.
The taste has stayed the same and is making me want more to keep in my humidor. The ash is a consistent grey and the plume of smoke is almost an Ivory color. With a third left the smoke is still very enjoyable and is making me wish it would never end…

The KRISTOFF GC MADURO is an excellent smoke and would be most enjoyed with a nice glass of Glen Livet. I highly recommend that you run out and try one if you can…

CRUZADO DANTES from ILLUSION

2011-12-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

CRUZADO DANTES from ILLUSION

The CRUZADO DANTES by ILLUSION CIGARS is a cigar that consists of a Nicaraguan criollo wrapper and a Nicaraguan binder. The filler is a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran broadleaf. I’ve never had an Illusion before so this will be a true test…

With an empty cigar lounge because its 9 am I’ve decided to smoke this uninterrupted and give it my full attention. Taking the time to wet my cigar down then warm it with a lit piece of cedar, then warm the foot and begin to draw on the stick I get a true first taste of this first time smoke. The flavor I first taste is a hint of toasted nut and nutmeg. This is a pleasant and new taste and it is giving me a new experience. The construction is good with a firm wrap and an attractive appearance.

About a third of the way in the cigar has picked up a slight spiciness and a peppery flavor. The burn is great and the ash is solid grey even though the ash is small. The plume of exhaled smoke is filling the quiet lounge and I’m wishing there was someone here to share the experience with. The stick is a mix in strength between medium and full depending on your palette. At the halfway point the taste and strength has completely smoothed out and has become almost creamy.

The construction has held up and is very impressive. As I get to a third left the spiciness has picked up and is a nice change. The changeover has been gradual and smooth. The stick has been a pleasure to smoke and I’m ready to say that I will smoke this again…

The CRUZADO DANTES by ILLUSION is a good smoke if you are looking for something new and are willing to smoke a good product. This gem is something I would give a friend if they wanted to enjoy a nice medium to full bodied smoke…

MY UZI WEIGHS A TON

2011-12-06T07:25:00.001-08:00

DREW ESTATES MY UZI WEIGHS A TON

Along with the Liga Undercrown Drew Estates this year released another cigar and it’s called MY UZI WEIGHS A TON. The UZI is a formidable stick in that it only comes in a 60 ring.

The UZI for this review is the size that I like, 6 inch by 60 ring. As with every review I light my stick with a piece of cedar as to keep the flavor true, and then draw in my first mouth full of smoke. The flavor right away takes me by surprise. I was expecting to have the same taste of a Liga but the first thing that comes to mind is an oak flavoring followed by chocolate. Accompanying these flavors is a slight spiciness and is telling me that this is a completely different direction that Drew Estates is taking. The draw and burn are excellent and the white plumes of smoke are slowly taking over the atmosphere in the lounge.

As I get a third of the way in the ash is attached showing no signs of faltering. The solid white ash is thick and its only contrast is the red glow of the cherry when I draw off the stick. At the halfway point the taste has stayed the same but the spicy flavor is a little more apparent. Also the ash is still attached and is showing off its great construction.

The experience of smoking a totally new blend for Drew Estates is always an adventure and never a letdown. With a third left the spiciness is consistently getting more dominate and is making my mouth water for more. I really don’t want this to end and probably won’t.

The UZI is one of the better smokes I have enjoyed this year. Drew Estates once again has not let me down and is making great strides into the non-infused market. So with a smile on my face and burnt finger, from smoking it too short, I give this new cigar realistic thumbs up and say if you can get them buy them by the box… thick smoke and long ashes…

THE UNDERCROWN BY LIGA PRIVADA

2011-11-29T06:46:00.000-08:00

The Undercrown is the latest undertaking by Drew Estates. Described as an inverse LIGA #9 this cigar literally is that. The stick has a Mexican Negro San Andres wrapper instead of the usual Connecticut broadleaf giving the smoker a spicier flavor. This should be quite a treat.

After digging around town I finally found a piece of cedar to light my cigar. As I begin I lightly warm the foot and begin to draw in the spicy smoke. Right away I am reminded why LIGA PRIVADA has become one of my favorite cigars. The spice is accompanied by a hint of chocolate and slight oak flavor, bringing me back to the first time I smoked a Liga. Although the undercrown tastes like a #9 the strength is slightly less, leaning toward a medium smoke. The unmistakable Ligero blend is as excellent as the original and I am really enjoying this smoke. The construction is nothing less than perfect. The draw and burn are even and ever so great. The plume filled room has an awesome aroma and is leading me to want to by a box. At a third of the way in the ash is as sturdy as a prelit cigar. The ligero and San Andres wrapper are working so good together I’ve decided to take the smoke on the road. I arrive at the casino and am smoking in a packed house. About 10 minutes into being there men and women are constantly asking what kind of cigar this is. All ages are telling me that it is the most pleasurable smelling cigar they have ever had the pleasure of being around. With its no offensive aroma it makes for a good evening. Now I’m down to the halfway point and the construction has not let me down. The ash is still as sturdy as when it started and the burn is extremely even. The flavor is, if you can believe it, has actually gotten better and is making me realize that if I smoke anything else tonight no matter what it is will taste like a white owl. After not paying attention I’m down to the nub and it still hasn’t changed flavor and has made me compitent that I will finish this with burnt fingers and lips…

LIGA PRIVADA has done it again. The UNDERCROWN is one of the best cigars I’ve ever had and has even caused me to get some next week. I think I will buy 2 boxes and stock my humidor with them… Buy this cigar by the stick or by the box. It's AWESOME!!!! THE BEST DEAL I HAVE SEEN SO FAR IS AT ROCKY CIGARS.COM in Syracuse New York. Go out and buy some before they are all out!!!...

P.D.R. 1878 CAPA HABANO DOUBLE ROBUSTO

2011-11-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

The P.D.R. Capa Habano is the latest addition to the Pinar Del Rio line. It is a Dominican Habano wrapped cigar with an Ecuadorian binder and a Nicaraguan filler. This will be an interesting review being as though I personally haven’t been huge fan of PDR yet, however, Abe Florez has built a huge following for this brand. I am always happy to try a new blend...and I hope to be impressed.

Smoking in the cigar lounge tonight I start my ritualistic lighting of my cedar to first warm my cigar then lighting the foot I initiate the smoking experience. It has a good light and burn. The initial flavor that catches my taste is cedar and a little pepper. The pepper is leaving a remains on my tongue but not enough to stop me from analyzing this cigar. Then cigar construction is appealing but I notice right away the ash is less than desirable. I enjoy he look of a sturdy ash. The ash has fallen off three times since the light and I’m only a third into it. The flavor however is staying consistent and is a redeeming feature of this smoke.

At the halfway point the smoke has picked up a little spiciness and is still tasting good. The strength is medium bodied and is staying that way. With the cigar mostly gone the cigar taste wise has been one of the better tasting PDR’s but I wish to see these cigars hold their ash. It's just my preference.

The PDR Capa Habano 1878 will be enjoyed by someone who likes any of the other Pinar Del Rio blends.

TATUAJE 7TH CAPA ESPECIAL SUMATRA

2011-11-23T06:37:00.000-08:00

TATUAJE 7TH CAPA ESPECIAL SUMATRA by PETE JOHNSON

The Tatuaje 7th Capa especial Sumatra is another great product from Pete Johnson. The same excellence that this company has shown through the years in other lines shows in this cigar. The 7th Capa is a great smoke but this will be the first time that I’ve tried the Sumatra wrapper in this blend. Paired with the unique Sumatra wrapper is a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan filler making for a medium to full smoke. The master of all masters Don Pepin Garcia has blended this cigar so I know I won’t be disappointed.

With my ritualistic lighting of my stick with a piece of cedar I begin to draw. The beginning taste is no surprise a black pepper flavor accompanied by a nice spiciness that makes my tongue tingle. The burn and draw are as expected and leave no mistake that this is a Tatuaje cigar. The strength has started off medium but I know that further on it will change to something more to my usual strength. As I move a little further in I pick up an ever so slight taste of oak and I am pleasantly surprised.

About a third of the way in the pepper and spice has evened out and is now beginning to change to a little stronger cigar. The thick white plumes of smoke are starting to fill the lounge and I am really glad I choose this stick to smoke this afternoon. The construction is awesome and the ash shows no signs of faltering.

As I pass the halfway point the cigar is starting to show me that I wasn’t wrong. The strength has moved almost totally to full and the flavoring has regulated to smooth tasting pepper and spice. The ash is still there and shows no sign of flaring or falling off.

I had to do some local driving so I decided to smoke along the way. The cigar is wonderful and is no longer changing. It has become what I had suspected a full bodied smoke but extremely smooth. Without skipping a beat I have now thoroughly smoked the gem to the nub. The Don Pepin blended TAT 7th Sumatra has left me wanting more and I will sorely miss the pure enjoyment of it.

The TATUAJE 7th CAPA ESPECIAL SUMATRA is an excellent smoke. I highly recommend this cigar to anyone and especially to TATUAJE smokers. Try it I guarenty you won’t be disappointed… BUY A BOX FOR CHRISTMAS!!!! I will be receiving gifts at Rocky’s if any one feel the Christmas spirit and I will share…

601 LA BOMBA ATOMIC

2011-11-22T07:06:00.000-08:00

601 LA BOMBA ATOMIC by ROCKY PATEL

The 601 La Bomba is the latest endeavor by the joint venture of EO and Rocky Patel. This cigar is a complete Nicaraguan creation from the Nicaraguan Habano wrapper followed by a Nicaraguan binder and a complete Nicaraguan blend. This smoke should be quite enjoyable.

In my traditional ceremony of lighting my cigar with a piece of cedar I first warm the foot and get the venture underway. At my first draw I’m hit immediately with a nice spicy flavor with a slight peppery distinctiveness. The draw and burn is exactly what I expected from the great Patel construction and it is starting the smoke with great pleasure. The spicy flavor is reminds me of a La Flor Dominicana DL and is a nice change of approach for this awesome cigar company. For the first time since my exile from the metropolises I am enjoying a cigar bar and loving the experiences. A third of the way through I’m getting asked “what is that great smelling cigar?” and it’s my pleasure to respond “it’s a rocky”. Due to the construction of this gem the ash is still attached and is sturdy and a dark shade of gray. At the half way point the taste and flavor is as consistent as when I first lit it. The ash is still attached and I’m exhaling great plumes of white smoke. The aroma has now filled the cigar bar and brought many smiles to peoples faces. With two thirds gone the change over, if you want to call it that, has become a little more spicy and I will most likely smoke this until there is nothing left. After I’m down to the nub I realize I don’t have my trusty tweezers and substitute a tooth pick. At the end I smoiked the ash right through past the safe point and finish with nothing left but ash!!

The 601 LA BOMBA is one of the best 601’s or ROCKY PATEL blended cigars I have ever had the pleasure to smoke. I recommend this cigar to anyone who likes Rocky or a spicy cigar. This cigar was an AWESOME smoke and a pleasure to review. Go out and buy a box. You won’t regret it!!!!

MONTECRISTO NEW YORK EDITION

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

The latest cigar by Montecristo is the New York Edition. It is a full Dominican cigar Dominican filler, binder, and wrapper all grown in the Dominican Republic. The cigar is box press with a 54 ring and is 6 inches long.

The MONTECRISTO NEW YORK is going to be interesting to smoke because it’s not my normal blend. I tend to enjoy Nicaraguan full bodied smokes and quite honestly most full bodied Dominicans don’t live up to expectations. So in my slowly becoming popular lighting with a piece of cedar, I warm the entire cigar and begin to draw in the essence of this stick. The first thing I notice is a spicy sensation on my lips teasing my sense of what I am smoking. The strength is more than what I have been expecting from a Dominican and is a pleasant surprise. The draw is good but the burn is uneven and still reminds me that I’m smoking a Montecristo. Have to relight it to even the burn is disappointing and is taking away from the pleasure of sitting back and truly enjoying the flavor. Not even a third of the way through the ash has ended up in my lap and has slightly annoyed me. With the construction of a box press the ash usually stays attached longer than a third and is a sturdy stick. The flavor is still good and my willingness to put the construction to the side is starting to outweigh the disappointment that is forming because of the ash issue. At the halfway point the ash is small but the flavor has picked up and is making for a tasty smoke. The boldness has evened out and is becoming smoother making for a pleasant experience. I have gotten a drink of Jameson to test the virility of being able to enjoy it in a true lounge setting and it seems to compliment it well. At a third left the flavor is still dominating the smoke and the lack of construction is not playing into the equation anymore. The burn has completely evened out and the plumes of white smoke are steadily becoming the atmosphere in the lounge. Getting to the nub the stick has started to become a slight bit bitter and I think I will stop so I don’t ruin my experience anymore.

The MONTECRISTO NEW YORK is a good full bodied smoke. If you take out the construction issues of the stick and just go on flavor and strength it is a thoughly enjoyable smoke. If you like a La Flor Dominicana or anything else with spice I recommend trying this as long as you can handle the poor construction you will enjoy it…

La Sirena by Miami Cigar

2011-11-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

LA SIRENA PRINCE by Miami Cigars

The LA SIRENA is another one of Nestor Miranda’s and Don Pepin’s new line of cigars. The grandmasters of blending are teaming a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper and a dual Nicaraguan habano and Nicaraguan Corojo binder with Nicaraguan Criollo ‘98 and Nicaraguan Corojo ‘96 filler, this should not be a disappointment at all. The size of the cigar is 5 inches long by a 50 ring. It is called the Prince.

After doing a little research I discovered that this cigar is rated as a full bodied smoke. The teaming of two such master blends should make for a great smoking experience. I personally am a big fan of PEPIN’S work such as the MY FATHER and all of the Pepin main line of cigars.

I begin with warming the cigar with a lit match slowly rotating the short stick to warm the complete outer wrapper. I then take my trusty piece of cedar, lit it, then warmed the foot of this gem. As I begin to draw on it I notice right away that this is no ordinary Pepin blended cigar. It has a bold strength right at the onset leaving me to wonder if I had died and gone to heaven. The flavors rushing around my taste buds were phenomenal. I could taste coffee, pepper and a hint oak making my mouth water for the next draw.

The construction is nothing more than great. The burn is not fast and is letting me enjoy the cigar without worrying that it will be gone in 20 minutes. The plume of smoke is white and is filling my cigar room with the aroma of a nice and smooth Maduro. The robust flavor is adding a little spice to my excitement and making me rethink what I want for Christmas this year.

A third of the way down the ash is still attached and is showing no signs of falling. The spiciness of this pleasure is taking over and is giving my taste a nice turn over treat. I am really enjoying this smoke.

I decided since I’m having on of the best smoking experiences of my year that I would open a little cognac and give myself the experience that you get from a fully functional cigar lounge. At the halfway point the cigar is awesome and the ash is still attached. The construction of this stick leaves no mistake as to who is blending this absolute wonder. The ash is solidly gray and smooth, no curls or flaring, and makes me think that I may have a solid ash for the rest of my smoke. The bold strength and awesome complexity of the ride is as consistent as when it started.

I’m enjoying this so much that I have already gotten my tweezers out. On the way to the nub I have already put the tweezers on it and am hoping that I will be able to finish it without the ash falling (I should have taken a picture). After a hour and a half smoke the ash finally fell and the heat has warmed the tweezers to the point that I can’t touch them with my lips. This is a hell of a cigar.

The LA SIRENA by MAIMI CIGAR is one of the best smokes of this or any other year. Anyone who enjoys a full bodied cigar that is complex and tasty MUST try this. One of the main things on your Christmas list should be this cigar. Buy one or buy a box you won’t be disappointed!!!

Tatuaje Fausto

2011-11-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

TATUAJE FAUSTO

The Fausto is one of the new lines, released July 2011, from Tatuaje cigars. The mostly Nicaraguan cigar consists of Nicaraguan filler accompanied by a Nicaraguan binder and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The size is a Churchill that measures 6.5 inches long by a 48 ring which is an odd sizing for a Churchill. The products that Tatuaje has been putting out has been awesome so this has a lot to live up to.

I light my piece of cedar to first warm, then light, my cigar. With the first draw the spice and peppery flavor hit me immediately. Accompanied by a caramel and slight oak flavor this cigar has completely taken me by surprise. The medium strength is hidden by the awesome taste. This TATUAJE taste nothing like any other I’ve had before. It is giving me hope that I will never want to stop smoking medium strength cigars. After a third gone and the draw, taste and burn are staying as they started. The puffy almost white ash is light and I don’t expect it to stay long. This is another extremely well constructed cigar and deserves to wear the Tatuaje label. After each tug on this stick I look to make sure I’m smoking a Tatuaje, it smokes like no other that I ever had. The flavor is smooth yet spicy and I like the way it presents itself. At the halfway point and everything is working the way it is supposed to. This is truly a good cigar and will live among the top of the top at Tatuaje. The last third of the cigar has given me a little more caramel and a little less spice. It’s nice that it settles down and lets you experience the full effect of the blend. The finish is as good as it started and makes a good afternoon smoke while watching the game.

The TATUAJE FAUSTO is a great smoke and should be enjoyable to anyone who likes a medium smoke. I recommend trying one and enjoy the experience…

7-20-4 by Kurt Kendall Dog Walker

2011-11-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

7-20-4 by Kurt Kendal

The 7-20-4 is a cigar that has got a Brazilian Matafina wrapper accompanied by a Costa Rican binder and filler containing Nicaraguan, Honduran, Mexican, and Columbian long leaf. This size is called the dog walker as it measures 4.5 inches long by a 48 ring making it truly a short walk cigar.

Even though it’s called a dog walk cigar it’s just too cold out to walk so I will be enjoying this in my nice warm smoking room. The 7-20-4 is a nice smoke. Lighting it in my customary way of using a piece of cedar, I draw on the little stick. With no disappointment, the cigar sparks to life giving me memories of its big brothers. With every draw the pepper and cedar mix well on my palette. This stick, as with the others, is a pleasure to smoke. Consistently drawing well due to the excellent construction I have admired since I first started smoking 7-20-4’s. Halfway through the smoke and flavor is as consistent as when it began. The ash is a nice solid gray and lasted half the smoke. The expelled smoke is filling the air and making me glad to be alone in my fortress of solitude. As I get to the nub I take out my trusty tweezers and start to suck down the remnants of the little smoke that did.

The Kurt Kendall 7-20-4 dog walker is exactly that, if you like a 7-20-4 and don’t want to waste a bigger one, then this cigar is for you. My expectations of this cigar were happily matched to my realization that this is a great smoke. I feel this cigar won’t disappoint you if you’re looking for a shorter timed smoke. Kurt Kendall has the blend down to a savory science and will leave you with a great admiration for his products…

La Aurora BME Nicaragua

2011-11-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

LA AURORA B.M.E. NICARAGUAN by Miami Cigars

The La Aurora B.M.E. Nicaraguan is the second in the line that I have tried. A mix of a Nicaraguan wrapper with a Dominican Corojo binder and filler containing Dominican Corojo, Ligero, Nicaraguan and Peruvian leaves will make for an adventurous undertaking. We will see if this cigar lives up to its brother, the Brazil.

Ceremonially lighting my piece of cedar and warming the foot, I take my first couple of puffs. The flavor is a little surprising in that it is starting off with a oak seasoning. It’s a little rough in the back of my throat and is giving me memories of a Perdomo Lot 23. I think it’s the mix of Corojo and the Nicaraguan broadleaf wrapper that is sending my taste buds into a tizzy. The draw is good and it is burning evenly. About a third of the way in, the change from oak to a peppery Ligero is very welcome. The change over is smooth and is making me rethink how this cigar smokes. The construction of the stick is also very reminiscent of the Lot 23. It holds the ash well and is a solidly packed cigar. The more I draw, the spicier it gets. The Ligero is definitely taking over and this cigar is evolving into a tasty treat. At half way, it is definitely living up to the B.M.E. name and has become a pleasure of a smoke. The almost white ash is smooth and fluffy and the expelled smoke is slowly thickening in the room. The ease at the way this draws makes the smoke more enjoyable and gives me the feeling of contentment as I sit here in my smoking chair. When I get to the nub, I realize that the Ligero taste is starting to dissipate and instead of getting out my tweezers I decided to end this on a high note.

The LA AURORA B.M.E. NICARAGUAN is a good smoke and I recommend that if you like a Perdomo or a spicy cigar like a La Flor Dominicana, this is the cigar for you. This is a medium to full bodied smoke depending where your taste and experience lies. Enjoy…

San Lotano Connecticut

2011-11-08T06:51:00.001-08:00

SAN LOTANO CONNECTICUT by A.J. FERNANDEZ

This San Lotano has an Ecuadorian wrapper with a Honduran binder. The filler is a mix of Nicaraguan and Dominican long filler. I will be smoking a robusto which measures 5.5 inches long by 54 ring.

The San Lotano Connecticut is a little smaller than my normal smoke but I decided to try something new. Using my piece of cedar I begin to light my cigar and draw in a mouth full of smoke. The initial taste was a smooth and creamy flavor of hazelnut and a little oak. The cigar has a good draw and a great burn. The strength is medium bodied and as I smoke it further it begins to pick up spice. About halfway through I the spice and pepper has taken over. This is turning out to be a great smoke and the strength of the cigar has stayed consistent. The spice reminds me of a cross between a La Flor Dominican and a Brickhouse. The cigar is well burning and taste great. When I hit a third of away the cigar the flavor has stayed consistent and the smoke is awesome. I took out my tweezers and finished it right down to the nub.

The SAN LOTANO CONNECTICUT is a good smoke and I think it’s a smoke people will enjoy. The cigar is peppery and spicy and will give you a great ride. I recommend this cigar to anyone who likes a good smoke….

BLACK MARKET by ALEC BRADLEY

2011-11-06T09:02:00.001-08:00

BLACK MARKET by ALEC BRADLEY

The Black Market by Alec Bradley ....the Interent has been burning with buzz on how good this cigar is so I have finally got one to try. The Black Market is an attractive cigar and looks to be excellently constructed. The composition of this cigar is a wrapper consisting of Nicaraguan broadleaf, a Sumatra binder, and Panamanian / Honduran filler. I will be smoking a Toro and if this is as good as the reports say then it will be a treat.

Using a nice piece of cedar I light my cigar with care and ease. The first thing I notice is the excellent draw and the ease that the cigar works on my taste buds. The flavor is a little leathery due to the Sumatra binder. The next thing I taste is a little spice and pepper mixed with a little woodsy flavor making for an interesting blend. The strength of this stick is medium and I am having no problem inhaling with each draw. The smoke is forming a nice plume and the ash has a nice deep gray appearance. Smoke filling the room is leaving a nice aroma and the cigar is going down smooth.

At a third of the way down the ash is still attached and is solid to the touch. The smoothness of this smoke is giving me an awesome smoking experience and I want this to never end. Now I’m at the halfway point and a nice flavor or caramel has taken over making a terrific change and giving my senses a totally new outlook on this cigar. The high regards that this cigar has gotten is well deserved and makes me wonder why any one would want to compare this with any other Alec Bradley. Getting down to a little past two thirds gone and the flavor is still right there and shows no sign of letting go. When I got to the nub I started to use my tweezers and smoked it until there was nothing left to hold on too. This cigar never went ashy even when that was all that was left. This was an amazing treat and I can’t wait until the next time I get one!!

The BLACK MARKET by ALEC BRADLEY is one of the best cigars I have ever had. I HIGHLY recommend this cigar to any one who is looking for a smoke to knock your socks off. I plan on asking Santa for a box for Christmas and hope he is listening right now! I can’t say enough about this cigar and hope everyone’s experience is as good as mine. Buy one or buy a box you won’t be disappointed…

A. Turrent Puro Corojo

2011-11-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

A. TURRENT PURO COROJO

The A. Turrent Puro Corojo is manufactured by Altadis Corporation. They are known for Montecristo, Romeo y Juliette, Siglo and Teamo. The size I will be smoking is a Gran Toro which measures 60 ring by 6.5 inches long. The cigar is constructed with San Andres’ Corojo wrapper accompanied by a Corojo binder and San Andres’ Corojo and Nicaraguan Corojo.

I light my cigar with a piece of cedar and begin to draw on the massive stick I notice that the draw is a little tight but not so tight as to make me suffer. It has a good burn and you can taste the Corojo immediately. The flavor is a little bothersome to the back of my throat but that is to be expected with an A. Turrent product. After growing accustomed to the flavor the Corojo dances across my taste buds awakening a flavor not sensed in a long time. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a pure Corojo smoke and it took me by surprise, the Corojo flavor is exciting me to open my mind to this company again. With the cigar half gone the Corojo flavor is effervescent and is making me realize how long and how much I’ve missed a Corojo smoke. The ash is sturdy due to the tight great construction of this gem. I’ve been smoking this stick for about an hour and it is awesome. I have a little more than a third and the flavor is starting to dissipate. The cigar is now down past a third and the flavor is almost gone being replaced by an ashy taste, plus the stick has also started to unravel as it begins to heat up. As the cigar finishes it reminds me of a Teamo in that it’s a good smoke two thirds of the way and finishes with great disappointment.

The A. TURRENT PURO COROJO is a good cigar for someone who likes a TEAMO or a SIGLO. I think that if you are someone who smokes a cigar and doesn’t always finish it you will enjoy this smoke.

SAN LOTANO HABANO TORO

2011-11-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

SAN LOTANO HABANO TORO

The San Lotano Habano is a mostly Nicaraguan cigar. The construction of the stick is attractive and looks to be a good smoke. The wrapper is Brazilian Habano, the binder is Nicaraguan, and the filler is Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Dominican. The mix of these three different leaves should make for an interesting smoke. The size I will be smoking will be a Toro, which measures 6 inches long by a 54 ring.

The night starts off with the traditional lighting of my piece of cedar. Lighting the cigar the first thing I notice is a nice flavor entering my mouth and it is smooth. The cigar has an excellent draw and the burn is quite good. The exhaling smoke is thick and white. As the smoke fills the room I notice that the smoke is almost ivory and leaving a pleasant smell in what has become my favorite room in the house.

One third of the cigar is gone and due to the excellent construction the ash is still attached. The ash has a dark gray color and is smooth to the touch. The taste of the Habano is not out of the ordinary. The Habano is not plain tasting but it lacks the complexity of the Oval. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good smoke but it doesn’t challenge the senses. The actual flavor is good for a beginner.

The most prominent flavor would be the Habano wrapper. It has a leathery taste accompanied by a medium strength that is good for a night at your local lounge. At the halfway point, the cigar is still consistent in the way it tastes and burns. The ash has finally come off and is in one piece. This cigar is very well constructed and even though it’s not a complex smoke, it is still enjoyable.

The draw is still as good as when I first lit it and the burn is even. Two thirds gone, the smoke has picked up strength and is more like what I normally smoke. The finish of this cigar is great. I took out the tweezers and smoked it until there was nothing left.

The SAN LOTANO HABANO is a good smoke. The pleasure of the surprise ending was worth the journey. This Habano is a completely different animal than the OVAL but I still recommend trying it. The cigar is a nice change if you’re looking to move up from a light strength cigar. It will broaden you horizons and leave you wanting more…

SAN LOTANO OVAL by A.J. FERNANDEZ

2011-11-02T08:13:00.001-07:00

SAN LOTANO OVAL by A.J. FERNANDEZ

The San Lotano Oval is a new product by A.J. Fernandez. The wrapper is a four year aged habano 2000, a Nicaraguan binder and a mix of Nicaraguan, Honduran and A.J.’s secret blend. This combination makes for a mysterious smoke. The size I have chosen is the Toro. The measurements are 6 inches long by a 54 ring making this a good size to enjoy.

I begin as normal and light my piece of cedar and warm the end of the cigar. As I initially draw in the flavor I realize a woodsy and leathery taste that makes for a good enjoyable smoke. I also sense a light taste of caramel but very gentle. The cigar is burning very even and the draw is nice and smooth. This cigar has a distinctive and very pleasing taste. About a third of the way in the hint of caramel is more abundant and is pleasing my palette. The ash is still intact and is showing off its excellent construction. As I pull on this cigar the cherry of the end illuminates the darkness of the room casting shadows of expelled smoke on the walls. The Oval is pleasing all my senses and leaving me wanting more. At the half way point the caramel flavor is prominent and the cigar has taken on a new life. The ash is still gray and very sturdy. The cigar started medium-bold and now has become bold in strength and is a pleasure to smoke. The change over occurred at the half way point and was a little sharp but not overly. (It didn’t turn me off) The Oval has a dark appearance but doesn’t taste that way until a little past half, then you realize your smoking a bolder smoke. Two thirds gone and it begins to loose the caramel taste and the woodsy takes over. My palette is enjoying the change and that reminds me of the way the El Baton smokes. The Oval is now down to the nub and is ready to be finished, the flavor is all but gone and is being replaced by an ashy taste. Smoking it down to the nub is not recommended but was necessary for this review.

The SAN LOTANO OVAL by A.J. FERNANDEZ is a good product and I recommend trying it. The OVAL has a great taste and has a lot of changes. It is not a complex smoke but it is a palette challenging experience. If you prefer a cigar like this then you will enjoy it. If you are a beginner then I recommend that you smoke this with ease.

American Classic Blend by Alec Bradley

2011-11-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

AMERICAN CLASSIC BLEND by ALEC BRADLEY

On to my next choice the AMERICAN CLASSIC BLEND by ALEC BRADLEY. This cigar has a Honduran Connecticut wrapper with a Sumatra binder. Its filler is a blend of Panamanian and Honduran leafs, which will make for an interesting smoke. I will be smoking my favorite size, the Gordo, which should give me a long smoke. Alec Bradley has been right on with the blends lately so this should be interesting.

Taking my usual piece of cedar and lighting the monster I notice the awesome draw and medium strength right away. The first initial draw gives me memories of the family blend D3 which is my favorite of that blend. The blend has a nice taste of hazelnut with a slight woodsy flavoring. The exhaling smoke is thick and very white. The combination of the draw and burn allows the cigar to progress quicker than I initially thought it would. The ash is a nice dark gray and is very sturdy showing the excellent construction of the cigar. This stick is very consistent in its taste, no change over and evenly dancing across my taste buds. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a cigar that hasn’t had a lot of complexity and it’s a nice change. At a third gone, the ash has finally fell off and the cherry red end is showing in all its glory. The burn is still great and the draw is consistently staying the same. With the glass of bourbon I have, the cigar is a good match. At the halfway point the cigar is still going strong and has not changed of in any way. The flavor has stayed the same along with the strength. The simplicity of this blend is surprising me and leaving me not to want this to end. As I get to the nub I pick up a slight spiciness but not very noticeable. The spice is a pleasant slight change and it has caused me to get my tweezers out to see if it gets any stronger as I finish. With the tweezers, I can hold it with less than a quarter of inch left and the spicy change has not taken over. This has been a quite enjoyable smoke.

The AMERICAN CLASSIC BLEND is a good everyday smoke. I can’t think of anything wrong with this cigar. If you’re looking for a consistent non challenging everyday smoke this is for you. The blend is straight forward and it has an excellent draw. Keeping a box on hand would be a smart idea and always leave you with a smile when you’re done smoking it!

La Aurora BME Brazil

2011-11-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

LA AURORA B.M.E. BRAZIL from Miami Cigars

Today I chose to smoke a LA AURORA B.M.E. BRAZIL. It is a mostly Dominican cigar with a Brazilian wrapper. The binder is Dominican Corojo and the filler is a mix of Dominican Corojo, Ligero, Nicaraguan and Peruvian leafs. This should make for an interesting and tasty blend. The size I have chosen is a Toro. The dimensions are 6.5 inches long by 54 ring which I think will be a good size to sample.
I am lighting the cigar with a piece of cedar and as I take my first draw the blend is very unique. It is unique in the sense that it tastes like no other La Aurora I have ever had before. I can immediately taste the Ligero and that is a pleasant taste for me. The draw is awesome even though it is a tight rolled cigar and has a hard feel to it. The smoke emanating from the end is a bluish gray and the burn is o.k.. It has started off as a medium bodied cigar and is promising to be a good smoke. Draw after draw it gets to be more and more ligero flavored. About a third of the way in the ligero is being accompanied by a slight taste of Corojo and is making the smoke ever so enjoyable. The burn has not worked as well as I thought it would. It’s good but not even and is making me wonder if I should relight it to even the burn. I’m into the halfway point and I have to keep reminding myself that I’m smoking a La Aurora. This cigar is awesome in flavor and making me rethink all the things I have ever said about this company. In the past I thought they were tasteless and extremely light but this is a totally different animal. At two thirds the strength and flavor has stayed consistent ant the burn has completely evened out. This is a pleasure to smoke. The draw is as good as when it started and the ligero flavor is making my mouth water for more. This cigar has taken me by complete surprise and has turned out to be a gem of a smoke.
The LA AURORA B.M.E. BRAZIL is a great smoke and I recommend that if you like a ligero smoke or are looking for something new to try this or buy a box and keep it for your special friends. If this smoke is this good I can’t wait to try the others. They come with different wrappers Brazil, Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Ecuador. If the others taste as good, I’m in for a treat.

LA CASITA CRIOLLA BY TATUAJE

2011-10-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

The Tatuaje La Casita Criolla is a cigar that is made from 100% Nicaraguan Broadleaf tobacco. The wrapper, filler and binder are all Nicaraguan. The size I smoked was a corona which is not my normal size. However, the best way to test something is to try it in a different style than the normal size that is usually smoked. The corona measures 46 ring by 5 5/8 length, a good size for a detailed review on a Tatuaje. This cigar had a lot to live up to because of the other products that have come out from this wonderful company.

Using cedar to light my smoke so the first draw would be uninhibited taste, I warmed the end of the cigar and began to draw life into this masterpiece. The first taste that hit my palette was a nutty flavor with a hint of spice. This cigar has an awesome draw and burned as even as anything could.
After the first couple of minutes the room filled with a nice white, thick plume of smoke. The air smelled as nothing I experienced before. The flavor of this cigar was very unique and I immediately had flashes of the first time I smoked a Liga Privada, not the same taste but the experience of something new. This cigar was like no other Tatuaje I have ever had before.
About a third of the way in the cigar begins to change ever so slightly as not to give you a distasteful reaction. It begins to get a little bolder but not a heavy bold. It was very impressive. With every draw the La Casita Criolla makes you wish that this smoke never ends. At the half way point the cigar is still changing not to displace you but leave you wanting more. Every time I draw the cherry glows as bright as a planes red beacon and the exhale of smoke fills the room with white thick smoke. The ash is thick and grey still intact with half the stick gone. This cigar is well constructed and the blend is a very unique tasting treat. The master blender of this cigar needs to be thanked for this masterpiece.
Two thirds into the cigar the reward for choosing this smoke is apparent there is no other Tatuaje that smokes or tastes like this. When I got to the nub I took out my tweezers and smoked until the ash came through. (I burnt my lips but it was well worth it). Even as the La Casita Criolla came to the end it never lost that great taste and never got that ashy flavor.

The LA CASITA CRIOLLA by TATUAJE is one of the beast cigars I have ever had. If you are looking to smoke something new and exciting I HIGHLY recommend this cigar. I found the next cigar I will buy by the box and will smoke and recommend over and over again!!! I can’t say enough about this GEM and recommend it for anyone looking for something new….

ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO DOUBLE T

2011-10-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO DOUBLE T

This ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO is the biggest ring that this company puts out. The measurements are 62 ring by 6 inch length. The wrapper is Trojes Honduras, binder is Nicaraguan and the filler is a mix of Trojes Honduran and Nicaraguan. This cigar is the closest to the size I normally smoke. The Prensado is the higher end smoke of ALEC BRADELY and is compared to the PADRON 1926 as a cheaper alternative.

The ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO DOUBLE T is rated as a bold smoke and due to the size may not be for everyone. The 62 ring is very intimidating and will give the illusion that it is a lot of cigar. The Double T is a thick ring and should be punch or V cut if not familiar with this size. I like to use a piece of cedar to light all my first time cigars to get the purest initial taste.
At initial light I warm the end and begin to draw on this big stick. The first taste of flavor I get is a woodsy nutty blend. The draw is good and the flavor is smooth. This cigar starts off with medium strength and promises a great smoke. It tastes like a Prensado torpedo and has the same strength and draw. The smoke from my exhale is white with a hint of grey. With each draw the flavor begins to dance around my taste buds and gives me flashbacks of the first time I had a Prensado. As I draw the red from the glowing cherry gives the smoke an ominous color to the exhaled smoke. About a third of the way in the medium strength begins to change and become bolder. The double T is still burning evenly and the draw has not changed. For as thick as this cigar is it is still a pleasure to smoke.
At the half way point the Double T has changed completely to bold and the flavors a more distinct, A lot nuttier flavor than when it started it has captivated my palette. The ash is still attached and is thick and shows no signs of falling off. The smoke is thick and is filling the room which makes me glad I choose this cigar for the night. I’m two hours into this smoke and down to the nub.
The Double T has not disappointed me and with less that an inch left on this smoke I can still hold it in between my fingers. It’s not hot and is still burning evenly. The flavor is still there and after two hours the ashy taste has stayed away.

The ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO DOUBLE T is a great smoke and I recommend that if you like a big cigar to try it. It is well worth the cost and worth the time to smoke it. If you’re a fan of ALEC BRADELY you need to have this in your humidor and enjoy it with your friends….

Macanudo Cru Royale Lonsdale

2011-06-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

Size: 6 ½ X 42
Shape: Lonsdale
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Equadoran Habano
Binder: Proprietary Dominican “La Vega Especiale”
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua Viso

I would like to start this post by issuing a formal apology to all its readers. I believe that I spent so much time complaining about being unable to get outside for a smoke due to the cold that the heavens have heaped a bunch of heat on us all. I am prepared to accept full blame and I hope that you all will forgive me. However, I have to admit that it’s nice to get outside for a smoke again.

On my way outside for a smoke in the park, I picked up a Macanudo Cru Royale Lonsdale to enjoy. Passing this stogie beneath my nostrils, I noted distinct sugar cane and earth notes. Drawing through it, I tasted sugar cane and earth again, but I also noticed a touch of hay to the flavor of this blend.

First light was a little under impressive, offering a sharp quality that was unpleasant. After a few puffs, this sharpness wore off and revealed a really tasty profile of sugar cane, leather, and peat. Exhaling through the nose brought the sweetness of the sugar cane note to the forefront, which was very enjoyable.

Towards the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second, I noticed that a cashew note had crept in to subtly support the rest of the profile. This note helped to provide some depth and complexity as well which was very much appreciated.

As this stick progressed, the profile held strong, rarely wavering or changing until the third quarter. At this point, the sweet sugar cane note subsided slightly but remained strong in the blend.

Despite the overall lack of complexity during this smoke, I found it to be very tasty and very relaxing. It’s perfect for an afternoon smoke in the park. I would definitely smoke this stick again and I highly recommend that anyone who is a fan of medium bodied stogies give this a try.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – The band is simple and to the point, displaying an attractive combination of blue, silver, and black. The lettering is clearly legible and is placed around what appears to be a coat of arms.

Appearance: 8/10 – Rugged, smooth, thinly veined, and displaying dark and rich earth tones, this stick really looks great.

Construction: 32/35 – Solid throughout with just a little give. The draw was excellent: open, but with a little bit of resistance. The only issue I had with this stick was that it ran a few times. It did, however, fix itself in the long run.

Flavor: 42/45 – I really enjoyed the overall flavor profile that this cigar offered. There was one major drawback though. At first light, this stick exhibited a sharp and unpleasant taste that I definitely did not enjoy. Beyond that, this stick has a first rate profile that I found very relaxing.

Overall: 90/100 – I really enjoyed this stick. It was well constructed, tasted great (for the most part), and was very relaxing. I highly recommend that anyone out there who enjoys a solid medium bodied smoke should give this stick a whirl.

Berger & Argenti Classico Rothchild

2011-04-28T09:36:00.001-07:00

Size: 5 X 50
Shape: Rothschild
Origin: Esteli, Nicaragua
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian "Desflorado" Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan Corjo
Filler: Nicaraguan

Now that the frigid days of winter are behind us, one would think they could venture outside for a smoke with the temperature hanging out in the 50s and 60s for the last week. However, you have to remember that it is April and we all know what that means. I think an old idiom says it best, “April showers bring May flowers.”

So with my tail firmly between my legs I retreated indoors once again to the comfortable confines of my local tobacconist. The smoke for the day: the Berger & Argenti Clasico Rothschild.

I'll tell you what, Berger & Argenti make one good looking cigar. Sliding this guy out of its cellophane, I immediately noticed how smooth, silky, and evenly colored the wrapper on this stick was.

After that cursory glance at this beautiful stick, I went straight for the head. Snip! Prelight flavors in the nose were of sugar cane and rich, fertile earth. Drawing on this guy displayed notes of sugar cane and leather on the palate. This was shaping up to be one sweet little smoke.

Without a moment to spare, I put flame to the foot of this baby. Immediately, I was soothed by the sweet sugar cane flavor, awakened by the coffee notes, and saddled with the notes of leather that flooded my palate on first light.

Progressing through the first quarter, the notes of sugar cane, earth, and leather held strong and mingled, creating a complex experience on the palate. Pure notes of unsullied tobacco goodness made themselves present at first as well. These were most noticeable when the three main flavor notes mingled perfectly.

Once the second quarter began, I started to take note of the body of this stick. At first it felt like a medium bodied cigar at best, but by the second quarter, it became clear that I was smoking a delicious medium-full bodied smoke. As I made this discovery, I also noted how well the flavors were holding on. No bitterness had crept in and I continued to be in a state of pure cigar heaven.

Unfortunately, my bliss was not to last. A sharp note accompanied by a lingering bitterness became present during the third quarter of the Rothschild, taking focus away from the delicious flavors that this cigar was providing. By the end of the third quarter, I could no longer stand to smoke this stick due to the intensity of the bitterness in the profile.

Setting this guy down, I pondered how a cigar that could start off with such a phenomenal profile could deteriorate to quickly towards the end. I suppose this could be likened to a runner with poor training. If you sprint out of the gate and don't pace yourself, you're sure to lose in the end. Sadly for this smoker, this is just what the Clasico Rothschild did.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – I really love Berger & Argenti's bands. They're classy and simple and I like that. I have to take a point off because there is nothing attention grabbing about it. Spotting this stick from across the room may be a challenge.

Appearance: 9/10 – This is a great looking cigar. The wrapper is smooth and unwrinkled, there are very few visible veins, it has a nice oily sheen, and the color is very consistent. Top notch.

Construction: 33/35 – The draw was effortless on this firmly packed beauty. I did have a few burn problems though.

Flavor: 38/45 – This smoke started off very strong with sugar cane, earth, and leather notes dominating the profile. Unfortunately, the delicious experience that I started out with deteriorated into an extremely bitter one by the end.

Overall: 88/100 – As usual, Berger & Argenti nail the presentation and appearance of the cigar. The construction is very good, providing an effortless draw. This time, the flavor was even wonderful... right up until the half way point. I think that this is a cigar that I may try again, but just for the first half. I guarantee that the second half of a Clasico Rothschild and I will probably never cross paths again.

-DH

Pinar Del Rio 1878 Capa Oscura

2011-03-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 X 52

Shape: Robusto

Origin: Dominican Republic

Body: Medium
Wrapper: Dominican Republic Habano Oscuro
Binder: Dominican Republic Habano
Filler: Dominican Republic (Corojo, Habano, Criollo 98)

Smoke Clock: 1 hr 10 mins

With the recent chilly resurgence, I was forced inside in order to enjoy my evening smoke. Fortunately for me, my local shop didn’t mind a bit. The smoke for the evening: PDR 1878 Capa Oscura.

The first thing I noticed about this stick was how attractive it was. A beautiful and rich color covered the wrapper and the pig tail and closed foot helped to make this a delightful stick to behold. Once I was done ogling it, I cut and dove in.

A pre-light sniff revealed notes of sugar, spice, and earthen undertones which had me raising my lighter quicker than a hound chasing a hare. As soon as fire struck tobacco, I tasted sugar cane with a hint of butter. What a start!

Progressing into the first quarter, the note of butter became more dominant. When the profile became overall creamy and the flavors began to mingle I tasted vanilla bean ice cream. Delicious!

As the stick progressed, I intermittently tasted hints of coffee and earth, while the profile remained dominantly vanilla bean in nature.

Advancing into the third quarter, the flavor profile remained much the same. The vanilla bean ice cream accompanied by coffee and earth notes, which served to enhance the delicious vanilla bean flavor, continued through the end of the cigar.

Even though this stick seemed relatively one-noted, it was extremely tasty and never became bitter. I only set this guy down because it was starting to burn my fingers. The only drawback was the burn. From start to finish, if the burn wasn’t wavy it was in a full out sprint. I had to touch it up two or three times. Despite the unfortunate burn, this stick provided this smoker with an excellent experience, one that I highly recommend you try yourself.

Rating:

Presentation: 9/10 – Now this, ladies and gents, is what I call a well presented cigar. The band is simple, well designed, attractive, and bold. If I walked into any B & M and glanced around the room I would immediately be able to spot this stick(if it was in plain sight, of course).

Appearance: 8/10 – As I stated earlier, this is one pretty stick. The wrapper is dark and oily with a well executed pig tail at the head and closed foot. However, two thick veins stood out and even though the seams were nearly invisible, they weren’t quite.

Construction: 31/35 – This stick was firm throughout but had a few soft spots, which indicated slightly inconsistent density. This may have accounted for the poor burn that I experienced with this stick. However, the draw was great, providing just a little bit of resistance.

Flavor: 43/45 – This blend was extremely well executed, providing me with a lot of delicious and consistent flavor throughout the entirety of the smoke. No bitterness was detected even down to the nub.

Overall: 91/100 – This cigar is masterfully blended, very attractive, and beautifully presented. This is a veritable home run in my book. If you haven’t tried this stick yet you are missing out.

La Gloria Cubana Serie N Generoso

2011-03-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 ¾ X 49
Shape: Generoso
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Equadoran Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Clock: 1 hr

We are now in the early teasing days of spring, where it’s almost possible to go outside for a smoke, but it’s still just a bit too cold. With the promise of warm days of puffing outside ahead, I retired to my local smoke shop to escape the current chill. My smokeable companion for the afternoon: La Gloria Cubana Serie N Generoso.

After a neat clipping of the cap of this stick, I passed it beneath my nose. I detected earth, leather, and a pronounced spice which got me pretty revved up to get this baby lit. On the draw I experienced leather accompanied by a natural sweetness. After that, I was seriously ready to burn this baby.

Touching fire to the foot, I tasted sweet earthen coffee. Throughout the first quarter, the smoke was copious and creamy, wafting away in thick clouds as I exhaled. After a few puffs, the sweetness picked up, leading to a long mocha finish. This was a solid start to a tasty stick to say the least.

Leading into the 2nd quarter, the profile developed into a complex array of flavors that I lovingly refer to as compost. Sweet mocha lingered on my palate after ever puff. Towards the end, a hint of spice emerged in the nose, but just for a moment before retreating to the background of the profile. Once this occurred, I was able to detect it in the distant background and was glad that the spice note had made its presence known.

As the 3rd quarter began, the profile returned to sweet earthen, leathery, rich compost flavors. The richness and depth of the profile increased during this quarter, rewarding this smoker with a long luxurious finish.

This was a great smoke and an excellent sister blend to the Serie R. Much more mellow and luxurious than the R (in my opinion), the N provided an absolutely delightful smoking experience; one I hope to soon repeat.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – The color and contrast of the La Gloria emblem are proudly displayed all over the band. The seal, complete with an attractive woman, is placed over a large and dramatic “N.” Classic, to the point, and easily readable, this is one of the better bands I’ve seen. An interesting addition of a tobacco leaf “N” is stuck to the outside of the wrapper. This is an interesting presentation concept, to say the least.

Appearance: 7/10 – This stick was rough and bumpy, providing a rolling hills type appearance. The wrapper was dark and oily with a clearly visible seam.

Construction: 32 /35 – Applying some pressure, this cigar appears to be rock solid, yet provides a decent draw with a punch cut. The burn was wavy overall, but didn’t take away from the experience.

Flavor: 43/45 – The complex profile of sweet and rich earth, leather, and cocoa came together to create a sweet compost note that I really enjoy.

Overall: 90/100 – Overall, this cigar provided a very consistent and delicious smoke and didn’t require a lot of maintenance. I would definitely smoke this guy again and if you haven’t, I highly recommend that you do.

-DH

Arturo Fuente King T

2011-02-18T09:33:00.001-08:00

Size: 7 X 49
Shape: Double Corona
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium
Wrapper: USA Grown Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Smoke Clock: 1 hr 15 mins

Sitting inside my local tobacconist’s shop on a calm Monday, I decided to light up a smoke that I suspected would be a little on the mild side, the Arturo Fuente King T.

This stick is presented in a beautifully designed tube with white and black contrasting top and bottom parts. Opening the tube reveals a solid stick encompassed by a lovely tan Connecticut wrapper. The oily sheen that I discovered on the wrapper had me eager to get this stick lit.

Once I had the foot toasted, I gave this stick a thorough light and was inundated with a transcendent sweetness supported by a light cashew note, subtle leather, and just the right amount of spice.

As this stick burned into the first quarter, I really began to fall in love. I began to taste what I can only describe as a cream soda flavor, a flavor that I’ve heard referred to as purely Cuban and one that I had never experienced before. This cream soda flavor was complemented by notes of oak and cedar with leather & sweet cream lingering on the palate after each puff.

Burning into the second quarter, the complexity to the profile remained, but the less dominant flavors slipped further into the background, allowing the sweet cream soda note to really take the fore front. Evanescent wisps of smoke floated up from my cigar as I reveled in the lingering finish that each puff brought to my palate. In this moment, I was in heaven.

With the third quarter came the return of the oak and cedar notes which had retreated during the second quarter of this smoke. Their return provided some welcome complexity, although the purity of the cream soda flavors was missed. At this point, I really began to notice how medium bodied this smoke actually was. With this realization came a hearty spice note which was most noticeable through the nose, providing a tingle in my senses which again elevated the sweet soda quality that this cigar provided.

As I lay this stick aside, the lingering sweetness, cashew, and leather left me craving another almost immediately. Given easy access to another of these sticks, I would not hesitate to light it up post haste to get another taste of that fabled Cuban flavor.

Rating:
Presentation: 9/10 – In addition to the tube, this stick comes double banded with one band at the shoulder and the other at the foot. The shoulder band is very attractive and bumps this stick up to my second highest presentation grade. Even though the band at the foot is also attractive, it feels a bit unnecessary to me and so, no perfect for this stick.

Appearance: 7 /10 – The wrapper is consistently colored, oily, and thinly veined. Drawbacks are the wrinkled appearance of the wrapper and the visible seams.

Construction: 32/35 – Very nice draw to this consistently firm stick, especially given that I used a punch cut on this guy. However, the burn was a bit uneven at times.

Flavor: 44/45 – Purity, complexity, consistency, and just downright yummy, this stick hits the mark in the flavor department.

Overall: 92/100 – Awesome flavor with a long and delectable finish accompanied by excellent construction and a knock out presentation makes this stick one for the record books. The next time you get a chance, burn one of these. You will not be sorry you did.

-DH

Kristoff Criollo

2011-02-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

Size: 6 ½ X 56

Shape: Matador

Origin: Dominican

Body: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan

Smoke Clock: 1hr, 5mins

Avoiding the winter chill, I poured myself a cup of coffee (courtesy of my local shop), nestled into a comfy chair, and lit up what was to be an eventful smoke: the Kristoff Criollo.

Prelight aromas were rich with earth & leather leading the way. There was also an unmistakable sweetness present that got my mouth watering. A little pre-light draw showed off the wide open construction of this stick with complex flavors complemented by an underlying sweetness. Man was I ready to light this baby!

Putting a flame to the foot, I tasted sweet earth and leather right off the bat. After a few puffs, pepper with underlying hints of nuts crept in, followed later in the first quarter by light cocoa and coffee notes. It was at this point that the adventure really began because, unfortunately, the wrapper began to fall apart on me.

Working my way through this mild tragedy, the flavor profile smoothed and balanced into the second quarter, eliciting dominant earth and leather notes with subtle nut and cocoa supporting. The sweetness that I tasted at first continued to hang around, coming and going in subtle waves.

As much as I was enjoying the flavor, I was NOT enjoying the disintegrating wrapper. By the time I’d reached the third quarter, the wrapper was in such a state of disarray that I finished the job and smoked the rest of the stick sans-wrapper. Not surprisingly, the flavor changed, making this an informative, although annoying, occurrence.

With the wrapper gone, the pepper in the profile ramped up substantially and the sweetness all but vanished. (I suppose that tells us where all the sweet flavors were coming from.) Earth and coffee notes also ramped up, turning this into a great black coffee accompanying smoke.

Reaching the end, I lay this stick to rest. I must say that flavor wise, this is probably my favorite of the Kristoffs that I’ve smoked. The draw was excellent and I didn’t experience any serious burn issues. My only problem with this stick was that the wrapper came off completely; starting with a few cracks that eventually caused the demise of the entire leaf. If this occurrence did not repeat itself on other Kristoff Criollos, this would be a smoke that I would reach for again. Even now, I would reach for one with the hope that it would keep its wrapper on.

Rating:

Presentation: 6/10 – I really dislike their bands. However, this band is a little better than their others. More contrast guys, more contrast! I’d like to read these bands clearly, please.

Appearance: 8/10 – Before it vaporized, the wrapper was virtually seamless, oily, consistent in color, and thinly veined. It did have that wrinkled appearance that I’ve come to associate with Kristoff, but that’s ok. This stick also featured a rough cut foot and a pig tail cap.

Construction: 34/35 – Bang, wiiiiiiiiiiiiizz, phew, kapow! Fire off the big guns for this category because they really did a stellar job assembling this smoke. I just wish the wrapper hadn’t exploded.

Flavor: 43/45 – Excellent flavor clarity, purity, and blending. I just wish the wrapper hadn’t fallen off.

Overall: 91/100 – If the wrapper hadn’t violently ripped itself from the cigar, this would’ve been an incredible overall experience. Even considering this unfortunate fact, I really enjoyed this cigar. The construction was spot on and the flavors were delicious. I’d recommend picking one up to try. I sincerely hope that yours only causes metaphorical explosions - on your taste buds.

-DH

Kristoff Ligero Maduro Matador

2011-01-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

Size: 6.5 X 56

Shape: Matador

Origin: Dominican Republic

Body: Full Powerhouse
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican, 70% Ligero

Smoke Clock: 1hr 15mins

While outside the wind wildly whipped the white falling snow, I was warm and cozy inside and puffing away at a delicious and overpowering cigar: the Kristoff Maduro Ligero. With 70% ligero filler, this cigar ain’t just whistlin’ Dixie.

From first light I could tell this cigar was going to lay me out. Fortunately, the flavor profile matches the body blow for blow.

Rich dark chocolate, earth, and coffee notes washed over my palate as I adjusted to power of this cigar. After a few puffs, I began to taste a mingling of flavors that could only be described as blackened chicken. Before long, however, the profile and body smoothed out, allowing caramel notes to emerge with dark roasted coffee as the forerunners in the blend.

As the cigar evolved, I toted a nice degree of spice joining in part way through the second quarter. As the third quarter began, notes of cashew and walnut began to emerge, complimenting the coffee note beautifully and providing an added sense of depth to the blend.

Being quite drunk at the end of the third quarter, I lay this stick to rest. As I took a few moments to relax and sober up, I considered whether this was the strongest cigar I’d ever smoked. It took no more than the consideration of a moment to give the answer: yes, without question.

Rating:

Presentation: 7/10 – Kristoff’s style of presentation, in theory, is nice: simple, straightforward, masculine. However, in the execution, they fall short. This band is nice, but unless I manage to find just the right light I can’t read the small print on the band primarily due to the lack of contrast in the colors they use. What gives?

Appearance: 8/10 – Pretty nice looking cigar here. The wrapper is near seamless with a few very thin veins running the length of the stick and exhibits a dark brown color mottled by lighter earth tones. The choices to leave the foot rough and add a pig tail to the head are interesting visual touches that I appreciate.

Construction: 33/35 – This stick is extremely solid, yet has a great draw. This smoke burned quite evenly until the half way mark when it began to run a bit. The run fixed itself, so no major marks off.

Flavor: 43/45 – This cigar exhibited purity, complexity, and depth to the flavor profile while never becoming bitter. The blackened chicken taste at the beginning was a little disconcerting though.

Overall: 92/100 – As you can see by the 92 to your left, this cigar fared pretty well in my book. I’m not sure I can say I’d reach for them though as this blend had yours truly nearly doubled over drunk. If what you’re after is a delicious, complex, and extremely full bodied smoke, this is a pal you should shake hands with.

-DH

Kristoff Maduro Criollo

2010-12-31T11:03:00.001-08:00

Size: 5 ½ X 54
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Olor Dominican and Cuban Seed
Filler: Olor Dominican, Cuban Seed, Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock: 1hr 10mins

With the holidays behind us and winter in full swing, I’ve been forced indoors in order to perform my reviewing duties. But never fear, this cigar man is a resourceful one.

Being unable to smoke in my apartment, I retired to my local purveyor of fine smokes in order to complete my reviewing task. The stick that tagged along for my first indoor winter smoke: the Kristoff Maduro. This is one beauty of a smoke in both appearance and flavor.

First light reveals delectable notes of rich toasted caramel and leather with a pepper-filled finish that satisfies. Continuing into the first quarter, cocoa, coffee, caramel, and pepper take and hold dominance as the profile evolves in depth and complexity. This is one rotund smoke.

Sweet & creamy notes of compost barrel into the profile at the start of the second quarter, supported by leather, pepper, cocoa, and coffee. These flavors danced about each other in an intricate ballet as the second quarter processed.

The profile of this stick remained delicious and complex as the third quarter began. This was by far my favorite part of the smoke as the flavors reached a crescendo all together, none standing out more than another, but everyone playing their part to create a truly transcendent moment in this man’s cigar smoking life.

The Kristoff Maduro has made its way into my heart as a truly beautiful medium – full bodied smoke and may very well take the lead as a favorite in this category. It is a truly excellent cigar, no foolin’.

Hopefully, some of you were fortunate enough to find a few of these tucked into your stockings this Christmas. For those of you not so fortunate, make your way to Rocky’s and nab these while you still can!

Rating:
Presentation: 7/10 – Although the caramel colored band is attractive and simple, it is a little hard to read due to very little contrast between the text and the background.

Appearance: 8/10 – This is a beauty. The oily and teeth covered wrapper showcases beautiful dark brown earth tones. The wrapper also seemed a tad wrinkled, hence the drop in points.

Construction: 32/35 – Well constructed, this stick was equally firm from head to toe with a comfortable draw.

Flavor: 43/45 – With a masterful blend showcasing cocoa, coffee, caramel, pepper, sweet and creamy compost, and leather notes, this smoke is one that is ready to smoke right out of the box. No aging necessary for this Dominican beauty. However, I bet this stick would transform into something spectacular if set aside to age for a year or two.

Overall: 90/100 – The Kristoff Maduro has a lot to offer: a bold, complex, and delicious flavor profile; excellent construction, providing a comfortable draw; and an attractive, however wrinkly, wrapper. This is one stick you can’t go wrong with, and I can promise you I will be picking up more.

-DH

Berger & Argenti Mooch Loll

2010-12-03T10:41:00.001-08:00

Size: 6 X 52
Shape: Loll (Torpedo)
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Equadorian Connecticut
Binder: Jalapa, Nicaraguan
Filler: Esteli, Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock: 1 hr

Mooch Loll

Ah, Thanksgiving. This holiday is precious to me, not only for the enormous amounts of delicious food that I gorge myself on every year, but for being given the time to reflect on the things that I am thankful for. The list is large and cannot be fully reiterated here. However, there is one thing that I’m sure you all know I’m thankful for: excellent tobacco.

After a tremendous Thanksgiving meal, I snuck outside for a post meal smoke. Despite my disappointment with the Berger & Argenti line thus far, I decided to try out the Mooch to see if I could yet be swayed. Let me tell you, the Mooch finally showed me what Berger & Argenti cigars can taste like when they hit the mark.

At first light, I tasted an excellent combination of oak, cedar, and cashew flavors. These flavors ebbed and flowed throughout the smoke, but held a significant lead in the first quarter, allowing some pepper notes and something I couldn’t identify at first to emerge slowly towards the second quarter.

I love a cigar that can surprise me and the Mooch did just that. Tasting something new is something that doesn’t happen extremely often in cigars, at least for me. As such, it was a delight to try to identify what this mysterious flavor was. Once the second quarter reached its end, I was finally able to at least describe it. In addition to the delectable oak, cedar, cashew, and light pepper notes, I tasted something that I can only describe as a light and neutral coffee creamer: ever so slightly bitter, but creamy none-the-less.

With the start of the third quarter, the creamer note took dominance, then gently evolved from slightly bitter coffee creamer to a sweet cream with a subtle hint of caramel to it. The notes that I’d experienced here-to-fore began to retreat, giving the sweet cream focus through the end of this tasty smoke.

As I lay this stick down, I had to admit that, despite my misgivings, the Mooch proved to be an excellent smoke. What better way to experience a holiday dedicated to giving thanks than with a cigar that reminds you to be thankful for surprises?

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – Again, standard Berger & Argenti presentation, but with a faux piece of newspaper stating, “Embargo Cuban Imports,” and, “Kennedy Embargo Cuts Cuban Trade.” I think that this is a rugged touch to an otherwise formal presentation and is much appreciated.

Appearance: 6/10 – This is the first time I have not loved the way a Berger & Argenti looked. The wrapper was multi-hued and wrinkled and the head of the torpedo was oddly leaning to one side. This stick is a bit of an ugly duckling to say the least. I can say that the wrapper was fully intact and showed no signs of damage.

Construction: 28/35 – Oddly enough, the construction was a tad messy as well. There were hard and soft spots throughout the stick, making it feel extremely lacking in the uniformity department. Despite this, the draw was typically fantastic for Berger & Argenti.

Flavor: 43/45 – This smoke was very nice. A solid medium body with a nice sense of evolution in the profile, carrying oak, cashew, cedar, pepper, and cream notes with hints of earth now and again. This was a very creamy and tasty smoke.

Overall: 85/100 – Despite the mid-80s score, I liked this smoke. I find it truly odd, however, that the Berger & Argenti’s that I didn’t like looked awesome and had excellent construction, but the flavor was completely lacking. In this case, the construction and appearance were sub-par, but the flavor was great. I’m not sure what to take away from all this, but if this correlation has any consistency, I’ll be looking for the ugly Berger & Argenti sticks, of that you can be sure.

-DH

Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Peligroso

2010-11-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

Size: 5 X 44
Shape: Peligroso
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Clock: 45 mins
Joya de Nic Dark Peligroso

This past Monday, having just eaten a hearty lunch, I ventured out into the November chill to enjoy a fine smoke. Joining me that day was the Joyo de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo. Ever heard the phrase “seek and ye shall find?” That day, I was seeking an excellent smoke, and I must admit that I found it.

With the first light came a blast of powerful pepper, which quickly mellowed to reveal some excellent caramel and leather notes. Although the smoke remained peppery, dark chocolate and rich, earthen black coffee notes made their way into the profile with some excellent support from the caramel and leather. There was a nice nutty aftertaste left on my palate after each exhale that made me hungry for more.

These notes remained strong into the second quarter of the smoke, weaving in and out of dominance like a well conducted symphony. One moment, the chocolate note would emerge and bathe me in decadence while the next moment earthen coffee notes would slip in to ground me. Caramel would emerge and flit across the profile like a flute solo before dropping away into a supportive role for the other major players. This interplay continued well into the third quarter of the smoke, mesmerizing my senses in a whirl of delight and subtle dizziness. This is a full bodied beauty, no doubt about that.

As the symphony played on, that familiar November chill began to seep into my bones. Finally relenting to the weather, I lay this fantastic stick down. Still mesmerized by the depth, complexity, and delicious flavors that this smoke provided, I stumbled back indoors with the taste of ecstasy still on my lips.

Rating:
Presentation: 7/10 – This stick is presented well. Simple and attractive, the double bands do their job well while not detracting from the cigar itself. Gold and black in color, the bands display the name of the stick (“Antano Dark Corojo”) and the strength (“Doble Fuerte”) of the cigar. My beef with the bands is this, the band closer to the head of the cigar which displays its name has muddy focus. “Antano” gets cut off at the top & bottom by the gold trim, making it difficult to read and leaves the focal point of the band in question.

Appearance: 9/10 – The wrapper on the other hand, is near flawless. It is a beautiful dark maroon color which is spread consistently across the leaf. Smooth with only 1 discernable blemish, this is a wrapper that deserves to be framed.

Construction: 32/35 – Construction is very good. This stick is very firm, but gets increasingly hard towards the head. Despite the density of the pack, the draw is open, providing an easy and pleasant smoke. I did get a few runs, but they never became more than a big wave and managed to fix themselves.

Flavor: 44/45 – This is what a great cigar should taste like.

Overall: 92/100 – This cigar is one for the ages: the leaf used is truly beautiful and unique in color; the flavor profile is deep, complex, and pure with an exquisite interplay that I’ve rarely experienced. For you full bodied fans, this is the stick to try.

-DH

Berger & Argenti Entubar Double Corona

2010-11-12T06:13:00.000-08:00

Size: 7 X 54
Shape: Double Corona
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian ‘Desflorado’ Connecticut-seed
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock: 1 hr 25 mins

Entubar Double Corona

Having recently discovered a park with a pond not far from my apartment, I decided to spend mid-day enjoying the peace that a park’s pond allows. Tagging along for a mid-day respite was the Berger & Argenti Entubar in the hulking double corona shape.

Finding a comfortable spot by the pond, I followed the explicit directions located on the band at the foot of the cigar and thoroughly toasted all there was to light, including the tube of rolled filler which casually poked its nose out from the foot of this stick. Pepper, caramel, light earth, and leather notes led off this lengthy smoke in a subdued but tasty way.

Burning through the first quarter of this smoke revealed the dominant notes of the blend: caramel and leather. When rolled through the nose, the smoke took on a light spice and pepper note that was enchanting. These elements of the profile remained at the forefront of the experience through the second quarter.

As I was feeding some geese that approached me over the expanse of the pond, a light bitter note crept in. This bitter note was not overpowering, but considering the subtle nuance that the rest of the flavors exhibited, the bitterness was unwelcome. Fortunately, it went away rather quickly, exposing some hints of cashew which replaced the caramel note in the profile.

Having finished this smoke and feeling a bit underwhelmed, I tossed the nub into the waiting depths of the pond. Watching the nub sink below the surface, I noted the irony inherent in the nub’s final resting place: its presence on the pond’s floor as subtle as its flavor.

Rating:
Presentation: 9/10 – Classy. The band is huge, but unobtrusive on a cigar of this size. “Berger & Argenti” covers the band as a backdrop to the imitation wax seal which holds the band together. Reminiscent of a letter whose text is meant only for my eyes, it’s the fake wax seal that sealed the deal on this band for me.

Appearance: 9/10 – This is one pretty cigar. Even though the seams in the wrapper were clearly visible, all else was near perfect. The wrapper itself has some of the most consistent coloring I’ve ever seen, it was as smooth as a baby’s bottom, and showed no flaws what-so-ever.

Construction: 33/35 – The construction of this cigar was stellar. This stick was solid all the way through with a very slight hard spot beneath the band. Despite this, the draw was quite open and the burn remarkably even for a cigar of this size.

Flavor: 32/45 – This was probably the toughest aspect of this stick to grade, given the extreme subtlety of the flavor profile. Were the flavors detectable? Absolutely. Were the flavors clearly presented and pure? Without a doubt (minus the slight intrusion of a bitter note[-3 points]). Was the flavor profile full and present in the smoke? Hardly. A lot of the time, I felt as if I were smoking air and struggled to taste this blend. For this reason, I dock 10 points. Describing this profile as subtle barely begins to do justice to it.

Overall: 84/100 – The Berger and Argenti Entubar is a beautiful and well constructed oddity amongst its cigar brethren, given the rolled filler sticking out from the foot. Overall, this stick is very well done in terms of tobacco selection and construction. As far as flavor goes, this stick falls far short of what I’d expect from a high end smoke. The body was there, I just missed out on the full flavor that I expected. If you like a solid medium bodied smoke and have the time to sit, reflect, and search out the flavors in what you’re smoking, then this stick is for you.

-DH

Tatuaje Petite Cazadore Reserva

2010-11-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Size: 4 x40
Shape: Petite Cazadore
Origin: Miami, USA
Body: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Habano Equador
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock: 25 mins

Tatuaje Cigars

Winter is now knocking at our door and the weather has taken a turn for the cold, but that can’t stop the hearty from enjoying a fine smoke. Braving the morning chill with me this morning was the Petite Cazadore by Tatuaje. I felt the name of this blend apt for the situation as I stepped outside into the cold November air, hunting for a good smoke.

Once I’d settled myself onto a perch high above the ground (about a foot and a half), I lit up this delicious looking smoke. It became immediately apparent that I’d nabbed my prey. Notes of sugar, pepper, and leather raced over my palate in a rush of delight akin to spotting a 12 point buck.

Caramel and leather notes followed as this stick burned beautifully into the first quarter. Hints of spice through the nose and pepper on the palate created a playful dance for my senses.

As my bum began to go numb with cold (as it is apt to do on early morning hunts such as this), light earth notes began mingling with the caramel already present in the blend. Sometimes a powerful presence in the nose, sometimes subtly wafting over my palate, pepper notes darted in and out of the profile like a buck darting amongst the trees.

The profile remained consistent throughout the third quarter with few new surprises. However, just as the finish began, a subtle chocolate note cautiously crept in and remained in the far off distance like prey that knows it’s being hunted.

Putting an end to my brief morning hunting trip, I lay this stick to rest, having bagged the greatest prize of all: one fantastic smoke.

Rating:
Presentation: 7/10 – Simple and to the point with no pomp or pretention. The blend is signaled by the color of the band, which I think is a creative way to signal a cigar smoker to what they’re buying, if they’re informed about the line.

Appearance: 7/10 – The wrapper is a consistent dark brown color, oily, and smooth. A description of “mouthwatering” comes to mind. The stick received points off for three nasty looking veins which did not connect or run together, but were on the same side of the cigar.

Construction: 33/35 – This stick has some of the best construction in a cigar that I’ve smoked. The pack was firm, the draw open, and the burn overwhelmingly even. At times, the burn became slightly wavy, but it quickly righted itself. This is common in smaller cigars, but this one was done well, none-the-less.

Flavor: 42/45 – I really enjoyed the interplay of flavors in this blend. Caramel, leather, and light earth dominated the experience while pepper and spice danced, juked, and sprung in and out throughout the duration. The chocolate finish didn’t hurt at all either.

Overall: 89/100 – This was a really fine smoke that I enjoyed a great deal. The body was a little north of medium, the flavors were consistent and provided some nice interplay amongst them, and the construction was excellent. I also liked that this stick can be enjoyed in under half an hour, making it a great smoke to enjoy on your lunch break. Pick up a few of these to try out and discover the hunter in you.

-DH

Nick's Sticks Maduro Robusto

2010-10-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 X 52
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Triple Fermented Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Clock: 52 mins

Nicks Sticks

After a long week of 12 hour days, things finally started to slow down and I was able to take some time to relax. I woke up ready to relax, only to discover that it was raining. Fortunately, this didn’t damper my spirits too much because I knew how I’d be spending the morning relaxing with a great cigar.

The stick for the morning turned out to be another Nick’s Stick, only this time the Maduro. This stick turned out to be significantly different than its brother, but the differences are what make this stick sing.

Sliding this cigar out of the cellophane, I noticed how dark and oily the wrapper was. Light gleamed from the reflective surface of this oily smooth beauty. Needless to say, this stick was love at first sight.

Once I had a look at it, I couldn’t wait to put a flame to it. Having already brewed some tea, I quickly poured a cup, stepped outside, put this stick to my lips, and lit. First light flavors were of caramel and cocoa. MmmmMmmmm! These flavors continued throughout the cigar, intermingling with a rich earthen background and the occasional leather note.

Into the second quarter, I made note of how consistent the caramel and cocoa flavors were. They remained pure, rich, and dominant while allowing for a great deal of depth to exist beneath them. Occasionally sipping on my green tea with honey elevated the caramel notes to beautiful heights before allowing them to slip gently back into the mix. Despite the fantastic flavors of this stick, this was about the time that the runs began and unfortunately, they never stopped.

Despite the runs, the flavor profile of this stick continued to woo me with its sweet depth and complexity, allowing the rain to become a soothing, cleansing presence. The third quarter remained much the same, with some leather notes peaking out and then retreating into the background to allow the caramel and cocoa to remain the fore-runners in the blend.

When I put this stick down, I was left incredibly impressed by the experience this cigar had given me. Particularly impressive were the purity, consistency, and depth of the flavor profile as well as the overwhelmingly smooth draw.

Remaining outdoors for a few minutes longer, I reveled in the peace of the falling rain, savoring the lingering flavors of heaven on my lips

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – Although not particularly classy, the band on this stick has a certain character to it that I appreciate. It makes me think brick and mortar and I like that.

Appearance: 8/10 – This wrapper is oily, smooth, and consistent in color. The rich earthen tone that the wrapper has is truly beautiful. Top notch.

Construction: 32/35 – This was a tough one. The pack of the cigar was rock solid despite some softening at the foot. The draw was incredibly wide open, making for an effortless and easy smoke. The problem here was the burn. The burn was incredibly uneven, resulting in two huge runs that needed the attention of a lighter.

Flavor: 44/45 – The profile that this cigar offers is impeccable. Caramel and cocoa flavors supported by rich earth tones which were incredibly deep and complex. Light wafts of leather helped to keep the smoke interesting. The profile never became bitter, even towards the end. The body actually caught me towards the end, which makes me thing this cigar is more medium-full than a solid medium. This was a fantastic smoke, to say the least.

Overall: 92/100 – The only drawback to this cigar was the burn. Other than that, you’re looking at another fantastic offering by Padron. One thing I do feel warrants mentioning is the price point. For quality like this, you’re getting a serious bargain. I’d say that Nick’s Sticks maduro is comparable to the 1926, and at a significantly lower price. I’ve already ordered my box from Rocky’s and I highly recommend you do the same. I have a feeling that these sticks are going to age extremely well. This is a deal that you just can’t beat.

-DH

Kurt Kendal 's 7-20-4

2010-10-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 5/8 X 46
Shape: 7-20-4
Origin: Honduras
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Columbia
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Mexican
Smoke Clock: 1 hr

7-20-4 Cigars

It was a clear and breezy day in the city when a man, clad only in blue jeans and a light jacket, crept outdoors onto the terrace of his apartment building to stealthily enjoy his cigar. What was the cigar that crept along with him, you might ask. Why none other than K.A. Kendall’s 7-20-4.

With finesse he flicked open his torch lighter, providing flame to fuel the burning beauty he so sought. As the fumes rose high, the first impressions he received were of leather and caramel. Both of these notes carried through the first quarter of this stick, dancing around each other in a mysterious tango full of beauty and seduction.

He puffed with decadence, allowing the breeze to waft and carry away the smokey tendrils as he blew into the passing wind. Delight carried him along as the leather and caramel notes from the first quarter had carried over into the second. But wait, interrupting his solitude and harmony came a note of bitterness which slowly overcame the previous beauty of the blend.

This bitterness continued into the third quarter of his smoke, disturbing him deeply. Suddenly, a dark toasted caramel note appeared, support by some light compost. Sadly, both of these delectable notes surfaced deep within the profile, allowing the bitterness to maintain dominance through the end of the stick.

In defense of this stick, the man justified that the bitterness aspired to become coffee and chocolate notes. However, the amount of bitterness was just too much and he finally set the stick down.

Despite the rough ending to his smoke, the man found 7-20-4 to be satisfying up to the mid-point and hung onto the pleasure he experienced then. Considering a second attempt in the future, he snuck his way back indoors, away from the bitter memory of the 7-20-4’s end and onto other tasty conquests.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – The band is lovely and classic and an excellent reproduction of the original band on the original 7-20-4 from the early 1900s. A cedar sleeve is nice for aging, but, in this reviewer’s opinion, not for presentation. Sure, it looks nice, but it obscures what I really want to see: the wrapper.

Appearance: 8/10 – Upon removal of the cedar sleeve, a beautiful dark brown, oily, and toothy wrapper is revealed. The color on the wrapper is consistent, 1 vein runs the length of the cigar, and the oily sheen is simply mouth watering.

Construction: 32/35 – This stick was firm throughout with no soft or hard spots, the draw was very good, and the burn very even. Nice construction.

Flavor: 35/45 – Prelight notes were vegetal with earth and caramel in the background. The first 2 quarters were great until a powerful bitter note crept in and muddied up the whole experience. After reading a few other reviews, I am surprised by this, as no one else seems to have had an experience like this.

Overall: 82/100 – This stick was well constructed, presented a beautiful wrapper, and provided a great smoke through nearly the first half of the cigar. The second half really messed it up for me. I am seriously considering trying another as no one else seems to have had an experience like mine. I’m willing to chalk it up to random chance, but can’t in good conscience give this stick a score based on presumption. I’d recommend giving this stick a try though. Even if you wind up having a similar experience to mine, the first half is totally worth it.

-DH

601 Oscuro La Fuerza

2010-09-30T12:52:00.001-07:00

Size: 5.5 X 54
Shape: La Fuerza
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habana Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Clock: 1 hr 25 mins

After a long and successful summer season, I have finally gotten settled into my new apartment. To celebrate, I pulled out a smoke that I have long waited for: the EO 601 Green.

The 601 Green has spent the last month and a half eluding me. I’d bring it with me to work to smoke on a break, only to have more work than I expected and not enough time to smoke this stick. I’d step outside to light up on my day off, only to be bombarded by phone calls to go hiking or kayaking (two of my other favorite things to do). As you can imagine, neither of these things are conducive to taking notes on a fine blend, so this cigar continued to elude me. However, yesterday, I had time to sit outside on the veranda (aka the cement porch of my apartment building) and relax and that’s just what I did, bringing this elusive smoke along with me.

Sliding this stick out of its cellophane, I immediately noticed the consistency of color and quality of the wrapper. It didn’t scream juicy deliciousness though, and for a moment, I lost heart. I trudged through the cut, which was clean and easy, pushed through the prelight ritual, which was a delight, and lit up. Boy did this stick blow my doubts out of the water.

Prelight, there were strong earth, spice, and leather notes detected with the spice being very forward. However, when I lit up, the Green delivered a complex, sweet, and earth filled profile with only a subtle spice note present.

Developing into the first quarter, the profile became all about the compost note. Delicious! The smoke was soft and creamy in the mouth as the profile ebbed and flowed around and through the compost note. Pepper and caramel notes wafted up into dominance and meandered back into the blend several times until the profile began its first evolution into deep earth and bright cedar notes. The cedar notes here taste like a cedar campfire: toasty and bright. Towards the end of the quarter, some dark chocolate notes had begun to peek their heads through, but didn’t take over until the half mark of this stick.

I was admiring the view of shorts sporting college girls as they passed by when the second quarter of this cigar really came into its own. Notes of toasted cream and leather took over, then slowly and gently relinquished command to dark cocoa and coffee notes. That delectable compost note had slunk way into the background at this point, nearly vanishing into the delicious depths of the flavor profile.

It was at this point that I tried to ash for the first time. The ash, having remained quite dense, would not relinquish its hold on this cigar. I was so confident in its density, in fact, that I stood the cigar on end ON THE ASH. I could not believe how incredibly well packed this cigar must have been to be able to sport such fine and strong ash on such a lengthy, heavy stick. Bravo!

After my ashen foray, I refocused on the flavor profile as the third quarter began. The second quarter carried over into the third nicely, relinquishing dominance to some oak campfire notes once or twice before returning to where it began. That fantastic complex compost note returned just before the fourth quarter, bringing the profile full circle and leaving me completely satisfied.

There are times when I realize that the Universe is smarter than I. This is one such case. The EO 601 Green eluded my smoking desires until just the right time when I could really focus on it and enjoy it to the fullest. Thank you Universe for all your wisdom.

Rating:
Presentation: 9/10 – I really like the band on all the EO 601 cigars, but the interplay of green and gold here is really stunning. Great design with an excellent focus on the 601 line. Simple and straightforward yet beautiful in its own right, accenting the color of the cigar perfectly. Way to go, EO.

Appearance: 7/10 – This cigar is nice to look at, but not gorgeous. The wrapper has a very consistent color, it’s toothy, and the seams of are almost well hidden, but there’s barely any shine to it. There was also a small dime sized patch missing towards the foot of the cigar, but I burned through that quickly enough.

Construction: 33/35 – Great construction. The draw was open, the pack firm enough to stand the cigar up on its ash, and the burn was mostly even with a little wave here and there.

Flavor: 44/45 – This cigar told a story and brought it full circle. I really respect a blender’s ability to do this clearly while providing purity to the flavors and a dynamite smoke to booth. Excellent work.

Overall: 93/100 – This cigar is tasty and delicious, telling a story with its pure flavors. The construction is very high quality, allowing the smoker to focus on the flavorful experience and not on the draw or relights. This is one heck of a cigar that I highly recommend any fan of full bodied smokes try at their earliest convenience.

-DH

Nick's Sticks Sun Grown Robusto

2010-09-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 X 52
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Sun Grown Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock: 45 mins

Having ended the season at CRT, I spent last week with friends. We worked in their garden, and when they went to their day jobs, I participated in one of my favorite past times. That’s right, you guessed it: smoking.

On this particular day, clouds covered the sky, leaving the day cool and calm. I sauntered out onto the porch to enjoy the pick of the day, a Nick’s Stick by Perdomo.

Now, I didn’t know a thing about this cigar when I lit up, but I can tell you this: when I discovered it was blended by Perdomo, I wasn’t at all surprised. First light was pepper, spice, and cashew euphoria; those pure flavors pouring over my pallet let me know right off the bat that this was going to be a dynamite smoke.

Sliding into the first quarter, Nick’s Stick maintained those pepper and nut flavors but the profile began to expand, showcasing some serious depth. Complex compost notes crept in here as support for the pepper and nut flavors.

Side note: One of my favorite things about a good blend that features compost notes is the way that this complex array of flavors can ebb and flow in the background to give dominance to one flavor or another as the smoke evolves. Sometimes, aspects of the compost notes will elicit a sweet note which makes the blend sing momentarily while the next moment dark earthen notes may slip in to ground the overall experience.

This was the case in this blend. With the compost notes sliding in and out (coughs) to provide fascinating yet subtle fluctuations in the blend, the cashew and pepper notes continued to float on top into the second quarter of this smoke.

Pleasantly puffing away and enjoying the mild weather of the day, I noticed a slight coffee note emerge at this juncture, with some sweet caramel supporting this new player in the profile.

As the third quarter began, deep dark earthen notes crept in, transitioning beautifully from the coffee notes that I experienced in the previous quarter of Nick’s Stick. At this point, some of the spice came back, but only through the nose. Because of its long absence, the spice note was a welcome return to the profile.

Finally setting this stick to rest, I reflected on how delicious this smoke was. The body was relatively mild-medium for me, but that didn’t stop the flavors from satisfying this smoker. The compost provided support all the way through, allowing Nick’s Stick to take me on a journey. In short, this is another dynamite Perdomo blend, which should not be missed.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – Although not particularly classy, the band on this stick has a certain character to it that I appreciate. It makes me think brick and mortar and I like that.

Appearance: 8/10 – The color of this wrapper is a lovely medium brown and is consistent all over. The wrapper is also oily and toothy and, at the right angle, seems to be nearly seamless. Nice job.

Construction: 32/35 – Nick’s Stick is packed firmly and consistently. Prelight draw felt a bit tight, but didn’t present any problems at all during the smoke. The burn was nice and even until the third quarter when it began to get wavy and then run a bit.

Flavor: 43/45 – The journey that this cigar took me on was comforting and delectable. The compost provided complexity and support throughout the smoke as pepper, cashew, coffee, and earth took their turns at the front.

Overall: 91/100 – A well deserved high rating goes to this medium bodied stick. I really enjoyed the complete experience with this cigar, from the prelight examination all the way down to the nub, Nick’s Sticks delivers the good.

A note on Nick’s Sticks by Perdomo:
The current Nick’s Sticks is a re-release of Nick Perdomo’s debut blend rolled in his original factory in Miami, Florida in the ‘90s. Originally available only in Florida, this re-release is more available and, as you may have guessed, Rocky’s has ‘em.

Berger & Argenti Classico Belicoso

2010-09-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 ¾ X 50
Shape: Belicoso
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Equadoran “Desflorado” Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock: 1 hr 2 mins

As most of you know, I’ve working in Cortland all summer. With the season at Cortland Repertory drawing to a close, we all find temporary housing with members of the theatre’s board. The fellow that I’m staying with has a gorgeous home and a fantastic open air balcony on which to smoke, and, taking full advantage of this new convenience, I found my way onto the balcony, still in my night wear, with a delicious Berger & Argenti Clasico to keep me company.

Before I pulled this stick out of the cellophane, I thought it was pretty attractive. After I actually removed it, I discovered that the cellophane had hidden this cigar’s true beauty. The wrapper is a gorgeous light brown with only slight darkening towards the head, deliciously oily, and smooth as a baby’s bottom.

The pre-light aroma revealed scents of subtly sweet spice, earth, and leather with hints of fruit and manure (a scent that I associate with excellent tobacco). There was spice in the draw pre-light with hints of minerals which reminded me a little of a multi-vitamin. I knew cigars were good for you!

After gently toasting the foot, I lit up and experienced leather, pepper, and a subtle raisin note which were supported by a subdued sweetness which remained throughout the smoke.

The first quarter revealed how a good cigar can establish itself at first light and then interweave and develop those flavors. Raisin notes slowly transformed into an overall fruit like experience, allowing me to experience peach, fig, and raisin notes at different periods in the first quarter. Spice mingled with the fruit flavors to create a piquant sweetness that was both delightful and surprising. Pepper still stood out on its own with leather still hanging around in the background. What a way to begin!

Even though motorcycles buzzed, cars zipped, and trucks roared by on the little road below, my focus remained fastened to the evolution that this cigar was making. As this smoke eased into the second quarter, the piquant fruit notes slowly gave way to an overall toasted butter experience with leather emerging as the dominant focus in the profile. A slight cashew note crept in as the smoke become full and chewy.

The third quarter and finish remained fairly true to second quarter, even though the most subtle cocoa note crept in just before the finish began.

I finally set down the nub of this tasty smoke with a full sense of satisfaction, ready to actually get dressed and start the day. This cigar was an excellent smoke, and one that I may soon repeat.

http://www.rockyscigars.com/catalog.asp?prodid=686080

Rating:
Presentation: 6/10 – This cigar is presented simply and elegantly, with a band that makes me think I’ll be smoking a law firm instead of a cigar. Not a whole lot of points for creativity or originality though.

Appearance: 9/10 – The wrapper on this stick is a gorgeous light brown color with some slight darkening towards the head. It is smooth and mouth wateringly oily with no cracks, bumps or dents. A nice long vein runs the length of this stick.

Construction: 30/35 – The pack was firm and consistent with no soft spots detected. However, the draw was a little tight but didn’t ultimately negatively affect the experience.

Flavor: 43/45 – The flavors in this cigar were well presented and blended, providing an excellent sense of evolution and cohesion in the blend. Even though the smoke starts off complex, it eases the smoker into a soft and comforting euphoria which I highly recommend you experience for yourself.

Overall: 88/100 – This is a beautiful cigar which is well constructed and masterfully blended. If you haven’t given this stick a try, I highly recommend that you pick up a few to experience this stick for yourself. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

-DH

Perdomo Lot 23 Gordito

2010-08-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

Size: 4.5 X 64
Shape: Gordito
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock: 45 mins

Having been inundated with work for the last month, I finally managed to sneak a short and delicious smoke into my dinner break. I crept off to the park close by and brought my Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro along with me.

As I stepped through my pre-light ritual, this cigar seemed to be pretty outstanding. It’s extremely attractive, the pre-light aroma was delectable, the sweet raisin accompanying the cedar and spice in the draw, and the wind tunnel-like draw. As usual, my pre-light assessment did not let me down.

When I lit this little pudgy guy up, I was first struck by an excellent combination of cedar and earth with some scintillating spice gliding gently over both of these dominant flavors. As this stick burned into the first quarter, toasted coffee flavors emerged and took over the dominant role in the profile. The silky, creamy texture of the smoke complemented these flavors perfectly as the profile evolved and became thick with chewy leather notes.

Quickly burning through this stick, wood and spice flavors took the lead as some subtle sweetness re-emerged. The spice that was detected upon first light remained forward and pleasant when the smoke was rolled through the nose.

These flavors continued their interplay through the end when I begrudgingly had to set this puppy down to return to work way too soon for my liking. I would’ve gladly taken the time to burn through another one or two of these smokes before returning to the grind.

In short, this was a fantastic smoke. I was grateful for the brevity of the experience due to my personal lack of time, but how I wish it could’ve gone on forever. Like so many things, one of its best assets is its only downfall: it ends.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – The band on this cigar is beautiful and rustic, utilizing shades of brown to provide the needed contrast to make the name on the band pop. A dark shade of blue is utilized to show off the central image on the band: a tobacco farm. Some asymmetry is also utilized in the design of this band by placing the company’s name off to the right (from the viewer’s perspective) of the central image of the band.

Appearance: 8/10 – The wrapper had a lovely dark color (heck, it is a maduro) which becomes a little inconsistent by transitioning to some lighter hues towards the head. Toothy, bumpy, and oily, the wrapper is, overall, quite lovely.

Construction: 34/35 – The consistency of the pack seemed slightly off since I found a few slightly soft spots along the stick. However, this did not affect the burn at all. If these soft spots influenced the wide open draw, then who cares? The draw, by the way, was incredibly open. Smoking this cigar required little more effort than breathing.

Flavor: 43/45 – Very complex with lots of purity and clarity to the blend. Flavors mingled nicely and exchanged dominance without a hitch. Bravo!

Overall: 93/100 – This cigar is a winner. To quote the Tabacalera Perdomo website, this blend can be compared to “…a wine maker’s special reserve…” This cigar was certainly an excellent experience and one I would repeat in a heartbeat. Something else to consider: the price. Check out the prices and you will be shocked. To get a cigar which has properties which even come close to this one you’d have to spend at least twice as much. If you love medium to full bodied smokes, this is the next cigar you should try.

Nording by Rocky Patel Toro Grande

2010-07-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Shape: Toro Grande
Origin: Honduras
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Costa Rican Maduro
Binder: Mexican
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock: 1 hr 25 min

Plopping down at one of my usual park benches amidst the meager number of families at the lake, I pulled out my Rocky Patel Nording and took it in with the surroundings.

My first glance at this cigar made me want to skip all the foreplay and get right to the smoke. The wrapper on this cigar is absolutely beautiful. Consistent color, seamless, smooth, and oily, the wrapper on Nording cried out to me, “Please smoke me!”

Before I gave in completely to this wily wrapper, I forced myself to take a whiff. Delicious wafts of sweet leather, earth, and spice glided through my nose and made me start salivating like a black dog on a hot day.

Unable to wait any longer, I snipped the end and took a draw. The very first thing I tasted was sweet iced tea. Inexplicable in an unflavored cigar, yet it was there. Another draw revealed leather and spice and… sweet tea.

At this point, waiting any longer to light this puppy would’ve been unbearable so, giving in, I lit up. Reading directly from my notes, the first word I wrote down was “heaven.” With plenty of pepper on the lips and palate, the first light profile rounded out with leather, oak, and cedar notes with a hint of that sweet tea I detected in the pre-light draw. The body started out round and robust and solidly medium.

As the first quarter progressed, wood & nut notes became formidable players in the profile. Spice continued to be a presence on the palate and through the nose with compost notes joining in. Towards the beginning of the second quarter, chocolate and coffee notes began to creep in with hints of toffee. Mmm mmm!

Cocoa and coffee with a sweet toffee background emerged as dominant in the flavor profile in the second quarter. This cigar was proving to be quite an incredible ride! A lot of the spice had abated by this point, giving way to evolving coffee notes towards the third quarter. Progressing through the second quarter, I noticed that there was a natural sweetness felt on the lips which made every puff that much more delectable.

The third quarter continued the trend set by the second quarter, but continued to evolve. This was most noticeable towards the end as cocoa and spice began to overtake the coffee notes and the sweetness ramped back up. This trend continued through the long and satisfying finish of this fantastic smoke.

This cigar held my complete attention throughout the entirety of the smoke, nearly blinding me to the babbling of the creek nearby or the playing of children and parents in said creek. My environment did effect me, however. Playing outside in the sun and amongst nature tends to bring out my artistic side, but this cigar moved me to poetry. If I may:

(Clears his throat)

Roses are red
Cigar smoke is blue
Nording is sweet
So pick up a few!

(Takes a bow)

Rating:
Presentation: 4/5 – Excellent design running with the Viking theme, the band features two butting rams which, for me, invokes a Viking energy. Great use of color and contrast on the double bands.

Appearance: 4/5 – The wrapper was seamless, oily, smooth, and exhibited a beautiful dark red/brown color which was very consistent all over. This is pretty impressive considering the size of this stick. Absolutely mouth watering.

Construction: 42/45 – The pack was firm, leaving the draw feeling a bit tight, but the tight draw proved to be an illusion once I started smoking. The burn was pretty wavy but never presented any real problems.

Flavor: 43/45 – This blend blew my socks off, offering lots of sweetness and evolution throughout the smoke. A mind blowing blend to say the least.

Overall: 93/100 – I thoroughly enjoyed this smoke and will definitely be picking up another. From the first glance at this cigar until the time you set it down, the Rocky Patel Nording does not disappoint. This cigar is a cut above the rest and, in this reviewers opinion, cannot be beat at its price point.

-DH

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Rocky Patel Decade Toro

2010-07-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Size: 6.5 X 52

Shape: Toro

Origin: Honduras

Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Equadorian
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan

Smoke Clock: 1 hr

It was a rainy day in the park, but that wasn’t about to stop me from enjoying a fine cigar. I took refuge on the porch of the Pavilion housing Cortland Repertory Theatre (where I’m working for the summer), and went to it.

That day it was the Rocky Patel Decade that I had brought along with me, a cigar that I eagerly looked forward to.

Passing the stick beneath my nose, I detected oak and cedar notes with some underlying leather and peat. If the pre-light aroma was any indication, this cigar had the makings of a refined and relaxing smoke. I snipped the foot and drew, tasting sweet alfalfa on the palate with a light amount of pepper on the lips.

Eager to dive in, I lit up and was rewarded with light spice and sweetness, complimenting what seemed a definitive bbq flavor at the start. This opened up in the first quarter, exhibiting those oak, cedar, and leather notes which were detectable pre-light. A caramel note emerged towards the end of the first quarter, complimenting the wood notes in a subtle yet specific way, like the smell of a freshly dipped caramel apple. Coffee and chocolate notes also began to emerge and mingle with the already tasty profile.

The second quarter was slowly overtaken by the coffee and chocolate notes, supported by caramel with cedar and leather remaining firmly in the background. Rolling smoke through the nose revealed a pure compost note which was otherwise undetectable on the palate.

Rain continued to spatter the ground as the third quarter began. The coffee notes continued to overtake the remaining flavors in the profile with chocolate remaining a strong supporter. Caramel notes slid into the background but remained present and enjoyable through the end.

This was a nice relaxing smoke which fit perfectly into my dinner break from work. Smoking the Decade provided me with exactly what I needed then, a bit of calm relaxation on an otherwise stormy day.

Rating:

Presentation: 2/5 – I’m not a big fan of the bands on this stick. There are three of them, but only two carry a consistent color and design theme, which appears a bit under thought and lazily designed. The third band is so far from the other two in color and concept that it almost appears to be an afterthought which someone on the line thought might be a fun addition. Oh well. You can’t win ‘em all.

Appearance: 4/5 – The wrapper, on the other hand, is beautiful. Dark, consistent, oily, and seamless, this stick is a delight to the eye.

Construction: 40/45 – This stick is very firm with a soft spot at the head. The draw was pretty good, but I did feel like I was tugging at times. I experienced a few runs, but none required a relight as the cigar fixed itself.

Flavor: 42/45 – Simple: Sweet earth, chocolate, coffee, and caramel dominate this tasty flavor profile. Very pure flavors which I found to be relaxing and very enjoyable.

Overall: 88/100 – This cigar was a solid smoke, very relaxing, and quite tasty. I’d recommend picking one up to give it a try.

-DH

Pinar del Rio Cubano Especial

2010-07-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 X 52
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapirca
Binder: 1998 Dominican Criollo
Filler: 1998 Dominican/Nicaraguan Criollo
Smoke Clock: 45 mins

Over the weekend, as per usual this summer, I made my happy way into the heart of beautiful Dwyer Park to enjoy the beauty of the day. Low and behold, I had an excellent cigar to keep me company.

I found a nice secluded picnic table to rest on and pulled out my Pinar Del Rio 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura. Passing this stick beneath my nose I detected leather, cedar, and manure supported with an underlying sweetness. Clipping the head of this cigar was effortless, like passing a sharp knife through hot butter.

Drawing on the now clipped stick, I experienced a lot of spice and earth, which left me expecting a very hearty smoke. I was not to be disappointed.

Upon lighting, I tasted a balanced degree of spice, dark chocolate, caramel, and leather, all standing alone and yet standing together. This flavor profile was fleeting however, giving way to a much more earthen experience.

The first quarter really established what this stick had to offer. Salt and pepper danced across the palate as leather and earth sat solidly as dominant players in this profile. Subtle notes of nuts crept across the experience as well but never became indiscrete. As the first quarter drew to an end, the spice began to mellow out which allowed the other flavors in the profile to peak through and display how pure and rich they were.

Throughout the remainder of the experience, earth and leather notes dominated the experience on the palate and the nose. However, when rolled through the nose, the smoke consistently elicited a delicate yet intricate compost note.

Despite my isolate location in the park, the wind managed to find me and picked up as I set down my Cubano Especial. The time spent enjoying this hearty smoke truly elevated me and had me looking forward to the next time I might lay my hands on one.

-DH

Rating:
Presentation: 9/10 – I really like the way this cigar is presented. The band is bold and masculine with no frills or decoration. Hard lines and stark contrast draw your attention to the only thing that matters on this band, the name. The design very accurately represents this cigar: bold and straight forward.

Appearance: 8/10 – The wrapper of this beauty is quite dark and consistently so. It is also very oily and toothy with very little seem to be seen.

Construction: 31/35 – The cigar was firm throughout with no soft spots and the draw was quite open despite the firm pack. However, the burn was a pretty inconsistent, causing a few serious runs which required touch ups.

Flavor: 41/45 – The profile was very hearty with earth and leather notes dominating. It was simple and straightforward but provided an excellent smoke with pure flavors and a nice depth to the profile.

Overall: 89/100 – This cigar was an excellent and straightforward smoke. The profile is hearty with earth and leather notes dominating with a depth to the profile. This well presented and attractive stick has an excellent draw and pack but burns unevenly. Despite the burn, this cigar is an excellent smoke that I would recommend to medium bodied fans.

La Aroma de Cuba EE #55

2010-06-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Size: 5.75” X 50
Shape: #55
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Equadoran Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock:

Buy This Cigar

When it rains it pours. In this case, I am happy to refer to several gorgeous days in a row, sans rain. With such a slew of blue sky days, how could one not step outside and enjoy them with an excellent cigar in hand?

The cigar of the day was the La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial (EE) by Ashton. This cigar is smooth, veiny and colored a rich brown tone, smelling of leather, earth, and coffee surrounded by a subtle sweetness. Tasting this stick prelight provided me mostly with a sense of the strength of the blend with only light notes of raisin and leather detected.

Lighting this guy up, I got a nice combination of leather and spice with spice leading the way. This lead beautifully into the first quarter as the profile melted into salt and pepper, leather, cedar, and cashew notes.

The first quarter evolved slightly, providing some coffee notes before its time had passed. By the time the second quarter began, the profile had begun to taste smokey, like sitting around a campfire. Fortunately, these camp fire notes were not overwhelming but supporting and lead neatly into the next section of this stick.

Throughout the second quarter, the individual flavors detected in the first quarter melded together to create a very interesting and complex profile, supported by the camp fire quality of the smoke.

I lazily gazed at people as they passed by and began to notice that the pepper note had all but vanished from the palate. I tried rolling smoke through my nose and discovered that, despite its disappearance on the palate, spice had remained a major player through the nose. Once I got into the third quarter, the profile had stabilized with the camp fire note remaining a strong supporter of the blend.

I finally lay this stick to rest just as the camp fire note began to take its place in the front, but found myself completely satisfied none-the-less.

When it rains it pours. In this case, I refer to two great cigars from La Aroma de Cuba experienced one gorgeous day after the next. What an excellent start to the week!

Rating:
Presentation: 9/10 – The La Aroma de Cuba EE received an additional band recently. You can see it in the photo. This band is so new that Ashton doesn’t even display it on their website. It’s a beautiful addition to an already stellar design. The main difference on the main band is the addition of a second lady to the focal image. Two lovely Cuban ladies instead of one? I can live with that.

La Aroma de Cuba Robusto

2010-06-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 X 54
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Honduras
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran / Nicaraguan
Smoke Clock:

It was another lovely day for a stroll, so I grabbed the Ashton La Aroma de Cuba and headed for the park. I found a comfortable bench near the water fountain and unsheathed this delicious stick.

The La Aroma de Cuba gave off delectable wood and leather notes accented by pepper. Pepper played a more dominant role when I drew on the cigar, supported by smooth cashew flavors.

Upon lighting, I tasted mostly pepper followed by the arrival of leather and oak notes in the first quarter. The cashew flavor that I sensed prelight crept in a little but remained a subtle player in the background.

As the second quarter began, the cashew note crept up into a position of shared dominance with the pepper and leather notes as oak crept into the background. The pepper note began to abate by the end of this quarter, but remained present when rolled through the nose. By the start of the third quarter, the smoke had become creamy with cedar and cashew notes dominating the profile.

With the profile mellowing out, I decided to dip my toes in the fountain. The water was cool and soothing and the cigar was smooth and creamy. What a great combination!

I finally set the stick down, fully satisfied with the journey the profile took me on: starting with pepper, leather, and oak and evolving into creamy cedar and cashew. This cigar was eventful and delicious.

Walking home, I considered picking up a few more to tuck away in my humidor for another gorgeous day when a quick dip in cool water and an excellent smoke are always welcome.

Rating:
Presentation: 9/10 – The band has a nice shape and draws your focus to the name of the cigar and the Cuban woman featured on the band. Attractive colors provide a nice sense of contrast, allowing the “La Aroma de Cuba” to stand out and be noticed. The sides of the band feature images from Cuba: a dock by the bay and a tobacco plantation. The band is full of nostalgia and beautifully designed. Well done!

Appearance: 7/10 – The wrapper is dark and toothy. The color is a little inconsistent, becoming lighter towards the head. The wrapper on my stick was cracked but not bad. It burned right through the troubled area.

Construction: 32/35 – The burn was uneven but the cigar constantly fixed itself, allowing me to ignore what could have been issues. The pack was nice and firm all through yet still provided an open draw.

Flavor: 43/45 – The flavor profile of this cigar was very high quality and made a delightful evolution throughout the course of the smoke that I really enjoyed. It kept me interested the entire time and delighted me at every turn. An excellent blend.

Overall: 91/100 – Well constructed, well presented, and masterfully blended, the La Aroma de Cuba really delivered. The burn was the only issue I had with the cigar, but it continually fixed itself, making it a non-issue. I highly recommend this cigar and encourage anyone who enjoys a complex medium-full smoke which provides the smoker with a journey across the palate to pick up a few sticks of this blend to sample.

-DH

Arturo Fuente Rosado Gran Reserva

2010-06-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

Size: 6 ¼” X 54
Shape: R54
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Full
Wrapper: Equadoran Rosado aged 8-10 years
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Smoke Clock: 1hr 15mins

No matter where I go, I like to find a nice spot where I can smoke in peace. Being in Cortland for the summer, I’ve found a lovely park downtown which serves the turn. So when I pulled out this stick that is just where I went.

I chewed on my Arturo Fuente Rosado Gran Reserva on the way and after finding a nice park bench to rest on, I set to work (if you can call it that). This cigar smells of earth and leather and delivers some deliciously sweet raisin and apricot notes prelight. Given that this is a firm and sturdy stick, the draw wasn’t bad. However it wasn’t wide open either.

Putting a flame to the foot, I experienced lots of leather and tobacco flavors with some light salt and pepper on the palate. This blend is very naturally sweet and I have to give a pat on the back to Arturo Fuente for blending this cigar in such a way that the natural sugars in the leaf come through. I can see why this cigar is so hard to find (and not just because it’s a limited release!).

The first quarter continued to deliver natural sweetness, which accented the leather and caramel notes that evolved into the second quarter. When these flavors mingled just right I could swear I tasted sweet tea.

The caramel note gave way to some wood and subtle coffee notes as the second quarter progressed. This cigar was certainly full flavored!

As the breeze blew, the birds chirped, and the kids played in the grass, the third quarter of my cigar kept up its flavorful progression, but only slightly so. Leather notes returned and mingled with the wood and coffee notes while the natural sweetness of the tobacco continued to support the entire experience.

By the time I reached the finish, the sweetness had finally begun to abate, although it never completely went away.

As I meandered home from the park, I couldn’t help but reflect on how enjoyable a smoke the Rosado Gran Reserva was. It is one of the sweetest blends I’ve tried without the addition of flavoring and provided a smooth but full bodied smoke. Bravo!

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – The band on this stick is simple and elegant. It is designed to give weight to the Arturo Fuente crest in the center and is certainly eye catching. My understanding is that this band was slightly redesigned for this blend and their efforts paid off.

Appearance: 8/10 – The wrapper is toothy, oily, veiny, and medium brown in color with just a hint of red to it when the light hits it at an angle. The color is a little inconsistent as the foot and shoulder are lighter than the rest of the stick. This isn’t a major issue, just a slight cosmetic faux pas.

Construction: 30/35 – This cigar has a relatively good draw but isn’t as open as I’d like. The pack is solid all through, which may contribute a little to the draw being a little less than open. My only major issue here was the burn. The cigar ran from the first light and continued to run until the end.

Flavor: 43/45 – The flavor of this cigar was excellent, providing an unparalleled natural sweetness to support the leather, caramel, wood, and coffee notes that evolved throughout the smoke. Excellent blending, to say the least.

Overall: 89/100 – Well blended, tasty, full flavored, and interesting, the Rosado Gran Reserva provides an excellent smoke for the buck. I really enjoyed smoking this cigar, despite the constant runs that I experienced. The flavor was consistent but took some interesting turns. The natural sweetness of this blend is what really makes it stand out in comparison to most other blends. I highly recommend burning one of these at your earliest convenience as it is a limited release and is pretty tough to find. There are only a few retailers who carry this release and Rocky’s is one of them. Drop in on your lunch break or on your way home to sample one. This limited release won’t be around forever and missing out on a blend like this would certainly be a travesty.

Good luck and happy puffing!

-DH

CAO La Traviata Divino

2010-06-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 X 50

Shape: Divino

Origin: Nicaragua

Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Colorado Brown Equadoran
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaraguan / Dominican

Smoke Clock: 1hr

A few nights ago, after a long day of work, I decided to make the short walk from my summer housing in Cortland to a nearby park to light up a bit of rolled tobacco. My companion for the evening: CAO La Traviata.

The wrapper on this guy was a rich and dark color, oily, smooth, near seamless, and absolutely mouth watering. I passed the stick beneath my nose to get a better sense of just how delicious this stick might be and smelled complex cedar and sweet farmland. This guy had a lot of promise.

I nipped the end and put the cigar to my lips for a pre-light test and tasted light spice and pepper with some subtle sweet fruit notes on the back of the palate. In addition to the excellent flavors, the draw was very open, which only added to my already mounting lack of patience to get this stick lit.

At long last I lit up and immediately tasted an excellent mingling of pepper and leather. These first light flavors stayed pretty dominant in the profile for the majority of the smoke, slowly giving way to a pure tobacco taste during the third quarter. The pepper and spice smoothed out during the second quarter and were all but gone by the second half of the cigar. Despite their slow retreat to the back of the profile, spice and pepper remained a subtle but dominant note when rolled through the nostrils.

As the finish progressed, little else occurred in the evolution of the profile. I appreciated that quality in this smoke as the tasty flavors remained tasty; never allowing a bitter note or other flavors to muddy up what was a consistently delicious flavor profile.

Having enjoyed a simple yet delicious smoke, I took my time walking home to enjoy the calm of the evening. Even though it had been a long day, it was nothing that a great smoke and a peaceful evening couldn’t fix. Fortunately for me, I got both.

Rating:

Presentation: 5/10 – I’m just not a fan of this band. The focus of the design is a bit chaotic, placing several small images around the name of the cigar which was probably meant to lend focus to the name. This plan might have succeeded if the name of the cigar wasn’t almost the same color as the background and they hadn’t executed the idea in such a busy way. My attention is drawn much more to the color of the tiny images than it is the name of the cigar, which seems counterproductive to me.

Appearance: 8/10 – A dark, oily, smooth, and near seamless wrapper holds this stick together. Despite the overall beauty of the wrapper, I did find a small blotch on it about the size of a nail head.

Construction: 33/35 – The pack was consistent and firm and the draw quite open. Nicely done.

Flavor: 43/45 – Even though this cigar wasn’t especially complex, it really delivered on the purity and quality of the flavors it intended to showcase in the blend. The profile offered some mild evolution but ultimately remained consistent all the way to the end. This is a very tasty, well executed, and straight forward blend.

Overall: 89/100 – Overall, this is a very consistent, well constructed, and tasty smoke. For those of you who enjoy a straight forward, no nonsense cigar with a consistent flavor profile, this may become your go-to smoke.

Tabak Especial

2010-05-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Size: 5 X 54
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Nicaragua Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Clock: 1 hr 10 mins

A few days ago, knowing that I would be smoking the Drew Estate Tabak Especial Coffee Infusion, I got up early (about 9am), made a cup of coffee, and headed out to the porch to light up this stick of infused sweetness.

Passing this stick beneath my nose reveals lots and lots of rich milk chocolate and sugar flavors. These flavors are also very dominant in the pre-light draw. I have a feeling I may have to brush my teeth after this one.

When I put a flame to the foot of this guy, I tasted a lot of sugar with a hint of cigarette tobacco, which surprised me. The cigarette taste, however, was high quality, more akin to American Spirits than your run of the mill cigarette.

The cigarette taste hung around in the background for the majority of the smoke and was eventually forgotten due to the sugar, cotton candy, and chocolate notes which took dominant rolls throughout the smoke.

By the third quarter, I began to taste a little bit of a coffee note, as if I’d been drinking cream and sugar and someone had slowly been using an eye dropper to add coffee to my drink. At this point, the coffee that I’d been sipping along with the cigar was finally able to provide some support to the cigar and helped to boost the coffee flavors which became present in the profile.

With the finish came little change, except that the coffee notes intensified a little after their third quarter arrival.

Overall, I’d say this cigar has a lot of fine qualities when compared to run of the mill flavored cigars: the construction is decent, the tobacco is all long filler, and the draw wasn’t bad. However, this cigar is not really for me. I’d recommend this stick as a huge step up in quality for anyone who enjoys flavored cigars.

Rating:
Presentation: 7/10 – Nicely designed double bands, but the colors don’t present much contrast, keeping this cigar from being eye catching.

Appearance: 6/10 – The wrapper has a consistent light and creamy coloring to it with only very minor blotches, but the wrapper is quite wrinkly and has a stretched appearance to it. The rough foot is an interesting visual touch.

Construction: 27/35 – The draw felt a bit tight through this stick, but provided copious amounts of smoke anyway. The cigar felt like it had a lot of give when pressed, illustrating a loose but consistent pack. How I got a tight draw with what felt like a loose pack, I may never know.

Flavor: 40/45 – I found the flavor to be overly sweet and candy-like with very few, if any, flavors that one would associate with high quality tobacco. The infusion made this stick taste like I was smoking hot chocolate with a splash of coffee and about 10 spoon fulls of sugar added to the mix. However, to say that the flavors were low quality would be to lie. The flavors that this cigar offered were very pure and of the highest quality for what the maker sought to create. Even though it wasn’t my cup of tea, I have to say that this cigar was executed extremely well given what they sought to create.

Overall: 80/100 – This cigar is a fairly well done, high end flavored cigar, utilizing their own flavoring methods by “infusing” instead of the usual flavoring practices. The construction is decent and the blend well done. However, this stick is not really my cup of tea (or coffee for that matter). I would recommend this stick to anyone who enjoys flavored cigars and is seeking a huge step up in quality in that category.

Joya de Nicaragua Dark Antano

2010-05-26T10:10:00.001-07:00

Size: 6 X 54
Shape: Poderoso
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Clock: 1hr

When I got home from work yesterday, I was looking forward to a relaxing evening and a good cigar, so I pulled out the Joya de Nicaragua Dark Corojo Antano and nestled myself into a cozy chair on the porch.

The pre-light aroma was wonderful, sending wafts of rich earth and straw through my senses.

I tasted spice and earth notes when I drew on the unlit cigar and could sense that this guy was going to have some serious power to it.

When I first lit up this stick, I got a mild blast of pepper which carried through the first quarter, maintaining dominance while notes of earth, chocolate, and caramel fluidly came and went.

Once the second quarter began, the smoke and profile took on a very buttery quality, which was delightful. A lot of the more subtle flavors flitted away into obscurity, replaced by other subtle notes of cedar and nuts with a high quality tobacco flavor taking dominance at this point. The spice subdued itself and allowed these other delectable flavors to have their moment in the lime light.

Through the nose, the spice never lost its presence. Even though spice remained a dominant player when exhaled through the nose, it remained a second thought through the rest of the experience.

By the third quarter of this stick, the body really began to affect me and I broke out into a cold sweat because of it. This cigar really packs a whallop! Before I made it to the finish, I had to lay it down, otherwise it would’ve lay me down! This was unfortunate because, although I was feeling ill, the flavor and buttery quality of the smoke made me want to keep puffing away. I’ll probably pick up another and be sure to eat a very hardy meal beforehand.

Overall, I’d say this offering from Drew Estate is a big winner. I’m very happy that this company has branched out from its infused Acid line and begun making more naturally tasting cigars. I for one, am very impressed.

Rating:
Presentation: 7/10 – Not a bad band. Gold on black with a wavy border, this band has a simple yet attractive quality.

Appearance: 8/10 – The wrapper on this stick was very dark, oily, and toothy with a few spots of minor discoloration. Overall, the wrapper is attractive enough to make any cigar man drool at the thought of lighting this stick up.

Construction: 29/35 – The pack of this stick felt firm and consistent, offering a decent draw which was not quite tight but not quite open. The burn was frequently uneven and this cigar tunneled three times in the first half which necessitated relighting. After the tunneling stopped, it began to run, necessitating more relights.

Flavor: 43/45 – The flavor of this cigar is where it really shines. Lots of spice early on with buttery earth, chocolate, caramel at the beginning and giving way to nut, and cedar flavors later on. Note: this cigar will lay you to waste if you aren’t used to full boded cigars or if you haven’t eaten.

Overall: 87/100 – Overall, I think that this cigar has a lot to offer and shows that Drew Estate has the ability to make excellent cigars outside of the flavored category. I’d recommend this guy to anyone who enjoys a spicy, sweet, and buttery full flavored cigar.

Oliva Serie V Double Toro

2010-05-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

Locked out with Oliva
Part 2: Oliva Serie V Double Toro

Size: 6 X 60
Shape: Double Toro
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Full
Wrapper: Sun-Grown Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Jalapa Valley Ligero

Once I finished enjoying my Oliva Serie O, I decided to go inside for some breakfast before I dove into the Serie V, which I knew would be a more powerful smoke. When I returned to the front door, I found it locked. “No matter,” I thought and trudged over to the side door, which I also found locked. “Hmm…,” I hummed to myself, “Neither of these doors is ever locked. How strange.” I then tried the sun room door to no avail. “What is going on here? How did I get locked out of a house where no one ever locks the doors?” I had one chance left to get in without waking the rest of the house, and that was the garage. Of course the garage door was closed, but I thought with some quiet ingenuity and the application of some brute force I’d be able to get back in. I was wrong. The garage door remained firmly shut, held in place by its motor.

Defeated, I trudged back to the porch and plopped into my favorite rocking chair next to the smoking table that I’d acquisitioned from the patio. I sat for a few minutes trying to decide whether I should wait for someone to come down, wake the house so I could get back in, or smoke my Oliva Serie V. As difficult a choice as this was, there were two primary drives working on me at that moment: the drive to eat some breakfast and the drive to smoke the Oliva Serie V. Since the drive to eat was mostly a means to an end, I decided to take the risk of getting severely drunk and dive into this full bodied beauty.

I slid this stick out of its plastic housing and gazed at the staggeringly lovely wrapper. Dark, smooth, and nearly seamless, this cigar had me from “hello.”

I passed it back and forth beneath my nose and smelled earth and manure. I then clipped the head and gave a draw, tasting earth, spice, and raisin. This hinted at a profile that would be smooth and delicious. The body of this cigar was unapparent at this point and I felt my stomach relax at the hope that this smoke might not be as full bodied as I’d thought.

Throwing caution to the wind, I lit up. Immediately, I tasted earth and sweet cedar with a subtle chocolate undertone. These flavors continued into the first quarter of the cigar, sending sweet and creamy smoke tasting of oak, cedar, earth, coffee, and chocolate lofting across my palate. When exhaled through the nose, I experienced that wonderful compost flavor, which was accompanied by chocolate cream. Who needs breakfast when you’ve got a delicious cigar to keep you happy! Mmm Mmm!

As the smoke moved into the second quarter, the profile remained much the same. As I continued to enjoy the deliciously smooth and deceptively full bodied smoke, my mind wandered back to my predicament. It no longer seemed that breakfast would be needed to help me handle the body of this cigar, but I did want to get back inside after I’d finished. I decided it wasn’t worth worrying about just yet and set my mind back to the task at hand.

Just as I forced my focus back to the cigar, the big body began to make itself known. It is difficult to tell how big the body of this cigar is initially, as the blend is incredibly smooth. I never sensed how big the body was until I began to feel ill. Just as I began to feel the effects of having no breakfast, someone stepped outside, giving me an avenue to save my head and gut from ruination. I dashed inside (“stumbled” I should say) and grabbed an apple to munch as a preventative measure.

Back outside with my apple and cigar, I picked up the Serie V again and got back to puffing and enjoying the delectable flavors that this cigar delivers.

I continued on until just after the start of the finish when it became apparent that my apple was doing very little to abate my cigar drunkenness. Finally, I lay down the remainder of this fine cigar and waited for a few minutes to allow the world to stop spinning. Once it seemed like I might be able to walk under my own power again, I made my way to the front door, which I was very glad to find open, and made my way inside for breakfast.

All in all, I’d say this was a full and eventful morning. I got to start the day with a mild adventure, sneak in breakfast (albeit a little later than I’d have liked), and enjoy two fantastic cigars from a brilliant and inventive company like Oliva. And all of this before noon!

Rating:
Presentation: 9/10 – The band on this cigar is large and lovely, showcasing the chocolate color of the wrapper on the band behind the Oliva name. It has a very regal appearance.

Appearance: 8/10 – The wrapper is a gorgeous, dark, oily maduro that will make your mouth water. The wrapper is almost seamless and there was a very tiny crack which posed no problems during the smoke.

Construction: 32/35 – The Serie V is solidly constructed, exhibiting a firm and consistent pack and very open draw. It lost a few points because the burn was a bit uneven, forcing me to relight once or twice.

Flavor: 41/45 – I thought that this cigar tasted excellent, offering cedar, oak, earth, chocolate, coffee and compost flavors all in a sweet, creamy, and smooth smoking experience. My only complaint about the flavor profile is that it seemed a bit thin, almost airy, to me. There seemed to be a degree of depth missing, but what it lacks in depth it certainly makes up for in smoothness.

Overall: 90/100 – Despite becoming terribly drunk off of this cigar, I really enjoyed the experience and plan on buying another to sample after I’ve eaten a full meal. I’d recommend this cigar to those full bodied lovers out there. Enjoy this stick after a fine meal and you will enjoy one excellent smoking experience.

A note on the Serie V blend by Oliva:

The Serie V by Oliva has received multiple awards and high ratings:

Cigar Aficionado Best Cigar of the Year 2007 & 2008

Cigar Aficionado Ratings:
December 2007: 94
April 2008: 92

Cigar Insider Ratings:
September 2007: 94
October 2007: 94

The Serie V comes in boxes of 24 in a Sun-Grown Habano or Maduro wrapper.

From the Oliva website: “This cigar is blended to deliver full body taste while maintaining an unparalleled smoothness. This flavorful blend exhibits complex tobacco with rich coffee and dark chocolate tones. A subtle and well balanced spice is present throughout.”

Oliva Serie O Robusto

2010-05-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Locked out with Oliva
Part 1: Oliva Serie O Robusto

Size: 5 X 50
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun-Grown Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

This morning, I went out onto the front porch, being sure to close the door behind me, with both the Oliva Serie O Robusto and the Oliva Serie V Double Toro Maduro, excited to sampling these two cigars that I have been looking forward to for some time.

I decided to try the Serie O first and slid it out of its cellophane. Giving the stick a once over, I noticed that the wrapper was incredibly uniform in color, displaying a lovely tan brown color over its entirety. The wrapper was toothy with a few unfortunate cracks, one of which gave me some cause for concern. Fortunately for me, my concerns were later squashed thanks to the construction of this cigar.

Passing the stick beneath my nose, I noticed the distinct smell of manure and cedar, and the pre-light draw exhibited the taste of cream and cedar. Cedar seemed like it would be a major player in this smoke, and it was in the most welcome way.

When I put some flame to the foot of this cigar, I immediately tasted peat and wood before the flavor profile settled into its most dominant flavors: cedar and nuts.

From the outset I tasted a great deal of delicious cedar and cashew notes, with a bright compost flavor exhibited through the nose. As the first quarter progressed, the smoke became sweet and creamy with light spice in the nose.

Through the second and third quarters of the smoke, cedar and oak notes took dominance while the cashew flavor sunk slightly into the background. Occasional raisin notes crept in during this time, but came and went without ever staying present for longer than a puff. Spice became dominant in the nose as the compost flavor subsided towards the end of the third quarter.

One occurrence of note from the third quarter was the way the cigar burned through the large crack in the wrapper. As the burn edged closer to the growing canyon, I felt certain that things would go to pot once the split began to burn, but I was very wrong. The wrapper kept pace as it burned through the troublesome crevice with little to no variation in the flavor profile. This crack was most impressively handled, and I attribute that to the cigar’s construction.

Once I arrived at the finish, the body ramped up slightly and the compost flavor which had all but vanished transformed into rich earthen notes.

Second to the flavor of this cigar, something that greatly impressed me was the burn and the ash. The ash held on for ¾ of the cigar! By the time the first bit of ash fell off, I was already making notes about the finish. The burn was also very even for the majority of the smoke, only becoming wavy for moments at a time and masterfully worked through a major crack in the wrapper without so much as a run.

Having come outside with the Serie O and the Serie V, I was glad to have chosen the Serie O first, it being the milder of the two. The creamy, sweet cedar and cashew notes were delightful, especially first thing in the morning. It was also the shorter smoke, which then allowed me time to grab a meal before I dove into the full bodied Serie V.

I watched the nub for a minute as it quietly snuffed itself out and then rose from the rocking chair to go back inside. The only problem was, when I placed my hand on the door knob to let myself back in, I discovered that it was locked.

To be continued…

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – The band on this stick is fairly standard for Oliva, with gold and eggshell complementing each other. It is simple with a touch of elegance. Very nice.

Appearance: 7/10 – The wrapper is very nice and consistent in color. However, it did exhibit a few small cracks and one major one which fixed itself during the smoke.

Construction: 32/35 – In addition to being consistently firm, the burn was very even overall and the ash was firm and held on solidly for 3/4s of the smoke. The draw felt a bit tight during the pre-light ritual, but proved to be deceptively open once lit.

Flavor: 43/45 – The creamy cedar and cashew flavors were delectable and the compost and spice in the nose provided an excellent contrast. The profile of this cigar had an ebb and flow to it that really keeps the smoker interested.

Overall: 90/100 – The Oliva Serie O Robusto is another excellent offering from Oliva and offers very good construction and excellent flavor. For the price, this is a smoke that cannot be beat. I highly recommend giving this stick a try.

A note on the Serie O blend by Oliva:
From Cigar.com: “A great value, the Oliva Series O was one of the first blends made by the Olivas. In 2005, it received a 92 rating from Cigar Aficionado magazine.
The Oliva Series O is a selection of cigars that commemorate one of the most famous tobacco families in the cigar industry. Oliva is a smaller more boutique cigar company that takes exceptional pride in the quality of their cigars. In Nicaragua they are one of the largest tobacco growers of tobacco and roll their own crop. They oversee every aspect of the production of a cigar from seed to smoke, which is not something many people in the cigar business do successfully.
The Series O earns its name as the original blend to hit the market. The Nicaraguan tobaccos in this blend give the cigar a well-rounded body and aroma. A silky… wrapper finishes this cigar making it look almost as good as it tastes. The blends release in 2005 was met with some of the highest ratings ever received including a 92 rating from Cigar Aficionado Magazine…”

Nestor Miranda Danno Dark

2010-05-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

Nestor Miranda Danno Dark

Size: 7” X 56
Shape: Danno
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano 2000 Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

This past Sunday, my contract at Syracuse Stage ended, leaving me with about a month of free time before my next contract at Cortland Repertory Theatre begins (I am a Sound Designer by trade). This is about the biggest break I will have had in years and I have to say I am thrilled to be able to have this much time to catch up on personal projects, like working my way through the queue of fine cigars in my humidor.

To celebrate the beginning of this momentous month, I pulled out the Nestor Miranda 20th Aniversario Danno Oscuro. With a dark, oily, and nearly seamless wrapper, this cigar is a beauty to behold. The pre-light aroma is full of earth and dark chocolate and the pre-light draw leaves cocoa lingering on your palate. Mmm Mmm!

Despite the pre-light experience, upon lighting I first tasted salt and pepper. After this initial surprise, the cigar smoothed out into a flavor profile more akin to what I had expected. Earth, coffee, and spice took the front seat early on and never completely left the flavor profile, but allowed other delectable flavors like dark chocolate, caramel, and compost to take dominance at times.

The first quarter of the cigar delivered lots of earth, coffee, spice, and compost flavors, with the compost mostly experienced through the nose. Some dark chocolate and caramel flavors crept in at times, but never stayed long, only showing up long enough to tease the senses.

As I considered how many cigars I could fit into my camping pack, the second quarter began, with compost flavors taking over both in the mouth and through the nose. The compost flavor, as I experience it, is one of extremely rich earth. Compost is like a clarified version of what most experience as earth in the flavor profile of a cigar. It tastes deep, bright, sweet, tart, and just a little musty and provides a slight tingle on your palate or through your nose that is neither pepper nor spice. If you’ve ever walked through the forest in the early spring kicking up leaves which were left exposed by the recently thawed snow, you’ll know this flavor instantly. It is totally intoxicating and absolutely delicious.

By the time the second quarter ended and the third began, dark chocolate and earth had re-emerged as the dominant flavor, the compost slinking into the background to support them. The smoke became very rich as the chocolate flavor gave way to the return of coffee and light caramel.

When the finish began, the profile had changed slightly to display earth and a definitive tobacco flavor with bitter coffee flavors creeping in every so often. The finish was long and tasty, but the previous three quarters outshone it, in my opinion.

I really enjoyed this smoke and I believe that I would not hesitate to pick up another. The flavor profile was complex, rich, and delicious, offering tons of earth, coffee, compost, and chocolate flavors with some supporting caramel throughout. What a great way to start off a month of freedom: smoking a top notch cigar, and looking forward to smoking my way through the month.

Rating:

Presentation: 9/10 – The way that this stick is displayed is probably one of the nicest presentations I’ve seen. The design of the band is excellent, displaying Nestor Miranda’s signature in red over a grey background with the “20 Aniversario” displayed below over a black background. These two stripes are bordered at the top and bottom of the band by shiny orange strips. Simple, beautiful, elegant, and artful.

Appearance: 9/10 – This cigar looks great. The wrapper is seamless, oily, toothy, and displays a rich and dark color. It lost a single point because there was a small black blotch on mine.

Construction: 29/35 – Overall, I thought the construction on this cigar was pretty good. The draw was relatively good but bordered on being tight, the burn was very uneven but I never had to touch it up, and the pack felt firm and consistent.

Flavor: 43/45 – The flavor of this cigar was excellent. I found myself entranced by the complex and delectable flavors that shared the flavor profile throughout the experience. The taste of the Danno Dark has me really looking forward to sampling the Danno Rosado.

Overall: 90/100 – This cigar really delivered for me. It did lose a few points on construction, but the issues weren’t detrimental and the sensory experience is what really makes this cigar. From the appearance to the pre-light aroma to the complex flavor profile, the Nestor Miranda 20 Aniversario Danno Oscuro delivers the goods.

dh

La Aurora Serie 107 Review

2010-04-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Size: 4 ½ “ X 50
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Equador
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan

Yesterday, I took my seat by the window and, noticing how gorgeous it was outside, decided that it was a day to celebrate. Picking up the cigar for the day, the La Aurora 107 Anniversario, I knew what I’d be celebrating: the 107th anniversary of La Aurora.

This cigar has a lovely equadoran wrapper with consistent color and an oily sheen. Passing the stick under my nose reveals cedar notes with an underlying creaminess that hints at a delicious blend. After cutting the head off with my guillotine (feels very French revolution, non?), I gently drew through the cigar, revealing an underlying peaty quality and some body, which surprised and excited me. I’m accustomed to La Aurora cigars being mild and flavorful. The promise of a La Aurora with some body filled me with anticipation!

The first light was full of oak and cedar notes which carried through to the end. There was a subtle nuttiness that joined the profile early thereafter but the nuttiness came and went as it pleased. At this early stage, the smoke was thick and creamy, providing some spice on the palate and through the nose. The spice in the profile reminded me of perique, a rare and high quality leaf from St. James Parish in Louisiana, primarily used in pipe tobacco. This was a very nice start to say the least.

Throughout the remainder of the stick, the flavor profile remained consistent, but what was surprising is that this La Aurora really does have some body! About half way through the smoke, I became a little light headed, which was surprising, considering my experience with La Aurora. It should be mentioned that I always smoke before I research so I can be as objective as possible with each stick and I didn’t know before I lit up that this guy was supposed to be medium to full. This was a very pleasant surprise.

The body of the cigar continued to pick up through the end, but the intensity only increased in small increments after the initial revving half way through.

I was also very impressed with the construction of this cigar, specifically in reference to the ash. The ash held on very firmly for a the majority of the smoke, finally letting go with only a quarter of the stick remaining, and even then only because I gave it a firm tap over my ash tray. Very nice indeed.

I honestly enjoyed this smoke. There was a lot of thick creamy smoke which became chewy about half way through when the body revved up. The flavor profile was full of sweet oak, cedar, and spice and remained consistent to the end, never becoming bitter or unpleasant. This cigar was a great way to spend a day in celebration. Happy anniversario, La Aurora. And thanks for the gift.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – Classic La Aurora band showcasing the emblem of La Aurora, the male lion with full mane. Very attractive and elegant.

Appearance: 10/10 – The equadoran wrapper was lovely and oily with no blemished, spots, patches, tears, or holes. Very nice.

Construction: 35/40 – Very good construction overall. The cigar was dense but provided an open draw. I noticed a knot towards the head, but it didn’t prove to be problematic.
Burn: 18/20 – The burn was angled throughout the entirety of the smoke, but it remained consistent and didn’t require any touch ups until just before the end after the ash let go. The 107 gets 3 bonus points for exhibiting its fine construction with an ash that wound up being three times longer than the nub before it finally released its hold.
Draw: 17/20 – The draw was open, allowing me to enjoy the experience without having to work for it.

Flavor: 35/40 – The flavor of the cigar was very nice and straight forward, providing me with excellent pure flavors that I expect from La Aurora with a body that was delightful and surprisingly medium to full. The smoke was consistent and delicious throughout, but the profile was relatively uneventful.

Overall: 88/100 – I enjoyed this cigar and got several delightful surprises from it. I really liked the sweet and spicy oak and cedar notes which were present throughout the smoke, the open draw, and solid construction. This is a cigar that I would recommend to mild to medium fans who are interested in trying something with a bit more body, as well as to those who enjoy a fuller body as well as delicious wood notes in their smoke.

A note on the La Aurora Factory:

From the La Aurora website: ”La Aurora is the oldest cigar factory in the Dominican Republic, founded in 1903 by Don Eduardo León Jimenes, son of a family dedicated to the harvesting of tobacco. It all began in a modest place, on the outskirts of Santiago de los Caballeros, where Don Eduardo implemented his own technique for rolling cigars, one which has prevailed over time. Later, in 1912, at the suggestion of his brother Herminio, the factory was moved to the flourishing city of Santiago, and has continued expanding to the present day.”

Omar Ortiz Natural Review

2010-04-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

Size: 6.12” X 52
Shape: Belicoso
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

After another long working weekend, I finally got to sit back in my smoking chair next to the window to enjoy a leisurely smoke, and today, the Omar Ortez Belicoso was there to provide it. I liked the way it was presented: very straight forward with a small band at the foot, allowing the cigar to speak for itself. What I like in particular about this band, is that it allows for a surprise when you remove it. The filler of this cigar is darker than the wrapper, providing some interesting visual impact. Even though the filler is darker than the wrapper, the wrapper is not light by any means; it is dark, oily, and toothy with a few veins in it which, admittedly, were lighter in color than the rest of the leaf.

When I ran the cigar under my nose, I experienced wafts of creamy leather and light pepper. The prelight draw was nice and open, offering flavors similar to the scents.

When I lit this guy up, I got a peppery punch in the face. For a moment I thought someone might’ve rolled this cigar with black pepper! Fortunately, the intensity of the pepper thinned out very quickly, giving way to much more delectable flavors.

Throughout the smoke, I experienced varying degrees of leather, caramel, earth, and coffee with sweet compost and spice experienced mostly through the nose. The cigar ramped up a bit towards the middle and the end, and the room began to wobble by the time I’d put the stick down.

I found this cigar to be absolutely delicious all the way through. Even though the overall experience is relatively straight forward, the flavor profile is deep and exquisite, providing a lot to keep any smoker interested. The price for these Nicaraguan Puros is also excellent, especially considering that these tasty power houses come in chests of 60 and are of extremely high quality. I’d call this cigar a full bodied diamond in the rough. Another? Yes please!

Rating:
Presentation: 7/10 – This is tough for cigars which are deliberately left bare, but the band at the foot is simple, attractive, and efficient. I also enjoy how it masks your ability to see the filler before removing it. It provides a nice surprise when you discover that the filler is darker than the wrapper.

Appearance: 6/10 – An overall attractive cigar. However, it did have some inconsistency in the coloring of the wrapper, being lighter near the leaf’s veins. There were also two spots where small patches of the wrapper had chipped off.

Construction: 33/40 – I found the construction of this cigar to be pretty good. The cigar smoked with little effort, indicating an open draw. The burn was a bit uneven at times and I had to touch it up twice, but after the second touch up it burned much more evenly.

Flavor: 37/40 – The flavor of this cigar was where it really shone. The profile was consistent and complex throughout, never becoming bitter or unpleasant.

Overall: 83/100 – I really enjoyed the flavors that this cigar brought to the table and the complexity that these flavor combinations created. It’s tough to make a cigar which allows a smoker to experience so much range on their palate from sweet caramel to coffee, leather, earth, compost and spice. This cigar is very successful and I have yet to find one of its caliber in its price range.

A note about Omar Ortez Cigars:
The Omar Ortez line of cigars is made by Altadis and comes packaged in chests of 60.

2010-04-22T10:56:00.001-07:00

As I sit here typing this post, I am smoking my second Alec Bradley Family Blend from the box I purchased last night and am drawn back to the event and the fantastic evening that it was.

I showed up a little early, as I always do, to see what was going on and to maybe lend a hand setting up tables. It turns out I arrived just in time to lend that hand. Since it was such a gorgeous day yesterday, we got to work setting up a patio for the pre-event smoke with our Alec Bradley rep Barry Blonder.

We first saw Barry walking away from us towards his car and jokingly hollered to him, “Wait! Don’t go!” He seemed to give a smile from a distance and returned from his car with a beautifully designed Alec Bradley folder containing information about the Family Blend and the Prensado lines. As the staff puffed on our Alec Bradley Tempus’, Barry unfurled a ton of information.

First he pointed out that we were all smoking a fine cigar from Alec Bradley, having received ratings as high as 94 in 2008. He then moved on to the two blends we had joined to discuss.

The Family Blend began as a personal product for the three chief executives of Alec Bradley: Alan Rubin (President), Ralph Montero (Vice President), and George Sosa (National Sales Director). But soon, due to customer demand, it was released to the public in chests of 50. After this limited release, it was obvious that Alec Bradley had hit on something profound. Major keys in a good cigar are, generally speaking, construction, flavor, consistency and value. This blend has struck all four chords resoundingly!

After the initial success of the chests, it was decided to create a wider and more accessible release by selling them in boxes of 20, and bundles of 8 (I am proud to say I now own one of each). Fortunately for us, Rocky’s is one of the first retailers in the country to carry the new release, which comes in 5 sizes:
BX2 – 6” X 54
D3 – 4.5” X 58
M23 – 7” X 50
T11 – 6” X 52 and
VR1 – 5.5” X 50.  (This is the shape I bought)

These fantastic smokes are all hand rolled in the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, the same factory in which another extremely successful blend is rolled, the Prensado.

The Prensado line from Alec Bradley has gotten a lot of positive attention in the last year, receiving ratings of 91 or higher for every shape in the line (Gran Toro 6” X 54 received a 93, Robusto 5” X 50 received a 92, Torpedo 6 1/8” X 52 received a 92, Churchill 7” X 48 received a 91, and Corona Gorda 5 5/8” X 46 received a 91). This earned the blend an overall rating of 91.8 from Cigar Insider, giving the Alec Bradley Prensado the highest average vertical rating for an entire line in 2009. This is quite a remarkable report card. What’s even more impressive is the way customers are responding to the smoke.

Bill, the new guy on staff (just after me), mentioned while he was smoking one that the experience is akin to smoking a Padron cigar. This seems to be the consensus amongst people who have tried this blend. Apparently, Padron smokers are saying that the Prensado smokes like a Padron, delivering the smoothness of the 64 Maduro with the complexity of the 26 Maduro and an extremely open draw to boot. I have yet to experience this cigar, but I purchased one with intent to review.

In addition to discussing these two great lines from Alec Bradley, we talked about a very cool new way to interact with cigar magazines, cigar companies, and the internet: QR code. You may have noticed in some of your favorite cigar publications that a new bar code-like square appears at the bottom of some adds. If you own a smart phone like an iPhone or a Blackberry, you can scan this code and it will take you directly to the company’s website. Unfortunately for me, I do not own one of these fancy phones and so cannot indulge in this cool new feature. Those of you who do should keep a look out, as this is sure to become a standard.

As our Tempests burned down, the conversation slowly meandered onto restaurants and travel and we decided to bring things in off of the porch and into the store to get the event revved up. We all had a great time at the event, smoking, talking, laughing, and buying these fantastic cigars from Alec Bradley. The boxes flew off the table as well as hats and shirts that came along for box buyers (I got a very stylish hat). We also got to try out a new lighter, “The Burner,” which our buddy Barry brought along.

The lighter got passed around and tried by just about everyone who decided to hang out and enjoy a smoke. We were all impressed. My understanding is that Rocky’s will be getting them in soon and you can bet that one will make its way home with me.

We ended the night on a high note with a raffle! The Burner was raffled off, as well as a beautiful black Alec Bradley ash tray, two torch lighters, a bundle of cigars, and several tempests. No one walked away empty handed.

The event last night was a great success; it was tons of fun, we learned a lot about Alec Bradley and their blends, and we made new friends. Thank you to Barry and Alec Bradley for making the event at Rocky’s such an incredible evening. Leave it to a handful of fine cigars to bring people together.

-DH

-DH

Alec Bradley Family Blend

2010-04-18T08:59:00.001-07:00

Size: 5.5 X 50
Shape: Robusto, triple cap with pig tail
Origin: Honduras
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Honduran Criollo 98
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan

Today was a mildly rainy day, excellent for reflection and a good cigar. I pulled out the Alex Bradley Family Blend from my queue of cigars to review, settled in my smoking chair next to a large open window, and set to it. Pre-light aroma hinted at sweet earth and cedar notes, the cut was smooth and devoid of crumbs, and the draw was open and hinted at a complex flavor profile.

When I put flame to the foot, I immediately tasted leather, pepper and cedar. The flavor quickly began to expand as sweet earth and rich compost flavors began to come into play. (The “compost” flavor is one I recently began to identify with the help of my buddy Buddha at Rocky’s. I’ve referred to this taste in the past as “mystery,” but am happy to have found an effective descriptive noun for this excellent flavor. Thanks Buddha!)

By the end of the first quarter, the rain had briefly abated, and the flavors had expanded further and mingled, incorporating the taste of coffee and toasted cream on the back of the tongue. The profile blended together so that each flavor was only barely discernable from the others as each took its subtle turn at the fore-front.

Throughout this experience, sweet earthen coffee and compost came forward most frequently. Gentle pepper notes drifted across my palate as the rain began to fall again, creating a soothing cacophony of sound while I experienced a delicious cacophony of taste.

Around the half way mark, the body and flavor of the cigar picked up in intensity as the rain on the trees outside did the same. It was like turning up the volume on my favorite music. This section of the smoke is what I would call the crescendo of the experience. Several minutes later, the cigar began to smooth into the finish and mellowed just slightly, splitting the difference between the intensity of the first half and the crescendo. The flavor profile of the cigar never really changed, only provided a shift in intensity which was extremely enjoyable.

As the cigar continued its long and satisfying finish, the rain petered out and left a quiet calm. Comfortable and dry inside, I continued to enjoy the flavor profile as it never let up or faltered until the very end when only the slightest hint of bitterness crept in.

I finally lay the nub to rest before it could burn my fingers, but found myself basking in the post rain atmosphere, enjoying the aroma left in the room, and wondering how many of these sticks I could fit into my humidor.

Rating:
Presentation: 12/15 – An attractive black, red, and gold band. Simple and elegant.

Appearance: 10/15 – The smooth wrapper had an attractive dark brown color and an oily sheen. Two distinct veins were present and the seams of the wrapper were clearly visible. There was also a crack at the foot of the cigar before lighting.

Construction: 32/35 – The draw was excellent, the pack firm, and the burn consistent. This rating might have been slightly higher, except that the burn went from even to quite wavy at a few points during the smoke.

Flavor: 33/35 – Delicious and complex all the way through. The profile had a lot of depth to it that I really enjoyed. This didn’t warrant a higher rating because a slight bitter note crept in at the very end. It was, however, very slight.

Overall: 87/100 - The construction and flavor of the cigar carry a lot of weight with me, much more than the appearance and presentation, but the Alec Bradley Family Blend did lose some points in these two categories. If the appearance and presentation are everything to you, this may not be your smoke. If what you value is an incredible smoke at a steal of a price, this is your stick.

A note on the Family Blend by Alec Bradley:
Alec Bradley Family Blend cigars were created expressly for the fathers of the company's three principal executives, Alan Rubin (President), Ralph Montero (Vice President), and George Sosa (National Sales Director). Originally available in only one size, the cigars are rolled into a 50 x 5 ½ Robusto shape capped with a classic Cuban pigtail at the head. The cigars were presented in handsome chests of 50 cigars bearing the signatures of David Rubin, Miguel Montero and Reinaldo Sosa, respectively, but are now available in 5 packs and boxes of 20.

Pinar Del Rio Sun Grown Toro

2010-04-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

Size: 6 X 50
Shape: Toro
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Habano Sun Grown
Binder: Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan
Rocky’s Price: $7.79

Before I lit this guy up, I decided that it was going to be a movie and a cigar night. I hopped over to Netflix and streamed “The Fisher King,” and I have to say that this cigar is a great movie watching companion.

This cigar has a gorgeous band. Red, gold, and black with some green tobacco leaves surrounding the crest containing the cigar’s name.

The wrapper is a lovely brown/gold/red and has a beautiful oily sheen to it. Running my fingers along it, I discerned no bumps, just smooth as silk.

Lightly pressing and rolling the cigar in my fingers it feels extremely solid with very little, if any, give anywhere along the stick.

Pre-light aroma was subtle and simple, earth and leather notes co-mingling in the nose.

Drawing on the cigar revealed a wide open draw and left some sweet earthy notes with raisin quality to them.

Upon lighting this cigar, I immediately noticed caramel and pepper in the blend. A little bit of a surprise based on the pre-light ritual, but pleasant none-the-less.

Throughout the first quarter, the flavors remained relatively subtle. The pepper faded remaining present mostly through the nose, allowing caramel notes layered over leather notes in (what seemed to me) the mild-medium body of the smoke to take over.

Leather notes took the front seat a bit in the second quarter. At this point I took note of the even burn a consistently gray ash. The ash held on strongly, not willing to drop off until nearly the half way point of the smoke. Nearly three inches!

Arriving at the third quarter I didn’t notice a lot of change, the dominant flavors remained caramel and leather. Towards the end of this section, a slight bitter note crept in, which was a little unwelcome.

The finish was nice. Some earth notes crept their way in, which was a surprise since they had been hiding for the majority of the smoke up to this point. The earth, leather, and caramel all working together at the end made the finish very tasty, despite the bitter background that hung around through the end.

Overall, I like this cigar. The caramel and leather were mellow and soothing throughout the smoke with the pepper adding a slight edge to the experience. Pepper was most present at the start and then through the nose after that. I found the body to be more Mild-Medium than Medium-Full.

This cigar has a lot to offer: excellent construction, near perfect draw, delicious flavor, and a body that won’t send your world spinning. Personally, I prefer a more complex smoke, but a good straight forward smoke like this definitely has its place. If you enjoy a consistent and flavorful cigar with a body that won’t send you reeling, this is your smoke.

Enjoy!
-DH

601 Red Label Trabuco

2010-04-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

I recently reviewed the EO 601 Blue Box Press, and that lead me to try the 601 Red Label.
Red Label stats are as follows:

Size: 6 1/8” X 58
Shape: Trabuco
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano Natural
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

The presentation of this cigar was excellent, like its brother, the Blue. Simple and classy, this one is red and gold with some green tobacco leaves adorning it. The wrapper was dark and lovely with a slightly oily sheen and was silky smooth to the touch.
The pre-light aroma was promising, smelling of sweet earth and pepper. Any time I detect pepper pre-light, I’ve experienced a full bodied smoke and so I made sure to eat a full meal before I dove into this experience. I’m glad I did, because even fully sated I got a buzz off of this cigar.
When I came back to the cigar, I walked through the usual tests: construction was solid and dense with no soft or hard spots discernable; cut was easy and smooth with just a few crumbs; pre-light draw had lots of sweet pepper to it. I could feel it on my lips. I was very glad I ate before I lit this guy.
First light was fantastic! Lots of peppery earthen notes with some caramel undertones dominated and the full body of the smoke was apparent immediately. After the first few puffs, the body mellowed to a more medium profile which made the journey very interesting. Still, the cigar showed what it’s capable of right at the start.
The first quarter of the stick was excellent, tasting primarily of sweet, rich earth, pepper, and caramel. The smoke left a peppery sweet aftertaste in my mouth which I really enjoyed. About half way through this portion, the smoke became creamy, which was a delightful and welcome addition to the party. Unfortunately, this was about the time that the runs started and, to the detriment of the experience, never stopped.
The second quarter of the cigar brought about some bitter dark chocolatey coffee notes which was actually quite nice. Flavors that were present in the previous quarter were still around, but they shared the dominant space with this new coffee-like flavor.
The third quarter of the cigar gave way to the bitter dark chocolate coffee flavors with some creamy caramel still present in the background. I began to feel a pretty decent buzz by the middle of this quarter and was really enjoying the cigar, despite the constant runs and flags that I experienced.
The finish was quite nice, increasing in strength and bitterness. Bitterness in this situation wasn’t awful but more of a characteristic of the chocolate coffee notes present in the smoke. I realized that I hadn’t detected pepper in a while and exhaled through my nose to discover that the pepper was definitely still around. Despite constant runs and flags, the cigar had fixed itself throughout the smoke, but I finally had to do a touch up at this point, just before I put it down.
Overall, I really enjoyed the blend of this cigar and would buy another. The only turn off I experienced was that I found myself constantly wondering whether or not to touch it up due to runs. However, based on my experience with the overall quality of 601 cigars, I believe that I may have just received one that was not quite up to par. But I'll be watching this line to be sure the construction qualities remain high. Despite this issue, I’d go for another as the blend was simply delicious, complex, and interesting all the way down. Despite the price being slightly out of reach to be a frequent smoker for me, I can definitely see myself picking one of these up to enjoy in the future. I sincerely recommend that you do the same.
Happy smoking!
-DH

601 Blue Label Maduro

2010-04-11T05:25:00.000-07:00

Time for another review! Stepping up to the plate is the EO 601 Blue Box Press
Stats are as follows:

Size: 5.25 x 52
Shape: Box Pressed Robusto
Origin: Nicaragua
Body: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

I really enjoy the way a good box pressed cigar smokes. Because of the even burn and excellent flavor that this shape often provides, it’s my go-to shape after the robusto. This lovely and delicious offering, blended by master blender Don Pepin Garcia, is no exception.

When I slid this stick out of its cellophane, I gave and admiring, “Oooh.” The overall presentation is excellent: simple and elegant, bound by a single band displaying blue, red, and gold. Classy. However, I did have an issue with the band: it pulled off a small square of the wrapper with it when removed.

Despite the small missing patch, the wrapper was beautifully dark, shiny, and smooth to the touch, with scents of sweet earth and spice in the pre-light aroma. Testing the draw showed the construction of this cigar to be excellent; firm but wide open. Sweet and earthy notes were apparent and had me itching to put a flame to the foot of this stick.

Upon lighting, I tasted spicy sweetness with earth and leather notes in the background. The first quarter of this cigar was complex and interesting, billowing creamy smoke which filled my palate with earthy notes blended with hints of nut, spice, sweetness, and leather. By the end of the first quarter, the body had started to build up a bit and remained medium bodied for most of the cigar. A first class start!

From here on out, the creamy smoke remained very consistent with an earthy leathery sweetness. The spice remained a background presence, mostly notable when exhaled through the nose. The burn was remarkably even throughout and I only experienced a slight run once. No touch ups were ever necessary. I don’t know about you, but I certainly appreciate a low maintenance cigar, and this one fit the bill.

The finish was long and excellent, revving up to a full bodied and spicy smoke to finish off this delicious cigar.

I really enjoyed the 601 Blue Box Press and may buy another from time to time. For the price, I’d say you’re definitely getting what you paid for, but it’s not a poor man’s cigar. A poor man’s once-in-a-while treat, but if you’re operating on a budget, a box purchase may not be in your future. If your budget is a bit more flexible, I’d consider burning a few of these to see if a box of these and your humidor should meet. You may just find that they should.

Happy smoking!
-DH

La Escepcion Edicion Limitada 2009

2010-04-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

Up for review we’ve got the La Escepcion Edicion Limitada 2009.

Stats are as follows:

Size: 6.25” x 54
Shape: Gran Gener
Origin: Honduras
Body: Medium – Full
Wrapper: Honduran Habano Talanga
Binder: Ometepe
Filler: Nicaraguan
Rocky’s Price: $6.89

I really enjoyed this cigar. It’s a simple yet complex blend presented nicely, constructed well, and quite tasty.

For those who don’t know (I had to look it up), the Ometepe binder comes from a twin volcano island named Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua located in, you guessed it, Nicaragua. What this says to me is: a rare binder (indeed some claim this is the first cigar to use it!) which must come from extremely rich soil. Promising to say the least!

The wrapper is a smooth and dark Honduran, but not quite what most would call “Maduro.” Its color is a little inconsistent, varying in darkness in places, but still attractive. The dual band presentation is very nice and I appreciate that each stick displays the year on the foot band. The construction feels solid and well done.

Pre-light aroma is excellent with sweet spice and leather jumping up to meet my nose. Some subtle earth notes can be detected as well. This cigar is promising.

The bands were very secure, but came off effortlessly, no tearing, no residue. This was especially impressive to me after pulling off the band from the 601 blue which brought a small amount of wrapper with it. This is not necessarily such a big deal for most, but it’s one of those details that lets one know that Hoyo de Monterrey takes care through every step of cigar production.

Ok, back to the cigar! The cut was smooth, with only a couple tiny crumbs needing to be brushed off before drawing on it. Pre-light draw was delicious with spice and caramel being the dominant flavors. The draw is nice and open. I can’t wait to light this guy!

First light set this stick off to a great start. I taste creamy caramel and spice with a very gentle “leatheryness” to the flavor. The smoke is creamy and delicious. Something else to mention is that there is a distinct “tobacco” taste amongst these other flavors. Now, I generally get annoyed when a reviewer says “it has a tobacco taste to it” because…. What else would it taste like?! It’s tobacco! However, in this case, there’s little else to describe this as. You’ll know what I mean when you try it.

Through the first quarter of the smoke, I tasted a lot of sweet and creamy caramel, leather, spice, and earth in that order. However, it’s not quite a layering experience. It’s more like the caramel fills in the totality of the experience with the leather and earth complimenting it and the spice surrounding the entire experience, although gently.

There’s a slightly bitter note at the back of the throat, but nothing bad.

As the cigar progresses into the second 1/4 , the cigar continues to exhibit a very similar character, with some gentle interplay of the flavors and a hint of coffee creeping in, but it doesn’t stay at the party long. Some dark “chocolatelyness” also steps in to see what’s going on, but apparently isn’t interested, so it, too, leaves rather quickly. Towards the end of the 2nd ¼, the body begins to pick up a hair and the earth comes to the fore front a bit more, taking precedence over the leather notes. About this time, the burn became a little uneven, but this fixed itself rather quickly.

Into the second half of the cigar, the spice almost disappears unless exhaled through the nose, then you know it’s still there. Otherwise, the flavor profile remains consistent with the earth and body picking up a little more. I’m beginning to see where this stick is going. The bitterness also became a little more present in the 3rd ¼ of the stick, but still doesn’t hurt the experience for me.

The finish was nice and long. Earth takes the front seat here, with the other flavors hanging out in the background. The body also picks up and lets you know that you are smoking a medium-full bodied cigar. I can feel a slight buzz coming at this point. This flavor profile remains through the nub, when I finally lay it down. The bitterness started to become a little much for me by the end, but if I had another one, I’d have happily fired it up.

I really enjoyed this cigar. The evolution from creamy caramel and leather into semi-powerful earth was a fun ride and I never found myself feeling bored of the experience. This is a solid medium-full bodied cigar that I would definitely recommend trying. The price is right and, although I’m not sure it’s box worthy for me, I’d definitely pick up a 5 pack to toss in the humidor.

DH

Siglo Reserve Maduro

2010-04-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

Hello friends of Rocky’s! My name is David Huber and I’m going to be blogging here regularly with cigar and tobacco reviews as well as keeping you up to date with the latest at Rocky’s Newsstand. I’ve been a pipes and cigars enthusiast for several years now and I love smoking, learning, and talking about tobacco.

That being said, let’s get to it!

As you may have heard, a few weeks ago there was a Siglo event at Rocky’s celebrating the new Siglo Maduro Limited Reserve line. I’d heard good things about this new blend and was anxious to give it a try. The week of the event, I wound up going out of town, but I was not to be deterred! When I got back, I headed over to Rocky’s and picked up two Siglo Maduro Limited Reserve VIs. The stats of the cigar are as follows:

Cigar: Siglo Limited Reserve VI
Size: 6 x 54
Shape: Robusto
Origin: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Cubano
Binder: Broadleaf (Nicaragua)
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaraguan
Rocky’s Price: $7

When I got them home, I immediately pulled one out to have a look. The wrapper was dark and oily, with a beautiful sheen to it and rough to the touch. The wrapper didn’t appear toothy, but it certainly felt that way. The construction felt solid but open. I put it to my nose to get a sense of what the cigar may be like and I smelled rich earth and chocolatey notes with what seemed like some light fruit. Almost raisiny. This guy had some promise.

I snipped the end and gave it the prelight draw test and, let me tell you that once I drew on it, any doubts I may have had (and those were already few, if any) were crushed. I was certain this cigar was going to be a phenomenal smoke, and, as you’ll see, I was right.

Prelight, I got the sense that there was a lot of natural sugar in the blend and the raisiny taste I sensed when I smelled the wrapper and the foot was dominant. The taste reminded me initially of Verdadero Organic. I could not wait to light this guy!

I pulled out my Xikar torch, toasted the foot, and got to lighting. First light experience was heaven, with the gentle taste of sweet earth taking dominance.

In the first quarter of the cigar, I tasted a lot of fruit and earth with some background flower notes that I really enjoyed. When exhaled through the nose I got a brief glimpse of, what seemed to me to be, brandy, but it was gone almost as soon as it was experienced. As the cigar burned on, I noticed that I predominantly tasted the sweet earth I had experienced on first light, and I really liked it. Occasionally, the earth or raisin taste would take a dominant role but would fall back again to mingle with the other. By the time I got to the third quarter of the stick, I started to get some leather notes as the cigar began to build in intensity. I’d say that it was about this time that the fruity raisin taste began to abate and I started tasting predominant earthy leathery tobacco excellence. The cigar also tunneled a little bit. I let it go out, cleared the ash and relit with relative ease. The cigar righted itself, and I was back in business! I was surprised to taste the raisin again, but this time it was mostly raisin and leather I was experiencing, with the earth as a supporting flavor. I also began to experience some very light spice at about this time.

Once I had the cigar burning well again, the earth returned and began to take over. The last quarter of this cigar was awesome! It became very earthy and lightly spicy. When I exhaled through the nose at this point, I was almost overwhelmed by the spicyness of the smoke, but the spice was mostly a background experience when only experienced through the mouth. I swear, once or twice when I exhaled through my nose, I tasted dirt. But good dirt. More like smelling rich soil than falling face first into a puddle of mud. I mean this in the most positive way.

This finish was long and excellent and I honestly did not want to put this stick down. When it got down to where I couldn’t hold it any more, less risk a trip to the emergency room for burns, I grabbed one of my big bowled pipes and tried to stick the nub in. Unfortunately, this experiment failed as the bowl of the pipe wasn’t big enough to accommodate the nub of the cigar and I had to lay it to rest. Thank goodness there are more of these!

I smoked my second one the next day while I was at Rocky’s. I was more willing to put it down when it got to the end, but I was still very satisfied by the experience.

On both cigars, the burn was pretty even. I had a run and a tunnel on the first one, but the run fixed itself and the tunnel was easily fixed and neither compromised the experience. The second stick seemed to burn more evenly with few, if any issues from first light to the end. The tobacco burned down to a grey ash with some black spots in places, so the aesthetic experience was mildly compromised, but, honestly, who cares when the cigar tastes this good?

The only thing I was surprised by was, based on the prelight aroma, that I didn’t notice a lot of chocolate or cocoa when smoking. Has anyone else tried this cigar and had a different sensory experience? Please share!

On the whole, I have to recommend this cigar. If you like a complex, sweet, gently spicy, earthy, leathery cigar, then the Siglo Maduro Limited Edition is one stick you have GOT to try. Fortunately for me, Rocky’s has got them in stock.

Rocky Patel 1999 Connecticut

2010-04-07T11:27:00.001-07:00

Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 is a Connecticut smooth smoke

Rocky Patel has made a name for himself selling full flavored, big strength cigars.
But I wondered what the Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Connecticut would taste like, considering the wrapper alone should create a taste not found in its more full-bodied brothers.
In appearance, the RP Vintage 1999 is a beautiful stick. It’s the wrapper that is the star here. I must admit I love the look of great Connecticut Shade Grown wrapper. When the best of this leaf is put on a cigar it looks so good I’d rather frame it than smoke it! This cigar is just that pretty.
The leaf is a flawless Connecticut Shade Grown wrapper, and today the “genuine article” is harder and harder to find as makers seek out Connecticut shade grown from other regions- either so save money or change taste- but the wrapper of this high a grade that is grown in the Connecticut River Valley is a treat on any cigar. The box boasts that this leaf has been aged 7 years- all the better.
The wrapper color is so golden it’s almost yellow. It’s smooth as silk with almost nothing but the finest of small veins. Certainly this is one pricey CSG leaf. Double cigar bands of white bands with gold lettering against a perfect wrapper enhance the look of the RP Vintage 1999.
The blend, in keeping with RP‘s trend contains Ligero for flavor, both Dominican and Nicaraguan Ligero long fillers bunched in a rich Nicaraguan binder. Think smooth, but flavorful. What a combination.
The cigar does not disappoint. I sniped a smart V-cut into a gorgeous double cap. The lighting was a simple, perfect burn- even, and slow. The ash had that common look of Connecticut shade, gray and black with less white than you may prefer, but as mentioned it’s the way the wrapper burns.
Once past the first inch or so the cigar began to taste a bit nutty, and lightly creamy. A typical result when CSG is the wrapper. This continued right through the stick. I only put it down because the nub got a bit hot. The upside of this cigar is that it’s a great mild stick- the downside it’s not a typical big-flavor RP stick. So if you enjoy milder smokes, this is an excellent cigar. I’d add if you enjoy Rocky’s more full-bodied blends, buy this one in singles from your local before you buy a full box, just in case it’s too mild for your palate.
Simply put this is some smooth smokin’ cigar.

Hoyo de Monterrey Dark sumatra

2010-04-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Up for review we’ve got the Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra.

Stats:

Blended by: Estelo Padrón
Size: 5.7 X 54
Shape: Media Noche
Origin: Honduras
Body: Medium
Flavor: Full
Wrapper: Equadoran Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Honduran and Dominican
Rocky’s Price: $7.29 for single, $110.31 per box

First off, I love this cigar. Let’s get through the pre-smoking evaluations quickly.

The presentation of the cigar is very nice: three bands and a cedar sleeve. The wrapper is dark and lovely with a light sheen that doesn’t quite qualify as shiny. It has an excellent toothy feel and look to it with an excellent aroma to boot. Chocolate and earth dominate the pre-light aroma with just a hint of manure. The construction is very firm with very little, if any, give. When rolled between the fingers, the wrapper crinkles just slightly. The cut was smooth with only a crumb or two needing to be brushed away before testing the draw. Pre-light draw is wide open with some dominant fruity notes. The flavor reminds me of raisins or dates, which I never tasted in the smoke.

On to the smoke!

Lighting turned out to be no problem, easy and even and delicious! The first flavors I experienced were spice, dark chocolate, earth and caramel. An excellent start! I also tasted something that I could not define, which I will refer to as “mystery” from here on out.

The first quarter of the cigar continued with the flavors I tasted on first light, but I spent the entirety of it experiencing something I rarely have the joy of experiencing with tobacco: image. I’ve only experienced this twice, once with Chelsea Morning (a pipe tobacco blend), and once with Dark Sumatra.

While doing some reading about tobacco recently, I discovered an article by G.L. Pease, an artisanal pipe tobacco blender, about how smell is the sense that is most closely tied to memory. I’ve also seen this at tobacconistuniversity.org and found it intriguing. Since taste and smell are so closely related, they inform each other of the experience one sense is having and, sometimes, this experience conjures memories and images. The Dark Sumatra gave me one such experience.

I don’t know how many of you folks out there like to get outdoors to hike, camp, fish, etc., but I for one am a born hiker and camper. I love to get outdoors away from the sounds of the city to enjoy the sensual experience which they provide. A stream flowing past your path or through your toes while the sun warms your shoulders and the wind sways the trees. The smell of earth all around you bringing a sense of peace and calm, wholeness and oneness. This is the memory that Dark Sumatra conjured up for me.

I remained lost in this visual memory for quite some time as I smoked this cigar, enjoying the consistent chocolate, earth, and coffee notes as they danced around my palate while my feet remained in the stream and the sound of the wind rustling the trees filled my ears. I could almost feel the cool air on my skin and the warm sun on my face. The smoke is cool and it fills my mouth and nostrils like fresh, crisp air.

In reality, I was seated in a chair at Rocky’s with the TV on, folks talking around me, and Buddha, Mike, or Dave going to and from the humidor, but I was barely there.

I remained lost in this stupor as the cigar developed in body and flavor, transforming into coffee with chocolate cream. The spice pulled way back into the background as I sat on the bank of the stream sipping my coffee with chocolate cream, fresh and steaming from the pot I’d set on the morning camp fire. The quality of the smoke developed a subtle creaminess about it that only highlighted the memory and images that were playing out for me. All the while, the taste of mystery never left the cigar, keeping me entranced in the images.

I hardly even noticed when I began to get to the end of the cigar, only realizing it because I began to taste a slight bitterness, which put a crack in my memoryscape and brought me back to the room. I enjoyed the finish of the cigar, even though the taste of mystery had vanished as bitterness took its place. Even though a bitter note stepped in, everything else that made the cigar amazing remained, sweet chocolate now in the background, coffee now sharing the foreground with earthy notes. By the time I set down the nub, I felt a supreme sense of satisfaction and quickly dove into the humidor to buy another.

To summarize, this cigar has that rare quality that you seldom find in any tobacco product: magic. This cigar is drastically underpriced in my opinion. I don’t generally like to tell people what to buy, as I really think it should be up to you whether or not you do. I like to share my experience and hope that it informs your decision making. In this case, I highly recommend picking up a box. Maybe two.

Sincerely,
DH

Little Big Smoke

2009-09-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Rocky's 9th Annual "Little Big Smoke"
Charity Cigar event for MS
October 15th, 2009

Named the "Little Big Smoke" we set out to bring a "Big City" style event to cigar smokers in Upstate New York. The evening features about 20 cigar samples per attendee, dinner, wine, scotches, and microbrews. Each attendee is also eligible for door prizes donated by Rocky's and various suppliers. This year we are limiting the event to the first 200 attendees. Be sure to circle this date on your calendar. With your help we have made this event the most popular event for MS in central New York. Last year's event was sold out weeks in advance!

This year's event is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, 2009 and we are expecting another sell out.

* Thursday, October 15* 6:30-?
* Barbagallo's
* 6344 E Molloy RdEast Syracuse, NY 13057-1145(315) 437-7715

Ticket Information
MS Resources ofCNY is handling tickets and reservations.
Tickets are $130 per person or $145 at the door.
MS resources can be reached as follows:
. MS Resources of CNY. PO Box 237
. East Syracuse, NY. 13057
. ph. 315-438-4790

CAO Brazilia Cigar Review

2009-07-14T05:39:00.000-07:00

CAO Brazilia
Gol
5 x 56
Wrapper: BrazilBinder: NicaraguaFiller: Nicaragua

Tonight I'm feeling good about my cigar review. I love maduros, I love big flavors and I'm lighting up a CAO Brazilia Gol. The exterior is very smooth, with the cap so finely cut it looks to be one with the cigar. Very nice aesthetically- the wrapper color is dark as pitch, leading me to wonder if this has been colored rather than naturally fermented- no worry though it's slow and easy from CAO, all naturally fermented.

I'm happily impressed that this cigar is as smooth as any I've smoked, and that's right from the outset. I'm pleasantly surprised that there is no bitterness from the torch lighter and it quickly rounded out to a nice full ember. It remains smooth and lacking bite but I must add it is not lacking taste- I consider this a full-bodied smoke. The burn continues even and cylindrical. The ash is typical, nothing to report other than its salt and pepper appearance.

When I really want to taste a cigar I use a smoker's technique to inhale through my mouth but exhale thru my nose, I find its one of the best ways to fully experience the power of a cigar. I immediately pick up a few characteristics in the smoke that weren't apparent before. Mainly I taste a cedary wood in the smoke, the smoke is very cool and not burning my nose. My next taste is a sweetness which adds to my enjoyment.
I'm at the half way point and can find nothing but pure cigar enjoyment here. The sweetness is more "caramely" that before. Hats off to the blender of this cigar, it tastes the same 2/3 smoked as it did at the beginning. I never had to relight this -as I often do smoking at work, and I have been rewarded with cool, tasty, cigar pleasure.

Pick this up for a very nice cigar.

La Flor Domincana Double Ligero 452 Maduro

2009-06-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

La Flor Domincana Double Ligero 452 Maduro 4 x 52 Wrapper, Filler, & Binder: Nicaraguan Here is another cigar that follows the current trend of short, powerful, cigars. This cigar like the Nub, is designed to provide the flavor, taste, and duration of a larger cigar, while shaped as what might be termed as a "robusto gordo", short and extra fat.

This cigar has a rough look to it, but not overly veigny, its a dark maduro wrapper in color, visually a nice start to this cigar. My experience says to anticipate a full- flavored tsunami in this short cigar , I shall see shortly. My ignition goes fine, well light, and the ash begins with a typical ligero look, grey and white speckles mixed into small waves of ash.

The first taste is just as Litto intended when blending with Ligero....full pedal to the metal flavor. The Double ligero is definitely adding an extra kick of taste on this cigar. By all means this is full bodied , but like a well made cigar it lacks harshness and bite.

This cigar is only 4 inches and I'm impressed with the way its rolled. I took several repeated hits off this and the smoke never heated up. The cigar was a cool as an 8 inch Double Corona, again in my view nicely constructed. The flavor actually improved as I got to the middle of this cigar, and it stayed lit although I was forced to retire it to the ashtray several times during my sampling. The ash held up nicely which is common in cigars of this style.

I'm taking this cigar to the nub, I might be looking for a toothpick to smoke this to an obscenely small nub because I'm an unabashed full flavor guy and this is the real deal. If you've got a taste for flavor and like being taken to the limit but don't have a lot of time....here's a fine choice of cigar.

Trinidad Habana Reserve Review

2009-06-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

Trinidad Habana Reserve
Short Churchill
4 1/2 x 54

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Cubano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan

The benefits of a cigar store job is the ample supply of free cigars. It's not like I never have to purchase but the reps and the boss are quick to share samples. I must its easy to enjoy cigars when the boss is providing the smokes. Tough job but like they say someone's got to do it! Tonight's gratis smoke is the Trinidad Habana Reserve Short Churchill.

My initial impression begins with the name, Short Churchill. This is definitely one of those brands that takes liberties with the frontmarks. This is a Robusto, or a Rothschild at 4 1/2 x 54 and by any other name, but in the world of cigars sometimes the traditional name gets a tweak perhaps to get it to stand on a crowded humidor shelf. Regardless of a cigar's name it has to taste good, so on with the review.

The Short Churchill wrapper looks to be a medium brown shade, very few veins if any, and looks to be a high quality wrapper. The next delightful surprise is the pig tail cap. Each cigar in this line is finishes with a small twist of leaf that resembles a micro- sized pig tail. This is actually a traditional Cuban finish to a cigar and in my opinion is a refreshing feature on this cigar. The pig tail causes no change in my traditional guillotine cut, I just look for the shoulder of the cap and have a go at it, the pig tail and a nicely measured piece of the cap fall into my deep bowl ashtray.

My ignition goes nicely with a Xikar Torch lighter. A slight pepper taste meets me at the outset. The ash that develops is salt and pepper in appearance. This cigar has smoothed out nicely as I move from the first to the second inch. It has a woody flavor, perhaps some lingering influence from cedar aging, but it makes it taste unique. The ash sifts easily to my ashtray, light and airy, falling with ease with hardly a tap.

Each draw thru the second half of this cigar delivers a light sweet flavor, almost like caramel. This is an enjoyable taste, leaving no after taste, a very clean tasting cigar. The burn has been perfect all the way to the end. When I consider the unique qualities of this cigar, in both appearance and taste along with a very reasonable price I have to say this is one I'd pay for....

Nub Maduro

2009-06-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

460
4x60
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

This starts out visually as not your average Maduro.
This is a rich, dark chocolate color with a wrapper that is very smooth, not veiny. At ignition I taste a familiar pepper first taste. It changes with in the first inch to a smooth, full bodies smoke. This is full bodied but not so mush that you're reaching for a bottle of water, or taking a break from this 4 inch cigar. At its heart this is a beefy, smooth delightful cigar. Everything a Nub aims to be. The 60 ring combines with its length makes this smoke much more like a Toro than a robusto. I taste a bit of salt along with a touch of heated pepper as I near the end of this one.
The ash has held on all thru this cigar and as I out it down for that last time tonight, the ash gently falls to the bottom of my Sticky Ashtray.
I think I'm wanting more now that I see it expired...but my shift has wound down and paper lies ahead for me. Maybe tomorrow on the deck or while mowing the grass, that may be a great Nub moment.

Partagas Black Label Man Cave Sweepstakes!

2009-06-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Cigar smokers have to check out this cool promotion from Partagas. Partagas Cigar is running a sweepstakes giving away a $10,000 "cigar cave" to be built in one winner's house. Call it what you will, a "man cave", smoking room, its a free make over in the home of one lucky cigar smoker-why not you! To close the deal and get your entry selected you've got to impress the judges however. They'll want to read, or view your creative plea for your own "Man-Cave" and they will pick the one guy they feel is most deserving so get creative to make yourself stand out in a smoke filled crowd- pictures or video will help. For smokers in Central New York you can enter by purchasing a four-pack of Partagas Black Label cigars at Rocky's during our Partagas Black event Thursday 6/18 from 4pm-7pm or by visiting http://www.partagascigarcave.com./ If you're legal smoking age you're eligible to enter the contest.

Havanna Nights - Fundraiser

2009-05-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

The Boys and Girls Club of Syracuse held a "Havana Nights" Fundraiser last night and Rocky's supported the event with a booth selling cigars. The event was held at the home of SU Assistant Basketball coach Bernie Fine and his wife Laurie. They kindly opened their home to hundreds of guests in support of the Boys and Girls Club. The night featured a fashion show, poolside bazaar, a Cuban band, salsa dancers, plenty of drinks and food and of course cigars. Rain was a threat all night but we told the crowd to smoke cigars it's a natural rain stopper!

The crowd of about 350 was ladies at a rate of about 4 to 1, which made selling cigars a bit tough ....until the free cocktails furnished by my cigar-mate and liquor rep Bob Fiore kicked in. Little by little the ladies broke down and had some fun smoking cigars. We stocked some smaller smokes like Acid C-notes just for this occasion, and the female smokers were eager to partake.

Mark " Buda" Cowlin, pictured, took care of cigar set up and sales and as always worked the crowd and had fun doing it. He brought me a Liga #9 from Drew Estate and I must say it really is a special smoke, more on that in another blog.

The guys who attended were enjoying our selections of Padron 1926, Mac Gold, Romeo, and Ashton VSG and we enjoyed brisk sales, but things got interesting later when some genuine cigar babes stopped by to cap their night. These gorgeous women selected a few sticks from Drew Estate and showed real skills in lighting their cigars. One girl said she had worked at Bistro 238 back in the day it was a Syracuse cigar bar...it showed, she really could handle a cigar torch.

Our night was winding down at this time and these girls were headed to the pool to dangle their toes in the deep end and enjoy their cigars....now that's an invitation that could have been trouble. But what is was for me was a nice finish to an excellent fundraiser as I headed home to wind down and call it a night.

This was Rocky's first hook up with the Boys and Girls Club, but we look forward to being involved again in the future.

Padron 3000

2009-05-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Padron 3000
Robusto
5 1/2 x 52
Nicaragua

The work cigar of the day is the Padron 3000 natty - fresh from the humidor display box. The 3000 is ever so slightly box pressed. By that I mean you can still tell its round, but when you roll it in your fingers it gives of just a hint of the four edges of a box press. Visually the corners are there, but again just slightly. Construction is perfect. Smooth from head to foot, typical in Padron appearance, slight veins, not too rough. Cap is perfect. A quick snip with the cutter, blast from the torch and I'm off and puffing. The taste of this cigar is a bit woodsy, with cedar notes. Aged well in the box I'd imagine imparting the nuances of the cedar packaging. I'm working, but if I could get to a deck, porch, or boat I'd be in heaven smoking this cigar, the woodsy taste just makes me think outdoors. I've yet to taste a Padron that wasn't an excellent smoke and I think this brand's reputation is well noted.

Reviewers before me have called this full-bodied, but I think by today's standards I would grade this as medium. I don't think I'm alone is the feeling that my tastes have become more demanding, and what was once full is now medium. The Padron Series 3000 and 2000 are a few of our best selling cigars in the humidor. As I reach the nub of this one it's no wonder why.

Rocky's Cigars "Back Deck" Cigar Social

2009-05-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Rocky's Cigars held the first Cigar Social of the fair weather season last night on the outdoor deck of Mohegan Manor in Baldwinsville, NY. The cool temps- May 11 and only in the mid-50s- did not deter 25 cigar smokers from lighting up a San Cristobal by Don Pepin Garcia, and sampling some excellent Single Malt Scotch. The "Scotch Babes" handled the tasting and I have to say the surprise of the evening was the Scapa single malt. I enjoyed the unique flavor of this scotch. It is made without a few common techniques found on most Single Malts. Namely the malted barley used in Scapa is completely un-peated. It lacks the smoky character often associated with Single Malts. Its very clean and refined with the subtle flavors of Malt shining through.

The first time smokers of the San Cristobals were impressed with the balance of Don Pepin's blend. Truly a work of a cigar master. Full-flavored without being overpowering. To me that is "cubanesque", showing off the nuances of the tobacco without any harsh, bossy punch. Our restaurant host, Dennis Sick, made sure the smokers had their fill of lite bites and snacks on the deck, and since the food on the menu is stellar he was rewarded with about 16 folks staying enjoying dinner and cocktails in the Blue Dining room. Since one success breeds another we will be holding another "Social" in June the date is TBA.

Tabak Especial by Drew Estates

2009-05-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Toro Negra

Brand:DREW ESTATE

Shape: TORO

Country of Origin: NICARAGUA

Length: 6 INCHES

Gauge: 52

Wrapper: MADURO

Flavor: COFFEE

Filler: LONG

The first thing you notice about a Tabak Especial is the nearly open end at the foot. The stick looks like it just came of the roller's bench. The unique foot doesn't look too out of place considering the odd packaging used by Drew estates. Each box offers up the cigars laid out in a bed of tobacco leaf shavings, or small bits. Its like a nest of tobacco and its a cool look. So as I mentioned the rough looking foot seems appropriate for this cigar. The second thing you notice is the hint of coffee in the tobacco. I don't know what it is but coffee in my view is a nice flavor for a cigar. The Java by RP comes to mind, tasty. This cigar is another tasty treat if you're looking for something a bit different... The lighting went better than expected. I was concerned the loose end would create a loose leaf burn but it quickly evened out. I'm impressed with the flavor of this cigar, and this time I'm referring to the tobacco flavor, it's just intense enough to not be considered mild. The coffee infusion does not overwhelm the total profile of this cigar. But the aroma is pleasant, like the aroma of coffee in your house when a pot is brewing first thing in the morning. I smoked this in the evening and enjoyed until the very end... but this would be an excellent morning cigar in my view.

Ashton #10 Maduro Review

2009-05-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Dave B.

Ashton #10 Maduro

Since I began my new career as a cigar reviewer, I must say my nights at work have become much more enjoyable on the slow evenings. Tonight I'm smoking an Ashton #10 Maduro to take me to closing time at Rocky's Cigars. It's a Sunday so it's a bit quieter than most nights and for now I'm at peace to enjoy my favorite wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro. The wrapper is a bit veiny in my fingers. A close look reveals a few leaf veins running diagonally around the cigar, none so large as to be a nuisance, just a perfect example if the great maduro leaf. Visually a tasty start...my first taste after the light was excellent no bitterness as I sometimes notice for the initial torching. The ash develops a nice speckled gray/white pattern of color. I notice in the first inch the burn is a perfect circle, as you should expect from a cigar from a maker the quality of Ashton. After a bit of a rush in the store I had to relight my cigar as is often the case while I smoke on my shift. But no matter, the re-light was just as tasty as the first draw. I saw none of the sticky bitter juices gathering at the cut as in my experience can occur on a re-light relight. I finished this cigar enjoying a smooth flavor from foot to head. The maduro is from a gentle natural fermentation, the dark rich color is all tobacco no colorings added. I find the Ashton Classic to mild for my taste but this Maduro offers me the step up in flavor that I desire in a good smoke.

BUY

Oliva Series O Toro Review

2009-05-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

Blogger Dave B.

Oliva Series O Toro
6x50
Wrapper: Sun-Grown Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

Another cigar at work...tough job here at Rocky's Cigars....The night has slowed after store buzzed early as we held an in store Oliva Tasting...at 8:30 pm I snagged an "O" Toro form the display and now the enjoyment begins. I am an unabashed Oliva fan so the bias is in place. As always -well made, no noticeable blemishes or imperfections... Lit like any fine cigar would with a torch on the foot.... hot and glowing red/orange.

The first flavor was just a hint of pepper. Maybe a result of ignition? I wait for a change as I smoke it. Near the middle I am rewarded with a bit of a flavor change as I begin to get a touch of sweetness from the blend. I consider this a medium bodied smoke no where near as ful-blast as the V Series. I smoked as I wrote and had no problem with the cigar staying lit.

BUY

La Flor Dominicana 452 Maduro Review

2009-04-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

Blogger Dave B.

La Flor Dominicana 452 Maduro4 x 52 Perfecto, nice shape, well made.

Oily Sheen like many deep, dark, La Flors, make sit look very tasty.

Light beautiful. Great even burn, cigar remained nicely soft in my fingers, tasted peppery. Ash did not hang quite long enough for my liking, but fell into the ashtray cutting back to the glowing embers in perfect fashion. I had to relight it once and that was no problem at all. If you enjoy full bodied smokes like I do, this is a must try. It's flavorful, but very smooth.

I would rate this as high as any cigar I've smoked...but I am a La Flor fan...so I am biased!

BUY

Oliva Connecticut Review

2009-04-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Blogger Dave B.

Oliva Connecticut Reserve

Robusto

Ring Gauge: 50

Length: 5.00

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

MSRP: $4.50
BUY

Tasting notes: Smoked while working at Rocky's Cigars. Excellent aesthetics. Well made, Conn wrapper is perfect. Light easily.

Mild, smooth first taste.

Nice Aroma, first Third, ash very salt n pepper in appearance. Stayed lit even after put down to wait on customers. I had one relight and it went perfect, no change in taste. I'm an Oliva fan, so this one is going into my rotation, even though I'm a smoker of more full bodied cigars.

May 2008 Cigar Dinner featured Rocky Patel Cigars

2008-05-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

Our May Cigar Dinner featured 4 Rocky Patel entries varying in price and body. We had Max Bichler on hand from Rocky Patel Cigars to present and speak on the cigars.
We started the evening with two selections from the Edge line, a Lite and a Maduro. The Edge Maduro, made in Nicaragua was a rich and oily as any fine Cuban I’ve ever seen. We moved on to the surprise hit of the evening – the RP Sun Grown. What a stick. Sometimes you just forget how good a cigar is…this is that kind of smoke. Full-bodied, yet balanced. It was a true tobacco lover’s smoke. We finished the night with a Vintage 1990 Robusto, and the crowd on hand couldn’t have been happier.

Our dinner was promoted as a Cinco de Mayo event, complete with a Tequila tasting, no Cuervo here-just the high end Resposado for this group. We also enjoyed Dos Equus beer and Spanish Wine at each table. The Spanish inspired menu featured gazpacho- a personal favorite- figs and chorizo appetizer and braised short ribs for the entrée….all prepared to perfection by the chef at our host restaurant the Mohegan Manor in Baldwinsville, NY.

Click to view our selection Rocky Patel Cigars in stock now.

I think the video will say a lot about the night, which was staged outdoors on the patio dining area, just a perfect night and it looks in the video that it was enjoyed by all.

Mohegan Manor Cigar Night

For info on our June Dinner featuring Don Pepin Garcia Cigar click here.

Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 is a Connecticut smooth smoke

2008-05-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

“O” man this is one tasty cigar…

2008-04-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

After a short Caribbean vacation last week that permitted me to treat myself a few Cubans, I settled into an Oliva Series O natty to do some paper work and play a bit of catch-up.

I chose the Robusto and wasn’t disappointed.

This is a Nicaraguan Puro so the tobacco profile says this should be a rather full bodied cigar. The wrapper was deftly stretched around the cigar and showed a vague spotting not too noticeable but there as I looked closely. The wrapper, just a bit darker than a true natural in color, looked like it was set to deliver some flavor. The cap was just perfect on this cigar lending to the quality of Oliva cigar construction. These guys are good. The Guillotine snipped it perfectly.

The ignition went well, and the initial flavor was bold and very spicy. The spicy flavor lasted through the first inch and slowly mellowed. The next 20 minutes of this cigar was woody and less spicy. The ash was a nice white color and it held up until I tapped it into my ashtray. From the middle on I detected yet another flavor change…this time even more mellow with a hint of anisette in the background…delicious. I noticed the smoke was almost white as I got into this stick. Like any fine cigar this one hit its peak around the 2/3-1/2 mark. It was flavorful, but not harsh, it was incredibly smooth and mellow at this point. This one was getting “Nubbed”.

At some time for most smokers your palate calls for more taste…and your begging to move away from milder blends. For anyone looking go try a bit more full flavored cigar this one is recommended. You’ll be led into the full-flavor not hit over the head with it. It has all the making of a great cigar.

Wrapper: Sun-Grown Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

Purchase Oliva Series “O”

There’s “Nub”-in else like this cigar

2008-04-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

I had my cigar buddy/barbeque chef Mark plunk down two Nub Cigars at my back table in the store the other day. It was about 3 pm and I’d been there since 5am so taking a cigar break from the days activities didn’t take much convincing. Mark offered me my choice of wrappers- Connecticut or Cameroon- since this is African Cameroon, the real thing; I took full advantage of the proposition and was I happy with my Cameroon choice. New ideas- genuinely new ideas- don’t come along all that often in this business and the notion of the “Nub” cigar intrigues me.

I was eager to get an up-close look at the 464 Rounded Torpedo (there is a 4x66 Box Pressed version available in the same wrapper). It’s extreme in most measures, short, fat, dense, heavy, and perhaps best of all flavorful. As I took a close look I could see the open end was jammed with tobacco, it appears more so than a cigar of a typical ring gauge. The wrapper was first rate in color, lack of noticeable veins, and perfectly finished at the torpedo point. As a Torpedo I had the advantage of clipping the end quite easily and I wondered if the large round heads on the 60, 66 ring gauge versions would need a bit more care to clip so nicely.

I used my standard two match stick grip to get this baby lit and while the cigar was not completely ignited at first the end quickly took on an even and complete burn in less than a minute. This may not be an indoor cigar for many smokers as I noticed right away this stick gives off a lot of smoke, likely due to the extremely large ring and dense packing of tobacco. The flavor was mild, with a medium amount of tobacco flavor. I could taste a nutty and sometimes piney flavor coming through. The taste of the smoke repeatedly registered on the back of my tongue.

At the halfway point this cigar continued to impress me and the flavor got richer from mid-way on. One of the unique features of a Nub as explained to me by the company rep was that these are so dense that they can stand on the “ash end” upright even after the mid point. Well I had to see and to my surprise its true- my cigar stood on its almost 2 inch ash.

You get the idea from this photo from the Nub Cigar site

At just 4 inches this is no quick-smoke. After about 45 minutes I was only half way through the cigar with plenty of ammo left to be smoked.

This cigar lasted longer than I had time…at about 75 % smoked I doused it to move on to some pressing issues, like getting home….but I know that I can’t wait to try another NUB.

Purchase Nub Cigars

No Foolin', that's a tasty Maduro

2008-04-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

When a fellow “Brother of the Leaf “strolled in who I hadn’t seen in a while we caught up on his new job and his new born Girl and enjoyed an after lunch cigar. My choice for our visit was an Oliva Series G Maduro Robusto.

At 4 ½ x 50, it was typical in length and ring but as with most Oliva cigars there was nothing else typical about this cigar. First, in appearance it was box pressed, but not subtly. These are some serious squared off sides. It hangs a bit different in the mouth with these edges, but nicely so. The same holds true for how it feels in the fingers. The dark wrapper was a Connecticut Broadleaf, not veiny at all with a rather sweet, but woodsy aroma.

The lighting went as good a one would expect, one wooden match did the trick and the foot was hot and ready to burn. A neat, even black ring quickly developed and I was not disappointed in the burn for the entire smoke, it was even, slow, and steady.

As we talked and laughed I got a floral taste every so often, along with a woodsy flavor. This stick was smooth from foot to finish. Along the way I enjoyed the nice very white ash that delveloped and I noted the amount of smoke was not overwhelming. The Oliva Series G Maduro Robusto is a nice 20-25 minute cigar.

My friend Frank was enjoying a Rocky Patel Connecticut, a cigar I am eager to get to in the near future. As our conversation slowed my cigar reached its end and happily it was no more than a nub when I doused it with a few drops from my bottled water.
The weather up here made a mad dash into the 60s...so its outdoors to enjoy the sun, as outdoor cigar season can only be just around the corner.

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Cuban-Seed Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

Purchase

Sunday's Best- Camacho SLR Maduro

2008-03-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

A Sunday mid-morning smoke was in order and my choice was to return to an old favorite to give myself an update on the new look Camacho SLR Maduro Rothchild.
I smoked this cigar in the company three regulars enjoying their morning at Rocky’s smoking cigars and talking SU sports including the current lacrosse season, the new-look football program and the finality of the just ended basketball season. The local paper was full of articles on all three topics so the four of us were informed and dangerous….me armed with my Camacho SLR Maddy.

In appearance the wrapper was smoother than I recall from previous sticks, I noticed only one conspicuous vein rising up to be felt in my finger tips. This exterior was definitely not oily, or shiny. The flat color is typical of its wrapper, a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro- a traditional leaf for a maduro cigar. At 4 ½ x 50 the size was typical for a Rothchild.

My cut today was a double V-cut giving the head of my cigar the look of a cross snipped in.
The cigar lit easily, the foot took the flame evenly and a beautiful white/grey ash began to develop and the burn started out perfect. In terms of taste at this point I had a note of bitterness, but I felt this was from the hot ignition and I was pleased to note the bitterness quickly faded after about a ½ inch. The firm white ash that developed was a pleasant surprise. It was over 2 inches before it fell, dropping its eye pleasing white/ grey mass into my ashtray, leaving behind a hot ember end that was ready to start a new accumulation.

Through out the next 45 minutes we sparred over coaches, players, next year and this year. All the while I enjoyed a balanced full flavor of this cigar with at times tastes of cedar, and licorice. The end of this cigar was a bit disappointing as it became overly bitter and I decided not to nub this one. Perhaps this was the result of my V-cut causing the juices to build up at the head. At any rate this was as good a cigar as I remember and I look forward to smoking a few more of these new look Camachos.

mg

Scotch on the Rocky

2008-03-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to have Mike Glynn (owner of Rocky's Cigars) ask me do a scotch and cigar review for his new blog. I picked the scotch and Mike picked the cigar. I chose Balvenie single malt scotch and Mike suggested that I combine that with Rocky Patel's Decade 10th Anniversary cigar. I was pleased with his suggestion because I am a big fan of Rocky Patel cigars and have not tried the Decade yet.

I decided to sample the scotch and the cigar individually then together to get a better feel for their individual flavors and then how they might compliment each other. This is what I found:

The Scotch

Belvenie Doublewood
12 year old Single Malt
43% alc/vol

This Speyside Distillery is located in Dufftown, Banffshire Scotland.

Color:
It has a light Amber that comes from the Sherry Oak Casks and the its age but is perhaps hot as dark as a Macallan.

Body:
Medium body that typically comes with a 12 year scotch whiskey.

Nose:
Distinct smell of honey.

Palate:
A bit syrupy with a combination of oak and sherry.

Finish:
A very nice warm finish that carries its flavors nicely.

The Cigar

Rocky Patel's Decade 10th Anniversary Cigar - Purchase Cigar

Color:
Has a nice walnut brown color that comes from the sungrown Equadorian Sumatra wrapper.

Pre-lit Aroma & Taste:
Rich earthy with nice spicy taste.

Draw:
The draw was perfect which I am always amazed from a box pressed cigar.

Flavor & Taste:
This cigar has a very pleasant spicy, peppery taste. I am not a big fan of that taste but as always Rocky Patel does it just right. The flavors last through the whole cigar and make for a wonderful smoke.

Scotch & Cigar Together

This is probably the first time I have taken the time and attention to tasting a scotch and cigar together. What I found is that this cigar actually made the scotch flavor more pronounced. In particular the oak and sherry flavors started to really present themselves and made the smoke and the scotch a very enjoyable experience.

And another blog begins ....

2008-03-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

A Blog appears to be THE method of giving opinions, and sharing experiences on with like minded individuals these days....so I figured why not give it go!

Cigars are a great passion to share on the internet. Understanding the wide ranging and fast changing world of cigars is part of the enjoyment of cigars. I was told many years ago that there are only two kinds of cigar smokers….those that wish to learn more about cigars and wish to speak to someone else who will share information…and those that know a lot about cigars and enjoying speaking to some else who enjoys their passion. So this blog is for all cigar smokers.

I understand there is always something to learn about the pleasures of cigar smoking. From my long time participation in this great business I have a feel for where cigars have been. From my contacts in the industry and seat next to a cigar ashtray outside my walk-in humidor I have a feel for where cigars are today….but I’m always on the hunt for answers and clarity to better understand where cigars are going next….My aim is to share my observations here as journey continues….

As a novice fan of wine I've discovered many similarities between good wine, spirits and cigars. Country of origin, blending, vintage, specific vineyards, the subtle nuances on the palate, and the wide selection to name a few. There a far too many cigars to smoke them all and too many wine and spirits to taste them all. So I say the FUN is in the Hunt! Happy smoking and sipping to all.

When time permits I'll post my opinions on these topics sometimes combining the two.....why not? Cigars and wine make life more fun!

Little Big Smoke

2007-11-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

November 2007, Mike Glynn owner of Rocky's Cigars of Syracuse NY hosts the 7th Annual Little Big Smoke Event. Money raised for Mutliple Sclerosis Resources of Cental NY. A CigarTV.com video