About Cigar Reviews

El Original Torpedo

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:19:14 -0700

BRAND: El Original
NAME: El Original Maduro
TYPE: Torpedo
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6.25x54
WRAPPER: Mexican maduro
DATE OF PURCHASE: 2/17/2007
DATE OF RATING: 8/26/2008
TIME IN HUMIDOR (months): 18.5
LOOK AND FEEL: 88
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 93
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 87
OVERALL SCORE: 89.6
AGING POTENTIAL SCORE of B = this cigar should age well over the first 5 years and is likely to develop further complexity and nuances.
REVIEW #: 4
WEBSITE: http://www.islandsmokeshop.com

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These smokes have been resting in their protective cello, in the top drawer of my Aristocrat Cabinet Humidor. The summer temperatures have varied between 69-75 degrees F., and a steady 69%RH.

This is the fourth and final review in this review cycle. The cigars have been resting a total of 18.5 months in my humidor.

TASTING NOTES: This El Original Maduro is a 6-country blend of tobaccos from Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Peru, Mexico and Ecuador.

The El Original is manufactured in a small factory in the Little Havana section of Miami, Florida. The Master Blender, Santiago Cabana, has worked as a roller and Master Blender in Cuba’s cigar industry before arriving in the U.S. in 1995. The El Original cigars are sold direct from The Island Smoke shop in Key Largo Florida,

The wrapper leaf on this maduro is rugged and rustic and looks like, if you bit it, it would bite back. Regardless, the nose on this cigar blushes with chickencoop and barnyard; two of my very favorites. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “One whiff will make you a believer.”

The feel on the cigar is a bit soft for my liking. It seems to have a couple of soft spots in particular. We’ll see if this portends trouble after I top and torch this stogie.

After clipping, the pre-light draws seemed fine so I fired up this stick.
One of the consistent findings about this cigar over the three prior reviews is that it starts out medium-full in body and flavor and I am impressed that it still has this much body and flavor at over a year-and-a-half.

The flavors are earthy and spicy with a good dose of pepper on the nose. The tobacco displays good maduro sweetness while maintaining a firm structure on the palate. In short, this is a goodie!

The burn is another matter however, the soft spot that I felt earlier, played out with a runner up the side of the cigar. I’ve smoked 10 cigars from this same batch and this is by far the worst burning of the bunch. That said, I am not overly concerned because this is NOT a consistent feature of the cigar, but rather one of the certainties of a handmade product: you will get a bad one now and then.

By the second half, I had burned past the tunnel and the cigar performed just fine throughout the remainder of the smoke. The flavors continued to intensify with rich coffee and chocolate nuances and there was a wonderful tangy spice on the retrohale. This is a great example of a maduro and I recommend it highly for those who want to see what a true maduro is all about.

Burn problem notwithstanding, I love these cigars and I will no doubt buy more when this batch is gone.

Having smoked these cigars over the span of 1.5 years, I am confident that they will continue to age gracefully.
~Doc

Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:35:38 -0700

BRAND: Oliva
NAME: Serie V Ligero Especial
TYPE: Torpedo
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6 x 56
WRAPPER: Habano Sun Grown
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Jalapa Valley Ligero
DATE OF PURCHASE: 6/22/07
DATE OF RATING: 8/22/2008
TIME IN HUMIDOR (months): 14.2
LOOK AND FEEL: 93
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 92
BURN: 88
OVERALL SCORE: 90.6
REVIEW #: 3
WEBSITE: http://www.olivacigar.com/

STORAGE CONDITIONS: This is the third review of the Oliva Serie V Torpedo here at Stogie Fresh. These cigars have been kept in their original factory box in my Aristocrat humidor, and have been maintained at 69%RH and 72-74ºF.

TASTING NOTES: The Serie V Ligero Especial was unveiled at the 2007 RTDA convention in Houston Texas, and was rated Cigar Aficionado's “Best Cigar of the Year” for 2007. They are packaged in cabinet boxes of 24, without cello.

The Serie V Torpedo is a large, heavy cigar, with an appealing walnut-brown Habano sun-grown wrapper. Light veining adorns this otherwise flawless wrapper, which is leathery to the touch. A feint oiliness is detected in the aroma of the wrapper while the aroma of dark chocolate and spice oozes from the foot. It is finished with a triple cap and the head provides ample room to allow the best cut for the smoker.

This cigar begins with mild-medium flavors of cocoa and spice while a light sweetness accompanies the aftertaste. The spice in the cigar is more readily detectable in the retrohale. The characters remain balanced in the first half, and actually diminish somewhat in body as the cigar progresses. Near the halfway point, the body and flavors increase, deepening with coffee and some charred flavors. The spiciness builds somewhat near the finish, taking on some pepper spice undertones in the smoke. Finishing with a medium-full body, the lingering flavors of coffee and wood hang pleasantly on the palate.

This cigar produced a pearl-gray ash that was cracked, but well structured. Rolling off the first inch of ash produced a solid pellet while leaving a short cinder cone on the cigar. It was only after removing the ash that a burn tunnel, or more like a burn canyon, was revealed. This large tunnel spread from the center of the cigar, outwards to the binder, and exceeded 1/8 inch in width.

After 14 months of additional aging, this cigar continues to develop and blossom. Other than some construction issues, it is a pleasant and relaxing cigar that provides plenty of character and flavor.

~Blake

Ashton San Cristobal

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:59:32 -0700

BRAND: Ashton
NAME: San Cristobal
TYPE: Fabuloso (Torpedo)
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6.12 x 52
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
DATE OF PURCHASE: 8/28/2007
DATE OF RATING: 8/20/2008
TIME IN HUMIDOR (months): 11.9
LOOK AND FEEL: 92
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 93
BURN: 92
OVERALL SCORE: 92.4
REVIEW# 2
WEBSITE: http://ashtoncigars.com/

STORAGE CONDITIONS: This is the second review of the Ashton San Cristobal Fabuloso. These cigars have been stored in their original box with their cello's on. My Aristocrat humidor, in which they are stored, is being maintained at 69%RH and 72-74ºF.

TASTING NOTES: This Nicaraguan puro was released about a year ago at the 2007 RTDA convention in Houston. The cigars are manufactured by the Cigar Master, José “Pepin” Garcia at his Tabacalera Cubana factory in Nicaragua, where other notable cigars are manufactured under different bands, as-well-as his own.

This dark, chocolate-brown wrapper looks well-polished as it glistens in the sunlight with its oozing oils. Slightly mottled in appearance, it displays light, yet distinct, leaf veining along its otherwise leathery body. The wrapper and foot give off intoxicating aromas of earth and chocolate, when nasally probed. Finished with a triple-cap, it is a work of art that is ready to give up its secrets.

I am not worried about over-cutting the triple cap on this cigar. The construction allows cutting off an ample portion without going too far and, thus, unraveling the wrapper. The pre-light draw is firm, but not overbearing, giving the flavor of earth and nutty nuances. After gently toasting and lighting this cigar, I settle in for the tale of this cigars long journey.

This Fabuloso starts with a medium earthy flavor and a spicy blast, both in aftertaste and retrohale. These characteristics last into the one-third mark where the spice settles down and sweetness in the aftertaste is allowed to blossom. The spiciness is still present, just diminished in its intensity. The aroma of the smoke itself is appealing on this cigar.

As the cigar progressed past the ½ point, the flavors deepened to take on more dark chocolate and coffee nuances. The sweetness in the aftertaste was overtaken by the increasing spiciness. Occasionally, the coffee nuance would lighten to more wood-like nuances before deepening again. I found that purging this cigar often helped to keep those lighter flavors intact.

The finish was medium-full in body, and full in flavor. Earth, coffee, and pepper spice accompany the long, lingering finish. It was interesting to note that the flavors did not build in intensity during the experience, but rather added or lost a character, or deepened into the next flavor character.

This cigar produced an even burn line, with no problems encountered burn wise. The pearl-gray ash was well constructed and slightly cracked to one side. Rolling the ash off produced a solid pellet, while a short cinder cone remained on the cigar. When the ash was initially removed, a small burn tunnel was observed. Subsequent ash removals displayed small “honeycomb” tunnels after the ½ point.

Although this cigar is a “puro”, it is far from one-dimensional. Its characters are becoming more complex as many changes are now occurring within the profile as this cigar begins to get some age on it. We'll see how it is progressing after another three months.

~Blake

Camacho Triple Maduro

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:39:26 -0700

BRAND: Camacho
NAME: Triple Maduro 11/18
TYPE: Figurado
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6 x 56
WRAPPER: Honduran Maduro
DATE OF PURCHASE: 6/22/2007
DATE OF RATING: 8/21/2008
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 14.2
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 91
BURN: 91
OVERALL SCORE: 90.6
REVIEW #: 3
WEBSITE: http://www.camachocigars.com

STORAGE CONDITIONS: This is the third in a series of reviews on this cigar, which is currently being stored in their original box in my converted wine cooler. The wine cabinet environment set at 69%RH and has a temperature of between 68-74 degrees F.

These stogies now have a total of 14.2 months of age.

TASTING NOTES: The Camacho Triple Maduro was a first of its kind in the industry. All the binder, filler and wrapper tobacco used for the Triple Maduro brand is from maduro leaf that is grown on the Camacho farms in the Jamastrán Valley in Honduras. Many people have shied away from using too much maduro in a cigar blend simply because the maduro leaves are thicker and contain more moisture and therefore tend not to burn well. Christian Eiroa, president of the company finally got the blend just right and produced the first-ever triple maduro.

The nearly black wrapper leaf has a face only its mother could love. The surface of the wrapper is lumpy, bumpy, veiny, sneezy, dopey, er, ah, wrong movie. Anyway, you get the idea, the surface of this cigar looks like somebody took a blowtorch to it and the stomped out the fire. Nevertheless, maduro tobacco, by nature of its fermentation process, results in wrapper leaves just like this one, so it is not an unusual appearance.

In stark contrast to the appearance of the wrapper, the double bands lend the cigar a measure of sophistication and regality. Taking up two-inches of cigar real estate, the bands are ornate, detailed and shimmering. Very impressive, indeed. The cigar has a heavy, solid feel in the hand and I am hoping that the body and flavor will be equally solid. I have always enjoyed the 11/18 vitola by Camacho. Though the bulbous body is prone to splitting, that doesn’t happen enough to make me worry about it, nor to stop buying them. I enjoy the size and shape, which tends to burn smoothly and draw well.

The cigar is consistently firm throughout and I clip the rounded head with my Palió cutter and light with a Porsche Design lighter.

The flavors of this cigar start out woody with some deep earthy notes and a bit of espresso bean. The finish on the palate is dry and yet not tongue-puckering. There are copious amounts of rich smoke that proceed from the end of the cigar and upon releasing the smoke from the mouth. The retrohale is spicy and very rich.

As in my past two reviews, this cigar had a great burn and draw. No complaints about the performance.

I recommend this cigar for those who like a mouthful of dark, earthy flavors with an underlying sweetness. I suggest a nice dark roast coffee or aged rum as a pairing. This cigar is rich and you will need an equally rich libation.

~Doc

Padilla Hybrid Robusto

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:18:45 -0700

BRAND: Padilla
NAME: Hybrid
TYPE: Robusto
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 5 x 50
WRAPPER: Hybrid (Ecuadorian Sun-Grown)
BINDER AND FILLER: Dominican, Nicaragua, and Peru
DATE OF PURCHASE: 5/5/2006
DATE OF RATING: 8/16/2008
TIME IN HUMIDOR (months): 27.8
LOOK AND FEEL: 87
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 88
BURN: 88
OVERALL SCORE: 87.8
AGING POTENTIAL SCORE: C = this cigar may age beneficially for the first two years, but we recommend smoking within the first two years.
WEBSITE: http://www.padillacigars.com/

STORAGE CONDITIONS: This final cigar has been in my Aristocrat humidor for an additional 15 months, which has been maintained at 69%RH and 73ºF. It has been kept in cello to preserve the delicate wrapper from damage while mingling in my humidor.

TASTING NOTES: This is the fourth and final tasting of the Padilla Hybrid Robusto. It's a hybrid wrapper that is a cross between Habano and Connecticut seed tobaccos and it’s grown in the mountains of Ecuador. It is a sun-grown wrapper, but because of the unique climate conditions in Ecuador, it retains a shade-grown look.

The wrapper is creamy chestnut color with very few light veins. There was no variance in color along this velvety wrapper, although a couple of small holes in the wrapper were noted. The foot displayed a 'spongy” feel to it when lightly squeezed, and would easily be distorted under light pressure. Another area near the head of the cigar, along the barrel, displayed some under-filling. The foot and the wrapper emitted a pleasing chocolate aroma when nasally probed.

After clipping a small amount of the cap, I take a pre-light draw. The draw was loose, but gave light distinct flavors of cocoa and spice. Gently toasting and lighting the foot, I settle in to witness the progress, if any, that this cigar has made.

This cigar displayed notes of wood with a rich spiciness on the palate in the beginning, which dropped sharply after the first ¼ inch. This spiciness builds again towards the halfway point then suddenly disappears, leaving the woody flavors and a slight bitterness in the aftertaste. This bitterness is present for the next half-inch of the cigar, returning with more of a vengeance. The notes of white pepper, or chili pepper dominates this theme.

During the time of experiencing the bitterness, I varied my smoking habits to include purging, and slowing my time between draws. Slowing your draw time allows the filler tobaccos to cool, often will prevent a sharp, charry flavor in the smoke. Unfortunately, I couldn't shake the sharp flavor, and had to wait until that leaf section had burned out.

This cigar produced a cracked and flaky salt and pepper ash. Because the cigar was under filled, it was unable to maintain a good structure within the ash, which would disintegrate when it was rolled-off. Towards the end of the experience, the body of the cigar was easily distorted by the high humidity from combustion and the presence of under filling. A small cinder cone was present when the ash was removed, but no tunnels were observed at anytime. An even burn line was present throughout the entire smoke.

Throughout these reviews, I have notice that the spicy bitterness in the blend of this cigar has become more prevalent as this cigar has been aged over two years. It has become more complex, but has taken on a character that I really don't enjoy. Remember that this is relative to only one cigar in a box of many that are handmade, and will have some variance from time to time, but I still recommend that these cigars be smoked within the first two years.

~ Blake

Tatuaje Havana VI Artista

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 22:54:17 -0700

BRAND: Tatuaje
NAME: Havana VI: Artistas
TYPE: Torpedo
BOX DATE: SEP 2006
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6 x 52
WRAPPER/BINDER/FILLER: Nicaragua
DATE OF PURCHASE: 10/4/2006
DATE OF RATING: 8/4/2008
TIME IN HUMIDOR (Months): 22.3
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 89
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 87
OVERALL SCORE: 88.2
WEBSITE: http://www.tatuajecigars.com/

Photo: Tatuaje Havana VI Artista

STORAGE CONDITIONS: This is the fourth and final review in this cycle of reviews on the Tatuaje Havana VI Artistas. As of this, the final review, these cigars have been resting comfortably for just over 22 months in my humidor, and it has been just under 2 years since they were placed into their box at the factory in Nicaragua.
These cigars have been resting in their original cedar cabinet box in my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. The RH is set at 69% and the temperature over the last 6 months has been pretty warm, varying between 69-76 degrees F.

TASTING NOTES: The Tatuaje Havana VI is another of the many cigars that are blended by Don Pepin Garcia and manufactured in his Tabacalera Cubana factory in Nicaragua. These cigars are blended in collaboration with Pete Johnson and for Pete’s Tatuaje brand.
When I opened up the box to extract a sample, I was met with some wonderful aromas of barnyard and alfalfa. There was no ammonia to spoil the moment, just some lovely aromas of earth and even a touch of roasted nuts.

PHOTO: Artista burning well during the first quarter

One of the things I have noticed in the first three reviews is that this cigar starts out with a blast of spicy sweetness, however this time the effect was somewhat muted. I think I like that, because the smoke seems a bit more balanced rather than starting out gangbusters and then mellowing. I really enjoyed the first 1/4 of the cigar. There was spice and sweetness, but not over the top. There was also a tangy sensation on the retrohale that was really appealing.

Another thing that I’ve noticed with this batch of cigars is that the burn has been from mediocre to good, depending on the cigar. This time the cigar burned and drew perfectly until about the 1/3 mark, at which time it started to draw hollow. Sure enough, there was a tunnel that developed. I don’t like the sensation of having to draw hard or more often to keep the cigar lit, and yet that is exactly what happens when you get a decent sized tunnel. It’s a non-productive draw that makes one focus too much on having to draw more to get ample amounts of smoke through the cigar.

PHOTO: At one-third mark, the burn starts to go awry

The middle of the smoke displayed notes of wood and tobacco and finished with some nice sweetness.

With two years of age, the cigar has settled in to a solid medium bodied smoke with medium to full flavor. My overall impression is that this is a solid cigar, with good flavor and a decent price point. You should be able to pick these up at around $5 per stick, or sometimes less. That makes these a good value in Tatuaje branded cigars and about $2 less than the brown label Tats.

~Doc

Don Pepin Black Robusto

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 01:20:11 -0700

BRAND: Don Pepin Garcia
NAME: Cuban Classic 1979
TYPE: Robusto
BOX DATE: MAR 2007
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 5 x 50
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan-grown Corojo 99
DATE OF PURCHASE: 6/1/2007
DATE OF RATING: 7/8/2008
TIME IN HUMIDOR (Months): 13.4
LOOK AND FEEL: 92
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 89
BURN: 86
OVERALL SCORE: 88.4
WEBSITE: http://www.elreydeloshabanos.com

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been resting in their original cabinet-style box in my Aristocrat mini-cabinet humidor. They have now been aging for a total of 13.4 months.

The cabinet is set at 68%RH and with a summer temperature varying between 69-75 degrees F. This is the third in a series of reviews of this stick.

TASTING NOTES: The Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic is made in Don Pepin’s Nicaraguan factory, Tabacalera Cubana (TACUBA). This cigar, often called the “Black Label,” is an all-Nicaraguan blend and uses Pepin’s famous Corojo 99 wrapper.

As I opened the box to pluck out a specimen for this review, I did not notice the ammonia smell that I did in my last review. Instead, it was replaced with the heady aroma of roasted nuts. Picking out two likely candidates, I put one in the singles drawer and the other came outside with me to sacrifice itself to the stogie gods.

I quickly topped the cap with a Xikar cutter and set the foot to light with Prometheus double jet lighter.

I have come to expect three things with this batch of cigars. First, the cigars typically display a wonderful spicy sweetness over the first half-inch of the smoke. This is one of the most enjoyable flavors that I’ve experienced in a cigar. That’s the good news... The bad news is that, shortly after the beginning of the light, the cigar slowly develops a hollow draw. This tells me to expect a tunnel. Sure enough, when I tapped off the ash at the 1-inch mark, there was a pair of tunnels. Third, when the tunnel(s) is/are off-centered, as these were, there is a long spike that has developed on the side opposite the tunnels. This results from the imbalanced construction of the filler leaf, which does not burn as quickly as on the tunnel side. This leaves a bunch of rapidly cooling filler tobacco that forms a hard spike.

The other good news was that I burned past the tunnels and the spike by the 1/2 mark of the smoke and the cigar performance was largely unaffected thereafter.

At that point, I started to experience flavors of roasted nuts and notes of cedar on the retrohale. Also during the second half, the flavors of the Nicaraguan Corojo sit in, which were quite delicious. There was a tangy spice and a tobacco sweetness that made the cigar lip smacking good.

PHOTO ABOVE: Burn Characteristic of Second Cigar

PHOTO BELOW: Burn Characteristic of Second Cigar

Of course, I still wasn’t finished with this review, because after I finished the first smoke, I waited a couple of hours and pulled the second cigar out of my singles drawer. I don’t often mention the second smoke unless it is radically different from the first. Well, besides have a fairly loose pre-light draw, this cigar burned well and was a much different performer than the former cigar. I consider this is a bit unnerving because it underscores the inconsistency that I’ve been experiencing all too often with Don Pepin-made smokes. What I found was that in the first smoke, I missed out on much of the wonderful spicy and nutty flavors of the first half, since I had been fretting and fussing over the poor burn and because the cigar burned hot because of the tunnels. I compensated for the loose draw in the second cigar by slowing my puff rate considerably and I was rewarded for my efforts.

I had to adjust the scoring to account for the inconsistency and also feel that I need to mention that I have seen a few burn problems during the 6-8 cigars I have smoked in this review cycle, thus far. I hope that Don Pepin can successfully work through these issues because, burn problems notwithstanding, his cigars are so tasty.

~Doc

Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Maduro

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:10:18 -0700

BRAND: Indian Tabac
NAME: Super Fuerte
TYPE: Godzilla
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6 x 56
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Maduro
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua
DATE OF PURCHASE: 5/30/2006
DATE OF RATING: 6/6/2008
TIME IN HUMIDOR (months): 24.6
LOOK AND FEEL: 88
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 88
BURN: 87
OVERALL SCORE: 87.6
AGING POTENTIAL SCORE: D = we believe these cigars have limited aging potential and recommend that you smoke them within the first year

STORAGE CONDITIONS: This is the fourth and final review of the Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Godzilla. A dark and girthy cigar, it is manufactured by Rocky Patel in Nicaragua. I have kept these cigars in my Aristocrat humidor at 68-72°F and 70%RH for over an additional 24 months of aging.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar is draped in a dark, chocolate-brown Nicaraguan maduro wrapper. It is smooth to the touch and is glistening with oil along the entire body. Slightly veiny, it is well balanced in the hand. A light aroma of cocoa is evident in the pre-light snort.

Taking a long draw after clipping the large, finished cap, this cigar gives light cocoa notes with its slightly firm draw. The draw is not unmanageable, but does take a small effort in the beginning. After amply toasting the foot of this gargantuan cigar, I settle in to see what 24 months of aging has done for it.

Within the large amount of smoke that this cigar produces, cocoa and leather flavors are dominant in the first third. A light spice is noticed in the smoke, but is more prominent in the retrohale. This spiciness diminishes somewhat until the halfway point, and then picks up again to the finish.

By the 1/3 point, the cocoa flavor deepens into chocolate and coffee, while developing a woody undertone in the aftertaste into the last third. The long finish is full-bodied with the flavor coffee and woody characters, accompanied by a somewhat spicy aftertaste.

The salt and pepper ash was sharp and cracked, although it did maintain good structure.
The burn in this cigar was consistent with previous reviews, in that the cigar tended to burn to one side, producing a hard, sharp cinder cone. I allowed this to continue to see what would happen, burning almost an inch of the cigar waiting for it to correct itself. After catching-up, the process would start all over again, finally being corrected in the last third.

As an experiment with this cigar, I purged it about every half-inch to see what would happen to the flavor profile. Looking like Louis Armstrong, I found that I could lighten-up the flavors by burning off the accumulated tars and gases. Of, course, this method did not work as well in the last third, but did increase my enjoyment of the cigar while amusing others.

While we have found that this cigar is consistent in burn and flavor over these series of reviews, we also determined that additional aging did not improve the characteristics of this particular cigar. In my opinion, these cigars should be smoked within the first year without the attempt for additional aging.

~Blake