Cigar Reviews

San Lotano Maduro

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:24:46 -0800

SIZE AND TYPE: 5 x 52 Robusto
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr., 4.4 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 89
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 86
OVERALL SCORE: 88.0

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars were stored in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat Mini cabinet humidor. The active humidification system is set at 68%RH and the temperatures are between 65-71°F. Sadly, I pulled out my last two cigars of this batch for this postscript review. These stogies have been resting for 1 year, 4.4 months.

I first featured the San Lotano Maduro Robusto in Episode 235 on Sunday, August 22, 2010. My last 2 cigars of this batch have now been waiting 1-year, 4.3 months for this second and final postscript review.

BACKGROUND: A.J. Fernandez is no stranger to cigars and the cigar industry. For over a decade, legendary tobacco grower Don Alejandro Robaina tutored him. Though he has been mentored by the best, A.J. brings his own creativity and talent to the table and has shown great skill for blending robust and complex cigars.

Fernandez is no stranger to the craft of cigar making. He has made cigars for the likes of Padilla, Rocky Patel, Graycliff, Gurkha, Man O War, Diesel and many others.

San Lotano has been a project many years in the making. According to A.J., the brand is made to honor the tradition of cigar making that he learned from his father and grandfather. The blends are the culmination of his family’s knowledge, which has been accumulated over the last century.

The San Lotano debuted in 2010 and comes in 4 sizes and in three wrapper types. Today's featured San Lotano is the 5-inch by 52 ring Maduro Robusto.

TASTING NOTES: This bad boy starts out with big, bold flavors of espresso and baker's chocolate. This profile immediately made me think that this cigar would pair well with a chocolate stout. The retrohale put me in orbit with a snout-full of pepper spice that ripped through my nasal mucosa like Drano clears a plugged water pipe. I kid you not, retrohaling this stick provides a righteous rush.

An extra year of age has not dimmed the sparkle of flavors in this cigar. If anything, the flavors are more balanced and congealed into a more cohesive whole. At over a year of age, this cigar is still medium-full in body and flavor and a solid medium in strength. In short, I like this maduro.

The cigar emitted huge volumes of smoke that made retrohaling quite easy and quite dangerous, if you know what I mean. Retrohaling too much of the smoke in any given puff will light up your nasal passage like a 4th of July sparkler.

The only irritation I had with this cigar was that it developed a couple of minor tunnels, which didn't really affect the draw or burn too much. The cigar also displayed a very flaky ash, which made me tap off in quarter-inch segments and the flakes would sometimes drop off unexpectedly. I also noted that the ligero tobacco was not centered in the middle of the bunch.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is a maduro that you should give a try, if you haven't already. It is not the sweetest maduro that you will ever taste and it is not complex, but it does have bold, earthy notes and rich coffee bean flavors. It is also savory and mouthwatering. All in all, this is an impressive maduro and one that you won't be afraid of giving some extended time in your humidor. At around $6 per stick, this cigar should certainly be on your shopping list.

~Doc

Namakubi by Room 101

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:58:18 -0800

SIZE AND TYPE: 6 x 44 Tiburon (Lonsdale)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2.3 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 90.0

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in their original box inside my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. The cigars come without cellophane sleeves, but keeping them together in their original box will allow the marrying of the oleoresins over time. This makes for a good aging situation.

BACKGROUND: Matt Booth, brand owner of Room 101 cigars, has told me that he derives special pleasure in naming his cigars with names that are not easily pronounced. Well he hit that one in spades with this week’s featured stick. This stogie has been called such names as the Namabuki, the Yukanuba and the Nakatumi Towers. I kid you not. This week I’ll be introducing the newest installment of the Room 101 LTD series named the Namakubi Edition. You got that?! Namakubi baby.

And what’s more, it seems that the name of this cigar has its roots in the ancient Samurai culture. In ancient times when two Samurai clans would gather for competition there was a great deal at stake. Normally, the losing party would die as a result of wounds sustained in battle or be executed upon defeat. The Namakubi, or freshly severed head of the losing party would be prepared on a wooden tray then tagged in a regimented manner and presented to the leader of the winning clan as a gift. Jeez, I guess that takes “giving head” to a new level.

The Room 101 LTD Namakubi Limited Edition is the second limited edition smoke from Room 101. (You may remember that the first one was called the Conjura Edition.) The cigars are comprised of Dominican and Honduran filler blend, a Honduran binder and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

The cigars come in five sizes, including one with a 60 ring gauge and another a diminutive 4 inches by 42 ring gauge. They retail for $6 to $10 each and production is limited to just 1,000 boxes per size and a total production of 100,000 cigars. The Namakubi comes packed 20 to the box, except for the Papi Chulo, which comes in a 50-count cabinetta style box.

This week’s featured Namakubi is the 6-inch by 44 ring gauge Tiburon

TASTING NOTES: The Namakubi Tiburon starts out very light in body, flavor and strength. There is a slight bit of spice and a tangy sweetness at the outset, but certainly a slow starter. After the first inch, the cigar ramps up in intensity. I noted wood, medium roast coffee and perhaps some tropical fruit flavors.

The draw and burn were near perfect on this stick, which sported a razor sharp burn line and a fairly flaky medium gray ash.

This is an interesting cigar from Room 101. It is the lightest in body and strength of any of their cigars, but is also the most complex. It also has a unique flavor profile, definitely not a knockoff of any other cigar in the market.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Room 101 Namakubi Edition Tiburon is priced at less than $7 per stick, which makes this a must try cigar. You will find the Namakubi to be medium in body and strength and medium-full in flavor. This is the most complex cigar from Room 101 to date. It brings forth a plethora of nuanced flavors that keep you guessing what will come next.

The Namakubi is one of my favorites from Room 101 because it is such a versatile smoke. I can smoke this cigar any time of day and pair it with almost any libation. From a morning coffee to an evening Scotch and everything in between, the Namakubi will surely appeal to a large segment of cigar smokers.

If you can pronounce it, er, I mean if you can find these limited edition smokes, be sure to give them a try.

~Doc

Monte Pascoal Minutos

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 17:10:03 -0800

SIZE AND TYPE: 4.375 x 42 Minutos (Petit Corona)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2.5 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 85
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 87
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 91
OVERALL SCORE: 88.1

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are kept in their original cellophane wrappers and inside a plastic cigar sack in my Vanderburgh desktop humidor. The humidity is pretty solid at 67%RH. The temperatures are also pretty stable, largely due to the solid granite base on the inside of the humidor.

This is the first of 2 podcast reviews. These cigars have been resting for two and a half months in the Stogie Fresh humidors.

BACKGROUND: Monte Pascoal cigars are produced in Brazil by Tabacos Mata Fina. All of the cigars in the Monte Pascoal line are blended with select Brazilian Mata Fina and Mata Norte tobaccos, but in different proportions, allowing each smoking experience to be unique, from one size to the next.

Master Blender, Rosivaldo Oliveira, is widely recognized as the best blender in Brazil and he is tasked with insuring that Tabacos Mata Fina produces cigars with impeccable pedigrees.

Tabacos Mata Fina has a modest workforce of 25 employees, with the annual production of stogies being approximately 500,000 units. The company's main goal is to maintain a consistent production and to achieve the highest quality in each cigar manufactured.

Strict tobacco regulations in Brazil over the last 10 years, among other things, have forced the closure of many of the smaller factories. While this has been unfortunate for the cigar industry in general, for the Tobacos Mata Fina company it has been a blessing because they have been able to secure the best of the best employees for their operation.

The company owns their own Brazilian tobacco plantation and the tobacco they acquire from the farm is aged for at least 2 years prior to being rolled into cigars. After production, the cigars are aged for at least 1 more year in a cedar aging room and 100% are draw tested to insure the best quality cigars.

This week’s featured cigar is the Monte Pascoal Minutos. This cigar is 4.275 inches in length by 42 ring gauge with a suggested retail price of $4.31.

TASTING NOTES: This Monte Minuto started out with musty notes of old linen and light cedar. There was also a natural tobacco sweetness that expressed itself mostly in the retrohale. While the flavor profile was not overly complex, this was a flavorful cigar that was easy to smoke and enjoyable. The Minuto is fairly light and mild in body and strength, but is medium-full in flavor. Because of the flavor and body profile, the Minuto would be easily accessible to beginning and seasoned smokers alike.

The performance was stellar on this Minuto midget. The draw was smooth with just the right amount of resistance. The burn line was thin and even and the ash was the color and texture of spackle and held firm until I tapped off in half-inch chunks.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The flavor profile was the same in the second half as in the first, but the flavors built in intensity. The cedar notes and natural tobacco sweetness remained on the palate providing a pleasant finish. In fact, I would love to see this cigar released with a Maduro-fermented Mata Fina wrapper because I think it would be interesting to see how the natural sweetness of the maduro fermentation would change the character of this smoke.

At just over $4.00 per stick, this is a fair-priced cigar and I think it will appeal to a wide range of cigar smokers. I would especially recommend this cigar with coffee in the morning and as the first cigar in a multi-cigar herf. I suggest you give these cigars a try, if for no other reason than to taste a Brazilian puro, but also to experience, firsthand, the state of Brazilian tobacco.

~Doc

LGC Artesanos Retro Especiale

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:48:08 -0800

SIZE AND TYPE: 5.75 x 47 Club (Toro)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1.1 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 88
OVERALL SCORE: 89.3

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are stored together in a plastic sack with cellophane wrappers intact (sack is left unsealed). The sack is inside my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor with active humidification system set at 68%RH. This is the first of two podcast reviews of these sticks, which have been resting in my humidor for 1.1 months.

BACKGROUND: According to Michael Giannini, director of marketing for La Gloria Cubana, they set out to create a product that was as unique in its packaging as it is in its flavor profile and I can tell you they succeeded on both counts.

As the name implies, the “Retro Especiale” was inspired by an antique humidor found at the El Credito Cigar Factory. Michael Giannini and Team La Gloria worked for years to replicate the antique, retro-style of the humidor in the form of cigar boxes for these new cigars. They also spent a long time in the development of the cigar: nearly 2 years. They started by cultivating a new wrapper by crossbreeding a Connecticut seed, which was then cultivated in Honduras. The crop yielded a golden wrapper that, despite it’s light color, was hardy in flavor.

The blend is also unique. It starts with a double binder of Nicaraguan and Mexican leaf and is further enhanced not only by Nicaraguan and Dominican ligero, but also through an additional peppering of proprietary Nicaraguan and Dominican leaf. (Proprietary, by the way, is another way of saying it’s a secret, which is also a way of playing the hype game.) Nevertheless, what you have is a unique blend and unique and stylish packaging. I have to admit; the new team at La Gloria Cubana has done a lot to elevate this solid and yet lackluster brand to new levels. They have taken the classic La Gloria Cubana logo, the classic image of the woman in a flowing red gown with a drink and a smoke and they have preserved the retro-style look and then given it a modern look and feel.

I smoked a bunch of Retro Especiale's on my recent Dominican trip and I have to say that my favorite size is the Club, which is a unique Toro at 5.75 x 47 ring gauge. And that’s the one I’ll be smoking today.

TASTING NOTES: The initial flavors are bright and grassy. The grassy notes are typical of a Connecticut wrapper, but the difference in this case is that the blend is much more substantial. Besides the initial grassy bite, there are notes of wood and white pepper. The retrohale is floral with cedar and more blazing white pepper spice. This cigar definitely packs a punch, for a Connecticut-wrapped smoke.

The draw on this cigar was excellent, but the ash was fairly flaky and I found myself tapping off early and often. The burn line was razor sharp and overall the construction was great.

The cigar really picks up in intensity during the second half and the natural tobacco sweetness kicks in at the halfway point and beyond. The flavor and body profile are medium-full, with a nice, long cedar finish. The strength is medium, so I believe this cigar will be approachable to a wide range of cigar smokers.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I would recommend pairing this smoke with you favorite cup of coffee or a single malt scotch. The complexity of the cigar will match well with a good scotch. You can smoke this cigar pretty much any time of day. It has enough body and flavor to carry it at any point in your cigar smoking lineup for the day.

If you like Connecticut smokes, then you should definitely give this one a try. I believe this cigar would appeal to newbies and will also challenge the palates of more experienced cigar smokers. At $7.00 per stick, this cigar may not be an everyday smoke, but I believe it will satisfy the palates of most aficionados.

~Doc

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

Macanudo Cru Royale

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:44:29 -0800

SIZE AND TYPE: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1.0 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 88
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 89
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 89.2

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are stored in my Vanderburgh Limited Edition desktop humidor. I use superabsorbent polymers as the humidity source. The humidity stays around 65%–68%RH.

BACKGROUND: The Cru Royale is made in the Dominican Republic with a pretty intricate filler blend that includes Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Republic, and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The binder is a Dominican La Vega Especial and the wrapper is Ecuadorian Habano. That is a pretty sophisticated blend considering the cigar retails for around $5.80 per stick.

Interestingly, before my recent trip to the Dominican Republic, I had never smoked a Cru Royale and I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, the cigar blend that I was able to make while at the factory used very similar tobaccos.

This cigar was developed by Benji Menendez and Francisco Rodriguez and is a real departure from the original Mac. The dark Habano wrapper leaf is contrasted nicely with a band that is mostly silver with turquoise accents and black lettering and trim. While the wrapper leaf was a bit mottled, the cigar seemed structurally sound and, in the end, I decided it would be safe to light up...

TASTING NOTES: The flavor is initially rife with coffee and cocoa bean characters that are melded together in a medium-bodied framework. Retrohaling brings a healthy mix of sweetness, black pepper spice and aromatic wood.

This Mac, besides being medium in body, is also medium in strength, but it has a zesty flavor profile that makes a distinct and positive impact on the palate and should appeal to a wide range of folks.

The second half brought more tobacco sweetness to the palate and a lingering coffee flavor on the finish.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Cru Royale is a cigar you can use to surprise your cigar smoking friends. It’s a solid smoke at a fair price and would make a great everyday smoke. This one won't win any "best of show" awards and yet this is a cigar to try, especially if you haven't already done so. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with this new-breed of Macanudo.

~Doc

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

Gurkha Cellar Reserve 15

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:21:46 -0800

TYPE: Hedonism (Toro Gordo)
REVIEW # 1
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6 x 58
WRAPPER: Dominican Criollo 98
BINDER: Dominican Olor
FILLER: Dominican Criollo, Nicaragua
DATE OF PURCHASE: 10/15/2011
DATE OF RATING: 11/14/2011
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 month
LOOK AND FEEL: 91
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 85
BURN: 91
OVERALL SCORE: 88.0

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are kept in their original cello sleeves inside a plastic cigar bag. These are then kept on a shelf in my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor.

The humidity is set at 68%RH and the fall temperatures have been mild. This is the first of 4 reviews on this batch of cigars, which have been resting in my humidor for 2 weeks.

BACKGROUND: The Gurka Cellar Reserve 15 is so named because of the 15-year-old Dominican tobacco it uses in the filler. Beyond that, the cigar is comprised of an oily Dominican Criollo 98 wrapper and a Dominican Olor binder. Besides the well aged Dominican Criollo in the filler, the cigar also has a bit of Nicaraguan tobacco to fill out the blend.

The cigar is available in 5 different sizes: 4 x 58 Perfecto, 5 x 58 Double Robusto, 6 x 58 Gran Rothchild, 7 x 54 Churchill and a 6 x 60 XO, with an MSRP ranging from $7.99–$12.95.

One of the things that sets this, as well as most Gurkha's apart, is the packaging. The Cellar Reserve is housed in unique 20 count wooden boxes that resemble a new oak wine barrel. Then there's the cigar band. I has the appearance of a wine label and has quite a bit of information on it; some of which I can't understand. For example, it bears the masthead: "Aged 15 years." While this is true, it apparently applies only to the Dominican filler and not the rest of the cigar. The band indicates that these cigars were blended at the K. Hansotia & Co. world headquarters, but I am not clear where that is referring to. Interestingly, the band also indicates that the cigar is a "Nicaraguan Puro," but I can't figure out on what basis that claim is made. The strict sense of the term, "puro" would mean that the cigar was entirely made from tobaccos from one country, in this case Nicaragua, but this also doesn't make sense, since the cigar was made in the Dominican Republic. Another use of the term "puro" would simply mean "cigar," but that doesn't seem to be the literal interpretation.

Also on the band are the "Batch No." the "Quantity" and the "Blend Strength." In this case, the blend strength is 97.6%, but there is no indication what this refers to. In sum, though there is a lot of information on the band, it tells me very little about the cigar and is mostly confusing. That said, typical of Gurkha, the packaging makes a statement, I'm just not to clear what that statement is...

Now to the cigar... The wrapper is quite beautiful. Chestnut brown, oily and with the most delicate and systematic vein structure. The aroma on the wrapper leaf is luscious with oak resin and the musky notes of wine barrels.

The cigar is evenly rolled with no looseness or soft spots. This is really a nice looking stick and I suspect it will perform admirably.

TASTING NOTES: The flavors throughout the first half were predominantly oak wood and slight red wine tannins. This had an initial drying effect on the palate, but after the one-third mark, I noted light tobacco sweetness that jump-started my salivary glands. Retrohaling produced a white pepper spice that tingled my nasal mucosa like so many fireflies.

The burn was even with a razor sharp burn line and the pearl white ash was solid and I was able to drop off the ash in magnificent chunks in my ashtray.

The smoke was dense and tended to hang in the air around my head. The draw was a bit tight, but it did not produce any untoward results in performance, though I did have to puff more times to get sufficient smoke through the stick.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This cigar was noticeably lacking in complexity, with a narrow flavor profile and limited flavor changes. Mostly there was tobacco, oak wood and white pepper on the retrohale. The finish was short until the final third, when at that time there was a spicy tingle that lingered on my tongue.

Overall this is a pleasant smoke, with stellar performance, but I would like to see more tobacco sweetness and more flavor changes throughout. I will revisit this cigar again in about 3 months.

~Doc

J Grotto Series Reserve

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:52:36 -0800

SIZE AND TYPE: 5.625 x 46 (Gran Corona)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1.2 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 91
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 91
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 87
OVERALL SCORE: 89.6

STORAGE CONDITIONS: This cigars are being stored in a singles drawer of my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. I keep this humidor's active humidification system set at 68%RH.

This is the first of two podcast reviews of these cigars, which have been now resting for a total of 1.2 months in my humidor.

BACKGROUND: Paul Joyal, founder and president of Ocean State Cigars, Inc., describes his new J. Grotto Series Reserve boutique premium cigar line as, “an intriguing, memorable smoke.” He goes on to say that, “Unlike many one-dimensional cigars, [the new J. Grotto Series Reserve] displays complexity and depth, with a unique spectrum of flavor and body profiles. It rewards the connoisseur with pure opulence ... rich and full-bodied, but refined.”

Well, I’ll be putting that statement to the test on this week’s Stogie Fresh 5 podcast as I feature the J. Grotto Series Reserve.

Based on the success of J. Grotto Series debuted in 2009, Joyal developed the Reserve, to satisfy an entirely different palate. Joyal says the original is spicy with medium body, while the J. Grotto Series Reserve has more power without the spice.

The J. Grotto Reserve sports a five-leaf blend that includes a Nicaraguan-grown Criollo 99 wrapper, a Criollo 98 binder, plus a filler of Honduran-grown ligero and Nicaraguan Jalapa leaves.

In addition to the tobacco’s three-year aging, the finished cigars are further aged for three to four more months, to allow their tobaccos to meld and mellow.

The J. Grotto Reserve’s suggested retail pricing ranges between $8.50 to $9.50 and it comes in four sizes ... a 5-inch x 52 ring Gran Robusto, a 6-inch x 52 Gran Toro, a 6 x 60 Toro Gordo and the cigar that I’m featuring today, a 5.625 inch by 46 ring gauge Gran Corona.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar starts out full in flavor and body. The flavors are earthy, with notes of coffee, oak and pepper on the back of the tongue. I also noted something akin to bourbon, a kind of rich corn sweetness. The retrohale was chock full of aromatic cedar and more black pepper. As I got further into the smoke, it became savory and meaty in flavor.

The draw and burn were both pretty good. The cigar had a bit of trouble staying lit and I felt myself having to puff more often than I would normally like. The burn line was ragged and a bit blistered and the dark gray ash was somewhat flaky. These are all aspects of a cigar that has rich and resiny tobacco, which carries more moisture and is not as combustible.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The J. Grotto Series Reserve is a mouthwatering and delectable smoke that will most likely please a wide range of cigar smokers. It is full of flavor and yet is still approachable. I would say it is medium-full in strength and body and full in flavor. At around $8.50 per stick, this is a reasonable price for this boutique cigar. I can heartily recommend this smoke and I encourage you pick up a few and give them a try.

~Doc

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

Buena Vista Reserva

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 22:48:48 -0800

NAME: Reserva Sublimes
SIZE AND TYPE: 6.5 x 54 (Toro Grande)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2.6 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 87
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 87
OVERALL SCORE: 87.5

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are currently sitting on one of the shelves in my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. Since they don't come with cellophane wrappers, I have kept them together in a ziplock bag, left open to allow some airflow, but also preventing direct contact with other cigars or boxes within my cabinet.

DESCRIPTION: This week’s featured cigar is a relative newcomer on the scene and the cigar company that produces it is unique in many respects. The Buena Vista Reserva and Edicion Limitadas were released in July at the annual trade show in Las Vegas and began shipping the following week.

The cigars are currently available in about 75 shops throughout the U.S. This year the Company will produce around 500,000 of each of the 2 blends, with 400,000 being available in the U.S., and the remainder being committed to Distributors in several European countries.

The company started by planting 100% first generation Cuban seeds in what they considered to be the one place on earth that replicates the famous Pinar del Rio tobacco-growing region of Cuba. Their agricultural research resulted in them planting seeds in a small valley located in Ecuador, where the soil content, the average daily temperatures, and the atmospheric conditions combined to deliver a tobacco leaf that they feel comes extremely close to Cuban grown tobacco.

The Buena Vista cigar factory is located in the heart of Cancún, Mexico. And, of the more than 60 cigar rollers employed by the company, all are Cuban citizens. Not only are all the rollers Cuban, but all factory managers and quality control specialists are also Cubans.

Buena Vista Reserva cigars have a Dominican and Ecuadorian filler blend, an Ecuadorian binder and a silky smooth Ecuadorian wrapper. They come in nine different vitolas. This week’s featured Reserva is the 6.5-inch by 54 ring Toro Grande.

The wrapper on this stick is gorgeous, it exudes a nice amount of natural oils and the leaf possesses a pungent aroma of wet hay and raw nuts. The cigars themselves are quite lumpy and bumpy and display a lack of symmetry.

TASTING NOTES: At the very beginning, the Buena Vista Reserva displays some grassy notes and then turns toward earthiness and woody flavors. The retrohale adds a bit of spice to the equation.

During the first third, one of my samples exhibited a cavernous tunnel that forced me to touch up the cigar with my lighter. However, the burn righted itself and the burn line became razor sharp and dead even. The draw was smooth with a little more resistance than I would normally like to see. The ash was firm and allowed me to tap off in 1-inch chunks.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Buena Vista Reserva is an attractive cigar with an easy smoking profile. It displays notes of grass, wood, some raw nuttiness and a touch of tobacco sweetness on the finish. Minor tunnel in the first sample notwithstanding, the cigar proved to be well constructed with a draw and burn that was excellent. The Reserva Sublime is medium-full in body and flavor and a solid medium in strength.

Because of its easy-going body and flavor profile, this cigar should appeal to a wide range of cigar smokers. It will likely be easily approachable to most serious cigar smokers and most newbies should be able to hang in there as well.

The only drawback for some may be the price. Cigar collector’s who value the packaging along with the smoke-ability of the cigar, should find these cigars enticing. For the general cigar smoking population, I would like to see these cigars sold in bundles so that both the consumer and retailer can resupply their stores without paying the overhead of the gorgeous, but pricey packaging.

~Doc

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

Carlos Torano Cameroon 1916

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 01:34:53 -0700

SIZE AND TYPE: 5.5 x 42 Corona
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr., 6.7 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 88
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 70
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 79.7

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in my Elie Bleu desktop humidor. This humidor keeps the humidity stable at 66-68%RH. The humidor is small (40-count) and I don't open it much, but I am confident in its ability to keep cigars fresh without much upkeep.

This is the second of two podcast reviews of the Cameroon 1916 Corona, which has been resting for a total of 1 year, 6.7 months.

BACKGROUND: The Toraño 1916 Cameroon was first featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast in Episode 230 on Sunday, July 18, 2010. These cigars have been resting in my humidor for a year and a half and I pulled out my last two samples this past week for this postscript review.

Santiago Toraño left his homeland of Spain and migrated to Cuba in 1916 to find work as a tobacco grower. His son, Carlos Toraño, was born and raised in Cuba and, together with his father and brothers, built one of the largest and most respected tobacco growing operations in Cuba.

However, the Cuban revolution of 1959 caused the Toraño family to leave Cuba and settle in the tobacco-growing region of the Connecticut Valley, U.S.A. From there Carlos moved to the Dominican Republic, where he made one of the most significant contributions to the tobacco industry by introducing the Piloto Cubano tobacco variety, which today is featured in a multitude of premium cigar blends.

Carlos Toraño died in 1970, but the Toraño company, led by his son Carlos A. Toraño, and grandson Charlie, would go on to produce cigars in their factories in Nicaragua and Honduras.

The 1916 Cameroon commemorates the Toraño family’s entry into the tobacco business. This was the year Santiago Toraño emigrated from Spain to Cuba. Now, 95 years later, his dream is still alive and is celebrated by the Cameroon 1916.

The 1916 Series features a gorgeous Cameroon wrapper that has been aged for several years. The 1916 Cameroon also sports a Nicaraguan binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers.

The Cameroon 1916 comes in 4 cedar-wrapped vitolas. Today's featured stick is the 5.5-inch by 42 ring Corona.

TASTING NOTES: The Torano 1916 Cameroon started with a slightly off taste. It was bitter and soapy on the palate, while the retrohale displayed woody notes and some white pepper. A year ago, I noted a more herbaceous character to the cigar, but now it just seems bitter. As the cigar progressed beyond the one-third mark, I noted a touch of tobacco sweetness on the palate, but it was a fleeting nuance.

In the final half of this smoke, the tobacco sweetness was more pronounced, but so was the bitterness. I noted some smoky wood aromas as I retrohaled in the final half, but the cigar left a bitter finish on my palate leaving me unsatisfied.

The construction and burn was a different story. As with most Toraño cigars, the draw was just right and the burn line was even. The light gray ash was firm and I did not feel a need to ash frequently. This is not a strong cigar, but it is medium-full in both body and flavor.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As far as Cameroon wrappers go, this is not one of my favorites. A good Cameroon needs to be spicy and sweet. This one has too much bitterness and bite for my liking. The extra year of aging has not been kind to the 1916 Cameroon. When I reviewed it a year ago, I felt this cigar had a pleasant mix of flavors, but now I am not enjoying it. This is not a complex cigar, it is pretty straightforward in its flavor profile. Because of that I would say that a cigar smoker would either love or hate this stick. My final comment is that, because this cigar still has enough horsepower in both body and strength, it may still develop more complexity and a balanced flavor profile with more aging. That said, I won't be able to test that theory because I have smoked the last cigar in this batch.

~Doc

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

Angelenos 2009 Limited Edition

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:32:52 -0700

SIZE AND TYPE: 6 x 50 Toro
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr., 11.1 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 87
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 89
OVERALL SCORE: 88.2

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars come in a cabinet-style box of 10 cigars. They have been resting in their original box with cellophane wrappers intact. The cigars are stored in my Aristocrat cabinet humidor at 68%RH and a temperature range between 65-72°F.

This is the second and final postscript review. The cigars have been aging for 1 year, 10.6 months in my humidor.

BACKGROUND: I first featured the Angelenos Toro in Episode 232 on Sunday, August 1, 2010. These cigars have been waiting their turn to be revisited and to see what an extra year of aging has brought to their body and flavor profile. These sticks have been resting in my humidor for a total of 1 year, 10 months and I brought out my last 2 sticks last week for this review.

Angelenos are made for Promethius Company by the Arturo Fuente Company and the cigars are made in the Dominican Republic. As the name suggests, the Angelenos are not named for their point of origin, but rather for the place they are enjoyed with an enthusiasm that may be unrivaled.

Countless movie stars, titans of business, musicians, athletes, writers, and politicians call Los Angeles their home. The city’s flourishing population exhibits an unmatched love of life, inspired both by the culture that surrounds them and by the natural beauty and idyllic climate of their chosen home.

Paradoxically, Los Angeles, indeed all of California, is beset by many problems Besides having an extraordinarily high tobacco tax rate in California, Angelenos have had to deal with mounting anti-tobacco legislation, which is making it more and more difficult to enjoy a fine cigar in public. Perhaps that is why Los Angeles is the home of many of the world’s most passionate cigar lovers, making it the perfect tribute city for the Angelenos cigar.

Made in the Dominican Republic by the Fuente Company, the Angeleno is made with an Ecuadorian wrapper and Dominican fillers and binder tobacco.

Angelenos come in four sizes: a Lonsdale, Double Robusto, Gran Toro and the cigar I am featuring today, the 6-inch by 50 RG Toro.

TASTING NOTES: This stogie starts out with that familiar Connecticut grassy bite. The bite, or bitterness, typically resolves quickly and did in this case. By the time I reached the one-third mark, there was an infusion of tobacco sweetness that resolved the grassiness.

There seems to be a general trend toward using Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut in premium cigars; not only because it is cheaper, but because many cigar blenders believe it displays more tobacco sweetness in the flavor, which would counterbalance the grassy bite. Connecticut seed tobacco from the U.S. to me seems more bitter than that grown in Ecuador, but that is my own personal reference point.

From the outset, this cigar is light in body and strength and medium-full in flavor. It is a pleasant smoke with flavors of fresh grass, raw nuts and slight cedar notes. There is enough sweetness to give the cigar balance, though I would like to see more fullness of flavor. The finish is also light and displays some light white pepper on the palate and hay-like characters on the retrohale.

The draw and burn were quite good, with just the right resistance and a thin black burn line, respectively. The medium gray ash was fairly solid that I tapped off in three-quarter-inch chunks, but the ash was misshapen and gave the cigar the appearance of being square-pressed.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This cigar should appeal to newbie's that are just starting to train their palates and prefer a light smoke that doesn't overpower their taste buds. I suggest you match the Angelenos with your morning coffee or with a blended scotch. This is an easy cigar to smoke and would likely appeal to most cigar smokers.

The price is high at 13.50 per stick. In my opinion, there are many other Connecticut’s that I would recommend that have a lower price point.

~Doc

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

Los Blancos Nine Robusto

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:46:39 -0700

SIZE AND TYPE: 5 x 52 Robusto
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr., 4.5 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 87
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 91
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 90.1

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in their original box in my Aristocrat Mini cabinet humidor. I have left the cellophane wrappers on the cigars. The humidor has a set-and-forget system that is set for 68%RH. The temperature varies between 65-72 degrees F.

These Robusto's have been in my humidor for 1 year, 3.8 months. This is the second of two Stogie Fresh 5 podcast reviews.

BACKGROUND: The Los Blancos Nine was featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast in Episode 229 on Sunday, July 11, 2010. These cigars have now been resting in my humidor for 1 year, 3.7 months and I pulled out my last two samples for this final postscript review.

The Los Blancos Cigar Company was founded in the United States in 1998, with corporate office and North American Distribution Center located in the City of Chicago. While the company is an all-American enterprise, the Blanco family’s history and roots in the tobacco industry can be traced back 5 generations to Cuba’s western-most province of Pinar del Rio.

The company believes in a strong family oriented business and as a result many of the family members are involved in one aspect of the business or another.

The latest cigar from Los Blancos is the NINE, which is a Nicaraguan Puro and is the company's fullest bodied cigar to date. This cigar was released 2 years ago at the annual IPCPR trade show. The wrapper is an Oscuro Corojo leaf, while the Binder is from Jalapa and the Fillers are three different Ligeros all grown in Nicaragua.

The reason the cigar was named NINE is because it was the ninth blend that was chosen when creating the cigar. The blending team consisted of David Blanco, his good friend Jose Torres, and the Los Blancos Master Blender.

The Nine comes in 5 different sizes: Today's featured Nine is the 5-inch by 52 ring Robusto.

TASTING NOTES: The wrapper on the Los Blancos Nine is as rustic and leathery as any you will find. The texture is befitting this Nicaraguan Corojo Oscuro leaf, which has enjoyed plenty of wind, sun and other elements of nature.

The flavors of this cigar are earthy, with smoked wood, leather and dark roast coffee. This is a savory cigar with notes of barbecued beef that makes my mouth water. The retrohale brings out a bit of pepper and an earthy sweetness in the tobacco.

The performance was solid in this stick. The draw and burn were smooth and even, respectively. And the dark gray ash was well formed and pellet-like when I tapped it off in my ashtray.

The flavor and body profile has mellowed somewhat over an extra year of aging. I would say this cigar is medium in strength and medium to full in body and flavor.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The best features of this cigar still remain after a year and 4 months of aging in my humidor. This cigar is earthy and lip-smacking sweet, with nice coffee flavors with solid performance. The cigar has mellowed with extra aging and now exhibits a more balanced flavor and body profile.

At between $5 and $6 per stick, this is an easy recommendation for those who like a medium-full smoke with lots of flavor. This is clearly my favorite cigar from the Los Blancos Company and I suggest you give it a try and see why.

~Doc

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

Room 101 Connecticut

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:06:27 -0700

NAME: Room 101 Connecticut
SIZE AND TYPE: 5.5 x 44 213c (Corona)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1.2 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 87
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 89
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 89.1

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These stogies are being kept in their original box in my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor with RH set at 68%. Each cigar came with a protective cellophane wrapper, which I have kept intact. This is my first review of these sticks, which have been resting for 1.2 months in my humidor.

DESCRIPTION: A new cigar for Room 101 was debuted during the 2011 annual cigar trade show and then featured at the 2011 Crush & Roll West. Room 101 brand owner, Matt Booth, was in attendance at Crush & Roll to unveil the latest in his core line of cigars called the Room 101 Connecticut.

The Room 101 Connecticut is a punchy stick that starts with a filler blend from the Dominican Republic and Honduras. The binder is a Honduran Corojo leaf that gives it some extra body and the wrapper is an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut shade.

These cigars come packed in wooden boxes of 25 cigars. This review will focus on the 5.5 inch by 44 ring gauge Corona.

TASTING NOTES: The Room 101 Connecticut is not for your average Connecticut lover. From the ground up, this cigar is different. Most Connecticut-wrapped cigars are fairly mild in body and strength, but typically have bright grassy flavors. The Room 101 Connecticut has grassy notes, but is bold in both flavor and body. There is a white pepper spice that lays fairly heavy on the palate. There is also white pepper spice on the retrohale, but unlike some Connecticut's, it leaves my nasal mucosa intact within my nasal passage, instead of lying on my computer keyboard.

Matt Booth likes to say, “This is a Connecticut with a kick!” I say, the pungent Ecuadorian wrapper leaf is the first indicator that this cigar may have more horsepower. Wild, resiny aromas signal the unique nature of this stick. Then, there is the Honduran Corojo binder. Anyone who knows anything about the Corojo grown by Julio Eiroa will tell you that it is without a doubt a Corojo with a kick. Finally, you get considerable impact on the palate with not just grassiness, but also a focused white pepper spice.

The draw and burn on this stick were excellent and the unusually dark ash was slightly flaky. The cigar itself was a bit lumpy and bumpy, but none of that figure into the performance.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Room 101 Connecticut is balanced and does not overwhelm the senses. I’ll stop short of calling this cigar complex, but it is mild to medium in strength, medium-full in body and flavor, and will not overpower a newbie, though it will challenge the palate of any experienced smoker.

If you are looking for a typical Connecticut with mild manner and courteous pedigree, this ain’t it. But, if you want to try a Connecticut with a unique edge and attitude, you should give the Room 101 entry a try.

~Doc

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

Don Ramon Maduro

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 13:18:26 -0700

TYPE: The 660 (Toro Gordo)
REVIEW # 4-B
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6 x 60
WRAPPER: Honduras
BINDER: Honduras
FILLER: Honduras
DATE OF PURCHASE: 1/31/2009
DATE OF RATING: 10/15/2011
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2 years, 8.9 months
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 87
BURN: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 88.5

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in their original box of 25 cigars. I have left their cellophane wrappers intact. The cigars are stored in my retrofitted wine cooler cabinet humidor with the RH set at 68%.

This is the fourth and final review in this series of reviews. These cigars have been aging for 2 years, 8.4 months.

BACKGROUND: These cigars were made to commemorate Raymond D. Roth's legacy and the 10th year of his passing in1998. The H.J. Bailey Company commissioned Camacho Cigars to create two House Brands called Don Ramon. There is a natural and a maduro in this line and today's reviewed stick is the Don Ramon Maduro.

The Maduro is manufactured in Honduras at the Camacho Cigar factory and their production is overseen by Camacho Company founder Julio Eiroa. It is a blend of Honduran long-filler tobacco with a dark Maduro wrapper.

This is a majestic cigar at 6-inches by 60 ring gauge. At this size it represents a lot of tobacco real estate. This is a nice looking cigar, with a dark and sultry wrapper leaf, which is blemish free with the exception of a noticeable patch on the barrel of the stick.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar starts with flavors of smoked wood and a musky essence. The retrohale during the first couple of inches was smooth and lightly wooded. The extra age is mellowing this stick, especially at the outset.

At the one-third point the cigar started to show some smoky and earthy notes with a hint of natural tobacco sweetness. The effect was very pleasing to the senses and there was a lingering sweetness on the palate.

In the second half this stick developed more pronounced sweetness and showed a lingering pepper spice on the finish.

The draw was excellent and the burn line was even and without blistering. The medium gray ash was perfectly formed and solid until I tapped off at around 2-inches.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall this cigar is medium in strength and medium-full in body and flavor. This is an easy cigar to smoke and very approachable. I think it would appeal to a wide range of smoker preferences. This is not a complex cigar. It is pretty straightforward in its flavor profile, but it is a pleasant smoke whose price at around $9.00 per stick, may be a bit steep for some.

This is a good stick to use to introduce people to Maduro fermented stogies. It is easy on the palate and has good flavor that will likely appeal to the novice smoker.

Even though this cigar has mellowed considerably, it is still carrying enough flavor to suggest it will age well over 3 years. I am assigning it an Aging Potential Score of B = this cigar should age well over the first 5 years and is likely to develop further complexity and nuances.

~Doc

Los Blancos Sumatra

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:30:54 -0700

BRAND: Los Blancos
NAME: Sumatra
TYPE: Toro
REVIEW # 4
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6 x 52
WRAPPER: Indonesian Sumatra
BINDER: Honduras
FILLER: Nicaragua
DATE OF PURCHASE: 11/7/2008
DATE OF RATING: 10/13/2011
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2 years, 11.7 months
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 81
BURN: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 85.4
WEBSITE: http://losblancos.com

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars were stored in my Stogie Fresh Limited Edition desktop humidor for 2 months and then moved to the top singles drawer of my Aristocrat humidor. They have stayed in this location ever since. They are now almost 3-years of age and I pulled my last two from this batch out this past week for this review. This is the fourth and final review in this series.

BACKGROUND: The Los Blancos Cigar Company was founded in the USA in 1998, and yet, the family’s history and roots in the tobacco industry can be traced back 5 generations to Cuba’s western-most province of Pinar del Rio.

The company's corporate offices and North America Distribution Center are located in the City of Chicago. The Blanco family believes in a strong family oriented business and as a result much of the family is involved in one aspect of the business or another.

The Los Blancos Premiere Selection cigars span a wide range of taste preferences including mild, medium and full-bodied cigars with unique blends of Piloto Cubano seed, Nicaraguan, Honduran and Indonesian tobacco.

The Los Blancos Sumatra has an Indonesian-grown Sumatra wrapper with a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan filler tobacco.

After sitting in my humidor for nearly 3 years, this cigar still has a nice aroma of fresh hay and raw nuts. The wrapper leaf has the same basic rustic look as it did 3 years ago. After trimming the cap, I noted that the pre-light draw was slightly stiff, but other than that, the physical characteristics were excellent.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar started off, as have all the others in this batch, with bright grassy flavors and a slight bitterness on the palate; the kind of bite you'd expect from hops in a beer.

After the first inch, the grassy bite mellowed and the cigar started to display some tobacco sweetness along with woody characters. The flavor was not something I was too excited about and yet, it kind of grows on you. The longer you smoke this cigar, the more agreeable the flavors become. That said, this is not my preferred style of flavor for a cigar.

The draw continued to be tight and I noticed this throughout the smoke. Nevertheless, the cigar wasn't plugged and I was still able to enjoy the stick with minimal attention to the burn and draw. The burn line was even and the ash was a bit flaky.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Los Blancos Sumatra Toro is a decent stick at a fair price. I give it good marks for consistency, but it's flavor profile keeps me wanting more out of the stick. This cigar is not complex and its shallow flavor profile favors woody and grassy flavors.

The extra age has not enhanced nor detracted from the cigar and yet I believe you will get the best overall flavor and performance during the first couple of years. For that reason, I will assign it an Aging Potential Score of C = This cigar may age beneficially for the first two years, but we recommend smoking during that time for the best overall performance.

~Doc

EP Carrillo Short Run 2011

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:39:46 -0700

NAME: 2011 Bombones
SIZE AND TYPE: 4.875 x 50 Robusto
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 3.8 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 80
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 85.0

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These Short Run stogies are stored in their original cabinet-style box, sans cello. I keep them in my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor with a set-and-forget, active humidification system set at 68%RH. Temperatures are pretty moderate in California, though during the summer in can get quite hot. Fortunately, this summer has had very few days of really hot weather.

This is the first of two podcast reviews on these sticks, which have spent 3.5 months in my humidor.

BACKGROUND: To say that Ernesto Perez-Carrillo is famous in the cigar industry, would be an understatement. This world-renowned cigar master and his family have making cigars for generations. After Castro took over the family business in Havana in the early 1960's, Ernesto’s family fled to Miami and started a small factory in Little Havana. While still in Cuba, Carrillo mastered the art of cigar making and is one of the best blenders in the industry today. Carrillo founded the El Credito Cigar Company in Miami, which manufactured the highly popular La Gloria Cubana cigars.

In the spring of 2008, Perez-Carrillo left the employ of Swedish Match Company, which now owned the La Gloria Cubana brand, and he joined forces with his son and daughter to create the EPC Cigar Co. They now produce cigars under the E.P. Carrillo brand.

In 2009, they launched their inaugural cigar, the 2009 Edición Inaugural. I featured this cigar in Stogie Fresh 5 episode number 202.

A once per year, Carrillo releases a cigar called the Short Run. The first release of this cigar, which debuted in 2010, was featured on this show in episode 227. There were just 1,500 boxes of each size of the 2010 Short Run.

Today I will feature the 2011 Short Run, which features a gorgeous Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper atop premium Nicaraguan and Dominican long filler. As with the 2010, there were only 1,500 boxes produced in each size.

These cigars come in 3 different sizes: a 5.8 inch by 52 ring Canonazos, a 6.2 by 60 Inmensos and the cigar I’m featuring today a 4.8 inch by 50 ring gauge, Bombones.

TASTING NOTES: My initial thoughts were that the 2011 Short Run was not as flavorful or as full in body as the 2010. Nevertheless, the cigar was balanced and displayed complexity of flavors. The Bombones started off with earthy and woody notes and a faint spiciness on the palate. Retrohaling added a tangy zest and more dimension to the smoke. This cigar was medium-full in flavor and medium in body and strength, during the first half.

The softness of the cigar that I noted during pre-light did not present any problems with the performance of the stick. The draw was just right and the cigar cast a consistent ash that held on until I tapped off in 1-inch chunks. The thin black burn line was even and the cigar smoked effortlessly.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The 2011 iteration of the Short Run is not as good as the 2010 version, in my opinion. This one is dominated by earthy and woody notes, with muted spice and is lacking in natural tobacco sweetness. I do think it is a pleasant cigar and the price is reasonable. You can pick these up for a box price of around $138 and that equates to around $5.75 per stick. The flavor and body profile should appeal to a wide range of smokers and the construction and burn make for an enjoyable smoking experience.

~Doc

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

Chaveta Corte Fino

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 19:20:11 -0700

BRAND AND NAME: Chaveta Corte Fino
SIZE AND TYPE: 7 x 48 Churchill
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 3.0 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 88
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 92
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 91
OVERALL SCORE: 91.1

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are being stored in their original cabinet style box and with cellophane wrappers intact. I received these cigars at the peak of summer and the temps and humidity have been higher in my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. Temperatures have ranged between 68-74°F and humidity has been 68-72%RH.

This is the first of two podcast reviews. These cigars have been resting in my humidor for 3.0 months.

BACKGROUND: Tower Pipes & Cigars in Sacramento, California has been a family-owned business in operation since 1967. Under the leadership of Mark Just they have, during that time, had the opportunity to have some killer house brands made for them including one of my absolute favorites the Tatuaje Cojete and the Viaje Tower 45th Anniversary.

In May of 2011, Mark had the opportunity to purchase a brand that was made by Abe Flores in the Don Leoncio factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Mark generously sent some of these cigars out to my 5th annual Central Coast Herf and I had the chance to give this cigar a test run. Well I did, and I thought it was one of the better new cigars that I’ve smoked this year.
The cigar is called the Chaveta Corte Fino and is named after the curved cutting tool that is used by cigar rollers to practice their artisanal craft. The cigars are constructed around a Dominican and Nicaraguan filler base, a Dominican binder and a dark and sultry Brazilian Bahia Maduro wrapper. The cigar comes in four sizes and this week’s featured stogie is the 7-inch by 48 ring gauge Churchill.

The maduro wrapper is slightly mottled and there is a pungent aroma of nuts, alfalfa and rum.

TASTING NOTES: The flavors of the Chaveta are savory and remind me of char broiled meat. There is some pepper on the palate and a bit of espresso nuance.

After an initial blast of pepper and spice, the cigar mellows slightly and displays subtle notes of bourbon or perhaps rum.

But the real kick in the pants is in the retrohale. This is where you will experience the body and full dimension of this stogie.

The draw and burn were both excellent; the burn line was like a straightedge and the draw was smooth and effortless. The ash had the color of zebra stripes and broke off neatly into 1-inch chunks.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Chaveta Corte Fino is a great every day smoke and one of the best new smokes that I've come across this year. As of this writing, the Robusto can be had at around $5.20 per stick and the Churchill at $5.88 per. You've gotta give these a try.

Tower Cigars: http://towercigars.com

~Doc

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

EP Carrillo Short Run 2010

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 18:38:27 -0700

NAME: Short Run 2010 Populares
SIZE AND TYPE: 4.875 x 50 Robusto
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 4.0 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 88
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 89.7

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are being stored in their original box in my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. The set-and-forget active humidification system is set at 68%RH and the temperature varies between 66-70°F.

This is the second and final postscript review on this cigar. This batch of cigars has now been resting in my humidor for 1 year, 4 months.

BACKGROUND: Just a short while ago, I featured the EP Carrillo Short Run 2011 on my Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. Now it’s time to revisit the 2010 Short Run. I first featured this cigar in Episode 227 on Sunday, June 27, 2010. These 2010 Short Run’s have been resting in my humidor for a year and 4 months and I pulled out a matched pair last week to see how they are coming along with the extra aging.

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo is a world-renowned cigar master whose family has been making cigars for generations. Their flagship brand, La Gloria Cubana, became one of the best sellers during the cigar renaissance that swept this country in the early and mid-1990's.

Later, Perez-Carrillo would sell the La Gloria brand to the Swedish Match Company and in the spring of 2008, would join forces with his son and daughter to create the EPC Cigar Company.

The EP Carrillo Short Run is a small-batch cigar. That is, it’s a limited production release of just 1500 boxes of each size per year. The 2010 Short Run features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, with a Nicaraguan binder and a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers.

According to Carrillo, “The idea behind the E.P. Carrillo Short Run is to release small batches or, short runs, of unique blends throughout the year.

This week's featured Short Run is the 4 7/8 inches by 50 ring Populares. Incidentally, the 2011 Short Run is also 4 7/8 inches by 50 ring gauge, but it is called Bombones. Incidentally, thus far both Short Runs have carried the same band. I dislike this practice because it makes it more difficult for consumers to distinguish between different batches. If you purchase by the box, it won't be difficult to keep them straight, but when you've got a bunch laying around in your humidors, it will become increasingly difficult to manage your collection.

TASTING NOTES: The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper on the Populare is lighter in color than the Habano wrapper that graces the 2011 Short Run. The cigar was perfectly supple and showed no prospect of construction issue during the pre-light.

The 2010 Populare starts with light wood notes on the palate and a floral and sweet retrohale. The first inch of the cigar is mild to medium in body and strength, with medium-full flavor.

As I continued toward the first half, the cigar started showing more substance on the palate with substantial oak wood character and a touch of pepper spice. The retrohale is tangy-sweet and ripped through my nasal passage with white pepper that resolved into tobacco sweetness.

The burn and draw were excellent, with a thin black burn line and a slightly flaky ash, which I had to tap off in 1/2 inch increments. The wrapper split slightly toward the head, but never came apart and unraveled.

FINAL THOUGHTS: From the beginning to the end of the cigar, the 2010 Populare showed a lot of depth and dimension. It takes you on a ride that covers the spectrum in body, strength and flavor. With an almost mild beginning to a punchy end, this cigar demonstrates the essence of complexity.

The 2010 Short Run is showing that it still has the stuff to age further and, at a year and 4 months of age, is clearly destined for more successful aging. In the end, I would say this cigar demonstrates medium-full body and strength and full-flavor on the palate and retrohale. This is a balanced smoke that would be approachable to a wide range of smokers. If you can still get your hands on them, this would be a great buy. I paid around $5.50 per stick for these Robusto's and I can recommend them highly.

~Doc

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

Quesada Tributo Alvaro

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:48:22 -0700

BRAND AND NAME: Quesada Tributo Alvaro (Belicoso)
SIZE AND TYPE: 6 x 52 Belicoso
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 4.6 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 92
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 88
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 80
OVERALL SCORE: 85.8

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are being stored in the singles drawer within an opened plastic cigar sack. This is to allow some ventilation while also protecting the cigars from wrapper-to-wrapper contact with other cigars in the drawer.

This is the second review in a two-part series of podcast reviews of this cigar. They have been resting in my humidor for 1 year, 4.6 months.

BACKGROUND: I first featured the Quesada Tributo in Episode 226 on Sunday, June 20, 2010. These cigars have been resting in my humidor for 1 year, 2 months and I pulled out a couple of samples last week to see what an extra year of age has wrought.

These cigars are manufactured at the Matasa (Manufactura de Tabacos S. A.) factory in the Dominican Republic. This factory was launched in 1974 as a small operation with only three rollers and Manuel Quesada leading the endeavor. Prior to that, the Quesada family had been leaf processors in Cuba. With 5 generations of family involved in the business, the Quesada's have roots in the tobacco industry that reach back for more than 100 years.

In 2008, the 5th generation of Quesada's decided it was time to nudge the company in a new direction by creating a new Quesada family brand that would pay homage to the family tradition and heritage. In February 2010, I was one of 40 or so people who were on hand to witness the pre-release of the new Quesada Tributo. Tributo, which means "tribute," was produced through the collaborative effort of the entire 5th generation of the Quesada clan. As the name suggests, this cigar is a tribute to those who are no longer alive, but whose lives and memories have shaped the younger generation. It was an emotional event and a once in a lifetime experience, not to mention that the cigar was up to the occasion.

The blend of this cigar starts with a core of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, a Nicaraguan binder and an Ecuadorian hybrid wrapper. The wrapper is a dark chocolate brown with small veins and with moderate oils exuding from the leaf. The Tributo cigar, comes in four sizes and bears the name of the family members whose lives are being celebrated by the sharing of this new cigar. Those names are: Manolin, Alvaro, Alvarito and Julio. Today's featured Tribute is the 6-inch x 52 Alvaro Belicoso.

TASTING NOTES: The Tributo comes out of the gate with deep earthy flavors on the palate and retrohale. There is also a spicy sweetness. This cigar sports notes of coffee and finishes with substantial pepper spice on the tongue. On the retrohale I picked up a nice balance between wood, sweetness and spice. A year of extra aging has not diminished the best qualities in this torpedo. It is still full in flavor and medium-full in body and strength with big flavor and body.

The cigar exhibited a tight draw and a tunnel in the center of the bunch affected the burn in the first third. The slightly off-kilter burn line was also a bit blistered. The slightly stiff draw may have contributed to the slight bitterness on the aftertaste.

Because of the burn issues with the first sample, I decided to do a flambé purge the cigar at the one-third mark. That definitely freshened and sweetened the flavors nicely. However, even when I burned past the tunnel, the draw was still a bit stiff and I once again experienced some bitterness.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Quesada Tributo is a cigar with a unique pedigree. The hybrid wrapper gives a unique full flavor and the extra ligero tobacco creates a body and strength profile that will lead to excellent long-term aging, in my opinion. This cigar manages to be complex, while still satisfying a craving for a robust and flavorful cigar. I have no doubt that this will be a great "archive selection" cigar and will age well for 5 years or more.

The first of two samples was the first time I've experienced a wayward burn with the Tributo. Most samples have been rock solid on the construction and burn. However, the second sample that I smoked also had a stiff draw, though there were no tunnels that developed and I didn't notice the same bitterness. A tight draw results in overpuffing to get sufficient smoke into the mouth and often results in a hotter burn and acrid flavors. I nursed the second sample through repeated dry purging cycles to keep it fresh and that seemed to work pretty well.

Most of these cigars will run between $6.50 and $8.00 per stick, except for the Alvarito, which is around $5.00. This is one of the cigars that I believe shows enough distinction that everyone should try it. This may end up being one of the cigars that you either love or hate. I enjoy these cigars and can recommend them to experienced cigar smokers who like a full-flavored and full-bodied smoke.

~Doc

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:37:36 -0700

BRAND AND NAME: La Flor Dominicana, Air Bender
SIZE AND TYPE: 5.5 x 42 Poderoso (Corona)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 4.8 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 89
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 89.4

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been resting in their original box in my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. The humidor keeps a constant 68%RH and the temperatures vary between 66-70°F.

This is the second and final postscript review. These cigars have been aging for 1 year, 4.8 months in my humidor.

BACKGROUND: I first featured the La Flor Dominicana Air Bender in Episode 225 on Sunday, June 13, 2010. These cigars have been resting in my humidor for 1 year 4.8 months and I pulled out a couple this past week for a revisit. I have kept these cigars in their original box and have left them in their cellophane wrappers.

Litto Gomez and his wife Ines Lorenzo-Gomez started the La Flor Dominicana cigar company in the mid-1990s at the height of the cigar boom. Litto was able to survive the subsequent “bust” by focusing on sustained growth and improved quality, while also building a reputation as a maker of full-bodied cigars.

The Air Benders are billed as intense, sophisticated and yet powerful cigars. Like several La Flor lines, the Air Bender has its roots as a blend exclusively distributed at La Flor Dominicana cigar events. However, the cigar was such a hit at these events that, in time, Litto would release it as a regular-production cigar. This is becoming more and more of a trend to release cigars at events to get some feedback from smaller focus groups.

According to Gomez the name Air Bender refers to the smoke coming off the end of the cigar. Says Litto: "When we smoke, we bend the air. You can see smoke split the air as it leaves a cigar. That’s why I thought 'Air Bender' would be a perfect name for my newest line."

The Air Bender sports an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, with Dominican filler and binder tobaccos from Litto’s farm in La Canela. Today's featured Air Bender is the 5.5 inch by 42 ring Poderoso.

When I took the cello off this mighty mite, which has been in my humidor aging for nearly a year and a half, I was greeted with pungent aromas. This thing had aromas of nuts and molasses and alfalfa.

TASTING NOTES: First of all, I really do like this classic Corona size. This small ring gauge optimizes the flavors from the wrapper leaf and also just seem to be beefier in flavor, unless you specifically blend them not to be.

In any case, moving on to the flavor; this cigar started out with plenty of spice and a touch of sweetness, but not as much sweetness as a year ago. I think perhaps the extra year of aging mellowed the natural sweetness of the tobacco. Not a lot, but it was noticeable for me.

On the other hand, the tobacco exuded notes of savory roasted meat and BBQ flavors and also exhibited some earthiness and a slight tinge of bitterness. Even after an extra year of aging, this smoke really displays a lot of spice on the palate. It makes your tongue tingle on the aftertaste. However, what I noticed was that the cigar doesn’t display as much natural tobacco sweetness to balance the spiciness and the earthy bitterness on the palate.

An extra year hasn’t diminished much of the full dose of nasal pepper and aromatic wood when I retrohale the smoke. This sucker rips through my nasal mucosa like a hot knife through bologna.

As with the other samples in this batch, the draw and burn were excellent, making the Air Bender a joy to smoke.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The La Flor Dominicana Air Bender is still one of my favorite cigars by Litto Gomez. When young, it exhibits sophistication and complexity, with very focused flavors and good body. After an extra year of aging in my humidor, it still carried bold, full flavors but is not quite as focused and conspicuously lacks in sweetness. The Habano wrapper is flavorful and aromatic. I recommend you give these a ride and see for yourself what Señor Litto has been up to.

~Doc

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

Nestor Miranda 1989 Oscuro

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 01:34:59 -0700

BRAND AND NAME: Nestor Miranda 1989 Oscuro Torpedo
SIZE AND TYPE: 6.1 x 52 Belicoso
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 4.2 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 86
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 88
OVERALL SCORE: 87.2

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat Mini Cabinet humidor. The Mini keeps an RH% of 68 and the temperatures have ranged between 68-74°F. I have left the cellophane wrappers intact.

This is the second and final postscript review of this cigar, which has been aging for a year and 4 months in my humidor.

BACKGROUND: On Sunday, June 6, 2010 in Episode 224, I first featured the Nestor Miranda 1989 Torpedo. This week, after another year of aging, I pulled out my last two cigar samples to see what the extra age has done to the flavor and body profile.

The Nestor Miranda cigar line comes from Miami Cigar & Company, which was founded in 1989. Officially titled, the Nestor Miranda Collection, the cigars in the line include the Special Selection, the Dominicano and the 1989. With the appearance of the 1989, the Nestor Miranda Collection is more or less complete, providing a cigar for every smoker's preference and pocketbook. Besides commemorating the launch of the company, the new 1989 is priced aggressively. These cigars retail in the U.S. for just $5.00 per stick.

The 1989 is blended and manufactured by the My Father Cigar Corporation in Nicaragua. Like all the other cigars in the Nestor Miranda Collection, the 1989 is made in two flavors: one with a Rosado wrapper for those preferring a medium bodied smoke and the other with an Oscuro wrapper for those wanting a medium to full bodied smoke. The 1989 is a Nicaraguan puro, meaning that all the tobacco comes from the same country.

The Nestor Miranda Collection 1989 comes in three (3) sizes: a 5-inch x 50 RG Robusto, a 6-inch by 50 ring Toro and the cigar I'm featuring today, a 6.1 inch by 52 ring Torpedo.

TASTING NOTES: This torpedo started off exactly the same way it did a year ago with smoky and woody characters backed by an espresso bean bite. There are notes of roasted coffee and a good dose of pepper on the retrohale and some sweetness on the finish. I think an extra year has brought more balance to the smoke. The flavors are meshing together much better than a year ago and the tobacco sweetness is more pronounced, while the bitterness and pepper have slightly diminished.

The draw and burn on both samples of this stick were nearly flawless. The draw was ideal and the volumes of smoke hung heavy in the air. The burn line was even and the medium gray ash held on firmly and allowed me to drop it off in 1-inch chunks.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Nestor Miranda Collection 1989 is a blue-collar workingman's smoke. It's the type of smoke you can feel good about buying and keeping around in abundance and smoke at almost any time of the day and every day. You can feel just as good about these cigars while playing a round of golf, or working in the yard or relaxing with a cold one at the end of the day.

This is a straightforward, no nonsense cigar. If you're looking for complexity and nuance, this is not the ticket. But this cigar comes at you with full flavors of espresso, woody, and earth, with a slight sweetness to the finish. At the end of the day, this is a solid value smoke and will match well with an assortment of full flavored beers, spirits and coffee. As far as I'm concerned the 1989 is just fine.

~Doc

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

Quesada Seleccion Espana

Thu, 8 Sep 2011 02:22:16 -0700

BRAND: Quesada
NAME: Selección España
TYPE: Short Robusto
REVIEW # 1
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 4x50
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Arapiraca
BINDER: Dominican Republic
FILLER: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, USA/Connecticut Broadleaf
DATE OF PURCHASE: 07/06/2011
DATE OF RATING: 09/06/2011
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2.0 months
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 92
BURN: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 91.0
WEBSITE: http://sagimports.com/

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are packaged in cello and cedar boxes at 20 cigars/box. This box has been aging in my Aristocrat humidor, which is maintained at 72°F and 68%RH.

BACKGROUND: This is the first review of the Quesada Selección España Short Robusto. Originally this cigar was produced exclusively for the demands of the Spanish market. The Quesada's wanted to produce a cigar that appealed to the Spanish cigar consumer and produced a cigar with a limited number of sizes and a lighter wrapper color.

At this year’s Pro Cigar Festival in Santiago, Dominican Republic, samples of these cigars were given out to the Festival's participants, and subsequently met with rave reviews. Although the manufacture has maintained that this cigar will remain just for the Spanish market, some boxes are being shipped into the U.S. to selected Quesada accounts.

TASTING NOTES: This Spanish Selection cigar is finished with a sun-grown Ecuadorian Arapiraca wrapper. In the past, this type of wrapper, which is native to Brazil, was typically fermented as a maduro wrapper. In the case of the Ecuadorian-grown version, it is a much lighter shade than one might expect, even though it is a sun-grown leaf. It is light-medium brown in color, or a Colorado Claro by my estimation.

Upon nasal inspection of the cigar, I detected alfalfa sweetness at the foot, while a light, earth and white pepper aroma was noted on the wrapper. A barnyard and hay mix was also detected around the head of the cigar. The cigar itself was slightly bumpy along the barrel, but maintained a tight wrapper seam along the entire length of the cigar. The cigar was firm to the touch and showed no evidence of under-filling.

After trimming the triple cap with my Palìo cutter, I took a pre-light draw. The draw was firm, but ample and exhibited notes of hay.

During the first ¼ inch, this cigar gave off some light vegetal notes, with nothing really to be excited about. But, at that point that it suddenly became a spice bomb, laying heavily into my nasal mucosa. A pleasant sweet aftertaste followed each spicy draw.

By the 1/3 point, this cigar began to change, with nuances of wood in the aftertaste, white pepper in the throat, and a light creaminess on the palate. Each of these sensations arrived individually on the palate, but remained balanced and cohesive.

Arriving at the halfway point, the spicy retrohale and sweet aftertaste remained in perfect union as the wood nuance became more cedar-like in flavor and a slight bitterness entered the equation. The creaminess that was detected earlier waned somewhat at that point.

By the 2/3 point, the sweetness was somewhat overpowered as the wood nuance grew into flavors of coffee. The spiciness in the retrohale continued, never building, nor diminishing, and the creaminess on the palate returned.

By the finish, this cigar displayed full coffee flavor and a slightly bitter aftertaste, but remained in the medium-bodied category.

This short robusto produced a solid salt and pepper ash that was razor sharp. Some blistering and scalloping were noted, but was somewhat expected with a thick wrapper like the Arapiraca. Although you may be fooled by the short size of this cigar, it did deliver a solid hour of smoking pleasure.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Quesada Selección España is a well made, Cubanesque style cigar, at a reasonable price. It provides medium-bodied complex characters that are well balanced and require some patience to truly enjoy. The rarity in the availability of this cigar in the U.S. market alone is reason enough to seek out and try this cigar whenever possible.

This cigar is still relatively young, both as a cigar, and in the cigar market. The true test will be over time as we continue to rate this cigar over the next year, or so. With that, we'll revisit this cigar again after an additional three months of aging.

~Blake

Macanudo 1968 Robusto

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 00:22:08 -0700

BRAND AND NAME: Macanudo 1968
SIZE AND TYPE: 5 x 50 Robusto
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2.6 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 87
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 88.5

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are part of a box of cigars that I broke open to spread in my singles drawer of my cabinet humidor. The humidor is an Aristocrat Mini Cabinet with an active humidification system set at 68%RH. The summer time temperatures are starting to heat up, but are still a reasonable 68-74°F.

DESCRIPTION: The Macanudo 1968 cigar line commemorates the year that General Cigar purchased the Temple Hall Factory in Jamaica and also when Ramon Cifuentes began developing the Macanudo brand, which was eventually released to the U. S. market in 1971.

The Macanudo 1968 pays homage to the history of General’s best selling brand, and at the same time amps up the power factor. This cigar represents a complete departure for one of America’s most popular premium cigar bands. America's famed mild brand was ramped up to a blend built for those who enjoy fuller-bodied smokes.

The cigar’s blend starts with a beautiful dark wrapper leaf from San Agustín, in Honduras and the binder is a USA, Connecticut-grown Habano. The filler blend consists of Nicaraguan tobacco from the island of Ometepe, a volcanic island rising out of Lake Nicaragua, and also includes a leaf grown in the Dominican Republic.

After fermentation, the tobacco is aged in toasted oak barrels to further enrich its flavor.

Housed in 20-count boxes, the Macanudo's come in five sizes: a 6 by 54 Toro; a 5 x 60 Pyramid called the Trompeta, a 7 x 49 ring Churchill, a 6 x 60 Toro Gordo named the Gigante, and the cigar I am featuring today, a 5 x 50 ring gauge Robusto.

TASTING NOTES: The Macanudo 1968 starts with toasty woody flavors with a slight bitterness and a peppery bite on the finish. The retrohale kicks in some roasted coffee notes and slight black pepper spice. There is a killer tang on the retrohale of this stick that is its best feature, in my opinion. It brings out a rich savory character in the smoke that rocks. As a result of the flavor profile in the first half, you simply must retrohale this cigar to get its best features.

In my past experience with this stick, the Robusto size always performs well. This one was no exception. The burn line was even, though a bit blistered and the medium gray ash was firm and well formed. The draw was slightly stiff, which may be responsible, in part, for the slight bitterness. Tightly packed tobacco doesn’t combust as well and may smolder and give off the by products of incompletely burned tobacco.

FINAL THOUGHTS: During the second half, this cigar showed its best stuff, with slightly more tobacco sweetness and a greater complexity and balance. The Macanudo 1968 is now positioned to make its way into the humidor of more cigar smokers. With a price of just over $6.00 per stick, this Robusto should be on your buying list, especially if you have not yet tried it. While the tobacco could use some more sweetness, it has an interesting and complex flavor profile that will challenge your taste buds and your flavor identification skills. Give one of these a try and see what it brings to the table.

~Doc

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

Adrian’s Maduro Toro

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:44:41 -0700

BRAND AND NAME: Adrian’s Maduro
SIZE AND TYPE: 6.5 x 52 Toro
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 3.3 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 88
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 84
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 86
OVERALL SCORE: 85.3

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat Mini Cabinet humidor. The active humidification system is set at 68%RH and I have left the cellophane wrappers on each of the cigars. As we reach summer, the temperatures in my office are a bit higher than normal, ranging between 68-74°F.

This is the second and final postscript review of these cigrs, which have been aging in my humidor for 1 year, 1.5 months.

BACKGROUND: I first featured the Adrian's Maduro in Episode 223, on Sunday, May 30, 2010. These cigars have been in my humidor for 1 year, 1.5 months and I pulled out a couple of these sticks last week to see what an extra year in the humidor has wrought.

Adrian's Cigars founder, Michael Rosales, attended the University of Costa Rica in the late 1990s and spent time touring tobacco plantations in this tropical country. It was during this time that he chanced to walk the farms and fields of tobacco and he learned the inner complexities of the cigar making business. He was fascinated by the process and began his dream of bringing forth cigars from this Central American country.
After completing several blends, Adrian’s Costa Rican Cigars were born in the early part of 2008. Michael named the company after his son and it wasn’t too much after the company’s inception, when one of Michael’s American friends encouraged him to bring these cigars to the U.S.

There are currently 4 cigar lines in the Adrian's portfolio: a Connecticut Shade wrapped cigar, followed by the Havana 2000, and a new boutique brand called CroMagnon. The featured cigar of this week is the Adrian’s Maduro. These cigars feature an Ecuadorian Criollo 98 wrapper, an Ecuadorian Maduro binder, and a Costa Rican filler blend.

Today's featured Adrian's cigar is the 6.5-inch by 52 ring Maduro Toro.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar starts with a combination of mesquite wood and espresso. It has a slight bitterness at the outset that mellows as the cigar progresses. The retrohale is predominantly woody with some pepper tossed in for good measure. The flavors can be described as full and straightforward. Not much complexity, and yet still satisfying. It took a while for the tobacco sweetness to kick in, but it finally did as I reached the halfway point.

I have had some inconsistencies with respect to construction with these stogies. Most of them have been constructed well, but about 20% have had even burns caused by a tunnel. One of the two samples that I smoked for this review had a cavernous tunnel, which caused it to burn out of whack. But the other sample was fine and had an even burn, though a slightly flaky ash.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Adrian's Maduro has plenty of flavor and shows notes of wood, grilled meat and espresso. This cigar is not as sweet after a year of age. It wasn’t all that sweet a year ago, but it displayed more sweetness to the tobacco than it did this time around. With the slight bitterness of espresso and the slight dryness of the wood character, this tobacco has to show some sweetness to carry it, in my opinion. The cigar seems weary after the extra aging.

Overall, the Adrian's Maduro Toro was a good smoke, however aging hasn’t helped it any and I would recommend that you smoke these within the first year or so after purchase. If you like maduro's, I can recommend this cigar as a full-flavored stick. The strength and body are both medium-full and the construction is mostly quite good.

~Doc

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:24:49 -0700

BRAND: Perdomo
NAME: Lot 23 Maduro
TYPE: Belicoso
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 5.75 x 54
REVIEW#: 4-B
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Broadleaf
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Nicaragua
DATE OF PURCHASE: 4/17/2008
DATE OF RATING: 8/4/2011
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 3 Years 4.1 Months
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90
BURN: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 90.0

STORAGE CONDITIONS: This box of Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro's have been aging for over three years now in my Aristocrat humidor, which has been maintained at 68-72°F and 67%RH. They are cello'd and packaged in an elegant Spanish cedar box of 20 cigars.

BACKGROUND: This is the fourth and final review of the Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro. All the tobaccos in this cigar were grown in 2001 on a 103-acre plot of land near Estelí, Nicaragua called “Lot 23.” After curing and fermentation, this tobacco was aged in bales in the Perdomo warehouses until 2005. Originally sporting a Connecticut shade, the wrapper on the Lot 23 was changed to a Nicaraguan Shade, or Nicaraguan-grown Broadleaf Maduro in 2007. After an additional 6 months of aging, these cigars were shipped for distribution.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar is finished with a Nicaraguan-grown Broadleaf wrapper that is medium-dark brown in color and heavily mottled. The graining in the wrapper is tight, and resembles top grain leather. The Broadleaf wrapper is leathery to the touch and possesses thin, spider-web-like veins. Finished with a triple-cap, the cigar is firm along the barrel, and appears to be of excellent construction.

Nasally probing the wrapper reveals the light, pleasant aroma of alfalfa, while the foot just oozes the aroma of alfalfa and cocoa. The pre-light draw shows a firm pull with hay and alfalfa nuances.

This cigar begins with light wood nuances and a pleasant spiciness on the retrohale. The Broadleaf sweetness is very apparent within the first few draws, and to me, just sets the tone or personality for the whole cigar.

By the halfway point, this cigar is solid medium in body. The woody flavor is a light hickory nuance and a touch of leather teases the palate. A light, pleasant grassiness is detectable, while the spice is still hanging in there on the retrohale. The aftertaste continues to deliver that characteristic broadleaf sweetness.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The finish on this Lot 23 was medium in body, but full in flavor. The wood and leather nuances lingered in balance with the grassy sweetness of the tobacco. Within the last third, the spice of the cigar danced on the palate again, much like that of hot cinnamon.

The Perdomo Lot 23 produced a firm white ash, and a solid burn line. No issues were noted with the overall burn of this cigar, and the consistency from cigar to cigar has been outstanding.

The Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro continues to age well and delivers defined flavors without being overly complex. This cigar possesses great construction, quality and value. While I doubt that a box of these would sit in your humidor for 5 years, I believe that they would age well and continue to increase in complexity up to 5 years. It is with that in mind, that I can assign an Aging Potential Score of “B” for the Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro.

~Blake

El Original Corona

Wed, 3 Aug 2011 00:35:20 -0700

Juan Lopez Panatela Superba

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:16:49 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

4.9 x 34 Panatela
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 1.9 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 89
OVERALL SCORE: 89.5

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are stored in their original dress box in my converted wine refrigerator cabinet humidor. The Oasis active humidification system is set at 68%RH. I keep this cabinet in my closet along a central wall of the house, so the temperatures remain stable throughout the year. This is the second and final postscript review of these cigars, which have been resting a total of 1 year, 3 months.

BACKGROUND: This week’s postscript cigar is from that island south of Miami. I first featured the Juan Lopez Panatelas Superba in Episode 221 on Sunday, May 16, 2010. These cigars have now spent a year and 3 months in my humidor and I pulled out a pair this last week to give them a revisit.

In the late 1870's, Juan López Díaz established a cigar factory in Havana Cuba in the late 1870’s. He registered the La Flor de Juan López brand in 1876. The brand flourished and by the time of the Revolution, it was one of the top selling brands in Cuba.

However, for unknown reasons the brand declined in popularity in the late 1970's and by the late 1980's the Juan López brand was just a shadow of its former self. Currently, there are only 3 regular production cigars being manufactured.

Today's featured cigar is the Panatelas Superba, which was discontinued in late 2006, but can still be found in limited quantities. The cigar is a 4.9-inch by 34 ring Short Panatela with a box date of July 2003.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar usually starts out with a touch of sweetness, a dollop of spice and a dash of cedar on the palate. Retrohaling brings out more wood and some coffee and cocoa bean flavors. Because this is a thin ring gauge cigar at just 34 ring, it is wise to manage your smoking pace. When you smoke a thin cigar too quickly, it is likely to get hot and turn a tad bitter. By keeping a nice slow pace, you should be able to enjoy the complexities of this stick without any bitterness.

This cigar is light in body and strength and medium-full in flavor, which should make it approachable to novice smokers, but it is complex enough that it will challenge the taste buds of more experienced aficionados.

The ash was almost a charcoal black in color and the burn line was blistered, though relatively even. Overall, the performance was pretty good and I was able to coax a pretty long, albeit an ugly, ash.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I will continue to recommend the Juan López Panatelas Superba with a cup of your favorite coffee in the morning. It’s size and body and strength profile make it the perfect choice in the morning or as the first cigar in a multi-cigar herf.

The flavors of the Panatelas Superba are light and lively, with notes of sweet spice and aromatic wood. The retrohale is also light, with coffee and cocoa nuances. This is an enjoyable stick that I am continuing to like. I am growing more fond of these sticks with time. With a box date of July 2003, these sticks are performing very well, especially considering they have been around for 8 years. If you can find them, you should be able to pick these up for $4 to $5 per stick, which makes the Panatelas Superba an excellent choice, as well as a fine smoke.

~Doc

Zino Platinum Z-Class 546 P

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 15:53:50 -0700

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

5.25 x 46 Pyramid
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 3-weeks
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 87
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 89
OVERALL SCORE: 88.2

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars came in their original tin box of 20 cigars. I took them out of the box and they are now stored in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat Mini cabinet humidor. Each cigar is cellophane-wrapped.

The Aristocrat cabinet has a set-and-forget, active humidification system that is set at 68%RH. Though it is currently summer, the temperatures have not yet reached their zenith. So, average temperatures have been between 62-70°F.

This is the first of two podcast reviews.

DESCRIPTION: In 2002, the Oettinger Davidoff Group, in partnership with American marketing consultants, developed the Zino Platinum brand. The resulting new brand revealed an entirely new approach to design, marketing and publicity. Zino Platinum represents a fusion of time-honored cigar tradition with the hip new marketing culture of today and is one of the leading lifestyle brands in the cigar industry.

Their newest cigar line is the Z-Class Series, which was built on the concept of the modern jetsetter and was inspired by motion. Made to accompany a fast-paced affluent lifestyle, Z-Class embodies ambition and opulence.

But at the end of the day a cigar has to perform. The response to this cigar at my recent Central Coast herf was mixed. People were divided into two camps; either they loved it or hated it. So today, I’ll be weighing in with my thoughts about this new cigar.

Z-Class consists of four formats: Toro, Robusto, Pyramid and Corona. All come packaged in custom gunmetal tins of 20 cigars and are accented with sleek black bands. The new blend features a Dominican wrapper accented by a Peruvian binder and Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers.

Today’s review is of the 5.25 inch by 46 ring Z-class Pyramid.

TASTING NOTES: The Z-class pyramid starts with notes of wood and a bourbon barrel undertone. The texture is smooth on the palate, perhaps a bit too smooth; there isn’t a huge impact on the palate. However, when you retrohale this smoke you will get the wake up call of your life. Retrohaling produces a huge hit of pepper spice. This contrast between the mild palate feel and the aggressive nasal burn is what may lead to the mixed reactions that some folks have had to these cigars.

Personally, I think it is a good smoke, but it is not showing the balance that I think it will develop with some extra age. As this cigar ages, I am expecting the retrohale to mellow and be more in sync with the flavor profile. At that point, this cigar should not only be more balanced, but I think the overall experience of flavor and aroma will result in a killer smoke. Right now, I am not impressed with its current flavor and body profile, but I do like the smoke well enough and I do believe that it shows promise for the future.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Zino Platinum Z-class Pyramid is a cigar that many people like. At my recent herf I had several people who were loving this stick, so it obviously has great appeal for some folks. For my own tastes I too like the cigar, but I feel that it is not showing its pedigree to full effect right now. However, I would be willing to bet that in 6-months to a year, this stick will be a different animal and will be an better smoke because of it.

These cigars have a suggested retail price of $9.00 per stick, but you can find them at a box price of just over $8.10 apiece. At that price, they are definitely worth a try.

~Doc

Davidoff Puro d’Oro Notables

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:18:26 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

5.625 x 46 Corona Gorda
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 1.9 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 92
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 93
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 92
OVERALL SCORE: 92.5

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigar have been stored in their original box in my Aristocrat Cabinet Humidor. The Set-and-Forget system is set to 68%RH and the temperatures are between 66-69 degrees F.

This is the second and final review in this series of podcast reviews. These cigars have spent 1 year, 2 months in my humidor prior to this review.

BACKGROUND: I first featured the Davidoff Puro d'Oro Notables back in Episode 220 of the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast back on Sunday, May 9, 2010. These cigars have now been resting in my humidor in their original box for 1 year, 1 month and I pulled out a couple of samples last week for a revisit.

This cigar features carefully chosen single-origin tobaccos and showcases the Davidoff Yamasa wrapper. The packaging hearkens back to an earlier time in Davidoff history. The cigars come with pigtail tops and bundled in batches of 25 and elegantly tied with a silk ribbon and packed in a paper-covered box.

The wrapper is a very special one. It comes from a region in the central part of the Island called Yamasa. This part of the country is not known for growing cigar tobacco and yet these unique climate and soil conditions give the wrapper a flavor and aroma that you would not normally expect from a cigar made by the Davidoff company.

Like the wrapper, the filler and binder tobacco for the Puro d'Oro is also grown in the Dominican Republic, making this cigar, as the name suggests, a true Dominican puro. The Davidoff Puro d’Oro series comes in 5 sizes: This week's featured cigar is the 5.6-inch by 46 ring, Notables, which retails for $13.50 per stick.

TASTING NOTES: The Notables starts off quickly with predominant notes of wood and earth. Then, just as quickly the tobacco sweetness develops to balance the smoke off nicely. You will also likely note a touch of baker's chocolate and medium roast coffee.

As the cigar progresses there is a wet forest character that develops and the aromas are full and musky.

The construction of this cigar, as always, was spot on. The draw was smooth and nearly effortless and the burn line was even. The ash was slightly flaky and yet held on for one inch chunks. When I tapped off the ash, it fell almost flush with the foot.

In the second half, there were notes of cedar and mint and the smoke finished with a lengthy impact on the palate. The retrohale is wonderfully spicy with a good dose of white pepper and cedar.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Davidoff Puro d'Oro Notables is my favorite new cigar from Davidoff. I named the Notables as the 4th best cigar of 2010 on my Stogie Fresh Honor Roll. An extra year of age has not changed the flavor and body profile significantly.

This is a complex smoke that challenges your palate with a diversity of flavors. The Puro d'Oro is medium to full in body, flavor and strength. It smokes superbly, with a perfect draw and an even burn. If you enjoy Davidoff's, you must try this cigar just to note the vast differences from other Davidoff blends. The price tag; at $13.50 per cigar, is steep and may put the Puro d'Oro out of reach for some smokers. And yet, this would be a nice special occasion cigar. The Puro d'Oro is an excellent smoke and I recommend it highly.

~Doc

Cuban Stock Extra Torpedo

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:53:33 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

6.25 x 52 Belicoso
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 2.4 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 82
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 69
OVERALL SCORE: 78.7

STORAGE CONDITIONS: Because these cigars came without a cellophane sleeve, I have kept them inside a plastic cigar bag (unsealed) inside the singles drawer of my Aristocrat Mini cabinet humidor. The active humidification system is set at 68%RH.

This is the second and final podcast review of these cigars, which have been resting for a total of 1 year, 2.4 months.

BACKGROUND: I first featured the Cuban Stock Extra Belicoso in Episode 219 of the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast on Sunday, May 2, 2010. These cigars have now been resting for 1 year, 2.4 months in my cabinet humidor singles drawer. Last week, I pulled out my last 2 samples for this second and final podcast review.

The Cuban Stock Cigar Company was established in 1995. Prior to that, the company name was: Crown David Inc., but the name change was a natural transition for the company, which enjoyed good product recognition for its flagship cigar, Cuban Stock.

The name Cuban Stock name seemed a natural choice since they were employing many Cuban cigar-making traditions. From the tobacco growing and aging techniques, to the rolling and packaging methods, the name Cuban Stock seemed to fit the company well.

Their first cigar was the "Cuban Stock Classic, which was followed by the Cuban Stock Royal Selection and the Cuban Stock Reserve. At the 2009 trade show in New Orleans the company launched two new cigars. One of those is today's review cigar, the Cuban Stock Extra.

The Extra is made with 100% Dominican tobaccos that have been aged for 6 years and a good portion of that aging has taken place in wine barrels. The Cuban Stock Extra comes in 5 sizes. Today's featured cigar is the 6.25-inch by 52 ring Belicoso.

TASTING NOTES: The cigar starts with cedar notes and a pepper spice on the finish. There are undertones of medium-roast coffee and a slightly sweet, woody retrohale. There is also more pepper spice in the retrohale, but not as prominent as a year ago.

As with other cigars in this batch, the cigar swelled up at the foot and split the wrapper. This is an all too common feature with the cigars from this batch. A combination of a fragile wrapper leaf and the tobacco swelling as it warms up results in an expanding stick that causes the wrapper to split and the cigar burns unevenly.

This has been a feature of all 6 cigars I've smoked from this batch. In my opinion, this characteristic can be attributed to either the fact that the tobaccos were not fermented long enough prior to aging or that the finished cigars were not aged long enough post-production. In any case, the cigars have not performed well.

The burn line was scalloped and the dense gray ash was fairly consistent, though it cast an unevenly toasted ash for a portion of the cigar.

Last year the cigar showed some bitterness in the flavor, but that has seemed to dissipate and was barely noticeable in this stick. My guess is that this cigar still needs further fermentation, though the tobacco was aged sufficiently. The tobacco has 6 years of age on the leaf, so it could be that the fermentation was not even across all the tobacco or that the construction was not perfect.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall, this is a good tasting cigar with spotty performance. If other batches of cigars are showing the same type of construction issues, I would have some difficulty recommending this cigar without reservation. However, the flavor profile has improved considerably and the cigar shows a good ability to age. This is one you will have to try for yourself to see if it is one that performs well for you. I think the flavor profile will appeal to a lot of folks and for that alone, it may be worth a purchase.

~Doc

San Lotano Habano Churchill

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:40:05 -0700

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

7 x 54 Churchill
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1.0 month
LOOK AND FEEL: 91
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 94
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 91
OVERALL SCORE: 92.5

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars come in cellophane sleeves and are currently residing in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat Mini Cabinet Humidor. Active humidification is set at 68%RH and the temps are between 66-72°F.

This is the first of two podcast reviews. These cigars have been a month in my humidor prior to this review.

BACKGROUND: The history of the San Lotano brand dates back to Cuba’s pre-Castro era where the brand was one of the most popular among traditional Cuban cigar makers. After being retired for many decades, the line was reintroduced as a signature blend by A.J. Fernandez. Fernandez, who named the cigars to honor his grandfather, who made his own cigars with the San Lotano moniker in San Luis, Cuba. Fernandez is now making the cigars in his own Tabacalera Fernandez factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.

A. J. is the acronym and nickname of Abel Joseph Fernandez, a young and talented cigar maker who is charting his own course in the premium, hand made cigar industry.

A. J. Fernandez learned the tobacco trade in Cuba under the tutelage of his grandfather and father, and later, under the mentorship of the legendary tobacco grower, Alejandro Robaina. In 1997, at 18 years of age, he moved with his family to Nicaragua from Cuba. In Nicaragua, the young A. J. continued to work with the tobacco as he had learned in Cuba and he also absorbed the important lessons of how to blend and manufacture great cigars. He now owns his own farms and factories in Estelí, Nicaragua and has been producing some of the finest cigars in the world over the past few years.

The San Lotano brand is the first independent, nationally distributed cigar line by A.J. Fernandez. It represents his commitment to the values of his family, who have been in the cigar industry for generations. The current San Lotano lineup includes the Connecticut, Habano and Maduro. This week's featured Habano is a 4 country blend made with Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan filler, a Honduran binder and a Brazilian Habano wrapper.

TASTING NOTES: The San Lotano Habano Churchill starts with flavors of sugar and spice and everything nice. This is a smooth and creamy cigar that displays balanced flavors. Cedar flavor is matched nicely with light white pepper spice and tobacco sweetness that ties it all together. There is also an undertone of toffee and medium-roast coffee. This is a very complex cigar that displays nuances that will challenge the most experienced palate.

The performance of this stick was rock-solid. The draw was smooth and effortless, the burn line was even and the light gray ash was solid and held firm for me to drop off in 1-inch chunks.

The Habano is just a joy to smoke. I could smoke this cigar any day and at any time of day and enjoy it. Not only would it match great with your favorite cup of coffee, but it would go well with an assortment of spirits and craft beers.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The San Lotano Habano is my current favorite among the San Lotano lines of cigars. It displays great sweetness and spice and the overall flavor, body and strength profile is medium to full, which makes it approachable to new and experienced cigar smokers alike. There is nothing not to like about this cigar from its performance to its flavors, it should appeal to most cigar smokers. The San Lotano Habano is made in the old Cuban style of medium to full-bodied cigars that exude sweetness and delicate nuanced flavors. You don’t see that consistently coming out of Cuba these days, which has been hindered by the lack of free enterprise and spotty quality control.

In many ways, this is a debut for A. J. Fernandez. Though he has been making cigars for private labels and other cigar producers for quite some time, with his own nationally distributed brand of cigars, A. J. is poised to pick up the torch from a long list of Cuban cigar makers who have blazed a trail in the cigar industry apart from their Cuban beginnings. I would place A. J.’s name alongside those such as José Pepin Garcia, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo and Benji Menendez, to name just a few, as a major player in the cigar industry for years to come.

~Doc

Trinidad 2007 Edicion Limitada

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:22:40 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

6.5 x 42 Ingenio
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 2.1 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 86
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 86
OVERALL SCORE: 86.6

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in their original box, which is contained in my retrofitted wine cooler cabinet humidor. As is the case with Cuban cigars, they did not come with protective cellophane sleeves.

This is the second of two podcast reviews. This cigar has been in my humidor for 1 year, 2.1 months.

BACKGROUND: I first featured the Trinidad Edicion Limitada 2007 in Episode 218 on Friday, April 23, 2010. These cigars have been resting in my humidor in their original box for 1 year, 2.1 months. I was a little underwhelmed by my first review of this cigar, but at that time I still held high hopes for the age-ability of these sticks. So today, I am going to find out what an extra year of aging has meant to the flavor and body profile of this cigar.

The post-revolution Trinidad cigar brand is named after an old colonial city on Cuba's beautiful Southern coast. The Trinidad brand was once Havana's mystery brand, reserved as government gifts to politicians and other dignitaries from as early as 1969. However, the official launch of the present-day brand wasn't until 1997.

The Trinidad cigars are rolled at exclusive El Laguito factory, which is the same factory that makes the more famous Cohiba brand of cigars. Trinidad cigars are created from the same 'selection' of tobacco leaves as Cohiba, which come from the five finest plantations in the Vuelta Abajo region.

The cigar I am reviewing today is the first ever Edición Limitada from the Trinidad Family of cigars. This 2007 release is the 6.5-inch by 42 ring Ingenio. All of the tobacco in these cigars has been aged for 2 years and the wrapper leaf is taken from the higher primings of the plant. As the Limited Edition designation suggests, these cigars are produced for one year only and in limited quantities.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar comes out of the gate with flavors of roasted meat, aromatic wood and espresso bean. There are undertones of earth and the retrohale carries some bittersweet baker's chocolate. This cigar is still struggling to find its flavor niche, as the flavors seem a bit muted and not yet complex.

The performance was also suspect. The cigar was tight on the draw and, because the flavors started bitter, I flambé-purged the stick, which sweetened it up again. But, my opinion is that this cigar has not yet hit its prime. The tobacco still seems to need more micro-fermentation (i.e., the purge produced a lot of chemical burn-off).

The Ingenio is medium to full in body, strength, and flavor, and the characters of the smoke lead me to believe that it will continue to age well for another 5-10 years. The burn line was relatively even and dark gray ash fell off in ½-inch chunks.

I believe that this cigar still has great potential with further aging. It’s currently not a very complex cigar, although I believe it will take further aging to reveal the more nuanced characters. After another year in my humidor, the cigar was showing a tiny bit more tobacco sweetness, but was not yet revealing its true potential.

Right now, the flavors are tight and closed, but I think further aging will open up the flavors in the stick. If you buy some of the 2007 Edición Limitada, be sure to hold some back and give them a very long nap.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This cigar is an example of the state of Cuban cigar-making right now. There are many Cuban cigars that require extended aging. The reason is two-fold. The first reason is because Cuban tobacco is not often aged very long after fermentation and prior to manufacturing the cigars. In part, this is because they want the cigars to be a bit more full on the palate and in part it is because demand for Cuban cigars doesn’t allow warehousing tobacco for a long period of time. The second reason has to do with fermentation. Some Cuban tobacco is not fermented long enough to rid the tobacco of off-putting chemicals. Again, this could be attributed to the philosophy of the manufacturers or the tremendous demand in the marketplace. Nevertheless, this Trinidad Edición Limitada has tobacco that has been aged for 2-years and that is longer than most Cuban tobacco is normally aged. But, 2-years is not a long time when compared to the non-Cuban tobacco industry, which routinely ages their tobacco for 2-3 years and longer.

At around $12 per stick, these are a bit pricey, but I am glad I’ve got more of these sticks and I expect to enjoy them well into the future.

~Doc

Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary Torpedo

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 22:56:09 -0700

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

6.1 x 52 Torpedo
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 6.3 months
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 91
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 90.5

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been resting in their original box in my Aristocrat Mini cabinet humidor. Each cigar comes wrapped in cellophane, which I have left intact. The humidor has an active humidification system that is set at 68%RH and the temperatures vary, usually between 66-72°F.

This is the first in a series of two podcast reviews. These cigars have been aging in my humidor for 6.2 months prior to this review.

BACKGROUND: Rocky Patel likes to tell people that no one in the cigar industry thought he would last ten years in the business. And yet, as of 2011 he's reached his 15th anniversary and is still going strong. It’s safe to say that Rocky Patel’s passion, and intense work ethic have catapulted him to the top echelon of the cigar universe. As one of the survivors of the cigar boom and subsequent bust, Patel has outlasted much of his competition through sheer persistence and an unwavering focus on perfection.

To commemorate the occasion of his 15th year in the business, Patel released a cigar called Fifteenth Anniversary by Rocky Patel. It's a box-pressed cigar that's encased in an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The binder and filler tobaccos are entirely Nicaraguan, and one of the filler varieties is grown on a farm that was specially dedicated to this cigar.

"I wanted to do something special to celebrate our 15 years in the cigar business," said Patel. "I wanted a cigar that was like the Decade, but on steroids."

The Fifteenth Anniversary by Rocky Patel comes in four sizes, all of them packed in boxes of 20. The cigars come in black boxes with metallic plates on the front and lid, and the double bands resemble gunmetal sheets.

The retail price ranges between $8.00 to $11.00 per stick, depending on the size.

The sizes include the Robusto, which measures 5-inches by 50 ring gauge, the Toro, at 6.5 by 52 ring, the Corona Gorda, which is 6 by 46 and the cigar I’m featuring today, the 6.1-inch by 52 ring gauge Torpedo.

TASTING NOTES: The flavor starts out with notes of Bourbon, some grassiness and a hint of cocoa sweetness. The retrohale is full of pepper spice and charred oak. This cigar is a very complex smoke, as the flavors change constantly. After the first inch, the spice on the retrohale smoothed out and changed from black pepper to white pepper. On the palate the cigar developed notes of coffee and the finish was spicy at the back of my tongue.

The construction and burn proved to be excellent, with a smooth, effortless draw. The dark gray ash was flaky and tended to fall off unexpectedly, so i tapped off early and often. During the first half the cigar was medium in body and strength and medium-full in flavor.

FINAL THOUGHTS: During the second half the cigar finished medium in strength and went from medium to medium-full in body and the flavor graduated to full. The finish became long and rich with earthy, woody and coffee notes. This is an excellent smoke from Rocky Patel and more complex than his other anniversary offerings. The price may. Be a sticking point for some people, but I think that it is still in the range where most cigar smokers could buy one or two to try out. Plus, I think that this cigar would be approachable to most cigar smokers. I think the body, strength and flavor profile is such that anyone could enjoy this smoke. The Rocky Patel 15th anniversary cigar is an interesting and challenging smoke that I can recommend highly.

~Doc

Chateau Fuente Maduro

Mon, 6 Jun 2011 02:06:40 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

6.75 x 50 Double Chateau (Churchill)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 2.8 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 85
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 88
OVERALL SCORE: 88.6

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored with cellophane sleeves intact, within my Limited Edition Don Carlos Anniversario humidor. The relative humidity is between 68-70% and the temperature varies between 65-70 degrees F.

The Fuente Double Chateau Maduro Churchill was first featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast in Episode 217 back on Sunday, April 18, 2010. These cigar have now been resting a total of 1 year, 2 months in my humidor and I pulled out a couple this past week for a revisit.

BACKGROUND: The Arturo Fuente company is a household word in the cigar industry. Arturo Fuente, the company namesake, was born in 1887 in Cuba. From his father, he learned the tobacco trade in every facet, from growing, to producing cigars. In 1906, Fuente immigrated to Key West, Florida and would eventually move his family to Ybor City, which was the tobacco epicenter of the United States in the early 1900s.

Soon, son Carlos and grandson Carlito would carry the torch for the family and the Fuente name has been associated with super premium products ever since.

While the Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva line represents the bread and butter of the Fuente portfolio, the Chateau Fuente Maduro and Sun Grown represent a fuller body and flavor profile.
The unique flavor of the maduro wrapper is a result of being exposed to a greater amount of sun, wind, rain and other punishing conditions of nature, which force the tobacco to draw more nutrients from the soil, becoming stronger, more robust, and flavorful. The addition of an extended and hotter fermentation also increases darkness of the leaf and sweetness in the flavor.

Today’s featured Chateau Fuente Maduro is the Double Chateau, a 6.75-inch x 50 ring Churchill.

The cedar sleeve hides the wrapper from the consumer until after purchase. I personally don’t like cedar sleeves. They prevent me from visually examining the wrapper leaf while considering a retail purchase and they can prevent evaporation of moisture on the surface of the wrapper, which may lead to mold. In my opinion, the cedar sheath is a traditional convention that really doesn’t serve much purpose other than for show.

The wrapper leaf on this cigar is rugged and rustic, befitting a sun grown leaf. The wrapper has generous amounts of oils that glisten on the surface of the leaf. The aroma is a combination of barnyard and wet forest, while the milk-chocolate-brown leaf is mottled and undulating in appearance.

This cigar was very soft and spongy to the touch. This is not necessarily a harbinger of disaster, but it is an ominous sign.

TASTING NOTES: The flavors of this cigar are immediately rich and earthy, with notes of oak wine barrel and rum. The retrohale is sumptuous with toasty barbecue flavors and maybe a little smoked hickory. The impact of the retrohale has mellowed significantly over the past year. There is not as much pizzazz, but still there is a rich earthy tone that luxuriates on the nasal mucosa.

The performance was spotty on this stick. The burn line was uneven, though the draw was smooth and effortless. There was a large tunnel that developed early on. However, though the tunnel was quite large, it did not extend for long into the smoke I was able to burn past it relatively quickly so the tunnel did not cause too much of an issue with the overall performance.

The softness of the cigar that I noticed in pre-light may be due to the fact that I stored these cigars without their protective cello, though I did leave the cedar sheath in place.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall, I think this is an enjoyable cigar. It was medium in body, strength and flavor and it was savory and still had plenty of flavor. However, based on this second review, I wouldn’t recommend that you save these cigars for long-term aging in your humidor. I would give them 2-3 years, max.

What you get with the Chateau Fuente Double Chateau Maduro is a rich and delicious cigar that will please the palates of most cigar smokers and will likely be well constructed. This is a “comfort cigar.” It has warm and yummy flavors that make you feel as right as rain. I believe that this stick will be accessible to the palates of a wide range of cigar smokers. But it also has such a complexity of flavors that makes it an interesting and challenging smoke.

~Doc

Urbano Corojo Torpedo

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 17:14:59 -0700

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

6 x 50 Torpedo
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2.9 months
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 89
OVERALL SCORE: 89.4

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been kept in a plastic cigar bag on one of the shelves of my. Each cigar came with an extra protective cellophane cover, but I did not have a separate box to store them in, thus the secondary protective plastic bag. The cabinet humidor has an active humidification system set at 68%RH and the temperatures are still ranging between 66 in the evening to 69°F in the evening.

This is the first of two podcast reviews on this batch of sticks, which have been aging for nearly 3 months.

BACKGROUND: This review presents another bright star in the constellation of new boutique cigar brands: Urbano Cigars. Urbano cigars are the brainchild of former executive chef, Matt Urbano, who's passion for cigars began 20 plus years ago while working in the restaurant industry. Urbano has always had a passion for food, rich flavors, and complex textures. After an unexpected relocation to Tampa he quickly became steeped in the local area’s rich cigar history.

One of Matt's neighbors turned out to be a master cigar blender who would travel regularly between Tampa and the Dominican Republic. Trusting his new friend and his own palate he took his passion for flavor and teamed up with this cigar master to create his new line of cigars.

The Urbano portfolio contains 3 lines of cigars. The lightest in body and strength is the Connecticut, which is smooth and creamy with a distinctive grassiness. The Sumatra is a little fuller in body and strength and is touted as an afternoon cigar. The Corojo is the strongest of the three and is a Dominican Puro, meaning that all tobaccos—filler, binder and wrapper—come from one country; in this case, the Dominican Republic.

The Urbano Corojo is blended from carefully aged tobaccos. It is created with tobaccos that have been aged for 3 years and then triple fermented.

The Corojo comes packaged in boxes of 20 cigars. This review’s featured Corojo is the 6-inch by 50 ring gauge Torpedo.

The wrapper on this cigar has a tortoise shell appearance and the texture is like leather. The veins are rippling on the surface of the leaf and are white so that they stand out on the almost golden brown leaf. The nose on the filler and wrapper are ripe with fresh hay and roasted nuts.

TASTING NOTES: The Urbano Corojo Torpedo starts with flavors of dark roasted coffee and aromatic cedar. And, there is a gentle pepper spice on the retrohale.

At about the one-third mark, the tobacco sweetness starts to kick in and this really ties the flavors together. When you have any slightly bitter characters, like those found in coffee or woody notes, you absolutely need some natural tobacco sweetness to shine through to moderate the bitterness. That’s why Italians and Cubans, when they drink their espresso, put generous amounts of sugar into it. The sweetness offsets the bitter notes and allows you to enjoy the flavor in the coffee and allows you to experience the richness of the flavors without having that bitter bite.

The draw on this stick was very smooth and the burn line was roughly even, though a bit blistered. The medium gray ash was very dense and held on firm until I chose to tap off.

I’d say this cigar is medium in strength and medium to full in body and flavor during the first half.

FINAL THOUGHTS: During the second half the flavors became much more intense with some earthy notes and a long, savory-sweet finish. The cigar finished medium in strength, medium-full in body and medium-full in flavor.

This cigar is pretty complex and would make an excellent choice for most any smoker. The body and flavor profile may be challenging to the newbie, but I would still recommend that newbies give it a try. For more experienced smokers it would be easily approachable and would be a great choice as an afternoon/evening smoke.

The greater challenge may be finding some of these smokes to buy. Currently the Urbano website lists retailers, which are mostly on the East Coast. Nevertheless, the Urbano Corojo is a great example of an excellent newcomer to the boutique cigar market and is a brand well worth a try.

~Doc

Avo LE10

Sun, 29 May 2011 23:31:05 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

5.5 x 55 Robusto Grande
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 2.9 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 91
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 90.2

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are stored in their original packaging including a box of 10 cigars that are each individually cellophane-wrapped. The humidor is my Aristocrat M+ cabinet with active humidification system set at 68%RH.

This is the second and final "postscript" review of this batch of cigars, which have been resting for 1 year, 2.9 months.

BACKGROUND: This week’s postscript review is the Avo 2010 Limited Edition cigar, which I first featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast in Episode 216 on Sunday, April 11, 2010. These cigars have been resting in my humidor for a year and 3 months and I pulled out a couple this past week to see how they were faring after another year in the deep freeze… so to speak.

AVO Limited Edition Cigars are, invariably, something out of the ordinary. This cigar was made to celebrate Avo Uvezian’s 84th birthday and has proved to be a bold and full-bodied blend. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t that impressed in my first go-round with this stogie. It was too over the top, for my tastes, a year ago. It was too strong, too one-dimensional and had too little complexity. But, today is a year later and I've come back to see what a year has wrought.

The 2010 blend features an Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper, a Mexican-grown, Sumatra-seed binder and a filler composed exclusively of ligero tobacco grown in the Dominican Republic.

These cigars come packed in boxes of 10, as were the 2009 Limited sticks. A total of just 8,000 boxes were created for a worldwide distribution of 80,000 cigars. Of course all that exclusivity comes at a price. The cigars have a suggested retail price of $15.50 each or $155.00 for a box of 10.

The “AVO Limited Edition LE10” is a 5½” x 54 Super-Robusto.

TASTING NOTES: This Super Robusto comes out of the gate with dark, rich, earthy notes and espresso bean. There is also an undertone of sweetness that balances the full earthy flavors. This is a real savory cigar that easily reminds me of roasted or barbecued meat. The finish is very long and layered with oak wood flavors.

An extra year of aging has helped this cigar in several respects. First, the burn is better. Last year I had trouble keeping the samples lit, perhaps because of the heavy use of ligero tobacco, which is resiny and moist.

Another benefit of the extra year of age is that the cigar flavors have become more balanced, which has allowed more complexity to creep through the filter of the cigar’s strength.

The retrohaling character of the cigar has become moderated by more aging. Even so, retrohaling the smoke of this cigar should be approached with some caution. Retrohaling a full puff of smoke may shed, not only the smoke, but also your nasal mucosa into the surrounding environment. The rich oaky spice and pepper is still full, but is manageable, even with a full retrohale. (Newbies beware!)

The performance of the two samples I smoked for this review has been great. The draw was smooth and the light gray ash was firm and held on for over an inch. The ligero was still burning much slower and, as a result, forced me to smoke a bit quicker than normal.

FINAL THOUGHTS: In the final analysis, the Avo LE10 is starting to come into its own. I am very optimistic that even more aging will benefit this stick and create an even more balanced and complex smoke. At $15-$16 per stick, though, this cigar may be out of the reach of some people's budget, but if you can afford it, buy some and lay a few down for some extended aging and I think you'll be glad you did.

~Doc

Casa Torano Maduro

Thu, 26 May 2011 01:10:51 -0700

La Aurora 107 Robusto

Tue, 24 May 2011 23:33:59 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

4.5 x 50 Robusto (Petit Robusto)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 1.9 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 91
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 90.5

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat Mini Cabinet humidor. The set-and-forget humidification system is set at 68%RH and the temperature varies between 66-72°F.

This is the second and final podcast review of the 107 Robusto, which has been aging in my humidor for

BACKGROUND: On Sunday, April 4, 2010 I featured the La Aurora 107 Robusto on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. That was episode number 215 and now I’m back, a year later to revisit this cigar to see what another year of aging has revealed.

The 107 was originally unveiled in mid-February 2010 at the home of La Aurora president, Guillermo León. That pre-release was just for the people who attended the party and the cigars were unbanded. Furthermore, team La Aurora was tight-lipped about the cigar until it was released a couple of months later and revealed as the La Aurora 107 Serie Aniversario. The 107 celebrates La Aurora's 107-year history as one of the Dominican Republic’s oldest cigar makers.

According to Guillermo León, “We had defined our goal early on and that was to bring smokers a medium bodied, richly flavored smoke with a fair amount of spice AND at a very attractive price.”

Using Dominican, Nicaraguan and Ecuadorian tobaccos, the blending process went through dozens of iterations before achieving the final cigar blend.

The cigars are packed in boxes of twenty-one (21) and come in three (3) sizes priced from $6 to $8:

Today's featured cigar is the 4.5-inch by 50 RG Robusto.

The wrapper on this cigar has got a Rosado hue to it and the texture looks like a leatherback turtle. The nose on the wrapper leaf is delicious and is ripe with alfalfa and sweet hay.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar really impresses the palate out of the gate. It has a ton of spice, woody notes and tobacco sweetness, which always makes my mouth water. There is also a smoky savory character that reminds me of barbecued meat. Retrohaling the smoke really lights up the nasal passages with spice, although it is not overpowering, just a good hit of spice.

The ash was a dark gray and held firmly to the stick until I tapped off. The burn line was even, though a bit blistered. Overall the performance has been excellent and, of the several sticks I’ve smoked, there has been only one that had a slight burn issue. The rest have been rock solid.

FINAL THOUGHTS: There is nothing not to like about the La Aurora 107 Robusto. I like this Petit Robusto size, which is compact yet performs really well. This is a lip-smacking good cigar from start to finish. It is a well-balanced smoke with flavors of wood, spice and prominent tobacco sweetness to tie it all together. I haven’t noticed a big change in the flavor and body profile of this stick over the past year. This suggests that it will continue to deliver a great smoking experience with a year or two (or more) of aging.

I think this is a great addition to the La Aurora portfolio of cigars. It is an interesting and complex smoke and at a fair price. At a suggested retail between $6-8 per stick, this is a no-brainer choice as a regular in my smoking lineup. I can recommend this cigar to anyone. It is medium in body and strength, yet with a complex mix of full flavors.

~Doc

Para Japon by La Aurora

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:22:03 -0700

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

5 x 50 Robusto
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1.6 months
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 92
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 90.9

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars were provided to me by the factory as pre-release samples. I've been able to smoke a few of these sticks prior to this review. These cigars have been aging in the La Aurora cigar factory aging room for 3 years prior to distribution. So this tobacco has some extended aging. I've had these sticks in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. They came wrapped in cellophane sleeves, which I have left intact. The cigars have been resting for nearly 2 months prior to this review. This is the first of two podcast reviews.

BACKGROUND: Just eight short weeks ago, the Para Japón project was nothing more than a loosely formed set of ideas and even lacked a name. That afternoon on a beautiful tropical Dominican beach, the project came into focus and on April 29th a nationwide virtual release party celebrated the distribution of this new cigar.

But let's back up a bit and discuss the events that prompted the release of this cigar. As most of you know, on March 11, 2011, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake devastated the island nation of Japan. The tsunami that followed caused widespread damage on a level unseen by the Japanese people since War World II.

The Dominican Republic is one of the countries that have been especially touched by the plight of Japan and the Dominican cigar industry has become the latest to lend their aid to the Japanese people. The La Aurora Cigar Factory echoed the expressions of solidarity of its employees and suppliers and quickly announced the release of a special edition cigar to help the humanitarian response to this disaster.

Mario Takeyama, founder of the CigarExplorer.com was the first to mention the idea of a charity cigar. During a recent visit to the Dominican Republic, and on a beach called Costambar, he shared this thoughts with Guillermo León, president of the La Aurora cigar company, who embraced the concept wholeheartedly.

But what about a name? Well, Brian Hewitt of Stogie Review solved that problem almost immediately. Seemingly before the next wave hit the beach, he came up with the idea of using the Spanish name Para Japón or, in English, "For Japan." And so it would be that this cigar would be called Para Japón, and would be made to benefit the Japanese people and the cities impacted by this natural disaster.

TASTING NOTES: The Para Japón is a very unique cigar in terms of its flavor profile. It starts out with lively grassy notes and a bit of a bite. As it progresses the tobacco develops some sweetness that creates a balanced effect. It is light body and strength at the beginning, but then graduates to fuller body and strength. The cigar is balanced and the flavors are very focused.

I've smoked 5 or 6 of these cigars now and the performance has been excellent. The draw is smooth and the overall burn is even. Though I've experienced some uneven burn lines and some blistering around the edges, the cigars smoke well and the ash is solid and well-formed.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Para Japón is a cigar that carries a unique flavor profile. It has the spicy sweetness of Cameroon and the peppery spice of Nicaraguan tobacco. Toss in the fact that is has great construction and burn and that equals a cigar that is a pleasure to smoke.

I would buy these cigars if for no other reason than to support the disaster relief of Japan. However, these cigars are an excellent smoke and well worth having. So, if you can get your hands on them, I can recommend this cigar to anyone from the novice to the seasoned cigar smoker and you will walk away with more than just a fine smoke, but you will also tender that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from knowing you have helped your fellow man.

~Doc

Nestor Miranda Dominicano

Mon, 16 May 2011 23:53:18 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

5.5 x 54 Robusto Grande
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 2.2 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 87
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 87
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 88.1

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in my Aristocrat Mini End Table humidor. The set and forget active humidification system is set to 68%RH. The humidor sits at floor level in the corner of my office next to the closet. The temperature along the one outside wall can be a bit higher in the summertime, but the winter and spring temperatures are moderate. I have kept the cigars in the singles drawer with their original cellophane sleeves intact.

This is the second and final review of this batch of cigars, which have been aging for 1 year, 2.2 months.

BACKGROUND: I first featured the Nestor Miranda Dominicano in Episode 214 of my Stogie Fresh 5 podcast on Sunday, March 28, 2010. These cigars have been resting in the Stogie Fresh humidors for a year and 2 months and I pulled out a couple of samples this past week for a revisit.

The Dominicano is a collaboration between Nestor Miranda, Pepin Garcia and Guillermo León. The cigar came out last year under the Nestor Miranda Collection label from Miami Cigar & Company. This is my second and final postscript review of these cigars and I have smoked a total of 6 samples.

To manufacture this new cigar, president of Miami Cigar & Company, Nestor Miranda turned to José Pepin Garcia and his My Father Cigar Company in Nicaragua. He also partnered with his friend Guillermo León and his La Aurora factory to supply the wrapper tobacco. The cigars come with two wrapper types, a Dominican Corojo Rosado and a Dominican Corojo Oscuro.

Miranda’s goal with the Dominicano was to pay tribute to the tobacco and cigar heritage of the Dominican Republic. The collaboration brought together the tobacco growing expertise of La Aurora, the blending and manufacturing genius of Garcia and the marketing talents of Miranda and his Miami Cigar & Company team. The result is a cigar made in Nicaragua with a Dominican wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler.

The cigar comes packaged in boxes of 20 and is produced in 5 vitolas with all 5 vitolas available in either Rosado or Oscuro wrappers. Today's featured cigar is the 5.5-inch by 54 ring Rosado, Robusto Grande.

With an extra year of age, the wrapper leaf has lost some of its original luster. The look of this Rosado wrapper is a bit pale and lifeless, in my opinion. But, what's more important will be how it will taste and how it will interact with the rest of the tobacco in the blend.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar has developed some different characters over the past year as it has aged in my humidor. A year ago the flavors displayed a pronounced bite, but that is now somewhat muted, as this cigar started with smoky, earthy, and woody notes and was balanced by a touch of natural tobacco sweetness that wasn't displayed a year ago. There was also a smoky mesquite BBQ spice on the retrohale and not nearly as much pepper.

The performance of this stick has been great. It had an effortless draw, an even burn line (though a bit blistered), and a rock solid ash. I nearly had to take a crowbar to nudge the ash off at the 2-inch mark.

The second half of the Nestor Miranda Dominicano developed more tobacco sweetness. This sweetness offset the dryness provided by the woody characters of the smoke. The retrohale was still spicy, but not overpowering with spice, just the way I like it, in fact. And, the cigar continued to perform well, right to the nub.

FINAL THOUGHTS: With a $7.50 price tag, this cigar should be well within reach of most cigar smokers who want to give it a try. Last year I recommended this cigar to those who like full flavored and fuller bodied smokes. However, a year has mellowed this smoke considerably and now I think it would appeal to a wider audience. With a year of age, this should be approachable to most cigar smokers, though I'm not sure that everyone will enjoy the flavor and body profile. This cigar is a bit too woody and dry for my own personal preference. However, the development of sweetness does help this characteristic.

The fact that this stick has mellowed so quickly over the course of a year, makes be believe that this one will not age for very long, but then again, I've been known to be wrong more than a time or two. Though, I wouldn't buy these for the purpose of extended aging, I would still recommend these to those cigar smokers who like a blast of flavor wrapped in a well-constructed package.

Finally, if you love full-bodied beers or spirits, be sure to match one of your favorites with this stogie. I think you'll find it to be a match made in cigar heaven.

~Doc

Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary

Fri, 13 May 2011 22:34:45 -0700

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

5 x 50 Robusto
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 2 months
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 89
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 92
OVERALL SCORE: 90.1

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been resting in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. The active humidification system is set at 68%RH and the temperatures are fairly constant at 66-70°F (night/day variation). The cigars come packaged with cellophane, which I have left intact. This is the first of two podcast reviews on these cigars, which have been in my humidor for 2 months prior to this review.

BACKGROUND: When Punch Rare Corojo was introduced in a limited edition some years ago, the cigars were so well-received, all of them were sold very quickly. Then, in the year 2001, Villazon cigar master Frank Llaneza began producing, in small quantities, a new square-pressed version of the cigar that was even more robust than the original. And it too became very popular.

Fast-forward 10 years and the Rare Corojo is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a new Rare Corojo that will actually sport (should I say it?) a Corojo wrapper. The new cigar is unique in that it features a proprietary Connecticut Corojo wrapper.

The new Rare Corojo, which began selling in late March, comes packed in eye-catching cabinet style red wooden boxes and can be easily identified by a secondary red-and-gold band that bears the Rare Corojo moniker.

Rick Chandler, director of marketing for Punch cigars said this, “For ten years, cigar enthusiasts have looked forward to the annual return of Rare Corojo, a brand that features a unique reddish-brown wrapper and epitomizes the best of what Punch cigars offer. This year, we’re pleased to have upped the ante by offering the classic Punch Rare Corojo along with the standout new taste of the 10th Anniversary frontmark.”

Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary joins the seven existing Rare Corojo frontmarks, which made their annual return to tobacco retail shops across the country in March.

The Punch Rare Corojo is assembled with a filler blend from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. The binder is a USA/Connecticut Broadleaf and the wrapper is a USA/Connecticut Corojo. The cigars are made in Honduras and have a suggested retail price of $6.50 per cigar (until the limited supplies are depleted). The cigar I'm reviewing today is the 5-inch by 50 ring gauge Robusto.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar has the same characteristic box press, as do the regular line cigars. The wrapper is not as reddish in color, but has a tortoise shell appearance. There is a nice sandpaper texture to the leaf: about 400-grit. The wrapper is coated with a light amount of oil, which makes the leaf look healthy and ready to smoke.

And, of course, the banding is different. The new band is very well done; it is classy, with a modern design and color scheme.

The cigar is firm to the touch; very firm, in fact. But it's not an overfilled kind of firm. I can tell that because the cigar is not overly heavy in my hand. So, I am fully expecting this to be a well constructed cigar.

The nose on the wrapper is creamy with faint notes of rosemary. The filler tobacco has firm notes of alfalfa and chicken coup.

This cigar starts out with notes of aromatic wood and medium-roast coffee. The retrohale brings some spice and notes of fresh hay. As I burned through a little more, the flavor became richer with more texture on the palate. The coffee flavors graduated to full-roast and the retrohale displayed bourbon and some black pepper.

The draw and burn were nearly ideal on this stick. The cigar displayed an even burn line and the dark gray ash held firm and was pellet-like when I dropped it off in my ashtray. Through the first half the cigar performed very well and showed good complexity.

FINAL THOUGHTS: In the second half the flavors became bitter and I chose to flambé purge the stick. There was a lot of chemical burn off indicating that the tobacco could use more time to micro-ferment and age. However, the purge sweetened up the flavors and I noted more dark roast coffee and perhaps espresso flavor. There was also a rich, earthy sweetness to the tobacco.

Overall, this cigar was medium-full in body and flavor and medium in strength. This is a solid representative of an anniversary smoke and I believe it would appeal to a wide range of taste preferences. I wouldn't hesitate to age these cigars for a few weeks and I think they will show some of their best features over the first 1 to 2 years.

This Punch Rare Corojo is rare indeed, not only because it sports a Corojo wrapper, but also because it is an interesting and complex smoke. I say give it a try with your favorite coffee blend or a fine spirit and you won't be disappointed.

~Doc

Partagas Benji Menendez Master Series

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:04:43 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

6 x 46 Majestuoso (Grand Corona)
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 2.2 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 95
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 93
OVERALL SCORE: 93.6

STORAGE CONDITIONS: I keep these cigars stored in their original packaging inside my Aristocrat "Mini" cabinet humidor. Each cigar comes in cellophane, which I've left intact. These are cigars I want to age very slowly and the cellophane helps with that goal.

This is the second and final postscript review. These cigars have been in my humidor for 1 year, 2.3 months prior to this review.

BACKGROUND: The Partagás Benji Menendez Master Series was featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast in Episode 213 on Sunday, March 21, 2010. These cigars have now spent another year and 2 months in the Stogie Fresh humidors and I pulled out a couple last week for a revisit. Actually, I've smoked 3 of these over the past couple of weeks, so I've got a real good feel for how they are doing with an extra year of age.

These cigars are the brainchild of one Benjamin Menendez, a Cuban-born expatriate who came from a family that contributed significantly to the cigar business during the pre-revolution heyday in Cuba. The family can be credited with developing world-class Cuban cigars including, Montecristo, H. Upmann and Por Larrañaga.

Benji now works at General Cigar Co., and during his tenure he has become known as one of the foremost experts in the cigar field.

After 57 years in the cigar business, Benji Menendez is still going strong, and has put his name on a special cigar made to honor one of his mentors, the late and legendary Ramón Cifuentes of Partagás. The cigar is called the Benji Menendez Partagas Master Series.

Only 5,000 boxes of 20 cigars were produced. This Dominican-made cigar is a 6-inch by 46 Grand Corona called the Majestuoso. It comes in just one size and is made with a blend Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco in the filler, a Havana seed binder, and a Cameroon wrapper.

TASTING NOTES: Well, I hate to give away the goods so early, but this cigar is just great. After another year of aging, this stick is blooming. It starts with some smoky and woody notes followed by a characteristic wasabi-like white pepper on the retrohale. The bottom line is that it is sweet and spicy and utterly delicious.

The construction and burn on all the Benji Menendez Master Series cigars I've smoked thus far has been perfection. Smooth draw, even burn line and firm consistent ash. Just rock solid performance.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Last year when I featured this stick I was a little rankled by the price tag, which at $9 per stick is not high, but I mentioned the fact that I couldn't see the justification for it. Well, the only justification that I can see is that they are a very limited run of just 10,000 cigars. That said, I am just ecstatic this year because I am loving these cigars. What a difference a year can make. Last time I featured these, I said that they were a cigar that I wanted to keep smoking, but I was on the fence. Now I am salivating at the thought of smoking one of these cigars. I also said that there was no need to think of these as an archive selection cigar because, I said, they would show their best stuff during the first year. Well, I may have also got that wrong because these sticks right now are fabulous. And, I can find no indication that they will quickly go downhill in the next year or so.

So, when all is said and done, the Benji Menendez Partagás Masters Series Majestuoso is a great example of a Cameroon wrapped cigar that is complex and superbly constructed. It is spicy and sweet, just the way a good Cameroon should be. All I can say is, if you can get your hands on some, buy them and try them. Otherwise, stay away from mine.

~Doc

Tatuaje Cojonu 2009

Mon, 9 May 2011 13:36:09 -0700

BRAND AND NAME: Tatuaje Cojonu 2009
SIZE AND TYPE: 6.75 x 48 Beli-Churchill
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 3.6 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 90
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 94
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90
OVERALL SCORE: 92.0

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been stored in my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor with the set-and-forget system set to 68%RH and with temperatures between 66-70°F. They come in a plain, hinged wooden box of 25 cigars. They are packaged in the box without cellophane and I have left them in their original box.

This is the second and final postscript review on this batch of cigars that have been aging for 1 year, 3 months.

BACKGROUND: The Tatuaje Cojonu 2009 was first featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast in Episode 211 on Sunday, March 7, 2010. These cigars have now been resting in the Stogie Fresh humidors for a year and three months (and change) and I pulled out a couple this last week to see how they are faring with the extra age.

The Cojonu line of cigars started in the year 2000. At that time, Pete Johnson of Tatuaje cigars released the first of the Tatuaje Cojonu line of cigars. The Tatuaje Cojonu is released once every three years and only in one size.

The original cigar was called the Gran Cojonu and was released in 2000. This was the only cigar in the line to come without a cigar band. The cigar was a 6 ½-inch by 60 ring-gauge Toro Gordo that shipped in boxes of 12 cigars.

Then came the Cojonu 2003, a 6 ½ x 52 ring Toro that was displayed in boxes of 25. Starting with this cigar, the Cojonu line would sport a double-band format. The banding includes the original Tatuaje brown cigar band and also a secondary band that is very similar to the Edición Limitada bands found on many Cuban cigars. This secondary band displays the name Cojonu and also has the year of release.

The Cojonu 2006 was a 5 ½ x 52 Belicoso, also shipped in boxes of 25. I put this cigar through an entire review cycle on Stogie Fresh and the average score of the 4 reviews was a 90 out of 100. I'm happy to report that I still have some of these fine cigars awaiting future smoking in my humidor.

Then came the 2009 Cojonu, which sports an unusual shape. When I asked Pete Johnson about the shape, he called it a Beli-churchill as it's roughly the size and shape of a Churchill, but also has the sloped head of a Belicoso.

I purchased a box of the 2009 Cojonu and I've been happily smoking the contents. The 2009 Cojonu is a 6 ¾ inch by 48 ring cigar that sports an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and binder.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar is spicy, earthy and has a rich, long finish. This cigar displays nuances of toasty mesquite wood, and savory BBQ Angus. There is also a tangy zest on the palate and an undertone of dark roasted coffee.

In fact, this cigar is a great match with coffee and makes for a good after dinner smoke with a cup of your favorite java. While this cigar is not as strong as the earlier Cojonu's, it has plenty of flavor, which might lead some to believe it is full bodied and full in strength. But I have found the strength to be medium and the body and flavor to be full. This cigar is no slouch and it is a very flavorful smoke. And, in my opinion, it shows way more complexity than either the Cojonu 2003 or 2006.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As the second half rolled around, this cigar became more intense with flavors of coffee, bakers chocolate and tobacco sweetness. The retrohale, which was so peppery a year ago that it threatened to melt my nasal mucosa, was much more subdued after a year of aging. This is a delicious and yet challenging smoke. I think it will age moderately long, say 2-3 years before it starts to tail off. On the other hand, these smoke great when young and continue to develop nuances and more complexity as it ages. This is one of my favorite Cojonu's out of the box and is one that I am still enjoying with over a year of age.

~Doc

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

Avo 2011 Limited Edition 85th Anniversary

Wed, 4 May 2011 19:34:04 -0700

Siglo Limited Reserve

Mon, 2 May 2011 21:04:59 -0700

[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

6 x 54 Belicoso
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 3.7 mo.
LOOK AND FEEL: 89
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 93
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 91
OVERALL SCORE: 91.7

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars have been kept in their original cellophane wrappers in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. The set-and-forget humidification system is set at 68%RH and the yearly temperatures range between 66-72°F.

These cigars have been resting in the Stogie Fresh humidors for 1 year, 3.7 months. This is the second and final postscript review of this batch of cigars.

BACKGROUND: The Siglo Limited Reserve Belicoso was first featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast back in Episode 208 on Sunday, February 14, 2010. I pulled out a couple more this past week for a revisit and am happy to share with you the effects of another year of aging on this stick. These cigars have been resting for 1 year, 3.5 months in the singles drawer of my Aristocrat M+ cabinet so they now have a good amount of age on the tobacco.

The Siglo Limited Reserve was released in early 2009, by Altadis, USA. This cigar was originally made by the legendary cigarmaker Frank Llaneza in his factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Sadly, Llaneza passed away in 2010, just 2 weeks past his 90th birthday. The Siglo Limited Reserve sports an Ecuadorian Cubano wrapper, which covers a Connecticut broadleaf binder and a blend of filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

There is also a Maduro version of the Siglo, which is made in Honduras. It has a Mexican San Andrés Morrón wrapper, a Broadleaf binder and a Dominican and Nicaraguan filler blend.

The Nicaraguan Siglo's are available in ten different sizes, while the Maduro is available in 5 sizes. The prices range from $4.50 to $7.50, plus any state and local taxes. I am reviewing the 6-inch by 54 ring gauge Nicaraguan Belicoso.

I first tried this stick when I was on vacation in Carmel, California. I went to a small tobacconist shop and the proprietor had some of these, so I bought 4 and took them back to my hotel and decided to fire one up after dinner. I had it with a nice glass of scotch as I was sitting outside by the fire pit outside the restaurant lobby. What a great place to smoke and what a great smoke. I remember thinking that I should go back to that shop before leaving town to buy a few more. At the time, I had heard of these cigars, but none of the retailers in my area carried them. Anyway, I did finally get my hands on a bunch and that brings us to the present...

TASTING NOTES: After clipping, I took a few pre-light draws, which seemed to be perfect. The wrapper leaf was showing its age, with an appearance that moved from rustic to mottled, over the past year. Nonetheless, this is as expected so, nothing to write home about. The nose on the wrapper is ripe with wet hay and alfalfa.

I lit the cigar and took a few puffs; this Siglo starts off with some wicked spice paired with an intense bittersweet flavor. It is earthy and meaty and sweet. You can tell that this cigar is going to be full in body and flavor, out of the gate. It displays a nice oaky flavor in the retrohale.

FINAL THOUGHTS: An extra year in the humidor has tamed the pepper spice that was so prevalent a year ago. The cigar is also more balanced and I think it will continue to age gracefully for another 2-3 years.

In short, this is a great smoke. I have enjoyed every Belicoso that I have smoked. I have only smoked one other vitola, but it was not as flavorful and awesome as the Belicoso. This is not a cigar I'd recommend for a newbie, but for those of you that like a big, bold smoke, this is your ticket.

~Doc

La Gloria Cubana Serie N

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:25:56 -0700

[The SF5 review is of a cigar that I have featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. This cigar will be reviewed again after aging another year in the Stogie Fresh humidors (i.e., "Postscript Review."]

6.5 x 46 Lonsdale
TIME IN HUMIDOR: 3 weeks
LOOK AND FEEL: 87
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 89
BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 88
OVERALL SCORE: 88.4

STORAGE CONDITIONS: These cigars are resting in their original hexagonal box inside my Aristocrat M+ cabinet humidor. The set-and-forget humidification system is set at 68%RH and the temperatures range between 66-72°F. Each cigar is individually wrapped in cellophane and I have left the cellophane wrappers intact.

This is the first of two podcast reviews on these cigars, which have been in my humidor for 3-weeks prior to this review.

BACKGROUND: Anybody who has followed the progress of the La Gloria Cubana brand has probably noticed some big changes recently in the visibility and marketing of the brand. And, unless you've been living in a cave you have no doubt noticed that these changes have been impressive.

La Gloria Cubana was long the brainchild of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, an icon in the cigar industry who eventually joined forces with his son and daughter to create the EPC Cigar Co. in early 2009. Since then, La Gloria Cubana has been injected with new life by the collaboration of Yuri Guillen, Michael Giannini, Rick Rodriguez and Leo Peraza, collectively know as Team La Goria.

Team La Gloria has seemingly spun off the La Gloria Cubana brand from the host of other cigars made by cigar-producing giant, General Cigar Co. Though the members of Team La Gloria are not new to the La Gloria brand, they HAVE taken the brand in new directions. They have created a hip new web site and they are leveraging new media in an attempt to get a new generation of cigar smoker into the La Gloria fold. Case in point was the recent Serie N Day, which was a nationwide videocast direct from the El Credito factory in Little Havana to introduce the world to the new La Gloria Cubana Serie N.

The Serie N, which is our featured cigar of the week, is a marriage of proprietary Nicaraguan tobacco with the La Gloria signature Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. This exceptionally dark wrapper leaf, is adorned with the letter "N" cut out of a lighter shade of tobacco and stuck onto the cigar like a varsity letter. And, the packaging is sure to capture the imagination of the cigar consumer, with its fire-engine red, hexagonal wooden box that opens to reveal an eye-catching angular configuration of 24 handcrafted cigars.

This week's featured Serie N is the 6.5 inch by 46 ring gauge, Rojo.

TASTING NOTES: The Serie N Rojo starts out with a blast of bittersweet flavors. It has dark roasted coffee or perhaps espresso flavors along with a savory sweet meaty texture on the palate. The retrohale brings coffee and vanilla notes joined with pepper spice. This is really a mouthful of a cigar.

This cigar had some trouble staying lit. The tobacco is without a doubt very resiny (resins provide the flavor of the cigar), and sometimes there is a tradeoff between big, full flavor and resiny tobacco that has a lot of moisture and doesn't burn well. That's not to say that I have had any bad burns with this stick, I haven't. But I do have to pay attention to my pacing of this smoke. When I do, I am rewarded with a rich, chewy smoke that overflows my taste buds and olfactory senses.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Serie N is not a finesse cigar, nor is it complex. In fact, it's even kinda' ugly, in a mouth-watering sort of way. But this IS a straightforward, in your face stogie with flavor to burn (no pun intended). It's a cigar that won't leave you wondering if you like it or not. You will like it or you will hate it because it will impact your taste buds and olfactory senses in a big way.

The bottom line on the Serie N is that it is a tasty smoke with a great price. You can get these for around $4.50 per stick, which means that this is a slam dunk for you to try in your every day rotation. These cigars are rich and full in flavor with a long finish, which means they beg to be tried along with your favorite spirit, craft beer, or coffee.

~Doc