Before diving into things, let’s clarify where this cigar comes from. There is a bit of confusion as to how this cigar came about, and who created it. Here are the details:

 “The Collaboration: “My UZI Weighs a Ton” by Subculture Studios and JDN is the first formal cigar blending collaboration between Drew Estate Tobacco  Company and Joya de Nicaragua.”

“The 411: The UZI story began on the very first final consumer blending session at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in late 2010 during a Cigar Safari tour with the B.O.T.L. group. After conducting blending sessions for the previous 3 years at the Drew Estate factory, we were amped up to extend the concept to JDN.  While the B.O.T.L. group crafted their blends, I worked with the JDN team utilizing DE tobaccos, including a San Andreas Negro Wrapper, Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade Binder and hearty Brazilian Mata Fina Filler, coupled with Nicaraguan fillers provided by JDN. The blend proved to be rich and earthy, with a bright, sweet undertone.”

“As months of blending passed, I felt this blend was most noble in the 6×60 format and began calling this cigar “The Uzi.” We all had a good laugh at the name, but when I went back to their factory to pick up the round of 50 sticks, I said, “Damn, My UZI’s Weigh a Ton!” – and the brand was officially born. The initial sizes are 5×60, 6×60, and 7×60 – with the infamous “Bait Shop” (4×44) to follow.” – Jonathan Drew

There you have it. One thing to note is the “Bait Shop” is actually now released and carries the name “Bait Fish”.

Size: 6×60  -  Wrapper: San Andreas Maduro  -  Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade  -  Filler:  Brazilian Mata Fina Oscuro, Nicaraguan Seco Jalapa, Nicaraguan Viso Condega and Nicaraguan Esteli Ligero

Prelight: Damn, this is one beautiful cigar. My Uzi Weighs a Ton starts with a very dark, incredibly consistent brown wrapper. This thing looks like a candy bar. The construction is perfect, only carrying a few smaller veins throughout the huge body of the cigar, before coming to a nice, stubby, round double cap. The band is just badass, I love the design and typography on it as it lays out the words “My Uzi Weighs a Ton, by Subculture Studios & JDN, XXL”. XXL of course, referring to the size of these cigars. I know it’s a larger format cigar, but even for it’s size, this cigar really does weight a ton. The Uzi also gives off a ton of resistance as I try to squeeze it between my fingers. This cigar is tough.

The wrapper is crazy oily, and you can see the oils reflect the light off the cigar from all angles. Despite its blown out character the wrapper only gives off a slight, sweet, chocolaty aroma while the foot of the cigar lets loose a modest tobacco along with earth tones.  The cap is easily cut on My Uzi Weight a Ton using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw produces a really mild, yet flavorful graham, and tobacco flavor.

First Smoke: The Uzi starts off with only a slight pepper punch, just the first few draws, and only really enough to tease my lips. After the pepper fades I am left with a very strong cinnamon, dark chocolate, cherry, and sweet tobacco flavor. The cigar definitely didn’t start off as powerful as I thought it would. The draw is awesome, it does take a few extra puffs to get going due to the larger ring gauge, but it’s a smokehouse once it’s off and running.  The burnline has a few smaller waves as it leaves behind a trail of semi-flaky, medium grey ash. The ash held on for about an inch, and I am sure it would probably hold on a bit longer, but its windy as hell outside and I didn’t want to risk it falling.

Halfway There: The flavors in this Uzi just keep ramping up, while the body remains smooth, and easy to smoke. The chocolate has really started to take over. Along with the chocolate so has the cherry while the cinnamon and graham faded out letting way for some really nice sweet tobacco. The retrohale is different on this cigar. Usually I get a lot of cedar and tobacco flavor while this cigar coats with this really malty, chocolate milk flavor. It’s strong too, so just be ready for it. The ash is still kind of flaky, but the burnline is rocking solid while leaving me with almost no nicotine kick at all at this point.

Finish: My Uzi Weighs a ton has really kept me on my toes while it changes up, and ramps up it’s flavor profile even into the final third of this massive cigar. Again, that dark chocolate is just a beast in this experience, the Cherry, which started out mild is a big contender as well while the graham has really crept back in and the sweet tobacco is still mixed in there. The burnline has started a few more small waves, but they didn’t bother me at all. I think the wind had a lot to do with them. It took me just under 2 hours to smoke this massive cigar while I experienced no harshness at all, it actually finished just as smooth as it started. Despite the wind and waves, this cigar also required no extra attention from my lighter throughout the entire smoke.

Overview: Don’t be fooled by the name, and the production, My Uzi Weighs a Ton isn’t the strongest cigar out there. In fact, I found it a perfectly balanced, medium/full cigar with a ton of character. This cigar is a flavor bomb with a really smooth palate of Chocolate, Berry, sweet tobacco, and graham cracker. It really packs the flavor in there, even for the larger ring gauge. I really want to get my hands on the new baitfish size now, as I would love to taste what the smaller format’s wrapper has to offer. This is a solid cigar through, and through and will delight the most experienced smoker as well as help that novice smoker experience the next level in premium cigars without breaking their stomachs, or the bank.

Pairing: Why another great Belgian beer? Yes Please. And this brew in particular is no stranger around these parts, in fact, I think this is the third time I have featured it in the pairing section of this site. Pauwel Kwak. This is a badass beer, and spoilers aside, I couldn’t possibly think of a better pairing with My Uzi Weighs a Ton. Pauwel Kwak is a 8.4% Belgian Strong Ale from Brouwerij Bosteels is Bugeenhout Belgium.  Kwak is a deep, amber ale with a fruity, malty, sweet character. The main flavors are a sweet banana tossed in with mild hops, caramel, and citrus. Seriously, mix those flavors in with the cinnamon chocolate and cherry from the Uzi and you have a knock out pairing.

The Good Stuff: I will jump right into the press release, it pretty much sums up Cremo’s history:

The Original Cremo Cigar, an icon of early America and the most successful cigar brand of the early 20th century, made a commitment to providing their customers with value. The company which rose out of beautiful Manhattan, New York City attained the largest sales of any cigar in its class. The brand was also famously linked to musician Bing Crosby in the early days of Broadcasting Radio.

With a shift in the way cigars were made, factories moved south and all was lost… Now in the 21st century a new dawn awaits. After new buildings were built, and old ones were torn down, a piece of history remained. Now, that piece has been found. Walter Santiago, better known as “Lilo”, a native New Yorker, decided that this amazing company, a staple in the Cigar World, should rise from its ashes.

With the revival of Crémo, the tradition continues with taste and quality as well as class. This was found in El Titan de Bronze (ETB) cigar factory, makers of the “Redemption”, which has scored 88 in Cigar Aficionado and 90 in Cigar Snob. Lilo, along with ETB owner Sandy Cobas and Master Blender Willy Herrera (now with Drew Estate), created an ultra-boutique cigar of masterful construction and excellent flavor.

The factory located in Miami’s famed Calle Ocho, known best for its old school Cuban entubado techniques, is a family owned and operated “fabriquita” which employs level 9 rollers from Cuba, who have worked for Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, Corona and Partagas. These torcedores (cigar rollers), like a painter to a canvas, handcraft each cigar with meticulous detail.

There you have it. One thing to note is the Cremo doesn’t describe the smoke. Cremo is actually the first personal translation of “Cremar” or “To Smoke”. Thanks Cigar Inspector for pointing that out. Anyways, the blend is composed of a Habano wrapper (not sure if its Dominican or Nicaraguan), a Nicaraguan Binder, and mixed Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. The cigar is available in three different sizes: The Excelsior (5 x 50), the Magnum Opus (5.75 x 46), and the Intrepidus (6 x 52) and run between $8 – $9 a stick.

Size: 5×50  -  Wrapper: Habano  -  Binder: Nicaraguan  -  Filler: Dominican/Nicaraguan

Prelight: The Cremo Classic is a fantastically constructed cigar. The wrapper starts with this almost perfectly smooth, consistent milk chocolate brown. It almost looks like a Connecticut shade wrap, and I thought it was for a while.  There is only one smaller vein running the length of the body of the cigar which leads up to the round, triple wrapped cap. The band is a simple, elegant manila and silver color with the words “Cremo” and “ Handcrafted in little Havana” in dark brown. The cigar is firm to the touch and the only soft spot I was able to find was right at the foot.

The wrapper gives off a very sweet, cedar aroma while the foot of the cigar carries a really nice mixture of spice and nuts with some interesting floral notes. The cap clipped off extremely easy using my handy dandy “V” cutter. The cold draw produces this just awesome profile full of sweet cedar, cinnamon, and even some nutmeg. It tastes much like a Christmas treat!

First Smoke: I was shocked to be greeting with a bunch of upfront pepper from my initial draws on this Cremo cigar. It’s not overpowering, I just didn’t except it to be there. Under the pepper lies a bunch of nutty, cinnamon and cedar flavors. I was expecting a much smoother, milder start but this Cremo Classic actually packs some flavor!  Even the aftertaste is great leaving behind a ton of cedar and tobacco. The draw is wide open and kicks out lots of thick smoke without being too loose. The Cremo Classic gives off just a bit of stationary smoke, but it smells really neat, kind of like roasted nuts. The burnline is pretty wavy, but not too concerning as I think it will correct itself as I continue on with this cigar.  The ash is a bit flaky, medium and dark grey. The ash held on for about in inch before falling into my ashtray. Again, ashtray, not my lap. Success!

Halfway There: The pepper has started to fade into the second third of this Cremo Classic. Once the pepper faded the cigar really smoothed and balanced out. The main flavor is now this soft cedar, sweet nutmeg, and cashew.  The retrohale on this cigar is badass. It coats my nasal passage with a really smooth cedar with just a touch of spice. The burnline has since completely corrected itself as I assumed it would and I am feeling almost no nicotine kick at this point.

Finish: The body ramped up into the final third of this Cremo Classic. I started to feel only a slight nicotine kick while the cigar remained smooth and creamy down to the nub. The main flavors were still that cedar, nut, and sweet tobacco but a lot of the spices that I picked up in the first third made a brief comeback. All in all it took a little over and hour to take this cigar down to the nub. It needed absolutely no touch-ups or relights.

Overview: The Cremo Classic surprised me with it’s bold flavors and it’s overall smooth profile. I was expecting something super mild and it wasn’t anything like that. Great flavors, amazing construction, and an overall good cigar at a great price. This is a great cigar for the seasoned cigar smoker and a perfect cigar for the novice looking for a good cigar that won’t break the bank.

Pairing: I paired this cigar was a very easy to find, affordable, and wonderful winter seasonal. Yes, I stepped out of my Belgian kick for this one, pairing the Cremo Classic with some Samuel Adams Winter Lager. Sam Adams winter lager is brewed at the infamous Boston Brewing Company and clocks in at 5.5% ABV.  Sam Adams winter lager bears the same characteristics as most winter brews, smooth, fruity, caramel, deep amber beer only with a few extra hops which really helps to bring out the flavor without being too overpowering. This beer pairs wonderful with any smooth cigar such as the Cremo. This cigar would also go perfect with your favorite coffee or tea.

The Good Stuff: Kinda funny, when I sit down to finally do this review, and start looking up some of the background on the cigar, I realized just how mixed up the information is. From what I have deduced, this cigar was blended by Nestor Plasencia, or Manuel Quesada. It carries a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan Filler along with Peruvian tobacco, or Panamanian tobacco. Really, that’s how mixed up this stuff is. What I can tell you for sure is, it’s a good looking cigar that you can get for about $2.50 a stick. That being said, lets get to the real review.

Prelight: The Cu-Avana Intenso is a pretty little cigar. The wrapper is this very rich, very dark oily and shiny brown. The color is pretty consistent for the most part, but goes crazy light in a few areas. I’ve said it before, but I much rather experience ugly looking color in wrapper than a dyed cigar, so the light patches really don’t bother me at all. The cigar is crazy firm to the touch, it almost feels like a toothy, solid block of wood. The cigars slender body leads of to a seamless, huge, round double cap.  This is one of those few cigars out there that spring for a single foot band versus the standard body band. The band is a simple black with gold decorations, the words “Cu-Avana Intenso” in white and gold as well as a red “Cu-Avana” Medallion on the back.

The wrapper gives off a very sweet and inviting chocolate aroma. Seriously, it smells like a Hershey’s bar. The foot tells a much different tale of spice, tobacco, and other earthy aromas. The cap cut clean using my V-Cutter. The draw was a bit light so I opened it up easily using my double bladed Palio cutter. No problems after the switch and cut while the cigar let lose a very strong pepper, and tobacco flavor on the cold draw.

First Smoke: Despite me thinking that the first few puffs from this Cu-Avana Intenso were going to be filled with massive pepper bombs (probably still traumatized from the Punisher) the Intenso started out with only a slight pepper tingle, a ton of spice, some black cherry flavors and a ton of dark chocolate. It’s already starting to be a completely different cigar. Ever since the change in cut the draw has been great from this cigar. This beast kicks out a butt load of thick, white smoke with each puff so be prepared for it. The burnline is a bit wavy, but not really concerning while it leaves behind a nice zebra striped, semi-compacted light and dark grey ash. The ash held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray. That’s right. My ashtray, not my lap.

Halfway There: The more I smoke this Cu-Avana Intenso, the more the chocolate ramps up. It’s the main flavor now, while there is still a bit of the berry and tobacco in there the chocolate and a bit of coffee have really taken control of the cigar. The retrohale is awesome, and a lot smoother than I thought it was going to be priming my nasal passage with some nice oaky chocolate goodness. I’m feeling a very slight nicotine kick from this cigar, but nothing much at all at this point.

Finish: The pepper has made a huge comeback in the final third of this Cu-Avana Intenso. Let me rephrase that, there isn’t a lot of pepper at all but seeing how there was barely any at the beginning at all I am very surprised to experience a bunch of it towards the end of the smoke. The chocolate is still there, but not very strong as more natural tobacco flavors have really started to take over. The cigar is still really smooth despite ramping in body. I am getting a mean little nicotine kick off of it, but absolutely no harshness into the final inch. All in all it took me about an hour and a half to take this cigar down and it required only one touch up in the final third as the cigar created a crazy wave.

Overview: Needless to say this is a completely different experience than the Punisher. I’m glad too. While I applaud Cu-Avana for trying something different, the Punisher just wasn’t my cup of Habanero flavored tea. The Cu-Avana Intenso started out bold, with lots of flavor and finished with a ramped up body while remaining smooth and true to it’s flavors. I would totally smoke this cigar again, especially at the price point, but I think it may be a tad bit more power then most non-experience cigar smokers can handle. Either way you look at it, it’s worth a try. Now if only they’d release the Punisher blend minus the burning sensation… hmm..

Pairing: Surprised to see that a Canada company makes a style of beer that is not a pilsner? Yeah me too. Unibroue has always made decently priced, great brews that you can find just about anywhere. The Trois Pistoles in particular is a favorite of mine. I actually haven’t had it for quite some time and I am glad that it didn’t disappoint. The beer qualifies as a “strong Dark Ale” coming in at 9% ABV. The beer however, tastes nothing like one. The unique brew is created to resemble “ripe fruit” but it tastes more like celery and tomato. This may sound gross, but it’s a common mashup in Belgian style ales, and a very tasty one at that. It actually compares to Delirium Nocturne, another favorite of mine. And you know what? It paired perfectly with this cigar. The flavors never ceased and the smoothness of the brew really help bring the cigar to another level. Pairing success!

The Good Stuff: I reviewed the broadleaf less-exclusive version of the cigar here and we actually named it as our cigar of the year for 2011.  This is the more exclusive version of the already incredibly exclusive cigar. Each of the 3,700 boxes came with 16 cigars, one of those 16 cigars is this shade wrapped blend. It’s basically the exact same blend only with a tweaked Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011 is very similar in blend to the standard Reserva Especial only with a higher priming. After the wrapper Jaime decided to showcase some of his choice Pelo De Oro leaf as well as two different types of Cuban Seed. These cigars were showcased at this year’s IPCPR convention, and started to hit shops in August. These cigars are probably sold out by now, but if you are lucky enough to stumble across them they will run you about $16 a cigar. Check out this review of the broadleaf version so that you can see just how absolutely beautiful the box these cigars come in are. I won’t go into details.

Size: 6.5 x 52  -  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade  -  Binder: Nicaraguan Pele de Oro  -  Filler: 2 Cuban Seed Nicaraguan  -  Price: ~$16

Prelight: The first thing I noticed about the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition Shade was that this cigar weighed a ton. The Standard Limited Edition was heavy as well, but in comparison to those that I have and this shade one, the shade was so much heavier. I’m sure this wasn’t done on purpose as this is supposed to be the same blend, only with a different wrapper. Anyways. The Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper on this bad boy is a beautiful one. The wrapper is a very light, yellowish brown and like most shade wrappers, is incredibly consistent in color, smooth, and vein free. The body of the cigar is silky smooth, heavy, and firm while the delicate wrapper leads up to the round triple cap. The double band on this cigar matches the LTD Reserva Especial with the broadleaf wrapper identically.

Unlike the broadleaf, this wrapper is a lot more modest with its aroma only teasing with a subtle cedar and spice. The foot however expels a ton of spice, pepper, and tobacco. The sharp pepper actually irritated my nose a bit as I went in for a huge whiff. The cap was REALLY tough and took a little convincing from my double bladed Palio cutter. Once cut, the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition Shade let loose this crazy lacquer, paint flavor. I picked it up in the Broadleaf version too, but not as strong as I could in this one. It has to be from the filler tobacco. Anyways, outside of that I got a little salt off the wrapper, and some spicy earth and cedar tones from the filler.

First Smoke: Right away I am greeting with a ton of pepper on my lips and tongue followed by some really strong spice and cinnamon, some soft tobacco and cedar, and a little underlying sweetness and honey. Just like the broadleaf version, that paint I picked up in the cold draw wasn’t in the actual experience at all. The draw on this thing is crazy. I find myself only puffing the cigar once and getting plenty of thick white smoke. The burnline is pretty even with only some very subtle waves, and razor sharp. This cigar kicks out tons of smoke on the draw but almost nothing at all as it sits in my ashtray. The ash is a really nice white and light grey which held on for a little over an inch before giving way into my lap, again. So this picture is of the second ash. I really need to stop being lazy and get up more often to take these pictures before the ash falls.

Halfway There: Holy Cedar Explosion Batman! Seriously. The Broadleaf version was sweet while the Shade version of this Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial explodes in the second third with some crazy thick cedar and honey flavors. It tastes like I am smoking a graham cracker. There is still a ton of spice and a little pepper, but the cedar, cinnamon and honey have completely taken over. The retrohale is just awesome coating with this strong cedar with a hell of a lot of spice. I usually don’t feel much of a nicotine kick from shade wrapped cigars due to their mildness, but I swear I’m already feeling a little something from this one. The burnline is still a bit wavy but I haven’t had to touch it up or relight so I’m ok with that. Another note is that the ash fell into my lap yet again. This ash my look strong, but be careful, It’s not! Now let’s see if I can manage to get any ash in my ashtray at all.

Finish: It’s always nice when band on cigars come off with ease, and in the case of both massive bands on this Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition Shade that was the case. This cigar has started out flavor packed and although the body has really ramped up into the final third of the cigar (plus I have a nice buzz from this beer), the cigar has remained true producing a very smooth experience. The main flavor is still that cedar but the honey and spice has really toned down leading the way for the earth and tobacco flavors to really shine though. I am feeling a mean nicotine kick at this point. All in all it took slightly less then two hours to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I experienced absolutely no harshness into the final inch. The cigar required no touch ups to relights at all.

Overview: Although the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011 Shade is a good cigar, in my opinion it doesn’t hold a candle to the broadleaf counterpart. You need to keep in mind that this cigar was originally blended for the broadleaf wrapper, not the shade and because of that, it isn’t nearly as balanced. The body is way to high for the wrapper and at times the filler and binder overpowered the hell out of the wrapper. It’s a good cigar and a nice departure and a nice touch for an already limited edition blend, but I am glad the box only came with one of these. If you are a fan of the Reserva Especial blend then by all means, check this cigar out, it’s fun. It’s neat to see just how much of each cigar smoking experience weighs in the wrapper. But if you are looking for a nice, full flavored Connecticut I think you are way better off saving your money and looking at something like Oliva’s Connecticut reserve or EP Carrillo’s New wave Connecticut.

Pairing: Pairing with another wonderful Belgian winter seasonal, this Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition Shade went down with some Scaldis Noel Premium (Also known as Bush de Noel). The only difference between the Scaldis Noel and the Premium is the ABV as the Premium sits at 13% while the standard Scaldis Noel sits comfortably at 12.5%. Both pack a hell of a punch. The extra .5% actually comes about as the beer is literally refermented in the bottle it comes in. This brilliant red Belgian strong ale is brewed at Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl in Belgium. The beer has a very fruity and sweet complex as it masks the strong alcohol complex. Smooth and rich this beer paired perfectly with the strength and body of the Jaime Garcia Limited Edition Shade without overpowering it. They actually went along perfectly hand in hand taking turns complimenting each other. This beer probably wouldn’t go well with any other shade cigar, but would pair perfectly with a nice Habano.

This Padilla Hybrid was actually sent over by our good friends StogieBoys.com. If you aren’t familiar with the site check it out for some neat features such as the Make a Wishlist, and even a Military Discount program. Anyhow, originally released in 2004 Padilla’s Hybrid is a top-notch cigar created with value in mind. The Peruvian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican blend is constructed  under the direct supervision of the almighty Ernesto Padilla. That being said, you know that the product will be top shelf.

The Padilla Hybrid is released in three classic sizes: Churchill (7 x 48), Robusto (5 x 50), and Torpedo (6.2 x 52). You can pick these up from Stogieboys.com here for less than $3 a stick.

 Size: 5 x 50  -  Wrapper: Connecticut Shade  -  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  – Body: Mild

Prelight: The Padilla Hybrid carries a classic, shade character wrapper. Light, and incredibly consistent brown with only a few darker spots near the foot of the cigar. The wrapper is silky and smooth, but feel very delicate in my hands. The filler is firm for the most part with only a few softer spots towards the foot of the cigar. The body of the cigar carries almost no veins all the way to its round double cap. This cigar as well as the others I have look a bit sloppy. There are a few knicks in the wrapper as well as some peeling on the cap and the foot. The Band on the Padilla Hybrid is huge, and in my opinion not very pretty. It starts with a huge black stargate looking band with a brownish/orageish/reddish crest with a gold and black “P”. The crest is surrounded by a few gold coins before a silver “Padilla” emblem stretched out around each side of the band. Underneath each of those is the words “Hybrid” and “Hand Made”. It’s almost impossible for me to get any kind of aroma from the wrapper of this hybrid. I can get a very faint tobacco scent, but that’s about it. The foot’s aromas are barely noticeable as well but I did  get a nice whiff of some subtle spice in there. I actually used a V cut on this cigar. Something I have been trying out lately and its been working really well! The cold draw produced a very mild profile with lots of grassy, earth tones and just a little bit of spice and tobacco.

First Smoke: The Padilla Hybrid lit up almost the second the flame hit the cigar.  The flavors started out with a really mellow cedar, a little bit of spice, a tiny bit of pepper, and lots of natural tobacco flavor. The draw is awesome kicking out massive amounts of thick white smoke with every little puff. The Hybrid doesn’t give off a lot of stationary smoke, but it smells awesome! It’s like a little cedar stick burning away in my ashtray. The burnline is a bit thick with a lot of little waves, but nothing too concerning. The ash is a decently packed dark grey which only held on for about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: As I stated before, the wrapper on this Padilla Hybrid is a gentle one, and deep into the second third it begins to show it’s weakness cracking about 4 different times throughout the body. The good thing is, it’s just the wrapper so there is not smoke escaping and it isn’t hindering the experience in the least. The flavors really haven’t changed up any from the first third, still really smooth with some nice subtle cedar and spice, natural earth flavors and a bit of tobacco. I am feeling zero nicotine at this point and the wavy burnline has completely corrected itself and the Hybrid is now burning like a champ.

Finish: The band slid off clean and easily which is a huge relief. Given the strength of the cigar’s wrapper I was really scared that it would just pull the whole damn thing off. Again, the Padilla Hybrid hasn’t really switched up too much in the flavor department. Although the spice has ramped up a bit in the final third, all the other flavors have remained the same. This cigar is really mild and smooth, not giving off even the slightest of nicotine kicks. I did encounter a little harshness into the final inch, but that was expected. It’s nothing too bad, and for the price I would have been shocked if I didn’t pick up any harshness at all.

Overview: It’s obvious that this cigar isn’t my flavor profile, but that doesn’t really make it a bad cigar. It’s very one dimensional but carries an very smooth and overall enjoyable composure. It’s very mild and only produces a handful of flavor, but given that it makes a perfect cigar for all those who don’t like the full bodied smokes or are just starting out smoking cigars. Another pro is the fact that I have seen these cigars sold for as little as $1.50 to $2.00 a stick! Can’t beat that. It might be a good investment for those of you who have a lot of people who normally don’t smoke cigars are need something smooth and mild to offer then that won’t break the bank. Needless to say, this cigar won’t be in my regular rotation but that’s just simply due to the fact that I didn’t care for the flavor or the body. Outside of the subjectivity it’s a great cigar at a great value.

Pairing: I decided to switch it up a bit and pair this Padilla Hybrid with some Ramos Pinto Quinta Ervamoira 10-year-old Tawny Port. I was just in a wine kind of mood and my lovely sister in law got this for me for Christmas. The wine is a very sweet, caramel type of port with lots of ripe grape, cherry, and spicy flavors. This isn’t as heavy as most ports I have had but definitely tastes like it is. Although the port was excellent, I wish I would have paired it with something that wouldn’t had overpowered the cigar so much. Maybe a nice ale, pilsner or some apple juice.

The Good Stuff: Unlike the original Cu-Avana Intenso which was originally created by the master blender Manuel Quesada, The Punisher is actually re-blended, and hyped up by another familiar face, Nestor Plasencia. It wasn’t that Quesada did a bad job, in fact the blend was widely popular. Some people were just craving a stronger, more robust cigar hence the re-blend.  These cigars come only in torpedo-tubo format. You can buy them in boxes of 13 for about $100 or about $14 a single.

Size: 6-52  -  Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano  -  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero

Prelight: The Cu-Avana Intenso Punisher is a deadly looking cigar, from the branding down to the actually cigar itself. The cigar looks as if it has had better days. The wrapper is this crazy looking, extremely dark, baker’s chocolate brown color with a few lighter areas that seem to line the 2 or 3 larger veins the run the length of the cigar. The wrapper itself is tough as hell adding the cigars weight and firmness. This thing feels like it’s made from cement. The cap of the cigar is this strange torpedo cap. I call it strange cause it is actually tilted a bit on top (probably not on purpose) which makes it look kid of like the top of a garden gnome’s hat. The Punisher comes loaded in an all black metal tubo with simply the word “PVNISHER” painted on it. The first band on this cigar bears the same branding only with an extra “-MMXI-” added to it. The secondary foot band is identical to the gold, black, white and red foot band that you find on the standard Cu-Avana Intensos.

The wrapper gives off an almost motor oil aroma mixed in with some crazy harsh tobacco. I can already tell that I’m in for a doozy. The foot of the cigar is insanely peppery and because of that it’s pretty hard to pick anything else out of there. The cap cut clean using my double bladed Palio cutter. Before even trying to pull a cold draw off this cigar, I put it to my lips and tongue to moisten the cap. Holy hell!!! It was like sucking on a habanero. Seriously. It made my tongue burn for about 2 minutes and even made me second guess my beer selection swapping it with milk instead. Braving the pepper I went in for the cold draw. It was nearly as peppery and spicy as I was expecting, instead I was greeting with a nice, even draw filled with nice cedar, tobacco, and only a hint of spice.

First Smoke: The foot band on this Cu-Avana Intenso Punisher slid off with ease. Lighting up the cigar was a cake walk as well. As soon as the cigar hit my lips again they almost burned off from the immense amount of  pepper this thing packs. One interesting note is, the pepper isn’t necessarily coming form the filler or binder, its transferring from the wrapped cap straight to my lips. It’s like they coat the cap with jalapeno or something. Not very nice. Outside of the pepper I am picking up some nice spice, dark chocolate, earthy flavors and even some cinnamon. I just really wish the pepper wasn’t overpowering the hell out of the rest of the flavors as they are actually pretty enjoyable. The draw on this pepper machine is awesome kicking out huge clouds of thick white smoke with every puff. The Punisher also gives off a good amount of tobacco/cedar scented stationary smoke. The burnline is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a beautifully compacted trail of white and light grey ash.

Halfway There: Halfway through this Cu-Avana Intenso Punisher and my lips are screaming for mercy. The pepper in this beast just will not give in. I live literally a stone throw from Mexico and this cigar beats the hell out of some of the spiciest of foods I’ve tasted. No joke. The main flavor is of course that pepper, although the underlying flavors are finally starting to show their colors with a very nice cedar, spice, cinnamon and chocolate. The retrohale on this cigar is awesome too boasting almost pure bittersweet chocolate which proves once again that the cap on this cigar is the pepper culprit. In the nicotine category, surprisingly, I’m not feeling anything at all at this point. I may just still be in shock by all the pepper setting my lips on fire to notice though.

Finish: At this point I am very pleased to say that the pepper has really subdued and I am left with the original flavor profile intended for this cigar. First of all, there is a TON of sweetness in this cigar that I wasn’t able to pick up until now. Sucks too cause it is very tasty! Matched with that is a whole ton of cedar, some strong tobacco, cinnamon, and even some clove. Needless to say what lies under the pepper is actually an amazing flavor combination. I am only feeling a slight nicotine kick, if any at all. I can’t tell if it was the beer or the cigar, but I really anticipated having trouble standing once this experience was done. That just wasn’t the case. It took me about an hour and a half to smoke this bad boy down to the nub with no harshness, and actually a very smooth experience within the final inch.

Overview: I really can’t wait till the next time I eat some spicy chili and get to say “I’ve smoked cigars spicier than this!”. Maybe they named it the “Punisher” cause you give it to your friends to punish them for being jerks (Thanks, Lupe). But in all seriousness, the Cu-Avana Intenso Punisher is no freaken joke, and not for the faint of heart. I really, truly think all the pepper ruined the experience for me. I like bolder cigars, but when you just tack on a bunch of crap to make you cigar feel bold it’s a total turn off. Especially considering just how wonderful the flavors hidden underneath all the pepper are. If you are considering buying one of these cigars, I would urge you to pass and consider the standard Cu-Avana Intenso while saving yourself some coin, unless you are looking for a crazy pepper and overall unique experience. I strongly urge any novice smoker to stay as far away from this cigar as you can. Unless you eat jalapenos on a regular basis.

One interesting note is on Cigar.com they actually state the following:  “Don’t expect sweetness from this powerhouse and we highly recommend you enjoy this one on a full stomach.” Although I agree with the full stomach portion, I highly disagree with the lack of sweetness. In the final third the cigar was full of sweet tobacco, and it wasn’t just a hint, there was a ton. Just something I found interesting.

 Interesting tidbit #2: It looks like my detective skills were spot-on when I stated that the pepper might actually be a pepper or chili coating. Our friends over at Cigar Inspector actually confirmed it.

Pairing: No surprise here pairing yet another cigar with a fine Belgian brew. Delirium Noel, part of the Delirium series (Delirium Tremmens and Delirium Nocturne) from the Brouwerij Huyghe in Belgium, is a 10% ABV winter seasonal Belgian dark strong ale and one of my favorite holiday treats. I will stalk my local spirit stores until I find these on the shelves every year as they fly right off the shelves. The beer pour a nice amber and copper red with some thick head. The taste profile pumps out some very nice citrus, zest, and almost vegetable flavors before finishing off with a smooth malty aftertaste. This beer REALLY helped tone down the Punisher. I wouldn’t recommend anything too strong with this cigar as the cigar is already strong enough, but something with some really nice balancing flavors. A Trippel, while very light, would pair great with this cigar. Hell even some heavily creamed coffee and dare I say milk?!

These pre-release samples were graciously sent over from our good friend @terencereilly82. Excitement for a new Quesada blend started forming when @Quesadacigars dropped a bomb of a tweet announcing the first new blend from the MATASA (Manufactura de Tabacos S.A.) factory in the Dominican Republic. This isn’t just your average everyday blend though, this blend has a purpose.

The Good Stuff: Q d’etat is a play on the concept of “coup d’etat”, an attempt to help unite cigar smokers in support of their rights. The concept formed after a retail store in Springfield MO lots it’s right to smoke within it’s own store due to a lack of exemption file. Sadly, this is happening all over the US as cigar smokers and retailers are constantly having to fight for their smoking rights. In total, there will only be 1,000 boxes of the Q d’etat released, in 3 different sizes. The first is the “Molotov” which is obviously based off the Molotov Cocktail fire bomb used by the Fins against the Russians. This size will run $7.95 a stick, will be available in boxes of ten, and the release is set at some point in January. Details on the other two sizes in the line have yet to be released.

This is an interesting concept and can easily be taken the wrong way. The release in no way is created to incite violence, but to inspire cigar smokers and retailers to take action and do their part to protect their rights. In fact, each box will contain a registration form for the Cigar Rights of America. If you are unfamiliar with CRA, then you need to get with it. Check them out and do your part!

Size: 5 x 44/58 /38 -  Wrapper: Dominican  -  Binder/Filler: Dominican

As you can see by the pictures, the Quesada Q d’etat Molotov does in fact, look like a small Molotov. I really can’t wait to set this thing on fire. The cigar starts out with a smaller gauged round (44rg) then quickly expands into a wide bodied cigar (58rg) before a long, slender taper down to about a 38rg before being capped off with a very interesting compressed nub cap which represents the “rag” portion of a Molotov Cocktail. Interesting indeed, this cigar really does look like one. The format is really intriguing and I really can’t wait to light it up and see how well, or how badly it performs. Size aside the Q d’etat Molotov is wrapper in a crazy oily, dark and medium brown wrapper. This cigar is so oily it looks wet. The wrapper is very thick and firm and despite being a crazy size that I can imagine it pretty difficult to roll, the construction is impeccable. No soft spots, no flaws, and only two smaller veins no longer than an inch each. These samples do not have bands, but here is an ide of what the final band will look like:

And here is a sample from the inside of lid of the box:

The wrapper on this Quesada Q d’etat Molotov gives off a really sweet, oaky aroma while the foot of the cigar bears a very spicy and peppery tobacco aroma. The cap cut clean and crazy easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw is a very interesting cashew and tobacco with just enough spice and pepper to east my lips and tongue. The draw is much looser then I initially thought it would be too.

First Smoke: Quesada’s Q d’etat Molotov starts off with a ton of really bold tobacco flavors. Outside to the tobacco I picked up hints of chocolate, spice, some deep strong oaky/cedar flavors, and just enough pepper to leave a slight tingling sensation on my lips. I’m also picking up a slight saltiness from the wrapper. The draw, is perfect. Which was pretty much the main thing I was concerned about due to the cigar’s strange size. It fits very comfortably in the hand as well. The Q D’etat only leaves behind trace amounts of cedar scented stationary smoke while it sits in my ashtray. The burnline is even for the most part with only a few small waves leaving behind a very tightly compacted medium and light grey ash. The ash held on for about an inch before giving way into my lap. That’s right, I screwed that one up. This picture is close enough to the end of the first third to get away with it.

Halfway There: After reaching the bulb in this Q D’etat Molotov, the cigar really started to smooth out. The bold tobacco flavor is now just an afterthought as the dark chocolate, cinnamon, and spice flavors take over. There is a bit of that oakyness still tossed in there as well. The retrohale is a lot spicier than I expected, priming my nasal passage with a very sharp oak and spice. The burnline is still pretty even, and I am already feeling a nice little nicotine buzz from this little cigar.

Finish: Finishing up the final third of this Q D’etat Molotov and it’s still going strong. One thing to note is there is a tiny bit of sap coming from the cap of the cigar. So little I barely noticed it, so it really didn’t impair the experience at all, I just thought it was worth mentioning. On the same note, keep in my this is a pre-release so it may even be slightly young which may explain the sap. This little cigar goes out with a bang as the flavors began to ramp back up as well as the body of the cigar. The main flavor is not this crazy strong oaky/cedar flavor which is still being backed by the spice and cinnamon as well as some natural tobacco. Don’t let the size fool you, this cigar packs quite a bit of a punch, not to mention it burns incredibly slow. It took me about an hour and a half to smoke this little guy down to the nub with no harshness at all. The cigar finishes off really nice, clean and smooth, leaving me with a nice little nicotine buzz.

Overview: This cigar was an interesting one. The format and the blend on the Quesada Q D’etat isn’t something you encounter too often. The size, although strange, really makes for a comfortable and controlled smoke while the bolder, more robust blend suited my tastes perfectly. This isn’t really a cigar for a smoking novice, but I really think the more seasoned smokers will be able to appreciate the hard work, and the complexity of the smoke. The flavors and the change-ups really keep you entertained while the experience as a whole is enjoyable. The price point on these cigars make them a perfect cigar for your everyday rotation. I really can’t wait to try this blend in other formats. Needless to say Quesada has done it again. After last year’s success with the Seleccion Espana, Oktoberfest, and Domus Magnus I really expected great things from the company and couldn’t wait to see how the next blend would turn out. I don’t think the Q D’etat trumps those three blends, but it fits in perfectly with them and I would highly recommend picking these up once they are released. Boxworthy for sure, especially at that price.

Pairing: It almost seems like this beer and this cigar are made for each other. I paired this Q d’etat Molotov with a beer that often shows it’s face around this blog, New Belgium’s 1554. 1554 is a Brussels’s style black ale that fits perfectly into the winter season, but is luckily found year round. Brewed at the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado this 5.6% ABV “enlightened” ale boasts flavors of dark chocolate, malted nuts, and caramel with a smooth creamy finish. Pair it with your next maduro, you won’t regret it.

For those who don’t know, Gran Habano had recently formed a series called the S.T.K. series. The cigars in this special series are limited production, limited release cigars that were created for the sole consumption of George A. Rico and family. Needless to say these are extraordinary cigars and Rico felt the public deserved to try them out as well, thus creating the S.T.K. series. The S.T.K. series will initially only be available at 50 retailers across the U.S.  and limited to no more than 100. Luckily our friends over at Gran Habano Cigars (@ghcigars) where kind enough to send a few of them our way.

After numerous blends and prototypes, George A. Rico has finally came up with a cigar he deemed worthy of the Opium name. This cigar is composed of a Nicaraguan Habano Corojo hybrid wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and an unknown mix of fillers. These cigars come in just one size, 6×52, will run $9 a stick, and will only be available at S.T.K. authorized retailers.

Size: 6×52  -  Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano/Corojo  -  Binder: Nicaraguan  -  Filler: Unknown

Prelight: First and foremost, the band on this G.A.R. Opium is impossible to ignore. The cigar sports a crazy elegant, attention calling double gold, red, and white band along with a third black and gold foot band that simply states that this cigar is part of the S.T.K. series and is a “Limited Edition” “by George A. Rico”. The first band is a huge red and gold crest with the G.A.R. branding followed by a smaller secondary band with a similar design that has the blend’s name “Opium”. The wrapper on this cigar is a beautify dark and medium brown with tons of oils coating the entire body. There are only one or two short, wider veins running through the body of this cigar leading up to the perfectly round triple cap. The cigar in general is extremely firm with no soft spots. The wrapper feels really durable as it didn’t tear or break when I squeezed it. It did however leave a really neat coating of oils on my finger tips. The wrapper on this cigar gives off a very interesting sweet pine aroma while the foot produces nothing more than a bold tobacco scent. The cap cut clean and easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw is interesting. Instead of getting the run of the mill tobacco flavor I was anticipating the G.A.R. Opium let loose this crazy spicy, sweet, cedar flavor with even a bit of pepper on just the cold draw alone.

First Smoke: Instead of this G.A.R. Opium greeting me with the pepper I was expecting due to the cold draw flavors, I was welcomed with a very sweet tobacco flavor with a bit of honey, cinnamon and some subtle cedar with a bit of pepper that only teased my lips and tongue. The draw on this cigar is dead on, filling my mouth with tons of thick smoke with every puff. The burnline is razor sharp and even for the most part with only some very small waves. The ash left behind is white and light grey and extremely tightly compacted. The ash held on for well over an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: The G.A.R. Opium is really starting to open up now. Along with the sweet tobacco, cedar, and honey I am not picking up some interesting floral and citrus notes. I had to double check my hands to make sure they didn’t have soap on them. This cigar is very smooth and has some really interesting flavors. The retrohale is a nice addition to the experience to coating my nasal passage with a very bold, sweet cedar. I’m not really feeling any nicotine at this point, and the cigar is still burning dead even with amazingly white, compact ash.

Finish: Despite the larger bands on this G.A.R. Opium, all three of them slid right off the cigar without a hitch. That always gets huge brownie points with me. The Opium really smoothed out into the final third while the body ramped up a bit. Most of the flavors have dampened with the exception of the sweet tobacco and cedar which are rocking pretty hard at this point. There was no harshness at all, even into the final inch where I felt only a slight nicotine buzz before a smooth, creamy finish.

Overview: Gran Habano is a company that sometimes gets passed by cigar smokers. Just because they are affordable doesn’t mean they aren’t supburb cigars and the Opium is a perfect example of that. Perfect construction, great flavors, complex yet smooth. It really doesn’t get better than that. This is a perfect cigar for any occasion. Light enough to smoke in the morning, flavorful enough for an after meal smoke, and affordable enough for an everyday smoke. Need I say more?

Pairing: Coming in with another Lips of Faith series brew form New Belgium brewing, I paired this G.A.R. Opium with the new “Prickly Passion Saison”. I’ve said it so many times, but Saisons are my poison. I could drink these all day long. This isn’t your standard Saison though, it’s actually a 8.5% ABV beer brewed with natural Prickly Pear Cactus and Passion fruit juices. Usually the fruit would be the focal point of the brew, but in this case it’s nothing more than a slight aftertaste that really helps make this beer one of the smoothest I can say I have ever had. Sweet and citrusy up front with a nice smooth, creamy, fruity finish. This was a PERFECT pairing. I can’t stress that enough. Now that the Opium’s will be easily obtained, I recommend trying this pairing out if you can find the beer. Usually this time of the season I’d be pairing with some nice winter seasonal porters or stouts, but after trying this beer I knew it would go perfect with this cigar. You know what else goes great with this cigar and the beer? The Bouncing Souls. I got some “True Believers” playing as I enjoy the weekend before the chaos on my back porch.

#10 – Casa Miranda by Miami Cigar Co.

Miami Cigar was on a huge roll last year and turned out a bunch of good cigars, one of which made our #1 in 2010.  New releases slowed down a little bit in 2011 but the quality did not!  The Casa Miranda is a smooth medium bodied smoke that is wonderfully well balanced with flavors of coffee, cedar and a touch of spice with some added sweetness and tart flavors.  The creamy finish on this cigar is sure to impress all kinds of cigar enthusiasts.

#9 – Drew Estate Liga Privada Undercrown

It’s no secret that one of us here at Casas Fumando is a huge Liga Privada Fanboy. When word got out that Drew Estate was working on a new, affordable, non-exclusive version of the blend, we did whatever it took to track a few down. This cigar was actually created by workers at the Drew Estate factory when the company decided they needed to hold back consumption on more of the Liga Privada cigars in order to get more to the consumers. This sweet, complexed, and incredibly balanced blend has made huge waves amongst the cigar community this year. Affordable, easy to find, and tasty. What more could one ask for?

#8 – Camacho – Room 101 Namakubi

Camacho has been relatively quite lately, with the exception of a little sleeper cigar that took this year’s IPCPR show by storm. Matt Booth and Camacho teamed up a while back in collaboration to release the Room 101 brand. One of this year’s Room 101 releases really caught the attention of not only the attendees at the release show, but us as well. The Namakubi is a very complex, and different style cigar that keeps you entertained from start to finish. It’s got some body, some unique flavors, and some interesting artwork. Hopefully we see more like this from both Camacho and Room 101 in the near future.

#7 – Quesada Oktoberfest

A blend created for the sole purpose of German beer pairing? It almost seems like Quesada was reading our minds when it created yet another masterpiece. This trophy of a cigar was introduced for the first time this year to accompany the german Oktoberfest celebration. To be honest, we celebrate each time we light one of these bad boys up. Strong, full body, with just enough flavor to marry in perfectly with your beer, without overpowering it. Needless to say  Quesada is on a roll this year and it will be interesting to see where they stand this time next year.

#6 – Tatuaje Wolfman – Monster Series #4

Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars has another winner is his amazingly popular Monster Series of cigars that come out every Halloween.  In his 4th addition to the Series, Pete opted to wrap the Wolfman with a tasty Sumatra wrapper and leave an interesting shaggy foot on the cigar.  The cigar started off with lots of cedar and some spice you would expect from a Tatuaje cigar.  Interestingly though, the Wolfman turned out to be a smooth experience as the peppery spice tapered off and were replaced by cloves, nutmeg, leather and a touch of sweetness in the last half.

#5 – E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut

There are tons of Connecticut cigars out on the market and it takes a special blender to make one that stands out amongst the rest.  Well, E.P. Carrillo turned out a winner with his New Wave Connecticut this year which made waves(pun intended!) in the cigar world.  Everything you would hope for in a Connecticut cigar can be found here and at a price that is easily digestible.  Smooth creamy notes with touches of sweetness such as coffee and caramel all wrapped together with a soft cedar blanket.  This is a fantastic cigar to gift to someone new to the cigar world or even someone looking for a smooth morning treat.

#4 – San Lotano Oval

A.J. Fernandez is another name that has been tearing up the cigar streets as of late with his newly created, B&M exclusive San Lotano line. Amongst that line is a stand alone cigar that blew us away. The Oval is unique not only in blend, but in shape as well. This cigar packed some of the most complex, interesting, smooth, and enjoyable flavors into its strange, yet comfortable Oval formatted cigar. At a welcomed price point, we would be surprised if this cigar didn’t sneak into other’s top 10 list as well.

#3 – Tatuaje La Casita Criolla

Connecticut Broadleaf, now that’s a term I wish we heard more often. As soon as Pete Johnson announced that he and Jaime Garcia of My Father Cigars would be creating a 100% Connecticut Broadleaf cigar, we jumped all over it. From the wrapper, to the filler, this complex yet smooth cigar aims to please. With a sweet, chocolate and cedar profile, this cigar really is the epitome of a perfect cigar. One other huge point that helped nudge this cigar so far up our list is the price point. One would think a Tatuaje, coming from My Father’s Factory, composed completely of expensive broadleaf would carry a hefty price tag. But the $7 range on these sticks just make them too hard to pass up.

#2 – Quesada Seleccion Espana

Quesada threw out a few curve balls this year in the ways of tasty cigars, that is for sure.  The Seleccion Espana is definitely one of those.  It’s a rare treat and we are both glad we were able to try it.  The Seleccion Espana was actually created for the Spanish cigar market with a definite throwback to class Cuban cigars.  The cigar entertains your palate with a mix of cedar, tart sweetness and the classic saltiness you find on some Cuban cigars.  The flavors are rounded out by a touch of spice and nuttiness with a smooth medium finish.  If you manage to track a few of these down, buy them and enjoy their super slow burning goodness down to the nub!

#1 – Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011

Well what can we say, the number 1 cigar is definitely a tasty one and we both enjoyed each and every inch of them.  The My Father factory turns out some awesome cigars and the Limited Edition of the Jamie Garcia is no exception.  We both really enjoy the original Jamie Garcias so we got very excited when we heard about this cigar coming out.  Tony jumped at the chance for a box purchase and did not regret it one bit.  The price is a little bit high but it is a limited edition after all and neither of can say no to a wonderfully toothy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper! haha.  So what can you expect form this cigar?  Well, you will get subtle nuances of spice, a thick chocolate coating on your palate and tons of espresso notes.  Add to that some pleasant cedar, a touch of berry sweetness and some nuts and you will be in cigar heaven!  Get your hands on these before they disappear, you will not be disappointed!

Honorable Mentions:

There were a TON of good cigars that came out this year and it’s extremely hard to make a top 10 list without have a few that were right on the edge of #9 or #10.  So to compensate, here’s a couple honorable mentions that just BARELY missed our list.

The Maldonado Dynasty – The Mogul
I’m sure you’ve seen this name around the site before, and just recently Paul Maldonado donated a box to Daniel’s Movember Campaign.  But aside from being an all-around nice guy Paul also has a tasty cigar on his hands.  From the attractive oily wrapper to the smooth cedar aroma, “The Mogul” is a cigar that does not disappoint.  In the flavor department, you can expect to find coffee, cedar, a touch of spice and some interesting dried fruit.  Make sure to grab a few of these and give them a try.

Illusione ~MK~ Ultra

I know, I know, there is no review for this cigar. There is a reason behind that, and probably the only reason why this cigar didn’t make our top ten. I had a hell of a time tracking down this cigar. Even when I did, I was only able to chase down one, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The MK Ultra is based on Dion’s first release of the ~MK~. It’s basically the same blend, on crack. Much stronger and more robust. I already liked the ~MK~ as is, but the added strength and body blew me away. If you are a fan of the ~MK~ or Dion’s stuff in general, then this cigar is for you. Let’s just hope future supplies will meet demand.

The Gurkha Cellar Reserve is a cigar that kind of snuck in under my radar. This cigar is a vintage, with 15 year aged tobacco. The wrapper is a Criollo from 1998 bound by a Dominican Olor binder and stuffed with a 15 year old Nicaraguan Criollo filler. They are then carefully placed in 20 count wooden boxes that actually promote aging similar to oak wine barrels. They are available in 5 sizes: 4 x 58 Perfecto, 5 x 58 Double Robusto, 6 x 58 Gran Rothchild, 7 x 54 Churchill and 6 x 60 XO and will range between $6 and $13.

One neat little note is, there is a rumor that this is actually Gurkha’s attempt at a cigar that will compete with Drew Estate’s Liga Privada. Oddly enough the Perfecto is the same size, shape, and pig tailed cap as the Ferel Pig. Let’s see how it measures up.

Size: 6 x 60  -  Wrapper: Criollo  -  Binder: Dominican Olor  -  Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo

The Gurkha Cellar Reserve is an absolutely beautiful cigar. This size in particular, spots a huge, thick ring gauge. This cigar is a beast and probably weighs more than I do. The wrapper is a beautiful thick, oily, calico brown with dark, and lights browns along with oranges mixed in. There are two larger veins running the length of the wide body up to the massive, round double cap. The Cellar Reserve is finished of with one of, if not the nicest band I have ever seen on a Gurkha. There is a ton of information inlayed with black, god metallic, and red ink into this ivory, matte paper band. Although the information on the band isn’t too informative, it adds a nice touch. The band reads:

“Aged 15 Years.  Blended at the K. Hansotia & Co. World Headquarters. Gurkha Cellar Reserve. Restricted reserve from K. Hansotia & Co. Authentic Mark of Honor. Nicaraguan Puro. Batch No. #8582N Quantity #20/k1967 Blend Strength 97.6%. Truly balanced to please the aficionado who is search for a draw perfections, aged oak aroma will sooth the environment and gain praise. Fifteen years of aged tobacco and dedication, has given us another masterpiece. To which only the Elite Blend Master of K. Hansotia & Co.  can Create. “

I’d be VERY interested to see if those numbers vary by band. As stated before, I smoked another one, only a different size, and both of the numbers on the band matched.

Anyways, the wrapper on this Gurkha Cellar Reserve has an extremely pleasant woodsy, oaky aroma to it, while the foot of the cigar is nothing more than a very faint sweet tobacco. The cap cut easy and clean using my double bladed Palio Cutter. Instantly upon reaching my lips, I could already taste and feel the pepper from the cigar. Outside of the pepper the cold draw produced a very woodsy, sweet tobacco flavor.

First Smoke: Despite all the pepper the cold draw on this Gurkha Cellar Reserve produced, there was only a slight pepper introduction once the cigar was actually lit up. The main flavors are a ton of upfront oaky goodness mixed in with some strong tobacco, sweet spice, and this incredibly tart flavor rubbing off on my lips from the wrapper of the cigar. The draw is a little loose, but that’s to be expected in such a large ring gauged cigar. The Cellar Reserve produces almost no stationary smoke, but the scent left behind is a really nice burnt wood aroma. The burnline is razor sharp and despite some waves when I first lit up, it’s burning dead even into the first third leaving behind a trail of medium grey, tightly compacted ash.  The ash held on for a little over an inch before falling into my ash tray.

Halfway There: You can definitely tell there is some seriously aged tobacco in this Cellar Reserve. The cigar is starting to mellow out into the second third. The flavors have mixed up a bit. No more pepper, at all, now the dominant flavor is this incredibly smooth oak flavor with some interesting red wine and tart citrus notes, finishing with a spice and tobacco. Usually, cigars don’t mellow out this drastically until the final third, if at all, so it will be interesting to see where the cigar goes from here.  The draw has actually tightened up a bit since the first third. Now it’s right where I’d like it. The retrohale is VERY sharp and it’s the only time that you can really still taste that pepper along with a lot of other spice notes. I am already starting to feel a little nicotine kick from this Gurkha, but nothing too significant.

Finish: Sadly, into the final third of this Gurkha Cellar reserve, my first instinct had proved correct. The cigar is now falling flatter and flatter producing a really charred, harsh flavor. The same thing happened with the other size I smoked, and I really hoped it was just the format. The final flavors lead in with the charred wood I mentioned, a bit of harshness, some sweet tobacco, and a little bit of oak. The burnline is still rocking solid, and I am getting a hell of a nicotine kick now. All in all this cigar took about an hour and a half to smoke.

Overview: It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Gurkha, but they do have a few cigars that I think are extraordinary, unfortunately, this wasn’t one of them. It’s not bad cigar, and in no way is it as bad as some of the other cigars in their massive line, but it really didn’t live up to what I expected it to be. Beautiful cigar, VERY aged tobacco, great character, but it just didn’t deliver. The cigar started out great and ramped up at the start of the second third, but at the end of the second third it was lights out. The cigar fell flat, became harsh, and lost it’s appeal. It had a lot of potential, but just missed the mark. I wouldn’t rule this cigar out though, I think even more age could do it some good. The Cellar Reserve is another perfect example of good intentions, and an overly powerful cigar that overlooked then entire experience as a whole. If you’re a Gurkha fan, and like strong cigars, this is probably perfect for you.

One a side note, the first cigar I smoked, I kept comparing to the Liga Privada just to see if it measured up. Needless to say, it didn’t. But that lead to something else. Once I smoked this one without comparing the two it really made me appreciate this cigar more. It’s a totally different blend.

Pairing: Ommegang Three Philosophers has always been a favorite of mine. This Belgium Quadruple style Ale can always be found stored away at my house. The beer is brewed at the Ommegang brewery in Cooperstown New York. It boasts a 9.8% ABV and has an extra sumthin’ sumthin’ added to it in the form of real cherries. This beer is composed of 98% Quad ale with 2% ale with Cherries added for that extra kick in flavor. This beer is wonderful, and pairs perfect with any cigar. The flavors start out with a very smooth malt and honey with just a slight bitter hint as well as a cherry aftertaste. This beer really helped bring this cigar up to the next level it needed to badly. I strongly suggest pairing this with a cigar of your own if you haven’t already, It’s relatively inexpensive (about $10 a bottle) and extremely easy to find year round.

The Good Stuff: La Herencia is an exclusive brand brought to you by cigar.com/cigarsinternational blended by the one and only A.J. Fernandez. A.J. is a master, and has been on a roll kicking out some of the last few years best cigars. The Dos Capas is a limited edition run and sports the same mold as the standard La Herencia Cubana which is composed from an all Nicaraguan mashup of tobacco grown in the Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa regions. The Cigar is then wrapped in a beautiful Ecuadorian Sumatra (same as the Cubana), only with a twist (pun intended). A.J. decided to have a little bit of fun and barber pole the wrapper with the Ecuadorian Sumatra and a deep, dark, Pennsylvania Broadleaf. These cigars run for $6.50 a cigar.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra/Pennsylvania Broadleaf  -  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  -   Body: Medium

Prelight: The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is a thick, rustic looking barber-pole style cigar. The wrapper is composed of two wrappers, a dark, brown oily maduro, and a medium brown, and orange oily wrapper twisted parallel around the body of thick cigar. There is only one larger vein running in both the maduro and lighter shade wrapper at around the same area. Despite being a barber pole cigar, its really durable and you can handle it pretty heavily without risking the delicate construction. The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is finished off with a huge, rounded, maduro double cap. The band is similar to most of the other bands in the La Herencia line. Red, brown, gold and white with a huge crest carrying the name “La Herencia Cubana” on the front, and a smoke red lion in the back.

The wrapper of the Dos Capas gives off a great, strong sweet tobacco scent while the foot gives off more of a timid chocolate and earthy aroma. The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas cut clean and easy using my double bladed Colibri Cutter. The cold draw kicked out some nice chocolate and tobacco flavors along with a really neat earthy grain that I wasn’t really expecting.

First Smoke: The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas starts out with just a ton of bittersweet chocolate, and sweet tobacco flavor. There is a bit underlying spice and pepper, but not a whole lot. This cigar tastes like it was dipped in melted Hershey bar. The Aroma from the stationary smoke compliments the chocolate, and tobaccos tastes perfectly. The draw is perfect, again filling my mouth with just enough thick, white smoke after only two puffs. The burnline is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a trail of solid white and light grey ash. It will be interesting to see how well the burnline does as I get further into the cigar due to the crazy wrapper this cigar has. The ash held on for about an inch and a half before toppling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: The chocolate is still by far the dominant flavor. There is a bit more spice starting to creep its way in as well as a little cedar, and even honey. This is a sweet cigar through and through. The retrohale even produces an excellent chocolate priming with a ton of cedar mixed in there. The burnline is still perfect despite me thinking that the burn would start to go haywire at some point. The cigar is so smooth, and mild that I am feeling absolutely no nicotine even after the second third.

Finish: Even though this La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is giving out some neat favors, it’s starting to lose my attention into the final third. It’s got some awesome flavors, chocolate, cedar, and spice, but nothing that really stands out nor are there any considerable changeups from the second third into the last. It’s a smooth, mild cigar. There is no nicotine kick, and absolutely no harshness into the final inch. The cigar took about an hour and a half to take down, and burned flawlessly with no touch ups or relights required.

Overview: This La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is a great cigar. Well balanced, smooth, and sweet. It was just a little too smooth for my liking. This would be an excellent cigar for someone who is just starting out, or even a perfect morning smoke. I’d just stay away from it if you want a more robust, and complex experience. It’s definitely worth having around, but I wouldn’t run out and buy a box or anything.

Pairing: Since we are due for some snow in out chilly El Paso desert, I decided to pair this La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas with a New Belgium Snow Day. Snow day is an experimental Winter Warmer style ale brewed at the New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. A year or so ago, the brew masters at New Belgium became snowed into the brewery. They did exactly what any good brew master would do, brew some beer! They created an experiment. Basically they hopped the hell out of a winter warmer ale and created an interesting Pale Ale style winter brew. That’s right. Interesting enough the beer comes in at 6.2% ABV and carries a very hoppy taste similar to most pale ales, but threw in some awesome spice, cinnamon, malt, and orange to give it this special winter twang. It made for a great pairing, but the entire time I smoked the cigar I kept telling myself “Man, this thing would go perfect with some black coffee”. Try it for yourself.

The Good Stuff: I was one of the very many people intrigued as rumors began to fly about a possible Liga Privada in “A” format. Not that I am an “A” kinda guy, but that’s a huge departure from anything currently in the Liga Privada line. Not to mention that I am an open Liga Privada Fan Boy. That won’t make this review biased though, trust me. After about a years worth of rumors Jonathan Drew confirmed that they would in fact be making an “A” sized Liga Privada, and began to hype it up with some Jonathan Drew style tweets and Facebook posts.

I just had to put the "A" next to a Dirty Rat for size comparison. And for laughs.

As time went on, we discovered this wasn’t a real release, but instead a special type of product. What I mean by that is, Drew Estate actually created the Liga Privada “A” as a special promotional product.  The “A” is actually a tweaked T-52 blend. More than likely they needed to refine the blend and mellow it out a bit to fit the format. I’m glad too, I don’t think I could handle a straight up 9 inch T-52. These cigars will not be available to purchase, instead, they will be given out at certain Liga Privada events due in part to the limited amount of T52 leaf as well as Drew Estate wanting something special as a thanks to it’s customers. Plus, in my opinion, I don’t think the format is easy to sell. I was actually on Smoke Inn’s radio show “Kiss my Ash Radio” this passed weekend with Erik Espinosa from EO Brands and he made mention that he was actually present some time ago when he and Jonathan Drew opened the first box of Liga Privada Unicos “A”. That being said, I think it’s safe to say these will be readily available at Liga Privada Events.

I don’t smoke “A” sized cigars often at all. But there is a reason for it. “A” sized cigars were created to honor celebrations. This is a special treat sort of size, to be smoked to celebrate special occasions. With good reason too, they are normally 9” long and usually take around 3 hours to smoke.  That being said, lets get started!

Size: 9 ¼” x 47  -  Wrapper:  Connecticut Stalk Cut Habano  -  Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina  -  Filler: Nicaraguan/Honduran/Dominican – keep in mind this is just an assumption, knowing that it’s a tweaked T-52 blend.

Prelight: This is a GIGANTIC cigar. It almost feels too heavy to hold and wants to fall from my hand when I hold it near the head of the cigar. That goes with all “A” sized cigars I guess. They aren’t the most practical cigar, but they aren’t trying to be. Once you get passed the size of this cigar you are greeted with the beautiful T52 style wrapper that we have all grown to love. The wrapper is incredibly oily with medium to dark browns and oranges mixed in. The construction is perfect with only a very few larger veins. Usually veins of that size would run the entire body of a robusto sized cigar. I just though it was funny that the Liga Privada Unicos “A” had 2 longer veins stacked one after another, and they still only ran about half the body of the cigar.  Anyways, the wrapper and the entire cigar in general is very solid and durable. There aren’t any soft spots on the entire cigar. The cap is very similar to the pig tailed, rounded cap that the Dirty Rat carries, only twice the size. And the band is identical to the  Unicos Series bands that all the Liga Privada carries, blue and gold with a gigantic “A” on them.

The body of the cigar gives off a nice, strong cedar and sweet tobacco aroma while the foot of the cigar gives off nothing more than a very subtle spice. The cap clipped extremely easy and clean using my Liga Privada Double Bladed cutter. The cold draw was interesting, instead of greeting me with a nice pepper I was expecting, The “A” let loose this crazy strong cedar and sweetness which got me interested in just how “tweaked” this blend really is.

First Smoke: Right away the Liga Privada Unicos “A” kicked out the flavors I expect from the T-52. Cedar, spice, sweet tobacco, and cocoa. One thing was still missing, the pepper. In all honesty I’m glad too, a 9 inch pepper-bomb just doesn’t seem like it would sit too well with me. Despite the distance in which the smoke must travel, the draw was perfect and plentiful. It only took me my normal 2 puffs to get a mouthful of thick, white smoke. The burnline is a bit wavy and thick, but nothing too concerning, white the stationary smoke, as with most Liga Privada blends, is crazy. This cigar is spewing out tons and tons of thick, cedar scented smoke as it sits in my ashtray. The ash left behind is somewhat flaky, and really dark grey with spots of lighter grey. It only held on for about two thirds of an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: The sweetness has really started to pick up into the second third of this Liga Privada Unicos “A”. By this point, I’d be finishing a robusto format cigar, but this cigar is still keeping my attention by adding a ton of spice and the sweetness I mentioned to the already sweet mashup of cocoa, and cedar. The burnline has completely corrected itself and is burning dead even now. The retrohale is BADASS coating with an absolute blast of cedar each time I do it. I am feeling a very slight nicotine kick after the second third, but no where near what I was expecting form a Liga Privada blend.

Finish: Switching it up again, I started to get this nice, subtle floral flavor during the last third of Drew Estate’s Liga Privada Unicos “A”.  The sweetness has mellowed out quite a bit, and I am left with a really smooth cedar, cocoa, coffee and floral mixture. Surprisingly for the size I’m really not picking up much more than a really slight nicotine kick. The burnline has been perfect since the second third, and I haven’t had to relight, or even touch up this cigar once. All in all it took a few minutes shy of 3 hours to take down this beast of a cigar. It’s crazy how the final picture looks similar to the length of a “First Smoke” robusto picture. This thing is huge.

Overview: I have a short attention span. Very. I blame the internet and technology for that. That being said, I never really got bored while smoking this Liga Privada Unicos “A”. It had just enough change ups to keep my attention, but at the same time was smooth and seamless enough not to overpower me with each jump. I think finding balance in a cigar as big as this, and keeping the cigar’s complexity has the be an incredibly difficult task for the blender, and Drew Estate did a hell of a job with it. The cigar wasn’t as powerful as the other blends in the Liga Privada Line, with good reason. I don’t think I could handle a 3 hour T-52 It would leave my crying on the floor. Although this isn’t a cigar I’d smoke often, I really enjoyed it a lot. And in terms of the format, it’s not made to be consumed often. As stated, it’s a celebratory cigar. And I really think it’s a great addition to my humidor when I want something special and have a few hours to burn, pun intended.

Pairing: I said it many times, and will say it again, Winter is the season for beer. With all the awesome porters, stouts, and Christmas ales it’s a wonder why I’m not trashed from morning to dawn. St. Bernardus isn’t a stranger to this blog. In fact, it’s one of my favorite breweries out there. This Christmas season Abbey Ale hits the mark on all accounts. It’s strong (10% ABV), sweet, flavorful, and well balanced with fruity, malty flavors and just a hit of spice. Needless to say it went perfectly with the Liga Privada Unicos “A”. At about $13 a bottle, it’s not something you can drink everyday, but when you find it, pick it up. It pairs great with any full bodied, full flavored cigar.

The Good Stuff: The Padilla Artemis was amongst the crazy amount of cigars released at this year’s IPCPR show in Las Vegas. I’m openly a Padilla fan. Ernesto is one of the people in the cigar business who constantly hit it out of the park with just about every blend they make. The Artemis is handmade in Honduras at the Raices Cubana factory using Cuban-seed Nicaraguan fillers and binder, wrapped with Cuban seed, Nicaraguan grown, Criollo/Corojo I’ve read that these will be a limited release, but I haven’t really seen any official word on that.  The Artemis will be available in four sizes, all boxed pressed: Robusto – 5 x 54”, Toro – 6 x 54”, Torpedo – 6.2 x 54, and the Double Torpedo – 6.7 x 56 and range $10 – $13 a stick.

 Size: 6 x 54  -  Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo/Corojo  -  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan

Prelight: The Padilla Artemis is a beautiful boxed pressed format cigar. I’ve always come to expect great construction from anything that carries the Padilla name. The wrapper is this silky smooth, and sports this crazy calico color palate. It goes from medium to dark brown, parts of incredibly dark brown, and even spots of orange before coming to a perfect, round, triple wrapped cap. The band carries a gold and brown Padilla lion crest, followed by a brownish orange “Padilla” Shield as well as a smaller, orange, secondary band with the words “Padilla Artemis” embossed on it. The cigar feels incredibly firm, and gives very little when I squeeze on it, but the wrapper feels really thin and delicate so I didn’t want to handle the cigar too recklessly. The only soft spots I found were right around the foot of cigar.

The wrapper of this cigar smells like old shoe and burned paper. It’s not very welcoming at all, but as I said before, some of the worst smelling cigars end up being the best tasting. The foot of the cigar gives off some nice sweet tobacco and spice aromas.  The Artemis cut clean using my double bladed cutter. The cold draw was really interesting. I got some of the sweet tobacco flavor as well as a little of the spice, but then there was this strange cardboard flavor. I took a few more draws just to make sure that was the flavor I was picking up before writing it down, and sure enough it was in there. Let’s hope it’s just a cold draw glitch.

First Smoke: The Artemis light up with ease using my single flame butane torch. I am glad to report, there was no cardboard flavor in the first few puffs. What did surprise me though was the amount of pepper this cigar started out with. The Artemis came out with both pepper guns blazing only to defuse the pepper completely a minute later. The pepper was replaced with some nice tobacco flavors, soft hints of spice, and some really ripe earthy/grassy flavors. The draw on this cigar is excellent pumping out tons of thin smoke while leaving behind a perfectly even and sharp burnline. The ash however, isn’t as pretty. It’s a very flaky medium grey with some darker areas. The ash held on for an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Into the second third of Padilla’s Artemis and the flavors really haven’t changed up much. There was the introduction of some very slight cedar, but that also came with a pairing of what tasted like some charred paper. Outside of that the tobacco and grassy/earthy flavors have remained the same. The Artemis does however give off some mean-cedar smelling stationary smoke as well as a hell of a sweet cedar priming on the retrohale. The burnline is still absolutely perfect and at this point I am not feeling anything in the nicotine department.

Finish: A little bit of clove sneaked into the flavor mix in the final third of this Artemis, but not much else. It’s still this grassy/tobacco/burned paper mixture and holding solid at that. The burnline has been awesome in this cigar though, perfect from start to finish with absolutely no touch-ups or relights. I am feeling just a very slighting bit of nicotine, even into the final third of the cigar. All in all it took about an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub. I had to put it down a little earlier then usual though due to the fact that it burned extremely hot into the final inch.

Overview: Is it wrong to say that the only thing I really liked about this cigar was the size? Ok, that’s not entirely true. It’s not a terrible cigar, I guess I have just learned to expect a little more from premier companies such as Padilla. The cigar fell flat for me, it was quite bland, and really lacked complexity. Nothing really stood out. Minus the construction, which was absolutely perfect. That being said I think this cigar would be alright if it carried a price tag half, or even a quarter of what it does now. Needless to say I probably won’t be buying anymore of these in the near future. Don’t let that stop you though, keep in mind this is just one man’s opinion. Read my tasting notes, maybe it might appeal to you.

Pairing: The pairing I chose actually brought some life into the cigar. This week I decided on Samuel Adams’ Chocolate Bock. I haven’t seen these for sale by themselves yet this year, but I wouldn’t doubt it if they started appearing. This was part of the annual holiday pack which Sam Adams puts together (and I am sure to purchase) every single year. This beer weighs in at 5.8% ABV and is brewed, along with all the other Sam Adams beers, in the Boston Beer Companies brewery in Boston. The chocolate bock, as it says, is a nice double bock with a hint of chocolate. And when I say “hint” of chocolate I really mean a whole crapload of chocolate. It’s not overpowering though. The chocolate blends in perfectly with the nutty, caramel, malt flavors of the double bock. This beer tastes a whole lot like Mackeson Triple stout, which I absolutely love, but cannot find anymore. Needless to say, this beer gave a little bit, much needed dimension to the Padilla Artemis.

I know, I know, the site was down earlier this morning and I am sorry. I set the domain to auto-renew on a closed account. I’m an idiot. But hopefully today’s review of Camacho’s Room 101 Namakubi Roxxo makes up for it!

The Good Stuff: The Namakubi was released at this year’s IPCPR show in Las Vegas, and the be honest, it was one of, if not the most talked about blend from the show. This limited edition release will only be available for a short amount of time. There is only going to be 100,000 cigars released. This may seem like a high number, but it’s considerably low once you factor in the volume Camacho sells at. The cigar will be available in six different sizes and will rand between $6 to $10. The names are just as interesting as Matt Booth himself. I know there was some sort of connection with the names and maybe a hip hop artist or something of the like, I just never fully made the connect. Maybe someone “in-the-know” can fill me in. The sizes are: “Papi Chullo” – 42 x 4, “Roxxo” – 48 x 4, “Tiburon” – 44 x 6, “Sucio” – 48 x 7, and the “Monstro” – 60 x 5. You can pick these up now at Bonita Smoke Shop before they are sold out!

In Room 101′s press release they define “Namakubi”:

Although in many ways long gone, Samurai culture is believed to live on in spirit within certain groups. 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.

Size: “Roxxo” 48 x 4  -  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano  -  Binder: Propietary “Generoso” Honduran Seed  -  Filler: Dominican/Honduran

Prelight: The Room 101 Namakubi Roxxo is a stout little cigar. The size is just awesome and I hope it turns out great. With winter quickly approaching Daniel and I (more so Daniel due to the great white north) are always looking for great, short smokes. The wrapper on the Namakubi is a nice medium brown which starts off much light, but then gradually gets darker as you approach the foot of the cigar. The construction is great and there are only on larger vein towards the top of the cigar leading up to the seamless triple wrapped cap. Outside of a little excess glue on the wrapper, this cigar looks great. The Namakubi is really first to the touch giving very little when compressed. The foot of the cigar is a bit mushy though, but nothing really concerning. The band on these are classic Matt Booth sorting a great Asian/Modern typeface with some nice flourishes containing the “Namakubi” logo as well as a smaller “Room 101 LTD” title underneath. The black and red bad also has a really small scripted “LTD” in the back of the band as well.

The wrapper gives off really, no scent at all. I was surprised to find the powerful cedar and spice aroma that actually burned my nose a bit as I took a huge whiff off of the foot of the cigar. The cold draw compliments the aroma by pumping out a nice sweet spice and cedar mix. The cap clipped really clean as easy using my double bladed cutter.

First Smoke: Be careful lighting up this cigar. Because of the small stature my dumb ass burned the hell out of my finger using my single flame butane touch. The first few draws of this Namakubi surprised me. I was expecting really smooth, sweet greeting, but was met with a much more bold experience. The strong tobacco flavor and pepper only lasted a few puffs in before leading to the sweet spice and cedar I was expecting. Outside of the cedar and spice there is this interesting flavor in there that I am having a hard time trying to explain, but the closest thing I can think of is black licorice. A stretch, I know, but there is something in there. The Namakubi gives off a nice amount of stationary smoke but wow does it smell good. It’s like burning bits of cedar in a fireplace. They need to make manly scented candles with this aroma. The draw on this cigar is remarkable kicking out a massive cloud of extremely thick smoke with each little puff I take. The burnline is dead even producing a nice zebra striped black and light grey, tightly compacted ash which held on for about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Holy crap the retrohale on this cigar is amazing! I can’t stop doing it. The Namakubi coats my nasal passage with this crazy cedar/gingerbread prime. I love it. This little cigar is turning into a flavor bomb. The tobacco, cedar, and spice is still there but the cigar now introduced this gingerbread and pine medley. I know this is stretching it again but this cigar creates some awesome flavors that you normally can’t find in cigars. The burnline is still dead even on this cigar and I am not feeling any nicotine despite the fuller-body of the Namakubi.

Finish: Another shocked was the amount of pepper that reappeared during the final third of this little cigar. The flavors switched up a bit and now the experience is overall very smooth with some nice cedar, and sweet spices with a ton of pepper. This cigar really keeps you on your toes. I actually felt a little nicotine kick from this tiny little Room 101 Namakubi, but don’t let the size fool you. All in all it took almost an hour to smoke the entire stick with no harshness whatsoever all the way down to the nub.

Overview: Cigar manufacturers have constantly raised the bar, pushing the limits of blends, and Camacho did just that when they created the Room 101 Namakubi. It’s a hell of a cigar. One big characteristic was the flavor as it produced an experience unlike any cigars on the market today. Each year cigars like this one raise our expectations. This full bodied flavor bomb is sure to satisfy the most experience cigar smoker as well as introduce any novice to a world of great cigars. I would by again  and it’s box worthy for sure.

Pairing: As strange as this beer is, I couldn’t have picked a better pairing. Dogfish Head’s Midas touch isn’t for the faint of heart. This “beer”, and I use the term “beer” loosely, is more of a crazy halfbreed beer/mead wine. This 9.0% beast of a brew is actually made from ingredients found 2,700 year old drinking vessels from the tomb of King Midas. This “beer” taste’s nothing like a beer with sweet notes of jasmine, saffron, honey, and an overall floral experience. This beer is EXTREMELY hard to find, and pretty pricey when you do ($5 – $8 a bottle), but it’s well worth it. Even if you hate it, it’s worth trying once. The floral flavors paired wonderfully with the flavor bomb of a cigar the Namakubi was. You really need something to balance out the cigar or the cigar would overpower just about anything you are drinking. This cigar would go great with some really hoppy IPA or even a nice bitter beer.