Now let me just toss this out there.. One thing I’m not happy about when it comes to AJ’s cigars is the restricted distribution and sale of most of them, namely through cigar.com and all it’s affiliates such as cigarsinternational.com. I don’t have a problem with those retailers, but they seem ot have a problem with the awesome people North of the border since they don’t ship to Canada. So needless to say, they are more difficult for me to get my hands on. This also affects a lot of people who prefer to purchase cigars from local B&M’s. Ok, so now that we got that out of the way, what else do we know about this cigar.

Well, the Morro Castle brand actually has roots in the Cuban cigar industry but A.J. Fernandez took ownership of the brand and began blending and manufacturing them in Nicaragua. He also gave what seems to be a throw back to the original heritage by using some Cuban seed leaves in the filler. I stated the MSRP below as being $5 but if you get them by the box and catch them on sale, they can actually be had for prices well below $4 per stick in the Belicoso vitola. Other available vitolas include the Robusto, Toro, Torpedo and Churchill.

We have quite a few other reviews from AJ’s massive resume on the site as well, some of my personal favorites include the Man O’ War Armada, Man O’ War Virtue and a more recent popular cigar that Tony reviewed, the San Lotano Oval. So I think this cigar has a lot to live up to and hopefully it’s lower price will give it a slight edge in the final thoughts section. I received most of my samples through trades and/or gifts, the cigar I’m lighting up today comes from a trade made this past Christmas, let’s see how it stacks up!

Cigar: Morro Castle
Drink: Lindeman’s Cuvee Rene Lambic Beer
Vitola: Belicoso (5 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Cuban Seed Nicaraguan and Honduran
Price: MSRP $5.00
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The outside of this cigar looks very shiny and smooth, it’s glistening with oil and has a nice golden-brown glow to it
• Even though there are no large veins, the cigar is fairly bumpy. Most likely due to a rough binder
• The cap of this cigar is finished very cleanly and with expertise as the leaf blends seamlessly into the rest of the cigar
• The length of the Morro Castle has a nice little spring to it as I squeeze it lightly
• The foot appears very well packed and cleanly finished, it’s easy to see a lot of care went into the construction
• Cutting the cap was clean and easy, I didn’t have to cut much and I’m left with a good draw

Burn:
• The foot did not want to co-operate wit ha slow toasting and just refused to start glowing, but after a few draws it seems to have evened out
• Despite a somewhat challenging toasting, the Morro Castle is burning razor sharp through the first couple of inches
• I ran into a few wrapper issues that caused some burn problems, but I’m attributing these to the cold day today, I can’t knock the cigar since the first half burned perfectly

Smoke & Ash:
• There is a ton of smoke coming from this Morro Castle cigar, just one draw seems enough to provide a thick cloud of smoke
• Even when resting, there seems to be a fair bit of smoke coming from this cigar
• The ash seems to be coming along with a nice white color but it seems a little flaky so far, we’ll see how it progresses
• Even though it looked a little flaky and weak, the ash managed to hang on for about 1.5 inches and it stayed a nice shade of light grey/white for the whole way through
• Another solid ash lasting past the 1 inch mark, showing some good construction quality on this cigar even with the very cold temps today

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper gives off very little aroma, maybe just a touch of woodsiness
• The aroma on the foot is also fairly faint but it brings out a little bit of cedar and some mild baking spice notes
• The pre-light draw brings more cedar and a little more of those baking spices, now with a bit of sweet paprika mixed in
• The first few draws after lighting had an extremely bitter and dry after-taste that I’ve never really had so early on in a cigar
• As I slowly progress, the bitterness is tapering off a bit, I hope it completely disappears soon
• Flavor wise, the Morro Castle is kicking out a spicy cedar mix with a touch of earthiness thrown in
• The body seems to be hovering in the low end of medium right now and retrohale has just a slight bite and smooth yet dry cedar finish
• It took about an inch of the cigar before I can say the bitter dryness is completely gone, I’m now left with an enjoyable profile of cedar, mild baking spices and earthiness
• The whole balance of this cigar is really hitting it’s stride as I get to the halfway mark, the spices and cedar have developed nicely
• There is a bit of sweetness sneaking into the mix too, maybe like a roasted nutty caramel type of profile, very interesting.
• The earthiness is still lingering and the finish has changed from the dry start to a creamy sweetness, much, much better!
• The body and retrohale haven’t changed much as I get into the final stretch, maybe just a touch higher in the medium range on the body
• The flavors seem to have all melded together in the last third, they aren’t bad but they aren’t as interesting as they were in the middle
• The flavors stayed tasty to the nub with no harshness at all, a good finish

Final Thoughts:
I think it’s pretty easy to tell that I wasn’t a fan of the first inch of this cigar. That bitter dryness is not a great way to make a first impression. But I’m glad to say I stuck it out and kept going because this turned into a pretty good quality cigar. It had a nice array of flavors and the burn was damn near perfect. When you factor in the price you can get these at by box purchase, it makes them a worthwhile purchase. I had a few in this vitola and they all seemed to suffer from bad starts so if I were to purchase them again I’d probably opt for a larger vitola to get more of the sweet spot in the experience.

Pairings:
I took a bit of a risk with this pairing today. I’m no Lambic aficionado like Tony, but from the few I’ve had I know that they are very sweet and usually flavored with some sort of fruit such as raspberry or cherry. They are tasty, but probably not a great pairing for a cigar. So I found this lambic that doesn’t seem to be flavored, I knew it was going to be sweet but I hoped it would still work out. It’s from Lindemans brewery in Belgium and is called the Cuvee Rene. So it is sweet, but not nearly as sweet as their flavored offerings and it’s got a fair bit of carbonation. Surprisingly though, it seemed to work well with a cigar, especially one with a bit more body and a touch of spice to counteract the beers sweetness. It’s sort of hard to describe a lambic beer but I guess you could compare it to an alcoholic version of pop. This particular one has some citrus notes to it so maybe like a delicious and alcoholic version of 7UP or Sprite? I’m probably way off but that’s what I think, lol. Either way, it was tasty and went well with the cigar. Other options for the Morro Castle would be a porter or dark ale, maybe a strong coffee and even some black tea.

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.

Courtesy of www.CigarsInternational.com

With Tony away this week I wanted to fill the week with at least two reviews. Seems that time was not on my side though as a co-worker has also been off all week and his workload got dumped on me. Yeay! But have no fear, I did some digging and found this blind review that I never had the chance to post. I think you all know how much I enjoy doing these blind reviews so I’m not sure how this one slipped through the cracks.

As a caution, this was done many moons ago so the pictures admittedly suck and I’m glad to see how much I’ve improved over time! lol. (I can’t believe I used to use the flash, I’m sorry about that! haha) So bear with me on that, I promise some better pictures next week! I’m not sure on the exact date that I wrote this but I believe it was at least a year and a half ago, somewhere in early 2010 or possibly even late 2009. I happened to find it on one of my hard-drives from a crashed laptop. Glad I’m a pack-rat when it comes to electronic junk!

The cigar ended up being a La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte which is one of the growing number of exclusive cigars from Cigars International. It is also another blend from the great AJ Fernandez who has turned out some excellent cigars lately such as the recently reviewed San Lotano Oval and the Man O’ War Armada. Both of which received excellent reviews from us. The cigar being reviewed today is a much older blend and packed with some Ligero long-filler. It’s currently offered in 4 vitolas at very fair prices. Let’s see how it faired in my blind impressions.

Cigar: La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte
Drink: Mill Street Brewery Coffee Porter
Vitola: Robusto (5.5 x 54)
Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: MSRP $4.20
Burn Time: A little under 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The cigar is wrapped in a very dark chocolate brown wrapper
• Lots of veins but none of them very large and don’t look to pose any potential problems
• Foot is soft and springy but head is fairly firm when squeezed lightly
• No oiliness on this wrapper, it actually appears a bit dry
• Clean triple cap to finish off the top of the cigar
• Foot looks graciously packed and full
• Cutting the cigar with my double bladed guillotine was a little messy, but nothing major
• Draw is good right off the start, I like that!

Burn:
• Toasting was mostly even although there was one dark spot in the center that just wouldn’t catch
• As we progress, the burn has been dead on and razor sharp through the first-half
• Just past half-way got a slight wave in the burn that ended up correcting itself
• Had another peninsula form past the halfway mark that seems to be correcting itself slowly
• The last half of the cigar needed a few more draws to keep lit although the first half was burning nicely
• Burn took a turn for the worst near the last 3rd, hard to keep lit and very wavy

Smoke & Ash:
• Giving off a big mouthful of smoke from each draw
• Resting smoke is almost non-existent and a very light burning tobacco aroma
• Ash is light grey in color with the occasional darker streaks
• The ash is tightly packed and appears strong so far
• Each ash lasted a little short of 1 inch and made an explosion when they hit the ashtray, not sure why but it was definitely messy

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper has aromas of cocoa and a barnyard/hay type of scent
• Foot aroma is of cocoa and a touch of spice on the nose, almost a mild pepper
• Pre-light draw is mostly the barnyard/hay type of flavor and a bit of the spice
• Initial draws are nutty, earthy and a touch of spice, it’s also very dry on the back of my throat
• Getting a toasted wood flavor about an inch in
• Retrohale is medium bodied with a barnyard flavor and a very mild kick
• The body has been medium right from the start
• Flavors haven’t changed much up to the half-way mark and its still very dry
• Passing the halfway mark, the only flavor left is burning wood and getting a bitterness here too
• The bland flavor and bitterness stuck through to the end, disappointing considering the first half was very good
• The bitterness got too powerful in the last 1.5 inches, had to put it down…
• I’m pretty sure the poor burn factored into the harsh flavors here since the good burning start had much more enjoyable flavors

Final Thoughts:
I think you can tell from my notes that I wasn’t too impressed by this cigar. It started off pretty decent but unfortunately the flavors didn’t change much and only dwindled away as the cigar progressed. The extreme bitterness at the end was also a big disappointment. I’m not sure if it was just a bad stick from the batch since I haven’t had this cigar before. That’s probably one of the main downsides of a blind review, a single bad stick could ruin your impressions on that cigar for the future. Even with it’s incredibly cheap price I think I’ll be avoiding this cigar in the future unless I get some glowing recommendations from a lot of people.

Pairings:
The brew I chose to pair today is from the local Toronto based brewery called Mill Street. This is their Coffee Porter which as the name implies, is a Coffee flavored Porter (Complicated, right? ). I’m a big fan of this brew to pair with cigars, it’s got a full feel to it and the coffee notes pair excellently with cigars. I wrote up a full review on the brew if you are interested, you can find it here. It’s also made locally and I love supporting local business whenever possible. This was probably the highlight of the review for me and I really enjoyed the brew. As I mentioned, it pairs excellently with a variety of cigars including full and mild. It paired well with the La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte and complimented the initial good notes I got from the cigar. I would definitely suggest a strong pairing with this cigar to combat the harshness I got on the end, something like a Porto, Stout of strong coffee would go well.

The Man O’ War Armada is available exclusively at Cigars.com and Cigarsinternational.com as with the other Man O’ War lines. The other blends in the series include the Ruination, and untitled Man O’ War, the Virtue, and the Puro Authentico. The Armada is the special edition of the Man O’ War line and priced rightly so for that purpose at a hefty $20 per cigar.

Now I have to say how much I love these bands. I think I mentioned this in my Man O’ War Virtue review as well. This particular band has the gold Spartan mask with hints of metallic green in it all splashed on a black background. It really stands out and gives the cigar a “mean” look! lol Maybe there’s a hint of inspiration from the “300” movie here? hehe

The boxes of these cigars are packaged in impressively made chests of 32 cigars that also include a humidifier and a hygrometer. Currently, the Man O’ War Armada is only available in a single vitola, the Toro Grande. There are also two limited edition boxes that come with a few other cigars and include an Armada. These two boxes contain the Armada in a Perfecto and Box-Pressed Robusto Vitola.

The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper is extremely rare and all the tobaccos used undergo an extensive fermentation and aging process before being put into any cigar. The fillers in this cigar are ligero from AJ’s farm in Nicaragua, specifically the Esteli and Ometope regions. The Armada is also produced in limited quantities of only 10,000 of this cigar each year. All these key features come together to justify the higher price tag. Now all that is fine and good, but if it doesn’t have a delicious profile and excellent construction to back it up, most people probably won’t buy it right? So let’s see if it has that important last piece to the puzzle.

Cigar: Man O’ War Armada
Drink: Brights Canadian 74 Port
Vitola: Toro Grande (6.5 x 56)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $20 MSRP
Burn Time: A little over 2 hours

Construction:
• Now this is a beefy looking cigar with mean face! The dark brown wrapper glows in the light with a nice oils it has
• The whole cigar is super smooth and evenly constructed, although it does have a few sizeable veins
• It’s also a fairly heavy stick, feels substantial and has no soft spots to be found. Just a tiny bit of spring when squeezed
• The foot of the Man O’ War Armada is finished super clean and looks fully packed
• The cap on this cigar is also damn near seamless and even the exact same color, wonderful construction all around
• The first cut was clean and easy but the filler was so packed near the cap that I barely got any draw
• I went in for a second deeper cut and the result was a little better, but still tight. The amount of filler in this cigar is beyond comparison

Burn:
• The toasting took a bit of time but rounded out nice and even with a perfect glow
• I can tell right away that this cigar is gonna burn SUPER slow, especially with all this filler
• The burn for the first bit was razor sharp and not wavy at all, it continue to burn at a turtles pace
• I’m getting a bit of a wave near the middle of the cigar, hopefully it evens itself out
• Did I mention how slow this thing is burning?!?!
• The wave in the middle corrected itself but I got another one soon after, turned into a pretty long peninsula that needed a correction
• Got another peninsula shortly after correction, just seems one part of the wrapper just stops burning
• It’s still burning super slow by the way

Smoke & Ash:
• Despite what seemed like a tight draw I’m getting super full smoke from every draw, it’s thick and creamy as it coats my palate
• There is a good amount of resting smoke coming off the cigar, not over powering, and it smells almost like the burning wood of a campfire
• The ash on this cigar is strong, clean and an awesome white color with occasional dark grey bands. With all the filler in this I would expect no less
• Although the ash looked amazingly strong, it gently fell into my ashtray after just over an inch
• The other ashes fell off on their own at a similar 1 inch length
• The smoke stayed super thick and creamy right to the end

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a mild coffee and cocoa aroma to it, very pleasant and light
• The foot is a different beast, bringing a full sensory aroma of cedar, floral, earthy and a touch of spice
• The pre-light draw is bursting with spices, I’m getting some pepper, cloves and maybe nutmeg, along with some cedar and earthiness
• Initial impressions are impressive, lol. I’m getting a really full and balanced cigar right off the bat. It’s not in your face but it seems so full flavored
• The flavors on the first few draws are filled with cedar, spices, earthy notes and a super smooth creamy coffee finish
• I have to stress how amazingly balanced this cigar is so early on, and the finish is so smooth and tasty, I really hope it continues
• The body is starting off in the medium range but I have a sense that this is going to be a powerhouse of a cigar (which is why I busted out my trusty port wine!)

• I’m surprised to say the retrohale is very subtle and laid back, almost no kick to it and a smooth/light cedar finish
• Just an inch or so in and the flavors gave me a nice change up. The coffee notes are much more pronounced, most of the spice is settled in although still lingers, and the smooth cedar rounds out the profile nicely
• Did I mention how wonderfully balanced this cigar is?!?!
• I’m getting another tasty change-up just past the halfway mark. Although I feel the body increasing the flavors are getting a touch sweeter and I’m also picking up some vanilla and cocoa notes
• The spice is making rare appearances in more prominent bursts, then settles nicely into the background
• The intensity of the flavors and body is really starting to burst out in the last third, but it’s still balanced amazingly well
• It seems like all the flavors are making a comeback and playing nicely together now, coffee, cedar, earthy, spicy, vanilla-y (lol?), sweetness and a touch of cocoa
• I’m finally getting a bit of a nice bite in the retrohale now but still nothing over powering, still keeping the smooth cedar finish as well
• The body is really shining through into the full range now
• The flavors started to fade a bit in the last inch and I was left with mostly woodsy and leathery notes. Very surprised to get very little harshness on such a full cigar

Final Thoughts:
I’ll admit I had my reservations going into this cigar. I haven’t had too many AJ cigars that wowed me but I also haven’t had any of his newer ones. Also, with a $20 price tag, this cigar set the bar high from the start. I have to say I’m not at all disappointed and it was $20 well spent! The flavors in this cigar were excellent and the balance of them all with incredibly spot on. It kept me on my toes and going back for more to see what flavor would be the dominant one on the next draw. My only real complaint here might be the draw, which was a bit tight even after a few pokes with a toothpick. But the construction on this cigar was something to admire and AJ Fernandez’s skills in the blending department definitely shined through! The price may be out of range for most people to purchase a box but I think it’s definitely worth getting a few to sit in the humidor for a special occasion. Take note that this cigar does have some kick and power behind it, so pick your pairings well and don’t give it to a new cigar smoker as they may not be able to fully enjoy the complexity and balance that this cigar offers. Perhaps this will be a contender on our 2011 list??

Pairings:
I was pretty excited when I found this bottle at my local liquor store. More Port wines are produced in Portugal and it’s fairly uncommon to find them produced by many other wineries. I’ve only come across a small handful that are made in Canada and this one happens to be from one of my favorite wine regions, Niagara, Ontario. The winery is called Brights and this particular bottle is called Canadian 74 Port. I fully plan to visit the winery on my next road trip to the Niagara region and see what else they have. Why you ask? Well, because this port is fantastic! It has a light start with cherry, current and blackberry fruit notes along with a woodsy touch. But the real treat is the finish, when it builds in body and gives you a full heavy red wine flavor, similar to the Merlot wines I’ve come to love from the Niagara region. It’s incredibly tasty and I will definitely be buying more, especially at a super cheap price tag of only $12 even after all the ridiculous liquor taxes here.

But the question is, did it pair well with the Man O’ War Armada? You’re damn right it did! the light fruity start complimented the flavors of the cigar extremely well and the full smooth finish contended the full body of the cigar perfectly. This was a powerful cigar but I find a good port wine really helps counteract any nicotine effects you might feel. I’m not sure there is a better pairing for this cigar but if I had to choose I might pick out a smooth aged scotch or possibly a strong cuban coffee with a couple sugars to combat the nicotine. A full stout might also work well here.

A batch of these cigars were actually sent to me by one of you, our readers! If you are familiar with out comments section you’d see the name “JJO” popping up a lot more lately. Jeff has been one of our most constant readers and reached out to me to get my thoughts on this cigar. If any of you ever want me or Daniel to take a look at a certain cigar, all you have to do is ask! Now, if you like this review give a quick thank you to JJO for providing them, and make fun of Daniel for something. You know how we do. Anyways, thanks again Jeff, now onto the show!

The Good Stuff: Est. 1844 has been popping up a lot in a few of my mail order catalogs. Cigar.com and Cigarsinternational.com to be exact. And the only other site I have ever seen them on is cigarbid so I think it’s safe to assume that these are another exclusive cigar, but I could be wrong. Another more confirmed rumor is these are actually blended by the master-blender AJ Fernandez. If that is in fact the case, then I wouldn’t doubt these would be exclusive to the above sites.  I was able to track down some information on forums saying AJ did in fact blend this cigar, but I wasn’t able to confirm that on either of the above sites. The blend starts out with a San Andreas Maduro Mexican wrapper. This is another tobacco that AJ is familiar with which further solidifies that he just might be the mastermind behind this blend. The Binder and Filler are both Nicaraguan puro. One thing that I do know for sure is that if you’re lucky and you catch these cigars on sale you can actually snag them for less than $4 a stick.

Size: Amerada No. 50-extra (6″ x 50)  -  Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas Maduro  -  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  -  Body: Medium

Prelight: I can’t remember the last time I smoked a figured. Flying pig maybe? I’m not sure, but I do know that figurados aren’t something I smoke regular. Not that I don’t like them, they just aren’t made in most blends. But that didn’t stop the est. 1844 from making them. In fact, every cigar in the line is some sort of figurado.  Outside of the obvious obllonged shape, the est. 1844 starts with a very old. Rustic, almost wet-muddy-maduro looking wrapper. The wrapper is very spotty, with medium and dark brown colors doing most of the work. There are a view larger veins, but in this case they almost add to the character of the cigar. The wrapper pairs wonderfully with the interesting map-like/ancient designed band that spans around the cigar simply stating “est.” in light bright and “1844” in a dark read on top of a tan, gold and light brown print.  I actually really like this band. It’s a departure from the everyday band design. The cigar starts with a small foot which immediately blows into a full ring width before tapering off to a very pointy cap near the head of the cigar. The wrapper is very tooth and has a really rough/dry feel to it. The 1844 is very, very firm as it’s tough for me to get any play when I squeeze it. No soft spots at all.

The wrapper has a very sweet chocolate smell to it. It almost smells like brown sure, or chocolate  chip cookies while the foot just explodes with spice and tobacco. This may make for a very interesting mix-up. The cold draw produces just a nice, smooth tobacco flavor. I was expecting to really taste the sweetness from the wrapper, but it didn’t shine thought to the cold draw. Hopefully I pick up a bit more of it in the actual experience.

First Smoke: The est. 1844 starts off with a really nice pepper flavor. Just enough to really tease my tongue and the back of my throat. Under the pepper is some real soft spice, lots of upfront tobacco, a little chocolate, and just a bunch of really earthy, natural flavors. The draw is really easy and pumps out a ton of smoke, but one thing I might mention is the thickness of the smoke isn’t something I’m used to. It’s actually very light and dissipates almost instantly when it hits the air. Kinda strange, but nothing off-putting. I just thought I’d mention it. The burnline is surprisingly even for a perfecto, producing a nice, solid white and light grey ash that held on for a little under an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Into the second third of this est. 1844 and I am enjoying the flavors so far. The wrapper really brings in some distinct sweet, chocolate flavors into this portion of the cigar while maintaining a traditional profile with woodsy, natural tobacco, and earthy flavors. The retrohale is very smooth, coating with a very nice chocolate spice prime. The burnline is still dead even and the ash is holding up particularly well considering how windy it’s gotten over the last 20 minutes or so. I am not feeling any nicotine at all from this cigar. It’s medium at best, but not mild in flavor.

Finish: Going into the final third of this cigar I was surprised to catch a bit of harshness so early on. It wasn’t really strong, but it was there. Looking through that the flavors have remained the same, but dulled out quite a bit. The est. 1844 has now became a more woodsy, natural tobacco taste with some harshness and just a bit of sweetness on the aftertaste. The burnline has remained dead even the entire times and I am surprised how well the ash held together on the cigar despite the increasing winds outside. I wish I could say the same for my ashtray though, I fear there wont be any ash left to lay my band in for my final photo.

Overview: This is a good solid smoke for the money. Towards the end of the experience the est. 1844 started to fall pretty flat, but was very tasty up until that point. I’d love to try one of these in a smaller size, but wouldn’t really reach for the larger ones. Considering the price point these are good sticks to keep around. They are mild enough to smoke in the morning with coffee, but have just enough flavor to enjoy after dinner as well. Ideal for novice smokers, but the more seasoned bunch may crave just a little bit more from a cigar.

Pairing: I decided to pair this 1844 with a VERY strong ale. This usually isn’t a good recommendation as the beer can easily overpower the cigar, but in this case the cigar’s flavors really stood it’s ground and made for a delightful pairing. Stone brewing  (home of Arrogant Bastard) is known for its EXTREMELY strong and bitter beers. They aren’t for everyone, and are proud of that. The beer I paired with today is called “Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale”. Dark in color this 8.7% ABV beast isn’t for the faint of heart. Don’t let the dark color fool you. This ale is very bitter, very hoppy, and balances out with some oaky, malty flavors. I really enjoy Stone’s beers, but again, be careful. They are an acquired taste. I think the est. 1844 is the perfect cigar for iced tea, which I paired one with not too long ago. This cigar would also go great with coffee and any brown soda.

The Good Stuff: Emilio Cigars is the brain child of Gary Griffith who is a certified Retail Tobacconist that oversees the operations at Delaware cigar.  Gary teamed up with master blender AJ Fernandez to bring you both the AF1, and today’s AF2 cigars. The AF2 is actually the third cigar in Emilio’s portfolio. The AF1 was the first blend, shortly followed by the Grimalkin which was not blended by AJ, and now the new AF2. The AF2 is composted of  Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania Ligero wrapped in a Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper. The AF2 will be available in 4 sizes, the Robusto (5×50), the Toro (6×50), the Torpedo (6.5×52), and the BMF (6×58) and will run between $7 and $8 a stick.

Size: 6×50  -  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro  -  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan/Pennsylvania Ligero  -  Body: Medium/Full

Prelight: Along with the AF1, Emilio’s AF2 sports flawless construction. The cigar starts out with this beautiful oily and toothy wrapper. The wrapper is a nice dark brown, with lighter spots and even some orange coloration here and there. There are a only one or two large veins running half the length of the body of this cigar. The AF2 is then capped off with a traditional round double cap. The cigar is firm for the most part with only one softer spot near the simple black and copper band. But nothing that I’m too concerned with. The wrapper feels really tough and durable.

The wrapper of the AF2 gives off a very nice oaky, and musky aroma while the foot bears a more traditional tobacco and grassy aroma. The wrapper gave a slight bit of push back, but then clipped clean using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw on this AF2 is dominated by a spicy ligero flavor backed by some slight wood and earthy flavors.

First Smoke: The AF2 leads in with an extreme amount of pepper. The pepper quickly fades and I am left with the really sweet tobacco, oak, cinnamon, spice, and honey mixture. It’s a far cry from the dominant ligero based flavor I picked up in the cold draw. And that’s a good thing. Too much ligero in my opinion, can quickly ruin a cigar (Both burn and flavor wise).  The draw on this cigar is effortless pumping out thick, heavy smoke with even the smallest draws. The AF2 doesn’t give off a lot of stationary smoke, however I found it interesting that the smoke it did give off was so pleasant scented. Much like wood burning in a fireplace. The AF2’s burnline is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a very nice trail of light grey, tight, compacted ash.

Halfway There: Into the second third of Emilio’s AF2 the pepper has completely removed itself from the flavor profile. What I was left with is again, lots of sweet tobacco, oak, honey, and some nice graham cracker type flavors. You can taste the ligero in this cigar but only slightly, leaving it very balanced. The way it should be. Despite having a ligero based blend the cigar really isn’t giving out a ton of nicotine, if any at all at this point. Surprisingly too, the retrohale on this cigar is really smooth coating my nasal passage with a nice woodsy and spice profile. The burnline is still super sharp, and dead even.

Finish: This AF2 is finishing so smooth! I really wasn’t expecting that. Still, only a very slight amount of nicotine. I love when blends can really balance themselves out and have so much potential to be powerhouse smokes, but end up medium/full with an overall smooth complex. The AF2 falls right into that category. The pepper made a slight reappearance into the finally third, but that oaky flavor I mentioned has really taken control. The sweetness is still there slightly, with a bit of the honey, but now the experience is so much creamier. Might I say milky? Either way, this is exactly how I wish every cigar would end.  This cigar took about and hour and a half total to smoke down.

Overview: AJ Fernandez and Emilio Cigars have produced yet another winner. This blend compliments the AF1 very well, but is different enough not to be compared with the blend. The cigar has plenty of body to satisfy full body smokers, but is smooth enough all the way to the finish for the masses. The flavors are complex enough, and extremely pleasant and well balanced. The construction was spot on, and the price is right where I would expect it to be. I can’t really say anything else. Buy them. By the box. You won’t regret it.

Pairing: I paired this Emilio Cigar’s AF2 with a long time favorite, and one of the best summer brews around. Omega’s Hennepin Saison. Hennepin is a very tart, citrus infused farmhouse ale. Pale in color, carrying a 7.7% ABV it makes for a perfect afternoon refreshment. The wonderful wood and cinnamon flavors from the AF2 matched perfectly with the sharp citrus Hennepin kicked out. This cigar would go perfect with any light ale, an IPA or some ice tea.

Abdel J. Fernandez has been a big name in the cigar industry as of late. Mostly because of his Manowar, Diesel, and Ave Maria blends, but it looks like he is starting to get away from the vendor exclusive market and distribute cigars on his own. The San Lotano line is one of the first one of these blends that the consumer will be able to find in their common brick and mortar shops.

The Good Stuff: The San Lotano line is being produced in Esteli, Nicaragua and comes in three different blends. The Habano, the Connecticut, and the Maduro. I smoked through all three, in different sizes as well and I have to say that I enjoyed the Maduro the most. A neat side note is that so many people I spoke with were blown away by the Habano. This just shows A. J.’s skill, and reach to the subjectivity of cigar smokers today. This is something that can make or break any manufacturer. Not to mention you can now find them on twitter (@AJFCigars), and they are actually very active, informational, and just a blast to talk with.

Size:  6 x 52 (Box Pressed)-  Wrapper: Mexican Maduro  -  Binder (dual): Honduran and Dominican  -  Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan  – Body: Medium

Prelight: The San Lotano Maduro is a beautiful, box-pressed, toro cigar. The wrapper is the wonderful, deep, dark, brown so dark that it is almost black. The wrapper has a nice little gleam to it too making this cigar look like nothing more than a chunk of dark chocolate with some cigar bands on it. The thick, and EXTREMELY firm body carries minor, very small veins, and no soft spots leading up to the rounded off double-cap. The band on the entire San Lotano line is black, with a gold, orange, and green crest holding the “San Lotano” name as well as a gold banner with “By A.J. Fernandez” and some small circular pictures showing tobacco production. There is also a secondary black and gold embossed band that simply states “Maduro”.

The San Lotano Maduro gives off this massive chocolate and mossy smell. The foot carries the same aroma only its amplified by ten. The cap was very easy to clip using my double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a really strong chocolate taste, with a bunch of spice and a little leather off the tail end.

First Smoke: Just as the prelight, and cold draw characteristics suggested this San Lotano Maduro starts out with a crap load of dark chocolate and spice. After the spice settles a bit the San Lotano shows its true colors with a much more bolder, chocolate, coffee, and leather flavor with just a little bit of fruit. This cigar really doesn’t give off much, if any stationary smoke, however the draw was thick and plentiful.  The burnline is phenomenal, dead on and razor sharp leaving behind a nice semi-compacted trail of light and medium grey ash. Which held on for about an inch and a half before giving way.

Halfway There: The flavors really mellowed out into the second third of this San Lotano Maduro.  Which really caught me off guard as the first third finished off with the crazy spice build up. The flavors are still chocolate dominant with a smooth woodsy backing and hints of fruit. They just aren’t as powerful as they were. The retrohale however is rocking with just a ton of spice and chocolate. The burnline is still just perfect and I am only feeling very slight nicotine teases at this point.

Finish: Although the final third of this San Lotano Maduro finished a lot milder than I would have liked, the flavors did really ramp back up towards the end. The main flavor all the way through was the chocolate. In the final third more of the cedar and tobacco flavors snuck it carrying a bit more of that fruit along with it. The cigar had just a slight amount of harshness into the nub, but nothing off-putting. I felt no nicotine, and the cigar took about and hour and forty five minutes to take down.

Overview: I honestly love the new stuff AJ has been coming out with, this maduro was no exception. My only gripe is the size. A smaller, stouter vitola would make this a perfect everyday cigar. I just haven’t been going for the larger sticks lately. Even though the weather in El Paso is suited for it, I just favor the robusto/coronas. This cigar is perfectly priced, and something I would definitely recommend to any cigar smoker from the novice to the everyday guy (or gal).

Pairing: This pairing is no surprise if you follow us here at Casas Fumando. New Belgium’s 1554 is the ideal candidate to pair with absolutely any maduro cigar. The cigar is your standard Brussels’ style black ale. Thick, and dark with a strong chocolate, nut, and roasted malt flavor. I was actually going to pair this cigar with another stout but a 1554 happen to catch my eye when I was going through the fridge. You just can’t beat the pairing.

This cigar was another part of the blind trade I did not too long ago. This particular cigar was new to me but I did have a few of them in my humidor that I hadn’t yet tried. As you’ll see in this review, a proper pairing, at least for me, is extremely important. This is even more relevant when enjoying a full bodied cigar. Doing a blind trade can sometimes impact a proper pairing choice.

The A. Fernandez Signature Series is made in their factory located in Esteli, Nicaragua. Abdel also maintains a wonderful crop of tobacco and he personally oversees all aspects of the cigar making process. He was born in Cuba but raised in Nicaragua and has been a pivotal part of what has made Nicaraguan cigars so popular. I think that’s enough chatter for now, let’s get into this review.

Cigar: A Fernandez Signature Series
Drink: Waterloo Brewing Co. Dark Beer
Vitola: Robusto (5.5 x 50)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan Ligero
Price: about $5.00
Burn Time: 1.25 hours

Construction:
• Light golden-brown wrapper
• No major veins and a nice oily sheen to it
• Clean triple cap
• Evenly round in construction
• Fairly firm from head to foot
• Foot looks well packed
• Cut was very messy and wrapper cracked in 2 places near the head
• Small cracks were forming just above the burnline all over the place but never caused any burn or draw issues until the end
• The cracks near the cap kept getting worse and worse as the cigar burned

Burn:
• Toasting was very slow and uneven, didn’t seem to want to light up
• Burn has been nice and even, no problems in the first couple inches
• Staying lit easily without the need for extra draws
• Burning fairly quickly for this vitola
• The cracks in the wrapper caused the burn line to get wavy
• Once the wrapper stopped burning and the cigar started tunnelling all of the flavors went downhill

Smoke & Ash:
• Ash is nice and clean, light grey with some black spots
• Looks strong but falls off every inch or so right into the ashtray
• Smoke is moderate on the draw, a good amount
• Resting smoke is fairly abundant and gives off a burning wood type of aroma

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper aroma is fairly mild, slight tobacco and cedar scents
• Foot aroma is mainly of cedar with a bit of a sweet yet peppery kick
• Pre-light draw is mostly cedar with some peppery notes
• Initial flavors are mostly of toasted wood and a bit leathery, the initial pepper spice is also very abundant
• Retrohale is fairly mild with the same burning wood taste and a tiny kick of peppery spice
• Body has been in the mild-medium range for the first half
• Approaching the halfway mark, burnt wood and leather are still the dominant flavors, I pick up a touch of honey and spice here and there, but nothing exciting yet
• Not too dry on the palate
• Retrohale picked up a tiny kick in after the halfway mark but no new flavours
• The body began to ramp up into the full range as the cigar progressed
• Got very bitter in the last two inches and had to set it down early, most likely due to the messy wrapper near the end

Final Thoughts:
The first half of this cigar was interesting with a burnt wood type of flavor and a bit of leather. There was also a fair bit of pepper throughout. Leather and pepper are not my favourite types of flavors in a cigar so this will heavily impact my opinion. There was a sense of complexity here that I know I overlooked since I was too focused on those two flavors that I just couldn’t enjoy the rest of this cigar to its full potential. Second half lost some flavour and didn’t change much else and the cracks near the head were getting progressively worse. Some damage in transport is also likely to blame here.
The pairing here was also a poor choice as you can read below. This is part of the learning process in a blind trade. It really teaches you how important a proper pairing can be with some cigars. It definitely detracted from a proper review of the cigar but still feel it was worth posting this to show how a blind review and sometimes work against a cigar. One suggestion I thought of after this is to recommend some pairing for you blind trades or at least mark a cigars strength so the person lighting it up can give it a fair opinion.

Pairings:
I had never had any ales from this Brewery before, it’s about 1.5 hours from where I live in Waterloo, Ontario. It’s a nice dark red beer with lots of flavor, very smooth and not bitter at all. Definitely something I would buy and enjoy again. It went well with this cigar but I wouldn’t pair it with anything stronger than a medium. This definitely had a negative impact on this cigar since it just wasn’t complimenting it properly. A coffee, port, sweet tea or soda would all mix well here.

Post-Review Notes:
I had a couple more of these in the humidor that I hadn’t tried yet. Since doing this blind review I did give them a try with a proper pairing and have to say that it was much better. It went perfectly with port and with some Glenlivet 12 year Scotch. I had more complexity out of the cigar and the flavors had some more dimensionality near then end. This is more of what I would expect from A. Fernandez. Again, another testament to how important a pairing can be and the learning process involved in these blind trades.

As far as Connecticut’s go, there is quite a selection out on the market and each one tries to be unique in it’s own way. The Virtue has a great blender to back it up along with a line of cigars that has been well received by most of the cigar community. The Virtue line comes in 6 vitolas including Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, Solomon, Lonsdale and Churchill. If you are looking for the power that the Ruination offers, don’t look here. It may have some faintly similar notes but no where near the strength offered. What this does offer is a great medium smoke that can go well anytime of the day.

I’m settling down outside after a nice BBQ lunch to enjoy this cigar with one of my favorite blondes (No, not a woman, a beer…) Take a read through and leave a comment to let us know what you think!

Cigar: Man O War Virtue
Drink: Innis & Gunn Original Oak Aged Beer
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 50)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $7 – $8 MSRP
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• Very even diameter throughout
• A good firmness with a perfect spring, consistent throughout
• Looks to be a little bit of extra glue on the triple cap and it has some discoloration but still looks clean
• No major veins on the wrapper
• Foot looks to be well packed
• Cut was even and clean
• Great draw, very little effort but not too open
• I still love these Man O War bands, the Spartan-type logo is really neat
• With about 1.5 inches left the wrapper cracked a bit just below the cap, hoping it doesn’t cause any issues
• Burned through the crack without any problems

Burn:
• Toasting was a little uneven but gave off an awesome cedar aroma
• Burn has been dead on for the first half
• Staying lit easily, not much effort required
• Cigar stayed effortless until the end with no major burn issues

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke from each draw, really fills the mouth
• Lots of resting smoke that gives off that awesome burning cedar aroma
• Ash looks strong but first fell off in about half an inch, could be the wind today
• No flaking or crookedness
• Second ash was around an inch but the rest were all smaller so have an ashtray nearby

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper aroma is of dry wood and tobacco
• Foot has a sort of honey-sweet and grassy aroma complimented by cedar
• Pre-light draw has lots of cedar flavor to it with an earthy undertone and a mild spice
• Initial draws are very woodsy with a tiny hint of honey sweetness
• Mild body at the start
• Retrohale is also mild and has a wonderful cedar finish
• Approaching the half-way mark, the sweet honey has changed to a more natural honey flavor.  Not as sweet but still quite good
• Past the half-way point and flavors haven’t changed much more but this is still an enjoyable smoke with some nice cedar notes to it and a bit of creaminess
• Getting close to the nub and cedar with a natural honey flavors are still the only major ones around
• There were hints of creamy vanilla and a cinnamon-like spice here and there but they never made a prominent appearance
• Very little harshness on the nub, got to enjoy it right to the end

Final Thoughts:
A lot of people avoid some of the milder sticks because they feel the flavors are just not as enjoyable or complex as most fuller bodied sticks.  There are some exceptions that stand out in the pack against this rule and this stick has now joined that group in my books.  Construction, burn, draw, flavor, everything worked well here to make a fine smoke.  It’s great for new cigar smokers or veterans looking for a tasty morning smoke.  Even though the flavors did not change much they were enjoyable from start to finish.  I could see this getting boring in a churchill size but a robusto or smaller would go very nicely. The price is a bit high compared to other Connecticuts on the market but you can find good deals on them well below MSRP if you look.  Did I mention that I like the band?

Pairings:
Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer is a great brew from Edinburgh, Scotland.  Oak flavors are one of my favorites, in wine, ports and beers alike.  This brew is fairly light but full of flavors making for a great summer or lunchtime beer but can be enjoyed anytime easily.  It matched very well with the woodsy flavors of this cigar.  The cigar would also go very well with a morning coffee or even a simple diet soda or glass of water.  Try not to drink anything too strong or full with this cigar as it will drown out the flavors it offers.
 

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

 Diesel’s Uncholy Cocktail has made quite a buzz all over cigartown as of late. Not only does the fact that AJ Fernandez (creator of the Man O’ War series) concocted this elegant stick demand mass attention, but seeing these advertised as low as $2.50 a stick online could capture anyones attention.

I didn’t want to jump all over these sticks for fear of being let down, so I took a backseat and just listened to what a few of my colleagues had to say about it first.  After hearing nothing but great things from both Stogie Review, and Nice Tight Ash I decided to jump on the bandwagon and experience this one for myself.

The Good Stuff: I wasn’t able to pull out a whole lot of interesting information on this cigar outside of the straight backs. As stated before the Diesel was produced by the master mind Abdel “AJ” Fernandez, creator of the most intense of blends including the Man O’ War, Rocky Patel’s Fusion, Padilla Habano, Indian Tabac 10th Anniversary, and Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet. The Diesel is only produced in one vitola, the Torpedo and consists of filler tobaccos from Jalapa, Condega and EsteliNicaragua wrapped with a dark Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper.

Size: 5 x 56  -  Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf  -  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  -  Body: Medium – Full

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Prelight: The Diesel’s wrapper is incredibly silky and oily, even to the touch. The wrapper is very toothy and sports a very dark chocolate-like consistency. There was one partial wrap in mine cigar that was about 4 shades lighter than the rest of the cigar, but outside of that the colors were strictly uniform. The Diesel carries a long torpedo shaped cap that tapers off into a thick body. The portion where the head meets the cap of the cigar seemed to be just a tad thicker than the rest of the cigar so I actually had to pull out the ring gauge to find that this was just an optical illusion. Many small veins can be found scattered across the Diesel’s wrapper along with one larger, thick vein running almost the entire length of the cigar. The Diesel is very firm to the touch and only had one minor soft spot towards the cap, but it shouldn’t be anything to worry about. The Diesel smells very barnyard, and not the least bit enticing. But we all know that doesn’t mean it won’t be a remarkable experience. Most cigars don’t smell good. That’s why we don’t use them as air fresheners. Outside of the barnyard almost manure smell one could pull hay, and soft leather from the foot of this cigar. The foot of the Diesel is garnished with an almost midevil leather looking band with the words “diesel” embossed in it twice around. The band had little glue, and I was able to slide it right off withalmost no effort. The cold draw produced similar hay and leather tastes, with a hint of spice.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

First Smoke: The Diesel lit up extremely easy under my triple flame butane torch. The flavors were extremely abundant and intensely bold. I was able to decipher quite a bit of a cedar taste, with hints of black cherry, leather, coffee and just enough pepper to tickle my lips and the tip of my tongue. The draw itself was a bit tight and surprised me by how much flavor and smoke it produced. The smoke was a thick grey, and smelled off cedar and barnyard. This isn’t something you’d want to light up around a lot of people who aren’t into cigar smoking. The Diesel didn’t produce a lot of stationary smoke at all. The burnline on the diesel was razor thin and started slightly wavy but did a good job correcting itself early in producing a nice, thick, well packed white and light grey ash. I was pretty surprised when my first ash only lasted about 3/4 of an inch before it decided to give way.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Halfway There: So far so good. The Diesel’s flavors are holding pretty consistently. The pepper has just about dissipated as well as the raw coffee I was pulling from the diesel early on and they have been replaced by a smooth, milky aftertaste. This cigar is producing quite a bit of moisture in my mouthwhich is helping me cope withnot having a drink to pair it with. The nicotine is starting to take its toll on me as well. It’s not flooring me by any means, but after about 30 minutes of smoking once can feel the blood rush to his head once he stands up. I’m impressed with how slow this cigar is burning. I would be at two thirds in on similar vitolas. The burn line is getting a bit off track again as I pass the halfway point, but it seems to be just one problem area about an eighth of an inch wide. I don’t think I will have to touch it up, it’s isolated enough that it should begin to catch up with the rest of the burn.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Finish: Toward the end of the cigar I began to taste much more of the coffee flavor that I was sure had vanquished earlier into the cigar. The cedar and sweetness of the black cherry are still center stage as well as the smooth aftertaste that developed. Another surprise if the fact that there is no harshness built up what so ever. The cigar is still just as smooth as it was when I first lit it up. I am feeling a bit more of a nicotine kick that expected, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The burn line at this point is razor thin, and dead on without any need to touch it up. In total it took me almost 2 hours to finish this cigar.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Overview:Diesel? I’ll take it.. for $3 a stick? I’d buy a box, or two, hell even three. This cigar was just as much of a shocker as everyone is saying it is. From its bold flavors and perfect construction to its great body and extreme consistency. This is the perfect cigar for a medium bodied cigar smoker who wants to try something with a bit more punch, but not enough to knock them off their feet. Not only that but I would strongly recommend the Diesel to the most seasoned cigar smoker as and everyday/anyday offering. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised and the diesel has its home in my regular rotation.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Man O' War Ruination

I hadn’t had the pleasure of smoking one of these until now. There is a huge push in the Man O’ War brand, not only from a retailer standpoint but by the cigar aficionados as well. So much hype and talk has gotten me pretty interested in this cigar. I was lucky enough to have a few sent to me by the awesome “Agent 24″ at Cigar Spy. (Thanks Man!).

The Good Stuff: I was able to dig up quite a bit of information about the Man O’ War Ruintation. Man O’ War was developed by Abdel “AJ” Fernandez at Tabacalera Fernandez. AJ is a protégé of Don Alejandro Robaina, the man who is considered to be the “Godfather” of tobacco. AJ had spent most of his life under the practice Alejandro in Cuba before migrated to Nicaragua where he now resides creating some of the finest cigars out there. Aj is noted for creating Rocky Patel’s Fusion, Indian Tabac 10th Anniversary, Padilla Habano, and Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet. But out of the list of fine cigars AJ considers the Man O’ War his finest piece of work.

Man O' War Ruination

The Man O’ War Ruination is constructed of Cuban-seed Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos. To add to the equation most of the tobacco leaves used to construct this cigar are Ligero leaves wrapped in Habano Ecuadorian tobacco leaves. The Ligero leaves are the strongest of all the tobacco leaves on a plant. They produce not only the most strength, but an incredibly spicy, bold taste as well.

Man O' War Ruination

Size: 5.7 x 56  -  Wrapper: Habano Ecuadorian  -  Filler: Cuban-seed Honduran and Nicaraguan Ligero  Flavor: Full

Prelight: The first thing that you notice about the Ruination is the dark, oily Ligero Wrapper. The wrapper is even darker then a lot of maduro wrapped cigars sitting in my humidor. The Ruination is a very heavy cigar. Probably the heaviest I have ever felt (I even did the: “wow, this is a heavy cigar. Sweetheart check this out”). Not to mention the tobacco is incredibly tightly packed in this bad boy. There were no signs of misconstruction and obviously no soft spots. I think I could probably throw this cigar through a window without harming it. The Ruination gives off a very grassy, musky smell before it is lit. The head of my cigar is oddly quite a bit darker than the foot. There were a few veins in the construction, but nothing that I forsee having any problems with.

Man O' War Ruination

First Smoke: This cigar took quite a while to light under my single flame colibri Torch.  I’m starting to see a similar trend in any ligero based cigars. I clipped just a bit off of the torpedo shaped tip. The first tastes were that of a dark chocolate, mixed with leather, and hints of vanilla. This wasn’t a pleasant hot cocoa mix I’m used to. The tobacco and flavor mixture is incredibly harsh, and even a bit over-powering. Someone had asked how I was enjoying the cigar and I could only respond with “It’s definitely a Man’s cigar”. I couldn’t get too much of a draw off of the ruination so i increased the cut to almost double what I normally do. I’m assuming that the plugging was due to how tightly this cigar is packed. After the extra cut the draw increased and the Ruination produced huge clouds of VERY thick smoke. I can usually 3-hit each draw, but this guy was too powerful, no more than 2. After a few draws the flavors balanced out a bit more to a very peppery, spicy, chocolate, espresso laced taste. It is a very great tasting cigar when not overpowered by the strength. Oddly, I only got about 3/4 of an inch in before the ash gave way.

Man O' War Ruination

Halfway There: About halfway in the cigar got much easier to handle. I don’t know if my body was getting used to it, or if the Ruination itself had actually balanced itself out. The strength has definitely held its own and the flavor is holding up as well. It’s much more peppery at this point, and I can feel the slight tingle from the tobacco on my lips and tongue. My second ash lasted well over an inch. This was much more expected that the first. It must have been a fluke, or maybe the wind. The cigar is burning pretty evenly, but it has the tendency to try and extinguish itself. I remedied that but touching the cigar up every now and then, even if it was still burning even.

Finish: Near the end I cut just a tad more off of the head. The moisture from my mouth was causing the cigar to slightly plug up. Towards the end I no longer had any burn issues, but the strength of the cigar was starting to take its toll on me. I had become a bit light-headed, but I wasn’t going to raise any white flags until I’ve nubbed the Ruination. The pepper flavor stood its ground towards the end of the cigar, vanquishing any other flavors at this point. The Man O’ War Ruination took a little over 2 hours to smoke in it entirety.

Man O' War Ruination

Overview: First of all, I can’t even believe I was able to finish this cigar. The Ruination in no way is intended for the novice cigar smoker. This cigar is intended to knock your socks off and that’s exactly what it did. Would I try this again? I plan on it. Just not on an empty stomach. This is a perfect cigar to have on those days where you feel you have a chip on your shoulder and need to just forget about life in general and enjoy a relaxing smoke.