Casas Fumando » cigar

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Best Seller Natural

Daniel T. — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:19:33 +0000

Yes I’m back! Vacation is over and Tony is putting me back to work. He’s shackled me to a desk, gave me a laptop, camera, ashtray and a few cigars and told me to get back to work. This all with the purpose of him getting back to his normal slacking-off style, hehe! I opened up the package and found a few really good cigars that will be reviewed over the next few weeks.

So today we have a cigar I’ve wanted to try for awhile. It’s the Arturo Fuente Hemingway “Best Seller”. This Figurado shaped cigar was sent to us by our friends of at CigarsDirect.com. They carry a wide variety of the Hemingway line which can be seen at this link. The Cigars Direct link has a great explanation of how the Hemingway series came to be. They also have a wide variety of accessories available to compliment anyone’s collection.

I won’t get too much into the story of the Hemingway series since it’s available at the link above, but needless to say, literary aficionados should have an idea of where the names come from. You can also read more about the Arturo Fuente company and family by visiting their site The Hemingway series does include a wide variety of vitolas all with unique names and most are available in a maduro version. The “Best Seller” is one that is available in Maduro but the one being reviewed today is with a natural Cameroon wrapper.

Cigar: Arturo Fuente Hemingway “Best Seller”
Drink: Havana Club Silver Dry Rum (Mixed with coke and on the rocks)
Vitola: Figurado (4.875 x 46/60)
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $9.99 from Cigarsdirect.com
Burn Time: 1.25 Hours

Construction:
• Very neatly made with a perfect slow taper from the foot to the cap
• A quick taper also on the foot
• No major veins throughout the wrapper
• A nice medium cinnamon-brown tone to the wrapper
• Can’t really tell if the foot is packed well but the cigar is firm and even throughout with just a tiny spring
• Cleanly applied triple cap
• Cut was clean and even
• First couple of draws were tight due to the fast-tapered foot but it quickly opened up to a perfect draw
• Band slid off effortlessly

Burn:
• Toasting was even, quick and easy since I only had to light the small tapered end
• Burned through the tapered foot evenly and without any problems
• There was a small wave in the burn but it never got worse so I’m going to blame a slightly off lighting job on my part
• The wavy burn ended up correcting itself around the halfway mark and smoothly sailed to the nub after that
• The cigar is burning nice and slow without the need for extra attention, staying lit very easily
• Good burn time on this smaller vitola

Smoke & Ash:
• Started off with very little smoke but once I passed the tapered part of the foot I was getting bit mouthfuls of smoke
• A good amount of resting smoke the gives off a fresh cedar aroma
• The ash is nice and strong, holding well past the first inch, even with the weaker tapered foot holding on
• First ash held on for nearly 2 inches before gracefully falling off in the ash tray

Tasting Notes:
• Dry aroma is very woodsy and earthy with hints of cedar
• Foot is a little small to get a good aroma from, smells the same as the wrapper
• Pre-light draw is woodsy with some nutmeg and pepper spice on the lips
• Initial draws are very earthy and woodsy with a but of a dry finish
• Body is starting off fairly mild
• Retrohale has some interesting citrus flavor to it and an amazing finish, almost like inhaling the aroma off a fresh batch of vanilla sugar cookies
• After passing tapered foot the flavors opened up a bit more, I’m getting hints of vanilla and a cinnamon/nutmeg spice to compliment the cedar and earthy tones
• At about the halfway point the cigar started to slowly get more body to it coming up to a medium or so
• After the ash fell off, the woodsy/cedar and earthy tones really took prominence in the flavor department with some of the spices making an appearance here and there
• As I approach the last 1.5 inches, I’m getting some pepper spice in the flavor profile as well
• The retrohale has also made a big change, adding some bite and bringing the the cedar flavor, the sugar cookie finish is just about gone but damn it was a nice touch
• Only had to purge this cigar once near the nub and got very minimal harshness

Final Thoughts:
This was a really good cigar! I usually only retrohale ever 4 or 5 draws but the retrohale was so interesting on this one that I found myself doing it nearly every draw. If you don’t retrohale, I think you’d miss most of the complexity in this short vitola. I will caution you to smoke this cigar nice and slow and take your time. I found that taking too many draws made the cigar heat up too much and a lot of it’s flavor was lost. Burn, construction, ash, and flavor were all spot on in this cigar. Most of the Hemingway line is fairly pricey, this particular vitola comes in at a lower price and if you take your time smoking it and enjoy it you will definitely get your money’s worth. Tony had a problem with the band on his Arturo Fuente Opus X Perfecxion No. 5 but mine slid off easily and did not damage the wrapper at all.
Considering this is a fairly small vitola, the change in the flavor profile was pretty dramatic past the halfway mark and the body ramped up at a perfect rate. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for more of these, I enjoyed i quite a bit.

Pairings:
Since I’ve been out of town on vacation seems I was a bit low on good beers, scotch and port. I decided to try something different. I’ve enjoyed a lot of different Rums but I always seem to go back to Havana club as my go to bottle. Don’t get me wrong though, there are some much better Rums out there, but for the price this one seems to hit the spot just right. I know a lot of people enjoy their cigars with Rum, either on the rocks or mixed with coke. I tried it both ways and with this cigar the mix with coke seemed to fit a bit better. I think this would go very well with a nice Amber ale or some port. A nice coffee or just diet soda would also go well here.

Tabacos El Triunfador Original Blend Lancero – Blind Review

Daniel T. — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:10:04 +0000

Recently, I participated in a blind trade with some fellow BOTL’s. If you aren’t aware what a blind trade is, let me explain. What we did was package together a few cigars in a price range of up to $10 and remove the bands. The bands on the cigars I reviewed were all on blank paper with just a simple number on the label. I really enjoy participating in these types of trades since they remove and misconceptions, biases, cost considerations and other opinions which could sway the review of a known cigar.
The first cigar I lit up from this trade was Blind Cigar #1, which ended up being an Original Blend El Triunfador Lancero. The El Triunfador line is blended by Pete Johnson, more popularly known for the Tatuaje Cigar line. This particular blend was a limited production cigar released before the El Triunfador become a production line. He blend is quite different from what the current blend became. Tony did a review of the new blend not too long ago, you can read it here: Tatuaje Tabacos El Triunfador #1. Try to compare the notes between this Original Blend and the new blend that Tony reviewed.
I have to say I had no idea what this cigar was while I was smoking it. The funny thing is that just a week before I had smoked two cigars of the new blend from the El Triunfador line. Even with such a close time between tasting both of these cigars it didn’t even cross my mind that these were from the same line. I was pleasantly surprised to find out what this cigar was but was also disappointed since it is limited production. There are still a few boxes kicking around if you look hard enough for them.
I wrote all the below notes prior to knowing what cigar I was smoking. I got the reveal a day after. Take a read and I hope you enjoy this. There will be a few more blind reviews coming up soon!

Cigar: Blind Tasting Cigar #1
Drink: Mill Street Brewery Coffee Porter
Vitola: Lancero (7.5 x 38)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $8.50
Burn Time: 2 hours

Construction:
• Very attractive oily and dark chocolate wrapper, appears maduro but I don’t think it is
• Slightly bumpy appearance but no toothiness to it
• Clean triple cap with a small pigtail
• Appears evenly packed at the foot
• Slightly soft and springy throughout with one minor hard spot
• Draw is a bit tight, hopefully it loosens up
• Draw loosened up shortly before halfway and is now dead-on perfect

Burn:
• Toasting was amazingly even and easy
• Burning fairly evenly with a bit of wave at the start
• Approaching the halfway point the the burn is moving along excellently, no issues at all
• Cigar is staying lit effortlessly and letting me enjoy it slowly

Smoke & Ash:
• Medium mouthful of smoke, nothing overbearing but enough to keep me satisfied
• Lots of constant resting smoke that smells fantastic, lots of cedar in the aroma
• Ash is tight and even but not too strong
• First ash was only about ¼ of an inch
• Second ash was a bit longer but seems to be between ¼ and ½ inch each time
• Amount of smoke increased quite a bit in the last 3rd

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper has a sweet tobacco aroma
• Foot has an earthy and cedar aroma with a touch of spice
• Pre-light draw definitely has an earthy spice type of flavor to it complimented by cedar touches
• Initial draws are of earth, cedar and coffee with a touch of spice on the aftertaste
• Retrohale is mild with a cedar and smooth espresso finish
• Body started off mild-medium
• Approaching the half-way mark, flavors haven’t changed much but the spice has pretty much disappeared and the the espresso flavors have got stronger. Earth and cedar flavors are still lingering
• As I approach the final 3 inches, the coffee flavor has slipped into the background and some of the spice is coming back, reminds me of baked cloves, very interesting
• Body has also started to ramp up a bit as I approach the end
• Retrohale has also picked up in body, getting a similar clove flavor complimented by some cedar
• A slight bitterness crept in near the end but nothing overpowering and it did not ruin this cigar, still enjoyed it quite a bit

Final Thoughts:
I was very impressed by this cigar. It had everything you could want. Great construction, lots of smoke, good flavors, and a couple dimensions to keep in interesting. The value on this cigar is also great considering the burn time of 2 hours. If you can find some of these still hanging around somewhere I would definitely recommend grabbing them. These are not the type of limited cigar you want to miss. The new El Triunfador line is good ad it’s hard to compare the two due to the fact that they are so different in body and flavor profile.

Pairings:
The dark Coffee Porter paired very nicely with this cigar and any similar stout or porter would go well. This beer has is full of flavor and coats your palate but has a smooth finish. It obviously has a strong coffee flavor and it complimented the coffee and espresso notes of this cigar nicely. A strong coffee, such as Cuban of Americano, would also be an excellent pairing here.

Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Maduro Principe

Daniel T. — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:33:09 +0000

The Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series is a fantastic, toothy looking box-pressed cigar from Nicaragua. This is the type of cigar you keep in your humidor for special occasions, then light it up sit back and enjoy. This line was released in 1994 to commemorate the Padrón Cigar Company’s 30 years in business. As you can guess, the company began in 1964 but it’s roots can be traced as far back as the 1800′s. I previously reviewed a different Padrón cigar and wrote a little bit more about the company, I won’t go into that detail here but feel free to read about it here: Padrón 1926 Serie No. 35 or you can read about it at the Padrón website.

This cigar was sent to me as part of a package from DannyP6228 on Twitter. It was aged more than 2 years and his only requirement was that I do a review when I got around to smoking it. Danny raves about this cigar and after smoking it I completely understand why. I’ve yet to have any Padrón that has disappointed me, even their inexpensive Padrón Series line is consistently good. Without further delay, let’s get to the review.

Cigar: Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Maduro Principe
Drink: W&J Graham’s 2003 Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port
Vitola: Principe (4.5 x 46)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: Gifted from @DannyP6228 – Retails for around $10
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• Nicely box pressed
• Medium brown colour, not as dark as most maduros
• Very firm feel throughout
• Foot looks tightly packed
• Evenly applied single cap
• Double banded with the bottom band having a serialized number
• Some dots all over the wrapper, giving it that nice toothy appeal
• Lots of attractive oils secreting from the wrapper due to it’s age
• Slightly open draw
• Band slid off easily, no extra glue means no damage to the wrapper

Burn:
• Toasting was easy and perfectly even
• Razor sharp burn from the first draw
• No problems staying lit, allowed me to enjoy it nice and slowly
• This is how every cigar should burn, no attention required at all here

Smoke & Ash:
• Big mouthful of smoke right from the first draw
• Resting smoke is minimal and giving off a fantastic cedar aroma
• Very light grey ash, perfectly round, with small white spots from the toothy wrapper
• Absolutely no flaking, ash is picture perfect
• Great ash, hanging on for about 2 inches

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper has a very light aroma of cedar and cocoa
• Foot aroma is of cedar with some earthy notes and a touch of spice
• Pre-light draw is very woodsy and earthy with a hint of nuts
• Initial draws are extremely smooth with more of the woodsy, cocoa and earthy notes
• Retrohale is also very smooth with just a small bite and a smooth cedar finish
• Hints of coffee and nuts sneak in after the first few draws
• The flavors are so well balanced, each one taking turns being the prominent one between draws
• About an inch in and getting a bit of spice, closest comparison would be something along the lines of nutmeg
• At around the halfway mark, the coffee and nut flavors were the most prominent, still very smooth and enjoyable
• The body has been a smooth mild-medium throughout
• Retrohale started to pick up the coffee notes on the finish, very nice touch
• Picking up a great toasted wood flavor
• With about 1.5 inches left the coffee flavors changed to a slightly stronger espresso type flavor, loving that little change
• Body slowly increasing towards the full range as I reach the end of the cigar
• The body just suddenly went to the very full range and the coffee flavors just bursted out
• Very little harshness, smoked it down to the nub till my fingers were burning

Final Thoughts:
As with every Padron I’ve had, this one did not disappoint. Great flavors, great burn, great ash, great cigar. The price range on these is a little high but well worth it. I’m sure the extra age on this one helped. If you haven’t tried the 1964 or 1926 lines by Padron I definitely recommend trying them out.

Pairings:
My Port went perfectly with this cigar. The body of the pairings matched up perfectly and I would suggest trying it to anyone out there. Another good pairing could be a nice strong coffee, but I will strongly suggest a good Tawny Port!

Interview with Jameson Cigars’ Brad Mayo

Daniel T. — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:25:16 +0000

We’re changing things up a bit on Casas Fumando and decided to do an interview with one of the boutique brands out on the market today. We got in touch with Brad Mayo from Jameson Cigars who was more than willing to take some time out of his busy schedule to respond to a few interview questions we had for him. Jameson cigars currently makes 3 blends of cigars, the Red Label, Black Label and Declaration.

Take a few minutes to stop by the website (www.jamesoncigars.com) and read more about the company and the products. Jameson also retails their own coffee brand called “Rockstone”.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, take a minute to watch my video review of the Jameson Cigars Declaration
If you have any other questions for Brad feel free to post them in the comments or you can contact him on Twitter (@JamesonCigars). If you have a chance, try out some of his cigars.

Also keep an eye out for a review of the Jameson Cigars Black Label which will be coming up on Casas Fumando soon.

Now onto the questions:

Q: When and how did you first get involved in the cigar industry?

A: I first started Jameson Cigar Co. in mid-2007, but had been working towards starting the company a while before that. Basically I was introduced to La Tradicion Cubana cigars and fell in love with their smokes. Luis Sanchez (the owner of La Tradicion) and I developed a relationship and Jameson Cigar Co. was born.

Q: What did you do before you started Jameson Cigars?

A: Before Jameson I was in construction and home building.

Q: What was the push that finally made you start your own company?

A: I’m an entrepreneur in every since of the word and it has always been a dream to create cigars. Once I had relationships in place that would allow me to create the company and the cigars I had dreamed about, it was full speed ahead.

Q: Where does the “Jameson Cigars” name come from?

A: This is a question I get asked often and the name is a combination of James and son. My first name is James which is a family name that starts with my grandfather and has been passed down all the way to my son.

Q: How long did it take for you to finalize your newest blend, the Declaration? What was the process like?

A: You know, we nailed down Declaration rather quickly and I think it’s because we had a clear vision for what we wanted the cigar to be and the tobacco that we wanted to use.

Q: The vitola for the new Declaration cigar is called the “Iniquity”, where did that name come from and what does it mean?

A: At the most basic level Iniquity means injustice or the violation of a right. The whole Declaration brand is a statement about our passion for cigars and the fact that sometimes you have to stand up for your passion. Iniquity was a natural fit for the first vitola.

Q: What’s your ideal place to sit back and enjoy a cigar?

A: Ideally it’s sitting on a beach somewhere, preferably in the evening when it’s cooling down. Just sit back, relax, enjoy a cigar, and clear your mind.

Q: Outside of the obvious, what’s in your humidor right now?

A: I really don’t keep a personal humidor anymore; I just grab whatever I’m in the mood for from our stock. That being said I still like to grab other sticks from time to time, so it’s just whatever I happen to run onto.

Q: What is your favorite cigar related memory?

A: Just about everything I do is cigar related these days, so it would have to be all the experiences, relationships, and memories that have been built up over the life of the company.

Q: Which of your three blends are you the most proud of and why?

A: Tough question. I’m usually a humble person, but I am proud of the cigars we’re making. With that said, I am currently most proud of Declaration because the blend is fantastic and suits me perfectly and because the brand means so much.

Q: You are also pushing out “Rockstone” coffee. What was the idea behind this? Is there something missing in gourmet coffee now that you wanted to embark upon?

A: My theory has always been, do what you love. Almost religiously I start the day with coffee and a cigar, the perfect pair for me. Rockstone coffee is just a way of sharing this experience with others. We want to say; hey this is some great coffee that you won’t find down the street or in a drive thru. Take the time to grind fresh beans, pair it with one of our cigars, and I think you’ll enjoy it.

Q: Where can we find and purchase Jameson cigars and Rockstone Coffee?

A: Our cigars can be found on our website, on Calle Ocho, and at select retailers listed on our website which we try our best to keep up to date. Rockstone Coffee is exclusive to us and only available on our website for the time being.

Q: Are there any events planned in the near future for Jameson Cigars?

A: On May 17th we sponsored a dinner at JJ’s in College Station, TX. On May 20th we sponsored a Go Palo! concert in South Beach along with La Caridad del Cobre, La Tradicion Cubana, and Casa Gomez, and in June we’ll be at Famous Smoke Shop’s Cigar Expo.

Q: There are a lot of cigar brands making their presence known through twitter. Has this form of social media made an impact on your business?

A: I was a little hesitant at first about Twitter, however it’s been nothing but positive for our brand. It’s a great way to connect and interact. We’ve made some amazing contacts through Twitter. I would encourage others to get involved on Twitter, it’s a great resource to stay connected with what’s going on in the cigar world.

Q: I saw you mention on Twitter that you were entertaining ideas for some new vitolas of the Declaration. How are things going with that? Have you tried any yet?

A: It was always meant to expand the line at some point and I kind of wanted to get feedback on the sizes that people wanted to see. In the near future you will see a traditional belicoso (5.25×52) called Pursuit. We’ve already taken the first shipment of that vitola, but it hasn’t left the warehouse yet. One of the most requested vitolas was a 6×60, a size which I’m usually not a huge fan. However, we’ve been experimenting with it and I have to say that our samples so far have been outstanding. I hope to put that size into production shortly, but we don’t have a name yet. If anyone has a suggestion, let me know. Overall I’m really excited about adding vitolas to the Declaration lineup and I think everyone will thoroughly enjoy them.

Q: What’s in the future for Jameson, new cigar blend perhaps?

A: I love experimenting with new cigars and always have a new project idea in my head. We’re staying busy working on Declaration, but you may see a new blend in the not so distant future.

Q: Other than smoking cigars, what hobbies do you enjoy?

A: I spend a lot of time with my wife and kids and when I’m not doing that I enjoy golf and travelling.

A big Thank You to Brad from Casas Fumando for taking time to respond to our questions. Keep up the good work on the great cigars!

Montecristo No. 2 – Cuban (Joint Review)

Daniel T. — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:26:55 +0000

When most people think of Cuban cigars, they think of Montecristo. The name is definitely one of the most recognized worldwide by cigar smokers and non-smokers alike. The top selling cigar out of Cuba is also a Montecristo, the infamous No. 4. The Montecristo brand name actually comes from the book “The Count of Montecristo” by Alexandre Dumas. The original “Torcedores”, or “Cigar Makers”, who founded the Havana factory in 1935 loved the book and chose it as the name for this line of fine cigars.

Montecristo No. 2

Montecristo makes a wide variety of different cigars in a wide range of sizes from the tiny Joyita to the massive “A”. The Montecristo No. 2 is one of the original sizes which were limited to No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5. Next to the No. 4, the Montecristo No. 2 is one of the top sellers and a very recognizable vitola.

The date on the box for these cigars is March 2008, so at the time of smoking they had just passed their two year anniversary. I found age to make a big difference on these as the younger ones I’ve tried tended to have a bit of harshness to them. The extra age definitely added an element of smoothness to the profile and also allowed some of the other flavors I hadn’t detected in the younger cigar to shine through in the aged one. I am fully planning to keep a few of them aging in my humidor for a few more years.

One other thing to note about this particular vitola is that all the sticks I’ve seen are not the best looking when it comes to the wrapper and perfect cylindrical shape with the tapered head. A lot of them seem to have water spots, veins, crookedness, etc… But I have to say, aside from the odd draw problem (common for many Cubans), the cigars have all been exceptional and well worth trying.

(Tony) Daniel pretty much summed it up. This is a stick was actually sent to me by Daniel awhile back and he has been badgering me to add my portion of this joint review on for week, heck maybe even months (sorry Daniel) . I haven’t fallen in love with many of the cubans that I have had the luxury of smoking, and I really hope this one throws a few surprises my way. For something rated so highly amongst the Cigar Community, I am anxiously hoping this one does it for me. Since Daniel was kind enough to stick to my review format in the joint review we teamed up to bring you of Illusione’s ~88~ , I will return the favor and conform to his review style.

Cigar:Montecristo No. 2
Drink (Daniel): Grahams Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port (2003 Bottle Year)
Drink (Tony):Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre
Vitola:Torpedo/Piramide (6.125 x 52)
Wrapper: Cuban
Binder: Cuban
Filler: Cuban
Price: $30.00 in Canada, about $10 in Cuba
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction (Daniel):
• A few bumps along the wrapper but no major veins
• Cleanly applied cap
• Light brown colored wrapper
• Tightly packed foot
• Evenly packed along the body with a perfect spring to it, some of them had small soft spots
• Nice oily wrapper with a tiny bit of bloom in some areas
• Slightly tight draw, I could cut more but it will likely open up later
• Draw opened up as predicted at the halfway point

Montecristo No. 2

Construction (Tony):
• Almost box pressed body and foot
• Nice almost sticky triple cap
• The Wrapper is Slightly oily with a nice soft gleam
• Very tightly packed foot and body
• One large vein running 2/3 of the way through the body
• Very firm to the touch
• No softspots at all
• Color is a consistently milky brown
• A bit of cracking towards the end of the final third, probably due to my over humidification

Burn (Daniel):
• Toasting was nice and even with no dark spots
• A little wavy burn at the start, is slowly correcting itself
• Needing some extra attention to stay lit
• The wave stayed to the halfway mark but isn’t getting any worse
• After the ash fell at halfway the burn realigned and is razor sharp now
• Was burning fast for the first half, now it’s nice and slow with no extra attention needed
• Allowing me to slow down the draws and enjoy it a little more
• The quick burn at the start made this a shorter smoke than expected, definitely wish it would have lasted longer

Montecristo No. 2

Burn (Tony):
• Lit up very easily with my triple flame torch
• Burn line went all sorts of crazy during the first third but evened out
• Very thin, sharp burn line
• It did tend to go off in its own little tangents here and there but always quickly corrected itself
• I was very surprised on just how extremely fast this cigar burned, not only in the first half but all the way through
• No need for touch-ups or relighting.

Smoke & Ash (Daniel):
• A little less smoke that I’d like at the start
• Resting smoke is quite abundant and smells great, toasted cedar and earthy tones
• Ash is a very light grey
• Ash is holding strong with no flakes or crookedness
• Ash held on for close to 2 inches
• No wind outside and the smoke is dancing in front of me, giving a nice aroma
• Amount of smoke was very full after the halfway point

Montecristo No. 2

Smoke and Ash (Tony):
• Decently big Draw, nothing to write home about, but nothing too tight
• Lots of cedar smelling stationary smoke with hints of spice
• Ash is light grey mixed with dark, almost black spots
• Ash is a bit flaky, but holds firm
• Very dry smoke, leaving my throat and mouth very dry. I may need a few drinks to finish this cigar up
• Ash held on for almost 2 inches before falling off.

Tasting Notes (Daniel):
• A light cedar and earthy aroma on the wrapper
• Stronger cedar aroma on the foot along with a light sweet spice, close to cinnamon-sugar
• Pre-light draw definitely has the cedar and the spice, but the sweetness isn’t there
• Initial draws were of smoky burning wood, more of that spice, along with some leather and earthy notes
• Retrohale is very mild with a smooth cedar finish
• Slight dryness on the back of the throat, Port is taking care of it!
• At the halfway mark, the leather has disappeared and is replaced with a black licorice flavor, smoky cedar and spice are still there
• Throughout the first half, the cigar was fairly mild and had a smooth creamy finish to it
• After the ash fell off near the halfway mark the licorice flavor really came out
• Still can’t quite pinpoint the exact spice but this cigar definitely has some complex flavors that I’m enjoying!
• Body started quickly ramping up to medium-full past the halfway mark
• Flavors are bursting out of this cigar now, super cedar, spice, earthiness, licorice and a great creamy finish
• Got some espresso notes making their way in during the last 1.5 inches or so

Montecristo No. 2

Tasting Notes (Tony):
• Very cedary aroma from wrapper
• Light cedary and more earthy aroma from the foot. Very Dirt and Grass smelling
• Very salty start from the wrapper
• Great cedar Aftertaste
• Very Earthy, with notes of hay and grass
• Spicy notes at the beginning with hints of Cinnamon that mellowed out very quickly
• Retrohale is very smooth and contains lots of cedar with a bit of fruit and earth tones
• Earth and hay flavors ramp up big time in the second half.
• The saltyness on the wrapper is now becoming sweet, making for an interesting changeup.
• Now the creamy, almost milked coffee flavors are coming into play during the last third
• Not a lot of body in this cigar. I did find a slight spike close to the end of the second third, but nothing stronger than medium.
• The final third did end up with quite a few unexpected flavors. Although finishing off a bit harsh there was a ton of cedar, spice, earth, cinnamon, coffee, fruit, and even an uproar of the saltyness that I encountered at the start of the smoke

Final Thoughts (Daniel):
I love this cigars attitude. It was all kind and friendly/mild at the start and then BANG! Flavor + body came out of nowhere and made this smoke even more amazing. The creaminess and espresso flavors at the end were almost like a heartfelt farewell. I did not want this cigar to end! Simple as that. If you have a chance to get some of these, they are definitely a must try. As with most Cubans, be prepared for some bad construction or draw on some of them. If you are buying singles, try to pick ones with no soft spots and a clean wrapper. The well balanced flavors and multiple dimensions while still staying true to typical Cuban cigars flavor were exceptional. I enjoyed every draw from this cigar and will definitely be seeking out more.

Montecristo No. 2

Final Thoughts (Tony):
This was classic cuban through and through. Mild body, with a ton of earthy flavors, and a crappy burn. If you are fond of earthy cigars, or cubans this is a great stick. Don’t let the burn mislead you. Almost every Cuban I have had to date carries similar characteristics in construction and burn. Its like a trade mark for them. This was a good stick, but it left me craving more. More body, and a longer burn. All together it only took me about an hour to tear through this one. One thing to keep in mind is I have not yet read Daniel’s review on this stick. Again, he’s been pestering me for weeks, if not months (Sorry again man) now to add my piece to this review and I really wanted to go in here with a completely biased approach. Hopefully our findings matchup.

Pairings (Daniel):
For me, this Tawny port was an absolute perfect pairing. It would also go amazing well with a nice glass of wine or a smooth scotch/cognac. For non-alcoholic, I think a strong coffee such as a Cuban or Americano would go very well and match better than sweet tea or soda. This cigar definitely deserves a good pairing that allows the flavors from the cigar to really shine. Try not to overpower with something very strong or palate altering to truly enjoy this.

Pairing (Tony):
The Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre proved to be a charming mix and actually helped me battle my way through the random notes I picked up in this cigar. Raison D’Etreis a deep, mahogany Belgian-style brown ale brewed with beet sugar, raisins, and Belgian-style yeast. Not to mention it carries with it a nice 8.0% ABV tag. The sweetness gave a lucrative balance to the saltyness I picked up on an off from the Montecristo while the boldness and strength made up for the mild body of the cigar. I honestly think something even sweeter, such as cola, or sweet tea would be a perfect match.

On a side note (Tony): After adding my portion to this review I found it extremely interesting how different Daniel’s and my experience was. Although many aspects were similar, the flavors seemed to be on different spectrums. Maybe it was the saltyness that I kept picking up in this cigar that gave me a different perception of the cigar, or maybe Daniel purposely stored my cigar with his condements before sending. Whatever it was I love the fact that we had totally different experiences. It goes to show just how different my taste’s and his really are.

Daniel’s Side Note: After weeks of waiting I never thought we’d get this posted due to Tony the slacker! hehe. I did store this cigar with onions and sea salt, attempting my own infused cigar (just joking!) I think the pairings affect flavors as well but even considering that it seems we were fairly close on most things. What does everyone else think about the comparisons between the two?

Winner Announcement: Secret 5-Pack of Cigars

Daniel T. — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:48:33 +0000

Thank for everyone who entered the contest over the past few weeks. If you didn’t notice, there was the exclusive CheapHumidors.com coupon code in each of the emails that got sent out when a new post was made. Make sure to head over there for your next Cigar or Cigar Accessory purchase!

Hope you enjoy the cigars!

We had a wonderful increase the amount of comments received on each of our posts and would love to see that continue. Make sure to sign up for the mailing list if you haven’t and keep commenting. More contests will be coming up soon and comments on previous posts may play a factor in who the winner is… (hint… hint…) And you won’t want to miss what we have coming up next, trust me!

So let’s find out who the winner is…

Jordan (CavsFan8)

Congrats Jordan! Send either of us an email with your address when you get a chance and I’ll send you you’re 5-pack!

Jameson Cigars Declaration Iniquity – First Video Review!

Daniel T. — Sun, 02 May 2010 00:19:21 +0000

This is the first video review up on Casas Fumando! The cigar of choice to delve into the video world was a Jameson Cigars Declaration Iniquity. In the video I talk about the company, the pairings, the cigar, and of course my opinion. It is my first video review so be patient, I’ll improve them as they go. Please send me any feedback you think can help improve the video. Runtime is about 16min.
I’ve attached my quick point form notes at the bottom here in case you don’t have time for the video.
Also don’t forget that we have our contest running (Read the post here). So read the rules and make sure to comment! Hope you enjoy the video!

Cigar: Jameson Cigars Declaration Iniquity
Drink: 2007 Vineland Estates Cabernet Merlot
Vitola: Iniquity (5.5 x 50)
Wrapper: Habano ’98
Binder: Criollo ’98
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $5.90 ($29.50/5pk) direct form www.jamesoncigars.com
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• Evenly round and smooth throughout
• Consistent light spring from foot to head
• Foot is well packed
• Cleanly applied triple cap
• Wrapper is medium brown in color
• Draw is just a bit tight, but nothing too distracting
• Cut evenly and cleanly
• Draw opened up to a perfect resistance around the halfway mark

Burn:
• Toasting was fairly even with a small dark spot that was fixed with a light exhale on the foot
• Burn is slightly wavy and going nice and slow
• After the ash fell off the burn got a lot straighter
• As the draw opened up the cigar started burning faster
• No extra effort or babysitting needed with this cigar, staying lit easily

Smoke & Ash:
• Producing a medium amount of smoke
• Resting smoke is about normal, giving off a great woodsy/tobacco aroma
• Ash is going a little crooked but still strong and no flaking
• Ash held on until just over 2 inches, barely missed the ashtray…
• The ash past the halfway point has been a little weaker and more flaky, fell off after an inch

Tasting Notes:
• Pre-light aroma on wrapper is a bit spicy but no prominent notes
• Foot has a light aroma of sweet tobacco
• Pre-light draw was more barnyard/hay type of aroma and sweet tobacco
• Initial draws are of leather toasted cedar with a mild spice to top it off
• Retrohale is mild and smooth with some nice woodsy notes
• The flavors have become more balanced about an inch in and a lot more enjoyable. Pairing perfectly with this wine
• At about the halfway point I’m picking up a unique sweet flavor, the closest I can compare it too is pure honey or maple syrup, the really dark potent kind. Very enjoyable
• After halfway the retrohale now has some bite and the body has ramped up to a medium
• Getting into the last 2 inches, the woodsy flavor is gone and I’m left mostly with the leather and spice, the rich sweetness comes and goes
• Throughout most of the cigar, it’s been leaving a dryness in the back of my throat, a little extra wine may be needed when you light one of these up
• A little bitterness crept in with about an inch left, nothing over powering and still enjoying the flavors

Contest Time! 5pk of Cigars and an Exclusive Coupon Code for CheapHumidors.com

Daniel T. — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 18:14:50 +0000

Who doesn’t like contests? I know I do! So what better thing to do then to run a contest here on CasasFumando.com?
Tony has given me the chance to write up some reviews for our faithful readers for awhile now so it’s my turn to give back! Up for grabs with this contest is a super-secret 5-pack of cigars from my personal humidor. Let’s just say that these cigars are not easily available in the USA and you will not be disappointed! Take a peek at the picture of my empty boxes, there might be a few hints there…

Some of my Empty Boxes...

On top of the secret 5-pack, we have teamed up with Sam at www.cheaphumidors.com to offer a special coupon code that is only available exclusively to our readers and subscribers. Sam’s site has a great selection of humidors, cigars and cigars accessories. He’s got some great prices and always great customer service, make sure to head on over to his site and look at the awesome products. Keep reading below to see how to get the discount coupon code…

www.cheaphumidors.com

Now that we have you attention, we’d also like to announce that we have implemented a newsletter that will automatically notify you when a new post is made at CasasFumando.com. If you aren’t a fan of RSS this is the best way to get the post notifications straight to your mailbox.

So now you must be asking, how do I win this amazing super-secret 5-pack and get the coupon code? Here’s what you need to do (each of the following will count as one entry.):

1. Sign up for our newly implemented mailing list by typing your email address into the box on the right hand side of any page on the site. The exclusive Cheap Humidors coupon will be attached at the end of each email that is sent out.
2. Post a comment on the reviews posted between now and the contest end date. Only one comment per review will be counted and each one is an extra entry into the contest
3. Tweet/post the following on Twitter or Facebook:
CasasFumando.com Contest – Secret Cigar 5pk & CheapHumidors.com Coupon! @TonyCasas @Dalamscius @CheapHumidors #CFRC http://wp.me/pNC63-k6

We will run this contest for 3 weeks and a winner will be chosen on Sunday, May 16th, 2010. In the meantime, you will get a notification of the coupon code with each review we post from now until the contest ends.

www.casasfumando.com

Kristoff Maduro Torpedo

Daniel T. — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:51:25 +0000

Kristoff Maduro

Kristoff is a boutique cigar made by Exclusive Cigars. Exclusive makes a variety of boutique blends, their other lines are Vengence, Brittania, Cuban Selection, Premium Selection and a line of “It’s a boy/girl” cigars. The company was launched in 2005 and has been establishing a strong name in the boutique cigar market. The Kristoff line the most recognizable of the group from this company. Exclusive has a fairly large distribution network and may sales reps across the USA. If you are curious about where you can get your hands on some of these sticks, head over to their site(http://exclusivecigarsonline.com) and click on the “Where to Buy” link. You can also read more about the company and their products there.

Kristoff is a new cigar to me, I had not heard much about them prior to getting these as a gift from @BelicosoBrother on Twitter (Check out their podcast when you have a chance). He was kind enough to send me two of this blend, a Robusto and a Torpedo. I wrote the review based on the Torpedo with some mental notes from my time with the robusto. For your knowledge, both vitolas burned and tasted very similar to each other. Keep in mind that this is not the Ligero blend, only the normal maduro blend. It falls into a typical old-fashioned maduro that is mild and sweet, so if you are looking for a spicy or full bodied maduro this cigar won’t be for you.

Foot and Cap

Cigar: Kristoff Maduro Torpedo
Drink: Mill Street Brewery Coffee Porter
Vitola: Torpedo (6.125 x 52)
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Orlor Dominican and Cuban Seed
Filler: Orlor Dominican, Cuban Seed, Nicaraguan
Price: Gifted ($8 – $9 in stores)
Burn Time: 1.75 hours

Construction:
• Good firmness with a bit of spring
• Dark chocolate brown wrapper
• Very clean single cap
• Shaggy foot so I can’t see the filler on pre-light inspection
• Two medium sized veins following the length of the cigar, hopefully not big enough to cause problems
• Very clean cut
• Perfect draw
• Bands are nice and loose, can slide right off. No glue problems here and no damaging the wrapper

Kritoff Maduro

Burn:
• Toasting was pretty easy once cutting off the shaggy end
• You can toast with the shaggy foot but it takes a bit longer and usually causes some burn issues
• Burn has been nice and even throughout the first half
• Burn went a little crooked in the last two inches and started tunneling a bit
• Had to correct the non-burning wrapper twice near the end

Kristoff Maduro

Smoke & Ash:
• Not too much smoke in each draw
• Constant resting smoke and fairly abundant
Seems like more smoke coming out of the foot rather than the head?
• Ash is a little bumpy but no flaking
• Smoke amount increased a little bit near the halfway point, still would like it to be a more full
• Ash held on for almost two inches

Kristoff Maduro

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper has a sweet cocoa aroma and a hint of creaminess
• Pre-light draw has a lot of earthy tones and a slight spice on the lips
• Initial draws have a hint of roasted coffee and some sweetness
• The cigar is smooth but it has very weak flavors so far, really have to pay attention to figure them out, very mild right now also
• Coming up the the halfway point and flavors have not changed much, maybe just a hint of bitter cocoa
• Retrohale is mild and smooth with a bit of coca flavored creaminess
• A little past the halfway point the cocoa and coffee flavors became a bit more prominent, I’m also picking up a hint of fresh cookies, very interesting…
• Last two inches brought in a bit of bitterness to the flavor, I was just starting to really enjoy it
• Some bitterness tapered off when I fixed the wrapper burn issues but it’s still there

Kristoff Maduro

Final Thoughts:
This particular cigar left me with a lot to be desired. I could see that it had potential but it never really stepped up to the plate, especially considering the price tag applied to these. My main gripe throughout the cigar was the passive nature of the flavors. I knew the flavors were there and if I really concentrated I could taste them but they were so weak that they would be easy to miss. I didn’t mind the mild aspect to this cigar, I was expecting that going in but there should still have been some flavors to enjoy. I started getting the fresh baked cookie flavor for a few draws which was very interesting, but it was still very weak and disappeared just as fast as it was introduced. I could say this is possibly a good cigar to give to a new person getting into cigar smoking but at a $8+ price tag, it’s probably not a good idea. There are better mild maduros out there to be given away for much lower prices. I here good things about the Ligero line of Kristoff but this maduro is definitely not a winner for me.

Kristoff Maduro

Pairings:
I always think that there’s two ways to go about pairing a cigar that has very weak flavors. One way is to grab something light such as water or a light beer so that it doesn’t drown out the flavors and you can concentrate on trying to distinguish what the cigar tastes like. Generally if I know I’m smoking a boring cigar I sometimes take another route. My second method is to grab something nice and strong and full of flavor, say a good stout, Cuban coffee or a glass scotch. This way the drink gives the flavors and the cigar is just there to relax you but not offering much else…

Kristoff Maduro

Illusione ~mk~ The Teaching Machine

Daniel T. — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:04:03 +0000

Illusione ~mk~

Illusione is the creation of Dion Giolito and is a true small batch production line. Dion has put a lot of thought into the name of the line and the name of each vitola. All have a significance behind them and each has a meaning to Dion himself. The Illusione goal is to “re-create a specific taste profile from years past” before Nicaragua was taken over by Sandinistas in 1979. The idea behind keeping the blend small batch is to ensure quality and consistency remains top notch at all times, and judging by the Illusione’s I’ve enjoyed thus far he has definitely achieved that goal. The back story to how Dion got into the cigar industry is also an interesting read. Head on over to www.illusionecigars.com and click on “The Illusione Story” and then the link at the bottom “Behind the Numbers”. A great read about Dion’s life and the stories behind each cigar name.

The particular cigar up for review today is the Illusione ~mk~ The Teaching Machine. This particular cigar has a very interesting back story. Here’s a little excerpt from the Illusion site:

Project MKULTRA was a government experiment in creating “zombie soldiers” if you will, through experimentation with LSD and subconscious suggestion when under the influence. MKULTRA was also referred to as the “teaching machine.” The classic corona size is the teaching machine vitola. It is the perfect vehicle for delivery of flavor, if the blend is right.

Needless to say, this cigar did not disappoint. Let me point out to skeptics now, do not underestimate this cigars flavor and complexity based on its smaller vitola. As Dion’s description perfectly says, “It is the perfect vehicle for delivery of flavor”.

Illusione ~mk~

Cigar: Illusione ~mk~ The Teaching Machine
Drink: Diet Dr. Pepper / Water
Vitola: Petit Corona (5.125 x 42)
Wrapper: Nicaragua Café Colorado
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: Gifted from Tony – Thanks! (Sells for about $6.50)
Burn Time: About 1 hour

Construction:
• Medium brown in color
• One medium sized vein, shouldn’t cause problems
• Even and symmetrical throughout with a good spring to it
• Very clean triple cap
• Foot looks well packed

Burn:
• Very easy and even toasting
• Staying lit easily, no extra attention required
• Razor sharp and even burn throughout the cigar, no issues
• No complaints at all in this department

Illusione ~mk~

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke from this little cigar, very full
• Moderate amount of resting smoke
• Resting smoke has a great aroma to it
• Ash is light grey and holds on for just under an inch
• Very little flaking or crookedness on the ash

Illusione ~mk~

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper doesn’t have much of an aroma on it
• Foot has a wonderful cedar and spice aroma to it
• Pre-light draw has some cedar and that same spice, almost like a nutmeg
• Initial draws have pronounced cedar and the mentioned spice
• Retrohale has some pepper nuances and a hint of floral but not a strong bite, very smooth
• A little bit dry on the palate but lots of flavors
• Getting some toasted wood flavors now, just an inch in
• All the flavors seem well balanced and each are taking their turn being the predominant one from draw to draw
• Bite on the retrohale increased slightly towards the middle
• Around the halfway point I’m getting hints of roasted nuts
• Body has been mostly mild and increasing to a medium near the end
• Also picking up a slight sweetness here and there
• Throughout the cigar, I was always picking up a smooth creaminess that just followed the flavors after each draw, it was an excellent finish to all the flavors

Illusione ~mk~

Final Thoughts:
Some people may dismiss cigars that come in smaller vitolas as being simple and straightforward. This is definitely not the case with the Illusione ~mk~ The Teach Machine. I was continually impressed from the first draw to the last. This cigar definitely deserves your full attention and the complexity for this short and small vitola is something that was unexpected. The flavor profile was definitely multi-dimensional and I enjoyed all of it. The balance between the flavors was also something that was fantastic, the way each flavor sort of took a turn being the dominant one made for a great experience. I would definitely consider these a must try and a box worthy purchase. The price is fair, the cigar is great and I never had any burn issues what so ever.

Pairings:
The complexity of this cigar deserves a good pairing that doesn’t over power the delicate balance of flavors here. I’d probably recommend something as simple as water for this cigar. I started off with Diet Dr. Pepper and switched to my backup bottle of water that I always keep handy. I found the cigar had more than enough flavors that the soda was taking away from the cigar, water made my enjoyment go way up. Definitely seek out a very mild pairing with this cigar. I think most alcoholic beverages will drown out the flavors too much to enjoy, but you could try a mild red wine.

Illusione ~mk~

Padrón 1926 Serie No. 35 Maduro

Daniel T. — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:02:07 +0000

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Padrón is synonymous with great high-quality cigars, both on the premium and inexpensive levels. Most anyone who smokes cigars has tried or at least heard the Padrón name. Damaso Padrón and his sons cultivated tobacco fields in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, in the 1800’s and began the legacy of the Padrón family name. Sometime later, the Padrón family moved to Little Havana, Florida and began Padrón Cigars in 1964. Padrón cigars is one of the few manufacturers that handle all aspects of the cigar making process, from growing the tobacco seeds all the way through to distribution of the finished product. Read more about the Padrón family and Padrón Cigars by visiting their website: www.padron.com

Padrón Cigars offers 3 consistent lines along with a select few special releases. The particular cigar I reviewed was from the “1926 Serie” and is called the “No. 35” measuring in at 4inches with a 48 ring gauge. All vitolas in the series are available in both Maduro and Sun-Grown Natural wrappers. The other sizes available in this line are: No. 6 (4.75 x 50), No. 2 (5.5 x 52), No. 9 (5.25 x 56) and two specialty vitolas, ‘40th Anniversary’ (6.5 x 54) and ‘80 Years’ (6.75 x 54). The prices of these cigars tend to be fairly high but they are intended to be a premium line and more than live up to their selling price. The 1926 Serie was first released in 2002 and is a commemoration of Jose O. Padrón’s 75th birthday. The minimum age for all tobacco in this line is 5 years, so rest assured you are getting a wonderfully aged product right out of the box, no need to let them rest. Light up and enjoy!

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

I also wanted to note that each Padrón 1926 Serie cigar comes with a second band under the logo band that is individually numbered after undergoing their strict quality controls. The annual production of this cigar will be limited to only 100,000 each year. When I picked up this cigar on a trip down in Florida I was hesitant whether it would live up to the name given the small vitola. Take a few minutes to read my notes on the cigar and you’ll see that it was worth every penny.

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Cigar: Padrón 1926 Serie Maduro
Drink: Niagara Region Merlot from Peninsula Ridge
Vitola: No. 35 (48×4)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $13.00
Burn Time: 1 Hour

Construction:
• Box pressed shape
• Slightly bumpy wrapper with no major veins
• A deep brown color with a nice oily sheen
• Very firm throughout with very minor spring to it
• Very neat single cap
• The band was just perfectly loose so I know there are no glue or wrapper issues underneath
• Individually numbered second band below the logo band
• Cut was effortless and even
• Draw is dead-on perfect which is surprising considering the firm feel, stayed perfect throughout the cigar

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Burn:
• Toasting was quick and even, no awkward or dark spots
• Burn was razor sharp straight from the toasting
• Not much else to say here, it was perfect, no wavy burn, no touch ups, burned without me needing to babysit. Every cigar should be like this

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Smoke & Ash:
• Good mouthful of smoke
• Not overbearing and not wishing for more, just right
• Resting smoke is just right and giving off a perfect “cigar smell”, not sure how else to describe it… just sweet and savory
• Light gray ash with some black highlights
• Ash is very tight and strong with no flaking
• Held on past 1 inch, surprising considering the smaller size and ring gauge
• It’s almost like a piece of art, looks too perfect

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper aroma is light and just smells of tobacco
• Foot has a nice tobacco aroma with a bit of a barnyard scent
• Pre-light draw has a mild spice to it and some pepper on the lips
• Initial draws have a great sweet tobacco flavor and some earthy tones
• Medium bodied and well balanced
• About half an inch in, starting to detect some coffee/espresso notes
• Retrohale has a small bite to it and a great finish of sweet tobacco and coffee
• Approaching the halfway point, starting to pick up some woodsy notes
• The balance of spice on the retrohale and flavors in the draw are near perfect, couldn’t ask for anything else
• Past the half-way point, the bitter coffee flavor (think espresso) has changed to a roasted coffee flavor, very nice
• Great cedar flavors as I approach the end
• Some pepper and spice came in near the end and body ramped up to a medium-full
• Very minor bitterness at the end, more like a coffee bitter instead of the usual harsh bitter on the nub of other cigars

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Final Thoughts:
This is a wonderful cigar experience and would definitely recommend this to anyone that asks. The flavors throughout the cigar were pronounced yet balanced and enjoyable. There was not a single spot in the cigar that I wasn’t enjoying myself, it was great from the first draw to the last. Although in the higher price range, this is definitely a box-worthy cigar to be smoked on any occasion, whether a special day or just relaxing on a sunny afternoon.

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Pairings:
A cigar like this requires a good pairing or you could throw off the delicate balance of flavors that make this a great cigar. My pairing with a medium bodied, semi-dry wine worked perfectly. I can also see this working well with a fine scotch or cognac. Don’t opt for the inexpensive stuff here, it will take away from the experience. I also wouldn’t go with port or soda on this cigar as the high sugar content could also lessen the experience. For a non-alcoholic pairing, I’d probably go with water or coffee to make this cigar really shine.

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Garo Habano Maduro Alto

Daniel T. — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:52:56 +0000

Another notch in the Garo Habano belt today with the Maduro. You can read more about Garo Habano on their website (www.garohabano.com) and also take a look at the other reviews of this line on the site. The Maduro line comes in 4 Vitolas all in the 50+ Ring Gauge range and are all named after the various voices in a choir:

Baritone (4.5×52) – Tenor (5.5×52) – Alto (6×50) – Soprano (6.5×52)

Garo Habano Maduro

Out of the Garo Habanos I’ve reviewed so far, this one had the most interesting flavor profile but was not the best in the burn department. I found that the description on their website was a little misleading, claiming the cigar to be full bodied when it never really passed the medium range for me. It also suggest a pairing with Cognac but I wouldn’t recommend that, check the pairing section at the bottom of the review. The notes mentioned on the site about the wonderful aroma and cocoa flavors are spot on. Read on to find out more about the cigar.

Garo Habano Maduro

Cigar: Garo Habano Maduro
Drink: Mill Street Brewery Coffee Porter
Vitola: Alto (6 x 50)
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Piloto Cubano
Price: $5.40 from the Garo Habano website
Burn Time: 2 hours

Construction:
• Very bumpy wrapper with two large veins
• A nice dark brown color but no oily sheen which I see on most Maduro’s
• Slightly messy triple cap
• Slightly springy and even firmness throughout
• Very open draw…

Burn:
• Very bad start, started to canoe, gave it an inch to fix itself but never did. Needed a major touch up
• After touch up, the burn was still wavy
• Another canoe at the halfway point but it fixed itself
• Big tunnel right at the band that caused the cigar to go out and needed a re-light
• More tunneling problems as I smoke through the last few inches, also having problems keeping it lit
• Needed another relight about 1.5 inches from the end
• Tunnels/Canoes seemed to affect both my samples, one of them had a hard time staying lit because of it

Garo Habano Maduro

Smoke:
• Medium mouthful of smoke
• Good amount of resting smoke that gives off a nice aroma of smoky coffee

Ash:
• Very flaky
• The massive amount of flaking makes it very weak and little pieces of ash are falling off all over me
• Light grey in color

Tasting Notes:
• Dry aroma on the wrapper is sweet coca
• More sweet cocoa on the foot with an added hint of coffee
• Initial draws are strong notes of coffee and a hint of bitter cocoa
• The bitter cocoa flavors got stronger when I reached the band, leaving a nice finish on the palate
• The body started off mild and has approached the medium range near the end
• Retrohale throughout the cigar has been sweet tobacco with a small bite and short finish
• Harsh bitterness creeping in after the last relight

Garo Habano Maduro

Final Thoughts:
The flavors on this cigar were quite enjoyable and the body and flavors kept getting better as the cigar burned. The burn issues were the main down side of this cigar and negatively affected the flavor. This was a good cigar and is comparative to some in the same price range. If it didn’t suffer from the burn issues I’d probably purchase a few more. I may give it another chance with the hopes that a different batch could have some better results.

Pairing Suggestions:
This cigar was a good pairing with the Mill Street coffee porter I had. It’s a light porter with mild flavors. I wouldn’t opt for anything strong or overly flavored since the cigar has plenty of flavors to offer. A good option would be a similarly light beer, a diet soda, water or a light red wine like Beaujolais. I would personally stay away from stronger drinks like scotch or cognac since this is a lighter cigar.

Garo Habano Maduro

Garo Habano Centum

Daniel T. — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:12:08 +0000

Garo Habano Centum

My next Garo Habano up for review is the Centum. Out of all the samples we received this one was the most visually appealing to me because of the wonderful color on the wrapper and the antique looking band. The way the text is written sort of reminded me of an old carnival type of advertisement. This interesting cigar comes in 5 sizes all using classic names and sizes:

Robusto (4.75×52), Corona (5.5×42), Toro (6.52), Churchill (7×48), and Salomon (7.5×58)

You can read a little bit more about the Garo Habano Centum by visiting their website at www.garohabano.com. The cigar comes wrapped with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. I was excited to try this one out since I’ve had some great smokes that have wrappers from Ecuador. The description on the site also had some nice notes in it like toast, cocoa and espresso.

I’ve added a new section at the bottom of this review for pairings. Let me know what you all think of that little section at the bottom. If I get good feedback I’ll keep adding it to my reviews to help give you all some suggestions on what to pair the cigars with.

Garo Habano Centum

Cigar: Garo Habano Centum
Drink: Taylor Fladgate 10 year old Tawny Port
Vitola: Robusto (4.75 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduran Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $6.00/stick from the Garo Habano Website
Burn Time: 1.25 Hours

Construction:
• Very nice orange and cream colored band, almost antique looking with lots of little detail
• Very appealing medium brown and oily wrapper
• Two large veins running down the sides that will likely cause burn issues
• Cleanly applied double cap
• Foot has some holes in it and some of the filler appears to be very dark brown, almost black in color
• The bit of dark filler was also under the cap after cutting
• Consistent firmness throughout with a bit of spring to it
• Pre-light draw was very open on one sample, others were just right
• Lots of glue under the band and it caused a small tear in the wrapper, didn’t cause any major problems though

Garo Habano Centum

Burn:
• Toasting was difficult, center filler wouldn’t catch and wrapper started burning early, causing some burn issues right off the start
• Open draw causing resulted in a quick burn on one stick
• Slightly wavy burn line throughout
• One major correction required at the halfway point
• Staying lit easily, doesn’t need extra attention

Smoke:
• Big mouthful of smoke
• Very light resting smoke

Ash:
• Light grey in color
• A bit of flaking
• Held on for over 1.5 inches

Garo Habano Centum

Tasting Notes:
• Dry aroma has a light barnyard scent and a hint of pepper
• Pre-light draw was more barnyard scent and some spiciness on the lips
• Initial draws are earthy and woodsy
• Lots of spice on the retrohale, short finish
• Body starting off in the mild-medium range
• About an inch in, the woodsy notes changed to a burning wood flavor, I personally really enjoy this flavor, reminds me of a camp fire
• Although the flavors are consistent and smooth, they haven’t changed and I’m passed the halfway point
• Some bitterness crept in with about 2 inches left

Final Thoughts:
The tasting notes on the website promise a variety of flavors (espresso, toast, cocoa) and complexity that I did not pick up in this cigar, the flavor was pretty straight forward. As with all my Garo’s so far, the flavors have been quite enjoyable. The downside is that they never change throughout the cigar. Let me be clear that this is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just a preference of mine to have some dimension to a cigar. The body never passed medium and it wasn’t overly complex, which makes this a good early day or beginner’s cigar.

Pairing Suggestions:
I paired this with some Tawny port and thought it made an ‘okay’ match. The flavors in a port are usually quite strong and sometimes very sweet and I find they match better with a full bodied cigar. The Habano wrapper made me think this was going to have a little more body than it did. A good red wine such as a merlot, or a dark porter/stout would make an excellent pairing. Light beers would not mix well. For non-alcoholic pairings, I’d suggest a diet soda.

Garo Habano Centum

Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin Ruby Beer

Daniel T. — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:11:48 +0000

Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin Beer Gift Tin

The Brewery: Wychwood Brewery
The Beer: Hobgoblin
The Brewers Home: Oxfordshire, England
The Alcohol/Volume: 5.2%
The Situation: Relaxing on the couch
The Story:
Wychwood brewery is located across the Atlantic Ocean in the United Kingdom. It was established by Paddy Glenny in 1983 who purchased an older brewery plant build in 1841. Over time the company changed hands a bit and is now owned by Ian Rogers and Chris Moss. The Hobgoblin beer was actually their first big success and was first brewed in 1988 and first bottled in 1996. Currently, their website (www.wychwood.com) lists 4 production beers and 10 seasonal beers only available at certain times in the year. You can read more about the company and the legend being the “Wych Wood” Forest at their website.

The Bottle:
This beer comes in a large 500ml/16.9fl.oz and is constructed with a dark golden colored glass. Around the shoulder of the bottle is an embossed logo of a Wtich flying on her broom, the logo of Wychwood Brewery. Around the base of the bottle you can see “Wychwood” embossed all around. The label has an evil looking Goblin with a bloody axe. The bottle describes the beer as:

“Full bodied & well balanced with a chocolate toffee malt flavor, moderate bitterness & a distinctive fruity character & ruby red glow”

The package I opened tonight was a left-over Christmas pack at my local store. It came in a tall tin canister and contained one glass and one bottle of beer. It was on sale so I couldn’t pass it up. The glass is nice and tall and has a wonderful etched logo of the Hobgoblin.

The Eyes:
The bottle describes this as a ‘Ruby Beer’ and this is pretty much dead on. It has a golden ruby hue and is fairly dark. The glass is fully opaque and froths up nicely when poured.

Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin Beer

The Nose:
The smell is very refreshing and cool. I’m not detecting any particular aromas other than a fresh, malty beer. I can’t really explain how great it smells but there is definitely an inviting crispness as if it were brewed just yesterday.

The Tongue:
The burst of flavor when this wonderful ale touches the tongue is a great experience. There are so many things you can easily detect yet it feels fully balanced and quite enjoyable. The dominant flavor changes a little from sip to sip. One sip has a nice fruitiness to it and the next sip has a malty bitter chocolate sweetness, similar to what you would get from bakers dark chocolate. The bottle describes a toffee flavor but I’m not picking this up. The bitterness is spot on, not over bearing and not too watered down. The after-taste lingers for a short time and leaves a fresh fruity feeling on the palate with a bit of a dry finish. As the beer cooled down the bitter chocolate and malt flavors became more prominent.

Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin Beer

The Final Drop:
The beer is wonderfully refreshing but still full bodied, making this a great choice for any season and any time of day. There are some strong notes of fruit commonly found in lighter beers which make it a good change from your typical stout or porter, but also has the bitter chocolate flavor commonly found in some darker beers. It strikes a good balance between two types of beer and I’d consider it almost a hybrid.

The Pairing Possibilities:
At the request of one of our readers I’m adding this section to help give an idea of what to pair this drink with. This is one of those drinks that could possibly be paired with any cigar. It has the light notes that match a mild cigar and the dark bitter notes that typically match a good full bodied cigar. To strike that perfect balance, just as the beer does, I’d suggest picking up a smooth medium bodied cigar. Here are some suggestions and background notes you can read up on for some of the pairings:

Alec Bradley Prensado
Cruzado
Diesel Unholy Cocktail
Tatuaje La Riqueza

It’s your lucky day! St. Patrick’s Day Contest

Tony Casas — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:37:34 +0000

Who believes in the luck of the Irish anymore? Well if you happen to keep the faith then you’re in fact in luck!

Casas Fumando is putting on yet another contest sponsored by none other than the amazing people over at Bonita Smoke Shop. If you haven’t heard of Bonita, head over to their site for an AMAZING selection, unbeatable prices, and the highest quality service any smoke shop has to offer.

Now, to the good stuff. Casas Fumando and Bonita Smoke shop has teamed up to give away a full, lucky, green box of Tabacos Baez Serie SF robustos to one lucky winner!!!

Win a box of Tabacos Baez Serie SF

A bit of information about the cigar (taken from Bonita Smoke Shop):

A flavorful medium bodied cigar made by Don Pepin and honored with the name of the town he was born in. The tasting notes on the Tabacos Baez Serie SF cigars were slight spice with subtle undertones of both cocoa and coffee the Tabacos Baez SF is made with both long (70%) and short filler (30%) and burns like a dream in a lush Nicaraguan Habano wrapper. Pepin has the magic touch and it’s evident in his Tabacos Baez cigars.

And now, how to enter:

Entering is simple. All you have to do is simply post a comment on this post telling us about either a funny drinking experience you’ve had (St. Paddy’s day is all about the booze to some people, and I KNOW a lot of you have some funny stories I can blackmail you with later), a memorable St. Patrick’s Day experience you have had, or simply what you plan to do this St. Patrick’s day.

As an extra bonus, anyone who tweets “Win a lucky box of Tabacos Baez Serie SF from Casas Fumando and @bonitasmokeshop http://tinyurl.com/y95sw7b @tonycasas” will have a second bonus entry added to the list! Don’t forget to include the “@tonycasas” portion so that I will be able to track the tweets.

One lucky winner will be selected at random and announced on Thursday, March 11th 2010. I will ship these cigars out as soon as I can get that persons address to that they will be in hand, and available to enjoy this St. Patrick’s day. You must be 18 years or over to participate.

That being said, Let The Games Begin!