The Good Stuff:

The Boondock is the latest release but Black Works Studio, a sub-brand of Black Label Trading Co. The Boondock is the company’s most asked about limited release first appearing in 2019. Created at Black Label Trading Co.’s factory in Nicaragua La Oveja Negra, the blend features a Pennsylvanian Broadleaf wrapper over a Nicaraguan Habano binder and fillers from Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. The Boondock is available in 3 sizes: Corona Larga (6.25 x 46), Robusto (5.25 x 50) and the Lancero (6 x 52). Each comes packaged in boxes of 20 running between $12.50 and $13.50 per cigar.

• Size: 5.25 x 50
• Wrapper: Pennsylvanian Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan, Pennsylvanian, Connecticut
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $12.50

Prelight:

The Black Works Studio Boondock starts out with a very deep, dark brown wrapper with splotches of black and lighter brown scattered throughout. It’s a pretty rustic looking wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty and carries a whole mess of oils. The wrapper is laid so seamlessly over itself it’s though to even find where one layer starts and the other ends. The cigar is very heavy and tightly compacted. The cigar starts with a rounded, semi-covered foot that leads through the cigar’s body leading up to a cap that looks almost identical in shape as the foot of the cigar only covered. The cigar is polished off with the same styling band you expect from Black Works. Black, white, gold and silver with the Boondock moniker on the front.

The wrapper on the Bookdock gives off a very strong, cologne type aroma with floral and woodsy scents while the foot of the cigar is straight hay, moss, and barnayard. The cap cut clean and easily on the Black Works Bookdock. The cold draw is surprisingly full of mostly earthy and nutty flavors.

First third:

The Boondock starts out with a quick zip of black pepper that left my tongue tingling for a second, but faded very quickly. Once the pepper subsides I am left with a great deal of bold cedar, dark chocolate, caramel, and pecan with a really great floral undertone that only comes out every once in a while. The draw is as perfect as you get. Every small puff kicks out a massive cloud of thick, white smoke that hangs out for a considerable amount of time while smoke spews off the cigar as it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a decently compacted trail of white ash that held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Black Works Boondock the flavors have started to settle down a bit and kind of cream together. The main flavors are still the dark chocolate and woodsy cedar over lighter pecan, vanilla, and caramel. The floral flavor has dropped out, however is replaced with a subtle raisin on the finish. The retrohale brings out a ton of spice that I don’t generally pick up during the standard experience. I close out the second third with only a minor little nicotine kick.

Finish:

The Boondock is completely taking off here in the final third. The flavors have really ramped up with a ton of dark chocolate, dark cherry and pecan over notes of vanilla, raisin, and a great floral aftertaste. It took me almost an hour and a half to smoke this to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, or any burn issues of any kind. I love how slow this cigar smoked since I generally really enjoyed this cigar and glad that it took as long to smoke as it did.

Overview:

It’s very easy to see why the Boondock is the most requested limited release in Black Works Stuidio’s portfolio. The flavors are rich, deep, and balanced well. I also appreciated that the profile wasn’t and everyday mixture of flavors. The burn and overall experience was flawless and you get a ton of bang for your buck. I tend to gravitate to Black Label Trading Co.’s releases quite often as I really appreciate their flavor profiles as they sing to my personal palate and this was easily one of the better releases I’ve had from the brand.

The post Black Works Studio Boondock appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Last year Steve Saka announced the end of the Sobremsa Solita Cervantes fino. This year he announced the blend was being replaced with one called the “Sobremesa Solita Red”. The Sobremesa Solita Red line made its debut with the description of it being a much more bold and richer blend of the beloved Sobremsa line of cigars. The blend features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Mexican San Andres Negro binder and Nicaraguan filler tobacco from the Esteli, Condega, and Pueblo Nuevo regions along with some Pennsylvanian Broadleaf. The cigar is offered in a single 6 1/4 x 46 size (same as the Solita Cervantes Fino), and comes in boxes of 13 running $16.35 per cigar.

• Size: 6 1/4 x 46
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
• Binder: Mexican San Andres Negro
• Filler: Nicaraguan / Pennsylvanian Broadleft
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $16.35

Prelight:

The Sobremesa Solita Red starts out with a stunning, deep, dark, reddish brown wrapper that’s extremely consistent in color. The wrapper’s texture is very hard and dense while the entire cigar feels very firm, and well packed. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself and there are some very mild veins running through the cigar’s slim body leading up to its stubby, pigtail style cap. The band on the cigar is the same elegant band we’ve come to expect on the Sobremesa brands and of course is red with gold embossing of Saka’s crown. There is an additional red and gold foot band with the Sobremesa crest embossed on it.

The wrapper on the Sobremesa Solita Red gives off an abundance of spice and sweet aromas while the foot of the cigar is very earthy and spicy with some soft sweetness. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw products notes of spice, raisin, and natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red starts off with a soft black pepper punch which lasted a few puffs before fading away and leaving behind strong notes of sweet raisins, pecan, cinnamon and cocoa with some lighter floral and earthiness of the finish. The draw is absolutely brilliant. Each puff kicks out a great deal of thick, white smoke. The burn line is something burnline fanboys will go crazy for. It’s dead even, razor sharp, and leaves behind an extremely compacted, perfectly formed trail of white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Sobremesa Solita Red and the flavor profile turned very woodsy, very quick. The main flavor is now this great, deep cedar flavor backed by raisin, sweet brown sugar, black cherry, cocoa and a nice earthy finish. The flavor profile is bold and very pronounced. The retrohale brings out some soft spice that I don’t really get during the standard smoking experience. I close out the second third with only a slight bit of a nicotine kick.

Finish:

The flavor profile continues to the same as the second third here in the final stretch. The woodsy flavors are the leading character with the raisin, brown sugar, black cherry and cocoa in the background. The cigar took about an hour and a half to smoke down to the nub. There was no sap, harshness, or extended heat. The cigar burned absolutely flawless from start to finish with no help needed. It left me with only a very mild nicotine kick at the end.

Overview:

The statement “a richer and bolder version of the Sobremesa” is pretty much spot on. The cigar contains a more complex and elevated body with a bit more strength, yet stays true to the Sobremesa roots. I am very impressed with the huge jump up in body without sacrificing the smokablity of the cigar by ramping up the strength too much. When a cigar falls in the full-bodied but medium-strength range it just hits different. I also really like the format of the cigar as you get a ton of flavor from the wrapper with the thinner ring gauge. This is easily a boxworthy purchase and I wouldn’t think twice about paying the cost for what the experience delivers.

The post Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

the Good Stuff:

Making its debut at this year’s 2025 PCA trade show, the My Father Blue was unveiled. This new, regular production cigars is created at the all new My Father Cigar factory in Honduras which opened in 2024. Marking the My Father Blue as the first Honduran produced cigar, the blend features a Connecticut Broadleaf Rosado wrapper over a Honduran binder and Honduran filler tobaccos. The cigar is offered in four regular production sizes: Petite Robusto (4 1/2 x 50), Robusto (5 1/4 x 54), Toro (6 x 54) and Toro Gordo (6 x 60). Each comes packaged in boxes of 20 ranging between $9 and $13 per cigar.

• Size: 5 1/4 x 54
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Rosado
• Binder: Honduran
• Filler: Honduran
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $10.50

Prelight:

The My Father Blue starts out with a very deep, dark brown wrapper which isn’t the most consistent as there are quite a few areas with darker and light brown scattered throughout. The soft-box pressed body features a good amount of veining in the wrapper. The wrapper is laid carefully over itself white the texture itself is very gritty and toothy and coated with a ton of oils. The cigar is completed with a round, double wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a set of very light blue bands with the My Father Crest along with the Blue moniker. There is also an added blue ribbon at the foot of the cigar.

The wrapper on the My Father Blue gives off musky earthy notes with a bit of a floral ton while the foot of the cigar smells really spicy and earthy. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw is very chocolatey and earthy with some soft spice.

First Third:

The My Father Blue starts out with a ton of milk chocolate flavors over musk, earthiness, natural tobacco and pecan. The draw is absolutely beautiful. Each puff kicks out massive clouds of thick, white smoke which take forever to dissipate while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke as the oils burn off the wrapper while the cigar rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and rock solid leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of thick, white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second third:

The milk chocolate is still the main character in the My Father Blue’s flavor profile. Along with the musk, earthiness, natural tobacco and pecan I picked up in the first third there is also now a really awesome sweetness, almost like brown sugar that has been seeping in. The retrohale brings out just a hint of the spice I picked up during the cold draw. I close out the second third with no nicotine kick at all.

Finish:

The body really picks up in the final third of the My Father Blue’s and is now in the medium/full arena. The flavor profile is mostly the same with loads of milk chocolate, tobacco, musk, earthiness and pecan but now with a whole mess of cinnamon and spice with the light brown sugar I picked up in the first. The cigar took me a little over and hour to smoke it down to the nub. There was no harshness nor extended heat. I did however experience just some slight sap, but once I clipped a bit more off the cap I was golden. I didn’t smoke at all faster pace either. I close out with no nicotine at all.

Overview:

The My Father Blue feels classic, yet modern at the same time. The cigar has all the nuances you’d expect from a My Father cigar. The flavor profile is complex and enjoyable, yet the strength remains on the lower end for a My Father cigar making it even more enjoyable in this case. It also really helps showcase some of the more subtle flavors in the Honduran tobacco. All in all, this is a cigar I can easily see myself smoking over and over again. It’s a perfect cigar to have on hand and will likely have a place in my regular rotation for quite some time.

The post My Father Cigars – My Father Blue appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Tatuaje 7th Corojo is one of this year’s new releases by the company. Adding itself to the Seleccion de Cazadores line, or the brown label line, the blend features the same makeup as the rest of the line with the exception of the new Corojo wrapper. Blended at the My Father factory in Nicaragua the 7th Corojo features a Corojo wrapper grown in Nicaragua at the My father farms, over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The blend is offered in a single 5 5/8 x 46 format, which comes packaged as boxes of 21 and runs $9.50 per cigar.

• Size: 5 5/8 x 46
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $9.50

Prelight:

The Tatuaje 7th Corojo carries a very rustic, inconsistent wrapper scattered with areas of dark brown, light brown, and orange. The wrapper’s texture is a bit on the thin side as it carried a decent amount of toothy grit and a whole mess of oils coating it. The cigar feels pretty well packed with the exception of some softness around the foot area. There wrapper is laid over itself with care as it showcases some natural webbing in the wrapper’s leaf as well as some lighter veins running through the cigar’s body up to it’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with the standard brown band as the rest of the Seleccion De Cazadores line as well as an added maroon and gold band with “Corojo” embossed in the front.

The wrapper on the Tatuaje 7th Corojo gives off sweet spice and musk while the foot of the cigar is mostly natural tobacco and earthiness. The cap clipped off the Tatuaje 7th Corojo with ease. The cold draw produces notes of sweet spice, musk, and cedar.

First Third:

The Tatuaje 7th Corojo starts out with a very subtle, very light black pepper blast that only lasted the first puff or two before completely dropping out allowing the cigar to release some great musky, earthiness over some natural tobacco, dark chocolate, cedar and pecan flavors. The draw is fantastic. Each puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke which really sticks around for a long time before dissipating. The cigar also releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for about an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

As I venture into the second third of the Tatuaje 7th Corojo the cigar really starts to shine. The musk and sweet spice melt together to give off notes of roasted caramel, dark chocolate and pecan with some sweet nutmeg and natural tobacco with a leathery finish. The retrohale brings out a lot of the sweetness and I do it quite often. I close out the second third with nothing in terms of nicotine kick.

Finish:

The final third of the Tatuaje 7th Corojo finished very similar to the second third. The musk and sweet spice lead the charged backed by the roasted caramel, dark chocolate and pecan. There was a little bit of a piney wood that poked in every now and then as well. It took me and hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub. I experience no harshness, no sap, nor any extended heat. I didn’t have to touch up or relight the cigar at any point as it burned flawlessly from start to finish.

Overview:

I am a huge fan of both the Seleccion de Cazadores and Corojo so I was naturally pretty damn excited about this blend and it delivered. The profile isn’t as -rounded as some of the other offerings, but the Corojo made for a more complex, more thoughtful experience that I really enjoyed. I could easily find myself grabbing this version over some of the others in the brown line quite often. This is easily one of the better cigar I have had this year. This is box-worthy, and I plan on grabbing quite a few of these while I still can.

The post Tatuaje 7th Corojo appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Each and every year since 2014 The Crowned Heads have released the “Las Calaveras” which is a cigar created to pay tribute to those who are close to us which we have lost and each year has been special to me as I lost so many great people in my life over the past few years. If you want to catch up, you can reach each of my reviews on each different release below:

• Las Calaveras 2014
• Las Calaveras 2015
• Las Calaveras 2016
• Las Calaveras 2017
• Las Calaveras 2018
• Las Calaveras 2019
• Las Calaveras 2020
• Las Calaveras 2021
• Las Calaveras 2022
• Las Calaveras 2023
• Las Calaveras 2024

Manufactured at the My Father Cigar factory in Nicaragua this year’s blend features a Mexican San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan Binder and Fillers.

“What’s unique about this year’s Las Calaveras release,” commented Crowned Heads President, Jon Huber, “is that not only are we utilizing a San Andres cover leaf, but it’s a color grade that most people would not immediately associate with San Andres (Mexico) wrapper. We selected a mid-priming wrapper, which resulted in a lighter Colorado color to the cigar as opposed to the more commonly seen darker maduro shades of Mexican San Andres wrappers used. This particular wrapper really compliments the blend and allows for the coffee, espresso, and toffee notes to come to the surface that can typically get lost under the pepper and earth profile that the darker, higher priming wrappers yield.”

Crowned Heads Press Release

The cigar is released in four sizes: LC 52 (5 x 52), LC 54 (6 x 54), LC 56 (5 x 56), and the Petit Lancero ( 6 /12 x 40). Each comes packaged in boxes of 24 except the Petit Lancero which only comes in the special 4 count sampler boxes we have come to expect each year. The cigars range between $14.25 and $16.25 per cigar.

• Size: 5 x 52
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $14.25

Prelight:

The Las Calaveras 2025 starts with a very deep, dark, consistent brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty with very little oils coating it. The wrapper feels very thick and dense while the cigar is packed nicely as a whole. The wrapper is laid perfectly over itself. There are a few milder veins in the wrapper tobacco as it leads up to the cigar’s round, double wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with the standard Las Calaveras band and crest we have come to expect. This year’s color palate is green, white and gold. The cap cut clean and the cold draw produces notes of tart cherry, spice, natural tobacco, and lots of musk.

First third:

The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2025 starts out with a pretty potent black pepper punch that tingled for a few seconds before fading away. Once the pepper faded the cigar’s profile was lead with a very bold dark chocolate over a tart raisin, earthy musk, and cedar. There is also some great cinnamon appearances every few puffs. The draw is absolutely perfect. Each puff kicks out a massive cloud of thick white smoke which fades pretty quickly as the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thing and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash that held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Las Calaveras 2025 and the dark chocolate is still completely dominating the experience back by loads of woodsy, earthy musk, a great spice, raisin, and cinnamon. The tartness has dropped complexly out. The retrohale really brings the spice to the front of the taste. The cigar is still burning like a champ and I close out the second third with no nicotine kick at all.

Finish:

The final third of the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2025 is much the same as the second, which isn’t a bad thing. Loads of earthy woods and musk over massive waves of dark chocolate, backed by cinnamon, spice, and a mild raisin. The cigar burned flawlessly. I never once had to reach for my torch to touch up or relight the cigar. It took an hour and a half to smoke it down to the nub. There was no harshness, no extended heat, and no harshness or sap. I close out the cigar with almost no nicotine kick at all.

Overview:

The 2025 blend of the Las Calaveras isn’t as sweet nor as nuanced as some of the other blends. It’s much more earthy and woodsy full of natural flavors I found incredibly satisfying. The change in pace as also appreciated. The cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish. The price point is a bit on the higher side, however justified considering the enjoyment of the experience. As with all the Las Calaveras lines I just wish it wasn’t so limited. Grab them while you can.

The post The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2025 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Tuonela is the first ever extension to Illusione’s Epernay line. Created at the Raices Cubanas factory in Danli, Honduras the blend features a Mexican San Adres Capa Fina wrapper over an undisclosed binder and filler, however the description does say it contains a mixture of criollo and Corojo tobaccos. The Tuonela comes in four size: La Ferme (5 1/4 x 48), Le Taureau (5 1/2 x 56), Le Grande (6 x 46) and Le Monde (6 1/4 x 52). Each comes packaged in boxes of 25 ranging between $11.20 and $13.70 per cigar.

• Size: 5 1/4 x 48
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $11.20

Prelight:

Unlike the other cigars in the Epernay line, the Tuonela features a very deep, dark, consistent brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is extremely thick and dense with loads of gritty tooth and a good amount of oils coating it. The cigar as a whole is very tightly packed and very heavy. The wrapper is laid evenly over . There are only some very light veins in the wrapper leading up to the cigar’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with the new, updated gold and white Epernay band and an additional red white and gold band with the “Tuonela” printed across the front.

The wrapper on the Illusione Epernay Tuonela gives of a very bold amount of cedar and tobacco while the foot of the cigar carries spice, earthiness, and some great woodsy notes. The cap cut clean and easily. The cold draw produces notes of earthiness, tart cherry, and loads of woodsy notes.

First Third:

The Illusione Epernay Tuonela starts off with a soft black pepper punch that fades very quickly allowing the cigar to release a ton of earthy/mossy/grass flavors over deep woodsy flavors, black cherry, leather and musk. This is a very earthy cigar. The draw is flawless despite how tightly packed the cigar is. Each puff kicks out a good amount of thick, white smoke which dissipates quickly while the cigar gives off very little stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is thick, and a little wavy as it leaves behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for almost an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

The more that I smoke the Illusione Epernay Tuonela, the more the woodsy/cedar notes take charge of the flavor profile. Backed by grassy/earthiness and a great mixture of leather, coffee, black cherry and musk this is a great flavor profile. The retorhale brings out an awesome spice and I find myself doing it pretty often. The burnline is now dead even and razor thin. I close out the second third with only a very minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

The flavor profile in the Illusione Epernay Tuonela is much of the same into the second third and I am not complaining. The woodsy/cedar notes and musk took center staged backed by coffee and black cherry with a light coffee finish. The cigar took about an hour and a half to smoke down to the nub. There was no harshness, no extended heat or sap, and despite started a little wavy it completely corrected itself without the need of any extra attention from my torch all the way through.

Overview:

The Epernay has been a longtime favorite in my humidor and has always had a spot in my regular rotation so its safe to say that I was just a little more excited to hear about the Tuonela extension and wasn’t let down. The cigar profile is great. It’s smooth and isn’t overly complex, but it also didn’t need to be. I feel like the cigar compliments the Epernay line, however has enough changes that it’s easily a completely different profile. It burned flawlessly, price point is very affordable, and will easily be a future box purchase.

The post Illusione Epernay Tuonela La Ferme appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Originally released in 2015 the L’Atelier Côte d’Or immediately gained attention by featuring the rare Pelo de Oro tobacco which is grown exclusively on the Garcia family tobacco farms in Nicaragua. The tobacco is extremely difficult to grown, very easily gets damaged, and yields very little usable tobacco which makes it so scarce. The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19. Is a new 6 x 50 format which was showcased at this year’s PCA convention. The blend features an Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua which feature the Pelo de Oro tobacco. Manufactured at the My Father factory in Nicaragua, this version comes packaged in boxes of 10 and runs $18 per cigar.

• Size: 6 x 50
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $18

Prelight:

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 Starts out with a very dark, inconsistent wrapper with areas of orangish-brown, dark brown, and lighter brown spots. The wrapper’s texture if very toothy and grittier with a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper is laid over itself properly with only mild separation. There are a few medium sized veins running through the cigar’s body leading up to the the cigar’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is finished with the gold and mantilla band we have come to expect with the L’Atelier Côte d’Or brand as well as an added white foot ribbon.

The wrapper on the L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 gives off some nice chocolate aroma while the foot of the cigar is way more earthy with spice and barnyard. The cap cut clean and easily. The cold draw produces notes of cocoa, natural tobacco and strong woodsy flavors.

First Third:

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 starts out with a whole ton of cayenne pepper that I wasn’t expecting which lasted for quite a few of the first few puffs before settling down and allowing the cigar to release some really strong cedar and dark chocolate flavors and mix in perfectly with some light vanilla, toffee, and soft spice on the finish. The draw is as perfect as it gets as it releases a ton of smoke with every dray which hangs out for quite some time before dissipating while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The soft-box press is extremely comfortable both in mount and hand. The burn line is sharp, but slightly wavy as it leads behind a trail of flaky, white ash which held on for a little over three quarters an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

This L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 Is just kicking out all the flavor! There is a ton of dark chocolate and cedar leading the charge backed by notes of black cherry, toffee, vanilla and spice over a great earthiness and musk. I am really into this flavor profile. The retrohale really brings out the cherry and I find myself going back to it often. The burn line is still slightly wavy, but hasn’t needed any additional attention from my torch yet. I close out the second third with only very little in terms of a nicotine kick.

Finish:

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 finished much more strong and more bold. The cedar is dominating now with the dark chocolate and black cherry taking the backing spot with still tons of toffee and spice underneath ear with a very earthy and musky finish. The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 took a little over an hour and a half to smoke, and I took it down to the very nub. There was no harshness, no extra heat, and no sap. I also closed out with a surprisingly low amount of nicotine. I never once had to touch up, or relight the cigar even with the burn line being a bit wavy.

Overview:

To say the L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 is a good cigar is an understatement. Hell, to say that it’s a great cigar is still an understatement. The blend has always been fantastic and the toro format is phenomenal. From start to finish the complex flavors were bold and enjoyable. Outside of some slight waves the cigar burned perfectly from start to finish. The price, while is a bit on the high end, is expected for a cigar that utilizes such rare tobacco. There really isn’t anything to fault here. This cigar can easily make its way into the top cigars I’ve smoked all year.

The post L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Fabrica Oveja Negra, Black Label Trading Co.’s factory in Nicargua, the company is releasing the Eletto, or “Chosen One”. This limited edition cigar is blended with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. The Eletto will come in three sizes: The Corona Gorda (5 2/4 x 46), The Short Robusto (4 1/2 x 52), and the toro (6 x 50). Each comes packaged in boxes of 20 running between $12.40 and $13.90 with only 400 boxes of the Corona Gorda being produced, and only 800 boxes of the Short Robusto and Toro.

• Size: 4 1/2 x 46
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $12.90

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co. Eletto starts out with a very deep, dark brown wrapper that is very rustic looking as the cigar is scattered with darker spots throughout its body with a nice red gleam when the light hits it. The wrapper feels very thick and dense with a ton of tooth and grit covering it along with a nice, thick layer of oils. There are some larger veins running through the cigar’s body adding to the rustic looking character as it leads up to the cigar’s round, pigtail finished cap. The cigar is polished off with a classic white and black band featuring the “Eletto” crest on the front in an almost black-metal band style typeface.

The wrapper on the Black Label Trading Co. Eletto gives off little aroma, mostly musk and tobacco while the foot of the cigar is very sweet and earthy. The cap cut clean using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of and musk, earthiness and sweetness over a little black licorice.

First Half:

I was expecting the Eletto to start off with a huge pepper punch, but it didn’t. Instead I am greeting with an awesome mixture of deep wood, musk, and leather over loads of sweetness, brown sugar and caramel with a nice black licorice bite along with some spice on the finish. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick white smoke while the cigar releases a whole mess of stationary smoke while the oils burn off the wrapper as it sits in my ashtray. The burn line is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted, dark gray ash which held on for about 3/4 of an inch before giving way.

Second Half:

Into the second third of the Black Label Trading Co. Eletto I am starting to really pick up some of that pepper I expected at the start. Along with the pepper comes a full bodied spice and retrohaling the cigar only increases both the pepper and spice. As I peel back the flavor layers I still find a great sweetness, caramel, and leather, however the licorice has now turned into an awesome dark berry. The flavor profile in this cigar is intense, and complex and I am love every minute of it. I close out with a decent little nicotine kick. There was no sap, no heat, and absolutely no burn issues. It took me about an hour to take this cigar down to the nub.

Overview:

I always enter every Black Label Trading Co. cigar with high expectations. The fact that this is an anniversary blend made me hype it up in my mind even more. I am pleased to say, I was not let down. The Eletto is a bold, complex, and full-flavored powerhouse of flavors that has a nice, balanced strength profile that won’t leave you on your ass. The profile fit my personal tastes very well and the cigar burned perfectly from start to finish. What more could you want? Oh, more cigars. It’s a limited edition run so I need to make sure I grab more while I still can.

The post Black Label Trading Co. Eletto appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

This year Fratello dropped an exciting new blend, the Bianco Nero. The Bianco Nero is a limited edition spinoff of the Bianco blend. Produced at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, the cigar features a Mexican San Andres wrapper over an Indonesian binder and fillers from the Condega and Jalapa regions in Nicaragua. The Bianco Nero comes in at $15 per cigar, packaged in boxes of 10 with only 500 boxes being produced. Huge thanks to the Fratello team for sending these my way tor review.

• Size: 6 x 58
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Indonesian
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $15

Prelight:

The Fratello Bianco Nero is a meaty little box-pressed cigar. It starts out with a very, very dark brown wrapper that’s pretty consistent outside of a few lighter areas around the cap. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty with a decent amount of oil. The wrapper’s texture itself feel very hard, and very dense while the cigar as a whole is incredibly heavy and well-packed. There are some minor veins on the cigar’s wrapper starting from the cigar’s stubby, little foot, heading through the cigar’s wide, torpedo-style body before finishing off with a sharp, pointy, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is finished off with the standard Fratello band (which I love the design from) in black and white with the the words “Bianco Nero” on the back.

The wrapper on the Bianco Nero gives off notes of plum, dark chocolate, and rich tobacco while the foot of the cigar is mostly tobacco and spice scented. The cap cut clean and easily. The cold draw products some rich, deep tobacco flavors over some dark chocolate and loads of musk.

First Third:

The Fratello Bianco Nero starts out with a massive blast of cayenne pepper that left my lips and tongue tingling. Once the pepper fades the cigar releases notes of deep oak and natural tobacco over dark chocolate, musky earthiness and a soft honey finish. The draw is perfect so it releases a whole ton of thick, white smoke while the cigar releases a decent amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is a little wavy, but that’s to be expected at the start of a perfect format cigar. The burn line is sharp and the ash produced is pretty flaky and light gray in color. It held on for about 3/4 of an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

In the second third of the Fratello Bianco Nero there is an awesome blackberry flavor I didn’t pick up in the first third that has really made its presence known. The BlackBerry is backed by bold dark chocolate and musk with some light sweetness on the finish. The retrohale brings out a ton of spice and black coffee flavors that really make for a great profile. The burn line is now burning dead even without the help of any lighters. I close out the second third with no nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Fratello Bianco Nero and that blackberry has completely dropped out leaving me with bold musk and dark chocolate over black coffee, earthiness and a subtle spice that blends well with the rest of the profile. It took me almost 2 hours to smoke this cigar down to the nub. Despite the early resistance the cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish without any additional help from my torch. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat and only a very minor nicotine kick once finishing.

Overview

I have been a pretty big fan of Fratello cigars and I have to say, the Bianco Nero is probably one of my favorite blends released by the company to date. The flavor profile is rich, bold and complex, not to mention it really sings to my personal palate. The cigar burned flawlessly which says a lot considering its perfecto format. The price is also more affordable than I would expect for a premium, limited edition cigar like this. Combine all that and you got as close to a perfect release as you can get. Grab them before they are gone.

The post Fratello Bianco Nero appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Adrian Magnus XO is a very special cigar. While the company keeps most of their details of the blend close to the chest, what we do know is that the cigar is manufactured in the Dominican Republic, utilizes Dominican tobacco, and carries a 12-year aged filler tobacco that is then infused with Cognac. The cigar is offered in a singe 6 x 52 toro format which comes packaged and boxes of 3 and 24 which runs a little over $34 per cigar.

• Size: 6 x 52
• Wrapper: Undisclosed
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed, 12-year aged, cognac infused
• Body: Medium
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $34

Prelight:

The Adrian Magnus XO starts out with a very light, very consistent yellow-ish brown wrapper. The color is incredibly consistent. The wrapper’s texture is very smooth with a ton of oils coating it. There are almost no veins located along the wrapper, and only slight signs of natural tobacco webbing in the leaf.

The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself leading up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with an extravagant white, maroon, and gold band with the Adrian Magnus crest, “12-years” and the “XO” logo all embossed on the front.

The Wrapper on the Adrian Magnus XO gives off only a light amount of earthiness and musk while the foot of the cigar releases a ton of bold cognac aromas with just some lighter tobacco undertones. The cap cut clean and easily. The cold draw produces bold notes of cognac, natural tobacco, and cedar.

First Third:

The Adrian Magnus XO starts out with a blast of cognac. It’s not overpowering, but it’s definitely present. Underneath the sweetness of the cognac there are bold notes of cedar and earthiness, with some lighter tobacco undertones, saltiness, and musky earthiness. The base flavors in the cigar can easily go overlooked by the cognac. The draw is absolutely perfect as each tiny puff kicks out a huge cloud of thick, white smoke which takes forever to dissipate while the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and leaves behind a tightly compacted trail of dark gray ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Adrian Magnus XO and I’m impressed with out well the cognac flavor has been keeping up without being too obnoxious of a flavor. I tend to think most infused cigars care more about the infused flavor and less about the cigar, but that’s not the case here. The base cigar is giving off notes of vanilla, musk, earthiness and cedar which marry up beautifully with the cognac. The retrohale brings out more of the vanilla and I find myself doing it quite often. I close out the second third with only a minor bit of nicotine.

Finish:

the final third of the Adrian Magnus XO is stellar. The cognac is still going strong while the backing flavors of vanilla and cedar have really ramped up backed by cashew and musk. The entire cigar took almost two hours to smoke down to the nub and I loved every second of it. There was no extended heat, no harshness, and the cigar burned perfectly from start to finish. It actually left me with a decent little nicotine kick too that I didn’t expect.

Overview:

I wasn’t’t sure what to expect going into the Adrian Magnus XO. I am usually pretty mixed when it comes to infused cigars and was happy that this one in particular showcased the cognac, without being all about the cognac. The flavor profile of the cigar is still great and the cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish. While this is a special cigar, and I really appreciated the deep, rich flavor, the only tough pill to swallow is the $34 price tag. I may change my mind about that after I smoked a few more of these however cause tonight, this really hit the spot.

The post Adrian Magnus XO Cognac Infused 12-Year Aged appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Macanudo Emissary brand was created to showcase European tobacco. As the name suggests, this version celebrates a filter tobacco from France. Blended at the STG Danli factory in Honduras The insane makeup of the Macanudo Emissary France starts with a 10 year aged Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a 10 year aged USA Broadleaf binder and the filler makeup: Dominican Piloto (10-Year Aged) USA Broadleaf (8-Year Aged) Brazilian Arapiraca (7-Year Aged) French (4-Year Aged). The cigar is offered in four size: Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 x 52), Churchill (7 x 48) and the Perfecto (5.7 x 50). Each size comes packaged in boxes of 16 running between $14.99 and $17.99 each.

• Size: 5 x 52
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano (10 year aged)
• Binder: USA Broadleaf (10 Year Aged)
• Filler: Dominican Piloto (10-Year Aged) USA Broadleaf (8-Year Aged) Brazilian Arapiraca (7-Year Aged) French (4-Year Aged)
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium / Full
• Price: $14.99

Prelight:

The wrapper on the Macanudo Emissary France starts out with a very dark brown wrapper that carries a ton of color variances from medium brown to yellow. The wrapper’s texture is thick and dense with only some slight tooth and a whole mess of oils coating it. The cigar feels very dense and tightly packed. There are some larger veins running pretty much everywhere throughout the cigar’s body. The wrapper is laid carefully over itself leading up to the cigar’s double wrapped cap. The cigar carries the standard Gold an Blue Emissary band with the Macanudo crest on it, as well as a secondary band with a great cut out portion of France as well as the title on the foot of the cigar.

The wrapper on the Macanudo Emissary France gives off floral and chocolate mixtures of aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more earthy with only musk and tobacco scents. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of musk, saddle wood, and earthiness.

First Third:

Woah! I wasn’t ready for the amount of black pepper punch the Macanudo Emissary France started out with. It only took a few puffs to subside, but it was a powerful little punch. After that the cigar left me with bold notes of dark chocolate, espresso, sweet spice, musk, and deep oak. The draw is a little tight, but manageable as each puff kicks out a decent amount of dark gray smoke which dissipates very quickly while the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line started pretty wild on one end, but has been correcting itself while I progress. The burn line itself is pretty thin and the ash left behind is a tightly compacted mixture of lighter and white gray ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the of the Macanudo Emissary France and this great, bold spice has really taken over the experience backed by dark chocolate, espresso, almond, musk, and oak. This is a deeply complex cigar with some great flavors. The retrohale brings even more of that spice out which I find a bit overpowering so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The cigar is now burning like a dream without any help from my torch as I close out the second third with only a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

The final third of the Macanudo Emissary France is quite unique compared to the rest of the experience. The spice and dramatically dropped out and the musk and oak has ramped up making for a very balanced, and much more creamy experience with lighter notes of espresso and dark chocolate. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub. There were no harshness, no extended heat, and never once needed attention from my torch to touch up or relight the cigar once. I close out the cigar with a little bit of a nicotine kick.

Overview:

The Macanudo Emmisary France line not only showcases rare tobacco from France, but also a collection of rare tobacco from all over the world and the result is an absolute banger. The cigar is complex, with deep, dark flavors. The burn, despite being a bit tight initially burned flawlessly from start to finish. Sure, it’s a bit pricey, but you are paying for top-shelf and rare tobacco. This is a great cigar that I will likely keep a few on hand when I am looking for something a bit more premium.

The post Macanudo Emissary France appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

San Andres is the newest offering from Powstanie cigars, and the 4th addition to their regular production portfolio. Like the others, San Andres is produced at the Tobacos de Nico Sueno factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. The blend features a Mexican San Andres wrapper over Ecuadorian Habano binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The cigar is offered in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Perfecto (5 x 50), Belicoso (5 1/2 x 54), and Toro (6 x 52). Each comes packaged in boxes of 21 and will run between $14 and $16 per cigar.

• Size: 5 x 50
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium / Full
• Price: $14

Prelight:

The Powstaine San Andres starts out with a very dark brown wrapper with lighter areas of brown scattered throughout the entire cigar. The wrapper’s texture is very gritty and toothy as well as very oily. The wrapper is thick and hard to the touch while the cigar as a whole is packed nicely and has a good weight to it. There are no soft spots to be found. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself while the cigar show only a few minor veins running through the body of the cigar leading up to it’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a black and red Powstanie band and an additional band with the words “San Andres” embossed on the front.

The Powstanie San Andres’ wrapper gives off aromas of musk and oak while the foot of the cigar is more earthy with natural tobacco scents and pepper. The cap cut clean and easily. The cold draw produces notes of dark chocolate over natural tobacco and musk.

First Third:

The Powstanie San Andres starts out with a burst of black pepper that lasted through the first few puffs before fading away allowing the cigar to release bold notes of dark chocolate and musk with an awesome spice and sweetness under it and faint flavors of vanilla and cinnamon on the finish. The draw is perfect. Each puff gives out a ton of thick, white smoke that hangs around forever while the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a beautifully compacted trail of white ash that held on for an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Powstanie San Andres the cigar is still putting out the flavors. The dark chocolate owns the road backed by strong pecan and musk over vanilla, coffee, and spice with that subtle sweetness still hanging on. The retrohale adds a bit of a peppery component that I don’t otherwise pick up during the experience. The cigar is still burning like a dream and I close out the second third with only a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

The final third of the Powstanie San Andres is much creamier and balanced. While that sounds like a good thing on paper, I actually liked the separation of flavors I got throughout the rest of the experience, but still doesn’t take away from how great this cigar is. The flavors are now a mixture of dark chocolate and coffee with lighter musk, spice and vanilla mixed in. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and no sap. I never once had to reach for my torch to touch up or relight the cigar and closed out with only a minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

Damn, just damn. This is a fantastic cigar. I am a fan of San Andres when it’s done right and this Powstanie was done right! The bold flavors and tartness from the San Andres was balanced out perfectly with a sweeter, spicer mix of tobacco which made for a perfect profile. The cigar burned like a champ from start to finish. And lets just add that is is a normal production and affordable cigar making it an easy box purchase and something I will absolutely keep in my humidor and regular rotation.

The post Powstanie San Andres appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Black Label Trading Co. Super Deluxe was originally released in three sizes back in 2020. This limited edition run sold out quickly and instantly became Black Label’s most requested cigar in history states Jame Brown the brand’s co-owner. Fast forward to 2025 and the Super Deluxe is poised to make its triumphant return. Produced at the company’s Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, the blend features the same blend: A Mexican San Andres Maduro Wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder and filters from Nicaragua. The new release features one of the original formats (Petite Corona: 4 1/2 x 48) as well as two new formats (Robusto: 5 x 50 and Toro: 6 x 50). Each cigar comes in a soft-box press format packaged in boxes of 20 which range between $11 and $13 per cigar with only 750 boxes of each format being released. Huge thanks to the Black Label team for sending some of these our way for review.

• Size: 4 1/2 x 48
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $11

Prelight:

The Black Label Super Deluxe starts out with a very, very dark brown, almost black wrapper that’s perfectly consistent in color from top to bottom. The wrapper’s texture if slightly toothy and very oily. The wrapper is very thick and very dense while the cigar as a whole is packed tightly and has a bit more weight than you’d expect for such a small cigar. There is only one minor vein running through the cigar’s tiny, box pressed body leading up to its round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with a black and silver band with the Super Deluxe logo embossed in the front.

The wrapper on the Super Deluxe gives off bold tobacco and spice aromas while the foot of the cigar screams tobacco musk and oak. The cold draw produces notes of sweet wood, musk, and earthiness.

First Half:

Because of the cigar’s smaller stature I will be reviewing this in to parts instead of my normal three. The Super Deluxe starts out with a blast of sweet oak backed by raisin/plum, musk, cinnamon and some underlying spice and pepper. There is also a little taste under there that I can only describe as “root beer”. It’s a fantastic flavor profile right off the bat. The draw is absolutely perfect! Each tiny puff kicks out a massive cloud of thick, gray smoke which really sticks around for a a good amount of time while the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a tightly compacted trail of white ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Half:

The further I get through the Super Deluxe the more the blackberry and raisin flavors come out along with loads of bold, sweet woodsy flavors over lighter notes of spice and musk. This is a killer profile. The retrohale brings forward some really sharp spice and I honestly like how subtle the spice is so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish. I did have to smoke at a bit higher pace as the cigar wanted to go out at the start, but the change in pace smoothed things out. It took me a little over an hour to smoke the Super Deluxe down to the nub and Ioved every second of it. No sap, no harshness and no extended heat. I close out the cigar with nothing other than a min or nicotine kick.

Overview:

The Black Label Super Deluxe was in high demand, and for good reason. This has been one of my more favorite releases from the company and I am happy that it’s back even in its limited capacity. The flavor profile is just….welll.. perfect and really fits my personal taste. The format is also incredible. I love petite corona and soft boxpress cigars. It’s very affordable and let’s face it, the only drawback is that these will insta-sellout. So grab them while you can!

The post Black Label Trading Co. Super Deluxe 2025 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

La Maestranza is the newest release from RoMa Craft Tobac. Created at the company’s Nica Sueno factory in Nicaragua the blend features a Mexican San Andres wrapper that the company’s founder, Skip Martin describes as “Spanish Market Selection” over a Brazilian binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The new blend is featured in three regular productions formats: The Ciutadella Catalonia (4 x 50), the Maestranza Castillito Murcia (5 x 60) and the Caballería Valencia (6 x 52). There is also a limited edition vitola which falls into the company’s CRAFT portfolio which we are focusing on today, the Marquette (4 1/4 x 52). The regular production lines all come packaged in boxes of 40 while the limited edition Marquette is sold in bundles of 10. They will range between $9 and $12 per cigar. I purchased mine over from our friends at Small Batch Cigar.

• Size: 4 1/4 x 56
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Brazillian
• Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican Republic
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $12

Prelight:

The RoMa Craft Tobac Marquette La Maestranza starts out with a very dark, very consistent brown wrapper. There are only a few lighter areas around the middle of the cigar. The wrapper’s texture is slightly toothy with a whole ton of oils coating it. As I handle the cigar some light oils actually rub onto my fingertips. The wrapper feels very thick and dense while the cigar as a while is very tightly packed and has a good amount of weight to it considering its smaller stature. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself as it leads up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. I also really love the soft box-press format as it’s incredibly comfortable. The cigar is polished off with a red and gold foot ribbon.

The wrapper on the RoMa Craft Tobac Marquette La Maestranza gives off some really bold molasses and spice aromas while the foot is very earthy with some light spice as well. The cap cut clean as easily. The cold draw produces quite a bit more flavor than most cigars with notes of natural tobacco, a nice sweetness, and some great herbal and spice flavors that remind me of Christmas.

First Half:

The RoMa Craft Tobac Marquette La Maestranza starts out with a quick little cayenne pepper blast which left my lips tingling a bit. Once the pepper faded the cigar releases a whole mess of the same spices that reminds me of Christmas, flavors like cinnamon, brown sugar, and ginger. This over some great pecan and coffee notes with a great musky/woodsy finish. The draw is perfect as every tiny puff I take kicks out a massive amount of thick, white smoke which really sticks around for a while before dissipating. The burn line is a bit wavy, but not concerning while the ash left behind is a trail of very tightly compacted white, and dark gray which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray. I close out the first half with nothing in terms of nicotine.

Second Half:

I am absolutely loving the flavor profile in this RoMa Craft Tobac Marquette La Maestranza. At this point the musky and woodsy flavors have really ramped up and are just as potent as the spice and sweetness. In fact, the sweetness has began to drop out a bit and the dryness is complimenting the flavors really well. The retrohale brings out a ton of the wood flavor as well as black coffee which makes for an excellent full-body experience. This cigar burned very slow, it took me almost 2 hours to smoke this little beast down to the nub. They experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and no sap. In fact, there were no burn issues at all as the cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish.

Overview:

I’ve had some really good cigars this year, and I’d be hard pressed to find one that stood out more than the RoMa Craft Tobac Marquette La Maestranza. I haven’t compiled my list of best cigars for the year yet, but I’d be shocked if I didn’t make its way onto the list. The flavor profile is incredible and really matches up well with exactly what I look for in terms of my personal palate. Take the subjectiveness out of the picture and the cigar burned perfectly from start to finish, it’s pretty affordable, and burned slow enough to get a ton of bang for your buck. I smoke a lot of RoMa Craft cigars and this is one that will likely be in my rotation for a very long time to come.

The post RoMa Craft Tobac Marquette La Maestranza appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s Sin Compromiso has been a hit right out the gate. Years ago the founder of the brand, Steve Saka created and released the first portfolio line and has never looked back. This year he dropped the Seleccion No. 4. In the most Steve Saka of ways, he states that he was never quite happy with the Robusto format in the blend. He’s a perfectionist in the best/worst kind of ways, as the name Sin Compromiso suggests. This lead to him tweaking the blend a bit in order to achieve the experience he was looking for which in turn, produced the Seleccion No. 4. Offered in a single 5 x 54 prensado format, the blend features a Mexican San Andres negro “Cultivo Tonto” wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder and fillers from Nicaragua. This regular production cigar comes packaged in boxes of 13 running $17.95 per cigar. huge thanks to the Dunbarton team for sending these our way for review.

• Size: 5 x 54
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Negro Cultivo Tonto
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $17.95

Prelight:

After removing the cedar sleeve the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4 reveals a brilliantly dark, consistent brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty with only a slight amount of oils coating it. The wrapper feels very dense, thick and hard while the cigar as a whole has some weight to it with no soft spots to be found. There are a few minor veins running their course through the cigar’s body leading up to a round, double-wrapped cap. I absolutely love the soft box-pressed format as it’s so comfortable in both hand and mouth. The cigar is polished off with the standard black and manilla Sin Compromiso crest.

The wrapper on the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4 gives off notes of cedar and musk while the foot of the cigar carries some nice spice over lots of natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean with a little extra effort due to the density of it. The cold draw produces mostly musky and earthy flavors over some nice tobacco and spice notes.

First Third:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4 starts out with some very slight pepper which fades instantly allowing the cigar to showcase some deep, dark chocolate flavors over earthiness, slightly charred wood, light coffee, and a bit of pine on the aftertaste. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out a massive amount of thick, white smoke that hangs out for a very long time before dissipating while the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rest in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a beautiful trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for almost an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Dry chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. That’s the dominating flavor in the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4. Backed by some nice musk and earthiness, light coffee, cardamom and a light floral aftertaste. The retrohale brings out a little spice that is buried underneath everything else. The cigar is still burning perfectly as I close out the second third with no nicotine hit.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4. and I am still really enjoy this flavor profile. Lots of dark chocolate still over notes of pecan, and earthy tobacco with lighter notes of cedar and pine. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no heat, and no sap as the cigar burned like a champ from start to finish. I close out with only the lightest of nicotine hits.

Overview:

Let’s just get this out of the way. Steve Saka makes great cigars that I love. Bias? Whatever you want to make of that. I just feel a lot of his brands fit my personal preference very well and in the end, that’s what matters. This is why I liked it: First, the construction and burn was perfect from start to finish. I never had to mess with my torch. Second, the flavor profile was great. It’s not the most complex cigar and it didn’t need to be. I really enjoyed the flavor structure and consistency. Lastly the cigar has a ton of great body, but isn’t overpowered by strength. This mixture makes for a wonderful cigar that I would love to keep in my regular rotation.

The post Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Seleccion No. 4 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.