Between the rich cedar, complimented by a medium spice and natural tobacco sweetness, full flavors, full body, and medium-high strength, this cigar hit my palate just right. For a price of $6.50, the 1502 Nicaragua is one of my favorite smokes this year!

Today, I will be reviewing the 1502 Emerald, one of three blends originally launched by Global Premium Cigars several years back with the 1502 Ruby and 1502 Black Gold. But not to disappoint with an “old” cigar, I bring to you the corona vitola, which was added to the line earlier this year.

1502 Emerald, and all other lines, are produced in Esteli, Nicaragua at Plasencia S.A.. Six box-pressed vitolas options are now available: Toro (6 by 50), Torpedo (6 1/2 by 52), Perfecto (6 1/8 by 50), Conquistador (6 by 56), Lancero (7 by 40), and Corona (5 1/2 by 42) . As is the case with all current offerings from Global Premium Cigars, the 1502 Emerald is heavily influenced by Nicaraguan tobacco, but changes it up a bit with Mexican San Andres in the filler.

The Facts

Samples Provided by House of Emilio
Price: $6.70
Vitola: Corona
Size: 5 ½ by 42
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Mexican San Andres and Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour
Drink: N/A

Pre-light

The 1502 Emerald is dressed in a light to medium tan Nicaraguan Corojo Habano wrapper that is extremely smooth to the touch. Some watermarks and color imperfections can be seen upon closer examination, as well as small veins. But overall, this is a great looking stick!

A natural sweet tobacco aroma is found on the wrapper, while fuller notes of pepper spice, cedar, and sweet tobacco are found on the “cigar lock” foot. A shallow cut through the double cap reveals a perfect draw. The dry draw is rather mild in flavor with a hint of clove and a slight spice tingle can be felt on my lips.

First Third

The box-pressed format of this already small ring gauge cigar makes it very comfortable in the mouth. Earthy notes and rich cedar, accompanied by spice, are first to greet my palate. Natural tobacco sweetness is hanging way in the background. Only a few puffs in and the cigar appears to be burning rather quickly, with a half and inch of ash already. I will be through cigar in no time if it doesn’t slowdown. A warming sensation is felt in the back of my throat from the spice. The ash is light in color and easily drops in the ashtray at three-fourths of an inch.

Middle Third

As the smoke first enters my mouth, a sharp citrus pierces my tongue, transitions to a rich cedar, accompanied by an orange zist sweetness, and finishes with toasted, earthy, and vegetal flavor. Moving further into the second third, the sweetness subsides and the toasted and earth notes continue to build, along with a new found cocoa. Based on appearance alone, I did not expect the amount of spice the 1502 Emerald is delivering. Up to this point, the cigar is burning well with a thin eyeliner burn and the ash is firm considering the ring gauge.

Final Third

Woodsy notes make a reintroduction, but are not the same rich cedar notes as earlier, more of a wet wood. The toasted notes and dirt are on the finish. The strength, which has hovered around the lowside of medium for the first two thirds, has intensified to a solid medium. Reaching the remaining half inch of the cigar, it is time to lay the cigar down to its final rest.

Wrap-up

Going into this cigar, I anticipated a mild to medium flavor and strength profile. And to say the least, I was mistaken. The 1502 Emerald held medium/full flavors throughout, and while the strength begun on the low-side of medium it crept up to a solid medium by end of the cigar. The Emerald is not overly complex, but it does deliver an intriguing profile and a nice balance, especially during the first and second thirds. The construction and performance of the Emerald was exceptional. At a price of $6.70, the 1502 Emerald Corona is easy on the wallet and worth a try. But for me, I know I will still be reaching for the 1502 Nicaragua over the 1502 Emerald Corona. But that is just a personal preference.

The post Global Premium Cigars – 1502 Emerald Corona appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

 This is according to a press release I located at cigar-coop.com:

Espinosa Premium Cigars is proud to announce they will be introducing a limited edition cigar for their full bodied 601 La Bomba line called “Warhead” at IPCPR this year. This is the first time the 601 La Bomba line is offered with a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. The Warhead measures 6 1/2 inches by 54 ring and is semi-box pressed with the familiar fuse-like pig tail that is found on the 601 La Bomba line. “Although the wrapper is different, we are using the same powerful blend as the rest of the line.” said Erik Espinosa.

Warhead is limited to 2,000 boxes of 10 and the packaging is inspired by several themes in the World War II era. When unraveled, the foot band on the cigar is revealed to be in the form of a bomb. This “bomb” features nose art or aircraft graffiti, which was common in this era. Most prominent is the shark-face which is a reference to the Flying Tigers, the 1st American Volunteer Group, who would paint the shark-faces on their military aircrafts.

The 601 La Bomba line was first introduced in 2011 and is considered to be one of the strongest cigars in the market.

The Facts

Price:$8.94
Vitola: Unknown
Size: 6 ½ by 54 (Semi-Box Pressed)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicarguan
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 40 Minutes

Pre-light

The 601 La Bomba Warhead sports a very dark brown wrapper that is consistent in color. Bumps and stitch-like veins are easily seen on the stick, which is common with Connecticut Broadleaf. A sweet pungency is noticeable on the wrapper aroma, while the foot gives off mainly notes of raisin and milk chocolate. I am surprised on the lack of pepper or any other spice on the aroma.

A triple cap has been neatly applied and, like the original La Bomba, the cap ends in a two-inch fuse-like tail. Upon pulling off the fuse-like end and making a shallow cut, I find a decent draw that has only a tad more resistance than I usually prefer. I immediately note a spice warmth on the lips and in the mouth. The cold draw is rich with flavors of cocoa, wet cedar, dark fruit, and faint pepper.

First Third

The foot band removes with ease and this 601 La Bomba Warhead is ready to be smoked.  The Warhead starts off with some deep earth and cedar notes. While there is some spice in the profile, it is not nearly at the level I anticipated, but seems to be picking up as the cigar progresses. The retrohale is fantastic bringing forth some peppery spice and the finish shows off some dusty cocoa. The burn line began wavy from the get-go and required a touch-up in the first inch. I did take my time lighting the cigar but I’ll still take the blame for the wavy burn so early on. Due to the somewhat stiff draw, I made an additional cut to see if it would help with the smoke production that was lower than desired. I am not finding much relief with the additional cut. The ash is dark grey and flaky holding more than an inch. The burn line is thick and even as I conclude the first third.

Middle Third

The dusty cocoa is more prevalent in the profile as I make my way into the second third, along with the cedar, and the earthy notes have taken a backseat. The cocoa is not sweet and I am interested to see if the sweet, milk chocolate I got off the foot aroma comes into play later on. The smoke is leaving my mouth a bit chalky feeling. I caught myself retrohaling the smoke every few puffs since I was enjoying the spice hit I was getting off of it but it is also causing me to feel a little nicotine kick. Since the first touch-up, I have not encountered any other burn issues.

Final Third

At one hour and twenty minutes, I have arrived at the last third of the 601 La Bomba Warhead. The profile has taken on a burnt cedar and diesel-like flavor. The pepper is also at the forefront of the profile. My mouth remains chalky and I am no longer picking up on the dusty cocoa. The smoke has become much richer as I get to my last few tokes. The burn line was wavy at the nd but did not require another touch-up. The strength continually increased throughout the cigar, ending in the full arena.

Wrap-up

When I think of limited edition cigars, my expectations immediately increase and I am not sure if the  Warhead met those expectations. However, when I think of a cigar that I picked up for under $9, this cigar far exceeded my expectations…..I hope that makes sense. The 601 La Bomba Warhead is a great cigar that is not overly complex but delivers a satisfying experience. I enjoyed all of the flavors the La Bomba Warhead offered though I would have liked a little more sweetness in the profile. While the Warhead utilizes the same internals (binder and filler) as the regular La Bomba, it seems to be a completely different cigar to me. I will definitely be on the look out for more and I recommend that you grab some up as soon as you come across them.

The post Espinosa Premium Cigars – 601 La Bomba Warhead appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Jeremy Hensley is a bean counter for a non-profit in El Paso, Texas.  He is married to the most understanding  wife (he still can’t figure out how she puts up with his cigar smoking hobby), and blessed with two beautiful children.   When he is not acting like a kid,  he enjoys everything outdoors, especially fishing with his dad in the Great Lakes. Also, he meets the criteria of being a Casa Fumando reviewer: being a hockey fan.  Feel free to contact Jeremy anytime via email (jmhensley13[at]gmail[dot]com). And make sure to follow him on twitter @pdn_jdog

And now… Onto his review of the 1502 Black Gold!

After a few days of smoking in cold weather, I now have a much deeper respect for Daniel T. and the suffering he goes through to get reviews up during the chilly Canadian winters….Kudos.  Following up with last week’s review of the 1502 Ruby, I will be smoking the 1502 Black Gold.  For a little background on the 1502 brand you can see my review of the 1502 Ruby here or visit http://globalpremiumcigars.com.  This is what Global Premium Cigars’ website has to say about the 1502 Black Gold: 

“If you like strong cigars, you’ll definitely love this one. This particular cigar is made to satisfy the discerning smoker who enjoys bold and strong flavors. It has a double binder and long filler from Nicaragua. With its natural Maduro sun-grown tobacco wrapper, nurtured with all the natural elements where it gets its flavor, especially its strength and character.”

The Facts
Price: Samples Provided by Emilio Cigars
Format: Box Pressed Torpedo
Size: 6 ½ by 52
Wrapper: Country Unknown (Maduro Sun-Grown)
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Pairing: Water
Smoke Time: 1 hour 27 minutes

* The 1502 Ruby reviewed last week was the torpedo measuring in at 6 ½ by 52, not the 6 by 50 (which is the toro) stated in the review.  My sincerest apologies.

Pre-light

The band on the Black Gold is identical to the Ruby other than the band being primarily black and, of course, containing the words “Black Gold” instead of “Ruby”.  As I remove the cellophane, I am greeted with a very acidic, pungent smell off the wrapper much like vinegar.   Laying behind the scenes are common maduro aromas of barnyard, black pepper, and a chocolatey sweetness. The wrapper is very dark, almost oscuro.  Not only do the oils on the wrapper come to life in the light, they are easily noticed on the touch.  Two prominent veins run down the entire side of the cigar and the wrapper seam is easily noticed.

To the touch, the cigar feels firmly packed, giving just slightly.  Like the 1502 Ruby, the wrapper hangs over the foot of the cigar.  Enrique Sanchez, owner of 1502 Cigars, informed me that they named this style of foot “The Cigar Lock”.  Stay on the lookout for a video explaining why and how it is made.  The foot highlights black tea with a touch of sweetness.  The cold draw brings out rich tobacco notes with a nice spice on the tongue.  Between the cold draw and the aromas off the wrapper,  I am really excited to give this bad boy a try.

First Third

The maduro richness is coming right through with notes of molasses, cocoa, pepper, yeast, and spice that rolls across the entire palette.  Going back to the vinegar off the wrapper, the spice is much like a pickled jalapeno.  Very enjoyable.  As I pass the smoke through my nasal passage, the pepper and woodsy notes are highlighted. However, the spice is a little much for me on the retrohale.  Each 1502 cigar I have smoked has had an almost perfect, if not perfect, draw and this cigar is no different.  The ash held strong for just over an inch before dropping in  the ashtray (that is extremely rare).    As the cigar burns, you can easily see how thick the wrapper is on the 1502 Black Gold, which is perfect for this winter like weather we have been experiencing in the 915.  As I conclude the first third, the flavors and strength are both on the high side of medium.

Middle Third

The flavors really begin to mesh and balance out as I enter into the second third.  My wife gifted me a french press coffee maker a few years back that I am absolutely in love with, and the profile is much like a french pressed Columbian roast.  Dark coffee notes balanced with a chocolate sweetness.  The smoke coats my mouth, leaving an oily texture across my palette.  Flavors have been jumping back in forth from the coffee and sweetness to the pepper and spice hit.  Coming to the end of this third, I have come across a black tea flavor that is very refreshing.  Smoke is creamy and full-bodied providing a depth of flavors.  The burn has stayed wavy up to this point requiring a few  touchups.

Final Third

I made a mighty entrance into the final third by dropping the ash on my lap. Did I mention how extremely rare it is for me to make it into the ashtray?  The filler tobacco is burning much quicker than the wrapper leaf.  The thickness of the sun-grown maduro wrapper leaf could be the contributing factor to this.  I am picking up toasty, bread-like notes.  Also, a flavor I picked up in the middle third, but was unable to identify, has come to the front.  Very car oil like.  The chocolate and spice are hanging in the background with a dusty chocolate on the finish. The cigar has shifted to the next level. The savoriness and richness of the Black Gold is intense. I am loving the oily texture the smoke is leaving in my mouth.  As I put this cigar to a close, I am feeling a nicotine buzz but it is not overwhelming.  The hearty dinner I ate (rib eye and mashed potatoes) has offset the nicotine I would normally be feeling at this point.  The burn line has corrected itself, leaving me with an ash just over an inch and half.

Wrap-up

First off, I want to give a big “Thank You” to Gary Griffith for providing the 1502 samples.  1502 Cigars really has something going for themselves with this stick.   The flavor profile and strength of this cigar was right up my alley.  The sweetness that pulled through made this cigar an excellent dessert right after a great dinner.  The 1502 Black Gold is a rich, savory smoke that I could see myself revisiting often.   The only issue I see is trying to find this cigar in the El Paso area. But hey, you never know.

The post The Casas Fumando Family Grows! (+ 1502 Black Gold Review) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.