Normally I wouldn’t re-visit the same cigar again but I thought this was a good opportunity to answer some questions and concerns about Cubans. A lot of people criticize Cuban cigars for not being very consistent year to year either in flavor or construction. There were definitely some year ranges that got more attention or praise than others so we’ll see how thye compare.

Another thing I sometimes hear about Cuban’s is that they need to be aged. The last Montecristo No. 2 we reviewed were about 2 years old so I picked the same age range here. Today’s cigar was produced 2 years ago, in 2010. So this should take the concern of age out of the mix.

Montecristo is obviously a famous brand and one that is commonly mimicked by fakes next to Cohiba and Romeo y Julieta. The most famous from the Monte line up being this cigar, the No. 2 and the very popular No. 4. so if you are shopping for these, keep yor eyes peeled for fakes because there are tons of them out there! So let’s see how this newer version stacks up to the older one we reviewed and I encourage you to read our previous review before going ahead with this one: Link here.

Cigar: Montecristo No.2 (2010 Box Date)
Drink: Dieu du Ciel Blanche Neige
Vitola: Piramide (6.125 x 52)
Wrapper: Cuban
Binder: Cuban
Filler: Cuban
Price: $30 in Canada; Just under $10 in Cuba
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The light orangey wrapper on the No. 2 has a nice oily shine to it
• There are some medium sized veins on these sticks but none of them look big enough to pose and problems
• There is a slight spongy feel to the whole length of the cigar, giving just a little bit when squeezed
• The foot seems very well packed and has a nice consistent tone to it
• The tapered cap has one leaf that blends right into the body smoothly

Burn:
• Toasting was very easy and even, the whole foot was glowing with minimal effort
• The first bit of burnline is a tad wavy but nothing horrible and it’s holding so far
• The burnline came around pretty quickly, and although not perfectly straight or razor sharp, it’s still staying within a safe range
• The No. 2 continues it’s funky but safe burn into the last third, also it’s letting me smoke it nice and slow to get the full enjoyment going
• The cigar finished up without any major issues and I was able to smoke it down to the nub without ever needing to touch it up

Smoke & Ash:
• Right from the first draw, I’m met with a nice mouthful of smoke
• There isn’t much in the way of resting smoke to notice but there is a light burning wood aroma coming off the cigar
• The ash here is nothing to write home about, it’s pretty dark grey or black
• In terms of cleanliness, the Montecristo No. 2 looks a bit weak but it doesn’t do much flaking
• To be safe, I tapped off the ash at about the 1 inch mark so I didn’t end up with it in my lap
• The next couple of ashes were in the 1 inch mark as well and still the dark grey colors
• Happy to say the smoke volume is staying nice and full, making it easy to just take a single draw and enjoy the cigar slowly

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper gives off a nice cedar aroma and a touch of light baking spices
• The foot gives more of the same cedar but there are definitely more baking spices noticeable here
• The pre-light draw is more of the same tasty notes, cedar and baking spices with a bit of earthiness here
• The initial draws bring a touch of pepper now and a little more roasted flavors, the lighter cedar notes are not present right now
• As the peppery notes die down, there is a flavor of burnt or roasted wood coming through right now
• The body has started off in the mild to medium range and there is a smooth cedar finish on the retrohale
• The baking spices started to creep in slowly through the middle of the stick, definitely some nutmeg and cloves in here
• Along with those notes came some nice light coffee tones that really balanced out the whole profile now
• The body built up a bit to the full range in the last half but the smooth cedar finish continued on the retrohale
• There was a build up of the coffee and baking spice notes while the subtler flavors died down a bit towards the nub
• There was no harshness at the end but the flavors definitely picked up intensity

Final Thoughts:
The Montecristo No. 2 is still one of my favorite Cuban’s and I already knew that going into this cigar. My hope was to give a good look at the comparison between this 2010 box and the 2008 box Tony and I reviewed here. On final note, I have to say the flavors here weren’t as refined as the older box was. Given they were aged for about the same time, I found the 2010’s to be a little more in your face and have a little more body to them. As for construction, they were fairly similar in quality, maybe the 2010’s have a bit of an edge with regards to good burn. The flavors are still tasty and if you like a little more strength you might actually like the newer boxes better. But for me, I’d probably seek out some of the older boxes if I could, but they are all probably gone now. Maybe a little more rest time will give them a different profile?

Pairings:
I thought this pairing was a perfect match for this autumn time. It’s by one of the great breweries in Quebec called Dieu du Ciel. The brew, called Blanche de Neige, roughly translates to “Snow White” and is a wheat beer brewed with cinnamon and cloves flavors. The awesome infusion definitely shines through in this beer and tastes amazing. It obviously has the cinnamon and clove flavors along with some night light malty and toffee like notes. Paired very nicely with the Montecristo No. 2, a strong coffee or some Port would have made a nice choice too.

The post Montecristo No. 2 from 2010 (Cuban) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Avo Uvezian is the mastermind behind the AVO brand is also a very talented Jazz pianist. He was born into a family of musicians but he paved a different road for his family’s future when he began making cigars. It’s no secret that he has blended some very tasty sticks and for the last few years he has been blending a limited edition cigar to be released on his birthday.

Not long ago I reviewed the AVO 80th Anniversary which was released in 2006 to commemorate Avo’s 80th birthday. Tony also reviewed the AVO Limited Edition 2010 not long ago. Today’s cigar is called the Compañero and was released in 2009 to mark Avo’s 83rd birthday. On the cigar, you will find the classic and classy AVO logo with the name “Avo Uvezian” on one side and “LE09” written on the the other. Below this band is another dark burgundy band with the “Compañero” name written on it.

The blend in the AVO Limited Editions change a bit each year and the Compañero is no different. This year the cigar comes wrapped with an Ecuadorian leaf and bound with Dominican leaf. The interesting part of the blend is the filler which is made up of a couple types of Ligero and some Peruvian Seco tobacco.

I’m interested to see how this blend will play out. On paper it seems a bit strong but with at least 2 years of age on it I’m hoping it smoothed out. Let’s get onto the review and find out.

Cigar: AVO Compañero Limited Edition 2009
Drink: The Singleton of Glendullan 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Vitola: Toro (6 x 54)
Wrapper: Cuban Seed Ecuadorian
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Criollo Ligero, Piloto Ligero, San Vicente Ligero, Peruvian Seco
Price: About $15
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The AVO Companero is an oil and dark looking cigar that sports a slightly toothy wrapper with a goldish-brown glow
• There are some veins running down the side of the cigar but most are fairly small and don’t really pose any issues
• The top of the cigar is cleanly finished with an expertly applied single cap while the foot shows signs of a well packed long-filler cigar
• For the most part, the cigar is very firm to the touch with only a very minor give when squeezed
• I made the cut super shallow and just basically trimmed off the cap without cutting into the filler, left me with an easy and perfect draw
• I “may” have accidentally “dropped” the cigar right before lighting it up… I’ll take that into account for any burn issues

Burn:
• Toasting was easy and even, it left me with a nicely glowing foot
• Despite some cracks on the wrapper near the foot due to my dropping it, the cigar is burning beautifully through the first couple of inches
• The cigar burned through the cracked wrapper like it wasn’t even there and I’m still going strong with a razor sharp burn!
• Ran into a few more wrapper issues caused by my drop, they still didn’t affect the burn much but I really regret dropping it!
• My super fail of a drop had more consequences than I had hoped for, the wrapper pretty much came off at the end but it’s totally my fault, do NOT take this as the regular burn for this cigar. Other Companero’s I’ve had burned without any issues.

Smoke & Ash:
• The AVO Companero is producing a heft amount of smoke from each draw, it’s thick and billowy to boot
• At a resting position, the cigar is producing a comfortable amount of smoke, nothing overpowering and it has a nice burning cedar aroma
• The ash is starting off a bit flaky but that’s probably my fault…
• The color of the ash is a very nice and consistent light grey
• Even with a bit of flaking, the ash lasted just past an inch before I gently tapped it off
• Now that I’m passed the cracked wrapper the ash is staying clean and tight
• The next ash fell off after about an inch jsut before I was going to take a picture… bad luck for me tonight! lol

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper of the cigars is hardly aromatic at all, it’s only a little bit woodsy and that’s it
• The foot on the other hand shows clear indications of spices, earthiness and a fresh cedar aroma
• The pre-light draw is very earthy and woodsy, with more of the fresh cedar from the foot
• Initial draws are filled with more earthy notes and little bit of the fresh peat flavor I’ve come to appreciate from most AVO cigars
• Some of the spice I picked up earlier is making a subtle appearance within the first inch, it’s just on the tip of my tongue making for an interesting touch to the profile
• The body of the AVO Companero is a smooth medium so far, well balanced and with a nice little bite on the retrohale
• The finish is also very tasting, coating my nasal passages with a fresh cedar touch
• I have to emphasize the “fresh” part of the cedar flavor, it’s not like a seasoned humidor smells but more like the aroma of a fresh, brand new humidor or freshly cut cedar plank, very pleasant!
• The woodsy and earthy notes are mixing so nicely and taking turns being prominent
• Along with those, the peat and freshness of the cedar add a very interesting and enjoyable flavor that I can’t get enough of
• Just past the halfway mark, the spices are coming in a little stronger and mixing perfectly with the fresh cedar and peat flavors, this cigar keeps getting better!
• The body has stayed more or less in the medium range and it’s still maintaining a very smooth retrohale
• Despite the wrapper pretty much falling off the cigar, I still managed to enjoy the last bit of spice, cedar and peat right to the end

Final Thoughts:
Right from the start, the AVO Companero was bringing me a bright and flavorful profile that instantly caught my attention. Each of the tastes were very full flavored and easily discernible making for a very enjoyable smoke. Even with my fat-fingered fall to the floor and some wrapper cracks, this cigar burned perfectly. I’m also very surprised to say the wrapper falling off didn’t change the cigars flavor too much and I was still able to enjoy it. That’s a sign of a well balanced cigar in my eyes, the flavor was not “all in the wrapper” as some people might think. This showed me that the cigar had a very good balance of wrapper, binder and filler. I’d actually even say this experience made me appreciate the blending that went into this cigar even more than I normally would have!

Pairings:
I’ve only ever come across the peat flavors in the AVO cigars so I knew heading into this review that I had to pair it with a nice Scotch. So I looked into what I had and decided to finish off this bottle of The Singleton 12 year Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Well, I was right! The smokey and peat flavors of the Scotch paired perfectly with the fresh cedar and matching peat flavors on the cigar. I would definitely recommend having a nice scotch with this cigar, so give it a try next time you pick up this cigar or pretty much anything in the AVO lineup.

The post AVO Companero LE09 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

If you are a follower of ours on Twitter or Facebook, you will have seen recently that Tony is off slacking again. That’s right, again! lol. Ok maybe not. He’s actually on a trip to the Dominican Republic and visiting lots of people, cigar factories, and even some tobacco fields. I’m sure he’ll have lots to tell everyone when he gets back. In the meantime, keep up with what he’s doing by following him on Twitter or following the Casas Fumando Facebook Page.

So I’m still stuck at home and while Tony is probably burning up in the Dominican, and I’m pretty much freezing over here. Terrible forecast for the week full of rain and near freezing temps, winter is almost here! The summer flew by… So for no particular reason I made a mess in my humidor searching for my next review and what I came up with was my very last Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial from 2010.

Now Oliva should be a name most people know by now, they’ve been around for a long time and have a great reputation of turning over quality cigars year after year. They haven’t been much in the past for really branching out with drastic ideas but rather have been that “staple” cigar brand that you could always fall back on. Their 4 main lines are the Serie G, Serie O, Serie V and the Connecticut Reserve. Of their 4 lines mentioned, the Serie V is the fullest on the body scale.

If you have been keeping up with the cigar news, you would actually see that Oliva is starting to bring a lot more variety to their lines. They’ve had the Master Blend series for awhile now and are also hitting a few winners with the Studio Tobac project. Tony actually just recently posted a review of the cigar made by a joint venture of Studio Tobac and Padilla, appropriately named the Padilla – Studio Tobac Figurado. As you can see from his thoughts, Oliva is on the right track with their new project.

Oliva’s core lines don’t usually change much but a few years ago they decided to bring out a special edition of their Serie V. It was to be wrapped with a Maduro leaf, limited in production quantities and restricted to a single vitola. It’s full name is the Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial and usually a year is appended to that. In the case of today’s review it is the 2010 to mark the year it was released. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to distinguish some of the various years.

With regards to the 2009 and 2010, you will find 2 main differences, firstly, the 2010 is a slightly larger ring gauge than the 2009 even though it maintains the same vitola. Also, the 2010 is wrapped in a nice dark San Andreas wrapper versus the previous years Broadleaf wrappers. Looking a little forward to 2011, the vitola is changing to a 6×50 Toro and should actually be hitting shelves very soon. It also has the same San Andreas wrapper. The production for the 2011 is also the same as the 2010 I’m reviewing today which is 5000 boxes of 10 cigars.

With a price point of $10.70/cigar they aren’t that steep but aren’t cheap either. It seems to strike a nice balance of a slightly high end or limited production stick. I’m also told that the 2011 version is dropping the MSRP to $9 which is a welcome change. Each of the Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial cigars are packed with a Ligero longfiller from the Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua which is well known for producing tasty and quality leaves.

The band on this cigar is fairly unassuming and doesn’t venture far from the standard Oliva lines. It adds “Maduro” on one side and “Especial” on the other but I’m disappointed that it doesn’t include a year. Not a huge deal but it would be a nice touch. I’m sitting down to enjoy this cigar on a fairly chilly evening here. The cigar also has a fair bit of age on it so that will affect the flavors. I have smoked a few of these before so I’ll make a quick comparison to then and now in the summary. Enjoy!

Cigar: Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2010
Drink: Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2005
Vitola: Torpedo (6 x 54)
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: MSRP $10.70
Burn Time: A little over 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The Oliva Serie V Maduro is surrounded by a dark chocolate brown wrapper that has a rough look to it and an oily finish
• The exposed edges of the wrapper jump off the cigar a bit, especially near the cap which is extremely firm to the touch, this worries me
• The rest of the cigar has a nice little spring and give to it when squeezed
• The foot of the cigar appears to be very well packed with almost no room left in there at all
• I started with a small cut which clipped off fairly easily but I was met with a pretty tight draw
• I cut just a bit more and got a good draw, we’ll start here with a little more than a half inch clipped off the cap

Burn:
• Toasting was nice and slow but it kept even and glowed nicely
• Unfortunately, the cigar started off with a pretty drastic canoe despite what seemed to be an even toasting, needed to be touched up fairly early on
• Another little touchup after about 2 inches as the cigar tried canoeing on me again
• The cigar requires a small touch up pretty much every inch or so, luckily it’s not ruining the flavors
• The last 2.5 inches of the cigar REALLY slowed down the burn, making the cigar last that extra special bit longer

Smoke & Ash:
• There is a good amount of smoke coming from each draw
• Even while resting the cigar is producing a decent amount of smoke
• The ash is coming out to be a wonderful white color when it’s burning properly, my touchups are turning the ash black in some spots
• Even though the ash was looking clean, neat and strong, it still fell off into the ashtray after just about an inch

Tasting Notes:
• I was surprised to notice that the wrapper had barely any aroma to it, maybe just a touch of hay and that’s all
• The foot is also not too strong of an aroma, just a slightly more concentrated hay-type of aroma with just a little touch of a peppery spice
• The pre-light draw is also pretty bland here with only hints of hay again, I really hope the full experience will be more than this
• The initial draws were much more enjoyable with some roasted dark chocolate almond type of flavor and a hint of spices, maybe some coffee tucked in there too
• The chocolate almond flavors dwindled down a bit and I’m left with mostly coffee, spices and now some cedar. It’s still good but the start was much more enjoyable, let’s hope it returns!
• The body started off in the low end of medium and the cigar has a soft bite on the retrohale with an interesting cedary/peppery finish
• The coffee notes are really developing nicely and I’m also getting some nice warm earthy notes in the mix
• All the flavors are balancing well and the cedar finish is a nice touch
• As the 2010 Oliva Serie V Maduro progressed into the last third the body is slowly building and I’m on the edge of full now
• The spices have remained fairly soft so far and the retrohale reflects that with a soft bite and retains the smooth cedar finish
• The last bit of the cigar was still enjoyable until my fingers were burning, a nice buildup of coffee, light spices and cedar rounded out the final flavors

Final Thoughts:
Overall this was a pretty good smoke that I enjoyed. I feel that it never really did recreate that initial awesome roasted almond flavor. The beginning of the cigar was great and the remainder was good. Nothing about it was really bad, my only complaint would be the burn issues. Thankfully they didn’t negatively affect the flavors but it did take away from the whole experience a bit. I think the cigar could have earned itself a few more points with a bit more age as it already has. The ones I smoked earlier this year were not as good as this one. So my suggestion, grab a few and let them sit a few more months and they should be excellent. If those roasted almond flavors can linger a bit longer this would have been a fantastic cigar. The little bit of body buildup at the end was a nice touch for me as well. The price is a little high at just over $10 but I’m excited to see what the upcoming 2011 release brings since it will have the same wrapper and be $1.70 cheaper!

Pairings:
Tonight’s pairing is a new Port wine that I picked up at the liquor store the other day. It’s from Dow’s Winery which comes from the Symington Family Estates in Portugal. The 2005 Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port has a fairly light and fruity feel on the palate with some deep notes like a touch of chocolate and woodsiness. It’s probably not the best Port I’ve had but it’s not bad in it’s own right either. It paired excellently with the flavors of the 2010 Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial. Other than Port I think this cigar would pair wonderfully with a heft stout, a strong or chocolate flavored coffee or even a nice scotch.

The post Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2010 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

So today I bring you the AVO 80th Anniversary cigar. The AVO brand was started by a Musician and Composer by the name of Avo Uvezian and was founded in 1988. The brand was met with open arms and soon after in 1995 the AVO brand was bought by Davidoff. Avo Uvezian remained very much a part of the company and still is. The cigars are made in the Dominican Republic in the same factory as Davidoff.

Many years ago, Avo Uvezian began releasing some special limited edition blends to celebrate his birthday. Most recently, the AVO 85th Anniversary was released. Today’s cigar marked Avo’s 80th birthday back in 2006 so it has roughly 5 years of age on it. Each of these limited editions is only released in one size, and the 80th Anniversary size was selected to be a Belicoso. Also make sure to check out Tony’s review of the AVO LE2010.

The cigar is made with a unique blend of 4 leaves in the filler. They are all from the Dominican Republic and consist of select Ligero and Seco grades of Piloto & San Vicente tobaccos. The cigar is finished with a beautiful Ecuadorian Sun-grown wrapper with a very nice shine and feel to it. What I like about this Limited Edition line by Avo is they always seem to produce a good number of cigars. So even though they are limited it’s fairly easy for the average person to grab a few and they aren’t reserved for the hardcore cigar hunters out there.

Cigar: AVO 80th Anniversary
Drink: Duchy Originals Organic Old Ruby Ale
Vitola: Belicoso (6 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun-Grown
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: About $15
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• The cigar is wrapper with a smooth and oily cinnamon brown tobacco leaf
• As with most tapered heads, the cap is composed of one smooth leaf that wraps around the cigar about 4 times
• The cigar is fairly even in diameter throughout with only a few smaller veins that are visible
• The firmness when squeezed offers very little give, a pretty firm cigar from end to end
• Foot appears very well packed which goes in line with the firmness I feel
• The cap clipped very clean and left me with a good draw
• The bands had a fair bit of glue on them and ended up taking a chuck of the wrapper with them

Burn:
• Toasting was nice and even and seemed to start the cigar off right
• First couple of inches are burning beautifully
• I like the fact that the cigar is staying lit without the need for me to constantly draw on it
• Going into the last third, I’m still super happy with the burn, no problems at all
• The cigar finished up with no issues at all in the burn department

Smoke & Ash:
• The first draw set the pace here with a big mouthful of smoke
• Even the resting smoke is fairly abundant
• The ash is showing to be strong and clean with a mostly white color to it
• Despite it’s strong and clean look, the ash fell off after about an inch
• Second ash had a sky diving accident and decided to take a plunge to the floor, but still held on for about an inch before falling to it’s doom
• All in all, the ash continued to stay nice and clean, just a bit weak

Tasting Notes:
• The aroma on the wrapper is mostly of sweet tobacco and cedar
• The foot offers the same tobacco sweetness aroma but adds to it some strong raw nutmeg
• The pre-light draw has a strong musty wood flavor to it with some more of the raw nutmeg spice
• Initial draws are not too exciting so far, I’m getting more of that mustiness with an interesting bit of bready flavors
• The musty flavors have sort of turned into a peat type of flavor, similar to a peaty scotch, very interesting
• The body of this cigar is in the mild-medium range so far and has a fairly dry finish
• I get more of the musty/peaty notes in the retrohale with a woodsy smooth finish
• The cigar is well balanced and smooth with a woodsy smooth finish
• There is an interesting mixture of spice making an appearance now and then, definitely some pepper and the original nutmeg
• Pushing into the last third, I’m getting some nice roasted nutty flavors mixed in the peaty and woodsy notes
• The body is also slowly creeping up on this cigar, getting to the higher end of the medium range
• The last third of the cigar is still progressing in body
• The flavors here have also intensified here with the peaty and nutty flavors being dominant and balanced nicely with the spice
• I’m also getting an odd cooling feeling after each draw, almost like a menthol but somewhat enjoyable and without the nasty taste, lol
• Smoked this down until my fingers were burning with no harshness at all

Final Thoughts:
This was an interesting cigar to say the least and I’m glad I had the chance to enjoy a few of them. It’s another cigar that I have to say had a very unique flavor profile to me. The strong peaty and musty notes is something I haven’t really had with this intensity before. Simply put, this cigar kept me interested the whole way through. The burn and ash were also superb on this cigar which gave me the chance to just sit back and enjoy the flavors(minus the one sky diving incident). The AVO 80th Anniversary is definitely something worth trying. The price is a bit high so I’m not sure I could justify a box of these, but having a few to try is worth it. It may be a profile you will love and opt for the box anyway. Although these were limited production cigar were released a few years ago I was still able to track some websites and B&M’s carrying them. So grab one and enjoy!

Pairings:
Today’s pairing is a new one I stumbled across the the liquor store the other day. It comes from Oxfordshire in the UK and is made by “Duchy Originals from Waitrose”. The company prides itself on providing various foods grown in sustainable conditions. In line with that belief, this is an Organic Old Ruby Ale. The “Old” in it’s title comes from the fact that it is made using an English barley that was first used in 1905, called “Plumage Archer”. The brew has some nice bright flavors to it, including a fair about of berries, malt and a noticeable hoppy bitterness. It’s a tasty brew and goes very well as a summer drink. It unfortunately was not the best pairing here though as I felt it was a bit light for the AVO 80th Anniversary and was overpowered by the cigar. With the peaty notes I was picking up from this cigar I’d have to say that a peaty scotch would have been an absolute perfect pairing. If not that, then something that can stand up to the bold flavors of this cigar such as a strong coffee or port.

The post AVO 80th Anniversary Limited Edition appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Not long ago I reviewed the My Father Cedros Deluxe Eminentes and before that was the My Father Le Bijou 1922. Looking over those two reviews, it’s easy to see they were both tasty cigars so the My Father factory must be doing something right. One other thing that stands out to my about all the My Father cigars is their presentation. They really know how to make a cigar, from the beautiful wrappers to their crisp and well designed bands. Read up on one of the two previous reviews to get more information on the My Father company.

The My Father Limited Edition 2010 is a very special cigar. What makes this cigar special is the person who rolled it, Jose Pepin himself! With the help of his son, Jamie Garcia who did all the bunching. This is truly a collaboration between two great people in the cigar world and a testament to the families dedication to what they do.

The information regarding the tobacco used in this cigar seems to be a tightly held secret and very little is known other than rumours. One thing that does seem to be known is that the wrapper used is the same as the one you can find on the Le Bijou 1922. The Pelo de Oro wrapper is very rare and banned from growing in some regions due to it’s cost and sensitivity, among other factors. I really enjoyed the Le Bijou 1922 and I’m excited to see how this cigar turns out.

Cigar: My Father Limited Edition 2010
Drink: Hockley Valley Brewing Co. Traditional Irish Stout
Vitola: Toro (6.5 x 52)
Wrapper: Pelo de Oro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $20
Burn Time: 2 hours

Construction:
• Talk about a gorgeous looking cigar, this thing has everything going for it.
• The wrapper is velvety smooth and presents with a warm milk chocolate type of color.
• The wrapper shows signs of only minor veins and the top is finished with an amazingly clean triple cap.
• I did notice a decent sized green spot on the wrapper
• The length of the cigar has a fair bit of firmness but still has a nice springiness to it.
• The foot looks to be fairly well packed but still has 2 smaller holes in it.
• The cap cut nice and easy but exploded into a small mess in the ashtray
• The initial draw seems a bit open
• As I peeled off the lower band, there’s some writing where the glue was that said “One out of 24000 made”

Burn:
• Toasting was easy and even, the open parts of the filler near the foot didn’t cause any problems
• Through the first few inches this cigar is burning razor sharp with no problems at all
• About 2 inches in the cigar is going a little wavy, it may correct itself so I’ll see how it goes…
• Looks like the wavy burn was caused by a vein under the wrapper
• The burn isn’t getting uncontrollable, staying with a slight wave as it burns through what seems to be a pretty long vein
• After the ash fell I decided to give it a quick touch up so the next section starts off nicely
• I gave it another quick touch up after the second ashing as it seems this subterranean vein will not go away!

Smoke & Ash:
• Right off the first draw it’s easy to tell that this cigar is going to be a smoke machine, it fills your mouth completely with very little effort on each draw
• The ash on this cigar is a beautiful thing, very tight and neat with an almost white color and some smaller accents of light grey
• There is a bit of resting smoke slowly coming out of the cigar, it leaves a nice sweet roasted cedar aroma in the air
• The ash continues to impress, staying nice and clean and easily hitting the 2 inch mark before falling into the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on this cigar gives off a wonderful cedar aroma with a touch sweet cocoa
• The foot of the cigar has aromas of wood and hefty helping of spice, mostly pepper and raw nutmeg
• Pre-light draw brings an interesting mixture of cedar, nuts and some coffee all held together by a prominent pepper spice. There’s also earthy notes in there
• The first few draws bring a blast of pepper and cedar, with some of the nutmeg tossed in there
• Within the first inch, the “in-your-face” peppery punch tapered off, I’m left with a nice bittersweet coffee and cocoa flavor with some hints of nuts
• The retrohale has a small bite, just enough to keep it interesting and a super smooth cedary finish
• The balance at this point is stellar, all the flavors are playing an equal role and the finish is amazingly smooth
• The coffee flavors are slowly developing as I progress and the body has stayed in the medium range from the start
• I’m not sure if it’s just the pairing or a combination of the two, but this cigar has some awesome coffee notes, maybe even a nice espresso flavor
• I’m surprised that as I get near the halfway mark the pepper and nutmeg spices are nowhere to be seen after that initial burst
• I want to re-iterate how smooth this cigar is smoking, very balanced, creamy and smooth!
• Approaching the last third, I can sense the body building here, the flavors are also getting more intense
• I think the initial spice is starting to make a re-appearance near the end, I was hoping for this!
• The spice definitely came back with a vengence, lots of pepper, raw nutmeg, and maybe a bit of paprika all mixed in with the cedar, coffee and creaminess
• The last bit of this cigar is an absolute flavor bomb and a bit of hefty body, but it’s still balanced very well

Final Thoughts:
If you didn’t figure it out from my notes above, I loved this cigar! The coffee notes in this thing were over the top and they stayed well balanced and smooth with everything else. The burn had a bit of trouble due to a vein but nothing that got me annoyed or relighting multiple times. The ash was also spectacular as was the whole visual presentation of the cigar. I went into this cigar expecting a lot of spice but it never really overpowered the cigar other than a little burst at the start. Now this is obviously a limited edition cigar and along with that title comes a limited edition price. The My Father Limited Edition 2010 carried a retail price of about $20 so it’s not something I can justify having too often but it’s definitely worth splurging and enjoying on special occasions. The cigar doesn’t seem to need aging but I think it would taste even better after a little time in the humidor.

Pairings:
Today’s pairing is from a local brewery about 45min North from where I live. It’s a nice little town with a small ski hill for the winter and a beautiful lodge. Their brews are fairly small batch and I tend to have a hard time finding them but so far I’ve enjoyed each one that I’ve had. I thought I had done a review with their Dark Ale but after a quick search I can’t seem to find it… but back on topic! This brew is a Traditional Irish Stout from Hockley Valley Brewing Co. It has a neat little catchphrase on the can as well: “Pours like liquid midnight”. And indeed that phrase holds true. The Hockley Stout is a thick and dark brew and pours with a full head of foam. It has some wonderful coffee notes and a sight hoppy bitterness, all held together with a smooth creaminess. I have to say I think this was an awesome pairing for this cigar. The thick brew stood up to the bold flavors of the My Father LE 2010 and was flavorful enough to add to the whole experience. I would highly recommend a good stout with this cigar. As always, I think Port would go well here! Also, you can try a nice scotch or a strong coffee.

The post My Father Limited Edition 2010 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

I smoked a few of these cigars, but this one in particular was actually sent to me by our good friend Mike at Mikestogies.com. Mike was the man who actually sent over the sticks I did on my first blind review set which you can view here. He’s a great guy, with great reviews.

The Good Stuff: Each year Camacho releases a limited release cigar called the Liberty Series.The tradition started back in 2002 and is one of my favorite annual releases. They retail anywhere between $18 and $22 a stick and come in boxes of 10 individually coffin-boxed cigars. If you’d like to read our review of the 2009, you can see Daniel’s take on it here. Again, the scenery may look a bit different. I am doing yet another review at my favorite local shop, Tobacco Rd.

Size: 6 x 54 (11/18)  – Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatran  – Binder: Honduran Corojo  – Filler: Honduran Corojo and Dominican Ligero

Prelight: The Camacho Liberty 2010 holds true to all the past Liberty series in terms of presentation. The Liberty starts out encased in a dark blue, shiny, painted coffin box. Each box has a sticker with each cigar’s unique number. This one happens to be 775 /40,000. Once the seal on the box is broken I was showcased with a nice cedar scent and a tissue wrapped cigar placed carefully inside the box. Once then tissue is removed you are presented with the standard, flashy, black and silver Camacho band that you would expect. One interesting thing about this band is out of all the 2010 Liberties that I smoked, this was the only one with  a black band. All the rest of them had a dark blue similar to the color of the paint on the box. The band is very similar in design from the previous years. The Liberty 2010 also comes fitted with a nice little foot band that simply states “Liberty Series” in silver on dark blue ink. The wrapper on the Liberty is a very light, very consistent, milky brown. The smaller foot leads up to a much wider body before tapering off to a smaller, rounded cap that matches the size of the Liberty’s foot. For the most part the cigar is very firm to the touch with the exception of the foot. There is a crack at the top of the cigar from the head to about the middle of the band. Mainly just a wrapper crack. It looks as thought it didn’t harm the binder. Normally I wouldn’t review a cigar that already has a crack in it, but this is my third Liberty 2010 from three totally different boxes that have similar cracks. Not to mention I had a few similar issues with the 2009’s I smoked last year. This just must be a delicate wrapper. The wrapper has this immense scent of straight up cedar. It seriously smells like the inside of a brand new humidor. which happens to be of my favorite scents in the world. Some how the foot has an ever stronger cedar scent with just a little whiff of spice. The Liberty cut very clean with my double bladed cutter. Lucky enough, the crack didn’t increase much in size.  The cold draw kicks out this wonderful milky, cedar flavor and leaves behind just a tiny bit of spice.

First Smoke: The Liberty 2010 starts off slightly different than I expected. Instead of being smacked in the face with soft cedar, the cigar starts off bold, with some earthy, leather notes. Not long after the cigar turns into this just massive cedar bomb, holy crap. This is the reason why I love these Liberties. Outside of the cedar there is a slight spice sneaking into the mix. All around this cigar is starting off very smooth and flavorful. The draw is easy, and plentiful, but the main story is the stationary smoke. The Liberty 2010 gives off a ton of cedar scented stationary smoke that even overpowers the other three cigars that are going in the room at the time. The burnline is slightly wavy, but I always have that problem with this size. They almost always fix themselves. The ash is a very light grey with some slight flakes, but overall tightly compacted. The ash held on for a little over an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: One major difference with this year’s 2010 Liberty is a big one for me. The cigar burns so much slower than the previous year. The 2009 was soooo good, but at the price point I was always hesitant to spend the money to buy a cigar that would burn so quickly. The cedar is still rocking very hard into this second third. The spice is still there as well with notes of leather and some really creamy chocolate. The retrohale in this cigar is absolutely amazing. After a few retrohales I swear my nasal passage made me feel as if I have been locked in a humidor for the last 3 days. The body is slowly starting to creep in as well. It’s not full, but it is noticeable. The burnline has completely fixed itself and is holding solid as I expected. The ash is ugly, but the experience is wonderful.

Finish: The cedar has begun to fade a bit into the final third of this Camacho Liberty 2010. The cedar is still the main flavor with the backing flavors of spice, and this really strong leather flavor. The body has really ramped up too, which is totally unexpected.  I’m even getting a slight nicotine kick from this one. There was a slight harsh build up into the last inch but nothing too concerning, it was almost expected.  All in all the cigar finished very smooth, a bit heavier than I expected, and burned much slower taking about an hour and forty five minutes to finish.

Overview: The Camacho Liberty has always been a cigar that I look out for every year. The similar blends are just wonderful. The cost is a little high, but it’s a great cigar, for those special times. The slower burn was great, but it had its own drawback. Towards the end of the experience the cedar starting to get overwhelming and it made me want the tobacco flavors to come in and really take over. The crack really didn’t make much of a difference, and seldom does in this cigar. All in all, it’s a good cigar, at a decent price. But the Liberty is not something that I would put in my regular rotation due to the price, and availability. I do however love to keep a few of these on hand to satisfy those cedar cravings.

The post Camacho Liberty 2010 Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

#10 – Tatuaje – Tabacos El Triunfador

Recent blends by Pete Johnson and Don Pepin have all been successful. This particular one may have fallen off peoples radars since it was released earlier this year. The cigar offers a sweet and nutty mild-bodied smoke that is accented with some cedar and subtle spices all wrapped in a gorgeous looking package. They do smoke a bit fast but the experience is very enjoyable.

View the full review here

#9 – Padron – Family Reserve 46 Years

Padron is a company who continuously rocks the cigar community with top rated blend, after blend and 2010 was no exception. The Padron Family Reserve 46 years is the newest extension to the Reserve line, and it a flawless addition indeed. From the awesome box-press vitola, to the deep cedar flavors the 46 year will be making the ranks of top cigars of 2010 lists everywhere. Although we loved the hell out of this cigar, the price tag was just a little too steep to put this cigar higher in the list.

View the full review here

#8 – Casa Fernandez – Aganorsa Leaf

This is a well constructed cigar from Casa Fernandez that packs itself with a fair bit of full body. The cigar is well balanced and plays mainly on some peppery spices and cedar notes but mixes in some coffee, nutty, and leather flavors to keep it interesting right down the nub.

View the full review here

#7 – CAO – La Traviata Maduro

CAO had a big hit with its well priced La Traviata and the Maduro wrapped version of that cigar did not disappoint. With the same favorable price range, this blend maintains its tasty flavors of spice and cedar, the full body, it’s perfect balance and consistency while adding a nice chocolate and coffee sweetness that the Maduro wrapper offers up.

View the full review here

#6 – My Father Cigars – Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial

Great blending seems to run in the family, this offering from Don Pepin Gracias’ son, Jaime, is a beautifully constructed cigar. It has an oily dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, kicks off with a typical Pepin spice and pepper and is complimented with nuances of coffee, cocoa and cedar. The smooth and balanced cigar offers a fantastic medium to full smoke, take you time and enjoy it!

View the full review here

#5 – La Aurora – Serie Anniversario 107

Miami Cigar has turned out a lot of great cigars this year and the 107 is a very tasty smoke that generated a lot of buzz in the online community. Although released earlier this year, a lancero vitola was made available later in the year which is another great way to experience this line. It’s sweet and fruity flavors are complimented by a smooth spice that offers a great balance in a medium bodied cigar.

View the full review here of the Corona or here of the Robusto.

#4 – Illusione – Singulare Phantom

One of our favorite manufacturer’s really stepped their game up this year producing his first limited release to date. Dion Giolito of Illusione cigars raised the bar (and my future expectations) when it comes to quality when he released this year’s Singulare series “The Phantom”. The Phantom is a milder blend jam packed with sweet tobacco, honey, and creamy earth flavors resulting in an all around stellar smoking experience.

View the full review here

#3 – AVO – Limited Edition 2010

AVO is known for their milder take on cigar blending, but they really stepped out of their comfort zone when they created the LE10. Knocking it out of the ballpark with a strong mix of Ecuadorian, Mexican, and Nicaraguan tobaccos which, when mixed properly produce a flavor bomb full of just enough body to cure all your cravings. The only con to this cigar is the fact that it’s so limited.

View the full review here

#2 Drew Estate – Liga Privada Unicos Series Dirty Rat

Drew Estate does it again with another remarkable addition to the Liga Privada line. The Dirty Rat satisfies not only the boldest of cigar smoker’s needs, but the complex cedar, earthy, cocoa notes wrapped up into a tiny little corona sized package are enough to make any smoker fall in love at first draw.

View the full review here

#1 Miami Cigars – La Sirena 

Photo Courtesy of Jackie at Bonita Smoke Shop

Miami Cigar’s La Sirena came out of nowhere and blind-sided the cigar community with a late start this year. We can personally say that we didn’t expect the diamond of a cigar that the La Sirena is, but I won’t be surprised to see this cigar at the top of most, if not all the lists this year. Pepin puts forth a fruity, coffee, sweet tobacco, and spicy blend all in a full body package. Who could ask for more?

We know, we know, this is the ONLY cigar in our top 10 that we do not have a review for. But Trust us, as soon as we get my hands on more (we were too busy “enjoying” them)

Honorable Mentions

Cuban Cohiba Behike
Although it didn’t make the top 10, we still think the Cuban Cohiba Behike should be mentioned. This is an absolutely amazing cigar. From the construction, to the flavorful and attention grabbing blend, the Behike stands alone. The only factor keeping it out of the race was the price. At $40 – $80 a stick we just couldn’t justify having this cigar top the list

K.A. Kendall’s 7-20-4 Dogwalker
This cigar would definitely have made this list but unfortunately it is not a new line this year, only a new size. The small size packs the same delicious flavors of cedar, subtle spices and a very interesting sweet dried raison, all in a short smoke that can be easily enjoyed on cold days or your drive home.

View the full review of the 7-20-4 here

Tatuaje Petit Reserva & Verocu No. 5
Another two cigars but Pete Johnson that are short quick smokes but pack the flavors of their full sized brothers. There some sweetness, spice, cedar and coffee notes on both of these cigars. I got a little more sweetness on the Verocu No. 5 and a bit more body and spice from the Petit Reserva but both were very tasty!

The post Casas Fumando’s Best of 2010 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.