Courtesy of www.CigarsInternational.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte (Blind Review) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

I’m splitting this into 2 separate postings, so look forward to the other one next week! Keep in mind that I know NOTHING about these cigars. I really like these blind tastings because it completely removes any biases towards a brand or particular cigar, so it’s 100% honest. I think we all create some kind of bias to brands based on past smoking experiences so I’m throwing those out the window and going into this with an open mind. Let’s see what happens…

“The Godfather”

This is a massive cigar, probably one of these new fancy 6×60’s that everyone seems to be making. It appears to have a nice clean wrapper and even construction at first glance. The cut and lighting were super easy and I was soon on my way.
Initial draws were fairly bland, getting just your basic tobacco flavor with a hint of woody or earthy, but mostly just tobacco. The draw is also fairly open at this point.
After about an inch, a bit of sweetness started appearing now and then making this a little more enjoyable, let’s hope it sticks around.
The burn through the first half has been pretty good with only one minor touch up but the cigar is leaving me a bit dry, although the sweetness is a nice touch. Body for the most part has been on the edge of medium and the retrohale has a nice bite and a smooth woodsy finish.
Despite the good burn in the first half, I’ve had to retouch the cigar multiple times in the second half and that’s not helping the flavors at all… The retrohale continues to be amazingly enjoyable.
Cigar got a little bitter near the end and needed to set it down early, probably due to the relights.
The ash was always nice and clean and lasted at least an inch every time. I found it very odd that the retrohale was much more enjoyable than the normal draws, haven’t really experienced that disconnect before.

Reveal: Illusione ~mj12~

Post Reveal Notes: Wow! Big surprise! Although this was still a decent smoke, I remember the one I had a while back to be awesome. I think this may have been a bum stick or maybe I didn’t let it rest in my humi long enough to acclimate. I have one more from a box pass to compare to. After discussing this with Tony he mentioned he has come across the occasional dud in the ~mj12~ as well, so I’ll chalk this one up to that!

“Casino”

A very nice looking Toro sized cigar, maybe 6 x 54 or so. The wrapper has a very nice oily sheen to it with a few medium sized veins. Construction looks excellent and cigar feels pretty hefty in my hand, it’s also fairly firm through the whole length.
Toasting was a cinch and the foot glowed easily with no effort. Initial draws are packed with cedar and light peppery spices with a bit of leather and saltiness. I might even venture an early guess that this is a young Cuban of some kind?? But I quickly change my mind because the wrapper and construction looks too clean and neat for a Cuban.
Getting some nice coffee flavors developing with the cigar as the spice takes a backseat. Burn line is awesome through the first half and the ash is staying strong, clean and solid.
The cigar has been mostly in the medium range and the retrohale has a nice little bite and a smooth woodsy finish. The spices seem to be making a little comeback as I progress past the halfway point and the profile has had a nice creaminess to it throughout. I’m going to go with a second guess here that this is an AJ Fernandez stick of some kind.
Spices and espresso-like coffee flavors made for a nice final third of this cigar. The body increased a bit, but just barely at the edge of full. There is a nice mix of pepper and maybe a bit of paprika near the end and the creaminess is sticking around too.
A tiny bit more buildup in body and intensity of flavors near the nub, but no harshness. A very tasty finish!

Reveal: A La Aurora Broadway Series!

Post Reveal Notes: I didn’t think I was gonna get to try this since it’s a New York exclusive so I’m glad I got to. I was WAY off in my guess. This cigar had a lot more spice than I would expect from La Aurora. I looked up the MSRP of these, at $12 I would be hard-pressed to buy many more. They are good, but not $12 good. Apparently they can be had for about $8 which is a much more reasonable price point. Yet another cigar that keeps my interest in the La Aurora brand!

I will have a couple more to review next week so keep your eyes peeled!

The post Mobster Movie Themed Mystery Cigar Roundup – Part 1 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Prelight: Cigar #9 starts out with a very smooth, consistent, yellowish brown wrapper. This could be some good Connecticut, Ecuadorian, Sumatran, or maybe even Cuban. The construction on this cigar is spot on bearing only one large vein between the body and the seamless, round double cap. And I use the term “double cap” loosely cause quite frankly, I can’t even tell if it’s double or triple. The cigar feels extremely hard when compressed. All except the foot which is very squishy. The wrapper feels really delicate and I am scared to handle it too much for fear of tearing or breakage.

This cigar is really holding back on its prelight aroma. I can barely get a slight cedar scent from the wrapper. So light that I can’t tell if it’s the actual cigar, or just some aroma it picked up from my humidor. The foot give off a very interesting sweet smell. It’s not something I smell too often in cigars. It’s a lot lighter and I can’t really smell much of the tobacco. It almost smells like sweet bread mixed with clean sheets or something. Really strange I know, and I am pulling really far its true. But, it’s worth noting that the small amount of aroma that I am pulling from this cigar isn’t one that I come across too often. The cap of this cigar cut super easy. Like, crazy easy. It felt as if I didn’t even need a cutter. The cold draw is really dry, and gives off an almost mossy leather type flavor. Don’t be turned off by that though. I picked up the same flavor in my review of the AVO LE10 and absolutely loved the cigar.

First Smoke: Lighting of the cigar was cake. And what some REALLY strange flavors I am pulling out of this thing. First, it started off with a really strange Marijuana type flavor (no joke). After the first few draws that changed into a charred, burn type flavor. All that before balancing out to a mossy, leather, creamy woodsy flavor with this neat little kick of spice that I can only feel during the aftertaste. The cigar gives off some slight stationary smoke, but it’s VERY pungent with a strong woodsy and spice aroma.  The burnline is a very sharp, but wavy at times. Nothing too concerning though as it leaves behind a very light grey trail of flaky ash. Remarkably, the ash held on well over an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Interesting enough, the second third of this blind cigar is being totally dominated by this strong cashew flavor. My mouth seriously tastes like I have been smoking cigars and eating mixed nuts for the last 3 hours.  Outside of that I am still getting the same mossy, wet wood flavors I was getting in the first third and just a pinch of the spice on the aftertaste along with this slight metallic taste. The retrohale on this cigar is strange to me. I’m not really pulling strong spice and cedar from this cigar, but the retrohale is just that. It’s enjoyable though and gives a nice change up in the cigar’s profile. I am not feeling much of any nicotine at all from this cigar. The burnline still has some slight waves, but is overall doing a good job correcting itself. Believe it or not, I am actually feeling a little nicotine kick from this cigar.

Finish:  Down to the last third of this blind cigar, and overall it’s been very interesting. The flavor mash-ups while, not ideal, really keep you on your toes. The main flavor now has resolved to the mossy wet wood flavor more than the cashew. The cashew is still in there, but it’s really toned down a lot as the body began to ramp up. I am not finally getting some of the cedar flavor too, but it may be too little too late. I would have liked this a lot more upfront to balance out the moss taste. This cigar really took a lot longer then I thought to burn, ending up at a total of an hour and a half smoking time. Burnline was dead even by the end of the experience and required no touch ups, or relights what so ever.

Overview: Overall this was a good cigar. It’s definitely a departure from what I am used to smoking, but that doesn’t make it a bad cigar. The flavors aren’t something you come across everyday which made me really want to smoke more of the cigar and really pull to see what else I could pick up. The body ramp up at the end was really nice, but like I said, I really wish some of the cedar flavors came though a little more. It’s almost as if the cigar never really got it’s chance to shine.

So what did I think it was? PSh, who knows. I really had a hard time with this one as it probably isn’t anything that I have ever smoked before and if it is, it’s not anything I have had in while. My first guess would have to be a Tatuaje Ambos Mundos Sumatran. The wrapper on this cigar really had the characteristics of Sumatran Tobacco. Plus, I don’t smoke those often enough to be able to pull them out of a crowd. Second guess? Man, I really don’t know. Maybe a Bolivar Cuban? I haven’t had one of those in a while either, but I do remember them having a little kick of strength with an overall mild composure. Either way, my guesses are swayed very heavily on overall appearance of the cigar cause quite frankly, I really don’t think I have ever smoked this cigar before.

The Reveal: Turns out this cigar was far from my predictions. The Zino Chateau.

First of all. Let me start off by thanking Brooks for honesty. Why you may ask? Well, if any of you have read Brook’s review on this cigar you would know his thoughts on this. I remember reading it when he posted it and being BLOWN away by how honest, and upfront his opinions where on this cigar. In fact, I remember him actually saying “While I have loved a few and have been disappointed by a few (Dominican) Davidoffs in the past, to say this is a “Shitty” cigar would be slandering shit” Woah right? He then goes on to say: “I was going to give one of these away, but decided that would be torture to whoever received it, so count yourselves lucky.”  That’s where his honesty about me comes into play. He obviously sees me as an enemy.

All kidding aside, I am really glad that he sent this stick. As you can read above you can tell I didn’t think this was a great stick. But I also didn’t think it was that bad either. What this does is really confirm two things. 1) That taste is purely subjective. and 2) that I am a complete idiot for my guesses. Both the Tatuaje and the Bolivar didn’t deserve that.

Well, I wont really go into specifics about this cigar. I will say this, it’s probably may more pricey than it’s worth. To read Brook’s full review (which I strongly suggest you do, you’ll get a kick out of it) follow this link.

The post Blind Cigar #9 from Brooks at Smoking Stogie appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Prelight: Woah, now this is a dark cigar. In the picture above  it’s even hard to make out where the cigar ends and my black dining room table begins. The wrapper of this cigar is one of the darkest I have ever seen, black and a very dark brown with an almost perfectly consistent color minus the extra darkness around the foot. The wrapper is very old and rustic looking, tooth, and full of thick veins. Hopefully they won’t be any burden as I smoke through this cigar. The wrapper shines like duct tape, reflecting tons of sunlight off the beaten body before leading up do the seamless round double cap. I may be wrong but this cigar really looks like it has had some better days. Well aged maybe? At this point only Brooks knows.

Outside of the cigars visual characteristics Cigar #7’s wrapper pumps out a very rich cedar and an almost sandalwood type aroma. It smells a lot like incense. The foot of the cigar only gives off a very slight leather and muddy type smell. The cigar cut easy and clean using my double bladed Palio cutter, although the wrapper seemed really thick. The cold draw on this cigar is rather interesting. It tastes much like I am eating a gingerbread cookie. Sweet sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of coffee. The draw is a bit tight though but hopefully that opens up as I smoke the cigar.

First Smoke: This cigar was crazy easy to light using only my single flame butane torch. The first surprise was the pepper. I really didn’t pull any signs of pepper form the scent of the cigar, nor from the cold draw, but this cigar threw out a little fit of pepper shortly after lighting up. After the pepper, the cigar gets rolling with nice cedar and strong espresso flavors. There is a bit of that brown sugar I mentioned in there but at this point the strong coffee flavors are dominating the experience. The draw is a little tight, but a whole lot easier than I was expecting. It only takes a view puffs to get a good thick draw from this cigar. The stationary smoke is crazy, giving off massive trails of smoke the entire time this cigar sits in my ashtray.  The burnline on this cigar is crazy and really has a mind of its own burning way deep on one side of the cigar while the other side struggles to keep up.  The ash is interesting too. It starts off very dark grey but then turns into this flaky mess of white and light grey ash with dark spots around the edges. The ash held on for about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: I don’t know how it did it, but this cigar has almost completely self-corrected the train-wreck of a burnline into the second third. The main flavor is still the bold espresso, now with a ton of dark chocolate, and only a slight bit of cedar mixed in. The retrohale on this cigar quickly reveals there is still a ton of pepper and spice waiting to take part in this cigar’s experience. Outside of that, the more I smoke this cigar, the more the body builds. Another side note is this is a very dry cigar. What I mean by that is no matter how much water I drink I am still left with this sore dryness left in the back of my throat. Maybe it’s just the dry desert heat, or maybe it is in fact the cigar. Whatever the case may be I felt it was worth mentioning.

Finish: As quickly as the chocolate came, it faded. I am not left with a rich espresso flavor with the cedar, spice, and even the pepper creeping back into the picture. This cigar does have it’s share of change-ups. Maybe it’s just me, but the body of this cigar is ridiculous. It just keeps building and building in attempt to completely blow me off my feet by the end of the cigar. It really packs a punch. Sadly, with only an inch remaining in this cigar some blatant harshness began to find it’s way into the experience. All in all, this cigar took a little over an hour to take down.

Overview: Although this being a very interesting experience, cigar #7 didn’t go without flaw. The harshness, burn, flaky ash, and flavors didn’t wow me as much as I wish they would. My main complaint about the flavors were the pepper and espresso really dampened the nice cedar flavor that was dying to show through. I think if the cedar had more room to grow it would have resulted in a much more tasty, and smoother smoke. I did like the cigar’s ability to rapidly change up, and the full body that just continued to build and build. This isn’t a cigar I would go chasing after, but I wouldn’t mind having a few lying around for those days that I want to reach for something stronger.

So what did I think it was? I’d really have to coin this cigar as a La Flor Dominicana. The flavors matched, as well as the pepper, spice and body. But I am not completely sold on this being a Nicaraguan Puro cigar. The wrapper kicked out tons of flavors but the backing flavors weren’t as bold and straight forward as I come to expect from Nicaraguan tobacco. My second guess would have to be a CAO Maduro. I have had a few very well aged CAO Maduro’s lately, and despite them normally being flat experiences, age does them very well.

And the reveal! This cigar was a Padilla La Terraza Maduro! Yeah I wasn’t expecting that.

Padilla’s La Terraza line is the newest value line released earlier this year. The cigar is a Nicaraguan puro and each of these cigars run about $4.50 for a single, or roughly $80 for a box of twenty. With that in mind, does it change my thoughts on the cigar any? Not entirely. But what it does do is it take this cigar into a totally different spectrum. I was honestly expecting at least an $8 stick. That alone tells you that this is a hell of a cigar for the money! Now that I know the price I really do think this is a cigar I’d like to keep around. It’s the perfect “high volume” everyday cigar. It fits right up there with CAO Traviata, or even the Henry Clay that Brooks threw my way during our last set of blind reviews. Boxworthy? Totally.

The post Blind Review #7 from Smoking Stogie appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Prelight: Cigar #6 starts off with this absolutely beautiful, extremely toothy wrapper. This bad boy is oily! Bits of oil were rubbing off on my fingers every time I hold the cigar. The wrapper is a really dark, and consistent dark-chocolate brown. The construction on this cigar is immaculate. The only visible veins are very slight, and smooth. They blend so well in with the cigar they were hard to even find. Despite how lightweight this cigar is, it seems incredibly durable with very little give heading up towards the round double cap.

The wrapper of this cigar gives off a really nice cedar aroma while the foot lets loots a really, really deep spice. The cap clipped with extreme ease using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw is really interesting. It starts with just a ton of pepper, spice, cedar, and some sweet raisin. Strange I know, but if the cigar bears as much flavor as the cold draw I know I’ll be impressed.

First Smoke: Cigar #6 lit and toasted really quick, and really easy. This cigar starts off with a ton of pepper. After the pepper simmered down a bit the cigar’s real flavors kicked in. Starting out with a ton of cedar, some really sharp spice, sweet tobacco, and this really interesting grape/plum flavor I pulled from the aftertaste. The burline started out completely solid, and razor sharp producing a very beautiful, tightly compacted white ash. Despite the beautiful ash, it only held on for about an inch before taking a dive right into my lap.

Halfway There: Going into the second third of cigar #6 and the pepper has completely faded leaving room for this cigar to really take off. The deep cedar flavor is still the main flavor backed by subtle spice, sweet cinnamon, and that strange plum flavor I pulled early into this cigar. At first, I thought the wrapper on this cigar was Connecticut Broadleaf, but the more I smoke it, the more I find myself leaning away from that. Stalk Cut Habano maybe? It just doesn’t have to same sweet characteristics that Connecticut Broadleaf normally does. Anyhow, getting back into it, the retrohale on this cigar is really sharp and spicy, I don’t find myself doing it too often at all. Not to mention the fact that I can already feel a bit of the nicotine from this cigar.

Finish: The complexity of this cigar never stops amazing me. Into the final third of this cigar the pepper flavor from the start of the smoke made a brief reappearance. The main flavor is still this plethora of cedar. My mouth taste’s like I have been chewing on a black of cedar. At this point the Plum flavor is really taking off too. What a neat mixture of flavor. The body has really started to jump up as well.  I am scared to get up and walk around. There was a little harshness in the end, but nothing that I didn’t mind smoking through. All in all this cigar took about an hour to take down. Probably too fast for me to call it the cigar I am about to, but that’s just part of the game.

Overview: This was a damn good cigar. Extremely complex, bold, strong, and interesting. It really kept me on my toes. Not for the faint of heart. Just make sure you have a nice meal, and something to drink handy before taking on whatever cigar this happens to be. (on a side note, all these blind reviews are paired with water. Since I don’t know what they are I don’t want to risk pairing them with something that could ruin the experience. )

So now, for the part that makes me look like a complete dumbass. What did I think this was?

First off all, I really want to say this is a Nicaraguan cigar. It had all the characteristics, but the flavors were so interesting that I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a crazy mix of tobacco in there. What Nicaraguan cigar did I think it is? Well, I really couldn’t get over the wrapper. It looks like something I am so used to be the experience didn’t match. That being said, my first guess is this is some crazy Liga Privada blend. The wrapper REALLY identified with the wrapper seen on the T52. The rest of the experience didn’t, but with all the experimenting that Drew Estate has been doing lately, and Brooks’ ability to get ahold of just about anything, it wouldn’t surprise me. Second guess? Viaje. I haven’t had the pleasure of smoking too many Viaje, but this is something that would definitely fit within their line. Flavorful, strong, and different. Now lets see just how far off I was.

And the cigar is, Tatuaje’s Fausto. Is this cigar even out yet? Brooks doesn’t mess around.

Tatuaje’s Fausto is a new blend being released this year. New blend? Kinda. If any of you remember the extremely limited T110 blend that Pete made for R. Fields in Hawaii then this cigar shouldn’t been unfamiliar to you. The Fausto is the same blend form the T110, only in different sizes. After all the success of the T110 Pete wanted to eventually turn it into a fully produced line. The Fausto is a damn strong cigar. This is a full ligero cigar composed of Jalapa and Estelí grown Nicaraguan tobacco. At least I got that part right. And the wrapper? Ecuador Habano Maduro. Again, I was close!

If you want to find out more about this cigar, and see a great review of it, head over to this link to check out what brooks over at Smokingstogie.com had to say about it.

The post Blind Review #6 from Smoking Stogie appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The G.A.R. line of cigars is currently only offered in the Original or White Label. There were two other blends in the G.A.R. lineup called the Lux and the Vanguard but both have been recently discontinued. I heard a little “rumour” that there may be a new addition to the G.A.R. lineup very soon so be sure to keep your eyes peeled on the Gran Habano website! G.A.R. stands for it’s creator’s initials, George A. Rico, who is the mastermind behind Gran Habano Cigars. Be sure to check out some of our other Gran Habano reviews, including the new Azteca, Gran Reserva #3, Corojo #5 or the Connecticut #1 which was part of this Blind Review post. There is also a ton more information about the company in each of those reviews if you were curious to learn more about Gran Habano and it’s history.

The G.A.R. line was blending by Mr. Rico to be a full-bodied and full-flavored cigar that promises to be complex throughout. It is currently offered in 4 vitolas and today I will be lighting up the Robusto Grande size. One interesting thing about this blend is the use of a mild Connecticut leaf as the binder underneath the more powerful Corojo wrapper. Sounds like it could be a nice creamy compliment to the spicy and full offering, we’ll see how it plays out as I burn through the cigar.

Cigar: G.A.R. by George A. Rico. White Label / Original
Drink: Quinta do Tedo Fine Tawny Port
Vitola: Robusto Grande (5.5 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: About $6
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A very even and round looking cigar wrapped with a wonderfully oily and dark cinnamon brown wrapper
• A triple cap tops off this cigar with a mostly clean finish
• The wrapper is mostly vein-less and smooth except for two large veins running the length of the cigar
• The cigar has a perfect soft spring when squeezed that is consistent from cap to foot
• The band holds it together at the foot which appears to be well packed
• The cut cut off as clean as could be and with minimal effort

Burn:
• Took quite a bit of time to get the foot glowing and even then it wasn’t even, but after a quick draw everything was back in order
• The burn started off promising but then needed a correction within the first inch
• The cigar kept burning a little uneven and eventually it needs a slight re-light every so often
• It is burning quite slow and letting me enjoy it without extra attention
• Cigar began to tunnel and burn a bit hot near the end

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw is offering up a full mouth of smoke
• Resting smoke is very minimal and gives off a woodsy aroma
• Ash is a very light grey color, almost white, and appears to be holding strong
• Tapped off the first ash just past an inch, it could have held on longer but my re-lighting seemed to affect it’s structural integrity
• All the other ashes were still around the one inch mark or less

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a light sweet tobacco aroma
• The foot has a similar sweet tobacco aroma but paired with a faint fruity-coffee mixture
• The pre-light draw offers up a kick of spice and cedar that you could never guess from the aromas
• Initial draws smack you in the face with a ton of tasty woody flavors
• The retrohale at this point is also full of woodsy flavors and lacks any bite
• A nice mellow bready flavor kicked in, nice
• After about an inch I’m getting some nice mild coffee flavors
• As I approach the middle I’m getting some clove flavors and a slight tartness to the mix
• The retrohale still has no bite and the same woodsy finish
• The body has held steady around the mild/medium and is continually giving me a nice creamy finish
• The coffee, bready and clove flavors are all still present as I reach the last third, they are each developing slowly on their own and taking turns as the dominant flavor
• I find that the clove flavor is developing the most and also mixing in a white pepper like flavor, I believe this is the Corojo wrapper starting to shine near the end
• The body started to pick up a bit more as I passed the past third
• The G.A.R. ended with more coffee and clove notes and subtle hints of pepper, very little harshness

Final Thoughts:
This was a tasty smoke with a good variety of flavors to keep you on your toes as you smoke through it. None of the flavors were overpowering or off-putting. My only complaint on this cigar would be the number of touch-ups it required. The touch-ups usually tend to change the flavor for at least a few draws and I try to avoid it as much as possible. Some of these burn issues could also be attributed to the cold temperature out here today, I find that below freezing temps can easily affect a delicate wrapper. But aside from that issue this is a cigar worthy of trying. It promised to be more full bodied then I found it to be, but that might have been because of the Port that I paired it with. It also promised to be complex and full-flavored and I fully believe it lived up to that. It’s offered at a fair price which can make it a good option to be included in your regular rotation.

Pairings:
Sorry for the lack in uniqueness in my pairings lately, I haven’t gone shopping for beer in awhile and I picked up two bottles of this port because they were on sale. If you’re one our wonderful faithful readers you’ll recognize this Quinta do Tedo Tawny Port from a couple of my recent reviews including the Monte Pascoal and the Miraculous Templar Maduro. Please check out those reviews for more details on this Port. The fruity flavors here are pairing well with the cloves and coffee. The higher sugar content of the Port is also helping to any nicotine effects that this cigar may have offered. I think a nice Scotch would have been a great choice here or a tasty bold coffee.

The post G.A.R. By George A. Rico – Robusto Grande 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.

Again, just in case you have been in a dark cave or under a pile of Christmas presents the last month. I am doing a run through of a 5 cigar blind set that Brooks from Smoking Stogie sent my way. Check out his site, now, I demand it. Enough asking nicely. He’s got some of the most honest reviews and best photography of some of the rarest sticks I have ever seen.

Prelight: Cigar #5 is a nice, hefty, large corona. The wrapper is very, very dark sporting a very consistent dark brown color that only darkens to an almost black around the rounded cap of the cigar. The only lighter brown spots seem to follow the path of the larger vein running through the body of the cigar. The cigar is hard as a rock and super firm to the touch. Hopefully this doesn’t result in a tight draw, but for the most part I am on a hot streak when it comes to good draws, so hopefully that pattern keeps.  There are no soft spots at all. Even the foot of the cigar is hard and firm. There are a few larger veins running the length of the body, but nothing too concerning. They just help emphasize the beautifully, oily, well constructed cigar that this is.

I am pulling a lot of spice and even some fruity aromas from the wrapper of this cigar while the foot is a spicy, sweet fruit as well. What a unique scent, hopefully this transitions into the smoking experience. The clipping was cake using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw releases a very doughy, bready type flavor with just a touch of spice on the tail end. It almost tastes like a compacted ball of wheat bread.

First Smoke: I am initially welcomed with a very nice, heavy white pepper flavor that filled my entire mouth, and left it tingling. The strong pepper stayed very powerful through almost the entire first third of the cigar. Once the pepper began to subdue a bit, hints of cedar, plum, spice, and coffee became evident. The pepper really demanded all the attention in the first third though. The cigar kicks out a very thick cloud of smoke with each and every draw requiring very little effort. I was a bit skeptical since the cigar was so firm, and rolled so tightly. The burnline was a bit thick produces small waves early into the cigar. The ash is a beautifully compacted, bright white/light grey mixture and held steady for about an inch and a half before giving way.

Halfway there: The fruit flavors are gone. The sweetness is gone. The Pepper is still rocking hard. And the body is in full effect. What is left is a strong, peppery, leather and woodsy flavor. This is definitely a man’s cigar.  I am already feeling a little nicotine kick early into the second third. The burn has corrected itself completely, but constantly creates smaller waves before yet again correcting them. The ash keep flowering up on me, but astonishingly enough the ash has isn’t falling all over the place. The retrohale is killer. This isn’t a cigar I’d retrohale often as the pepper just kicks the crap out of my nasal passage. It definitely cleared my sinuses though.

Finish: Into the final third now and the pepper is still holding strong. I almost with it would fade out a bit more and let the cigars other flavors shine through. Other than the pepper I am still picking up the leather and a woodsy flavor as well as little chocolate notes here and there. The burn has been all over the place, but lucky enough I haven’t had to touch it up, or relight. I am really feeling the body in this cigar, and have been since the very first draw. Again, I may not be the best judge in the strength of a cigar as even that is pretty subjective, but this cigar is definitely giving me a run for my money.

Overview: Like I said before, this is a man’s smoke. This isn’t something you’d want to smoke early in the morning, and you really want to make sure you had some sort of meal before tackling it. The pepper stuck around quite a bit longer that I expected, or really wanted it to for that matter. I don’t mind peppery cigars but when it starts to overpower the other flavors in the mix it becomes a bit bothersome and really takes a toll on my pallet. This is something I would smoke again, but not often. Just when I am in the mood for an asskicking. This coming from someone who usually favors stronger cigars.

Final Guess: I really wanted to say this was Pepin made, possibly Tatuaje, but the pepper was just a little too much. Not to mention I’ve guessed Tatuaje twice already and have been wrong. This could possibly be something La Flor Dominicana or it even reminds me of the Joya De Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo . Either way, whatever it is, I am almost positive it’s got tons if not completely full of Nicaraguan tobacco.

The Reveal: La Flor Dominicana Coronado Maduro. Was I actually right?!? WOW! Brooks goes on to tell me how there was only 83 boxes of these ever released. You can catch the first review he did of this cigar here: http://tinyurl.com/2eupjuv and a Redux review after a year here: http://tinyurl.com/2b3muou . He told me the first review was nothing but a pepper bomb, and it was tough to pull out the real flavors of the cigar. The second review was after a year a rest (I still think it’s a pepper bomb!).

Well, there you have it. 5 amazing cigars sent over from an amazing BOTL. Brooks, that you so much again bro! I wouldn’t have let any of these sticks go!

The post Blind Cigar Review #5 (from Brooks at Smoking Stogie) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Mystery Cigar #1

A nice looking Robusto cigar with a light brown wrapper below the band and a dark chocolate wrapper above the band (This signature gave away the identity of this cigar! hehe). Gives off a mostly woodsy aroma on the wrapper and the foot. Pre-light draw brings more of that great cedar taste with a bit of creaminess added to the mix. The draw is a touch tight but I’m still getting a fairly good mouthful of smoke.

Tons of woody/cedar notes through the first third with a bit of a creamy finish. Pairing well with my Mill Street Brewery Coffee Porter. Ash is strong and Zebra striped with some dark black spots but mostly light grey. The retrohale has a nice mild bit and a smooth creamy cedar finish.

The ash held on just past an inch before rolling into the ashtray. It stayed neat and clean without any flaking or splitting. The cigar needed a moderate correct just before the halfway mark. I should mention that it was travelling via mail through the cold Canadian weather for about 5 or 6 days and I lit it up the first night back, couldn’t wait to let it sit…

Getting some nice nutty flavors developing as the cigar passes the half-way mark, the cedar is still the most prominent flavor here. Now developing some espresso like flavors, a little bit bitter but not in a bad way, we’ll see how it progresses once I hit the darker wrapper. I was smoking pretty fast through the first half and has really slowed down now. When I hit the dark wrapper, the creamy cedar slowly changed to a sort of creamy cocoa, a very nice transition. The cocoa and espresso hung around till the nub.

Was pretty tasty cigar, I think having the darker wrapper at the halfway mark would have made it even better just cause I really enjoyed that part of it.

Reveal: Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta Series

Post-Reveal Notes:
A delicious cigar, I’ve been eyeing these ones for a while and glad I finally got the chance to try one. Definitely worth trying out, especially with a nice cup of coffee.

Mystery Cigar #3

A torpedo shaped cigar that is oddly tapered, seems to be a very slow taper. Looks to be a 5.5 x 50 or so. The wrapper is pretty unassuming, just a light brown color with a couple small veins and bumps. I cut it a fair ways in and still had a small opening and poor draw. Had to cut further after lighting cause I still had poor draw. Even with the second cut I feel like I’m getting lots of draw but barely any smoke. So far its making me feel like a budget stick.
The foot lit up easily and right from the start had a large peninsula forming. Despite my efforts to get it going it kept getting worse. After about an inch I needed a major correction. Another indication of a budget stick here. Draw is still going poorly, may have to cut a bit more.

Initial flavors are mostly of burning wood and cedar, not bad tasting but nothing earth shattering here. I’m getting a bit of dried fruit flavors here and there but it’s not sticking around much. The ash fell off just past the inch mark. Decided to poke the foot a bit with a toothpick and the draw FINALLY opened up! Much better now.

After ashing around the halfway mark I noticed a fair sized tunnel which is probably causing most of my burn and draw problems. The flavors are still pretty much the same, very woodsy. Starting to get bitter with about two inches left, tunnel is still there. I may have gotten a bad stick here, but I think this one is hitting the ashtray early…

Reveal: Cusano Corojo 1997

Post-Reveal Notes:
Just an ok cigar, don’t think I would seek this one out again. Haven’t had many Cusanos but so far haven’t had any good ones. It’s one of the lines I just haven’t dove into yet.

Mystery Cigar #4

A very dark, rich looking cigar. The wrapper is a dark chocolate brown with highlights looking almost black. It is very evenly constructed with no major veins and a clean triple cap. The wrapper has a sweet tobacco type of flavor and the foot gives aroma of hay, sweetness and a bit of coffee. Pre-light draw is mostly hay flavors with a touch of coffee added in.

Initial draws are pretty bland, just tobacco and hay. Hopefully this gets more interesting. Starting to get a bit of coffee notes here and there after about an inch, nothing special yet. Ash is nice and clean and holding strong. This cigar seems familiar to me, but I’m not sure yet. It seems to be in the mild/medium range and has a very mild retrohale with no bite and a bland hay-like finish. I must say the construction is excellent and it’s smoking nice and slow, just wish it had more flavor.

Approaching the half-way mark and still not much development in the flavor area. Now approaching the nub and still nothing. It’s not a bad smoke, just boring. The coffee flavors were always just barely there and disappeared a lot. Body built up to about medium, maybe a bit more. The construction was awesome though, never a burn issue, it gets points there I suppose.

I’m gonna throw a guess out there. I smoked an AB MAXX awhile ago and it was very similar, well made but boring. If not that, then maybe a budget Nicaraguan.

Reveal: Alec Bradley MAXX Traditional

Post-Reveal Notes: Wow, hit this one on the head! This band was a little different from the one I had and after a little research it’s the same blend just in “traditional” sizes instead of the larger ring gauges the the silver banded MAXX line comes in. And the same blend indeed, they were all fairly straightforward.

Mystery Cigar #6

A very light tan colored wrapper and a smaller vitola, almost around a 4.5 x 48 or so. The wrapper has some bumpiness and a few medium veins but nothing that looks problematic. The wrapper and foot both have an aroma of cedar and a hay. The cut was a bit messy but the draw was just about perfect, getting some nice spice on the pre-light draw. Toasting was easy and fairly even, lit up nicely.

Initial draws bring some interesting white pepper spice and a fair helping of cedar. Usually with spice like this you would get some bite on the retrohale but it was actually very mild with a smooth cedar finish.
The ash and burn aren’t pretty but are holding strong. Ash looks a bit messy and in the darker grey tones. Burn had a wave right from the start but it hasn’t gotten worse or better, just strolling along. I think I have a good guess that this is an EP Carrillo cigar since I’ve had a few of them lately but none in this vitola, and it seems a little weaker in body. Seems very familiar though. Body started off mild and is slowly approaching medium but it never quite got there.

Ash held on to about 1.5 inches, very nice. At the halfway mark I got some raisin or dried fruit type of flavor along with a bit of leather. Those flavors stuck around to the very end with very little bitterness. The dried fruits made me think of the 7-20-4, so I’m confused on this one. The burn was excellent the whole way through. I’m stumped on this one, don’t think I’ve had it before now.

Reveal: Gran Habano Connecticut #1

Post-Reveal Notes:
I’ve never really paid much attention to this cigar. Not sure why. It was definitely a tasty one and would make a great mild or early morning smoke. They are definitely on my future purchase list now.

Mystery Cigar #7

Looks to be a box-pressed toro sized cigar weighing in around 6×54 with a clean triple cap. The wrapper is rough and veiny with just one soft spot, the rest of the cigar has a nice medium spring to it. Pre-light draw is very grassy and earthy. The wrapper has pretty much no aroma and the foot has a bit more grassiness to it.

When I first looked at this it appeared to be a Cuban but after the first couple draws I’m pretty sure it’s not. But that definitely does not mean I’m not enjoying it. So far I’m getting a very nice cedar flavor with hints of leather and a slight spice that I can’t quite put my finger on. It toasted up nice and easy and is burning very even, although it is burning quite fast.

Although the draw feels good, it seems to be a bit airy as I’m not getting nearly as much smoke as I expect. Ash is a nice light grey color and is clean looking although it seems a bit weak. It still held on just over an inch.
A few inches in the burn is starting to go a bit wavy and the draw is still airy. Neither is hampering the experience much but let’s hope they correct themselves. The flavor is still mostly leather and cedar, with a bit of that original grassiness joining the mix. The cigar has been fairly mild/medium for the most part and the retrohale has no bite and a woodsy finish. Found a small hole under the band that was causing the airy-ness, much better draw now and a mouthful of smoke.

Around the half-way mark I started getting a bitter sweetness and the earthy notes came back. The grassy and woodsy flavors are still around while the minor spice and leather are gone.
A little past the half-way mark and the body is picking up and some spice is definitely making an appearance, seems to be a peppery and cloves type of spice. Shortly after the spice and with about an inch and a half left the cigar got fairly bitter, had to set it down soon after…

Reveal: Te-Amo World Selection Series – Nicaragua Blend

Post-Reveal Notes: hmmmm… an Altadis cigar… not surprised I was bored by it.

The post Another Blind Review Challenge by Daniel appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Today I will be lighting up the second cigar in this set. Needless to say with a selection like his, I can’t help but get all giggly each time I find the spare time to fire up one the cigars he sent over.

Prelight: #2 is wrapped in a very, very, very dark brown, almost black tobacco leaf. The leaf itself is pretty consistent in color with just a few darker spots especially concentrated around the head of the cigar. The wrapper seems pretty thick and gives off an almost duct tape type gleam as light shines off of its silky, oily texture. The wrapper is excellently laid and tapers off to a very large, beefy torpedo shaped cap. The cigar is firm for the most part, but there are a few softer areas dead center of the cigar’s body. I can’t pick up too much other than a really musky cedar smell coming from the wrapper as the foot of the cigar gives off the slightest hint of spice. Not much aroma coming off this unlit cigar what so ever.

The cap clipped clean off (although a little flaky) using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw surprisingly kicked out a massive burst of what could be best described as a spicy gingerbread. Maybe it’s a little too close to Christmas for me., but I swear that’s all I’m getting off this cold draw.

First Smoke: The cigar didn’t start off with the massive kick of spice I was expecting. It’s not to say the spice wasn’t there, it just wasn’t in the action packed form I thought it would be. Outside of the subtle spice/pepper the cigar packed a vibrant, woodsy taste, backed by a bit of leather and even some of that gingerbread flavor I picked up during the cold draw. The pepper is kind of interesting though. It’s not too noticeable in taste, but my lips and back of the throat are really feeling it. This cigar kicks out just an overly massive, effortless cloud of thick, grey smoke with every draw. Tons of stationary smoke as well. The burnline was all over the place at first but finally into the second third it began correcting itself.  The ash left behind was very flaky, and medium gray with dark black spots and only held on for a little over half an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: Early into the second third and I am already starting to feel the body in this cigar. One interesting note on my last blind review was the fact that I felt a bit of a full body experience, yet knowing that the cigar is now, I know it’s a mild/medium stick. Maybe I am not the best judge in body, or maybe this just goes to show that my theory is true. The strength of each cigar will always affect each smoker in different ways. Anywho, back to the review. The pepper and spice in this cigar is still just a tease. They’re not as potent as they were to begin with but they still sine through the cocoa, leather, woodsy flavors that have started to develop in the second third. The retrohale is killer, priming my nasal passage with a ton of pepper and cedar. The burnline is still a bit wild on one side of the cigar, but nothing to cause any concern. The ash has also taken a turn for the better with the body being much more smooth, compact and a consistent brownish-gray.

Finish: This cigar is really packing a punch. Into the final third and I am really getting a nice little nic-kick off of this one. The pepper has finally started to wear off and now the main flavors are a really smooth woodsy flavor, backed by a bit of earth tones, cocoa, and spice. I am also getting just a bit of harshness as I get to the mid-point of the final third. It’s a bit bitter, but could be worse.  The burnline has been consistently wavy leading me to think there might be a bit of ligero thrown into the mix. No touch ups or relights leading up to about an hour and a half total burn.

Overview: This was a great little cigar. The full body and very powerful flavors made for a great departure from your everyday, smoother, milder maduro.  Outside of the harsh bitterness that crept into the final third, this cigar was very enjoyable. It’s probably not something I would smoke everyday, but it’s the perfect cigar to keep on hand when you are out back, enjoying some late night coffee and relaxation.

Final Guess? I would have to say something Nicaraguan. Maybe the Oliva Serie V Maduro or the Alec Bradley Tempus. Whatever it is, it’s a spicy little cigar that boasts tons of body and excellent flavors.

The Reveal: This was actually an exact quote from Brooks when I sent him my guess:

“Not even close :), Oh, and I would not send you an AB Tempus, surely you think better of me then that? LOL!”

He then goes on to reveal what cigar this was:

“It was a LFD (La Flor Dominicana) Cabinet Maduro #6..Apparently, about once a month Litto picks out some cigars that have the darkest & most oily wrappers & when he get enough cigars to make a cab of 50,he sends them out to specific stores. Really great stick, & usually not easy to find…”

Very awesome. I would have never in a million years been able to guess this one. What a pleasant surprise. One a side note, Brooks had mentioned that there was a cigar in the bunch that was the only cigar that had ever mad him vomit. This was the cigar. He went on to explain hotboxing and smoking too fast was probably the main culprit. But that’s something to keep in mind if you ever do stumble across one of these cigars.

The post Blind Cigar Review #2 (from Brooks at Smoking Stogie) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

This is Cigar #1 of 5 that our friend Brooks has sent my way. For those of you who don’t know, Brooks run the blog smokingstogie.com. He specializes in retardedly expensive, extremely rare, and the absolute hardest to find sticks. With a statement like that who wouldn’t jump at the chance to review a few random sticks he decided to send? To be honest, I’m still hesitant. I know almost for sure, the caliber of the cigars I smoke (and my palate for that matter) are incredibly short of what Brooks is. It’s intimidating. Knowing that, it should be fun to see how completely far off I am on each one of these cigars!

Prelight: Blind cigar #1 is a very small, short, pettit corona sized stick. The wrapper is a very light, and consistent light brown. The foot shows a little sign of wear and tear, which leads me to believe is a more delicate style tobacco. The body is very well constructed, with no soft spots and very little veins leading up to a nice little triple cap with a cute little pig tail. The cigar doesn’t give a whole lot of resistance when compressed. This is an awesome little sized cigar. The wrapper doesn’t give off much more than a faint grass smell whereas the foot bares the same grassy smell with just a bit of spice on the tail end of it. The cap clipped clean using my Palio double bladed cutter. There was a few shards of the wrapper that broke off leaving the binder exposed, but I’m not too worried about it. Again, it goes to show that this cigar is using a much more delicate tobacco for the wrapper (possibly Cuban or Ecuadorian?!).  The cold draw produces a very clean, natural tobacco and earth flavor with a few citrus and spice notes lingering in the background.

First Smoke: I am immediately greeted with an explosion of unexpected pepper when first lighting up this cigar. After only a few draws the pepper fades into as little as an undertone for the strong tobacco, woodsy, grassy flavors. There is a little bit of citrus and sweet spice on the aftertaste as well. The draw on this cigar is insane. It’s not very loose, but you get a whole crap load of very thick smoke with each little puff. This cigar gives off a standard amount of stationary smoke, but the odd thing is the smoke is straight up cedar scented. Cedar isn’t a dominant flavor in the cigar’s profile but you can pick up a ton of it, as well as lots of pepper in the retrohale.  The burnline is a bit thick, but is consistently even leaving behind some very light grey, nicely compacted ash which held on for about an inch before falling off.

Halfway There: The pepper in this cigar is still teasing me. Each draw I take begins with just a nudge of pepper before transcending into a very earthy, woodsy flavor leaving behind just enough pepper to tease the back of my throat.  The citrus and spice are still there but at this time the pepper has reduced them to just an afterthought. I am loving the hell out of how easy and massive this draw is. The burnline has started to develop some smaller waves into the second third which quickly correct themselves before relocating to another part of the cigar. It’s like watching some sort of juggling act. I don’t know if it’s all the pepper or the actual nicotine but I am actually starting to develop a little buzz off of this tiny little cigar.

Finish: This cigar does pack a punch. I love it when smaller sized cigars carry a medium to full body vs. the run of the mill mild. The pepper has lasted the entire length of the stick and still remains a major player. The cedar taste is now, finally showing through with a sweet citrus aftertaste. Despite the open draw this cigar showed little signs of harshness into the final puffs. It didn’t even heat up all that much. After all was said and done this cigar only took me about an hour to take down. Normally, it would have been a lot shorter than that too but I really wanted to sit back and pull apart the notes. Even then I’m left almost clueless as to what this cigar could be.

Overview: At first I wanted to call this cigar Cuban and be done with it. But the pepper and the body really made me think otherwise. I immediately think Nicaragua, Pepin made maybe? But I really can’t think of any cigars coming out of his factory in this size or even with the pigtailed cap. Whatever it is, the manufacturer was able to produce a perfect mash-up of flavor, and strength in such a small, compact vitola. I’d smoke this cigar again in a heartbeat (unless of course, it turns out the be a gurkha, then I’ll just quit doing reviews for good). First cigar from Brooks and I am already stumped. If this has anything to say for the next four cigar then this will be a wild ride indeed.

Final Guess? I have No clue. If I had to guess though I would have to say its some kind of crazy Cuban hybrid or a Cohiba I haven’t had before. I haven’t had many of the Cohiba’s, but the construction and appearance alone are on par with this cigar. The pepper and body were just too much to be the run of the mill Cubans that I am used to.

On a side note: The cigar looks damaged to hell in nub form. This didn’t happen until the final few draws. Even the unwrapping that started once I clipped it didn’t pose a problem until I was just about done with the stick.

So what was it? It was Tatuaje’s Cabaiguan WDC 120. You can view Brooks’ review here. I know, I know, way off. But on the plus side, Tatuaje’s whole existence spurred from Pete Johnson wanting to develop blends that mimic those of the best Cubans out there. And had I kept with my instincts and called it a Pepin Blended Nicaraguan I would have been dead on. You gotta give me at least a little credit. The wrapper was in fact Ecuadorian too if I’m not mistaken. I can almost always confuse that leaf with natural Cuban.

Pairing: I paired this, as well as all of the cigars in the blind review with Brooks with water. If any of you read Brook’s Blog (smokingstogie.com), you know what this guy is capable of. Knowing the caliber, and rarity of the cigars he smokes I am almost certain I hadn’t had any of the sticks he sent my way so I am trying to keep my palate as precise as possible.

The post Blind Cigar Review #1 (from Brooks at Smoking Stogie) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Any who, these will be ridiculously loose reviews with only the high and low notes from the cigars. I will finish each one of with my guess on what cigar it was and then the actual cigar in question. This was a hell of a humbling experience and showed me that what I throught is true; I know nothing about cigars. Prepare for some foot-in-mouth action as I take on a few smokes that had I known what they were, I probably would have never picked up and smoked for myself.

Cigar “C” (Criollo/Corojo).

Notes:

– This cigar sports some beautiful construction

– A few veins but nothing to cause concern

– Quite a bit of loose tobacco hanging out around the body of the cigar

– The larger boxed press cigars are one of my favorite vitolas

– Very sweet tobacco and cedar scent before lighting

– Clipped clean

– Very mild with a ton of sweetness

– Crap loads of cedar during the first third

– Wavy burnline and very loose ash

– Getting some coffee and cream notes into the second third

– Citrusy aftertaste and slight leather

– Ridiculously smooth with no nicotine hit on the finish

– Subtle, sharp spice notes into the last third.

– Finished slightly harsh

This cigar was dead on. I really enjoyed it. The mild, smoothness mixed with the bolder, easy to decipher flavors made for a perfect, relaxing cigar.

My first guess was the Punch Rare Corojo, but it didn’t pack enough flavor. My final Guess was CAO’s Criollo. Country, Honduras/Dominican Republic. Which cigar was it?

Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve – Country, Honduras

Cigar #1

Notes:

– Another well constructed cigar

– Two huge veins running through the body of the cigar

– Very, very grassy and earthy scented

– Picked up some naturally tobacco, earth tones, and oats off the cold draw

– The first prominent flavor was Cedar, which pretty much masked the other flavors

– Very easy, loose draw

– Super bright, extremely tightly compacted ash. It held on for almost 2 inches.

– Cigar burns very slow

– Picking up some spice and pepper into the second third

– Slight nicotine kick, not anything too crazy

– The burnline is getting really thick

– Pepper faded into the second third

– Started to pick up a stale, cardboard taste into the final third

– Flavor went straight downhill, very bland

– Harshness REALLY built up

This cigar started out awesome but quickly went downhill. If it’s a value stick it’s totally worth it, but it would be nice to see it in a smaller size.

My guess? First thought was an Illusione Epernay but the flavor would have stayed consistent all the way through. Country, Nicaragua. Which was it?

The Black Pearl Morada – Country, Nicaragua

Cigar #2

Notes:

– Very dark, oily wrapper

– Good construction with a few nicks in the wrapper

– Very firm to the touch

– Woodsy and fruity scented

– Clipped easily

– Prelight tasted light straight up prunes and tobacco

– Cedar, cocoa and coffee flavors

– Extremely smooth

– Very large draw with lasting smoke

– Very light ash, but it was very flaky an fell off before each inch

– Got a little pepper, and a ton of wood into the second third

– No nicotine feeling

– No harshness built up towards the end.

– Finished very clean with hints of pepper and a ton of wood

This cigar was right up my alley and I know I have had this before. One of the better Maduro cigars.

Final guess – Either the CAO Traviata Maduro or the CAO MX3. Country, Nicaragua. How close was I?

CAO Traviata Maduro – Country, Nicaragua (which I reviewed here)

Cigar #3

Notes:

– Hefty cigar

– Smells like a leather factory

– Beautiful construction

– Very earthy cold draw with some cashew

– Starts of very spicy with lots of pepper

– Tons of cocoa, can’t really taste tobacco

– Very tight ash, held on for 2 inches before falling off

– Tons of coffee flavors into the second third

– Pepper faded, cigar has become a bit bland

– Very uneven burn with no need to touch up

– Last third finished very boring

– No nicotine, smooth and creamy

– Perfect morning cigar

This cigar was unfulfilling but may be perfect for an early morning smoke. Very smooth with no harshness at all.

My guess? Oliva Serie O Maduro – Country, Nicaragua. What cigar was it?

Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro – Country, Nicaragua  (which Daniel reviewed here)

Cigar #4

Notes:

– Very unique scented with hints of sweet tobacco and alcohol

– Very heavy cigar

– Perfect construction

– Cigar feels damp

– Broadleaf for sure

– Very Dark wrapper

– No pepper, tons of cedar and slight alcohol right out of the gate

– Alcohol faded into a very sweet tobacco

– MASSIVE, effortless draw producing lots of thick smoke

– I wrote “very sweet” 3 times. Must have been VERY sweet

– Wavy burn, needing touch ups

– Slight nicotine kick

– Wavy burnline with very loose ash

– Burns very quickly

– Nutmeg flavor coming through in the final third

– Body ramped up in the final third

This was a very pleasant cigar. I really enjoyed the complex flavors, mid-ranged to higher body, and effortless experience.

My guess – A. Fuente – Country, I haven’t the slighted idea. What could this cigar be?

ANOTHER Rocky Patel? REALLY?!?! Rocky Patel Decade Edicion Limitada – Country, Nicaragua

I often say that Rocky Patel hasn’t really made many cigars that have been able to catch my attention. No matter what, I always remain open-minded. I just have had too many of their cigars that I hadn’t liked. I don’t want to go out and spend money on a stick that odds are I’m not going to be into. If anything, Mike’s selection really has me second guessing my decision to ignore the brand. Blind reviews are the perfect example on subjectivity and just how much the mental notes about a brand can make an impression on taste/flavor and overall purchase. No matter how transparent one may think they are, there is always a bit of favortism in there.

I had so much fun with this blind review. It just goes to show just how hard it is to really nail down any given cigar. I was actually impressed with how close I got on a few of these sticks. I figured I’d be way the heck off. The country is probably the easiest characteristic to pick up.

Now comes a few questions. Is this something you have done? How did you enjoy it? Would you like to see more blind reviews? This has something that has came up in the past. I know that these are uber-bareboned reviews but if you are interested in seeing more in-depth blind reviews, let us know!

On a side note, we have some awesome things coming up on the site VERY soon. We have another giveaway sponsored by Bonita Smoke Shop, and our thoughts on the top ten cigars of the year! Stay tuned.

The post Tony takes on a blind review challenge appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Image Courtesy of CigarsInternational.com

Here is another review coming from the Blind Tasting trade I participated in not long ago. If you haven’t participated in a trade like this, it can be a real eye-opener and a fun time. Try organizing one with some local friends, you’ll be surprised at what you think of a cigar when your pre-conceptions are thrown out the window. If you need more information on how to organize one just drop me an email, Twitter DM or a comment below.

Of all the cigars I tried during this Blind Tasting, this stick was by far the most surprising for me. The Devil’s Weed line is a very budget friendly blend produced by Molina Cigar Co., at as low $29.99, you can’t go wrong here. The number 515 is representative of the 515th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of tobacco. The company is located in Pensacola, Florida and headed by Luis Molina. Their website has an interesting page with a good description of the process of making a cigar from seed to final product. You can read more about the company the cigar by visiting their website: http://www.molinacigar.com

Part of the rules in the Blind Trade was to include two budget cigars. There was no indication of which were the budget cigars were. I thought this was a good way to discover a new budget buy. The cigar is made up of a blend on long-filler Cuban-seed tobacco grown in Dominican Republic and wrapped with dark Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf. As far as budget cigars go, this one is priced very well and seems to be quite popular. The name is catchy too!

Straight from it’s appearance, I was expecting a low end hand-rolled cigar. It appeared to me to possibly be a lower end Cuban for the longest time both on visual and flavors in the first half. But I won’t spoil the review here, read on and see what my thoughts were.

Cigar: Devils Weed ‘515’
Drink: Alexander Keiths Dark Ale
Vitola: Corona (5.6 x 43)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $1.50
Burn Time: 1 Hour

Construction:
• Medium brown wrapper with a bumpy texture to it
• No major veins to be seen
• Has a light oily sheen
• The wrapper resembles that of a hand-made cigar
• Soft and springy near the foot but much firmer near the band and cap
• Very clean triple cap
• Foot looks to be well packed and clean
• Cut was even and clean
• Draw is perfect, just enough resistance

Burn:
• Toasting was good around the edges but the center didn’t want to light up properly
• The burn in the center corrected itself after a couple draws
• The initial burn is nice and even all around
• A small crack formed near the foot after about a half inch, likely some damage from shipping. Hoping it doesn’t cause any issues
• Staying lit easily, no need for extra attention
• Burned through first crack easily but now a larger one formed just below the band
• Had to make a little correction as the wrapper was just not burning properly
• Kept having burn issues for the last half

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke in each draw from this smaller vitola
• Resting smoke is moderate and has a great cedar aroma to it
• Ash has started off nice and tight
• Ash is holding strong to almost 2 inches, very good for a cigar of this vitola

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper smells like simple aromatic tobacco with a slight woodiness to it
• Foot smells mainly of cedar
• When the cigar touched my lips there was an instant peppery spice
• Pre-light draw is cedar and peppery spice
• Initial draws have a very nice cedar flavor but the pepper has mostly disappeared, jsut a mild spice in the background to keep it interesting
• Retrohale has a nice medium body to it with a small bite and a nice cedar finish
• Getting a nice toasted bread flavor here too just an inch in, really enjoying this so far
• Body has been mild-medium for the first half
• Getting some dryness as a pass the halfway point and the peppery notes are gone
• The latest crack is causing the wrapper not to burn properly so it’s turning a bit harsh, lets hope it recovers!
• Even though the burn improved after my correction the flavors never fully recovered, some bitterness stayed with the cigar till the end
• Body increased a little toward the end, maybe just touching upon medium-full in the last few draws
• The bite on the retrohale also increased towards the end but the bitterness ruined the previous smooth cedar finish

Final Thoughts:
This cigar started out really well with some very nice cedar notes followed by an interesting toasted bread flavor. The crack near the band was probably caused by the firmness in that section, likely a little too much filler. It caused the wrapper to split and stop burning which always causes some bitter and harshness in my experience. It was a good cigar overall barring the minor construction issues. I have mixed feelings here. I will definitely give these another try just to see if construction issues are always there. Hopefully they won’t all be like this and my thoughts are it would be a good smoke if it holds up well. I don’t know what cigar this is as I’m writing this but has anyone had one and what were their experiences?

Post-Reveal Notes:
This was my first Devil’s Weed and I was more or less pleasantly surprised. As I mentioned, construction was the problem in the last half but for $1.50 you can’t really go wrong. I’m definitely going to try a few more of these. If the construction holds these would be a great stick for the price.

Pairings:
I enjoy every brew that Alexander Keiths makes, IPA(Green), Red, White and Dark. They hail from Nova Scotia, Canada and are very popular across most of the country. The flavors on this Dark Ale are not overly complex, a very straight forward Dark Ale that has no bitterness and goes down very smooth. It has some hoppy flavors to it and a touch of dark coffee like flavors. Actually paired very well with this cigar. Other good suggestions for this one would be coffee, water or a nice IPA.

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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