El Paso has been experiencing some wonderful weather as of late, so instead of being held up in my garage for this review, I ventured outdoors to give this  Blue Label by Arandoza Cigars a test drive.  The Blue Label is available in four vitolas: Robusto (5 by 52), Toro (6 by 52), Torpedo (6 by 52) and Trabuco (6 by 60).  Arandoza Cigars’ website in under construction so not much additional information was available about the company or the cigar other than the excerpt below:

Arandoza Cigars, as a family owned and operated company, is founded in the belief that through hard work and dedication, applying our knowledge of tobacco and passion for cigars, we would bring to market, a product that would honor the tradition and history of the cigar industry and for those that enjoy them.

As a family we take great pride in the cigars we produce and in our approach to blending that bring a certain uniqueness that is Arandoza to the cigars we produce.

Although fairly new to the cigar industry, our Arandoza Cigars have quickly earned us great recognition amongst the cigar industry. Our cigar line is hand crafted in Estelli Nicaragua at “La Zona”. Most recently Arandoza Cigars launched our newest creation, a high end “Blue Label” consisting of a Nicaraguan binder and filler with a Habano Nicaraguan wrapper.

The Arandoza Cigars family believes that tradition begins with family and community. We pride ourselves in giving back to our community and helping other small businesses flourish and share in our success.

The Facts
Samples Provided by Arandoza Cigars
Price: $6 – $7
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 by 52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan – Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Pairing: Coffee
Smoke Time: 1 hour

Pre-light

The Blue Label is a nice looking cigar.  The Nicaraguan Habano wrapper is consistent in color with fine veins and a slight tooth.   As I bring the foot of the cigar to my nose, I pick up on a strong raisin aroma.  The wrapper gives off straight forward tobacco notes, earth, and an underlying sweetness, possibly the same raisin sweetness I got off the foot.

To the touch, the cigar feels firmly packed. There are no soft spots, but a few areas are rock solid.  The cap, which appears to be a double cap, is neatly applied and clips clean with little effort.  The draw resistance is on the high end of enjoyable, but if nothing changes this should not be an issue.

First Third

The smoke production is fantastic. I actually have to take a shallower draw to not choke on the smoke. The start of the Blue Label presents flavors of earth, leather, and pepper with a lingering spice on the palate.  The flavors are very much in your face and sharp.  Some butter notes begin to come forth and the smoke feels creamy on the palate. The finish is pungent with an acidic quality and my nasal passage is stinging from the spicy, peppery retrohale.  A crack has formed in the wrapper about a half inch in that runs about an inch down.  The burn line is a little edgy, but razor sharp, leaving behind a grey, flaky ash.  The favors and strength at this point are medium/full.

Middle Third

The crack has worsened causing the wrapper on the Arandoza Cigars Blue Label to pull away from the binder. The butter flavor has become more significant with the earth and pepper still making up the core of the smoke. Also, some cedar, woodsy notes arrive bringing balance to the profile.  I am feeling the effects of the nicotine but that could be more attributed to smoking before 9:00 AM on an empty stomach than the actual strength of the cigar.  Due to the flakiness of the ash, I have been knocking it off every half inch to prevent any accidents. Putting an end to the second third, the burn has finally caught up and surpassed the crack in the wrapper.

Final Third

Even with the prior cracking issues, I have yet to touch-up the cigar.  It just keeps chugging along.  There has not been much noticeable change in the profile other than a slight tartness.  The pepper is still heavy on the retrohale. The finish is somewhat chocolaty but void of sweetness and the flavors are medium/full and strength is full.    The large band pulls off easily.  With just over an inch left, the smoke has become bitter and a tad harsh letting me know it is time to set the cigar down.

Wrap-up

As is probably the case with most of our readers, I had not previously heard of this cigar.  Coming from Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory, I was excited to give this Blue Label by Arandoza Cigars a try.   While the crack in the wrapper caused concern, the smoke production was great and no touch-ups were required. The profile is straight forward with earth and pepper being at the core.  Maybe with some time, the sharpness of the flavors in the first third will round out a little more.  Arandoza Cigars’ website lists a few retailers carrying their sticks. If you happen to live by one of the B&Ms or can find a couple online, give the Blue Label a whirl and let me know what you think.

Additional Notes

Robert Arango, owner of Arandoza Cigars, was kind enough to provide two samples of the Blue Label.  I smoked the other Blue Label at my indoor cigar lounge, also known as my garage.  The construction on the second sample was exceptional, burn line razor sharp, and the ash held on for an inch plus.  The profile was more rounded with added chocolate notes.  While smoking outdoors is my preference, I believe it did have a negative impact on the Blue Label reviewed above.  The breeze/wind may have caused the wrapper to crack and burn at too fast of a rate causing the harsh, sharp flavors.  I am glad I smoked this other sample in a different environment because it provided a very enjoyable experience.

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

Contrary to what you might expect, this cigar is not made at the amazing and famous My Father Cigars Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. However, it’s production location is not too far away at the Tabacalera Cubanas S.A. factory, also in Esteli. Now the actual name behind this cigar is El Rey de los Habanos, the company Don Pepin Garcia started in Miami(Little Havana) when he landed state-side. The headquarters is still located in there as well as a smaller El Rey de los Habanos factory .

This blend was released be Don Pepin to the public in 2006. From what I’ve been able to gather, the various names of the original 7 vitolas in this line all correspond to important years in Don Pepin Garcia’s life. However, I wasn’t able to find the significant milestone behind the year 1979. It seems also that although there were 7 vitolas available at some point, there are only 5 easily available now.

The band on this cigar has also changed slightly over time. As it stands now, there are two bands. The top band has a black background with a nicely scripted “Don Pepin Garcia” in the middle surrounded by some gold and red filigree designs. In an older band, the red and gold filigree was slightly different. Below that band is another thinner black band that says “Cuban Classic” with a line of gold and red on the top and bottom.

Now the Black Label is touted to be the strongest of the Don Pepin Garcia cigars. The other blends in this line are the Blue Label and the Series JJ (White Label). I’m going into this cigar with high expectations as I’ve come to know from many different Pepin Garcia blends. It’s a gorgeous day as I sit outside to spark up this cigar, so let’s see how it fares.

Cigar: Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic 1979 Robusto
Drink: Erdinger Weissbräu Weißbier Dunkel
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 50)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Rosado (Corojo 99)
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Niaraguan
Price: $4.50 – $5.50
Burn Time: Just short of 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic has a light brown wrapper with a very nice orangey glow to it
• There are hardly any visible veins and the wrapper has a slight roughness and toothiness to it
• From head to foot, this cigar has a nice little spring when squeezed that is just about right
• The triple cap is finished off very cleanly and the foot looks to be fairly well packed but not overly full
• The draw on this cigar is just about perfect after a small slice with my double bladed guillotine cutter

Burn:
• Toasting was very easy and even, I sometimes have a hard time getting it right on bright days since you can’t see the flame, but this one toasted up evenly without any problems at all
• Through the first inch the Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic has had a flawless and even burn
• The burn continues to be just about perfect as I roll into the halfway point, nothing to complain about here, just a razor sharp burn
• It’s also allowing me to smoke slowly, never seems to go out
• A tiny touch-up was required because the extra glue on the band cracked the wrapper, so it caused a bit of a funky burn line

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw is bringing a nice amount of smoke with no extra draws required
• After setting the cigar down, there is almost no visible resting smoke to be seen although it still gives off a nice campfire aroma
• The ash is very strong, even and clean with no flaking to be seen anywhere
• The nice light grey colors on the ash are very nice too
• Unfortunately, I knocked the first ash off accidentally and it went flying to the floor
• Each ash was easily hitting the 1 inch mark but since I didn’t have a proper ashtray with me today I had to tap them off early. You’ll also notice the ashtray picture is missing today.

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on the Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic gives off a mostly woodsy aroma, not much else to it
• The foot brings more woodiness but this time it’s a lot more fresh, like a fresh strip of cedar wood, very nice aroma
• On the pre-light draw I’m getting more of the cedar flavors but also an interesting fresh taste, almost like a light and refreshing mint
• Initial draws bring none of the typical Pepin kick you might expect, it’s more of a subtle roasted wood and almonds type of flavors
• The is a bit of leather flavors being thrown into the mix here and there along with some coffee notes that are starting to sneak in slowly
• As we get near the halfway point I can safely say the cigar has barely passed into the medium category so far
• The retrohale is bringing just a tiny bite along with a smooth cedar and coffee finish
• The coffee flavors continue to develop nicely, more of an espresso flavor now and the leather flavor took an interesting turn into a black licorice type of flavor
• The strength of the cigar started picking up closer to the final third as it launched into the high end of the medium range
• In the last third all the flavors started coming together and balancing even better as their intensity kicked up a notch
• There was a huge burst of awesome roasted almond and espresso near the end and the cigar finished with no bitterness at all, very nice ending

Final Thoughts:
I hadn’t had too many of these before so I didn’t have many notes to fall back on but what I did find was mostly good. And judging by my experience today, I’d say the don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic is another winner from this renowned blending master. I was happy to see another blend that didn’t have the pepper kick at the start but still had tons of flavors that were enjoyable. I’m not sure I would go for a Churchill vitola in this blend but as a Robusto it was excellent and I would definitely buy more. The flavors were enjoyable even if not overly complex and it burned amazingly even. My only real complaint was a little too much glue on the band that ended up cracking the wrapper a bit, not a huge deal. This might also have been because I tried sliding the wrapper rather than taking it right off. These are definitely worth trying if you haven’t had one before and definitely worth buying again if you have. I know it is a staple in many people’s humidors and it’s easy to see why. One thing to watch out for is the price, I saw a huge variety of prices and these can be easily had for under $5 if you look hard enough, and at under $5 this is a great value cigar!

Pairings:
This isn’t my first review with Erdinger’s Weissbräu Weißbier Dunkel and it definitely won’t be my last. This dark ale from Erdinger’s German brewery is a classic and tasty brew that I’d say falls somewhere in the middle of a dark ale and a porter. The unique consistency probably comes from the fact that this is a dark WHEAT beer, so it’s a little different from the rest. It’s not quite as light as a dark ale and not quite as heavy as a porter. It’s got an awesome array of roasted malt, dark berries, coffee and a tiny bit of bitterness to round out a very flavorful brew. It makes a great pairing with the Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic as well as many other cigars. Other suggested pairings here would include a dark roasted coffee, a stout or porter, and of course, some tawny Porto!

The post Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic (Black Label) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The company who makes the cigar is called Honduras Caribbean Tobacco. The Carmelo is their first cigar released a few years ago and they have recently also released a cigar carrying the companies name on the label. The Carmelo is available with a blue or red label. The blue label is wrapped with a Nicaraguan tobacco leaf while the red label has an Ecuadorian shade-grown wrapper. Both of the Carmelo cigars have Nicaraguan fillers and binders and are available in a variety of sizes ranging from a Carmelito (4 x 40) up to a Churchill (7×48).

I’ve had the chance to enjoy a few Carmelo’s before as they are a popular mild cigar at the herf I frequent and are offered up at a fair price. The Carmelo has been around for a few years now and the company itself is still fairly young opening only in 2005. Honduras Caribbean Tobacco is headquartered in Miami and have a large tobacco field on the border of Honduras and Nicaragua. After smoking a few offerings from Honduras Caribbean Tobacco at the herf I purchased a few more to take home with me so I could write up a review. So here it is!

Cigar: Carmelo Red Label
Drink: RocketfuelCoffee.com KonaKaze
Vitola: Toro (6 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Shade-Grown
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $6.40 MSRP
Burn Time: Just under 2 hours

Construction:
• The Carmelo cigar is wrapped with a very light shade of brown, it also appears fairly fragile
• There are almost no veins to be seen on the cigar, they are very light and small and the cigar is very smooth
• The top of the Carmelo is finished with a clean triple cap and is slightly darker in color, likely due to the glue
• The foot of the cigar is well packed and is also darker in color with some leaves appearing nearly black
• The shape of the cigar is slightly box pressed and has a soft springiness to it
• The cut was easy and clean
• Draw is just about perfect, offering up just the right amount of resistance

Burn:
• Took some time to get the cigar toasted evenly but it ended up being perfectly toasted without causing any initial burn problems
• The burn is progressing nicely through the first third with only a minor wave in it
• The wave is always present but it never burned out of control and no corrections as I pass the half-way mark
• As I approach the end of the cigar it still hasn’t required any touch ups but is starting to burn a bit hot

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke is apparent right from the first draw, easily fills the mouth
• Resting smoke is light but noticeable and fills the room with more woodsy aromas
• The ash is very close to being completely white, it’s smooth and tightly packed
• First ash last about an inch before I tapped it off into the ashtray
• Other ashes were all about an inch before being tapped off into the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper aroma is mostly a light mild tobacco aroma with some hints of woodsiness
• The foot has a lot more woodsiness to the aroma, I’m picking up a pine-like or freshly cut cedar scent
• Pre-light draw brings more freshly cut woody flavors and a touch of spice that lingers on the lips and tongue
• Initial draws bring more woodsy notes and a burst of pine flavor specifically
• As we keep moving, the pine is settling in and balancing out with some cedar and a smooth creamy finish
• The cigar itself is fairly mild and the retrohale has no bite to it but has a nice creamy and woodsy finish
• As I approach the middle of the cigar I’m getting an interesting leafy flavor that’s pairing well with the woodsy flavors
• I’m also picking up some sweet bready flavors, similar to something like a brioche
• The creamy and pine flavors have stuck through the entire cigar, I find these to be a very unique pairing
• Some slight pepper spice sneaking in as I burn through the last third

Final Thoughts:
This was a tasty mild cigar and definitely worth trying. It’s not something overly complex or in your face but I don’t think that was the goal of this cigar. It’s something you can pick up anytime of the day, including the morning, and just sit back, relax and enjoy. The pine flavors in this cigar always stood out to me every time I’ve had one and is something unique that I don’t find in many cigars. I did find that they have a tendency to have burn issues if they are overly humidified but smoke perfectly when kept just under 65% or dry boxed a bit before smoking. I think this is mostly due to the delicate wrapper on these cigars but as you can see in this review, I had no issues with the burn at all even in colder temperatures. If you are looking for something different to add to your mild or morning range of cigars, pick up a few of these. They are a nice change from the typical mild Connecticut cigars.

Pairings:
Today I’m pairing with a non-alcoholic beverage for two reasons. Firstly, I’m still taking some medication to fight this infection and I hear it’s generally a bad idea to mix alcohol with that, lol! Secondly, I’ve made the jump to enjoying some premium coffee lately and it pairs very well with cigars, especially ones in the milder range. RocketFuelCoffee.com is an online coffee retailer specializing in premium gourmet coffees. they have at least 8 varieties on their website that cater to a varying audience. Don’t expect any flavored coffee here though, it’s only the all natural and tasty stuff. They even carry the infamous Kopi Luwak coffee! Check out their website and if you’re a coffee lover you won’t be disappointed.
I was going to purchase this coffee online but after speaking to the owner, Lisa, on Twitter (@RcketFuelCoffee) we decided to get together and share a cigar over coffee instead since she also lives in the Great White North near Toronto. We had a great time chatting over some good coffee and cigars. One of the blends I picked up was this Konakaze blend. I love a strong bold coffee and I love espresso so she suggested this one which is a blend of Hawaiin Kona and Espresso. The coffee definitely does not disappoint, you can easily detect the bold flavor of the espresso. To compliment it perfectly, the bright and balanced flavor of the Kona brings a whole different layer to the cup. It fills your mouth with an interesting mixture that fit my coffee tastes perfectly. The coffee paired excellently with this mild cigar and the espresso notes tell me it could pair well even with some stronger offerings. Other good pairings for this cigar would include a light beer, soda or even water. You don’t want anything too strong to overpower the cigar, get something that will let you enjoy it’s flavors.

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