The winner of my prize pack goes to: Mark VanSledright
The winner of Jeremy’s prize pack goes to: Dennis Mathis

Both of you guys shoot your full name, address, and phone numbers to casasfumando@gmail.com and we will see that these get sent out shortly. Again, thank you guys to all who have entered. We are going to try to do many more contests throughout the year to reward you guys for all your support.

Now to this week’s review. I’ve always been big on A.J. Fernandez’s cigars. Almost everything that comes out of their factory is golden so I couldn’t wait to light up their newest offering, the San Lotano Bull.

The Good Stuff: You must be living under a rock if you aren’t familiar with A.J. Fernandez’s San Lotano line by now. This was a line made by A.J. to celebrate brick and mortar shops and for a while were only available in store, no mail order. I know that has changed for some of the line now, but the quality of these sticks have always been the same. The Bull is the newest release in the San Lotano line and was made to showcase a much fuller and much more premium experience than other blends in the San Lotano line. The Bull is available in 3 box-pressed sizes: The Robusto (5 x 54), the Toro (6 x 54), and the Torpedo (6.5 x 54 Belicoso). The Bull comes in boxes of 10, and will run you from $9.60 to $10.20 a stick. They are available now. Big thanks to Spencer Drake from A.J. Fernandez for sending a few samples our way.

Size: 5 x 54 – Box-pressed
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium/Full
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $9.60
Pairing: Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens (Belgian Strong Pale Ale 8.5% ABV)

Prelight: The San Lotano Bull starts out with a beautiful, consistent, dark brown wrapper hidden beneath a sleeve of cedar that has a bull’s head printed on the front and a black ribbon wrapped around the foot. The wrapper is very tough and hard carrying some darker brown webbing and only a few smaller veins. The leaf is seamless heading up to the round double cap. The boxpress on this cigar is a bit soft making it incredibly comfortable in both the hand and the mouth. The San Lotano Bull is polished off with the standard San Lotano orange, yellow, gold and green band that we have grown to expect from the line. The entire cigar is incredibly firm and stiff to the touch. The wrapper gives off a real rough toothy texture.

The wrapper on the Bull screams of spice and cedar while the foot of the cigar carries a much more realistic tobacco aroma. The cap cut clean and easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw kicks out some nice spice, cedar, and chocolate flavors.

First Smoke: San Lotano’s Bull didn’t quite start out with the pepper boom I was expecting. Instead the Bull lead in with some real nice spice, lots of cedar, cinnamon, chocolate and a touch of sweetness over some natural tobacco. The spice in the mixture is really sharp and dominant pairing incredibly well with the strong cedar flavors. The draw on the Bull is perfect. Each puff is pumping out a huge cloud of thick, white smoke. The burnline is a bit wild on one side, but not cause for concern yet. The ash left behind is very well compacted and white in color. It held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: As I continue into the second third of the San Lotano Bull, the spice has started to succeed a bit while the chocolate has really ramped up and the cedar is still there. I am also starting to pick up a bit of tartness from the wrapper. The burnline is still a bit wavy but I have yet to have to pull out my lighter. The retrohale is absolutely smooth with some soft spice and cedar and tons of chocolate. I am feeling absolutely no nicotine at all at this point.

Finish:  The subtle chocolate flavors have really taken over the profile in the final third of San Lotano’s Bull while a really deep, black cherry has creeped in. The spice and cedar are still in the mix too creating an awesome finish to a great cigar. The burnline has completely corrected itself in the final third and had been trying hard to do so the entire experience. It took me about an hour and half to take this one down and I never needed to pull out my torch the entire time. I am feeling a very slight nicotine kick and encountered absolutely no harshness as I took this bad boy down to the nub.

Overview: It’s hard to find something that didn’t live up to the San Lotano expectations in the Bull. The construction was great, the flavors were bangin’ and the draw and burn were spot on. I actually probably enjoyed the San Lotano Bull more than I liked the Connecticut, the Maduro, and the Habano, but not as much as I enjoyed the Oval line. That being said, it falls perfectly in the portfolio where A.J. Fernandez wanted it to. A more premium San Lotano. While the price point is steeper than you normally expect with the standard San Lotano lines, it’s pretty easy to justify. The fact that these come packaged in 10 count boxes vs. 20 also makes it much easier for me to declare them box-worthy. It’s a great cigar to have in your daily more premium rotation that won’t completely break the bank.

Pairing: For a very long time Delirium Tremens has been a staple of beers located in my arsenal. This beer seems to fit every occasion, every mood, every season, and every pairing. Brewed at the Brouwerij Huyghe in Belgium, this 8.5% Pale Ale leads off with some incredible fruit and bitter notes, finishing clean with some subtle spice, and clove. It’s got some deep flavors that pair well with even the highest bodied cigars while the overall experience is subtle enough not to overpower the mildest of pairings. The spice in particular stood out to me in this pairing as it matched up almost identically to the spice found in the Bull. Along with the spice the fruit in the beer really helped me pick out the cherry flavors I took from the final third of the experience. This beer carries a bit of a higher price tag (Around $12 a bottle) but can be found very easily and will never disappoint.

The post San Lotano – Bull Cigar Review + Contest Winners appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: Much like last year’s release, Oliva’s Melanio Maduro made it’s debut at the IPCPR show in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. The blend is based on the Melanio with only one tweak, they replaced the Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper with a Mexican San Andreas Maduro, much like the one used on the past year’s Serie V Maduro (you can read Jeremy’s review here).

Like the Serie V Maduro the Melanio Maduro is a limited to only 10,000 boxes and are already starting to hit shelves. The blend still carries the same Nicaraguan filler and Binder from the standard Melanio blend. The Melanio Maduro will come in boxes of 10 and will run $130 a box of $13 a cigar. The 6.5 x 52 Boxed pressed torepdo is the only format offered in the Maduro line. I got these from the beautiful people over at Bonita Smoke Shop who already have them in stock, and ready to ship! go. now.

Size: 6.5 x 52 Box-Pressed Torpedo
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium/Full
Body: Full
Price: $13
Pairing: Terrapin Dos Cocoas (Chocolate Porter 5.6% ABV)

Prelight: The Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro stats out with this beautifully dark wrapper. The standard Melanio wrapper already carried a pretty dark wrapper and you can see a considerable difference between the two. The wrapper is a dark chocolate brown with a few darker webs throughout the leaf. There are a few very low, almost seamless veins running through the body. Like the Melanio, the Melanio Maduro is box pressed and comes to a very sharp point in it’s torpedo style cap. The wrapper has some slight oils to it and interesting enough the wrapper showcases more and more tooth the closer that you get to the cap. The wrapper is also very, very tough. It feels as hard as a rock and the entire cigar is firm giving almost nothing as I squeeze it between my fingers. The Melanio Maduro carries the same band as the standard Melanio but the secondary  band is primarily gold instead of brown and states “Melanio Maduro” on it.

The wrapper on the Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro has a very strong spice aroma while the foot smells like sweet chocolate and tobacco. The cap was a bit tough but after a bit it cup very clean using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw produces lots and lots of chocolate, sweetness, and spice.

First Smoke: Oliva’s Serie V Melanio Maduro starts out with a nice pepper greeting followed up by lots of spice, cinnamon, chocolate, sweet tobacco, and soft cedar. The sweetness is considerably strong right off the bat. The pepper faded quickly, which I wasn’t expecting. I remember the standard Melanio carrying much more pepper than the Maduro so I am pretty sure the wrapper had a lot to do with that. This is such a sweet, creamy, and bold smoke right from the start. The draw is perfect producing lots and lots of thick white smoke with every puff. I need to mention again how much I love this format. The draw is always perfect and the cigar fits so comfortably in your hand. The burnline is razor sharp and dead even right from the start leaving behind a beautiful white, and light gray tightly compacted ash which held on for a bit over an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: The flavors in this Oliva V Serie V Melanio have become much more creamy. The chocolate and sweetness are still the main factors along with a milky cream, cinnamon and spice, with a bit of nut. The retrohale is very sharp, and very spicy with lots of pepper and cedar. I found it a bit rough and didn’t retrohale this cigar very often. The burnline is stick perfectly even and razor sharp while I am feeling only a very slight nicotine kick as I close out the second third of this cigar.

Finish: The strength in the cigar began to ramp up in the final third. I really didn’t feel much until now which is strange considering the strength of the Serie V lines. With that, the cedar began to fade out while the chocolate and sweetness remained powerful with some spice, and nut in the background. This cigar is a lot more creamy than the standard Serie V, but not as bold in terms of flavor. I didn’t experience any harshness into the final inch, but there was a big drop off in flavors as the sweetness finally fizzled out. The Melanio Maduro left me with a nice little nicotine buzz. Keep in mind, I did smoke this in between a big breakfast and lunch so that may be a factor as well. The cigar took me almost 2 hours to take down to the nub and I never had to touch it up or relight it the entire time.

Overview: Yeah, it’s obvious that I was a big fan of this cigar. I was a big fan of the standard Melanio. I even coined that as my cigar of the year last year (you can see the list here) and I think the Maduro version has a very good chance of sneaking into this year’s list as well. From the construction to the flavors this cigar is top-notch. It’s a full bodied, full strength experience that won’t leave you lying on the floor. The Melanio Maduro is bold, with a complex profile that ends in creamy sweetness. You can’t ask for more than that. While some people may shy away from the price I think it is more than justified for the experience you receive. I really can’t pick a favorite over the two. The standard Melanio seemed to have a bit more punch and stronger flavors while the Maduro is a bit more balanced and carries much more sweetness than the standard. I guess it all depends on what you are in the mood for, but neither will disappoint.

To Sum it Up: Buy it. By the box. Now. Really, it’s a bit pricey but if you are willing to shell out the coin you will enjoy it. It’s complex enough for the seasoned cigar smoker and balanced enough not to overpower the novice. My only suggestion is to make sure that you can handle a bit of power. If you don’t smoke full-strength cigars then you may want to pass on this one.

Pairing: I don’t see many, if any Terrapin brews in my area. I was lucky enough to score this one in a trade with the almighty Timmy D who hooked it up nicely. Terrapin’s Dos Cocoas is a 5.6% ABV Chocolate Porter that sadly, is no longer in production. I know what some of you may be thinking, “A porter, in the summer, really?”. Well I haven’t ever tasted it before, and when I was looking in my pantry I saw it, thinking that the chocolate would pair very nicely with the Melanio Maduro. A quick text message to Tim confirmed this and we were off. The mission was a success too. The Dos Cocoas tastes like straight up chocolate milk. It’s incredibly sweet and smooth with a bit of malt mixed in making it a perfect pairing for the Melanio Maduro’s sweet, chocoately, and creamy profile. Too bad this beer isn’t available, at least at the moment cause I can think of a ton of cigars it would go nicely with.

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

This year, he made big news again by announcing that he will be releasing 12 more blends, one each month over the course of this year. The first three in the series were labeled as the Big Bad John, Iron Mike, and Island Jim. Each blend represents an actual real, live, person that Eddie has met along his cigar manufacturing way. We all know how some of us cigar folk tend to stand out. Anyhow, you can check out my series review of the first set of three here.

You can also get a run-down of the project from the mouth of Eddie here:

“During my time in the cigar industry, I’ve come to know lots of great interesting characters in the industry. I’ve found certain characters so interesting, that I decided to create a series called “Wild Bunch”. This series will consist of 12 characters, each of them with a unique flavor and size profile, no two will be alike.

The series will consist of a limited number of boxes 500-1000, the number of boxes produced will be based on the blend selected for the character, I want to use out of the ordinary material, specially wrappers, and I know that some of the selected wrappers I have chosen are in very limited supply.

The Series will start January 2013 and will continue through December 2013 with one character being released every month of the year, on December 2013 a final release of the completed set made up of either 12 cigars; 1 of each character or 24 cigars; 2 of each character.”

Well now as we are quickly closing in on 2013’s “halftime”, Eddie has released his second set featuring “Tony the Boss”, “Dandy McCoy”, and “Honest Abe”.  These will be the releases for April, May, and June. I reviewed each of these with only water as a pair. Since I only smoked one of each of these I didn’t want to cloud up my palate with something that may not have paired well. That being said, let’s get to the good stuff.

Tony the Boss “Enforcer” #4:

Size: 7½ x 49
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Rosado
Binder: Sumatran
Filler: Nicaraguan from the Jalapa and Esteli regions
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $8

Prelight: Whoa, whoa. An “A”?! Well, there is a commitment! This cigar is a BEAST!! Be ready to set aside some time to take this thing down. Outside of the obvious characteristics, the cigar is gorgeous sporting a light, milky brown Rosado wrapper with a hell of a lot of oil shimmering off the leaf. This sucker is built like a tank too as it barely has any give as I squeeze it between my fingers. The wrapper is real smooth with some larger veins running through the body of the cigar.

Flavors: The Boss leads in with some slight black pepper which fades very quickly leaving you with a milky, malt and sweetness overlying some earth and cedar flavors. As the experience progresses some cinnamon and leather begins to find it’s way into the mix while the malt dips out. The final third of this cigar is where it really begins to shine as the cedar ramps up greatly with lots of sweetness and spice as well as a huge jump in body.

Burn/Draw: Well it took 2 hours to take this beast of a cigar down. I smoked a bit quickly too so you may want to set a good amount of time aside before committing to this cigar. I ran into a few waves that required a bit of attention from my lighter but that’s to be expected from a cigar this big. I didn’t have to relight at all.

Thoughts: First and foremost, I didn’t walk away from this cigar light-header, with a nicotine kick, or and harshness at all. That takes some expert blending hands and Eddie nailed it. While I’m not a big fan of the “A” format, I love having them on hand for celebrations or special moments and at this price point, this one will definitely find it’s way into that rotation.

Dandy McCoy “Empire State” #5:

Size: 6 x 54 Box Press
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Viso from Esteli
Filler: Nicaraguan from the Jalapa and Esteli regions
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Price: $8.50

Prelight: First of all, I love this size. I have been boasting about how not enough blends out have this elongated box-press format. It fits so nicely and comfortably in the hand while almost always producing a near perfect draw. Along with the great format the Dandy McCoy sports a beautiful wrapper. This thing is extremely dark and toothy and feels almost identical to a cat’s tongue while still containing enough oils to get a nice reflection.

Flavors: Right off the bat this cigar starts out with a ton of sweetness, lots and lots of milky chocolate, smooth tobacco, and just a touch of spice. As the cigar burned along the milk chocolate just keep ramping up as the pepper faded out and cedar and spice slipped it’s way in. The sweetness remained a big factor the entire experience.

Burn/Draw: As far as burn goes this bad boy was razor sharp, and burned dead even the entire time. No touch ups, no relights. It burned pretty slow too. It took me about an hour and a half to take this guy down to the nub.

Thoughts: So far, out of the six, this has been hands down my favorite. I’ve always been a sucker for Connecticut Broadleaf and the size just puts it over the top. Lots of sweetness, body and strength without being too overpowering or too strong. That’s a fine line and hard to balance out but Eddie nailed it with this one. BUY THESE.. like… NOW.

Honest Abe “Ringmaster” #6:

Size: 6½ x 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Viso from Esteli
Filler: Nicaraguan from the Jalapa and Esteli regions
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $8.50

Prelight: The Honest Abe starts out with a beautiful, shiny, oily wrapper. Each time I touch this stick a bit of oil gets transferred to my fingertips. There are a few larger veins, but nothing too significant. The wrapper on this cigar feels a bit delicate but it is as smooth as silk while the body of the cigar is extremely firm.

Flavors: I thought the Honest Abe would start out all kind and mild, but looks can be deceiving. The cigar started out with a quick burst of strong, black pepper before it quickly faded away leaving a nice, smooth balance of cedar, spice, honey and natural tobacco. None of the flavors were overly significant, but mixed together it made for a nice balance of flavors. A bit of sweetness began to creep in as I reached the halfway point while a lot of the cedar began to fade away. The cedar, honey and sweetness stayed consistent throughout the experience.

Burn/Draw: The burnline was pretty thick on this one and despite a few waves, it only required a touch up here and there. Never any relights.

Thoughts: This was a solid cigar, especially if you tend to fall on the mild side of cigars. To me, I felt it needed a little more “UMPH” to get my attention. Then again, that’s strictly subjective since I tend to chase after more stronger, bolder cigars. On a side note, I was super glad to see Abe creep into this lineup. Those who don’t know, Abe runs the Smokeinn shops and has been a huge supporter of not only this blog, but just about anything and everything having to do with cigars.

P.S. I don’t think I will be publishing a review next week. That’s right, it’s going to be a Jeremy and Daniel takeover. I will actually be heading to Nicaragua to join many of the other bloggers as well as the Drew Estate team on a Cigar Safari tour! I will be sure to come back with a full report.

The post Ortega – Wild Bunch Set #2 – Tony the Boss, Dandy McCoy, and Honest Abe Reviews appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Ok, I know it’s not that new but it is the newest shape for the line! lol. I hadn’t been able to find this shape until recently and I’m a big fan of torpedos, especially the box pressed kind. So when I saw them I had to grab a few to see how they help up to the other vitolas. I did post up a review of the Toro vitola awhile back so give it a read here.

So first things first, this is a gorgeous looking cigar as is all the Le Bijou line. It’s got a shiny oily wrapper that has an awesome deep dark chocolate color to it. There is definitely some toothiness to this wrapper which makes it very appealing. The box press process seems to have hardened the cigar up a bit as well, making it much firmer when squeezed. As always, I absolutely love the My Father bands, they are printed so crisp, clean and have some wonderful colors and artwork to them. Definitely some of the best bands in the industry. The main difference in the dress up of this cigar is the addition of an orange ribbon at the foot. It’s not much but it does add a nice touch to this vitola.

After a clean, short cut I’m off to toasting the foot, which lights up evenly and easily. The draw is nice and open and I get a nice full draw of smoke right from the start. The signature pepper kick backed by spices, coffee and chocolate are all there. Through the first bit, the pepper takes a back seat while the coffee, cocoa and a bit of cedar take the front lines. Burn line stays solid through most of this cigar although it needed one touch up near the end. I pick up a change around the halfway mark where I got some cloves and a touch of earthiness to the mix.

The body has hung around the medium range but it’s definitely ramping up a bit as we burn through the last half. Around this time I noticed a bit of tar buildup on the top of the cigar. I try not to clip too much off my torpedos so this seems to be a common problem for me with almost all cigars in this shape. A quick clip taking off just a sliver fixes the problem and we’re off to the races again. The cigar finishes nice and strong with the spice and pepper making a reappearance which the added notes of coffee and sweet cocoa.

In short, all I really have to say here is this is another awesome Le Bijou 1922 packed into a slightly different shape. I really enjoyed it and will be seeking out some more in the future. If you liked any of the other vitolas from this line then give this one a try. I really like the shape and feel of this cigar so it earns a few bonus points for me on that front.

The post Quick Draw Episode 8 – My Father Le Bijou 1922 Box-Pressed Torpedo appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Now this is a very special line made by Padron Cigars to honor their many great years of quality cigar production. It remains a family owned business so you can see where the name comes from. This line is amongst the best cigars ever to come from the Padron factory. Only the top quality tobacco leaves are used here and as with most of their cigars, all the tobacco leaves are exclusively Nicaraguan. On top of that, each leaf is aged a full 10 years before being rolled into one of the limited edition cigars.

Similar to some other limited cigars on the market, these blends are released annually, usually landing in September, and each year brings a new vitola and some different names. The name here, No. 44, commemorates the 44 years of successful cigar manufacturing by the Padron Family. This particular blend/vitola was released in 2008.

I fully plan on taking my time and enjoying this one, as you can see below, the price isn’t exactly cheap. The price, along with Padron name on the band, sets some pretty high expectations as I head outside to light this cigar up. I’m hoping it can live up to my expectations now. Let’s get to it!

Cigar: Padron Family Reserve No. 44 Years
Drink: St. Ambroise 2011 Special Reserve Extra Strong Imperial Stout
Vitola: Box Pressed Torpedo (6 x 52)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: About $30
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• First thing I noticed when I picked up this cigar was the subtle toothiness on the wrapper, there’s tons of little spots on it and it’s super oily to boot, damn tasty from an outsiders perspective
• The oily wrapper also has a super dark chocolate tone to it that just adds to its appeal
• Now the springiness on this cigar is almost non-existent, it’s a pretty solid box-pressed stick from end to end with no soft spots
• The cigar is a little bumpy but there are almost no veins above a “small” size here and it’s got a very silky feel to it
• The cap actually looks pretty poorly applied considering the special edition here, it’s kind of a crescent shaped tapered cap
• The foot is understandably well packed but despite being such a solid stick it actually feels pretty light in your hands
• After an easy cut, the draw was a little bit tight but not too bad. I didn’t want to cut much of this pricey stick so I’ll work with this

Burn:
• This cigar lit up with ease, within a few seconds the whole foot was glowing evenly with minimal effort
• Through the first inch I’m getting a super tight, razor sharp burn that is going very well so far
• This section is gonna be pretty short, the Padron 44 years is smoking wonderfully without any needs for touch ups at all
• It’s also letting me smoke it slowly and enjoy it without having to take a bunch of extra draws to get it going again

Smoke & Ash:
• The smoke from each draw isn’t overly thick but it’s not thin either, I’d say its a nice balance right now
• The first bit of ash is coming along nicely, keeping tight together and fairly clean with only one kind of split on the side
• The resting smoke was fairly light and gave off a sweet cedar type of aroma, very pleasant
• The ash held on strong to an inch before I gently tapped it off into the ashtray
• The ash has a nice light grey color to it with thin black lines creating a nice zebra stripe effect
• The second ash stayed nice and strong and clean up until I tapped it off at about the one inch mark

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper is pretty much aroma-less, can’t pick up anything except for the slight cedar smell of my humidor
• The foot brings some more interesting aromas including cinnamon, a touch of sweetness and bit of coffee too
• Pre-light draw brings just a touch of cedar flavors to my tongue, not much else here though
• Right off the initial draw you get a super flavorful mouthful of cocoa, coffee, baking spices and a wonderful sweetness, what an awesome start!
• Within the first inch the cigar quickly ramps up from an initial mild body to getting near the high end of medium
• The retrohale started off with a light cedar finish and now I’m getting nice spicy bite to go along with it
• As the body builds at this early point, so does the spice. It has changed from being baking spices to more cooking spices in the range of white pepper and even paprika while still keeping the cedar, cocoa and coffee
• As quickly as the body and spicy flavors came, they are now gone and I’m back to the sweet and tasty cocoa, coffee and cedar. So much action in just the first third!
• The coffee and cocoa are dominating right now and it’s so damn tasty, there’s just enough spice and cedar in the background to make it interesting
• I should also note the body came down a bit towards the low end of medium after towing the line of becoming a full bodied stick before
• As I get into the last third, the cedar and spice started taking charge, leaving the sweet cocoa and coffee notes aside
• I also started picking up some tasty almond flavors and an interesting flavor I can only characterize as “red wine”. I’ve never got this before and I’m pairing it with beer so that really caught me off guard!
• Flavor and body picked up a little intensity towards the end but it never got harsh and I enjoyed it right to the nub!

Final Thoughts:
These are obviously super limited cigars and I’m very glad I had a chance to try one. The first thing everyone will look at is the price. It is way up there for sure and I don’t think I could justify a whole box but it was definitely worth having a couple to try. The flavors, construction and burn were all top notch and worthy of the price it carries, especially considering the rare tobacco that goes into it. The Padron family has a huge reputation to live up to so chances are, when you pick up a special edition cigar by them that it’s going to be a good one. Having said that, the Padron Family Reserve 44 years lived up to that legacy for me.

Pairings:
I picked up this brew while on a trip to Ottawa. We crossed over into Quebec where the selection of beers far outweighs what we have here in Ontario, and they are cheaper to boot. At the local stores here I can only find the oatmeal stout by St. Ambroise and I really enjoy it so I figured I’d give this special edition a try. It is a 2011 Special Reserve Extra Strong Imperial Stout. Now what a wonderful brew this turned out to be. It’s got a smooth creamy texture that is so darn tasty. The amount of malt in here is damn near staggering and it’s paired with some awesome coffee flavors and a touch of cocoa. To round out the mix, it is aged in Bourbon barrels and the bourbon flavor definitely shines through, but it’s not overpowering, just a nice hint. It is a strong brew coming in at 9.5% alc./vol. but it paired perfectly with the Padron Family Reserve 44 Years. Other good pairings here would be my port of course or maybe a good strong coffee.

The post Padron Family Reserve No. 44 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Yesterday I took advantage of the fact that all my clients would be off celebrating. I decided to stay home and light up a good cigar with a tall glass of beer and enjoy the slightly warmer weather. I decided to sit down with this years Monster release from Tatuaje, dubbed the Wolfman. If you didn’t know, Pete Johnson has been releasing a Halloween themed cigar each year for the past few years and it’s called the Monster Series.

Last year, Tatuaje released “The Face” which we reviewed here. Before that you would have seen the Boris, Frank or Drac. Each one is inspired by a horror creature from a story or film. This years Wolfman release is no different, named after the infamous werewolf. The cigars came packed in a limited selection of dress boxes with 13 cigars as well as a slightly larger release of 10-count plain boxes. They were sold out very quickly across the country so I’m glad I was able to snag a few to get a review in.

The Wolfman comes in with a shaggy foot to keep inline with the character of the cigar. Pete wanted to give it a sort of “ugly” unfinished look to match the theme. Other than the shaggy foot, the cigar looks to be of excellent construction. The band on this cigar also has one new thing from the older Monster Series sticks. On the sides of the band you can see “MONSTER” and “HALLOWEEN” written beside the normal Tatuaje name. Normally, there was nothing else on the bands aside from the brand.

Now I know I’m coming in a little late to the game with this review but it did take quite a bit of digging and asking around to get these cigars. Especially up here to Canada where they aren’t sold and very few B&M’s are even willing to ship to. Tony’s local shops also don’t seem to get these in so we were both in a bit of a bind trying to track a few down. Alas, determination leads to success and I got them. So here I am, sitting down and getting ready to light this cigar and write down my thoughts for your reading pleasure.

Cigar: Tatuaje Wolfman – Monster Series 2011
Drink: Trafalgar Ales & Meads – Smoked Oatmeal Stout
Vitola: Box-Pressed Torpedo (7.5 x 52)
Wrapper: Sumatran
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: MSRP $13
Burn Time: a little under 2 hours

Construction:
• The Tatuaje Wolfman is a nice looking cigar with a chestnut brown wrapper
• The wrapper is slightly rough with some veins running through it but none look to be large or worrisome
• The whole cigar actually feels a little soft when squeezed
• The cap is finished with extreme care and blends into the cigar with ease, the foot is left uncovered and shaggy but still looks to be fairly well packed
• Cap cut cleanly and easily and left me with an easy draw, make sure not to cut too much off this cigar or it will be very open
• As soon as I finished burning past the unfinished foot the draw got super-tight so I needed to cut the cap a bit more and now we’re all happy

Burn:
• Toasting seems fairly easy and even and took a good 30 seconds or so to get the foot glowing, I was expecting a messy toasting with the unfinished foot but it wasn’t messy at all
• Burn got off to a wonky start on one side that needed a quick correction early on
• After that correction, things have been burning a lot smoother with a nice sharp and even line
• Another small correction as I pass the halfway mark, nothing major and didn’t affect the flavors

Smoke & Ash:
• There’s a ton of smoke from each draw as I’ve come to expect from pretty much all of Pete Johnson’s cigar, he really knows how to nail the thick billowy smoke
• The ash from the unfinished foot was super weak and fell off quickly, before I even had a chance to snap a picture
• Seems that suicidal ash is the trend today, lost the first two ash to the floor after about an inch each, sigh…
• The ash seems to be fairly weak and a little bit messy with a light grey color to it
• Considering there is so much smoke on the draw, the isn’t much resting smoke to be found on the cigar and it’s giving off a nice cedar aroma

Tasting Notes:
• The aroma off the wrapper is slightly sweet with a peppery touch
• The foot adds a hefty helping of cedar added to the sweet and spicy notes
• Pre-light draw brought more of the cedar to the mix, quite a nice flavor
• Initial draws after lighting were mixed mostly of cedar and a spicy pepper undertone, no sweetness at this point
• The pepper seems to be staying as a soft undertone but now I’m getting some other more interesting spices in the mix, mainly like a nutmeg or clove type of flavor
• I’m also picking up on some leathery and earthy notes on this cigar, lots of flavors going on here
• The cedar flavors continue to dominate and I think I’m getting some coffee notes in the mix now too but that might be the stout I’m pairing with
• The body of the cigar has been a nice comfortable medium since the start, a good well balanced smoke so far
• The retrohale brings with it a slight peppery bite and smooth cedar finish
• A little past the halfway mark I’m starting to pick up a little bit of that initial sweetness, let’s hope it develops a little more
• The sweetness didn’t really develop any further and faded soon after, but the coffee and cedar really grew together into a nice mix
• All the flavors slowly ramped up near the 2 inches but the body stayed in a nice smooth medium range
• No harsh or bitterness right to the nub, enjoyed every last cedar and coffee filled draw

Final Thoughts:
I think Pete Johnson has another winner in the ever popular Monster Series of cigars from Tatuaje. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s his best ever but these are tasty right out of the box and they seem to have some aging potential as well. Other than a couple minor touch-ups the cigar burned fairly well and offered a lot of complexity to the palate that kept me interested the whole way through. And that is sometimes a hard task when the cigar is this length of vitola, I tend to have a short attention span, lol! The Wolfman was quite balanced and smooth through the whole experience and I enjoyed it from start to finish. They are getting harder and harder to come by each year (especially for a Canadian!) so I’m glad I was able to grab a few. If you manage to find some, definitely pick a couple up for a special occasion!

Pairings:
Today’s brew comes from a local brewery called Trafalgar Ales & Meads which is located about 45min from where I live in a place called Oakville, Ontario. I don’t actually see many other brews from these guys but I have picked up this brew a few times. It’s called the Smoked Oatmeal Stout. The first time I saw this I thought it was going to have a heavy smoked flavor like a scotch or something, but that’s not the case at all. It’s actually a fairly light stout but it’s got the most head out of any beer I’ve seen before. I mean if you shake this bottle even a tiny bit, it’s going to explode when you crack it open. And pouring it takes like 30min to let the foam settle, it’s ridiculous but worth it. The flavors you get are chocolate, coffee and a malty deliciousness that mix together so well. The array of flavors also makes for an excellent pairing for nearly any medium to full cigar, it would easily overpower a mild stick though. I think a nice Tawny Port would have gone excellently with the Wolfman or possibly even a strong coffee or black tea.

The post Tatuaje Wolfman – Monster Series #4 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Smoke Inn’s Microblend Series is aimed at reproducing the effects that Microbreweries have had in the beer industry. As many of you know, microbreweries have made a big impact in their industry and really opened up the market to new types of beers that a lot of larger breweries don’t seem to try. Stepping out of the comfort zone as some would say. Smoke Inn has done the same thing and is making use of smaller yield tobaccos to produce new blends that would previously not have been created. They have also utilized a variety of different manufacturers to achieve very different flavor profiles.

I’m not gonna lie here, Padron is a brand that I typically enjoy everything that they do. They clearly have a name in the industry that speaks to their high quality and excellent blending. Their 1964 Anniversary Series is part of their more premium line of cigars and with that they always carry a larger price tag. In my experience, the higher price tags on this line are usually justified by smooth, tasty cigars and perfectly burning tobacco leaves.

Converse to what you might expect from Padron, the SI-15 blend made form Smoke Inn is a huge vitola (6 x 60 to be exact). The Padron lines are usually available in a variety of smaller vitolas with the occasional larger ones and I found it odd to see a single blend made only in this larger vitola. I should make note that I’m not a huge fan of these large ring gauge cigars. It seems that I always run into burn issues, or draw issues or just a plain bland profile from too much filler. From what I could gather, the blend doesn’t really differ from other vitolas in the 1964 line but since there is so much more filler, the cigar has it’s own unique profile. Let see if that holds true and read on through my review! (Cheesy, I know… lol)

Cigar: Padron 1964 Anniversary Series SI-15 Natural – Smoke Inn Exclusive
Drink: Sierra Nevada Stout
Vitola: SI-15 (6 x 60)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: Gifted by Smoke Inn ($18.50 MSRP)
Burn Time: About 2 hours

Construction:
• This is a hefty looking cigar with a significant ring gauge and a slightly box pressed look
• There are quite a few visible veins along the length of the wrapper but none seem to e large enough to cause any burn issues
• The color of the wrapper is a very soft medium brown and gives off a slight shimmer in the light, showing some of it’s nice oily qualities
• Surprisingly, the top of this massive cigar is covered by only a single cap, and it does a good clean job of it too!
• The whole cigar is consistently firm when squeezed with very little give
• From the foot, you can see some gaps in the filler, hopefully this won’t lead to any tunnel issues which I seem to run into often with larger ring gauge cigars
• My double bladed guillotine cutter was barely able to fit on this huge ring gauge, but it managed to get a nice clean cut
• The draw is very open even with my small cut

Burn:
• Toasting was a bit uneven as can be expected with larger ring gauge cigars
• Burn is going very well through the first inch, it was a messy start but I’m happy to see a good auto-correction!
• The cigar is also allowing me to smoke it slowly without any problems or worries about it going out
• Through to the half way marked I’m impressed by a razor sharp burn
• I started to get some wavy burn in the last couple of inches which needed a couple small corrections

Smoke & Ash:
• I’m getting surprisingly less smoke than I was expecting, perhaps a downside of the very open draw
• In hindsight, I think I should have gone with a V-Cut or Punch with this cigar
• The resting smoke on this Smoke Inn Padron 1964 SI-15 is fairly minimal and gives off a pleasant woodsy aroma
• The ash has a very nice white color to it with only a few spots of black here and there
• It’s also holding on strongly with no flaking or curving
• First ash lasted nearly two inches before gently being tapped off into the ashtray
• The smoke picked up thickness around the halfway mark and now I’m getting a big mouthful from each draw
• Second ash also held nice and clean for nearly two inches, great construction as I would expect from Padron

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on this cigar has a typical Padron aroma, giving off slight hints of coffee and some tobacco sweetness
• The foot seems to tell a bit of a different story, it had a lot more sweetness to it, mixed with some cocoa and a touch of spice
• The pre-light draw tastes mostly of tobacco and a bit of earthy notes, nothing exciting about this part of the cigar
• Right off the initial draw I get a very interesting baked bread type of flavor
• I have to note that this cigar is extremely awkward for me to hold and smoke, it’s just too large of a ring gauge than what I’m used to
• Along with the baked bread flavors, the Smoke Inn Exclusive Padron 1964 SI-15 has some mildly bitter coffee flavors and slight hint of sweetness once in a while
• The body of this cigar is starting off in the higher end of mild, it’s not quite medium. From the retrohale I get a small bite a smooth cedar finish
• The bitter coffee flavors continue to develop nicely and I’m really enjoying them. There is also some cedar and spice sneaking in as the sweetness disappears
• The body is slowly creeping into the medium category as the coffee flavors turn into the wonderful bittersweet espresso flavors I’ve come to love from most Padrons
• The bitter espresso notes have really taken control with about 2 inches left to go
• I’m also getting hints of a strong bitter chocolate here and there along with some cedar, a very tasty profile I must say!
• The bitterness turned a tad harsh in the last inch, but nothing terrible

Final Thoughts:
I’m pleasantly surprised to say I really enjoyed this cigar. I came into this with some serious skepticism about the vitola as my experiences with 6 x 60’s has been fairly poor. This cigar did not suffer from those same problems! The flavors were not muted by all the filler and the burn was spot-on even after a poor toasting (for the most part). Despite the larger ring gauge, the Padron 1964 Anniversary Series SI-15 kept the signature flavors I’ve come to enjoy in all the Padrons I’ve smoked. I think Smoke Inn has a definite winner of an exclusive on their hands here. Be sure to check out their website and order some to try if you can. They are a bit on the high scale in terms of pricing but if you compare to other Padron 1964’s it’s on par, and so is the flavor! If you are a fan of 6×60’s this is definitely something to add to your wishlist! You can buy there here from the Smoke Inn eShop.

Pairings:
Sierra Nevada is a brand that I can’t get locally, it seems they have absolutely no distribution in Ontario that I know of. So I picked this up along with the rest of my beer haul from Florida. I’m a big fan of stouts and porters and in general, they are hard for me to find locally. As you might guess from it’s name, the Sierra Nevada brewery is located in California and today Im enjoying their Stout with my Smoke Inn Exclusive Padron 1964 SI-15. The Sierra Nevada Stout is surprisingly smooth with a slightly bitter and full flavored maltiness. I was actually expecting this brew to be a bit thicker but it’s not as thick as other stouts while still maintaining a nice full flavor. It has a very long finish on the palate and leaves some bitter chocolate and coffee notes. This was an excellent pairing for the Padron 1964 SI-15 and complimented the flavors so well since they actually had similar flavor profiles. I would also recommend a strong coffee or port with this cigar, I think both would match nicely!

The post Padron 1964 Anniversary Series SI-15 Natural (Smoke Inn Exclusive) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

But despite my silly oversight, I managed to get one to review for everyone’s enjoyment! The cigar I’m referring to happens to be an Illusione ‘888’ Slam. This particular cigar is not entirely full production at the time I write this. Dion Giolitto, of Illusione Cigars, released this as a prototype blend and it seems it was well received all around!

Although the name is mostly the same, the Illusione ‘888’ Slam is not the exact same blend as the Illusione ‘888’. The main difference is a single type of filler leaf that was removed to help make the “bench” press process possible. The bench press style of this cigar is where the “Slam” in the title comes from. The Illusione ‘888’ Slam is a Nicaraguan Puro, meaning all the leaf in the blend is sourced from Nicaraguan tobacco. The one thing that doesn’t come from Nicaragua in this cigar is the production, it’s actually rolled in the Honduras factory.

As with each of the Illusione blends, they have a little catchphrase associated with each blend. In this case, the catch phrase is “Neccesary and Sufficient”. The name and numbers have roots in Dion’s faith and I would recommend reading about the meaning on his website. The addition of the meaning behind each name is a very interesting addition in the cigar world.

Cigar: Illusione ‘888’ Slam
Drink: Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin
Vitola: (6.75 x 48)
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: About $11.00
Burn Time: A little over 1.5 hours

Construction:
• This is a long bench-pressed cigar with an appealing cinnamon brown wrapper
• The wrapper appears to have a couple of small water spots but there are no substantial veins to be seen anywhere, it’s very smooth
• The cigar has a soft feel to it when squeezed but it’s nicely consistent from end to end
• The top is finished with a clean triple cap while the foot appears very well packed
• The cut was pretty easy although it made a bit of a mess in the ashtray

Burn:
• The toasting on this cigar was super easy, the smaller ring gauge and bench pressed shape helped it to glow evenly with little effort
• Through the first bit the cigar is burning razor sharp as well as nice and slow
• May have spoke too soon once again, started getting some very slanted burn now
• I let it go for a bit hoping for a self correction but it needed a little intimidation from my lighter
• Had another lopsided burn situation that needed correction just past the halfway mark
• In the last third the wrapper actually stopped burning and I needed to touch it up a couple times, this might have been due to the 94% humidity outside?

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke coming off each draw, very full and enjoyable
• The ash is a very light grey and has some dark black zebra striping
• It only lasted about an inch, started to go all lopsided so I decided to tap it off
• Despite it’s weakness, the ash stays nice and clean with no flaking
• Ashes continue to be about an inch but the few touchups made it weaker and I had a few miss the ashtray and go for a dive to the floor
• I had pure butter fingers with this cigar tonight and kept losing my ash! Oops!

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a light and sweet aroma to it, maybe a touch of cocoa in there
• Pre-light draw brings a heavy flavor of cedar and earthiness
• Right from the initial draw I’m getting a big burst of spice on each draw with an earthy undertone
• The retrohale right off the bat here is fantastic! It’s got a nice helping of cedar, a mall bite of spice and the finish is super unique. The closest I can compare it to is the type of grapes used to make wine with. A very unique tarty sweetness that I’ve never found in a cigar before
• Body is starting off in the low end of medium so far
• The spice settles down after a couple inches and left me with mostly earthiness and some cedar, the retrohale remains super tasty!
• As I get to the halfway mark I’m getting a nice roasted coffee flavor that’s balancing very nicely with the cedar and spice
• The finish throughout this cigar has been extremely smooth and not drying at all, you could probably smoke this whole cigar without a drink, it’s that smooth
• Getting into the last third that tarty sweetness I’m getting on the retrohale is making an appearance in the normal draw, very nice touch
• As I get into the last couple of inches the spice is making a big comeback, each draw gives a very interesting texture on my tongue, it’s thick and chewy and almost feels like I just sprinkled black pepper right on my tongue. Very cool!
• The cigar did not get harsh at all near the end, just some huge bursts of spice and still a smooth finish

Final Thoughts:
The Illusione ‘888’ Slam was awesome! That just about sums it up! Do I need to continue? ok fine… The most enjoyable part of this cigar that I can’t emphasize enough is the retrohale. If you don’t run the smoke through your nasal passages I think you would be missing out on a huge part of this cigar. You would probably think that I’m crazy and the cigar was just ok. Without the retrohale, it’s an ok cigar. But with it, it’s fantastic. The burn was nice and even for the most part and draw was spot on. The price is a tad high but this is a long vitola and makes for a fully enjoyable experience. the price may make it hard for a lot of people to opt for a full box, but definitely reach for a 5-pack if you can, they are worth it in my opinion.

Pairings:
Tonight’s pairing choice is from Wychwood Brewery in Oxfordshire England and is called Hobgoblin. Seems I’m picking up a lot of English brews lately, not on purpose though, it just seems to be what I find at the store. I actually posted up a full review of this beer awhile ago during the colder months, you can read it here. The beer has some seriously tasty hoppy bitterness and lots of malt. On top of that you can pick up some light berry flavors. It’s definitely enjoyable on it’s own and I’ve found it to be an excellent pairing with quite a few cigars as well. It paired nicely with the Illusione ‘888’ Slam and I think the main reason for this is because of it’s straightforward profile. It doesn’t have too much in the way of other sweet flavors and prides itself as a traditional Ruby Beer. This makes it a good palate cleanser and doesn’t mess with the cigars flavors very much, allowing you to enjoy the cigar for what it is. Other great pairings here would be a full stout, my favorite tawny port or a nice cup of coffee.

The post Illusione ‘888’ Slam 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.

The post Carmelo Red Label appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

We’ve had a few Padron cigars reviewed on the site already. You can read my reviews of the Padron 1926 No. 35 Maduro or Padron 1964 Principe, or check out Tony’s review of the special edition Padron 46 Years. Padron prides itself on releasing only Nicaraguan puros, which means all the leaves contained within the cigars are grown in Nicaragua. Check out one of the above linked reviews for more information about the Padron Cigar company and it’s Cuban heritage and inspiration.

Today’s review comes from the Serie 1926 line and is called the “40 Years”. Although it seems named similar to the yearly special editions (45 Years, 46 Years, etc…) it is actually part of the regular production Serie 1926 line. The cigars name is significant of the year it was added to the line. It has a unique box-pressed

I was lucky enough to find myself a slightly warm day to enjoy this cigar, of course warm to me this winter is still well below freezing, but I’ll take what I can get until spring comes around! As you might be able to tell, I’m already a big fan of Padron cigars, but as with all my reviews, I go into them as unbiased as possible and give it a fair review. This also means that I will have high expectations for this cigar and might work against it in the outcome. Take a read through it and let me know how your thoughts here might compare to mine.

Cigar: Padron Serie 1926 40 Years Natural
Drink: Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Vitola: Box-Pressed Torpedo (6.5 x 54)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $25
Burn Time: About 2 hours

Construction:
• A slightly rough yet well made cinnamon brown wrapper with a box-pressed torpedo shape
• No major veins but lots of smaller ones can be seen
• The tapered cap finishes cleanly but it very firm, making me worry about draw issues
• The body of the cigar has a soft spring to it
• As with most Padrons, the wrapper has a very appealing toothiness to it
• The foot appears fairly well packed but does have a couple holes
• The cut was very clean and firm, I did have to cut a fair bit of the taper off to get a decent draw
• This cigar had a crack in the wrapper near the foot, likely due to shipping damage as none of the others I’ve had were like this

Burn:
• Had some trouble getting the foot to light up evenly, starting off with a wavy burn now
• After a few draws the burn line straightened right out nicely
• The crack extended about two inches down the wrapper and definitely affected the burn but it still burned quite well despite that
• A slight peninsula formed just as I passed the end of the crack, a small correction and we’re back in good form
• A few more peninsulas here and there but they mostly corrected themselves
• The cigar burned nice and slowly the whole way through

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke from each draw right from the start of this cigar
• There’s quite a bit of smoke from a resting position as well, giving off a nice cedar aroma
• The ash is not splitting but it does look a bit flaky and weak, we’ll see how it holds up…
• Started to get more flaky as it progressed so I tapped the ash off at about an inch before it fell all over me
• Second ash also fell off after about an inch, seems to be on par with the others I’ve had of this vitola
• Lots of flaking as the cigar burns further along

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper aroma is strong of cedar and tobacco
• The foot has more hints of cedar but also a strong presence of earthy aromas and a touch of spice
• The pre-light draw is more cedar and a lot more spice, leaving a tingling sensation on the lips and tongue
• Initial draws are mostly of a burnt woodsy type flavor with some earthy notes mixed in
• After a few draws the flavor smoothed out to a nice cedar with some hints of white pepper
• The retrohale is very smooth with a little bite and a tasty cedar finish
• As i finish the first third, I’m getting some hints of coffee creeping in as the pepper slowly fades away
• So far the cigar is just about on the edge of mild and medium and very smooth, no dryness either
• The coffee kept developing nicely and the cedar is still around, also getting some cinnamon or nutmeg on the finish now
• Just past the halfway mark, an interesting bready (think fresh dough) and creamy flavor has popped up, it’s very enjoyable and the cigar is balancing out so well
• The bite on the retrohale is just right, not overpowering and still offers a smooth finish of cedar and coffee
• More coffee flavors developing and turning into an espresso like taste, I find this in a lot of Padron’s and it always impresses me
• Straight down to the nub the flavors are still going strong with no harshness at all

Final Thoughts:
As with most Padron’s I’ve enjoyed, this one did not disappoint. Each time I’ve lit up this vitola I’ve been greeted with a variety of flavors and dimensions that kept it interesting the whole way through. Even with a large crack running a good length of the wrapper, the cigar still burned fairly well. Unfortunately, this cigar loses points in the price department. It carries a hefty tag at about $25 and a lot of shops will over price these due to the name, not to mention taxes in some states/countries. It’s definitely something worth trying as this offers a great cigar smoking experience but it’s not something that can be had on a regular basis for most people. Try to grab a few to save for special occasions and you will not be disappointed!

Pairings:
Today’s pairing is one that seems to be a well known brew, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. It comes in a good sized bottle and definitely has lots of character from this UK based brewery. It’s a nice dark stout with lots of head and a smooth finish. You won’t find any bitterness with this brew. The chocolate notes are not as pronounced as the name might suggest but are definitely there and offer a very smooth malty flavor. This brew is an excellent choice for any cigar with hints of coffee or cocoa, I find it really helps those flavors shine. It was no disappointment here as it paired very well and made the coffee notes of the Padron Serie 1926 40 Years really shine. This cigar would also pair quite well with Port, Coffee or a smooth scotch. I also paired this brew with a blind review I did awhile ago of the Perdomo Patriarch Maduro, read that one here.

The post Padron Serie 1926 40 Years Natural appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Ideology was intended to diversify the line of 262 Cigars by bringing a smooth, mile and creamy profile.  The cigar is wrapped with a Rosado leaf which I find to be a great alternative to the Connecticut when seeking a mild cigar for anytime of the day.  As I mentioned in my last review, the 262 Cigar company is made up of a small group of passionate cigar smokers who have embraced the online and B&M cigar communities to promote their product.  By leveraging these communities they’ve been able to establish themselves as a good name in the cigar world.

The blend of leaves in this tobacco all come from some of my favorite tobacco leave regions including Nicaragua, Mexico and Dominican Republic.  Each of these leaves offers a unique and tasty profile and I’m excited to see how they blend together.  It’s nice to see a cigar aimed at the mild market when it seems a lot of new cigars are being aimed at strong, full bodied smokers.

Cigar: 262 Cigars Ideology
Drink: Erdinger Weissber Dunkel
Vitola: Box-Pressed Toro (6 x 54)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Mexican, Dominican
Price: $8.75 from 262 Cigars Website (www.smoketherevolution.com)
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A very clean and even square pressed toro cigar
• The wrapper is a nice matte chocolate brown color with almost no visible veins
• The head is finish with a clean triple cap and seems to have a little more shine then the rest of the cigar
• The foot is very well packed and the cigar is fairly firm to the touch with whole way through
• The cut was nice and clean, falling off in a neat bunch into the ashtray
• Draw is just right, not too much effort and not too airy

Burn:
• Toasting took a little while to get even but eventually glowed nicely
• Burn started off a bit wavy but quickly corrected itself and is burning razor sharp now
• Still no problems on the burn as I pass the halfway mark, this is a great sign since I usually have problems with box-pressed cigars, but not this one

Smoke & Ash:
• Getting a nice mouthful of smoke from each draw
• Resting smoke is fairly minimal
• The ash is producing a nice white color to it and looks tightly wound
• Despite it looking nice and strong, the ash fell into the ashtray after about an inch
• The one inch mark seems to be the sweet spot for this ash, but it cleanly falls into the ashtray without me having to worry about it at all

Tasting Notes:
• The aroma on the wrapper is very light but I get some hints of coffee and hay
• The foot gives off a bit more hay on the aroma and some hints of coffee and cocoa, maybe even a small touch of spice
• Pre-light draw brings mostly hay and a sweet tobacco type flavor
• Initial draws have a nice cedar flavor and some hints of coffee, starting off nice and mild
• Retrohale is very mild with no bite and at this early point is not giving any distinct flavors
• The coffee flavors have developed a bit more on the finish and also on the retrohale, cigar is still fairly mild
• Getting a bit of creaminess on the finish, a nice touch
• The creaminess has also translated to the retrohale and it also developed a tiny little bite
• The body started to pick up a bit near the end, it’s just teetering on the edge of medium right now
• The cedar/woodsiness made a more prominent appearance in the last third
• The mild smoothness of this cigar is very enjoyable and relaxing, not too in your face
• Some bitterness started to develop in the last inch or so of the cigar, but it wasn’t terribly off-putting
• Smooth cedar flavors lasted to the end

Final Thoughts:
This was a nice mild and enjoyable smoking experience.  The flavors were never overpowering and it smoked smooth and easy the whole way through.  It also had a great burn and nice amount of smoke from start to finish.  This cigar would be a good addition to a selection of early day smokes or when you just want something smooth and mild to relax with. It’s nothing overly complex but still a relaxing and enjoyable cigar.  It would also make a great option for beginner cigar enthusiasts looking for something that won’t knock their socks off.  It also sets itself apart from a lot of other mild cigars which tend to be Connecticut wrappers.  The Rosado wrapper gives it a different flavor while still keeping it creamy and mild.  Anyone looking for a change in their early morning smoke should give these a try.  Their price comes in a bit high to be an easy every-day smoke but still fair enough to be part of a weekly rotation.

Pairings:
After getting the initial notes of coffee and cocoa on the wrapper I decided to pair this cigar with a nice dark beer.  My choice was Erdinger’s Dunkel, a dark wheat beer that goes through a strict fermentation process.  It has distinct notes of coffee and dark malts and goes down smooth with minimal hoppiness or bitterness.  This ended up being a very nice pairing for this cigar with the flavors from each complimenting each other.  Similarly smooth and flavorful dark beers would also pair well here.  A nice cup of coffee or dark soda would also make an excellent pairing.

The post 262 Cigars Ideology Box Pressed Toro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

This week I will be review Drew Estate’s Java Maduro Robusto.  I have had the pleasure of enjoying these cigars many, many times. Both from order, and purchased from brick and mortar shops.

Drew Estate JAVA

Believe it or not, this was actually one of the first cigars I have ever smoked. And what a way to start.

The first thing you may notice is it’s very unlike the common Drew Estate branding. Instead it looks almost identical to something created by Rocky Patel. I’m not sure on the exact procedure in which these cigars were developed, but I do know this; the super-star tag team of Mr. Patel, and Jonathan Drew result is REMARKABLE in every way possible. Not to mention two of the greatest amenities combined (coffee and cigars).

These guys hit the market sometime in early 2005 and are still available in most B&M stores. With the fall of the great Kahlua cigar (also created by Drew Estate) this cigar along with other coffee infusions (I’ll go into a few of those later) are still just as popular as ever.

The Goods:

Robusto  –  Size: 5.5 x 50  –  Wrapper: Coffee Infused Maduro  –  Country: Nicaragua  –  Box Pressed

JAVA Maduro sports a dark, oily, sweet wrapper wrapped around perfectly aged Nicaraguan long-fillers. As these cigars are aged, they are slowly infused with a rich, mocha flavor giving off an incredibly smooth taste, creamy finish, and extremely pleasant aroma.

Drew Estate’s JAVA also comes in a LATTE. The difference is the Connecticut Ecuador wrapper rather than the standard Connecticut Broad leaf. Its much creamier, but  I personally prefer the boldness of the Maduro wrapper.

Prelight: I’m usually not a huge fan of box-pressed cigars. They just seem a bit uncomfortable and a bit un-conventional. But, this press suits this cigar just perfect. The construction again is immaculate. It’s very rare that Drew Estate lets sloppy cigars leave its institution. There were no visible un-wrapping, and no soft spots. The whole cigar seemed a bit softer than other, but this is a HUGE plus in my book. This means two things to me. 1) they are properly humidified. and 2) expect a bigger draw.

First Smoke: As usual this cigar was cut using a Cuban Crafter’s Perfecto Cutter, and lit with a standard single torch colibri flame. The cigar took on an ever burn right away. I’m not sure if this is because of the construction, or the box-pressing, but if it’s due to the box-press then I take back my dislikes for them. The coffee aroma strikes immediately. I think this is the best smelling cigar I have ever smelled. The cigar produced HUGE draws, with just enough punch. Good in strength, but far from over-bearing.

Halfway There: Towards the end of the smoke the cigar greatly increased in strength. The coffee flavor still survived but was mixed in with a bit more spice, and an almost wood-like flavor at this point. Still great. I’m still amazed at the percision of the burn.

Finish: By the time I hit the nub this cigar was kicking my ass (in a good way).  I didn’t want it to end. Still just as flavorful as the first half of the cigar, but it feels as if its almost doubled in strength.

Overview: My over-view is just a bit biased as this is BY FAR one of my favorite cigars. One of the main reasons why I wanted to do the review was not only spread the word of a great product, but take the time to enjoy one for myself. You don’t need to be into infused cigars to like this one, or even cigars for that matter.

One last thing, Drew Estate offers two other lines of coffee infused cigars. One of which is the Tabak Especial. This is a more raw coffee infused cigar. AMAZING. but not as creamy as the JAVA’s. Quote from Jonathan Drew himself:

the woman just love those TABAKS. Fire em up, and your the hit

The other is the Isla Del Sol. These are a bit more heavy on the cocoa end, and at a price you just can’t beat!

The post Drew Estate – Rocky Patel – Java Maduro Robusto Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.