According to agiocigars.com:

Agio Cigars is one of the leading cigar manufacturers in Europe, offering brands such as MEHARI’S, PANTER, BALMORAL and DE HUIFKAR.

Every year, about 750 million cigars are produced and sold, primarily through the company’s own sales organisations in western and southern Europe. Agio also exports to over 100 countries worldwide and holds over 2000 employees. Founded in 1904, Royal Agio Cigars is still a family business and has grown to become a leading manufacturer of cigars, characterised by a consumer-oriented policy, advanced technology and a high standard of quality.

The Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is the latest offering from Agio Cigars.  Produced in the Dominican Republic, the name is derived from the 18 year old Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper that covers Brazilian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican long-filler tobaccos. The Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is produced in limited quantities each year in only two vitolas: Rothchild Masivo (5 by 55) and Torpedo Mk52 (6 1/4 by 52).

The Facts

Samples Provided by Drew Estate
Price: $12.00
Vitola: Rothchild Masivo
Size: 5 by 55
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Brazilian Bahia, Dominican Olor, and Nicaraguan Ligero
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes
Drink: N/A

Pre-light

The Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is dressed in a medium brown Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper that has a greenish hue. A couple medium sized veins run down the 5 inch stick but other than that the cigar is fairly smooth to the touch. This is probably one of the prettier Brazilian wrappers I have seen. The cigar is filled evenly and firmly. The wrapper aroma is light with notes of tobacco and wood, along with a faint pungency. There is not much more to be found on the foot other than some thicker cedar and barnyard aromas.

The cap has been applied real clean and it is hard to see where the cap begins. Upon clipping the cap, a rich draw presents itself with cedar, cinnamon, and other exotic spices. The draw resistance is right on.

First Third

After spending a decent amount of time evenly toasting the foot, the Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is underway. The flavors are mild to medium with some cedar and earthy notes along with a sour quality that makes me think of wet grass. The finish is a mixture of cedar and cocoa and is somewhat dry. At just over ten minutes, some development is taking places with the arrival of coffee in the profile and the sour quality is fading away. The Anejo 18 is burning evenly, forming a beautiful light grey ash. The only performance issue experienced thus far is the smoke production is lower than preferred.

Middle Third

Making my way into the second third, dry cedar has moved to the front of the profile making me think of pencil shavings. The flavors are coming across much more balanced than early on, which I contribute to a newly found sweetness that is rounding out the profile. The flavors have stepped up into the medium arena and the added black pepper spice is giving it an extra kick. The coffee flavor that arrived late in the first third is holding strong.

Final Third

Coffee, earth, cedar, and pepper characterize the profile as I push an hour of smoking time. The flavors are much deeper and darker than the start of the cigar. In the last inch and half, the profile has become much more earthy. The smoke production has continued to increase in each third . With copious amounts of smoke now being produced, the flavors are presenting themselves much more full than earlier. I am feeling no nicotine as I close out the final third.

Wrap-up

The Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is a very unique and special cigar. The profile was intriguing in the first third with the sour grass notes, well balanced in the second third with the added sweetness and coffee, and completely satisfying in the final third with deep, dark, full flavors. There was never a dull moment with the Anejo 18 as it was continually introducing new flavors and building in intensity with the flavors, body, and strength. The cigar performed effortlessly with an even burn and solid ash. Agio Cigars has a great cigar on their hands with the Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18.

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Tesa Cigar Series Shaman #60

Info: As with a few of these Tesa Cigar blends, there is little information about the blends on their site. What I can tell you is that the Series Shaman sports a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. I’m really glad that more cigar companies are using that leaf, I am always pleased with the amount of flavor it yields. The Series Shaman comes in 5 sizes and ranges from $6.30 – $8.20 a stick. I am smoking the 6 x 60 for review.

Prelight: The Series Shaman starts with a thick, meaty, incredibly consistent medium brown wrapper. This wrapper looks like it can take a beating. While it looks like it carries a lot of oil, it’s actually pretty dry to the touch. There are a few veins running though the thick body up to the nice, rounded cap.  The Shaman carries a very nice unfinished foot.  This cigar is as hard as a rock and almost as heavy as one. That being said, I was very surprised when the cap cut as clean as easily as it did using my double bladed palio cutter.

Burn/Draw: This is one reason why I am not a big fan of larger ring gauges. On both of the cigars I smoked I found it extremely hard to get a good draw from the Shaman. You know, I won’t really blame the cigar I think it’s a format issue as most 60’s I smoke have the same issue. I really enjoy putting little effort in a draw to get a larger return. Anyways, the burn was excellent. It took a bit of convincing with my single flame butane torch but once this baby was lit there was no stopping it. The Shaman burned razor-sharp and dead event the entire experience.

Taste: The Series Shaman started out pretty mild with some nice chocolate, sweet tobacco, smooth cedar, and a bit of a chalkiness. As the cigar progressed into the second third the body began to ramp up with lots of sweetness, chocolate, and a strong musky flavor. The cigar’s flavors began to meld together for a creamy finish as I closed into the final third.

Thoughts: I really need to try this cigar is a smaller format. The flavors and overall experience prove that there is a lot of promise there, but the larger format dampened the experience. I think the cigar is reasonably priced, but if the experience is better in the smaller formats that I am sure this blend carries a whole lot of bang for the buck.

Tesa Cigar Cabinet 312 Series H

Info: The Cabinet 312 is listed under Tesa Cigar Co’s “Luxury Cigar Blends”.  Tesa coins this blend “the most intricately complex blends in the line”. The cigar starts with an oily parejo maduro wrapper around a blend of Esteli and Jalapa Nicaraguan fillers. I am unsure of the exact tobacco used. The blend ranges from $9.85 – $13.25 a stick and comes in six different sizes. I am smoking the “Series H” which is a 7.25 x 52. LOVE the size.

Prelight: The Tesa Cigar Co. website states that the wrapper is oily, and it’s not lying. This is one of the oiliest wrappers I have seen. Outside of the obvious oils the wrapper feels a bit delicate as the thin, consistently dark brown wrapper runs the length of the cigar’s body. While the wrapper is darker in color, it’s actually quite a bit lighter than most maduros I am used to. The cigar is polished off with a beautiful, spiral pig tail.

Burn/Draw: The Cabinet 312 lit up with ease under my single flame butane torch. The burnline started out with some very slight waves which quickly corrected themselves. After that, the razor-sharp burn continued perfectly consistent and needed no touch ups or relights the entire 2 hour experience. The draw was incredible. Each little puff kicked out a ton of very thick, lingering smoke. I love it.

Taste: The Cabinet 312 started out with a nice blast of black pepper which quickly faded into a sweet and spicy experience. I picked up some soft cedar on and off throughout the smoke as well as a really enjoyable floral flavor while some deep coffee notes remained the entire smoke. The cigar really shines in the final third when the body and the strength ramp up and the black pepper makes a brief reappearance.

Thoughts: I thought he Cabinet 312 rocked. I liked it much more than the Series Shaman. You never know what you are going to get with house blend cigars and I was very pleased with this one. It’s got a bit of a punch to it, but I think that it’s perfect for the seasoned cigar smoker. Novice? Not too much. The cigar is a bit pricey and might be a bit too complex for someone new to the game.

The post Quick Draw Episode 16 – Tesa Cigar Co – Series Shaman / 312 Cabinet appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

C&C cigars are available in three different wrappers: Corojo, Connecticut, and Maduro (LRMD).  What I find unique is that each cigar in the C&C line comes with its own blend instead of just throwing a different wrapper on the same binder and filler.  Each cigar is available in four vitolas: Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 54), Churchill (7 by 50), and Gigantor (6 by 60). C&C’s site has this to say on their C&C lines:

A premium line at an everyday smokers price. The C&C line outperforms everytime. Effortless draws, perfect burn, and three taste profiles that will amaze mild, medium, and fuller bodied smokers.

The Facts

Samples Provided by StogieBoys.com
Price: Around $4.00
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 by 50
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro
Binder: Dominican Criollo
Filler: Dominican Ligero, Cubano Seco
Pairing: Water
Smoke Time: 1 Hour

* I have come across conflicting information on the wrapper on the C&C LRMD.  Several online retailers state the wrapper as Dominican Maduro.  However, candccigars.com has it listed as Arapiraca.

Pre-light

The C&C Maduro wrapper is milk chocolate in color with a good amount of water spots and imperfections. The small and medium veins are pronounced by their dark color and web across the entire stick. As I roll the stick between my fingers, I notice the velvety feel of the wrapper, along with a few soft spots.  Right next to the band is a rock hard spot.  I really hope this cigar isn’t plugged.

The aroma off the wrapper is of hay, sweet tea, and cardboard, while the foot is rich, highlighting tea and spice.  The cap clips easily revealing a perfect draw. That is a relief.  Sweet, rich tobacco shines on the cold draw.

First Third

The C&C LRMD is rocking in the smoke department.  Each small draw pulls an ample amount of smoke.  The first thing to hit my palate is a sugary sweetness, followed by a rich mixture of earth, pepper, and salt.  A decent amount of spice warms my entire palate.  The long finish is on the dry side and somewhat bitter.  As I approach an inch into the cigar, the draw has become stiff requiring a firm draw and charred notes have entered into the mix. The eyeliner burn is fairly even, producing a black and white ash which held to an inch before I knocked it off.  The flavors are medium with no perceivable nicotine.

Middle Third

The earth and pepper are overwhelmed by charred cedar and sugar, which is now dominating the profile. Biting down on the head of the C&C LRMD relieves the tight draw producing thick white smoke. The spice is now hitting me in the back of throat. The finish and retrohale are very similar with bitter coffee and cedar notes followed by a lingering spice.  The burn line is edgy as I wrap up the second third. Once again the ash held for over an inch.

Final Third

The earthiness of this cigar is in full force.  The charred wood is still prevalent with an added dirt and diesel flavors.  The finish of the LRMD reminds me of drinking the bottom of a cold cup of black coffee that contains old coffee grounds and has become bitter. The burn has been wavy but not a single touch-up has been needed.  The flavors are medium and the strength is on the low side of medium.   While not harsh, the flavors have become extremely bitter and with an inch and three-fourths remaining it is time to put down this cigar.

Wrap-up

The first few puffs of the C&C LRMD Robusto were so promising,producing a rich, balanced profile. Unfortunately, the charred flavors dominated the rest of the smoke.  On the more objective side of things, the construction was superior for a $4.00 stick.  The burn line never required any touch-ups and the ash held firm up to an inch.  Prior to receiving these samples, I picked up a couple from Spec’s and each cigar has been consistent in both flavor and construction. Always remember that taste is subjective and if you enjoy dark earthy, charred flavors this stick may be right up your alley.  For $4.00 a stick, you can’t go wrong trying out this cigar.  And you never know, this may be a great everyday stick for you.

The post C&C LRMD appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

I picked out a Pinar Del Rio cigar tonight, just because it looked so tasty so I thought it deserved to be reviewed tonight. I also reviewed the PDR Classico Exclusico Lancero a short while ago, you can check out that review for more information on the company/brand itself. Today’s blend is called the 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura and I received through a box pass that I recently participated in.

The PDR 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura is well presented cigar and I found the band to be pretty interesting. At first glance it seems to just be a plain black and silver band but it actually has a slightly glossy finish to it that makes it stand out nicely. It seems to be described on the Pinar Del Rio website as a Medium Bodied cigar with a interesting combination of Brazilian, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco leaves.

The Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper especially caught my attention as it seems to be one that I generally enjoy in a lot of cigars. The line is available in a variety of vitolas ranging from a Corona up to a Churchill with 6 other vitolas in between. Today’s review will focus on the Toro vitola.

Cigar: Pinar Del Rio 1878 Cubana Especial Capa Madura
Drink: Delaforce 2005 LBV Tawny Porto
Vitola: Toro (6 x 52)
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro
Binder: Dominican Republic Criollo 98
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican Republic
Price: Around $5
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• This is a very nice looking cigar, it’s even in diameter throughout and only shows signs of a few medium sized veins
• The color on this wrapper is a beautiful dark chocolate brown color and has a nice shine to it from the natural oils in the leaf
• The cap is finished with a tight little pigtail
• The cigar looks to be well packed at the foot but squeezes along it’s length show some definite springiness to the cigar, but not overly soft
• Cut was very clean and easy and although it was a short cut I feel that the draw is a little too open
• The draw adjusted after about an inch or so and now it’s just about perfectly where I’d want it to be

Burn:
• A speedy a quick toasting led me to a nicely glowing foot
• First inch or so is coming along fantastic, a tight crisp burn line
• Cigar is staying lit nicely, no need for extra draws and it’s letting me enjoy it slowly
• Spoke a little too soon, one of those medium sized veins caused a serious wavy burn that needed correction just before 3 inches in
• After that corrections the cigar burned quite well with only minor waves caused by more veins

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of thick smoke right from the first draw, easily fills my mouth
• Resting smoke is equally thick and abundant, it’s almost a crisp white color due to it’s thickness
• The ash started off strong, clean and light grey, would have stayed on longer but I accidentally hit it against my ashtray… lol
• My second ash went a little smoother and fell off gently into the ashtray just short of 2 inches

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a pungent barnyard aroma to it
• The foot has less of the barnyard and mixes in a bit of natural cocoa and maybe a touch of spice
• Pre-light draw brings with it a lot more of the spice, definitely getting some black pepper now with a background of barnyard and some woodsiness
• Initial draws have a very nice coffee and spice mix to it, the spice is fairly light so it’s balancing nicely and keeping me interested
• Body has started off at the border of mild and medium and the retrohale has no bite to it, just a smooth creamy coffee finish
• Despite the barnyard aromas I was getting, none of them have presented in the cigar so far
• The coffee flavors are intensifying nicely as I get close to the halfway mark, I’m also getting that initial cocoa flavor coming into the mix
• The spice is still hanging around with a sort of bold woodsiness
• There’s a nice little bite in the retrohale now and it’s maintained it’s smooth coffee and creamy finish
• Past the halfway mark, I thought I was getting inklings of a tarty sweetness but that quickly went away
• The profile has changed to a more leathery/woodsy/spicy mix and the coffee and creamy finish has taken a backseat, a huge change here
• The leather and spice are developing nicely and trading places as the dominant flavor
• The body increased a tad towards the end but I’d still place it in the medium range
• In the last inch, the spice took a leap forward to leave the final notes speckled in pepper and some notes of cloves

Final Thoughts:
Overall I found the Pinar Del Rio Cubano Especial Capa Madura to be an interesting and complex smoke that kept my attention throughout. I personally enjoyed the first half with the coffee and spice more than the leathery and woodsy second half. But that’s just by preference, both profiles were well balanced and equally complex. What stood out for me in this cigar was the massive change in the flavor profile, this was an excellent example of a multi-dimensional profile! There were a few burn issues caused by the veins that I seemed to find in most of these that I’ve tried. For a price of about $5 this is definitely a cigar worthy of having in your humidor!

Pairings:
If you’re a frequent reader of my reviews, I think you’ll recognize this bottle. (And if you’re not a frequent reader, there’s no time to start like the present! lol) It’s quickly become my “Go To” Porto based on price and an excellent array of flavors. You can see one of previous pairings with the Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro. The Delaforce 2005 Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Porto offers an interesting mix of dark berries, smokiness and a fantastic bold Merlot-like profile. If you are a fan of Merlot or Cabernet red wines, this will be a great port for you to try. I think it paired perfectly the the Pinar Del Rio 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Maduro tonight. It complimented both of the very unique profiles I got from this cigar. I think a nice dark stout would have also made an excellent pairing here and possibly a nice strong cup of coffee.

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