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

“The Godfather”

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

Reveal: Illusione ~mj12~

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

“Casino”

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

Reveal: A La Aurora Broadway Series!

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

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

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

Currently, Berger & Argenti offer 3 lines, the Entubar, Classico and Mooch. Today’s review will focus on the Classico line which is currently offered in 3 sizes, a Rothschild, Belicoso, and Churchill. Berger & Argenti hails from Miami, Florida and began business only in 2009. The Argenti brothers that started this company have quickly released some quality products and made a name for themselves in the cigar market. They are associated with Tabacalera Esteli in Nicaragua which is run by Enrique Berger. And that’s how the name was born!

A little warning here, it’s crazy cold outside here! Temp is dipping around -12 Celsius (10 Farenheit) and dropping. Although I have a propane heater here, the dry and cold air can suck the humidity out of some cigars. With that in mind, lets see how this cigar stacks up!

Cigar: Berger & Argenti Classico
Drink: Rickards Dark Ale
Vitola: Rothschild (5 x 50)
Wrapper: Equadorian Desflorado Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $5.50
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• A smooth and oily medium brown wrapper holds this cigar together
• There are some visible veins but they are all smooth to the touch, no large ones at all
• The triple cap is cleanly applied and secure
• There is a slight spring throughout the cigar, not too soft and not too firm
• The foot appears well packed except for one fair sized hole, hoping it doesn’t cause any issues
• A couple of the wrappers I’ve had have dark spots on them, possible just some water spots
• The cut left a nice clean edge but exploded into a million pieces in my ashtray

Burn:
• Toasting was fairly painless, evenly glowed with minimal effort
• The burn started off nice and even and has stayed razor sharp through the first few inches
• No issues in the burn department as I hit the last third, I love it when cigars burn like this
• Great burn the whole way through right up to the nub

Smoke & Ash:
• Initial draws offered a moderate mouthful of smoke
• Resting smoke is almost non-existent, but still gives off a pleasant cedar aroma
• The ash is coming out with a nice white finish and some small zebra striping
• It is staying clean and tightly bound so far, a very nice ash
• Ash fell off into the ashtray while it was resting there after about 1.5 inches
• Second ash still held strong past an inch, this time it fell in my lap but it still held together and I was able to pick it up and toss it back in the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a soft woodsy aroma to it with a touch of nutmeg spice that tingles on the nose
• The foot has similar notes to the wrapper but a much more prominent spice is noticeable, maybe some pepper thrown in there now
• Pre-light draw was mostly cedar but I did get an odd bitter taste on my tongue, let’s hope it doesn’t stick around
• Initial draws are packed with more cedar and some subtle nutmeg notes
• I immediately noticed a fair amount of dryness on this cigar
• Body is in the mild-medium range and the retrohale has a touch of bite and a cedar finish, not too smooth at this point
• As the cigar progresses, I’m picking up a small licorice like flavor, i hope this develops more
• As I pass the first third, I’m picking up a hint of coffee now, all the flavors are starting to balance together nicely now
• I’m happy to find that the licorice flavors are sticking around and fighting back and forth with the coffee
• At the half-way point, some of the spice is starting to re-appear, more pepper then nutmeg now
• The spice and body definitely started to pick up after passing the half-way mark, thankfully the dryness has disappeared
• The licorice has mostly disappeared now and the spices are balancing well with the coffee and woodsy flavors that remain
• The woodsy and peppery notes have mostly taken control now, I’m getting the nutmeg poking in here once in awhile to change it up
• The cigar finished up in the lower end of the full range

Final Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised with this cigar. I’m always hesitant when trying new brands, especially from such a young company. But it seems that the backing of the experienced factory in Nicaragua has proven to be a wonderful partnership. The cigar had an interesting and enjoyable flavor profile with a fair bit of dimensionality. I think the factor here was the Connectcut wrapper bringing some sweet and smooth creaminess and the Corojo binder adding some spice and body. It made for a well balanced cigar. The construction was also spot-on with great burn and ash throughout. This cigar is definitely worth giving a try, and since it’s priced fairly, could easily make an entry into your regular rotation.

Pairings:
I’ve enjoyed this brew with a few cigars and so far it has not let me down. It is a very smooth drinking dark ale that is modelled after English porters. The Rickard’s brewery is based out of Canada, and in true Canadian form it is brewed with Maple Syrup. The syrup flavors are not overly intense but they are definitely there and taste great along with the coffee and malt flavors. It paired very well with the spicy, coffee and licorice notes of the cigar and helped bring them out. Other good pairings for this cigar would include port, other dark porters or stouts, or a nice strong coffee.

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