We are very excited to launch the new Camacho Box-Pressed (BXP) extensions. Broadleaf tobacco delivers a great intensity to these blends and we feel very lucky to get our hands on some high quality primings to build into this venture.

The Camacho Connecticut Box-Pressed or BXP features a Connecticut Shade Honduran wrapper over a Honduran Corojo binder and Dominican and Pennsylvanian Broadleaf filler tobaccos. Three sizes are available in the BXP version including Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 50), and Gordo (6 by 60). Packaged in 20 count boxes, the cigars will run you between $8,00 and $9.25.

THE FACTS

Price: $8.25
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 50
Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut Shade
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Filler: Dominican & Pennsylvanian Broadleaf
Smoke: 1 Hour and 45 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Connecticut Shade wrapper is consistent in its golden tan color, but the color seems to collide with the orange trim and lettering on the band. There are several medium-sized veins that are stitch like in appearance. The wrapper is very soft and smooth to the touch. The cigar feels hefty in the hand and it is evenly and firmly rolled.

I am greeted with a wonderful aroma of baking spices that are common in the fall. The foot shows off a doughy note with pepper spice trailing close behind. With the messy triple cap cut, the draw is a hair firm, and those baking spices are front and center on the cold draw leaving a medium spice heat in the mouth and on the lips. 

FIRST THIRD

The Camacho Connecticut BXP opens with a traditional Connecticut shade flavor that is somewhat bitter and vegetal. A pepper spice and a more savory quality of the smoke immediately follows the shade flavor. The cigar is on the mild side during the first third of the cigar and the finish is nearly undiscernable. The burn line is thick with a small wave to it as the ash holds easily past an inch.

MIDDLE THIRD

A sweet tobacco flavor moves into the profile in the second third of the Camacho Connecticut BXP and the pepper picks up in both flavor and spice. As the profile shifts up from mild to medium, the bitter shade flavor remains at the front and there is an underlying woodsy flavor to the profile. The burn is edgier than earlier but of no issue and the ash is flakier in appearance. 

FINAL THIRD

The black pepper has pushed its way to the front of the profile that is now a steady medium.  While the flavors showoff a decent amount of spice, it is really the retro-hale that highlights it. This 6 by 50 cigar is burning the best it has with its near even burn line.  

WRAP-UP

The Camacho Connecticut BXP was recommended to me at my local shop. I nearly dismissed the recommendation since Connecticut shade cigars usually fall outside my wheelhouse. But I decided to give it a shot and I am glad I did. The Camacho Connecticut BXP falls in the mild to medium range, delivers a spicy backbone, and maintains its shade quality. Other than a minor wavy, edgy burn, I encountered no performance issues. It is a cigar I will be reaching for to pair with coffee earlier in the day or an iced tea during the summer months.

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-Tony

Well, I’m back after a rather prolonged absence due to various circumstances.  Thanks to Tony and Jeremy, as always, for their patience and support!

JRE Tobacco Co. is the cigar company headed by former Camacho owner Julio R. Eiroa and his son Justo.  The Aladino Maduro follows on the heels of the all-Corojo Aladino, which seems to have flown under the radar a bit, but has garnered some very positive reviews.  The new version has a wrapper of Mexican San Andrés maduro, but the rest of the cigar is Honduran Corojo.  The maduro line comes in four sizes: Robusto 5×50, Toro 6×50, Cazador 6×46, and

Elegante 7×38, with prices ranging from $7.50 to $11.50 in boxes of 20. Surprisingly, the more difficult to properly roll lancero sized Elegante is the least expensive of the bunch.  The cigars are made at the Eiroa’s Las Lomas cigar factory in Honduras.

I received a couple of the Aladino Maduro to try out from our good friend Ana Cuenca at Cuenca Cigars.

The Basics:

Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
Binder: Honduras Corojo
Filler: Honduras Corojo
Size: Elegante 7×38
Price: $7.50
Smoking time: One hour, 40 minutes
Pairing: Skookum Murder of Crows Imperial Stout (ABV 9%)

Pre-light:

The Aladino Maduro Elegante comes clad in a dark brown leaf with a decent amount of oil sheen and a nice toothiness.  The few veins present are thin, leading to a somewhat sloppy cap, and the cigar is very firm when gently squeezed.  The band is rather simple (which I like) in a color scheme of yellow, maroon, and black with silver trim.  The wrapper gives off an earthy barnyard aroma, while the foot shows earth, wood, and mossy notes.  An easy clip of the cap produces a nice draw that reveals little more than a light sweet tobacco note and leaves a bit of saltiness on my lips.

First third:

It doesn’t take much to get the Aladino Maduro Elegante lit or to get a good volume of smoke.  Earthy tobacco, oak, coffee, and leather all play along with bracing black pepper and a somewhat sharp mineral finish.  The burn line is razor sharp with just a slight wave, leaving an ash that gently falls and crumbles at ¾”.  The pepper, as well as the leather, has backed off some, but is still quite noticeable, especially on the sinus burning retrohale, and a bit of yeastiness has appeared.  Reducing the retrohale helps to smooth things out considerably.  The previously mentioned flavors are all working harmoniously, with none taking clear control.

Middle third:

The Aladino Maduro has been burning dead-even since the first ashing and not much has changed in the flavor department – not that I’m complaining, as the combination of flavors is working quite well.  Halfway through, it maintained a solid medium-plus body with not a lot of nicotine strength.  The earthiness has fallen back, as the yeasty breadiness moves up.

Final third:

As the final section rolls around, the pepper has pushed forward, supported by the woodiness.  The strength has ratcheted up as well, now coming in at a solid medium-plus as the body has reached medium-full.  With a little more than an inch remaining the flavors have begun to wash out, so it’s time to put it down.  The nub is cool and just a bit soft.

Conclusion:

I found the Aladino Maduro to be a very good smoke despite the lack of real transitions as it went along.  The flavors were enjoyable and fairly complex, and the construction and burn were superb.  I do wish it had a bit more sweetness to add to the flavor mix, but I don’t consider that to be a major drawback.  With the more than reasonable price for a lancero, I have no qualms recommending it to those looking for a spicy dark smoke, although I will add that I thought the Robusto I smoked previously was a little more to my liking, as it had less of the pepper blast that helped to balance it out a bit better.

Pairing:

Skookum Brewery’s Murder of Crows Imperial Stout is aged on Old Crow oak cubes, boasting an ABV of 9%.  Although the bourbon properties are a little understated, the flavors of prune, mocha, dark caramel, and roasty malts on a medium bodied mouthfeel are pretty damned nice and paired up quite well with the Aladino, adding a bit of sweetness and helping to tone down the pepper and sharp finish of the cigar somewhat.  Just about any other stout or porter would also match up well, as would a tawny or reserve port.

~Jeff Oda~

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In July 2014 news broke of the Camacho Double Shock Limited Edition 2014, which was a follow up to the 2013 limited edition release of the Blackout. Produced in Agroindustria LAEPE S.A. factory in Danli, Honduras, the Double Shock is available in five vitolas: Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 50), Figurado (6 by 42 by 54), Churchill (7 by 48), and Gordo (6 by 60). The price ranges from $11.00 to $13.00 and a total of 1,000 boxes of 20 cigars were produced in each vitola.

While this is 2014 limited edition cigar, a quick online search will bring up several retailers that still have the Camacho Double Shock Limited Edition 2014 in stock.

THE FACTS

Purchased at Prohibition Spirits and Cigar Lounge
Price: $12.00 or $24.00 per pair
Vitola: Churchill
Size: 7 by 48
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro and Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Criollo
Filler: Dominican, Honduran, and Pennsylvanian
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 40 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Camacho Double Shock Limited Edition 2014 features a milk chocolate Mexican San Andres wrapper and a medium tan Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The dark color on the San Andres hides some small and medium veins that are found on closer inspection. To the touch, the Mexican leaf feels like fine grain sandpaper with its extremely fine tooth. Small veins are more visible on the Ecuadorian Habano leaf, as well as some stretchmarks.

A dry cedar aroma comes across from the wrapper, while black pepper and dirt are highlighted on the foot of the cigar. Upon clipping the triple-cap that was neatly applied, the dry draw has the right amount of resistance with notes of chocolate, dirt, pepper, and cooking spices. The foot bands slides of with ease and this 7 by 48 Camacho Double Shock Limited Edition 2014 is ready to be fired up.

FIRST THIRD

The cigar opens with a sweet woodsy flavor, followed by dark earth and coffee. There is tartness to the profile, but it is contrasted with a sweet honey and chocolate note. There’s a lot going on in the flavor department. You can definitely pick up distinct flavors from the two wrappers, but overall the flavors are hanging in the medium arena. Earth and black pepper, more in flavor than spice, come across as I move the smoke through my sinuses. The finish is dry and a unsweetened bubble gum flavor lingers on the palate. The Ecuadorian wrapper was having a difficult time keeping up with the rest of the burn, but, after 30 minutes, it self-corrected and no touch-up is required for the time being.

MIDDLE THIRD

Burning its way down into the second third, the Camacho Double Shock Limited Edition 2014 moves up a couple of notches in richness, boldness, and spice. Most of the sweetness has been pushed out as the dark flavors of earth and coffee continue to push forward. The richness tied to the coffee is making me think of French pressed cup of Joe. The woodsy flavor is still holding strong, but lacks the sweetness that characterized it early on. A yeasty bread flavor joins the mix, as well as cocoa. The burn is jagged and the ash is looking a bit flaky, but holding well. 

FINAL THIRD

The pepper is now sharp as I move the smoke through the sinuses and I am enjoying the added kick in both spice and strength. Big notes of chocolate are pairing up with the deep, dark coffee notes. The cigar that settled in on medium for the first two thirds has developed into a medium full smoke in flavor and body in the final third. 

WRAP-UP

From the first few puffs to the final puff over an hour and half later, the Camacho Double Shock Limited Edition 2014 Churchill delivered a wide-variety of flavors that I would contribute to the barber pole style wrapper. I was surprised that the flavors stood in the medium realm for much of the cigar. With a name like Double Shock, I was expecting a fuller experience. With that being said, I found the flavors pleasant and complex. I would like to give this a go around in the Robusto vitola to see if it is a little more ramped up. While the per stick price is around $12.00, you will end up paying $24.00 to try this cigar as they are sold in pairs of two. Considering the price and the experience, I still think the $24.00 is  a fair price to pay to try out the Camacho Double Shock Limited Edition 2014.

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The San Andres (Serie SA) is by no means a new offering from Room 101. It has been on the market for almost two-years but it wasn’t until the end of 2013 that I had opportunity to light one up.   Produced in Honduras at Camacho’s factory, the San Andres is available in five vitolas: Papi Chulo (4 by 42), 305 (5 by 50), 214 (5 1/2 by 44), 615 (7 by 48), and 808 (6 by 60).

Overall, Room 101 cigars have been well received by the Casas Fumando crew. You can find our reviews of the other offerings below:

• Room 101 – 702 
• Room 101 – Big Delicious Smoke Inn Exclusive
• Room 101 – Daruma Sucio 
• Room 101 – Namakubi Roxxo
• Room101 – O.S.O.K. (One Shot, One Kill) Trucha

The Facts

Price Paid: $2.00
Vitola: 213 – Corona
Size: 5 ½ by 44
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Honduran Corojo Seco
Filler: Honduran and Dominican – Criollo Ligero and Corojo Seco
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 5 Minutes

Pre-light

The medium brown San Andres Maduro wrapper is consistent in color, fairly bumpy, and small veins can been seen scattered down the leaf. As I gently press down the cigar I do not come across any soft spots on this firmly filled stick and, to the touch, the cigars feels velvety smooth. The natural leaf does not seem to contain many oils. 

The smell of the wrapper is pungent with vinegar, manure, and cedar aromas and sweet cedar notes are found on the foot. Upon clipping the cap with a double guillotine cutter, the cold draw highlights rich tobacco with the same sweet cedar off the foot aroma and some cinnamon spice.

First Third

Instantly, I am able to tell that I am smoking San Andres tobacco, however, I am having a hard time figuring out or at least communicating what aspect the profile highlights the Mexican tobacco.  The smoke is very savory with deep notes of cedar, leather, some saltiness, and spice. The Serie SA delivers a mouthful of thick smoke with each draw.  The light ash being formed is holding well past an inch and the eyeliner burn line is right on. The 213 vitola is a great size that feels comfortable in both the hand and mouth.

Middle Third

The cedar and saltiness are at the forefront of the flavor profile as I make my way into the second third. The cedar notes have a lot of depth and complexity in and of itself. The spice and leather seems to have calmed but the retrohale is a different story. The pepper on the retrohale is sharp and my eyes may have teared up just a little. The profile has become much richer and some sweetness seems to be showing its head. Possibly a cocoa-like sweetness. There is nothing interesting to report on with the ash or burn, which is a good thing. 

Final Third

The cedar continues to be the core of the profile but some change-ups are occurring every few puffs. I find a dry, shallow cedar on one draw and then some moist, deep earthy cedar notes on the next. The cocoa has not developed into anything more thus far but there is still some underlying sweetness. Maybe more similar to a light sugarcane sweetness. Some charred notes have found their way into the profile as I approach the final inch and the smoke is a bit warm causing me to extend the time between each puffs. 

Wrap-up

One worry I have with a small ring gauge sticks is overheating due to smoking too fast. Maintaining my regular rate,  I did not encounter any heat in the first or second thirds, but the last third did present some charred notes and a small amount of heat making me slow my roll. Once I slowed my smoking pace, the smoke cooled and the enjoyable rich cedar finished off the experience. I really enjoyed the 213 San Andres and it may be the first cigar I have smoked that utilized a natural San Andres leaf. The San Andres tobacco still had its distinct characteristics but did not overshadow the rest of the blend that seems to take place with cigars that have San Andres Maduro wrappers. There was absolutely no babysitting this stick. Not a single touch up was needed and no ash dropped in the lap. I can highly recommend this cigar and for a regular price under $6 this is a stick that will remain in my humidor for a while.

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The Good Stuff: CLE stands for Christian Luis Eiroa. Sound familiar? Well it should. Christian and his father owned the infamous Camacho cigars up until the point in which they were acquired by Davidoff in 2008. While Christian remained president over Camacho cigars it wasn’t until this year that he decided to create his own company, CLE Cigars.

The CLE cigars are produced in the Tabacos Ranchos Jamastran factory where Camacho bases it’s operations. The CLE Corojo 2012 was one of two blends released at this years IPCPR show. The other being the Cuarenta. One thing about Christian is his passion for cigars, and the cigar industry as a whole. I can’t remember where I read it but I read a recent quote by the guy concerning CLE cigars where he basically said that he doesn’t know what his future holds, weather it’s in CLE, Camacho, or Davidoff, but the one thing he knows for sure is that his passion will always be dedicated to doing something in the cigar industry.

While the specifics of this blend remain a mystery, I can say that this cigar comes in a Corojo Seed wrapper. What a guess right? I dug around a bit and I read that the cigar contains aged long filler Cuban seed tobacco out of Honduras. I’m not sure how accurate that is, but if I had to guess I would have thrown Honduran in the mix somewhere. The blend comes in 5 sizes: 11/18 (6 x 54), Corona Gorda (5.7 x 46), Robusto (5 x 50), and the Sixty (6 x 60). I picked these up over at Bonita Smoke Shop.

Size: 5.7 x 46
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: ?
Filler: ?
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: ~$6
Pairing: Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) Belgian Strong Ale (9.0% ABV)

Prelight: The CLE Corojo is a fine looking cigar. Starting with the beautiful, oily, shiny, consistently medium brown wrapper. This wrapper is carrying some serious oils. The wrapper is very tight, and only displays a few seamless veins throughout it’s slender body. While the wrapper feels a bit on the fragile size, the cigar is very tight, and firm all the way up to the seamless triple cap. The only soft spots were located right around the foot area of the cigar. The Band on this cigar is just awesome. I love simple, elegant bands and that’s exactly what the CLE’s have. Much like Illusione and Tatuaje the CLE has a simple, thin, black band with only the CLE logo in silver ink on the front, and 2012 in red ink in the back. Love it.

The wrapper on the CLE Corojo gives off a VERY pungent earthy, tobacco aroma. You can smell this cigar as soon as you remove it from the cellophane. The foot of the cigar gives off a very oaty, grainy aroma. It almost smells like wheat bread.  The cap cut clean, but gave me a little bit of a fight using my double bladed Palio cutter. Come to think of it, I have had this one for quite some time and It’s been acting a bit dull lately. Maybe it’s time to trade her in. Anyway, the CLE pumps out some very strong bready, earthy tobacco flavors on the cold draw. Much like the aromas I picked up from the wrapper and filler during the prelight.

First Smoke: The CLE Corojo fired up with ease using my single flame torch. Given the amount of black pepper this cigar started out with I am surprised that I didn’t pick up any pepper in the cold draw or prelight. While the pepper was strong enough to tingle my lips and my tongue, it only lasted through the first few draws before fading back and letting the bold tobacco, cedar, and spice flavors take over. While the CLE Corojo didn’t start off with a ton of different flavors, the few it did carry were very strong and meshed very well with one another. The Cedar really helped bring out a nice sweetness in the tobacco as I neared the end of the first third. The draw on this cigar is spot on and the smoke is VERY heavy and thick while the stationary smoke is almost non-existent. The burnline is a bit crazy producing lots of waves but nothing that needed any extra attention from my lighter yet. The Ash left behind is a dark grey and black with lots of flakes. It only held on for an inch before falling into my lap.

Halfway There: The spice in this CLE Corojo has really ramped up into this second third. When I say spice, I mean as in a flavor not to be confused with pepper. I’m not chef but it’s like a mashup of cinnamon, nutmeg, and maybe some herby goodness all mixed into a subtle flavor. Alongside the spice the cedar has also ramped up making the CLE Corojo a much sweeter experience while the natural tobacco flavor kept the same and a leather flavor was introduced. The retrohale is really nice and mild coating my nasal passage with a slight cedar and tobacco. Much to my surprise the crazy burnline I experienced in the first third of the cigar has completely corrected itself without any help from me. No nicotine can be felt in this experience up to this point, and with the smoothness and creaminess of the experience I don’t really expect that to change much going into the final third.

Finish: I am starting to pull a neat little zest flavor from the wrapper of this cigar. It’s almost like a sharp, orange peel. Along with that the pepper that greeting me into this CLE Corojo has re-introduced itself into the mix. While the body if this cigar seems to be ramping up, the flavors have remained incredibly smooth, and creamy the entire time.  The sweet tobacco, cedar, and spice have all taken turns being the center of attention into the final third of this cigar. The burnline has been clean ever since the second third and required absolutely no touch-ups or relights the entire experience. It took me about an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I experienced no harshness, no hot fingers, and no nicotine the entire time. Pretty impressive.

Overview: Being a strong fan of Camacho I have learned to expect a lot from anything that carries Christian’s name on it. The CLE Corojo 2012 certainly did not let me down. There seems to be phases in the cigar business. The last phase was a ton of stronger, bolder cigars angled towards younger cigar smokers. Then there has been a quick reappearance of the larger ring gauged cigars. And now with a lot of this year’s IPCPR releases there have been an influx of milder, very full bodied cigars. This, in my opinion, really shows how great some tobacco blenders are. The CLE and the recently reviewed Cuenca y Blanco are perfect examples of how great mild cigars can be when they are done right. The CLE Corojo is a mild/medium cigar that packs so much strong, creamy flavors in a perfectly balanced combination that you don’t even realize that it’s not a stronger cigar until you are finished. The cigar starts off with just enough pepper, continues with tons of flavors and finishes smooth and creamy, just the way an experience should. I am anxious to try the other releases in the CLE line now as I am sure that if they are anywhere close to on par as the Corojo, they won’t disappoint.

Pairing: This pairing kind of speaks for itself. Chimay Grande Reserve is probably one of the best, easy to find, decently priced Belgian beers. Brewed at the Bières de Chimay S.A. in Belgium this Belgian style strong ale comes in at a whopping 9.0% ABV. This bottle in particular was part of a handful of Belgian bombers my wife so graciously got me for my birthday (I caught a good one, I know). This beer pairs perfectly with just about any cigar that carries enough flavor to keep up with it. Needless to say the CLE Corojo fit the bill perfectly. I smoked a handful of these cigars so picking out the perfect pairing was no trouble. The deep woodsy, fruity, caramel flavors in the Chimay Blue went perfectly with the smooth, creamy, bold flavors of the CLE. One note was just how perfect the woodsy and fruity (cherry, orange) flavors of the Chimay paired up with the sweet tobacco and cedar flavors in the CLE Corojo. Given the time of year you have to know I have a cabinet full of craft beer and it was an easy decision to pair these two together. The cigar would also go great with a strong porter, a bruin, or dubbel. Specifically one with lots of flavor and strength.

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The Good Stuff: The OSOK is the latest release from room101, created by Camacho. Room101 is a brand masterminded by fashion/jewelry aficionado extraordinaire Matt Booth. Not only is Matt one of the more unique people in the cigar community, but during a recent trip to the Dominican Republic with a handful of fellow bloggers we were each talking about who the nicest, most down to Earth people in the industry are and his name was mentioned by just about every single one of us there.

On the tail-end of last year’s Namakubi and Connecticut releases, Matt decided to release a small-run, brick and mortar exclusive blend, the One Shot, One Kill. I’m not positive how many boxes were released in the limited edition release, but I know that there aren’t many left out there. We were lucky enough to find this box at Smoke Inn, but I don’t know how many, if any at all they still have left.

The OSOK starts out with Honduran Corojo and Dominican Piloto Ligero fillers, bound by a Honduran Corojo binder and a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The Cigar comes in 3 sizes, all of which are figurados, the Chingon (8 – 60×44), the Filero (4.5 – 52×42), and the Trucha (6.5 – 30x50x19) come in boxes of 10 and run from $8 – $12 a stick.

 Size: 6.5 – 30x50x19  –  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano  –  Binder: Honduran Corojo  –  Filler: Honduran Corojo/Dominican Piloto Ligero

Prelight: I don’t know if unwrapping the OSOK is fun, or more of a curse. There is a lot of room for error, but luckily I was able to cleanly remove the Chinese fingertrap looking outer wrap (which looked something like a cool Asian, sugar skull, bandana theme, to reveal another layer of tissue paper which easily came right off. After “undressing” the cigar I am finally greeted with a simple, black and silver Oval band with the “O.S.O.K.” logo, “Room101LTD” and “Exclusivo Para La Familia 101” underneath. I love the artwork on the packaging, although the band looks somewhat similar to some of the Zino bands.

The cigar itself is a beautiful dark, rich, oily chocolate brown with a nice toothyness and over a few smaller veins running through the cigar. As most Figurado’s the foot of the cigar starts out at a small point as the body widens up before tapering up to a very pointy double cap. The wrapper feels really tough and durable as the cigar actually weighs a lot less than I thought it would. It’s light and very comfortable in hand.

The wrapper gives off only a very light cedar and floral aroma while the foot of the OSOK boasts of strong cedar and spice. The cap cut clean and quite easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The OSOK produced a nice, super sweet, cedar infused cold draw with just  a touch of spice. I’ve always applauded Camacho’s thick cedar flavored tobacco and I hope this one carries matching characteristics.

First Smoke: It takes a little bit, but the foot of the Room101 OSOK finally get’s lit using my single flame butane torch. I’m always skeptical on how well figurados will burn. Expecting the OSOK to start off with some powerful cedar flavors, I was surprised when I was greeted with a much deeper, dark chocolate, coffee, and roasted nut flavor with just a hint of spice. The draw started out really tight, but after the foot finally toasted up the OSOK began to produce massive clouds of thick, white smoke with every little puff. The cigar gives off a decent amount of amazingly cedar-scented stationary smoke. Startling enough, the burnline is dead even right off the bat, producing a semi-flaky, dark grey and black ash which flowered up a little on the tip. The ash held on for an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: There’s the cedar! Into the second third of this Room101 OSOK, the cedar has finally jumped up to what I expected. I know a lot of readers don’t like the strong cedar cigars, but I absolutely LOVE it when done well. And Camacho tops the list of perfectly balanced, cedar-heavy cigars. Outside of that, the coffee and chocolate are still in there, just very mild along with the spice that’s only really evident in the aftertaste. The retrohale, needless to say, is awesome and primes with a massively strong cedar flavor/aroma. I am not feeling any nicotine from this cigar yet, and it’s still burning dead even with a razor-sharp burnline.

Finish: Along with the spice, the body and chocolate started to really ramp up into the final third of this Room101 OSOK. Even with the strong and bold flavors this cigar has remained smooth, yet complex throughout. I am only feeling a very slight nicotine kick as I took this 2 hour cigar down to the nub. No harshness, no heat, just smooth and enjoyable. Even though its dry and winder here in the desert, I had no dry mouth either which is always a huge plus.

Overview: Camacho has always created quality smokes in my opinion. I didn’t know what to think about the Room101 when it first debuted. From my experience with Matt Booth’s bends, they are really hit or miss. Either they are decent cigars, or just amazing blends. Even through all the hype that surround these cigars, there have been a few blends that surpassed the hype as exceptional cigars, and the OSOK is one of them. I went into this smoke a bit apprehensive as there is a lot of marketing, design, and hype put into this limited edition run. I am happy to say the OSOK lived up to it in every possible way. The cigar is outstanding, from the flavors, to the construction, and yes, even the crazy thought and design that went into these. This cigar may be a bit pricey, but know that you are paying for a quality, enjoyable smoke and not the packaging. The $10 price tag is well worth is for any seasoned smoked as well as the novice looking for a premium experience.  If you can find them, spring for a box, you won’t regret it.

Pairing: Going out on a limb here, I wouldn’t recommend this pairing for the faint of beer-heart. New Belgium La Folie is a yearly limited-run series. It’s a Flanders-style reddish brown sour ale. That’s right, another sour. And probably one of the most sour beers I have ever had. Each sip make’s my lips pucker up with hints of cinnamon, orange, cheery, apple, barley and hops. La Folie is brewed once a year at the New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. Coming in at 6% ABV this beer made a perfect non-traditional pairing with the Room101 OSOK. While the OSOK is smooth and flavorful the sourness from the La Folie really pushed some crazy citrus flavors through the experience and added a whole new dimension to an already complex cigar. If you haven’t had a sour ale before, do not start with this one. You will hate it. If you are on the fence when it comes to sour ales, don’t try this one. But if you like Flanders/sours then La Folie is the epitome of a perfect sour ale. At $14 a bottle and aged for 1-3 years in French oak barrels, it’s not for the weary.

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I know, I know, the site was down earlier this morning and I am sorry. I set the domain to auto-renew on a closed account. I’m an idiot. But hopefully today’s review of Camacho’s Room 101 Namakubi Roxxo makes up for it!

The Good Stuff: The Namakubi was released at this year’s IPCPR show in Las Vegas, and the be honest, it was one of, if not the most talked about blend from the show. This limited edition release will only be available for a short amount of time. There is only going to be 100,000 cigars released. This may seem like a high number, but it’s considerably low once you factor in the volume Camacho sells at. The cigar will be available in six different sizes and will rand between $6 to $10. The names are just as interesting as Matt Booth himself. I know there was some sort of connection with the names and maybe a hip hop artist or something of the like, I just never fully made the connect. Maybe someone “in-the-know” can fill me in. The sizes are: “Papi Chullo” – 42 x 4, “Roxxo” – 48 x 4, “Tiburon” – 44 x 6, “Sucio” – 48 x 7, and the “Monstro” – 60 x 5. You can pick these up now at Bonita Smoke Shop before they are sold out!

In Room 101’s press release they define “Namakubi”:

Although in many ways long gone, Samurai culture is believed to live on in spirit within certain groups. In ancient times when two Samurai clans would gather for competition there was a great deal at stake. Normally, the losing party would die as a result of wounds sustained in battle or be executed upon defeat. The Namakubi, or freshly severed head of the losing party would be prepared on a wooden tray then tagged in a regimented manner and presented to the leader of the winning clan as a gift.

Size: “Roxxo” 48 x 4  –  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano  –  Binder: Propietary “Generoso” Honduran Seed  –  Filler: Dominican/Honduran

Prelight: The Room 101 Namakubi Roxxo is a stout little cigar. The size is just awesome and I hope it turns out great. With winter quickly approaching Daniel and I (more so Daniel due to the great white north) are always looking for great, short smokes. The wrapper on the Namakubi is a nice medium brown which starts off much light, but then gradually gets darker as you approach the foot of the cigar. The construction is great and there are only on larger vein towards the top of the cigar leading up to the seamless triple wrapped cap. Outside of a little excess glue on the wrapper, this cigar looks great. The Namakubi is really first to the touch giving very little when compressed. The foot of the cigar is a bit mushy though, but nothing really concerning. The band on these are classic Matt Booth sorting a great Asian/Modern typeface with some nice flourishes containing the “Namakubi” logo as well as a smaller “Room 101 LTD” title underneath. The black and red bad also has a really small scripted “LTD” in the back of the band as well.

The wrapper gives off really, no scent at all. I was surprised to find the powerful cedar and spice aroma that actually burned my nose a bit as I took a huge whiff off of the foot of the cigar. The cold draw compliments the aroma by pumping out a nice sweet spice and cedar mix. The cap clipped really clean as easy using my double bladed cutter.

First Smoke: Be careful lighting up this cigar. Because of the small stature my dumb ass burned the hell out of my finger using my single flame butane touch. The first few draws of this Namakubi surprised me. I was expecting really smooth, sweet greeting, but was met with a much more bold experience. The strong tobacco flavor and pepper only lasted a few puffs in before leading to the sweet spice and cedar I was expecting. Outside of the cedar and spice there is this interesting flavor in there that I am having a hard time trying to explain, but the closest thing I can think of is black licorice. A stretch, I know, but there is something in there. The Namakubi gives off a nice amount of stationary smoke but wow does it smell good. It’s like burning bits of cedar in a fireplace. They need to make manly scented candles with this aroma. The draw on this cigar is remarkable kicking out a massive cloud of extremely thick smoke with each little puff I take. The burnline is dead even producing a nice zebra striped black and light grey, tightly compacted ash which held on for about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Holy crap the retrohale on this cigar is amazing! I can’t stop doing it. The Namakubi coats my nasal passage with this crazy cedar/gingerbread prime. I love it. This little cigar is turning into a flavor bomb. The tobacco, cedar, and spice is still there but the cigar now introduced this gingerbread and pine medley. I know this is stretching it again but this cigar creates some awesome flavors that you normally can’t find in cigars. The burnline is still dead even on this cigar and I am not feeling any nicotine despite the fuller-body of the Namakubi.

Finish: Another shocked was the amount of pepper that reappeared during the final third of this little cigar. The flavors switched up a bit and now the experience is overall very smooth with some nice cedar, and sweet spices with a ton of pepper. This cigar really keeps you on your toes. I actually felt a little nicotine kick from this tiny little Room 101 Namakubi, but don’t let the size fool you. All in all it took almost an hour to smoke the entire stick with no harshness whatsoever all the way down to the nub.

Overview: Cigar manufacturers have constantly raised the bar, pushing the limits of blends, and Camacho did just that when they created the Room 101 Namakubi. It’s a hell of a cigar. One big characteristic was the flavor as it produced an experience unlike any cigars on the market today. Each year cigars like this one raise our expectations. This full bodied flavor bomb is sure to satisfy the most experience cigar smoker as well as introduce any novice to a world of great cigars. I would by again  and it’s box worthy for sure.

Pairing: As strange as this beer is, I couldn’t have picked a better pairing. Dogfish Head’s Midas touch isn’t for the faint of heart. This “beer”, and I use the term “beer” loosely, is more of a crazy halfbreed beer/mead wine. This 9.0% beast of a brew is actually made from ingredients found 2,700 year old drinking vessels from the tomb of King Midas. This “beer” taste’s nothing like a beer with sweet notes of jasmine, saffron, honey, and an overall floral experience. This beer is EXTREMELY hard to find, and pretty pricey when you do ($5 – $8 a bottle), but it’s well worth it. Even if you hate it, it’s worth trying once. The floral flavors paired wonderfully with the flavor bomb of a cigar the Namakubi was. You really need something to balance out the cigar or the cigar would overpower just about anything you are drinking. This cigar would go great with some really hoppy IPA or even a nice bitter beer.

The post Camacho – Room 101 Namakubi Roxxo appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

It seems that Perdomo is a name that many cigars smokers know about and often enjoy yet it’s also I brand that seems to do minimal advertising. I don’t seem to see them launch large campaigns or expensive sponsorship but rather it seems word of mouth and consistent quality help spread their name. I’ve also had the chance to review the Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro and Perdomo Patriarch Maduro in the past. Today we are going to take a look at the Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro.

The Perdomo Grand Cru is a cigar grown and rolled with the intention of giving a Cuban-like flavor in each blend. All of the seeds used to grow the Tobacco in Nicaragua are from Cuba. The tobacco itself has also been well aged before being rolled into the cigars. Each box and cigar is clearly marked with a “Crop of 2004” label. I really like this idea and it lets you know just how old the tobacco is. If they decide to keep the same blend moving forward but change crops, I’m curious to see if they will just change the year or change the name. From what I can tell, all the cigars and boxes still say 2004. The website also says this blend is made from that crop as well so it may not change at all.

I would actually love to see that type of labelling adopted by more companies. I think it’s an excellent idea. There are other cigars that do this currently, such as the Tatuaje L’Esperit de Verite that Tony reviewed or the Camacho Liberty series (we’ve reviewed the 2009 and 2010) but those are more limited editions. Having this label on regular production cigars would be and interesting piece of information. The above linked reviews already show how much a blend can change from year-to-year. But enough about me complaining, without further adieu let’s jump into the review of the Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro.

Cigar: Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro
Drink: Delaforce 2005 Late Bottled Vintage Porto
Vitola: Toro (6 x 50)
Wrapper: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
Price: $4.50 – $5.50
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A rough and bumpy wrapper with a few medium sized veins, but nothing concerning
• The wrapper has a sand-paper like texture and is a consistent medium chocolate brown color
• The cap is cleanly applied with a double-cap design, almost impossible to see the second piece of tobacco
• The foot appears well packed and the length of the cigar is pretty firm with very little spring to it
• The cut was very easy and quite clean, falling in a neat little package into the ashtray
• Draw is a little tighter then I’d like

Burn:
• The burn line is not neat and pretty on this cigar but it’s not out of control either
• Felt like the cigar was starting to go out after only an inch and started needing a few more draws
• The funny burn finally hit a rut and needed a small touch up just past the half-way mark
• For the most part, the cigar burned without much effort or extra draws

Smoke & Ash:
• Despite the tightness I’m still getting a giant mouthful of smoke from every draw
• There is a small bit of resting smoke visible while the cigar sits in the ashtray, it gives off a mostly woodsy aroma
• The ash is a little flaky on this cigar but not too weak
• A very nice white color to the ash as it burns
• Each ash tumbled into the ashtray shortly after an inch

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper gives off a strong hay and barnyard aroma
• The foot stays consistent with the barnyard aroma and mixes a touch of spice into the nose
• The pre-light draw brings an interesting bakers chocolate flavor mixed with some woodsy notes
• The initial draws give off a strong woodsy flavor with some hints of coffee here and there
• As the cigar progresses I’m picking up a lot of roasted notes, a mix of roasted almonds and roasted coffee beans, very nice
• I noticed a bit extra dryness on my throat with this cigar
• As I approach the halfway mark, the body has been mild-medium and retrohale has no bite with a woodsy finish
• The flavors still seem to hover around with roasted coffee, woodsy and roasted almonds all taking a turn
• In the last third the flavors got much more intense and I started picking up some more bakers chocolate type of flavors
• The body picked up only slightly near the end, making it a comfortable medium

Final Thoughts:
The Grand Cru Maduro from Tabacalera Perdomo proved to be a nice smooth cigar that can easily be enjoyed by many experienced or new smokers. It offers a nice variety of flavors that are neither too complex or too boring making for a perfect cigar to relax with. It’s something you can pick up and smoke without paying too much attention to and still enjoy and easily pick up on the various flavors. The price is also very attractive, make sure to search around a bit as my research showed a HUGE variance in pricing on these. I’d definitely suggest picking up a few of these to try out, especially at the good prices you can find them for.

Pairings:
Yes I’m still riding the Port train and today I bring something new. This bottle is something I haven’t seen around before so I grabbed it to try something new. Damn am I ever happy I did. The Delaforce 2005 Late Bottled Vintage offers some excellent flavors backed by a robust and bold red wine flavor. A lot of Ports overdo the fruity notes but this one seems nicely balanced between a full bodied red wine and a flavorful fruity port. It paired well with this cigar but was maybe not the perfect pairing. I think this cigar was made for coffee, the roasted coffee and almond notes would have made a great compliment. You could also enjoy this with a nice dark porter with some coffee flavors.

The post Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

I smoked a few of these cigars, but this one in particular was actually sent to me by our good friend Mike at Mikestogies.com. Mike was the man who actually sent over the sticks I did on my first blind review set which you can view here. He’s a great guy, with great reviews.

The Good Stuff: Each year Camacho releases a limited release cigar called the Liberty Series.The tradition started back in 2002 and is one of my favorite annual releases. They retail anywhere between $18 and $22 a stick and come in boxes of 10 individually coffin-boxed cigars. If you’d like to read our review of the 2009, you can see Daniel’s take on it here. Again, the scenery may look a bit different. I am doing yet another review at my favorite local shop, Tobacco Rd.

Size: 6 x 54 (11/18)  – Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatran  – Binder: Honduran Corojo  – Filler: Honduran Corojo and Dominican Ligero

Prelight: The Camacho Liberty 2010 holds true to all the past Liberty series in terms of presentation. The Liberty starts out encased in a dark blue, shiny, painted coffin box. Each box has a sticker with each cigar’s unique number. This one happens to be 775 /40,000. Once the seal on the box is broken I was showcased with a nice cedar scent and a tissue wrapped cigar placed carefully inside the box. Once then tissue is removed you are presented with the standard, flashy, black and silver Camacho band that you would expect. One interesting thing about this band is out of all the 2010 Liberties that I smoked, this was the only one with  a black band. All the rest of them had a dark blue similar to the color of the paint on the box. The band is very similar in design from the previous years. The Liberty 2010 also comes fitted with a nice little foot band that simply states “Liberty Series” in silver on dark blue ink. The wrapper on the Liberty is a very light, very consistent, milky brown. The smaller foot leads up to a much wider body before tapering off to a smaller, rounded cap that matches the size of the Liberty’s foot. For the most part the cigar is very firm to the touch with the exception of the foot. There is a crack at the top of the cigar from the head to about the middle of the band. Mainly just a wrapper crack. It looks as thought it didn’t harm the binder. Normally I wouldn’t review a cigar that already has a crack in it, but this is my third Liberty 2010 from three totally different boxes that have similar cracks. Not to mention I had a few similar issues with the 2009’s I smoked last year. This just must be a delicate wrapper. The wrapper has this immense scent of straight up cedar. It seriously smells like the inside of a brand new humidor. which happens to be of my favorite scents in the world. Some how the foot has an ever stronger cedar scent with just a little whiff of spice. The Liberty cut very clean with my double bladed cutter. Lucky enough, the crack didn’t increase much in size.  The cold draw kicks out this wonderful milky, cedar flavor and leaves behind just a tiny bit of spice.

First Smoke: The Liberty 2010 starts off slightly different than I expected. Instead of being smacked in the face with soft cedar, the cigar starts off bold, with some earthy, leather notes. Not long after the cigar turns into this just massive cedar bomb, holy crap. This is the reason why I love these Liberties. Outside of the cedar there is a slight spice sneaking into the mix. All around this cigar is starting off very smooth and flavorful. The draw is easy, and plentiful, but the main story is the stationary smoke. The Liberty 2010 gives off a ton of cedar scented stationary smoke that even overpowers the other three cigars that are going in the room at the time. The burnline is slightly wavy, but I always have that problem with this size. They almost always fix themselves. The ash is a very light grey with some slight flakes, but overall tightly compacted. The ash held on for a little over an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: One major difference with this year’s 2010 Liberty is a big one for me. The cigar burns so much slower than the previous year. The 2009 was soooo good, but at the price point I was always hesitant to spend the money to buy a cigar that would burn so quickly. The cedar is still rocking very hard into this second third. The spice is still there as well with notes of leather and some really creamy chocolate. The retrohale in this cigar is absolutely amazing. After a few retrohales I swear my nasal passage made me feel as if I have been locked in a humidor for the last 3 days. The body is slowly starting to creep in as well. It’s not full, but it is noticeable. The burnline has completely fixed itself and is holding solid as I expected. The ash is ugly, but the experience is wonderful.

Finish: The cedar has begun to fade a bit into the final third of this Camacho Liberty 2010. The cedar is still the main flavor with the backing flavors of spice, and this really strong leather flavor. The body has really ramped up too, which is totally unexpected.  I’m even getting a slight nicotine kick from this one. There was a slight harsh build up into the last inch but nothing too concerning, it was almost expected.  All in all the cigar finished very smooth, a bit heavier than I expected, and burned much slower taking about an hour and forty five minutes to finish.

Overview: The Camacho Liberty has always been a cigar that I look out for every year. The similar blends are just wonderful. The cost is a little high, but it’s a great cigar, for those special times. The slower burn was great, but it had its own drawback. Towards the end of the experience the cedar starting to get overwhelming and it made me want the tobacco flavors to come in and really take over. The crack really didn’t make much of a difference, and seldom does in this cigar. All in all, it’s a good cigar, at a decent price. But the Liberty is not something that I would put in my regular rotation due to the price, and availability. I do however love to keep a few of these on hand to satisfy those cedar cravings.

The post Camacho Liberty 2010 Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

I really enjoy setting these up. As Tony mentioned, it allows you to pick up a cigar and smoke it with no biases on brand/wrapper/blender/price. When you think about it, there are a lot of things that can affect your opinion that you may not even realize. It could be a cigar you’ve had before, or one you’ve never tried. Sometimes it’ll confirm your first impressions or maybe introduce you to a new brand that you would have otherwise overlooked at the B&M.

This set of blind cigars comes from dk_fxn, you can find him on twitter @dk_fxn. He sent me the following 5 cigars as well as bombed me with some other awesome smokes such as an AF Shark, Opus X and an Illusione culebra. He even had the creativity to name them all uniquely. Can anyone tell me the link between all the cigar names?? Thank very much for the bonus sticks dk_fxn! Now let’s get on to these reviews. I did them in short paragraph’s and jotted them down as I smoked them, so it’s all based on what I thought at that exact moment. Hope you enjoy!

A toro shaped cigar measuring in around 6 x 48. The wrapper is a nice medium shade of brown, not quite maduro but not quite Connecticut, maybe a Habano? It’s clearly constructed and has no major veins. The aroma on wrapper and foot is mostly hay/barnyard and pre-light draw leaves a big spice kick on my lips.

The toasting was nice and easy and the initial draws brought flavors of toasted cedar and a bit of leather added to the peppery spice which is actually very minor at this point. The spice settled right down after an inch and a nice toasted cedar has taken control with a bit of earthiness and nuttiness mixed in there. Body starting off fairly mild but close to the medium threshold.

The ash on this cigar is very nice, it’s white, strong and clean. It lasted nearly two inches before I tapped it off. Retrohale has been bite-free with a smooth cedar finish since the start. I’m surprised more spice didn’t come through on this since i was expecting a lot of spiciness after the pre-light draw. The cigar has also been a smoke machine since the start, never letting me down and has been burning razor sharp through the first half.

Some more spice came into play just past the halfway mark, like a peppery nutmeg type of spice. the body and spice developed a bit more near the end but it stayed with a nice cedar flavor straight to the end with no bitterness, very enjoyable cigar!

REVEAL: Cain F Toro

Post-Reveal Notes: I’ve only previously had the Cain Maduro and Habano and both were quite powerful. This one however only barely passed medium. I’m not sure if it had some age on it or what it was, but is was a nice smooth and spicy cigar. Very surprised at this one.

A Grand Robusto or maybe 6×60 shaped cigar with a nice dark cinnamon colored wrapper. It’s fairly smooth with a couple veins but nothing that looks problematic. The wrapper has a very nice oily sheen to it and is mostly hay/barnyard scented. The foot has a very nice aroma of cedar, barnyard and a bit tartiness. The prelight draw has a nice cedar flavor with some raw nutmeg and cinnamon spices.

Initial draws are very very peppery with an undertone of cedar. The pepper-bomb died down shortly after and balanced nicely with the cedar, also getting a sort of toasted bread note and a nice creamy finish. The ash is a bit messy, I needed to tap it off after an inch the first time. I’m also having some burn issues where the cigar doesn’t stay totally lit and I have to purge or touch up, I’m blaming it on the weather since it’s -6C (about 22F) outside right now.

The cigar has a nice bite on the retrohale, nothing over powering, and a smooth creamy finish. It started off just about medium and is holding steady so far. At about the halfway mark the flavors haven’t changed a whole lot but that’s ok cause I’m enjoying them. They are well balanced and alternating turns being the most prominent, the toasted bready flavor is especially nice.

Passing the halfway mark and the peppery spice is really picking up, as is the body. In the full range now. The creaminess is gone and getting some leather in the mix with a bit or earthiness. The bite on the retrohale picked up as well with a cedar finish. The cedar eventually turned to a burning wood flavor, not really in a bad way, just different. It finished nice and full with the pepper and burning woodsiness balancing nicely.

REVEAL: Camacho Corojo

Post-Reveal Notes: This is one of the cigars that I would normally overlook in the B&M. The peppery flavors are not exactly up my alley but I can say that this was a well balanced cigar and would recommend to people who enjoy the fuller and more peppery-type cigars.

The “Easy” is a Corona shaped cigar with a tapered cap at the head. It has a rough appearance with some bumpiness and rough lines, makes it appear old. There’s one section with some major veins and a knot running through most of the cigar, hopefully they won’t cause any problems. The wrapper has very faint aroma, maybe of just some hay/tobacco and foot is pretty much the same since it’s a shaggy so I can’t really get a good aroma off the filler.

Initial draws and construction seem to be pointing my guess towards a Cuban but I’m not sure. I got one very interesting flavor here that I think I’ve never had before. While toasting and initial draws I got a Pine taste. Was actually very good paired with some cedar and spice. Spice quickly took a backseat to the cedar with a smooth leather and clove finish. So far going very well.

Construction has been perfect, no burn issues at all and ash is a nice light grey color and holding steady just past an inch each time. Body is fairly mild/medium and retrohale his a tiny little spice bite and a cedar finish. Lots of smoke on each draw.

As I approach half-way some more spice is making an appearance, getting a bit of pepper and some saltiness. Shortly after the spice took a back seat again while the saltiness stayed and some dried fruit flavors snuck in, I’m loving all the subtle flavor changes here.

The flavors kept taking turns to the end with only a hint of bitterness but nothing off-putting. This cigar had it all, construction, burn, and a nice variety of flavors. It was very similar to some run-of-the-mill/basic Cubans I’ve had, if its not a cuban they did a damn good job making it taste like one. It wasn’t overly complex but a good quality smoke, definitely enjoyable.

REVEAL: Arturo Fuente Curly Head

Post Reveal Note: A budget Arturo Fuente? They hit this one on the head! I found them online for about $2 or less. Definitely a great purchase and an easy cigar to hand out to friends who aren’t smokers. I think this will make a perfect choice for a lot of situations, even when you’re not paying it much attention. From some discussions I’ve had about this cigar, seems a lot of people overlook them. I’ve personally never seen them but they are definitely on my radar now. Perfect cigar to throw into a blind tasting!

A corona sized cigar with another oddly tapered, or maybe pointed, head. The wrapper is a nice mild chocolate color with lots of definition but no major veins. The wrapper gives off a sweet tobacco and barnyard aroma, the foot is closed with wrapper lead so not much of a difference in aroma there. Pre-light draw is mostly cedar with a bit of spice on the lips.

Had a bit of a tough time getting this lit. Initial draws are packed with cedar with some subtle coffee notes. The cigar is leaving a dryness on the back of my throat that I’m not too fond of. There’s not much interesting going on in the retrohale right now, very small bite and some cedar/tobacco flavors. Body is almost in the medium range for me so far.

Having a hard time keeping the cigar lit, keeps tunneling on me. The current temperature out here of about 17F might have something to do with that… The coffee flavors have developed a little more and I’m getting some nutmeg type spices. a nice change. Unfortunately the dryness on the back of my throat is still an issue but nothing to toss this cigar away for.

Around the half-way point some of the dryness seemed to stop, not completely but much improved. The coffee flavors developed a bit more into a nice espresso type of note and some leather and sweetness came into the mix. The body is slowing building up and the bite on the retrohale got a little more aggressive too but with a nice espresso finish. The burn also got much better in the last half.

With about two inches left I’m getting a new flavor I can’t quite pinpoint that is very tasty. It’s almost like maybe freshly baked goods, interesting! Definitely some more woodsy flavors, nutmeg and the espresso is turning into a bit of a bitter espresso, but not in a bad way. It finished off with mostly a sweet and bitter espresso flavor. Just an awesome finish, it was so tasty it could easily be compared to drinking a nice hot espresso. I kept expecting it to turn bitter but it never happened. Finished super smooth and damn tasty.

I have absolutely no guess on this one. It started off decent with some straightforward flavors and a dryness on my throat but really started to shine about halfway in. I can’t stress how good the last 2 inches was, tons of flavor and amazingly smooth finish.

REVEAL: Tatuaje Black Jar Release

Post Reveal Notes: A Tatuaje Black! Awesome! A Very rare gem and I’m very glad I had the chance to try it. Thanks so much for this one DK! Even though the start wasn’t as exciting the finish was just fantastic!

Click here to compare to Tony’s review of the Tatuaje Black OG Jar Release

A nice looking Grand Corona sized cigar with an interesting looking wrapper. The wrapper has lots of definition to it. Each vein, no matter how small, seems highlighted in a light brown color against the wrapper mainly milk-chocolately wrapper. The head is finished with a pigtail and there are definitely a few soft spots along the cigars body. The wrapper gives off an aroma of sweet cocoa while the foot is more barnyard scented with some hints of spice.

Pre-light draw is more barnyard and a touch of spice. Initial draws offer me a blast of pepper with some subtle coffee notes. I think there may be a Pepin influence going on here… The spice slowly started fading as the cigar progressed and the coffee notes made a more prominant appearence with nutmeg-life spice. Burn has been razor sharp since lighting. The ash is also very nice and clean and holds on just past an inch.

The cigar seems to be right at the edge of medium so far with a nice bite and cedar finish on the retrohale. At about the half-way point the pepper is still kicking around with the coffee and nutmeg. Hasn’t changed much but I’m enjoying the current balance. The pepper fades in and out of strength now and then, but it’s always there.

As I got into the last third the pepper and body both kicked it up a notch. The coffee and nutmeg is still around but it’s taking a backseat to the pepper. Can’t say I’ve had this specific cigar before but I’m almost 100% sure it’s a Pepin blend, maybe one of the 601 or DPG lines.

REVEAL: Ashton Benchmade Cazadore

Post-Reveal Notes: Looks like I was right! The infamous Pepin definitely did have a hand in blending these cigars. They are super budget friendly and pack an interesting mix of flavors. I’ve heard about them but always overlooked them as “just another budget cigar”. But they can definitely stand alone as a good smoke!

So if you actually made it down this far thanks for reading! This was yet another fun Blind Review Experience! Tony and I were thinking of setting up a blind review with some of our readers, would anyone be interested in participating? Let us know via comments or even email us directly!

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

The cigar itself is made entirely from Honduran tobacco. The leaves are actually from Christian Eiroa’s farm in the Jamastran region of Honduras. The wrapper is made up of Camacho’s single production of Habano leaf. This of course is at this time and could very well change in the near future.

I was gifted one of these cigars and purchased a couple more for myself. I decided to light this one up with a similarly limited production beer which you can read more about at the bottom of the review in the Pairing section.

Cigar: Camacho Cigars Liberty 2009
Drink: Innis and Gunn Oak Aged Beer – Canadian Cask 2010
Vitola: 11/18 – Toro (6 x 54)
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Price: $16-$20
Burn Time: 2 Hours

Construction:
• A very smooth milky chocolate wrapper surrounds this cigar
• Triple cap is very cleanly applied
• The foot doesn’t appear to be too packed, there is some room in there
• The cigar has a slight bulge in the center
• There are some soft spots on the bulge but the foot and head of the cigar are slightly firm with a good spring
• The cigar has two beautifully designed bands, one in it’s normal last 3rd of the cigar and one near the foot
• The cut made a bit of an explosion of tobacco leaves but was clean on the cigar
• Before even lighting it’s evident that the draw is very open
• Despite seeming very open before lighting, the draw feels very comfortable with more resistance than expected
• Both bands slid off effortlessly preserving the wrapper almost untouched

Burn:
• Very easy toasting, was even and quick
• Through the first inch the cigar has been razor sharp with just a small wave
• The wave developed into a small canoe that I needed to fix with my lighter
• A few small canoes developed as the cigar went on and some fixes were required but nothing major and flavors were ever affected
• Stayed lit effortlessly without the need to babysit the cigar

Smoke & Ash:
• TONS of smoke right from the start
• Lots of resting smoke also giving off a delightful cedar aroma
• Ash a appears a bit weak but is not flaking and holding strong
• Very light colored ash, almost white but has a tinge of gray and some dark highlights
• Even though the ash looked weak, it held on for almost 2 inches before falling off
• This cigar is a smoke machine! lol

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a massive cedar aroma presence to it, smells fantastic
• The foot has more of the cedar and a bit of sweetness
• The pre-light draw is very cedar flavored with a smooth creamy sweetness added to the mix along with a light spice
• Initial draws are like a sweet cedar with a hint of spice. If you could prepare and eat cedar I imagine this is what you would want it to taste like, haha
• The Retrohale has more of that great cedar flavor, a small bite and a great sweet finish
• Cigar has been fairly mild through the first 2 inches but a nice creamy cinnamon spice has taken over with the cedar in the background, very tasty
• At about the halfway point, the spice has picked up a bit more but I’m also getting a nice sweetness
• Passing the halfway point, the sweetness is letting off a bit and the cedar has once again become the prominant flavor with a toasted wood type of background
• The retrohale has also developed a bit more of a bite and the finish has turned to a smooth cedar
• The cigar started mild but has developed into a good medium and seems to be slowly picking up body
• Getting some subtle coffee and leather notes as I approach the final stretch
• Cedar flavors stuck through to the end and a bit of bitterness just before the last inch

Final Thoughts:
There’s no denying this was a great cigar. I, for one, am a big fan of cedar flavors in a cigar and this one had tons of it! Add to it the sweet and spicy notes and you’ve got the makings of agreat cigar in my mind. Now I did have some minor burn issues with these but none were major and they never required a full re-light so flavors never got harsh. The biggest hurdle with this cigar for most people will be the price. Between the cost of the coffin and the extremely rare wrapper used on this cigar I can see why they are priced this way. At this point they are becoming harder to find although they are still available if you look. Even with the price these are definitely worth at least trying. I would definitely recommend tracking one down before they disappear completely

Pairings:
Today’s pairing comes from the Scottish Brewery of Innis & Gunn. Their Oak Aged beer is one of my favorite blondes and makes a great pairing for almost any cigar because of it’s woodsy flavors. This particular batch was a limited production run called “Canadian Cask” which was produced especially for Canada Day 2010 to commemorate Canada’s birthday.

This beer is aged for 54 days in Whiskey barrels and mixed with a malted rye crystal to give it an incredibly unique and flavorful experience on the palate. This is only the second year Innis and Gunn has produced this brew and I definitely hope they continue the tradition.
This cigar paired well with this brew and I would definitely recommend it, they just worked so well together. Other pairings could be a nice scotch, oaky red wine, dark soda or a coffee.

Here’s a picture of the box from this brew, it has a whole story about how it came to be and how it was made.

The post Camacho Liberty 2009 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Camacho Room 101

A big thank you again to @cigarsthomas for shooting a few of these over to me. There are six local B&M shops here in El Paso, Texas. But out of the six, only two carry Camacho cigars. The Room 101 has been on order with them for quite a bit, but I’m too impatient, and I wanted to get my grubby little paws on one ASAP. The cigar community has been buzzing applause directed towards the Room 101 even way before it’s release date. The anticipation has been killing me.

The Good Stuff: Room 101 is a joint operation between Camacho Cigars and famous jewelry designer Matt Booth. “Room 101” isn’t just a blend of cigar but a “Global Conspiracy”.  Everything related to Room 101 boasts strong symbolism, and deep meaning. I won’t go into it too much, but if you feel inclined there are plenty of resources out there, but a lot of the symbolism behind the Conspiracy are kept secret. This only adds to the character. From my understanding Matt Booth met up with Camacho Cigar’s Director of Marketing Dylan Austin as well as a few others from the Camacho Family, words were exchanged, and before anyone knew it there was a proposition on the table of Camacho and Matt Booth teaming up to create a cigar that supports The Conspiracy. I can’t think of another cigar manufacturer that could pull something as interesting as this off.

After all was said and done, The Room 101 cigar was amongst a handful on anticipated new release cigars announced at this year’s ICPCR in New Orleans. The Room 101 wasn’t released to the public until a few months later in early October. The Room 101 is a medium bodied cigar manufactured with tobaccos produced in Honduras and the Dominican Republic. The wrapper itself was labeled as “Semilla 101” and was grown especially for the Room 101. The Room 101 comes in 6 sizes (I think), each one named after different US cities area codes. This particular shape is labeled the “702”, after Las Vegas, Nevada.

Size: 48×54×48×6  –  Wrapper: Semilla 101 from Honduras  –  Binder/Filler: Honduras/Dominican  –  Strength: Medium – Full

Camacho Room 101

Prelight: The Room 101 702 has many unique characteristics that you won’t see from a lot of other cigar manufactures. We’ll start with the band. The band represents the Jewelry very well with is all black ink, supported by all silver prominence. It’s clear from the secondary band that this wasn’t produced by Room 101 for Camacho, but the other way around. Camacho is supporting Room 101 and the conspiracy with this special blended cigar. The band is covered in symbols. If you want to discovery on what these symbols actually mean feel free to browse over to www.room101cigars.com to find out more. The shape of the 702 is very unique as well. It starts off quite bulky on the head, with a nice rounded cap. And just after the band booms from a 48 ring gauge into a boasting 54 gauge through a little more than half the body before returning to a 48. Hopefully this meaty area produces a complex, powerhouse smoke. The wrapper is a dark, chocolately color, very leatheresque with lots of lighter brown areas. There were really no large veins, and absolutely no signs of misconstruction. the foot of the cigar carries lots of loosely wrapper filler tobacco. I honestly think this, from the prelight, is one of the finest constructed cigars I have seen. The wrapper didn’t really carry a lot of strong aromas, but what a did pick out were A graham crackery, cocoa smell with what I could only describe as a tart grape.The cold draw was very similar to the scents I pulled off of the Room 101.

Camacho Room 101

First Smoke: The Room 101 702 releases a nice, smooth draw, with lots and lots of thick tobacco/cocoa scented smoke. The smoke itself wasn’t too pungent, it won’t be as annoying to non-smokers as most other cigars will be. There was a lot let of a pepper taste pulled off the Room 101 than I expected. I think most of the newer Dominican cigars have boasted large pepper tastes and the Room 101 doesn’t follow that guideline making for a much smoother experience. Outside of an incredibly smooth smoke the Room 101 sports a chocolate, cocoa taste with hints of almond and black current. The room 101 is burning very evenly leaving behind a very nice white ash.

Camacho Room 101

There is some flaking from the ash, but nothing that will cause the ash to fall off quickly. The burn itself is a bit faster than I expected, but I have a feeling that will change once I make it into the sweet spot of the cigar. I made it almost 2 inches in before the Room 101 finally ashed off for the first time.

Camacho Room 101

Halfway There: Ahh, the sweet-spot. Almost immediately after hitting the 54 ring gauged portion of the cigar the experience switched up on me. The flavors remained constant, very Ovaltineish with hints of raw coffee. Where as the draw increased significantly. The Room 101’s draw became much looser, and increased in flavor as well as density of smoke. The burn didn’t actually burn slower, but I didn’t need to hit the cigar as hard or as often as I did to produce the draw I was looking for. The burn line got a bit wavy at this point, but no touch ups are needed. The ashed increased in flakiness a bit, but that was mainly due, and expected from opening up the ring gauge of the cigar.

Camcho Room 101

Finish: Towards the end of the smoke the head itself cracked, and unwrapped a bit. I think a lot of that was due to me babysitting this cigar. I didn’t want it to end and actually smoked it quite a bit slower than I would normally. The flavors throughout the entire smoked remained very consistent and the finish was no exception. The chocolate undertones carried through to the finish, and the favors became a bit more tobacco/earthy based. The burn line never got out of hand, and I never felt the need to touch up this cigar, nor did it require any relighting. Considering the size of this cigar I was surprised to see that I had almost no light-headedness or any signs of nicotine for that matter.

Camacho Room 101

Overview: This cigar was well worth the wait in every way imaginable. From the remarkable construction, to the flavors, I feel Camacho knocked this one out of the park. The Room 101 is a direct representation of the hard work, and research that goes into each one of Camacho’s cigar blends. The Room 101 will be in my regular rotation for a long time, and I would recommend everyone else to add it as well. This cigar will be a huge consideration in not only mine, but everyone elses list of top cigars for 2009.

Camacho Room 101

The Room 101 by Camacho was paired with a Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock. One of my favorite Belgium beers. The dark, coffee based double bock beer accompanied the Room 101 every step of the way and even helped distinguish some of the fruity notes of the cigar.

Camacho Room 101 with an Ayinger Celebrator

The post Camacho Room 101 702 Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Comacho Corojo - Image courtesy of cigar.com

Although I am an infused cigar smoker, these were sent to me via a campaign Camacho was running. I’m not going to go into details, just know that because of this campaign I will not be posted any pictures of the cigar I took myself. There is good reason for this, and if you wish to see some just shoot me a message and I’ll send them right over. Outside of the Liga Privada No. 9 this will be my first tradition cigar review, so go easy on me.

The Good Stuff: The Camacho Corojo is one of the strongest cigars in the world, it boasts a complex blend of strong tobacco grown in Honduras from a rare seed smuggled out of Cuba during the embargo. Camacho Corojo is a connoisseurs cigar in that it is appreciated by enthusiasts who have over a decade in the hobby and a distinctive and experienced palate capable of differentiating all of the complexities of this cigar. Camacho Corojo is full-bodied and full-flavored. The annual production of Camacho Corojo is limited, making them difficult to come by at times.

Size: 5 x 50  –  Wrapper: Corojo  –  Flavor: Full-bodied  –  Country: Honduras

Prelight: The cigar is made-up of a dark, rich, oily wrapper that is extremely well constructed. The wrapper itself is very “maduroesque” looking. The cigar itself is very soft, with no noticeable signs of problem areas. There are quite a few larger veins but nothing that will get in the way of enjoyment. The sent of the cigar is very earthy, and almost dirty (but in a good way). The cigar sports a very rounded double cap.

First Smoke: This cigar took quite a bit of time and maneuvering to get lit properly. That caught me a bit off guard as well as how tight the draw seemed to be. After a few larger hits the draw loosened up quite a bit and became incredibly large with huge clouds of very thick smoke. The first tastes were that of a strong cedar flavor, backed by lots of spice, and even a bit of leather. The strength of this tobacco is definitely evident in this smoke. I remember turning to my wife and actually saying “Holy crap this is a strong cigar”, a few times.  The cigar is burning pretty even at this point, but it did ash a whole lot sooner than I though. About a quarter of an inch in. Hopefully this isn’t a trend.

Halfway Through: I am still blown away by the massive strength of this cigar. I’m used to “girly” infused cigars, nothing of this magnitude. It keeps things interesting. The flavor is still very consistence. My tongue and throat are taking a beating to the black pepper spice taste. Its really good actually. The burn is remaining consistent, and the ash is staying on a lot longer now. The only downfall is I am having to touch this cigar up quite a bit for the burn to remain evenly lit. A lot of people mind this, I don’t. Any excuse to play with fire keeps me entertained.

Finish: As much as I wanted to nub this cigar I couldn’t quite make it. I’m not used to these massively powerful cigars, and quite frankly it kicked my ass a bit. I admit defeat. I did get pretty close though. The taste remained almost perfectly consistent throughout the smoke, where as the cigar itself started out incredibly strong and only grew as I smoked it. One note is the fact that I walked away from this cigar with very little after taste. My mouth was a bit puckered by the strength of the tobacco, but it didn’t have that cigar aftertaste to it.

Overview: The Camacho Corojo is one hell of a cigar. I wouldn’t recommend it to any beginner cigar smoker, but definitely a seasoned one. This cigar left me very light headed, and in awe of its flavor, and power-packed strength. I will have this one again I am sure.

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