At the young age of 23, Marcus Daniel entered into the dog eat dog world of the cigar business. His youth was no barrier to his success as he now has over 20 years in the industry and operates Daniel Marcus Tobacconist in Naples, Florida. Over the years, Marcus has developed an extensive portfolio of cigar brands. Today, I will take a look at the We the People Maduro in 7 by 50 Churchill format. An appropriate cigar for this weekend. 

Produced in Calle Ocho, Little Havana, Miami, We the People comes in two wrapper options – Ecuadorian Connecticut and Mexican San Andres Maduro. Available vitolas include: Coronabusto (4 ½ by 44), Robusto (5 by 52), Belicoso (6 ½ by 54), and Churchill (7 by 50). Prices range from $189 to $239 for the different vitola options and are sold in boxes of 20.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Daniel Marcus, Inc.
Price: $11.95 per single | $239 per box of 20
Vitola: Churchill
Size: 7 by 50
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 45 Minutes

Pre-light

The We The People Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper has all sorts of colors going on. Ranging from medium tan to dark brown, this is by far not the prettiest leaf I have ever seen. The wrapper is marked with color variations, dark water-spots, a couple large veins, and some scattered bumps. From the foot to about an inch down, the cigar is extremely soft. The rest of the cigar is evenly filled and gives just slightly as I softly pinch it between my fingers.

The wrapper carries an aroma of hay, a generic woodiness, and a natural tobacco sweetness. The foot of the cigar shows off a much fuller aroma of chocolate, barnyard, earth, and a faint pepper. A shallow cut through the triple cup opens up a decent draw with just a hair more resistance than preferred. Notes of rich cedar and potpourri come across on the dry draw.

First Third

We The People Maduro opens with mild to medium profile of earth, coffee, a faint pepper, and a black cherry sweetness. The smoke production is just awesome as the cigar rests and from each small draw. At the one inch mark, the texture of the smoke becomes creamy in the mouth and the flavors pick up to a solid medium. The flavors are now darker with the earth and coffee gaining ground. The burn is edgy leaving behind a white ash that is flaky in appearance.

Middle Third

The smoke is extremely creamy in the mouth and I am loving it. The black cherry sweetness is right in-line with the darker flavors of earth and coffee and the flavors are coming across balanced on the palate. On the finish, woodsy notes push through along with a lingering pepper. Most of the burn is even with a small area is refusing to cooperate.

Final Third

The earlier creaminess has departed, while the flavors still remain in the medium range. A toasted quality has joined in, alongside the earth and coffee as the black cherry moves back in the profile. A touch-up was finally required in the last two inches of the cigar.

Wrap-up

Going into the We The People Maduro, I had no expectations as I have never smoked a cigar from Marcus Daniel. That may be the best way to approach a cigar. I am pleased to report that the cigar did not disappoint. While it did not live up to the full-bodied smoke that it is marketed as, the medium flavors and creaminess made this an excellent cigar for early in the day. The black cherry sweetness grabbed my attention and, even in the Churchill vitola,  I never became bored with the cigar. I believe the profile would pair up well with a cup of coffee to kick off your day. Based on my experience with this cigar, I look forward to trying the other offerings from Marcus Daniel, Inc. down the road.

The post Marcus Daniel, Inc. – We The People Maduro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Being a big fan of motorcycles myself, I really dig the packaging/branding by Total Flame Cigars. The Dark Line is available in five sizes with vitola names continuing the motorcycle theme: 8 Ball (4 by 52 Preferidos), Bobber (5 by 60 Super Robusto), Old School (6 by 52 Torpedo), World Trip (6 ½ by 56), and Custom (7 by 47 Churchill).  This is what Total Flame Cigars’ website has to say on this vitola:

The Custom vitola, the thinnest and graceful cigar from collection Total Flame, undoubtedly is an embodiment of motorcycles Custom. Which was born to be enjoyed in a circle of friends on long pleasant evenings. The cigar is both simple in its form and complex in its taste, with bright dynamics and earnest evolution.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Total Flame Cigars
Price: $8.50
Vitola: Custom (Churchill)
Size: 7 by 47
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Havano Clara
Binder: Dominican Cubano
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Brazilian, and Peruvian
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 25 Minutes
Drink: Water

Pre-light

As I remove the cellophane from this Ecuadorian Havano Clara wrapped cigar notes of barnyard and sweet hay greet me. There is also this unique smell that reminds me of Play-Do. The foot of the cigar gives off a thick, rich cedar and some cinnamon.

The wrapper is toothy and a couple of medium to large veins run down the leaf. This Dark Line Custom is packed evenly and firmly through its entire seven inches. The wrapper color is golden tan in color. Upon clipping the cap, I find a beautiful cold draw where the rich cedar pops.

First Third

The flavor profile of the Total Flame Cigars Dark Line begins with deep, chewy flavors of cedar, earth, coffee, and pepper. The coffee rests on the palate for a considerable amount of time between each draw. The easy draw is delivering a mouthful of smoke. The retrohale is absolutely amazing. While the pepper pops a bit more in the sinuses than it does in the mouth, it remains balanced with the other flavors. I am already feeling a small amount of nicotine, which is probably a result of retrohaling the smoke so often. A very dark, firm  ash is forming as the cigar burns evenly with its eyeliner burn.

Middle Third

The name Dark Line was a bit odd as I examined the wrapper color, but now that I am well into the cigar I am beginning to see the name much more fitting. The flavors are deep, the strength is full, and I am enjoying this Churchill cigar. All of the flavors are shifting up. The pepper is much more sharp but still not overwhelming. Some sweetness has joined the mix and a nutty, almond-like flavor has arrived.

Final Third

The coffee and earth are now at the forefront of the profile and the pepper is full in flavor. A chocolate flavor is now noticeable on the finish of the smoke, which compliments the coffee notes nicely. The woodsy notes have shifted from the cedar early on to more of a piney flavor. Each ash has help past an inch and the burn-line remains right on at the close of the Dark Line Custom.

Wrap-up

Total Flame Cigars is 2 for 2. I have enjoyed both lines I have smoked from the company. The FTW may suit my palate a bit more than the Dark Line but that doesn’t mean this stick did not deliver in all the areas. Like the FTW, the performance was spot on with an easy draw that produced a copious amount of smoke and a firm ash left behind by an even burn. Absolutely no babysitting this bad boy. All I had to do was sit back and enjoy. The flavors were deep and, well, dark. The earth , coffee, and pepper gained footing as the smoke progressed pushing the cedar to the background of the profile. The middle and final third kept me intrigued with the sweetness that arrived and evolved into a chocolate finish. If you enjoy deep flavors and a good amount of spice, Total Flame has a cigar for you.

The post Total Flame Cigars – Dark Line Custom appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Regardless of that, I spent some time working from home this week and took advantage of the great weather to sit outside and scribble down a review for your reading pleasure. Today’s cigar is going to be the Quorum Classic in the Churchill Vitola. The Quorum’s are made by none other than JC Newman and there are a few varieties in the same namespace, this one is simply known as the “Classic”

Now the Quorum Classic is budget friendly bundle cigar that is also handmade. It’s marketed towards people seeking handmade quality and a very affordable price point, and they don’t disappoint on that with Churchill sized sticks selling for less than $1.50 each! Most of the construction of this cigar is from Nicaraguan leaves with only the wrapper coming from Ecuador.

Now there are always a lot of negative thoughts that come to mind with many of the bundle cigars out there. I came into these with an open mind and actually did no research on them before I lit up my first few (more on that later). So let’s jump right in, the weather is awesome and I’m ready to spark this baby up!

Cigar: Quorum Classic
Drink: Victoria Teas and Coffees Snickerdoodle Coffee
Vitola: Churchill (7 x 48)
Wrapper: Sun Grown Ecuadoria
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: ~$1.50 each
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The Quorum has a very rough exterior with some medium sized veins running through it, also has a bit of toothiness
• The double cap has a clean finish to it
• The foot appears to be fairly well packed
• From cap to foot the whole cigar has a nice little squish to it
• Cut was pretty easy but I’m left with a pretty tight draw even after 2 cuts, hopefully that clears up
• The draw never really opened up but it wasn’t overly snug either

Burn:
• Toasting was pretty easy and even, got the foot glowing nicely with no effort
• Right off the bat though I’m getting a wavy burn, hoping that will correct itself
• Although it has stayed wavy through the first half it has been somewhat under control and has not required any touch ups at all
• Burned down right to the end with no touch ups needed at all, pretty impressive for a stick at this price point
• It never did get quite razor sharp or pretty but that didn’t bother me as long as I didn’t need to touch it up

Smoke & Ash:
• Due to the tight draw it’s requiring a little extra effort to get some smoke out and it’s still not that full
• Ash so far is keeping clean, getting a tad flaky but nothing too worrying
• It still doesn’t look too sturdy to me so I tapped it off just before an inch
• The colors of the ash are mostly light grey with some dark grey accents
• Resting smoke is almost non-existent here, very light
• All of the ashes ended up being about the same, slight short of an inch and looking kind of weak but still clean

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper is giving off a definite barnyard type of aroma
• From the foot I’m picking up more barnyard aromas, a bunch of cedar and just small touches of spice
• Pre-light draw gives more cedar and barnyard flavors
• Initial flavors are mostly of dry wood and some subtle spices so far
• An inch in and the flavors are mostly unchanged
• Getting some nutty flavors in the mix now, adding a nice new dimension
• Not too eventful until I passed the midway mark and now I’m getting some light coffee notes
• So far the whole cigar has been pretty mild with almost no bite on the retrohale and a bit of a dry finish
• The coffee ramped up a bit into the last third adding a nice layer to the flavors

Final Thoughts:
Coming into a cigar and knowing it’s price does create some expectations. If it’s expensive, you expect a lot, if it’s cheap, you’re a little more forgiving. When I lit up my first Quorum Classic I didn’t look into what the price was, I knew it was budget friendly but I didn’t know they were below $1.50! Needless to say, my notes from my first few sticks were about the same on flavors but I was a little harsh on overall satisfaction. Reason being is that the cigar didn’t change up a whole lot. The flavors were enjoyable and other than a little bit of dryness there was nothing off-putting here either. Maybe it’s just the vitola is too long for the flavor profile for me? But on the otherhand, this would make a perfect cigar to take into the yard when you’re cutting the grass or something. So all-in-all I was pretty happy with these cigars but I may opt for a Toro or Robusto size if I got to purchase some more, you definitely can’t go wrong for the price point though!

Pairings:
My wife and I found Victoria Teas and Coffees a long time ago during one of our trips down to Niagara-on-the-lake, a cute little town surrounded by wineries not far from the tourist trap of Niagara Falls. They have an incredible selection of Loose Leaf and Bagged Teas and whole variety of coffees ranging in country, strength, type and then of course the flavored stuff (Here’s the website link, they do ship if you wanted to try some of their stuff). Their flavored coffees are amazing and there’s always a new one around for the season. The Snickerdoodle flavor is a staple and next to Cinnamon Bun is probably my favorite. In case you don’t know what Snickerdoodle is, it’s a common cookie recipe and very tasty(It’s NOT a type of dog! ). This coffee was a great pairing since it added some cinnamon and baking type spices to the mix and complimented the cigar flavors quite well.

The post Quorum Classic appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: Black Market as one of the few releases Alan Rubin over at Alec Bradley kicked out last year. The Black market is composed of a Nicaraguan Wrapper, a Sumatran binder and Panamanian & Honduran fillers. This cigar was actually manufactured by Nestor Plasencia at the Tabacos de Oriente factory in Honduras. The black market comes in 5 sizes (The Gordo 6×60, The Churchill 7×50, the Robusto 5 1/4×52, the Toro 6×60 and the Torpedo 6 1/8 x 54) and are contained in these crazy “Black Market” looking, weapon boxes that hold 22 cigars each and run between $6.75 and $8.00. You can find these in stock over at GothamCigars.com.

Size: 5 1/4 x 52  –  Wrapper: Nicaraguan  –  Binder: Sumatran  –  Filler: Panamanian/Honduran  Body: Medium/Full

Prelight: First things first, let’s take this ginormous band off this Alec Bradley Black Market. Before I do, let me just take a minute to tell you how awesome I think this band is. I love it when companies do things a bit different. I know, this isn’t the first time that I have seen a ¾ length foot band, but I like it. It’s got this neat, recycled paper texture with black stencil ink with the Alec Bradley Name, the “AB” crest, along with the words “Black Market”. This definitely resembles the kind of artwork one would see at a Black Market. Anyways, not that the band is gone I am exposed to a nice added touch with a smaller band with an identically designed appearance. Under that is this just awesome looking, mean, meaty, toothy, webby wrapper. The wrapper itself is a very dark brown with patches of lighter brown along with a few oranges mixed in. There really isn’t any larger veins at all, only a ton of smaller ones making the cigar look as if it is wrapped in spider web. The wrapper feels really tough and durable, while the body of the cigar contains no soft spots all the way up to it’s round double cap.

The wrapper of this Black Market pumps out a very welcoming cedar, leather, and spice aroma while the foot is all spice and tobacco. The cap gave me a little trouble clipping using my double bladed Palio cutter, but once I pressed hard enough it came right off. The cold draw produces a really deep, dark chocolate, spice, and almost curry flavor each time I take a puff. It feels a bit tight, but I am hoping it opens up a bit once I actually fire the cigar up.

First Smoke: Alec Bradley’s Black Market starts out with some rich cedar, chocolate, leather, nutmeg, and just enough pepper to tease my tongue. The draw isn’t nearly as tight as it was before I lit it up, producing nice clouds of brown smoke with each puff. It does take a few to get to the desired limit, but it’s not plugged by any means. The burnline is pretty thick, but dead even. The ash left behind is very compacted (even with the winds I’m experiencing right now), and a bright white with lighter grey spots. The ash actually held on for well over an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: The pepper is now completely gone in this Black Market and in fact, most of the flavors seemed to have taken a nose dive. I am now left with a smooth chocolate, slight cedar, and a lot of just natural, earthy tobacco. The retrohale is still really potent though, priming with a very deep cedar. I am not feeling any nicotine and all at this point, in fact the only thing I am feeling is a little bit of dry mouth from the cigar. Luckily I have some juice to moisten that up.

Finish: Into the final third of this Alec Bradley Black Market and not much has changed. It’s still an all around smooth cigar, but the dampening of the flavors has really started to rain on this parade. The flavors have remained a slight cedar, slight spice, with lots of strong, natural tobacco flavors. There isn’t much body in this cigar either as even after an hour, which is how long it took me to take this cigar down to the nub, there isn’t any sign of a nicotine kick. The burn however, stayed dead even the entire time without any touch ups or relights. There was no harshness built up what so ever.

Overview: The Alec Bradley Black Market starts out with a ton of potential. Lots of upfront flavor, great construction and appearance, and a perfect burn. It was later in the experience that I realized just how one dimensional this cigar is. Nothing really changed from the start of the smoke through the end, except the smoothing out of the flavors. I would say this is a solid stick, but if you are looking for something that has more depth, this isn’t the cigar for you. There is nothing really wrong with this cigar, but at the same time nothing really stands out either. For the price the Black Market is perfect for the novice cigar smoker for the novice looking for a straight forward, enjoyable experience however, if you are looking for a cigar with some good switchups, and a lot of character, this isn’t for you.

Pairing: Well, as I stated last review I haven’t been feeling well. I have a kidney infection which I think, has pretty much passed at this point. I am still on meds so no alcohol until next weekend, so I paired with the next best thing. Some 100% Cranberry juice. I mention in my reviews a lot that I would pair certain cigars with juice, tea, or coffee outside of the normal libations but I think this is the first time I have actually done it in a posted review. The Cranberry juice added some nice fruity depth to the Black market while pairing in perfectly with some nice tart flavors. If you haven’t paired a cigar with apple, or cranberry juice then I highly suggest you do so.

The post Alec Bradley Black Market Robusto appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Le Hoyo part of this cigars name is actually a series created by Hoyo de Monterray which also includes the Le Hoyo Du Roi, Du Depute, Du Gourmet, Du Maire and Du Prince. Each name also represents a slightly different vitola but something unique to this series is that no cigar is larger than a 42 ring gauge which is fairly odd to see in todays cigar world where everyone seems to be making a 6×60 or something similar. In fact, the whole Hoyo de Monterray line up does not even pass the 50 ring gauge mark.

The Le Hoyo des Dieux is actually one of the larger vitolas measuing 5.5 inches and a 42 ring gauge. Only the Du Gourmet is comparable at 6.8×33. I picked this box as my purchase for 2 reasons. Firstly, it came with great recomendations from a few BOTL’s and my secondly, my research showed it was claimed as the best option from the Le Hoyo series.

I won’t get into too many details of the brand history but it is an interesting read, as is most Cuban brands. Basically, a Spanish immigrant to Cuba started his career working the fields and eventually began his own cigar line which gained a loyal following. We’ve also touched upon a few other Hoyo De Monterray reviews including the Regalos Edicion Limitada 2007 and the Epicure Especial. Be sure to check out those 2 reviews for more info on the brand.

We’ve had some pretty crazy weather up here, going from somewhat warm to incredibly cold. In fact, we already hit -13F just this week… that was a bitterly cold day! But between the bad days there’s been some good smoking days I’ve been taking advantage of. So let’s see how the Hoyo de Monterray Le Hoyo des Dieux stands up in todays review!

Cigar: Hoyo de Monterray Le Hoyo des Dieux
Drink: Quinta Da Romaneira 2004 Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port
Vitola: Grand Corona (5.5 x 42)
Wrapper: Cuban
Binder: Cuban
Filler: Cuban
Price: About $7.00
Burn Time: Just over an hour

Construction:
• The Hoyo de Monterray is a surprisingly consistent looking cigar, all the sticks in the box I purchased were remarkably similar. I point this out because I find some Cuban cigar boxes to have a wide variety of oddly constructed cigars sometimes
• The wrapper on this cigar screams cedar just by looking at it, it has a light brown almost woodsy looking appearance to it
• The are some medium sized veins here and there but for the most part these cigars are smooth and well constructed
• Each cigar had a nice firmness to them with just a little bit of give when squeezed
• The triple cap atop each of the Le Hoyo des Dieux is finished cleanly and appears very well applied
• Filler in the foot looks very bountiful as well, cleanly cut and evenly colored
• The draw on the Des Dieux is just about perfect, getting a nice stream of smoke from it with little effort

Burn:
• Toasting was very even and easy, the whole foot was glowing with very little effort
• The draw is going nice and sharp with only a slight wave to it
• Some times it seems as though the cigar has gone out but two quick draws seems to bring it back to life easily
• The wave got a little out of control and needed a small correction, after ashing it looks like the cause was a small hole in the filler. Not a big tunnel or anything but a big of a gap between the leaves
• The next ash revealed another small hole that was affecting the burn, this one looks more like a tunnel so I’m hoping it doesn’t extend too far…

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw is bring a perfect mouthful of smoke with very little effort
• The resting smoke it fairly heavy right after a draw but quickly dies down to a very light line of smoke that gives off a sweet cedar aroma
• The ash is starting off with a nice light grey color to it and is looking clean and strong
• I was surprised to see the ash on this thinner cigar easily pass 1 inch and made it to about 1.5 inches before I tapped it off, very clean, strong and even
• I find myself taking a few extra draws as I get to the halfway mark to get more smoke and the resting smoke has died down too

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on the Hoyo de Monterray Le Hoyo des Dieux gives off a nice cedar aroma with a small spice kick
• The foot also gives off a nice sweet cedary spice aroma with a sort of creamy touch
• Pre-light draw brings lots of cedary and woodsy goodness with a light spice undertone to it
• Initial few draws bring more of that cedary smoothness and an undertone of light gingerbread spices, very nice start
• The body right from the start is undeniably mild but very flavorful
• The retrohale on the other hand has no bite and only a faint cedar finish, but at least it’s smooth
• There is quite a bit of earthiness sneaking into the flavor profile within the first inch or so
• The body of the cigar seems to have picked up somewhat at only 2 inches, it easily jumped into a more medium range and the flavors are a lot more intense and enjoyable
• The gingerbread-type of spices are creating a neat little kick on the retrohale and the creamy cedar finish has stepped up a notch too, very nice
• Cedar, spice and earthiness still dominate the flavor profile but it’s picked up a bit in intensity
• I’m also picking up a slightly bready type of flavor which is going very nicely with the spices
• The cigar continued on with the flavors balancing nicely and taking turns being the prominent one
• There was almost no strength or harsh buildup to the end, it stayed a smooth and flavorful medium right to the nub

Final Thoughts:
Despite a couple draw and burn issues, I actually enjoyed this cigar quite a bit. The flavors were spot-on and not diverse, they kept my interest the whole way through. I think the vitola was a perfect fit since I may have gotten a bit bored if this were a larger torpedo or churchill. At a price that isn’t too scary these are also fairly high on the cost-to-flavor ratio. The finish on this cigar was also very flavorful and it burned right to the end with no negative side effects at all. I’m curious to see what some aging will do to this cigar but they are already very tasty as is. I will definitely be looking to keep some of these in my humidor. Not only were they tasty but I actually liked this vitola a lot too!

Pairings:
Today’s Port pairing comes from a random grab at the local store. I’ve never really seen this bottle before and I like to try new ones so I grabbed it. The winery is called Quinta da Romaneira and this is their 2004 Unfilitered Late Bottle Vintage Porto. Now I should note that I’m not exactly sure where the “unfiltered” part comes in here, the Port is surprisingly clear and clean with almost no sediment from the glasses I’ve had so far. This particular port fell short of my expectations, it almost tasted watered down. Closer to a glass of light red wine than a finely fermented port, and especially not one worthy of a 7-year aged sticker on the bottle. There are some nice light fruity notes and a decent merlot after-taste but it’s not my type of port. If you’re just venturing into port I’d say it’s a good starter bottle as it might bridge the gap between a light wine and a strong port. It’s not all bad though because it actually paired well with the flavors of the Le Hoyo des Dieux since they weren’t overpowering or super spicy. They both complimented each other quite well. I think this Hoyo De Monterray cigar would pair very nicely with a hot cup of coffee or possibly an oak aged beer to pair with the cedar flavors.

The post Hoyo de Monterray Le Hoyo des Dieux (Cuban) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Now onto the cigar… If you attended IPCPR back in 2010 or read articles about the event, you probably heard about the new blend from El Primer Mundo, called the Liga Miami. I recently stumbled across a few of these sticks at the bottom of my humidor and realized they’ve been sitting there since sometime last year (oops?). With the upcoming IPCPR 2011 in July, I figured it would be a good cigar to pick up and review.

The Liga Miami blend from Sean Williams(Twitter: @PrimerMundo) made some waves at IPCPR 2010, especially in the blogosphere where a lot of reviewers were impressed by the unique array of flavors this cigar offered. The El Primer Mundo website is currently under construction, but before it went down you could also read up on their previous blends, the Connecticut Shade and Habano Criollo Maduro. The Liga Miami has the same company band on it but also adds an additional goldish-brown and silver band with the words Liga Miami on it.

The cigar itself is produced in Miami at the El Titan de Bronze factory. Willy Herrera of El Titan de Bronze also has a hand in making them This is a big change from the other two blends which are made in Esteli Nicaragua. You’ll also nice there is no box press on this cigar like the other offerings from El Primer Mundo.

Along with today’s Robusto vitola, you can also find the Liga Miami in a Toro and Churchill size. The cigar has an interesting mix of tobacco including a double binder and some ligero used in the filler. So without any more babbling from me, let’s see how this cigar stacks up!

Cigar: El Primer Mundo Liga Miami
Drink: Waterloo Brewery Radlermass Lemonade Lager
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sungrown
Binder: Double binded Nigaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican Republic (some Ligero)
Price: about $9
Burn Time: About 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The Liga Miami has a very nice reddish colored wrapper surrounding it
• Slightly oily and rough, the wrapper has some medium sized veins running along it
• There was a nice spring to the cigar when squeezed, not enough to seem under-filled though
• The head of the cigar is finished with a very clean triple cap, definitely some attention to detail there
• The bands themselves take up quite a bit of real estate on this cigar, at least a good 1/3rd
• The foot looks the be moderately packed
• The cut was fairly easy and left a clean opening but made a bit of a mess in the ashtray

Burn:
• Toasting didn’t go so well, had some unevenness to it and I just couldn’t get it all lit properly without some assistance from a couple draws
• Despite the my failed toasting, the burn started off surprisingly well through the first inch
• Burn was razor sharp through the first half
• The cigar has burned nice and slowly the whole way through and allowed me to enjoy it slowly without ever feeling like it was going out

Smoke & Ash:
• Tons of smoke coming from the cigar straight from the start
• The ash has a very nice white color to it
• Despite the nice color, the ash is getting a little flaky very fast
• The resting smoke on this Liga Miami is consistent and has a very unique aroma, you get a bit of sweetness on the nose. Very pleasant.
• Ash managed to hang tight for close to two inches

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on the Liga Miami has a nice sweetness to it, along with a bit of cedar
• The foot definitely brings more sweetness and a tasty mild spice, almost like Cinnamon Sugar
• The pre-light draw brought with it a heavy helping of woodsiness and a bit of earthiness
• The initial draws offered up more of he woodsy flavors with a subtle note of sweetness in there, still along the same lines of cinnamon sugar
• The sweetness is definitely building up in this cigar, almost adding a syrupy flavor to the mix
• Body has been mostly mild to start and the retrohale has the tiniest bite with a smooth and creamy finish
• Adding to the syrupy/cinnamon sweetness, the cigar has a very pleasant creamy finish
• The woodsiness is still hanging around, is that burning caramelized wood could smell like? lol
• Body built up to a nice medium around the half-way mark
• The sweetness has tapered off a bit now, it’s still there and I’m getting some nice nutty almond flavors
• Definitely seems like the ligero was saved for the last half of the cigar, I’m getting some leathery flavors in the mix now and a touch of spice
• With about 1.5inches left, the sweetness has mostly left the mix but the remaining flavors are balancing well and the body is still a comfortable medium
• The creamy finish has remained consistent, I think this can probably be attributed to the double binder along with a smooth wrapper
• The creamy finish and leather/woodsy flavors continued to the nub with no bitterness, this was a finger burning cigar!

Final Thoughts:
Now this was a surprisingly unique and enjoyable cigar. When I hear ligero I usually brace myself for a powerful cigar with a straightforward flavor profile. This was definitely not the case with the El Primer Mundo Liga Miami. The first half of the cigar was totally unexpected. Sweet, smooth, creamy notes with a superb burn. Very uncharacteristic of a ligero filled cigar and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The last half came closer to what I expected from this cigar but it still had a smooth and balanced creaminess I don’t usually find in ligero cigars. I’m curious if the extra age in the humi made a difference since I didn’t smoke one when I first got them. It’s easy to see there was a lot of care and planning that went into this cigar and the final result speaks for itself. These are something everyone should try and can go well as a mid-day or evening cigar.

Pairings:
Today’s pairing was from Waterloo Brewery, just a short 1 hour drive from my house. It is part of the Seasonal Collection and is called the Radlermess. It is a Lemonade Lager and has an interesting story behind it. The term Radlermess comes from Germany and was coined by a Innkeeper not far from Munich. The story says that he was overloaded with cyclists one day and was running low on beer so he took a risk and mixed his remaining beer with some lemon soda. It was a big hit! In German, Radler means cyclist and Mass means a liter of beer.
I took a bit of a risk with this pairing but based on the past few Liga Miami’s I’ve smoked I figured the sweetness from a lemonade beer would go nicely. I was worried the beer may have been too sweet but they did a good job balancing the lemonade and beer together. It actually worked out very well! The sweetness of the beer complimented the sweetness of the cigar at the start. As the cigar turned a little more into the woodsy/nutty/leathery flavors, the beer counteracted them, leaving a nice sweet aftertaste between draws. I think this beer would also go excellently with some connecticut wrappers. As for the cigar, an Amber lager would have gone well here too, as would my favorite tawny port. Maybe even a nice coffee with a bit of sugar to add some sweetness.

The post El Primer Mundo – Liga Miami appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The first thing that struck me about this cigar was it’s odd name. After reading some marketing material you can discover that the name is inspired by a diamond found by the companies president, David Rafaeli, which contained a unique symbol. In the middle of the diamond you can see a replica of the cross logo used by the Templar Knights during the First Crusade in 1099. A pretty interesting story for the name of this company.

The cigars themselves are aimed to be value priced but quality smokes. At this time only 3 vitolas are offered, a Robusto, Toro and Churchill ranging in price from $1.90 to $2.30 MSRP. These are pretty aggressive prices for cigars in this struggling economy. If they hold up as good smokes the price could definitely attract customers. They are available in boxes of 50 and wrapped in either Indonesian Sumatra Natural or Broadleaf Maduro. Today’s review will focus on the Churchill sized Broadleaf Maduro cigar.

At the time of writing this it seems the cigars are currently only available from 2 indirect sources, the Four Season’s hotel and Palm’s Casino in Las Vegas. They have a website available reserved but so far it only has some contact information, it is located at here. The weather here has warmed up again and I’m hovering at a balmy 32F tonight so I get to enjoy my cigar without even needing a pair of gloves! Let’s see how this stick stacks up!

Cigar: Miraculous Templar Cigars Maduro
Drink: Quinta Do Todo Fine Tawny Port
Vitola: Churchill (6.75 x 50)
Wrapper: Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Dominican?
Filler: Domican Cuban-seed long filler
Price: MSRP $2.30 ($115 for a box of $50)
Burn Time: Just short of 2 hours

Construction:
• A rough and uneven wrapper surrounds this cigar with spots of brown and some darker chocolate colors
• There are quite a few medium sized veins to be seen, I’m hoping none cause burn issues
• The not so evenly finished double cap tops off the cigar
• I’m not sure if this was just in our samples or all the cigars, but the cap comes with a punch cut already made, I found this rather odd??
• There is a soft springiness throughout the cigar with some lumpy hard spots here and there
• The filler at the foot extends slightly passed the wrapper and looks to be fairly loosely packed
• The draw started out just perfect but as I hit the 1/3rd mark it tightened up quite a bit
• The cigar began to tar up quite a bit at this point as it often does to me with punch cuts, I went ahead and used my double bladed guillotine to make a straight cut
• The draw improved now and I’m back on track
• The band slid off fairly easily but it’s very apparent that the printing is blurry and undefined

Burn:
• Toasting was very quick but evenly glowed without effort
• The first bit of burnline was fairly wavy but it didn’t stray too far off course and kept burning along well
• Coming up to the halfway mark the burn is still wavy but stays on course fairly well, no touch-ups needed thus far
• Still no burn issues as I pass through the last third, quite impressive for a budget cigar
• No issues right to the end, well done!

Smoke & Ash:
• Right from the start the pre-cut punch gave me a big mouthful of smoke
• The ash has a consistent light grey color, it has quite a few holes in it but is holding strong
• The strong ash held on for about 1.5 inches before gently falling into the ashtray
• The second ash fell off at about one inch as I re-cut the cap of the cigar
• There’s only a bit of resting smoke after taking a draw but then it’s almost non existent, mostly woodsy aromas here

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a sort of musty barnyard and tobacco aroma
• The foot brings more of the barnyard aroma and some earthy notes, a tiny bit of tartness is there too
• The pre-light draw brings almost no flavors at all on this pre-cut cigar
• Initial draws were fairly earthy but the barnyard flavor has thankfully disappeared
• There is a slight tingling on the back of my throat from each draw, not a dryness but a sort of spicy tingle
• Body is starting in the lower medium range with a decent bite on the retrohale and a woodsy finish
• As I get past the first third I’m picking up some light coffee and woodsy notes but it’s still mostly earthy and tobacco flavored
• Near the halfway mark I’m beginning to pick up some slight pepper spice, the coffee and woodsy notes haven’t developed much as of yet
• The bite and woodsy finish on the retrohale remains about the same at this point
• Body ramped up a bit as I got into the last 1.5inches to the low end of full
• The coffee and woodsy notes kept making minor appearances but the peppery spice really developed into the last bit of the cigar
• Cigar got a tad bitter with about an inch left so I put it down, but the flavors in the last bit were definitely more interesting then the rest of the cigar

Final Thoughts:
Before lighting this cigar up, I had quite a few doubts. It’s rough construction, oddly pre-cut cap (and a punch cut to boot!) and some dis-interesting aromas. I was happy to see that this cigar burned exceptionally well and produced thick clouds of smoke. I would definitely advise cutting these more though as the punch got really tarred up and tightened the draw. Although the flavors were nothing spectacular they were fairly decent when you bring the incredibly low price into account and produced a comfortable medium body. A shorter vitola may be the sweet spot here to avoid getting bored of the flavors which are mostly one dimensional but never off putting. These are worth trying, especially if you are on a budget or want some inexpensive everyday smokes that don’t require constant relights or produce other issues. I can see these being a smart purchase if I was at the Casino or hotel and wanted a quick cigar that doesn’t break the bank. (Gotta save the money for the Craps table afterall!!)

Pairings:
I recently paired this Port with my last review of the Monte Pascoal Corona, check out that review to see my full thoughts on this tawny port. Since this cigar was more in the medium range I found that the fruity notes of the port complimented the cigar well. It brought some more flavors to the straightforward profile of the cigar and made the whole experience much more enjoyable. I think a good pairing will be an exception key to whether you enjoy this cigar or not. Other good pairings for this cigar would include a strong coffee, scotch, or a dark stout/porter.

The post Miraculous Templar Cigars Maduro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

These were sent to us courtesy of our Friends over at Gran Habano. Kicking off as one of this year’s first new releases, Gran Habano is leading the way with one interesting looking, elegant stick. The following is the press release which pretty much sums up the cigar.

Miami, Fl., October 18, 2010 – Time has finally come for the limited production Gran Reserva #3 cigar by Gran Habano to be released into the public. Medium to full bodied in strength the Gran Reserva #3 was blended by George A. Rico using aged Nicaraguan and Columbian tobaccos from the Gran Habano farms.

Composition of the Gran Reserva #3 consists of an 8 year old wrapper and a 7 year old binder from our Nicaraguan farm “La Santa Cruz”. The filler is a mixture of 7 year old Nicaraguan from “La Santa Cruz” and 8 year old Columbian from our “La Joya del Valle” farm. The cigars were rolled in early 2008 and have been aging for the previous two years making the overall components about a decade old.

George A. Rico explains that “Being able to age the leaf and rolled cigars for such a long period of time has created a very rich, smooth, yet complex smoke.”

Gran Habano will release the new Gran Reserva #3 with a Churchill(7×50), Pyramid (6 1/8×52) and a Gran Robusto (6×54). Due to the long aging process and special tobaccos used only 1,200 boxes of each size will be released across the country. New packaging will also accompany the Gran Reserva #3 to help distinguish it from our original #3 release.

Pricing will remain affordable at $6.80 (Churchill), $6.90 (Gran Robusto), and $7.10 (Pyramid) – not including local taxes. Shipments are scheduled to reach retailers during the first week in November.

It’s been a while since I reviewed a “Pyramid” or belicoso stick, so that’s the size I chose for this one.

Prelight: Gran  Habano did an excellent job making this cigar look extremely elegant without being too over-the-top. The band is an off yellow with a nice diamond texture accompanied by gold and brass metallic accents and the Title “Gran Reserva #3 – Gran Habano – 2008” on the front as well as a much smaller stamp “by George A. Rico” on the back. The band leads into a full body cedar encasing with the black “Gran Reserva” print on it, polished off with a very small gold fabric foot band. After you take the cedar off the cigar you are presented with a very beautiful looking, oily as hell wrapper. The wrapper is absolutely gorgeous. It’s a very milky, lighter brown with a few darker spots closer to the foot. This is one oily cigar. The oils actually come off on the tips of your fingers as you handle the cigar. The cigar is very well constructed and consistant leading up to the tapered belicoso style cap. There are only very few, almost flat veins throughout the body of the cigar. The cigar is a bit soft to the touch, but carries no flaws or soft spots that I could find.

The wrapper lets loose a very potent cedar aroma with a natural tobacco scent barely shining through. The foot gives off much less cedar but more of a pungent tobacco and leather aroma. The Gran Reserva #3 clipped clean using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw puts out this massively musky/fruity taste with bits of pepper on the aftertaste. Tons of flavor that one can only hope will transpire into the actual experience.

First Smoke: The first few puffs give way to just a crazy amount of earthy flavors. The backing flavors are that of fruit, like a plum or something, and a dash of cedar with a very slight pepper on the after taste. The draw is easy, plentiful, and kicks out a ton of thick smoke. The stationary smoke is pretty much non-existant which surprises me as usually the more oils the cigar has the more stationary smoke I get. Not true in the case of the Gran Reserva #3. The burnline is solid, and dead even leaving behind a near perfect, light grey, thick and well compacted ash. The ash held tight for almost 2 inches before falling.

Halfway There: The retrohale on the Reserva #3 is ridiculous. I don’t find myself retrohaling a cigar very often, but the fruity cedar that coats my nasal passage on the retrohale keeps me doing it over and over. The second third introduced me to just a plethora of flavors. Everything from a very strong and smooth cedar, light cocoa, leather, earth tones, fruit, and even a bit of clove and ginger. I know, that may be really reaching, but there are a ton of flavors in this stick that really keeps the smoker on their toes. I’m not feeling any nicotine at all at this point. So far this has been reather smooth and enjoyable experience all the way around.

Finish: After a flavor bomb of a second third, the final third gave way to a much milder, smoother experience. The main flavor is now just tons, and tons of sweet cedar backed by hints of fruit, and hints of clove. Very smooth, with no harshness built up at all. I smoked this guy all the way down to the nub without feeling even the slightest bit of nicotine. Surprising for a cigar of it’s size. The cigar burned rather slow, coming in at about an hour and fourty five minutes smoke time.  No touch-ups, no relight. The burnline and ash were perfect all the way through.

Overview: The first time I smoked this cigar I remember being disimpressed by the first half, then totally wowed by the third. This time, I see the first part of the experience as more of a smooth introduction to the powerful, and complex flavors of the second half before finishing off crisp and smooth. Robert from Gran Habano was in town not too long ago and I had a chance to enjoy a cigar with him. We didn’t talk shop a whole lot, but one thing he did mention was that this year the Ricos would by pushing out new, more daring, unsafe blends. Sometimes it takes risks to earn rewards and if the Gran Reserva #3 has anything to say about this next year and the new Gran Habano, they are in for great year. This is definitely a luxury cigar at less than a luxury price, and I can totally see this being in my regular rotation. Very box worthy and something you should give a go if you find them sitting on shelves.

Pairing: I paired this Gran Reserva #3 with a long time favorite, Pawvel Kwak. Kwak is a 8.10% Belgium beer brewed at the Brouwerij Bosteels brewery. Kwak is a very spicy, zesty, fruity amber colored beer. The upbeat flavors made a wonderful pairing and even helped pull some of the more complex flavors out of this cigar. This beer isn’t too easy to find, but if you see it be sure to do yourself the favor of picking it up. It pairs perfect with just about any cigar or meal. The cigar would also go great with tea, or sweet apple juice. Something sweet with just a bit of natural fruit.

So now the question is. How many of you readers would actually hunt for a cigar like this? I know Gran Habano isn’t like some other manufacturers that kick out limited releases left and right. Given a stable past, and the recent push to release more risky cigars, would Gran Habano be a manufacturer that you’d keep your eyes on this year?

The post Gran Habano Gran Reserva #3 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

This Ashton ESG was sent over to us by our friends at Cigarsdirect.com. You can find the full listing of their ESG series here, the 22 Year Salute here, and the 20 Year Salute here. Cigars Direct was nice enough to send over both the 22 Year and the 20 Year for review. I smoked through both of them and did the write up on the 22 Year. The main difference between the two is the size. The 22 Year is a box-pressed Torpedo while the 20 Year is a a churchill. Both cigars retails on their site for about $33 -$34 ea. a single.

The Good Stuff: This is taken directly from Ashton’s website (www.ashtoncigar.com):

For twenty years, Ashton has worked tirelessly to produce one of the highest quality, most consistent cigars that are sold anywhere. To celebrate twenty consecutive years of increased sales and overall growth, Robert Levin and Carlos Fuente Jr. have teamed up to create the Ashton Estate Sun Grown, or ESG for short. Such a special occasion called for a very special cigar. The ESG uses a unique Dominican wrapper grown on the Chateau de la Fuente farm in the Dominican Republic. This wrapper has never been used on any other cigar. The blend is the creation of Carlos Fuente Jr. who is a master blender and has created the most sought after cigars in the world. With ESG the bar has been raised once again. 
 
Every year, Ashton will introduce one size of Ashton ESG for the next five years. In its debut year, a 6.75 x 49 size was introduced.  In the second year a 5.25 x 52 has been added along with the continued limited production of the first year. And so it will continue for three more years until 2010. From then on, all five sizes will be produced annually and made available to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Ashton. The rare tobaccos used in this spectacular cigar dictate that only extremely limited quantities can be produced.

Size: 6 x 52  –  Wrapper: Dominican Republic  –  Binder/Filler: Dominican Republic  –  Body: Medium/Full 
 

Prelight: The Ashton ESG 22 year Salute is a beautifully constructed box-press cigar leading up and tapering off into a perfectly rounded, sharp torpedo head. Much like A. Fuente’s Anejo Shark. The wrapper on the ESG is much lighter than the wrapper used on the Ashton VSG. It is a soft, consistent light brown with only a few darker spots around the foot. The ESG is very tightly packed and barely even gives when compressed between my fingers. I am hoping this doesn’t hinder the draw. There are absolutely no soft spots and only a few smaller veins running the length of the body. The band on the Ashton ESG has to be one of the most intricate, and beautifully designed bands I have ever seen. The front holds a dark blue sphere that is partially covered in cold embossed in by Ashton’s crest along with the “ESG” logo. Surrounded the sphere are pink roses and the words “ESG Estate Sun Grown”. The rest of the band is designed to represent a portrait of the farmland and of the Estate itself. The wrapper gives off a very sharp spice scent accompanied by sweet tobacco. The foot gives off a similar scent except the spice takes a backburner to the strong tobacco notes. The Ashton ESG cut with extreme ease using my Cuban Crafters double bladed cutter. The cold draw was a bit unexpected and produced almost nothing but an extremely earthy, almost bready type flavor.

First Smoke: I was pleasantly surprised with the ESG as I was expecting a very tight, semi-plugged draw but was introduced to the cigar with a massive, effortless draw. The first flavors were very spicy, earthy tobacco with a touch of almond. I know this is stretching it but this cigar tastes a lot like marzipan. The ESG only gives off a slight amount of heavily cedar-scented stationary smoke.The burnline is even for the most part with a few larger waves here and there. Not anything I’m too worried about. The burnline however was very clean leaving behind a very tightly compacted light grey ash. The ash looked extremely heavy and I anticipated it falling off very early into the smoke. So needles to say the Ashton ESG surprised me once again when the ash held steady for about an inch and a half before giving way. The ash that fell was like a log, producing a little “thunk” when hitting the ashtray.

Halfway There: There is no more of the pepper flavors into the second third of the Ashton VSG. The experience now consisted of a much more woodsy dominant flavor backed by a citrus, sweetness, and still a bit of nut. The retrohale is interesting too. It seem retrohaling is the only time I can still pick up the pepper, outside of that the retrohale coats with a very spicy, wood prime. The burnline is still very clean with only one major wave which is just running on its own, not really causing any problems. I can’t feel much nicotine yet, but the beer I paired this cigar with (read the “Pairing” section below) and the fact that I hadn’t eaten lunch is really starting to hit me.

Finish: Very surprisingly the gigantic band on this ESG slid right off. That wasn’t the case on the Churchill I smoked. The churchill’s band took a good chunk of the wrapper along with it, but maybe due to the tapered head the band on this guy slid right off. This cigar finished off relatively smooth with only a bit of harshness into the one inch mark. The profile of the final third was actually quite a bit bland. It felt almost as if the ESG hit you with the good stuff early, then just couldn’t keep up. It finished with nothing more than just a creamy tobacco flavor. Nothing really distinct outside of that. On a plus side, the waves corrected themselves into the final third and there was no need to ever touch up or relight this cigar. Not to mention no real heat was felt off the head off this cigar even into the nub. Also, still no nic-kick.

Overview: The Ashton ESG was a heck of a cigar. Outside of the disappointing marks into the final third this cigar kept my attention and even threw a few surprises my way. The complexity is there, and quality is there, but what about the value? That seems to be the only thing this cigar is really lacking. It’s a pricey stick, and probably a bit far out of my budget to be in my everyday rotation. I’d much rather keep the ESG’s little sister the Ashton VSG, which usually retails about about $10 a stick. The flavor profiles are different, but they are similar enough to be a good substitution.

Pairing: This Ashton ESG 22 Year salute was paired with some of Bosteels Family Brewers Pauwel Kwak and I can honestly say I couldn’t think of a better beer pairing for this cigar. Pawel Kwak is a full bodied Belgium Specialty Ale. Amber in color with a slightly sweet, malt character. I’m not sure what a “specialty” ale is but this resembles a Saison of Farmhouse ale with the spice and sweetness. Paweul Kwak boasts an 8.4% ABV and the citrus spice that transitions into a creamy sweetness paired perfect with the almost identical flavor character in the Ashton ESG.

The post Ashton ESG Estate Sun Grown – 22 Year Salute appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Garo Habano Los Lectores

The Los Lectores comes in 6 sizes:

Robusto “G” (6.25×54), “R” Robusto (4.75×52), “T” Torpedo (6.5×52), Churchill (7.48), DC (7.5×54) and Salomon (7×58)

You can notice that all the sizes are fairly large ring gauges and as mentioned, the one up for review today is the Churchill. I was hoping to end this string of reviews on a high note but unfortunately this cigar was not the shining star of the bunch. I’m lighting this up on a sunny day and hoping to settle in for a long enjoyable smoke…

Garo Habano Los Lectores

Cigar: Garo Habano Los Lectores
Drink: Diet Dr. Pepper
Vitola: Churchill (7×48)
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Ligero Cubano / Seco Piloto
Price: $8.00 from Garo Habano Website
Burn Time: ??? Did not fully burn either sample

Construction:
• Fairly even and round throughout, one sample had a very soft 2 inch spot near the foot
• Light brown colored wrapper
• No major veins
• Small crack in wrapper just above the band, nothing major
• Messy triple cap
• Tightly packed foot but there is one small hole, hope it doesn’t cause any tunneling
• Fairly soft when squeezed throughout
• Draw is a very open
• Draw improved about half-way through

Burn:
• Messy at the start, the wrapper is bubbling just past the burn and is quite wavy
• Needing extra attention to stay lit near the first couple inches
• Lots of canoeing that needed attention
• Cigar went out just past halfway point and needed re-lighting
• After going out twice more and cutting it once I tossed the stick with over 2 inches left
• Also tossed the second sample early due to more burn problems

Garo Habano Los Lectores

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper and foot both have a barnyard/hay aroma
• Pre-light draw left a strong peppery flavor on lips and tongue, with an added hay flavor
• Initial draws offered none of the pepper I was expecting from the pre-light draw, mostly just a simple tobacco flavor and some burning wood taste
• Retrohale is very mild and smooth with a short finish, again just tobacco flavor so far
• The burning wood flavor turned to a woodsy/cedar flavor
• Flavors went very bitter after the re-light, let’s hope they come back
• Flavors came back after about 6 or 7 draws
• More relights and nothing but bitterness, nowhere near enjoyable anymore
• Even before relights the flavors were very bland and boring

Final Thoughts:
This was a disappointing cigar. The other Garo’s may have been one dimensional but they did have decent flavor. This particular cigar suffered from multiple flaws in flavor, burn, draw and construction. I’d be curious to hear if anyone else has tried one of these and if they had the same problems I did. Perhaps a smaller Vitola would do away with some of the problems I experienced?

Pairings:
I can’t suggest a great pairing for this cigar simply because of the problems I encountered. If I had to go by what the website says, the Ligero would likely need a good strong pairing like coffee or scotch to be well balanced.

The post Garo Habano Los Lectores appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Isla Del Sol Churchill

First and foremost, before getting into this review I want to state something. This is a value cigar. And with most value cigars it’s very easy to just bomb them in a review, and give them the worst possible recognition. But, I am not going to base this review on the Isla Del Sol’s comparison to other coffee infused cigars. I will base this review on the value of this cigar, and at about $3.50 a stick for a Churchill, in a B&M store, that value is pretty high.

The Good Stuff: As stated before, The Isla Del Sol is a value line cigar, for the coffee enthused cigar smoker. The Isla Del Sol is a complex mix of Nicaraguan tobaccos wrapped in a beautiful Sumatra leaf. The Isla Del Sol is then, carefully infused with Sumatran Manheling Bean Coffee and shaped to perfection.

Size: 7 x 50  –  Wrapper: Natural Sumatra  –  Origin: Esteli, Nicaragua

Isla Del Sol Churchill

Prelight: First of all, the churchill, by far, is my least favorite shape. I like the thick, toothy cigars. I’m not a real big fan of the long slender ones, but at this price, I couldn’t resist.  The first thing I noticed was the Dual band. I know it’s a waste of paper, but I think it brings a lot of elegance to the cigar itself. The bottom band which I failed to snap a picture of, just very thin, and located just at the foot of the cigar. It contains the words “Sun Blessed” where as the head of the cigar sports a very large, embossed band with a sun, and the Isla Del Sol branding on it. The cigar is VERY soft, and has very large veins. Usually I don’t care much about veins but these may pose a problem in the burn. One wrapper defect, directly in the center of the body there are two large cracks. I hope that they remain the same size, and don’t grow any.  Outside of those I don’t see any other imperfections.

Isla Del Sol Churchill

First Smoke: Wow, this is one sweet cap. I don’t mind that, one bit, but I can already hear people complaining about it. A few puffs in the sweetness mellows out though. The first tastes are that of raw coffee, cocoa, graham cracker and roasted nuts. I am actually pretty impressed by the taste of this cigar. It’s no where near as potent as the Tabak Especial’s, but its pretty close. Most of the flavor that I am pulling from the Isla Del Sol seems to be concentrated in the wrapper. The filler tobacco isn’t that great tasting, but that was expected. The draw is very week, I have to puff it about 3 times to get the draw I want out of it. I think a lot of that has to do with the shape of the cigar though. The burn is pretty even I must say, but the Isla Del Sol burns a lot faster that I expected. I was actually surprised that I got well over and inch and a half of ash off this cigar before it gave out.

Isla Del Sol Churchill

Halfway There: The Isla Del Sol continues to burn incredibly fast. In the picture above you can see the cracking in the wrapper. It actually gave me little problems at all, I burned straight through them. The weakness of the draw is still really getting to me. I am having to puff the hell out of this cigar to get the smoke I am looking for, and I know this will wreak havoc on the nub when I get there. The taste of the Isla Del Sol has leveled off a bit. The cocoa has worn off and is now being replaced with a raw coffee/pie crust. It’s not that bad at all actually. I have had to touch it up only once or twice, even then it probably wasn’t needed. I am just a pain in the butt when it comes to burns.

Finish: The Isla Del Sol took me only a bit over an hour to get down towards the nub. It had to be the quickest burning cigar I have ever had. I wanted to keep going down to the very head of the cigar, but since I was hitting the cigar like a beast to get the draw I wanted, the nub was pretty toasted, bitter, and harsh. I gave up way earlier that I usually do. One a good note, the flavors remained coffee-consistent throughout the length of the cigar.

Isla Del Sol Churchill

Overview: Again, this cigar is a heck of a value. Would I smoke it again? Yes, totally. Would I buy it again? I would if I catch a few at a B&M, this won’t be a cigar I will go chasing after. Would I recommend it? Probably not, unless its to someone actually looking for a decent priced infused cigar. This is the perfect cigar to have laying in your humidor for those days when you want a quick smoke, but you aren’t sure if you will have the time to finish, or are just looking for something a bit different. I would totally recommend keeping a few on hand for such moments.

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