The Good Stuff:

The Winston Churchill line has been a staple in the Davidoff portfolio since 2007. The brand changed names to “Davidoff Winston Churchill” in 2014 and the first Limited Edition Davidoff Winston Churchill was released in 2016 and quickly became one of the most sought after super-premium releases each year it was released (2016, 2019 and 2021). This brings us to the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021. The cigar comes in a single 6 x 52 Toro format featuring an Ecuadorian wrapper over Dominican Hybrid 275 binder and Piloto Ligero, Hybrid 20-20 Seco, San Vicente Mejorado Ligero, San Vicente Viso filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic in addition to Esteli Viso fillers from Nicaragua. The Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021 comes packaged in boxes of 10 running $32 per stick with only 4,500 boxes produced. I purchased mine over from our great friends at Cigars International.

• Size: 6 x 52
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian
• Binder: Dominican Hybrid 275
• Filler: Dominican (Piloto Ligero, Hybrid 20-20 Seco, San Vicente Mejorado Ligero, San Vicente Viso) & Nicaragua (Estelí Viso)
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $32
• Pairing: Bruery Mai Zombie (Olde Ale 16.7% ABV)

Prelight:

The Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021 starts off with an incredibly consistent, milky brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty with a good amount of oils as it’s laid seamlessly over itself. Its crazy how, just, flawless this cigar looks. The wrapper itself is very dense and hard while the cigar as a whole is very tightly packed and heavy as hell. The cigar showcases some light veining as the beautiful body leads up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with the elegant white and gold Winston Churchill band we all love as well as an additional gray and gold secondary band with the words “Limited Edition 2021” embossed across the front.

The wrapper on the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021 gives off a whole mess of almond and mossy aromas while the foot of the cigar carries much more spice and natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a ton of mossy, oaky notes over some very sharp spice and natural tobacco flavors.

First Third:

The Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021 starts out with a whole mess of deep oak, moss, almond, and spice over a great earthiness, light citrus and vanilla. The draw is impeccable as each, tiny, little puff kicks out massive clouds of thick, white smoke which might as well live here as they take so long to dissipate while the cigar itself releases only slight amounts of stationary smoke. The burnline is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted dark gray ash which held on for an inch before falling into my lap. Thanks wind!

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021 and the flavors are mostly the same, and I hope that is the trend. The full-bodied profile leads with a whole mess of moss, oak, almond and spice still over more vanilla, almond and citrus while a light floral mixture has began to show face. The retrohale is VERY sharp and really brings the spice to the forefront of the profile. The cigar is still burning like a dream and I close out the second third with only a very minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021 and the flavors, while still in the full-bodied arena, have started to balance and out a bit. The profile is now composed of a creamy mixture of oak, almond, and vanilla over lighter notes of spice, citrus, and earthiness. It took almost two hours to take this cigar down to the nub, and I didn’t baby it. It just burned very slow no matter how often I hit it. I close out the cigar with a decent nicotine kick and already craving another.

Overview:

When Davidoff hits it out of the park, its all the way out of the park and the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021 landed in a different time zone. The big, bold and unique flavors kept me on my toes from start to finish. The construction is flawless, and this cigar is astonishingly still available. The price tag probably has a lot to do with it, and is my only gripe here. But you get what you pay for and in this case, you get a hell of an experience.

Pairing:

Bruery’s Mai Zombie is a big ass Rum Barrel Aged Ale with lime, grapefruit, orange flower water and spices. Coming in at 16.7% ABV this beer leads with a really juice forward mixture of cherry, grapefruit, caramel, and a dash of lime with a whole mess of almond on the aftertaste. This is a beautiful summer beer that packs a hell of a punch, pun intended. The beer really meshed well with some of the light citrus, vanilla, and almond flavors in the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021.

The post Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

This year Quesada announced a new line of cigars created to celebrate 40 years of hard work. The 40th anniversary is composed of three regular production lines: Robusto – 5 x 52, Toro – 6 x 54, and the Toro Real – 6 x 65. There are two limited edition vitolas: Toro press – 6 x 49 boxpress, and the Salomon Press with is a 6 ¾ x 50/33. It’s a crazy size with a Salomon foot and head and a slender box-press body. Through those 5 sizes the blend is consistent featuring a Mexican San Andreas wrapper, Dominican Binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica shares the same name as it’s 5 brothers, but the blend is quite different featuring an Ecuadorian Connecticut Wrapper, and a tweaked blend using a Dominican Criollo binder with Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica is blended by Manuel “Manolo” Quesada Jr. and is only available at events that he personally attends where it is sold in packs of five. After the event, that specific retailer who put on the event is able to sell the cigars which then comes in 50 count cabinets. You can find a bit more information about the blend over at Halfwheel’s site. While these may be elusive to some, I was able to pick up a handful over at Smokeinn and believe they still may have them in stock. Like many of the other cigars is the 40th anniversary line, the Corona Clasica is a limited run so you may want to pick them up while you can.

Size: 6.5 x 46
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Criollo
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Price: $9.25
Pairing: Prairie Artisan Ales – Prairie Ale (Saison 8.2% ABV)

Prelight:

The Quesada 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica is mostly covered in a soft white tissue. While the tissue gives the cigar an interesting look and provides a bit of protection for the rather delicate Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf, it’s a pain in the ass to get off on all the Corona Clasicas that I have smoked. Not only is it tightly twisted around the foot, but they also have a small strip of glue on them. In a few cases it worked against the attempt to protect the leave as it tore small parts of the wrapper off during removal. On the plus side, the tears were all very minor and never harmed the smoking experience. Once the tissue has been successfully removed a beautiful, light brown wrapper is on display. The wrapper is pretty consistent in it’s yellowish-brown color but features a few areas of green tinted leaf, and darker brown webbing. As I stated before, the wrapper is pretty thin and delicate but the filler is very tightly packed and firm with no soft spots at all. The long body which resembles more of a toroish vitola leads up to a beautiful round triple cap. The construction is perfect. The cigar is then polished off with a double band. The first is one we are familiar with as it came on the Seleccion de Espana blend featuring a black, gold, white, and silver color wheel and Quesada’s emblem. The second features the same colors with the elegant writing of “40th Anniversary” on the front. The presentation on this cigar is incredible and I just can’t wait to light it up.

The wrapper on the 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica gives off a very bold grassy/mossy aroma with hints of tobacco while the foot of the cigar features much more spice and cedar. The cap cut clean and very easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw features much of the same with lots of spice and cedar backed by grassy notes and even a bit of sweetness.

First Smoke:

The first draws on Quesada’s 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica start out very salty, with some slight pepper and spice over lots of sweetness, citrus, cedar, and floral notes. As I carried on the saltiness began to face and the spice became a bit more prominent. The draw is a bit snug, but nothing too bad. The burnline is razor thing producing a very pretty, tightly compacted, dark and medium gray ash which held on for an inch before softly falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There:

The floral flavors have really taken off in the second third of the Quesada 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica. Each puff the spice peeks through more and more as the cedar and sweetness are still in the mix. It seems all the flavors have to battle through the strong floral flavors to get attention, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The floral notes are great. The 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica has a real Cubanesque feel to it’s flavor profile. The retrohale is very smooth and it lets the cigar show off those spice and cedar notes more. The burnline is still rockin’ even and I am feeling absolutely no nicotine as I close out the second third.

Finish:

The final third of Quesada’s 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica is where the cigar really starts to shine. Up until now the body was medium at best, but it’s now pushing it into the medium/full range with lots more cedar and spice, sweetness, and citrus while the floral flavors begin to fizzle out. I am starting to pick up a bit more of the pepper though, although it’s quite mild. I’m just surprised it’s still present at this point in the experience. The burnline has been perfect the whole time. I never once had to reach for my torch the hour and a half it took to take the 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica down. I smoked this bad boy down until my fingertips were on fire encountering absolutely no harshness at all. Knowing the blend, I do recommend taking your time with this one. If you speed through it there is a good chance you just may encounter some harsher areas.

Overview:

Having smoked a few of the 40th Anniversary sizes outside of the Corona Clasica, there really isn’t any similarities between the two. The standard 40th anniversary is bolder, sweeter, and flavorful while the Corona Clasica is much more cubanesque, milder, and in my opinion much more balanced and well-rounded. I seldom reach for Connecticut wrapped cigars, but this is one that I could see myself smoking all day. Flavorful enough for the evening, mild enough for the morning. The construction is absolutely flawless, and the experience is incredible while the price point is just. My only suggestion is to lose that tissue, it’s a bit of a pain. I picked up quite a few of these and will probably grab some more. If you happen to come across these do yourself a favor and pick a few up.

Pairing:

Prairie Artisan Ales’ Prairie Ale is an 8.2% ABV Saison style Farmhouse ales brewed at the Prairie Artisan brewery in Oklahoma. I’m a big fan of Saison style ales, especially in fall. The citrus, spice, and fruit really match the weather’s mood, and most of them come in at a nice, high ABV. The Prairie Ale is very light, leading with strong citrus, doughy bread, and spice with a light mouthfeel and a strong citrus and bitterness on the finish. It has a bit of bite, but finishes crisp. The first time I smoked the 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica I immediately pictures pairing this with a light saison. I needed something that had some citrus and spice, but wasn’t overpowering at all as the cigar could easily be overdone by a bolder pairing. The Prairie Ale fit that description to a tee. The citrus, spice, and even the bready flavor paired up perfectly with the existing flavors in the 40th Anniversary. Other pairing would include coffee, a Belgian golden ale, or a mild Marzen.

The post Quesada 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: Oliva’s Saison is a vintage style blend. Meaning, each year the blend may differ as it’s based on tobaccos grown during that year alone. As the years change so do the soil, sunlight, weather, and tobacco meaning each year could be different even if the same blend is used. The Saison is a limited blend that could be found only at Cigars International and here is what they have to say about it:

‘Tis the season for Oliva.

What happens when the Oliva family takes the best yield, from all their fields, from the same year? Amazing things….amazing things dubbed Saison by Oliva.

Saison by Oliva is the latest addition to their growing arsenal of standout Nicaraguan handmades. To create this blend, a silky, dark brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper was paired with a rich combination of long-fillers from Oliva’s farms in Somoto, Esteli, and Condega, Nicaragua – all harvested in the same crop year. This vintage ensemble is ripe with flavor, delivering a big, booming Nicaraguan personality that’s notably refined and well-balanced. Notes of leather, oak, pepper, earth, coffee, and a slight twang on the finish offer a perfect interplay and coat the palate with proficiency. It’s medium to full-bodied at its peak, but the density of flavor can hold its own against even the fullest of them. In a nutshell, this new handmade from Oliva has charm, character, and ample flavor. Plus, it’s yours in a box for around $4 apiece every day. ​

I tend to shy away from a lot of “mail order exclusives” as I am always too quick to judge them as seconds or just blends that simply didn’t make the cut. I can’t wait to see how the Saison measures up to the bar that Oliva has set for their blends, especially the more recent ones. As I stated earlier, you can order these directly from Cigars International. They come in four different sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), Torpedo (6 x 52), and Churchill (7 x 50). The cigars come packaged in boxes of 20 and will run you only $3.99 to $4.99 a stick.

Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $3.99
Pairing: Sixpoint’s Autumnation 2013 (American Wet-Hopped IPA – 6.7% ABV)

Prelight: The Oliva Saison starts out with a beautiful, webby, consistently medium brown wrapper that carries a few darker splotches as well as a few lighter areas around the larger veins running through the body of the cigar. The wrapper is very firm and extremely hard to the touch with some light oils. In fact, the entire cigar is incredibly dense and hard with no soft spots at all. The Saison is polished off with a perfectly round double cap. The band design is very similar to what we find on the Oliva Serie V. The first band carries a crest which says: “Saison by Oliva” while the secondary band simply says: “First Harvest 2009”. The wrapper on the Saison gives off a very rich, sweet, caramel aroma while the foot of the cigar screams of spice and natural earthiness. The cap cut very clean and extremely easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw was a bit tight producing a crazy sweet, caramel and candy like flavor mixed in with lots of earthiness.

First Smoke: It took a bit of convincing from my single flame butane torch to get this cigar going, but it was off to the races when it finally did. The Saison started out with a bang leading in with a great, white pepper followed up with a whole ton of cedar, a whole mess of caramel and sugars, all over a natural/earthiness. This cigar really starts out with a lot of flavor. I was a bit worried that the draw would be tight as it took a bit of effort to get anything during the cold draw, but I am happy to report it is spot on kicking out a bunch of thick smoke with every little puff. The burnline was razor thin and dead even leaving behind a perfectly consistent medium gray, compacted ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: Into the second third of the Oliva Saison and the pepper is completely gone, but the cedar, which is already pretty pronounced is really ramping up. There is still a lot of spice, a ton of sweetness, and even a bit of ginger creeping over the earthiness. I’m impressed with how bold this cigar is. The burnline is still dead even and I am feeling absolutely no nicotine as I close out the second third.

Finish: As I venture into the final third of the Saison a very rich, black cherry flavor has crept into the mix. The cedar is still very bold, there is still a whole ton of sweetness, a ton of spice, and some nice natural tobacco. While it’s been pretty consistent, I liked the flavor profile so much that I wouldn’t really want it to chance. The Saison took me about a little over and hour to take down and it left me with absolutely no nicotine kick, and there was no harshness even as I entered the final inch.

Overview: As I touched on during the intro, a lot of times I am very quick to judge all these “Mail Order Exclusive” cigars as factory rejects, or seconds. Usually I feel that the cigars just won’t live up to the expectations of the other blends in each manufacturer’s portfolio. Was I wrong in the case of the Saison? Absolutely. This cigars surpassed any expectation I had for it. Not only was it a beast in the flavor department, but the flavors were incredible and the blend was exactly what I look for in a cigar. Now, toss in the $4 price point and how can you not love this stick? I strongly suggest you pick up a few of these, hell, even a box for the price of what you’d pay for just a few sticks.

Pairing: Keeping with the winter them, I decided to set the tone with a nice autumn pairing (ha, I know, right). Pairing the Saison with Sixpoint’s Autumnation was a wise choice on my end as the two paired up very nicely. Here is what they have to say about the brew:

Every year, the main-hops featured in the Autumnation Ale is chosen by Sixpoint fans. This year’s hops is Mosaic, a relatively new strain with huge potential. Copper in color, the Autumnation Ale clocks in at 6.7 %abv. The initial assertive but pleasant 74 IBU-bitterness is carried by a well-balanced malt backbone, accompanied by citrus, berry-like and pine flavors. The massive aroma of fresh hops features citrus, strawberry, stonefruit, berry and piney notes.

That being said, I didn’t really get as much of the berry flavors, but more of the grape, pine, hoppyness, and citrus. The berry I did get actually came from the cigar, but it mixed in with the flavors of the beer perfectly. The pine and citrus really mixed in well with the cedar and sweetness from the Saison. Usually I would have paired this cigar with an actual “Saison” or “Farmhouse Ale”, but believe it or not I didn’t have any on hand. I think the spice from a Saison beer would marry in very well with the cigar though.

The post Oliva – Saison Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: La Aurora’s 107 has been a long time coming and I for one, didn’t know if we would ever see the cigar reach final release. The original 107 made it’s debut in 2010 (Check out my review of the Robusto here and Daniel’s review of the Corona here). Shortly after there were mumblings around the cigar community that a 107 Maduro was in the works. About a year later the cigar scene got looks via various social media accounts of the 107 Maduro. Something held up production though and these cigars are just now about to hit the market. This just goes to show the detail in Miami Cigars’ / La Aurora’s process. The cigar took so long to hit the shelves because they were dead-set on how they wanted the blend to turn out and weren’t quite reaching their desired dream. Either way,  we are just glad that this blend has been finalized and will be finding it’s way onto shelves, and into our hands soon. La Aurora 107 Maduro starts out with a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper placed around a Dominican Corojo binder filled with Dominican and Nicaraguan Tobacco. The 107 Maduro was first released in limited quantity last year to TAA members at the TAA convention, but will be released to the public this year at the annual IPCPR show in Las Vegas. The 107 Maduro will come in 4 sizes: Robusto 4.5 x 50, Corona 5.5 x 43, Toro 5.5 x 54, and the Belicoso 6.25 x 52 with a price range about about $6 to $8 depending on the format. Barry from Miami Cigar Company hooked me up with a few samples for review.
Size: 4.5 x 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Dominican Corojo
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: ~$6
Pairing: New Belgium Dig (American Pale Ale 5.6% ABV)

Prelight: The 107 Maduro starts out with a crazy dark wrapper. You can see from some of my photos that it’s almost as dark as the black table I took them on. The wrapper is beautiful sporting an extremely dark drown wrapper with a reddish hint, and some black webbing throughout the leaf. The wrapper feels really tough, and really firm as it leads up to the round double cap. The construction on these samples are flawless and each cigar only showcases one or two small veins. The cigar itself is very firm and seems to be packed very tightly with tobacco. I really enjoy this format. Love them smaller ring gauges.

The wrapper gives off a very sweet chocolate and tobacco aroma with just a hint of spice white the foot has a much more earthy, tobacco aroma with lots of sweetness. The cap cut VERY easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces massive amount of sweetness and chocolate with just a bit of spice at the end.

First Smoke: La Aurora’s 107 Maduro starts off with loads of spice, some light black pepper, crazy amounts of sweetness and chocolate with a nice earthy finish. As the spice began to drop and the pepper began to fade out a really nice cedar began to appear in the profile. I wasn’t expecting such a flavor-bomb so early into this cigar and it definitely caught my by surprise. The 107 Maduro not only kicks out a ton of thick, stationary smoke but it also fills your mouth with so much dense smoke from each and every little draw you take. I was scared that it was packed too tightly and would produce a tight draw, but it’s just the opposite. The burnline is dead even and razor-sharp leaving behind a very thick, tightly compacted white and light grey ash.

Halfway There: A lot of the flavors dropped from La Aurora’s 107 Maduro into the second third while others became stronger. The cedar and chocolate are now the main flavors in the mix with some nice sweetness and earthiness while the spice and pepper have removed themselves from the profile. The experience is starting to balance out more creating a very creamy experience. The retrohale is BANGIN’ coating my nasal passage with a very strong, very sweet cedar and spice. I could retrohale this baby all day! The burnline is still flawless as I close out the second third and I am feeling absolutely no nicotine at this point.

Finish:  La Aurora’s 107 Maduro has kept me on my toes so far with some great change-ups and the final third keeps with the same theme. The cigar is burning straight chocolate now with lots of sweetness and an earthy/cedar finish. The flavors haven’t necessarily changed up, but the depth in the flavors had making for an interesting experience. The strength in the cigar has ramped up slightly, but didn’t finish over medium as I am feeling no nicotine as a nub it. There is no harshness but he cigar is burning a bit hot as I take it into the final inch. This cigar burned pretty slow lasting for about an hour and a half from start to finish. The burn was excellent needing no touch-ups or relights the entire experience.

Overview: I’ll be the first to say that it was worth the wait. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever really see La Aurora’s 107 Maduro out in the wild and I am glad that Miami cigar took it upon themselves to make sure the blend was exactly what they wanted before they released it. It’s a dynamite cigar with a bold, yet creamy experience. I really loved all the sweetness and the sizes this cigar is offered in. I’m a sucker for smaller ring gauges. It’s really hard to compare these to the 107 natural. The two cigars seem to be very different in experience while both delivering very sweet, very smooth experiences. It would be hard for me to pick one between the two as well, but given the 107 Lancero natural was so great I would probably reach for that size/blend first. This would depend on the situation of course cause I think the maduro would stand well after a mean, later in the evening, or during a herf with multiple cigars.

To Sum it up: The 107 Maduro is a great cigar for both the novice and the seasoned cigar smoker. The cigar has great depth, lots of sweetness while not being too strong or complex. I would definitely smoke these again and I would buy these again, and due to the price I think this is an ideal box purchase to have in just about anyone’s everyday rotation.

Pairing: Today I reached for a great summertime/spring seasonal beer that differs from your run of the mill light seasonal. New Belgium’s Dig is a new take on the classic American Pale Ale. Brewed at the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado this Pale Ale is coated with a malty, caramel profile which brings the flavor experience up to a whole new level. Take the malt and caramel, add some sweetness, citrus and hops and you have dig. This zesty, sweet Ale comes in at 5.6% ABV and is the perfect summertime beer. Not only is it perfect for the weather but the balance of the sweetness and flavors makes it a perfect match for almost any sweet cigar. Since it’s not packed with hops it doesn’t easily overpower a cigar. In the case of the 107 Maduro I was actually more concerned with the cigar overpowering the beer but nothing of the sort happened as the flavors blended in perfectly with one another.

The post La Aurora 107 Maduro Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Now the label on the Onyx Reserve has no information on it other than its name and the word “handmade”. I actually did no research on this cigar prior to smoking it and I’d never really read much about it before so that allowed me to give a more unbiased review. A little research after smoking it and making notes revealed to me that this cigar is made by Altadis. Historically I haven’t really hit alignment with the flavor profiles of most Altadis sticks, so will smoking it without knowing that ahead of time affect my opinion???

A little more research showed me that this cigar has an interesting mix of three different fillers and if you check out me pre-light inspection notes below you’ll see I actually picked out three distinct coloured filler in the foot. I thought that was interesting that they are so easily discernible. It’s also wrapped with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper which Tony and I are both big fans of.

There isn’t too much other info on the cigar out there but I can tell you that it is made in the Dominican Republic. It also seems to have some pretty good ratings from a variety of sources, mostly outside of the blogging world though. I especially liked the vitola here today, it’s a box-pressed Mini Belicoso and you don’t see many of those around. Reminded me of the Oliva Serie G Belicoso. So let’s jump right in and see what I though of the Onyx Reserve by Altadis Cigars.

Cigar: Onyx Reserve
Drink: Chimay Yellow Trappist Ale
Vitola: Mini Belisoco (5 x 52)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican, Peruvian and Nicaraguan
Price: A little over $4 (Gifted by Lou B!)
Burn Time: A little over an hour

Construction:
• A nice darkly colored cigar with fairly consistent dark chocolate tone
• There is a nice bit of oiliness on the wrapper as well as very few veins to be worried about
• The tapered cap is finished cleanly with a single leaf that blends in almost seamlessly
• The foot is well packed and I find it interesting because I can pick out 3 distinctly different colors of filler, possibly the different types of leaves from the blend or just a coincidence?
• The cigar is quite firm from cap to foot with almost no spring to it, hoping that doesn’t cause a tight draw
• The cut was pretty easy and even, also kept itself in a neat and clean pile
• Draw ended up being a little tight, maybe it’s cause I didn’t cut much but a couple pokes with my toothpick opened it up nicely

Burn:
• Toasting was almost too easy, the whole foot lit up evenly without much effort or time
• The first bit of the cigar was smoking dead even with a single wave to be seen
• Through the whole first half this cigar burned razor sharp without a hint of problems at all
• It also stayed lit without the need for extra attention, this is how all cigars should burn! Let’s hope it keeps up
• I spoke a little too soon… right after ashing in the middle area the burn started going a little lopsided so I gave it a little correction
• No more corrections required right to the end, great overall burn on this Onyx Reserve cigar

Smoke & Ash:
• The smoke from each draw is a little light on this Onyx Reserve, even with a few extra draws it just doesn’t seem to produce a very thick smoke
• The resting smoke is very very light, after just a couple seconds you actually can’t even see smoke anymore
• The ash is looking awesome, very white with only a few darker accents
• The cleanliness of the ash is also looking great with no flaking or signs of weakness
• Ash is holding on nicely just past an inch, gonna tap it off now to prevent any messes tonight
• Subsequent ashes kept holding on past the 1 inch mark with ease, very nice construction here

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has very little aroma on this Onyx Reserve, maybe just a touch of sweet tobacco and thats about it
• The foot is pretty light on aroma too but there is a bit more sweet floral scent there
• The pre-light draw is pretty light on flavors as well, just a bit of the sweet tobacco again
• Initial draws are pretty flat, no interesting flavors here to start but nothing harsh either, just a sort of mild sweet tobacco taste
• For the most part, the cigar is in the mild range and the retrohale has a bit of woodiness to it and a smooth tasteless finish
• There is a bit of woodsy flavors making an appearance with the sweet tobacco notes, maybe a little leather in there too
• It seems the body creeped into the medium area somewhere in the middle but the flavors are still very washed out
• There isn’t much to report here, the profile hasn’t really changed as I approach the final third
• I’m still getting some light wood and leather flavors backed by the stronger tobacco notes

Final Thoughts:
The Onyx Reserve didn’t quite do it for me tonight. It had some good elements to it and definitely had some quality construction but the flavors were just a little too weak for my liking. For the price, it could be a decent cigar to hand out but I think there are better options out there for the so-called “yard-gar” ideal. I’m hard-pressed to see why this got such high ratings in other places. Perhaps there is a market for the more bland tobacco flavored cigars? Maybe they appeal to past cigarette smokers a little more? I’m not quite sure but for me it just wasn’t the profile I enjoy. It might be worth trying if you are looking for something different to add to a regular rotation but I’d suggest opting for a sampler before you venture into a whole box here. One thing I can take away from this cigar is that it is another stick that confirms Altadis and me just don’t agree on flavor profile. I’m sure there are people that disagree with me but this is just one little fishes opinion in the big pond.

Pairings:
Another Belgian Trappist ale on Casas Fumando? Yup, you got it! But this time it’s not from Tony! Chimay is one of the few Belgian brands I can actually find regularly here in Ontario. Mostly it’s the Yellow label or the Red label and today we have the Yellow. Now I should note this particular brew is also sometimes known as the “White’ and it is actually a Tripel although it doesn’t really say that anywhere on the front label. This bottle clocks in at a full 8% alc./vol. and is definitely a lot less fruity than a lot of other Tripel’s. It’s super carbonated and has a bit of citrus backed by a heavy malt and slight bitter flavor. I think I missed the pairing here though, a darker more robust beer would have gone better. Perhaps a dark ale or stout, even a coffee, would have matched up better.

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For those who don’t know, Gran Habano had recently formed a series called the S.T.K. series. The cigars in this special series are limited production, limited release cigars that were created for the sole consumption of George A. Rico and family. Needless to say these are extraordinary cigars and Rico felt the public deserved to try them out as well, thus creating the S.T.K. series. The S.T.K. series will initially only be available at 50 retailers across the U.S.  and limited to no more than 100. Luckily our friends over at Gran Habano Cigars (@ghcigars) where kind enough to send a few of them our way.

After numerous blends and prototypes, George A. Rico has finally came up with a cigar he deemed worthy of the Opium name. This cigar is composed of a Nicaraguan Habano Corojo hybrid wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and an unknown mix of fillers. These cigars come in just one size, 6×52, will run $9 a stick, and will only be available at S.T.K. authorized retailers.

Size: 6×52  –  Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano/Corojo  –  Binder: Nicaraguan  –  Filler: Unknown

Prelight: First and foremost, the band on this G.A.R. Opium is impossible to ignore. The cigar sports a crazy elegant, attention calling double gold, red, and white band along with a third black and gold foot band that simply states that this cigar is part of the S.T.K. series and is a “Limited Edition” “by George A. Rico”. The first band is a huge red and gold crest with the G.A.R. branding followed by a smaller secondary band with a similar design that has the blend’s name “Opium”. The wrapper on this cigar is a beautify dark and medium brown with tons of oils coating the entire body. There are only one or two short, wider veins running through the body of this cigar leading up to the perfectly round triple cap. The cigar in general is extremely firm with no soft spots. The wrapper feels really durable as it didn’t tear or break when I squeezed it. It did however leave a really neat coating of oils on my finger tips. The wrapper on this cigar gives off a very interesting sweet pine aroma while the foot produces nothing more than a bold tobacco scent. The cap cut clean and easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw is interesting. Instead of getting the run of the mill tobacco flavor I was anticipating the G.A.R. Opium let loose this crazy spicy, sweet, cedar flavor with even a bit of pepper on just the cold draw alone.

First Smoke: Instead of this G.A.R. Opium greeting me with the pepper I was expecting due to the cold draw flavors, I was welcomed with a very sweet tobacco flavor with a bit of honey, cinnamon and some subtle cedar with a bit of pepper that only teased my lips and tongue. The draw on this cigar is dead on, filling my mouth with tons of thick smoke with every puff. The burnline is razor sharp and even for the most part with only some very small waves. The ash left behind is white and light grey and extremely tightly compacted. The ash held on for well over an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: The G.A.R. Opium is really starting to open up now. Along with the sweet tobacco, cedar, and honey I am not picking up some interesting floral and citrus notes. I had to double check my hands to make sure they didn’t have soap on them. This cigar is very smooth and has some really interesting flavors. The retrohale is a nice addition to the experience to coating my nasal passage with a very bold, sweet cedar. I’m not really feeling any nicotine at this point, and the cigar is still burning dead even with amazingly white, compact ash.

Finish: Despite the larger bands on this G.A.R. Opium, all three of them slid right off the cigar without a hitch. That always gets huge brownie points with me. The Opium really smoothed out into the final third while the body ramped up a bit. Most of the flavors have dampened with the exception of the sweet tobacco and cedar which are rocking pretty hard at this point. There was no harshness at all, even into the final inch where I felt only a slight nicotine buzz before a smooth, creamy finish.

Overview: Gran Habano is a company that sometimes gets passed by cigar smokers. Just because they are affordable doesn’t mean they aren’t supburb cigars and the Opium is a perfect example of that. Perfect construction, great flavors, complex yet smooth. It really doesn’t get better than that. This is a perfect cigar for any occasion. Light enough to smoke in the morning, flavorful enough for an after meal smoke, and affordable enough for an everyday smoke. Need I say more?

Pairing: Coming in with another Lips of Faith series brew form New Belgium brewing, I paired this G.A.R. Opium with the new “Prickly Passion Saison”. I’ve said it so many times, but Saisons are my poison. I could drink these all day long. This isn’t your standard Saison though, it’s actually a 8.5% ABV beer brewed with natural Prickly Pear Cactus and Passion fruit juices. Usually the fruit would be the focal point of the brew, but in this case it’s nothing more than a slight aftertaste that really helps make this beer one of the smoothest I can say I have ever had. Sweet and citrusy up front with a nice smooth, creamy, fruity finish. This was a PERFECT pairing. I can’t stress that enough. Now that the Opium’s will be easily obtained, I recommend trying this pairing out if you can find the beer. Usually this time of the season I’d be pairing with some nice winter seasonal porters or stouts, but after trying this beer I knew it would go perfect with this cigar. You know what else goes great with this cigar and the beer? The Bouncing Souls. I got some “True Believers” playing as I enjoy the weekend before the chaos on my back porch.

The post Gran Habano G.A.R. Opium S.T.K. appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Late Harvest might sound familiar to any wine aficionados we have around here. In the wine world, some grapes are harvested later in the season to produce a slightly different type of wine typically called a Late Harvest. It’s even a popular method of making Ice Wine which is a very interesting dessert wine especially common to the Niagara region wineries up here in Ontario.

Contrary to what the name actually seems to mean, the Late Harvest cigar from Viaje is not actually produced with tobacco leaves harvested later in the season. It’s trademark is actually that the filler being used is sourced from the last priming’s of the tobacco plant. These last priming’s are left on the plant slightly longer and are also exposed to the sun longer, this produces a darker, thicker, oilier and stronger leaf. The blend is said to have about 90% of it’s filler from these last priming’s.

To put the limited blend into perspective, the Late Harvest is made in 125 boxes of 35 cigars each making a grand total of 4375 cigars(if my math is right). The Late Harvest was debuted at IPCPR 2011 and it seems like Andre is planning to make a yearly release of it, although the yield could change from year-to-year. The production factory of these cigars is located in Honduras, the popular Racines Cubanas factory which is part of Casa Fernandez Cigar company.

My one gripe here is that there’s no indication on the band of the production year. Although I know this one is a 2011 release since it’s brand new, I would have liked to see an indication for future years to compare with and keep track of when aging. I guess we’ll have to be vigilant and make note of them if you’re not buying a box. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, lets see if these cigars are worth aging and worth trying out next year…

Cigar: Viaje Late Harvest
Drink: Wychwood Brewery Wychcraft Blonde Beer
Vitola: Toro (6 x 48)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: About $9.00
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The Viaje Late Harvest is a bit of a rough looking cigar with a few medium sized veins running up and down along with some bumps here and there
• The wrapper presents with a medium cinnamon brown colour with some dark speckles here and there, it’s also fairly coarse
• The top of the cigar is finished with tight little pigtail on top of a triple cap that looks clean and well applied
• A little squeeze produces almost no give, the Viaje Late Harvest is fairly firm from foot to cap
• With a quick glance at the foot it’s easy to see this is a well filled cigar with almost no gaps to be seen
• Clipping off the cap with my double bladed guillotine cutter was fairly easy and left a nice clean cut

Burn:
• The foot of the cigar lit up very quickly and easily while toasting
• The initial burn has an interesting zig-zag pattern… let’s hope it tightens up
• Zig zag seemed to calm down and although it’s a bit wavy we’re off to a better start now
• A couple small corrections were needed in the first half but they were very minor and did not affect the flavor of the cigar
• A couple other small touch-ups through the cigar but nothing major, it burned very well for the most part

Smoke & Ash:
• The Viaje Late Harvest is producing a good amount of smoke from each draw, it’s not super-thick and billowy but it’s not light either
• Resting smoke is also fairly moderate, nothing over the top but it is notable
• The ash is looking to be a pretty dark tone of grey as I smoke through the cigar
• I’m also getting some flaking so I don’t think the ash is going to last too long
• It started to look really weak at about an inch so I tapped it off into the ashtray
• As I hit the halfway mark it seems the thickness of the smoke has been slowly increasing, getting a nice billowy thickness now

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper of the Viaje Late Harvest has a fairly strong barnyard aroma to it, smells like it’s fresh from a farm!
• The foot, on the other hand, is strong with earthy and woodsy aromas followed by just a touch of peppery spice
• Pre-light draw brings an interesting mix of fresh cedar, earthiness and a touch of sweetness
• Initial draws bring more of the woodsy and earthy flavors I caught onto earlier, with a touch of very mild spices
• After a few draws there is a kick of pepper to this cigar, you can feel it on the back of your throat as well
• The Viaje Late Harvest is starting off in the mile-medium bodied range and the retrohale is giving a nice little bite with a smooth cedar finish
• The strong pepper faded as quickly as it appeared and I’m back to a nicely balanced cedar and earthy flavor profile
• There is a touch of tart sweetness that I’m picking up now and again although it’s not too strong right now
• The woodsy flavors are developing nicely and I’m getting a nice bready flavor coming in all wrapped up with a smooth and creamy finish
• The bite on the retrohale is pretty much gone now but it’s still giving me a smooth creamy cedar finish that I’m really enjoying
• As I creep into the final third, some of the spices are starting to make a comeback. It’s not the strong pepper like before but rather a more mild white pepper profile
• The Viaje Late Harvest finished on a smooth medium note with no harshness at all, I enjoyed it’s creamy finish and sweet tart cedar flavors right to the nub

Final Thoughts:
This was an interesting and unique cigar and I’m glad I was able to give it a try. As I mentioned, my access to Viaje cigars is pretty limited so it’s always a treat when I get a few sent to me in a package and this one was not a disappointment. It had an interesting variety of flavors that were very well balanced along with a smooth creamy finish to round it all out. The burn had a couple small touch ups but nothing worth complaining about. Considering the type of filler used here I was expecting a much stronger cigar but I ended up with a smooth medium bodied stick that I really enjoyed. The price on these is also fairly reasonable considering the limited production runs they are offered in. If you can track down some of these they are definitely worth a try. I’m curious to see if they change much from year-to-year…

Pairings:
Today I have another offering from Wychwood Breweries. Just recently, I tried out their winter ale called “Bah Humbug” with the Tatuaje TAA and I’ve also done a full review of their buby beer called Hobgoblin. This particular brew is their Blonde beer called Wychcraft. It clocks in at a light 4.5% alc./vol. and is triple hopped and filtered. It made for a perfect midday beer with lots of citrusy and malty flavors to it. An interesting combination since most blondes don’t carry too much of the malts with them, but I guess that’s where the triple hopped process makes a difference. I found that the Wychwood Breweries Wychcraft paried quite well with the Viaje Late Harvest. The cirtusy sweetness of the beer complimented that tart sweetness that sometimes made an appearance in the cigar and neither of them over-powered the other. I’d recomend sticking with a lighter pairing similar to the Wychcraft with the Viaje Late Harvest, choice such as a thick stout or strong coffee might drown out the cigars flavors.

The post Viaje Late Harvest 2011 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Today’s review comes courtesy of Lou B. who you can find in the comments section every now and then. I met Lou at a herf a little while back and he’s been holding some awesome Cigar-B-Cue’s where we eat, smoke, drink and talk. At the last little gathering, Lou handed me a Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 and said that I had to try it and squeeze in a review if possible. We chatted a little about how my history with most Rocky Patel sticks is a little shaky but I would give it a shot.

So here I am today about to light up this cigar. I have had a few Vintage 1990’s a while ago but it’s been a rather long time so other than a few notes I made for myself I don’t have much to go on. I actually decided to ignore my old notes and go at this one blindly!

The Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 is the oldest cigar in his vintage line. This particular blend is made with Maduro Broadleaf wrapper dating back to 1990. So the wrapper on these cigars is near 12 Years old and apparently the filler is at least 5 years old before being rolled. That makes for a very well aged cigar right out of the box so let’s hope it has the smoothness you would expect on such a well aged smoke.

It seems that the Vintage 1990 line is also available in a wide variety of vitolas that come boxed in quantities of 20. I even stumbled upon some being sold as bundles so you can save a few dollars there too. The vitola Lou gifted me with happens to be their Churchill which also has a box-pressed look to it. The cigar also seems a lot smaller than the claimed 48 ring gauge, possibly due to the pressing. I’d say this cigar is almost around 42 or 44 ring gauge from a quick glance.

Now this cigar also has quite the reputation which can sometimes hinder a cigar. It’s been given a 92 rating by Cigar Aficionado and even been named to the Top 25 Cigars of the year twice. So this sets the bar fairly high when you read something like that before lighting up. But regardless of that, I’m going into this review with a clear mind and hoping for a good smoke. This one’s for you Lou!

Cigar: Rocky Patel Vintage 1990
Drink: Innis & Gunn Winter Beer 2011
Vitola: Churchill (7 x 48)
Wrapper: Honduran Maduro Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican/Nicaraguan
Price: About $8.00
Burn Time: Just short of 2 hours

Construction:
• The wrapper on this cigar is velvety smooth and has the color of milk chocolate bar, it’s actually quite appealing to look at
• There are some veins and seams running along it’s length but none of them look large enough to pose any problems
• The vitola on this cigar is pretty interesting, but despite that the single cap looks to be expertly applied and clean
• The foot follows in the same ‘footsteps’ (cheesy pun, I know…lol) and is very well packed
• That also links into the fairly firm feel of the whole cigar, there is a tiny give when squeezed but not much, I think I’ll blame that on the box pressing process
• The cap clipped off nice and easy but left me with a bit of a tight draw, hoping that doesn’t continue and it opens up soon
• Glad to report that the draw opened up nicely within the first inch

Burn:
• The toasting was easy and fairly even, getting me off to a good start easily
• I usually get some funky burn lines on box pressed cigars but through the first couple inches this one is flawless
• Not much to report here, as I get to the halfway mark I’m still moving along flawlessly
• Still more nothing to report, lol. No wavy lines, no canoes, no tunnels, just the way I like it!

Smoke & Ash:
• There is a ton of resting smoke coming off this cigar, could be a little too much if I were in an enclosed room
• Even with a tight draw, I’m still picking up a fairly good amount of smoke from each puff
• The ash on this cigar is a nice even tone of light gray and is keeping itself fairly clean and tight
• Got to just about an inch before the ash fell off
• Next ash got to about an inch again before I tapped it off cause it was looking ready to fall
• Seemed to get a pretty consistent 1 inch ash on these that stayed clean

Tasting Notes:
• Running the cigar under my nose gives an easily noticeable aroma of coffee, but mostly of cedar. It’s light and pleasant, not overpowering
• The foot does away with the coffee but does carry the aroma of cedar and maybe a little bit of greenery
• I get the same greenery and cedar flavor as I take a pre-light draw after clipping the cap. Also an odd liquor type of flavor, almost like infused but you can tell it isn’t, interesting to see if that will carry into the smoking experience
• Initial flavors are mostly woodsy and earthy notes, maybe with a hint of coffee in there
• The coffee flavors are developing a bit as the cigar burns, still very mellow but they are there, maybe with a bit of cocoa too
• The start of this cigar as been fairly mild for the most part, maybe just approaching medium and the retrohale has almost no bite but gives a smooth cedar and coffee finish
• The liquor flavor I was getting is making slight appearances here and there, I can’t quite put my finger on what it is but it’s keeping the experience interesting. It’s sort of sweet and mixed with the coffee flavors I guess my closest comparison would be Kahlua or something similar
• The whole cigar seems to be quite well balanced to me, I’m getting a good variety of flavors that keep changing up on me and keeping me interested, none of them are overpowering the others
• The array of flavors has stayed the same through to the last third but the fact that they keep taking turns being the dominant one has kept me interested and enjoying the whole cigar so far
• Flavors got a little more intense near the nub, but no harshness or bitterness so I got to enjoy it to the very end

Final Thoughts:
So I have to admit I came into this cigar with some hesitation due to my past experiences with Rocky Patel sticks. I’ve had a few good ones, but most were not in my flavor profile. Even with Lou’s claims of how much he enjoyed this I was a little worried. I’m happy to report that I enjoyed this cigar! I wouldn’t put it into my top 10 but I would keep it on regular rotation as a reliable mild/medium bodied stick if I can find it on sale or maybe in the bundles. It had an interesting set of flavors that were very well balanced and it burned superbly. I don’t really have anything negative to say. If there was one critique I could make it’s that the flavors were not very pronounced. They were there, but you really had to sit and concentrate to pick up on them. Maybe this is due to their extended aging? I’m not too sure… You could easily enjoy it’s smoothness without paying attention, but if the flavor were a little more intense, this might have been a top 10 contender for me.

Pairings:
It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of the Innis & Gunn Brewery and everything I’ve tried from them to date. Their Oak Aged Beers are simply the best I’ve been able to find so far with a sweet caramely smoothness. Every year they also come out with a Winter Seasonal, and as I mentioned in my last review, I’m a bit of a sucker for Winter Seasonals. So I had to get this, their Winter Beer 2011! The crappy part is that it’s only available in a Sampler pack here. Although I really enjoy their other beers in the sampler, it comes with a glass. I think I’m up to 5 or 6 Innis & Gunn glasses now because I keep buying the sampler packs they have for their seasonal beers… lol. But enough about my ranting, this beer keeps to my expectations for this brewery and brings a TON of flavor to the table. Along with the classic Oaky notes, you can pick up some citrus, vanilla, toffee and the signature caramel smoothness. All of their beers seem to pair best with a good mild or medium bodied cigar, so it fit very well in with the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990. Other good pairing would be a similar beer like a blonde or amber, and possibly a nice cup of coffee.

The post Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: Studio Tobac is a venture brought to you buy Oliva to provide experimental, and very unique cigars such as the Cain and the nUB lines. Back in march, the Studio Tobac board approved a request for a joint-collaboration product with Padilla Cigars. From the mouth of Studio Tobac’s John Gazzero:

“Even though we’ve existed for the last few years, Studio Tobac just became know to the public; so we’re very protective of the brand. This type of joint venture isn’t something we take lightly, and we’re not getting in the business of making private label cigars for anyone. Working with Ernie (Padilla) makes sense because he has been a friend of Studio Tobac for years. Ernie assured us that he will treat this project with integrity and respect. We’ve got some interesting ideas for the blend. I’m sure Padilla does, too. I’m excited to smoke the cigars. They should be pretty damn good.”

Produced with Oliva tobacco with direct input from Ernesto Padilla, a few others at Padilla Cigars, as well as the Studio Tobac Advisory board, the  exclusive “Padilla Studio Tobac” was born. These cigars are very limited, only 1,000 boxes of 10 will be made and will run $140 a box. These are now available, but won’t be around for very long. A special thanks to Smoking Stogie for the information. There wasn’t a whole lot online, but they always have the good stuff.

Size: 6 x 60  –  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  –  Body: Medium/Full

Prelight: The Padilla Studio Tobac is a very meaty, beefy Figurado format cigar. This isn’t a format that I smoke very often. I usually run into burn problems do to the bulbed foot of the cigar, plus it just doesn’t seem comfortable to hold. The foot of the cigar is so much heavier then the cap that it sets forth this strange balance in my hand. Let’s just hope the lack of comfort is something that the blend makes up for. Outside of the strange size the Padilla Studio Tobac is an exceptionally well constructed cigar. I can’t imagine how difficult this is to roll. The foot start off with this tiny little tip then explodes into a huge bulb which stretches and thins out across the body of the cigar until it meets the cap with a seamless, very pointy tip. The cigar boasts of oil. Each little ray of light that hits the silky wrapper shoots off a huge gleam of reflection. The wrapper feels really touch and durable carrying an extremely consistent light to medium brown with a bit of tooth, and only a few visible veins.

The band on this cigar is a monster starting with a huge silver, maroon, and black Padilla branded crest with the standard lion’s head we have all grown to love. Following the huge ass band is a tiny little black, white, red, and gold secondary band with the words “STUDIO TOBAC” and the small leaf branding on it. The wrapper of the cigar gives off an extremely sweet cedar aroma while the foot, because of it’s size, smells identical. The Padilla Studio Tobac cut very easily, and very clean using my Palio Double bladed cutter.  The cold draw surprised me with a huge kick of very strong pepper followed by some soft cedar, and very spicy notes.

First Smoke: The Padilla Studio Tobac surprised me once again when it started off with no pepper at all despite my cold draw conclusions. Instead it welcomed me with a really nice, subtle spice, strong cedar, and a soft leather with just a touch of citrus. The draw is remarkable despite being a pain in the ass to get going at first (most Figurados are).  Each little puff kicks out a huge mouthful of thick smoke.  The cigar gives off a ton of very smooth, sweet tobacco and cedar scented stationary smoke. The burnline, as expected is a bit wavy, but honestly not bad at all. At least, not as bad as I was expecting. This format is always hard to keep a solid burnline out of the gate.  The ash left behind is an interest dark grey, to light grey, then zebra striped mixture lasting about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: This Padilla Studio Tobac is one of the most flavorful cigars I have had recently. I am really enjoying every single little puff. The main flavor is still this dominant cedar with a very, very sweet tobacco. The underlying flavors are a very soft leather and the citrus has now turned into a really nice fruit flavor. If I really wanted to stretch it I could say it has hints of apple, but for the sake of being subjective I won’t go that far. The retrohale is really nice and smooth coating with the cedar and some nice sweet spice. I am not feeling any nicotine at all at this point despite the size of this cigar. The burnline is now rocking solid and even as well which is great considering the format and the fact that I haven’t touched it up an at all.

Finish: The spice has really started to ramp up in this Padilla Studio Tobac. It’s a very nice and smooth spice, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. The cedar is still in there too but it’s taken a back-burner to the spice with backing flavors of the fruit and even some nice chocolate creeping in. Despite the size of the cigar and all the flavor this cigar has been smooth from start to finish, even approaching the final inch. No harshness, no relights, no touchups, just the way I like it! The body has ramped up a bit too, but I wouldn’t classify it above medium/full. This cigar took almost 2 hours to take down, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Overview: I really wanted this cigar to be bad. Not cause I don’t like Padilla, or Oliva, but for the simple fact that I have had a very long run of cigars that I really enjoyed and I didn’t want it to seem like I enjoy every cigar that I smoke. Too bad that wasn’t the case. This cigar is dynamite. From every aspect you look at it. Even the size. That’s right, I said it. I enjoyed the size. While uncomfortable I think it really added another dimension to the cigar and quite honestly I don’t know if the cigar would fair as well as it did in another format. I would love to try it though. The robust, and immense flavors the Padilla Studio Tobac kicked out kept me on my toes from start to finish. The smoother tones, and gentle body let me really sit back and enjoy the cigar without getting my ass kicked by body. While most people may think ~$15 is steep for a cigar, I think that price is perfect for a cigar of this caliber, and I would gladly pay it again. Too bad these damn things are so limited.

Pairing: I decided to pair this bad boy with a beer you tend to see a lot of in my reviews as the weather starts to cool down. Pawvel Kwak’s Special Belgian Ale. This amber colored 8.4% ABV ale is perfect for those chilly winter nights. It’s a very smooth, strong ale with notes of plum, sugar, caramel, and malt. This makes a perfect pairing for any cigar no matter how strong, dark, light, or mild.

The post Padilla Studio Tobac Figurado appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The L’Esprit de Vérité and the La Vérité cigars are part of what Pete Johnson has coined as his “Vintage” line. Now don’t think “Vintage” as in grungy jeans, think “Vintage” in terms on Wine. Just like a winery offers vintages of it’s wine (ie. the year the grapes were grown), Tatuaje is using the same idea and applying it to their tobacco crops. So what does that mean to you and me? It means that every year will be slightly different. As you can appreciate, different weather will affect how the tobacco leaves grow and therefore will affect their flavors. The same percentage of a blend may not work as well the next year due to these subtle changes.

With that knowledge, it’s also worth knowing that all the tobacco leaves also come from the same farm in Esteli Nicaragua, making each one of these a Nicaraguan Puro. The 2009 vintage cigars were actually rolled in 2008 and aged for a year. Tony also did a review on the Tatuaje L’Esprit de Vérité 2008(http://www.casasfumando.com/?p=698) last year so take a read through his review first then come back here and see how it compares. I am also reviewing the L’Esprit de Vérité vitola which is the Robusto. The other size is a Churchill and is called the La Vérité. The two words stand for “The Truth” and “The Spirit of Truth”.

It’s worth noting that the blend did change from 2008 to 2009 quite a bit. In the 2008 vintage, the cigar contained 100% Habano leaf so it was all from one type of plant. In the 2009 Vintage, there is actually a mix of 4 different leaves. In the La Vérité it’s 45% Habano, 40% Criollo ’98 and 15% Pelo De Oro. In today’s cigar, the L’Esprit de Vérité, we have 50% Habano, 40% Criollo ’98 and 10% Pelo De Oro. The difference isn’t much but it’s worth noting. Now you might raise an eyebrow at the Pelo De Oro tobacco? Thats because it’s pretty rare and the only cigars I’ve had that contained it were the My Father Le Bijou 1922 and the My Father Limited Edition 2010. To tie all that information together, it’s becomes clear when you know that this cigar was made at the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua. You’ll also notice the addition of a second band that just says “Tatuaje” and has Pete’s initials on the back side.

So I hope that’s not too much info but I found it pretty interesting to hear the history of this cigar. If I haven’t lost you yet or you just skipped to the last paragraph cause my rambling looked long, let’s just get right into the actual review!

Cigar: Tatuaje L’Esprit de Vérité 2009
Drink: Great Divide Brewing Co. Yeti Imperial Stout
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 55)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: Currently MSRP is $20
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A wonderfully constructed cigar that has a perfect diameter from end to end with a wrapper that has almost no veins
• The color of the wrapper is a very warm golden brown color and the texture is slightly rough, like a very soft sand paper
• The top of the cigar is finished with an expertly applied triple cap that blends in extremely well
• The firmness is consistent from end to end with very little spring and the tightly packed foot explains why
• The cap took a little effort to clip off and made a bit of a mess

Burn:
• The toasting of the foot was a slightly slow process but resulted in a perfectly flowing foot
• Through the first inch the L’Esprit de Vérité 2009 is smoking super razor sharp
• Not much I can say here, super sharp through the first half and it’s staying lit with ease, no need for extra draws
• I should also note it’s burning at a nice slow pace and I feel I’m getting more time out of this cigar than I expected based on seeing it’s length
• Not a single issue with burn right to the nub, I wish more cigars were like this

Smoke & Ash:
• The smoke on each draw is just about right, it’s not overly thick and full but it’s not light and airy, a nice middle of the road here
• The resting smoke is very minimal, mostly jsut immediately after taking a draw then within a few seconds it looks like it’s not even lit
• The ash on this cigar looks fantastic from the start, it’s clean and tight with a glowing white color
• The ash continues to impress, it’s stayed strong and clean through 2 inches without a problem
• Ash was consistently about 2 inches so I only had to ash twice through the whole smoke, great construction here

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper aroma is giving off an almost citrusy cedar smell that is very pleasant and inviting
• From the foot you pick up more cedar with some mild tobacco and a small touch of spice
• The pre-light draw has surprisingly little flavor to it, maybe just a touch of cedar and mild spice
• Initial draws bring more of the aromatic cedar flavors I was picking up with maybe just a slight touch of nuttiness
• The finish on this cigar is extremely smooth with a fantastic creamy cedar flavor
• The cigar has been in the high range of mild so far with a smooth and bite-free retrohale
• I’m picking up some coffee notes peeking around here and there, but nothing solid yet
• The cedar remains prominent through the first half and it’s a very flavorful cedar
• Some other flavors like the mild spice, nuts, coffee and even a bit of earthiness are helping keep the cigar interesting and well balanced
• The coffee notes seem to be shining through just past the half way mark
• As the coffee takes charge I’m still picking up cedar, nuts and some earthiness, and they are all balancing fantastically
• As I approach the last third the cigar has settled comfortably into the medium range and I’m getting a slight bite on the retrohale with a smooth aromatic cedar finish
• The wonderful balance of flavors continued through to the nub with each slowly getting more substantial
• There was almost no harshness or bitterness right to the end so I enjoyed it until my fingers were burning

Final Thoughts:
This was a very enjoyable smoking experience from start to end. The flavors were tasty, consistent and well balanced from start to finish. Although there was nothing that jumped out of this cigar it all molded together to make a great smoke. The construction was fantastic, it burned exceptionally and the price is well placed among limited edition cigars (although this is still high for the average consumer). It also let me enjoy it right to the nub with no issues at all. What probably surprised me the most about this cigar was its easy smoking profile. It had a smooth and relaxingly creamy profile from end to end. This was unexpected for me as I’ve come to know a blast of pepper and spice from a lot of Tatuaje cigars. This is definitely not a bad thing, I really enjoyed what this cigar had to offer and it’s good to see something a little different in the Tatuaje inventory. I’d highly recommend grabbing a few of these before the 2009’s are sold out. I can’t really say anything negative about this cigar, I will definitely be seeking out some more for my humidor.

Pairings:
Today we have one a brew from the Great Divide Brewing Co. and it’s called the Yeti Imperial Stout. The brewery hails from Denver Colorado and I think this is the first beer I’ve had from that state. We actually don’t get any brews from Great Divide up here in Ontario so this is another one I picked up while down in Florida. The stout is very full and thick, it coats your whole palate and the flavors linger long after. From each sip I get a strong malty coffee flavor with some dark chocolate thrown in the mix. It’s really a great stout and I enjoyed it. As for the pairing, I think the brew overpowered the cigar a bit. The cigar has some great flavors but it was not full bodied or overpowering so possibly a dark beer may have played nicer and allowed you to enjoy the flavors the cigar had to offer. I also think a cup of coffee would be a great pairing. Even water would go well with the smooth profile of the Tatuaje L’Esprit de Vérité 2009.

The post Tatuaje L’Esprit de Vérité 2009 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

I am still aiming to get this review as well as my last blind cigar review from Brooks done this week, but I am actually undergoing surgery on Tuesday for my Umbilical Hernia I have had since I was a kid. It screwed up pretty bad on me the last few years, especially the last month and I am glad to finally get it over with. So depending on my recovery I may, or may not get to the last blind review this week. Wish me luck!

The Good Stuff: The Casa Miranda is among two new releases that Miami Cigar rolled out this year at IPCPR. Along with the Limited Release of the Nestor Miranda Gran Reserva, the Casa Miranda made it’s debut last month and have been circling the internet-waves ever since. The Casa Miranda is one of the only cigars in Miami Cigar’s portfolio that is not rolled by Pepin. In fact, the Casa Miranda boasts that it is a 100% USA made cigar, even down to the box. This does not mean that the tobacco is grown here in the US, it just means everything was constructed here.

The Casa Miranda is blended by Willy Herrera of ETB Cigars/Drew Estate and hand rolled on Calle Ocho in Miami by only Level 9 certified rollers. Willy has been on a hot streak lately and made news when he announced his new found partnership with Drew Estate about a month or so back. Expect good things from this guy.

The Casa Miranda is composed of an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigar will be released in three sizes; The Robusto, The Toro, and the Belicoso ranging from $10 – $12 a stick. I got these from Bonita Smoke Shop. She always has the good stuff so head over before they sell out!

Size: Toro 6 x 52  –  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan

Prelight: Just by taking one look at the artwork on the band you can tell this is a different type of Nestor Miranda cigar. The band on the Casa Miranda is a very elegant, almost wine-label looking design. Creamy gold and beige accents surround a small cottage with the words “Casa Miranda – Chapter One” in scripted on the front and “Hand crafted in Miami” on the sides. The band sits elegantly on this stunning looking cigar. Willy is a stickler for perfect construction and the Casa Miranda is no exception. The wrapper starts off with just a perfectly consistent, toothy, medium brown color. There are a few vein in the thick body leading up to the seamless, round, double cap.  This cigar has a hell of a lot of weight to it and gives a whole lot of resistance when pressed between my fingers. The cigar bears no soft spots and in fact, gets increasingly more firm as I approach the cap. The wrapper of the cigar gives off a really mild woodsy aroma with just a slight bite of spice at the end where as the foot of the cigar boasts almost nothing but a strong spice with some woodsy aromas laying underneath. The Casa Miranda was easily clipped using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw on this cigar was interesting. The Casa Miranda gave out this really neat woodsy, honey, and strong tobacco flavor that left a little burning sensation on my lips from the spice. In the cold draw, really?! We’ll have to see just how spicy this cigar is once we start smoking it.

First Smoke: As expected, the Casa Miranda started off with a blast of pepper right off the bat. What I didn’t expect was for the pepper to fade so quickly, just after the first few draws. Once the pepper suppressed I was left with a really bold, woodsy flavor with some nice spice, honey, and this citrusy-lemon taste. The draw is just ridiculously easy, but not too loose, kicking out a nice cloud of smoke with every puff. The stationary smoke on this Casa Miranda is great, lots of it and it seriously smells like a burning fireplace. The burnline has some very slight waves, nothing too concerning, and leaves behind a trail of almost perfect, compact, white ash. The ash held on, despite the wind, for well over an inch before giving way. And by “giving way” I mean falling into my shoe. No joke.. ughh…

Halfway There: Much more of the wood flavors have come into play during the second third of this Casa Miranda. I’d like to say they are cedareasue but the spice that accompanies the woodsy flavors puts a neat little spin on them making for a much more deeper flavor. The honey has faded at this point and the spice is still there as well as some of the citrus notes, but I’m also getting this strange little maple flavor on the aftertaste. The retrohale on this cigar is absolutely wonderful coating with a very smooth, creamy woodsy prime. I am not really feeling much nicotine from this cigar, but the body is up there and a bit more than I am used to when it comes to Nestor Miranda cigars. The burnline is still a bit wavy, but I haven’t needed to touch it up at all.

Finish: As the body ramps up a bit into the final third of this Nestor Miranda Casa Miranda, the flavors start to level off and become much smoother and creamier. The main flavor is still the woodsy flavor while the sweetness and most of the citrus has dropped off leaving nothing but a faint spice mixed in with a little bit of espresso. These wasn’t any harshness built up in this cigar, even going into the final inch. I do however feel just a nice little nicotine kick from it.

Overview: You won’t hear me say this often but I think some age on this cigar will do it wonders. It’s a great cigar as it is, but with a little age it may just add that little somethin’ something’ that will really bring this cigar to a whole new level. It was an interesting departure smoking a non-Pepin blended Nestor Miranda and I think they made a very wise decision having Willy blend this cigar for them. He’s been making great things lately and the Casa Miranda is just another notch in his belt. Well balanced with an overall creamy flavor profile, plus the increased body really made this cigar an enjoyable experience with me. This is very box worthy, and there is no doubt in my mind it will be in high demand. Again, if you are looking for these Jackie over at Bonita Smoke Shop already has them, and like I said before, she is one of the best in the business and will get you taken care of.

Pairing: I decided to go for another risky pairing. This Casa Miranda was paired with Ichtegem’s Grand Crew Flemish Red Ale. Brewed at the Brouwerij Strubbe in Belgium this Flanders Red Ale style beer comes in at a modest 6.5% ABV. Most people have no idea what a Flander’s Red Ale style beer is. Basically it’s a sour beer and with it comes a very unique, but acquired taste. The beer pours a dark, reddish brown but tastes much like old orange, apple, and lemon roasted over caramel malt. It’s not for the faint of heart. There more woody flavor profile in the Casa Miranda gave an amazing balance with the sour notes of the beer and really brought the cigar to another level. This cigar would go great with apple juice, a strong brown ale, or some nice scotch.

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Prelight: Cigar #8 is a nice, heavy, corona sized stick. And when I say heavy, I mean this cigar has so much tobacco that it feels like it has been loaded with lead. Cigar #8’s wrapper is a really nice medium brown, with darker brown and orange spots. It almost looks calico in some light. The wrapper only has one really large vein running the entire length of the cigar heading all the way up to the massive triple wrapped round cap. The cigar is all sorts of firm. I can’t find any soft spots, but the hardness of the cigar kinda worries me. We’ll have to see if it creates any problems.

The wrapper doesn’t give off a lot of aroma at all. The only thing I could pick up was some slight tobacco. The foot however, is a different story. I am picking up some really neat floral and citrus aromas with some nice woodsy smells. The cap was cake to cut using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw showed some unexpected signs of pepper and spice in this cigar, along with the floral and tobacco tastes I picked up. I wasn’t expecting to taste any pepper, but we’ll see if it actually carries into the smoking experience.

First Smoke: The cigar really fought my triple flame torch when I was trying to light it, but eventually it was off and running. I really didn’t pick up any of the pepper I did in the cold draw, but the spice was there for sure. Almost as a cover up for the pepper, the spice started out strong but then faded into some nice cedar tones with just a hint of citrus. There is also that saltiness that I tend to pick up from the wrapper of certain cigars, but it is was too early to call this one. The draw, despite being so packed was flowing smoothly kicking out nice, thick, smoke with every puff. The ash is just beautiful, leaving behind a perfectly compacted, zebra striped, with and light grey ash from it’s flawless burnline. The ash held on a good inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: It’s early, I know, but wow. This is a VERY good cigar. The flavors have remained very similar, with the cedary flavors in the forefront, backed by the floral, spice, and now some really neat coffee and cashew flavors. The retrohale is badass too priming with this deep cedar and a bit of the spice. I am not feeling any nicotine at all form this cigar, and for what it’s worth, this cigar is burning incredibly slow. Probably due to all the damn tobacco packed in this sucker.

Finish: I said it, and I will say it again. This is just an awesome cigar. The spice is still holding its own, although it’s just a tease at times it seems to really chime in at just the right moments. Outside of that the cigar has remained completely smooth the entire experience finishing with strong cedar and cashew flavors. By now the floral has completely removed itself form the equation. I smoked this cigar down to the nub, my fingers were burning, with absolutely no signs of harshness, just pure awesomeness. This better not be some crappy RP or I’ll eat my ashtray.

Overview: What can I say? I loved this cigar. From the size, to the amazing ash and burn,  down to the perfect flavors. This is a solid cigar and I’d love to have more in my humidor. I have a good feeling about this one, but then again, I am known to be way off.

I though it was Cuban, then I decided it wasn’t. Then I decided again it was, then decided it wasn’t. It was like that almost the entire time. It had the visual and for the most part flavor characteristics of a Cuban, but the ash, burn, and spice aren’t something I usually find in my Cuban cigars. But then again, this is Brooks we are talking about and chances are this isn’t even a cigar I have ever had. So what did I think it was? I think this is either a Partagas, or Montecristo Cuban. I’m pretty sure it’s a Cuban but if you visit one of the blind reviews from the last set you gave me, you’ll see Tatuaje threw in a curve ball as I claimed that was a Cuban cigar as well.

And the reveal?! You guessed it! I was dead wrong… This cigar was a tricky one, it turned out to be Quesada’s Seleccion Espana Corona. Brooks went on to explain that this cigar was actually made for the Spanish market, which is why it bared such great resemblance to a Cuban cigar. This cigar was released at ProCigar Festival in Dominican Republic and went on sale in Spain in February. Afterwards, a few lucky people in the US actually convinced Quesada to ship a few boxes of these to the US (about 15 boxes of each vitola in total). So you may have an extremely hard time finding these. Sad too, at the estimated price point of around $7-$9 this cigar would have been a steal. The wrapper is composed of a Ecuadroian Arapiraca, with a Dominican Binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Anyhow, for my own credibility I’d like to quote Brooks here:

“When I was given prerelease samples of this smoke (by 3 different BOTL), I was told each time some variation of “This cigar kicks Ass!” I am happy to report that is definitely the case, and more…This is easily one of the best new cigars of the (admittedly short) year, and it is also one of the most “Cubanesque” blends I have tasted (in a non Cuban cigar) in quite a while (I would say it is closest to a Bolivar if I had to choose)…”

He too could have possibly been fooled by this cigar. To view his entire review of the blend (pettit robusto vitola) visit this page.

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This week’s cigar is a nice one. One I have been hoping I could get to before Daniel got his paws on it. Alas, I bring you Cohiba’s Siglo VI.

The Good stuff: Cohiba’s Siglo VI is a nice, hefty, Cuban Puro running anywhere between $20 to $50 (depending where you get them) a stick. This cigar was from a box dated 2006.  The Siglo VI is actually crowned as one of, if not the best cigar rolled in Cuba. This 6×52, monster of a cigar tops just about any list of Top Cigars ever made. Does it stand up to all this hype? Lets find out.

Size: 6×52  –  Wrapper: Cuban  –  Binder/Filler: Cuban  –  Body: Medium

Prelight: The Cohiba Siglo VI starts off with this just wonderfully oily, shiny, creamy light brown wrapper. The wrapper is extremely delicate and exposes even the slightest of any veins in the tobacco leaf.  You can pick up only a few of these smaller veins throughout the body which would have been completely invisible with any other cigar wrapper. The smooth body of the Siglo VI then leads up to a nice Cuban-style round triple cap. There are only very few soft spots in the cigar, and all of them reside at the very base of the foot. The cigar’s band carries the standard, and very recognizable yellow, gold, and black COHIBA checkerboard pattern, along with the words Habana, Cuba.

The wrapper of the Siglo VI gives off this wonderful, almost perfumesque, cedar, and soft spice smell, while the foot only contains enough cedar to mask the earthy, and mossy aromas. The cold draw actually produces a lot of pepper, and some deeper earth tones with some cedar in there.

First Smoke: Wow, this is one of the first Cuban cigars that I haven ever had that starts out with a nice pepper bang. After the pepper quickly faded away I was left with this massive cedar, and a sweet vanilla flavor.  The draw started out very loose, almost annoyingly loose, but tightened up just right after the first few initial draws. The Siglo VI leaves you with a very plentiful cloud of thick smoke on every puff. You really don’t have to hit this thing more than once or twice to get the smoke you need. The burnline is very wavy, but there isn’t a spot at this point that is really burning too much faster than another. The ash on this thing is UUUUGGLLYYY. It’s a really chalky, flaky, dark grey with black spots and only lasted about an inch before giving way. To be honest, I was quite surprised it even lasted that long.

Halfway There: After that crazy, wavy burnline in the first third of this Cohiba Siglo VI, I was happy to see that the burn has complete fixed itself going into the second third and is now burning very even. The pepper that snuck up on me in the first third has returned, but is just a tease on my lips now. I am just still so shocked that this cigar had any pepper to begin with. The cedar is still there, and the vanilla but they have began to blend together with the natural tobacco taste resulting in a very smooth, and creamy experience. I just hope it doesn’t start drying out my mouth. The retrohale is really nice on this cigar, just a little dry coating my nasal passage with a creamy spice. I am actually feeling a slight nicotine kick from this cigar early in, but I think a lot of that has to do with the powerful beer I decided to pair it with.

Finish: The ability of this Siglo VI to correct it’s burnline, and maintain it’s clean edge really impressed me as the burn is dead even going into the final third. The flavors have really began to build up too. Now the cedar has just turned into a monster and this really nice nutmeg taste has been thrown into the mix while the pepper has completely vanquished from the experience all together. One note is there was a ton of cracking on each of the Siglo VIs I smoked near the cut of the head. I think this was due to a combination of  the moisture from my mouth, and how delicate this wrapper is. The wrapper never came off, or bothered me in anyway, it was just worth noting. All together this cigar took about an hour and a half to smoke, and left me with just a very slight nicotine buzz.

Overview: What a cigar. Really, there isn’t much to say. I loved it, I’d love to love it again, I’d buy a box, and I think you should buy a box. Yes, it’s pricey. But really, it’s worth having a few of these on hand for those special cigars, or just when you are in the mood for something super premium. It’s smooth, complex, flavorful, and very well rounded. My only gripe is how delicate the wrapper is.

Pairing: A great cigar, deserves a great pairing. In this case, I couldn’t think of a better pairing that a nice bottle of  Trappistes Rochfort 10 brewed by Brasserie de Rochefort (Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy) in Belgium. Starting with the beautiful  11.30% ABV and ending at the deep birch, citrus, vanilla, and cherry notes, this quadruple ale is one of the bests on the market. The vanilla went perfect with the vanilla notes I picked up in the Siglo VI. This cigar would go perfect, and is one of the few that would go perfect with a nice bitter ale. Maybe even an IPA, tea, or even some apple juice.

On a side note: I was having a really shitty week at work a while back. And one of my co-workers, know how rough the week had been for me, and also knowing my need for good, Belgian beer, actually left this on bottle on my desk one morning. How badass is that? Needless to say, I hope she stays around for a long time.

The post Cohiba Siglo VI (Cuban) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The scenery may look a bit different as I am actually doing this review from my favorite local shop, Tobacco Rd., which has always been a huge supporter of the site as well as a close friend. (Yes I brought my ashtray from home, so what?!)

The Good Stuff: Here is the press release La Aurora released. It basically covers everything to a tee:

La Aurora Unveils Broadway Series for New York State only

The Affordable Cigar Debuts Monday December 20 at Cigar Inn.

MIAMI FL – Miami Cigar & Company, the exclusive U.S. distributor for La Aurora, announces help is on the way for New York. Tobacconists are suffering under harsh tobacco tax of 75% of wholesale cost which prices many cigars out of the average smoker’s reach. La Aurora vice president Guillermo León says it is time for action to help smokers. As a result, León and Miami Cigar and Company President Nestor Miranda are releasing a special Broadway Series by La Aurora with a suggested retail price of $12.25 including the onerous NY state tobacco tax.

León says, “New York has always been special to me and my family. What has happened with the cigar taxes in New York is tragic. Since we cannot lower the taxes, we worked hard to lower the cost of this cigar without compromising quality. ” Adds Miranda, “we are beginning to try to help tobacconists with the Broadway series by La Aurora just in time for Christmas.”

On Monday, December 20th, Cigar Inn on Second Avenue in New York City will host Guillermo León , Nestor Miranda and Miami Cigar VP Rene Castaneda with a private dinner to launch the Broadway series. The initial cigar is a Sumo Toro, measuring 5 ¾ X 54. Its blend uses a double wrapper of Ecuadorian Sumatran and Nicaraguan over Dominican Corojo binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Peru. The Broadway Series will only be available at tobacconists in New York state.

Prelight: The La Aurora Broadway is a larger, bulky cigar. A lot bigger that what I am used to, and probably larger than La Aurora is used to making. The Broadway is very firm and has a good weight to it too, heavy enough to beat the crap out of somebody with. The wrapper is oily and a darker, to medium brown with tons of orange spots throughout. The beefy body leads up to a big ass, rounded double cap. The construction on this cigar is remarkable. I can’t find any signs of flaws what so ever. There are a few smaller veins running through the cigar, and absolutely no soft spots. The band is, in my opinion, similar to the Guillermo Leon Signature series only with a New York style skyline in the background encrested with metallic silver, red, and black ink.

The wrapper’s aroma is very potent, kicking out a heavy earthy, woodsy scent. The foot tells a different story. A story full of spice and cinnamon. If the scent says anything about the cigar, this will be a very interesting cigar. The Broadway clipped very easily using my double bladed cutter. The cold draw let loose a very, very sweet cedar/tobacco mixture with just a dash of spice on the tail end of it.

An interesting note. After the first clip, there was still quite a ways to the secondary wrapper. You can see what I am talking about in this picture:

First Smoke: Right off the bat, the Broadway is a flavor machine producing a ton of natural and cedar-like flavors with hints of nutmeg and citrus. I wasn’t sure if the dual wrapper would produce, or reduce the flavor, but I am pretty sure I already know the answer to that. The draw isn’t as big as I thought it would be. It feels almost as if the cigar is trying to go out, but the smoldering ash at the foot of the cigar is telling me otherwise. A possibly fatal flaw to the dual wrapper set up is the thick, uncontrollable burnline. It was all sorts of crazy all the way through the first third. Tons of rotating waves, and rough patches. The ash left behind was a tightly bound medium grey ash, which held on for almost two inches before giving way.

Halfway There: Am I the only one pulling mint off this cigar? Really, I swear I’m getting whiffs of spearmint with every draw. The cedar and earth tones are still in full effect and plentiful. The citrus is actually even stronger in the second third and there is this slight creamy taste being introduced. On a happy note, the draw has opened right up and is now pumping out the massive cloud of thick smoke I expected from the beginning of the Broadway. The cigar is still burning all crazy, but I haven’t had to touch it up or relight it so it’s not a burden at all at this point. The retrohale as just as smooth as the rest of the experience priming my nasal passage with a very creamy cedar and spice.

Finish: One word to describe this cigar… Smooth. The flavors finished off very smooth and creamy. Almost like a heavily creamered coffee with bursts of cedar and citrus and spice aftertaste. No harshness at all.  Tons of flavor. I didn’t feel much, if any nicotine from this cigar. The burnline is still crazy. The only thing that got me was the draw. I had to really hit this thing thing hard and often (that’s what she said) in order to keep it lit. Even at that it went out twice in the final third. Nothing too menacing, but both samples I smoked had similar issues. The first sample went out in the first third.

Overview: La Aurora has been on fire lately, kicking out hit after hit. The Broadway, although limited to the New York area, follows the exact same trend. If this has anything to say about 2011 then La Aurora is poised for yet another powerful year. The all around smooth experience paired with the massively potent and complex flavors makes for an excellent everyday smoke. The only con was the burn. I blame that one the dual wrapper. But I also place the blame on the wrapper set up for the flavors. It’s a double-edged sword. If you don’t mind retouching your cigars or the occasional relight, then this cigar is for you. $12 is a bit pricey for this cigar. In all honesty I’m not sure that I’d choose this cigar over something like La Aurora’s 107 which carries just above half the price tag.

The post La Aurora Broadway Series (New York Exclusive) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Again, if you are just tuning in, Brooks from Smokingstogie.com was kind enough to send me a 5-stick set of (so far) rare, blind cigars to review. If you haven’t checked out Smokingstogie.com before I strongly suggest you head that way and give Brooks a hello. The blog is jam-packed with honest reviews, and amazing photography of some of the rarest, most expensive cigars every made.

Prelight: Cigar #3 is a standard, bulky little robusto sized cigar. The wrapper is a very light brown with shades of yellow and orange mixed in all accented by an extremely shiny, silky overcoat. The wrapper is beautiful and carries a very textured character as each and every little bump and vein in the leaf are highly visible with a darker shade of brown. The meaty body leads to the famous, and well loved round triple cap. The construction of this cigar is mnear flawless outside of a few softer spots towards the foot of the cigar. Overall the cigar is tightly packed with a ton of tobacco visible at the foot, but overall very soft and squishy in contrast to most other cigars.

I can pull very little aroma off the wrapper of the cigar. Just a slight spice and soft woodsy smell. The story is similar for the foot, but I am able to pull more of the spice, less of the wood. The cap clipped very cleanly with extreme ease using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw produces a very earthy, malty flavor with only a little of the spice present on the aftertaste.

First Smoke: This cigar was a pain in the ass to get lit. But once I did, it was off and running. The cigar started out with just a subtle greeting of white pepper which transitioned into a very pleasant spicy, wood mixture much like what I picked up from the cold draw. The main flavors are accented by a splash of citrus, and the saltiness picked up on the wrapper. If you read a few of the reviews on this site, I have made mention to that salt flavor taken from the wrapper, and how it is only present on certain cigars. Is it too early to call the country of origin? If the thick, crazy burnline, flaky, zebra striped ash, and light body have anything to say about it, I would have to dub this one a Cuban early in. But we all know I screwed this up on the first cigar that Brooks sent my way. Anywho, cigar #2 is kicking out a massive draw that leaves behind a thick, cedar scented lasting cloud of smoke. The ash held steady for about an inch and a half before falling to its doom in my ashtray.

Halfway there: The pepper is completely gone, and what is left behind is a hell of a smooth and creamy smoke. The cedar and other woodsy/earthy flavors are rocking hard while a more milky, almost heavy-creamed coffee flavor has snuck in. The malty flavors I spoke about early in are starting to jab through as well.  I’m not sure if it’s the cigar or the we-haven’t-gottona-a-drop-of-rain-in-3months El Paso weather, but I am developing a case of dry mouth. Again, I am pairing all of these blind cigars with water as to not hinder the experience. I only get one shot at these and pairing incorrectly usually turns out to be a horrible idea. The burnline has shockingly enough completely corrected itself and the cigar is burning dead even at this point. The retrohale on this cigar is wonderful, coating my nasal passage with a very rich and creamy cedar flavor/aroma. I’m not feeling too much of anything nicotine from this cigar at all.

Finish: The body began showing face a little more into the final third. It didn’t get crazy strong or harsh, but there was a noticeable increase in strength. The pepper also came out of hiding and held on to a flavor accent to the very potent cedar and creamy malt that commanded my attention. The burnline still remained completely even cause no touch-ups or relights of any kind. I’m still not really feeling much in the nicotine department, which is a good thing. This cigar is perfect at the mild/medium that it is. I am forcing myself to really take my time and enjoy this one as it’s been burning pretty quickly. It took only about and hour and fifteen minutes to take the whole stick down. There was only a very slight harshness that I encountered into the very final inch of this cigar. Nothing off-putting, and the fact that the cigar never burned hot, even down to the nub made it all worth it.

Overview: This cigar was a very awesome stick, perfect for those lazy Sundays. Mild, smooth, full of flavor, and just quick enough to not have to spend a lifetime in the backyard. Depending on the price tag this cigar is something totally worth keeping on hand as it fills the void in those early to mid afternoon smoking sessions.

Final Guess: I’m going to coin this cigar Cuban for sure, but the difficulty is choosing exactly which Cuban I think it is. I’m going to go with either the Partagas Serie D, or some sort of Romeo y Juileta. I’m not as versed in the ways of the ISOM’s so I may be way off with those two guesses. But we shall soon find out.

The Reveal: From Brooks:

It was a Cuban (great call :), actually a Cohiba Robusto from 1995….

Did I read that right? At first I glared right over it. But 1995?!! This Cuban Cohiba is 15 YEARS OLD?!!?! Wow! I almost felt bad for smoking it. Almost…So much for wanting to keep a few of these on hand. I’ve never had a Cuban with that much age on it. Or anything close for that matter. I actually reviewed a newer Cuban Cohiba Robusto recently, and I have to say, there was dramatic change in the experience. The age really mellows out the cigar and helps build up the main, targeted flavors. Big thanks goes out to Brooks for not holding back on the sticks he sent my way!

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