the Good Stuff:

Making its debut at this year’s 2025 PCA trade show, the My Father Blue was unveiled. This new, regular production cigars is created at the all new My Father Cigar factory in Honduras which opened in 2024. Marking the My Father Blue as the first Honduran produced cigar, the blend features a Connecticut Broadleaf Rosado wrapper over a Honduran binder and Honduran filler tobaccos. The cigar is offered in four regular production sizes: Petite Robusto (4 1/2 x 50), Robusto (5 1/4 x 54), Toro (6 x 54) and Toro Gordo (6 x 60). Each comes packaged in boxes of 20 ranging between $9 and $13 per cigar.

• Size: 5 1/4 x 54
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Rosado
• Binder: Honduran
• Filler: Honduran
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $10.50

Prelight:

The My Father Blue starts out with a very deep, dark brown wrapper which isn’t the most consistent as there are quite a few areas with darker and light brown scattered throughout. The soft-box pressed body features a good amount of veining in the wrapper. The wrapper is laid carefully over itself white the texture itself is very gritty and toothy and coated with a ton of oils. The cigar is completed with a round, double wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a set of very light blue bands with the My Father Crest along with the Blue moniker. There is also an added blue ribbon at the foot of the cigar.

The wrapper on the My Father Blue gives off musky earthy notes with a bit of a floral ton while the foot of the cigar smells really spicy and earthy. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw is very chocolatey and earthy with some soft spice.

First Third:

The My Father Blue starts out with a ton of milk chocolate flavors over musk, earthiness, natural tobacco and pecan. The draw is absolutely beautiful. Each puff kicks out massive clouds of thick, white smoke which take forever to dissipate while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke as the oils burn off the wrapper while the cigar rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and rock solid leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of thick, white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second third:

The milk chocolate is still the main character in the My Father Blue’s flavor profile. Along with the musk, earthiness, natural tobacco and pecan I picked up in the first third there is also now a really awesome sweetness, almost like brown sugar that has been seeping in. The retrohale brings out just a hint of the spice I picked up during the cold draw. I close out the second third with no nicotine kick at all.

Finish:

The body really picks up in the final third of the My Father Blue’s and is now in the medium/full arena. The flavor profile is mostly the same with loads of milk chocolate, tobacco, musk, earthiness and pecan but now with a whole mess of cinnamon and spice with the light brown sugar I picked up in the first. The cigar took me a little over and hour to smoke it down to the nub. There was no harshness nor extended heat. I did however experience just some slight sap, but once I clipped a bit more off the cap I was golden. I didn’t smoke at all faster pace either. I close out with no nicotine at all.

Overview:

The My Father Blue feels classic, yet modern at the same time. The cigar has all the nuances you’d expect from a My Father cigar. The flavor profile is complex and enjoyable, yet the strength remains on the lower end for a My Father cigar making it even more enjoyable in this case. It also really helps showcase some of the more subtle flavors in the Honduran tobacco. All in all, this is a cigar I can easily see myself smoking over and over again. It’s a perfect cigar to have on hand and will likely have a place in my regular rotation for quite some time.

The post My Father Cigars – My Father Blue appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Fabrica Oveja Negra, Black Label Trading Co.’s factory in Nicargua, the company is releasing the Eletto, or “Chosen One”. This limited edition cigar is blended with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. The Eletto will come in three sizes: The Corona Gorda (5 2/4 x 46), The Short Robusto (4 1/2 x 52), and the toro (6 x 50). Each comes packaged in boxes of 20 running between $12.40 and $13.90 with only 400 boxes of the Corona Gorda being produced, and only 800 boxes of the Short Robusto and Toro.

• Size: 4 1/2 x 46
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $12.90

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co. Eletto starts out with a very deep, dark brown wrapper that is very rustic looking as the cigar is scattered with darker spots throughout its body with a nice red gleam when the light hits it. The wrapper feels very thick and dense with a ton of tooth and grit covering it along with a nice, thick layer of oils. There are some larger veins running through the cigar’s body adding to the rustic looking character as it leads up to the cigar’s round, pigtail finished cap. The cigar is polished off with a classic white and black band featuring the “Eletto” crest on the front in an almost black-metal band style typeface.

The wrapper on the Black Label Trading Co. Eletto gives off little aroma, mostly musk and tobacco while the foot of the cigar is very sweet and earthy. The cap cut clean using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of and musk, earthiness and sweetness over a little black licorice.

First Half:

I was expecting the Eletto to start off with a huge pepper punch, but it didn’t. Instead I am greeting with an awesome mixture of deep wood, musk, and leather over loads of sweetness, brown sugar and caramel with a nice black licorice bite along with some spice on the finish. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick white smoke while the cigar releases a whole mess of stationary smoke while the oils burn off the wrapper as it sits in my ashtray. The burn line is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted, dark gray ash which held on for about 3/4 of an inch before giving way.

Second Half:

Into the second third of the Black Label Trading Co. Eletto I am starting to really pick up some of that pepper I expected at the start. Along with the pepper comes a full bodied spice and retrohaling the cigar only increases both the pepper and spice. As I peel back the flavor layers I still find a great sweetness, caramel, and leather, however the licorice has now turned into an awesome dark berry. The flavor profile in this cigar is intense, and complex and I am love every minute of it. I close out with a decent little nicotine kick. There was no sap, no heat, and absolutely no burn issues. It took me about an hour to take this cigar down to the nub.

Overview:

I always enter every Black Label Trading Co. cigar with high expectations. The fact that this is an anniversary blend made me hype it up in my mind even more. I am pleased to say, I was not let down. The Eletto is a bold, complex, and full-flavored powerhouse of flavors that has a nice, balanced strength profile that won’t leave you on your ass. The profile fit my personal tastes very well and the cigar burned perfectly from start to finish. What more could you want? Oh, more cigars. It’s a limited edition run so I need to make sure I grab more while I still can.

The post Black Label Trading Co. Eletto appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust doesn’t release a ton of cigars each year. Instead, founder Steve Saka, spends his time meticulously blending, then reblending, then reblending each release until they pass his inspection. This year, one of those releases is a blend update to the Umbagog, the Umbagog Bronzeback. Named after Umbagog Lake State Park, a favorite fishing spot of Saka’s, the Bronzeback features a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers just like the original release, and even carries a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper like the original. However, instead of the Medium/#1 Dark broadleaf, The Bronzeback utilizes a 2LS. Saka states that the 2LS comes from between the 1/3 and 1/2 of the tobacco stalk which is right beneath the mediums. He went on to note that this particular section of leaves produces a less-sweet, more peppery experience for the cigar smoker. The cigar is offered in a single 5 x 48 Rothschild format which comes packaged in soft packs of 10 running $9.75 per cigar. Huge thanks to Steve Saka and his team for sending these out way for review.

• Size: 5 x 48
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $9.75

Prelight:

The Umbagog Bronzeback starts off with a very rich, dark brown wrapper which is covered in darker splotches scattered throughout. The wrapper’s texture is very gritty and toothy with only a small amount of oil coating it. There are some larger veins running through the cigar’s body, but nothing too concerning. There are no soft spots to be found and the cigar feels packed perfectly with a little give in it. The cigar is rounded off with a double-wrapped cap and a green and bronze version of the Umbagog band.

the wrapper gives off notes of cedar and natural tobacco while the foot of the cigar is more earthy with a bit of spice and sweetness. The cap cut clean and easily on the Umbagog Bronzeback. The cold draw produces notes of oak, tobacco, and some natural sweetness.

First Third:

The Umbagog Bronzeback starts off with a small black pepper blast that quickly turns into a more herbal spice mixed with lots of woodsy/cedar notes over musk, bitter chocolate, pecan and earthiness. I am a bit surprised that the sweetness that I picked up on the cold draw isn’t coming through as the flavor profile is relatively dry at this point. The draw is great as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick white smoke which dissipates almost immediately while the cigar releases only a small amount of smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is incredibly even and razor sharp. This is a “burnline enthusiasts” dream. The ash left behind is incredibly tightly compacted and white in color. It held on for a little under an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Umbagog Bronzeback and the flavor profile still remains an awesome mixture of very dry flavors. The woodsy/musk flavors lead the charge backed by pecan, dark chocolate, and a nice earthiness. The flavors haven’t really changed up any, and I’m totally fine with that. The retrohale really brings out the pepper that I don’t get much in the standard experience at this point. I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine and the cigar has been burning like a dream.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Umbagog Bronzeback and the flavor profile still hasn’t really changed up much. And again, that’s totally ok. The wood and musky flavors along with the pecan dominate the profile backed by dark chocolate and earthiness. It’s not the more complex profile, and it doesn’t need to be. This is one of those great examples of a cigar that just delivers without having to hit you in the face with complexity. It took me about an hour and a half to smoke it down to the nub. There was no harshness, no extended heat, and it burned perfectly from start to finish. I close out with nothing really in terms of nicotine.

Overview:

I really enjoyed the original Umbagog, and it was a cigar that I found myself going back to quite often. It’s funny how something so simple as using tobacco leaves a few inches apart can transform a blend. While most of the flavors I enjoyed from the original release are still there, the Bronzeback offers a more drying offering with more focus on the subtleness of the flavors. Which did I like more? That’s personal preference. While both are killer I found that the sweetness from the OG suits my palate just a bit better, however the Bronzeback will absolutely find a home in my humidor on those days where I am craving something with less sweetness.

The post Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Macanudo Emissary Espana is composed using tobaccos from five different countries which includes a Havana-seed grown near the town of Riolobos, Spain. This region’s rocky, mountainous soil is perfect for growing certain tobacco that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. This particular tobacco is known for its intensity and complexity. The complete make up of the cigars tarts with a USA grown Connecticut Broadleaf, Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Columbia, and of course Spain. The Macanudo Emissary Espana is offered in 4 sizes: Perfect (6 x 40/54), The Churchill (7 x 48), The Robusto (5 x 52), and the Toro (6 x 52). Each comes packaged in boxes of 16 and runs between $14.99 and $17.99 per cigar.

• Size: 5 x 54
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Colombian, Spain
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium:
• Price: $14.99

Prelight:

The Macanudo Emissary Espana starts out with a very, very dark brown wrapper thats incredibly consistent in color. The wrapper’s texture is gritty and toothy with a small amount of oils coating it. The wrapper itself feels very dense and hard while the cigar as a whole is very heavy and tightly compacted as I find no soft-spots at all. There are a few smaller veins that lead up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with a gold and dark blue wrapper with the Macanudo crest and the word “Emissary” printed along the bottom. There is also the addition of an awesome teal and gold foot band with the word “Espana” embossed across the front.

The wrapper on the Macanudo Emissary Espana gives off a bit of tart sweetness over some woodsiness while the foot of the cigar is very woodsy and very earthy with some strong pepper at the end. The wrapper cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a very musky mixture of oak, moss, earthiness, and dark berry notes.

First Third:

The Macanudo Emissary Espana starts out with a tiny little black pepper punch which only lasted a puff or two. After that the cigar releases some great notes of musky wood, raisin and black cherry over notes of pecan, black tea, and just a dash of sweetness. The draw is slightly tight, but manageable. After a few puffs the cigar releases a good amount of thick white smoke which dissipates almost instantly while the cigar releases no stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

The flavor profile in the Macanudo Emissary Espana has remained mostly the same. lots of musky wood over raisin and black cherry mixed with lighter notes of pecan, vanilla and black tea. There is also a great little floral flavor that pops in and out of the mix. The retrohale really brings out the black cherry and sweetness. The cigar is now drawing perfectly and smoothy while burning flawlessly. I close out the second third with only a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third and nothing has really changed up in terms of flavor, and thats ok as I am really enjoying this profile. The Macanudo Emissary Espana still leads with mostly musky, woodsy, raisin and black cherry notes over pecan and vanilla. The black tea has dropped out by now. The cigar burned very slowly and it took almost an hour and forty five minutes to take down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat and it left me with only a very minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

The Macanudo Emissary Espana is a perfect example of utilizing rare tobacco to make an exception product. The flavor profile is where this cigar really shines. Not only are the flavor complex and bold, but they are extremely enjoyable, at least as far as my personal palate goes. The cigar burned great from start to finish outside of the small hiccup with the draw at the start. I smoked 3 of these and only experienced it on this one which gets a pass considering this is a handmade product. This is a cigar I would definitely like to keep a few on deck for the times when I am craving something a bit different with a complex body.

The post Macanudo Emissary Espana appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Steve Saka, founder of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust unveiled the third installment to the Mi Querida line, the Mi Querida black at last year’s PCA show with the SakaKhan which we reviewed later in the year. Produced at the NACSA factory in Nicaragua the blend features a US grown Connecticut Broadleaf No.1 darks wrapper over a Mexican San Andres Negro binder and fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

“Black” is the third iteration of this style of blend within our Mi Querida family of puros. It retains the soul of our two other ligas within the line, however with the addition of a very select grade of Honduran grown Habano Seed tripa incorporated into the blend. Only the finest materials are utilized from the exhaustively “creamed” tripas, to the very best grade of dark Connecticut-grown Broadleaf capas with acute attention paid to their craftsmanship. Robust, rich, and decadently satisfying, the Limited Production Mi Querida Black is the apex of broadleaf cigars.

https://www.dunbartoncigars.com/marca/mi-querida-black/

This year’s release comes in a single 5 5/8 x 48 format packed in boxes of 10 with only 3,500 boxes being produced. Each cigar runs $15.95 per stick and we are extremely grateful to the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust team for sending a few of these our way to enjoy.

• Size: 5 5/8 x 48
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Mexican San Andres Negro
• Filler: Honduran, Dominican, and Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $15.95

Prelight:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka is very deep and dark in color with inconsistent areas of darker brown and a beautiful reddish brown. The wrapper’s texture is extremely toothy and gritty with a good amount of oils coating it which transfer onto my fingers as it’s handled. The wrapper itself feels extremely hard and dense while the cigar as a whole is packed nicely with absolutely no soft spots to be found. There is some extremely mild veining in the wrapper leaf as it’s laid seamlessly over itself leading up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. Polishing off the cigar is the standard, elegant Mi Querida band in black and silver with the crest embossed across the front.

The wrapper on the PapaSaka gives off really bold floral and sweet molasses aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more grainy with notes of plum over natural tobacco and earthiness. Due to the thickness of the wrapper leaf the cap took a bit of a convincing from my Xikar XO double bladed cutter to clip. Or it could just be a dull blade. The cold draw produces notes of raisin and spice over nighter notes of oak and earthiness.

First Third:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka starts out with a nice black pepper zing which while potent, faded almost instantly after the first few puffs allowing bold notes of raisin and oak to shine through accompanied by lighter notes of spice, molasses, and earthiness. There is also a really interesting piloncillo component that I pick up ever-so-lightly on the tail-end of the taste. The draw is absolutely beautiful. Each tiny puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke which hang around for quite a while considering the breeze under my patio while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is perfectly even and razor sharp leaving a trail of tightly compacted white gray ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka and the raisin flavor is leading the charge backed back bold black cherry and molasses over creamy notes of spice and earthiness. The flavor profile up to this point is full, but very nicely balanced. The retrohale really brings out the spice from the profile and puts it on the front of the taste. While it’s not bold or overpowering, I quite enjoy the profile without the extra spice so I don’t find myself doing it often. The cigar is burning like a dream and I close out the second third with nothing in terms of a nicotine kick.

Finish:

The final third of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka has really showcased how to create a creamy palate without sacrificing bold, unique flavors. The profile carries bold raisin, molasses and an awesome little sassafras (like root beer) twang over creamy notes of spice and earthiness. This is a hell of a profile. The PapaSaka took me about and hour and a half to smoke it down to the nub. There was no harshness, and no extended heat. The cigar burned flawlessly without any additional help from my torch from start to finish and left me with only a mild nicotine hit.

Overview:

I loved the SakaKhan last year, and could wait for the PapaSaka release this year. I am happy to report that it completely lived up to my personal built-up hype. In fact, I may have even enjoyed this year more. The flavor profile is where this cigar really shines. Subjective, I know, but this is one of those cigars I feel were created for my own personal palate. The profile is extremely enjoyable, not overly complex, and one that I think would also appeal to quite a large amount of smokers who enjoy full-bodied cigars. A big plus here as that the bold flavors didn’t come at the cost of a stronger cigar as the PapaSaka fell comfortable in the lower medium-medium/full arena. The price is on par and likely even a bit lower that I’d expect to pay for an experience like this, however its a pretty limited run and will sell out very quickly.

The post Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Steak lovers rejoice! Steve Saka at Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust created Red Meat Lovers as a top-shelf offering blended specifically to be enjoyed after a heavy meal of steak or prime rib. Originally created as an annual single store exclusive release at the request of the Red Meat Lovers Club to smoke at their charity dinners, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust founder and Master Blender Steve Saka decided this year to make the Red Meat Lovers a full production line adding two new sizes, the Filet Minon and Porterhouse. Handcrafterd at the Nicaraguan American Cigar factory the Red Met Lovers features a US Grown Connecticut wrapper over a Mexican San Andres Negro binder and filler tobacco from Nicaragua and the US. The Red Meat Lovers is offered in four steak themed sizes: Beef Stick (6 x 48), Filet Minon (5 x 54), Ribeye (6 x 52), and the Porterhouse (6 x 60). Each format comes in a soft-box press format with the exception of the Beef Stick. Each comes package in boxes of 10 running between $14.95 and $16.45 per cigar. While I have purchased and smoked my share of the line, these particular cigars were sent my way from our friends at Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust.

• Size: 6 x 52
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: San Andres Negro
• Filler: Nicaraguan and USA
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $15.45

Prelight:

The Red Meat Lovers Ribeye starts out with a gorgeous, consistent dark brown wrapper with only a few darker areas located around the cigar’s cap. The texture on the wrapper is very toothy and gritty with some slight oils coating the cigar. The wrapper feels very thick and dense. is laid seamlessly over itself. There are only tiny, little veins located thourhgout the cigar’s slender, soft-box pressed body leading up to the cigar’s round, stubby pigtail cap. Polishing of the cigar is a red and white band with a total butcher-style branding of the “Red Meat Lovers” crest in the front.

The wrapper on the Red Meat Lovers gives off note of musk and spice while the foot of the cigar carries a more earthy/peppery mixture of aromas over natural tobacco. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a fruity mixture of raisin on spice over mostly natural tobacco and musky flavors.

First Third:

The Red Meat Lovers Ribeye starts off with a milder blast of black pepper than I expected. The pepper faded very quickly after the first few puff which allowed the cigar to release some great musky cedar flavors mashed up with some great bold spice and raisin over milder notes of earthy tobacco, pecan and a really mild black cherry tartness. The flavors start right off in the full-body arena and it will be interesting to see how they develop over the experience. The draw is slightly tight, but nothing too fussy. After a starter puff or two the cigar pumps out huge clouds of very thick, dense smoke which takes quite some time to dissipate while the cigar releases almost no stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. I also really enjoy the comfort both in my hand and my mouth of the soft box press. The burnline is ridiculously sharp and very even leaving behind a trail of very tightly compacted white and dark gray ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Red Meat Lovers and the flavor profile has been mostly consistent. The full-bodied profile leads with a ton of musky cedar and spice over more raisin, earthy tobacco and also a great charred pretzel-like flavor. There is also this great little anise flavor that keeps poking its head in and out of the equation. The retrohale brings out a whole ton of spice and pepper which can be a bit overpowering so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The draw at this point has completely opened up and is now kicking out a ton of smoke with every little puff. I close out the second third with a decent little nicotine kick already.

Finish:

The Red Meat Lovers finishes with a very consistent profile as the rest of the cigar: bold musk, cedar and spice over raisin, earthiness, and a grainy/charry/biscuity mixture. It started in the full-bodied arena and ended just the same. It took me almost two hours to take this cigar down to the nub. It’s a stronger smoke so I took my time with it. I close out with no extended heat, no harshness, and no sap. It did however leave me with a pretty hefty nicotine kick. It’s time to break out some cookies to settle that out.

Overview:

It’s very easy to see how great the Red Meat Lovers would pair with a steak or even a heavy stout. The flavor profile is very bold and consistent which you’d be able to grasp even after the heaviest of meals. While it’s not the most complex profile, it didn’t need to be. You can also easily taste the quality of tobacco used in this blend very easily. The cigar performed as it should, is easily obtainable and while a bit higher priced it’s still not crazy expensive considering the tobacco used in the blend. This isn’t a cigar I’ll have a ton of on hand, but I will absolutely keep some in my humidor for those late night after dinner smokes, or a perfect pairing for my winter evening roasty stout pairings.

The post Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Red Meat Lovers Ribeye appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Le Patissier is the newest full-production line coming from The Crowned Heads. Originally showcased in 2021 to PCA attendees the Patissier is a bit of a sister brand to the much acclaimed “Le Careme”. Meaning “Pastry Chef” in French, the La Patissier starts out with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over a Jalapan Nicaraguan binder and filler tobacco from Costa Rica and the Pueblo Nuevo and Ometepe regions of Nicaragua. Produced at the Tabacalera Pichardo factory in Nicaragua the cigar was originally showcased in a single 6 1/2 x 44 Lonsdale format to 2021 PCA attendees, the full production version comes in four sizes: Senadores (6 1/8 x 48), No. 50 (4 3/8 x 50), Canonazo (5 7/8 x 52), and the No. 54 (5 3/8 x 54). Each come packaged in boxes of 20 running between $10.50 and $12 a stick. Note that the original 6 1/2 x 44 is still available for purchase at many online retailers at the time of writing this article. I purchased mine over from our friends at Cuenca Cigars who now offer online ordering of cigar singles. This particular cigar is one of those offerings currently.

• Size: 4 3/8 x 50
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Costa Rican and Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $10.50
• Pairing: Firestone Walker Brandy Barrel Barley Wine (Barleywine 13.8% ABV)

Prelight:

The Crowned Heads Le Patissier starts out with a deep, dark brown wrapper with lots of darker areas as well as reddish brown areas scattered throughout. The wrapper’s texture is very gritter and toothy with a good amount of oils coating it. The wrapper itself feels very rich and hard while the cigar as a whole is extremely hard and tightly packed. There are a few smaller veins and one larger one running the length of the cigar’s short body leading up to it’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a beautiful manilla, gold, black and pastel green band which features a beautiful French-inspired design carrying the Le Patissier crest embossed on the front, and a secondary gold foot band with the Crowned Heads logo.

The wrapper on the Le Patissier gives off a light tobacco aroma while the foot of the cigar carries musk, tobacco, and earthiness. The cap cut with a bit of extra effort using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces mostly earth and deep tobacco with a few lighter berry notes.

First Half:

Due to the small size of this cigar I’ll be reviewing it in halves instead of the traditional thirds. the Le Patissier starts out with a very minor bit of black pepper and spice over bold musk, oak, light black cherry and dirt over natural tobacco flavors. The draw is slightly tight on the few that I smoked, but nothing unmanageable so no points taken there. the cigar releases very little stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead event and very thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for about 3/4 of an inch before falling in my ashtray.

Second Half:

Into the second half of the Le Patisseir and the body has started to ramp up now as I find it right in the mid-range of medium/full. The flavor profile is still mostly musk and oak with some light spice and lots of underlying earthiness. The retrohale helps brings out the spice as well as a little cinnamon. It took me a little over and hour to take this cigar down to the nub. I am actually pretty impressed with how slow this burned. I experienced No harness, no extended heat and the cigar burned absolutely perfectly from start to finish.

Overview:

The Crowned Head Patissier is a solid offering. The cigar performed beautifully and offered some good, straightforward flavors. My only complaint lies a bit more on the subjective side of things as I wished the cigar just had a bit more dimension and flavors that matched my personal palate a bit more. I think some subtle sweetness could really push this cigar to the next level. Overall I enjoyed it, will smoke it again, but won’t likely keep this one in my regular rotation. However if you are a smoker who really enjoys musk and oak forward cigars this one is right up your alley. Not to mention it’s regular production and quite affordable.

Pairing:

Firestone Walker’s Brandy Barrel Barley Wine is a Brewmaster’s Collective exclusive beer which features a special barleywine co-fermented with Paso Robles grown white wine grapes which is then barrel aged in brandy barrels. Coming in at 13.8% ABV the beautiful orange beer leads with loads of brandy and wine flavors. I’m actually impressed with how potent the grapes are. Underneath there are nice notes of berry, honey, and really light hoppiness. The beer finishes with even more wine and brandy over mixed fruits. This beer doesn’t carry many characteristics you usually find in a barleywine, predominantly the absence of bitterness. Instead this beer is sweet, crisp, and incredibly smooth with a hell of a brandy bite to it. The fruit really paired well with the flavors in the Crowned Heads Le Patissier while the sweetness really helped bring the cigar out of it’s shell.

The post The Crowned Heads Le Patissier appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Tatuaje fans rejoice! One of the most popular blends Pete Johnson ever created has made it’s triumphant return. The Tatuaje Frank, the first set in the popular Monster series released an eerie 13 years ago in a VERY limited production run of only 666 boxes. Each year thereafter a new “Monster” was released:

• 2008 – The Frank
• 2009 – The Drac
• 2010 – The Face
• 2011 – The Wolfman
• 2012 – The Mummy
• 2013 – The JV13
• 2014 – The Jekyll
• 2015 – The Hyde
• 2016 – Krueger
• 2017 – The Michael
• 2018 – The Bride
• 2019 – Chuck and Tiff

The Tatuaje The Frank Redux 1 is essentially the same cigar as the first release with only minor tweaks. Likely due to crop variations. The Frank Redux 1 is offered in the same 7 5/9 x 49 format utilizing the same blend on paper: Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over a dual Nicaraguan binder (Jalapa and Esteli) and all Nicaraguan fillers (also from Jalapa and Esteli). This time there was a total of 5,000 boxes of 13 released. Each cigar runs $13. Big thanks to Jason for the hookup!

• Size: 7 5/9 x 49
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Dual Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $13
• Pairing: Bottle Logic Study Break (Imperial Stout 10% ABV)

Prelight:

The Tatuaje Frank Redux 1 carries a deep, dark brown wrapper covered in splotches of almost-black areas and lighter orangish areas. It’s definitely a bit monster-looking. The wrapper itself carries quite a few medium-grade veins along with a ton of gritty tooth and lots of oils. The wrapper is very thick and very hard while the cigar itself is huge and heavy as hell. It’s very tightly compacted. The cigar carries a few notable characteristics as it carries a very soft box-press format and the wrapper is folded over the foot concealing the fillers while it’s finished off with a round, double-wrapped cap. The Frank Redux is then polished off with the same dark green and black Tatuaje band we found on the original Frank release.

The wrapper on the Tatuaje Frank Redux 1 gives off lots of spice and nut aromas while the foot of the cigar is more natural-tobacco focused with lots of pepper scents. The cap was a bit tough to cut through. The cold draw on the Tatuaje Frank Redux 1 releases a ton of spice and black pepper over some sweet natural tobacco flavors.

First Third:

The Tatuaje Frank Redux 1 starts out with a good amount of black pepper which quickly faded allowing the profile to transition to something more chocolate-forward with deep cocoa, cinnamon, espresso, and gingerbread over light walnut. Maybe I’m already feeling the holiday spirit, but this tastes a little like Christmas. I am getting a nice tart berry that creeps in every now and then while the spice from the wrapper leaves my lips tingling a bit. The draw is perfect. Each little puff kicks out a huge cloud of thick, white smoke which really takes a long time to dissipate while the cigar releases very minor amounts of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted light gray ash which held on for about 3/4 of a inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Tatuaje The Frank Redux 1 and the flavors are still pouring in. The cocoa and walnut lead the charge backed by cinnamon, espresso, oak, and a whole mess of natural tobacco flavors. The tart berry is still creeping in and out of the experience. The retrohale really brings out the spice and pepper I experienced at the beginning of the first third. I close out the second third with no nicotine kick yet.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Tatuaje The Frank Redux 1 and this is where the cigar really shines. The body has continuously ramped up from the start of the cigar until now. The flavor profile is now heavily focused around the spice and dark chocolate over milder espresso notes, walnut, cinnamon and natural tobacco. It took me about 2 and a half hours to take this down to the nub and I loved every second of it. I experienced no harshness, nor any extended heat. The cigar never once needed any attention from my torch as I burned flawlessly the entire time. I close out the cigar with a pretty decent nicotine kick that wasn’t necessarily due to the strength of the cigar, but the length of the experience instead.

Overview:

While the original Frank is so far in my rear view mirror that I can’t remember much of that experience outside of my written words, I do remember how special of a cigar that was. The Frank Redux 1 delivered the same experience. It’s just an all around fantastic cigar. The flavor profile is incredible and really marries up well with my I personally look for in a cigar. The blend is complex, yet balanced, the price is perfect, and the fact that it’s much easier to find this time around is just awesome. I’ve always been a huge fan of the monster series and I for one am more than happy with it’s resurrection.

Pairing:

Bottle Logic’s Study Break is a Snickers inspired candy bar stout brewed with lactose, caramel malts, cacao nibs and peanuts. Coming in at 10% ABV the beer tastes much like it’s described as it leads with a ton of bold peanut over milk chocolate, roasted malt, a light saltiness and vanilla with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing with even more peanut, toffee and chocolate. Outside of the obvious Halloween connection, I decided to pair this cigar with the Tatuaje Frank Redux 1 as it shared similar flavors in the chocolate and nut while the cigar added some more spice-forward flavors to the overall pairing experience.

The post Tatuaje The Frank Redux 1 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Following up last week’s review of the Tatuaje T110 2021, this week I take a look at the new Tatuaje T110 Reserva. Cigar enthusiasts everywhere rejoiced when Pete Johnson announced that he’d be bringing back one of the most sought after Tatuaje blends: The T110. Shortly after, Pete blew minds again when he announced that there would be two additional versions of the T110 that will be releases alongside the classic. Enter the Capa Especial and Reserva. Today though, we are focusing on the Reserva. The T110 Reserva features the same blend as the T110 only instead of the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper it would utilize a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Produced at the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua the T110 Reserva will come in the same 4 3/8 x 52 format as all the other T110 cigars, with only 2,400 boxes being produced. The T110 Reserva is packaged in boxes of 25 running $10 a stick. I purchased a handful of these over from our friends at New Havana Cigars.

• Size: 4 3/8 x 52
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $10

Prelight:

The Tatuaje T110 Reserva starts out with a very consistent, dark brown wrapper that resembles a milk chocolate bar. The wrapper’s texture is very gritty and toothy with a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper feels extremely dense and hard while the cigar as a whole is extremely hard and heavy. The cigar’s body carries some minor veins and natural tobacco webbing as the wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself leading up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with the standard white, green, blue, and red striped band we expect to see on the T110 along with a secondary black and gold band which distinguishes itself from the standard T110 with the words “Broadleaf” and “Reserva” embossed across the front.

The wrapper Tatuaje T110 Reserva gives off a strong spice and musk aroma while the foot of the cigar carries much more pepper and natural tobacco scents. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces lots of spice, pepper, gingerbread and earthiness. Note: There will be no pairing section on today’s review. I have a bit of a tooth issue which I’m treating with antibiotics so I didn’t want to drink any alcohol. Instead, it’s good ol’ H20.

First Half:

The Tatuaje T110 starts out with a nice little black pepper blast that only lasted through the first few puffs before completely fading away allowing the cigar to showcase some great musk, cinnamon, gingerbread, pecan and earthiness as well as a really interesting maple syrup flavor, almost like Dr. Pepper. the draw on this cigar is so perfect as each tiny puff kicks out a huge cloud of thick, white smoke which dissipates pretty quickly as the cigar releases only small amounts of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is razor thin and dead even leaving behind the prettiest, tightly compacted trail of white ash I have ever seen. The ash held on for almost an inch before it fell into my ashtray.

Second Half:

Into the second half of the Tatuaje T110 Reserva and I am loving the flavor profile on this little beast. The musk and pecan still lead the charge backed by gingerbread, dark chocolate, cinnamon, and earthiness while the maple/Dr. Pepper flavor has morphed into an awesome black cherry. The retrohale really brings out the space and cinnamon and I find myself doing it quite often. It look me an hour and forty five minutes to smoke this down to the nub and I loved every second of it. The cigar burned perfect from start to finish. I experienced no harshness, nor extended heat and unlike the 2021 T110 the cigar only left me with a little nicotine kick.

Overview:

While I loved the Tatuaje T110 2021, the Reserva version was much more my jam. The flavor profile is a bit more balance, not as bold, but carries more flavors that I personally really enjoy. The construction and burn were all flawless. The price point is perfect. Again, my only real complaint here is that these aren’t going to be available for too much longer.

The post Tatuaje T110 Reserva appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Yagua is the brain child of Lazaro Lopez, who manages J.C. Newman’s PENSA factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Lazaro Lopez’s grandfather used to create cigars back in Cuba without the use of cigar molds, which just about every cigar process now includes. Instead, Lopez’s grandfather would roll the cigars then tightly wrap them in a small wheel using Royal Palm leaves. This would gives the cigars each a unique shape.

J.C. Newman used this as inspiration when creating the Yagua which employs the same method. The result is a range of different shapes within each box ranging from standard, round cigars to triangular and octagon shaped cigars. It is said that the cigars, once unrolled, return to a more circular shape as they rest in the box.

The Yagua comes in a single 6 x 54 toro format using a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Each box comes packaged in 20’s wrapped in Royal Palm leaves running $7.50 per stick.

• Size: 6 x 54
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $7.50
• Pairing: The Bruery Terreux Tart of Darkness with Cherry and Vanilla

Prelight:

Most of the cigars in my box actually came out in pyramid and parallelogram shapes. Which is interestingly enough, extremely comfortable both in my hand and my mouth. The Yagua starts off with a very consistent, dark brown wrapper with a nice orange sheen. The wrapper’s texture is gritty and toothy with a whole ton of oils coating it. The wrapper is very thick and dense and the cigar as a whole feels very soft and malleable. The body of the Yagua showcases some medium-sized veins and lots of natural webbing leading through the triangular shaped body to the round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with a beautiful maroon and gold band with the Yagua crest embossed over and over around it.

The wrapper on the Yagua gives off a nice brown sugar aroma over soft cedar while the foot of the cigar is much more earthy with notes of musk and leather. The cap cut clean and easy using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces some nice mossy, earthy flavors over light caramel and cedar.

First Third:

The Yagua starts out with a brisk kick of black pepper which fades almost immediately leaving behind bold notes of brown sugar, caramel, and cedar of light notes of musk and leather. There is actually quite a bit going on here right off the bat. The burn draw is remarkably steady and easy to get large pulls of thick white smoke while the cigar releases almost no stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. And while the cigar itself is shaped very obtuse, its rather easy to hold and comfortable in my mouth. The burn line is a bit thick leaving behind a trail of lightly compacted white ash which only held on for about a half inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Yagua and the flavor profile is incredible. The brown sugar and cedar still lead the pack backed by caramel, vanilla, musk, floral, and a grainy-earthiness. The retrohale really brings out the sweetness of this cigar and its so easy on my nasal passage that I find myself doing it quite often. The burn line is now razor thin, and surprisingly dead-even while I close out the second third with only a very light nicotine punch.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Yagua and I am loving this. From the comfort of the strange size, to the awesome flavor profile which now consists of bold cedar and caramel back by cinnamon, musk, floral, and brown sugar. It took me two hours to take this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, nor extended heat. I shockingly never experienced a single draw issue nor did I ever have to touch-up and relight the cigar. I close out with only a mild nicotine kick.

Overview:

I was torn on this cigar going in. It felt a bit like a marketing-ploy, but at the same time the unique process that went into making the Yagua intrigued me. Well, the cigar surpassed all my expectations. First, while the cigar looks a bit weird, the odd-shaped cigars seem to be some of the most comfortable cigars I have ever handled. I don’t know what it is with the hard, juxtaposed edges, but they just fit so comfortably. Second, while I expected to experience crazy draw issues, I encountered… well.. none. I smoked about 4 of these in total so far and each burned well, and the draw was always great. Third, this is a damn good blend. Its complex, yet balanced and the flavor profile is exactly what I look for in a cigar. Oddly enough, this is one of the better cigars I have smoked all years and I didn’t know what to expect going into it.

Pairing:

Brewed at The Bruery Terreux brewery in Placentia, California this version of Tart of Darkness is aged in Rum Barrels with cherries and vanilla. Coming in at 10.5% ABV this sour stout leads with a pungent sourness, tart cherry, floral, caramel and a bit soy sauce, with a very light mouthfeel before finishing with more tart cherry, tart apple, caramel, and a touch of brown sugar and vanilla bean. The complex flavors in the beer matches up incredibly well with the complex flavors in the Yagua while so many of the matching flavors married up perfectly with one another.

The post J.C. Newman – Yagua appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

A few years back Steve Saka, founder of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust took the cigar community by storm when he released the Mi Querida. You can read my review of that cigar here. This year Steve decided to follow up that release with an amped up version called the Mi Querida Triqui Traca. Aptly named after oversized Nicaraguan fireworks, this blend remains true to what we all have grown to love about the Mi Querida while adding more body resulting in the fullest cigar in the Dunbarton portfolio to date. The Triqui Traca uses the same style Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper only it utilizes a Dark Corona No 1 leaf over the standard Connecticut Broadleaf mediums in the standard release, Nicaraguan binder and filler along with an added ligero filler grown in the Dominican Republic. The cigars are offered in two sizes: No. 552 (5 x 52) and the No. 648 (6 x 48). Each come packaged in boxes of 20 ranging from $10.75 to $11.75 a stick. I purchased mine over from our friends at Two Guys Smoke Shop.

• Size: 6 x 48
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan / Dominican Ligero
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $11.75
• Pairing: Bottle Logic Ground State (Imperial Stout 12.89% ABV)

Prelight:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca starts out with a beautiful, dark brown wrapper that’s semi-consistent in color with a few areas of darker brown around the cap of the cigar and a few orangish-brown areas scattered around the foot of the cigar. The wrapper’s texture is incredibly toothy and gritty with a ton of oils coating the outside of the cigar. The wrapper feels very hard and dense while the cigar as a whole is very heavy with absolutely no soft spots. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself leading through the cigar’s slender body up to it’s round double-wrapped cap. The cigar is the polished off with that lovely, elegant “Mi Quireda” band we all love, only this time in a maroon and gold print.

The wrapper on the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca produces some bold cedar and cocoa aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more spice driven with some great natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut like butter while the cold draw kicks out a good amount of pepper and spice mixed in with cocoa, musk, and natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca starts out with a hefty cayenne pepper punch that left my lips and tongue tingling for a bit. After the first few draws the pepper completely faded away leaving me with loads of cocoa and coffee backed by oak, musk, black cherry, and a slight pecan finish. The draw is perfect as each tiny puff kicks out huge amounts of thick, white smoke that really hangs around for quite some time before dissipating while the cigar pumps out stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca and the cigar is still firing on all cylinders. The flavor profile still leads with bold cocoa and coffee with nice oak, spice, musk, earthiness, and vanilla. The retrohale really brings out the spice and oak and is quite sharp so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The burn line is still dead even and razor thin as I close out the second third with a light little nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca and this is where the already fantastic cigar begins to shine. The body and strength meet right in the middle for a perfectly dynamic mixture while the flavor profile in the cigar balances out with a great mixture of cocoa, vanilla, brown sugar, pecan, oak, musk, and natural tobacco flavors that I thoroughly enjoy. The cigar took me an hour and a forty five minutes to take down to the nub and I loved every second of it. The burn was flawless, I never once had to reach for my torch to touch up, or relight the cigar while I experience no harshness nor extended heat. The cigar did however leave me with a hefty little nicotine kick but nothing too bad.

Overview:

This is yet another fantastic addition to an already glowing Dunbarton portfolio. The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca carries a bold, complex, yet balanced profile without being too overpowered by strength. While subjective, the flavor profile is one that really hits all the marks for me. The construction and burn experience was flawless, and the price is right around where I’d expect this cigar to land. I can’t say for sure which one I liked more, but I think both blends easily find their way into my regular portfolio while the Triqui Traca is something I’ll be reaching for after dinner when I am craving a more full-bodied experience.

Pairing:

Ground State is an Imperial breakfast stout brewed by Bottle Logic with Vermont Maple Syrup that is still aged in Bourbon Barrels with cocoa nibs and coffee added. Coming in at 12.89% ABV, Ground state leads with loads of sweet, dark chocolate, vanilla, malt, and brown sugar with a nice little bourbon bite at the end. The maple is pretty well hidden and really only pops in during the finishing taste. Such a smooth, easy drinking ~13% beer. The chocolate, brown sugar, and sweetness really married up nicely with the existing flavors in the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca making for a great pairing.

The post Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

After some research, we decided the history of the Union Fire Company was a perfect match for a new cigar line. The cigar itself is a rich and smoky blend of Nicaragua tobacco

Crux Union Fire cigars are rolled in Esteli, Nicaragua at Tabacalera Plasencia. The cigar utilizes a proprietary Nicaraguan wrapper leaf, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The wrapper leaf, known as Enganoso, is also featured on the Crux Limitada lines. There are three sizes being produced: Robusto (4 ¾ by 50), Toro (6 by 52) and Churchill (7 by 50). 

You can purchase the Crux Union Fire from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop HERE.

THE FACTS

Price: $7.80
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Enganoso
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 40 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Crux Union Fire is dressed in a dark tan wrapper that is coated in oils and bumps. There are a couple of medium-sized veins running the down the cigar that are easy to spot.

Having arrived with no cellophane, I am only picking up on cedar on the wrapper, which I attribute to my humidor. Earth and cedar are noted on the foot of the cigar with a faint spice tickling the nose. The cold draw has a bit more resistance than preferred. And this may be one of mildest cold draws I’ve ever encountered with only a hint of cedar and mild spice felt in the mouth.

FIRST THIRD

After slowly toasting the foot of the cigar, the Crux Union Fire is underway. The warm cedar flavor transfers over from the aroma on the wrapper/foot and the cold draw. It is joined with a combination of sweet and tart with black pepper hanging in the background and on the finish of the smoke. Even early on, the flavors are a solid medium and well-rounded. For the most part, the burn is even as white ash forms.

MIDDLE THIRD

This is a slow burning cigar. Forty-minutes in and I am barely making my way into the second third of the Union Fire. All of the flavors in the first third continue to hold their ground as the cigar develops in richness. The tartness moves to orange zest as the retro-hale brings out the pepper and a darker earth flavor. A quick hit with lighter is required to get a small section the wrapper back in line with the rest of the burn.

FINAL THIRD

Prior to lighting, I had some concern on the draw. But I quickly forgot about that concern once lit. The cigar has been producing a mouthful of smoke ever since the first puff. The flavors are still medium-full and rich and I am feeling some strength from this Plasencia-made cigar. The orange zest has faded out as a perfume quality joins in as I begin to wrap up my journey through the Crux Union Fire. 

WRAP-UP

Crux cigars have consistently scored well with the Casas Fumando crew (on our nonexistent scoring system). And when news broke of a shop exclusive with Famous Smoke, a site sponsor, it quickly moved to the top of my list of cigars to review.  The Crux Union fire hit the spot with its medium-full flavors, developing richness, and pepper kick. What intrigued me about the cigar was the sweet and tart in the first third that evolved to an orange zest as the cigar progressed. The cigar burned incredibly slow so you definitely get your money’s worth on this cigar.

The post Crux Union Fire, a Famous Smoke Shop Exclusive appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

By now you should all be familiar with the Cromagnon line from RoMa Craft Tobac as it was the debut blend that launched the company into what it has become today. Back in 2013 the line was expanded with the addition of a Candela version of the cigar and this year it was expanded once again with an extremely limited production blend of a Candela/Broadleaf wrapped cigar called the “Black Irish”. The Black Irish is offered in a single 5 x 56 format and starts out with a Connecticut Broadleaf / Candela barber pole style wrapper over a Cameroon binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The blend is very difficult to find and I was lucky enough to nab mine from a buddy who I’m pretty sure had a hard time parting with them (Thanks Jason!). 

Size: 5 x 56
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf / Candela
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaraguan (Esteli. Condega, and Ligero from a small farm in Esteli on the Honduran border)
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Mefium/Full
Price: $10.99
Pairing: Belching Beaver Good Morning Beautiful (Brown Ale 5.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The obvious stand-out characteristic of the Black Irish is the beautiful barber-pole style wrapper on the cigar where the Connecticut Broadleaf and Candela wrappers overlap each other giving a candy-cane style effect. The Broadleaf is a beautiful dark, consistent brown and the small amount of Candela is an olive green. The construction on the cigar is flawless as the wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself. The wrapper’s texture is pretty toothy with a good amount of oil while the candela portion is a bit smoother than the broadleaf. The wrappers feel very dense and hard while the cigar as a while is firm to the touch with no soft spots leading up to the cigar’s rounded double-cap. The cigar is then polished off with the standard, elegant, black white Cromagnon band which I absolutely love. The band features an embossed “Cromagnon” logo in the front and a small, white Roma Craft Tobac logo in the back. Band design doesn’t get much cleaner than this. 

The wrapper on the Black Irish gives off some great spice aromas, sweetness, and coconut while the foot of the cigar carries much more spice, pepper, musk, and natural tobacco scents. The cap cut clean and easily using my double bladed Xikar XO cutter. The cold draw produces some great musk, pepper, spice, and oaty flavors. 

First Third:

The Roma Craft Tobac Cromagnon Black Irish starts out with a subtle little black pepper zing, just enough to tease my tongue before transitioning into a melody of sweet chocolate and coffee notes back by some herbal tea type flavors, coconut, spice and musk. The draw on this bad boy is phenomenal. Each tiny little puff kicks out a whole mess of thick white smoke which hangs around for a considerable amount of time before dissipating. The cigar also releases a pretty fair amount of stationary smoke as the oils burn from the wrapper while the cigar rests in my ashtray. The burn line is very even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of compacted medium gray ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray. 

Second Third:

As I continue into the second third of the Roma Craft Tobac Cromagnon Black Irish the chocolate and coconut really begin to take center stage backed by sweet brown sugar, musk, black tea, and spice. The flavor profile is phenomenal. I find retrohaling the cigar really brings out the musk and spice while not being too harsh on the nasal passage. The cigar is still burning perfectly without any help from my torch as I close out the second third with nothing in terms of nicotine. 

Finish:

Into the final third of the RoMa Craft Tobac Black Irish and the flavors continue to pour out pure awesomeness. The chocolate and coconut still lead the charge, the tea has became much more prominent while the backing flavors are a subtle mixture of musk, spice, and a bit of floral pings here and there. The cigar took me almost two hours to take down to the nub and I experienced absolutely no harshness, nor extended heat while it burned flawlessly from start to finish and I never once had to reach for my torch to touch-up or relight my cigar. 

Overview:

I have been a long-time fan of RoMa Craft Tobac’s releases and I have to be honest hear, the Black Irish is probably one of the best cigars I have smoked from the team. The flavor profile is unique, and incredible while the cigar sports perfect construction, and the price point is about where you would expect it to be. I bet you can guess that my only gripe is that these are pretty near impossible to find. So if anyone has been hoarding onto these… let me know.. now please.  

Pairing:

Belching Beaver’s Good Morning Beautiful is one of a series of releases the brewery has created to celebrate the Deftones. This 5.5% ABV brown ale is brewed along with coffee, coconut, and maple syrup. The beer leads with a very light body with hints of coconut, malt, chocolate and really light coffee with an incredibly thin mouthfeel before finishing clean with more malt and coffee. The beer itself is a bit lacking and I really expected more flavor for it. If it I had to pair this cigar again I’d toss in a heavy imperial stout, sweet bourbon, or even some sweet iced black tea.

The post RoMa Craft Tobac Cromagnon Black Irish appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

E.P. Carrillo’s New Wave Reserva is manufactured in the Dominican Republic at Tabacalera La Alianza. The cigar features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos. The wrapper leaf comes from a higher priming than the original version and exchanges the Nicaraguan binder for Connecticut Broadleaf. The cigar is available in four sizes: Robusto (5 by 50), Belicoso D’Oro (5 3/4 by 52), Toro (6 by 52), and Immensos (6 by 60).

You can purchase the E.P. Carrillo New Wave Reserva from our good friend at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $8.30
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 10 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The E.P. Carrillo New Wave Reserva wears a medium brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper that is darker than the original New Wave Connecticut. Lots of color variations, veins, and bumps characterize the leaf. A couple of medium-sized stitch like veins gives the cigar a rustic feel. The majority of the cigar is rolled firmly but, near the head of the cigar, there is a large soft spot.

As I bring the cigar to my nose, I pick up on soft barnyard, cardboard, and honey. Notes of chili powder and cocoa are found on the foot of the cigar. A quick cut opens up a beautiful draw that allows cold draw flavors of chili powder and graham cracker to move across the palate.

FIRST THIRD

The opening draw brings forth a copious amount of smoke that has a thick, chewy texture in the mouth. There are medium flavors of pepper, citrus, pencil shavings, and a faint jelly-like sweetness. The E.P. Carrillo New Wave Reserva is burning along well, with a light gray ash forming and holding to an inch.

MIDDLE THIRD

I am surprised by the spice this New Wave Reserva is showing. The citrus and jelly sweetness have exited as the profile takes on a more nutty, earth, and cocoa character. The flavors are hovering near full as I make my way to the middle of this 6 by 52 cigar. The burn got a bit edgy for a few minutes there but was able to correct itself.

FINAL THIRD

The earth takes over as the dominant flavor, followed by the pepper and a lingering unsweet cocoa on the finish. While a spice heat is felt in the mouth, as I pass the smoke through my nose, the spice is mild. As I close out the cigar, the burn line is thin and even. 

WRAP-UP

The E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut has been a special cigar for me for a lot of years.  I have smoked a countless number of them and it’s not because it is exactly what I look for in a cigar, but how much my stepdad, Rick, enjoys the cigar and I enjoy spending time with him over one. However, the New Wave Reserva smokes like a much different cigar. The profile is fuller, the texture is thick and chewy rather than creamy like the original, and it is right up my ally for a morning to mid-day smoke. The casual changes between the thirds kept me interested and the price is fitting for this type of smoke.

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The Good Stuff:

Originally released in 2016 the Black Label Trading Co’s Bishop’s Blend has finally started to see a bit more circulation as of late. The blend which James Brown, founder of the company claimed as a blend with a very rich, and intense flavor profile starts with an Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder, and Connecticut Broadleaf, Nicaraguan, and Pennsylvanian Broadleaf filler tobaccos. Created at the Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Nicaragua the blend is offered in two sizes: the Robusto (5 x 48), and the Corona Larga ( 6 1/4 x 46). Each size comes packaged in boxes of 20 running either $9.50 or $10 a stick respectively. From my understanding the initial release was slotted for only 150 boxes of each being produced. Since these are still found on shelves, albeit scarcely, I am unsure of that production was amped up post-release. I purchased a handful of these from.. somewhere. It’s been so long I can’t even remember. Big shout out to wherever it was though

Size: 6 1/4 x 46
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: Connecticut Broadleaf, Nicaraguan, and Pennsylvanian Broadleaf
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $10
Pairing: Deschutes Rye Whiskey Barrel The Abyss 2015 (13.3% ABV)

Prelight:

Black Label Trading Co’s Bishop’s Blend starts out with a gorgeous deep, dark brown wrapper which is almost as close to black as you can get, while still being brown. The color is very consistent from cap to foot. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself carrying very mild veins, soft webbing, light tooth, and a whole mess of oils. The cigar feels very firm, and very hard while the wrapper of the cigar feels very dense and manageable as it leads up to the round, tapered, sharp cap. The cigar is then polished off with an awesome Black and Red Black Label crest on the band, along with a matching foot band that simply states “Bishops Blend”.

The wrapper on Black Label Trading Co’s Bishop’s Blend gives off some great musk, grape, and spice aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more modest giving off only a small amount of spice and natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces some great musk, leather, dirty earthiness, spice, and natural flavors. 

First Third:

Black Label Trading Co’s Bishop’s Blend starts out with a nice, expected cayenne pepper blast which lights up my mouth through the first few puffs. After a while the pepper fades and I am left with a whole mess of raisin, musk, brown sugar sweetness, spice, dark chocolate, coriander, oak, and natural tobacco flavors. This is a hell of a way to start off a cigar. Although the cigar is wrapped rocks hard tight, the draw is flawless as each puff kicks out a great amount of thick, white smoke which hangs around only second before dissipating while the cigar itself releases only trace amounts of stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line has some soft waves to it, but nothing too concerning as it leaves behind a trail of slightly compacted medium to light gray ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray. 

Second Third:

Into the second third of Black Label Trading Co’s Bishop’s Blend and there brown sugar sweetness I picked up earlier has now transitioned over to a full-force vanilla which is leading the charge along with the musk flavors backed by raisin, spice, dark chocolate and oak with a few reminding aftertastes of natural, earthy, tobacco. The retrohale really brings out the spice and oak. The burn line is still slightly wavy but with no real issues and I close out the second third with a soft little nicotine kick already.

Finish:

In the final third of Black Label Trading Co’s Bishop’s Blend the flavor profile took a turn into more of a toasty, dark chocolate lead profile backed by soft vanilla, spice, lots of oak and musk and just a dash of raisin and sweetness. It took me almost two full hours to take this cigar down to the nub and I experienced very little nicotine, no extended heat, nor did I ever had to touch up or relight the cigar.

Overview:

It’s not just Texas love ya’ll, Black Label Trading Co. has produced some of the greatest blends in the recent years and the cigar community has quickly grown to appreciate and embrace the boutique brand. I have been high on their blends for a few years now and Bishops Blend has made it’s way into one of my favorite blends they have made to date. My only issue is how hard it is to find. The construction is flawless, the experience is memorable and the flavor profile is complex an right on key with my own personal preference. I love how bold it was without being over the top, or over powering. The price point is perfect and this cigar would easily make its way into my regular rotation if it was easier to acquire. 

Pairing:

Brewed by Deschutes brewing in Bend, Oregon the Abyss variants have repeatedly found their way into my reviews throughout the year. They are one of my favorite beers the company makes and consistently pair well with bolder cigars. The beer is an imperial stout brewed with Molasses, licorice, vanilla beans and cherry bark. This particular variant is aged in Rye Whiskey barrels. The beer leads with massive amounts of sweetness, vanilla, oak, dark chocolate, and malt with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing with even more sweetness and vanilla, musk, malt, dark chocolate, coffee, and just a dash of rye whiskey. This sticky mixture fo flavors is almost identical to the existing flavors present in Black Label Trading Co’s Bishop’s Blend and made for one of the best pairings I have had in such a long time. The most impressive part of the pairing is that both the cigar and beer could easily overpower just about any other selection, but in this case not only held their own but helped create a hell of an experience. 

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