The Good Stuff:

Bishop’s Blend has been a limited edition release from Black Label Trading Co. over the past six years and serves as one of the more sought after releases each year. Manufactured at the Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Nicaragua, the 2021 Bishop’s Blend starts with an Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder and filler tobacco from Nicaragua, Connecticut and a broadleaf from Pennsylvania. The 2021 Bishop’s Blend comes in three sizes: Corona Largo (6 1/4 x 46), Robusto (5 x 48), Lancero (7 x 42). Both the Corona Largo and Robusto come packaged in boxes of 20 with only 600 boxes of each being released, while the Lancero comes packaged in boxes of 12 with only 400 being released. The cigars range between $11 and $12 per stick and another should out to my boy Jason for the hookup here.

• Size: 6 1/4 x 46
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Maduro
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan, Connecticut, Pennsylvanian Broadleaf
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $11.50
• Pairing: Unsweetened black tea

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021 starts out with an extremely dark brown wrapper that’s pretty consistent in color with the exception of some lighter areas around the cigar’s cap. The wrapper itself is very dense and very hard while the cigar as a whole is extremely heavy and well packed. The wrapper’s texture is extremely smooth with a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper is slightly extended which is carefully folded over the foot canceling the filler tobacco. The cigar showcases some milder veining as it’s long, slender body leads up to it’s etremely pointed, tapered cap. The cigar is then polished off with the red and black Bishop’s Blend band we find on each of these releases as well as a secondary foot band with the cigar’s nameplate across the front.

The cigar’s wrapper gives off lots of raisin and pepper scents while the foot of the cigar carries much of the same raisin as well as lots of spice and musk. The cap on the Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021 cut with ease. The cold draw produces lots of musk and raisin which a little pepper bite.

First Third:

The Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021 starts out with a much more mild black pepper punch than I anticipated which quickly transitioned into a sweet, cinnamon-led spice over bold musk, raisin, and dark chocolate with lighter notes of black cherry and pecan. I can’t place it but there is a certain tobacco that gives off this amazing piloncillo flavor that just flat out rocks and its VERY present in this blend. It’s very noticeable on the nose as well. The draw is perfect as each puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke which hang around for a while before dissipating while the cigar releases a whole mess of 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 only held on for about a half an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021 and this thing is still piling on the flavors. The cinnamon/spice mixture along with the musk still lead the charge over loads of raisin and dark chocolate and lighter notes of pecan and black cherry. That piloncillo note is still hanging in there too and its very evident on the retrohale. I close out the second third with only a light little nicotine kick.

Finish:

I’m kind of sad that I’m already closing out the Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021. The flavors are so good. The musk and spice are still the dominant flavors over dark chocolate and pecan, black cherry, vanilla, piloncillo and some nice floral undertones here towards the end. It took me an hour and forty five minutes to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I didn’t want to put it down. I experienced no harshness nor extended heat, and a decent little nicotine kick. I never once had to touchup or relight the cigar as it burned perfect from start to finish.

Overview:

The team over at Oveja Negra is making it really hard for me not to include every one of their releases in my top 10 cigars for 2021. I always thought the bishop’s blend releases were special cigars, but this year there was something extra special with the blend or tobacco. The flavor profile is absolutely incredible from start to finish. The cigar burned perfectly, and the price is actually lower than I’d expect for a cigar like this. The limited production is a bit daunting, but they have released a new run each year which evens it out. The only complaint here is the amount of sap this cigar produces. There is quite a bit and while slowing down my smoking pace greatly reduces it, I was unable to make it through any of the cigars I smoked without some slipping out. I’m sure some more rest would easily clean that up.

The post Black Label Trading Co. Bishop’s Blend 2021 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Produced in Nicaragua at the Tabacalera Oliva De Esteli S.A. factory, the Nub line is available in Connecticut, Cameroon, Maduro, Habano, and Sumatra wrapper options. There is also a limited edition double Maduro called Nub Dub. The Connecticut version frontmarks include 354 (3 3/4 by 54), 358 (3 3/4 by 58), 460 (4 by 60), and 464T (4 by 64 Torpedo).

You can give the Nub Connecticut 358 and 464T a try for yourself in the Nub 8-Cigar Sampler from our good friends over at Holt’s Cigar Company.

THE FACTS

Price: $7.14/single | $27.95/8-Cigar Sampler
Vitola: 358
Size: 3 3/4 by 58
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 50 minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Nub Connecticut wears a golden Connecticut Shade wrapper that has some darker markings and veins running the short length of the cigar. As I gently press down on the cigar, I find it to be evenly filled with only the smallest amount of give.

Bringing the wrapper to my nose, there is an aroma of earth and barnyard. The foot shows off sweet tobacco, earth, and black pepper spice. The double cap has clean lines and cuts with ease. The resistance is well within the acceptable range, possibly a hair on the firm side. A cinnamon spice warms up my palate and overshadows any other cold draw flavors that may be going on.

FIRST THIRD

This Nub Connecticut opens with solid medium flavors with earth and pepper central in the profile. The spice heat is medium and lingers on the palate as a natural tobacco sweetness pushes its way into the profile. There is a thick burn line that is mostly even as a salt and pepper ash forms.

MIDDLE THIRD

Burning down into the second third of the Nub Connecticut 358, both the earth and pepper shift up a notch. There is only a touch of that common Connecticut shade bitterness and it is working well with the core flavors. It is at this point in the cigar that I am surprised to be feeling a little nicotine kick.

FINAL THIRD

Into the last third, the profile is much lighter allowing the sweetness to shine through as well as the bitterness. A shallow draw and allowing additional time between puffs are needed to keep the bitterness at bay. The thick eyeliner burn from earlier is now thin and edgy as a gray ash develops that holds well. There is no concern about dropping the ash prematurely in your lap or on your keyboard. 

WRAP-UP 

The Nub Connecticut 358 by Oliva Cigar Company opens with a solid medium profile, kicks up a notch or two in the second third, and then mellows out in the final third of the smoke. The profile was characterized by core flavors of earth and pepper with a nice tobacco sweetness to round things out and a touch of Connecticut bitterness to remind you what you are smoking. The performance was impressive with its even burn and only two ash dropping during the fifty-minute smoke.

So, how would I line up the cigars in the Nub 8-Cigar Sampler?

#1 – Nub Cameroon

#2 – Nub Connecticut

#3 – Nub Habano 

#4 – Nub Maduro

If I would’ve guessed which Nub cigars I would’ve liked the most before smoking any, the list would have been in the complete opposite order. The Nub blend shined with the lighter Cameroon and Connecticut wrappers.

The post Nub Connecticut 358 by Oliva Cigar Company appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

-Tony

Undercrown Sun Grown is a new extension of the popular Undercrown line by Drew Estate that I was eager to get my hands on ASAP, being a long time fan of the original dark Mexican wrapped version (I’m ashamed to admit that I have yet to try the Connecticut Shade).  This new blend, concocted by Willy Herrera and the Undercrown blending team, features a sun grown Ecuadorian Sumatra seed wrapper over a Connecticut River Valley Habano Stalk Cut and Stalk Cured binder, and Nicaraguan filler that includes “one leaf of extensively aged Ligero from the Nueva Segovia region”.  Jonathan Drew has said that the company has tried to secure the wrapper tobacco for over 15 years.

Manufactured at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Nicaragua, the Undercrown Sun Grown is available in seven sizes:

• Robusto – 5 x 54
• Corona – 5⅝ x 46
• Belicoso – 6 x 52
• Gran Toro – 6 x 52
• Gordito – 6 x 60
• Corona Doble – 7 x 54
• Flying Pig – 3-15/16 x 60

Prices run from $8.20 – $11.20 in boxes of 25, except for the Flying Pig, which is priced at $12.72 in 12-count boxes.

I got mine from our friends at Cuenca Cigars.

The Basics:

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown Sumatra seed
Binder: Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut/Cured Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Corona 5⅝ x 46
Price: $8.20
Smoking time: One hour, fifteen minutes
Pairing: Lagunitas Brown Shugga Barley Wine (ABV 10%)

Pre-light:

The Undercrown Sun Grown is draped in a uniform yellow tinted milk chocolate brown wrapper with a few noticeable, but relatively minor veins and a nice oily sheen.  The pack is firm throughout and the tight seams lead to a deep double cap.  The red and gold Undercrown band matches well with the color of the wrapper.  I can only pick up a faint earthiness from the shaft of the cigar, while the foot displays natural tobacco and spice.  The cold draw brings up wood and light spice and leaves some saltiness and a spicy tingle on my lips.

First third:

Sweet spice, cedar, and rich tobacco immediately hit the palate as the Undercrown Sun Grown gives up a hefty mouthful of smoke with a normal draw.  Pepper lingers in the background, but is not a major component, even on the retrohale, and a light salty cracker note is present.  The burn line is sharp and a bit wavy, and the ash holds for about ¾”.  An inch in, I hit a tunnel that puts a damper on things for ⅜”, but once past that, the cigar is back on track, bringing in more pepper, musk, and a citrus brightness.  The Undercrown Sun Grown ends its first third at a full-flavored, solid medium body, and low strength.

Middle third:

The second third of the Undercrown Sun Grown brings a greater cohesiveness of the flavors – where in the first third they were more distinct, they have now melded together to form a smoother and more balanced mouthful, adding in a touch of earth.  I have encountered another bout of tunneling, but this one is thankfully shorter and has much less of an effect on the cigar.

The pepper spice has become more of a red pepper, and the wood has turned oaky, as the lightly sweet spice and musk remain in the mix.  The Undercrown Sun Grown has been on a steady ascent into the medium-plus to medium-full range.

Final third:

Burning into the final third of the cigar, the sweet spice has moved up and a nice breadiness has emerged, as the pepper falls back.  The Undercrown Sun Grown now has a comfortable roundness to its flavors, even as they maintain their fullness.  With 1½” remaining, the pepper rebounds along with the citrus, taking the cigar down to an enjoyable and very small nub that is cool and firm, while exhibiting no harshness.  The Undercrown Sun Grown finishes at a medium-plus body and strength at the very low end of medium.

Overview:

First of all, I have to state that the Undercrown Sun Grown that I smoked prior to this one had no burn issues whatsoever, and since I have rarely, if ever, had any construction or burn problems with any of the many Undercrowns that I have had over the years, I have to consider this one an anomaly (coincidentally, I also thought the first one had a bit more kick to it, but perhaps that’s just where my head was at).  Once I burned past the short tunnel, the cigar picked right up where it left off, although it probably shortened my smoking time by a good five to ten minutes.  Even with the issue, I still enjoyed the heck out of the stick, as it presented great full flavors, good complexity, and otherwise solid construction and burn, and I was kind of bummed out when it came to an end, wanting the experience to last a little longer.  The price is, in my opinion, spot-on, if not more than fair, and I will certainly be smoking more of this cigar.  I definitely recommend it.

Pairing:

I’m a sucker for just about anything that comes from Lagunitas, and the Brown Shugga barley wine styled ale is another one that is right up my alley, especially when the weather cools down like it has here.  Boasting flavors of sweet malt, citrus and dried fruits on a fairly light but round and somewhat oily mouthfeel, it proved to be a terrific partner for the Undercrown Sun Grown, enhancing the sweetness of the cigar, while playing a fine balancing act with the cigar’s other flavors.  Because the Sun Grown is full flavored, but well balanced and not overpowering, it would pair well with any number of beers, such as a strong ale, brown ale, or dark Belgian.  It should also go very well with a red wine, sweet bourbon, or single malt Highland Scotch.

The post Drew Estate Undercrown Sun Grown appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

At the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar Co. expanded the La Gloria Cubana brand with the addition of the Serie R Esteli and Serie R Black. The former being exclusive to brick and mortars, while the latter can be found through major online retailers. Fast forwarding several years to the 2016 Trade Show, General Cigar added in a maduro version to both the Esteli and Black lines. The Esteli Maduro switched out the Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper for a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro, which happens to be one of my favorite wrappers out there. Like the original Serie R Esteli, the Maduro version comes available in three vitolas:  No. 54 (6 by 54), No 60 (6 by 60), and No. 64 (6 ¼ by 64).

THE FACTS

Price: $6.99
Vitola: No. 54
Size: 6 by 54
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Serie R Esteli Maduro is dressed in a dark brown Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper that has its fair share character. There are several medium-sized veins that are raised off the leaf and a good amount of bumps. However, with the oils on the leaf, the wrapper feels much smoother than it appears.

A pungent aroma of vinegar and earth greet me as I bring the wrapper to my nose. On the foot, the aroma is somewhat rich with a combination of cedar and a natural tobacco sweetness. The double cap is not pretty with its crooked lines, but gets the job done like most caps do. Upon cutting, a cold draw reveals more of that rich cedar, cinnamon-like spice and sweeteness. There is a spice warmth in the mouth, but it is rather mild on the dry draw.

FIRST THIRD

The Serie R Esteli Maduro immediately pumps out medium to full flavors. For the most part, the profile is dark with black coffee and leather being center stage, followed by a yeast flavor and some sweetness. The bitter coffee has an edge on the sweetness. The spice, which began mild, has moved to medium. A white, layered ash is being formed as the cigar burns along with a minor wave.

MIDDLE THIRD

The yeast flavor has really gained ground, along with the sweetness as I make my way into the second third of the La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Maduro. Even so, the coffee and leather are holding strong. The smoke is heavy and chewy in the mouth as volumes of smoke pour out of the cigar. The coffee sits on the palate for quite sometime after the smoke is released from my mouth.

FINAL THIRD

The profile is rich with the sweetness now playing the most dominant role, not overshadowing, but rounding out the other flavors. The sweetness is tied to a dark fruit flavor now. The spice is very manageable as I pass the smoke through my sinuses.

WRAP-UP

It has been so long since I smoked the Serie R Esteli original that it is difficult to compare to the new Maduro. But looking back at my review, there were some similarities. The Serie R Esteli Maduro offered a deeper profile, but maintained much of the same richness and sweetness as its counterpart. The flavors hung in the medium/full realm throughout and the strength gradually increased, ending about medium. The cigar behaved well with excellent smoke production and pleasant-looking ash. For a cigar under $7.00, the La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Maduro is a solid cigar. I would recommend a five-pack of them.

The post General Cigar Co. – La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Maduro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Featured at the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show, the Mao Limited Edition 2016 carries a premium price tag and will run you between $16 and $18 per stick. Three sizes are currently produced to include the No. 10 (5 by 50), No. 11 (7 by 50), and No. 12 (6 by 57). Production is limited to 1,800 10-count boxes per -size.

THE FACTS

Price: $16.00
Vitola: No. 10 (Robusto)
Size: 5 by 50
Wrapper: Connecticut 
Binder: Mexican
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Columbian
Smoke Time:

PRE-LIGHT

The medium tan Connecticut wrapper leaf has a couple of medium veins that are easily seen and some scattered bumps. There are no soft spots as I examine the cigar. From head to foot, the cigar is evenly filled. 

The wrapper aroma is very sweet and rich with a big caramel aroma. The foot aroma is milder with prunes, some woodsy notes, and some of that same sweetness. A snug draw is revealed after I clip through the double cap. The cold draw is rich with notes of cedar, cinnamon, and prune. A second, deeper cut opens up a freer draw.

FIRST THIRD

The Macanudo Mao No. 10 quickly starts off with a rich, medium profile with notes of pencil shavings, black pepper, and an exotic fruit flavor. The pepper is fuller than expected and a warmth is felt in the back of my throat. The flavors and spice quickly calm as the tropical fruitiness takes center stage with the pencil shavings still peaking through and a darker coffee note joining in. There is thick burn-line as the cigar burns mostly even forming a light gray ash i. The first ash held easily past an inch.

MIDDLE THIRD

Pulling into the second third of the cigar, the draw has opened up considerably. Rich, dark flavors of earth and coffee are pushing back the pencil shavings and fruit sweetness. The pepper has stepped up its game and is sharp as it passes through the sinuses. A jagged burn is resulting a flaky looking ash, but it is nowhere near a place of requiring any kind of attention. 

FINAL THIRD

There is not a whole lot of progression in the Macanudo Mao N0. 10 as it burns its way into the final third. The tropical fruitiness is mild at this point, along with the earlier wood flavor. However, the spice has picked up and is keeping my attention. A major crack has formed that runs nearly an inch. It does not seem to be impacting the smoke production or flavors.

WRAP-UP

Overall, the Macanudo Mao No. 10 was a pleasant cigar that offered bigger flavors and fuller body than the appearance, or the brand,  lets onto. The first two-thirds of the cigar showed a decent amount of complexity with the tropical sweetness, medium to full spice, and some evolution in the other flavors. The cigar fizzled out a bit in the last third, but there was enough spice that kept my palate engaged in the experience. The tight draw at the start and the large crack at the end are not ideal for a $16 cigar. But I do have to mention that no such issues existed in the other sample smoked for review. It actually smoked rather perfectly. With all of that said, even with how much I enjoyed the Macanudo Mao, I would be hard-pressed to smoke it again with the $16 price tag.

The post General Cigar Co. – Macanudo Mao No. 10 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Padron Damaso is the first Connecticut wrapped cigar to enter the Padron Family’s portfolio. Not only is the wrapper a first for Padron, but the Damaso is also the first all round format released to date. The name “Damaso” comes from Damaso Padron, the grandfather of current owner Jose O. Padron. The blend features an undisclosed Connecticut seed wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The Padron Damaso is offered in four sizes, each of which is named after the ages of each of Jose Padron’s grandchildren: The No. 8 (5 1/2 x 46), the No. 12 (5 x 50), the No. 15 (6 x 52), and the No. 17 (7 x 54). The Padron Damaso comes packaged in boxes of 20 running between $12.50 and $17.50 a stick. They were recently released and have bene slowing trickling into shops around the U.S. I picked these up from out good friends over at 2 Guys Smoke Shop.

Size: 5 1/2 x 46
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium
Strength: Mild/Medium
Price: $12.50
Pairing: Ommegang Hennepin (Saison 7.7% ABV)

Prelight:

The Padron Damaso starts out with a very consistent, light brown wrapper. The wrapper carries a very oily, silky smooth texture with absolutely no sign of tooth. There is some mild veins running through the length of the body and some very small, slightly darker webbed areas running through the wrapper leaf. The cigar itself feels pretty light, yet very tightly compacted and hard with no soft spots whatsoever. The wrapper is very thin and delicate. I actually cracked one of the cigars I smoked when I was squeezing softly, inspecting the foot. The Padron Damaso is capped off with a beautiful, round double cap. The Damaso is polished off with a beautiful white version of the gold and maroon anniversary band we have all grown so familiar of. There is a secondary white, maroon, and gold band with the word “Damaso” located just below this one.

The wrapper on the Padron Damaso gives off a very oaty/grainy aroma with just a bit of sweetness while the foot of the cigar is much more potent leading with strong spice, tobacco, and cedar scents. The cap cut very clean and easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw on the Padron Damaso is way more bold than I expected leading with a very strong spice and malt with some great cedar flavors and a bit of pine.

First Third:

The Padron Damaso lead into the first third with some mild black pepper, spice, cinnamon, cashew, and cedar with just a touch of sweetness. The flavors are pretty subtle, but preform well as a whole. The draw is flawless. Each little puff pumps out a good mouth of thick, white smoke while the Padron Damaso gives off almost no stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of black and dark gray has which held on for a little under an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Padron Damaso and the body has began to simmer down quite a bit. The cashew and cedar now lead the way with some slight spice, pine, and sweetness in tow. The retrohale actually brings a lot more life into the cigar as it coats my nasal passage with a good amount of sweetness and strong cedar. The Padron Damaso is still burning dead even and razor thin while I close out the second third without any sign of nicotine whatsoever.

Finish:

The final third of the Padron Damaso finished much of the same. The cigar carried a decent amount of cedar and cashew with mild spice and pine. The sweetness was absent in the final third. There was a bit of a resurgence in the pepper department, but that too was short lived. While the Padron Damaso hasn’t been a very bold cigar, one thing it does have going for it is it’s incredibly smooth and creamy. The while cigar took me a little over 45 minutes to take down to the nub and I experienced absolutely no harshness, and no extra heat. If anything, the cigar became more smooth and more creamy as it progressed especially into the final inch.

Overview:

If you evet smoked a Padron and thought to yourself “Man, this is great, but I’d really like one that’s not as flavorful, and not nearly as strong”, then this one might be for you. In my case, I was pretty disappointed in the lack of everything that you have come to expect from Padron in the case of the Damaso. The body was lacking, the flavor profile was less than stellar, and the price point was way too high for what the cigar delivered. Not to mention that I really tried to take my time with this cigar, but even then it burned way too quickly. It seriously only took me about 50 minutes to smoke this down to the very nub. What I’m trying to say is that going in, I expected this to be milder than the other cigars in Padron’s portfolio. But I also expected it to be much more than just your standard Connecticut wrapped cigar. I guess with Padron you always expect something special, and that special something wasn’t found in the case of the Damaso.

Pairing:

I know I needed to pair this cigar with something that could compliment it, while raising some of the body, but wouldn’t overpower it at the same time. That perfect mixture came from Ommegang’s Hennepin. Hennepin is a 7.7% ABV Belgian style Farmhouse Saison brewed in Cooperstown, New York. Hennepin leads with some bold wheat flavors, lots of spice and cinnamon, some slight sweetness and a very light mouthfeel before finishing crisp and clean with malt, citrus, spice, and pine. It’s obvious why I chose this cigar for this pairing as the flavors matched up extremely well. The flavors in the beer were much more dominant than the ones I found in the cigar, but since they palates were so similar it helped bring the lacking body in the cigar up into a new level. Alternate pairings for this cigar would be a nice Belgian golden ale, a light marzen, or just your standard black coffee.

The post Padron Damaso No. 8 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Villiger, the Swiss cigar company, continues to turn out premium handmade cigars in addition to their machine-made cigars, and is making a strong push to get their products to a wider market in the U.S.  The Talanga is one of the newer blends, coming out a couple of years ago.  I reviewed the La Libertad last year, and liked it quite a bit, so I’ve been looking forward to trying out this Connecticut seed wrapped line.

The Talanga is made by Plasencia at their factory in Nicaragua, and consists of a Honduran wrapper, and binder and filler from Nicaragua.  The retail prices range from $7.35 – $9.50 and come in six sizes:

Selecto Corona Gorda:  5×46
Robusto:  5×50
Double Robusto:  5.5×54
Toro:  6×50
Churchill:  7×50
Lancero:  7×40

I was sent this particular Talanga by the folks at Famous Smoke Shop as a freebie with an order that I had placed a little while back, so this will be the first of the line that I will have smoked.

Wrapper:  Honduran Talanga Connecticut seed
Binder:  Nicaraguan Jalapa Seco Habano
Filler:  Nicaraguan from Esteli, Condega, and Ometepe
Size:  Toro 6×50
Price:  $8.50 MSRP
Smoking time:  One hour, thirty minutes
Pairing:  Deschutes Red Chair Pale Ale – 6.2% ABV

Pre-smoke

The Villiger Talanga comes draped in a rich golden tan wrapper with a nice sheen to it.  A few small veins are present, but do not stand out, and the wrap is virtually seamless, leading to a nicely appointed double cap.  The white, gold, and red bands are fairly simple and elegant, giving a very nice presentation.  This is a firmly packed stick, with little give when gently squeezed.  The wrapper smells of grass, faint sour barnyard, and very light cedar.  The foot gives off a scent of lightly earthy tobacco.  Cutting the cap leads to a fairly snug draw, so I give it an additional snip, which alleviates the tightness somewhat.  I can now taste a lightly sweet grassiness, earth, and tobacco.

First third

The Talanga takes a good long toasting to get going, and the first puffs reveal a slightly sweet and bitter herbal spice along with a smooth cedar.  The sweetness soon fades and the smoke takes on a dry, woody character.  After an inch, the cedar is the primary flavor component, backed by some of the herbaceousness.  It is so far mild and smooth, but not creamy, and just a tickle of pepper has shown up.  The burn has been great so far; not razor sharp, but even, as I tap off the first ash at 1-3/4”.

Middle third

As I enter the second third of the Villiger Talanga, the flavors have suddenly picked up, along with an added bit of pepper.  The cedar and herbal notes continue to drive the flavor, but there is now a sweet bread note lurking in the background.  The smoke has taken on a fuller, rounder texture, although it is still no more than a high mild.  Nearing the halfway point, the pepper has been playing peekaboo, and the smoke has approached the creamy stage as the cigar continues to burn beautifully.  It does churn out a pretty serious amount of resting smoke, though.

Final third

Into the final third of the Villiger Talanga, a slight bit of char has appeared, along with a touch of bitter coffee, but the wood remains the focal point of the flavors.  Surprisingly, in the final inch and a half, the bitterness has dropped out, making it so much easier to take it down to the last ¾”.

Final thoughts

I’m a little torn on this one.  The construction of the Villiger Talanga is top notch, and it’s a terrific looking cigar.  Once lit, I never had to even think about picking up my lighter, as it burned as well as you could ever want a cigar to burn.  On the other hand, I found the flavors to be wanting just a bit.  A little more of the sweetness and less of the bitterness would be greatly appreciated.  Being that this was my only experience with the Talanga, and reading other reviews of it, I would have to believe that my experience was somewhat out of the norm.  I do have a robusto sitting, so I’m looking forward to lighting that one up to see if the one I had was an aberration.  I can certainly see what they were trying to do with this cigar, matching the Nicaraguan filler and binder with Connecticut smoothness and sweetness, and I think that I will also be picking up on the smaller ring gauges (especially the lancero) to see if the greater wrapper ratio would make a difference in the smoke.  As always, trying to judge a cigar on a single experience can be misleading.  I’ve had many a smoke that didn’t do it for me on the first try that I have come to really enjoy.

Pairing

Not having had the Villiger Talanga before, I reached out to local Villiger rep Ed Ryan for a suggestion on what to pair with it, and he came back with pale ale, kolsch, or a wit.  So pale ale it is!

The Red Chair Pale Ale by Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon is a late winter/early spring seasonal that I have come to look forward to each year.  Smooth and malty with a clean finish, it goes down easily and is just plain enjoyable to drink.  The maltiness of the Red Chair is a fine foil for the Talanga, although I’m thinking that a sweeter and fruitier Weissbier, such as the Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier that I paired with the Bonita Smoke Shop Time Warp Big Ben, might be an even better match.  Of course, a sweetened coffee in the morning would also be a go-to pairing for this cigar.

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I had great plans of fitting in several more cigar reviews before the close of 2014, but it was not possible with the busy holiday season and year-end work responsibilities. At the end of November, I received for review several samples of the King David by Alec Bradley from our good friends at Mike’s Cigars, which I will finally be reviewing today. King David is the third Mike’s Cigars exclusive that we have reviewed here at Casas Fumando. I was rather impressed by the other shops exclusives that I had the pleasure of smoking. You can find the two other reviews below:

• Romeo Y Julieta – Primer Lote 770
• La Gloria Cubana – Domino 758

Produced in Honduras, the King David by Alec Bradley is available in five frontmarks: Corona Extra (4 3/4 by 45), Gran Robusto (5 by 55), Gran Toro (6 by 54), Churchill (7 by 52), and Gordo (6 by 60). The price ranges from just above $6.00 for the Corona Extra up to $12.50 for the Gordo. The prices significantly decreases for five packs and 20-count boxes. Lenin Euceda, Social Media Manager of Mike’s Cigars, provided me the following background on today’s stick:

The new King David by Alec Bradley cigars is made in Honduras under the watchful eye of Alan Rubin, president of Alec Bradley cigars. All Alec Bradley cigars are high quality and made of premium aged tobacco and the King David is no different.  The cigar is finished with a silky golden roll of pure Connecticut leaf which paves the way for a perfectly light aroma that marries with the Honduras/Nicaraguan blend and the Sumatra binder. Just like other non-heavy smokes that feature light wrapper but  rich and complex flavors, the King David is easy on the palate and full of tastes at the same time.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Mike’s Cigars
Price: $7.85/single, $24.95/5-pack, and $94.95/20-Count Box
Vitola: Gran Robusto
Size: 5 by 55
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Sumatran
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes
Drink: Water

Pre-light

The King David is dressed in a very light tan Connecticut wrapper leaf. Small and medium-sized veins are easily seen against the light colored wrapper, as well as some bumps and color imperfections. When I first removed the cigar from its cellophane, I was met with big notes of barnyard/manure. Having the cigar outside of the cellophane for pictures, the aroma off the wrapper has significantly toned down.

There is now only faint notes of natural tobacco and cedar. I do not find much more off the unlit foot of the cigar, but feel a light spice sting in the sinuses. Upon clipping the neatly applied double cap, a just about perfect draw presents itself with notes of clove, cedar, and pickling spices.

First Third

The profile is very mild at the start with a subtle natural tobacco sweetness and some faint cedar notes. As the cigar warms, the woodsy notes come to the front of the profile and pepper is really showcased with each retrohale. A thick, eyeliner burn-line has a slight wave but behaving overly well. The ash has yet to drop as I close out the first third.

Middle Third

Moving into the second third, the texture of the smoke has evolved and is now much more creamy and thick in the mouth. The flavors are now in the medium range but remain very easy on the palate with the creamy feel, along with balanced notes of wood, leather, and natural tobacco sweetness. The burn has been a bit edgy through the middle third but nowhere near the point of requiring a touch-up. The second ash held half as long as the first and dropped in the middle of my keyboard.

Final third

The main flavors remain consistent with the previous two thirds. However, I am noticing some bitterness that I find on most Connecticut shade cigars, as well as a toasted quality. Lengthening the time between draws seems to minimize the bitterness. The smoke production is awesome. The smallest draw fills my mouth with the medium flavored smoke.

Wrap-up

The King David was very different than my typical go-to cigars. I could probably count on one hand the number Connecticut shade cigars I smoked in 2014 and even less Alec Bradley cigars, if any.  But I was pleasantly surprised by the King David. The mild to medium flavors were easy on the palate and the natural tobacco sweetness rounded out the profile. The performance was exceptional with a mostly even burn, firm ash, and copious amount of smoke production. The only downfall I noted was the bitterness in the final third that can be easily avoided by slowing my pace. This is a cigar I would  reach for first thing in the morning as the sweetness in the cigar would compliment a black cup o’ Joe.  Also, this would be a great cigar for mild cigar smokers and newbies to the cigar world.

The post Alec Bradley – King David, a Mike’s Cigars Exclusive appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Today I have a review from a brand we haven’t really seen too much of lately since they release the OSA SOL a while ago (which I reviewed here). The brand is CAO and if you remember they were also purchased by General Cigar. Today’s new addition to the lineup is known as the Concert.

The Concert is intended to be a throwback to the roots of the CAO brand in Nashville, Tennessee. The musical parts of this cigar are pretty darn easy to spot. Not only does the name give musical reference but the band actually looks like a guitar and pick. Also on the side of the guitar is written “Perfect Harmony” in some fancy script.

Rick Rodriguez of CAO is the mastermind behind this blend and the leaves used here seem pretty interesting. I’m a big fan of Rosado cigars when they are done right but to have a Broadleaf binder is very different, I guess we’ll have to see how that plays out in the flavors. The cigars in this line are also all 5.5 inches long and only vary in their ring gauge starting at 46 and going up to 60. In line with the rest of the cigar, all the vitolas have music related names such as Roadie, Amp and Stage. Today up for review is going to be the 50 ring gauge version called the Solo!

Cigar: CAO Concert
Drink: Crown Royal Maple Finish
Vitola: ”Solo” Robusto (5.5 x 50)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Rosado
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan
Price: About $6
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• A nice looking cinnamon brown wrapper surrounds the cigar
• I found one crack in the wrapper just below the halfway mark of the cigar
• It has a pretty firm consistency from cap to foot
• The single cap is applied very cleanly and looks well done
• The foot is well packed for the most part with just a couple spots that had a bit of a gap

Burn:
• Toasting was even, quick and easy with no problem spots to worry about
• The crack in the wrapper is causing it to unroll a bit as I burn closer to it
• Other than that crack the cigar has been burning razor sharp and even through the first 3rd
• The cigar started to expand a bit causing the crack to get even worse and grow, starting to cause some burn problems now and I needed to give it a quick touchup
• The crack continued to cause problems until I finally passed it in the last third
• I still needed a couple touchups nears the end though

Smoke & Ash:
• Even with a slightly tight draw, I’m getting a ton of smoke each time
• There’s also a good amount of resting smoke coming off the cigar as well
• The ash is coming along really nicely in the early stages, looking strong, tight and clean
• The color on the ash is also quite nice with alternating light grey and white tones
• To prevent the ash from falling onto my laptop I tapped it off around 1 inch but I think it could have easily made it to at least 1.5 inches
• Even with the messy wrapper and re-lights the ash still continued to be strong holding on for 1 inch each time
• Smoke also continued to be full right through to the end

Tasting Notes:
• There wasn’t much aroma coming off the foot here, maybe just a bit of spice and woodsiness
• From the foot, I’m getting a fresh woodsy aroma with the same touch of spice
• Lots more of the fresh wood flavor and even some earth now on the pre-light draw
• The initial few draws had a defined burnt undertone to them but it seem went away
• After the burn notes went away I was left with a bit of a pepper spice flavor profile with some notes of wood mixed in there
• The flavors have stuck in the woodsy and slightly spicy range through the first half with just a bit of leather getting mixed in now and again
• On the retrohale, I’m picking up more of the spice in the bite and a dry spice on the finish as well
• Body has been mostly in the medium range up until now, we’ll see if it changes coming through to the end
• The last half has stuck with the wood and spice main notes, the leather is peeking in more often now and I’m getting a bit of coffee notes here and there
• More leather flavors as I burn down the the end here with just a touch of soft spices hanging around

Final Thoughts:
This turned out to be a pretty nice smoke overall and I enjoyed it for the most part. The cracked wrapper definitely caused some burn issues but they luckily didn’t affect the flavors much and it was probably just a one-time thing since no other Concert sticks I’ve smoked had the same problem. Now there wasn’t anything over the top here but it was a good solid medium smoke with some nice flavors. Not too much change in the profile though so I don’t think I would opt for anything bigger than a robusto. Definitely worth lighting one up though so give it a try, good to see CAO is still turning out some good sticks even after their recent ownership change.

Pairings:
Just in case you missed the name of my pairing before it is Crown Royal Maple Finished. Yes, that’s right, MAPLE! And damn does this bottle pack some serious mapley-goodness! My wife actually said it smelled like pancakes when I opened the bottle. IF you’ve had Crown Royal before you’ll know it’s got a pretty smooth texture to it but a lot of people tend to mix it with coke. The Maple flavor added here makes it perfectly enjoyable just on ice. And it made an excellent pairing for the cigar too, the sweetness can be a little overpowering at first but it settles down after a couple sips. Just don’t try pairing this with any soft or mild sticks cause they might get lost. +1 for Maple!

The post CAO Concert appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

C&C cigars are available in three different wrappers: Corojo, Connecticut, and Maduro (LRMD).  What I find unique is that each cigar in the C&C line comes with its own blend instead of just throwing a different wrapper on the same binder and filler.  Each cigar is available in four vitolas: Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 54), Churchill (7 by 50), and Gigantor (6 by 60). C&C’s site has this to say on their C&C lines:

A premium line at an everyday smokers price. The C&C line outperforms everytime. Effortless draws, perfect burn, and three taste profiles that will amaze mild, medium, and fuller bodied smokers.

The Facts

Samples Provided by StogieBoys.com
Price: Around $4.00
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 by 50
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro
Binder: Dominican Criollo
Filler: Dominican Ligero, Cubano Seco
Pairing: Water
Smoke Time: 1 Hour

* I have come across conflicting information on the wrapper on the C&C LRMD.  Several online retailers state the wrapper as Dominican Maduro.  However, candccigars.com has it listed as Arapiraca.

Pre-light

The C&C Maduro wrapper is milk chocolate in color with a good amount of water spots and imperfections. The small and medium veins are pronounced by their dark color and web across the entire stick. As I roll the stick between my fingers, I notice the velvety feel of the wrapper, along with a few soft spots.  Right next to the band is a rock hard spot.  I really hope this cigar isn’t plugged.

The aroma off the wrapper is of hay, sweet tea, and cardboard, while the foot is rich, highlighting tea and spice.  The cap clips easily revealing a perfect draw. That is a relief.  Sweet, rich tobacco shines on the cold draw.

First Third

The C&C LRMD is rocking in the smoke department.  Each small draw pulls an ample amount of smoke.  The first thing to hit my palate is a sugary sweetness, followed by a rich mixture of earth, pepper, and salt.  A decent amount of spice warms my entire palate.  The long finish is on the dry side and somewhat bitter.  As I approach an inch into the cigar, the draw has become stiff requiring a firm draw and charred notes have entered into the mix. The eyeliner burn is fairly even, producing a black and white ash which held to an inch before I knocked it off.  The flavors are medium with no perceivable nicotine.

Middle Third

The earth and pepper are overwhelmed by charred cedar and sugar, which is now dominating the profile. Biting down on the head of the C&C LRMD relieves the tight draw producing thick white smoke. The spice is now hitting me in the back of throat. The finish and retrohale are very similar with bitter coffee and cedar notes followed by a lingering spice.  The burn line is edgy as I wrap up the second third. Once again the ash held for over an inch.

Final Third

The earthiness of this cigar is in full force.  The charred wood is still prevalent with an added dirt and diesel flavors.  The finish of the LRMD reminds me of drinking the bottom of a cold cup of black coffee that contains old coffee grounds and has become bitter. The burn has been wavy but not a single touch-up has been needed.  The flavors are medium and the strength is on the low side of medium.   While not harsh, the flavors have become extremely bitter and with an inch and three-fourths remaining it is time to put down this cigar.

Wrap-up

The first few puffs of the C&C LRMD Robusto were so promising,producing a rich, balanced profile. Unfortunately, the charred flavors dominated the rest of the smoke.  On the more objective side of things, the construction was superior for a $4.00 stick.  The burn line never required any touch-ups and the ash held firm up to an inch.  Prior to receiving these samples, I picked up a couple from Spec’s and each cigar has been consistent in both flavor and construction. Always remember that taste is subjective and if you enjoy dark earthy, charred flavors this stick may be right up your alley.  For $4.00 a stick, you can’t go wrong trying out this cigar.  And you never know, this may be a great everyday stick for you.

The post C&C LRMD appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

On the chopping block is the Habano wrapped version of the Espinosa Cigars La Zona. If the Espinosa name sounds familiar it’s probably because you heard about it from the EO Brands cigar label where Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega worked together to create some very popular lines. Espinosa Cigars is Erik fairly new project and the La Zona line is one of his first few blends.

The La Zona line currently comes in two flavors, a Connecticut and the Habano, they are also only available in two sizes, Super Toro and Robusto. The only noticeable difference between the two blends is a slightly different color on the bands. The Connecticut had a sort of lime green touch to it while the Habano is a bit more of a subtle brownish green.

The price on these cigars comes in well below $5 a stick. If you opt for the massive 80 count boxes, the price per stick can drop to nearly $3 each making this a very affordable stick to have in the humidor. Fans of Nicaraguan tobacco will also be happy to hear that the La Zona’s are Nicaraguan Puros and are also manufactured right in Esteli.

Despite a ton of snow we’ve been having, the weather is actually warming up a bit. I think Mother Nature in a bit confused… But I’ll take advantage of that as I enjoy some good cigars. So let’s just right in and see if the La Zona Habano is worth stocking up on in the Humidor.

Cigar: Espinosa Cigars La Zona Habano
Drink: Coffee
Vitola: Super Toro (6.5 x 54)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: About $4
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The medium brown color of the wrapper is accented with some golden touches
• Almost no veins on this slightly dry looking wrapper
• It also has a somewhat rough texture and lots of toothiness to it, just missing the oily spots
• I did notice a sort of green water spot right around the middle of the cigar
• After a small and easy cut, the draw is super open, pretty surprising since it’s such a long cigar
• There is a definite softness from cap to foot here, lots of give when I squeeze it a bit
• The foot looks to be decently packed and the cap is finished very cleanly

Burn:
• Toasting took a bit of time but it lit up nice and evenly
• Burn line has been a tad wavy but pretty good for the most part through the first third
• Through the first half, I had one minor touch up for a peninsula that was forming
• The La Zona Habano is burning at a good pace, not too fast and not too slow either
• A couple more touch ups as I get near the end, none were major issues, probably jsut me wanted to be a perfectionist! lol

Smoke & Ash:
• There is a fair bit of smoke off the start but a slightly open draw is making it tough
• The resting smoke is pretty minimal
• Ash is looking to be pretty clean and somewhat strong
• First ash got tapped off at about the one inch mark since it looked to be getting a bit wobbly
• A fair bit of smoke from each draw but it does take a few tries to get it all out
• The remaining ashes all stuck around the 1 inch mark pretty consistently
• Other than the dark spots from touch ups, the ash had a light and dark grey color to it

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a deep cedar aroma to it with a touch of spice
• On the foot, I’m getting the same cedar and more spice to it, tickled my nose quite a bit
• Pre-light draw had a ton more cedar but much less spice here, a touch of sweetness here as well
• Initial flavors brought out more of the cedar but not as much spice right off the bat
• I found a touch of spice in the aftertaste and main flavors mostly dominated by some leather and woodsy notes
• I’m picking up some hints of creaminess but they don’t seem to be sticking around too long
• Body started off in the medium range and has been sticking there through the first half of the cigar
• The retrohale has a nice little spice bite to it and a bit more on the finish, with just a touch of creaminess in there
• I got a few coffee notes and a bit more creaminess towards the last half which kept it interesting
• No real harshness or bitterness right to the nub, allowing me to enjoy the whole cigar

Final Thoughts:
I have to say that both the Habano and Connecticut version of the La Zona cigar were a satisfying smoke. They are also quite different in their own regards. The Connecticut brought a surprising amount of spice to the table while the Habano had a more creamy and woodsy approach. For a $3 price tag, you are definitely getting your money’s worth on these cigars. Other than a couple minor touch ups, the whole burn was pretty darn good and the flavors were just enough to keep things interesting. I’d definitely consider buying a few more of each and for the price, you don’t feel bad to hand over a tasty and flavorful stick to a novice smoker either.

Pairings:
I went with plain old coffee for today’s review and it actually worked out really well. I don’t tend to pair with coffee quite enough and I’m not sure why, it definitely makes for a great pairing. Especially in the morning or early afternoon. I think a nice amber ale, maybe something oaked would make an awesome pairing here. Or possibly a light scotch as well.

The post Espinosa Cigars La Zona Habano appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The La Zona cigar comes from Espinosa Cigars. Erik Espinosa was the “E” behind the EO brands label that gave us the popular 601 line. He’s gone ahead and started his own line just as his counterpart Eddie Ortega did. The La Zona comes from the factory in Esteli Nicaragua and is intended to be a value cigar with premium flavors. There are two wrappers, the Connecticut in a brighter lime green band and the Habano which has a darker green/brownish band. They also only come in 2 vitolas, Robusto and Super Toro.

Today’s cigar was the Connecticut variety in Robusto vitola and I have to admit that I would NEVER have guessed it was a Connecticut just from smoking it. This cigar started with a huge punch of pepper and spices that really surprised me. The pepper and spices also continued through most of the cigar. Where the Connecticut shone through was with the smooth creaminess, especially on the retrohale.

This cigar was pretty unique in that most connies don’t try this, they tend to stay in the mild range so the contrast was interesting to what I was expecting. The spice tapered off a bit towards the middle but they were still there. To compliment them I got a nice mix of cedar. The construction was awesome the whole way through even though I was walking in some slightly windy weather and it was a chilly 25F or so. I also have some Habano’s to try and see how they smoke. For a cost of just under $4 this was a pretty tasty and interesting cigar that kept me on my toes so keep an eye out and give them a try if you find them.

The post Quick Draw Episode 11 – Espinosa Cigars La Zona Connecticut appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

But I’m always up to try some new cigars so here we go digging into some information behind The Edge. It’s been a really since I had one of Rocky’s The Edge cigars and I used to actually really enjoy the original blend of the Sumatra wrapper. The new blend isn’t the same and although it wasn’t bad, I haven’t really stocked up on them. But today’s review isn’t on the Sumatra wrapper, we’re focusing on the Corojo for now.

As with the whole Edge lineup, the long fillers used to stuff this cigar are aged for a full five years before they get to the rolling tables. Something else interesting about this line is that the filler on their website simply says that it is “Secret”. There are some speculations around the actual makeup of the filler but I’m not one to speculate, so we’ll just leave it at that.

As with many of Rocky’s cigars, he has teamed up with the tobacco growing powerhouse that is Nestor Plasencia. Aside from the Corojo, you can also find the limited runs of Sumatra wrappers as well as a Maduro wrapped blend. There’s also a similar line called the “Edge Lite” that comes with a connecticut wrapper and even a limited run Candela that Tony reviewed here. So let’s dive on in and see how the Corojo wrapped Edge by Rocky Patel stands up.

Cigar: Rocky Patel The Edge
Drink: Pocas Special Reserve Tawny Porto
Vitola: Torpedo (6 x 52)
Wrapper: Honduran Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Secret?
Price: $6.00
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• This Rocky Patel has a seriously deep dark brown and oily wrapper
• There are very few veins on this wrapper and whatever I do see is very small
• The cap is finished very cleanly with the single lead blending seamlessly into the rest of the wrapper
• The foot is super packed from what I can see, lots of filler inside this cigar
• There is a bit of a soft spring near the foot when squeezed but the top of the cigar near the cap is very firm
• The cap took a little effort to clip, probably due to the huge amount of filler inside it
• Draw is just about perfect, it has just enough resistance
• Noticed a few wrapper cracks as I burned through the cigar but none caused any major issues to be worried about

Burn:
• Toasting was very easy and The Edge had a glowing foot with very little effort
• We’re off to a good start with a nice clean burn line in the first bit here, let’s hope that continues
• Saw one little peninsula forming but The Edge made a come back and corrected itself without my help
• A couple more small peninsulas as we roll along here but they keep correcting themselves which is a welcome treat
• One of the peninsulas finally needed my help to correct in the last half but nothing major
• Smooth sailing to the end with a good burn pace and no more issues to correct

Smoke & Ash:
• Right from the start, there is a ton of smoke coming off this Rocky Patel cigar with only a small draw required to get it
• The ash is coming along with a very light grey, almost white color to it and some darker black accents here and there
• Super strong and clean ash here, no flaking at all
• Tapped off the first ash at about 1 inch just to prevent it from falling on my laptop, but it probably could have gone longer
• There is a fair bit of resting smoke off this cigar as well and I have to say, it smells a little like roasted marshmallows which is awesome
• All the ashes kept nice and clean and easily made the 1 inch mark before ending up in the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on the Rocky Patel The Edge has a sweet sort of candy/ cocoa aroma, reminds me of what Smarties smell like
• The foot brings more of that sweet cocoa aroma and adds to it a bit of baking spices like cloves and nutmeg
• The pre-light draw brought a little bit of the sweet cocoa but now it’s more wood and spices
• From the initial draws, The Edge was giving me lots of woodsy notes with some back splashes of cloves and nutmeg and maybe a bit of a leathery flavor
• The body starts off right around the low end of medium, a nice comfortable strength for now
• As for the retrohale, The Edge does have a bit of bite to it along with a smooth cedar finish
• The wood and spice notes are still holding strong, but I’m getting a bit of a black licorice taste in here now which is making it interesting
• A little ramp up in the body around the halfway mark as the licorice really starts to be prominent along with the spices making for a very interesting and balanced profile
• The coffee and spice took the main stage for the last half with some licorice peeking in once in awhile
• There was no harshness towards the end and The Edge finished smooth and with a bit of strength

Final Thoughts:
So Lou seems to be becoming the Rocky Patel advocate for me and I have to say he’s doing a pretty good job of turning me on to some of their better sticks. This is another Rocky Patel I can add to my list as one that I really enjoyed. It had lots of good flavors, some interesting change ups, and solid construction from start to finish. It seems that if you can find the sticks in the Rocky inventory that appeal to your taste profile, there are definitely quite a few that are worth trying. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of these in the future and if you aren’t a huge Rocky fan, this may be a good one for you to try. Can’t complain about the price either, right in the sweet spot of most people.

Pairings:
I think it’s been awhile since I actually paired with a port, not sure why but here’s a new one for you. Today’s choice is a new one for me too from Pocas which is a family owned winery from Portugal. This particular blend is called the Special Reserve Tawny Porto. It pours very very light and has some very fruity notes on your nose. The flavors follow those same lines with a very light flavor, fairly fruity, lots of oak flavors and not bold at all. This would make an excellent into to Port if you haven’t dabbled in it before. It paired nicely with the Rocky Patel The Edge but I wouldn’t choose it for something super strong as the light flavors would get overwhelmed.

The post Rocky Patel The Edge (Corojo) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

You might remember a while back Tony took a trip down to the Dominican Republic courtesy of our awesome friends over at General Cigar. He got a very neat tour and had an awesome time. You can read more about it from his recap here. He did an awesome job of detailing the whole trip including all the educational pieces that General Cigar mixed in. If you haven’t read it yet, make sure you do now.

While on the trip, Tony had the chance to blend and even help roll a special cigar of this own. He got to choose all the tobacco leaves that went into it and sprinkled a little bit of sunshine into the recipe! lol. When he came back, he graciously sent me one of his samples and today I am going to review it.

As a special treat, I also found out that Tony sent one of these sticks over to our friend Jeff, so I sneakily went behind his back and asked Jeff to review it as well. Check his thoughts out at the bottom of the post and a big Thanks to Jeff for sending it along to me!

So enough with the chatter, let’s see if Tony is next master cigar blender!

Cigar: Macanudo “Tony Casas”
Drink: Unibroue Raftman
Vitola: Corona (5.5 x 46)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Ometepe Ligero, Nicaraguan Viso, Brazillian Mata Fina and Piloto Cubano Seco (Can anyone say “Frankenstein’s Monster”? ;))
Price: Priceless!
Burn Time: About an hour

Construction:
• When squeezed, there is mostly a fairly squishy type of feel with some soft spots to be found
• Spotty cinnamon brown wrapper has no major veins to be worried about
• Foot appears very well packed and almost even tapered a bit towards the foot, interesting style there
• Cap seems like some sort of single cap with a messy application, but not too shabby for a first attempt (sorry Tony!)
• The cut was very easy and left me with a really nice draw

Burn:
• The toasting was super easy, probably due to the slight taper at the end, not sure if that was intentional or if the cigar got squeezed but I like the idea! lol
• There was a bit of a wave just near the foot after lighting but it quickly corrected itself without my help
• Through the first third I’m having a nice burn, not perfectly straight but still very nice
• I noticed that some big draws were over heating the cigar, causing very black burn lines and a change in the flavor, slowed it down a bit now
• Happy to report that I only needed one minor touch up around the halfway mark, the rest of the cigar burned pretty nicely

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke right from the start here and no need for any extra draws
• There’s a bit of resting smoke as I lay the cigar in the ashtray, just a burning wood aroma from there
• Ask is a bit flaky and messy, getting some bits falling off now and then
• Tapped the ash off at just about a half inch, was worried it would fall on my laptop
• The ash has some parts that are very light grey and others are super dark black
• After I changed my draw pattern, the ash is a consistent medium grey, not over heating it anymore
• Kept the ash under a half inch since it was flaky the whole way through

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper had a bit of a woodsy aroma to it but nothing too strong
• The foot is more woodsy aromas with a little bit of greenery tossed in there
• On the pre-light draw, I’m actually getting some tarty or fruity notes along with the woodsy and greenery
• First few draws were kind of burnt wood flavors, nothing interesting here
• I started get a bit of the tarty flavors coming out as I burned through the first third
• I realized that drawing too fast on this cigar is causing some really hot burning, so I slowed it down and all those burnt flavors are slowly disappearing
• Getting some nice woodsy and sort of cinnamon type of flavors into the mix now
• I also started picking up a bit of the tarty notes I had before lighting it up, they are peeking in and out
• The slightly burnt flavor never completely left but slowing down on my draws definitely reduced it
• For the most part the body was fairly mild, maybe just near medium towards the end
• No harshness or bitterness towards the end at all, a nice finish and some of the flavors really bolded up

Final Thoughts:
So what to say here? I’m not too sure. I’ll be easy on Tony since it was his first attempt. I have to point out the mess of fillers he put in this stick, it’s like he grabbed one leaf from every pile and put them together! Just joking, I’m sure it made sense in his head.
Aside from the over heating aspects, the Macanudo Tony Casas had some promising flavors to it and it actually burned quite well. The price was astronomically too high for this cigar though!
Good job Tony, you’re well on your way to becoming the best Texas grown cigar maker out there!

Pairings:
This isn’t a new pairing here but it is the last bottle I have (and probably last I will be able to get for a long time). This offering by Unibroue is called the Raftman and is brewed with whisky malts. I’ve only ever been able to find it when I was in Quebec which is a good 5-6 hour drive away. The flavors are fantastic with a great mix of oak, a hint of those whisky malts and a nice helping of regular malt. There’s even a touch of citrus in there too, very good stuff! It paired well with the Macanudo Tony Casas because it’s not an overpowering beer so it was a good choice.

Macanudo LE by Tony Casas (Review by Jeff Oda)

Pre-Light

The wrapper is fairly veiny and bumpy. The pack is firm with no discernible soft spots.
Wrapper smells of tobacco and light cedar with very faint barnyard.
Foot smells of tobacco, not much more.
The cold draw is snug and doesn’t offer up much other than tobacco flavor.

Light up!

First draws are of lightly sweet tobacco and cedar on the tongue with a slight pepper bite. It’s mild and smooth with some nice cedar on the retrohale. The stationary smoke is very light but has a nice aroma.

One inch in at 15 minutes, the draw has improved and ash held for 1”. Pepper has ramped up a bit,
feeling it in the back of the throat, but the body is still mild, although it is climbing a bit. The retrohale continues to be cedary and lightly sweet with a peppery sting.

Two inches in at 35 minutes, I’m now getting a bit of acidic brightness and pepper has faded but is still there. The small amount of sweetness that was there has also departed, but I’m enjoying the aroma through the nose as I take a draw.

Halfway through, I’m starting to pick up some creaminess, but not a lot. The body is at medium and I’m still getting a bit of peppery tickle at the back of the throat, though it seems to come and go. Burn-wise, I haven’t even had to think about it, a bit wavy at times, but mostly even.

Into the final third at 1 hour, the spice has faded once again and nuttiness has come into play. Further down, the pepper zing has surfaced again on the tongue and lips. With 1-1/2” left, the flavors have washed out, but the burn remains cool to the last inch, where I stopped at 1:20. Pretty slow burn on this one.

All in all, not bad, but I was hoping for more sweetness and creamy richness to intermingle and balance with the pepperiness and wood and tobacco flavors. I’m sure part of it may have to do with the tobaccos that were available for blending.* Would I smoke one again? Sure. Would I pay for it? I plead the 5th on that. I have to commend Tony on this first effort. The flavors were a bit thin and
unbalanced, but even though it wasn’t the prettiest cigar to look at, the construction, burn, and draw
were great. Now I’m really looking forward to trying the Drew Estate and Joya de Nicaragua blends he did.

I paired it with Lagunitas New DogTown Pale Ale, but I think it would go better with a cup of coffee.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff

The post General Cigar – Macanudo “Tony Casas” appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Perdomo Reserve Champagne Noir comes packed with quality Nicaraguan tobacco and wrapped with a Cuban-seed maduro wrapper that’s been aged for at least 14 months followed by an extra 6 months in bourbon barrels. How could you say no to a combination like that??? This Nicaraguan puro sounds super appealing on paper and I hope it translates to awesome when I light it up as well.

One thing to mention about the blend here is that it contains pretty much the exact same filler and binder as the 10th Anniversary Champagne cigar. The difference is of course the dark maduro wrapper it comes with. So you can see why I was excited to give this blend a try!

As I’ve mentioned before, Perdomo has a pretty big reputation to maintain with me. I’ve always had good luck with both construction and flavors when it comes to their sticks so I expect all of their sticks to live up to that same expectation. Now to be honest, the 10th Anniversary Maduro line up wasn’t as much of a success for me as the Champagne was so I’m really hoping the Champagne Noir rounds out the Reserve lines up with a solid and tasty maduro!

Cigar: Perdomo Reserve Champagne Noir
Drink: The Macallan Select Oak Scotch
Vitola: Epicure (6 x 54)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $5.60
Burn Time: 2.5 hours

Construction:
• A smooth and silky wrapper adorns the Champagne Noir, with a soft touch and only a few minor veins
• The wrapper has the color of milk chocolate and is fairly consistent from end to end
• The single cap is cleanly applied and has an elegant touch to it
• The foot appears mostly well packed except for one small area that has a little bit of a gap in it
• The whole cigar has a consistent squeeze and spring to it
• Another great sign of Perdomo quality, the band slid off with almost no effort and absolutely no damage to the wrapper at all

Burn:
• The toasting was a little odd, even though it looked lit up, only the edges seemed to catch. But after one quick draw the whole foot was glowing nicely
• Burn has been razor sharp right from the start
• I can’t believe how slow this cigar is burning, it’s crazy
• As I burn through the halfway mark, I’ve had nothing but razor sharp and slow burning, fantastic quality here!
• Did I mention how slow this is burning? I’m going to easily pass 2 hours here!

Smoke & Ash:
• Tons of smoke right from the first draw, fills the air with a fluffy whiteness
• Even the resting smoke is pretty abundant with lots of cedar notes in the air
• The first ash stayed nice and strong with just a bit of flaking
• It lasted past 1 inch and tapped off cleanly into the ashtray
• The full volume of smoke continues right through the whole first half
• Ash is staying nice and clean and strong and easily passing the 1 inch mark every time

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a mostly barnyard/hay type of aroma to it
• The foot brings an interesting fruity tartness along side some baking spices, an interesting combination there
• The pre-light draw has a freshness to it, almost like inhaling mint, along with some sweet cedar and a touch of spices
• The initial draw has a slight pepper kick and some hefty cedar to back it up
• The pepper subsided a little and I’m getting some nice cedar and coffee flavors
• The coffee is making nice full flavored appearance in the middle here
• The retrohale has a nice pepper bite to it, but the finish is smooth cedar and coffee
• The coffee is developing into a nice roasted espresso flavor and adding to it some nice roasted almond flavors
• The flavor started off near medium but it’s easy to see it’s at the border of full now but seems to be holding nicely there
• The whole experience has a sort of creamy undertone to it as well
• The roasted espresso and almond flavors stuck through the the end without any harshness at all

Final Thoughts:
Well it’s easy to see that this cigar did not disappointment at all. There were some hints of the Connecticut version in here but the maduro wrapper definitely brought a different experience to the Perdomo Reserve Champagne Noir. The roasted espresso and almond flavors really brought it home nicely in the end and the burn and construction was top quality right through to the end. The pace at which this cigar burned was incredibly slow! Definitely got my money’s worth with the slow burn on these. This is another winner in Perdomo’s inventory for me, give them a try and let us know what you think!

Pairings:
I had first cracked this bottle the week before the wedding and it was and good, so I had been saving it for a special occasion. So this weekend we ended up buying a house so I thought that’s a damn good reason to finish off the last bit of this Macallan Select Oak. It’s so darn smooth that you definitely don’t need ice cubes to drink this one. A touch of smoke, a touch of peat and lots of caramel and fruity notes. Darn good if you like some good ol fashion Scotch! Great pairing for any full bodied cigar and even though the Champagne Noir wasn’t too full bodied, it still complimented the coffee and cedar notes well. A nice stout or strong coffee would have been great here as well.

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