The original Monte by Montecristo was first introduced in 2013 as a full-bodied departure from the more traditional, milder Montecristo cigars. The cigar features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over dual binders of Dominican Olor and Nicaraguan Corojo tobaccos. The filler tobaccos are derived from the Dominican Republic. Manufactured at Tabacalera De Garcia, three vitolas are available in the original Monte line to include Conde (5 ½ by 48), Jacopo No. 2 (6 ⅛ by 54), and Monte (6 by 60).

You can purchase the Monte by Montecristo from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $9.85
Vitola: Conde
Size: 5 ½ by 48
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican Olor and Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Dominican
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Monte by Montecristo Conde is dressed in a milk chocolate Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that has a nice oily sheen. There is a good amount of veins and bumps on the leaf and the cigar is rolled evenly and firmly from head to foot.

There is an aroma of barnyard and chocolate on the wrapper, while a generic wood flavor and chocolate come across from the foot. The cigar comes to an end with a small pig-tailed cap. There is chocolate and potpourri spices on the cold draw that is a bit firm and a spice tingle lingers on my lips.

FIRST THIRD

The Monte Conde comes out of the gate with thick flavors on the palate. The flavors are on the darker end spectrum including notes of coffee, pencil shavings, and charred wood. These flavors are being complimented by a natural tobacco sweetness and sour grapefruit flavor. The spice is tame at this point with only a mild spice heat felt in my mouth. The cigar is burning evenly as a white ash forms. 

MIDDLE THIRD

The Monte by Montecristo is burning along well producing a satisfying amount of smoke. Coffee and charred wood remain and a new yeast joins in. There is still the contrasting sweetness that has stepped up a notch and that interesting sour grapefruit is still hanging around. The smoke is even more chewy and thick than it was at the start. As I near the end of the second third,  the burn is out of whack requiring a quick hit with my lighter. 

FINAL THIRD

The charred wood has become the most dominant flavor as I enter the final third of the cigar. The spice heat has only moved up to medium in the mouth, but it is closer to full in the sinuses as I retro-hale the smoke. The sweetness has taken a backseat to the sourness and the pepper flavor is more defined than it was earlier. The Monte by Montecristo comes to close with no further burn problems. 

WRAP-UP

I will be the first to admit, Montecristo cigars don’t do a whole lot for me. But there is no doubt that Altadis USA is trying to keep the brand in step with today’s consumer seeking fuller bodied smokes. And while I wouldn’t classify the Monte by Montecristo as full-bodied, but more medium, the cigar was still intriguing and satisfying. The darker flavors were balanced out by the sweetness and even the sour grapefruit worked well. There was only a single burn issue over the 1 hour and 20 minute journey. After this experience, I cannot wait to see where AJ has taken the Monte line with the Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez.

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According to agiocigars.com:

Agio Cigars is one of the leading cigar manufacturers in Europe, offering brands such as MEHARI’S, PANTER, BALMORAL and DE HUIFKAR.

Every year, about 750 million cigars are produced and sold, primarily through the company’s own sales organisations in western and southern Europe. Agio also exports to over 100 countries worldwide and holds over 2000 employees. Founded in 1904, Royal Agio Cigars is still a family business and has grown to become a leading manufacturer of cigars, characterised by a consumer-oriented policy, advanced technology and a high standard of quality.

The Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is the latest offering from Agio Cigars.  Produced in the Dominican Republic, the name is derived from the 18 year old Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper that covers Brazilian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican long-filler tobaccos. The Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is produced in limited quantities each year in only two vitolas: Rothchild Masivo (5 by 55) and Torpedo Mk52 (6 1/4 by 52).

The Facts

Samples Provided by Drew Estate
Price: $12.00
Vitola: Rothchild Masivo
Size: 5 by 55
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Brazilian Bahia, Dominican Olor, and Nicaraguan Ligero
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes
Drink: N/A

Pre-light

The Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is dressed in a medium brown Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper that has a greenish hue. A couple medium sized veins run down the 5 inch stick but other than that the cigar is fairly smooth to the touch. This is probably one of the prettier Brazilian wrappers I have seen. The cigar is filled evenly and firmly. The wrapper aroma is light with notes of tobacco and wood, along with a faint pungency. There is not much more to be found on the foot other than some thicker cedar and barnyard aromas.

The cap has been applied real clean and it is hard to see where the cap begins. Upon clipping the cap, a rich draw presents itself with cedar, cinnamon, and other exotic spices. The draw resistance is right on.

First Third

After spending a decent amount of time evenly toasting the foot, the Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is underway. The flavors are mild to medium with some cedar and earthy notes along with a sour quality that makes me think of wet grass. The finish is a mixture of cedar and cocoa and is somewhat dry. At just over ten minutes, some development is taking places with the arrival of coffee in the profile and the sour quality is fading away. The Anejo 18 is burning evenly, forming a beautiful light grey ash. The only performance issue experienced thus far is the smoke production is lower than preferred.

Middle Third

Making my way into the second third, dry cedar has moved to the front of the profile making me think of pencil shavings. The flavors are coming across much more balanced than early on, which I contribute to a newly found sweetness that is rounding out the profile. The flavors have stepped up into the medium arena and the added black pepper spice is giving it an extra kick. The coffee flavor that arrived late in the first third is holding strong.

Final Third

Coffee, earth, cedar, and pepper characterize the profile as I push an hour of smoking time. The flavors are much deeper and darker than the start of the cigar. In the last inch and half, the profile has become much more earthy. The smoke production has continued to increase in each third . With copious amounts of smoke now being produced, the flavors are presenting themselves much more full than earlier. I am feeling no nicotine as I close out the final third.

Wrap-up

The Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18 is a very unique and special cigar. The profile was intriguing in the first third with the sour grass notes, well balanced in the second third with the added sweetness and coffee, and completely satisfying in the final third with deep, dark, full flavors. There was never a dull moment with the Anejo 18 as it was continually introducing new flavors and building in intensity with the flavors, body, and strength. The cigar performed effortlessly with an even burn and solid ash. Agio Cigars has a great cigar on their hands with the Balmoral Royal Selection Anejo 18.

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Back at the IPCPR Trade Show in July, Primer Mundo Cigar Company officially added La Hermandad Costa Fuerte to their lineup. La Hermandad Costa Fuerte is produced by PDR Cigars in the Dominican Republic and is available in three vitolas: Caballito (5 by 50), Embajador (6 by 52). and Consejero (6 by 60). Other offerings from Primer Mundo include the Black Label, Blue Label, Epifania, La Hermandad, Liga Miami, and Red Label.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Pinar Del Rio
Price: Around $8
Vitola: Caballito – Robusto
Size: 5 by 50
Wrapper: Brazilian Bahia
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo 98 and Dominican Corojo 2006
Drink: Water

Pre-light

Every time I opened my humidor this past month, La Hermandad Costa Fuerte stared me down with its large white band.  Seriously,  there is no way you can look past a cigar that has a band that takes up two-thirds of the stick. Not being able to handle it any longer, I decided to pull out the Costa Fuerte for review. While the band is large,  it is also quite simple, which I really like. After sliding off the band with ease, an oily Brazilian leaf is revealed. Color imperfections, veins webbing across the stick, and its dark marbleized, reddish brown color make this one rough looking wrapper.

The foot appears under filled, but the rest of the stick is firmly packed. The wrapper emits a nice cedar aroma and the foot showcases cedar, cocoa, and spice.  Cutting through the first layer of the triple cap, an open draw is presenting a clove richness, cocoa, and earth.

First third

La Hermandad Costa Fuerte is starting with a mouthful of spice that is completely saturating my palate.  At the half inch point, the pepper has toned down ever so slightly and I am picking up on a dusty cocoa and deep cedar notes. There is a tad of sweetness, but I am unable to put my finger on it. The retrohale is of intense black pepper, but not nearly as spicy as expected. Being so early in the cigar, the nicotine is not having any ill-effects on me but I can tell this bad boy is going to be strong. The burn line is thick and wavy but nowhere near the point of requiring a touch-up. The layered, salt and pepper ash is firm holding past an inch.

Middle third

The pepper spice remains at the core of the flavors as I make my way into the second third. A mineral, or metallic quality is peeking through and the cedar is now finding some room in the profile. The dusty cocoa is very noticeable on the finish of the smoke and lingers on the palate for some time. Due to the long finish, I am allowing more time and a few sips of water between each puff to refresh my palate. Also, the strength would be kicking my butt if I smoked at my normal rate. There has been little change in the burn but the ash is now a bit flaky.

Final third

Approaching the hour mark, I have entered the final third of this hefty La Hermandad Costa Fuerte. The profile has become much richer. Dirt-like, earth notes are now alongside the cedar, and the pepper has either stepped down another notch or I am just numb to it at this point. One quick touch up has brought the burn line back in-line. The flavors and strength remain full at the close of the stick.

Wrap-up

Even though the band warned me with the word “Fuerte” clearly stated, I did not expect this cigar to be such a powerhouse of pepper, spice, and strength. After the midway point, I thought for sure the strength was going to push me over the top, but throughout the entire cigar the Costa Fuerte remained right at that edge of making me sick but never went over.  The cigar performed well, as only one touch-up was required in the final third. This is not a cigar I would start my day with, but I can see myself smoking La Hermandad Costa Fuerte after a big steak dinner. Overall, I enjoyed the cigar but the time of day and the meal I eat will be the determining factors on when I will revisit it. If you enjoy spicy, full cigars, with notes of cocoa and cedar, I recommend you give the Primer Mundo La Hermandad Costa Fuerte a try.

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This past year, I have noticed several cigar companies trying to set their cigars apart from the rest of the market by creating blends that feature tobaccos  not commonly used.  This is the case with the Leccia Tobacco Black (find the review here), Drew Estate – MUWAT Kentucky Fire Cured, and, now, Ventura Cigar Co Project 805.  This is what a post from the company’s site has to say about the unique tobacco used in the 805:

The Andullo in Project805 is native to the south Dominican Republic; however, Andullo has been enjoyed by the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean for at least 500 years. Traditionally users carve a pipe out of petrified Andullo, sprinkle fresh Andullo flakes into the pipe and smoke it.

Though the tobacco is colloquially referred to as Andullo, it is the process not the leaf that makes the Andullo tobacco unique. Typical cigar tobacco leaf processing includes tying together freshly picked tobacco leaves and hanging these bunches in a barn to cure, after which leaf is placed into 1-ton stacks (Pilons) to ferment. The Andullo process is different. Tobacco leaf from the Rabito and Quin Diaz tobacco plants is harvested and piled into a series of palm seed pods called Yagua. When filled, the palm seed pods are wrapped in a thick, natural rope compressing the Andullo into a dense, rigid, 6-foot long bar nearly 5-inches in diameter. Stacked in a barn, and rotated at regular intervals, the Andullo ferments in the yagua for up to 2 years. When fermentation is finally complete, the resulting product is a leathery, dark, aromatic, earthy sweet all-natural tobacco leaf.

The moisture content and natural aromas make it perfect tobacco for cigars, though it has never been used in premium cigars until now. Ventura Cigar Company brings it to you in Project805.

Ventura Cigar Co. was kind enough to provide a leaf of the Andullo tobacco. I haven’t had an opportunity to smoke the leaf,  but, just by opening the Ziplock bag the tobacco was in, I was blown away by the aroma. I look forward to sampling the Andullo tobacco as it will be my first experience smoking an individual leaf.

Produced at the La Aurora Factory in the Domincan Republic, Project 805 is available in four vitolas: Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 52), Figurado (6 ¼ by 52), and Churchill (7 by 50).

The Facts

Samples Provided by Ventura Cigar Co.
Vitola: 805R – Robusto
Size: 5 by 50
Wrapper: Dominican Corojo
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican and Andullo
Pairing: Water
Smoke Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Pre-light

The first thing I notice about Project 805 is its solid feel. This little robusto is packed full of tobacco through and through, with not a single soft spot found on the stick. The wrapper is mostly consistent in its medium brown color and a few medium to large veins run across the Corojo leaf. The wrapper aroma is of cedar, with a slight underlying pungency.

The foot has a great rich aroma with an earthy sweetness, chili powder, dried fruit, and cedar. Also, a spice tingle can be felt in my nose. The not-so-neat cap clips clean revealing a firm draw. I was afraid of this due to the solid feel of the 805. However, the cold draw is still very flavorful with similar notes as the aroma from foot of the cigar.

First Third

Due to the firm draw, I am having to puff several times to get any kind of smoke. Taking the cutter to the cap one more time, I don’t find much relief in the draw. Hopefully, it will loosen up as the cigar progresses. The smoke delivers flavors of  moist earth, cedar, and spice, while the retrohale highlights woodsy notes and pepper. What started as a beautiful white ash quickly turned flaky as the cigar coned from having to draw hard and often to get smoke. The burn is wavy, but so far no touch-ups. The smoke is light on the palate and the finish has dark earth and coffee notes. The flavors are coming across mild , but I believe they may be toned down from the smoke production being so low.

Middle Third

As the cigar heats up and softens, the draw has become less restrictive, but far from perfect. Along with the cigar opening up, the flavors seem to be opening up as well. The richness that I picked up from the pre-light is now coming forth. A mild cinnamon and sweet bread-like notes accompany the earth and woodsy flavors from the first third. Also, the chili powder I mentioned at the pre-light is peeking through. The wavy burn has become somewhat drastic but, just as I was about to touch it up, I could see the wrapper begin to burn and within a few minutes it was back on track

Final Third

Both bands have been tightly applied and it is a good thing they came unglued with no hassle. The cigar has really opened up in the final third. The draw is now workable allowing flavorful smoke to roll across my palate. A wonderful sweetness is showcased alongside the cedar and a good amount of spice is warming my palate. At the close of the stick, the burn has become just about perfect. The flavors and strength at the close of the cigar are right at medium.

Wrap-Up

This is a hard stick to evaluate. The restricted draw on this sample put a damper on the flavors. The flavors I did pull from the smoke were not at all bad but they were light and shallow on the palate. It wasn’t till the final third when the cigar opened up that I got a glimpse at what this Project 805 is all about. The sweetness and spice in the final third peeked my interest for more. But before I knew it, it was time to put the cigar down. The construction held up throughout and only once did the burn raise concern.

A few days after writing the above review, I sat down with another Project 805. The second sample was a completely different experience. The 805 was mild/medium in strength but delivered excellent flavors that were solid medium. The flavors were similar to the ones noted in my first sample but much more pronounced and balanced. The dried fruit and chili powder were much more noticeable, as well. What a difference the draw can make on the experience. Based on my second go around with this cigar, I would recommend that you give Ventura Cigar Co.’s Project 805 a try.

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The Good Stuff: Romeo is the newest offering by Romeo y Julieta, or as the company calls it, “the latest act in their love story”. Is the Romeo love at first smoke? Lets find out.

Romeo y Julieta is known for is mass marketed, mild cigars. Romeo is the first venture, that I know of by the manufacturer into a more full bodied experience. Rolled by a special team of only the finest artisans at the famed Tabacalera de Garcia factory, the Romeo is jam packed with some of the rarest tobaccos the company has ever offered. The Romeo is stuffed with Dominican Piloto and dark Olor tobaccos, bound by mountain grown Dominican Olor, and wrapped in specially selected dark Ecuadorian Habano grown in a region filled with rich, volcanic soil.

The Romeo will come in four traditional sizes: Churchill (56 x 7), Toro (54 x 6), Robusto (54 x 5), and the Piramide (52 x 6 1/8). These cigars were sent as pre-release samples from our good friends at altadis, but you should be able to find these at your favorite local B&M. If I’m not mistaken they were due out for release in late May.

Size: 54 x 6  –  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano  –  Binder: Dominican Olor  –  Filler: Dominican Piloto/Olor  –  Body: Full  –  Strength: Medium

Prelight: alright, I’m obviously going to start off with the strange band on this Romeo by Romeo y Julieta. I’ve heard lots of people complain about how ugly it is, and while I don’t totally agree with it from a design standpoint, I can’t help but applaud Romeo y Julieta for doing something completely different then they have in their past portfolio. The crazy juxtaposition of the “ROMERO” on the front of this gold, while, and red band is sure to catch the attention of any smoker looking through a sea of cigars to make a purchase. Hell even the boxes look awesome.

That being said, the construction the cigar carries should help back up the decision to purchase. The cigar is rock solid with no soft spots and only a few smaller veins running the length of the wide bodied cigar up to the cigar’s round triple cap. I say triple cap loosely too, I am not totally convinced that these are triple cap cigars from the samples I have received. One looks like a double, one looks triple, while one falls in between. Either way, that shouldn’t really change the experience. The wrapper is hard as a rock and gives off a very, very sweet, cedar infused tobacco aroma while the foot of the cigar only puts out a very mild molasses and tobacco smell. Despite the larger ring gauge and thickness of the wrapper the cap cut very easily and clean using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces just a ton of earthy, natural tobacco flavors. Nothing really more than that.

First Smoke: There is a lot of tobacco in this cigar and it took quite a bit of fire from my single flame butane torch to get the foot lit properly. The Romeo actually started out with a little burst of black pepper that I wasn’t really expecting. Underneath the pepper was a subtle spice, a bit of that molasses I picked up, some vanilla, and a really pronounced leather all centered around an earthy tobacco flavor. I really wasn’t expecting the cigar to start off with as much flavor as this Romeo is. The draw is just beautiful kicking out massive clouds of thick, white smoke with every puff.  Despite all the smoke on the draw the Romeo by Romero y Julieta gives off very little in the stationary smoke department. The burnline is razor sharp and dead even producing a really nicely compacted, grey and dark grey zebra striped ash.

Halfway There: Talk about a drop off in flavor. The pepper is gone, most of the earthy tobacco flavor is gone, and I am left with a leathery vanilla with some sweet molasses and only a bit of tobacco. The flavor carried like this through most of the second third until the cigar really started to ramp up in the cedar department. It got me anxious to get into the final third. As far as the burn goes, this cigar is still burning very even and clean. The retrohale really helps pronounce the cedar flavor that seems to be fighting it’s way through the cigar. I am barely feeling anything at all in the nicotine department. I think the slight bit of haziness I am experiencing is actually heat stroke. Kidding. Kind of.

Finish: As expected, the flavors really ramped up in the final third of this Romeo. This has to be the best portion of the cigar as the cedar really took over backed by that vanilla and sweet molasses. Even the spice made a brief reappearance. All in all the Romeo took me almost two full hours to take down while it required absolutely no touch ups or relights, the cigar burned perfectly all the way through. A big plus was that the huge band slid right off without any effort. Gotta love that. I finished it only feeling a very slight bit of nicotine.

Overview: The Romeo by Romeo y Julieta is a decent cigar. Not bad by any means, just not great. Primarily, I think this cigar is a gem for any mild cigar smoker looking for something really flavorful that won’t hit them hard in the nicotine department. It does have a slightly higher strength than most other cigars is the Romeo y Julieta portfolio, but not by much. This is something I’d smoke when I’ve had quite a few and want something decent that won’t put me under the table. Will I buy I smoke it again? I’m sure. It’s just not something I am going to be stocking up on.

Pairing: This is another classic example of a pairing that really brings the most out of a cigar. When I think mild cigars, one of the first beers that come to mind is Samuel Adams cherry wheat ever since the successful pairing with the EP Carrillo New Wave Connecticut. This beer’s sweet almond and cherry flavors really did the cigar a favor by uplifting the vanilla and sweet tobacco flavors the cigar produced. This is also the perfect summer beer. I really can’t think of anything besides some nice iced black tea that would have went better with this cigar.

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The Gurkha Cellar Reserve is a cigar that kind of snuck in under my radar. This cigar is a vintage, with 15 year aged tobacco. The wrapper is a Criollo from 1998 bound by a Dominican Olor binder and stuffed with a 15 year old Nicaraguan Criollo filler. They are then carefully placed in 20 count wooden boxes that actually promote aging similar to oak wine barrels. They are available in 5 sizes: 4 x 58 Perfecto, 5 x 58 Double Robusto, 6 x 58 Gran Rothchild, 7 x 54 Churchill and 6 x 60 XO and will range between $6 and $13.

One neat little note is, there is a rumor that this is actually Gurkha’s attempt at a cigar that will compete with Drew Estate’s Liga Privada. Oddly enough the Perfecto is the same size, shape, and pig tailed cap as the Ferel Pig. Let’s see how it measures up.

Size: 6 x 60  –  Wrapper: Criollo  –  Binder: Dominican Olor  –  Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo

The Gurkha Cellar Reserve is an absolutely beautiful cigar. This size in particular, spots a huge, thick ring gauge. This cigar is a beast and probably weighs more than I do. The wrapper is a beautiful thick, oily, calico brown with dark, and lights browns along with oranges mixed in. There are two larger veins running the length of the wide body up to the massive, round double cap. The Cellar Reserve is finished of with one of, if not the nicest band I have ever seen on a Gurkha. There is a ton of information inlayed with black, god metallic, and red ink into this ivory, matte paper band. Although the information on the band isn’t too informative, it adds a nice touch. The band reads:

“Aged 15 Years.  Blended at the K. Hansotia & Co. World Headquarters. Gurkha Cellar Reserve. Restricted reserve from K. Hansotia & Co. Authentic Mark of Honor. Nicaraguan Puro. Batch No. #8582N Quantity #20/k1967 Blend Strength 97.6%. Truly balanced to please the aficionado who is search for a draw perfections, aged oak aroma will sooth the environment and gain praise. Fifteen years of aged tobacco and dedication, has given us another masterpiece. To which only the Elite Blend Master of K. Hansotia & Co.  can Create. “

I’d be VERY interested to see if those numbers vary by band. As stated before, I smoked another one, only a different size, and both of the numbers on the band matched.

Anyways, the wrapper on this Gurkha Cellar Reserve has an extremely pleasant woodsy, oaky aroma to it, while the foot of the cigar is nothing more than a very faint sweet tobacco. The cap cut easy and clean using my double bladed Palio Cutter. Instantly upon reaching my lips, I could already taste and feel the pepper from the cigar. Outside of the pepper the cold draw produced a very woodsy, sweet tobacco flavor.

First Smoke: Despite all the pepper the cold draw on this Gurkha Cellar Reserve produced, there was only a slight pepper introduction once the cigar was actually lit up. The main flavors are a ton of upfront oaky goodness mixed in with some strong tobacco, sweet spice, and this incredibly tart flavor rubbing off on my lips from the wrapper of the cigar. The draw is a little loose, but that’s to be expected in such a large ring gauged cigar. The Cellar Reserve produces almost no stationary smoke, but the scent left behind is a really nice burnt wood aroma. The burnline is razor sharp and despite some waves when I first lit up, it’s burning dead even into the first third leaving behind a trail of medium grey, tightly compacted ash.  The ash held on for a little over an inch before falling into my ash tray.

Halfway There: You can definitely tell there is some seriously aged tobacco in this Cellar Reserve. The cigar is starting to mellow out into the second third. The flavors have mixed up a bit. No more pepper, at all, now the dominant flavor is this incredibly smooth oak flavor with some interesting red wine and tart citrus notes, finishing with a spice and tobacco. Usually, cigars don’t mellow out this drastically until the final third, if at all, so it will be interesting to see where the cigar goes from here.  The draw has actually tightened up a bit since the first third. Now it’s right where I’d like it. The retrohale is VERY sharp and it’s the only time that you can really still taste that pepper along with a lot of other spice notes. I am already starting to feel a little nicotine kick from this Gurkha, but nothing too significant.

Finish: Sadly, into the final third of this Gurkha Cellar reserve, my first instinct had proved correct. The cigar is now falling flatter and flatter producing a really charred, harsh flavor. The same thing happened with the other size I smoked, and I really hoped it was just the format. The final flavors lead in with the charred wood I mentioned, a bit of harshness, some sweet tobacco, and a little bit of oak. The burnline is still rocking solid, and I am getting a hell of a nicotine kick now. All in all this cigar took about an hour and a half to smoke.

Overview: It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Gurkha, but they do have a few cigars that I think are extraordinary, unfortunately, this wasn’t one of them. It’s not bad cigar, and in no way is it as bad as some of the other cigars in their massive line, but it really didn’t live up to what I expected it to be. Beautiful cigar, VERY aged tobacco, great character, but it just didn’t deliver. The cigar started out great and ramped up at the start of the second third, but at the end of the second third it was lights out. The cigar fell flat, became harsh, and lost it’s appeal. It had a lot of potential, but just missed the mark. I wouldn’t rule this cigar out though, I think even more age could do it some good. The Cellar Reserve is another perfect example of good intentions, and an overly powerful cigar that overlooked then entire experience as a whole. If you’re a Gurkha fan, and like strong cigars, this is probably perfect for you.

One a side note, the first cigar I smoked, I kept comparing to the Liga Privada just to see if it measured up. Needless to say, it didn’t. But that lead to something else. Once I smoked this one without comparing the two it really made me appreciate this cigar more. It’s a totally different blend.

Pairing: Ommegang Three Philosophers has always been a favorite of mine. This Belgium Quadruple style Ale can always be found stored away at my house. The beer is brewed at the Ommegang brewery in Cooperstown New York. It boasts a 9.8% ABV and has an extra sumthin’ sumthin’ added to it in the form of real cherries. This beer is composed of 98% Quad ale with 2% ale with Cherries added for that extra kick in flavor. This beer is wonderful, and pairs perfect with any cigar. The flavors start out with a very smooth malt and honey with just a slight bitter hint as well as a cherry aftertaste. This beer really helped bring this cigar up to the next level it needed to badly. I strongly suggest pairing this with a cigar of your own if you haven’t already, It’s relatively inexpensive (about $10 a bottle) and extremely easy to find year round.

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