The Riot is produced in the Dominican Republic under the watchful eyes of Jose Dominguez, owner and master blender at Victor Sinclair. If you have spent anytime on the major online cigar retail sites, you are probably familiar with the products produced at the factory. The Riot is value-priced and is available in three vitolas: ‘45’ Robusto (4 ½ by 54), ‘55’ Toro (5 ½ by 54) and ‘65’ Grande Toro (6 ½ by 52).

According to StogieBoys.com:

Riot is a 5 country blend, sporting top quality long filler tobaccos from 5 different countries…Impeccably blended and handmade in the Dominican Republic, Riot delivers smooth, warm flavor without the bite of typical medium-full bodied cigars.  The No-Cut Cap on the Riot cigars is a crowd pleaser too.  The only premium cigar like it, this one requires no cutter. Simply pinch the end and the cap pops open for a perfect opening every time!

The Facts

Samples provided by StogieBoys.com
Price: $4.50
Vitola: ‘55’ Toro
Size: 5 ½ by 54
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Indonesian Sumatra
Filler: Brazilian Matafina, Pennsylvanian Broadleaf, and Dominican Piloto
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes
Drink: Water

Pre-light

The StogieBoys Riot is dressed in a Mexican San Andres leaf that is very dark brown with an oily sheen. Small veins are all over the place and a fair share of bumps can be found, but the cigar lacks the amount of tooth I usually find on San Andres wrappers. Bringing the cigar to my nose, I am greeted with a wonderful aroma of thick honey and faint barnyard. And it gets only better as I check the foot of the cigar.

The honey is accompanied by big notes of chocolate and rich cedar. This has to be one of the most pleasing prelight aromas of I ever come across. The cigar comes to an end in a very unique style cap referred to as a “No-Cut Cap”. The cap is very similar to the cap on the Chisel by La Flor Dominicana. Pinching with a bit of force, the cap splits perfectly clean across allowing a decent to draw. The richness is really showing off on the cold draw with a potpourri-like spice and woodsy notes. Removing the ribbon foot band with ease, this cigar is ready to be lit.

 First Third

As I toasted the foot, a small half inch cracked formed at the head of the cigar. It does not look like it will be problematic at this point. The Riot is opening up much more full than expected. A mild honey sweetness hits the front of my palate, followed by deeper flavors of coffee and black pepper spice. The spice comes across sharp on the retrohale but not harsh. Coffee and pepper linger on the palate for a decent amount of time between draws. At the one inch mark, the sweetness has really gained ground. Smoke is pumping out of the Riot at rest and a decent amount of smoke is produced with each draw. The burn has been a bit concerning from the start and it is finally time to bust out the lighter. 

Middle Third

Pulling into the middle third, things are going real well with the Riot. The pepper has toned down, a common maduro sweetness and coffee are holding strong, and leather notes have entered the mix. After the touch-up early on, the Riot has been burning evenly with an edgy line. The pepper has been shifting in intensity throughout the smoke, and a toasted quality has arrived. Placing the head of the cigar vertically in the mouth and lightly biting down on the cap opens up the draw immensely. I am finding that repeating this every 10 to 15 minutes really helps.

Final Third

Relaxation is washing over me as the strength has picked up to the low side of full. The coffee and leather are at the forefront of the profile pushing the sweetness to the back. But the profile remains well-balanced. The finish of the smoke is of toasted notes and dry cocoa. The burn is off mark with one side burning considerably faster than the other. One more quick touch-up.  

Wrap-up

In the last couple of months I have burned through 5 or 6 Riots. Each one presented a decent draw, a somewhat wacky burn-line, and solid, enjoyable flavors. The flavors have been consistent in each of the  samples and sizes. The medium/full flavors and strength fit me just right. For a price under $5, the Riot is a cigar that is under-priced and well worth the coin. Make your way over to StogieBoys.com and order up a fiver. The StogieBoys Riot won’t break the bank and you won’t be disappointed.

Contest

We are giving away a 20 count box of 6 1/2 by 52 Riot Cigars by StogieBoys. This contest starts Friday, September  26th and will run through the end of day, Thursday, October 9th. To enter, use the widget below. One winner will be chosen at random using Rafflecopter. We will notify and post the winner October 10th. You must live in the US and be at least 18 years of age.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Good Stuff: First and foremost, I couldn’t find these locally so a huge thank you to Skip (a.k.a. ChiefHava) for hooking a brothah up. As most of you know the Avo Annual limited edition release was created to celebrate the famous jazz compose/aficionado Avo Uvezian birthday. The LE12 La Trompeta was created this year to celebrate the man’s 86^th birthday. I can only hope to look as good as Avo when I get that age. Anyways, this edition in particular holds a special meaning to it as the cigar is designed to actually replicate a “trumpet” style smoking experience with an elongated, tapered cap and three small circular wrapper cutouts that represent keys on a trumpet. Interesting design to say the least. The blend starts with Dominican Ligero and Peruvian seco filler, bound by a Dominican Piloto binder, then wrapped in a very dark Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper. Much like the previous LE releases La Trompeta is only available in one size (6.5 x 54 pyramide). There were only 100,000 cigars released (10,000 boxes of 10) with a retail price of $15.50 a stick. Every year I look forward to these Limited Edition releases, especially since the LE10 which is still my favorite Avo blend to date.

Size: 6.5 x 54  –  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown  –  Binder: Dominican Piloto  –  Filler: Dominican Ligero/Peruvian Seco  –  Body: Full  –  Strength: Medium/Full

Prelight: The obvious story here is Avo’s interesting design on the Trompeta, attempting to make the cigar actually look and feel like a Trumpet. Even though I would call it more of a flute approach, I commend the company for doing something fun and out of the ordinary. As is the story with most Avo Cigars, the construction is top notch on the Trompeta. The cigar starts off with a beautiful dark chocolate looking wrapper that is just covered in thick oils. I actually had a hard time getting the texture of the leaf to show through as the oils on the cigar would just soak up all the light. Anyhow, Avo’s trompeta is a huge cigar. The meeting stick starts off with a very thick wrapper, and a very heavy, tobacco-filled body. There are a few mid-sized veins running the length of the body up to the crazy long, tapered, belicoso style cap. I swear almost a third of this cigar is cap. I guess that plays off the whole “Trumpet” style design on this stick.

The wrapper of the Trompeta gives off a very musky, dirty, earthy aroma. It almost smells like wet mud with some spice. The foot of the cigar is very earthy as well with the core of the aromas surround a wet, oaky, woodsy aroma. Avo’s in my opinion, always give off very unique aromas. The cap on the Trompeta cut very clean and easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. I clipped it about halfway through the taper. The cold draw matched my prelight aromas almost identical, pushing out some very wet, mossy, oaky, earth and tobacco flavors.

First Smoke: The Avo La Trompeta starts out with only a slight pepper to it. The pepper only lasted a few draws before it completely faded away and what I was left with was some very mossy, spicy, chocolate earthy tobacco flavors. When I mention spice, I talk about flavors like nutmeg, cinnamon, basil, and so fourth. Basically it’s a mixture of those that I can’t quite nail. Avo cigars are one of the very few cigars that I actually pick up the mossy style flavors in. The draw on this cigar is spectacular pumping out lots and lots of thick, white smoke with every little puff. The burnline was razor sharp but had a ton of smaller waves that I can only hope don’t turn into big, annoying ones. The ash left behind was a solid, dark great and seemed to flake off a lot more than most Avos.

Halfway There: The second third of this Avo La Trompeta is much of the same. The experience is still overtaken by lots of the mossy, earthy flavors but a bit of creamy sweetness has moved in. It’s almost like the difference between cream and sugar in coffee. It’s really starting to mellow the full-bodied cigar out a bit. The retro hale is very nice and surprisingly mild coating my nasal passage with nothing more than oaky tobacco. The burnline has completely corrected itself and is burning dead even and still razor sharp. I have to add, it’s a bit windy today and I’m glad to see even with that, this cigar is burning like a champ. I am feeling only a little bit in the nicotine department. I really like that Avo has taken a step to finally producing cigars with a bit of strength over the last few years.

Finish: There was a significant ramp up in both body, and strength coming into the final third of this Avo Trompeta. The mossy, earthy tobacco flavors are still very strong, taking center stage to some bittersweet chocolate, leather, and again this overall creamy composure. Despite having a bit of strength, the Trompeta is incredibly easy to smoke. The cigar burned perfectly after correcting it’s own waves in the first third and required absolutely no touch ups or relights for the entire two hours it took to smoke this beast. Although the cigar did have a bit of a punch, I didn’t at any time feel overwhelmed by the amount of nicotine in it.

Overview:  We will start off with my thoughts on the cigar. Despite hearing that this cigar didn’t deliver, I thought it was a pretty good cigar. Actually, a damn good cigar. Each of the last handful of annual limited editions Avo has released haven’t disappointed. This cigar started with flawless construction, great flavors, and a terrific burn. Did it live up to the Avo LE10 that I hold so close to my heart? Not at all. In fact, I would rank this cigar right up there with the Heritage.  That being said, the Heritage can be found for less that $10 a stick, and in some cases, much less. If this cigar is being compared to the Heritage then it’s safe to say that the value just wasn’t worth it. It’s an eye catching solid cigar, but at the price point I’d much rather grab a few Heritage or even a Padron. What I will say is that it’s very much worth trying yourself. It’s a talking piece to smoke around your friends because of the unique design, and it’s a traditional annual limited edition release. Pick one or two up, but I wouldn’t go spending the coin on a box.

Pairing: Again, I’m a sucker for Belgian beer. Anyone who reads this blog knows this. What you may not know is that I really enjoy Lambics, no matter how sweet or girly they are. Lindeman’s has to be one of the easier Belgian Lambic beers to find around these parts. That being said, I am usually limited to whatever is in season. To my surprise I recently stumbled across a brew by them that I hadn’t seen before, Lindeman’s Faro. Basically, Faro is similar to their Gueze in that the beer doesn’t sport any fruit flavors. Instead, it’s a lambic that boasts of it’s more natural ingredients. While the Gueze is wheat-based (any my personal favorite) the Faro is a barely based lambic. Brewed at the infamous Brouwerij Lindemans, this 4.2% ABV sweet beer really hit the spot. The Gueze plays off it’s tart, bitter flavors while the barley in the Faro open you up to a much sweeter, milder experience. With honey, brown sugar, malt, and just a touch of sourness the Faro really is a hell of an experience. This beer went absolutely wonderful with the bittersweet, earthy flavors of the Avo La Trompeta, and I am pleased to announce that it has also taken over the number one spot as my favorite brew that Lindemans produced. Seriously, pick one up if you can find them. This smaller bottle ran me $5.99 which is pretty reasonable considering it’s a Belgian Lambic.

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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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