# 5 Fonseca Nicaragua Petite Corona

Vitola: Petite Corona | Size: 5 by 42 | Wrapper: Nicaraguan | Binder: Nicaraguan | Filler: Nicaraguan | Price: $4.95

I was introduced to this cigar by my good friend and Casas Fumando’s guest contributor, Jeff Oda. Somehow it slipped by me as I was trying to keep up with all the IPCPR coverage in July, but ,within a month of the show, Jeff had a review up here on the site. The Fonseca Nicaragua Petite Corona is manufactured by the Plasencia Family in Esteli, Nicaragua and is the only puro to make the list this year. The box-pressed format and small size makes this an extremely comfortable cigar in both the hand and mouth. The Fonseca Nicaragua surprised me with a profile that I was not expecting from a cigar under the Fonseca brand. The cigar delivered earth, some woodsy notes, and a good amount of pepper as the cigar increased in body and strength throughout. For under $5.00 this is the best bang for the buck cigar I smoked in 2016.

You can find Jeff’s review HERE.

#4 Casa de Entrada – Entrada

Vitola: Corona | Size: 5 1/2 by 44 | Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro | Binder: Nicaraguan | Filler: Nicaraguan | Price: $8.20

Entrada is made by Casa Fernandez for Casa de Entrada based out of Omaha, Nebraska and landed the #5 spot on Tony’s list this year. Here is another cigar that runs on the smaller side and is also box-pressed. Something about that just gets my heart beating a little faster. From first light to final puff, the Entrada is a bold and rich cigar showing off some great sweetness that balances out everything and leaves that palate wanting more between each puff. The awesome packaging makes the cigar that much better.

You can find Tony’s full review HERE.

#3 Espinosa Cigars – Laranja Reserva DeSocio

Vitola: Perfecto | Size: 5 5/8 by 54 | Wrapper: Brazilian | Binder: Nicaraguan | Filler: Nicaraguan | Price: $10.50

For the past several years, La Zona made cigars have landed on mine and Tony’s top 10 lists and this year is no exception. The price is on the high-side for what I feel comfortable paying for any cigar, but well justified with this smoke. The profile of the Laranja Reserva DeSocio is very unique, especially when compared to the rest of the cigars that made the list. This is what I had to say about the cigar all the way back in June:

Leather and citrus are not flavors I often find in cigars and the Laranja Reserva DeSocio delivered those flavors in remarkable fashion. This may be my favorite Espinosa Cigar and, quite possibly, the best cigar I have reviewed here at Casas Fumando in 2016!

You can find the full review HERE.

#2 Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust – Mi Querida Ancho Largo

Vitola: Ancho Largo | Size: 6 by 52 | Wrapper: USA Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf | Binder: Nicaraguan | Filler: Nicaraguan | Price: $9.45

This is mostly likely the cigar that consumers were expecting for Steve Saka’s first release, but he went off the beaten path by releasing Sobremesa in 2015, a cigar well received by the cigar community as a whole, but somewhat unexpected. Well, at the 2016 IPCPR, Steve Saka released Mi Querida that not only satisfied his Connecticut Broadleaf cravings, but one that is worthy to be in all humidors of Broadleaf fans who enjoy a bold, heavy smoke. Mi Querida pours out a thick, chewy smoke and delivers flavors of coffee, dirt, cocoa and that unique tartness only found in Broadleaf tobacco.

Mi Querida Fino Larga took the #4 spot in Tony’s Top 10 of 2016.

You can find the full review HERE.

#1 Duran Cigars – Neya Texas Tactical Lancero

Vitola: Lancero | Size: 7 by 40 | Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo Maduro | Binder: Nicaraguan | Filler: Nicaraguan | Price: $8.00

Duran Cigars is not a company I would have expected to land the #1 spot in 2016, let alone a top 5 (or 10). I have burned through several lines from Duran Cigars, and while I found them to be good smokes, they never set me back in my chair. That was until I lit up the Neya Texas Tactical Lancero. I am sure glad I came across this cigar at a B&M on an unplanned trip to Ohio. As I mentioned in the review, the lancero format and pig-tail cap won me over at first sight and the rich, bold, spicy flavors that this lancero delivered held me captive for nearly two hours.

You can find the full review HERE.

It is worth mentioning that this is the second year in a row that a Texas themed cigar claimed the #1 spot on my list. Crowned Heads’ Yellow Rose was #1 in 2015. Texas certainly hold a special place in my heart.

The post Top 5 Cigars of 2016 – Jeremy Hensley Edition appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Duran Cigars’ Texas Tactical Lancero is manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua at Nicatabaco S.A. The Texas Tactical trades out the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper found on the traditional Neya F8 line with an Ecuadorian Corojo Maduro over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Packaged in 15-count boxes, the cigars are priced at $8.00 and began shipping to retailers in September.

Our friend and honorary guest contributor, Jeff Oda, has reviewed several offerings from Duran Cigars, which you can find below:

• Azan White Premium
• Baracoa
• Neya

THE FACTS

Price:$8
Vitola: Lancero
Size: 7 by 40
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 50 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Neya Texas Tactical wears a dark brown Ecuadorian Corojo Maduro wrapper that has a deep red hue. The veins are easy to see with their lighter appearance compared to the rest of the leaf. There is one medium-sized vein that runs the majority of the cigar, but, other than that, the other veins are very small. A fine tooth and some scattered bumps can be felt down the leaf. There are no soft spots found on the cigar, however, the foot of the cigar appears underfilled.

The wrapper aroma is a combination of wood and pungent vinegar, while the foot has a dirt-like and burnt ash smell. The Neya Texas Tactical comes to a close with a pointy pig-tail cap, which the majority of it broke off somewhere between the shop and home. A quick clip through the 40 ring guage cigar reveals the perfect amount of resistance and delivers rich cedar and dirt.

FIRST THIRD

As soon as the cigar is lit, it looks like a huge tunnel is already formig due to the shortage of tobaccos near the foot. With that said, the cigar takes off without issue. Smoke is pumping out and the flavors are full and rich. Well balanced flavors of cedar, buttered toast, a touch of cinnamon, pepper spice and a sweetness rounds out everything. The retro-hale brings out the spice, but not overwhelmingly. Some of the earlier pre-light dirt flavor and an unsweetened bubble gum lingers on the finish of the smoke. The cigar is burning along evenly as a light gray ash is formed. As I close out the first third, the Texas Tactcial is already showing some strength and the spice has stepped up a few notches.

MIDDLE THIRD

Moving into the second third, the richness builds as the flavors remain consistent with first third. Earth and cocoa are heavy on the finish and the spice is sharp as the smoke moves through my nose. A hefty amount of smoke is being produced, delivering full flavors and a strength profile that is right in-line. Approaching the middle of the cigar, the burn-line is wavy, but not concerning as of now and a unique and pleasant barbeque smoky smoky flavor has joined in.

FINAL THIRD

A red fruit sweetness has moved to the front of the profile with a rich cedar and toasted quality. A re-light wasn’t necessary as the Neya Texas Tactical self-corrected itself as I was hoping. The cocoa has made its way from the finish into the profile more in a dusty cocoa fashion bringing the Texas Tactical Lancero to a close.

WRAP-UP

I have smoke a lot of good cigars in 2016, but there are very few that are all the memorable. This year’s Top 10 List may be a little more difficult to prepare than past years. But one thing is for certain, the Neya Texas Tactical Lancero will certainly be on that list. Everything about this cigar worked for me and for it. The way the slim vitola comes to a close with its pig tailed cap and features dual bands makes this an eye catching stick. The flavors are rich, bold, and spicy and the strength hangs out right with the flavors without pushing you over the edge. For nearly two hours, the Texas Tactical showed off great balance and complexity. This is a cigar you don’t want to overlook.

The post Duran Cigars – Neya Texas Tactical Lancero appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

-Tony

Duran Cigars introduced the Baracoa line at the IPCPR trade show in 2014, intending it to be an affordable everyday smoke.  While the company says that it receives the same attention to quality as its other lines, the cigars come in cardboard cartons for display – and, I assume, for cost efficiency – rather than conventional wooden boxes.  These Criollo wrapped sticks, which are named after the home city of the Roberto P. Duran family, come in nine sizes, and since I’m too lazy to type them out, I’m using the size chart from Duran’s website:

Graphic courtesy of Duran Cigars

Prices range from $3.00 for the Robusto size to $4.50 for the Gigante, with the cigars coming in 20 count cartons.

I have previously reviewed Duran’s Neya and Azan White Premium lines, and found them both to be excellent smokes.

Since the Duran cigars aren’t available in my area, I picked up a handful of these from my friends over at Cuenca Cigars.

The Basics:

Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Habano Criollo
Binder:  Nicaraguan
Filler:   Nicaraguan
Size:  Churchill 7 x 47
Price:  $4.00
Smoking time:  One hour, twenty minutes
Pairing:  Hops and Grain Alt-eration Altbier (ABV 5.1%)

Pre-light:

The Duran Cigars Baracoa comes draped in a dark brown wrapper with darker mottling, fine toothiness, a somewhat bumpy roll, minor veining, and a few stretch marks.  It is firmly packed with a couple of small softer spots and tight seams, culminating in a double cap.  The scent off of the wrapper is not much more than a musty tobacco, while the foot gives up tobacco with a bit of earth and faint cocoa.  Clipping the cap reveals a snug draw that gives up some sweet natural tobacco and wood.

First third:

The Baracoa’s restricted draw requires a quick double-puff to get a good mouthful of smoke, but it’s a rather pleasant mix of earth, leather, and wood, with virtually no pepper spice.  The burn is sharp, but slanted, leaving behind a tightly layered ash in various shades of gray that lasts for over an inch before easily tapping off.  The leather has taken the lead, and I’m surprised that the sweetness I tasted in the cold draw hasn’t yet transferred over to the palate.  Near the end of the first third, the leather has stepped back and a nice smoky cedar has moved front, as the draw has opened up a bit more and the burn has almost completely evened out

Middle third:

The Baracoa has by now moved squarely into the medium-bodied range as its flavors continue to brighten.  There is now a citrus-like sweetness lurking in the background with an herbal tinge, and sweet cedar has become a major player in the retrohale, along with a nice light savory element.

Final third:

By the time the Duran Cigars Baracoa moves into its final third, things have evolved quite nicely, as the sweetness is now a definite part of the mix and the leather has long been relegated to the background.  I’m finding the mix of flavors to be very complimentary to each other and the draw has been gradually opening up to the point where it is now comfortable, albeit not at all loose.  While there is a bit of pepper in the retrohale, it is not a major player, and there is a nice powdery sweetness at the end of the exhale.  Other than that, there have been no new flavors to speak of in this section.  With a little over an inch left, the sweetness has dissipated, and it’s time to put the Baracoa down, having smoked cool and firm all the way down, and ending at a solid medium-plus in body with little nicotine strength.

Wrap-up:

True to Duran Cigars’ “EPF” (Evolution and Progressive Flavor) concept, the Baracoa does indeed develop nicely as it goes.  Although I found the first couple of inches to be a bit underwhelming, the rest of it was enjoyable and satisfying.  Construction and burn were ideal, even if the draw was stiffer than I would like.  I’m curious to try some of the other sizes to see if a shorter vitola would provide more of what I liked from the outset, but in any case, for anyone looking for that good affordable smoke, the Duran Cigars Baracoa is a cigar well worth checking out.

Pairing:

Alt-eration Hops and Grain Brewery in Austin, TX is their iteration of the German top-fermented “old beer” style.  Of course, as is with anything from Texas or the Southwest, this one came to me courtesy of Casas Fumando’s own Tony Casas.  With a medium body, toasty malt, caramel, and faint dried fruitiness, it’s a nice beer, but a lack of overall sweetness made it not an ideal match for the Duran Baracoa.  Oh well, live and learn.  I’ve had one before, but I guess I had better start taking notes on the beers I drink as well.  I think a sweeter beer like a malty Scotch ale or even a DIPA that is more fruit forward would be a better match, as would a sweet rum or light port.

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