the Good Stuff:

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

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

Prelight:

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

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

First Third:

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

Second third:

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

Finish:

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

Overview:

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

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

The Good Stuff:

Releasing this year the E.P. Carrillo Sumatra at this year’s PCA trade show in Las Vegas, the E.P. Carrillo team announced plans to release six blends over the next 2 years that utilize different wrappers. The company is calling this the “Essence” series. The Sumatra is the first one we’ll be looking at from this group. The blend starts out with an Ecuadorian Sumtran wrapper over a dual Nicaraguan and Honduran binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The cigar is offered in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 52), and Gordo (6 x 60). The blend comes packaged in boxes of 24 running between $9.25 and $10.75 a stick.

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
• Binder: Nicaraguan and Honduran
• Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican Republic
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $10

Prelight:

The E.P. Carrillo Sumatra starts out with a very deep, dark brown wrapper with a reddish hue to it. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and dry while it showcases a few larger veins running through the cigar’s body. The wrapper is laid nicely on itself leading up to the cigar’s round double-wrapped cap. The cigar is completed by a large gold, black, and red band with orange and brown accents, the E.P Carrillo Crest and the word “Sumatra” embossed across the front. There is also a small black and gold elegant foot band with the company’s crest.

The wrapper on the E.P. Carrillo Sumatra gives off a ton of sweet and spice aromas with a bit of musk while the foot of the cigar is mostly grainy and earthy with lots of natural tobacco. The cold draw produces notes of sweet raisin, chocolate, and earthiness.

First Third:

The E.P. Carrillo Sumatra starts out with a very sharp, quick black pepper punch which fades almost instantly allowing the cigar to release notes of sweet raisin, dark chocolate, musk and woodsy earthiness. It’s a great mixture of flavors and the sweetness really hits the spot. The draw is perfect. Each puff kicks out a ton of thick, gray smoke which dissipates almost instantly while the cigar releases almost no stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is pretty wavy leaving behind a trail of lightly compacted medium gray ash which fell into my ashtray about an inch in.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the E.P. Carrillo Sumatra and the sweet raisin and deep woodsiness completely own the flavor profile at this point. There are some lighter notes of dark chococaly and berry with a really faint root beer finish. The retrohale brings out more of the wood and I prefer the balance in the standard smoke so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The burn line has now completely corrected itself without any help from my torch while I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine.

Finish:

Into the final third of the E.P. Carrillo and while the flavor profile remained the same the sweet raisin on woodsy flavors have swapped places and the cigar finishes incredibly woodsy and musky with some light raisin and sweetness and some great piney flavors on the aftertaste. The cigar burned wild off and on at times but I never once had to touch up or relight my cigar so no points taken there. I finishing out with only a minor nicotine kick after an hour and a half smoking time.

Overview:

Again, anytime I smoke anything from E.P. Carrillo I wonder why I don’t smoke more. The Sumatra is a great example of the tobacco. The cigar is flavorful, but not overpowering. It’s not too complex which makes it the ideal cigar for the everyday smoker. The price point presses that point by being very affordable and like all E.P. Carrillo cigars will be widely available.

The post E.P. Carrillo Essence Sumatra appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

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

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

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

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

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

Prelight:

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

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

First Third:

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

Second Third:

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

Finish:

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

Overview:

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

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

The Good Stuff:

Originally released as a limited edition blend only available to retailers who attended the 2019 IPCPR show, the Last Rites Viaticum would now be available to all of Black Label Trading Co.’s retailers in 2021. Created at the Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, the blend features an Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper over a Honduran Habano binder and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua. The Viaticum is produced in 3 sizes: Robusto (5 x 54), Toro (6 x 48), and the Lancero (6 3/4 x 40). All three sport a soft box-press format and come packaged in boxes of 20 running between $15 and $15.25 a stick. Only 800 boxes of each size will be released. We scooped ours up from our good friends at Cigars International.

• Size: 5 x 54
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Maduro
• Binder: Honduran Habano
• Filler:  Honduran / Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $15
• Pairing: The Bruery Melange Noir (Blended Ale 16.6% ABV)

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co. Last Rites Viaticum starts out with a very deep, dark brown wrapper. So dark it’s almost black and incredibly consistent. The wrapper itself feels pretty thick and tough while the cigar as a whole is very hard and tightly packed. The wrapper showcases lots of mild veining as the soft box-pressed body leads up to the cigar’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with a black and gold band with the skull embossed on the front and a black and gold foot bad with the Viaticum crest printed across the front.

The wrapper on the Viaticum gives off a ton of raisin over some natural tobacco while the foot of the cigar is much more spice-forward with lots of herbal and dit aromas. The cigar cut like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a whole mess of raisin, cocoa and spice.

First Third:

The Black Label Trading Co. Last Rites Viaticum carries a very mild black pepper punch that quickly faded as the cigar released a ton of cocoa, cinnamon, raisin, espresso, maple, and moss. It’s a really great flavor profile to lead off with. The draw is absolutely perfect as each and every tiny puff kicks out a whole mess of thick, white smoke which sticks around for a considerable amount of time before dissipating while the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is very thin and dead even leaving behind a trail fo white and light gray ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third

Into the second third of the Viaticum and the cinnamon and raisin lead the way backed by cocoa, caramel, and espresso with light maple sweetness and earthiness. There is this very enjoyable, unique blend of earthy/herbal tones I get from a lot of the Black Label cigars and it’s pretty potent in this one. The cold draw produces a whole ton of black pepper, even more than I got off the initial smoke. The burnline is slightly wavy as I close out the second third with nothing in terms of nicotine.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Black Label Trading Co. Last Rites Viaticum and the cigars continues to pump out it’s amazing flavors. The raisin and cinnamon have remained in front of the pack while the caramel, cocoa, and espresso have been consistent. In the final third I noticed a lot of the sweetness and maple were replaced with much more herbal earthiness. It took me an hour to smoke this down to the nub. That’s right, just an hour. This thing smokes crazy fast. I experienced no harshness nor any extended heat while the cigar left me with no signs of any nicotine. While the burnline was a bit wavy there for a while it completely corrected itself and I never once had to reach for my torch to touchup, or relight the cigar.

Overview:

Giving credit where credit is due, this is easily one of the best cigars I’ve smoked all year. The construction and burn were fantastic while the unique blend and flavor profile really appealed to my personal palate. And when I say it “really appealed”, I meant that I loved it. There are few drawbacks, but most are expected. It’s a bit pricey, however I feel the price is justified as I don’t mind paying $15 for the experience it delivered. It’s very limited. Well, that’s a given. And it burns very quickly. None were big enough miffs to keep me from purchasing quite a few more.

Pairing:

The Bruery’s Melange Noir is a blend of the brewery’s Black Tuesday stout, and two different barleywines including the anniversary release. The result is a 16.6% ABV powerhouse beer that is dangerously easy to drink. The  Melange Noir leads lots of raisin, dark chocolate, caramel and black cherry over a good amount of sweethesss with a surprisingly thin mouthfeel before finishing with even more raisin, chocolate and black cherry. I’m often iffy about blended ales but this one turned out fantastic. The raisin, chocolate and caramel paired perfectly with the Viaticum while the cigar itself added some great spice to the beer resulting an in incredible paring.

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

The Good Stuff:

CAO is an interesting brand for me. Among most seasoned cigar smokers the grand will always hold a special place in my heart as it launched some of the greatest blends back in the day. Fast forward to today, the company is now owned by General Cigar and is one of the brands under their umbrella that is constantly kicking out new releases year after year and I smoke just about all of them. Their newest release is the Arcana Mortal Coil. There isn’t a ton of information on the branding of the cigar itself, but what I can tell you is that the blend starts out with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over Connecticut Shade binder and fillers from Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. Produced at the STG Esteli factory in Nicaragua, this limited edition blend comes in a single 6 1/8 x 50 format which comes packaged in boxes of 20 with only 5,000 boxes being produced, running $10.99 a stick.

• Size: 6 1/8 x 50
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Connecticut Shade
• Filler: Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $10.99
• Pairing: Cigar City Brewing The Whole Cigar (Imperial Stout 13.1% ABV)

Prelight:

The CAO Arcana Mortal Coil stars out with, well, I guess on this one we’ll start with the obvious band. Its gorgeous, and outside of being pretty non-functional I love it. Its bold with black and copper embossed ink stating the CAO crest along with the Arcana Mortal Coil moniker. The wrapper underneath is just as gorgeous as it boats a very consistent dark brown wrapper with some scattered darker areas throughout. The wrapper’s texture is very oily with some slight tooth. It’s laid seamlessly over itself showcasing only minor veining as the cigar’s long body leads up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap.

The wrapper on the CAO Arcana Mortal Coil gives off some light spice and oak aromas while the foot of the cigar is interesting with lots of dark berry and earthy aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw features a lot of the same dark berry notes along with sharp spice and musk.

First Third:

The CAO Arcana Mortal Coil start out with a huge bursts of strong cayenne pepper which really lasts quite some time before finally easing up allowing the cigar to showcase bold oak, black cherry, musk, and a ton of earthy notes on the finish. The draw is slightly tight but after some early distress is now puffing away like a champ while the cigar releases almost not stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of brilliant white ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the CAO Arcana Mortal Coil and the flavors have really started to open up now. The oak and black cherry still lead the charge with notes of dark chocolate, musk, light coffee and earth. The retrohale really adds a level of spice to the experience that I don’t get from the standard. The draw is still a bit tight, but workable as I close out the second third with only a very minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the CAO Arcana Mortal Coil and much is the same. The musk, oak, and black cherry lead the way backed by light coffee and earth. It’s not the most complex flavor profile, and it doesn’t need to be. The only gripe I’ve had is really just the tight draw. Also, towards the end of the experience I encountered just a bit of sap/tar buildup. All in all it took me an hour and forty five minutes to smoke the cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, nor extended heat while I expected both due to the tighter draw. The cigar left me with almost no nicotine kick.

Overview:

The CAO Arcana Mortal Coil was certainly an enjoyable cigar, but that didn’t come without it’s issues. The draw on 3 of the cigars I smoked were all a bit on the tight side. Not anything that killed the experience but it did require some extra effort. Outside of that, I enjoyed the flavor profile, and the pricing seems perfect if the cigar performed without the issues. The flavor profile was particularly exceptional. I have a handful more of these that I will probably let rest a while and see how they perform in a few months but it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a CAO as much as I have this year.

Pairing:

The Whole Cigar is a member-only Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels and rested on Spanish cedar. Brewed by Cigar City Brewing in Florida this beer leads with very strong bourbon barrel notes over vanilla, cinnamon, black licorice, malt, and light anise with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing with more barrel and vanilla over spice and dark chocolate. This is a great beer, but I don’t get any of the Spanish cedar notes I had hoped for, a smell and taste VERY identifiable to most cigar smokers. The chocolate, barrel, and spice however made a wonderful pairing with the flavors found in the CAO Arcana Mortal Coil while the cigar added the expected flavors to the beer.

The post CAO – Arcana Mortal Coil appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Cohiba took a step outside of the norm when it embarked on the Cohiba Royale in two key areas. First, the Cohiba Royale is the fullest bodied cigar created by the brand to date. Secondly, for production Cohiba chose the STG Danlí factory which marks the first time Cohiba has been produced in Honduras. The blend consists of a Sun Grown Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper over a Dominican Piloto Cubano binder and Honduran Jamastran, and Nicaraguan fillers from the Jalapa and Esteli regions. The Royale is offered in three sizes: The Gran Royale (4 1/2 x 52), The Robusto Royale (5 1/2 x 54) and the Toro Royale (6 x 50). Each size comes packaged in dress boxes of 10 running between $23.99 and $28.99 a stick.

• Size: 6 x 50
• Wrapper: Sun Grown Nicaraguan Broadleaf
• Binder: Dominican Piloto Cubano
• Filler: Honduran Jamastran, Nicaraguan from the Jalapa and Esteli regions
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $28.99
• Pairing: Bottle Logic Study Break (Imperial Milk Stout 10% ABV)

Prelight:

The Cohiba Royale starts out with a beautiful dark brown wrapper that shines red in the sun. It’s probably the first time I’ve seen a wrapper this dark on a Cohiba in a while. The color is consistent throughout with a few darker areas scattered throughout the cigar’s body. The texture of the wrapper is extremely thick and dense with a ton of gritty tooth and lots of oils. There are are a few minor veins and some natural webbing in the wrapper’s leaf leading up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapper cap. The cigar is packed tightly, with no soft spots at all. In fact, the cigar is extremely firm and as heavy as a rock. The cigar is polished off with a silver carbon fiberesque band with the Cohiba logo printed across the front in white and black with the word Royale printed in red just underneath.

The Cohiba Royale’s wrapper gives off a sweet cedar aroma while the foot of the cigar carries more spice and a nice grape aroma. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces some rich cedar and musk flavors with just a dash of sweetness.

First Third:

The Cohiba Royale started out with a huge black pepper zing that caught me off guard. The pepper was only present through the first few puffs and after dissipated the cigar showcased some great musk and cedar flavors over notes of black cherry, dark chocolate, molasses, and pecan. Despite the cigar being packed extremely tight, the draw is absolutely flawless kicking out a whole mess of thick, white smoke which hangs around for quite a bit of time before dissipating. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted medium gray ash which held on for a bit over and inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Cohiba Royale and the black cherry flavor has really started to push through the flavor profile. Not to be outmatched the musk and cherry now lead the charge backed by cedar, cocoa, pecan, and a soft leather. The retrohale brings out some nice hidden spice as well as amplified the cocoa a bit. The cigar is still burning perfectly as I close out the second third with only a very minor nicotine hit.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Cohiba Royale and the flavors keep pouring on. The black cherry and musk still lead the way backed by cedar, cocoa, leather, and a really unique gingerbread flavor that I pick up on the aftertaste. The cigar took me almost 2 hours to take down to the nub and I really enjoyed every second of it. I experienced no harshness nor extended heat. I did however get a nice little nicotine kick from it.

Overview:

I can’t recall ever smoking a Cohiba with this amount of flavor, and I absolutely loved it. The flavor profile is awesome, the draw and construction are flawless, and the price is… well, a bit out of my price range for something I’d pay for. When I think $30 a stick we’re talking Padron Anniversario or Family Reserve range and while I really enjoyed the Cohiba Royale I would be hard pressed not to grab a higher end Padron for the pice, but don’t let the deter you from picking it up. It’s more of a personal preference and flavors are subjective. I’m just being honest.

Pairing:

Bottle Logic’s Study break is a Snickers candy bar-inspired sweet stout brewed with lactose and caramel malts, then recirculated on cacao nibs and peanuts. Coming in at 10% This imperial milk stout is brewed at the Bottle Logic brewery in Anaheim, California. The beer leads with a nice milk chocolate over soft peanut, caramel, and vanilla notes with a very heavy/sticky mouthfeel before finishing with more sweet chocolate, malt, and peanut. This was an ideal pairing for the sweetness, cocoa and pecan flavors fond in the Cohiba Royale while the cigar added a the cherry on top (literally) resulting in an incredible paring.

The post Cohiba Royale appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

By now we all know the badass that is Nick Mellilo, founder of Foundation Cigar Company who has been kicking out some of the most popular cigars to hit the market over the past few years. The Havana Seed CT #142 is an extension of the Tabernacle line which features a new, experimental wrapper.

The blend starts off with a cuban-seed Connecticut Havana Seed CT #142 wrapper, hence where the cigar gets its name from, over a Mexican San Andres Binder and Nicaraguan / Honduran fillers.

The lancero is the fifth addition to the blend which features the Robusto (5 x 50), Corona (5 1/4 x 46), Toro (6 x 52), Double Corona (7 x 54), and the Lacnero (7 x 40). The The Foundation Cigar Company Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 lancero, and all the other formats in the line come packaged in boxes of 24 and runs $12.75 a stick. We got ours over from the great folks at Fox Cigar Bar who have them in stock now, with free shipping, no minimum.

• Size: 7 x 40
• Wrapper: Connecticut Havana Seed CT #142
• Binder: Mexican San Andres
• Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $12.75
• Pairing: Bruery Rue’d Attitude (Imperial Porter 12.6% ABV)

Prelight:

The Foundation Cigar Company Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 starts off with a very pretty, dark chocolate brown wrapper. The wrapper is much darker around the foot of the cigar and lighters as you near the cap while the wrapper leaf is laid seamlessly over itself. The wrapper’s texture is extremely toothy and gritty with a great amount of oil coating the cigar’s body. The cigar features some very mild veins and tobacco webbing as the slender body leads up to the cigar’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with a red and gold version of the Tabernacle band.

The wrapper on the Foundation Cigar Company Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 gives off mild musk and dirt aromas while the foot of the cigar smells much more bright with spice pepper, and natural tobacco scents. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of musk, spice, and black cherry.

First Third:

The Foundation Cigar Company Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 starts off with a pretty potent black pepper punch that while strong, only lasts through the first few puffs and quickly fades away allowing the cigar to hit me with loads of black coffee, dark chocolate, musk, pecan, and black cherry over some great cedar flavors. The draw is incredible, as usually when it comes to the lancero format allowing each puff to release a massive amount of thick, gray smoke which doesn’t take anytime before it vanishes into the air. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a semi-compacted trail of dark gray and black ash which only held on for about 3/4 of an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Foundation Cigar Company Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 and both the body and strength have continuously ramped up in power. The flavors are now bold coffee, cedar, and musk backed by black cherry, pecan, and caramel. The taste is a bit on the dryer side, but that meshes well with the flavors in the cigar. The retrohale really bring out the spice and cedar and its a bit rough so I don’t find myself doing it too often. I close out the second third with a decent little nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Foundation Cigar Company Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 and man, this thing just won’t quit. The leading flavors are still cedar and coffee backed by dark chocolate, black cherry, musk and pecan. While the flavors haven’t changed up much, they didn’t need to and I prefer that they didn’t as I really enjoy this profile. It took me 2 hours to take this cigar down to the nub, I experience no harshness, nor extended heat. It did leave me with quite a bit of a nicotine buzz though.

Overview:

What an absolute treat of a cigar. I really appreciate not only the complexity of the experience but also the unique blend of the flavors that the Foundation Cigar Company Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 offered. The cigar was much more bold and powerful than I expected, and quite frankly I loved that as it fit the blend really well. The lancero in particular really poured on the body. This is just another gold notch in Nick’s already glowing belt. I am always going to have a few of these in my regular rotation, and this is something you don’t want to pass up.

Pairing:

Brewed at The Bruery in Placentia, California Rue’d Attitude is a 12.6% imperial porter aged in bourbon barrels and then treated with vanilla, tart cherries, and coffee. The beer leads with a very pleasant cold-brewed coffee flavor backed by caramel, vanilla, nutmeg, and a nice mild tartness from the cherry. The mouthfeel is very light before the beer finishes with even more cherry and vanilla over dark chocolate and coffee. The coffee was spot-on and wasn’t over acidic especially in conjunction with the cherry flavors. Add that to the chocolate, coffee, and cherry flavors in the Tabernacle and you can see exactly why I chose to pair this cigar and beer together.

The post Foundation Cigar Company The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 Lancero appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

We are very excited to launch the new Camacho Box-Pressed (BXP) extensions. Broadleaf tobacco delivers a great intensity to these blends and we feel very lucky to get our hands on some high quality primings to build into this venture.

The Camacho Connecticut Box-Pressed or BXP features a Connecticut Shade Honduran wrapper over a Honduran Corojo binder and Dominican and Pennsylvanian Broadleaf filler tobaccos. Three sizes are available in the BXP version including Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 50), and Gordo (6 by 60). Packaged in 20 count boxes, the cigars will run you between $8,00 and $9.25.

THE FACTS

Price: $8.25
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 50
Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut Shade
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Filler: Dominican & Pennsylvanian Broadleaf
Smoke: 1 Hour and 45 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Connecticut Shade wrapper is consistent in its golden tan color, but the color seems to collide with the orange trim and lettering on the band. There are several medium-sized veins that are stitch like in appearance. The wrapper is very soft and smooth to the touch. The cigar feels hefty in the hand and it is evenly and firmly rolled.

I am greeted with a wonderful aroma of baking spices that are common in the fall. The foot shows off a doughy note with pepper spice trailing close behind. With the messy triple cap cut, the draw is a hair firm, and those baking spices are front and center on the cold draw leaving a medium spice heat in the mouth and on the lips. 

FIRST THIRD

The Camacho Connecticut BXP opens with a traditional Connecticut shade flavor that is somewhat bitter and vegetal. A pepper spice and a more savory quality of the smoke immediately follows the shade flavor. The cigar is on the mild side during the first third of the cigar and the finish is nearly undiscernable. The burn line is thick with a small wave to it as the ash holds easily past an inch.

MIDDLE THIRD

A sweet tobacco flavor moves into the profile in the second third of the Camacho Connecticut BXP and the pepper picks up in both flavor and spice. As the profile shifts up from mild to medium, the bitter shade flavor remains at the front and there is an underlying woodsy flavor to the profile. The burn is edgier than earlier but of no issue and the ash is flakier in appearance. 

FINAL THIRD

The black pepper has pushed its way to the front of the profile that is now a steady medium.  While the flavors showoff a decent amount of spice, it is really the retro-hale that highlights it. This 6 by 50 cigar is burning the best it has with its near even burn line.  

WRAP-UP

The Camacho Connecticut BXP was recommended to me at my local shop. I nearly dismissed the recommendation since Connecticut shade cigars usually fall outside my wheelhouse. But I decided to give it a shot and I am glad I did. The Camacho Connecticut BXP falls in the mild to medium range, delivers a spicy backbone, and maintains its shade quality. Other than a minor wavy, edgy burn, I encountered no performance issues. It is a cigar I will be reaching for to pair with coffee earlier in the day or an iced tea during the summer months.

The post Camacho Connecticut Box-Pressed Toro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Showcased at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, Magic Toast by Alec Bradley is manufactured in Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubanas in Danli, Honduras. The cigar features a Honduran wrapper over a double binder from Nicaraguan and Honduras and filler tobaccos from the same two countries. Magic Toast is available in three sizes Robusto (5 by 52), Toro (6 by 52), and Gordo (6 by 60) and will run you between $8.95 to $10.25 per cigar.

You can purchase Magic Toast by Alec Bradley from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $9.50
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 52
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Nicaraguan/Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan/Honduran
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Magic Toast is draped in an extremely dark brown wrapper with even darker splotching. Thin black veins crisscross down the leaf. I do not see or feel any tooth, but there are some scattered bumps. The cigar is rolled firmly and evenly from top to bottom.

The cap cuts with ease and opens up a fine draw with just the right amount of resistance. With all my excitement to fire up this cigar that has received rave reviews, I completely skipped over noting any of the cold draw flavors. My apologies. 

FIRST THIRD

The Magic Toast opens with a toasty/meaty profile of toasted bread and full pepper spices. The flavors come out of the gate full and the texture of the smoke is thick in the mouth.  As the cigar warms up, a sweet berry sweetness moves into the profile and compliments the other qualities of the cigar. A wavy burn forms a black and white layered ash.

MIDDLE THIRD

Progressing into the second third, the toasted and meaty flavors are now joined with earth and coffee.  The new additions to the flavor department are also the flavors that linger on the finish of the smoke. As I move the smoke through my nose, there is a bright white pepper that is full but also a great addition to the experience. There is a ton of depth to the flavors and a good amount of strength showcased by the cigar. A quick hit with the lighter is needed to get the burn back to even.

FINAL THIRD

A gritty earth note is carrying the Magic Toast along with a black coffee holding it ground right beside it. The early berry sweetness is more jelly-like in the last third of the cigar, but it is also toned back from the introductory sweetness. The overall profile seems to have settled with everything meshing well together. The burn is the best it has been and no additional touch-ups are needed.

WRAP-UP

Alec Bradley cigars are hit or miss for me. But the Magic Toast is something special. The evolving profile and great depth in the flavors made this an absolute treat to smoke. The strength pushed full and the retro-hale is a must with this cigar. Other than the minor burn issue, I have no real complaints and I can easily see why the Magic Toast rated so well on a wide variety of review sites. I may be reaching for an Alec Bradley cigar next time I walk into the humidor.

The post Alec Bradley Magic Toast appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Henry Clay Rustic Cheroot is one of the newest of the Henry Clay Blends to hit the market early last year. Offered in only one single size (5 5/8 x 38) the new blend is created using a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Honduran binder, and special Dominican fillers that a selected to create a bolder experience as well is pay homage to cigars that are smoked years ago by tobacco workers in the field as they’s sneak into the barns and create small cigars to smoke on the job using various fillers from pilons in the barns. This is why the cigar looks the way it does which makes sense once you reach the “Prelight” section of this review. Big Thanks to out friends at Cuenca Cigars for sending a few of these our way.

• Size: 5 5/8 x 38
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Honduran
• Filler: Dominican
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Pairing: Parish/The Answer Our Cake is a Lie (Imperial Stout 10.5% ABV)
• Price: $4.25

Prelight:

The Henry Clay Rustic Cheroot isn’t the best looking cigar, and I think Rustic is definitely the term here. The cigar’s wrapper looks a bit beaten, as its sloppily laid over itself revealing lots of inconstancies in the seams. The color is a splotchy mess of orange, medium, and dark brown. The wrapper’s texture is extremely toothy and gritty while it feels very thick and heavy. There are quite a few bumps and veins located throughout the cigar’s body leading up to the round, tailed cap. The cigar also features a wrapped foot where the wrapper tobacco used is quite a few shades lighter than the rest of the wrapper on this particular cigar. The cigar feels hard in some areas, soft in others, and bumpy in others. 

The wrapper gives off some great sweet chocolate and spice aromas while the foot has a much more natural tobacco/earthiness aromas to it. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw showcases some great spices, ginger, chocolate and natural tobacco. 

First Third:

The Henry Clay Rustic Cheroot starts out with a surprisingly large bang of black and cayenne pepper which hangs around for the first few puffs before drawing back allowing the cigar to showcase some great dark chocolate, ginger, cinnamon, and natural tobacco flavors. The draw is absolutely perfect. Every little puff kicks out a great amount of thick, gray smoke while the cigar releases absolutely no stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white and light gray ash which held on for about 3/4 of a inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Henry Clay Rustic Cheroot and the flavors have remained the same, only they have creamed out a bit more coming together in a smoother more balanced profile. The Chocolate and cinnamon still lead the charge with notes of ginger, natural tobacco, and some soft cedar. The retrohale brings more of the spice to the front of the smoke. The cigar is still burning perfectly and I close out the second third with not signs of nicotine. 

Finish:

Into the final Third and the flavors remain identical to the second. Lots of dark chocolate and cinnamon, cedar, natural tobacco, and ginger. This cigar took me a total of an hour and a half to smoke down to the nub which is impressive as I expected it to burn much quicker. I experience no harshness, nor extended heat as I close out the final third with only a minor nicotine kick. Outside of having to relight the cigar once, the burn and experience was flawless from start to finish. 

Overview:

This is a classic example of not judging a book by its cover. This is a terrible looking cigar which delivered a winning experience on all counts. The flavor profile isn’t very complex, but it doesn’t need to be. This is a great cigar to just sit back, relax, and not have to put too much thought in. With the extremely affordable price tag this is something that will easily find it’s way into my everyday rotation. 

Pairing:

I decided to pair this Henry Clay Rustic Chroot with a bottle of Our Cake is a lie which is a Portal-themed imperial stout brewed in collaboration with the Answer and Parish. The beer leads with tons of heavy sweetness, brown sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, and hints of coconut, malt, and almond with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing even sweeter with straight-up chocolate cake flavors. The chocolate, sweetness, and cinnamon married out wonderfully with the flavors in the Henry Clay while the overwhelming sweetness helped bring the sweetness out of the cigar. 

The post Henry Clay Rustic Cheroot appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The La Gloria Cubana Esteli features a Nicaraguan wrapper from the Jalapa Valley, Honduran Jamastran binder, and Honduran La Entrada filler tobaccos. There are currently three vitolas available: Robusto (4 1/2 by 52), Toro (5 1/2 by 54), and Gigante (6 1/4 by 50). The cigars will run you between $4.99 and $6.99 per single and come packaged in 25-count boxes.

You can purchase the La Gloria Cubana Esteli from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $4.99
Vitola: 4 1/2 by 52
Size: Robusto
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Jalapa
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 5 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The La Gloria Cubana Esteli is draped in a dark brown Nicaraguan wrapper with some even dark color markings. The leaf is full of small veins, bumps, and oils. The cigar is rolled firmly with a small indention between the head of the cigar and the band.

The aroma is somewhat pungent on the wrapper with a mixture of vinegar, earth, and cocoa. Cedar and cocoa are found on the foot with just enough spice to tickle my sinuses. An easy cut through the cap opens up a free draw with a soft cedar and some potpourri spices.

FIRST THIRD

Out of the gate, the La Gloria Cubana Esteli opens off-balanced but, within a few minutes, the cigars warm-ups and the flavors settle in. The flavor profile is smoky with notes of charred wood, pencil shavings, earth, and an underlying tartness. The burn is right on as a medium gray ash forms that holds past an inch. 

MIDDLE THIRD

With the second third underway, the cigar develops in fullness and richness. The earth flavor has evolved to more diesel-like and there is a dry cocoa right along with it. Spice that was mostly absent from the first third joins in. The flavors and spice come across even full on the retro-hale but remains manageable.

FINAL THIRD

Charred wood is dominant flavor as the cigar moves into its last third. My palate is a bit dry as cocoa sits on the finish of the smoke. Like the other two thirds, the burn remains even all the way up to the last puff. 

WRAP-UP

I am a sucker for wallet-friendly smokes. I keep a keen eye out for them and, when I learned of the La Gloria Cubana Esteli, it instantly joined my list of new cigars to smoke. The La Gloria Cubana Esteli is a good smoke that developed in fullness, richness, and spice. There was a noticeable absence of sweetness, but, even so, the flavors stayed balanced. I was impressed by the on-point performance of this STG Esteli made cigar. Having now smoked close to half a box, each cigar has burned nearly perfect. Is it the best sub $5.00 cigar out there? Probably not, but it is still a dang good smoke for the price.

The post La Gloria Cubana Esteli Robusto appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

There is not a whole lot of information available on the Huntsman, but here is what I got. Created in Esteli, Nicaragua at Fabrica de Puro Plasencia, the Huntsman features a four country blend and is available in three vitolas: Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 50), and Churchill (7 by 50). Like many of the Famous exclusives, the Huntsman comes with a wallet friendly price between $5.25 and 5.75 per stick.

You can purchase the Huntsman from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop HERE.

THE FACTS

Price: $5.25
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 by 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder:  Mexican San Andres
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan and Brazilian
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Huntsman Robusto comes wrapped in a dark brown Nicaraguan Habano leaf that has a deep red hue and tons of nearly black watermarks. Loads of small veins can be seen webbing down the wrapper and a couple of medium sized veins. There are some scattered bumps and I find no soft spots on the cigar.

The aroma from the wrapper is meaty and savory. Similar to spices that you would use while grilling meats. The aroma is nearly the same on the foot, along with cedar. After a quick cut of the cap, I find a very free and airy draw with a strange sweetness that I am unable to pinpoint, along with cinnamon and wood. 

FIRST THIRD

Once lit, thick clouds of smoke pour out of the Huntsman. The flavors are rich, sweet, and spicey. There is a wet wood flavor, an acidic sourness, and sweet bread. A medium salt and pepper spice trail the aforementioned flavors. The sweet bread lingers on the finish before it turns to more of a toasted flavor. Through the first third, the burn was mostly wavy. 

MIDDLE THIRD

The acidic sourness has a sharpness to it causing some imbalance to the flavors.  While the wood and sweetness are still in play, the toast and sourness are the dominant flavors. Allowing the cigar to rest for over a minute between puffs cuts back the harsher aspects of the smoke. A touch-up is required to get a section of the wrapper back in-line that is refusing to burn.

FINAL THIRD

The richness that faded in the second third has come full circle. The sweetness is no longer the earlier sweet bread, but more of a caramelized sweetness. The ash that started as light gray is now much darker.

WRAP-UP

I am not quite settled on the Huntsman. There is a lot I liked about this cigar. Price for one followed by most of the flavors. The sour edge was intriguing at some points, but distracting at others. Letting the cigar rest between draws is a must, which isn’t a bad thing as it makes me slow down. Something I need more of these days. Other than the single touch-up, I experienced no other performance issues. I would smoke these again as the jury is still out.

The post Huntsman by Plasencia, a Famous Smoke Shop Exclusive appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

You can purchase the Shadow King from our site sponsor Famous Smoke Shop. Make sure to use coupon code “CASASAVINGS” for $15 off orders over $100.

THE FACTS

Price: $6.50
Vitola: Churchill
Size: 7 by 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro
Binder: Mexican
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Honduran
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 50 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

Shadow King by AJ Fernandez wears a beautiful, oily medium brown Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper that has some marbleization, mostly small veins, and a very fine tooth. The cigar is smooth to the touch and evenly filled from head to foot. 

An aroma of chicken coop, earth and vinegar come across as I bring the wrapper to my nose and the same pungent aroma is found on the foot, accompanied by some cedar and black pepper. The lines on the double cap are straight and, upon cutting the cap, a beautiful draw opens up with a sweet berry flavor, rich cedar, and some cinnamon.

FIRST THIRD

Shadow King Churchill opens up with a mixture of sour wood and pencil shavings, along with some leather and black pepper spice. The medium spice is hitting the back of my throat resulting in a minor itch. The carbon line is thin as the cigar burns evenly and an earth flavor lingers on the finish of the smoke.

MIDDLE THIRD

As I make my way into the second third of this 7 by 50 cigar, the flavors remain similar with the prior third. The flavors are medium in strength and the smoke is smooth in the mouth. As I pass the smoke through my nose, the spice is sharp, but just short of overwhelming. The carbon line has thickened, but the Shadow King continues to burn nice and even. Its at the halfway point that the body and flavors step up a notch.

FINAL THIRD

The sour wood has become the dominant flavor in the Shadow King with the last third underway. The sour wood is followed by a combo of leather and spice. As I near the last few inches, the smoke is now creamy in the mouth and a cocoa sweetness has joined the profile. With the sweetness moving in, the sourness is being pushed to the side and the flavors are balanced. 

WRAP-UP

Shadow King showed a linear profile with not much evolution until I reached the last few inches of the cigar. A consistent profile is not necessarily a bad thing, but, in a Churchill size, it left me wanting for. I really appreciated the cocoa and sweetness in the last couple inches and it was a great end to the cigar and it makes me think that a smaller vitola, like a robusto, may show more complexity. But with that said, the Shadow King Churchill burned effortlessly with a dead even burn and solid ash. AJ Fernandez certainly knows how to make a solid performing cigar. For the price, give it a shot. The next time I do, I will be smoking the robusto.

The post AJ Fernandez – Shadow King, a Famous Smoke Shop Exclusive appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Southern Draw’s portfolio has grown over its few short years in business with Jacobs Ladder, Kudzu, Firethorn, Rose of Sharon, and QuickDraw. QuickDraw, as with the rest of Southern Draw’s lines, are produced at Tabacalera Fernandez De Nicaragua S.A. in Esteli, Nicaragua. Three wrapper options are currently available including Ecuadorian Connecticut, Ecuadorian Dark Habano, and Pennsylvania Broadleaf. Keeping with the theme of the brand, the two available sizes are on the smaller end of the spectrum with a Petite Corona (4 1/2 by 44) and Short Panatela (5 1/2 by 40). The QuickDraw Petite Corona comes packaged in 50-count boxes that will run you about $225 or $5.00 per stick.

You can purchase the Southern Draw QuickDraw from our site sponsor Famous Smoke Shop. Make sure to use coupon code “CASASAVINGS” for $15 off orders over $100.

THE FACTS

Price: $5.00
Vitola: Petite Corona
Size: 4 ½ by 44
Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Start Time: 1 Hour

PRE-LIGHT

Southern Draw’s QuickDraw Pennsylvania is dressed an extremely dark, nearly black Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. There is a ton of texture on this rustic looking leaf that is loaded with tooth, veins and bumps. Sugar-like crystals glisten down the leaf as I work through my pre-light inspection.

The cigar is firmly rolled from head to foot and I am met with a pungent aroma of barnyard and wet earth as I bring the wrapper of the cigar to my nose. With the shaggy foot, the aroma is mostly the same with a hint of richness and sweetness. A shallow cut through the small pig-tail cap reveals a firm draw, which I expected to be due to the shaggy foot. Rich cedar and light baking spices are on the cold draw.

FIRST LIGHT

As soon as the foot of the Southern Draw QuickDraw is lit, the draw opens up and heavy and dark flavors pour out with notes of leather and a rich coffee. The richness really comes out as I retro-hale the smoke, along with a faint spice. The spice is building in both the flavor department and heat, warming my palate, as the cigar progresses. The QuickDraw Petite Corona is burning with a minor wave as a white ash forms. The ash held just short of an inch, which is pretty impressive for such a small ring gauge cigar.

MIDDLE THIRD

The QuickDraw Pennsylvania gains in richness as the flavors remain consistent with the prior third. The flavors are medium/full and I am beginning to feel the strength this small cigar has to offer. At the back end of the flavors there is a tartness and sweetness that is beginning to peak through. The tartness is something I find in most Broadleaf cigars.

FINAL THIRD

As I begin the last leg of my journey of the QuickDraw Pennsylvania, I find the tartness to be moving forward, trying to keep up with the darker flavors of charred wood, leather and coffee and a caramelized sugar sweetness. The flavors have made it to the full realm and the strength is on par. And the spice is showing no signs of slowing down as I near the end of the smoke. 

WRAP-UP

I don’t know why I waited so long to light up a cigar from Southern Draw. The QuickDraw Pennsylvania is exactly what I look for in a cigar. Big flavors, full strength, spice that keeps the palate alert, and a whole lot of richness. I love the Petite Corona format, but, at the same time, I didn’t want the cigar to end. The cigar developed a wave in the burn here and there, but it didn’t distract me from everything else going on. I highly recommend the QuickDraw Pennsylvania and I consider it a box worthy cigar even in a 50-count box!

The post Southern Draw – QuickDraw Pennsylvania appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Earlier this year, General Cigar Co. expanded the Vault line with two new releases: Vault E-021 and Vault W-009. The W-009 features a Nicaraguan Sungrown wrapper over Honduran binder and filler tobaccos. Available in 5 ½ by 54 and 6 by 50, the W-009 comes with a reasonable price tag of $6.49 for both sizes.

The Casas Fumando crew has previously reviewed the Vault A-008 and Vault D-042.

THE FACTS

Price: $6.49
Size: 5 ½ by 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Jalapa Sungrown
Binder: Honduran Jamastran
Filler: Honduran Jamastran and La Entrada
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Toraño Vault W-009 is dressed in a medium brown, mottled Nicaraguan Sungrown wrapper leaf. Oils glisten in the light from the wrapper that has a few medium sized veins and tons of small web like veins. As I examine the cigar for any soft spots, I can easily feel the oils on my fingertips. The cigar is evenly and firmly filled from top to bottom.

Aromas of chocolate, barnyard, and graham cracker are found on the wrapper, while chocolate, cedar, and raisin are come across from the foot of the cigar. After a quick cut through the cap, big notes of rich cedar show up on the cold draw and a faint cinnamon flavor, but there is hardly any type of spice. Two additional cuts are required to open up a manageable draw. 

FIRST THIRD

The Vault W-009 opens with a combination of damp earth, sweet bread and heavy black pepper. The spice heat is minimal in the mouth, but picks up a little as I retrohale the smoke. A saltiness also make an appearance on the retrohale. The burn, which started off with a slight wave, is nice and even now, forming a black and white layered ash.

MIDDLE THIRD

Starting out the second third of the Vault W-009, the earth and black pepper gain ground with the sweetness trying to keep up. A more woodsy flavor has also arrived, along with a sour quality in the profile. With the new sour quality, the profile has lost some of its balance. Leather and coffee are heavy on the finish and lingers for quite some time. Finishing up the second third, I am beginning to feel a bit of strength. The burn isn’t as even as earlier, but nowhere near requiring any type of attention.

FINAL THIRD

The sweetness has returned kicking out the sourness and rounding out the profile and is now back on par with the earth and leather that is still holding strong . The finish remains dark and is a bit dry as I near the end of this 5 1/2 by 54 Toraño Vault W-009. There is an added touch of pencil shavings in the final inch that sticks around to the final puff. 

WRAP-UP

The Toraño Vault W-009 presents flavors one may expect from the Nicaraguan wrapper and Honduran internals with the earth/leather and spice that were noted throughout the smoke. But the sweet bread rounded out the profile and added a bit of uniqueness to the blend. The cigar lost some of its rhythm in the second third when the sour quality moved in, but it was short lived as the sweetness came back around shortly after and balanced out the cigar for the remainder of the smoke. In one of the cigars smoked for review, the sweetness dropped out in the second third and never really made a full recovery, leaving the profile lacking and off balanced. Good smoke production, a mostly even burn, and a firm ash characterized the performance of the Toraño Vault W-009. With such a reasonable price point, I wouldn’t mind sitting on a handful of these to see how the profile develops over time.

The post General Cigar Co. – Toraño Vault W-009 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.