The contest will run from today until Saturday evening. I will choose a winner and post the results on Monday morning. Up for grabs is a sampler including:

1 – La Palina Goldie Laguito Especial
1 – Crux Passport Lancero
1 – Illusione Fume d’Amour Clementes
1 – Espinosa Laranja Reserva Corona
1 – Joya de Nicaragua Joya Red Robusto
1 – Tatuaje Tattoo Caballeros
1 – Crowned Heads Jericho Hill .44s

The rules are simple. Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and one winner will be chosen at random. You must live in the USA or Canada, and must be 18 years or older to enter.

That’s it! Now get to it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Top Cigars of 2014 Sampler Giveaway! appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Ever smoked a classic maduro and thought to yourself “I wonder what this cigar experience would be like if this sucker packed a punch”? Well Eiroa finally has an answer for that. Following up last year’s CBT release Eiroa created a Maduro version which was unlike any maduro cigars I have ever had. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s powerful and fires on all cylinders front the second you light up, to the second you put it down. You can check out my full review here.

#9. Tatuaje – Tattoo

Tatuaje always seems to find their way into our top 10 lists and with good reason. Most of Pete Johnson’s creations fit my flavor profile and their experiences are always impressive. This year Pete decided to create a great cigar, and a very low cost. While many manufacturers have attempted this, Pete actually created something incredible that can hold it’s own in comparison to some of the more expensive blends out there. The Tattoo leads forward with sweetness, rich flavors, and a medium body resulting in a great experience while not breaking the bank. You can check out the full review here.

#8. Quesada – 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica

Quesada is a company that over the last few years have really rebranded themselves by making some incredibly cigars. Adding to that list is the 40th Anniversary Corona Clasica. Not to be confused with the standard 40th Anniversary, the Corona Clasica sports it’s very own blend. The cigar offers up some amazing flavors with a relatively mild strength profile. I’m not big on Connecticut shade cigars, but when they are done right they can create some killer experiences and this cigar shows just how great that wrapper can be. You can read my full review here.

#7. Padron Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro

Padron’s Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro has been a long time in the making. Each time a new Family Reserve hits the marking it’s almost immediately branded into the minds of people who create “Top cigars of XXXX” lists such as these, and the 50 years is no exception. While the Natural version didn’t really do it for me, the maduro delivered on all accounts. Amazing, bold flavor profile with medium/full strength and amazing construction. My only complaint would be the price, which isn’t really a complaint as I still gladly pay for them as the experience delivered is well worth it. You can check out my full review here.

#6. Joya de Nicaragua – Joya Red

Joya De Nicaragua doesn’t release many new blends, so upon release the Joya Red took the cigar world by storm. Joya de Nicaragua has always been known for its strong Nicaraguan roots, and absolutely solid cigars. The Joya Red falls right into this category. While it remains a medium strength cigar the Red offers some great bold flavors, with an extremely easy experience making it the perfect “anytime of the day” cigar. Joya de Nicaragua kept the costs very low on this blend while making production high resulting in tons of availability at a great price. You can check out my full review here.

#5. Fratello – Boxer

It took me a while to finally chase down Fratello cigars. They aren’t easy to come by in these parts, but once I had one there was no stopping me from grabbing all that I could carry. While making it’s introduction into the cigar world last year, the Fratello released a new box-pressed torpedo format this year. What I love the most about the cigar is it’s bold, sweet, balanced flavors without the huge strength punch. I just wish these were a bit easier to come by. You can check out my full review of the corona version here.

#4. La Palina – Goldie Laguito Especial

Yup, it’s another Goldie and its on another list. There isn’t much to say about this cigar that hasn’t been said already. With the Goldie you expect the most precise, flawless construction ever encountered followed with an incredibly smooth and balanced flavor experience that falls in the medium/full range. The only thing keeping this cigar out of the top 3 is the price tag and availability. It’s quite pricey, and very limited, but I’d gladly pay the coin time and time again. You can check out my full review here.

#3. The Crowned Heads – Jericho Hill

The Crowned Heads do it again. Honestly, this company has been smashing home runs each and every time they have been at bat. One thing that I love about these guys is they don’t waste anytime savoring the moment each time a new cigar releases. This year, as soon as a release started to get press there was another blend flying right out. Not only do The Crowned Heads make great cigars, but they do it with such passion and their great attitudes are contagious. The Jericho Hill was one of the first releases they made in conjunction with My Father Cigars. It carries some deep, sweet, enjoyable flavors with a milder body, great price tag, and easy availability. You can check out my full review here.

#2. Espinosa Premium Cigars – Laranja

Espinosa cigars is no stranger to our top 10 lists at Casas Fumando, and this year is no exception. Riding incredible press that surrounded this cigar during it’s debut at this year’s IPCPR show, the Laranja was a cigar that lived up to it’s hype. Sporting extremely bold flavors over a heightened strength profile the Laranja isn’t for the faint of heart. Those looking for a true bold experience done right look no further. You can check out my full review here.

#1. Illusione – Fume D’Amour

My #1 was an easy one this year and probably one of the best cigars I have had in a very long time. Illusione’s Fume D’Amour is the perfect mixture of complexity, creaminess, balance, strength and flavor. The Fume D’Amour is a great addition to an already amazing portfolio. To top that off Dion not only made this cigar very affordable, but added it to his regular production so it’s widely available and will be for a long time. You can read the full review here.

The post Top 10 Cigars of 2014 – Tony Casas Edition appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Monthly Recap – November

Number of Cigars Smoked: 24

Of those smoked:

• Purchased: 10 or 42%
• Gifted: 8 or 33%
• Samples Provided: 6 or 25%

Of those purchased:

• Brick & Mortar: 1 or 10%
• Online: 9 or 90%

Most Memorable Cigars Smoked

#1. Illusione – Fume D’ Amour:  As I write today, I could not detail any of the specific flavors I noted, but I can tell you that as soon as the smoke began to seep out of the lit foot of the Fume D’ Amour, I was taken from the snowy streets of Gladstone, Michigan to the sandy beaches of somewhere much warmer. This cigar was awarded the #3 spot on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of 2014 list for good reason. It does not only showcase a very well balanced blend, but it takes you on a memorable experience to much simpler (warmer) times. In my opinion, the Illusione Fume D’ Amour is everything I look for but do not find in Cuban cigars. You can check out Tony’s review of the Fume D’ Amour HERE.

#2. Emlio Cigars – La Musa Melete Lancero: Earlier this year, a good friend and Casas Fumando guest reviewer, Jeff Oda, bombed me with a handful of cigars that he thought I would enjoy . One of the sticks being the Emilio La Musa Melete Lancero. I sung high praises of the Melete toro when I reviewed it in a Quick Draw format back in May so I was anxious to light up the lancero. Restraining myself for six months, I finally broke down and fired up the Melete Lancero. The cigar delivered full flavors showcasing a ton of sweetness, along with rich notes of cedar, earth, and coffee. One thing I did not find in the lancero version was the citrus, orange peel flavor I picked up on in the toro size. I was blown away by the Melete Lancero and now I wish I would have grabbed a handful up while they were still available. But even if you cannot find the lancero, it is worth hunting down the other vitolas in the La Musa Melete line.

Cigar Reviews

PDR Cigars – Flores Y Rodriguez Habano Cabinet Seleccion

The more Flores Y Rodriguez Habano Cabinet Seleccions I smoke the more I am astonished that the cigar is a Dominican puro made out of one varietal of Cuban seed. The Habano Cabinet Seleccion delivers a complex experience that can be rare in puros. The play between the sweetness and citrus notes kept me engaged the entire smoke, while the core flavors of pepper, cedar, and leather were right in my comfort zone. I hope I can find another bargain on these sticks as this is a cigar I would love to maintain in my weekly rotation.

Kuuts, LLC – Kuuts Nicaraguan Blend

 For  a cigar coming in around $6, a very reasonably priced cigar in my book, Kuuts Nicaraguan Blend is a solid offering. The profile was well balanced, rich, and sweet with a core of cedar and pepper. The cigar performed well with a perfect draw, satisfying amount of smoke, decent burn, and a fairly nice ash.

Ezra Zion Cigar Company – Tantrum P.A. 

The Ezra Zion Tantrum P.A. delivered full, balanced flavors, a good draw, satisfying amount of smoke, and a decent burn. This cigar fits right into my wheelhouse with it bold flavors and full strength, but the strength did not overwhelm me.

Tony’s Reviews

Tatuaje Jekyll Monster Series #7

The Jekyll is a solid cigar sporting some great flavors, creamy balance, and a great experience. It wasn’t one of my favorites in the Monster Series, but I still felt it was worthy of a box purchase even having purchased a handful before pulling the trigger on the box. One thing that did impress me about the Jekyll was the evident departure from the rest of the cigars in the Monster Series line.

La Palina Black Label

Needless to say I fell in love with the La Palina Black Label. I’ve been a long time fan of La Palina. While not all of their blends fit my profile, many of them find their way into my daily rotation. The La Palina Black offers a great, full bodied, full strength experience at a decent price point. While the strength was in the full area, never once did it muddy up the flavors as they were a bit complex, very pure, and extremely enjoyable.

Spirited Pairings – Episode 1

Spirited Pairings Episode 2

Fratello Cigars Corona

If it wasn’t already obvious i fell in love with the Fratello from the first time I smoked one. The bold experience, great construction, price and availably all hit a sweet spot with me. Without giving too much away, I’d be shocked if this didn’t make it in my top 10 list this year.

The post Monthly Recap – November 2014 – Jeremy Hensley Edition appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Fume D’Amour is amongst a slew of cigars released at this year’s IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. While there were many cigars showcased, few created as much buzz as the Fume D’Amour. Some said it was the star of the show. Fume D’Amour is the first full production core line created by Dion Giolito of Illusione in 3 years. Fume D’Amour is translated into “Love Smoke”. The blend is based off the Original Document blend, or the Corojo, using a different wrapper and created using only Nicaraguan Seco and Viso. No Ligero. Normally, Ligero is used to boost the body and strength in a cigar as the Viso and Seco produce more sweeter, milder flavors. That being said, the Fume D’Amour isn’t your average smoke, and actually boasts a much higher body and much more strength during the experience as it does on paper. The Fume D’Amour joins the ranks of blends that Dion is now producing at the Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. factory in Nicaragua. Here is the information on the blend as found on Illusione’s website:

“Illusione introduces Fume D’Amour. Nearly 3 years since our last full brand was brought to the industry, Fume D’Amour is added to the Illusione ‘core lines.’ These cigars deliver the signature olfactory sweetness from Viso Jalapa tobaccos, with the complex mix of spices both in the nose and on the palate from Seco leaves from Esteli. Fume D’Amour is a full-bodied production for the matured cigar enthusiast. Four sizes… more to come. “

The Fume D’Amour will come in four sizes: Lagunas ( 4.5 x 42), Viejos (5 x 50), Capistranos (6 x 56 ) and the Clementes (6.5 x 48) and range from $6.50 to $9.50 a stick. These are just hitting shelves now. I purchased a bunch of these over from our friends at Smokeinn.com.

Size: 4.5 x 42
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $6.50
Pairing: Founders Backwoods Bastard 2013 (Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch Ale 10.2% ABV)

Prelight:

The wrapper on the Fume D’Amour is absolutely stunning, starting with a deep brown, and very orange color. The wrapper color is consistent for the most part with some darker webbing throughout the body of the cigar and darker areas around the cap. The wrapper texture is very oil, with some slight tooth, and very smooth, silky areas. The wrapper feels about average in the density department and the cigar had very little sponginess or soft spots. The Fume D’Amour is finished off with a beautifully round triple cap, and an elegant maroon, gold, and beige band stating “Fume D’Amour” and “Hecho En Nicaragua”. I have always loved the simplicity in Illusione’s band design.

The wrapper on the cigar gives off some soft grassy aromas wrapper around strong cedar while the foot of the cigar carries lots of sweetness and spice with some deep tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw produces some great spice, sweetness, floral, and grassy flavors.

First Half:

Since this is a smaller cigar, I’m going to go ahead and cut it into halves instead of thirds. The first few draws on Illusione’s Fume D’Amour lead off with some very strong black pepper. The pepper quickly fades away and leaves me with some strong cedar, lots of sweetness, brown sugar, cherry, and deep mossy/grassiness. As I get a bit deeper into the first half I start to pick up a strong floral flavor. Almost tastes like Jasmine. Either way, it’s complimenting the already creamy experience very nicely. The body starts out very strong and the strength is up there as well. The draw is perfect. Every little puff kicks out a huge, thick cloud of white smoke. The burnline is a bit wild, but I haven’t had to reach for my lighter. I finish out the first half feeling no nicotine kick at all.

Second Half:

Into the second half of Illusione’s Fume D’Amour the flavor profile becomes much deeper and bolder. I am picking up a ton of cedar and woodsiness now instead of the grassy notes, lots of cedar, some cocoa, espresso, and lots of sweetness and spice. I took this cigar down until it started burning my fingers and experience no harshness whatsoever. I was actually impressed with how slowly a cigar of this size smoked down. It took me about an hour to reach the nub and I enjoyed every last minute of it. The burnline completely corrected itself after the first half and I never once had to reach for my lighter. The band slipped right off, and the construction was on point.

Overview:

I said it on twitter, and I said it again. Illusione’s Fume D’Amour is probably the best cigar I have had all year. I smoked quite a few of these and each one makes me fall deeper and deeper in love with the blend (Love Smoke.. eh? See what I did there!!?!). On many occasions I have spoke about how if I had to choose only 1 manufacturer to smoke, for the rest of my life exclusively, it would be Illusione. The Fume D’Amour helps solidify that decision. Hell, everything Dion has come out with recently has backed my choice. The Fume D’Amour hits in all areas. Boasting strong, bold, sweet, balanced flavors with a higher body experience that won’t knock you on your ass. I especially think the blend preforms well in the smaller sizes. The price point is where you would expect it to be and the fact that this is a regular production blend makes me very happy. Pick a few up, this is a boxworthy cigar that will find it’s way into my regular production for a long time to come.

Pairing:

I purchased a bunch of these bad boys last year and have been quietly going through my stock. They are a perfect beer to pair with s bold, strong cigar. Founders Brewing Company out of Michigan produces it’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Backwoods Bastard Scotch Ale during the winter each year. Coming in at 10.2% ABV this beer isn’t for the faint of heart. This sticky ale leads off with some strong sweetness, caramel, cocoa, and grain with a very heavy mouthfeel. The finishing taste is really fruity, oaky, boozy, and spicy. There is quite a bit of bourbon reminisce left in the flavor profile. The spice, sweetness, oak and fruit pair perfectly with the Fume D’Amour while the caramel adds an interesting complimentary note to the pairing. This cigar will pair well with most drinks. Some bold coffee, bourbon, port wine, or Belgian Strong Dark Ale would be on the top of that list.

The post Illusione Fume D’Amour Lagunas Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.