The Good Stuff:

Black Works Studio, a branch off Black Label Trading company, releases it’s first drop earlier this year: The Intergalactic. The Intergalactic is a limited edition cigar created at the company’s Fabrica Oveja Negra facility in Nicaragua. The cigar features an Indonesian Sumatra wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The cigar is offered in two sizes: Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) and the Corona Larga (6 1/4 x 46). Both come packaged in boxes of 20 and both run $10.50 per stick. I nabbed mine over at Fox Cigar Bar.

• Size: 6 1/4 x 46
• Wrapper: Indonesian Sumatra
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $10.50
• Pairing: Bottle Logic / Voodoo brewing Deprecophobia (Imperial Stout 13.61% ABV)

Prelight:

The Black Works Studio Intergalactic starts out with a medium brown wrapper with lots of both darker and lighter areas scattered throughout. The wrapper itself is slightly toothy with only a small amount of oils coating it. There are a few larger veins running from the cigar’s semi-enclosed foot up to it’s round, triple-wrapped, pigtail style cap. The cigar as a whole feels well packed with some softer areas around the center of the cigar. The cigar is ploished off with a great black, silver, and blue band with a skull in a space helmet as well as the Intergalactic and Black Works Studio logos on the back. P.S. those black embossed stars on the band are an incredible touch.

The wrapper gives off some light herbal aromas while the foot of the cigar carries lots of spice and natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw draw produces notes of date, cedar, and natural tobacco with some light spices.

First Third:

The Black Works Studio Intergalactic starts out with a burst of black pepper which faded extremely quickly allowing the cigar to release some great herbal notes of black tea and light floral over raisin, cedar, natural tobacco, pecan, and spice. The draw is flawless and every little puff kicks out a good amount of white smoke which dissipates very quickly while the cigar releases only a minor amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is as thin as it gets and extremely consistent as it leaves behind a trail of compacted white ash which held on for a little over a half inch before falling into my lap.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Black Works Studio Intergalactic the cedar flavor really takes hold of the profile and it’s fantastic. Backed by bold black tea and pecan over lighter earthy notes and spice. The retrohale only brings out more of that great cedar flavor. The burn line is still perfect as I haven’t had to reach for my torch. I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine.

Finish:

The profile final third of the Black Works Studio Intergalactic was very similar to the second. Cedar and black tea lead the charge backed by pecan, chocolate, earthy notes and spice. The burn line got a little wild in the last third, but again, I never once had to touchup and relight the cigar so no marks taken there. It took me an hour and a half to take the cigar down the nub and I experienced no harshness nor extended heat. I closed out with only a very light amount of nicotine.

Overview:

The Black Works Studio Intergalactic is a solid cigar, yet is a bit of a departure from what I normally expect from the brand. In the past, most of the Black Works offerings have been bold, unique, and in your face while the Intergalactic is much more calm and nuanced while still having a bit of the Black Works flare. Because of this, I think the cigar is better suited for the community as a whole since the experience isn’t aimed nearly as narrow as the rest of the cigars in the portfolio. I can easily see this being a staple in a good amount of the cigar community’s regular rotation and even the perfect cigar to bring new smokers to the brand. Now did I still enjoy it? Yes I did. I just think for my personal profile I would normally gravitate to other cigars in the Black Works portfolio before one of these.

Pairing:

Deprecophobia is a collaboration between Bottle Logic Brewing and Voodoo Brewing Company. The Double Mash imperial stout is aged in bourbon barrels for two years before being bottled resulting in a 13.6% ABV beer. The Deprecophobia starts out with a ton of sweet molasses, caramel, chocolate, raisin, and lots of bourbon with a very heavy, sticky mouthfeel before finishing with more molasses and chocolate over lighter raisin and coffee as well as really light malt. This syrup-like beer is fantastic if you like heavily bourbon barrel aged stouts. The chocolate, raisin, and coffee paired beautifully with the flavors in the Black Works Studio Intergalactic.

The post Black Works Studio Intergalactic appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

-Tony

After reviewing the Gilberto Oliva Reserva Blanc Connecticut (you can find that review here), I now bring you my thoughts on the Sumatra wrapped Gilberto Oliva Reserva.  Originally slated to be released last year as the Facundo, a trademark conflict put the launch on hold.  Now the cigar has been released as Gilberto Oliva Reserva, an Indonesian Sumatra wrapped stick, and Gilberto Oliva Reserva Blanc, in Ecuadorian Connecticut.  Both versions come in five sizes: Corona 5¾ x 43, Robusto 5 x 50, Toro 6 x 50, Torpedo 6 x 52, and Churchill 7 x50.  Packed in boxes of 20, pricing is very affordable, starting at $5.25 for the Reserva Corona and topping out at $6.90 for the Reserva Blanc Churchill.

This is the first new line of cigars to be released by Oliva since the Melanio came out in 2012.

The Basics:

Wrapper: Indonesian Sumatra
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Torpedo 6 x 52
Price: $6.40
Smoking time: One hour, thirty minutes
Pairing:  Fremont The Sister Imperial IPA (ABV 8.5%)

Pre-light:

The Gilberto Oliva Reserva comes draped in a medium brown leaf with a slight greenish tint and a couple of spots of discoloration, one light and one dark.  Veining is minimal along the length of the shaft, but more prominent toward the sharply pointed cap.  The pack is firm with a bit of springiness down toward the foot.  The band differs from the Connecticut wrapped Reserva Blanc in that the Reserva uses a maroon background rather than white.  The wrapper gives off an aroma of earthy tobacco, while the foot shows a little more barnyard and woodiness.  After clipping the cap twice, I am presented with a snug draw that gives up notes of sweet cedar and spice and a spicy tingle on the lips.

First third:

The tightness of the draw makes for a rather light mouthful of smoke, but double-hitting it allows for earth and cedar elements to show on top of natural tobacco, while aged leather appears in the retrohale.  The burn started out a bit thick and wavy, but has quickly sharpened up and is now almost perfectly even, leaving behind a compact ash that holds on for an inch.  As the draw opens up a bit, pepper begins to show, and the wood turns deeper than cedar as a sweet musk note plays on the tongue.

Middle third:

While there really no new flavors apparent as the Gilberto Oliva Reserva enters its second third, the ones that are present have become more cohesive, giving the experience a more well-rounded and smoother feel, and smoke production has also increased.  The pepper drops down on the palate, while maintaining a moderate presence on the retrohale.  A slight breadiness and lightly sweet spice soon begin to emerge and a light-roasted coffee note follows.

Final third:

As the Gilberto Oliva Reserva moves into its stretch run, the coffee note has become sweeter and blends in well with the oaky wood, earth, and spice.  The cigar has tipped over to just past medium, climbing into the low-medium range in strength.  A small amount of char has come in to mix in nicely with the other flavors.  As it smokes down toward the nub, the sweetness falls back as the other flavors intensify, and the Reserva finishes at near medium-full in body and medium+ in strength.  I had no thoughts of reaching for my lighter throughout the smoking experience, as it burned evenly with no threat of ever going out on me.

Overview:

All in all, I found the Gilberto Oliva Reserva to be a solid smoke, offering up good flavors.  While not terribly complex, it’s still an enjoyable cigar with great construction and burn properties, and had enough change-ups to keep me interested.  I would like to try out the parejo sizes to see if the snug draw is a result of the torpedo shape, but it did eventually open up to a comfortable level, so along with the affordable price, it’s a nice addition to the Oliva stable, and  I can easily recommend picking up a couple to try out.

You can get the Gilberto Oliva Reserva from our good friends over at Cuenca Cigars here.

Pairing:

The Sister Imperial IPA from Seattle’s Fremont Brewing showcases tropical and citrus fruits, honeyed maltiness, and a big hop backbone, weighing in at 8.5% ABV.  That makes it a solid match for medium bodied cigars and the Gilberto Oliva Reserva is no exception.  The fruit, maltiness and body of the beer increases as it warms, countering the bitter finish nicely and helping to keep up the sweetness that the cigar offers, while complementing the spice notes.  I think a nice Dubbel or Doppelbock would also be a good match for this cigar.

The post Gilberto Oliva Reserva Sumatra appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Boutique Blends led by Rafael Nodal specializes in small production lines with several  brands that have steadily gained popularity – Swag, Aging Room, Oliveros, and, the more recent, La Boheme. Up for review today is the Aging Room Quattro F55 that is no newcomer to the market, but never reviewed here at Casas Fumando.

Manufactured in the Dominican Republic at Tabacalera La Palma, available vitolas include: Stretto (4 1/2 by 26), Espressivo (5 by 50), Concerto S (6 by 50), Maestro (6 by 52 Torpedo), Vibrato (6 by 54), and Concerto (7 by 50).

You can purchase your own through our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Famous Smoke Shop
Price: $10.16*
Vitola: Vibrato
Size:6 by 54
Wrapper: Indonesian Sumatra 2003
Binder: Dominican Habano
Filler: Dominican Habano
Smoke Time: 2 Hours

*Priced at Famous at the time of review

Pre-light

The Aging Room Quattro F55 wears a medium brown Sumatran wrapper that is a rough looking leaf with some color imperfections, stretchmarks, a couple medium sized veins, bumpy, and a couple of odd indentations. Bringing the F55 Vibrato to my nose, there is an apple cider vinegar and cedar aroma. The nose on the foot of the cigar is rich with notes of cedar, chocolate, raisin, and just enough pepper to tingle my sinuses. With all of the character of the leaf, it is difficult to make out the cap. Since I normally take very shallow cuts, I doubt I will over cut. The richness transfer from the aroma right to the cold draw that has little resistance. The same rich cedar and potpourri spices come across on palate.

First Third

After removing the foot band on the Aging Room Quattro F55, the cigar fires up quickly and instantly delivers a mouthful of rich and spicy smoke. Under a rich cedar that leads the charge, the is a natural tobacco sweetness and a hefty amount of pepper. While the flavors are full, the finish is clean with some coffee and pepper. About an inch in, the smoke completely died out. Knocking off the ash, I find half the cigar extinguished requiring a complete re-light.The burn has been all over the place, but somehow pulls itself back in line. An ugly white and black ash is being formed, which probably has to do mostly with the relight.

Middle Third

Moving into the second third, the flavors from earlier carry along  with the addition of toast and a grape-jelly sweetness. While it is pretty early on, I am already feeling some of the nicotine from the F55 in my gut. The cedar is a combination of pencil shavings and camp fire. The burn, after progressively getting worse, required another touch-up. Hopefully, this will be the last time I’ll have to put a flame to this Quattro F55.

Final Third

Earth and coffee arrive in force pushing out the flavors that joined in in the second third, but continue on with the flavors of rich cedar, natural sweetness, and pepper that have made up the core since the first third. The pepper shines through on the retrohale almost making a sneeze come on. With only a few minutes remaining with this cigar, a very pleasing nuttiness comes across.

Wrap-up

Right from the start, the Aging Room Quattro F55 produced an abundant amount of smoke, delivering rich and full flavors. The core of the smoke was made up rich cedar, natural tobacco sweetness, and pepper, with the addition of a few new flavors making an appearance as the cigar burned down. What caught me off guard with this cigar was the strength that absolutely kicked my butt. While I was able to burn through several of the samples with no issue, the strength in the cigar reviewed put me over the edge requiring a quick dose of sugar to counter the nicotine hit. The only major complaint I have in the performance arena was the funky burn and the cigar going out in the first third. With the change in seasons, I noticed the humidity in my humidor gradually rising, which I first thought was the issue. However, the same problem was noted in another sample that I dry-boxed for a day or so. With that said, I still found the Aging Room Quattro F55 Vibrato to be a very good cigar. I love what the guys at Boutique Blends are doing with the Aging Room brand and Dominican tobaccos. My only caution would be to have this cigar after a large meal. Lastly, a big “THANKS” goes out to Famous Smoke Shop for providing the samples.

The post Boutique Blends – Aging Room Quattro F55 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

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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