The Good Stuff: Studio Tobac is a venture brought to you buy Oliva to provide experimental, and very unique cigars such as the Cain and the nUB lines. Back in march, the Studio Tobac board approved a request for a joint-collaboration product with Padilla Cigars. From the mouth of Studio Tobac’s John Gazzero:

“Even though we’ve existed for the last few years, Studio Tobac just became know to the public; so we’re very protective of the brand. This type of joint venture isn’t something we take lightly, and we’re not getting in the business of making private label cigars for anyone. Working with Ernie (Padilla) makes sense because he has been a friend of Studio Tobac for years. Ernie assured us that he will treat this project with integrity and respect. We’ve got some interesting ideas for the blend. I’m sure Padilla does, too. I’m excited to smoke the cigars. They should be pretty damn good.”

Produced with Oliva tobacco with direct input from Ernesto Padilla, a few others at Padilla Cigars, as well as the Studio Tobac Advisory board, the  exclusive “Padilla Studio Tobac” was born. These cigars are very limited, only 1,000 boxes of 10 will be made and will run $140 a box. These are now available, but won’t be around for very long. A special thanks to Smoking Stogie for the information. There wasn’t a whole lot online, but they always have the good stuff.

Size: 6 x 60  –  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  –  Body: Medium/Full

Prelight: The Padilla Studio Tobac is a very meaty, beefy Figurado format cigar. This isn’t a format that I smoke very often. I usually run into burn problems do to the bulbed foot of the cigar, plus it just doesn’t seem comfortable to hold. The foot of the cigar is so much heavier then the cap that it sets forth this strange balance in my hand. Let’s just hope the lack of comfort is something that the blend makes up for. Outside of the strange size the Padilla Studio Tobac is an exceptionally well constructed cigar. I can’t imagine how difficult this is to roll. The foot start off with this tiny little tip then explodes into a huge bulb which stretches and thins out across the body of the cigar until it meets the cap with a seamless, very pointy tip. The cigar boasts of oil. Each little ray of light that hits the silky wrapper shoots off a huge gleam of reflection. The wrapper feels really touch and durable carrying an extremely consistent light to medium brown with a bit of tooth, and only a few visible veins.

The band on this cigar is a monster starting with a huge silver, maroon, and black Padilla branded crest with the standard lion’s head we have all grown to love. Following the huge ass band is a tiny little black, white, red, and gold secondary band with the words “STUDIO TOBAC” and the small leaf branding on it. The wrapper of the cigar gives off an extremely sweet cedar aroma while the foot, because of it’s size, smells identical. The Padilla Studio Tobac cut very easily, and very clean using my Palio Double bladed cutter.  The cold draw surprised me with a huge kick of very strong pepper followed by some soft cedar, and very spicy notes.

First Smoke: The Padilla Studio Tobac surprised me once again when it started off with no pepper at all despite my cold draw conclusions. Instead it welcomed me with a really nice, subtle spice, strong cedar, and a soft leather with just a touch of citrus. The draw is remarkable despite being a pain in the ass to get going at first (most Figurados are).  Each little puff kicks out a huge mouthful of thick smoke.  The cigar gives off a ton of very smooth, sweet tobacco and cedar scented stationary smoke. The burnline, as expected is a bit wavy, but honestly not bad at all. At least, not as bad as I was expecting. This format is always hard to keep a solid burnline out of the gate.  The ash left behind is an interest dark grey, to light grey, then zebra striped mixture lasting about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: This Padilla Studio Tobac is one of the most flavorful cigars I have had recently. I am really enjoying every single little puff. The main flavor is still this dominant cedar with a very, very sweet tobacco. The underlying flavors are a very soft leather and the citrus has now turned into a really nice fruit flavor. If I really wanted to stretch it I could say it has hints of apple, but for the sake of being subjective I won’t go that far. The retrohale is really nice and smooth coating with the cedar and some nice sweet spice. I am not feeling any nicotine at all at this point despite the size of this cigar. The burnline is now rocking solid and even as well which is great considering the format and the fact that I haven’t touched it up an at all.

Finish: The spice has really started to ramp up in this Padilla Studio Tobac. It’s a very nice and smooth spice, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. The cedar is still in there too but it’s taken a back-burner to the spice with backing flavors of the fruit and even some nice chocolate creeping in. Despite the size of the cigar and all the flavor this cigar has been smooth from start to finish, even approaching the final inch. No harshness, no relights, no touchups, just the way I like it! The body has ramped up a bit too, but I wouldn’t classify it above medium/full. This cigar took almost 2 hours to take down, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Overview: I really wanted this cigar to be bad. Not cause I don’t like Padilla, or Oliva, but for the simple fact that I have had a very long run of cigars that I really enjoyed and I didn’t want it to seem like I enjoy every cigar that I smoke. Too bad that wasn’t the case. This cigar is dynamite. From every aspect you look at it. Even the size. That’s right, I said it. I enjoyed the size. While uncomfortable I think it really added another dimension to the cigar and quite honestly I don’t know if the cigar would fair as well as it did in another format. I would love to try it though. The robust, and immense flavors the Padilla Studio Tobac kicked out kept me on my toes from start to finish. The smoother tones, and gentle body let me really sit back and enjoy the cigar without getting my ass kicked by body. While most people may think ~$15 is steep for a cigar, I think that price is perfect for a cigar of this caliber, and I would gladly pay it again. Too bad these damn things are so limited.

Pairing: I decided to pair this bad boy with a beer you tend to see a lot of in my reviews as the weather starts to cool down. Pawvel Kwak’s Special Belgian Ale. This amber colored 8.4% ABV ale is perfect for those chilly winter nights. It’s a very smooth, strong ale with notes of plum, sugar, caramel, and malt. This makes a perfect pairing for any cigar no matter how strong, dark, light, or mild.

The post Padilla Studio Tobac Figurado appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Prelight: Evident through the pre-light pictures, this cigar looks as thought it has definitely seen better days. There is a bit of damage (probably from shipping) on the foot, and the cap of the cigar, but not anything that should really hinder the smoking experience. Outside of that the cigar is a really rustic looking on with a milky, light brown, beaten, rustic looking wrapper. There are a few, very slight wrapper cracks as well, but again, nothing too concerning. This cigar is solo light and delicate with it’s extremely skinny body that I am fearful that just handling it may cause more damage. There are man larger veins running through the long slender body up to the tiny round double cap.

The body really doesn’t give off any more than a faint grassy aroma while the foot only bears the slightest of tobacco scent. I really can’t pull much of any smell from this cigar. The cap was extremely easy to cut letting out a very unexpected explosion of earthy, woodsy flavors from the cold draw.  I figured I’d really have to stretch to get anything from that as well, but it was quite the opposite.

First Smoke: surprisingly, despite the slender body, it’s really hard to get a good draw from this cigar at the start. The draw just seems really loose, and most of the air is coming back blank. After we got passed the first inch and compression at the foot, it became much easier to pull back a fuller mouthful of smoke. It still takes a few hits to get the draw that I desire, but it’s much better than the clear air I was getting at the start.  Another shocker was this cigar actually packed a lot of sharp, spice notes. Outside of the spice it was easy to pick up lots of natural tobacco, and woodsy flavor. This isn’t a flavor-bomb of a cigar, but so far it’s starting out nice and smooth with some deep flavors. The burnline is very event, and for the size of this cigar it better be. The ash is a very nice white, tightly compacted, and held on for about a half inch before giving way. Which isn’t bad considering how small it is. This cigar is seriously the width of a cigarette.

Halfway There: Not a lot of change-ups into the second third. The spice is really the dominant flavor. It’s really nice and puts a very nice overcast on the natural, cashew,  earthy, woodsy flavors this cigar gives off. Again, this is spice, not pepper. There actually wasn’t any pepper present at all in this cigar. The retrohale is really freaken good. If gives a really different dimension to the cigar priming my nasal passage with this sweet, sweet, almost gingerbread coating. As far as body is concerned, this cigar is really mild/medium not even giving of the slightest bit of nicotine at this point. Also worth noting is the fact that the draw pretty much doubled going into this second third and is right where I’d like, and expect it.

Finish: Wow, what a complete ramp-up in flavors, especially the spice. Now here is where this cigar’s potential was hidden. The main flavor is this just crazy spice. It tastes like how sandalwood incense smells. Just underneath is a really deep, dark woodsy flavor, and then the natural tobacco and other earthy flavors underneath. There wasn’t any harshness at all into this cigar that took me a little over an hour to smoke. That’s right, I smoked it that bad (cause it’s hot as hell outside) and there wasn’t any harshness at all. BUT there was something else. A whole hell of a lot of tar build up towards the very end. I only tasted it if my tongue or lips happen to touch it. It’s the tar in combination with the saliva that gathered at the head of the cigar. I have to blame the size for that cause generally I am a dry smoker.

Overview: Sure, the cigar really started out with a certain set of flavors, and ended with pretty much the same set. But some cigars don’t really need drastic change-ups to be wonderful experiences. This cigar falls in that category. This ramp up in flavors at the end was nice, and well welcomed. If it had happened earlier in it may have overpowered the entire experience. This cigar is really interesting in it’s own right, and I don’t think I have had anything like that. Depending on price, and age, I’d probably keep these cigars around, but it’s not a cigar I could see myself smoking everyday. It’s just a nice venture into a different type of milder smoke.

What did I think it was? Well, I really haven’t had a lot of panetela sized cigars. Maybe enough to count on my fingers, so I will try to guess this one based on characteristics. I’d like to say this is Cuban based. The wrapper is very thing and delicate which is an easy way to identify most Cuban cigars. The burn was similar to a Cuban, but the ash was not. My first guess would be a Cuban Partagas, and if not that, then maybe an old Montecristo. So far I am 0 – 4 in my guesses in this set, so I wouldn’t be surprise if my guess was completely off.

And the reveal: Wow, I was actually close on this one. This is a Cuban El Rey De Mundo Panetelas Largas circa 1980-1982. Yup, another old Cuban cigar. This one was almost double the age of the 15 year old Cohiba Brooks sent my way last time coming in at around a whopping 30 years old. I can tell you one thing, Brooks doesn’t skimp out on the good stuff. I tried digging up prices on this cigar and it looks like a box of 25 from 2007 runs about $200. I can’t even imagine what a box from 1980 would go for.

The post Blind Review #10 from Brooks at Smoking Stogie appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

This was one of the few “talked about” cigars that made it’s release at the trade show last week. I did quite a bit of research on this cigar before smoking it, but I think that the description comes best from Steve Saka himself:

–  Undercrown to be debuted at the IPCPR – initial delivery to retailer in Sept 2011.

–  Undercrown is a blend that was developed by the Liga rollers for their own smoking pleasure because we had to ask them to cut back on smoking the LPs they were making – they were crushing us. The name represents this – if LP was made exclusively for the king/boss initially, this cigar was made initially for themselves, the princes, i.e. Undercrown.

– Imo, it is just a touch stronger than Medium bodied with a great natural tobacco sweetness and earthy flavor. Very creamy core and sexy smooth – like all LP’s** it is very balanced – this cigar probably won’t satisfy some of the pepper junkies.

[Disclaimer: this of course is my personal opinion of the smoke – you will have to decide for yourself… some folks will say it is too strong, others will say it is mild, one guy will say it tastes like bing cherries and pencil lead, and on and on and on – lol]

– Made with many of the same tobaccos as other LPs, but utilizes different primings, crops from different sections of the same fields, different ages etc… or change-ups – for example the binder is our exclusive T52 stalk cut habano.

– Prices are NOT set on the brand yet, because we price all of our cigars based one what they cost to produce and it takes us a few months of true production to know for sure what the indexes and run rates will be – I am going to Nica next week to do a final review – we expect the prices to range between $7 – $9…
BUT I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO BE COMPLETELY WRONG ABOUT THIS!!!

– LP-grade pairs are rolling these.

– Initial launch will be in the same 4 sizes as LP + the 6 x 60 parejo Gordito. Complain to JD about it, he wanted it, he is on a 60RG rampage… <snicker> Look when I first wanted to do Dirty Rat JD was not really on board because he always preferred larger cigars, but he let us run with it and fell in love with it. I in turn, am not a 60rg guy, but I gotta admit I am impressed with the MUWAT he did over at JDN. I do not think you have to choose between doing all big or all small.

– If the brand proves to be popular with smokers of course we will add sizes… I already have been smoking a 5 5/8 x 46 version. But launching with the most popular sizes is what makes sense… tell you what I will make up some more of the Corona Gorda UC to share cause you ain’t gettiing mine. Lets plan a BOTL herf somewhere this Fall an I will show up with these to share…

– It will not be limited to LP accounts only – this is a more sustainable blend so in the long run is will have better availability – hoorah!

In my opinion the price, and availability from the above statements are golden. Not just Liga Privada appointed retailers?! This cigar is going to FLY off the shelves! Keep in mind this is a “First Look” at the cigar, since it is still pre-release, so the review will be very loosely written. Saka himself had told me once though that any Liga Privada that gets handed out is the Final blend, and they do not change then from that point. That being said, I think it’s safe to say that this is in fact the final product. Anyway, let me get on with the review. ( PS. I didn’t read the above statement before writing my review. So please disreguard any “cherry” flavor I pick up )

Here is a little more info on the blend:

Undercrown is a liga blended on our factory floor by the best of our Liga Privada torcedores for themselves due to our request that they smoke less of the cigars they were crafting. Incorporating many of the same rare tobaccos, but of different vintages and primings, the cigar they created was no mere replacement. Earthy, creamy, spicy with a delicious black tobacco sweet finish, Undercrown is an exceptional smoking experience of uncompromising quality and flavor that deserves to be smoked by all.

Capa: Otapan Negro Último Corte
Capote: T52 Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut & Cured Habano
Tripa: Select Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed

Strength: Medium to Medium-Full
Packaging: 25-ct Display Cabinet BN Boxes
Taste Profile: Lush, smooth and creamy with a natural inherent sweetness.
Cigar Style: Refined and balance with excellent depth for the smoker.

Additional Info:
– The Undercrown blend was originally created by our torcedors for themselves to smoke in Nicaragua – their own “liga privada.”
– The capa is a unique strain of San Andreas Negro maduro seed grown exclusively for us whose harvest is intentionally delayed by 4+ weeks to allow for additional field and sun time resulting in a higher natural sugar content and a richer, creamier flavor.
– “Otapan” is the name of the vega on which it is grown and “Último”
– Corte” translates to “last cut”; a reference to its delayed harvesting.

For more info you can view Drew Estate’s Spec Sheet Here.

Prelight: The Undercrown is a nice, dark cigar. The wrapper obviously bears a lot of resemblance to that of the No. 9, but to me, it has a lot more reddish mixed in with a slightly lighter brown wrapper. Not that the wrapper is light by any means, just not nearly as dark as most of the No.9’s that I have smoked. The wrapper gives off a slight shine from it’s toothy body which only had one larger vein running about half of the length of the cigar. The cigar is very meaty, and only slightly soft. Other than that it gives a great bounce-back when pressed between my fingers. Before coming to the round, double-capped head of the cigar I was greeted with a really badass band. The band isn’t like all the rest of the Liga Privada blends that we have seen before in the past. This one starts with a dark blue (similar to the “Unicos  Series” blue) paper, with a similar god Liga Privada Lion in crested in the center of the band. The only difference is, like the name, the crown is actually placed below the Lion’s neck instead of above his head. Tracing the band to the back, the sides are the words “Undercrown” in the same gold metallic ink before coming to a nice “Drew Estate” logo on the back. I really like what they did with the band. It stands apart form the rest of the Liga Privada lines without being overly different.

The wrapper gives off this incredible cedar and almost potpourri smell. No joke. It’s very interesting and I can’t wait to see what it does to the smoking experience. The foot of the cigar, while giving off the potpourri smell also has a lot of spice, and a more subtle tobacco scent. The cap clipped right off of this Undercrown using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw was surprisingly very sweet giving off smoke nice spice and cedar flavors. Not a lot of pepper which I expected from a cigar in the Liga Privada Line.

First Smoke: Right off the bat you can tell this isn’t going to be like the other Liga Privada experiences. The Undercrown starts off with a ton of cedar, sweet tobacco, honey, spice, and floral flavors, much like the No. 9, but there are two things missing. First is the pepper, second is the body. You can tell this is a milder cigar right away, but that’s not a bad thing. Usually the Liga Privadas start off with a huge bang, instead the Undercrown kindly welcomes you in. This cigar has a very easy draw and the smoke released is ridiculously thick. I don’t find myself having to hit the cigar more than once or twice to get the my desired mouthful of smoke. The stationary smoke on this cigar is just like any other Liga, VERY strong and heavy with some really nice cedar aromas. The burnline is perfect from the start leaving behind a nice trail of bright white, compacted ash that held on for a bit over an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: During the second third of this Undercrown I experienced a slight ramp up in flavor. The cedar, floral, sweet tobacco remained the same but now there is a really nice black cherry being thrown into the mix. I’m still stretching to pull the spice from this cigar. It’s probably the main characteristic that makes it stand apart form the Liga Privada line at this point. That and the medium body of course. The retrohale is incredibly smooth producing a really nice cedar and sweetness, priming my nasal passage.

Finish: The final third of this Undercrown proved itself worthy when it finished just as smooth as the first. This was pretty much my only concern going into the cigar as the flavors ramped up way early, that the harshness would as well. It’s safe to say that they didn’t, in fact the flavor even increased slightly into the last third with no harshness as all, even into the final inch. The cedar and black cherry have totally taken over for a remarkable finish. The burnline remained sharp, and clean requiring no tough-ups and no relights the entire experience. All in all this cigar burned pretty slow taking a little over and hour and a half to take down. Needless to say I enjoyed every minute of it.

Overview: Needless to say I think Drew Estate has a winner on their hands. There is a little more to creating a winning cigar that goes into that statement though. I, along with countless others, am a HUGE Liga Privada No. 9 fan. This cigar stands as an almost perfect substitute for the No. 9 as quantities become even more limited. I WILL being purchasing a few boxes of these to satisfy my cravings while not dwindling down my No. 9 stock. Along with the less-limited quantities, this cigar also comes with a lower price tag. That was pretty much the only thing really keeping a lot of smokers away from purchasing cigars in the Liga Privada blends. Now that price is no longer an obstacle these cigars will be flying off the shelves. Especially since they will/may be available at almost any Tobacconist, not just Liga Privada appointed retailers.  The last piece to the success of this cigar is the strength of the past Liga Privada releases. Now that there is a release that still carries the same flavors, at a lower cost, and a lower strength category many more smokers will be turning to this cigar.

Pairing: I decided to pair this undercrown with a long-time favorite of mine, St. Bernardus Abt. 12 Quadruple Abbey Ale. This best of a beer is brewed at the Brouwerij St. Bernarus in Belgium. Starting out with a boasting 10% ABV and finishing with a nice, bitter, fruity, composure it’s no wonder why this beer is named by some as the best beer in the world. If you aren’t a fan of strong beer you may want to stay away from this one, the alcohol shines through the clove and anise flavors with every sip. This bold beer made a perfect match with the Undercrown, not just cause of the fruit flavors, but it really helped to add that extra bite I think the Undercrown needed. But then again, I am a stronger cigar smoking kind of guy.

EDIT: I made a quick change to this review. Thanks to this video, and the guys at Stogiereview.com, I realized that Drew Estate decided to drop the “Liga Privada” from the Undercrown name. It is know as just “Undercrown”.

The post Drew Estate – Undercrown appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

A batch of these cigars were actually sent to me by one of you, our readers! If you are familiar with out comments section you’d see the name “JJO” popping up a lot more lately. Jeff has been one of our most constant readers and reached out to me to get my thoughts on this cigar. If any of you ever want me or Daniel to take a look at a certain cigar, all you have to do is ask! Now, if you like this review give a quick thank you to JJO for providing them, and make fun of Daniel for something. You know how we do. Anyways, thanks again Jeff, now onto the show!

The Good Stuff: Est. 1844 has been popping up a lot in a few of my mail order catalogs. Cigar.com and Cigarsinternational.com to be exact. And the only other site I have ever seen them on is cigarbid so I think it’s safe to assume that these are another exclusive cigar, but I could be wrong. Another more confirmed rumor is these are actually blended by the master-blender AJ Fernandez. If that is in fact the case, then I wouldn’t doubt these would be exclusive to the above sites.  I was able to track down some information on forums saying AJ did in fact blend this cigar, but I wasn’t able to confirm that on either of the above sites. The blend starts out with a San Andreas Maduro Mexican wrapper. This is another tobacco that AJ is familiar with which further solidifies that he just might be the mastermind behind this blend. The Binder and Filler are both Nicaraguan puro. One thing that I do know for sure is that if you’re lucky and you catch these cigars on sale you can actually snag them for less than $4 a stick.

Size: Amerada No. 50-extra (6″ x 50)  –  Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas Maduro  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  –  Body: Medium

Prelight: I can’t remember the last time I smoked a figured. Flying pig maybe? I’m not sure, but I do know that figurados aren’t something I smoke regular. Not that I don’t like them, they just aren’t made in most blends. But that didn’t stop the est. 1844 from making them. In fact, every cigar in the line is some sort of figurado.  Outside of the obvious obllonged shape, the est. 1844 starts with a very old. Rustic, almost wet-muddy-maduro looking wrapper. The wrapper is very spotty, with medium and dark brown colors doing most of the work. There are a view larger veins, but in this case they almost add to the character of the cigar. The wrapper pairs wonderfully with the interesting map-like/ancient designed band that spans around the cigar simply stating “est.” in light bright and “1844” in a dark read on top of a tan, gold and light brown print.  I actually really like this band. It’s a departure from the everyday band design. The cigar starts with a small foot which immediately blows into a full ring width before tapering off to a very pointy cap near the head of the cigar. The wrapper is very tooth and has a really rough/dry feel to it. The 1844 is very, very firm as it’s tough for me to get any play when I squeeze it. No soft spots at all.

The wrapper has a very sweet chocolate smell to it. It almost smells like brown sure, or chocolate  chip cookies while the foot just explodes with spice and tobacco. This may make for a very interesting mix-up. The cold draw produces just a nice, smooth tobacco flavor. I was expecting to really taste the sweetness from the wrapper, but it didn’t shine thought to the cold draw. Hopefully I pick up a bit more of it in the actual experience.

First Smoke: The est. 1844 starts off with a really nice pepper flavor. Just enough to really tease my tongue and the back of my throat. Under the pepper is some real soft spice, lots of upfront tobacco, a little chocolate, and just a bunch of really earthy, natural flavors. The draw is really easy and pumps out a ton of smoke, but one thing I might mention is the thickness of the smoke isn’t something I’m used to. It’s actually very light and dissipates almost instantly when it hits the air. Kinda strange, but nothing off-putting. I just thought I’d mention it. The burnline is surprisingly even for a perfecto, producing a nice, solid white and light grey ash that held on for a little under an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Into the second third of this est. 1844 and I am enjoying the flavors so far. The wrapper really brings in some distinct sweet, chocolate flavors into this portion of the cigar while maintaining a traditional profile with woodsy, natural tobacco, and earthy flavors. The retrohale is very smooth, coating with a very nice chocolate spice prime. The burnline is still dead even and the ash is holding up particularly well considering how windy it’s gotten over the last 20 minutes or so. I am not feeling any nicotine at all from this cigar. It’s medium at best, but not mild in flavor.

Finish: Going into the final third of this cigar I was surprised to catch a bit of harshness so early on. It wasn’t really strong, but it was there. Looking through that the flavors have remained the same, but dulled out quite a bit. The est. 1844 has now became a more woodsy, natural tobacco taste with some harshness and just a bit of sweetness on the aftertaste. The burnline has remained dead even the entire times and I am surprised how well the ash held together on the cigar despite the increasing winds outside. I wish I could say the same for my ashtray though, I fear there wont be any ash left to lay my band in for my final photo.

Overview: This is a good solid smoke for the money. Towards the end of the experience the est. 1844 started to fall pretty flat, but was very tasty up until that point. I’d love to try one of these in a smaller size, but wouldn’t really reach for the larger ones. Considering the price point these are good sticks to keep around. They are mild enough to smoke in the morning with coffee, but have just enough flavor to enjoy after dinner as well. Ideal for novice smokers, but the more seasoned bunch may crave just a little bit more from a cigar.

Pairing: I decided to pair this 1844 with a VERY strong ale. This usually isn’t a good recommendation as the beer can easily overpower the cigar, but in this case the cigar’s flavors really stood it’s ground and made for a delightful pairing. Stone brewing  (home of Arrogant Bastard) is known for its EXTREMELY strong and bitter beers. They aren’t for everyone, and are proud of that. The beer I paired with today is called “Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale”. Dark in color this 8.7% ABV beast isn’t for the faint of heart. Don’t let the dark color fool you. This ale is very bitter, very hoppy, and balances out with some oaky, malty flavors. I really enjoy Stone’s beers, but again, be careful. They are an acquired taste. I think the est. 1844 is the perfect cigar for iced tea, which I paired one with not too long ago. This cigar would also go great with coffee and any brown soda.

The post Est. 1844 Amerada No. 50-extra appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

As many of you may know, I tend to stick on the more Full Bodied end of the cigar strength spectrum. It’s not often that you will catch me smoking mild cigars. Not that I have anything against them, but I just always seem to grab a full-bodied maduro whenever I reach into my humidor. Lately though, especially as summer approaches, I have caught myself for the first time grabbing lighter bodied cigars over the full. No idea why, it has to be a weather thing. That being said, this Joya De Nicaragua Cabinetta is a great go-to that fills that milder cigar need. Daniel actually did a blind review of this cigar if you want to check that out as well. Ok, enough rambling, lets get to the review.

The Good Stuff: As most of you know, Drew Estate is now distributing Joya De Nicaragua. That being said, you know you are getting a quality product. Joya De Nicaragua is known more so for their powerful cigars (The Antano 1979, and Dark Corojo are STRONG!), but this is one of the first ventures into the mild/medium category that this company has taken. The Cabinetta Serie boasts a dual wrapper construction. The combination of the 75% Ecuadorian Shade Grown wrapper and the remaining Nicaraguan Criollo Wrapper are intending to give the cigar a very unique taste and aroma.

The Cabinetta Serie comes in boxes of 24 and are made in 4 different sizes: No. 2 (Belicoso 6×54), No. 4 (Robusto 5×52), No. 7 (Toro 6×50), and the size that I am reviewing now, and my favorite out of the four,  the No. 11 (Corona Gorda 5.25×46).  The cost of the cigars are very reasonable too ranging from $5 to about $6.50.

Size:  5.25 x 46  –  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Shade/Nicaraguan Criollo  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  –  Body: Medium

Prelight: The Joya De Nicaragua Cabinetta has an obvious twist to it, being “Dos Cappa”, or Dual Wrapper. The cigar starts off with a very light brown and orange wrapper that leads up to a very firm, dark, almost maduro wrapper towards the rounded double cap. Neither the lighter wrapper, nor the darker wrapper really show any veins. The lighter Ecuadorian wrapper seems very thing and delicate though (I always think Ecuadorian tobacco is fragile), as the Criollo wrapper is thick and strong (much like me). There are very slight soft spots towards the foot of the cigar, but nothing concerning.

The lighter Ecuadorian wrapper, and the foot of the cigar give off just a ton of very sweet, cedar white it was near impossible to really get any scent from the Criollo wrap. The cap clipped very easily using my double bladed palio cutter. The sweet, cedar taste carried into the cold draw, and I really hope it carries into the entire experience. I pulled a tiny bit of spice from that cold draw as well.

First Smoke: Now if I would have to classify the first half of this cigar, I would have to compare it to the ideal tastes one would get off of a cinnamon dulce latte. The cigar starts off with this just burst of sweet cinnamon leaving behind some great cedar tastes as well as some cocoa and coffee. The Cabinetta lit up with extreme ease, it was almost ridiculous how fast the foot toasted. The draw is very easy, clean, and really kicks out a tick cloud of smoke. However, I really didn’t get too much in the stationary smoke department. The burnline started out all sorts of crazy, probably due to the easy lighting of the foot, but quickly corrected itself and is now burning dead even leaving behind a nice trail of semi-flaky whitish grey ash. The first ash fell of surprisingly soon (an all over my lap) at only about a third of an inch in. Again, this was probably due to the softness of the tobacco packed into the foot of the cigar.

Halfway There: Again, I don’t smoke Medium or Light bodied cigars awesome, but I am really enjoying the vast amount of flavor the Cabinetta brings to the table. The Flavors haven’t changed up too much except a lot more of the coffee flavor sneaking in, but every little puff is just so flavorful. The burnline is really thick, and tends to have a mind of its own, but is always quickly pulled back to an even burn. The retrohale is awesome. Tons of cedar and cinnamon priming with just a little spice burn. The cigar is medium by far and I am not feeling any nicotine at all from this stick.

Finish: I was expecting a nice little flavor changeup once I entered the Criollo portion of this Joya De Nicaragua Cabinetta, but I just didn’t get it. Maybe the maduro portion is just too deep into the cigar. If any difference was really made, it may have smoothed the cigar out into the finish cause this cigar finished off incredibly smooth. The flavors really matched up with a heavy creamed coffee with milk chocolate and a little natural tobacco mixed in. All in all it took me about an hour to smoke this cigar from start to finish and I felt absolutely no nicotine in the slightest.

Overview: What can I say, I love yet another mild cigar. This cigar’s massive flavor, smooth smoke, decent price, and overall pleasant experience make for just a perfect everyday smoke. This is really a great box purchase if you stumble across them. Ideal for the everyday smoker looking for something that will blend in throughout the day, and perfect for the novice smoker without knocking them on his ass.

Pairing: I decided to pair this Joya De Nicaragua with some Flying Dog, Snake Dog IPA. I’m not one to go for an IPA as they usually overpower the cigar, but the nice warm, summer weather combined with the lighter cigar made for a great pairing. At a little over 7.2% the Snake Dog IPA’s hoppy, citrus flavor meshed in perfectly with the sweet cinnamon of the Cabinetta. Outside of an IPA, or Trippel, I can’t think of a better pairing for this cigar than some black coffee, or sweet tea. Cheers!

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This week’s review is one I have been dying to get to. The wind is kicking out at 40 – 50mph so I am sticking with a smaller vitola and lighting up this San Cristobal Del La Habana El Principe.

I can’t really find too much on this cigar. It’s Cuban, it’s small, its good. Does that suffice? Not really. San Cristobal de la Habana is one of the newest cigar creating Cuban cigar companies to hit the market. Created in 1999 San Cristobal de la Habana named itself after the original name for the capital city Havana and celebrate’s the city’s long history going into the new millenium.

Prelight: The San Cristobal de la Habana is a short little stubby, box-pressed, style cigar. The wrapper is in tradition Cuban leaf styling, thing an delicate with a consistent milky brown colored wrapper. The body of this cigar carries a ton of little veins accompanied by one larger one stretching the length of the body. It’s very rare that I smoke a Cuban cigar that doesn’t have crazy veins, so I don’t think I will run into any issues with the burn. At least I hope not. The cigar is extreme firm to the touch, but due to the nature of the Cuban wrapper I don’t want to put too much pressure on this cigar for fear of cracking. The band is a very simple maroon based design sporting an off white, and embossed gold accents with the title “San Cristobal de la Habana” in gold, and “Cuba” and “Habana” printed in white on the back.

The wrapper of The San Cristobal de la Habana gives off nothing more than a faint grassy type aroma only to be more pronounced by the foot of the cigar. The cigar clipped cleanly, and evenly using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cigar gives off an overwhelming earthy taste from the cold draw as well as the famous salty flavors taken from the wrapper that I stumble across on just about every Cuban cigar.

Size: 4 3/8 x 42  –  Wrapper: Cuban  –  Binder/Filler: Cuban  –  Strength: Mild/Medium  –  Price: ~$8 a stick

First Smoke: The San Cristobal de la Habana starts off with tons of salt being transferred to my lips via contact with the cigar’s wrapper. Once you can sort through the salt you can pick up just small hints of black pepper paired with lots of woodsy, sweet tobacco with nice, welcoming earthy undertones. The draw has a little withholding, but nothing too bad, and it kicks out a very hefty little cloud of almost brown smoke. The cigar gives off little to no stationary smoke. Which is neat, but kind of disturbing. I hope this isn’t cause for the cigar to go out on me. The burnline is very thick but remains very even for the most part. One neat not on this cigar is the burn is very slow. Usually I smoke straight through Cuban tobacco, but this one really extends itself. The ash left behind is a rugged, light grey with quite a few darker spots. It held tightly for about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: I am really enjoying the flavor change up in the San Cristobal de la Habana. What started out to be a salt and pepper (not to be confused with Salt an Peppa) mash up has transformed to a very sweet, sharp, woodsy flavor blend with hints of fruit. The draw has really seemed to open up into the second third as well. The retrohale is wonderful coating my nasal passage with a very sweet cedar flavor/aroma. The body of the cigar isn’t much higher and medium/full which is perfect at this point. Anymore could cause you to really lose sight of the wonderful flavors that this cigar has to offer. The burnline is a little crazy on one half of the cigar, but I haven’t had to really touch up, or relight this cigar yet.

Finish: As if the second third flavor changes weren’t already enough the San Cristobal de la Habana decided to throw in a bit of clove and even some faint vanilla flavors into the already flavor-packed mix. This cigar really keeps the smoker on their toes. The cigar seems to be burning much faster at this point. I guess the slower burn and even tightness of the draw at the beginning of the experience could be due to a tightly packed foot.  The burn finished off relatively even with only a few smaller waves despite the crazy second third burn. I really didn’t feel any nicotine off of this cigar at all, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other ways. I really enjoy stronger, full bodied cigars, but some blends just aren’t made for that. The San Cristobal de la Habana is a perfect example.

Overview: This, in my mind, is the classic example of what a decent priced Cuban cigar should be like. The price point is well respected for the quality smoke this cigar delivers. True, it’s a little high, but I personally think it’s spot on and this cigar really deserves a high spot in my normal Cuban rotation. The mild, and smooth experience paired with the flavor explosion the San Cristobal de la Habana lets forth is ideal for anyone. If you haven’t had a Cuban before, this is a perfect starting point.

Pairing: As I stated in my previous post (probably too far back for anyone to remember), my gout is gone! So I am back on the brew train! Pairing this week’s review with some simple, yet awsome Duvel. My little brother actually brought a pack of these over the other day under the supervision of my older brother (who may be making a guest apperance on this blog in the near future). They simple just “looked for Belgian beer”. They know me well. Duvel is a Belgian Strong Ale brewed at Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV in Belgium. It’s a simple ale, with a powerful 8.5% ABV. Tread lightly with these bad boys as too many can make you loopy. Duvel poured kicks out this very bright, almost pee-like yellow color. The flavors pushed through the brew are a spicy, zesty, citrus with hints of honey and hops. It sure doesn’t taste like a strong beer, but don’t let that fool you. It really packs a punch. This beer paired wonderfully with the Flavor packed San Cristobal without overpowering the mildness of the cigar. It’s actually a perfect beer to pair with almost any cigar.

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Monte Pascoal is made by the Tabacos Mata Fina Ltda company and is part of the Orsi Family Group. The tobacco portion of the Orsi’s company was established very recently in 2007 but they also have business in Wine, Steel, and Real Estate. The Monte Pascoal name comes from a part of Brazil where the first Portugeuse explorer landed in Brazil. As with the Dona Flor, the Monte Pascoal is a Brazilian Puro Cigar.

The Monte Pascoal line is available in 6 Vitolas and are all made with the same blend of Mata Fina and Mata Norte leaves. The blend of tobacco sounds very interesting and I’m hoping to get a lot of the expected cocoa and coffee notes that I typically get from Brazilian wrappers. Let’s light this cigar up and see how it stands. As always, I’m going into this review completely unbiased and will be giving my wholly honest opinion as I burn away.

Cigar: Monte Pascoal
Drink: Quinta do Tedo Fine Tawny
Vitola: Corona (5.623 x 42)
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina and Mata Norte
Price: About $6
Burn Time: Just over 1 hour

Construction:
• A slender rough looking cigar with a medium brown wrapper and some dark brown accents
• There is a fair bit of bumpiness on the wrapper and a few prominent veins but none look problematic to the burn
• The entire cigar is consistenly soft and springy
• The triple cap is finished tightly and clean
• The foot looks moderately packed, a couple open spots can be seen
• Cutting the cigar was effortless and fairly clean and didn’t cause any wrapper damage
• Draw it spot on, lots of air but just enough resistence

Burn:
• The small corona sized cigar toasted easily to a nicely glowing foot
• The burn line glows brightly with each draw, staying nice and straight but it seems to be moving quickly
• The burnline is still razor sharp through half the cigar and has started to burn a bit slower
• This burn is perfect, absolutely no waves or retouches from start to finish!

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw is offering up a hefty mouthful of smoke
• Very little resting smoke but it gives off a mild and pleasent woddsy aroma
• Ash is fairly strong and clean, colouring is light gray with lots of black accents
• Ash held on just past an inch before I gently tapped it off
• Subsequent ashes all held on around an inch and stayed clean and tight

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a sweet cocoa and tobacco aroma to it, very inviting
• The foor brings different aromas of woodsiness and a bit of mild spice, possibly nutmeg
• Pre-light draw brings a bit more cocoa and woodsiness, this time I get a bit of nuttiness too
• Initial draws are mostly woodsiness and some tobacco flavors
• Retrohale is faily mild with just the smallest bite a woodsy finish
• As I approach the halfway mark I haven’t gotten many new flavors, maybe just a bit of nuttiness, sorta like raw almonds
• The existing flavors are well balanced but I’d like to have a bit more variety/dimensions soon…
• I’m getting slightly more body and bite as the cigar progresses near the last third
• Some slight bitter coffee notes started near the end of the cigar. At first it was enjoyable but then the bitterness took over

Final Thoughts:
Similar to the Dona Flor (also from CigarsFromBrazil.com) this cigar ranked in the mild-medium range. It would be a good early day cigar with your morning coffee or something light after lunch. Unfortunately the flavors never “wowed” me on this stick. The were tasteful and well balanced but didn’t offer enough variation or complexity to keep it interesting. With a shorter vitola like a corona I wouldn’t expect tons of dimensionality but I usually like to see at least one noticable change in flavor direction as it smokes. The cigar itself burned very well and is worth trying if the woodsy and tobacco flavors are in your favorite profile. The initial aromas on the wrapper and foot promised some more interesting flavors that never came to fruition.

Pairings:
I haven’t paired a port for a review in quite some time. Not sure why, I’ve been enjoying some Port with cigars but it never fell in line with one of my reviews. Today I’m pairing with a bottle that’s new to me. I saw it at the store and decided to give it a try. It’s a 2004 Late Bottled Vintage from Quinta Do Tedo in Portugal. It ranks in at 19% alc./vol. but it tastes no where near that. This particular Tawny Port is a bit sweeter then I’d usually like. It has lots of bright and fruity flavors such as blackberries and a tartness akin to cranberries. It also has a presence of a Merlot like wine to it. It’s very tasty and great for anyone looking to just start into tasting Tawny Port. In this particular pairing I think the port was too sweet for this mild cigar and would have been more enjoyable with a stronger cigar pairing. This cigar would have paired much better with a cup of coffee, dark cola or an amber beer.

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These were sent to us courtesy of our Friends over at Gran Habano. Kicking off as one of this year’s first new releases, Gran Habano is leading the way with one interesting looking, elegant stick. The following is the press release which pretty much sums up the cigar.

Miami, Fl., October 18, 2010 – Time has finally come for the limited production Gran Reserva #3 cigar by Gran Habano to be released into the public. Medium to full bodied in strength the Gran Reserva #3 was blended by George A. Rico using aged Nicaraguan and Columbian tobaccos from the Gran Habano farms.

Composition of the Gran Reserva #3 consists of an 8 year old wrapper and a 7 year old binder from our Nicaraguan farm “La Santa Cruz”. The filler is a mixture of 7 year old Nicaraguan from “La Santa Cruz” and 8 year old Columbian from our “La Joya del Valle” farm. The cigars were rolled in early 2008 and have been aging for the previous two years making the overall components about a decade old.

George A. Rico explains that “Being able to age the leaf and rolled cigars for such a long period of time has created a very rich, smooth, yet complex smoke.”

Gran Habano will release the new Gran Reserva #3 with a Churchill(7×50), Pyramid (6 1/8×52) and a Gran Robusto (6×54). Due to the long aging process and special tobaccos used only 1,200 boxes of each size will be released across the country. New packaging will also accompany the Gran Reserva #3 to help distinguish it from our original #3 release.

Pricing will remain affordable at $6.80 (Churchill), $6.90 (Gran Robusto), and $7.10 (Pyramid) – not including local taxes. Shipments are scheduled to reach retailers during the first week in November.

It’s been a while since I reviewed a “Pyramid” or belicoso stick, so that’s the size I chose for this one.

Prelight: Gran  Habano did an excellent job making this cigar look extremely elegant without being too over-the-top. The band is an off yellow with a nice diamond texture accompanied by gold and brass metallic accents and the Title “Gran Reserva #3 – Gran Habano – 2008” on the front as well as a much smaller stamp “by George A. Rico” on the back. The band leads into a full body cedar encasing with the black “Gran Reserva” print on it, polished off with a very small gold fabric foot band. After you take the cedar off the cigar you are presented with a very beautiful looking, oily as hell wrapper. The wrapper is absolutely gorgeous. It’s a very milky, lighter brown with a few darker spots closer to the foot. This is one oily cigar. The oils actually come off on the tips of your fingers as you handle the cigar. The cigar is very well constructed and consistant leading up to the tapered belicoso style cap. There are only very few, almost flat veins throughout the body of the cigar. The cigar is a bit soft to the touch, but carries no flaws or soft spots that I could find.

The wrapper lets loose a very potent cedar aroma with a natural tobacco scent barely shining through. The foot gives off much less cedar but more of a pungent tobacco and leather aroma. The Gran Reserva #3 clipped clean using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw puts out this massively musky/fruity taste with bits of pepper on the aftertaste. Tons of flavor that one can only hope will transpire into the actual experience.

First Smoke: The first few puffs give way to just a crazy amount of earthy flavors. The backing flavors are that of fruit, like a plum or something, and a dash of cedar with a very slight pepper on the after taste. The draw is easy, plentiful, and kicks out a ton of thick smoke. The stationary smoke is pretty much non-existant which surprises me as usually the more oils the cigar has the more stationary smoke I get. Not true in the case of the Gran Reserva #3. The burnline is solid, and dead even leaving behind a near perfect, light grey, thick and well compacted ash. The ash held tight for almost 2 inches before falling.

Halfway There: The retrohale on the Reserva #3 is ridiculous. I don’t find myself retrohaling a cigar very often, but the fruity cedar that coats my nasal passage on the retrohale keeps me doing it over and over. The second third introduced me to just a plethora of flavors. Everything from a very strong and smooth cedar, light cocoa, leather, earth tones, fruit, and even a bit of clove and ginger. I know, that may be really reaching, but there are a ton of flavors in this stick that really keeps the smoker on their toes. I’m not feeling any nicotine at all at this point. So far this has been reather smooth and enjoyable experience all the way around.

Finish: After a flavor bomb of a second third, the final third gave way to a much milder, smoother experience. The main flavor is now just tons, and tons of sweet cedar backed by hints of fruit, and hints of clove. Very smooth, with no harshness built up at all. I smoked this guy all the way down to the nub without feeling even the slightest bit of nicotine. Surprising for a cigar of it’s size. The cigar burned rather slow, coming in at about an hour and fourty five minutes smoke time.  No touch-ups, no relight. The burnline and ash were perfect all the way through.

Overview: The first time I smoked this cigar I remember being disimpressed by the first half, then totally wowed by the third. This time, I see the first part of the experience as more of a smooth introduction to the powerful, and complex flavors of the second half before finishing off crisp and smooth. Robert from Gran Habano was in town not too long ago and I had a chance to enjoy a cigar with him. We didn’t talk shop a whole lot, but one thing he did mention was that this year the Ricos would by pushing out new, more daring, unsafe blends. Sometimes it takes risks to earn rewards and if the Gran Reserva #3 has anything to say about this next year and the new Gran Habano, they are in for great year. This is definitely a luxury cigar at less than a luxury price, and I can totally see this being in my regular rotation. Very box worthy and something you should give a go if you find them sitting on shelves.

Pairing: I paired this Gran Reserva #3 with a long time favorite, Pawvel Kwak. Kwak is a 8.10% Belgium beer brewed at the Brouwerij Bosteels brewery. Kwak is a very spicy, zesty, fruity amber colored beer. The upbeat flavors made a wonderful pairing and even helped pull some of the more complex flavors out of this cigar. This beer isn’t too easy to find, but if you see it be sure to do yourself the favor of picking it up. It pairs perfect with just about any cigar or meal. The cigar would also go great with tea, or sweet apple juice. Something sweet with just a bit of natural fruit.

So now the question is. How many of you readers would actually hunt for a cigar like this? I know Gran Habano isn’t like some other manufacturers that kick out limited releases left and right. Given a stable past, and the recent push to release more risky cigars, would Gran Habano be a manufacturer that you’d keep your eyes on this year?

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I got a few of these in a package that Daniel sent down from the great white north. This is my last out of the handful that he sent over. Each of the cigars that I smoked from that bundle had identical characteristics and flaws. Either way, this cigar is one of the most popular Cuban cigars on the market and for good reason. Let’s find out what makes this cigar so special.

The Good Stuff: As stated earlier the Partagas Serie D No.4 is rated one of the best, if not the best robusto in the world. This cigar is produced in the Partagas factory, the most famous cigar factory in all of Cuba. The Partagas factory was opened in 1845 by Don Jamie Partagas. The Partagas Serie D was originally supposed to be part of a 16-cigar series labled A, B, C and D. The series was introduced into the British market in the early 1930’s but discontinued in 1960. After 15 years of hiding the Serie D No.4 was reintroduced to the market in 1975 and has remained one of the highest ranking cigars ever since.

Prelight: The Partagas Serie D No. 4 is a delicately Cuban wrapped robusto. The wrapper is silky, oily and consistently light brown in color with a few orangish spots.  It seems a bit delicate and I am a bit scared to rough house too much with cigar for fear of tearing the wrapper.  The cigar is then topped off with a round Cuban style triple cap that I state again, I wish more cigar manufacturers would do.  The body of the cigar has just a few smaller veins with one larger one running through the body of the cigar.  The Serie D is extremely firm to the touch and gives almost no response when pressed tightly. The cigar seems packed very tightly. I really hope that doesn’t affect the draw. I have learned that the draw is always very inconsistent when it comes to Cuban cigars. The quality control just doesn’t always seem to be there in comparison to the strict control most Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican cigar manufactures establish. Anyhow, the wrapper gives off just the slightest hint of cedar and spice, where the foot produces a very sweet, raw tobacco smell. The Serie D clipped clean and easy using my double bladed cutter. The cold draw was very interesting. It tasted much like a graham cracker or even a German gingerbread pastry. Really smooth and natural with spice and a ton of sweetness.

First Smoke: The Serie D lit up with extreme ease using my single flame butane touch. I was greeted with the saltiness on the cap that I seem to pick up on almost every Cuban cigar that I have had. It used to bother me at first but I have since grown to get used to it. The flavors I picked up on during the first third were nothing like the cold draw. Although there was a touch of sweetness the main flavors were a strong cedar, a bit of a spice, a ton of white pepper, and a dash of nut. The Serie D does give off a nice amount of very nicely scented cedar smoke. As with most Cubans I’ve smoked, the burn line is very thick and all over the place. It seems to be a stable in Cuban cigar smoking.  That, and the choppy, flaky, dark grey ash that this cigar is producing as well.  The ash only lasted about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: The pepper has diminished completely from this smoke and what I am left with is a ton of very sweet, creamy tobacco mixed with an awesome cedar taste and a very oaty aftertaste. I am assuming this is what smoking a cigar box would taste like. The retrohale tells much of the same story only the cedar is much more sharp. I have been retro haling the hell of out this cigar. The burnline is still a bit wild, but for the sake of the review I am refraining from touching it up. I haven’t felt any nicotine at all.

Finish: The body of the Serie D showed a significant increase into the final third, but nothing that I would classify above medium. There wasn’t much of a flavor change-up but due to the wonderful cedar flavor this cigar is kicking out, its not a bad thing at all.  The only other flavors making way through the cedar are a very subtle spice and a bit of natural tobacco. The burnline really started to correct itself into the start of the final third and the cigar started to produce the solid zebra styled ash I am used to.  There was only a light bit of harshness that built up towards the end of this Serie D but I am sure I am a lot to blame for that. I was smoking this thing pretty fast as I was really enjoying it. All in all it only took about an hour to take it down.

Overview: I have always been really partial when it comes to Cuban cigars. I have liked a few, and disliked a lot. I honestly think a lot of the hype is solely based on the fact that they are illegal here in the states. The Partagas Serie D No. 4 has definitely made the cut though. Perfectly balanced with a hellishly good cedar taste, mild, and consistent. This Cuban is top grade and would definitely be a great addition to my Cuban rotation. Perfect for the average cigar smoker and the most experienced. The burn was the only issue and after taking in consideration that almost all Cuban cigars produce a similar burn it cancels itself out.

Pairing: I decided to pair this Partagas Serie D with some Fonseca Bin 27 Port. Fonseca bin 27 is produced primarily from wines from Fonseca’s own quintas in the Cima Corgo. Blended from reserve wines selected for their intense fruit character and depth of color, Fonseca Bin No. 27 spends four years in large wood vats prior to bottling. The Fonseca Bin 27 produces intense black cherry, tart grape, and sweet plum flavors  mixed in with some wonderful spice and cinnamon making for an awesome balance with the smooth, cedar flavors produced by the Partagas  Serie D.

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Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Padrón Cigars offers 3 consistent lines along with a select few special releases. The particular cigar I reviewed was from the “1926 Serie” and is called the “No. 35” measuring in at 4inches with a 48 ring gauge. All vitolas in the series are available in both Maduro and Sun-Grown Natural wrappers. The other sizes available in this line are: No. 6 (4.75 x 50), No. 2 (5.5 x 52), No. 9 (5.25 x 56) and two specialty vitolas, ‘40th Anniversary’ (6.5 x 54) and ‘80 Years’ (6.75 x 54). The prices of these cigars tend to be fairly high but they are intended to be a premium line and more than live up to their selling price. The 1926 Serie was first released in 2002 and is a commemoration of Jose O. Padrón’s 75th birthday. The minimum age for all tobacco in this line is 5 years, so rest assured you are getting a wonderfully aged product right out of the box, no need to let them rest. Light up and enjoy!

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

I also wanted to note that each Padrón 1926 Serie cigar comes with a second band under the logo band that is individually numbered after undergoing their strict quality controls. The annual production of this cigar will be limited to only 100,000 each year. When I picked up this cigar on a trip down in Florida I was hesitant whether it would live up to the name given the small vitola. Take a few minutes to read my notes on the cigar and you’ll see that it was worth every penny.

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Cigar: Padrón 1926 Serie Maduro
Drink: Niagara Region Merlot from Peninsula Ridge
Vitola: No. 35 (48×4)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $13.00
Burn Time: 1 Hour

Construction:
• Box pressed shape
• Slightly bumpy wrapper with no major veins
• A deep brown color with a nice oily sheen
• Very firm throughout with very minor spring to it
• Very neat single cap
• The band was just perfectly loose so I know there are no glue or wrapper issues underneath
• Individually numbered second band below the logo band
• Cut was effortless and even
• Draw is dead-on perfect which is surprising considering the firm feel, stayed perfect throughout the cigar

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Burn:
• Toasting was quick and even, no awkward or dark spots
• Burn was razor sharp straight from the toasting
• Not much else to say here, it was perfect, no wavy burn, no touch ups, burned without me needing to babysit. Every cigar should be like this

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Smoke & Ash:
• Good mouthful of smoke
• Not overbearing and not wishing for more, just right
• Resting smoke is just right and giving off a perfect “cigar smell”, not sure how else to describe it… just sweet and savory
• Light gray ash with some black highlights
• Ash is very tight and strong with no flaking
• Held on past 1 inch, surprising considering the smaller size and ring gauge
• It’s almost like a piece of art, looks too perfect

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper aroma is light and just smells of tobacco
• Foot has a nice tobacco aroma with a bit of a barnyard scent
• Pre-light draw has a mild spice to it and some pepper on the lips
• Initial draws have a great sweet tobacco flavor and some earthy tones
• Medium bodied and well balanced
• About half an inch in, starting to detect some coffee/espresso notes
• Retrohale has a small bite to it and a great finish of sweet tobacco and coffee
• Approaching the halfway point, starting to pick up some woodsy notes
• The balance of spice on the retrohale and flavors in the draw are near perfect, couldn’t ask for anything else
• Past the half-way point, the bitter coffee flavor (think espresso) has changed to a roasted coffee flavor, very nice
• Great cedar flavors as I approach the end
• Some pepper and spice came in near the end and body ramped up to a medium-full
• Very minor bitterness at the end, more like a coffee bitter instead of the usual harsh bitter on the nub of other cigars

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Final Thoughts:
This is a wonderful cigar experience and would definitely recommend this to anyone that asks. The flavors throughout the cigar were pronounced yet balanced and enjoyable. There was not a single spot in the cigar that I wasn’t enjoying myself, it was great from the first draw to the last. Although in the higher price range, this is definitely a box-worthy cigar to be smoked on any occasion, whether a special day or just relaxing on a sunny afternoon.

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

Pairings:
A cigar like this requires a good pairing or you could throw off the delicate balance of flavors that make this a great cigar. My pairing with a medium bodied, semi-dry wine worked perfectly. I can also see this working well with a fine scotch or cognac. Don’t opt for the inexpensive stuff here, it will take away from the experience. I also wouldn’t go with port or soda on this cigar as the high sugar content could also lessen the experience. For a non-alcoholic pairing, I’d probably go with water or coffee to make this cigar really shine.

Padron 1926 Serie No. 35

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Baritone (4.5×52) – Tenor (5.5×52) – Alto (6×50) – Soprano (6.5×52)

Garo Habano Maduro

Garo Habano Maduro

Cigar: Garo Habano Maduro
Drink: Mill Street Brewery Coffee Porter
Vitola: Alto (6 x 50)
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Piloto Cubano
Price: $5.40 from the Garo Habano website
Burn Time: 2 hours

Construction:
• Very bumpy wrapper with two large veins
• A nice dark brown color but no oily sheen which I see on most Maduro’s
• Slightly messy triple cap
• Slightly springy and even firmness throughout
• Very open draw…

Burn:
• Very bad start, started to canoe, gave it an inch to fix itself but never did. Needed a major touch up
• After touch up, the burn was still wavy
• Another canoe at the halfway point but it fixed itself
• Big tunnel right at the band that caused the cigar to go out and needed a re-light
• More tunneling problems as I smoke through the last few inches, also having problems keeping it lit
• Needed another relight about 1.5 inches from the end
• Tunnels/Canoes seemed to affect both my samples, one of them had a hard time staying lit because of it

Garo Habano Maduro

Ash:
• Very flaky
• The massive amount of flaking makes it very weak and little pieces of ash are falling off all over me
• Light grey in color

Tasting Notes:
• Dry aroma on the wrapper is sweet coca
• More sweet cocoa on the foot with an added hint of coffee
• Initial draws are strong notes of coffee and a hint of bitter cocoa
• The bitter cocoa flavors got stronger when I reached the band, leaving a nice finish on the palate
• The body started off mild and has approached the medium range near the end
• Retrohale throughout the cigar has been sweet tobacco with a small bite and short finish
• Harsh bitterness creeping in after the last relight

Garo Habano Maduro

Pairing Suggestions:
This cigar was a good pairing with the Mill Street coffee porter I had. It’s a light porter with mild flavors. I wouldn’t opt for anything strong or overly flavored since the cigar has plenty of flavors to offer. A good option would be a similarly light beer, a diet soda, water or a light red wine like Beaujolais. I would personally stay away from stronger drinks like scotch or cognac since this is a lighter cigar.

Garo Habano Maduro

Garo Habano Maduro

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Garo Habano Centum

Robusto (4.75×52), Corona (5.5×42), Toro (6.52), Churchill (7×48), and Salomon (7.5×58)

You can read a little bit more about the Garo Habano Centum by visiting their website at www.garohabano.com. The cigar comes wrapped with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. I was excited to try this one out since I’ve had some great smokes that have wrappers from Ecuador. The description on the site also had some nice notes in it like toast, cocoa and espresso.

I’ve added a new section at the bottom of this review for pairings. Let me know what you all think of that little section at the bottom. If I get good feedback I’ll keep adding it to my reviews to help give you all some suggestions on what to pair the cigars with.

Garo Habano Centum

Cigar: Garo Habano Centum
Drink: Taylor Fladgate 10 year old Tawny Port
Vitola: Robusto (4.75 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduran Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $6.00/stick from the Garo Habano Website
Burn Time: 1.25 Hours

Construction:
• Very nice orange and cream colored band, almost antique looking with lots of little detail
• Very appealing medium brown and oily wrapper
• Two large veins running down the sides that will likely cause burn issues
• Cleanly applied double cap
• Foot has some holes in it and some of the filler appears to be very dark brown, almost black in color
• The bit of dark filler was also under the cap after cutting
• Consistent firmness throughout with a bit of spring to it
• Pre-light draw was very open on one sample, others were just right
• Lots of glue under the band and it caused a small tear in the wrapper, didn’t cause any major problems though

Garo Habano Centum

Smoke:
• Big mouthful of smoke
• Very light resting smoke

Ash:
• Light grey in color
• A bit of flaking
• Held on for over 1.5 inches

Garo Habano Centum

Final Thoughts:
The tasting notes on the website promise a variety of flavors (espresso, toast, cocoa) and complexity that I did not pick up in this cigar, the flavor was pretty straight forward. As with all my Garo’s so far, the flavors have been quite enjoyable. The downside is that they never change throughout the cigar. Let me be clear that this is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just a preference of mine to have some dimension to a cigar. The body never passed medium and it wasn’t overly complex, which makes this a good early day or beginner’s cigar.

Pairing Suggestions:
I paired this with some Tawny port and thought it made an ‘okay’ match. The flavors in a port are usually quite strong and sometimes very sweet and I find they match better with a full bodied cigar. The Habano wrapper made me think this was going to have a little more body than it did. A good red wine such as a merlot, or a dark porter/stout would make an excellent pairing. Light beers would not mix well. For non-alcoholic pairings, I’d suggest a diet soda.

Garo Habano Centum

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