The Good Stuff:

Each and every year since 2014 The Crowned Heads have released the “Las Calaveras” which is a cigar created to pay tribute to those who are close to us which we have lost and each year has been special to me as I lost so many great people in my life over the past few years. If you want to catch up, you can reach each of my reviews on each different release below:

• Las Calaveras 2014
• Las Calaveras 2015
• Las Calaveras 2016
• Las Calaveras 2017
• Las Calaveras 2018
• Las Calaveras 2019
• Las Calaveras 2020
• Las Calaveras 2021
• Las Calaveras 2022
• Las Calaveras 2023
• Las Calaveras 2024

Manufactured at the My Father Cigar factory in Nicaragua this year’s blend features a Mexican San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan Binder and Fillers.

“What’s unique about this year’s Las Calaveras release,” commented Crowned Heads President, Jon Huber, “is that not only are we utilizing a San Andres cover leaf, but it’s a color grade that most people would not immediately associate with San Andres (Mexico) wrapper. We selected a mid-priming wrapper, which resulted in a lighter Colorado color to the cigar as opposed to the more commonly seen darker maduro shades of Mexican San Andres wrappers used. This particular wrapper really compliments the blend and allows for the coffee, espresso, and toffee notes to come to the surface that can typically get lost under the pepper and earth profile that the darker, higher priming wrappers yield.”

Crowned Heads Press Release

The cigar is released in four sizes: LC 52 (5 x 52), LC 54 (6 x 54), LC 56 (5 x 56), and the Petit Lancero ( 6 /12 x 40). Each comes packaged in boxes of 24 except the Petit Lancero which only comes in the special 4 count sampler boxes we have come to expect each year. The cigars range between $14.25 and $16.25 per cigar.

• Size: 5 x 52
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $14.25

Prelight:

The Las Calaveras 2025 starts with a very deep, dark, consistent brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty with very little oils coating it. The wrapper feels very thick and dense while the cigar is packed nicely as a whole. The wrapper is laid perfectly over itself. There are a few milder veins in the wrapper tobacco as it leads up to the cigar’s round, double wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with the standard Las Calaveras band and crest we have come to expect. This year’s color palate is green, white and gold. The cap cut clean and the cold draw produces notes of tart cherry, spice, natural tobacco, and lots of musk.

First third:

The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2025 starts out with a pretty potent black pepper punch that tingled for a few seconds before fading away. Once the pepper faded the cigar’s profile was lead with a very bold dark chocolate over a tart raisin, earthy musk, and cedar. There is also some great cinnamon appearances every few puffs. The draw is absolutely perfect. Each puff kicks out a massive cloud of thick white smoke which fades pretty quickly as the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thing and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash that held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Las Calaveras 2025 and the dark chocolate is still completely dominating the experience back by loads of woodsy, earthy musk, a great spice, raisin, and cinnamon. The tartness has dropped complexly out. The retrohale really brings the spice to the front of the taste. The cigar is still burning like a champ and I close out the second third with no nicotine kick at all.

Finish:

The final third of the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2025 is much the same as the second, which isn’t a bad thing. Loads of earthy woods and musk over massive waves of dark chocolate, backed by cinnamon, spice, and a mild raisin. The cigar burned flawlessly. I never once had to reach for my torch to touch up or relight the cigar. It took an hour and a half to smoke it down to the nub. There was no harshness, no extended heat, and no harshness or sap. I close out the cigar with almost no nicotine kick at all.

Overview:

The 2025 blend of the Las Calaveras isn’t as sweet nor as nuanced as some of the other blends. It’s much more earthy and woodsy full of natural flavors I found incredibly satisfying. The change in pace as also appreciated. The cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish. The price point is a bit on the higher side, however justified considering the enjoyment of the experience. As with all the Las Calaveras lines I just wish it wasn’t so limited. Grab them while you can.

The post The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2025 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s Sin Compromiso has been a hit right out the gate. Years ago the founder of the brand, Steve Saka created and released the first portfolio line and has never looked back. This year he dropped the Seleccion No. 4. In the most Steve Saka of ways, he states that he was never quite happy with the Robusto format in the blend. He’s a perfectionist in the best/worst kind of ways, as the name Sin Compromiso suggests. This lead to him tweaking the blend a bit in order to achieve the experience he was looking for which in turn, produced the Seleccion No. 4. Offered in a single 5 x 54 prensado format, the blend features a Mexican San Andres negro “Cultivo Tonto” wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder and fillers from Nicaragua. This regular production cigar comes packaged in boxes of 13 running $17.95 per cigar. huge thanks to the Dunbarton team for sending these our way for review.

• Size: 5 x 54
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Negro Cultivo Tonto
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $17.95

Prelight:

After removing the cedar sleeve the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4 reveals a brilliantly dark, consistent brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty with only a slight amount of oils coating it. The wrapper feels very dense, thick and hard while the cigar as a whole has some weight to it with no soft spots to be found. There are a few minor veins running their course through the cigar’s body leading up to a round, double-wrapped cap. I absolutely love the soft box-pressed format as it’s so comfortable in both hand and mouth. The cigar is polished off with the standard black and manilla Sin Compromiso crest.

The wrapper on the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4 gives off notes of cedar and musk while the foot of the cigar carries some nice spice over lots of natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean with a little extra effort due to the density of it. The cold draw produces mostly musky and earthy flavors over some nice tobacco and spice notes.

First Third:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4 starts out with some very slight pepper which fades instantly allowing the cigar to showcase some deep, dark chocolate flavors over earthiness, slightly charred wood, light coffee, and a bit of pine on the aftertaste. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out a massive amount of thick, white smoke that hangs out for a very long time before dissipating while the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rest in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a beautiful trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for almost an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Dry chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. That’s the dominating flavor in the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4. Backed by some nice musk and earthiness, light coffee, cardamom and a light floral aftertaste. The retrohale brings out a little spice that is buried underneath everything else. The cigar is still burning perfectly as I close out the second third with no nicotine hit.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Sleccion No. 4. and I am still really enjoy this flavor profile. Lots of dark chocolate still over notes of pecan, and earthy tobacco with lighter notes of cedar and pine. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no heat, and no sap as the cigar burned like a champ from start to finish. I close out with only the lightest of nicotine hits.

Overview:

Let’s just get this out of the way. Steve Saka makes great cigars that I love. Bias? Whatever you want to make of that. I just feel a lot of his brands fit my personal preference very well and in the end, that’s what matters. This is why I liked it: First, the construction and burn was perfect from start to finish. I never had to mess with my torch. Second, the flavor profile was great. It’s not the most complex cigar and it didn’t need to be. I really enjoyed the flavor structure and consistency. Lastly the cigar has a ton of great body, but isn’t overpowered by strength. This mixture makes for a wonderful cigar that I would love to keep in my regular rotation.

The post Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Seleccion No. 4 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

A few years back Fratello cigars released the Arlequin line which was widely boasted as a favorite within the cigar community. Fratello has continued to expand on the line and had recently added a new Corona Gorda format to the portfolio. The 5 1/8 x 48 box pressed cigar features the same blend which utilizes a Mexican San Andres wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder, and filler tobaccos from Peru and Nicaragua. Produced at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in Esteli, Nicaragua the Corona Gorda joins 5 other formats in the Arlequin line: Perfecto (6 x 58), Gordo (6 x 58), Toro (6 1/2 x 54), Robusto (5 1/2 x 52), and the original Arlequin (6 x 50). The Corona Gorda comes packaged in boxes of 20 and run $10.50 per cigar. Learn more about Fratello Cigars here, and more about the Arlequin here.

• Size: 5 1/8 x 48
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Peruvian and Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $10.50

Prelight:

The Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda starts out with a darker brown wrapper which has a bunch of scattered light brown and orange/brown splotches throughout out the cigar. The wrapper itself feels very hard and dense while the entire cigar is very heavy and tightly packed with no soft-spots at all. The wrapper’s texture showcases a whole ton of oils and just a bit of toothy grit. There are some larger veins running from the cigar’s foot, up through its hard box-pressed body to its round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with a gorgeous blue, white, and red band with the Arlequin crest on the front.

The wrapper on the Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda gives off lots of musk and a bit of a cologne-esque aroma while the foot of the cigar is more nutty, earthly and spicy. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of sweet spice, pepper, and a whole mess of earthiness.

First Third:

The Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda starts out with a great splash of sweet spice and cinnamon over notes of black cherry and musk backed by lighter notes of vanilla and earthiness. This is a great flavor combination especially considering there is this awesome flavor that pokes its head in every so often that I can only describe as “Dr. Pepper”. Let me be hung for that one, but it’s the best representation of the flavor in my mind. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, dark gray ash while the cigar releases only a small amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is super solid and dead even leaving behind a trail of very tightly compacted white ash that held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda and the flavor profile is just rockin’. The cigar still leads with a ton of sweet spice, over musky wood, vanilla, earthiness, and that badass Dr. Pepper flavor. I am really liking the flavor profile in this cigar. The retrohale brings out a ton of the spice in a more sharp manner. I close out the second third with nothing in terms of a nicotine kick.

Finish:

The Fratello Alequin’s body starts to really ramp up into the final third as the woodsy/musky flavors take over backed by the sweet spice, Dr. Pepper, earthiness and some light vanilla. This cigars burns very fast, as it took me an hour to take this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and I never once had to reach for my lighter to touchup or relight the cigar. I close out with a very minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

I have been a longtime fan of Fratello’s offerings and the Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda is one of the best cigars I have smoked from the company. The flavor profile is just incredible, unique, complex, and almost tailored for my own personal palate. The cigar burned perfectly and the price point is very affordable. Hit on all marks here. This is a box-worthy cigars and I will absolutely keep numerous on hand to make sure they are always available for my daily rotation.

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The Good Stuff:

Black Label Trading Co. showcased its newest blend, the limited edition Orthodox at this year’s PCA Convention and Trade Show. James Brown, the creator of Black Label Trading Co., created the blend as an homage to the company’s original blend which put more focus on the strength and intensity of Nicaraguan tobacco. Manufactured at the company’s Fábrica Oveja Negra factory in Nicaragua, the Orthodox features a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over Ecuadorian Habano binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. The cigar is offered in three sizes: Toro (5 3/4 x 40), Corona Gorda (5 x 46), and the Short Robusto (4 1/2 x 52). Each box is packed with 20 cigars with only 900 cigars of each being released. Big thanks to the Black Label Trading Co. for sending a few of these my way to review.

• Size: 5 3/4 x 50
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $13

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co. Orthodox starts out with a perfectly consistent dark brown wrapper. The color is just incredibly cohesive from cap to foot. The wrapper on the cigar is laid seamlessly over itself while containing almost no veining, and a good natural webbing in the leaf. The wrapper’s texture is extremely toothy and gritty with a pretty damn heavy amount of oils coating git. The cigar as a whole is very firm to the touch and heavy. The Orthodox’s long body leads up to its stubby little pigtail cap. The cigar is polished off with, what we have come to expect from all Black Label’s releases, a badass band. The band is black in color with an awesome illustration of a skull with a cross on it accompanied by some gold accents and the “Orthodox” crest printed across the front.

The Black Label Trading Co. Orthodox gives off an insane amount of pre-light aroma. The wrapper releases have notes of sweetness, chocolate and oak while the foot of the cigar is much more earthy and spicy. The cap cut clean and surprisingly easy using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of sweet raisin, spice, and earthiness.

First Third:

The Black Label Trading Co. Orthodox starts off with a quick black pepper blast which was surprisingly tame and faded very quickly. Once the pepper dropped out the cigar showcased some great dark chocolate and raisin flavors over an awesome oaky musk flavor with some lightly notes of herbal black tea and an overall earthy finish. The draw is perfect as each puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke that take forever to dissipate while the cigar itself releases a hella lot of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is as even and sharp as you can get leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of white ash which fell into my ashtray at about the 1 inch mark.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Black Label Trading Co. Orthodox and that raisin flavor is just dominating and I am totally ok with that. There is also this awesome little spiced rum flavor that has crept into the mix alongside the dark chocolate, oak, and spice that have been pretty consistent. The cold draw really brings the spice to the front of the profile. The cigar is burning flawlessly, and quite quicker than I expected it to. While I do feel a decent little nicotine kick at this point, it’s worth mentioning that it’s comfortable, and not too overpowering.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Black Label Trading Co. Orthodox and the sweetness has all but dropped out which wasn’t something I expected. This allows the more earthy flavors to come to the forefront of the profile which is now lead by oak, musk, spice, and earthiness with a good, dry, dark chocolate aftertaste. It took me only a little over an hour to smoke this cigar down to the nub. It’s surprising how quickly this thing burns. I never experienced any harshness, no extended heat, and the cigar burned as perfectly as it could from start to finish. I close out with a pretty good nicotine kick.

Overview:

James Brown mentioned that the Orthodox was more representative of the earlier cigars Black Label Trading Co. produced and I think that about sums it up. The flavor profile was complex, intense, and extremely enjoyable, however it never got too over the top one way or the other. It was just right. The same with the strength. It’s a stronger cigar for sure, but it didn’t really kick my ass like I expected it too which is a huge plus there. This is one of the better cigars I smoked recently and you better believe I will be picking more up before they disappear forever.

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The Good Stuff:

Joya de Nicaragua’s Cinco de Cinco is the newest offering from the company released to celebrate the company’s 55th anniversary. This release joins the “Obras Maestras” collection which is a collection that focuses on only the best of the best cigars produced at the factory. The other two blends currently in the series are the Numero Uno which was released in 2018 and the Dos Cientos which came out in 2021.

The Cinco de Cinco blend features an “ultra vintage” Mexican San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The cigar is offered in five soft-box press sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Robusto Gordo 5 1/2 x 54), Corona Extra (6 1/4 x 46), Corona Double (7 x 54), and the Toro (6 x 52). Each come packaged in boxes of 10 ranging between $16 and $21 per cigar. Big thanks goes out to the Drew Estate team for sending a handful of these our way for review.

• Size: 6 1/4 x 46
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $16

Prelight:

The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco starts out with an extremely dark brown, extremely consistent wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very gritty and toothy with a good amount of oils coating it. The wrapper itself feels very thick and dense while the entire cigar is hard and tightly compacted which isn’t too common with soft box press formats. There are only a very small amounts of veins in the cigar’s wrapper leading form the cigar’s foot up to it’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a beautiful emerald green band with the Cinco de Cinco crest on the front and a dark green “Obras Maestras” logo on the back.

The wrapper on the Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco gives off mostly strong tobacco and raw cocoa aromas while the foot of the cigar carries some extremely spicy scents over mostly wood. The cap took a bit of convincing to cut due to its thickness. The cold draw produces mostly notes of dark chocolate and plum over natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco starts off with a bang as it leads with loads of cayenne pepper which really did a number on my tongue at first. After a bit the pepper calms down and the cigar leaves you with rich, dark cocoa flavors over bold raisin, spice and oak with great natural tobacco and dirt flavors. I know dirt doesn’t sound appealing, however in cigars with more earthy flavors that one blends in really well. And maybe it’s not the best description of the flavor however it’s what I closely relate it to. Anyways, the draw is perfect and each puff kicks out MASSIVE clouds of thick, white smoke which really stick around for a while as the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line has a bunch of smaller waves, but nothing too concerning while it’s thin burnline leaves behind a trail of tightly compacted white and dark gray ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco and the profile remains similar, however the cocoa has transformed more into a dark chocolate and now leads the charge along with bold pecan flavors. There is still a good amount of oak and earthiness. Overall the flavor profile is extremely dry, earthy, and tasty. The retrohale brings out a ton of spice, even more than I enjoy so I don’t find myself going back to that. The cigar is still burning perfectly and I close out the second third with a decent little nicotine kick already which is to be expected with any Joya de Nicaragua cigar.

Finish:

The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco finishes strong with bold pecan and oak while the dark chocolate it still in the mix, but takes a back seat. There is still a good amount of musky earthiness in there too. It took me almost 2 hours to smoke this very slow-burning cigar down to the nub. The body was in the full arena from start to finish while the strength started out medium/full before ramping up and leaving me with a pretty heft nicotine kick. I experienced no harshness nor extended heat. While the cigar did burn slightly wavy I never once had to touch up or relight the cigar.

Overview:

Any new release form Joya de Nicaragua makes my heart happy. I have been a long-time fan of the brand and I really appreciate how they are a company that sticks to their roots in each of their blends. They don’t have to release a ton of new blends each year, they just need to keep making high quality cigars with their current profiles. The Cinco de Cinco is all the things we love about the company wrapped up into a great cigar. Amazing flavor profile, flawless performance and construction, consistent, and bold. I don’t think you can ask for more. Toss on the fact that this will be a regular production line and it quickly becomes a box worthy purchase which I intend to keep around in my daily rotation.

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The Good Stuff:

The Cohiba Riviera is the newest offering from the brand. Hitting shelves now, the Riviera is quite a unique departure from the standard Cohiba productions. First, it’s the very first box-pressed cigar produced by the company. Produced in the STG Esteli factory in Nicaragua as opposed to the traditional location of production, General Cigar Company in the Dominican Republic, the blend features a Mexican San Andres wrapper over Honduran wrapper and fillers from the Jamastran Valley and La Entrada regions of Honduras as well as Nicaraguan fillers from the Condega and Esteli regions. The Riviera comes in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 1/2 x 52), and the Perfecto (6 x 60). The robusto and toro come packaged in boxes of 20 while the perfecto comes in boxes of 10 all running between $19.99 and $23.99 per cigar. Thanks goes out to the General Cigar team for sending a handful of these my way.

• Size: 5 x 52
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Honduran
• Filler: Honduran / Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $19.99

Prelight:

The Cohiba Riviera starts out with a very consistent, very dark brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and gritty with a small amount of oils coating the outside. The wrapper feels very dense and hard while the cigar itself is tightly package and extremely hard to the touch with no soft spots at all. I really like the soft-box press format. There are almost no visible veins running through the cigar’s box pressed body leading up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is finished off with a beautiful purple, silver hologram band with the Cohiba crest umbossed accross the front in white, black, and red ink.

The Cohiba Riviera’s wrapper gives off a nice tartness and woodsy aroma while the foot of the cigar is more grainy and earthy with an awesome sweet sandalwood musk aroma. The cap took a bit of convincing from the Xikar XO double bladed cutter likely due to the density, but cut nice and clean after some effort. The cold draw produces notes of sandalwood and grape over natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Cohiba Riviera starts out with some really rich, dark chocolate flavors over some light tart cherry a softer notes of sandalwood musk, almond, and earthiness. The draw is great at first, kicking out a ton of thick, white smoke which dissipates quickly while the cigar release a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray, however I found that if you let the cigar rest longer than a minute or so it tends to try and extinguish itself leading to some quick, deep draws to get it going again. It hasn’t completely gone out on me yet, however it’s really trying. The burnline is beautifully sharp and relatively even leaving behind a gorgeous trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for a little over an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Cohiba Riviera and the flavor profile is still fantastic. The dark chocolate and tart cherry are still leading the charge back by some sweet amaretto and musk over light earthiness and a great maple aftertaste. The retrohale brings out a little pepper that I didn’t picking up at all during the standard smoking experience. At this point the cigar has gone out on my once while I left it to use the restroom. I was able to light it right back up and as long as I take a draw often, it keeps lit. I close out the second third with nothing in terms of a nicotine kick.

Finish:

While the flavor profile hasn’t changed up much in the Cohiba Riviera, it doesn’t need to. The cigar profile is still leading heavily with dark chocolate and tart chery however the musk has really ramped up into the final third backed by amaretto and maple. I really enjoy the flavors this cigar is pumping out. As I mentioned, I did smoke at a higher speed than normal, and since about the middle of the second third I had no issues at all keeping this cigar lit after adjusting. It took me about an hour and fifteen minutes to take this cigar down to the nub. The cigar did burn a bit warmer than most, likely due to the speed in which it needed to be smoked. But nothing that was uncomfortable. I experienced no harshness and closed out the cigar with very little signs of nicotine.

Overview:

Burn issues aside, this is a very enjoyable cigar and I was not only impressed with the flavor profile, but also very surprised. It’s not everyday that Cohiba makes a cigar utilizing these tobaccos, at this factory, with this flavor profile. While I don’t believe and cigar at this price point should carry any type of burning flaws, I am less likely to knock points off due to how much I actually enjoyed the cigar. I also smoke at a faster pace than most which is important to note as that likely leads to me running into a less annoying experience than someone who smokes much slower. I smoked 3 of these cigars and encountered similar burn issues in each, so make sure you take that in consideration if you decide to pick these up.

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The Good Stuff:

After being skipped over in 2021, Black Label Trading Co. has released this year’s version of the Morphine. This year’s morphine features two different wrapper variations. This specific format, the Robusto Torpedo features a dual wrapper consistent over Mexican San Andres and Ecuadorian Maduro while the other two formats in the line use only the San Andres. All three sizes utilize binder and fillers from Nicaragua. Crated at their Oveja Negra facility in Nicaragua, the 2022 Morphine is offered in 3 sizes: Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 48), Lancero (7 1/4 x 42), and Box Pressed Robusto Torpedo (5 x 54). Each come packaged in boxes of 20 ranging between $11 and $12 per stick at only 800 boxes of each being produced. Big thanks to my boy Jake for hooking it up with a handful of these.

• Size: 5 x 54
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres / Ecuadorian Maduro
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $11.50
• Pairing: The Bruery All the Cows (Imperial Stout 13.2% ABV)

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co. Morphine starts out with a very deep, very consistent, very dark brown wrapper. Laced in between the dark brown wrapper is a sliver of what looks like a whale lighter wrapper. In a few of the sticks I have the sliver is very visible, while in another it’s the exact same color. The wrapper’s texture is both very toothy and very oily. The wrapper itself feel decently dense while the cigar as a whole gives very little when pressed between my fingers. The short, stubby, soft-box pressed body showcases only minor veining as it leads up to the cigar’s tapered torpedo cap. The cigar is finished off with the standard Morphine black and white band we’ve seen for quite some time as well as a secondary black and white foot band with the “Morphine” logo printed across the front.

The Black Label Trading Co. Morphine’s wrapper gives off little more than just cashew and espresso aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more oaky, spicy, and carries bold natural tobacco aromas. The cold draw produces notes of caramel, cherry, spice and tobacco.

First Third:

The Black Label Trading Co. Morphine starts out with a mild black pepper punch with fades extremely quickly allowing the cigar to release bolder espresso, dark chocolate, dark berry, spice, and cedar flavors. I may be reaching but it almost tastes like a nice root-beer type mixture of flavors. As I continue to smoke on the root-beer becomes more and more prevalent. The draw is absolutely perfect as each puff kicks out a great amount of thick, white smoke which really sticks around for a while before dissipating while the cigar just pours out stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white and light gray ash which held on for almost an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Black Label Trading Co. Morphine and things start to level out a bit here. The flavor profile is now lead by a creamy espresso and dark chocolate over lighter notes of spice, cedar and berry. That crazy root-beer mixture has started to fade away quite a bit now however when I retrohale the cigar it comes back pretty hard. I close out the second third with a decent little nicotine kick already.

Finish:

Man, this cigar just takes off in the final third! The Black Label Trading Co. Morphine is kicking out tons of black cherry and creamy espresso now over bold dark chocolate and lighter notes of spice, cedar, pecan, and a really nice anise. It took me about an hour and a half to smoke this stubby little guy down the nub and I loved every second of it. I experienced no harshness nor any extended heat. Just a warning though, this little cigar did hit me with a pretty big nicotine punch.

Overview:

I have always been a big fan of the Morphine ever since it first came out (shout out to my boy Drew for turning me onto them). While I don’t smoke every year’s version, I smoke enough to know that this year’s blend is something special. It offers the same bold experience you’d expect however the flavors seem both more refined and more complex. I also really love the box pressed torpedo robusto format. This is going to go fast, and is probably already sold out basically everywhere, but if you stumble into any then this is easily a box-worthy purchase.

Pairing:

The Bruery’s All the Cows is a bourbon barrel aged imperial milk stout brewed with Madagascar Vanilla beans. Coming in at 13.2% ABV the beer leads with dark chocolate, sweet malt, cinnamon, vanilla, and a nice little bourbon kick with a very heavy and sticky mouthfeel before finishing with toffee, dark chocolate, sweet malt, vanilla, and even a touch of caramel. This isn’t an overly complex beer and it doesn’t need to be. The sweetness really paired well with the drier Black Label Trading Co. Morphine pushing the experience forward creating a more balance profile for both parties involved.

The post Black Label Trading Co. Morphine 2022 Robusto Torpedo appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Sin Compromiso has turned into a cigar household name as most cigar smokers are very aware of the blend yet over the past few years Steve Saka, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s founder, has been hoarding…err I mean smoking a special version of the blend for himself called the Paladin de Saka. The blend is almost identical as the standard Sin Compromiso which uses a Mexican San Andres Negro “Cultivo Tonto” wrapper over an Ecuadorian hybrid Habano wrapper, and Nicaraguan fillers except the Paladin de Saka includes Pennsylvanian Seedleaf added to the filler. That isn’t the only difference though. While the Sin Compromiso already uses extremely selective tobacco (hence the name), The Paladin de Saka is taken one step further by using even more selective tobacco including a “Cultivo Tonto” wrapper which refers to a certain way to grow tobacco similar to how people of Japan grow certain fruits. As the plant grows the bottom tobacco leaves are removed allowing the remaining leaves to absorb more nutrients. This leads to superior tobacco at the cost of lower yields which greatly affects the overall cost to produce at this level. The Paladin de Saka is offered in a single 7 x 50 soft box-pressed format. Like the other cigars in the Sin Compromiso line the cigars come packaged in boxes of 13 only the Paladin de Saka carries a hefty price tag of $29.75 per cigar. Big thanks goes out to Steve Saka for sending these our way for review.

• Size: 7 x 50
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Negro “Cultivo Tonto”
• Binder: Hybridized Ecuadorian Habano “Thin Ligero”
• Filler: Independent Plantation Grown Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania Seedleaf
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $29.75
• Pairing: Water

Prelight:

After removing the gigantic cedar cover from the cigar, the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Paladin de Saka you can finally get a good look at the cigar. The cigar starts out with an incredibly dark brown, almost black wrapper that is very consistent in color with only a few lighter areas around the cigar’s cop. The wrapper’s texture is extremely gritty and toothy with a good amount of oils coating it. The wrapper feels very hard and dense while the cigar as a whole is extremely well-packed and heavy as hell. The Paladin de Saka’s wrapper is laid perfectly over itself while only a few minor veins are found in the leaf as it extends through the cigar’s long, soft-boxed pressed body to it’s round, pig-tail style cap. The cigar is then polished off with a silver and black “Sin Compromiso” crest embossed on the front of the band and the addition of the long cedar covering (which I have taken off at this point, obviously) with the words “Paladin de Saka” inked in the front long with the Dunmbarton Tobacco & Trust logo.

The wrapper on the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Paladin de Saka gives off bold oak and musk aromas with a touch of cedar while the foot of the cigar carries light berry over more musk and natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produced a ton of bold oak, black cherry, and musky natural flavors.

First Third:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Paladin de Saka starts out with a very mild black pepper blast that fades quickly after the first few puffs allowing the cigar to release large amounts of oak, black cherry and dark chocolate with minor notes of peat (think a heavily peated scotch), pecan, spice and a nice cedar aftertaste which starts to transition into a more grilled/smoked meat flavor. Weird comparison there, I know, but it’s the best way I can describe it. The draw is flawless. Each puff kicks out a huge cloud of thick, dark gray smoke which hangs around under my porch for quite some time before dissipating while the cigar unleashes huge amounts of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Paladin de Saka and the flavor profile has switched up a bit. Oak and musk lead the charge alongside a great black tea flavor that has snuck in. The peaty flavors have ramped up significantly and the black cherry and dark chocolate are still hanging on. I don’t pick up a lot of sweetness or spice but whenever I retrohale the cigar the spice really picks up. I close out the second third with a decent little nicotine kick already. The burnline is still rocking without any help from my torch.

Finish:

The flavors in the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Paladin de Saka are deep and complex. Leading the way is the peat, black tea, and oak. Musk, cocoa, pecan, and black cherry are all backing flavors. In the final third a crazy little cinnamon/gingerbread flavor peeked it’s head in and out pretty often. The cigar is much more full-bodied that I feel the standard Sin Compromiso is. In the end it took me almost 2 hours to smoke the cigar down to the nub. I never once had to reach for my torch to touch up or relight the cigar as it burned perfectly from start to finish. There was no harshness nor any extended heat. One note was in the final inch or so the pepper that I only picked up at the very start began to come through again. Interesting way to both start and close out the experience.

Overview:

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Paladin de Saka is an exceptional cigar. The profile is incredibly nuanced and complex. Anyone who knows Saka knows just how picky he is when it comes to his blends and I can’t imagine the work that was involved getting this one right where it is. Outside of the flavors the experience as a whole were flawless. No burn issues, no heat or sap. Just all around a great experience. While this cigar was excellent, the cost still feels a little steep for me. I know you can’t achieve the same experience without the high-level of production and selectivity, something that Steve Saka is known for, I just don’t know if I’d grab a full box of these. This is something I’d probably keep a few around for though when I am craving such a complex experience. Now if you’re a big Sin Compromiso fan and don’t mind paying a bit of extra coin for a next level version of the cigar I think you’ll be all over this one!

The post Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Paladin de Saka appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The MC Slam was the first release that carried the blue and white “Cigares Prive” (which translates to Private Cigars) band back in 2014. “MC” stands for Marvin Chang, who runs R. Fields Wine Co.’s cigar operations. The original release consisted of only 200 boxes and was only available at R. Fields. Fast forward to 2021 and Marvin announced the triumphant return of the cigar dubbed “MC Slam 2 Redux” which would again, only be available from R. Fields Wine Co., would only consist of 200 boxes, and would sport the same blend which consistent of a Mexican San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. The main different is the price tag. Due to inflation, taxes, and likely demand the new version will run $10 a stick vs. the $8.50 price tag from 2014. Another shoutout to my boy JG for hooking it up with a few of these from his personal stash.

• Size: 6 x 52
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $10
• Pairing: Horus Push the Boundaries (Imperial Stout 14.8% ABV)

Prelight:

The Illusione MC Slam 2 Redux sports a beautiful soft box press format. The wrapper is a very consistent deep-dark brown with only a few darker areas around the cap. The wrapper itself feels very hard and dense while the cigar as a whole seems relatively well packed with no soft spots to be found. The wrapper’s texture is very gritty and toothy with only slight oils as it’s laid beautifully over itself showcasing only minor veining as the long body leads up to the cigar’s triple wrapped cap. The cigar is topped with the elegant blue and white “Cigares Prive” band we expect on these limited releases.

The wrapper on the Illusione MC Slam 2 Redux gives off pepper and dark chocolate aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more earthy with spice and natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces some chocolate and raisin notes of earthy, dirt-style flavors.

First Third:

The Illusione MC Slam 2 Redux starts out with a very minor black pepper punch which almost instantly fades allowing the cigar to release tons of bold dark chocolate, pecan, black coffee, and spice over lighter notes of vanilla, coconut, raisin and musk. The draw is absolutely perfect as each little puff kicks out copious amounts of thick, gray smoke which linger for a considerable amount of time while the cigar itself releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a tightly compacted trail of white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Illusione MC Slam 2 Redux and it’s still pouring on the flavor. The dark chocolate, pecan, and raisin are now leading the pack backed by vanilla, coffee, and spice with some great little floral undertones. The retrohale is great as it brings more of the spice and raisin to the front of the smoke. The burn line is still flawless as I close out the second third with nothing in the nicotine department.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Illusione MC Slam 2 Redux and the dark chocolate, pecan, and musk are owning the experience. There are some lighter flavors underneath consisting of raisin, vanilla, coffee and black cherry. I really enjoy this profile. The cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish as it took me about an hour and a half to smoke the MC Slam 2 Redux down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, nor any extended heat and never once had to reach for my torch to touchup or relight the cigar.

Overview:

First of all, I loved this cigar. Secondly, it’s not what you expect from most of Dion’s blends. Instead of being more natural tobacco and spice forward the MC Slam 2 Redux carries more sweetness, pastry undertones, and scaled back strength. It’s quite a changeup, but showcases the depth Illusione has. The flavors are extremely balanced, so much so that you could easily miss some of the more nuanced ones if you aren’t paying attention. Its a perfect cigar to just sit back, relax, and smoke when you are looking for something with a ton of flavor that won’t make you think too hard about it.

Pairing:

Push the Boundaries is a collaboration between Horus Aged Ales and Toppling Goliath. The beer is a 14.8% imperial stout brewed with chocolate, almost, coffee and vanilla. The beer leads with a ton of VERY sweet vanilla, coconut, and chocolate over lighter notes of coffee, cinnamon, and roasted malt with an extremely heavy mouthfeel before finishing with even more sweet vanilla and chocolate with an awesome almond aftertaste. I’ll likely need to check my blood glucose after drinking this one. The coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and coconut flavors in the Illusione MC Slam 2 Redux were all prominent flavors in the beer’s profile. As soon as I lit this cigar up for the first time I was almost certain this was the beer I was going to pair it with.

The post Illusione MC Slam 2 Redux appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Super Deluxe is one of the newest blends to be added to Black Label Trading Co.’s portfolio towards the final few months last year. The goal of this new blend was to create a bold, rich and complex blend which utilizes a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Ecuadorian habano binder, and Nicaraguan Fillers. Produced at the Fabrica Oveja Negra factory the blend is offered in three soft-box-pressed sizes: The Petite Corona (4 1/2 x 48), The Robusto (5 1/4 x 52), and the Lancero (7 x 42). Each size comes packaged in boxes of 20 ranging between $9 and $11.50 a stick.

• Size: 4 1/2 x 48
• Wrapper: Mexican San Adres
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $9
• Pairing: Saint Archer Tusk & Grain No. 002 (Imperial Stout 12.94% ABV)

Prelight:

Black Label Trading Co.’s Supreme Deluxe starts out with an extremely consistent, extremely dark brown, almost black wrapper. The wrapper’s texture has some very slight tooth and a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper feels very thick and very hard as its laid seamlessly over itself with only a few ripples near the cap. The short, stubby, soft-box-pressed body leads up to a round, triple wrapped cap. The Supreme Deluz is polished off with a black, white, and silver band with the Black Label crest within a cross, laid over a heart on the front and “Supreme Deluxe” embossed in the back.

The wrapper on Black Label Trading Co.’s Super Deluxe gives off some really bold sweet tobacco aromas with soft black cherry while the foot of the cigar is much more natural with more of a pepper/spice lean. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a ton of heavy spice over musk and natural tobacco flavors.

First Half:

Black Label’s Trading Co.’s Super Deluxe starts out with a blast of cayenne pepper which quickly faded after the first few draws to reveal a very heavy musk flavor backed by dark chocolate, black cherry, black coffee and a nice little tartness that lingers for a bit after taking each puff. The draw is a bit looser than I prefer, but its not really hindering the smoking experience so no points taken there. The burnline is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a trail fo tightly compacted, dark gray ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Half:

Into the second half of Black Label Trading Co.’s Super Deluxe and the dark chocolate is now leading the pack and I love it. Backed by musk, vanilla, and black coffee over some lighter spice and sweetness notes. That tart black cherry is hanging in there too, but not as potent as it was in the first half. The retrohale really brings the spice out of the shadows. It looks me an hour and a half to smoke this little beast down to the nub and I loved every second of it. I experienced no harshness nor any extended heat with only a minor little nicotine kick.

Overview:

I am a big Black Label fan. They tend to make bolder, more complex blends and the Super Deluxe is just that. Huge, bold flavors, yet the balance is so delicate that the complexity keeps you on your toes without any of the flavors really dominating the experience, which is no easy feat. Outside of a slightly loose draw, I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this cigar. In fact, this is a stick I really want to keep around for the rotation on days when I am craving something that will satisfy my palate when I am craving a more complex experience.

Pairing:

Saint Archer’s Tusk & Grain series No. 002 features a barrel aged blend of stouts coming in at 12.94% ABV. The beer leads with loads of milk chocolate, vanilla, caramel, malt, soft brown sugar and just a hint of anise with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing with more chocolate, vanilla, and malt with a little barrel on the aftertaste. This is dangerously easy to drink given the alcohol content. The chocolate and vanilla mashed very well with the flavors in the deluxe while the spice from the cigar really added another dimension to the beer and its always nice when a cigar can do that.

The post Black Label Trading Co. Super Deluxe appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Southern Draw has partnered up with Cigars International to bring us yet another great addition the exclusive brands the duo has produced together. From the Cigars International website:

On this Veterans Day, we wanted to show support for some veterans that currently operate in the world of cigars. Southern Draw is a small boutique company out of Texas that’s owned and operated by a family of veterans. Headed by two US Military vets, Robert and Sharon Holt, this company is committed to being socially responsible and charitable to those in need. So it’s only fitting that we show them some support today and everyday.

Not just good people, Southern Draw makes some damn fine cigars that have been growing in popularity rapidly the past few years. And today, I’m pleased to announce their newest release that can only be found right here at Cigars International. Southern Draw Firethorn Augusta comes crafted in a lovely 5.5”x54 box-pressed belicoso shape with only 1,000 mazos made available. The name of the cigar and artwork on the packaging pays homage to Holt’s time at Ft. Gordon in Augusta, GA.

As for the cigar itself? Crafted at the Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Factory in Nicaragua, you know you’re in for a flavorful treat. A double fermented Ecuador Habano wrapper greets the eye with Mexican and Nicaraguan Tobaccos underneath. The Habano wrapper leaf, paired with dark tobaccos underneath provides a sweet and spicy, medium-bodied experience with notes of roasted nuts, cocoa, and caramel. These cigars were rolled way back in May 2014, giving them a healthy 5 years of age, and now it’s their time to shine.

• Size: 5.5 x 52
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
• Binder: Mexican San Andres
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $9.99
• Pairing: The Bruery Elvis Mash (Barleywine 10.9% ABV)

Prelight:

The Southern Draw Firethorn Augusta starts out with a gorgeously consistent, milky-brown wrapper. I’m hard-pressed to find any color inconsistency in this. The wrapper’s texture is slightly toothy with a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper itself feels very thick and dense as the cigar as a whole it very heavy, then a little soft to the touch. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself leading form the cigar’s foot up to it’s tapered torpedo cap. The soft-box-pressed format makes the cigar incredibly comfortable to hold both in hand, and in mouth. The cigar is polished off with a Maroon version of the Souther Draw band we’ve come to expect from the brand with the addition of a secondary band sporting the “Augusta” crest embossed in gold.

The wrapper on the Southern Draw Firethorn Augusts gives off good amount of floral and earthy notes while the foot of the cigar is much more moss/dirt based with notes of soft spice. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a ton of pecan notes over a good amount of earthiness.

First Third:

The Southern Draw Firethorn Augusta starts out with a nice little black pepper greeting which faded from the experience after the first few puffs, but not before leaving my lips tingling a bit. Once the pepper faded the cigar began to release a ton of the pecan flavor I picked up during the cold draw over caramel, bold earthiness and some slight floral flavors with a dash of.. what I can only describe as banana. That’s a reach for sure, but I swear there is this subtle sweetness on the finish that reminds me of banana bread. Anyways, the draw is flawless as every little puff whips out a ton of thick smoke that doesn’t hang around for very long before dissipating while the cigar releases a decent amount of stationary smoke as it it rests in my ashtray. The burnline started with a pretty wide wave but has quickly started to fix itself as it leaves behind a trail of compacted dark gray ash which held on for about an inch before falling in my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Southern Draw Firethorn Augusta and everything is still going great. The Pecan, caramel and earthiness still lead the chard with lighter notes of floral, banana bread, and now some slight cocoa. The retrohale really brings out the spice and a bit of the pepper I picked up at the start of the experience. The cigar is still burning great and close out the second third with only a very minor nicotine hit.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Southern Draw Firethorn Augusta and not a whole lot has changed since the second third, and I am all for that. Pecan and Caramel are the dominant flavors over earthiness floral, and yes, banana bread which surprisingly has stuck around for the long haul. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub. One note, in a few of the cigars I smoked prior to this one I experienced a good amount of sap build up, as the cigar may still be very young. I really took my time smoking this one and experienced none of the sap so it’s likely I was smoking too quickly before.

Overview:

Forgive the lack of ash in my ashtray, it was breezy out so the wind too care of that. Southern Draw has been sneakily creating some world-class blends over the past few years and the Firethorn Augusta is no exception to that. The complex, and extremely pleasant flavor profile showcases just what this cigar brings to the table. The burn was flawless and the price point is very affordable considering the experience this cigar offered. You can’t really ask for more. This is something I will grab more of and add to my everyday rotation while they are still available.

Pairing:

The Bruery’s Elvis Mash is a bourbon barrel aged barleywine brewed with bananas, peanuts and salt. Coming in at 10.9% ABV this barelywine leads with loads of sweet brown sugar and strong natural banana flavors, which is a very hard flavor to achieve in such a big, barrel aged beer. Under the banana and sweetness are great notes of peanuts, malt, and caramel with a very heavy, sticky mouthfeel before finishing with even more brown sugar and banana over lighter notes of vanilla and malt. I have a thing for banana in beer and this beer had loads of it. The only thing really missing here is the barleywine, I was expecting more bitterness and hop instead of all the sweetness, but once I got through that shock I couldn’t get enough of it. As soon as I lit up the Souther Draw Firethorn Augusta for the first time I knew exactly what beer I wanted to pair it with. The toffee and banana notes blended in perfectly with the beer while adding a bit more complexity to the beer with the earthy overtones.

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

The Cusano Nicaragua Esteli features tobaccos from Mexico, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua. Since Nicaraguan tobacco is only found in the filler, the Cusano Nicaragua Esteli name seems to be more marketing hype than anything else.  The Cusano Nicaragua Esteli line is available in four vitolas: Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 50), Churchill (7 by 48) and Gordo (6 by 60). The cigars come packaged in 16-count boxes with a per stick price of $4.99 to $6.49.

THE FACTS

• Manufacturer: Davidoff
• Country: Dominican Republic
• Price: $6.00
• Vitola: Churchill
• Size: 7 by 48
• Wrapper: Mexican Negro San Andres
• Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan (Esteli)

THE EXPERIENCE

Construction and Appearance:

• Medium brown Mexican San Andres wrapper loaded with bumps, dark veins, color imperfections and an oily sheen.
• The simple band is well done and stands out against the wrapper color.
• Rolled firmly from head to foot. No soft spots found.
• Messy triple cap.

Pre-Light: 

• Wrapper aroma: sweet and syrupy
• Foot aroma: warm cedar and pepper
• Cold draw: clove, cedar, and pepper

Tasting Notes:

• 1st third: mild/medium flavors of earth, toasted notes, and black pepper. Faint spice and sweetness trail the other flavors.
• 2nd third: flavors shift up to medium with the core flavors remaining from the first third. Pepper lingers on the finish. A little more sweetness and a yeast quality move in.
• 3rd third: flavors darken to a black coffee combined with pepper. The earlier sweetness has departed.

Performance:

• Well holding ash
• Firm cold draw that opens up shortly into the smoke.
• Great smoke production
• Even burn

Smoke Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

THE ROUNDUP

The Cusano Nicaraguan Esteli is a very good value-priced cigar even if the name is not the most fitting. Coming in at $6.00 for the Churchill, the cigar provides nearly two hours of relaxation. The cigar delivers medium, balanced, and earthy flavors with just enough pepper to pay homage to Nicaragua. The performance was excellent with its even burn and firm ash.  I prefer more strength and spice, but this cigar would be a great compliment to a cup of coffee in the morning or an early afternoon smoke on the weekends when time permits.

The post Cusano Nicaragua Esteli Churchill appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

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

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

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

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

Prelight:

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

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

First Third:

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

Second Third:

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

Finish:

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

Overview:

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

Pairing:

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

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

-Tony

After enjoying the success of their 2016 release of the Broadleaf wrapped The Tabernacle, Foundation Cigar Company followed up on that in 2018 with The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142, which sports a unique Connecticut Valley grown wrapper enrobing a core that is basically the same as the original.  

As described on Foundation’s website:

“Master blender, Nicholas Melillo, has been working with choice farmers in the Connecticut River Valley since 2014 to develop the Havana Seed CT #142 wrapper. The seed is extremely rare and unlike any other tobacco in the world. Due to the incredible amount of oil from the plant, it takes 3yrs to undergo the fermentation process. The results make for a delicious medium to full-bodied blend with hints of cedar, spice, rich earthiness and natural sweetness.”

The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142 is made at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A., and comes in five sizes: Robusto 5×50; Corona 5¼x46; Toro 6×52; Doble Corona 7×54; and Lancero 7×40.  Prices range from $9 to $12. 

It’s been a while since I’ve had the original Tabernacle, although I do have a stubby torpedo waiting to be smoked, but I know I really enjoyed them. This one came to me by way of our great friends over at Cuenca Cigars.

The Basics:

• Wrapper: U.S. Connecticut Valley grown Havana Seed No. 142
• Binder: Mexican San Andres
• Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras Jamastran
• Size smoked: Toro 6×52
• Price: $11.50
• Smoking time: One hour, forty-five minutes
• Pairing: Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad 2015 (ABV 11.8%)

Pre-light:

The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142 comes enrobed in a medium dark and mottled reddish brown, and shows a few fine veins and fine tooth in a tight and seamless roll.  It’s very firmly packed with just a couple of slightly softer spots and has a pretty good amount of heft to it.  The maroon/burgundy and gold of the band really coordinates well with the color of the wrapper, giving it a very attractive appearance.  Perhaps because it comes without a cellophane sleeve and has been sitting in my humidor for several months, the wrapper doesn’t give off much of an aroma other than some musty tobacco.  Likewise, the foot shows little more than some earthy tobacco. Clipping the cap with my Colibri V-cutter reveals sweet tobacco, spice, and grain notes on the cold draw.

First third:

True to form, the wind kicks up just as I begin to toast the cigar, forcing me to put my lighter a lot closer to the foot than I would like, but this cigar is completely unfazed by that.  The result is a perfect draw that gives up sweet earth and spice, some woodiness that falls somewhere between cedar and oak, and a bit of light roasted coffee.  Dry leather and a light char come in a little further down.  The burn line has been razor sharp and nearly dead-even, and the layered light gray ash hangs on for 1½” before falling into my ashtray.  A citrusy tang next appears on the tongue as the first third finishes at a smooth medium body with no nicotine kick.

Middle third:

As I near the halfway point, things haven’t changed up much, which is just fine by me, since I’ve been enjoying the flavors that have been there, and they’ve melded well and continue to please my palate.  The burn went a bit out of whack for a short time, but has completely self-corrected and some white pepper has come in on the tongue, hangs around for a little while, then dissipates as the coffee notes move up the ladder.

Final third:

The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142 ushers in some added char and a drop in sweetness as the earth, coffee, wood, and leather continue to lead the way, with not much change other than a slight uptick in intensity and body. The cigar burns down to the firm and cool nub with no harshness and finishes at near medium-full with just slight nicotine strength. 

Conclusion:

While there wasn’t much in the way of transitions, the flavors of the Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142 were plenty complex enough for me to not get bored with it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The construction on this cigar is terrific.  I never had a worry about the burn and it drew great all the way down, and it was a nice long and relaxing smoke.  I highly recommend that smokers from novices looking for a slightly bolder experience to seasoned veterans give this one a shot.  I’m just glad that I don’t have to type that long name again, lol.

Pairing:

I’ve had this bottle of Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad sitting in my cabinet for a few years (as evidenced by the neck label falling off), and that might be a little longer than it should have sat, but it was still a great match for this cigar.  The beer shows cherry and orange-y citrus fruit, a touch of cocoa and caramel, and some barrel wood and booziness, and it gets sweeter as it warms up, providing a welcome companion for the cigar.  I would love to have had a slightly younger version of this beer, however, as I think the flavors have dampened some and a brighter beer would have been even more enjoyable.  A smooth porter, a juicy red such as a Zinfandel or Shiraz, or a nice rum would also be great pairing for the CT No. 142. 

~Jeff Oda 

The post Foundation Cigar Company – The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

This past week I took a look at the Tatuaje Mexican Experiment Limited which you can view here. Today I took a look at it’s sister release the ME II. While the original blend which the Limited is based off of was released back in 2011, the ME II is a new, full production blend which barely hit the market this week. The blend starts off with a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. Both cigars are offered in four different sizes (Robusto: 5 x 54, Toro 5 3/4 x 50, Churchill 6 1/2 v 48, and Belicoso 5 x 52). While the ME II comes in boxes and is a regular production line, the Mexican Experiment Limited comes in bundles of 15, with only 1,000 bundles of each format produced running around $10 a stick. I am still uncertain of the difference in the blends, but I can confirm that there are some slight nuances in the flavor profile that differentiate the two. These are hitting shelves as we speak and we picked ours up from our great friends at Fox Cigar Bar in Arizona which have them in stock right now.

• Size: 6 1/2 x 48
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: ~$10
• Pairing: Bruery Terruex S’Mores BBLs (Imperial Stout 16.2% ABV)

Prelight:

The Tatuaje Mexican Experiment ME II starts off with a beautifully consistent dark brown wrapper. When compared side by side to the Limited, there is barely a noticeable difference. The wrapper carries the same gritty tooth along with a matching amount of thick oils coating it. The wrapper itself feels very dense and tough while the cigar as a whole has no soft spots what so ever. The long soft-box-pressed body showcases only minor veins as it leads up to the round, double wrapped cap. The ME II carries almost the same white, red, green and black band as the Limited except it carries an added gold trim and embossing as well as a black ME II crest in place of the Tatuaje Crest found on the Limited.

The wrapper on the Tatuaje ME II gives off bold musk and cocoa aromas while the foot of the cigar carries a more natural profile with notes of spice, natural tobacco, and oak. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of oak, baker’s chocolate, and pecan.

First Third:

The first few draws of the Tatuaje ME II carried very light amounts of pepper but instead showcased bold dark chocolate, pecan, and musk. After the first few puffs the profile opened up with additional notes of oak, brown sugar, and a rather bold floral flavor. The draw is wonderful as each tiny puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke which hang around for a considerable amount of time before dissipating. The burn line is dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted light gray ash which held on for about 3/4 of a inch before giving way onto my lap.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Tatuaje ME II and the flavor profile still lead with baker’s chocolate, pecan, and musk. The floral flavor which I really enjoyed still pops its head in every no and then but has been quietly making it’s exit from the experience. The retrohale really brings out some nice spice and chocolate form the cigar and I have been retrohaling this cigar quite often. The burn line is still dead even and I close out the second third with only a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Tatuaje ME II and the flavor profile continues to be the same. Loads of baker’s chocolate, pecan and musk take center stage while soft notes of vanilla and oak back them up. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I experienced absolutely no harshness, nor extended heat. I close out the cigar with only a very minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

All in all both he Mexican Experiment Limited and the ME II are great cigars. I personally liked the flavor profile the Limited offered slightly more than the ME II but the difference was so marginal that it would be hard for me to pick them apart in a blind test (in the future as they are both so recent to me as of right now I probably could). The ME II carried a more bitter chocolate forward profile and I liked the complexity the Limited provided. Both cigars preformed like a dream. Both cigars are impressive, and I urge anyone who is even remotely interested in Tatuaje cigars to give them both a shot and let me know which one you preferred.

Pairing:

With the Tatuaje ME II I decided a bit of a different approach the pairing. I decided to pair this one with a bold beer which carried heavy fruit and sweetness to see what it would add to the experience. This is where The Bruery Terruex’s S’More BBLs comes in. Coming in at a whopping 16.2% ABV this beer is essentially a mixture of Black Tuesday and Tart of Darkness with Graham Cracker, Marshmallow, Cacao Nibs, and Vanilla added. The Beer leads with heavy fruit, black cherry, sweet grape and vanilla with notes of chocolate, bourbon, and cinnamon and a very heavy/sticky mouthfeel before finishing with even more cherry, grape, vanilla, bourbon, cinnamon, and chocolate. This is a bold beer and the ME II held it’s own. The beer really added a whole ton of sweetness to the cigar which just ramped up the body making for a really unique, and interesting pairing.

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