The Good Stuff:

Originally released in 2021 Cohiba’s Serie M is a bit of a departure for General Cigar. First, this is the first time the manufacture has teamed up with Miami’s own El Titan De Bronze factory. Sandy Cobas and her team were chosen to create the first Cohiba made in the USA based on their great success as one of the best cigar factories to date. Next, the blend is also slightly out of the norm for General cigar as it utilizes a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers form the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The Serie M is offered in a single 6 x 52 format packaged in boxes of 10 running $29.99 a cigar. Only 50,000 cigars are being produced.

• Size: 6 x 52
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $29.99
• Pairing: North Coast Barrel Aged Old Rasputin XVIII (Imperial Stout 11.3%)

Prelight:

The Cohiba Series M starts out with a great looking, medium brown wrapper which is covered in yellowish-brown inconsistencies. The wrapper’s texture is slightly toothy with a slight amount of oils. The wrapper feels very thin and brittle while the cigar a a whole feels a little lightly packed. The wrapper is folded over the foot of the cigar while it’s laid perfectly over itself all the way up to the cigar’s little round rat tail style cap. There are a few smaller veins located through the cigar’s body. The cigar is then finished with a dark green Cohiba band with the words “Serie M” on it and secondary gold “Miami, USA band.

The wrapper on the Cohiba Serie M gives off notes of cashew, honey and tobacco with the foot of the cigar is mostly the same with just a little bit of spice peaking through the cigar’s closed foot. he cold draw produces some great notes of cashew, musk, and natural tobacco over some light honey notes.

First Third:

The Cohiba Series M starts with a quick initial blast of black pepper which faded quickly allowing the cigar to release bold notes of cedar, honey and cashew over light creamed coffee, musk, and natural tobacco with a bit of earthiness. The draw is flawless and every little puff kicks out a good amount of gray smoke which dissipates almost instantly while the cigar releases almost no stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is pretty thick but also pretty even leaving behind a flaky trail of medium gray ash which fell into my ashtray about 3/4 of an inch in.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Cohiba Serie M the cedar and honey still lead the packed backed by coffee. musk, cashew, and a light berry note that I only pick up in the second third but is heightened on the retrohale. This cigar is really hitting its stride now and the flavors are rockin’. The burn line has started to really clean up, and the ash is now much more compacted. I close out the second third with only a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Cohiba Serie M and the Pecan and cedar are owning this flavor profile backed by honey, berry and musk. It’s not overly complex but the flavors are different enough for each other that it makes picking them apart fun. The cigar burned perfectly from start to finish. It took me 2 hours to take this cigar down to the nub. There was no harshness nor any extended heat. The cigar was a bit on the dry side due to my own handling of the cigar so the wrapper was a bit more brittle than it should be. While it cracked slightly this never hindered the overall experience and I burned right through it.

Overview:

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered the Cohiba Serie M. I didn’t research the cigar before smoking it and just lit it up and was very impressed the first time. After that, I dug into the researched and realized that it was created at El Titan de Bronze and I should have known it was going to be great. Each one I had after that impressed me even more. The flavor profile is just incredible, nicely complex without being overdone, the burn is perfect, and the construction is flawless. The only issue is $29.99 is pretty steep for just about any cigar. But if you are looking for a Uber-premium that you can really get lost in, dissecting, and enjoying, it may be worth the coin.

Pairing:

Blast from the past! This 2015-ish Barrel aged Old Rasputin XVIII has been begging to be popped. Aged in rye whiskey barrels this 11.3% ABV Imperial stout is brewed at the North Coast Brewery in Fort Bragg, California. The beer leads with an unexpected blast of banana over roasted malt, chocolate, plum, brown sugar, and a really light clove with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing with more chocolate, plum, pecan, and a lightly barrel note. While the flavors in the Cohiba Serie-M were more on the earthy/musky side the beer helped support the underlying sweetness found within the cigar and made for a great pairing. Thanks for the hookup JG!

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

The Good Stuff:

Making it’s debut at the 2014 IPCPR trade show, the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares is part of an annul release which began with the 2013 release of the Aniversario Boheme No. 35. The Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares is rolled at the company’s Miami factory using a Nicaraguan Aganorsa Corojo wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan filler all grown at the company’s Aganorsa farms. The Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares comes in only one format, a 6.25 x 52 soft boxed pressed toro and is packaged in boxes of 10 with only 2,000 boxes produced running $12.50 a stick. I picked this up from our friends at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert, AZ. Hit them up, they may just have a few left in stock.

Size: 6.25 x 52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Aganorsa Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Price: $12.50
Pairing: Ballast Point Victory at Sea (Baltic Porter 10% ABV)

Prelight:

It’s very hard to overlook the sheer elegance in that packaging of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares. It stars with am elegant white and silver band with the word “MIAMI” printed boldly in the center while “Fabrica de Tabacos Casa Fernandez” surrounds it. There is a second band with is primarily silver with white accents which says “Casa Fernandez Aniversario 2014” printed on it. Then, a beautiful, opaque, tissue/paper surrounds the rest of the body of the cigar down to the foot which aries multiple silver etchings of the cigar’s crest.

Once we take the tissue off the box pressed cigar is finally exposed. The wrapper on the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares is very rustic looking as it’s a light to medium brown with lots of darker spots as well as some more orangish-brown areas scattered throughout. There are very little sings of veins outside of one large on running thorough the front of the body as the wrapper’s texture is very smooth and silky with very little tooth and a good amount of oil. The cigar is polished off with a round, triple cap. The wrapper of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares gives off some mild spice and cashew aroma while the foot of the cigar is just as tame only showcasing some slight spice and grassiness. The cap cut clean and easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw tells a much different story as it leads with bold pepper and spice flavors with strong cedar, sweetness, and earthiness.

First Third:

The Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares starts out with a strong blast of cayenne pepper leaving my lips and tongue tingling. After a few puffs the pepper starts to fade out and I’m left with some cedar, plum, spice, and leather. I’m also getting this subtle metallic taste on my lips every so often. It’s a bit off-putting but it doesn’t happen often enough for me to complain about it. While the draw doesn’t really feel tight at all, i find the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares doesn’t product as much smoke as I’d like. I have to hit it a few times to get the draw I’m looking for. While we’re on smoke production, the cigar also lets out close to zero stationary smoke as it sits in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and leaves behind a beautiful trail of white, compacted ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares the draw has finally started to open up. Sadly, as the draw opened up the flavors began to mellow out. There is still a decent amount of cedar and spice, with some slight vanilla and not a whole lot else. As the draw opened, the cigar started producing much more smoke, but the side effect was a wild burn line. I had to touch it up a few times in the second third to keep it burning correctly. The retrohale produced some good cedar and spice helping raise the body of the cigar up a bit as I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine at all.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares and much remains the same. The flavors haven’t really changed since the second third nor have they increased in body. The cigar still leads with cedar and spice with some light vanilla, and a bit of natural tobaccos as well some some slight bitterness. It took me an hour and forty five minutes to smoke the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares down to the nub. I experience a bit of harshness, and bitterness but nothing really substantial in the nicotine department.

Overview:

I got into every Casa Fernandez cigar with high expectations, and seldom am I ever disappointed. Sadly, this was one of those times. With the Nicaraguan profile and Aganorsa Corojo wrapper I expected some pretty bold flavors. I got a few, but then they all just kind of washed out. I normally don’t complain about touchups or relights but this cigar had more than necessary. It’s not a bad cigar, it’s just not great. And at the $12.50 price range I just can’t justify adding this to my regular rotation. I may give it another shot later down the line, but after smoking a few it just didn’t do it for me.

Pairing:

I purposely paired this cigar with Ballast Point’s Victory at Sea to raise the flavor profile in it. While it worked, the cigar still felt short. Victory at Sea is a 10% Porter brewed in San Diego, California infused with whole vanilla beans and coffee. It’s not stranger to Casas Fumando as its one of my favorite beers to pair with. The Victory at Sea leads with a ton of sweet vanilla, caramel, and cocoa with a medium mouthfeel before finishing with strong cocoa, coffee, sweetness and malt with a chocolate aftertaste. All these flavors helped raise the body of the cigar adding some much needed flavors, but in the end it couldn’t round out the experience.

The post Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Let me start off by reminding you readers that we always take a non-biased approach to our cigar reviews. Bonita Smoke Shop has always been a big sponsor and supporter of our site, but that doesn’t mean we will give them any extra wiggle room while review their blends. That being said, let’s get to this.

Bonita Smoke Shop is a cigar shop located in Bonita Springs, Florida ran by Jackie and her great team. Bonita Smoke Shop is not only one of the larger shops in the area, but she also does tons of mail-orders around the U.S. so it’s not surprising to see that they offer a few house blends of their own. The first blend was the 18th anniversary which I won’t get into but you can read a full review here. The second is the Time Warp which one of our Guest Reviewers Jeff took on the “Big Ben” format and that review can be found here. Today, I’ll be looking at the newly released size of the Time Warp, the Corona. The Time warp was meticulously created by the joint effort of both Jackie and Willy Herrera at the El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami. That name should ring a bell as I am all about El Titan de Bronze and their incredible blends. The Time Warp is one of the blends that El Titan de Bronze utilizes an “Entubado” method of construction on. This method is usually preformed by women with incredible finger dexterity as they roll each individual filler leaf into tubes before before bunching which results in an effortless draw with a much lower chance of issues. While the exact tobaccos used in the Time Warp are kept a close secret, Jackie has released some information regarding the blend.

Bonita Smoke Shop’s site sates:

“Enjoy your own very special moment of time and pleasure with our newest cigar blend we developed with Willy Herrera of the famed El Titan de Bronze boutique cigar factory on Calle Ocho, Little Havana, Miami. In blending we chose a rare certified vintage natural maduro for the wrapper which lends a medium/to full medium rich flavor. Next is a well aged flavorful Nicaraguan binder. Under that is a superb three leaf entubado style construction of the best tobaccos the world has to offer.”

Jackie goes on to say:

“There is a moment in time for me, when I first light up a cigar, that is almost like entering a different time zone. A place where the cares of the day can evaporate like the smoke from the cigar and I find myself in my own island of time.”

The time warp is available in 3 sizes, the original Toro (6 x 50), the Big Ben (6 x 60), and the all new corona size called “The Time Zone” (6 x 47). All blends are available in 5 packs, bundles of 20, and the toro is available in a wheel of 50 all ranging between $6.49 to $7.95 a stick. It’s worth mentioning that this is probably one of the more affordable blends I’ve personally have seen coming out of El Titan de Bronze. While I’ve smoked my way through tons of all 3 sizes, this particular batch was sent to me by Jackie herself. You can purchase the Time Warp directly from Bonita Smoke Shop’s website, or contact Jackie on twitter for more information.

Size: 6 x 47
Wrapper: Vintage Natural Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan/Dominican
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $6.49
Pairing: Dogfish Head Red & White (Wine Infused Witbier 10% ABV)

Prelight:

Bonita Smoke Shop’s Time Warp starts out with a very beautiful, shiny, oily wrapper. The wrapper is silky smooth and a medium/dark brown in color. The color is consistent for the most part with some webbing and dark browns around the smaller veins that run through the cigar’s skinny body. It’s incredible the amount of light that reflects off the oils that cover this cigar. The Time warp is polished off with a round triple cap and no band showcasing the natural characteristics of the cigar and the tobacco used to roll it. The Time Warp is a bit spongy which is expected due to the entubado rolling method as it remains consistent throughout the length of the cigar. The wrapper on the Time warp is pretty modest with only soft natural tobacco aromas being released while the foot of the cigar carries a bit of spice and oak along with the natural tobacco scents. The cap cut very clean and like butter using my double bladed Palio cutter.

First Third:

Bonita Smoke Shop’s time warp starts off very tart with some bitterness on the lips before transitioning into some strong citrus, cedar, and lots of spice over some deep tobacco flavors. This cigar starts out as bold as they get but then quickly balances out after the first few draws. The draw, as expected with the entubado method is incredibly easy, pumping out huge clouds of thick, white smoke with every puff. The burn line is razor thin and dead solid leaving behind a trail of medium to dark great compacted ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Bonita Smoke Shop Time Warp and there has been this brilliant mixture of floral flavors and musk that have developed on the aftertaste of each puff. I love it, and it really helps add to the dimension of the Time Warp. The rest of the flavors remain the same with lots of citrus, spice, and oak. The retrohale is way sharper than I expected leading with spice and pepper. The burn line has remained consistent and thin leading into the final stages of the second third. I am also feeling almost nothing in the nicotine department.

Finish:

The more I smoke this thing, the more the floral and musk comes out. I love that, and while I did pick up hints of it in the other Time Warp formats, none were as dominant as they are in the Time Zone, so it may be coming from the wrapper. Again, the Time Warp Time Zone stays consistent in the backing flavors of spice, oak, and citrus with a bit of coffee starting the be mixed in. The flavor profile in this cigar is fantastic while the smoking experience has lived up as well with a clean burn then entire time with no extra attention from my lighter needed. It took me about an hour and half to take The Zone down and I experience absolutely no harshness or heat, nor did it leave me with much of a nicotine kick.

Overview:

The Time Zone is a wonderful extension to Bonita Smoke Shop’s Time Warp line. I enjoyed the toro very much, thought the Big Ben was good although it’s not my size preference, but the Time Zone is in a league of it’s own. The smaller ring gauge really lets the flavors from the wrapper shine through creating a much fuller experience. The flavors are balanced, creamy, and enjoyable especially the floral and musk flavors I picked up through the second half of the experience, flavors that were much more pronounced in the Time Zone than the other two formats. The construction, as expected coming out of El Titan de Bronze was spot-on and the price is incredible. You get a lot of cigar for such little coin. This is easily a bundle purchase and I am glad to have them on hand and in my regular rotation.

Pairing:

Dogfish Head is known for some very experimental brews, the Red & White is a Belgian Style Witbier brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with pinot noir juice. After fermentation a fraction of the batch is aged in oak tanks before being reintroduced to the beer. Coming in at 10% ABV this beer starts off very boozy with some sharp citrus and wheat with a heavy mouthfeel before finishing with lots of booze and caramel on the finish with some nice spice aftertastes. The reason I decided to pair this with the Time Warp was evident as the citrus and spice married up incredibly well with the flavors in the cigar. I’d also recommend pairing the Time Warp with some light wine, creamed coffee, or a smooth marzen.

The post Bonita Smoke Shop – Time Warp – The Time Zone appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: It’s hard to believe that it’s only been 10 years since Pete Johnson entered the cigar market. This cigar is made to celebrate his 10 years of premium cigar stardom. To celebrate, Pete decided to re-release the cigar that made him famous, the Brown Label. With the same basic blend Pete released two special sizes to celebrate. The 10^th anniversary comes in two sizes, the Belle Encre which is a 5 3/8 x 42 perfecto and the Bon Chasseur which is a 5 3/8 x 52 Robusto which carries an unfinished foot. These two sizes also get a packaging update replacing the simple brown Tatuaje band with a meatier, brown gold and white band with the words “tattoo” “Tatuaje” “Miami” “Seleccion de Cazador” and “10”  on the front”.

The 10^th anniversary will be produced at the My Father factory in Esteli, Nicaragua vs. Miami where the brown label was usually produced. The 10^th anniversary comes packaged in boxes of 20 and run $10 per cigar.  There is also a TAA 2013 exclusive format called the Gran Chasseur which is a 6 3/8 x 54 perfecto and it runs about $11 a stick. I got these over at Bonita Smoke Shop. Again, if you haven’t checked them out, you really should. Amazing selection, amazing prices, and the best customer service around.

Size: 5 3/8 x 42
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium / Full
Body: Medium / Full
Price: $10
Pairing: Ommegang Art of Darkness (Belgian Strong Dark Ale 8.9% ABV)

Prelight: Tatuaje’s 10^th Anniversary Belle Encre carries a crazy dark wrapper. If you look at the side by side wrapper you can actually see a huge color difference between the two. It’s not necessarily the difference in size that causes that, it’s simply the difference of contrast across the wrapper leaf chosen for the blend. The Belle Encre starts with a tapered little foot that quickly expands into the 42 ring gauge. The wrapper carries a lot of medium sized veins as it reaches up to the tapered, triple cap. The wrapper itself screams of reflective oils with some slight tooth. The cigar as a whole is very hard and well packed. I couldn’t find a single soft spot.

The wrapper gives off a whole ton of spice and pepper aromas while the foot of the cigar carries a bit of sweetness with some more spice and tobacco scents. The cap cut  very clean and easy with my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw was really spicy with some awesome sweetness, and syrupy flavors mixed in.

First Smoke: As predicted, the Tatuaje 10^th Anniversary Belle Encre started out with an explosion of spice and black pepper. Once the pepper began to fade off some really sweet tobacco, molasses, cedar, leather and lots of spice were showcased in the first third. The cigar lit up with ease using my single flame butane torch. I feared for a bit that the draw would be tight due to how much tobacco was packed into this little cigar, but it was spot on kicking out just the right amount of thick smoke with every little puff. Usually I get crappy burns through the first third of perfectos but the 10^th anniversary is rocking a razor thin edge and a flawless burnline leaving behind a trail of brilliantly white, and light gray tightly compacted ash which held of for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: The pepper took a bit, but it has finally completely fizzled out of the 10^th anniversary. The sweetness is still rocking hard as well as the molasses as some nice, sharp, cedar has crept in with just a faint leather on the aftertaste. The retrohale is incredibly spicy and very sharp. It’s not very easy so I only found myself doing it once or twice to get the flavor from it. The burnline has a very larger waves that don’t really concern me and I am feeling almost no nicotine as I close out the second third.

Finish: Into the final third there is a note I’d like to add. In each of the Belle Encre that I have smoked I got a little bit if sap/tar/whatever. You know, that really fowl tasting, brownish/black syrup we find on the cap of some of our cigars. Anyhow, I didn’t encounter this with any of the Bon Chasseur’s that I smoked and almost every time I do encounter it, it’s with a tapered cap regardless of the cigar’s make up or manufacturer. That being said, a little attention from my cutter clipping a bit more off the cap cleaned this right up and I was back to smoking cleanly in no time. Now into the final third of Tatuaje’s 10^th anniversary the body of the cigar really ramped up. The flavor profile still carries a lot of sweetness and molasses but the cedar has become much more bold and there was a bit of a pine flavor as well as a ramp up in spice. It’s a great way to end a cigar. The cigar burned perfectly the entire way and required absolutely no attention from my lighter. Don’t let the size fool you, it still too me about 1.75 hours to take this little guy down.

Overview: As always, the Brown Label delivered. I am always reminded of my first Tatuaje’s every time I fire up a brown label and just what it was that made me fall in love with Pete’s work. Complexity, construction, and great flavors while never really being over the top in terms of strength. The 10^th anniversary Belle Encre is a great edition as the format delivers with lots of sweetness and spice. The price is right where you would expect it and will never leave you disappointed. While I wouldn’t go too far out of my way to find this size, It’s a great experience to those of us who really enjoy this blend.

To Sum it Up: As always, this is a great cigar and is always in my regular rotation. The 10^th Anniversary Belle Encre didn’t stand out too much in comparison to other Brown Label blends, but the blend itself is complex enough to always satisfy the seasoned smoker overdoing it with the novice smokers. The price is nested right within the other formats in the brown label line. Box worthy by far.

Pairing: Art of Darkness is a limited edition Belgian Style Dark Strong ale coming out of the Brewery Ommegang in New York. Ommegang has been a long time favorite of mine as it’s one of the only breweries in my opinion that specialize in Belgian style brews. This special beer was actually a birthday gift from none other than our Jeremy Henseley. He spoils me. Clocking in at 8.9% ABV this beer isn’t for the faint of heart. Leading off with a ton of fruit (cherry, apple, date) this beer is full of flavor. It finishes off with the traditional Belgian bitterness and a ton of malty goodness. This beer is incredibly flavorful and could easily overpower most cigars. Lucky for us, Tatuaje’s 10^th Anniversary can hold its own. The strong spice was from the cigar was an amazing addition as it parried up with the fruit and bitterness from the beer. Another great matchup was the molasses from the cigar as it transitioned into a much more malty, caramel mash up with the beer. Great Pairing, success! Ommegang is pretty easy to find in these parts so I suggest picking this one up while it’s still available. If I’m not mistaken, there was only one run, so there won’t be much to go around.

The post Tatuaje – 10th Anniversary Belle Encre appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: The Aganorsa Leaf Maduro is the follow up of Casa Fernandez’s incredibly release of the Aganorsa Leaf blend released a few years ago (Read Daniel’s Review Here). The Aganorsa Leaf Maduro was released at this past year’s IPCPR event and has since shipped to retailers across the country. The blend starts out with a beautiful San Andreas Mexican Maduro wrappers along with an all Aganorsa Leaf binder and filler grown in the most prime soil in Nicaragua. The cigar is released in two different sizes, El Supremo BP (58) 6 x 58, and El Robusto Extra (54) 5 x 54. They come packaged in boxes of 15 and sell between $8.60 and $9 a stick. I picked these up from our good friends over at Fox Cigar Bar in Arizona while I was out there last year.

Size: 5 x 54
Wrapper: San Andreas Mexican Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Aganorsa
Filler: Nicaraguan Aganorsa
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $8.60
Pairing: Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout (Imperial Stout 7% ABV)

Prelight: This Aganorsa Leaf Maduro is one dark cigar. The wrapper is an incredibly dark, almost black, spotty brown. I’ve said it many times before, but I love seeing inconsistencies in darker maduro wrappers. Too many companies buy in to the whole dying the wrapper leaf idea. I hate it. With cigars such as these you can see the natural inconsistencies the fermented tobacco carries. Outside of the color the wrapper is incredibly toothy with really large, sandpaper-like textures and a ton of oil. You can see the oil reflecting off every bit of exposed wrapper. The thin, box press then leads up to a nice, round double cap. I absolutely love these elongated box-press formats. The draw is usually remarkable and the cigar fits so comfortable in you hand. The wrapper on this cigar is very thick and hard as a rock. The cigar is packed pretty tightly too as it gives almost nothing as I squeeze it between my fingers. The cigar is then polished off with the standard Casa Fernandez band and a beautiful maroon and gold secondary band with the words “Aganorsa Leaf Maduro” embossed on it.

The wrapper gives off an incredibly sweet tobacco aroma while the foot of the cigar doesn’t reveal much  more than a bit of spice and tobacco. I’m a bit surprised I didn’t get more of a prelight aroma considering how pronounced the flavors in these blends usually are. The cap cut clean, although it did take a bit of extra effort to cut through the thick wrapper using my Palio double bladed cutter. As soon as the cigar hit my lips I could taste a really sweet, dark chocolate. I also picked up some soft spice and lots of sweet tobacco on the cold draw as well.

First Smoke: Wow. Right off the bat you can tell this is going to be a flavor bomb. Starting out with lots of sweet tobacco, cedar, raisin, spice and a bit of black pepper. I love the flavor the Aganorsa lets loose. Again, loving this format. Each and every little puff produces mouthfuls of thick, white smoke. The burnline is razor sharp and dead even right from the start producing a nice, semi-flaky white and light grey ash. As I progressed the Aganorsa Leaf Maduro started to produce some tiny waves, but nothing really concerning. The ash only held on for about a half an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: Man, Casa Fernandez’s Aganorsa Leaf Maduro is no joke in the flavor department. It just keeps piling on. Now I am picking up much more cedar, much more raisin, and lots of dark chocolate over some nice spice and still a tiny bit of pepper. The one thing I love about this blend is the cedar is a lot more pronounced, and for lack of a better description it’s a deeper cedar. A lot sweeter and less sharp than you pick up in other cigars. You can really get a good idea of what I am talking about on the retrohale as it coats the nasal passage with the deep cedar and soft spice. The burnline is still rockin’ dead even and I am feeling no nicotine at this point.

Finish: The flavors have finally started to drop out a bit in the final third of the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa leaf. The cedar is still there but it’s been muted a bit as well as the sweet tobacco while the chocolate has ramped up a bit producing a really creamy finish. I was actually able to take this cigar down as far as I could before I started burning my fingers without any harshness and surprisingly, not a lot of a heat in the draw either. This cigar burned a lot slower that I thought taking an hour and a half to take down leaving me with absolutely no nicotine feeling whatsoever.

Overview: Yes, this cigar is as good, if not better than I made it sound. I have a big fan of Casa Fernandez and in particular the Aganorsa line. The maduro adds a soother, sweeter character to the experience. This cigar is dynamite and I really do wish it was easier to find in my area. This cigar does have a full body and lots of flavor so you may want to keep that in mind with your pairing, and the order you are smoking your cigars. The price is actually great for a cigar of this quality and I’d gladly say that it’s a box worthy, everyday rotation cigar.

Pairing: I took another risk this pairing. I was very familiar with the Aganorsa Leaf so I had a good idea what to expect with the Maduro. Along with that, the only other Maduro versions I had I was a bit tipsy after a night of drinking and smoking so my palate wasn’t completely clean. Imperial anything is usually hard to pair with due to just how potent they are in flavor. More times than not the beer will actually overpower the cigar. Not in this case. The Aganorsa Leaf is bold enough to handle it’s own and actually add some interesting notes to the beer itself. Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout is the classic example of a smooth, easy to drink, decent alcohol content Imperial stout. Coming in at only 7% ABV this beer is ideal for pairing with strong cigars with a lot of flavor as you won’t loose the flavors under the midst of the cigars. The brew has lots of dark chocolate, malt, and a creamy, milky finishing. The spice and cedar from the cigar really helped add that extra layer of flavor to the beer while pairing up perfectly with the chocolate, malt, and creaminess.

The post Casa Fernandez – Aganorsa Leaf Maduro Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The RC233 is part of Tatuaje’s Reserve lineup and is essentially the bigger brother of the RC184. And this is definitely the BIGGER brother, measuring up just over 9 inches and a 55 ring gauge. That’s a lot of tobacco! This particular cigar is rolled at the El Rey de Los Habanos factory in Florida, which is headed up by the infamous Don Pepin Garcia. So you know you are getting a high quality cigar here from some of the best people in the business.

You might be wondering where this name came from? It’s actually an Acronym of “Retro Cuba” followed the length measurement of the cigar in millimeters. Also, these are not a one-time limited production cigar. They are produced regularly but the quantities are fairly low so tracking them down can be a bit of a challenge.

It’s pretty easy to tell by the sheer size of this cigar that I’m going to be in for a long smoke here, so if you do happen to light one up make sure to have enough time to enjoy the whole thing. I for one can’t stand re-lighting a cigar that’s been sitting for awhile. So I picked out this cigar today because it is probably that last warm day of the year here and I wanted to enjoy the weather. So here we go!

Cigar: Tatuaje RC233
Drink: Mill Street Brewery Cobblestone Stout
Vitola: Perfecto (9.125 x 55)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $22.00
Burn Time: 2.5 hours

Construction:
• A fairly clean tapered cap with one large leaf that blends into the rest of the cigar
• The has a deep golden brown color to is with some definite oily shine to it
• The part under the foil was different though, it didn’t have that same golden glow but more of a dull deep brown
• There is a definite soft texture to the whole cigar when squeezed and it’s pretty darn consistent from edge to edge
• The foot is too tapered to tell how packed in the filler is
• I’m surprised to see there are so few veins on this massive cigar, definitely took some top quality wrapper leaves to put this together
• The cut was nice and easy and left me with a very nice draw despite the very tapered foot

Burn:
• The tapered foot is very easy to light up since it’s so small so the toasting was super fast
• As with most tapered foots like this, the burn always goes a little lop-sided right at the start so I needed to do some corrections
• Through the first couple of inches, the burn is a little wobbly but it holding strong
• The Tatuaje RC233 sorta stopped burning around the midway mark so I needed a bit of touch ups to help nudge it along
• After about an hour, I’ve hit the halfway mark and the cigar is burning nicely with only 2 small touch ups so far
• Burn continued going strong right on to the end with no more touch ups needed, a pretty darn great burn considering the size and complex shape of the cigar

Smoke & Ash:
• This cigar is an absolute smoke factory right from the start, tons of thick some coming off of each draw
• The ash started off a bit messy, probably due to the relights at the foot
• Color-wise, the ash is pretty much dark grey with some lighter grey spots and holding clean so far
• I tapped the first ash off after about 1.5 inches but I think it could have even held on a bit longer
• Second and third ash were just about the same length showing some good construction here
• There were lots of ashes on this cigar and they were all easily passed the 1 inch mark, great construction here throughout
• The draw stayed perfect right to the end with no issues at all

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper had a fairly woodsy aroma to it, lots of cedar
• The foot brought a little more spice to the table along with the woodsy aromas
• From the pre-light draw, the spices were really standing out with a tingle on my lips
• The initial draws brought a hefty burst of pepper out, some thing I always get from Pete’s cigars
• The pepper notes settled down a bit but are definitely still hanging around along with lots of cedar notes and a bit of a meaty taste
• I’m starting to pick up some light espresso notes as the cigar keeps burning nicely
• There is definitely some strength to this cigar right from the start, easily in the medium range already and I predict a ramp up towards the end
• The retrohale has a nice bite to it but a smooth cedar finish, very nice
• As I approach the halfway mark, there is some leather mixing in with the coffee, cedar and meaty flavors and they are all balancing out nicely
• The espresso flavors are really developing nicely with a bit of a nutty flavor making an appearance too
• The spices started to make a big comeback in the last 3rd and the body is getting into the full range as well
• Spices and cedar took over in the flavor department near the end, making this one strong stick, be sure to have a good meal and pairing on hand!
• The strength at the end was very full but surprisingly I didn’t get the nic-kick I was expecting from this behemoth of a cigar

Final Thoughts:
Now I’ve had my ups and downs with Tatuaje cigars and that’s expected, not all profiles will appeal to all people. But today, the RC233 was definitely a bug up in my books. This cigar had a ton of flavors that kept changing and they were always tasty. The quality was definitely top notch and construction was excellent with only a couple minor touch ups the whole way through. I had high hopes for this rare (and massive!) cigar and it did not disappoint. It did have some age on it which I think really helped with the whole experience. If you do happen to have one hiding in your humidor I think it’s an excellent time to bust it out and enjoy, or if you stumble across one somewhere, make sure you grab it! There are still many around if you look, but they aren’t super widely available from what I can tell.

Pairings:
Mill Street Brewery is probably a name you’ve seen in some of my reviews before. They are situated right in downtown Toronto so I love to support the local businesses whenever I can. They have some pretty high yield batches but they still seem to maintain a craft brew flavor to a lot of their varieties. The Cobblestone Stout is one I hadn’t found in the store before so when I saw it I knew I had to grab it. This is a classic stout with lots of deep malty and smoky flavors and even a touch of coffee, but not too much. It’s got a ton of head when you pour it and a bit of a dry finish. It paired well with the Tatuaje RC233 but I think a Port would have gone great to combat the full flavor and strength of this cigar.

The post Tatuaje Reserva RC233 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Contrary to what you might expect, this cigar is not made at the amazing and famous My Father Cigars Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. However, it’s production location is not too far away at the Tabacalera Cubanas S.A. factory, also in Esteli. Now the actual name behind this cigar is El Rey de los Habanos, the company Don Pepin Garcia started in Miami(Little Havana) when he landed state-side. The headquarters is still located in there as well as a smaller El Rey de los Habanos factory .

This blend was released be Don Pepin to the public in 2006. From what I’ve been able to gather, the various names of the original 7 vitolas in this line all correspond to important years in Don Pepin Garcia’s life. However, I wasn’t able to find the significant milestone behind the year 1979. It seems also that although there were 7 vitolas available at some point, there are only 5 easily available now.

The band on this cigar has also changed slightly over time. As it stands now, there are two bands. The top band has a black background with a nicely scripted “Don Pepin Garcia” in the middle surrounded by some gold and red filigree designs. In an older band, the red and gold filigree was slightly different. Below that band is another thinner black band that says “Cuban Classic” with a line of gold and red on the top and bottom.

Now the Black Label is touted to be the strongest of the Don Pepin Garcia cigars. The other blends in this line are the Blue Label and the Series JJ (White Label). I’m going into this cigar with high expectations as I’ve come to know from many different Pepin Garcia blends. It’s a gorgeous day as I sit outside to spark up this cigar, so let’s see how it fares.

Cigar: Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic 1979 Robusto
Drink: Erdinger Weissbräu Weißbier Dunkel
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 50)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Rosado (Corojo 99)
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Niaraguan
Price: $4.50 – $5.50
Burn Time: Just short of 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic has a light brown wrapper with a very nice orangey glow to it
• There are hardly any visible veins and the wrapper has a slight roughness and toothiness to it
• From head to foot, this cigar has a nice little spring when squeezed that is just about right
• The triple cap is finished off very cleanly and the foot looks to be fairly well packed but not overly full
• The draw on this cigar is just about perfect after a small slice with my double bladed guillotine cutter

Burn:
• Toasting was very easy and even, I sometimes have a hard time getting it right on bright days since you can’t see the flame, but this one toasted up evenly without any problems at all
• Through the first inch the Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic has had a flawless and even burn
• The burn continues to be just about perfect as I roll into the halfway point, nothing to complain about here, just a razor sharp burn
• It’s also allowing me to smoke slowly, never seems to go out
• A tiny touch-up was required because the extra glue on the band cracked the wrapper, so it caused a bit of a funky burn line

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw is bringing a nice amount of smoke with no extra draws required
• After setting the cigar down, there is almost no visible resting smoke to be seen although it still gives off a nice campfire aroma
• The ash is very strong, even and clean with no flaking to be seen anywhere
• The nice light grey colors on the ash are very nice too
• Unfortunately, I knocked the first ash off accidentally and it went flying to the floor
• Each ash was easily hitting the 1 inch mark but since I didn’t have a proper ashtray with me today I had to tap them off early. You’ll also notice the ashtray picture is missing today.

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on the Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic gives off a mostly woodsy aroma, not much else to it
• The foot brings more woodiness but this time it’s a lot more fresh, like a fresh strip of cedar wood, very nice aroma
• On the pre-light draw I’m getting more of the cedar flavors but also an interesting fresh taste, almost like a light and refreshing mint
• Initial draws bring none of the typical Pepin kick you might expect, it’s more of a subtle roasted wood and almonds type of flavors
• The is a bit of leather flavors being thrown into the mix here and there along with some coffee notes that are starting to sneak in slowly
• As we get near the halfway point I can safely say the cigar has barely passed into the medium category so far
• The retrohale is bringing just a tiny bite along with a smooth cedar and coffee finish
• The coffee flavors continue to develop nicely, more of an espresso flavor now and the leather flavor took an interesting turn into a black licorice type of flavor
• The strength of the cigar started picking up closer to the final third as it launched into the high end of the medium range
• In the last third all the flavors started coming together and balancing even better as their intensity kicked up a notch
• There was a huge burst of awesome roasted almond and espresso near the end and the cigar finished with no bitterness at all, very nice ending

Final Thoughts:
I hadn’t had too many of these before so I didn’t have many notes to fall back on but what I did find was mostly good. And judging by my experience today, I’d say the don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic is another winner from this renowned blending master. I was happy to see another blend that didn’t have the pepper kick at the start but still had tons of flavors that were enjoyable. I’m not sure I would go for a Churchill vitola in this blend but as a Robusto it was excellent and I would definitely buy more. The flavors were enjoyable even if not overly complex and it burned amazingly even. My only real complaint was a little too much glue on the band that ended up cracking the wrapper a bit, not a huge deal. This might also have been because I tried sliding the wrapper rather than taking it right off. These are definitely worth trying if you haven’t had one before and definitely worth buying again if you have. I know it is a staple in many people’s humidors and it’s easy to see why. One thing to watch out for is the price, I saw a huge variety of prices and these can be easily had for under $5 if you look hard enough, and at under $5 this is a great value cigar!

Pairings:
This isn’t my first review with Erdinger’s Weissbräu Weißbier Dunkel and it definitely won’t be my last. This dark ale from Erdinger’s German brewery is a classic and tasty brew that I’d say falls somewhere in the middle of a dark ale and a porter. The unique consistency probably comes from the fact that this is a dark WHEAT beer, so it’s a little different from the rest. It’s not quite as light as a dark ale and not quite as heavy as a porter. It’s got an awesome array of roasted malt, dark berries, coffee and a tiny bit of bitterness to round out a very flavorful brew. It makes a great pairing with the Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic as well as many other cigars. Other suggested pairings here would include a dark roasted coffee, a stout or porter, and of course, some tawny Porto!

The post Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic (Black Label) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

So for today’s giveaway we are being sponsored by our good friends over at Joya De Nicaragua! Now Joya de Nicaragua is a very well known company producing a few landmark brands that have carried them successfully through over 40 years in the cigar industry. You can see our reviews of the Antano 1970, Antano Dark Corojo, and one of my favorites, the Cabinetta Series. They also make a blend called the Celebracion as well as the Clasico which was the first Nicaraguan Puro as well as the official cigar of Nicaragua. Pretty impressive to have a national cigar, all we have here are Beavers and Moose!

Now you may have heard some news a few months ago that a well respected cigar industry veteran joined Joya de Nicaragua. That person is Jose Blanco and having had the chance to meet him I can say he is a great person to share a cigar with. I had the opportunity to take part in one of his blending seminars that he holds and I would highly recommend attending one if you can. If you think you are a know-it-all when it comes to cigars and tobacco, Jose’s sessions will definitely surprise you with his insane depth of knowledge and experience, and he still claims to be learning everyday! I can’t wait to see the impact he has on Joya de Nicaragua and I will definitely be attending his next seminar when he makes a return trip to Toronto.

So I got in touch with Jose and he generously offered up a tasty box of Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970 Robusto cigars for us to giveaway. These are darn good cigars and pack lots of flavor, a definite requirement in any humidor. So now you ask, how do you win yourself this awesome box of cigars?

We’ve been having such an awesome response with our simple “Add a comment to win” method that we’ll keep that style going. All I want you to do is write a comment below detailing your best cigar moment ever. This could be about a cigar you shared with a celebrity or family member, a memorable location, a funny event that occurred, whatever! We will pick one lucky winner from the comments to take home this prize.
 

Now onto our winners from Contest Day #7 – Miami Cigars

 
Tony and I were floored by the amount of detail you all put into your stories to win a box of La Sirena cigars. There were definitely some funny ones and I have to add a few honorable mentions to highlight some of these awesome entries.

Honorable Mention 1 – Tom

A few years ago my ex-wife, best friend and all our kids were on vacation in York Beach Maine.
We went to dinner at a nice seaside restaurant, with a beautiful patio over looking the Atlantic ocean. When we arrived we were seated outside.
We had passed through a screen door that open in to the restaurant. After a fine meal I asked if I could smoke outside, the waiter and manager both said “sure!” Excited I jumped up from the table to fetch a cigar from my car. When u got to the door, I kind of hop skipped through it because it looked like the door was open!
Nope, the screen door was gone and the sliding glass door, with no markers, and perfectly clean glass was skys in place. I damn near killed myself slamming into that door. I hit the floor flat on my back laughing like hell! Why you ask? Well,, before I hit the floor, all I could see on the other side of that glass door was a lady spitting her lobster into her husbands face! I think the impact oh my 200+ pound body scared her just a bit
I did get to have my cigar and the manager Tony took care of the check and was very sorry for what happens.

I honestly cracked up laughing at this one and will still pay if you find some video! haha

Honorable Mention 2 – GICIGAR

My most embarrassing memory on vacation is probably when my wife and I visited the Amazon in Peru, just before heading out on our hike our guide stopped us at a termite mound, asked us to stick our hands on it and let the termites climb on. Then the guide instructed us to squish them to release the sweet aroma and oil of eucalyptus tree that the termites feed on, then asked us to spread the oil on any area of our bodies that weren’t covered by clothes as the smell and oil act as a natural insect repellent. I thought about the 3 hour hike that lay ahead which made me squish a considerable amount of termites thinking that it would last me the whole 3 hour journey. As we begin to hike I noticed a termite that must have escaped my death grip and I squished him. We walked a few more yards then noticed another so again I snuffed it out. Then from nowhere I felt my body starting to get Goosebumps and in a rush hundreds maybe thousands of termites invaded my body, after scrambling around and yelling like a mad man I discovered the source of the attacking hoard, my backpack, which I guess they climbed when we were at the termite mound. Embarrassing for me because we were not the only ones in the group, so I had to endure the rest of the long hike as the guy that made a scene. Till this day my wife is the only one that knew about that, and now all of you know it too.

That would drive me crazy! haha, good on you for toughing it out the rest of the hike!

Honorable Mention 3 – Jake

Vacation – 2006.
Location – South Dakota.
While standing in a Harley-Davidson store, surrounded by a HUGE amount of Harley-Davidson devotees, my then 8-year-old daughter (in her normal ‘I-HAVE-NO-INDOOR-VOICE’) asks me, “Are there really this many people that are into this stuff?” I look around, making eye contact with at least 6 people that have heard her question, and smile. “Yeah,” I tell her, “it’s a way of life for a lot of people. Some of them feel pretty strongly about it.” “Oh,” she responds, “well they just need to GET A LIFE!!”
OhmygodI’mgoingtodie.
I look around again to find that absolutely no one is still smiling as earlier. At this point I try to cover for her. “Sorry. She has Tourette’s,” I say to no one in particular, all the while heading this child towards the nearest exit.
Did I mention we were in a Harley-Davidson store?
Did I mention that said store was in STURGIS, South Dakota?
Y e a h . . .
Outside, where even more people were standing around, I tried to make her understand that these people wouldn’t be upset with her for saying things like that, but that they would be upset with her Daddy. “You wouldn’t want that, would you.” I asked. “No,” she said softly. “But all these Harley people are GAY and need to GET OVER THEMSELVES!”
YupI’mdefinitelygoingtodie.
I explained again about her Tourette’s while covering her mouth with my hand and placing her in the car where I informed her she was no longer allowed to speak until she saw a sign that said “Wyoming”.
From the mouths of babes, huh?

I’m glad to see you made it back alive, I’m sure you left a few treadmarks in your underpants! lol. Props for quick thinking on the tourettes! haha
 

And of course, here is our winner of the La Sirena Prizepack!

 
*** TODD ***

Anyone who knows me knows I love to eat. I love buffets more than John Pinette and have put four all-you-can-eat steak houses out of business. Well, I also love sushi and have even been embarrassingly “cut off” in front of my Pastor. Well, I wasn’t prepared for what happened when I learned about eating one particular type of fish! I found a place which proudly stated in it’s window that they had all-you-can-eat sushi, so I had to try it out! I went in and was thrilled to find out that they served one of my favorites, commonly called “white tuna.” Well, I hadn’t eaten breakfast and was starvin’! I normally eat about 60 pieces of sushi but this time I probably ate 100, and made about half of that “white tuna.” I was completely stuffed and decided to go shopping to walk it off. Suddenly in one of the aisles I uncontrollably let out a huge smelly “wet one,” and I noticed everyone and everything stop and stare directly at me. I then noticed while I walked faster, a strange cold wet feeling, and I decided to go the the restroom for some inspection. I was absolutely horrified and embarrassed when I looked in the mirror and saw the entire back of my shorts, (and white Polo shirt which was draped over my shorts), had a HUGE orange circle on it, like a bulls-eye on my backside! It blew through to the shirt! I tried to wash it the best I could in the sink and raced out of there, and sped home without sitting. I hurried to the computer, and after some investigation, found out that I ate escolar (it’s not tuna), and it’s even banned in Italy and Japan because it causes people to “expel yellowish-orange drops of oil” (aka keriorrhea), I still eat “white tuna” and love to see it at a buffet, but I unfortunately have to eat a whole lot less of it! Can you shed a tear for me?

The embarrassment of this alone wins the prize. Note to everyone, don’t go out for sushi with Todd! hahaha!

Congrats to Todd, please email your name, and address to “casasfumando@gmail.com”. Thanks again for every one who entered! Keep the entries coming!

The post Contest Day #8 – Joya De Nicaragua (and Day #7 Winner!) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

So this week I sat down on a crazy warm day to write my review. It was like 65 degrees today and only 2 days ago it was 5F! 55 degree difference in 2 days? Crazy right?! Well I made the most of it and sat down with a cigar I’ve been wanting to review for awhile. It is the Nicks Sticks Little Havana Blend by Perdomo, a special budget friendly blend created by none other than Nick Perdomo himself!

The Nick’s Sticks line comes in 3 wrapper types and all are filler and bound by Cuban seed Nicaraguan tobacco. There is a white label for Connecticuts, a black label for Maduros and todays blend is the Sun Grown marked by a deep red/burgundy label. The Nick’s Sticks name actually dates back to the beginning of the Perdomo brand and these cigars were only available at their store in Little Havana, Miami at the time. Nick listened to his fans and customers and by popular demand the blend is now being produced in larger quantities for distribution across the nation.

You will notice that the price of these cigars is very accessible and if history is any indication, they will carry the trademark quality and consistently that I’ve come to know from the Perdomo brand. I’ve always been amazed at how Perdomo can produce such consistent sticks for a fraction of the cost of some other manufacturers. So does the Nick’s Sticks Little Havana Blend live up the Perdomo legacy and will it be another winner in their growing line up of cigars? Read on to find out what I thought!

Cigar: Perdomo Nick’s Sticks Little Havana Blend Sun Grown
Drink: Coffee
Vitola: Torpedo (6.5 x 54)
Wrapper: Sun Grown Nicaraguan
Binder: Cuban-Seed Nicaraguan
Filler: Cuban-Seed Nicaraguan
Price: About $4.00 – $4.50
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The wrapper on this cigar has a soft but rough texture to it with very few veins
• There do seem to be a few bumps and even two little tears in the wrapper
• The cap is amazingly finished and blends seamlessly into the rest of the wrapper
• The foot appears full and well packed and the whole cigar has a nice firmness to it but with just the right amount of spring when squeezed
• The cut was super clean and easy leaving me with a perfect draw

Burn:
• Toasting was very even and easy, it’s like the cigar wanted to light itself
• There’s a slight wave as I burn through the first inch but nothing major so far, let’s hope it doesn’t turn bad
• The burn is still slightly wavy but it’s keeping the wave at a good minimum and not causing issues, burn has been good so far
• Just after I passed the halfway mark the wrapper cracked just below the band, nothing major now I’m just hoping it doesn’t explode on me
• The wrapper split didn’t get bigger but it did cause a bit of a wonky burn that needed a little correction from my lighter
• Quick note that I didn’t have the spilt problem on any other Nick’s Sticks cigars that I smoked in any wrapper

Smoke & Ash:
• There is a ton of smoke coming from every draw on this cigar
• The resting smoke is equally abundant and giving off a nice campfire type of aroma
• So far the ash is very clean, very white and holding strong through the first inch
• The first ash rolled off into the ashtray shortly after the 1 inch mark
• Each subsequent ash stayed strong just past the one inch mark before I tapped it off
• The smoke stayed full and thick throughout the entire cigar

Tasting Notes:
• The dry aroma on the wrapper of this cigar definitely shows signs of cocoa and soft tobacco
• The foot brings forth a ton of woodsiness an a good helping of baking spices
• Pre-light draw brought more cedar flavors and spices with just a touch of cocoa in there too
• Initial flavors on the Perdomo Nick’s Sticks are cedar, a bit of leather, some baking spices and a touch of earthiness in there too
• The body is definitely on the mild side with a very smooth woodsy finish
• The leather and spices seem to have tapered off a bit and I’m left with a smooth woodsy cigar with some hints of earthiness and cocoa
• The retrohale on this cigar brings an interesting spice mix and the finish is smooth and woodsy
• As I get near the middle of the cigar it seems the body has stepped up a bit to a nice smooth medium
• The flavors continue to be well balanced and enjoyable despite not changing up a whole lot, there is a nice fresh baked cookie type of flavor appearing now and then
• The spice is making a nice slow comeback and balancing well with the cedar and earthy notes
• The flavors really started to pop in the last third, no harshness but a definite spike in the spices and cedar and a touch more body as well
• Getting a slight coffee flavor in the last third as well that’s joining the other flavors nicely

Final Thoughts:
I’m a pretty big Perdomo fan and enjoy a lot of their cigars. I find that they are all well made, and enjoyable. They seem to fit into the comfort zone of a lot of smokers and can be a good “Ol’ Faithful” stick to keep in the humidor. Having said that, I came into this review with high expectations and I was not left down. At a cost close to $4.00 for a Torpedo stick this is definitely a budget friendly cigar and it fits the bill perfectly. It had some interesting flavors and a great burn (minus one minor wrapper crack that didn’t really cause any major problems). I have to say that Perdomo has another quality and reliable stick on their hands with the Nick’s Sticks Little Havana Blend Sun Grown and I will definitely be seeking out more of these. Their price also makes them easy to hand out to friends without breaking the bank and everyone gets a good cigar in the process. Grab some an enjoy!

Pairings:
As you may know I’ve been battling some cold/flu symptoms lately so I visited my doctor and got some nice anti-biotics to help clean out whatever it is that’s been bothering me. So that means I gotta lay off the alcoholic pairings for a little while. I decided to make myself just a plain cup of coffee with a bit of milk to go with today’s cigar. It ended up being quite a nice pairing. There weren’t any strong coffee flavors from the cigar so it almost added a nice little dimension to the whole experience. I think a nice dark ale would have been a perfect pairing here too.

The post Perdomo Nick’s Sticks Little Havana Blend Sun Grown appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: I will jump right into the press release, it pretty much sums up Cremo’s history:

The Original Cremo Cigar, an icon of early America and the most successful cigar brand of the early 20th century, made a commitment to providing their customers with value. The company which rose out of beautiful Manhattan, New York City attained the largest sales of any cigar in its class. The brand was also famously linked to musician Bing Crosby in the early days of Broadcasting Radio.

With a shift in the way cigars were made, factories moved south and all was lost… Now in the 21st century a new dawn awaits. After new buildings were built, and old ones were torn down, a piece of history remained. Now, that piece has been found. Walter Santiago, better known as “Lilo”, a native New Yorker, decided that this amazing company, a staple in the Cigar World, should rise from its ashes.

With the revival of Crémo, the tradition continues with taste and quality as well as class. This was found in El Titan de Bronze (ETB) cigar factory, makers of the “Redemption”, which has scored 88 in Cigar Aficionado and 90 in Cigar Snob. Lilo, along with ETB owner Sandy Cobas and Master Blender Willy Herrera (now with Drew Estate), created an ultra-boutique cigar of masterful construction and excellent flavor.

The factory located in Miami’s famed Calle Ocho, known best for its old school Cuban entubado techniques, is a family owned and operated “fabriquita” which employs level 9 rollers from Cuba, who have worked for Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, Corona and Partagas. These torcedores (cigar rollers), like a painter to a canvas, handcraft each cigar with meticulous detail.

There you have it. One thing to note is the Cremo doesn’t describe the smoke. Cremo is actually the first personal translation of “Cremar” or “To Smoke”. Thanks Cigar Inspector for pointing that out. Anyways, the blend is composed of a Habano wrapper (not sure if its Dominican or Nicaraguan), a Nicaraguan Binder, and mixed Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. The cigar is available in three different sizes: The Excelsior (5 x 50), the Magnum Opus (5.75 x 46), and the Intrepidus (6 x 52) and run between $8 – $9 a stick.

Size: 5×50  –  Wrapper: Habano  –  Binder: Nicaraguan  –  Filler: Dominican/Nicaraguan

Prelight: The Cremo Classic is a fantastically constructed cigar. The wrapper starts with this almost perfectly smooth, consistent milk chocolate brown. It almost looks like a Connecticut shade wrap, and I thought it was for a while.  There is only one smaller vein running the length of the body of the cigar which leads up to the round, triple wrapped cap. The band is a simple, elegant manila and silver color with the words “Cremo” and “ Handcrafted in little Havana” in dark brown. The cigar is firm to the touch and the only soft spot I was able to find was right at the foot.

The wrapper gives off a very sweet, cedar aroma while the foot of the cigar carries a really nice mixture of spice and nuts with some interesting floral notes. The cap clipped off extremely easy using my handy dandy “V” cutter. The cold draw produces this just awesome profile full of sweet cedar, cinnamon, and even some nutmeg. It tastes much like a Christmas treat!

First Smoke: I was shocked to be greeting with a bunch of upfront pepper from my initial draws on this Cremo cigar. It’s not overpowering, I just didn’t except it to be there. Under the pepper lies a bunch of nutty, cinnamon and cedar flavors. I was expecting a much smoother, milder start but this Cremo Classic actually packs some flavor!  Even the aftertaste is great leaving behind a ton of cedar and tobacco. The draw is wide open and kicks out lots of thick smoke without being too loose. The Cremo Classic gives off just a bit of stationary smoke, but it smells really neat, kind of like roasted nuts. The burnline is pretty wavy, but not too concerning as I think it will correct itself as I continue on with this cigar.  The ash is a bit flaky, medium and dark grey. The ash held on for about in inch before falling into my ashtray. Again, ashtray, not my lap. Success!

Halfway There: The pepper has started to fade into the second third of this Cremo Classic. Once the pepper faded the cigar really smoothed and balanced out. The main flavor is now this soft cedar, sweet nutmeg, and cashew.  The retrohale on this cigar is badass. It coats my nasal passage with a really smooth cedar with just a touch of spice. The burnline has since completely corrected itself as I assumed it would and I am feeling almost no nicotine kick at this point.

Finish: The body ramped up into the final third of this Cremo Classic. I started to feel only a slight nicotine kick while the cigar remained smooth and creamy down to the nub. The main flavors were still that cedar, nut, and sweet tobacco but a lot of the spices that I picked up in the first third made a brief comeback. All in all it took a little over and hour to take this cigar down to the nub. It needed absolutely no touch-ups or relights.

Overview: The Cremo Classic surprised me with it’s bold flavors and it’s overall smooth profile. I was expecting something super mild and it wasn’t anything like that. Great flavors, amazing construction, and an overall good cigar at a great price. This is a great cigar for the seasoned cigar smoker and a perfect cigar for the novice looking for a good cigar that won’t break the bank.

Pairing: I paired this cigar was a very easy to find, affordable, and wonderful winter seasonal. Yes, I stepped out of my Belgian kick for this one, pairing the Cremo Classic with some Samuel Adams Winter Lager. Sam Adams winter lager is brewed at the infamous Boston Brewing Company and clocks in at 5.5% ABV.  Sam Adams winter lager bears the same characteristics as most winter brews, smooth, fruity, caramel, deep amber beer only with a few extra hops which really helps to bring out the flavor without being too overpowering. This beer pairs wonderful with any smooth cigar such as the Cremo. This cigar would also go perfect with your favorite coffee or tea.

The post Cremo Classic Excelsior Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Nestor Miranda is the founder of the Miami Cigars and Company and has recently started producing his own blends that come attached to his name. These include the Nestor Miranda Collection 1989, the newer Nestor Miranda Special Selection and the recent Casa Miranda. The Art Deco cigar also carries the Nestor Miranda blend and is currently sold in 3 vitolas, all of which are over 50 ring gauge.

The Art Deco is a joint effort effort between Nestor Miranda & José Pepin Garcia. I think we all know that Don Garcia is no stranger to success in the cigar industry and if he has a hand in the blending, you can usually be guaranteed it will be a quality cigar. The blend consists of 60% Nicaraguan Corojo 99 and 40% Dominican San Vicente, plus Dominican Criollo ’98 & Nicaraguan Habano 2000 binders rolled and triple-capped in dark, shimmering Nicaraguan Corojo ’06.

I actually picked up this cigar as part of a box set which included 4 Nestor Miranda Special Selection Ruky’s (2 Oscuro and 2 Rosado) along with an Art Deco. I’ve also enjoyed a few singles of the Robusto Grande vitola bought separately. I want to mention how awesome I think this band is. It’s so retro and different and the colors really pop. The cigars are also packaged in retro tins with the same neat design. But as they say, don’t judge a book by its cover! So I think that’s enough chatter, let’s get onto the review

Cigar: Nestor Miranda Art Deco
Drink: Unibroue Don De Dieu
Vitola: Robusto Grande (5.5 x 54)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo ’06
Binder: Dominican Criollo ’98 & Nicaraguan Habano ’00
Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 & Dominican San Vincente
Price: $8.50
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• This looks to be a wonderfully constructed cigar, very even in diameter with a dark golden brown wrapper
• The whole cigar is very firm when squeezed and has almost no bumps on the wrapper
• The head of the cigar is finished off with an extremely clean triple cap, it’s easy to see some extra care went into making this cigar
• The foot looks to be mostly well packed with a one gap that looks a bit under-filled
• The cut was fairly easy despite the firmness of the cigar
• The draw seems to be a bit more open than I’d typically like but it’s not terrible
• Seems that the draw tightened up a bit near the halfway mark making for a perfect draw each time

Burn:
• The cigar toasting was very easy with a short time frame to get the foot evenly glowing
• The initial burn was a bit wavy but it quickly corrected itself and started burning razor sharp after that
• Through the first half I have no complaints about the burn here, it’s still razor sharp and requires zero attention from me

Smoke & Ash:
• The smoke from each draw is fairly full but it’s actually not that thick in density
• The resting smoke here is almost non existent at times, it’s a very friendly cigar to have while non-smokers may be nearby
• The ash is starting off with a nice light gray color and looks to be tight and clean
• I’m getting some awesome striping on the ash and its staying clean and strong
• It lasted nearly 2 inches before making an awesome nosedive into the ashtray. A perfect 10 anyone???
• The next ash only lasted about an inch but it stayed clean and crisp and fell off easily into the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on this cigar gives a strong earthy and barnyard aroma with a touch of cedar
• The aroma on the foot carries through with the earthy and cedar notes but adds in a slightly sweet spice, maybe of raw cinnamon
• The pre-light daw brings an interesting mix of sweet notes on top of the cedar, possibly some dried cherries
• Initial flavors are stong in the cedar department with that slightly dried cherry taste in there, very interesting!
• The cedar has stuck around through the first inch but the initial sweetness has tapered off a bit
• For the most part, the cigar has started off in the low end of the medium range with a small bite on the retrohale
• As I continue along, I’m getting a bit of leather and the initial earthy aromas are making an appearance in the flavor department now
• As I pass the halfway mark, the mix of cedar, leather and earth has me seeking a little something more. It’s not bad or harsh but I feel like there’s something missing since the sweetness disappeared…
• As the cigar continued I started getting a bit of the sweetness returning here and there along with some slight nuttiness
• The body is building ever so slowly in the last third, heading into the high medium range
• Some toasted nutty/almond flavors are making this last third a lot more interesting along with the dried cherry sweetness that keeps rearing it’s head here and there
• The nice final mixture of flavors stuck through to the nub with almost no harshness, a very nice finish

Final Thoughts:
As with all of the Miami Cigar offerings I seem to come into them with high hopes. They’ve had such a great track record recently that I only expect the best. The Nestor Miranda Art Deco is a well balanced cigar with a variety of flavors. The first and last 3rds of the cigar were interesting and kept me on my toes but the middle portion seemed to lack something. The burn was excellent the whole way through and overall construction was top notch. The price is also very reasonable so it’s something I would probably buy again, perhaps in the Coffee Break vitola (4.5 x 50). I think that size may be the sweet spot and keep the interesting flavors going from start to finish. If you like a good medium smoke with an interesting profile these are worth checking out.

Added note: I asked Tony his thoughts here and he’s only smoked the Coffee Break vitola and loved it. I’ve only had the Robusto Grande, so I think my guess that a smaller vitola would make this cigar great is probably a good guess!

Pairings:
So this beer comes with a funny sort of story.  I’ve done a few other reviews with Unibroue brews and always loved them, not to mention they are also Canadian which is a plus in my eyes!  Unfortunately, most of their brews are actually not even available for me to purchase cause of the ridiculous taxes and restrictions in my province. The brewery is only about a 5 hour drive away, but it’s in another province… So, I actually picked this bottle up in Florida. Yes, that’s right. I drove 1600 miles away from the brewery to actually buy it! I guess that speaks to the silliness of our taxes here! lol
Enough of my complaining, let’s move onto the actual beer. I had no idea what to expect from this as I’ve never had it before and the bottle doesn’t really explain what type of beer it is. The name of this beer, “Don De Dieu” literally translates to “Gift from God” so I figured it can’t be that bad!
After doing a bit of research, I found out this is a triple fermented wheat beer that is also unfiltered, giving it a cloudy appearance in the glass. The flavors in this brew are excellent, mixing a little bit of fruit, maybe some vanilla and very smooth malty finish. This is not your average wheat beer though, it packs in 9% ABV and the triple fermentation without filtration makes it feel a lot fuller bodied than you might expect. I found it to be an excellent pairing with the Nestor Miranda Art Deco as it offered up lots of interesting flavors. I think a fine tawny port would also be an excellent pairing here or perhaps keep it simple with a dark soda.

The post Nestor Miranda Art Deco Robusto Grande appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

I am still aiming to get this review as well as my last blind cigar review from Brooks done this week, but I am actually undergoing surgery on Tuesday for my Umbilical Hernia I have had since I was a kid. It screwed up pretty bad on me the last few years, especially the last month and I am glad to finally get it over with. So depending on my recovery I may, or may not get to the last blind review this week. Wish me luck!

The Good Stuff: The Casa Miranda is among two new releases that Miami Cigar rolled out this year at IPCPR. Along with the Limited Release of the Nestor Miranda Gran Reserva, the Casa Miranda made it’s debut last month and have been circling the internet-waves ever since. The Casa Miranda is one of the only cigars in Miami Cigar’s portfolio that is not rolled by Pepin. In fact, the Casa Miranda boasts that it is a 100% USA made cigar, even down to the box. This does not mean that the tobacco is grown here in the US, it just means everything was constructed here.

The Casa Miranda is blended by Willy Herrera of ETB Cigars/Drew Estate and hand rolled on Calle Ocho in Miami by only Level 9 certified rollers. Willy has been on a hot streak lately and made news when he announced his new found partnership with Drew Estate about a month or so back. Expect good things from this guy.

The Casa Miranda is composed of an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigar will be released in three sizes; The Robusto, The Toro, and the Belicoso ranging from $10 – $12 a stick. I got these from Bonita Smoke Shop. She always has the good stuff so head over before they sell out!

Size: Toro 6 x 52  –  Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan

Prelight: Just by taking one look at the artwork on the band you can tell this is a different type of Nestor Miranda cigar. The band on the Casa Miranda is a very elegant, almost wine-label looking design. Creamy gold and beige accents surround a small cottage with the words “Casa Miranda – Chapter One” in scripted on the front and “Hand crafted in Miami” on the sides. The band sits elegantly on this stunning looking cigar. Willy is a stickler for perfect construction and the Casa Miranda is no exception. The wrapper starts off with just a perfectly consistent, toothy, medium brown color. There are a few vein in the thick body leading up to the seamless, round, double cap.  This cigar has a hell of a lot of weight to it and gives a whole lot of resistance when pressed between my fingers. The cigar bears no soft spots and in fact, gets increasingly more firm as I approach the cap. The wrapper of the cigar gives off a really mild woodsy aroma with just a slight bite of spice at the end where as the foot of the cigar boasts almost nothing but a strong spice with some woodsy aromas laying underneath. The Casa Miranda was easily clipped using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw on this cigar was interesting. The Casa Miranda gave out this really neat woodsy, honey, and strong tobacco flavor that left a little burning sensation on my lips from the spice. In the cold draw, really?! We’ll have to see just how spicy this cigar is once we start smoking it.

First Smoke: As expected, the Casa Miranda started off with a blast of pepper right off the bat. What I didn’t expect was for the pepper to fade so quickly, just after the first few draws. Once the pepper suppressed I was left with a really bold, woodsy flavor with some nice spice, honey, and this citrusy-lemon taste. The draw is just ridiculously easy, but not too loose, kicking out a nice cloud of smoke with every puff. The stationary smoke on this Casa Miranda is great, lots of it and it seriously smells like a burning fireplace. The burnline has some very slight waves, nothing too concerning, and leaves behind a trail of almost perfect, compact, white ash. The ash held on, despite the wind, for well over an inch before giving way. And by “giving way” I mean falling into my shoe. No joke.. ughh…

Halfway There: Much more of the wood flavors have come into play during the second third of this Casa Miranda. I’d like to say they are cedareasue but the spice that accompanies the woodsy flavors puts a neat little spin on them making for a much more deeper flavor. The honey has faded at this point and the spice is still there as well as some of the citrus notes, but I’m also getting this strange little maple flavor on the aftertaste. The retrohale on this cigar is absolutely wonderful coating with a very smooth, creamy woodsy prime. I am not really feeling much nicotine from this cigar, but the body is up there and a bit more than I am used to when it comes to Nestor Miranda cigars. The burnline is still a bit wavy, but I haven’t needed to touch it up at all.

Finish: As the body ramps up a bit into the final third of this Nestor Miranda Casa Miranda, the flavors start to level off and become much smoother and creamier. The main flavor is still the woodsy flavor while the sweetness and most of the citrus has dropped off leaving nothing but a faint spice mixed in with a little bit of espresso. These wasn’t any harshness built up in this cigar, even going into the final inch. I do however feel just a nice little nicotine kick from it.

Overview: You won’t hear me say this often but I think some age on this cigar will do it wonders. It’s a great cigar as it is, but with a little age it may just add that little somethin’ something’ that will really bring this cigar to a whole new level. It was an interesting departure smoking a non-Pepin blended Nestor Miranda and I think they made a very wise decision having Willy blend this cigar for them. He’s been making great things lately and the Casa Miranda is just another notch in his belt. Well balanced with an overall creamy flavor profile, plus the increased body really made this cigar an enjoyable experience with me. This is very box worthy, and there is no doubt in my mind it will be in high demand. Again, if you are looking for these Jackie over at Bonita Smoke Shop already has them, and like I said before, she is one of the best in the business and will get you taken care of.

Pairing: I decided to go for another risky pairing. This Casa Miranda was paired with Ichtegem’s Grand Crew Flemish Red Ale. Brewed at the Brouwerij Strubbe in Belgium this Flanders Red Ale style beer comes in at a modest 6.5% ABV. Most people have no idea what a Flander’s Red Ale style beer is. Basically it’s a sour beer and with it comes a very unique, but acquired taste. The beer pours a dark, reddish brown but tastes much like old orange, apple, and lemon roasted over caramel malt. It’s not for the faint of heart. There more woody flavor profile in the Casa Miranda gave an amazing balance with the sour notes of the beer and really brought the cigar to another level. This cigar would go great with apple juice, a strong brown ale, or some nice scotch.

The post Nestor Miranda – Casa Miranda Toro Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The cigar we are reviewing today is the Cuba Aliados Miami. This is a special edition cigar that is rolled in the Miami, Florida factory. Each cigar comes packaged in cellophane and wrapper with a stamped cedar sheet. One thing I found odd was that the cedar was not secured in anyway, so as soon as it came out of the cellophane the cedar fell off.

There isn’t too much information out there on this cigar. What little I did find was that the rest of the Cuba Aliados line is produced in Honduras and this special edition cigar is the only one rolled in the Miami factory. I do know we don’t really talk much about the Reyes Family of cigars but they are a fairly large producer and have a strong variety of lines. I’ve had a chance to smoke a few from their selections and although none have really stood out, none have been poor either. So let’s see how this one does and get on to the review.

Cigar: Cuba Aliados Limited Miami Edition
Drink: RocketFuelCoffee.com Kona Kaze
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 50)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $7.00
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The cigar is very evenly rounded from cap to foot
• The wrapper is a honey-brown color and has some visible veins running through it but none appear large enough to pose any problems
• The foot appears fairly well packed but not cut evenly
• The top of the cigar is finished with a super clean triple cap
• The entire body of this cigar is fairly firm with almost no spring
• The wrapper did have some parts that chipped off even though I’ve never removed it from the cellophane
• The cap cut off cleanly but the draw on pre-light seems a bit tight
• The cigar expanded quickly after the first inch and caused a nice size crack in the wrapper
• Surprisingly, the crack did not get any larger and posed no issues

Burn:
• Toasted was fairly quick but it refused to glow evenly, hopefully it doesn’t affect the burn too much
• The uneven toasting did affect the initial burn of the cigar and required a quick touch up
• Burn has been very good through the first half after my small correction
• Another small correction needed near the end as it seems the wrapper stopped burning and it started tunneling on me, killing the flavors

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw offers a moderate amount of smoke, a little more would have been preferred
• The ash is very clean and tight, color is very light grey
• The resting smoke here is consistent, nothing overpowering but the stream of smoke rising off the cigar is steady
• The ash held strong for nearly 2 inches before tumbling into the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper gives off a sweet cedar and tobacco aroma
• The foot offers more sweet woodsiness and a touch of spice on the nose
• The pre-light draw brings with it a lot of cedar flavors
• Initial draws have some light and very flavorful cedar and tart notes
• The cedar and tart flavors are giving a nice creamy finish as the cigar progresses past the first third
• So far it’s been fairly mild with no bite as I pass the smoke through my nose, finish is still nice and creamy
• As I approach the half-way mark, I’m getting a light coffee flavor sneaking into the mix now and again
• As I get into the last third, the flavors haven’t changed much but the body has increased a bit, landing in the medium range now
• As the body continues to ramp up slowly, the other flavors are slowly becoming less noticeable and it’s becoming more of a burning wood flavor
• A strong bitterness started creeping in towards the last 1.5inches, a big change from early parts of the cigar here
• After a small touch up to the wrapper the bitterness subsided a tad
• Some of the bitterness came back so I had to set this down early

Final Thoughts:
I’m on the fence with this cigar. It started out as a nice smooth and fairly mild cigar with some good cedar flavors. As the body picked up near the end of the cigar I found that the balance was thrown off a bit. The flavor profile suggested a light early day cigar but the stronger body started to drown out or overpower the flavors. They also didn’t change a whole lot and the bitterness at the end was a disappointment. I’ll note that the intensity of this bitterness wasn’t the same as my previous experiences with this cigar, but it was always present. I think this cigar would have been a much better smoke if it stayed mild or if it had some more intense or flavorful notes to balance it out. that’s not to say I didn’t like most of what it had, it just didn’t seem to be as balanced as I would have hoped. It’s still worth trying a few of these as the construction was nice and the price isn’t bad either.

Pairings:
It was earlier in the day when I went outside to enjoy this cigar so I decided to sit down with some coffee. I also brewed a pot for review with the Carmelo Red Label not too long ago. It’s an interesting light and bold blend of Hawaiin Kona and Espresso beans making for a mouthful of flavor. It paired nicely with most of this cigar but I think something more bold would have been better near the end as the body of this cigar ramped up. But a strong coffee would have overpowered the beginning of this cigar. This goes back to the whole unbalanced thing I mention above. I think this would have also paired well with a nice stout or tasty Amber beer.

The post Cuba Aliados Miami appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Currently, Berger & Argenti offer 3 lines, the Entubar, Classico and Mooch. Today’s review will focus on the Classico line which is currently offered in 3 sizes, a Rothschild, Belicoso, and Churchill. Berger & Argenti hails from Miami, Florida and began business only in 2009. The Argenti brothers that started this company have quickly released some quality products and made a name for themselves in the cigar market. They are associated with Tabacalera Esteli in Nicaragua which is run by Enrique Berger. And that’s how the name was born!

A little warning here, it’s crazy cold outside here! Temp is dipping around -12 Celsius (10 Farenheit) and dropping. Although I have a propane heater here, the dry and cold air can suck the humidity out of some cigars. With that in mind, lets see how this cigar stacks up!

Cigar: Berger & Argenti Classico
Drink: Rickards Dark Ale
Vitola: Rothschild (5 x 50)
Wrapper: Equadorian Desflorado Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $5.50
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• A smooth and oily medium brown wrapper holds this cigar together
• There are some visible veins but they are all smooth to the touch, no large ones at all
• The triple cap is cleanly applied and secure
• There is a slight spring throughout the cigar, not too soft and not too firm
• The foot appears well packed except for one fair sized hole, hoping it doesn’t cause any issues
• A couple of the wrappers I’ve had have dark spots on them, possible just some water spots
• The cut left a nice clean edge but exploded into a million pieces in my ashtray

Burn:
• Toasting was fairly painless, evenly glowed with minimal effort
• The burn started off nice and even and has stayed razor sharp through the first few inches
• No issues in the burn department as I hit the last third, I love it when cigars burn like this
• Great burn the whole way through right up to the nub

Smoke & Ash:
• Initial draws offered a moderate mouthful of smoke
• Resting smoke is almost non-existent, but still gives off a pleasant cedar aroma
• The ash is coming out with a nice white finish and some small zebra striping
• It is staying clean and tightly bound so far, a very nice ash
• Ash fell off into the ashtray while it was resting there after about 1.5 inches
• Second ash still held strong past an inch, this time it fell in my lap but it still held together and I was able to pick it up and toss it back in the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a soft woodsy aroma to it with a touch of nutmeg spice that tingles on the nose
• The foot has similar notes to the wrapper but a much more prominent spice is noticeable, maybe some pepper thrown in there now
• Pre-light draw was mostly cedar but I did get an odd bitter taste on my tongue, let’s hope it doesn’t stick around
• Initial draws are packed with more cedar and some subtle nutmeg notes
• I immediately noticed a fair amount of dryness on this cigar
• Body is in the mild-medium range and the retrohale has a touch of bite and a cedar finish, not too smooth at this point
• As the cigar progresses, I’m picking up a small licorice like flavor, i hope this develops more
• As I pass the first third, I’m picking up a hint of coffee now, all the flavors are starting to balance together nicely now
• I’m happy to find that the licorice flavors are sticking around and fighting back and forth with the coffee
• At the half-way point, some of the spice is starting to re-appear, more pepper then nutmeg now
• The spice and body definitely started to pick up after passing the half-way mark, thankfully the dryness has disappeared
• The licorice has mostly disappeared now and the spices are balancing well with the coffee and woodsy flavors that remain
• The woodsy and peppery notes have mostly taken control now, I’m getting the nutmeg poking in here once in awhile to change it up
• The cigar finished up in the lower end of the full range

Final Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised with this cigar. I’m always hesitant when trying new brands, especially from such a young company. But it seems that the backing of the experienced factory in Nicaragua has proven to be a wonderful partnership. The cigar had an interesting and enjoyable flavor profile with a fair bit of dimensionality. I think the factor here was the Connectcut wrapper bringing some sweet and smooth creaminess and the Corojo binder adding some spice and body. It made for a well balanced cigar. The construction was also spot-on with great burn and ash throughout. This cigar is definitely worth giving a try, and since it’s priced fairly, could easily make an entry into your regular rotation.

Pairings:
I’ve enjoyed this brew with a few cigars and so far it has not let me down. It is a very smooth drinking dark ale that is modelled after English porters. The Rickard’s brewery is based out of Canada, and in true Canadian form it is brewed with Maple Syrup. The syrup flavors are not overly intense but they are definitely there and taste great along with the coffee and malt flavors. It paired very well with the spicy, coffee and licorice notes of the cigar and helped bring them out. Other good pairings for this cigar would include port, other dark porters or stouts, or a nice strong coffee.

The post Berger and Argenti Classico appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Miami Cigar & Company is a distributor of some fantastic cigars and has given us such names as Leon Jimenes, La Aurora, Nestor Miranda and Don Lino. Make sure to visit their website and read more about their products and the company at: www.MiamiCigarandCompany.com. Not long ago they ventured into creating their own house blend cigar which turned into the Calibre 58 creations.

These new cigars were graciously sent to us from our friends over at Miami Cigar & Company. The Calibre 58 is offered in two sizes and two different wrappers. The sizes they created were non-standard but offer something different to the cigar enthusiast in us. The two shapes are what resembles a Short Churchill and a Short Torpedo, both measuring in with a 58 ring gauge. The wrappers offered for the Calibre 58 are a Nicaraguan Rosado and Oscuro.

Up for review today is the Short Churchill version of the Calibre 58 wrapped in the Nicaraguan Rosado wrapper. There’s a couple things to note about this cigar. Firstly, this is a Nicaraguan Puro, which means all the tobacco leaves used come from the country of Nicaragua. Secondly, this is a pre-release version which means that future releases could see some differences such as the addition of bands or slight changes in the blend.

Cigar: Miami Cigar & Company Calibre 58
Drink: Quinta de Infantado Tawny Port (2004)
Vitola: Short Churchill (4 x 58)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: Around $5-6
Burn Time: 1 Hour

Construction:
• Very even diameter throughout the length of the cigar
• A couple prominent veins but none seem big enough to cause any burn problems
• Fairly firm from end to end with just a tiny bit of spring
• Very cleanly applied triple cap
• The foot appears to be very well packed
• The large ring gauge just fit barely into by double blade cutter but it did cut nice and clean, you might need scissors or a punch cutter if your guillotine style doesn’t fit large ring gauges
• A small crack formed near the head but it never caused any problems

Burn:
• Toasting took a fairly long amount of time but it did toast up nice and evenly with no dark spots
• Burning very slowly, needs a few extra draws to stay lit but nothing overwhelming
• Burn has been fairly even through the first inch although it did require one minor touch up
• Almost went out near the halfway point, needing a little more attention now
• Some more touch-ups as the cigar burns, I seem to have this problem a lot with large ring gauge cigar, possibly because I smoke them very slowly when reviewing

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke right off the first draw
• Moderate amount of resting smoke giving off a nice woodsy aroma
• Ash appears extremely strong in the first inch of the cigar with no flaking
• First ash fell off at about 1.5 inches, it probably could have held on longer if it wasn’t for some touch-ups

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper aroma is mostly cedar with some hints of earthiness
• The foot brings more cedar and a sweet nutmeg type spice
• Pre-light draw has more cedar and some pepper mixed in with the nutmeg spice
• Initial draws bring flavors or toasted wood and some peppery spice
• Retrohale starting off with lots of cedar and a smooth spicy finish, just a small bit of kick
• About 1 inch in some of the nutmeg spice is making a more prominent appearance and the pepper has settled down, just getting minor hints of it here and there
• Some added earthiness is joining the flavor mix, they all seem to be well balanced so far
• Passing the halfway mark there is some creaminess being added to the mix and despite the touchups there has been little to no harshness
• Body started off a bit mild and has slowly made it’s way up to medium
• The creaminess also added itself to the finish of the retrohale, nice and smooth and the bite has gotten a little more aggressive
• Body definitely picking up as I approach the last inch, also feeling a bit of nicotine kick, surprising for this short vitola cigar
• Used a toothpick near the end to maximize nubbing since there was very little harshness

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed this cigar and I think most people would. It had some peppery spice at the start and end but not a very in-your-face type of pepper that usually turns me away. It was fairly balanced throughout and had a fair bit of dimensionality considering it’s shorter length. It does kick into full gear near the end so novice smokers may need to be careful here. A good drink is key here, something with some sugar in it will help reduce to nicotine kick you get. The burn required some touchups but it was never major, just make sure to keep some constant draws and it should burn no problem. For the price it’s worth picking up a few of these and trying them out. I’m curious to see if they change the blend at all on the official release but I’ll try another one when they come out regardless.

Pairings:
I finished off my last bottle of Quinta de Infantado Tawny Port with this cigar. You can read more about this port from this review of the Tatuaje Verocu Red Tubo. This paired very well with this cigar. I find that the sugar in port helps reduce any nicotine kick in stronger cigars. The oaky flavors also matched nicely with the cedar/woodsy notes and the spicy notes in this cigar. A good porter/stout, sweet tea or a dark soda would also pair nicely here.

The post Miami Cigar & Company – Calibre 58 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.