The Good Stuff:

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

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

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

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

Crowned Heads Press Release

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

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

Prelight:

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

First third:

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

Second Third:

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

Finish:

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

Overview:

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

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

The Good Stuff:

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

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

Manufactured at the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua, this year’s blend features an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper over, Nicaraguan binder and fillers grown by the Garcia family. The 2024 edition comes in four sizes: LC48 (6 x 48), LC52 (5 x 52), LC54 (6 x 54), and the Belicoso Fino ( 5 1/2 x 52) which only comes in the 4 cigar sampler. Only 39,000 of each format is being produced with the exception of the Belicoso Fino which only 3,000 will be produced. I purchased mine over from our friends at Small Batch Cigar.

• Size: 5 1/2 x 52
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $14.25

Prelight:

The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2024 starts out with a brilliantly dark brown wrapper. The color is mostly consistent however the cap of the cigar carries a shade lighter than the foot. The wrapper’s texture is gritty and toothy with a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper feels very dense and hard while the cigar is packed well. The foot is a bit softer than the rest of the cigar which is pretty normal. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself while it displays some larger veining running through the cigar’s body leading up to its pointy, belicoso-style cap. The 2024 carries the same band we’ve found on all previously releases only this version’s is black, white, and an awesome pink. There is also the added gold “Crowned Heads” foot band on the 2024 version as well.

The wrapper on the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2024 gives off bold raisin and musk aromas while the foot of the cigar is more earthy and very floral. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces strong notes of sweet raisin, wood, and musk.

First Third:

The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2024 starts out with a huge cayenne pepper blast I wasn’t expected. It left both my lips and tongue burning for a few seconds. After the first few draws the pepper faded allowing the cigar to release notes of sweet raisin and molasses over herbal notes that remind me of black tea, oak, and earthiness with an awesome musky aftertaste. The draw was a bit tight at the start but opened right up after a few minutes. Out of the 3 I smoked (different sizes) this was the only one that started off tight, and to be fair it only lasted a few minutes so I am harping on nothing really. Moving on! The burn line was dead even and razor thin leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of white and light gray ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Some really bold dark chocolate notes really started to take over the flavor profile in the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2024 backed by raisin and musky wood with lighter notes of that herbal black tea. The sweetness has dropped out at this point and has been replaced by a pretty sharp spice. The retrohale it very spice forward and I don’t find myself doing it too often. I close out the second third with a minor little nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2024 and both the body and the strength have really ramped up. The flavor profile is now bold dark chocolate and musk over spice and cedar while that herbal tea is still hanging on. The sweetness has completed dropped out. The strength is now full in the “Full” arena. I wasn’t expecting such a drastic change in body and strength but I also very much enjoy it. The cigar burned perfectly form start to finish. Never once did I have to reach for my torch to touchup or relight the cigar. The cigar burned very slow. It took me almost 2 hours to smoke it down to the nub and I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and a good amount of nicotine.

Overview:

Every year I look forward to the Las Calaveras release. Not only to remember those we lost, but also, they are usually damn good cigars and the 2024 version is no exception. It’s been one of the more memorable Las Calaveras releases to date. Complex, full body, and full flavor. While it might be a touch more powerful than something a novice cigar smoker would enjoy, us vets love it. I usually grab a box of these to keep on hand and slowly smoke throughout the years and I will absolutely be grabbing more of these.

The post The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2024 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

#10 – My Father Cigars – Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition

While not as power-packed in terms of strength as the original, the Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition is a much more complex and flavor-packed version of the cigar. The delicate mixture of flavors is decadent, and extremely enjoyable while the cigar performed like a star from start to finish. While I normally don’t gripe about costs, this cigar is very pricey and while I loved it, the price keeps it out of contention for something that would fall into my regular rotation. Which it should. This isn’t a cigar for casual smoking. This is a celebratory cigar created to go alongside any of your accomplishments and celebrations and does a great job at doing so.

Read the full review here

#9 – Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer

While the $33 price tag is pretty impressive, so is the performance that the Foundation Cigar Highclere Castle Senetjer put on. The flavors are incredible, in tune with my personal palate, enjoyable, and complex with just the right amount of change-ups to keep me entertained all the way through. The burn-time is a factor here as well as you get a lot of bang for your buck. While these aren’t a cigar that I will keep in my regular rotation mostly due to price, they are a cigar that I will keep around for those days when I have an urge to smoke something extra special.

Read the full review here

#8 – RoMa Craft Tobac Quinquagenario

A big part of a collaborative effort is to make sure each contributor leaves behind their personal mark and that’s exactly the case in the Quinquagenario. While I am used to the deep, rich and bold flavors skip bakes into each one how blends, this cigar has a bit of a finer touch to it which is likely attributed to E.P. Carrilo’s touch. It’s different for sure, but incredibly enjoyable. The flavor profile is refined, yet complex despite being creamy if that makes any sense. It’s a cigar you don’t have to thing about. It’s just good as a great cigar should be. I only have one more of these left, and plan on picking up a few more to keep around as I really enjoyed it and want to make sure they aren’t sold out before I have a chance to get my hands on more.

Read the full review here

#7 – Tatuaje 20th Merveille

The Tatuaje 20th is a damn good cigar. I really, really enjoyed the flavor profile especially the clove which I feel isn’t something I pick up in cigars too often. In fact, this is one of the best flavor profiles I have had in a cigar all year. I smoked a handful of these and each time they got better and better so I am curious how they will age especially considering that they are a regular production line. This is a box worthy purchase for sure and one I can see myself coming back to very, very often.

Read the full review here

#6 – Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2023

I have always been a fan of all the Las Calaveras releases and it’s an annual tradition for me. Both for what the cigar represents and how great they usually are. I am happy to report that this has probably been one of, it not my favorite Las Calaveras blend to date. I feel like I have said that before, and if I have it only shows how great Jon Huber is as coming up with new blends that always evolve. This release is extremely complex with a flavor profile that absolutely fits my personal preference. It burned great for start to finish and still falls in a price that affordable enough to keep quite a few on hand. Its box worthy for sure, while you can still get them.

Read the full review here

#5 – Illusione Singularé Origen

In a single word the Illusione Singularé Origen is GREAT. I can’t really say it fits in with the rest of the Singulare series since this was created to be more of a standalone blend, however I can say that this cigar just feels special. And to me, thats what the Singulare always represented. Solid construction, very enjoyable and complex flavors at an excellent price point. I am also a huge fan of not having to chase down limited edition cigars and hoard them if they are good so extra points awarded there. This is absolutely a box worthy purchase and I can see myself smoking these on repeat for quite some time.

Read the full review here

#4 – Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka

I loved the SakaKhan last year, and could wait for the PapaSaka release this year. I am happy to report that it completely lived up to my personal built-up hype. In fact, I may have even enjoyed this year more. The flavor profile is where this cigar really shines. Subjective, I know, but this is one of those cigars I feel were created for my own personal palate. The profile is extremely enjoyable, not overly complex, and one that I think would also appeal to quite a large amount of smokers who enjoy full-bodied cigars. A big plus here as that the bold flavors didn’t come at the cost of a stronger cigar as the PapaSaka fell comfortable in the lower medium-medium/full arena. The price is on par and likely even a bit lower that I’d expect to pay for an experience like this, however its a pretty limited run and will sell out very quickly.

Read the full review here

#3 – Tatuaje DB Capa Especial

I am a huge fan of anything with Tatuaje’s Capa Especial wrapper and I am glad to see that Pete is putting it into use more. The Tatuaje Capa Especial DB is a hell of a cigar and I feel like it was created for my own personal palate. I love the flavors, the boldness, and the complexity not to mention the long burn time which made me happy to pay $17 per cigar on this one. This is a stick that I am glad I have a few more of as it’s not really available anymore and will not be remade. I’ll save these for special occasions or when I am really craving a unique experience I know I’ll love.

Read the full review here

#2 – Illusione Original Documents Habano

All the hype I built up for myself leading up to The Illusione Original Documents Habano was fulfilled as I not only enjoyed it, but couldn’t stop smoking them right off the truck. The flavor profile is great, well balanced, and complex enough to keep me interested in the blend from start to finish. Not to mention it hit on everything my personal palate looks for in a cigar. The construction was flawless and the cigar burned like a dream from start to finish. This blend is box worthy for sure and something that I can see myself smoke a whole ton of going forward.

Read the full review here

#1 – RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance Volstead VO 1920 Noble Experiment

There aren’t too many brands out there currently that kick out stellar releases one after another like RoMa Craft. I honestly don’t think I have ever come across a RoMa Craft I didn’t just enjoy, but thoroughly enjoy and the Volstead VO 1920 is no exception. The flavor profile is balanced, yet complex enough to keep me entertained. The profile itself marries up really well with my subjective palate as I really enjoyed the flavors. The construction was top-notch and the price is very affordable and the full-production releases will always be easily available. This makes this a perfect, box-worthy cigar that will find its way into my everyday rotation.

Read the full review here

The post Top 10 Cigars of 2023 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Earlier this year Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars announced the release of the “Tatuaje 20th”. Aptly named after the 20th anniversary of the brand, the blend features an Ecuadorian Habano seed wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigar is produced at the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaraguan and comes in two sizes: The Chasseur (6 3/8 x 54) and the Merveille (6 1/8 x 46). Each size comes packaged in boxes of 20 running $13 and $14 per cigar. The cigar is actually a full production line and one of a few different releases that will celebrate the anniversary. I purchased mine over from our good friends at Cuenca Cigars who still have plenty in stock now.

• Size: 6 1/8 x 46
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Seed
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium / Full
• Price: $13

Prelight:

The Tatuaje 20th sports a very dark brown, rustic looking wrapper with darker areas scattered through the cigar’s body. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy with a good amount of oils. It feels very dense and thick while the cigar is packed nicely with only a mild soft spot at the foot. The wrapper is laid over itself perfectly while the wrapper carries some mild veining running from its closed door up to the cigar’s double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a beautiful and elegant black and gold band with the Tatuaje logo and supporting cast embossed in gold and white.

The wrapper on the Tatuaje 20th Anniversary gives off very bold molasses and cedar aromas while the foot of the cigar is much of the same since the foot is closed, however there is a tiny bit of spice and natural tobacco seeping through. The cap cut like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces deep notes of dark chocolate and oat.

First Third:

The Tatuaje 20th starts out with an immediate burst of cayenne pepper which while potent, faded very quickly allowing the cigar to release bold notes of dark chocolate, raisin, and dark cherry over lighter notes of musk, cedar, and a really awesome lavender mixed with earthiness and natural tobacco. As I smoked more a really potent clove flavor came to the surface. And when I say potent, I mean the most potent I have ever had in a cigar. No complaints here though as I am a big clove fan. The draw on this cigar is so perfect. Every, tiny, little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick white smoke which you might as well become friends with as it sticks around for a very long time before dissipating. The burnline started slightly wavy due to the enclosed foot, but quickly corrected itself and is now burning even and sharp leaving behind a flaky trail of white ash which held on for about a half inch before falling on my shirt. This pic was the second ash after that.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Tatuaje 20th and the flavor in this thing is just pouring out. The dark chocolate is still dominant backed by clove and raisin with lighter notes of cedar and floral/earthiness. The retrohale brings out some nice spice and a bit of the pepper I encountered at the start of the cigar. At this point the cigar is burning perectly, the ash is much more compacted and I close out the second third with a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

The cigar really takes off in the final third of the Tatuaje 20th. On top of the bold clove and dark chocolate an awesome cinnamon/nutmeg has creeped in. Backed by raisin and earthiness this has been a hell of a flavor profile. The cigar did go out on my a few times as I was smoking through it, but after I sped up my pace there were no further issues. it took me almost 2 hours to take this slow-burning cigar down tot the nub and I didn’t want to put it down. I experienced no harshness, sap, or extended heat while it left me with only a very mild nicotine kick.

Note: Out of the handful that I smoked these all had the tendency to go out and and be relit often. I mention this here as it’s a relatively fresh to my humidor cigar so it could very well be humidity issues and not cigar issues, however just picking up my pace a bit quicker than normal easily resolved the problem.

Overview:

The Tatuaje 20th is a damn good cigar. I really, really enjoyed the flavor profile especially the clove which I feel isn’t something I pick up in cigars too often. In fact, this is one of the best flavor profiles I have had in a cigar all year. I smoked a handful of these and each time they got better and better so I am curious how they will age especially considering that they are a regular production line. This is a box worthy purchase for sure and one I can see myself coming back to very, very often.

The post Tatuaje 20th Merveille appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Many of us remembered when My Father Cigars stormed into the market releasing the original Don Pepin blend which has stood the test of time. To commemorate 20 years of that debut blend My Father cigars is releasing the Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition. Rolled at the My Father Cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua the 20th Anniversary features a Nicaraguan Habano 2000 wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan filler which includes the rare Pelo de Oro tobacco. The rareness of the tobacco comes from how difficult it is to grow the tobacco without contracting mold which could easy take out masses of crops. The cigar is offered in a single 6 1/2 x 52 format which comes packaged in boxes of 20 with only 5,000 boxes being produces. The US market will see 3,900 of those boxes while 1,100 will be sent to the international markets. The cigar runs $40 a stick or $800 a box. I purchased mine over from our good friends at Cuenca cigars.

• Size: 6 1/2 x 52
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano 2000
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan (including Pelo do Oro)
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $40

Prelight:

The wrapper on the Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition is a very consistent milk-chocolate brown with a neat orange tint to it. The wrapper’s texture is slightly toothy with a large amount of oils coating it. The wrapper feels thick and dense while the cigar is packed perfectly with no soft spots to be found. There are a few small veins in an otherwise smooth wrapper which is laid seamlessly over itself leading up to the cigar’s double-wrapped cap. The cigar features a huge, extravagant gold, blue, and red band that looks very fittingly like a royalty version of the original Don Pepin label. It states “Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary” in the same script that the original used along with the My Father crest on the front, 2003 – 2023, and “Limited Edition”. There is also a blue ribbon foot band which has “DPG 2023” printed in gold ink across the front.

The Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition, wrapper gives off some soft cinnamon over light spice while the foot of the cigar is much more spice and pepper forward with notes of earthiness underneath. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of oak, pepper, and a ton of earthy flavors.

First Third:

The Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition starts out with a subtle blast of black pepper which faded quickly after the first few puffs allowing the cigar to release bold notes of honey, vanilla, and cedar over lighter notes of graham cracker, pecan, and raspberry. But not the raspberry fruit, the fake raspberry tea flavor. Odd connection, I know. The draw is as perfect as the construction. Each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke which dissipates quickly while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is pretty even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted light and dark gray ash white held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition and that raspberry tea flavor has become much more intense and is now leading the charge backed by vanilla, honey, and a nice mixture of oak and spices. It’s a very enjoyable flavor profile and the retrohale adds a bit of body as it brings the spice and pepper to the forefront of the profile. I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine.

Finish:

Wow, the strength in the Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition really ramps up here in the final third. The flavors are now lead by a strong spice that has been mostly tame up until this point backed by vanilla and honey, as well as that raspberry tea with lighter notes of oak and herbs. It took me almost two hours to smoke this bad body down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, nor any extended heat or sap. The cigar did leave me with a little bit of a nicotine kick however.

Overview:

While not as power-packed in terms of strength as the original, the Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition is a much more complex and flavor-packed version of the cigar. The delicate mixture of flavors is decadent, and extremely enjoyable while the cigar performed like a star from start to finish. While I normally don’t gripe about costs, this cigar is very pricey and while I loved it, the price keeps it out of contention for something that would fall into my regular rotation. Which it should. This isn’t a cigar for casual smoking. This is a celebratory cigar created to go alongside any of your accomplishments and celebrations and does a great job at doing so.

The post My Father Cigars – Don Pepin Garcia 20th Anniversary Limited Edition appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

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

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

Manufactured at the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua, this year’s blend features a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. This is only the second time in Las Calaveras history that the blend utilizes a Broadleaf wrapper. The binder and filler are both from Nicaragua. The cigar is offered in four sizes: LC50 (5 x 50), LC52 (6 x 52), LC54 (5 5/8 x 54) and the Belicoso Fino (5 1/2 x 52) which is the first time the Las Calaveras is offered in this format. Each of the first three sizes come in boxes of 24 with 1,500 boxes being released. The Belicoso Fino is only offered as part of a 4ct sampler featuring one of each size, with 3,000 samplers being released. The cigar ranges between $12.95 and $14.95. I purchased mine over from the good guys at Fox Cigar.

• Size: 6 x 52
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $13.95

Prelight:

The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2023 starts out with a beautiful dark brown wrapper. And we are talking about a serious dark brown, almost black in some areas with splotches of lighter brown in others. The wrapper’s texture is extremely toothy and gritty with a small amount of oils coating it. The wrapper feels very, very hard and dense while the cigar as a whole is quite heavy and filled with tobacco. There are a few softer areas around the foot of the cigar, but nothing concerning. The wrapper is laid nicely over itself showcasing some natural veining and webbing in the tobacco leaf as it leads up to a round, double-wrapped cap. As always the blend is polished off with the standard Las Calaveras band with its crest embossed in the front. This year’s color choice is orange. The cigar also carries a gold foot band with the Crowned Heads logo embossed on it.

The wrapper on the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2023 gives off strong raisin and spice aromas while the foot of the cigar is more natural tobacco mixed with pepper. The cap took a bit of effort to cut, likely due to how thick the wrapper leaf is. The cold draw produces notes of raisin, pepper, spice, and earthiness.

First Third:

The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2023 starts out with a nice little black pepper punch which fades immediately after the first few draws allowing the cigar to release huge notes of raisin and black cherry over musky oak, cinnamon, dark chocolate, and a really awesome vanilla bean flavor that sticks around on the aftertaste. The draw is perfect as each puff kicks out a good amount of thick, white smoke which dissipates quickly while the cigar releases only a minor amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is super sharp and dead even leaving behind an absolutely beautiful trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ahstray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2023 and this cigar is just pouring on the flavors. More raising and black cherry which have been a force without fading out backed by dark chocolate, spice, and musky oak. The retrohale interestingly enough brings out a ton of sharp pepper that I don’t really pick up in the standard experience. I close out the second third with no nicotine kick, while the cigar is burning like a dream.

Finish:

The Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2023 finishes just as it starts with loads of raisin and black cherry over musky oak, cinnamon, dark chocolate, and a bit of leather and earthiness. There wasn’t a ton of changeups in this experience and there didn’t need to be. It took me almost two hours to smoke this slow -burning cigar down to the nub. There was no harshness, no extended heat and absolutely no burn issues. The cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish while leaving me with only a light little nicotine kick.

Overview:

I have always been a fan of all the Las Calaveras releases and it’s an annual tradition for me. Both for what the cigar represents and how great they usually are. I am happy to report that this has probably been one of, it not my favorite Las Calaveras blend to date. I feel like I have said that before, and if I have it only shows how great Jon Huber is as coming up with new blends that always evolve. This release is extremely complex with a flavor profile that absolutely fits my personal preference. It burned great for start to finish and still falls in a price that affordable enough to keep quite a few on hand. Its box worthy for sure, while you can still get them.

The post Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2023 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

#10 Cohiba Serie M

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.

Read the full review here

#9 Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Maduro 2022

I have always been a huge fan of Aganorsa Leaf. I feel like each time they kick out a cigar I know what to expect, yet they are constantly raising their own bar. The Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Maduro is a great example of a beautifully blended, complex cigar that doesn’t kick your ass in strength. The flavors are bold, yet not too much to overload your palate. While it’s leaning on the pricier side, I think this cigar delivers enough of an experience to make it a box-worthy purchase and I am really glad they decided to keep this one around as an ongoing full-production line.

Read the full review here

#8 Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Muestra de Saka Bewitched

I think I have smoked most of if not all of the Muestra de Saka releases to date with the exception of the unicorn. I really look forward to these releases as they usually showcase the uniqueness of Saka’s craft. The Bewitched is probably my favorite release in this set so far. The flavor profile is very unique with that amazing fig over great floral / cologne and awesome backing flavors. It smoked perfect from start to finish, and the fact that this is regular production means no hunting. This is box worthy, especially at the 7 count box format and something I’ll keep around when I am craving a break from the norm.

Read the full review here

#7 Black Label Trading Co. Memento Mori

The Memento Mori is a great example of the rich flavors, complexity, and great profile that I have grown to love with Black Label Trading Co. The cigar kept me on my toes from start to finish and delivered in every aspect. These may be sold in out most cases, but I will be chasing a few more down to keep in my rotation when I am craving a more complex cigar that won’t knock me on my ass.

Read the full review here

#6 Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu Blue

 really love the Verocu line and let me just say, the Verocu Blue blows it out of the water. I am a HUGE fan of the Escasos line and what I am learning is just how incredible this wrapper is. It completely changes the entire experience by adding this incredible caramel and honey-forward flavor profile which married up extremely well with the Verocu blend. While these are selling like hotcakes right now I hope that I can add many more to my humidor so that I can get them into my regular rotation.

Read the full review here

#5 My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Anos

The My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Anos makes me remember why I loved the Le Bijou blend so much. While the cigar caries much of the same flavors and experience I feel the 100 Anos version has a bit more oomph to it in both body and strength. The complexities are still there, the flavors are fantastic and really keep me on my toes, and with such a long burn time on this cigar the price point is completely worth it. If you are a fan of the Le Bijou 1922 or any My Father cigars in general then this is totally worth picking up before they are no longer available.

Read the full review here

#4 Black Works Studio Killer Bee Shaolin

The Black Works Studio Killer Bee Shaolin is easily one of the better cigars I smoked all year. The flavor profile is absolutely beautiful, and matches exactly what I look for in a cigar. The complexity was great. The burn was flawless from start to finish even considering the tunnel that popped up about halfway through. It always surprised me how complex the manufacturing of a lot of Black Label cigars are, and how well put together the final product is. My only gripe, as you can guess, is that these are pretty much sold out absolutely everywhere. Happy Hunting.

Read the full review here

#3 Illusione Allegria

I smoked a handful of these and each time I liked it more than the previous. The Illusione Allegria delivers a great, complex flavor profile that really keeps you on your toes. I smoked quite a few One Offs and at times I felt the Allegria was a much better version of that cigar and at other times I felt like it wasn’t even in the same realm as the cigar offers a profile that is quite different especially in terms of complexity and body. At this point, I think the Allegria will keep the One Off out of my rotation for at least the time being and this is a cigar that I enjoyed so much that I can see myself coming back to over and over again.

Read the full review here

#2 Foundation Cigar Co. Olmec Maduro

The Foundation Cigar Co. Olmec Maduro has been on my radar most of the year and not only am I glad to finally get my hands on it, but I am also glad that it lived up to the hype. The cigar delivered in flavor profile, performance, and price. Emphasis on flavor profile here as Nick hit the nail on the head. I have a few of these left and they won’t last long so I will be picking up at least another box to keep these in my regular rotation. Be on the lookout for the Olmec Claro version being reviewed on Casas Fumando very soon.

Read the full review here

#1 Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida SakaKhan

I swear, Saka came out swinging when he released the first Mi Querida line and each release since has eclipsed the previous and if this is any indication of what to expected from the Mi Querida Black then count me in. The SakaKhan carries a unique, flavorful, and extremely enjoyable flavor profile at least by my personal palate’s standards. The gigantic cigar smoked perfectly from start to finish with no issues or extra attention needed. The price point is also pretty affordable considering the quality of the experience as well as how well and long this cigar performed. My only grip is, you guess it, availability since these will be a limited run. I’ll just have to make sure I get my share before they disappear.

Read the full review here

The post Top 10 Cigars of 2022 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Late last year one of the more household cigar manufactures had announced that it would be under new reigns, that company was Quesada cigars who’s portfolio includes the Fonseca brand. The company who was acquiring the rights was none other than My Father cigars. While this caught a lot of us off guard, more than most have been excited to see what changes My Father would bring to an already well-honored cigar company right in history. Fast forward to August 2020 and the newly branded Fonseca by My Father started landing on shelves while die-hard cigar enthusiasts were waiting to gobble them up.

The Fonseca by My Father is blended using a Nicaraguan Shade Grown Corojo 99 Rosado wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The cigar is offered in six sizes: Petit Corona ( 4 1/4 x 40), Robusto (4 1/4 x 52), Cosacos (5 3/8 x 42), Belicosos (5 1/2 x 54), Toro Gorda (6 x 55), and Cedros (6 1/4 x 52). Each offering comes packaged in boxes of 20 running between $7 and $11.20 a stick. Big thanks goes out to my boy Jason for hooking it up with a few of these!

• Size: 5 1/4 x 52
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Shade Grown Corojo 99 Rosada
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $9.50
• Pairing: Civil Society BA King Gary Loves the Coco (Imperial Milk Stout 10% ABV)

Prelight:

The Fonseca by My Father starts out with an extremely consistent milky brown wrapper which shines orange in the sun. The texture on the wrapper is extremely toothy and grainy with a good amount of oils coating the cigar. The wrapper itself feels very thick and very dense while the cigar as a whole is extremely hard and tightly packed. The meaty body showcases some slight veins and a ton of natural tobacco webbing leading up to the cigar’s round double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a VERY “My Father” looking, heavily designed band which showcases the Fonseca crest in the front. Its a bit odd for me, but we’ll get used to it. The cigar also carries a gold ribbon foot band.

The wrapper on the Fonseca by My Father gives off a very sweet mixture of spice and cedar aromas while the foot of the cigar carries a lot of the same spice but a much more earthy makeup. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a ton of spice, cocoa, and musk.

First Third:

The Fonseca by My Father starts out with a nice subtle pepper blast which one lasts through the first puff before releasing a ton of sweet cedar, cinnamon, cocoa, musk, leather and almond. This cigar starts firing right off the bat! Despite being very tightly packed, the draw is absolutely perfect as each tiny puff kicks out a whole ton of thick, white smoke which dissipates rather quickly while the cigar releases a whole mess of stationary smoke while the oils burn off the wrapper while it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is slightly wavy as it leaves behind a decently compacted trail of medium and dark gray ash which held on for an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Fonseca by My Father and the cigar is still firing on all cylinders. The almond, cedar, and chocolate lead the pack backed by light creamed coffee, cinnamon, earthiness, and honey. The retrohale brings out a ton of the sharp spice so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The cigar is burning perfectly at this point and hasn’t required any attention from my torch to either touch-up or relight. I close out the second third with a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Fonseca by My Father and the cedar is now in charge, back by bold notes of cedar and chocolate over light coffee, musk, earthiness and coffee. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I loved every second of it. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and only a very minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

I’ve been on pins and needles awaiting the moment I could get my hands on these cigars. Quesada has been a favorite brand of mine for as long as I can remember, and My Father, I mean, who doesn’t love them? How did it go? Well, in short, it was absolutely amazing. The flavor profile is incredible and right up my alley, the smoking experience was flawless and the price is way below what I feel like I’d be comfortable paying for such a fantastic cigar. This is box worthy for sure, and a strong contender for my top 10 cigars of the year as it sits currently.

Pairing:

King Gary loves the Coco is a Barrel Aged Imperial Stout brewed with Cocoa and Coconut coffee. Coming in at 10% ABV this Florida raised beer leads with heavy cocoa, brown sugar, coconut, black coffee, and vanilla with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing with very toffee-esque flavors over more cocoa and mild coffee with only a very light barrel bite. The choice for this beer was obviously the cocoa and coffee lead flavors in the beer and how well they complimented the cocoa and coffee flavors in the Fonseca while the coconut just added another layer to a already phenomenal experience.

The post Fonseca by My Father Robusto appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

It’s everyone’s favorite Halloween cigar time! Every year Pete Johnson of Tatuaje releases a new Monster cigar which celebrates… well… monsters. Monsters from the past, and from iconic movies:

• 2008 – The Frank
• 2009 – The Drac
• 2010 – The Face
• 2011 – The Wolfman
• 2012 – The Mummy
• 2013 – The JV13
• 2014 – The Jekyll
• 2015 – The Hyde
• 2016 – Krueger
• 2017 – The Michael
• 2018 – The Bride
• 2019 – Chuck and Tiff

This year the focus is on the Tiff from the movie Child’s Play. Breaking some of his traditions, Pete also launched the Chuck this year to pair with the Tiff, but we’ll talk about that one another day. Rolled at the My Father Cigars S.A. factory in Nicaragua the Tiff features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan filler. The Tiff, as do most of the Monster Series cigars, comes in either dress boxes of 13 or standard boxes of 10 running the standard $13 a cigar. I got mine over from our friends at Fox Cigar Bar who still have them in stock with free shipping, no minimum.

• Size: 5 7/8 x 52
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $13
• Pairing: Great Notion Sticky Bund (Imperial Stout 11.25% ABV)

Prelight:

The Tatuaje Tiff Starts out with a beautiful, consistent, buttery brown wrapper. There are a few darker spots scattered throughout the cigar’s wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very smooth, oily and dense as I am careful not to handle the cigar too harshly. The cigar is nicely packed, but very light while I wasn’t able to location any soft spots. There are a few very mild veins running through the cigar’s long, chubby body up to its round double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off by the beautifully simple and elegant white and black Tatuaje band with “Monster” and “Halloween” printed in red on the sides.

The wrapper on the Tatuaje Tiff gives on subtle cedar and tobacco aromas while the foot of the cigar carries more spice and earthy scents. The cap cut like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces some really nice caramel, honey, and earthy flavors.

First Third:

The Tatuaje Tiff starts off with a very mild black pepper punch which really only lasted the first puff or two leaving behind a good amount of bold cedar and honey backed by caramel, earthiness, soft spice and hints of pine. The draw is absolutely perfect as each tiny puff kicks out massive clouds of thick, white smoke which hangs around my porch for a considerable amount of time before fading away. The burn line is slightly wavy, and very sharp leaving behind a trail of lightly compacted medium gray ash which held on for 3/4 of an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Tatuaje Tiff and not a whole lot has changed in the flavor department. The cigar still leads with cedar and caramel backed by honey, soft spice, earthiness and cinnamon. That pine flavor has made it’s exit in the first third. The retrohale really brings out the cedar and I find myself doing it much more often than normal as I am really enjoying the extra complexity it gives to the experience. The burn line is sill slightly wavy but manageable while I close out the second third with nothing in the nicotine department.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Tatuaje Tiff and a really bold pecan flavor has entered the mix and has completely taken over the flavor profile backed by bold cedar and caramel, along with the soft spice, cinnamon, and earth notes. It took me an hour and a half to take this cigar down to the nub and I never once had to reach for my lighter to touchup or relight the cigar. I close out with no harshness, no extended heat, and only a very mild bit of nicotine.

Overview:

I really enjoyed this cigar. The Connecticut shade is a departure from what we have grown to expect from the Monster series, but a welcomed one. While the cigar remained in the medium strength, medium body arena I was really able to pick apart and appreciate all the flavors the cigar had to offer. This cigar delivered, without having to hit you over the head with flavor or strength and makes for a perfect mid-afternoon smoke and one of the better Connecticut shade cigars I have smoked in my recent memory.

Pairing:

Sticky bun in a 11.25% Imperial stout brewed with melted brown sugar, toasted pecans and cinnamon by Great Notion Brewing in Portland Oregon. The beer leads with a whole mess of sweetness. The cinnamon and brown sugar are very present with notes of malt, chocolate, vanilla, and coconut with a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing with more sweetness, vanilla, cinnamon and a whole ton of pecan on the aftertaste which I wouldn’t think you’d be able to pick up as prominent as you do. This is a pastry stout by far, a very sweet and enjoyable one. The cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla really complimented the flavors in the Tatuaje Tiff while the sweetness helped bring the cigar up to a whole new level.

The post Tatuaje Monster Series #12 The Tiff appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

For as long as I have been smoking cigars My Father cigars by the Pepin family have always been the basis of comparison to every Nicaraguan cigar I have smoked. They have continuously produces some of the best, highest quality cigars out. I am particularly a big fan of the standard My Father releases so when word spread of the La Promesa hitting shelves this year, I jumped right on it.

The blend features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and both Nicaraguan binder and fillers grown soles on the Garcia’s own farms in Nicaragua. The My Father Cigars La Promesa is offered in five sizes: Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 48), Lancero (7 1/2 x 38), Petite (4 1/2 x 50), Robusto Grande (5 1/2 x 54), and the Toro (6 x 52). Each format comes packaged in boxes of 20 and run between $7.80 and $10 a stick. I got mine over from our awesome friends at Fox Cigar Bar who have them in stock now and always offer free shipping on all orders, no minimum.

• Size: 6 x 52
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $9.20
• Pairing: The Bruery Icky Thump (Imperial Stout 11% ABV)

Prelight:

The My Fathers Cigar La Promesa starts off with a beautiful medium brown wrapper with a hint of orange. The color is semi-consistent with lots of darker areas splotched along the cigar’s body. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy and coated with a thick layer of oil. The wrapper feels very thick, and dense while the cigar is packed tightly as a whole resulting in a very hard, heavy cigar. The wrapper features some very small veins as the wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself leading up to the cigar’s round double cap. The cigar is polished off with the crazy intricate My Father band design we have all come to love with the addition of a similarly designed secondary band with the “La Promesa” crest in teal, as well as an orange foot ribbon.

The wrapper on the La Promesa gives off great spice, cedar, and natural tobacco aromas while the foot of the cigar is a bit more tame with only a bit of dirt and musk. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces an incredible mixture of musk and cedar with a bit of spice at the end of the taste.

First Third:

The My Father Cigars La Promesa leads with a decent amount of cayenne pepper which left my mouth tinging for sometime before fading back allowing the cigar to release heavy cedar and musk flavors backed by pecan, spice, espresso, and malt. As I continue on an awesome floral flavor has been added to a mixture resulting in an incredible flavor profile. The draw is flawless and each little puff kicks out a good amount of thick white smoke while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke while the cigar rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of white smoke which held on for a little less than an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the My Father La Promesa and the flavors are just pouring on. The musk and cedar still lead the charge backed by cocoa, espresso, and that great floral flavor is still hanging in there. The retrohale brings out a lot of the spice and pepper I experienced at the start of the experience so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The cigar is still burning brilliantly and I close out the second third with only a very minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

The floral and musk have really taken over the flavor profile into the final third of the My Father Cigars La Promesa. I really enjoy this flavor profile as the floral and musk are backed by pecan, cedar, coffee and cocoa. The cigar started off full-bodied and finished full bodied all while barely creeping into the medium-full strength category leaving me with only a mild nicotine kick and that’s hard to do. It took me almost two hours to take this cigar down the nub and I loved every second of it. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and I never had to reach for my torch to touch-up or relight the cigar.

Overview:

This is just another reason why My Father cigars and the Pepin family are held to such a high standard. La Promesa delivered. We’ll start with the flavor profile which, while very subjective, was one of the best profiles I have had in a cigar experience in some time. The burn and construction was flawless, the cigar wasn’t overpowered by strength, and it all came in a nice, affordable package. I don’t think you can want more in a cigar and I look forward to keeping many La Promesa on hand for my regular rotation.

Pairing:

For this weeks pairing I turn to the Bruery who did a collaboration with Mikerphone brewing to bring us Icky Thump. Icky Thump is an 11% Imperial stout brewed with copious amounts of Tugboat coffee. The beer leads with loads of cold-brew coffee, soft chocolate, soft cream, and light vanilla with a very heavy, sticky mouthfeel before finishing with even more coffee and cocoa. This beer is as close as you can get to cold-brew coffee. As I am a huge fan of black iced coffee this really hit the spot and it paired perfectly with the cocoa and heavy coffee flavors found in the La Promesa.

The post My Father Cigars My Promesa appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary, as you would guess, was created to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the brand. The Garcia family is one of the most famed, and coveted cigar manufacturers in the word. The Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary features an all Nicaraguan make-up utilizing a special tobacco called “Pelo de Oro” or Hair of Gold which is a very difficult tobacco to grow as it attracts mold, and bacteria which can quickly decimate whole tobacco crops if not carefully looked after. Each year since 2010 the company has released a Anniversary blend which until this past year, has always come in a single toro format fitted into coffin boxes. While the coffin box remains he same this year the family has added an additional Robusto format to the mix. The cigars come packaged in boxes of 14 running between $20 and $23 a stick. We got ours over from the wonderful Cuenca Cigars. 

Size: 5 3/4 x 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Price: $20
Pairing: The Answer Double Barrel King Molokai (Barleywine 14.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary starts out with an absolutely stunning, dark, milky brown wrapper which is incredibly consistent in color. The wrapper’s texture is mildly toothy with a good amount of oil coating it. The wrapper feels very dense and heavy while the cigar as a whole feels very hard, firm, and tightly compacted. There are a few minor veins scattered throughout the cigar’s body leading towards the round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a dark blue band based on the classic Don Pepin Blue band only much more extravagant. Then of course each cigar comes packaged in it’s own cedar coffin box. 

The wrapper on the Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary unleashes a ton of bold cedar and spice aromas while the foot is more natural with grain, tobacco, and earthiness. The cigar cut like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw features some great spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, earthiness, and tobacco flavors. 

First Third: 

The Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary starts out with a whole mess of sharp black pepper which leaves my tongue and lips tingling. After the first few draws the pepper starts to fade away revealing huge amounts of cedar, espresso and vanilla with notes of earthiness, soft spice, pine, and almond. The draw is fabulous as each little puff kicks out a great amount of thick, white smoke which dissipates very quickly. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted medium-gray ash which held on for an inch before giving way. 

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary and the flavors have still be pouring it on. The cedar and espresso lead the charge backed by vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond, and lots of natural earthiness. The pine flavor I encountered at the start has completely faded away. The retrohale brings back all the sharp pepper I picked up in the first few puffs which is a bit overwhelming so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The burn line is still very sharp, and very even as I close out the second third with a nice mild nicotine kick. 

Finish:

Into the final third of the Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary the flavors are still very bold, and the body is sitting in the full range, but they have started to come together to provide a much more balanced profile. The cedar and vanilla still lead the charge backed by light sweetness, earthiness, espresso, and spice. It took me almost two hours to take this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and the cigar burned like a champ as I never once had to reach for my torch to touchup or relight the cigar. I close out the experience with a decent little nicotine kick.

Overview:

The Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary is a fantastic cigar in every way. The bold profile is complex, while not overpowering. The strength is full, but not ass-kicking. The construction is flawless creating a perfect smoking experience. Sure the price point is high, but this isn’t something I’d smoke everyday. This a perfect celebratory cigar, or one for those perfect moments when you are caving something a bit more extraordinary. 

Pairing:

I had been waiting for a cigar I knew that was bold enough and had enough body to pair up with the Answer’s Double Barrel King Molokai. Brewed in Richmond, VA this 14.5% ABV barleywine is a blend of: Laird’s Apple brandy/Bourbon Barleywine (70% Barleywine/30% Stout) with Kona coffee, Macadamia, Hazelnut, vanilla and toasted coconut. This beer is a thick, chewing thing featuring one of the sweetest profiles I have ever had in a beer. Leading with tons of vanilla, molasses, almond, coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, oat, and malt with an extremely heavy mouthfeel before finishing even sweeter with more vanilla, coconut, coffee, molasses, and malt. As the beer warms more and more of the vanilla and coffee find their way through while the coconut starts to fade out. This is a big, bold beer and the Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary really held it’s own against it. The vanilla, almond, and spices made for a perfect pairing with the flavors in the cigar while the sweetness from the beer helped add another dimension to the experience. 

The post My Father Cigars – Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The My Father The Judge has been one of the most highly touted releases as of late. While it was initially released in 2016 the cigar really didn’t find it’s way into the public hands until last year. The Judge is an extension of the popular My Father line created by Don Pepin Garcia and his son Jaime Garcia. The Judge is advertised as a more full-bodied version of the blend mostly due to the Ecuadorian Sumatra seed wrapper over a Nicaraguan criollo/corojo dual binder and Nicaraguan fillers from 3 different My Father-owned farms. The Judge come in three different box-pressed sizes: Toro Fino: 6 x 52, Grand Robusto: 5 x 60, and Toro: 6 x 56. Each format comes packaged in boxes of 23 running between $11.70 and $12.40 a stick. I got mine over from our good friends at Cuenca Cigars who is having an awesome sampler sale including 10 of Cigar Aficionado’s top cigars of 2017.

Size: 5 x 60
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo/Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Pairing: Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast (Oatment Stout 7.5% ABV)
Price: $12.40

Prelight:

The My Father The Judge starts out with a very consistent, very dark brown wrapper. The wrapper only showcases a few darker areas located around the natural webbing of the tobacco leaf. The texture on the cigar is very firm, and very toothy with a small amount of oils coating the wrapper. The cigar as a whole feels pretty firm, with no soft spots while the wrapper is very thick and dense as it leads up to the cigar’s round, double wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off by the beautiful intricate My Father band we all know, and the addition of a secondary brown band with “The Judge” embossed in gold on the front.

The wrapper on the judge releases some great cedar, leather, and spice aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more natural with an overall dirt aroma. The cap cut like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter.  The cold draw produces a ton of bold spice, deep cedar, and natural tobacco flavors.

First Third:

The My Father The Judge starts out with a hell of a cayenne pepper blast which left my lips and tongue tingling for quite some time. Once the pepper fades out the cigar hits you with bold, deep cedar, plum, black coffee, spice, a bit of tartness, and some bittersweet chocolate. It’s an interesting flavor profile and it’s pretty bold so it’s a bit difficult to pick apart. No complaints there. The draw is incredible. Each little puff kicks out so much thick, white smoke. The box-pressed format makes both the mouth and handfeel extremely comfortable. The burnline is pretty even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted black and dark gray ash which held on for almost an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the My Father The Judge the flavor profile becomes much more focused on the chocolate notes. With chocolate leading the charge the flavors are backed by bold cedar, plum and spice with great notes of honey, natural tobacco, and even some slight notes of orange peel here and there. The retrohale brings all the pepper back to the front of the taste so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The burnline is still pretty solid and I close out the second third with a decent little nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third of the My Father The Judge and the cigar is still pumping out the flavors. The chocolate is still front and center backed by bold spice and cedar along with some light coffee and vanilla. I love the flavor profile in this little beast. It took me an hour and a half to smoke it down to the nub and I experienced no harshness nor extended heat. The burnline was flawless and I never once had to reach for my light to touch up or relight the cigar. The cigar also left me with a memorable little nicotine kick.

Overview:

It’s easy to see the the My Father The Judge received so many accolades this past year. This is an exceptional cigar. I am a huge fan of the My Father line so anything less than exceptional would have pissed me off. Seriously though, it’s bold, its flavorful, it’s strong, it burns like a dream, and the flavors are incredible. My only gripe is it’s a bit pricey, but it’s a price I wouldn’t mind paying when I am craving a next level cigar experience.

Pairing:

Mikkeller’s Beer Geek breakfast is a simple Coffee Infused Oatmeal stout. Coming in at a modest 7.5% ABV the beer leads with some rich dark chocolate, milk, oat, roasted malt, and vanilla with a light mouthfeel before finishing with even more milk chocolate, oat, and a ton of sweetness with a bold vanilla aftertaste. This beer is so smooth and lacks the acidity that I normally expect when it comes to coffee stouts. The flavors mashed seamlessly with the coffee, cocoa, and oat resident in the My Father the Judge. I would also pair this cigar with just about any stout or double bock.

The post My Father The Judge appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Manufactured at My Father Cigars in Esteli, Nicaragua, the La Aroma De Cuba Noblesse features an Ecuadorian wrapper over Nicaraguan internals. The filler tobaccos come from the Esteli, Jalapa, and Namanji regions of Nicaragua. Production of the Noblesse is limited to 3000 24-count boxes in each vitola.

You can purchase the La Aroma De Cuba Noblesse from our good friends at Fox Cigar HERE.

THE FACTS

Price: $13.99
Vitola: Regency
Size: 5 1/2 by 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo and Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

I usually begin my pre-light inspection with the appearance of the cigar, but, as soon as I remove the cellophane, a big aroma of chocolate and butterscotch come across from the wrapper that grabs my attention. The foot is much more subtle with the same chocolate and a natural tobacco sweetness.

An oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper adorns the Noblesse that has a couple of veins that run the length of the cigar that are lighter in color than the rest of the leaf Loaded with bumps that are easily felt with the oils. The triple cap has been neatly applied with its straight lines. After two cuts, the draw is still firm and the chocolate is front and center on the cold draw, followed by rich cedar and potpourri spices.

FIRST THIRD

I am caught off guard with the opening flavors of tart, wet grass, and black coffee. The texture is somewhat fizzy in the mouth and a faint cocoa sweetness is showing through. Black coffee and earth hangout on the finish of the smoke. A nice looking ash is holding well as the cigar burns even.

MIDDLE THIRD

The coffee note has taken center stage and, while there is a subtle sweetness, my palate is longing for more. The smoke production has increased as the draw has opened up just enough to make the smoking experience comfortable. The ash continues to hold well, but is a bit more flaky in appearance. At the close of the second third, the La Aroma De Cuba Noblesse is showing off some of its strength. 

FINAL THIRD

That fizzy texture of the smoke has hung around for the duration of the cigar and is continuing strong along with the dark coffee flavor. The cigar is gaining in richness with a charred wood joining the mix. The charred wood and black pepper come across on the retro-hale and both are rather tame.

WRAP-UP

I have been a huge fan of the La Aroma De Cuba brand for a long time. The packaging has always been spot on and the Noblesse is no different. Maybe even a step up a notch with the classy secondary band and the ribbon foot band. The La Aroma De Cuba Noblesse Regency delivered a dark profile of coffee and, later, charred wood. A subtle sweetness arrived early on, but it wasn’t enough to compete with the other flavors and a little more sweetness may have been what this cigar needed. Also, the thin smoke texture was somewhat out of place. It may have been the firm draw that resulted in the odd smoke texture and other than that the cigar performed well for over an hour. I though for sure I was going to fall in love this cigar from first light to final puff, but that just wasn’t the case. I think I will be grabbing their more wallet friendly cigars over the Noblesse in the future.

GIVEAWAY

Yes, you read that right! We already have another giveaway going on thanks to the good guys at Fox Cigar. This time we are giving away a pair of LFD Andalusian Bull cigars, a Drew Estate Ashtray, Liga Privada Cutter, and Liga Privada Fitted Hat.

You can enter by clicking HERE and using the widget found on the page. Must be 21 and over, and located in the US only. Good luck! Show some love to Fox Cigar by browsing their online store. And if you order up anything, let them know we sent you.

The post La Aroma De Cuba Noblesse Regency + FOX CIGAR GIVEAWAY appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff

Every year since 2011 Tatuaje has produced a TAA exclusive blend. For those who don’t know, TAA stands for Tobacconists Association of America which is a group of retailers across America which is a small group of retailers around the US who meet annually to discuss matters facing the tobacco industry. The Tatuaje TAA 2016 is actually a reappearance of the highly acclaimed 2012 TAA blend and format. Blended at the My Father Cigars S.A. factory in Nicaragua, the blend features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The cigar is offered in one format, a 6.25 x 50 soft box pressed toro which comes packaged in boxes of 20 with a $11.95 price tag. These cigars are very limited, and go fast with only 4,000 boxes produced. I picked mine up form out friends of at 2 Guys Cigars.

Size: 6.25 x 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $11.95
Pairing: Dogfish Head Miles Davis Bitches Brew (Imperial Stout 9.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The Tatuaje TAA 2016 starts out with a very dark brown, almost black wrapper. The color is very consistent and only a few lighter brown areas could be found around the cigar’s cap. The texture is incredibly toothy and rough with very little oils. This cigar seriously feels like it was wrapped in sandpaper. The Tatuaje TAA is very tightly packed and is extremely firm to the touch with absolutely not soft spots. The cigar features a very slight, soft box press format with an extended wrapper which is gently folded over the footer of the cigar. The long body leads up to a double wrapped capped as the cigar is polished off with the standard red, white, blue, black and gold wrapper we’ve seen on all of Tatuaje’s TAA releases.

The wrapper gives off great oak, spice, and natural tobacco aromas while the foot of the cigar is very similar with only a bit more earthiness peeking through the cigar’s wrapper. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar double bladed cutter. The cold draw is very spicy with some black pepper, cinnamon, and cocoa. While the cigar felt really tight to the touch, the draw feels very easy. Lets hope this translates to a great smoking experience.

First Third:

Utilizing the wrapper which was folded over the foot of the cigar resulted in a very easy light for my butane torch. The Tatuaje TAA 2016 starts out with a massive cayenne pepper blast which stuck around for quite some time. As the pepper began to fade notes of cocoa, oak, sweet spice, brown sugar and cinnamon began to make their way through the flavor profile. As expected after the cold draw, the cigar’s draw is flawless and effortless. Each puff pumps out a great deal of thick, white smoke while the cigar gives off a good amount of stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line pretty thick, but dead even leaving behind a consistent trail of tightly compacted light gray ash which held on for a an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Tatuaje TAA 2016 and this flavor profile is incredible. The pepper is gone now and the cigar leads with a nice oak, plum, sweet spice, and cinnamon backed by cocoa and musk. I am really enjoying it. The body is in now in the full range. The retrohale reminds me how much pepper is buried within this cigar. The burn line is still rocking dead even while I am feeling almost nothing in the nicotine department.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Tatuaje TAA 2016 and there has been a significant ramp up in strength. The cigar settled into the medium range through the first two thirds but has jumped into the upper crest of medium/full within this final third. The flavors remain consistent with the second third with a good amount of oak, plum, sweetness, spice, cinnamon, cocoa and musk. There’s a lot going on there but each flavor was easily picked apart. It took me 2 hours to take this cigar down to the nub and I experienced no harshness, and no extended heat. I never once had to touchup or relight the cigar. In fact, it burned very even the entire experience.

Overview:

The Tatuaje TAA 2012 is easily one of the best cigars I smoked all year. It’s complex, yet easy to break down sporting a favor profile that carries a great amount of different flavors. The burn was flawless, the format is incredibly comfortable, the TAA support is awesome, and the price is exactly where one would expect it to be. I’m glad I picked up quite a few of these as this is a cigar I will really miss once they are gone.

Pairing:

Dogfish Head’s Bitches Brew is a rotating release that celebrates the life of the same titled album by Jazz legend Miles Davis. The beer is a 9% ABV Imperial stout brewed with honey and gesho root. Essential it’s a stout/mead mashup. The beer starts off incredible sweet with lots of honey, cocoa, coffee, and a nice floral flavor with a surprisingly light mouthfeel before finishing even sweeter with more honey, apple, and cocoa with a spicy aftertaste. This pairing was perfect. The beer easily complimented the flavors in the Tatuaje TAA 2016 while adding a bit of character of its own. This is another one of those beers that seem like they were created just to pair with cigars. I could also see myself pairing this cigar with a spiced ale, belgian dubbel, or tawny port wine.

The post Tatuaje TAA 2016 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Las Mareas is the newest full-production line released by the Crowned Heads this year at the IPCPR show in Las Vegas. While a very, very limited pre-release run trickled into a very few stores last year, it wasn’t until this year that the line was finalized. Once again the Crowned Heads turn to the My Father factory to create this blend for them. The blend utilizes a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan fillers.

The Cigar Federation site includes this description:

The Crowned Heads, Las Mareas, or “The Tides”, is a unique cigar which was inspired by the surf culture that Jon Huber experienced while in Hawaii. It is a regular production cigar, released at IPCPR 2016 and uses a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper.

It is a Nicaraguan puro made at the My Father Cigar factory. While it is nothing new to be made here, it is the first time Crowned Heads has used a wrapper, binder AND filler, all grown by the Garcias.

Las Mareas comes in 4 sizes, the Tuberia (4.5 x 48), the Rebeldes (5 x 52), The Olas (6.125 x 46), and the Ciclopes (6 x 54) which all come packaged in boxes of 20 ranging between $8.25 and $10.25 a stick. I purchased a handful of these from the boys over at Cigar Federation.

Size: 4.5 x 48
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo 99
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $8.25
Pairing: Deep Ellum Wealth and Taste (10.5% ABV Belgian Golden Ale)

Prelight:

Las Mareas is a cigar that looks like it has had better days. The wrapper is a medium brown with lots of scattered orange, and darker brown splotches. There are a good amount of medium sized veins and lots of natural webbing in the tobacco lead. All in all, it’s a rustic looking thing. The texture is slightly toothy with a good amount of oil. The wrapper is normal density while the cigar is a bit on the softer side especially around the foot of the area. The Las Mareas slender body leads up to a round, double cap that looks a bit loose on quite a few of the cigars I purchased. The cigar is polished off with a great looking black and white band with the “Las Mareas” crest embossed across the front.

The wrapper of the Las Mareas gives off a bit of a salty, cashew aroma while the foot of the cigar carries a good amount of spice, cedar, and natural tobacco scents. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar double bladed cutter despite my hesitation on clipping the cap due to how loose it was applied. No issues there. The cold draw is nice and spicy with some pepper, honey, salt, and natural tobacco flavors.

First Third:

Despite the spice and pepper I picked up during the cold draw, the Las Mareas started out with neither. Instead, I was greeted with some great honey, cedar, leather, and floral flavors with a bit of saltiness left on my lips. The body starts out in the medium range. The draw is perfect. Each little puff releases a great amount of thick, gray smoke which hangs around for quite some time while the cigar itself gives off very little stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burning is even for the most part and razor thin leaving behind a trail of medium/light gray ash which held on for an inch before falling in my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Las Mareas and the flavors have started to ramp up a bit, while staying pretty consistent. The cigar still leads with honey and cedar backed by leather and floral flavors while some interesting apple started to sneak it’s way in. The retrohale is about as easy as it gets while it coats my nasal passage with strong cedar, and even some sweetness that I otherwise don’t really pick up in the smoking experience. The burn line is still even and razor thin while I close out the second third with absolutely no signs of nicotine.

Finish:

The flavors have continued to ramp up into the final third of the Las Mareas as the cigar now sits firmly in the medium/full bodied category. The cedar and honey are still leading the charge and I’m very impressed that the honey is still there. Usually cigars that carry a honey flavor begin to dwindle out very quickly. The backing flavors are still a bit of apple, floral, and leather. I smoked this cigar down until it was burning the tips of my fingers. It took me an hour and a half and I experienced absolutely no harshness or extended heat, nor did I once have to reach for my torch for any extra burn attention.

Overview:

Don’t let the looks of the Las Mareas fool you, this cigar preformed like a dream. Considering this was made by the hands of My Father Cigars, I was caught off guard. I was expecting more spicy, bold flavors while I was pleasantly surprised with something the closely resembles what we would expect from a Cuban cigar experience. The subtle nuances in flavors, slight change ups, with a very enjoyable body made for a wonderful smoke and something I could really see myself smoking very often. It’s a great cigar for those who often smoke Cuban cigars, those who are more experienced cigar smokers looking for a great milder cigar with a great body, or even the novice cigar smoker looking to getting into something premium that one, won’t break the bank and two, won’t kick their ass with strength and body. I’m really glad this is going into the Crowned Head’s full production portfolio as it’s a cigar that I plan on picking up quite often.

Pairing:

Brewed at the Deep Ellum Brewery in Dallas, Texas the Wealth and Taste is a 10.5% Belgian style golden ale aged in American oak barrels, then matures more in French Chardonnay oak barrels, before finishing it’s fermentation with Texas-friendly viognier white wine grapes. That’s a hell of a journey. The beer starts out with a great splash of sweetness, white grape and apple and floral flavors with a soft hop and a light mouthfeel before finishing crisp with more apple and sweetness, floral flavors, slight malt, and a little bit of bitterness. The flavors in the Wealth and Taste married up perfectly with the Las Mareas while adding a bit of sweetness that was absent in the smoke. This pairing was wonderful, and I knew it was going down almost instantly when I smoked my first Las Mareas.

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