-Tony

Back in January, I was perusing Craig Vanderslice’s always entertaining and informative Cigar Craig website, when he posted a short review of a new shop exclusive from Miami retailer Gotham Cigars.  This cigar, made for them by Alec Bradley at Nestor Plasencia’s Esteli, Nicaragua factory, is a Nicaraguan puro, but the amazing thing about it is that they were offering an introductory price of $9.99 for a five pack, including shipping.  Craig seemed to really like this stick, and knowing him and trusting his taste, I wasted no time in jumping on board for a fiver of these cigars.  They arrived within five days, and I proceeded to stick them in my humidor for what I thought would be a decent amount of time.  After a few days, however, they kept calling to me, and being the weak willed SOB that I am, went ahead and lit one up.  What I experienced was quite an enjoyable cigar, and I decided that I would give it a little more time and then put up a review of it.  Well, here it is.

This stick comes in a single robusto size of 5 x 50, and the price of a five pack has since gone up from $9.99 to $19.99, but as of this time, shipping is still free.  Although I’m not sure why they are only being sold in five packs and not bundles, it may be just for the introductory period.  Information on the website is pretty non-specific regarding the blend, and I have been unable to glean any extra insight into it from Gotham, as well as to why a store in Miami carries the moniker for New York City.

The Basics:

Wrapper:  Nicaraguan
Binder:  Nicaraguan
Filler:  Nicaraguan
Size:  Robusto 5 x 50
Price:  $19.99/5 pack
Smoking time:  One hour, ten minutes
Pairing:  New Belgium 1554 Black Lager (ABV 5.6%)

Pre-light:

The Gotham Heroes Alec Bradley comes draped in a medium-dark brown wrapper marked with darker areas, a few small veins, and a smooth, lightly oily feel and sheen.  The tight seams lead to a nicely applied double cap.  It’s well packed with just a bit of springiness and is a little soft at the foot.   I’m not in love with the Halloween-like orange and black color scheme with bright gold Gotham logo on the band, but for the price of the cigar, I’m not going to complain about it, plus all of the bands on the cigars that I have smoked so far have come off without a hitch. The wrapper gives of a sweet/tart earth and barnyard scent, while the foot shows earthy natural tobacco.  An easy and clean clip of the cap provides a good draw showing not much more than natural tobacco on the cold draw, but it does leave a peppery tingle on my tongue and lips, along with a very slight bit of salt.

First third:

The Gotham Heroes Alec Bradley produces a copious amount of medium bodied smoke that carries cedar, earth, and a bit of light coffee.  There is little in the way of pepper on the entry and retrohale, but it can be felt on the tongue in the aftertaste.  The burn has started out somewhat wavy, but it’s pretty breezy and gusty out today, so that might be affecting it.  The coffee soon turns to lightly sweet cocoa, bringing along with it a hint of roasted nut, but the finish is quite short.  The ash which has turned a bit flaky from a couple of minor corrections falls off at an inch.

Middle third:

Maintaining its medium bodied level, the Gotham Heroes Alec Bradley enters its central portion with not much change in flavor, but it has become smoother and a bit sweeter, as well as a little earthier.  There is some tunneling going on, something that I hadn’t experienced with the four that I had smoked prior to this one.

Past the halfway point, the cocoa has backed off and coffee and light nuttiness have again stepped forward to join the earth and wood in the now medium-plus smoke.

Final third:

The last third brings in a nice bit of sweet muskiness to the mix, as I seem to have gotten past the tunnel, although the burn continues to waver.  The coffee notes have fallen back as the cigar has smoked cool down to the final inch, keeping its medium-plus character with virtually no nicotine strength, but with a slight amount of bitterness at the end.

Overview:

First things first, I blame the blustery weather out today for the wildly wavering burn, as the ones I had smoked prior to this one didn’t have such a problem.

I’m always up for a cigar that brings a lot of bang for the buck to the table, and the Gotham Heroes Alec Bradley is a solid smoke with enjoyable flavors, albeit in a package without a whole lot of complexity and transitions.  That should be expected in a four dollar stick, and with the overall good construction, I think this is a cigar that would be a good starting point for novices wanting to dive into the Nicaraguan sector without being overwhelmed by what can sometimes be too much of a good thing.  It would also be a good choice for those looking to save a few bucks on an everyday smoke that they can just relax with and not have to concentrate too much on.  The smoking time would surely have been longer had it not been as windy out as it was, and the corrections I had to make also were likely a factor.  Would I buy more?  Well, yes, I already have.

Pairing:

Our old friend, the 1554 from New Belgium Brewing, finally makes a return appearance after a rather prolonged absence.  Once labeled as the “Enlightened Black Ale”, it is now simply called a black lager, but inside the bottle it remains the same.  Combining a medium mouthfeel with moderate sweetness and roasty chocolate, it is smooth all the way through despite a good amount of carbonation.  As Tony said in the past, it pairs exceptionally well with a great number of darker, maduro type cigars, and that holds true in this case.  It’s easily obtainable and often on sale at a price that’s too good to pass up, making it a great choice to match up with a bargain priced stick like the Gotham Heroes Alec Bradley.

The post Gotham Cigars Heroes Alec Bradley appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

HVC is short for Havana City, the city in which the brand owner Reinier Lorenzo grew up in. Cerro, meaning “Hill” is the neighborhood in which he grew up in. Not only is Lorenzo the owner of HVC but he is also the an employee at Casa Fernandez which explains this joint collaboration between the two. The Cerro is actually the second of three different releases under the HVC name. The first was amply title the “First Selection” and it debuted alongside the Cerro at last year’s IPCPR show in Vegas. Both showcase Nicaraguan tobaccos and carry the famed Aganorsa leaf that are buried in some of my favorite Casa Fernandez blends. The third blend called Vieja Cosecha No.1 is the first blend that doesn’t carry Aganorsa leaf. It made it’s debut last month at this year’s IPCPR show in Vegas. While the First Selection and the Cerro are regular production lines the Vieja Cosecha no.1 will be limited to a 200 box run and should start hitting retailers later this month.

Now, back the Cerro. The Cerro comes in 3 sizes: Corona (4.5 x 46), Robusto (5 x 50), and the Toro (6 x 54). The cigars are packaged in boxes of 20 and range between $7.80 and $8.60 a stick. I actually got these sent to me from HVC as a random contest I won for being their 200^th follower on twitter. I had no idea that I even entered, but big thanks goes out to them for sending these my way. You can follow HVC Cigars on Twitter and on Facebook to keep up with the latest.

Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $8.30
Pairing: New Belgium / 3 Floyds Gratzer (Gratzer Ale 4.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The HVC Cerro is a rustic looking cigar. It all starts with a beautiful, medium brown wrapper with lots of orange and darker brown splotches throughout which really help showcase the natural characteristics in the leaf. There is a bit of webbing, some slight tooth, and a few larger veins running through the body of the cigar. The Cerro is very firm with a few softer spots around the foot of the cigar. The wrapper feels pretty tough but is shockingly dense. The Cerro is capped off with a beautifully round triple cap. The HVC Cerro carries a simple, yet elegant band layout. The first, main band is deep read with the words “HVC” spread across the crest and “Hecho a Mano” (Made by Hand) in the back. The secondary band is the same color red simply stating “Cerro” (Hill) in white with some nice silver trim added.

The wrapper of the HVC Cerro smells of strong cinnamon, spice, and cedar while the foot of the cigar has some strong pepper, spice, and grain aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw on the HVC Cerro actually lead with a strong licorice flavor which was backed by some nice cedar and a bit of spice.

First Smoke:

The HVC Cerro leads with some very strong pepper which took some time to mellow out. Once it did the Cerro showed off some great strong spice with some cinnamon sweetness, some sharp espresso, a deep earthy flavor, and a bit of that licorice I picked up on the cold draw. The draw on the Cerro was impeccable. Each puff kicked out a desired amount of dense smoke. The burnline was a bit whacky during the first third, but it started to correct itself as I head into the second third so I just left it alone. The ash is a medium gray with darker lining which held on for an inch before giving way.

Halfway There:

Moving into the second third of the HVC Cerro the pepper has finally dropped out of the equation. The spice and sweetness are still pretty strong and the licorice and espresso are still there was well. What is commanding the most attention at this point is actually the cedar as it has ramped up immensely and I am loving the way it blends in and dances around with the sweetness and spice. This is something that I often expect with any cigars carrying Aganorsa leaf. The retrohale on the Cerro is a bit too bold for me as it coats my nasal passage with very strong spice and cedar. I don’t find myself retrohaling this cigar too often. The burnline is still a bit wavy but now under control without the use of my butane torch. I close out the second third without feeling anything at all in terms of nicotine.

Finish:

The cedar, spice and cinnamon are dominating the experience in the HVC Cerro and I am loving every minute of it. This is a very full-bodied, bold cigar. The licorice and espresso are still in the mix but the other flavors are really taking control of the flavor profile in the final inch. While the pepper creeps back in a bit, the cigar actually becomes more and more bold as I close into the final inch with a very strong finish, with very little harshness. While the burnline was a bit wild at times I never once had to reach for my torch to relight, or touch up the cigar. It took me a total of an hour and fifteen minutes to take down the Cerro and it left me with only a slight nicotine kick, and a craving for another one.

Overview:

I’ve been a long time fan of both Casa Fernandez and Aganorsa leaf. The two are even better when they are combined together. The HVC Cerro is a great stick, at a great price and the perfect introduction to the HVC blend. While there isn’t much information on this company available, I think this experience does all the talking for them. Full-Bodied with a ton of great flavors wrapper in a medium strength experience. It doesn’t get much better than that. While the brand could use some more recognition I think only great things are in store for HVC and can’t wait to try the other two blends. That is, if I can find them.

On a side note, I decided to give many of these cigars out to some of my friends. Every single person who smoked it enjoyed it (Jeremy and our pal Jeff being among those). The response I got was great and I am glad to hear it since I admired this smoke so much. Do yourself a favor and don’t pass these up if you see them. You will not regret it.

Pairing:

New Belgium is always trying new things when it comes to their Lips of Faith series. This time, they teamed up with the famous 3Floyds brewery to create a style of beer that we don’t see very often. Gratzer, is a 4.5% Polish Gratzer style old ale brewed with Polish Lublin hops. The beer pours black in color with some light sour fruit aromas. The mouthfeel is very light and the first tastes are that of fruit, smoked malt, and raisin as it transitions into a very light, wheaty finish with some very soft spice. The Gratzer reminded me a lot of a thinner Dunkel with a much softer/lighter mouthfeel. The fruit and spice married up perfectly with the licorice and spice the Cerro brought to the table while the smoked malt transitions well with any type of cigar. I think the Cerro would also pair very well with a strong Marzen, a sour, or even a chili beer.

The post HVC Cerro – HVC Cigars appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: La Aurora’s 107 has been a long time coming and I for one, didn’t know if we would ever see the cigar reach final release. The original 107 made it’s debut in 2010 (Check out my review of the Robusto here and Daniel’s review of the Corona here). Shortly after there were mumblings around the cigar community that a 107 Maduro was in the works. About a year later the cigar scene got looks via various social media accounts of the 107 Maduro. Something held up production though and these cigars are just now about to hit the market. This just goes to show the detail in Miami Cigars’ / La Aurora’s process. The cigar took so long to hit the shelves because they were dead-set on how they wanted the blend to turn out and weren’t quite reaching their desired dream. Either way,  we are just glad that this blend has been finalized and will be finding it’s way onto shelves, and into our hands soon. La Aurora 107 Maduro starts out with a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper placed around a Dominican Corojo binder filled with Dominican and Nicaraguan Tobacco. The 107 Maduro was first released in limited quantity last year to TAA members at the TAA convention, but will be released to the public this year at the annual IPCPR show in Las Vegas. The 107 Maduro will come in 4 sizes: Robusto 4.5 x 50, Corona 5.5 x 43, Toro 5.5 x 54, and the Belicoso 6.25 x 52 with a price range about about $6 to $8 depending on the format. Barry from Miami Cigar Company hooked me up with a few samples for review.
Size: 4.5 x 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Dominican Corojo
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: ~$6
Pairing: New Belgium Dig (American Pale Ale 5.6% ABV)

Prelight: The 107 Maduro starts out with a crazy dark wrapper. You can see from some of my photos that it’s almost as dark as the black table I took them on. The wrapper is beautiful sporting an extremely dark drown wrapper with a reddish hint, and some black webbing throughout the leaf. The wrapper feels really tough, and really firm as it leads up to the round double cap. The construction on these samples are flawless and each cigar only showcases one or two small veins. The cigar itself is very firm and seems to be packed very tightly with tobacco. I really enjoy this format. Love them smaller ring gauges.

The wrapper gives off a very sweet chocolate and tobacco aroma with just a hint of spice white the foot has a much more earthy, tobacco aroma with lots of sweetness. The cap cut VERY easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces massive amount of sweetness and chocolate with just a bit of spice at the end.

First Smoke: La Aurora’s 107 Maduro starts off with loads of spice, some light black pepper, crazy amounts of sweetness and chocolate with a nice earthy finish. As the spice began to drop and the pepper began to fade out a really nice cedar began to appear in the profile. I wasn’t expecting such a flavor-bomb so early into this cigar and it definitely caught my by surprise. The 107 Maduro not only kicks out a ton of thick, stationary smoke but it also fills your mouth with so much dense smoke from each and every little draw you take. I was scared that it was packed too tightly and would produce a tight draw, but it’s just the opposite. The burnline is dead even and razor-sharp leaving behind a very thick, tightly compacted white and light grey ash.

Halfway There: A lot of the flavors dropped from La Aurora’s 107 Maduro into the second third while others became stronger. The cedar and chocolate are now the main flavors in the mix with some nice sweetness and earthiness while the spice and pepper have removed themselves from the profile. The experience is starting to balance out more creating a very creamy experience. The retrohale is BANGIN’ coating my nasal passage with a very strong, very sweet cedar and spice. I could retrohale this baby all day! The burnline is still flawless as I close out the second third and I am feeling absolutely no nicotine at this point.

Finish:  La Aurora’s 107 Maduro has kept me on my toes so far with some great change-ups and the final third keeps with the same theme. The cigar is burning straight chocolate now with lots of sweetness and an earthy/cedar finish. The flavors haven’t necessarily changed up, but the depth in the flavors had making for an interesting experience. The strength in the cigar has ramped up slightly, but didn’t finish over medium as I am feeling no nicotine as a nub it. There is no harshness but he cigar is burning a bit hot as I take it into the final inch. This cigar burned pretty slow lasting for about an hour and a half from start to finish. The burn was excellent needing no touch-ups or relights the entire experience.

Overview: I’ll be the first to say that it was worth the wait. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever really see La Aurora’s 107 Maduro out in the wild and I am glad that Miami cigar took it upon themselves to make sure the blend was exactly what they wanted before they released it. It’s a dynamite cigar with a bold, yet creamy experience. I really loved all the sweetness and the sizes this cigar is offered in. I’m a sucker for smaller ring gauges. It’s really hard to compare these to the 107 natural. The two cigars seem to be very different in experience while both delivering very sweet, very smooth experiences. It would be hard for me to pick one between the two as well, but given the 107 Lancero natural was so great I would probably reach for that size/blend first. This would depend on the situation of course cause I think the maduro would stand well after a mean, later in the evening, or during a herf with multiple cigars.

To Sum it up: The 107 Maduro is a great cigar for both the novice and the seasoned cigar smoker. The cigar has great depth, lots of sweetness while not being too strong or complex. I would definitely smoke these again and I would buy these again, and due to the price I think this is an ideal box purchase to have in just about anyone’s everyday rotation.

Pairing: Today I reached for a great summertime/spring seasonal beer that differs from your run of the mill light seasonal. New Belgium’s Dig is a new take on the classic American Pale Ale. Brewed at the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado this Pale Ale is coated with a malty, caramel profile which brings the flavor experience up to a whole new level. Take the malt and caramel, add some sweetness, citrus and hops and you have dig. This zesty, sweet Ale comes in at 5.6% ABV and is the perfect summertime beer. Not only is it perfect for the weather but the balance of the sweetness and flavors makes it a perfect match for almost any sweet cigar. Since it’s not packed with hops it doesn’t easily overpower a cigar. In the case of the 107 Maduro I was actually more concerned with the cigar overpowering the beer but nothing of the sort happened as the flavors blended in perfectly with one another.

The post La Aurora 107 Maduro Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: The Petite Cazadores Reserva was released by Tatuaje in 2010. At that time it filled a much needed gap in Tatuaje’s line; and affordable, short smoke. Since then Pete Johnson of Tatuaje has also released a favorite of mine, the Verocu #5. You can check that review out here. The Petite Cazadores Reserva is an extension to the infamous “Seleccion de Cazador” or “Brown Label” line. It’s based on the same blend but features a beautiful Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper vs. the traditional  Ecuadorian Habano.

As always, Pete worked with the Garcia Family to create this blend. As stated above, the blend features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, and Nicaraguan binders and fillers similar to the Seleccion de Cazador blends. The cigar comes packed in cabinets of 50 and run about $225 a cabinet. They have been out for some time, but I still find it hard to get a hold of these cigars at times. I purchased these recently from Atlantic Cigar. I have always had terrific customer service from these guys and i know Jeremy used them on a purchase from one of his next reviews and had nothing but great things to say about them as well. Awesome prices, and great selection. You can check them out here.

Size: 4 x 40
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $4.50
Pairing: New Belgium Lips of Faith Cascara Quad (Belgian Style Quad 10% ABV)

Prelight: The Tatuaje Petite Cazadores Reserva isn’t much to look at. In fact, this is a pretty ugly looking cigar. But that doesn’t mean it’s due to bad construction. On the contrary, the construction on this cigar is spot-on and that says a lot for a cigar of this size. Must have had a lot of little, nimble fingers rolling these guys up. When I say it’s ugly, it’s mainly the wrapper, it’s character, and the different foot-style on this cigar. The wrapper is very, very toothy and has a very rough texture with a few larger veins. While being very dark in color there are some darker, and some lighter spots as well as a few reddish-brown areas spread throughout the dark brown wrapper. The Petit Cazadores sports un unfinished foot where the tobacco is gently laid over the foot of the cigar adding some extra character to the stick. The cigar is finished off with a little, round, triple cap. The cigar is very light and small but fits very comfortably in your hand. Although it’s small, you don’t have to be afraid to handle it at all as it feels very durable and gives very little as I squeeze it between my fingers.

The wrapper lets loose a very pungent, very strong sweet tobacco aroma while the foot of the cigar matches the sweetness and adds just a little bit of spice. The cap cut clean and easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw boasts of strong tobacco, strong sweetness, berry, and leather.

First Smoke: The cigar is very easily to light up with my butane lighter. Word to the wise, pay close attention to the length of your flame on your lighter. Since this cigar is so small, you might end up burning your eye brows off. The Petit Cazadores starts out with a nice little pepper blast before fading into a much sweeter profile.  The cigar starts with some very sweet tobacco, brown sugar, cherry, and a little bit of leather to finish off. The draw on this little guy is enormous. Each, tiny, little puff kicks out a mouthful of thick smoke. The burnline is dead even and razor sharp which is always a concern of mine with cigars that have closed, or unfinished feet. The ash is bright white, incredibly compact, and held on for almost an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Into the second third of this Petite Cazadores and the flavors haven’t really changed up too much. The pepper at this point is no where to be found while the cigar continues to gradually ramp up in sweetness with the cherry, brown sugar, and leather all remain in the mix. I probably could have done this cigar in two different sections instead of my normal three, but that just wouldn’t be me. I pull out some nice, woody flavors in the retrohale that aren’t very present in the actual experience, but not as much of the sweetness that I had hoped for. I am feeling absolutely no nicotine kick at this point, and I doubt I will be once I finish. The burnline is still dead even, but beware of the ash. Although it looks extremely tight, it’s actually pretty weak due to the small ring gauge. I quickly found this out as I ashed into my lap. I wonder how crappy the finish picture is going to turn out.

Finish: Down to the final third of this Tatuaje Petite Cazadores Reserva and it’s still going strong. It’s crazy how much flavor this little cigar pumps out draw after draw. As mentioned in the previous stage, the sweetness has increased steadily the entire experience making for a wonderful finish while the cherry, leather, and brown sugar are all still present as well as a slight cedar which made it’s way from the retrohale into the mix.  The cigar took about 35 minutes to take down and didn’t require a single touch up or relight. I also didn’t encounter any nicotine kick, harshness, or heat.

Overview: Yeah, I love these cigars, no doubt about it. I ended up purchasing a cabinet of these due to the fact that I had run out of my second cabinet of Verocu 5’s and needed a drive home cigar. While I loved the Verocu 5’s, the Petit Cazadores Reserve makes for a totally different experience. The Verocu is much more full strength, and spicy while the Reserva is much more flavorful, and milder. Most of the time you consider cigars of this size to lack good construction, but I find that these are on par with just about every other cigar coming out of the My Father factory. And the price? Well, these are way lower than what I would pay. But don’t let Pete know that. I don’t know how else to explain the value on this sticks. This cigar is box worthy for sure and will satisfy any seasoned cigar smoker as well as showcase an excellent cigar to those who just picked up the hobby. Another word to the wise concerning the Petit Cazadores Reserva. TAKE YOUR TIME WITH IT. Treat it well, and it will treat you the same. I’ve smoked a ton of these and despite it being a “quick” cigar, the length and ring gauge can produce a little bit of harshness and heated burn if you smoke it took quickly. Taking my time this cigar will usually last between 30 – 45 minutes which is absolutely perfect for me.

Pairing: Cascara is an experimental Belgian Quad style ale brewed over at the New Belgium Brewery in For Collins, Colorado. Coming in at a whopping 10% ABV New Belgium describes this brew the best:

“Local roasters Novo Coffee turned us onto Central America’s Cascara, the fruit or husk the surrounds coffee beans. When dried, it can be made into a tea with hints of cherry and tobacco. Blend that into a Quad fermented with gorgeous malts and Date Sugar for a crazy complex beer to warm your winter nights.”

I know, it’s not winter, but it doesn’t need to be. Just reading that statement makes me crave a cigar and I couldn’t think of a better cigar to pair it with. The Tatuaje Petit Cazadores Reserva already has the sweetness, sugar, and cherry so it blended in perfectly with the cherry, date sugar, and tobacco hints of the Cascara Quad. Seriously, this beer is amazing by itself and pairing it with any respectable, sweet cigar only heightens the experience.

The post Tatuaje – Petite Cazadores Reserva Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: The UF-13 dark is the ninth installment to the Unicos series following the Dirty Rat, Ratzilla, “A”, UF-4, L40, Feral Pig, Papas Fritas and the Velvet Rat. The UF-13 has been floating around the cigar community for a long while now pending it’s final March release. I got the chance to smoke a few while I was at the Drew Estate Factory in Nicaragua last year and could not wait for the release. The main difference is the unique pig tail that sits on top of the UF-13 Dark was not present in any of the samples I smoked, or saw on the internet. Since this tail is so unique Drew Estate did not want any photos shown until the final release to ensure no one would mimic the cap.

Here is what Steve Saka, Drew Estate’s President had to say about the blend:

“T52-4 was the final head to head blend that was competing internally with T52-3 to become the T52 final blend.

T52-4 was exceptional, in fact JD and I both liked it a slight bit better, but we were concerned that it tended to overpower some of the nuances in the liga and that we were sacrificing flavors for strength, so we ultimately decided that the T52-3 would be the final T52 blend.

JD for his own smoking pleasure kept having T52-4s made, but we banded them as JD4 so as to not cause confusion in the factory or with those he shared them with.

After he started handing them out, he decided that he didn’t like putting his personal name on the product, so we started ringing them with MF-4 – it stood for what you think it does.

In the factory we kept tinkering with the T52-4/JD4/MF-4 blend to try to improve it (in our opinion) – goal was to keep the octane, but restore the depth of flavors… so we made a variety of minor liga tweaks and vitola changes to try and get it “perfect”.

The result was the MF-13 – a robusto format. I think the MF-13 is better, not sure where JD stands on this – truth is the difference is so very minor between the two cigars I doubt most folks could even tell there was any difference unless they smoked them side by side… and maybe not even then, but we can tell… or so we tell ourselves.

We started sharing both MF-4s and MF-13s at events and out of our pockets and they started to get some buzz online.

JD came to me one day with a My Father cigar and pointed out that Pepin’s rings have an MF in the center of them. How both of us missed this is kinda crazy since we both smoke a lot of their cigars, but we did. So we decided to change the name to UF out of respect – we take pride in not knowingly copying others, so we rebanded all the MFs as UFs on our own accord.

UF stands for “Unico Fuerte.” So MF-4 = UF-4 and MF-13 = UF-13.

Netiher blend is really in testing per se, both are finalized blends. It just that neither is being produced for retail at this point.”

Hopefully that clears up some confusion. You can actually check out my review of the JD4 here and the MF-13 here. Mind you, the MF-13 blend I smoked actually has a different wrapper on it. The UF-13 Dark carries a slightly tweaked  wrapper containing “high broadleaf mediums”, Hence the name UF-13 Dark.

The UF-13 Dark is composed of a Connecticut Broadleaf (dark mediums) wrapper, Brazillian Mata Fina binder, and Cuban Seed Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. The UF-13 will come packaged in boxes of 12 running $167.40, or $13.95 a stick. These cigars are not limited outside of being released only to Liga Privada authorized retailers. Drew Estate was kind enough to shoot a few samples over to us for review.

Size: 5.5 x 52
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf (dark mediums)
Binder: Brazillian Mata Fina
Filler: Cuban seed Nicaraguan / Honduran
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Price: $13.95
Pairing: New Belgiun Lips of Faith La Folie (7% ABV Sour Brown Ale)

Prelight: The UF-13 Dark starts out just as it’s name suggests, with an extremely dark wrapper. The wrapper is a crazy dark brown, almost black. In fact, it’s pretty much black in some areas surrounding the webbing of the tobacco. The wrapper feels very, very solid as the toothy texture gets pressed between my fingers. The wrapper gives off a nice shine from the subtle oils covering the cigar. The thick body leads up to a round, “Pig Tail” cap. Essentially it’s a triple twisted pig tail similar to the one of the Dirty Rat, only it’s coiled a few times at the foot of the tail before flaring out.

The UF-13 feels really solid. As mentioned above, the wrapper is very thick and dense,  but the cigar itself feels jam-packed with tobacco and almost rock-hard. Let’s hope that doesn’t plug up the draw any. Along with the hardness of the cigar, the stick is also heavy as hell. I could probably use this cigar to prop up a car while I change the oil. The wrapper on the UF-13 Dark lets loose a very strong, sweet, cedar and spice aroma while the foot of the cigar releases some very strong tobacco and pepper aromas. The cold draw was a bit firm, but it kicked out some really nice cedar, strong tobacco, prune and lots of sweetness.

First Smoke: My fear of receiving a plugged cigar immediate diminished as every puff from the start pumped out mouthful, after mouthful of extremely thick smoke. I was expecting a lot more of a pepper greeting from the UF-13 dark, instead it started out with only a slight bit of pepper, but a ton of strong, sweet tobacco, cedar, black cherry, and musk. Right off the bat this cigar is full in flavor and strength. The burnline on the UF-13 is razor sharp and perfectly even. The ash left behind is bright white and very thick and compacted. In Fact, after an inch and a half I decided to finally ash the cigar before it fell into my lap and it took some extra pressure from my ashtray before it finally snapped off.

Halfway There: A word of advice, beware of the retrohale on this cigar. I took a few deep puffs and it left with coughing. The retrohale was very, very, very sharp coating with strong black pepper, sweet cedar, and lots of very strong tobacco. The flavors are still very full with little change ups. Still lots of strong, sweet tobacco, cedar, cherry, and musk with a bit of earthiness starting to creep in. The burnline is still razor sharp and it’s crazy how there is this secondary burnline where you can actually see the oils burning off creating a whole mess of stationary smoke. I don’t know exactly what it is about most Liga Privada blends but the oils are insane as well as the stationary smoke. I am feeling a nice little nicotine kick as I close in on the end of the second third.

Finish: As I venture into the final third of the UF-13 Dark a mysterious creaminess has moved in. Usually with cigars of this strength and body, you encounter a ramp up in both areas. Not in this case. The flavors are still the same with a ramp up in sweetness and lots of cedar with cherry and tobacco undertones, but the have muted a bit making for an incredibly smooth finish. This is probably a good thing cause this cigar is really starting to kick my ass in the nicotine category. All in all it took me almost 2 hours to take this cigar down and it required absolutely no touch ups or relights the entire time.  Perfect burn.

Overview: I am happy to announce that the buzz about the UF-13 dark is all true. The cigar is another masterpiece to be added to an already wonderful portfolio in Drew Estate’s Liga Privada line. The cigar has everything you want, tons of flavor, lots of strength, superior construction, perfect burn, and a decent price tag. Some may say $13+ for a cigar is pricey, but I know from experience that any fan of the Liga Privada line is willing to pay the cost for these cigars, and in this case it is well worth the coin. In comparison to the previously mentioned MF-13, the UF-13 dark’s wrapper has seemed to really bring some deeper sweetness that the MF-13 was lacking which really spoke volumes to my profile. I crave that sweetness and the UF-13 has plenty of it. These are selling out all across the US, but Drew Estate is working frantically to keep them on the shelves. If you see them, pick them up and get as many of them as you can. This is a box worthy purchase for sure.

Pairing: There are certain pairings that look awful on paper, but pair up perfectly once they come together and the UF-13 Dark and New Belgium’s La Folie 2013 is one of those pairings. When you think of the deep, woodsy, sweet flavors of the UF-13 you normally wouldn’t reach for a sour ale, but not doing so is a mistake. New Belgium’s Lips of Faith Series La Folie is a Strong Brown Ale brewed at the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado coming in at 7% ABV. La Folie is an annual release which has been released every year since 2004. I have had the pleasure of enjoying the 2008, 2009, 2010, 11, 12, and now the 13^th. As the name describes, this is a Sour Brown Ale. For those of you who haven’t had the chance to enjoy a sour ale, it’s basically a very tart, yet sweet brew. Especially in the case of the sour browns. The La Folie leads off with lots of tart citrus, sharp zest, and sweet spices. While it’s the exact opposite of the flavors featured in the UF-13 the flavor profile pairs up perfectly without overpowering the cigar. Heck, I don’t think there are much out there that could. The UF-13 Dark would go great with a Belgian Strong Brown Ale, Bruin, or and Indian Brown Ale.

The post Drew Estate – Liga Privada Unicos UF-13 Dark Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: By now, most of you are familiar with My Father’s La Reloba line. The La Reloba line is the Pepin’s line of more reasonable priced cigars. Most of the cigars from the line run between $5.00 and $7.00 while not skimping on the product. From what I know, there have been a total of 4 blends released in the series. Three Nicaraguan Puros: The Sumatra (which Daniel reviewed here), the Habano, the Oscuro, and the non-Nica-Puro Mexico. While the binder and fillers remain true to form with the Nicaraguan-based La Reloba line, Don Pepin through a wrench in wrapper this cigar with a Mexican San Andreas wrapper. Like the other cigars in the La Reloba line, the cigar is released in four different sizes: Corona: 5  x 46 Robusto: 5 x 50 Toro: 6 1/4 x 52 and the Torpedo: 6 1/8 x 52.

 Wrapper: San Andreas Mexican  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  –  Body: Medium

Prelight: The first thing I personally noticed about My Father’s La Reloba Seleccion Mexico is the crazy amount of patches on the wrapper. They didn’t try to hide them either. You can see a few in the picture above, but I counted a total of 4, just on this cigar alone. And I’m not the only one who has noticed them. Although they are ugly, they don’t bother me at all if they don’t effect the experience. We’ll have to wait and see how that pans out. The wrapper itself is absolutely stunning. Extremely dark, consistent, chocolaty brown and incredibly toothy. Seriously, this cigar feels like sandpaper. There seems too be a bit of oil on the wrapper, but it’s much more pronounced as I get towards the cap of this Seleccion Mexico. There are really only a handful of very shallow, very small veins running through the body of the cigar leading up to the round double cap.  The band is identical to all the other cigars in the La Reloba Line. Black band, with gold embossed ink and the “La Reloba” crest. The only difference is the green, white, and red “Seleccion MEXICO” logo underneath it. The green and red portions also carry into the Le Reloba Crest.  The cigar is very thick, very heavy, and hard as a rock. I really hope it isn’t packed too tightly

The wrapper smells just as it looks, straight up chocolate with a bit of mixed in tobacco. The foot of the cigar gives off a really mild pepper and graham aroma. The cap was a pain in the ass to cut on this cigar. Not due to the wrapper, but there was so much tobacco packed so tightly into this thing that it took a lot more effort to clip. The cold draw was crazy tight, but produced a lot of chocolate and oak flavors.

First Smoke: Just as I expected given how tight this My Father La Reloba Seleccion Mexico was packed, the draw was very tight. I’s manageable, but it really takes some effort to get the right amount of smoke in my mouth. The flavors in this cigar were exactly what I was expecting, tons and tons of dark chocolate, a bit of espresso, some nice cashew with a bit of spice over a bit of tobacco. The burnline on this cigar started out really crazy, but started to correct itself as I neared the end of the first third leaving behind a brilliant trail of white, tightly compacted ash which held on for about an inch and a half before giving way.

Halfway There: The chocolate in this Seleccion Mexico has ramped up to a whole new level. The beer is probably helping bring that out. The spice has really started to settle down as the chocolate and espresso ramp up for an overall smooth and creamy experience in the second third. More good news is that the draw has began to open up a bit. It’s still quite tight, but I can live with it. The retrohale is delightful kicking out tons of chocolate and woodsy flavors. The burnline has became slightly wavy again, but I haven’t had to relight or touch up the cigar yet so I am totally ok with that. There was a bit of wrapper cracking, but it really didn’t effect the experience at all. I am feeling absolutely no nicotine at this point.

Finish:  The chocolate and coffee have really taken turns jabbing at each other, but into the final third of this La Reloba Seleccion Mexico, I found the coffee to be much more dominant  while the chocolate simmered down and mixed in with the woodsy, spicy, tobacco flavors. The cigar finished just, absolutely, pleasantly smooth. I was expecting a much bolder, spicier cigar coming from the Pepin family. Even the final inch was just as smooth as the start of the cigar. The nicotine levels may have been low, but the flavor category was off the charts.

Overview: If it wasn’t for the type draw and the patches, I would be giving My Father’s La Reloba Seleccion Mexico a paramount review. The flavors are amazing, the burn was spot on, and the price is right where it should be. This is a very good stick, and I really recommend picking a few up. Despite it’s flaws, I really thing this cigar held it’s own and would make a perfect addition to anyone’s regular rotation. Since there wasn’t a whole lot of strength this cigar is perfect for not only seasoned cigar smokers, but for those new to the game who really want to try a premium cigar without breaking the bank.

Pairing: I hit the nail on the head with this pairing. Not only did it complete the Cinco De Mayo theme, but New Belgium’s Cocoa Mole was the ideal pairing for the strong chocolate, coffee, and spice flavors of the Seleccion Mexico.  Brewed at the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado, this installment of the Lips of Faith Series took beer to a whole new level. Experimenting with Mexican ingredients, New Belgium produced a dark brown, 9% ABV ale with a creamy, chocolaty, spicy “Mole” type character. For those of you who have never had Mole (pronounce Mole-eh) it’s basically a spicy, chocolate type sauce used on various Mexican dishes such as chicken or enchiladas. Sounds weird, but it’s really good. Needless to say this ale was the epitome of a perfect pairing when it matched up almost identically to flavor profile in the La Reloba Seleccion Mexico.

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The Good Stuff: The press release pretty much sums up this blend:

April 10, 2012 (Bonita Springs, Florida) The Rocky Patel Premium Cigar Company announced today the release of The Edge Candela.

The Edge Candela is a medium bodied cigar and the latest addition to The Edge line. The candela wrapper gives the blend a truly unique flavor, consisting of sweet spice and floral tea, ultimately lending a creamy finish.

The wrapper is a Habano Seed Candela, and the binder and fillers are a secret.

Says Rocky Patel of the new Edge Candela, “I blended the Limited Edition Edge Candela for The Edge fans – it still holds the flavor profile that is so beloved by Edge lovers every where, and the wrapper just gives it a distinctively spicy and creamy twist”.

The Edge Candela is available in Toro size (6 x 52) and is sold in boxes of 20. It is a limited edition product with only 1,000 boxes made by the El Paraiso factory in Honduras. The cigar retails for $6.40. Just released, it is now available at all fine retailers.

Located in Bonita Springs, Florida, the Rocky Patel Premium Cigar Company began producing high quality premium cigars in 1995, based on Rocky’s passion for cigars, and his desire to share his unique cigar blends with cigar connoisseurs around the world. Rocky is also very active in raising money for underprivileged children in Honduras, with his RP Foundation. Current Rocky Patel cigar brands include: Decade, Olde World Reserve, Edge, 15th Anniversary, the Vintage Series, Thunder, Xen and “50”. For more information visit their Website at www.RockyPatel.com.

And there you have it! Now let’s get onto the review.

Size: 6×52  –  Wrapper: Habano Seed Candela  –  Binder/Filler: “Secret”

Prelight: The Rocky Patel Edge Candela isn’t a pretty looking cigar, then again, in my opinion Candela seldom is. It looks like a standard  Connecticut cigar had a bad dinner and got sick. Anyways, as far as the construction goes these sticks are spot on. The wrapper starts off with its strange, pea green color. The wrapper is really firm, very toothy, and semi-dry. There really aren’t a lot of oils spread across this thing. Where the Edge Candela lacks in oils it makes up for in veins. They aren’t large at all, and more than likely won’t affect the experience, but there sure are a lot of the them spanning the length of this cigar all the way up to the double cap. The Edge Candela carries the same band as the edge series, manila in color, and draped around the foot of the cigar.

The wrapper, much like you would expect by looking at it, gives off a very natural, very young tobacco scent while the foot pumps out a whole ton of spicy, peppery, strong tobacco aromas. The Edge Candela cut clean and very easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. As expected, the first few puffs off the cold draw are smooth, plentiful, and filled with young and natural tobacco flavors.

First Smoke: Wow, this draw is loose. Hopefully it tightens up a bit as I get further into the cigar. Rocky Patel’s Edge Candela starts out with some very smooth, mild flavors such as sweet tobacco, natural and earth flavors, along side some very mild pepper and spice. Ok, now that I have smoked this thing just a bit more in I need to amend two things that have already changed up. 1) the draw is now pumping out smoke furiously, it’s tightened up and dead on and 2) the pepper started out really mild but really turned it up a bit after getting towards the 1 inch mark. That being said, the burnline is slightly wavy and rather thick while it produces a flaky white, and black ash. The cigar really doesn’t give off much, if any stationary smoke. The ash held on for about in inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Maybe it’s just me, but has anyone else pulled a spearmintyness from this cigar? I seem to get it off and on in the second third of this Edge Candela. Alongside that mint I am still experiences lots of earthy, natural tobacco, lots of sweetness, a bit of gingerbread, and some slight spice as the pepper has complete faded away. The retrohale on this cigar is very interesting, coating my nasal passage with a really sweet spice and citrus. I totally dig it. The burnline is still pretty squirrely, but I haven’t had to touch up, or relight this cigar so I am ok with that. I am not feeling any nicotine at all as I finish off the second third of this cigar.

Finish: Along with a powerful and triumphant return of the pepper, the body in this Rocky Patel Edge Candela is really starting to ramp up as well. Usually when I think Candela, I think boring, and mild. The spice flavors are still lingering while natural tobacco, sweetness, and even some mixed in pine has taken over. All in all this cigar took about 1.5 hours to smoke and I am feeling a mild nicotine kick while the cigar burned a bit wildly but required no touch ups, no relights, and experience no harshness even down to the nub.

Overview: While somewhat mild until the end, much like Illusione and Viaje’s Candela releases the Rocky Patel Edge brings Candela wrapped cigars to a whole new level. While it’s probably not something that I would smoke everyday, for what you get for the price the Rocky Patel Candela is a solid stick. When compared to other Candela wrapped cigars this one is right up there with the big boys. Decently complex, smooth, and flavorful this cigar is perfect for the novice and the seasoned smoker looking for a different type of experience. Let’s not forget the price. The Edge series has always given great bang for the buck and the Candela is just another notch in the series’ belt.

Pairing: Yes, another New Belgium Lips of Faith series. This one is on my “buy a ton” list whenever it gets released every year. It’s their seasonal release of Biere De Mars. Biere De Mars is an almost-farmhouse ale, brewed in March (Mars) each year. It boasts some crazy strong orange, and lemon citrus flavors with modest hops, malt and caramel and some awesome cinnamon aftertastes. At 6.2% ABV this beer is perfect for a spring or summer afternoon. I knew this beer would pair perfectly with the Edge Candela’s already heightened citrus flavors, spice, and mild composure. This cigar would also go great with an IPA, an ale, or a saison.

The post Rocky Patel Edge Candela Toro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

These pre-release samples were graciously sent over from our good friend @terencereilly82. Excitement for a new Quesada blend started forming when @Quesadacigars dropped a bomb of a tweet announcing the first new blend from the MATASA (Manufactura de Tabacos S.A.) factory in the Dominican Republic. This isn’t just your average everyday blend though, this blend has a purpose.

The Good Stuff: Q d’etat is a play on the concept of “coup d’etat”, an attempt to help unite cigar smokers in support of their rights. The concept formed after a retail store in Springfield MO lots it’s right to smoke within it’s own store due to a lack of exemption file. Sadly, this is happening all over the US as cigar smokers and retailers are constantly having to fight for their smoking rights. In total, there will only be 1,000 boxes of the Q d’etat released, in 3 different sizes. The first is the “Molotov” which is obviously based off the Molotov Cocktail fire bomb used by the Fins against the Russians. This size will run $7.95 a stick, will be available in boxes of ten, and the release is set at some point in January. Details on the other two sizes in the line have yet to be released.

This is an interesting concept and can easily be taken the wrong way. The release in no way is created to incite violence, but to inspire cigar smokers and retailers to take action and do their part to protect their rights. In fact, each box will contain a registration form for the Cigar Rights of America. If you are unfamiliar with CRA, then you need to get with it. Check them out and do your part!

Size: 5 x 44/58 /38 –  Wrapper: Dominican  –  Binder/Filler: Dominican

As you can see by the pictures, the Quesada Q d’etat Molotov does in fact, look like a small Molotov. I really can’t wait to set this thing on fire. The cigar starts out with a smaller gauged round (44rg) then quickly expands into a wide bodied cigar (58rg) before a long, slender taper down to about a 38rg before being capped off with a very interesting compressed nub cap which represents the “rag” portion of a Molotov Cocktail. Interesting indeed, this cigar really does look like one. The format is really intriguing and I really can’t wait to light it up and see how well, or how badly it performs. Size aside the Q d’etat Molotov is wrapper in a crazy oily, dark and medium brown wrapper. This cigar is so oily it looks wet. The wrapper is very thick and firm and despite being a crazy size that I can imagine it pretty difficult to roll, the construction is impeccable. No soft spots, no flaws, and only two smaller veins no longer than an inch each. These samples do not have bands, but here is an ide of what the final band will look like:

And here is a sample from the inside of lid of the box:

The wrapper on this Quesada Q d’etat Molotov gives off a really sweet, oaky aroma while the foot of the cigar bears a very spicy and peppery tobacco aroma. The cap cut clean and crazy easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw is a very interesting cashew and tobacco with just enough spice and pepper to east my lips and tongue. The draw is much looser then I initially thought it would be too.

First Smoke: Quesada’s Q d’etat Molotov starts off with a ton of really bold tobacco flavors. Outside to the tobacco I picked up hints of chocolate, spice, some deep strong oaky/cedar flavors, and just enough pepper to leave a slight tingling sensation on my lips. I’m also picking up a slight saltiness from the wrapper. The draw, is perfect. Which was pretty much the main thing I was concerned about due to the cigar’s strange size. It fits very comfortably in the hand as well. The Q D’etat only leaves behind trace amounts of cedar scented stationary smoke while it sits in my ashtray. The burnline is even for the most part with only a few small waves leaving behind a very tightly compacted medium and light grey ash. The ash held on for about an inch before giving way into my lap. That’s right, I screwed that one up. This picture is close enough to the end of the first third to get away with it.

Halfway There: After reaching the bulb in this Q D’etat Molotov, the cigar really started to smooth out. The bold tobacco flavor is now just an afterthought as the dark chocolate, cinnamon, and spice flavors take over. There is a bit of that oakyness still tossed in there as well. The retrohale is a lot spicier than I expected, priming my nasal passage with a very sharp oak and spice. The burnline is still pretty even, and I am already feeling a nice little nicotine buzz from this little cigar.

Finish: Finishing up the final third of this Q D’etat Molotov and it’s still going strong. One thing to note is there is a tiny bit of sap coming from the cap of the cigar. So little I barely noticed it, so it really didn’t impair the experience at all, I just thought it was worth mentioning. On the same note, keep in my this is a pre-release so it may even be slightly young which may explain the sap. This little cigar goes out with a bang as the flavors began to ramp back up as well as the body of the cigar. The main flavor is not this crazy strong oaky/cedar flavor which is still being backed by the spice and cinnamon as well as some natural tobacco. Don’t let the size fool you, this cigar packs quite a bit of a punch, not to mention it burns incredibly slow. It took me about an hour and a half to smoke this little guy down to the nub with no harshness at all. The cigar finishes off really nice, clean and smooth, leaving me with a nice little nicotine buzz.

Overview: This cigar was an interesting one. The format and the blend on the Quesada Q D’etat isn’t something you encounter too often. The size, although strange, really makes for a comfortable and controlled smoke while the bolder, more robust blend suited my tastes perfectly. This isn’t really a cigar for a smoking novice, but I really think the more seasoned smokers will be able to appreciate the hard work, and the complexity of the smoke. The flavors and the change-ups really keep you entertained while the experience as a whole is enjoyable. The price point on these cigars make them a perfect cigar for your everyday rotation. I really can’t wait to try this blend in other formats. Needless to say Quesada has done it again. After last year’s success with the Seleccion Espana, Oktoberfest, and Domus Magnus I really expected great things from the company and couldn’t wait to see how the next blend would turn out. I don’t think the Q D’etat trumps those three blends, but it fits in perfectly with them and I would highly recommend picking these up once they are released. Boxworthy for sure, especially at that price.

Pairing: It almost seems like this beer and this cigar are made for each other. I paired this Q d’etat Molotov with a beer that often shows it’s face around this blog, New Belgium’s 1554. 1554 is a Brussels’s style black ale that fits perfectly into the winter season, but is luckily found year round. Brewed at the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado this 5.6% ABV “enlightened” ale boasts flavors of dark chocolate, malted nuts, and caramel with a smooth creamy finish. Pair it with your next maduro, you won’t regret it.

The post Quesada – Q D’etat Molotov appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: La Herencia is an exclusive brand brought to you by cigar.com/cigarsinternational blended by the one and only A.J. Fernandez. A.J. is a master, and has been on a roll kicking out some of the last few years best cigars. The Dos Capas is a limited edition run and sports the same mold as the standard La Herencia Cubana which is composed from an all Nicaraguan mashup of tobacco grown in the Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa regions. The Cigar is then wrapped in a beautiful Ecuadorian Sumatra (same as the Cubana), only with a twist (pun intended). A.J. decided to have a little bit of fun and barber pole the wrapper with the Ecuadorian Sumatra and a deep, dark, Pennsylvania Broadleaf. These cigars run for $6.50 a cigar.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra/Pennsylvania Broadleaf  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  –   Body: Medium

Prelight: The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is a thick, rustic looking barber-pole style cigar. The wrapper is composed of two wrappers, a dark, brown oily maduro, and a medium brown, and orange oily wrapper twisted parallel around the body of thick cigar. There is only one larger vein running in both the maduro and lighter shade wrapper at around the same area. Despite being a barber pole cigar, its really durable and you can handle it pretty heavily without risking the delicate construction. The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is finished off with a huge, rounded, maduro double cap. The band is similar to most of the other bands in the La Herencia line. Red, brown, gold and white with a huge crest carrying the name “La Herencia Cubana” on the front, and a smoke red lion in the back.

The wrapper of the Dos Capas gives off a great, strong sweet tobacco scent while the foot gives off more of a timid chocolate and earthy aroma. The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas cut clean and easy using my double bladed Colibri Cutter. The cold draw kicked out some nice chocolate and tobacco flavors along with a really neat earthy grain that I wasn’t really expecting.

First Smoke: The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas starts out with just a ton of bittersweet chocolate, and sweet tobacco flavor. There is a bit underlying spice and pepper, but not a whole lot. This cigar tastes like it was dipped in melted Hershey bar. The Aroma from the stationary smoke compliments the chocolate, and tobaccos tastes perfectly. The draw is perfect, again filling my mouth with just enough thick, white smoke after only two puffs. The burnline is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a trail of solid white and light grey ash. It will be interesting to see how well the burnline does as I get further into the cigar due to the crazy wrapper this cigar has. The ash held on for about an inch and a half before toppling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: The chocolate is still by far the dominant flavor. There is a bit more spice starting to creep its way in as well as a little cedar, and even honey. This is a sweet cigar through and through. The retrohale even produces an excellent chocolate priming with a ton of cedar mixed in there. The burnline is still perfect despite me thinking that the burn would start to go haywire at some point. The cigar is so smooth, and mild that I am feeling absolutely no nicotine even after the second third.

Finish: Even though this La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is giving out some neat favors, it’s starting to lose my attention into the final third. It’s got some awesome flavors, chocolate, cedar, and spice, but nothing that really stands out nor are there any considerable changeups from the second third into the last. It’s a smooth, mild cigar. There is no nicotine kick, and absolutely no harshness into the final inch. The cigar took about an hour and a half to take down, and burned flawlessly with no touch ups or relights required.

Overview: This La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is a great cigar. Well balanced, smooth, and sweet. It was just a little too smooth for my liking. This would be an excellent cigar for someone who is just starting out, or even a perfect morning smoke. I’d just stay away from it if you want a more robust, and complex experience. It’s definitely worth having around, but I wouldn’t run out and buy a box or anything.

Pairing: Since we are due for some snow in out chilly El Paso desert, I decided to pair this La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas with a New Belgium Snow Day. Snow day is an experimental Winter Warmer style ale brewed at the New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. A year or so ago, the brew masters at New Belgium became snowed into the brewery. They did exactly what any good brew master would do, brew some beer! They created an experiment. Basically they hopped the hell out of a winter warmer ale and created an interesting Pale Ale style winter brew. That’s right. Interesting enough the beer comes in at 6.2% ABV and carries a very hoppy taste similar to most pale ales, but threw in some awesome spice, cinnamon, malt, and orange to give it this special winter twang. It made for a great pairing, but the entire time I smoked the cigar I kept telling myself “Man, this thing would go perfect with some black coffee”. Try it for yourself.

The post La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

This cigar is one stirring up lots of talk on the twitter boards as of late, as it is the brain child of one of the #CGARClan’s very own Skip Martin, in combination with Mike over at Adrian’s Cigar. Everyone pretty much within the twitter cigar community knows of both of these guys, and thier superior knowledge in all things tobacco related. Knowing this, combined with Skip’s distinct full bodied blends of choice, i knew we were in for a nice little treat way before hearing any type of reviews.

The Good Stuff: The CroMagnon line, from what I know, isn’t fully available yet. And when it is, I believe the only place to get it will be direction from @CroMagnonCigar, or from the Hava Cigar Shop (which is an online store that Skip runs ever since the hurricane blasted through his B&M). I picked up the first run sampler pack from Skip a few weeks ago that he calls the “Taxonomy”, and really enjoyed smoking through the entire line. Skip made mention that the first sampler packs were intended for his disposal, but he was so happy with the blend that he couldn’t wait to get these cigars in the hands of BOTL and SOTL everywhere.  The entire selection will have nice “Cro Magnon” themed names and will come in five sizes: The Knuckle Dragger (4 x 52), the Anthroplogy (5.74 x 46), the Mandible (5 x 60 at first release but will be 4.5 x 60 going forward) , the EMH a.k.a the Early Modern Human (5 x 56), and the Cranium (6 x 54) and will run you around six to eight bucks a stick. Today, I decided to review the Knuckle Dragger. You can purchase any of the Cromagnon line direct for Havacigarshop.com.

Size: 4 x 52  –  Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf  – Binder: Cameroon  –  Filler: Nicaraguan  –  Body: Full

Prelight: The CroMagnon Knuckle Dragger is one ridiculously oily cigar. In fact, this has to be one of oiliest cigars I have ever hand. Just handling the cigar leaves a silky layer of oil on my fingertips. The CroMagnon sports a very hefty, thick, very dark almost bittersweet chocolate brown wrapper. There are patches of darker spots throughout the leaf that covers the body of the cigar. The construction is impeccable. The body of the cigar shows only very small, smooth veins leading up to a nice, rounded,  double cap. It’s worth the note that some of the cigars I received in my sampler pack from Adrian’s actually had triple caps. This Knuckle dragger may have a partially covered up one. I’m not sure if they will be double, or triple, but hopefully Skip will read this and shed some light. The cigar is really firm to the touch, and the wrapper feels very durable.

The CroMagnon gives off a hell of a lot of pungent, sweet tobacco scent with hints of cedar and even a bit of bready dough scent coming from the foot of the cigar. The cap clipped very easily using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw released by the CroMagnon Knuckle Dragger starts off with just a wisp of pepper backed by a ton of sweet tobacco, and some mixed in earthy flavors.

First Smoke: The CroMagnon kicks out a ton of thick smoke, be ready for it! The first couple of draws surprised me with a nice little pepper punch that was nothing more than a memory after about 5 minutes of smoking. After the pepper faded out I was welcomed to a very sweet tobacco flavor with some very woodsy undertones. I can’t really place it, but it’s not cedar. Something more rich and deep with accents of dark chocolate. As I stated before the draw is very thick, and very easy, you may not want to hit this too many times each draw. The smoke produced is very thick, and very pungent. Although the CroMagnon doesn’t give off a lot of stationary smoke, the draw is enough to annoy the hell out of any non-smoker that may be sitting around you. The ash left behind from the perfectly even burline is a very tightly compacted white with light grey and held on for about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Probably due to the Cameroon, there is this very nice floral flavor being added to the flavor mix into the second third of the CroMagnon Knuckle Dragger. Outside of the floral addition the flavors are still rocking hard with the woodsy and chocolate flavors. There is also a little bit of slight fruit mixed in. This cigar really packs the flavor. The burnline is still dead-on and I’m really not feeling too much strength off this cigar. Sure there is some there, but after so many people made such a big deal about the power this cigar pushes through, I have yet to see it. This also goes along with something I have touched on before. Not all cigars effect everyone the same when it comes to the body of the blend. There has been some more medium cigars that I thought were ass-kicking and just as well there has been some stronger cigars that I thought were less than impressive in the strength category. Cigar smoking is purely subjective from any angle you look at it. I’m just simply stating my personal opinions.

Finish: The CroMagnon Knuckle Dragger, and every vitola I have smoked, has really taken a long time to get through. These things burn incredibly slow, which usually leads to harshness into the final third. Surprisingly enough the cigar has actually mellowed out a bit into the final third. The flavors are still holding true, but the cigar has gotten much easier to smoke. The dominant flavors are the woodsy and tobacco flavors backed up by soft hints of chocolate, some coffee hints, and even notes of the pepper making a brief re-appearance. The body is still there as well, but it really isn’t anything concerning. All in all the small stature of the Knuckle Dragger took a little over an hour to smoke.

Overview: One thing I liked about this cigar was the marketing. It was a nice little “CroMagnon” theme and each of the names for the vitolas matched up. Along with the theme Skip and Adrian’s took a very social media heavy approach to getting the word out focusing strongly as Twitter. But, they didn’t hype this cigar up at all. Instead, they let the community know it was out there, gave them the first peeks, and then let Twitter speak for the cigar itself. From what I have gathered, the outcome has been very positive. It’s not about how much you can hype up your blend, its how well the cigar community views it. They will tell you if it’s worth your hard work, and in this case they have. I for one, really enjoyed this cigar. I would have been one of the first people to tell you otherwise too. I know Skip well, and he’s the type that wouldn’t let anything less than stellar hit the market and it shows. The CroMagnon is a perfect full-body, full-flavor cigar that won’t knock you on your ass. At least it didn’t for me. Would I purchase it again, oh I will. Is it box worthy? For sure.

Pairing: I decided to pair this CroMagnon with an all time favorite, and my all time go-to beer New Belgium’s 1554. 1554 is a traditional Brussel’s style black ale brewed by the New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado with an ABV% of 5.6. I smoked a bunch of these CroMagnon’s and each time I kept thinking to myself how awesome they would go with some 1554. The tart fruity flavors, with the chocolate malt and caramel undertones really married up to the similar flavors I pulled out of this CroMagnon. This cigar would also pair great with just about any stout, some black coffee, sweet tea, and even your favorite port.

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The Good Stuff: The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial is the second cigar blended by the legendary Don Pepin Garcia’s son, Jaime Garcia (My Father being the first). The Reserva Especial is a blend consisting of two different Nicaraguan tobaccos. One grown by the Pepin family, the other grown by the well known Oliva Tobacco Company wrapped in my personal favorite wrapper, the Connecticut broadleaf.

The size I am doing a review of is the toro. You can easily order these from the great team over at Bonita Smokeshop, along with just about any other Pepin product.

Size: 6 x 54 – Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf – Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan – Body: Medium/Full

Prelight: The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial is a toothy little beast. The cigar is wrapped with a beautifully, very dark chocalatey brown. The wrapper gleams from the massive amount of oils from the foot, all the way to the rounded off, triple wrapped cap. The Reserva Especial is firm to the touch near the head of the cigar, but quite softer then most cigars movie down to the foot. There aren’t any real soft spots, but the softness of this cigar almost worries me. It does have a good weight to it though. There is only one, very small vein on the underside of the cigar. The band stays true to form with most of the my father cigars we see coming out of that factory. Its an off-white with a full brown, gold, and blue crest stating “Jaime Garcia” and “Reserva Especial”. The underside of the band simply states “My Father Cigars”. The wrapper gives off a very sweet, chocolate and mocha type aroma where as the foot of this cigar has a more pronounced oat and tobacco scent with cocoa undertones. The cigar was clipped with ease by my Cuban Crafters Perfecto double blade cutter. The cold draw was very firm with rich tobacco, cocoa, and lots spice.

First Smoke: As I have come to expect from most cigars produced in the My Father factory the Reserva Especial starts off with a boom of spice and pepper. This initial hit pairs seamlessly with the sharp spice of the New Belgium Biere De Mars that I have decided to pair this cigar with. Once the pepper begins to wear off, subtle notes of cocoa and coffee become present over stronger notes of sweet tobacco, leather, and wood. The burnline is razor sharp but has developed a bit of a wave pattern early into the cigar. The draw is very loose, and produces a very thick, cedar scented cloud of smoke. The Reserva Especial gives off little to no stationary smoke, and what little bit of smoke that does is escape is pleasantly scented with a strong cedar aroma as well. The ash is a very light grey and very tightly packed in most places. The ash held tight for about an inch and a half before falling.

Halfway There: The pepper introduction to this cigar was just that, and is not longer present. The dominating flavor is by far the woodsy, grassy flavor that began as just an afterthought in the first third backed by the sweet tobacco, and a strong, almost espresso coffee. There retrohale on this cigar is to die for. Almost pure cedar, and in credibly smooth. I’m impressed thus far with how just perfectly smooth this cigar is. The burnline did a heck of a job fixing itself, and has burned perfectly and still razor sharp all the way through the second third. Up until this point I still have yet to feel any signs of nicotine.

Finish: What a smooth finish, and I can’t stress that enough. This cigar is definitely @KightRid acceptable with no signs what so ever of nicotine. The Reserva Especial finished off very clean and smooth with the dominant flavor still being wood and grass, backed up by cocoa and lots of strong coffee notes. The burn went a little wavy into the final third, but cleaned itself up and there was no need for any types of relights or touch ups. The pepper did make a slight come back deep within the last inch or so, but it was more of just a reminder of how this cigar started out. All in all it took only about an hour and a half to take down this Toro sized cigar.

Overview: Overall I was VERY impressed with this cigar. I am a Pepin love through and through and this cigar didn’t fail in any way shape or form. The woodsy, sweet, soft cocoa and coffee flavors preformed brilliantly with one another. Near perfect burn, medium body, and great aftertaste. And with the affordable price point? You really couldn’t ask for me. Perfect for a beginner cigar smoker, and everyday cigar for the aficionado, This cigar will be in my regular rotation from this point forward. Box worth by far.

Pairing: The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial was paired with one of my favorites, New Belgium’s Lips of Faith Series Biere De Mars. New Belgium has a knack for coming up with some of the best traditional brews, and as of late some of the better non traditional. They save these brews for the Lips of Faith collection. Very sought after, and VERY hard to come by these brews are more expensive to produce, and require a more skillful team making them so rare. The Biere de Mars I drank was picked up on my latest trip to Denver Colorado. I ventured north to the New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins and picked up a few beers to take back with me.

Biere De Mars is a Celestial collision of orange – hued ale, citrusy lemon verbena, and unidentified flying brettanomyces.

I don’t know exactly what that means, but its good stuff. 6.2% citrus, bready, spicy beer. It was just an absolute perfect match for this cigar. I would recommend something of the sort for pairing, or even a hefty stout, iced tea or apple juice. Something citrusy, and sweet.

New Belgium - Lips of Faith - Biere De Mars - Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial

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This just catches me as odd, and makes Gurkha cigars seem more like a novelty than a cigar brand to me. But lately, I have heard quite a few people in the cigar community speak freely, openly, and honestly about how great some of the Gurkha lines are. Not to mention my local shop owner boasts about a certain Gurkha that blew his socks off. Naturally, I gave in and I am here today to review (my first) Gurkha, The Shaggy madura toro.

Gurkha Shaggy Maduro

 The Gurkha family is amongst the leaders if not the leading company when it comes to Dominican Republic cigar manufacturing. It has been said that the Gurkha family’s main goal is to produce the finest vintage cigars in the world. They take every step in each and every cigar that comes out of the factory very seriously and the shaggy is no exception.

The Good Stuff: The Gurkha shaggy isn’t the newest cigar to hit the streets. In fact, It has been out roughly 3 years already. The Shaggy is packed with a 6 year aged Dominican binder and filler wrapped with an 8 year aged Connecticut wrapper. The amount of work that goes into each one of these cigars alone is enough to grab my attention.

Size: Toro 6×50  –  Wrapper:  Connecticut Maduro   Filler/Binder: Dominican  Strength: Medium

Gurkha Shaggy Maduro

Prelight: The Gurkha shaggy is a pretty interesting cigar. First of all, the obvious. The Gurkha Shaggy has long filler tobacco literally sticking out almost an inch passed the foot of the wrapper, hence where the shaggy got it’s name from. The wrapper on the shaggy is a deep brown, and varies greatly in color. The wrapper on the shaggy looks almost like the brown, orange mesh-up on a calico colored cat, not to mention it is a lot lighter than the maduros I am used to. This isn’t a bad thing though. Many manufacturers are using synthetic dye to actually darken the shade and consistency of their wrappers. The Gurkha shaggy boasts just the opposite. The wrapper was very firm to the touch, and extremely veiny. It will be interesting to see how the burn line plays out amongst the shaggy foot and veiny texture. There are no soft spots, but there are two glue spots on the wrapper. One is a dab of excess glue that expanded passed the secondary band and spilled out onto the wrapper. The second looks almost as though the person handling the cigar had gotten glue on one of their fingers and used my cigar to wipe it off (I’ll post a picture of this further into the review). The shaggy is capped off with a very rounded double-cap. The band on the shaggy is far surpassed exceptional. This was something that has always drew me to Gurkhas. Although I haven’t purchased any, the packaging and brilliant wrappers make any Gurkha cigar stand alone next to any other cigar on the shelf.

This cigar was cut using my Palio double-bladed guillotine cutter and had absolutely no problems, or cracking during the cutting process. The wrapper smelled softly of cinnamon and ginger with a strong tobacco presence where as the foot carried the same tobacco scent along with very leathery aromas. The cold draw was very natural tobacco tasting, with hints of ginger, and leather.

Gurkha Shaggy Maduro

First Smoke: As expected with most shaggy-foot cigars, I had absolutely no problem getting the Gurkha shaggy lit under my single flame butane torch. The draw was wild and extremely loose at first, but I am expecting that to change once the burnline hits the wrapper. The first flavor right off the bat is spice. Spice, spice, spice. Luckily, after a few hard draws the pepper had winded down considerably leaving behind an amazing mixture of gingerbread, raw coffee, leather, and cedar. After burning into the wrapper the draw, as expected, tightened up quite a bit. The shaggy was still producing large amounts of thick smoke on the draw, while giving off little, to no stationary smoke. The smoke itself smelled pretty pleasant. That of earthy/woodsy aromas with a kick of spice. I was able to burn right through the glue spot in the following picture without any complications in the burn-line or changes in flavor:

Gurkha Shaggy Maduro with fingerprint shaped dab of glue

The burnline was very thin with slight waves. That’s expected when lighting up a shaggy footed cigar. The ashed produced in the shaggy area was a dark grey and very flaky while the ash in the wrapped area was a brilliant greyish white and extremely well packed. I got about two inches of ash before it gave way.

Gurkha Shaggy Maduro

Halfway There: Around the halfway mark the flavors began to smoothen out. The ginger and spice was still there, but had flatted with the leather taste. The pepper was no longer present, and the cedar was the most dominant flavor in the bunch. It also seems as thought I was pulling off a very slight citrus aftertaste, but that may have just been the beer I had paired the shaggy with. There was almost no signs of nicotine. This is one smooth and creamy cigar. The burn line had gotten just a little bit out of hand, but a quick touch up fixed that and it was back to normal. The shaggy is burning a lot quicker than most cigars I have had lately, but that may be due to the extremely well aged tobacco used to create it, and in no way dampened the overall smoking experience. 

Gurkha Shaggy Maduro

Finish: One of the only things that have irked me so far about the shaggy is the massive bands it, alongside most other Gurkhas carry. I guess it’s a double edged blade between the massive amount of detail and significance they carry, and the amount of glue used to hold them on. The bands were both too tight to slide off, and carried much more glue that I had hoped for. As stated before some of the glue actually leaked out onto the wrapper of the cigar itself. But honestly, if band problems are the worst of my problems then this cigar has some great potential. The finishing flavors were much like the second half, gingerbread, leather and cedar. The pepper did make a brief re-appearance shortly before getting to the nub. One surprise was the smooth finish. There was no build up of harshness when reaching the end of this smoke, and that is not something I’m used to. Another good note, is the fact that I had no further issues with the burnline at all.

Gurkha Shaggy Maduro

Overview:The Gurkha Shaggy surprised me in many different ways. From the superb construction to the extremely pleasant taste. Needless to say my mind has been changed. I’m not full sold on Gurkha yet, but if my future experiences mimic even half of the enjoyment I have encountered while smoking this cigar, consider me a fan.

I would recommend this cigar to absolutely anyone. Enthusiasts will be able to appreciate the perfect construction and complex flavor profile. Novices will appreciate the smooth, creamy experience with the almost non-existent aftertaste. And non-smokers won’t be annoyed with you smoking one around them.

The value of this cigar is about average. I believe these were marked somewhere in the $7 – $8 range. Very affordable.

Gurkha Shaggy Maduro

This Gurkha shaggy was paired with a New Belgium 1554 Brussel’s style black ale.

Gurkha Shaggy Maduro and New Belgium 1554

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