Manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua, the New World Cameroon Selection is available in Short Robusto (4 by 48), Robusto (5 1/2 by 54), Toro (6 by 50), Torpedo (6 1/2 by 52), Gordo (6 by 60), and Churchill (7 by 48). The cigar features a Cameroon wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos grown at A.J. Fernandez’s Esteli farm. The cigars come packaged in boxes of 20 and will run you between $5 and $7 a per cigar.

You can purchase New World Cameroon Selection from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $6.50
Vitola: Churchill
Size: 7 by 48
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 50 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The New World Cameroon Selection wears a medium brown wrapper with a greenish hue that has some darker markings, small sugar-like crystals, and small veins running down the leaf. To the touch, the cigar is smooth, velvety, and somewhat spongy as I gently press down the cigar. 

As I bring the wrapper to my nose, I am met with barnyard, vinegar, and coffee. The aroma on the foot is of cardboard and dry wood. The draw is easy showing more of the wood and some light cinnamon with a spice heat being felt on the lips.

FIRST THIRD

The New World Cameroon Selection opens with a rich profile showing off flavors of earth, heavy black pepper, and a vegetal flavor. A sweetness moves into the profile that is tied to the vegetal flavor and continues to intensify as the cigar progresses. I can feel a spice in the back of the throat that lingers for some time between puffs. A light colored ash forms as the cigar burns evenly. 

MIDDLE THIRD

As this latest iteration of the New World progresses, the earth and cocoa become the central flavors. The unique vegetal flavor appears every couple of puffs but seems to be fading out.  An espresso coffee flavor is now on the finish of the smoke, and the earlier black pepper flavor and accompanying spice have calmed. The texture of the smoke is smooth and creamy in the mouth.

FINAL THIRD

Moving into the last third, the sweetness has evolved to a roasted marshmallow and is pairing well with the dark espresso, earth, and cocoa flavors. I am also getting a fat nutty flavor on the backend of the flavors. The New World Cameroon closes out with rich and full flavors. 

WRAP-UP

The original New World has been a go-to cigar for me over the last couple of years. A cigar that I know will deliver and hit the spot when I am not sure what else to reach for. On a recent trip to Florida, I was introduced to the New World Cameroon Selection. And after smoking it, I knew it was a cigar I needed to review. The cigar takes a little time to warm up, but it is an absolute treat once it does. The combination of flavors in the second and final third won me over and held my attention through this nearly two-hour smoke. The performance was right on from start to finish and a price tag under $7 makes this cigar that much sweeter.

The post A.J. Fernandez New World Cameroon Selection appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Life in Olde Penn was anything but pedestrian. Its people worked hard, played fair and stood up for what they believed in. When they met adversity face-to-face, they gave it a wry look and spit in its eye. Pennsylvanians business was building America. They followed their fathers into the coal mines, forged America’s railways in their steel mills, tamed the Great Lakes, and 4,600 cigar factories (more than any other state in the Union), plus myriad Keystone State tobacco farms, satisfied the nation’s appetite for a good smoke.

Suffice it to say, Pennsylvania’s roots run deep, hold fast, and remain strong. And it’s in this unanimous, spirited and determined tradition that Olde Penn cigars were forged with the same grit and determination that’s been coursing through Pennsylvanians veins since 1682.

Manufactured at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Esteli, Nicaragua, Olde Penn is available in five vitolas: Small Corona (4 1/2 by 33), Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 52), Lonsdale (7 by 46), and Gordito (6 by 60). The cigar, running between $6 and $7.50 per single, features a Connecticut seed wrapper grown in Ecuador over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. You can purchase Olde Penn cigars from our good friends over at Famous Smoke Shop HERE.

THE FACTS

Price: $7.25
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 25 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

Olde Penn by Drew Estate wears a golden tan Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. There are mostly small veins to be found on the leaf and a couple of medium sized, stitch-like veins. The light color does little to hide the stretch marks and bumps.

A mild aroma of graham cracker and cardboard is found on the wrapper, while big cinnamon and chocolate notes come across on the foot. There is a void in the filler tobaccos near the band and the foot appears under-filled. A shallow, quick cut through the double cap opens up an easy draw. A cinnamon spice instantly warms my palate followed by cedar.

FIRST THIRD

Out of the gate, Olde Penn starts with solid mediums flavors. That common Connecticut shade bitterness is being contrasted by a natural tobacco sweetness.  Trailing behind these upfront flavors are earth and a generic woodsiness. As the cigar progresses, a sweet fruit flavors joins in. A significant section of the wrapper is struggling to keep up with the rest of the burn as a dark gray, flaky ash forms. But within no time, the burn has self-corrected 

MIDDLE THIRD

The sweetness has evolved to more caramel-like, making the overall profile richer and there is now a nuttiness to the smoke. The sweetness is keeping the bitterness and earthier flavors at bay. There seems to be a hint of cinnamon spice flavor going in the background as the Olde Penn warms my palate nicely.

FINAL THIRD

As I pull into the last third of the Olde Penn Toro, a tear forms in the wrapper as a result of a little too much glue on the band. I can now easily see how thin and delicate this wrapper is. Even with the hole in the wrapper, the cigar is still pumping out smoke and it doesn’t seem to be hindering anything. The central sweetness of the flavors continues to hold strong as a charred wood flavor arrives. The cinnamon spice has departed and the spice at this point is more of the typical black pepper.

WRAP-UP

I have never been a huge fan of Connecticut shade cigars. There are a few out their that get me going, but, overall, they just don’t suit my palate. But when Drew Estate releases a Connecticut shade cigar, I know it is worth a try. I really like the branding and story behind Olde Penn, but more importantly I enjoyed the cigar itself. Olde Penn delivered medium flavors highlighted by a Connecticut shade bitterness and evolving sweetness. This would be a great cigar to pair with a cup of coffee in the morning, but it would also hold its own later in the day on a fresh palate. A couple of construction issues were encountered with the burn and delicate wrapper, but not enough to concern me. There are some great deals on the five-packs over at Famous Smoke Shop and I recommend you grab yourself a couple.

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