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:

Originally released in 2015 the L’Atelier Côte d’Or immediately gained attention by featuring the rare Pelo de Oro tobacco which is grown exclusively on the Garcia family tobacco farms in Nicaragua. The tobacco is extremely difficult to grown, very easily gets damaged, and yields very little usable tobacco which makes it so scarce. The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19. Is a new 6 x 50 format which was showcased at this year’s PCA convention. The blend features an Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua which feature the Pelo de Oro tobacco. Manufactured at the My Father factory in Nicaragua, this version comes packaged in boxes of 10 and runs $18 per cigar.

• Size: 6 x 50
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $18

Prelight:

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 Starts out with a very dark, inconsistent wrapper with areas of orangish-brown, dark brown, and lighter brown spots. The wrapper’s texture if very toothy and grittier with a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper is laid over itself properly with only mild separation. There are a few medium sized veins running through the cigar’s body leading up to the the cigar’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is finished with the gold and mantilla band we have come to expect with the L’Atelier Côte d’Or brand as well as an added white foot ribbon.

The wrapper on the L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 gives off some nice chocolate aroma while the foot of the cigar is way more earthy with spice and barnyard. The cap cut clean and easily. The cold draw produces notes of cocoa, natural tobacco and strong woodsy flavors.

First Third:

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 starts out with a whole ton of cayenne pepper that I wasn’t expecting which lasted for quite a few of the first few puffs before settling down and allowing the cigar to release some really strong cedar and dark chocolate flavors and mix in perfectly with some light vanilla, toffee, and soft spice on the finish. The draw is as perfect as it gets as it releases a ton of smoke with every dray which hangs out for quite some time before dissipating while the cigar releases a good amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The soft-box press is extremely comfortable both in mount and hand. The burn line is sharp, but slightly wavy as it leads behind a trail of flaky, white ash which held on for a little over three quarters an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

This L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 Is just kicking out all the flavor! There is a ton of dark chocolate and cedar leading the charge backed by notes of black cherry, toffee, vanilla and spice over a great earthiness and musk. I am really into this flavor profile. The retrohale really brings out the cherry and I find myself going back to it often. The burn line is still slightly wavy, but hasn’t needed any additional attention from my torch yet. I close out the second third with only very little in terms of a nicotine kick.

Finish:

The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 finished much more strong and more bold. The cedar is dominating now with the dark chocolate and black cherry taking the backing spot with still tons of toffee and spice underneath ear with a very earthy and musky finish. The L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 took a little over an hour and a half to smoke, and I took it down to the very nub. There was no harshness, no extra heat, and no sap. I also closed out with a surprisingly low amount of nicotine. I never once had to touch up, or relight the cigar even with the burn line being a bit wavy.

Overview:

To say the L’Atelier Côte d’Or ‘19 is a good cigar is an understatement. Hell, to say that it’s a great cigar is still an understatement. The blend has always been fantastic and the toro format is phenomenal. From start to finish the complex flavors were bold and enjoyable. Outside of some slight waves the cigar burned perfectly from start to finish. The price, while is a bit on the high end, is expected for a cigar that utilizes such rare tobacco. There really isn’t anything to fault here. This cigar can easily make its way into the top cigars I’ve smoked all year.

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The Good Stuff:

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Fabrica Oveja Negra, Black Label Trading Co.’s factory in Nicargua, the company is releasing the Eletto, or “Chosen One”. This limited edition cigar is blended with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. The Eletto will come in three sizes: The Corona Gorda (5 2/4 x 46), The Short Robusto (4 1/2 x 52), and the toro (6 x 50). Each comes packaged in boxes of 20 running between $12.40 and $13.90 with only 400 boxes of the Corona Gorda being produced, and only 800 boxes of the Short Robusto and Toro.

• Size: 4 1/2 x 46
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $12.90

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co. Eletto starts out with a very deep, dark brown wrapper that is very rustic looking as the cigar is scattered with darker spots throughout its body with a nice red gleam when the light hits it. The wrapper feels very thick and dense with a ton of tooth and grit covering it along with a nice, thick layer of oils. There are some larger veins running through the cigar’s body adding to the rustic looking character as it leads up to the cigar’s round, pigtail finished cap. The cigar is polished off with a classic white and black band featuring the “Eletto” crest on the front in an almost black-metal band style typeface.

The wrapper on the Black Label Trading Co. Eletto gives off little aroma, mostly musk and tobacco while the foot of the cigar is very sweet and earthy. The cap cut clean using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of and musk, earthiness and sweetness over a little black licorice.

First Half:

I was expecting the Eletto to start off with a huge pepper punch, but it didn’t. Instead I am greeting with an awesome mixture of deep wood, musk, and leather over loads of sweetness, brown sugar and caramel with a nice black licorice bite along with some spice on the finish. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick white smoke while the cigar releases a whole mess of stationary smoke while the oils burn off the wrapper as it sits in my ashtray. The burn line is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted, dark gray ash which held on for about 3/4 of an inch before giving way.

Second Half:

Into the second third of the Black Label Trading Co. Eletto I am starting to really pick up some of that pepper I expected at the start. Along with the pepper comes a full bodied spice and retrohaling the cigar only increases both the pepper and spice. As I peel back the flavor layers I still find a great sweetness, caramel, and leather, however the licorice has now turned into an awesome dark berry. The flavor profile in this cigar is intense, and complex and I am love every minute of it. I close out with a decent little nicotine kick. There was no sap, no heat, and absolutely no burn issues. It took me about an hour to take this cigar down to the nub.

Overview:

I always enter every Black Label Trading Co. cigar with high expectations. The fact that this is an anniversary blend made me hype it up in my mind even more. I am pleased to say, I was not let down. The Eletto is a bold, complex, and full-flavored powerhouse of flavors that has a nice, balanced strength profile that won’t leave you on your ass. The profile fit my personal tastes very well and the cigar burned perfectly from start to finish. What more could you want? Oh, more cigars. It’s a limited edition run so I need to make sure I grab more while I still can.

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The Good Stuff:

San Andres is the newest offering from Powstanie cigars, and the 4th addition to their regular production portfolio. Like the others, San Andres is produced at the Tobacos de Nico Sueno factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. The blend features a Mexican San Andres wrapper over Ecuadorian Habano binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The cigar is offered in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Perfecto (5 x 50), Belicoso (5 1/2 x 54), and Toro (6 x 52). Each comes packaged in boxes of 21 and will run between $14 and $16 per cigar.

• Size: 5 x 50
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium / Full
• Price: $14

Prelight:

The Powstaine San Andres starts out with a very dark brown wrapper with lighter areas of brown scattered throughout the entire cigar. The wrapper’s texture is very gritty and toothy as well as very oily. The wrapper is thick and hard to the touch while the cigar as a whole is packed nicely and has a good weight to it. There are no soft spots to be found. The wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself while the cigar show only a few minor veins running through the body of the cigar leading up to it’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a black and red Powstanie band and an additional band with the words “San Andres” embossed on the front.

The Powstanie San Andres’ wrapper gives off aromas of musk and oak while the foot of the cigar is more earthy with natural tobacco scents and pepper. The cap cut clean and easily. The cold draw produces notes of dark chocolate over natural tobacco and musk.

First Third:

The Powstanie San Andres starts out with a burst of black pepper that lasted through the first few puffs before fading away allowing the cigar to release bold notes of dark chocolate and musk with an awesome spice and sweetness under it and faint flavors of vanilla and cinnamon on the finish. The draw is perfect. Each puff gives out a ton of thick, white smoke that hangs around forever while the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a beautifully compacted trail of white ash that held on for an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Powstanie San Andres the cigar is still putting out the flavors. The dark chocolate owns the road backed by strong pecan and musk over vanilla, coffee, and spice with that subtle sweetness still hanging on. The retrohale adds a bit of a peppery component that I don’t otherwise pick up during the experience. The cigar is still burning like a dream and I close out the second third with only a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

The final third of the Powstanie San Andres is much creamier and balanced. While that sounds like a good thing on paper, I actually liked the separation of flavors I got throughout the rest of the experience, but still doesn’t take away from how great this cigar is. The flavors are now a mixture of dark chocolate and coffee with lighter musk, spice and vanilla mixed in. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and no sap. I never once had to reach for my torch to touch up or relight the cigar and closed out with only a minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

Damn, just damn. This is a fantastic cigar. I am a fan of San Andres when it’s done right and this Powstanie was done right! The bold flavors and tartness from the San Andres was balanced out perfectly with a sweeter, spicer mix of tobacco which made for a perfect profile. The cigar burned like a champ from start to finish. And lets just add that is is a normal production and affordable cigar making it an easy box purchase and something I will absolutely keep in my humidor and regular rotation.

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The Good Stuff:

The Black Label Trading Co. Super Deluxe was originally released in three sizes back in 2020. This limited edition run sold out quickly and instantly became Black Label’s most requested cigar in history states Jame Brown the brand’s co-owner. Fast forward to 2025 and the Super Deluxe is poised to make its triumphant return. Produced at the company’s Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, the blend features the same blend: A Mexican San Andres Maduro Wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder and filters from Nicaragua. The new release features one of the original formats (Petite Corona: 4 1/2 x 48) as well as two new formats (Robusto: 5 x 50 and Toro: 6 x 50). Each cigar comes in a soft-box press format packaged in boxes of 20 which range between $11 and $13 per cigar with only 750 boxes of each format being released. Huge thanks to the Black Label team for sending some of these our way for review.

• Size: 4 1/2 x 48
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $11

Prelight:

The Black Label Super Deluxe starts out with a very, very dark brown, almost black wrapper that’s perfectly consistent in color from top to bottom. The wrapper’s texture if slightly toothy and very oily. The wrapper is very thick and very dense while the cigar as a whole is packed tightly and has a bit more weight than you’d expect for such a small cigar. There is only one minor vein running through the cigar’s tiny, box pressed body leading up to its round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with a black and silver band with the Super Deluxe logo embossed in the front.

The wrapper on the Super Deluxe gives off bold tobacco and spice aromas while the foot of the cigar screams tobacco musk and oak. The cold draw produces notes of sweet wood, musk, and earthiness.

First Half:

Because of the cigar’s smaller stature I will be reviewing this in to parts instead of my normal three. The Super Deluxe starts out with a blast of sweet oak backed by raisin/plum, musk, cinnamon and some underlying spice and pepper. There is also a little taste under there that I can only describe as “root beer”. It’s a fantastic flavor profile right off the bat. The draw is absolutely perfect! Each tiny puff kicks out a massive cloud of thick, gray smoke which really sticks around for a a good amount of time while the cigar releases a ton of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a tightly compacted trail of white ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Half:

The further I get through the Super Deluxe the more the blackberry and raisin flavors come out along with loads of bold, sweet woodsy flavors over lighter notes of spice and musk. This is a killer profile. The retrohale brings forward some really sharp spice and I honestly like how subtle the spice is so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish. I did have to smoke at a bit higher pace as the cigar wanted to go out at the start, but the change in pace smoothed things out. It took me a little over an hour to smoke the Super Deluxe down to the nub and Ioved every second of it. No sap, no harshness and no extended heat. I close out the cigar with nothing other than a min or nicotine kick.

Overview:

The Black Label Super Deluxe was in high demand, and for good reason. This has been one of my more favorite releases from the company and I am happy that it’s back even in its limited capacity. The flavor profile is just….welll.. perfect and really fits my personal taste. The format is also incredible. I love petite corona and soft boxpress cigars. It’s very affordable and let’s face it, the only drawback is that these will insta-sellout. So grab them while you can!

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The Good Stuff:

Tatuaje and My Father cigars have been working together for 20 years. To celebrate this partnership the two created four very special releases. There are two separate humidors being released. The Black Humidor which features a blend by Pete Johnson of Tatuaje and Jaime Garcia of My Father Cigars was released earlier this year with the second set, the Red Humidor being released in 2025. Narrowing it down a bit further today we are focusing on the cigar from the Black Humidor created by Pete Johnson of Tatuaje. The La Union for My Father features a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper over Nicaraguan binders and fillers. The cigar comes in a single 7 1/4 x 50 format. The La Union comes packaged in boxes of 40, 20 of each cigar which runs $2,400 per box, or $60 per cigar. I purchased mine over from our friends at Cuenca Cigars.

• Size: 7 1/4 x 50
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo 99
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $60

Prelight:

The La Union by Tatuaje for My Father starts out with a very consistent yellow-tinted light brown wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is very smooth with lots of oils coating it. The wrapper feels a bit thin and brittle while the rest of the cigar feels very hard, very dense, and very tightly compacted. There are a few very minor veins running through the cigar’s long body leading from the cigar’s covered foot up to the double-wrapped cap. The cigar features a very extravagant, very complex, very large band with gold, peach, brown and black which carries the “La Union” crest as well as Tatuaje and My Father’s logos. There is a secondary band which dictates “For My Father” which distinguishes the two cigars as well as an additional peach ribbon on the bottom.

The wrapper on the La Union by Tatuaje for My Father gives off mostly cashew and honey aromas while the foot of the cigar is very earthy with a lightly creamed coffee note that really stands out. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw is very earthy and nutty with just a bit of a tart coffee aftertaste.

First Third:

The La Union by Tatuaje for My Father Starts out with with a surprisingly potent black pepper punch which really sticks around for a while. After the pepper begins the fade the cigar releases a ton of earthy flavors over caramel and cashew with lighter notes of creamed coffee and a cedar finish. Despite the cigar being packed so tightly the draw is flawless as it releases huge amounts of thick, gray smoke with each and every puff. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white and light gray ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

The body really starts to ramp up in the second third of the La Union by Tatuaje for My Father. The cedar and earthy flavors are still dominating backed by cashew, espresso, and oat with a soft spice on the finish. The retorhale brings a ton of the spice to the front and I don’t find myself doing it too often. I’m almost an hour in and barely finishing out this second third which left me with a decent nicotine kick already.

Finish:

Into the final third of the La Union by Tatuaje for My Father and the flavors haven’t changed up too much. Mostly led by cedar, cashew, and earthiness backed by espresso, pine, and a bit of saltiness mixed with nut and spicy aftertaste. This is a big cigar, and took me a little more than two hours to take down to the nub. I experienced no heat, nor sap, however there was a bit of wrapper breakages around the cap that didn’t interfere with the experience in anyway. This could likely be due to the weather we are having and how wet to dry my lips became during this smoke. I did close out with a decent nicotine kick, however that evolved over time since this was such an extended smoking experience.

Overview:

The La Union by Tatuaje for My Father Is a special cigar and warrants a special occasion. While my special occasion is being alive, the cigar still delivered an exceptional experience. The flavor profile was great, and to honest something a bit different than you’d expect from Tatuaje. Instead, it seemed like this was a cigar that Pete Johnson blended specifically for a My Father profile which is EXACTLY how it’s presented. The price is steep, and I don’t expect to keep these on hand. But if I am looking for a cigar to celebrate with friends, or any special occasion this will absolutely be a contender.

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The Good Stuff:

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust doesn’t release a ton of cigars each year. Instead, founder Steve Saka, spends his time meticulously blending, then reblending, then reblending each release until they pass his inspection. This year, one of those releases is a blend update to the Umbagog, the Umbagog Bronzeback. Named after Umbagog Lake State Park, a favorite fishing spot of Saka’s, the Bronzeback features a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers just like the original release, and even carries a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper like the original. However, instead of the Medium/#1 Dark broadleaf, The Bronzeback utilizes a 2LS. Saka states that the 2LS comes from between the 1/3 and 1/2 of the tobacco stalk which is right beneath the mediums. He went on to note that this particular section of leaves produces a less-sweet, more peppery experience for the cigar smoker. The cigar is offered in a single 5 x 48 Rothschild format which comes packaged in soft packs of 10 running $9.75 per cigar. Huge thanks to Steve Saka and his team for sending these out way for review.

• Size: 5 x 48
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $9.75

Prelight:

The Umbagog Bronzeback starts off with a very rich, dark brown wrapper which is covered in darker splotches scattered throughout. The wrapper’s texture is very gritty and toothy with only a small amount of oil coating it. There are some larger veins running through the cigar’s body, but nothing too concerning. There are no soft spots to be found and the cigar feels packed perfectly with a little give in it. The cigar is rounded off with a double-wrapped cap and a green and bronze version of the Umbagog band.

the wrapper gives off notes of cedar and natural tobacco while the foot of the cigar is more earthy with a bit of spice and sweetness. The cap cut clean and easily on the Umbagog Bronzeback. The cold draw produces notes of oak, tobacco, and some natural sweetness.

First Third:

The Umbagog Bronzeback starts off with a small black pepper blast that quickly turns into a more herbal spice mixed with lots of woodsy/cedar notes over musk, bitter chocolate, pecan and earthiness. I am a bit surprised that the sweetness that I picked up on the cold draw isn’t coming through as the flavor profile is relatively dry at this point. The draw is great as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick white smoke which dissipates almost immediately while the cigar releases only a small amount of smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is incredibly even and razor sharp. This is a “burnline enthusiasts” dream. The ash left behind is incredibly tightly compacted and white in color. It held on for a little under an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Umbagog Bronzeback and the flavor profile still remains an awesome mixture of very dry flavors. The woodsy/musk flavors lead the charge backed by pecan, dark chocolate, and a nice earthiness. The flavors haven’t really changed up any, and I’m totally fine with that. The retrohale really brings out the pepper that I don’t get much in the standard experience at this point. I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine and the cigar has been burning like a dream.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Umbagog Bronzeback and the flavor profile still hasn’t really changed up much. And again, that’s totally ok. The wood and musky flavors along with the pecan dominate the profile backed by dark chocolate and earthiness. It’s not the more complex profile, and it doesn’t need to be. This is one of those great examples of a cigar that just delivers without having to hit you in the face with complexity. It took me about an hour and a half to smoke it down to the nub. There was no harshness, no extended heat, and it burned perfectly from start to finish. I close out with nothing really in terms of nicotine.

Overview:

I really enjoyed the original Umbagog, and it was a cigar that I found myself going back to quite often. It’s funny how something so simple as using tobacco leaves a few inches apart can transform a blend. While most of the flavors I enjoyed from the original release are still there, the Bronzeback offers a more drying offering with more focus on the subtleness of the flavors. Which did I like more? That’s personal preference. While both are killer I found that the sweetness from the OG suits my palate just a bit better, however the Bronzeback will absolutely find a home in my humidor on those days where I am craving something with less sweetness.

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The Good Stuff:

Back in 2017 Dion Giolito, founder of Illusione cigars acquired the rights to a cigar which original debut in the early 2000’s, the one off. Since then Illusione has created multiple formats and off-shoots of the brand, added the Allegria, and has now added its third extension to the OneOff brand the OneOff Black. The details on the blend is scarce, however we do know that its created at Aganorsa factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, and that is uses a special tobacco grown in Nicaragua that hasn’t been grown in the country in recent years. The OneOff Black comes in a single 5 x 52 format, packaged in boxes of 10 with only 1,000 boxes being released. The extremely limited cigar runs $16 per cigar. I purchased mine over from the good people at Small Batch Cigar.

• Size: 5 x 52
• Wrapper: Undisclosed
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $16

Prelight:

The Illusione OneOff Black starts out with a gorgeously consistent medium brown wrapper. The color is incredibly consistent throughout the entire body of the cigar. The cigar’s texture is slightly toothy and extremely oily. The wrapper feels decently dense while the cigar as a whole feels like it’s packed well with no soft spots to be found. The wrapper is laid flawlessly over itself as there are only a few smaller veins leading from the cigar’s foot up to its round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with the standard Peach sign emblem we find on all the OneOff cigars, however this one is black instead of the standard orange.

The wrapper on the Illusione OneOff Black gives off mostly woodsy/musky aromas while the foot of the cigar smells very sweet and spicy. The cap cut clean using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of oat and grain over natural tobacco.

First Smoke:

The Illusiones OneOff black starts out with a small cayenne pepper punch which faded quickly allowing the cigar to release a ton of really bold dark chocolate over very musky/woodsy flavors with lighter notes of honey, pecan, and a natural/grainy aftertaste. The draw is so perfect. Each tiny puff kicks out huge clouds of thick white smoke which dissipate quickly while the cigar release a decent amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted medium-gray ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the seance third of the Illusione OneOff Black and the flavor profile remains similar. The dark chocolate is leading the charge backed by the musky/wood flavors over honey and pecan however there is a bit more sweetness in the finish that is coming through similar to a plum-type flavor. The retrohale brings out a little spice that I don’t really pickup otherwise. About halfway through the cigar the spice actually powered through the flavor profile and is now a dominant flavor which is wild considering that I never picked it up until about halfway through. I close out the second third with nothing in terms of nicotine.

Finish:

The final third of the Illusione OneOff Black is where this cigar really shines. The dark chocolate and spice rule the flavor profile now backed by prune, raspberry, and musky woods, over honey and pecan. What a truly great flavor profile. It took me about an hour and a half to take this cigar down to the nub. I smoked quickly too, but this cigar does burn slower than most. I experienced no hardness, no extended heat, and never once had to reach for my torch to touchup or relight the cigar. I close out with only a minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

The Illusione OneOff Black has such a unique flavor profile I dont think I have ever smoked a cigar with this much dark chocolate. Outside of that the changeups were wild which made for a complex experience with surprises around every corner. I also thing the changing of the profile isn’t very subtle which means that it won’t take a seasoned cigar smoker to pick up, and enjoy the experience. The price is a bit up there, but still makes for an affordable cigar. Keep in mind it’s using a pretty rare tobacco which I’d imagine isn’t cheap to grow. Get them while you can, cause at only 1,000 boxes being produces, these will sell out fast.

The post Illusione OneOff Black appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

The Macanudo Emissary Espana is composed using tobaccos from five different countries which includes a Havana-seed grown near the town of Riolobos, Spain. This region’s rocky, mountainous soil is perfect for growing certain tobacco that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. This particular tobacco is known for its intensity and complexity. The complete make up of the cigars tarts with a USA grown Connecticut Broadleaf, Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Columbia, and of course Spain. The Macanudo Emissary Espana is offered in 4 sizes: Perfect (6 x 40/54), The Churchill (7 x 48), The Robusto (5 x 52), and the Toro (6 x 52). Each comes packaged in boxes of 16 and runs between $14.99 and $17.99 per cigar.

• Size: 5 x 54
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Colombian, Spain
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium:
• Price: $14.99

Prelight:

The Macanudo Emissary Espana starts out with a very, very dark brown wrapper thats incredibly consistent in color. The wrapper’s texture is gritty and toothy with a small amount of oils coating it. The wrapper itself feels very dense and hard while the cigar as a whole is very heavy and tightly compacted as I find no soft-spots at all. There are a few smaller veins that lead up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with a gold and dark blue wrapper with the Macanudo crest and the word “Emissary” printed along the bottom. There is also the addition of an awesome teal and gold foot band with the word “Espana” embossed across the front.

The wrapper on the Macanudo Emissary Espana gives off a bit of tart sweetness over some woodsiness while the foot of the cigar is very woodsy and very earthy with some strong pepper at the end. The wrapper cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a very musky mixture of oak, moss, earthiness, and dark berry notes.

First Third:

The Macanudo Emissary Espana starts out with a tiny little black pepper punch which only lasted a puff or two. After that the cigar releases some great notes of musky wood, raisin and black cherry over notes of pecan, black tea, and just a dash of sweetness. The draw is slightly tight, but manageable. After a few puffs the cigar releases a good amount of thick white smoke which dissipates almost instantly while the cigar releases no stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

The flavor profile in the Macanudo Emissary Espana has remained mostly the same. lots of musky wood over raisin and black cherry mixed with lighter notes of pecan, vanilla and black tea. There is also a great little floral flavor that pops in and out of the mix. The retrohale really brings out the black cherry and sweetness. The cigar is now drawing perfectly and smoothy while burning flawlessly. I close out the second third with only a minor nicotine kick.

Finish:

Into the final third and nothing has really changed up in terms of flavor, and thats ok as I am really enjoying this profile. The Macanudo Emissary Espana still leads with mostly musky, woodsy, raisin and black cherry notes over pecan and vanilla. The black tea has dropped out by now. The cigar burned very slowly and it took almost an hour and forty five minutes to take down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat and it left me with only a very minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

The Macanudo Emissary Espana is a perfect example of utilizing rare tobacco to make an exception product. The flavor profile is where this cigar really shines. Not only are the flavor complex and bold, but they are extremely enjoyable, at least as far as my personal palate goes. The cigar burned great from start to finish outside of the small hiccup with the draw at the start. I smoked 3 of these and only experienced it on this one which gets a pass considering this is a handmade product. This is a cigar I would definitely like to keep a few on deck for the times when I am craving something a bit different with a complex body.

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The Good Stuff:

Last year Dion Giolito, founder of Illusione cigars, shook things up when he announced a big change to the Illusione Singularé line by introducing the Origen. Each year the company released a limited edition Singulare release, however the new release is not only a full line, but a full production one at that. Dion stated that in this full-production line, he took everything that was great about the previous Singulare releases and used that formula to blend the Origen. Produced at the Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A. in Nicaragua the all Nicaraguan blend features a Grade AAA Corojo Cafe Rosado wrapper and Corojo ’99 / Criollo ’98 fillers. The cigar is offered in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 52), Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 52), Churchill (6 3/8 x 48), and the Gordo (6 x 56). Each come packaged in boxes of 15 running between $13 and $13.95 per cigar. Big thanks to the Illusione team for sending us a few of these to review, however I have also purchased quite a few over the past few months.

• Size: 5 5/8 x 46
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo Cafe Rosado
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $13.35

Prelight:

The Illusione Singularé Origen starts out with a rough looking medium brown and yellow wrapper. I actually love a rough looking cigar and this one looks “rough” in the best kind of way. The wrapper’s texture is slightly toothy and very oily. The wrapper’s thickness is a bit on the thin side while the cigar as a whole feels rather light and just a little on the soft side. The wrapper is laid perfectly over itself leading up to the cigar’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with the new, large, blue Singulare band with the owl crest in the front in white and gold.

The wrapper on the Illusione Singularé Origen gives off a mixture of cashew and cedar aromas while the foot of the cigar is a bit more earthy with oat and grain over the cedar. The cap cut like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces dry notes of wood, pear, and natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Illusione Singularé Origen Started out with a quick black pepper flash which left my tongue tingling. After the first few puffs the pepper faded allowing the cigar to release awesome notes of dry pine and cashew over lighter notes of spice and cedar with some floral and almost champagne-grape style flavors. The draw is beautiful as each puff kicks out massive clouds of thick, white smoke with ease which dissipates rather quickly, however it is pretty breezy on my patio. The cigar also releases only a slight amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is a thin as it can get leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted, light gray ash which held on close to an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

The flavor profile in the second third of the Illusione Singularé Origen shifted more towards an overall woodsy/spicy mixutre of flavors leading dominantly on the cedar and spice that I picked up in the first third. There are some great dry notes underneath which remind me of cinnamon, and black tea with a nice floral aspect to them. The retrohale really brings both the spice and the black herbal tea to the front of the taste. The cigar is burning perfectly and I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Illusione Singularé Origen and the cigar is now well into the full-bodied arena as it pumps out a dry, woodsy collection of flavors leading with cedar and cinnamon backed by herbal black tea, floral, and a really awesome leather type flavor. It took me about an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I was pretty sad when I finally laid it down. I experienced no sap, no harshness and no extended heat while the cigar left me with only a very minor little nicotine hit.

Overview:

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.

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The Good Stuff:

Earlier this year Matt Booth and Room 101 announced the return of one of their more favored lines, the Daruma. While the original release featured an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Brazilian Mata Fina binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Honduras, the 2023 Daruma is nothing like the old blend. In fact, this year’s blend utilizes a full make-up of all Nicaraguan tobaccos. While the specifics are not released, the cigar is being produced at the Oliva factory in Nicaragua. This year’s release comes in a single 6 x 50 toro format, packaged in boxes of 10, running $12.99 a stick with only 2,000 boxes being produced.

• Size: 6 x 50
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan:
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $12.99

Prelight:

The 2023 Room 101 Daruma is dressed in a beautiful, asian-inspired, gold and black printed paper. Under the paper is a layer of white tissue. Once you remove the dressing you can finally get a good look at the cigar. The wrapper is very dark brown with lots of splotches of scattered red areas. The wrapper feels very hard and dense while the cigar as a whole is extremely heavy and well packed. The are a few smaller veins running through the cigar’s body as well as some nice tobacco webbing in the wrapper leaf. The wrapper carries a good amount of tooth and some mild oils as the cigar’s closed foot leads up to its round, doubled-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a beautiful black and gold Daruma crest on the main band and the added secondary gold band with the phrase “LMT ASF” printed across the front.

The wrapper on the Daruma gives off lots of sweetness and sandalwood aromas while teh foot of the cigar is mostly the same (due to the closed foot) with just a slight bit of earthiness. The cap took a bit of effort to clip using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter due to the thickness of the wrapper leaf. The cold draw produces a whole lot of milk chocolate flavors over natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Room 101 Daruma starts out with a huge burst of black pepper which quickly fades allowing the cigar to release a ton of dark chocolate flavors over heavy pecan and nutmeg with some light espresso hidden underneath. The draw is perfect. Each little puff kicks out a great a mount of thick, gray smoke which dissipated very quickly while the cigar doesn’t release a whole lot of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is slightly wavy, but not concerning as it produces some mildly compacted light gray ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Room 101 Daruma the pecan and dark chocolate completely own the flavor profile backed by light cedar and dry cinnamon. The retrohale brings out some great sweetness and nutmeg while the standard experience is overall a dry mixture of flavors. The burnline has really cleaned itself up at this point by itself and I close out the second third with absolutely no nicotine kick.

Finish:

Wow, now this is where an already great cigar starts to really shine. Into the final third of the Room 101 Daruma the cigar loads on more pecan flavor over bold dark chocolate and cinnamon. Great notes of cedar and gingerbread start to creep into the mix as well as an awesome sweetness which just carries the final profile home. It took me about an hour and forty five minutes to smoke the Daruma down to the nub and by the end, I didn’t want to put it down. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, no burn issues, and never once had to touch-up or relight the cigar. It left me only with a mild little nicotine twang.

Overeview:

This is a huge departure from the Room 101 Daruma of the past, and I don’t mind that at all, especially with this incredible flavor profile. The cigar produces a complex mixture of flavors that really speak to my personal palate. The construction is on point, and the price is a bit high, but completely acceptable given how much I enjoyed this cigar. I have gone back to this cigar a few times now and each time I surprise myself by liking it more and more. It starts out slow, but ends with a bang. This is a stick that I will definitely keep a few on hand as it’s a very limited run.

The post Room 101 Daruma 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.

The Good Stuff:

It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen Dion Giolito, founder of Illusione expand his core line. Last year the Original Documents Habano made its debut at the 2022 PCA show before finally shipping to retailers this month. In another pivot, the company paired up with the famed Master Blender AJ Fernandez to create the Original Documents Habano. Dion has mentioned that his relationship with the new factory is over a decade old as he had worked with Alberto Padilla at Aganorsa before he moved to Ocotal to manage the San Lotano factory. Created at the San Lotano factory in Nicaragua, the blend features a Nicaraguan sun-grown habano-seed wrapper grown by AJ Fernandez over a Nicaraguan binder and an all Nicaraguan filler mix from the Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa regions. The cigar is offered in six sizes: The Corona Minor (4 x 44), The Robusto (5 x 52), the Lancero (7 1/4 x 40), The Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46), The Churchill (6 3/4 48), and the Gordo (6 x 56). Each come packaged in boxes of 25 ranging between $8.35 and $12.30 per cigar. Big thanks to the team at Illusione for sending a handful of these my way to review.

• Size: 5 5/8 x 46
• Wrapper: Sun Grown Habano
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $12.30

Prelight:

The Illusione Original Document Habano starts off with with a gorgeous looking medium brown wrapper with tons of lighter, orangish ares and darker brown areas scattered throughout the wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is slightly toothy with a good amount of oil coating it. The wrapper features a bunch of smaller veins and lots of natural tobacco webbing as it’s laid seamlessly over itself leading up to the cigar’s round, triple-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with the first updated Illusione band that I have had in my hands. The new branding is a huge departure from the simple, elegant bands as it now features a very large eye symbol that marries up beautifully with the branding of Illusione. This particular band is blue in color with silver and white accents, the Illusione logo on the front, “Original Documents” on the sides, and “Habano” embossed on the bottom.

The wrapper on the Illusione Original Documents Habano gives off a very nutty and floral aroma while the foot of the cigar releases a nice sweet-molasses type aroma over more natural tobacco undertones. The cap cut like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of pecan, honey, and earthiness.

First Third:

The Illusione Original Documents Habano starts off with a nice subtle cayenne pepper spice which starts subtly but builds up through the first few puffs before dropping out completely. Once the pepper made its exit the cigar releases notes of molasses, pecan, honey, creamed coffee and lots of earthiness/natural tobacco flavors with subtle spice notes and a nice citrus/orange aftertaste. The draw is absolutely perfect as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, gray smoke which hangs out with me on my porch for a good amount of time before dissipating while the cigar releases a very minor amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for a little over an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

A really great floral flavor has slowly crept into the Original Documents Habano’s flavor profile in the second third while the molasses, pecan and honey still lead the way backed by coffee, earthiness, spice, and natural tobacco. The retrohale brings back a lot of the pepper I picked up at the start along with a rush of spice so I don’t find myself doing it too often. The cigar is still burning like a champ while I close out the second third with no nicotine kick at all.

Finish:

Into the final third of the Illusione Original Documents Habano and this cigar is a banger. The flavor profile hasn’t changed up much, and I am glad that is hasn’t as I really enjoy it. The main flavors are still the molasses, pecan and honey with lighter notes coffee, earthiness, and spice with a great little ginger and citrus making their way in for an encore of flavor. The cigar took me an hour and a half to smoke down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, nor any extended heat. I close out with only a very slight nicotine kick.

Overview:

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.

The post Illusione Original Documents Habano appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

It’s no secret that I am a Liga Privada fan. When the H99 and 10 Aniversario dropped I went hunting, however it took me way longer to acquire both of these blends as the release was so limited they flew off shelves. Created to celebrate the Liga Privada’s 10 anniversary the 10 Aniversario arrives in style. The blend features a Connecticut Criollo wrapper over a Mexican San Andres Otapan Negro Ultimo Corte binder and fillers from Nicaragua and Pennsylvania USA. The cigar comes in a single 6 x 52 format that features the same unique fan-tail style cap as the UF-13 and a covered foot. The cigars come packed in boxes of 10 running $17.90 per stick with only 10,000 cigars have been released. I purchased mine from our good friends over at Cuenca Cigars who offered them in singles and boxes at the time.

• Size: 6 x 52
• Wrapper: Connecticut Criollo
• Binder: Mexican San Andres Otapan Negro Ultimo Corte
• Filler: Pennsylvanian and Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Funk
• Price: $17.90

Prelight:

The Liga Privada 10 Aniversario starts out with a very consistent, very dark brown wrapper. The wrapper carries some slight grit and a whole mess of oils that come off on your hands and you handle the cigar. The wrapper itself feels very hard and dense while the cigar as a whole is extremely heavy and well-packed. There are a few smaller veins running from the cigar’s covered foot up to the pigtail/fan-tail styled cap. The cigar is finished off with a first that I’ve seen, a black version of the Liga Privada band featuring the Lion crest with a number 10 on the back and the standard Liga Privada script on the front in silver. There is also an added secondary band with the word “Aniversario” on the front.

The wrapper on the Liga Privada 10 Aniversario gives off mostly coffee and cedar-forward aromas. The foot is much of the same with a little bit of earthiness and spice leaking out. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of coffee, sweetness, musk and cedar.

First Third:

The Liga Privada 10 Aniversario leads with a black pepper punch that left my lips tingling. After the first few draws the pepper fades and the cigar left me with bold cedar, sweet brown sugar, espresso, plum, and musk over lighter floral and earthy flavors. The cigar really starts off with a bang. There is a certain floral flavor that I pick up in only two other blends, the Dirty Rat and Undercrown Corona Viva. It’s one of my favorite flavors I have ever had in a cigar and the 10 Aniversario carries a ton of it. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke while the cigar just unleashes a massive amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. I seriously have never seen a cigar spill this much stationary smoke. The burn line started out a bit wild, likely due to the covered foot, but it corrected itself after the first few draws leaving behind a very tightly compacted trail of white ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

I am just absolutely loving the Liga Privada 10 Aniversario. I’m not even going to be shy about it. That unique floral flavor is still banging into the second third backed by vanilla, espresso, musk, and espresso over some great maltiness, cedar, black cherry, and earthiness. The retrohale really brings out the sweetness and a bit of spice as I find myself doing it quite often. The cigar is still burning perfectly. I close out the second third with a decent little nicotine kick already.

Finish:

I can’t believe that awesome floral flavor is still rocking from start to finish of this Liga Privada 10 Aniversario. Backed by bold espresso, vanilla and musk with lighter raisin, pecan, and cedar. This cigar has been a flavor bomb from the get go. It took me a little over two hours to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I loved every second of it. No harshness, no extended heat, and I never once had to reach for my torch to touchup or relight the cigar. I close out with a pretty heavy nicotine kick and a smile.

Overview:

This is by far one of the better cigars I have smoked in recent memory and one of the best Liga Privada blends I have had to date. The flavor profile in the 10 Aniversario is just something to behold. Bold, complex, and extremely enjoyable. The cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish and at a slower rate with made the $17.90 price tag well worth it. I just wish these were easier to come by. Hopefully the success of the cigar makes Drew Estate realize how big the want is for these suckers cause I’d really like to stock up!

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