The Good Stuff:

Espinosa’s Laranja Reserva is yet another cigar which made it’s debut at this year’s IPCPR show in Las Vegas that has made huge waves within the cigar community. Some have said it was the gem of the show. Espinosa Premium Cigars has been on a roll lately as many of you know. Much of his success has come from the La Zona factory in Nicaragua which is the same factory in which the Laranja is manufactured. The name “Laranja” means “Orange” in some Portuguese. Aptly named, the Laranja Reserve carries a Brazilian wrapper from the Recôncavo region in the state of Bahia which is known for it’s orange hue. Erik Espinosa wanted to do something different this year as he started to experiment with different tobaccos he was drawn to this orange Brazilian wrapper. Erik states:

“It is the color of enthusiasm, creativity, determination and success, that’s what we are all about here”

The Laranja Reserva is available in three sizes: Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46), Robusto Extra (5 ½ x 54), and Toro (6 x 52). The blend will be offered in boxes of 20 ranging between $9.90 and $10.90 a stick. I’m not entirely sure on the production of this cigar, but the “Reserva” modifier may hint towards a more limited release. I picked a bunch of these up from our pals at Smoke Inn who had all three sizes in stock the last time that I had checked. For more information you can find Espinosa Premium Cigars on Twitter and on Facebook or visit their website.

Size: 5 5/8 x 46
Wrapper: Brazilian
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $9.90
Pairing: Odell Brewing Footprint RegionAle (American Strong Ale 9.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The Espinosa Laranja Reserva is one fine looking cigar. We’ll start with the wrapper which has to be one of the prettiest wrappers I have ever seen. The texture is very smooth, silky, and oily showing off some great natural webbing in the leaf. The color is a very consistent medium brown with a few darker, orangish areas around the webbing and the smaller veins which run seamlessly through the slender body of the cigar. The Laranja Reserva carries a very round triple cap and some of the finest band designs I’ve seen this year. First off, I love the orange, white and gold. Elegant, pretty, and different. The main band carries a large crest with “LARANJA RESERVA” printed across the front of it. The whole thing is finished off with the addition of a matching orange ribbon wrapped around the foot of the cigar.

The wrapper feels very thin and delicate while the body of the cigar is tightly compacted and solid for the most part with a bit of sponginess towards the foot of the cigar. The wrapper on the Laranja Reserva gives off a real strong nutty and spice aroma while the foot of the cigar smells of pepper and natural tobacco. The cap cut clean, but took a lot of force from my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw on the Laranja lead with lots of strong spice, natural tobacco, and some interesting floral flavors.

First Smoke:

Espinosa’s Laranja Reserva offers a very rich, black pepper and spice greeting. After a few puffs the pepper begins to subside a bit and the Laranja lets loose some strong citrus, cedar, spice, and tobacco flavors. There’s a lot in this mix but for now, those are the more dominant flavors. The draw is on point kicking out a nice, thick, cloud of gray smoke with each little puff. The burnline is slightly wavy, but not concerning as it leaves behind a trail of slightly compacted, dark, and medium gray ash.

Halfway There:

Into the second third of Espinosa’s Laranja Reserva and the flavors are becoming a bit easier to pick apart. The pepper has departed and the spice is the dominant flavor. I can pick up some great cinnamon and nutmeg in there with some bold grassy flavors, nuts, citrus, and a subtle sweetness that seems to be buried beneath it all. This is a pretty complex cigar and it’s entertaining trying to pick it apart. The retrohale showcases the spice, and a lot of cedar although I am not picking up the cedar as much as I did within the first third. The burnline is razor thin and pretty solid at this point and I am feeling only a slight nicotine kick as I close out the second third.

Finish:

The sweetness has finally begun to emerge into the final third of the Espinosa Laranja Reserva. The spice is still center stage but the sweetness is making a run for it. Along with the spice and sweetness the citrus and nuttiness are still pretty strong while the natural grassy flavors and some slight pine are only evident on the aftertaste. It took me about an hour and a half to take the Laranja down to the nub (and when I say nub, I mean nub. I couldn’t put this thing down) and I didn’t encounter any harshness or heat. In fact, I was impressed with how smooth and creamy this cigar finished considering how complex and full bodied it was. The Laranja did leave me with a nice little nicotine kick and required absolutely no extra attention from my lighter since I first lit up.

Overview:

Add the Espinosa Laranja Reserva to the list of possible candidates for cigar of the year, not just on our list, but everyone’s else. This cigar is making a name for itself by providing solid construction, and a unique, bold, complex experience to everyone who smokes it. Espinosa wanted to try something different and succeeded in making a great cigar to add to an already extensive portfolio. He’s continued to impress me as the Laranja was probably my favorite cigar that I have smoked from him so far. The price is riding a fine line between affordable and expensive, but I think it’s just, and I could easily see the Laranja falling into my regular rotation despite the extra coin.

Pairing:

Another Odell pairing. Why? Why the hell not. This week we are featuring Odell’s Footprint RegionAle. As the name suggests, Footprint celebrates Odell Brewing’s success by using resources from each of the states the beer is distributed in. It’s an interesting project, and once you see these ingredients the project becomes even more entertaining: Colorado – Hops & Barley, Arizona – Prickly Pear, Idaho – Barley & Hops, Kansas – Wheat, Minnesota – Wild Rice, Missouri – Oak Barrels, Nebraska – Corn, New Mexico – Green Chilis, South Dakota – Barley & Honey, Wyoming – Wheat, Texas – Grapefruit. Coming in a 9.5% ABV this beer can easily creep up on you. The beer leads with some strong spice, citrus, and malt which pair up perfectly with the citrus and spice I picked up throughout the Laranja’s experience. The mouthfeel on the footprint is really light and smooth as it finishes with some subtle tartness, grassiness, and just a hint of the chili. It’s easy to see why I paired the two of these together. I think the Laranja would pair perfectly with just about anything in a bolder arena with spice. Think strong coffee, port, or chili beers.

The post Espinosa Premium Cigars – Laranja Reserva appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

My Father Cigar has really been reaching deep into it’s roots with some of their more recent releases and the Antiguedad is another blend that celebrates the company’s heritage. Using a Cuban-seed blend the Antiguedad is the second full-box pressed line we’ve seen come out of the factory in the last few years. Based on the award-winning “La Flor de Antillas” (you can read that review here), the Antiguedad aims to bring a bolder, fuller experience. Some have referenced the Antiguedad as a Flor de Antillas on crack. Showcasing a Habano Ecuador Rosado Oscuro wrapper and all Nicaraguan innards, the Antiguedad is aimed at cigar smokers who crave bigger, bolder experiences. The My Father La Antiguedad comes in fives sizes: Robusto (5 ¼ x 42), Toro: (5 x 5/8 x 55), Corona Grande (6 3/8 x 47), Toro Gordo (6 x 60), and the Super Toro (7 x 56). They come packaged in box-pressed boxes of 20 and range between $7.50 and $9.00 a stick. I purchased a handful of these over from our friends at Cigarhustler.com.

Size: 6 3/8 x 47
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador Rosado Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Price: $7.80
Pairing: Odell Brewing’s Tree Shaker Imperial Peach IPA (Imperial IPA 10.1% ABV)

Prelight:

My Father’s Antiguedad resembles the same design strategy as we saw on the Flor de Antillas release they kicked out two years ago. Starting with an elegant ribbon, in this case bright red on the foot, and an incredibly detailed, beautifully done, gold encased painting on the band. The presentation is incredible, now let’s get to the cigar. The wrapper on the Antiguedad is absolutely beautiful. It starts off with a pretty consistent, milk chocolate brown which touts a few darker brown splotches scattered throughout the veiny wrapper. While the Antiguedad does carry quite a few veins, none of them seem overly worrisome. The texture of the wrapper is very rough and very toothy while the density of the wrapper feels rather thin. The body on the Antiguedad is a hard boxpress leading up with a round triple cap. The cigar doesn’t feel very packed with tobacco. It’s rather light, and a bit spongy. This was the case is most of the Antiguedad that I smoked and doesn’t necessarily mean there are construction flaws, but you will have to read on to see if it impacted the draw at all.

The wrapper on My Father’s Antiguedad gives off a very strong spice and syrup aroma while the foot smells very natural with lots of grass and grain aromas. The cap cut lite butter leaving behind a very potent spice, strong cedar, and leathery cold draw.

First Smoke:

The My Father Antiguedad started out with a whole mess of black and Cayenne pepper. After the first few draws my tongue and mouth where left with a nice little singling sensation. Underneath the pepper was a real bold cedar, strong citrus, notes of honey and charred meat with lots and lots of mixed spice. This was a flavor bomb right off the bat. The draw is a bit loose, but in all the cigar that I have smoked in this blend I had no trouble with the draw despite the cigar’s lack of packed tobacco. The was all sorts of crazy as I closed out the first third leaving behind a trail of medium grey, semi-compacted ash which held on for only about an inch before giving way.

Halfway There:

The My Father La Antiguedad is still rocking into the second third. I’m impressed with the pepper still hanging in there. It’s not as strong as it once was but it’s still a major component in the experience. The spice and cedar are owning the flavor profile along with some bold citrus and leather with backing smoked meat. It may sound like a strange mix-up of flavors, but they actually work really well with one another. The retrohale is really, really strong with so much spice and pepper I couldn’t handle doing it more than once. I did have to touch up the burn between the first and second third as it was just getting out of hand, burning heavily on one side. The second third was much more successful but still required a few little touch ups to get it burning evenly. I am already feeling a nice little nicotine kick as I close out the second third of the Antiguedad.

Finish:

Just as I was thinking the burn issues had been defeated, the cigar went out on me. No bother, I lit it back up and we are back in action. Wow, the strength was already pretty full, but it continued to ramp up in the final third of the My Father La Antiguedad. It’s not a cigar for the faint of heart. The flavor profile is still leaning heavily on the spice, cedar, and citrus while the meat and leather are still in there. I also encountered some interesting black licorice flavors in the final third, although the were pretty slight and may have just been a byproduct of all the other flavors. The cigar took me two full hours to take down and I experienced very little harshness and absolutely no heat buildup. After relighting the cigar at the start of the final third it burned itself down to the nub leaving me with one hell of a nicotine kick. There was some wavy areas but I let them be and the cigar finished cleanly.

Overview:

I remember smoking the Flor de Antillas thinking “Damn, this cigar is good, but it’s missing something. I wish it had a bit more strength and a bit more body”. That’s exactly what My Father did when they created the Antiguedad and in my opinion, it paid off. I smoked most of the vitolas in the Antiguedad line and the Corona Grande is my favorite, and probably carries the most strength, and body. This cigar left me a bit wobbly and I probably wouldn’t recommend it to cigar smokers who aren’t used to handling stronger cigars. I would however, recommend it in boxes to those who love strong, bold, flavorful cigars that carry such quality as what My Father Cigars has always offered. I did have a few issues with the burn in most of the cigars I smoked, but I can’t really complain with a few subtle touch ups and a relight here and there. They didn’t char up or muddle the profile.

Pairing:

Since summer is quickly coming to a close I am trying to squeeze in a few great summer beers before they expire. This week, I took a gamble pairing My Father Cigar’s La Antiguedad with a bottle of Odell Brewing Company’s Tree Shaker. Tree shaker is an Imperial IPA brewed with peaches as the Odell Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. Coming in at 10.1% (that’s what my bottle says, every where I look online has it listed at 9.7%. Maybe I’m just special) this beer leads with some smooth pine, citrus, and light peach notes with a soft mouthfeel finishing very crisp with some light grain and hoppiness. I thought I would pick up more peach, but I am actually glad I didn’t. The creamy smoothness hides the booziness really well making this incredibly easy to drink. The citrus and peach went shockingly well with the citrus from the La Antiguedad while the cedar and spice from the cigar laid on a whole new dimension to the beer. I think the Antiguedad would also pair well with a barley-wine, some bold port wine, or some sweet bourbon. Just make sure you pairing is bold enough to keep up with the cigar.

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