The Late Harvest might sound familiar to any wine aficionados we have around here. In the wine world, some grapes are harvested later in the season to produce a slightly different type of wine typically called a Late Harvest. It’s even a popular method of making Ice Wine which is a very interesting dessert wine especially common to the Niagara region wineries up here in Ontario.

Contrary to what the name actually seems to mean, the Late Harvest cigar from Viaje is not actually produced with tobacco leaves harvested later in the season. It’s trademark is actually that the filler being used is sourced from the last priming’s of the tobacco plant. These last priming’s are left on the plant slightly longer and are also exposed to the sun longer, this produces a darker, thicker, oilier and stronger leaf. The blend is said to have about 90% of it’s filler from these last priming’s.

To put the limited blend into perspective, the Late Harvest is made in 125 boxes of 35 cigars each making a grand total of 4375 cigars(if my math is right). The Late Harvest was debuted at IPCPR 2011 and it seems like Andre is planning to make a yearly release of it, although the yield could change from year-to-year. The production factory of these cigars is located in Honduras, the popular Racines Cubanas factory which is part of Casa Fernandez Cigar company.

My one gripe here is that there’s no indication on the band of the production year. Although I know this one is a 2011 release since it’s brand new, I would have liked to see an indication for future years to compare with and keep track of when aging. I guess we’ll have to be vigilant and make note of them if you’re not buying a box. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, lets see if these cigars are worth aging and worth trying out next year…

Cigar: Viaje Late Harvest
Drink: Wychwood Brewery Wychcraft Blonde Beer
Vitola: Toro (6 x 48)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: About $9.00
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The Viaje Late Harvest is a bit of a rough looking cigar with a few medium sized veins running up and down along with some bumps here and there
• The wrapper presents with a medium cinnamon brown colour with some dark speckles here and there, it’s also fairly coarse
• The top of the cigar is finished with tight little pigtail on top of a triple cap that looks clean and well applied
• A little squeeze produces almost no give, the Viaje Late Harvest is fairly firm from foot to cap
• With a quick glance at the foot it’s easy to see this is a well filled cigar with almost no gaps to be seen
• Clipping off the cap with my double bladed guillotine cutter was fairly easy and left a nice clean cut

Burn:
• The foot of the cigar lit up very quickly and easily while toasting
• The initial burn has an interesting zig-zag pattern… let’s hope it tightens up
• Zig zag seemed to calm down and although it’s a bit wavy we’re off to a better start now
• A couple small corrections were needed in the first half but they were very minor and did not affect the flavor of the cigar
• A couple other small touch-ups through the cigar but nothing major, it burned very well for the most part

Smoke & Ash:
• The Viaje Late Harvest is producing a good amount of smoke from each draw, it’s not super-thick and billowy but it’s not light either
• Resting smoke is also fairly moderate, nothing over the top but it is notable
• The ash is looking to be a pretty dark tone of grey as I smoke through the cigar
• I’m also getting some flaking so I don’t think the ash is going to last too long
• It started to look really weak at about an inch so I tapped it off into the ashtray
• As I hit the halfway mark it seems the thickness of the smoke has been slowly increasing, getting a nice billowy thickness now

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper of the Viaje Late Harvest has a fairly strong barnyard aroma to it, smells like it’s fresh from a farm!
• The foot, on the other hand, is strong with earthy and woodsy aromas followed by just a touch of peppery spice
• Pre-light draw brings an interesting mix of fresh cedar, earthiness and a touch of sweetness
• Initial draws bring more of the woodsy and earthy flavors I caught onto earlier, with a touch of very mild spices
• After a few draws there is a kick of pepper to this cigar, you can feel it on the back of your throat as well
• The Viaje Late Harvest is starting off in the mile-medium bodied range and the retrohale is giving a nice little bite with a smooth cedar finish
• The strong pepper faded as quickly as it appeared and I’m back to a nicely balanced cedar and earthy flavor profile
• There is a touch of tart sweetness that I’m picking up now and again although it’s not too strong right now
• The woodsy flavors are developing nicely and I’m getting a nice bready flavor coming in all wrapped up with a smooth and creamy finish
• The bite on the retrohale is pretty much gone now but it’s still giving me a smooth creamy cedar finish that I’m really enjoying
• As I creep into the final third, some of the spices are starting to make a comeback. It’s not the strong pepper like before but rather a more mild white pepper profile
• The Viaje Late Harvest finished on a smooth medium note with no harshness at all, I enjoyed it’s creamy finish and sweet tart cedar flavors right to the nub

Final Thoughts:
This was an interesting and unique cigar and I’m glad I was able to give it a try. As I mentioned, my access to Viaje cigars is pretty limited so it’s always a treat when I get a few sent to me in a package and this one was not a disappointment. It had an interesting variety of flavors that were very well balanced along with a smooth creamy finish to round it all out. The burn had a couple small touch ups but nothing worth complaining about. Considering the type of filler used here I was expecting a much stronger cigar but I ended up with a smooth medium bodied stick that I really enjoyed. The price on these is also fairly reasonable considering the limited production runs they are offered in. If you can track down some of these they are definitely worth a try. I’m curious to see if they change much from year-to-year…

Pairings:
Today I have another offering from Wychwood Breweries. Just recently, I tried out their winter ale called “Bah Humbug” with the Tatuaje TAA and I’ve also done a full review of their buby beer called Hobgoblin. This particular brew is their Blonde beer called Wychcraft. It clocks in at a light 4.5% alc./vol. and is triple hopped and filtered. It made for a perfect midday beer with lots of citrusy and malty flavors to it. An interesting combination since most blondes don’t carry too much of the malts with them, but I guess that’s where the triple hopped process makes a difference. I found that the Wychwood Breweries Wychcraft paried quite well with the Viaje Late Harvest. The cirtusy sweetness of the beer complimented that tart sweetness that sometimes made an appearance in the cigar and neither of them over-powered the other. I’d recomend sticking with a lighter pairing similar to the Wychcraft with the Viaje Late Harvest, choice such as a thick stout or strong coffee might drown out the cigars flavors.

The post Viaje Late Harvest 2011 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

A little while back I had the chance to review and enjoy one of the My Father Cigars Le Bijou 1922. Today I’m taking on a slightly different cigar, the Cedros Deluxe. Just like the Le Bijou, this cigar is blended by Don Pepin Garcia. The Cedros Deluxe series comes in a few different sizes each with their own unique name. Today’s review will focus on the Corona Gorda size which is called the “Eminentes”. Each cigar in this line also comes wrapper in a cedar sleeve and an additional band near the foot.

Now this is a beautifully presented cigar! The bands on the My Father’s never cease to impress me. They have a cleanly printed matte label with green, red and pink accented by some metallic gold lettering. Even the lettering printed on the cedar sleeve is precise and clear. It’s easy to tell there was a significant amount of attention to detail in the creation of each aspect of this cigar. But enough blabbing from me, let’s hop to it and see how this cigar actually smokes.

Cigar: My Father Cedros Deluxe Eminentes
Drink: Delaforce Reserve Porto
Vitola: Corona Gorda (5.625 x 46)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $7.00-$8.00
Burn Time: A little over 1 hour

Construction:
• After carefully and easily sliding the cedar sleeve off the cigar I was greeted with a beautiful chocolaty brown wrapper that shimmered with a slight oiliness
• There were only a couple small veins visible and the wrapped has an almost velvety feel to it
• The head of the cigar is finished with a smooth and clean triple cap
• The foot appears moderately packed
• The whole cigar had a slight softness to it when squeezed, even and consistent throughout
• The cap clipped cleanly and easily off with my double bladed guillotine cutter
• Initial draw is spot on, just enough resistance

Burn:
• Toasting was easy and quick and left the foot glowing perfectly even
• Burn has been mostly straight through the first third with some minor waviness
• After ashing the first time I noticed a tunnel forming in the center of the cigar, so far it hasn’t affected my burn much and is still burning fairly even
• The tunnel was still there as I got into the last bit of the cigar but it still didn’t affect the burn much with only one small retouch needed the whole time

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw brings with it a good mouthful of smoke
• The resting smoke is surprisingly minimal and gives off a great cedar aroma
• The ash is a mix of light grey and white areas and is having a small amount of flaking around it
• I tapped off the first ash after about an inch as it started going a little lopsided and looked weak, but it held on tightly until then
• The next ash also lasted over an inch but fell to the floor on the way back to ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• This while cigar smells completely like cedar! Oh wait… let me remove that cedar sleeve..
• Ok, now the cigar still smells like cedar! But added in there is some barnyard and spice aromas
• The foot of the cigar definitely brings more of that hay/barnyard aroma and a bit of spice that tingles the nose
• Pre-light draw brings a lot of cedar to my palate and a nutmeg or clove type of spice
• Initial draws are filled with a smooth and creamy cedar flavor accented by a mild clove and nutmeg spice.
• I’m also picking up a earthy green type of flavor that’s interesting
• Body through the first bit has been mostly mild and offering a creamy and smooth finish
• The cedar picked up it’s intensity as I reached the halfway mark and added in a touch of white pepper and a bit of roasted coffee
• As I hit the last third, the coffee and spices started to build in intensity, the body also picked up a bit to a nice medium
• The retrohale on this cigar has had only a small bite and smooth cedar finish the whole way so far
• The roasted coffee and white pepper notes seemed to take control in the last third with the cedar playing a minor part
• Body got a bit stronger near the end, touching into the full category but I’m still not feeling any nicotine kick on this one

Final Thoughts:
This was a very enjoyable cigar from start to finish. The flavors were always tasty and had some complexity to them but can still be enjoyed by any level of smoker. The various flavors also changed up throughout the cigar adding some interesting and enjoyable dimensions that kept me on my toes. Construction was excellent as well. The price on this line of cigars is fairly comfortable as well, making it easy to pick some up and add to your regular rotation.

Pairings:
Today’s pairing was my final glass from the bottle of Delaforce Reserve Porto. I enjoyed this port with a recent review of the Partagas Benji Menendez Master Series. It’s definitely one of my favorites mainly due to it’s full bodied red wine undertones. On top of that wonderful base, the Delaforce Reserve offers up a mix of blackberry and cherry flavors along with a bit of a smoked oak. I found this cigar paired excellently with this port especially accenting the cedar notes it had. Other good pairings with the My Father Cigars Cedros Deluxe would include a stronger coffee, dark porter, stout, or scotch.

The post My Father Cedros Deluxe Eminentes appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The actual company producing the Dona Flor cigars is Menendez Amerino which has been in business since 1978. The blend for the Dona Flor was created by Felix Menendez and offers a wide range of sizes from cigarillos up to up Double Coronas. They also have a few special blends in the line which were developed with the help of Arthuro Torano. I actually reviewed one of the special blends, called the Dona Flor Selecao, not long ago.

Today’s review is of the Double Corona with the Mata Fina wrapper. Some of the line is also available in Connecticut or Mata Norte wrappers. This will be my first review in temperatures that are NOT below freezing (Yeay Me!). It’s actually exactly 32F tonight as I light this up. So let’s dive into the review on this Dona Flor and see how it stacks up.

Cigar: Dona Flor
Drink: Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Winter Beer
Vitola: Double Corona (7.5 x 50)
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Brazilian
Filler: Brazilian
Price: Around $5
Burn Time:

2 Hours

Construction:
• A long and slender shaped cigar with an appealing dark chocolate brown wrapper
• The wrapper displays some oiliness and roughness with a few larger veins, one in particular looks like it could cause some burn issues
• The cigar felt a little lumpy in areas but mostly gave a nice soft spring
• Although they say this is a 50 ring gauge cigar it seems a little smaller then that to me and it’s not box-pressed
• The overall construction reminds me of some old or mid-range handmade Cubans with it’s rough appearance
• The head is finished with a rough triple cap and the foot appears to be quite well packed
• The cigar cut Easily under my Colibri double bladed Guillotine cutter
• Initial draw seems to be a bit open but not too open that it ruins the experience
• Cut was nice and easy with only a slight mess
• Just past the halfway mark the draw tightened up a bit

Burn:
• Toasting was even and easy, any dark spots were easily cleared with a light exhale on the foot
• Despite the rough appearance the burn is going very sharp so far
• There’s no need for extra draws here, the Dona Flor is staying lit easily without extra attention
• No problems at all through the length of the cigar, my only complaint here is that it burned a little fast and got a bit hot near the end

Smoke & Ash:
• Ash is coming along even and tightly wound
• First ash held on about an inch before gently falling into the ashtray
• The smoke here isn’t overpowering, I’d say a little shy of what I’d like
• The second ash held nice and strong until tapping it off at almost 2 inches
• As the draw tightened up the smoke from each draw become a comfortable mouthful

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper aroma is mostly cedar with some mild tobacco
• The foot offers similar aromas plus a slight cocoa sweetness
• Pre-light draws have more cedar but along with it came a bit of a tart sweetness and some raw cinnamon
• My first impressions in the flavor department bring me a bit more tart sweetness and cinnamon along with the same cedar that been around
• Body is starting off in the mild range
• As the cigar progresses, cedar becomes the main flavor with the raw cinnamon sticking around. That tartness is coming and going
• At the end of the first third I’m starting to pick up hints of the cocoa I initially got on the wrapper
• So far the retrohale has been fairly straightforward, very mild with no bite and just a slight cedar finish
• As I approach half-way the flavors are balancing out a bit more and the cocoa is being matched with a nice coffee flavor I was expecting from this Brazilian wrapper
• The body increase a bit in the final stretch but nothing overwhelming, just holding steady in the medium range
• No bitterness on the finish and the flavors stayed consistent and balanced from the half way mark other then the coffee notes developing nicely to the end

Final Thoughts:
This was a perfect cigar to kick back and relax with. It’s nothing earth shattering or revolutionary but it hits a perfect balance of interesting and mild flavors that can be enjoyed any time of day. The milder body makes it a great alternative to Connecticut wrapper cigars in the early day with a coffee or any other time. It also burned exceptionally well making it an easy cigar to enjoy without requiring much attention. you won’t find a powerhouse or a pepper bomb here but you will find an enjoyable cigar at a fair price that can be included in your daily rotation easily. After some research I did notice they were slightly difficult to find online but not impossible. You can also ask your local B&M to sign up to be a wholesaler on their website to try and get the cigars in.

Pairings:
I can’t get enough of the beers that this brewery produces. I’ve been hooked on their Original and now the Scottish brewery of Innis & Gunn has hit another homerun with their Winter Beer. I’ve enjoyed the Original brew in my brevious reviews of the Camacho Liberty 2009 and the Man O’ War Virtue. You can see from those reviews how much I enjoyed that brew. Now the Winter Beer picks up where the original leaves off and brings a fuller and richer beer that has a warming effect for the winter season. The brew itself is aged in Oak barrels slightly longer then the original and produces a warm sweetness with some added vanilla and caramel notes on top of a delicious malty flavor. This brew paired fairly well with this cigar although I think it would have gone better with a Connecticut wrapped cigar. A better choice with the Dona Flor would have been a dark stout or porter, coffee or a dark cola.

The post Dona Flor Mata Fina – Double Corona appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Today I will be lighting up the second cigar in this set. Needless to say with a selection like his, I can’t help but get all giggly each time I find the spare time to fire up one the cigars he sent over.

Prelight: #2 is wrapped in a very, very, very dark brown, almost black tobacco leaf. The leaf itself is pretty consistent in color with just a few darker spots especially concentrated around the head of the cigar. The wrapper seems pretty thick and gives off an almost duct tape type gleam as light shines off of its silky, oily texture. The wrapper is excellently laid and tapers off to a very large, beefy torpedo shaped cap. The cigar is firm for the most part, but there are a few softer areas dead center of the cigar’s body. I can’t pick up too much other than a really musky cedar smell coming from the wrapper as the foot of the cigar gives off the slightest hint of spice. Not much aroma coming off this unlit cigar what so ever.

The cap clipped clean off (although a little flaky) using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw surprisingly kicked out a massive burst of what could be best described as a spicy gingerbread. Maybe it’s a little too close to Christmas for me., but I swear that’s all I’m getting off this cold draw.

First Smoke: The cigar didn’t start off with the massive kick of spice I was expecting. It’s not to say the spice wasn’t there, it just wasn’t in the action packed form I thought it would be. Outside of the subtle spice/pepper the cigar packed a vibrant, woodsy taste, backed by a bit of leather and even some of that gingerbread flavor I picked up during the cold draw. The pepper is kind of interesting though. It’s not too noticeable in taste, but my lips and back of the throat are really feeling it. This cigar kicks out just an overly massive, effortless cloud of thick, grey smoke with every draw. Tons of stationary smoke as well. The burnline was all over the place at first but finally into the second third it began correcting itself.  The ash left behind was very flaky, and medium gray with dark black spots and only held on for a little over half an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: Early into the second third and I am already starting to feel the body in this cigar. One interesting note on my last blind review was the fact that I felt a bit of a full body experience, yet knowing that the cigar is now, I know it’s a mild/medium stick. Maybe I am not the best judge in body, or maybe this just goes to show that my theory is true. The strength of each cigar will always affect each smoker in different ways. Anywho, back to the review. The pepper and spice in this cigar is still just a tease. They’re not as potent as they were to begin with but they still sine through the cocoa, leather, woodsy flavors that have started to develop in the second third. The retrohale is killer, priming my nasal passage with a ton of pepper and cedar. The burnline is still a bit wild on one side of the cigar, but nothing to cause any concern. The ash has also taken a turn for the better with the body being much more smooth, compact and a consistent brownish-gray.

Finish: This cigar is really packing a punch. Into the final third and I am really getting a nice little nic-kick off of this one. The pepper has finally started to wear off and now the main flavors are a really smooth woodsy flavor, backed by a bit of earth tones, cocoa, and spice. I am also getting just a bit of harshness as I get to the mid-point of the final third. It’s a bit bitter, but could be worse.  The burnline has been consistently wavy leading me to think there might be a bit of ligero thrown into the mix. No touch ups or relights leading up to about an hour and a half total burn.

Overview: This was a great little cigar. The full body and very powerful flavors made for a great departure from your everyday, smoother, milder maduro.  Outside of the harsh bitterness that crept into the final third, this cigar was very enjoyable. It’s probably not something I would smoke everyday, but it’s the perfect cigar to keep on hand when you are out back, enjoying some late night coffee and relaxation.

Final Guess? I would have to say something Nicaraguan. Maybe the Oliva Serie V Maduro or the Alec Bradley Tempus. Whatever it is, it’s a spicy little cigar that boasts tons of body and excellent flavors.

The Reveal: This was actually an exact quote from Brooks when I sent him my guess:

“Not even close :), Oh, and I would not send you an AB Tempus, surely you think better of me then that? LOL!”

He then goes on to reveal what cigar this was:

“It was a LFD (La Flor Dominicana) Cabinet Maduro #6..Apparently, about once a month Litto picks out some cigars that have the darkest & most oily wrappers & when he get enough cigars to make a cab of 50,he sends them out to specific stores. Really great stick, & usually not easy to find…”

Very awesome. I would have never in a million years been able to guess this one. What a pleasant surprise. One a side note, Brooks had mentioned that there was a cigar in the bunch that was the only cigar that had ever mad him vomit. This was the cigar. He went on to explain hotboxing and smoking too fast was probably the main culprit. But that’s something to keep in mind if you ever do stumble across one of these cigars.

The post Blind Cigar Review #2 (from Brooks at Smoking Stogie) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Garcia family is also involved in a variety of other cigar lines not under the My Father name.  Some examples include the Don Pepin Garcia line, the Jamie Garcia line, some Tatuaje cigars, the Ashton San Critobal line, El Rey De Los Habanos and many others.  He has also been the creator of a variety of house blended cigars for many different Brick & Mortar Cigar shops.  His son, Jaime Garcia, is just recently making a big splash in the cigar world with his original My Father cigar and the newer Jamie Garcia Reserva Especial.  Between these two gentlemen, there are a variety of great cigars attached to their name.  Aside from blending, the My Father Factory is also the home production facility of some other cigars such as the Nestor Miranda 1989 and the recently released Guillermo Leon line.

The My Father Le Bijou 1922 is blended by Don Pepin Garcia himself as a homage to his father.  The name “Le Bijou” means ‘The Jewel’ in French and the year 1922 is the year his father was born.  Don Pepin set out to make sure this was an excellent smoke worthy of his fathers name.  The wrapper used in this cigar is extremely rare and very difficult to grow.  The Pelo de Oro wrapper (commonly called Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro) is not common due to it’s sensitivity and has hardly ever been used for a large number of years.  It comes in asa lighter and creamier version of a traditional Oscuro.  Being a Nicaraguan Puro cigar, this Le Bijou 1922 is made completely of Nicaraguan tobacco.  Let’s see how this rare “Jewel” fares in today’s review.

Cigar: My Father Le Bijou 1922
Drink: Unibroue Maudite
Vitola: Toro (6 x 52)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: About $12
Burn Time: 1.75 hours

Construction:
• This cigar is instantly appealing to the eyes with it’s smooth oily appearance and a dark chocolate brown wrapper
• There are some visible medium sized veins but none that look threatening to the burning experience of this cigar
• It has a bit of give when squeezed slight but springs back quickly, there is also one spot near the head and one near the foot that is slightly softer
• The triple cap is very well applied, it’s clean and smooth and blends in extremely well
• The wrapper is very ornate and detailed, another eye appealing point on this fantastic looking cigar
• Cut was a little firm with my double bladed guillotine and produced a lot of flakes but still came out fairly clean

Burn:
• Toasting was fairly easy and even with my single flame culinary torch, the center was a little dark but glowed brightly after the first draw
• Some minor waving at the start but it has been razor sharp going into the half-way point here
• Staying lit effortlessly as well, not need to continuously draw to keep it going
• No issues right to the nub, the burn was razor sharp the whole way through

Smoke & Ash:
• Tons of smoke right from the initial draw
• A fair amount of resting smoke as well,  giving off what seems to be just a burning wood aroma
• The ash is nothing short of picture perfect, it’s clean round, no flaking and very light grey/almost white color
• Although it looks perfect it appears a little weak as the first ash fell off at around half an inch
• The second ash held on much longer, easily passing one inch
• The smoke machine did not let down, always a mouthful of smoke from each draw bringing with it all the great flavors

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a grassy aroma to it and is complimented by some spicy notes, perhaps just a touch of pepper
• The foot has a creamy cocoa and woodsy aroma, there is less spice here but still a touch of nutmeg can be detected
• Pre-light draw is very woodsy and earthy with some pepper and nutmeg spice in the mix
• Initial draws are mostly cedar mixed with a white pepper spice and a smooth creamy finish
• The retrohale has no bite despite the spicy notes I’m getting, it’s very smooth and has the same creamy finish
• As I progress I’m getting some nice espresso notes and the spice is slowly fading
• The espresso notes are balancing just perfectly with the creaminess and the cedar
• I can’t emphasize enough how smooth and balanced the cigar is as I apporach the halfway mark, the finish is just right, not even a touch of dryness.  I could smoke this easily without a beverage!
• Just passed the halfway mark the spiciness came back, specifically some more white pepper
• The cedar notes also came bursting out again leaving the espresso behind but the wonderful smooth creamy finish is still lingering
• The retrohale also developed a little bite and the finish has a lot more cedar than before
• The cigar started off with a mild/medium body but as I near the last two inches it’s definitely approaching a medium/full with a touch of cocoa appearing now and then throughout the whole time
• There was almost no harshness built up all the way to the nub, definitely a nub-worthy cigar

Final Thoughts:
This was a very enjoyable cigar.  The My Father Le Bijou 1922 had lots of interesting flavors and they changed up frequently keeping my palate constantly searching for the new notes.  This is definitely the type of cigar you want to sit down and pay attention to in order to get it’s full experience.  All factors considered I don’t really have anything I can complain about, from the pre-smoke visuals right down to the nub there was nothing I can say I didn’t enjoy.  The one gripe if any about this cigar will be the price, it rings in at over $11 and that may turn away some customers but I have to say it is a worthwhile investment.  It may not make it into your regular rotation for some people but it’s definitely worth having some around.  The construction, dimensionality, flavors and smoothness all make it a great experience.

Pairings:
The Unibroue brewery from Quebec, Canada is quickly making it’s way to the top of my favorite breweries list.  I’ve said this before but their brews never disappoint.  I’ve included the La Fin du Monde by Unbroue in a previous pairing for the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story.  The standard bottle size comes adorned with a gold foil wrapper top and an odd label with a demon and some people paddling a canoe in a red sky.  The flavors are incredibly complex bringing a variety of hoppiuness, bitterness, fruitiness, and even a slight floral note.  It is uniquely refermented on a yeast base and clocks in at 8% alc./vol.  It’s definitely worth trying and although not the best pairing here I think it actually added a layer of interesting flavors to this already complex cigar.  It may come as no surprise here but I think a Port would have been the perfect pairing for the cedar, spice and creamy notes of the Le Bijou 1922.  Other good pairings would include red wine, scotch, coffee or a dark soda.

The post My Father Le Bijou 1922 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Gran Habano Corojo #5

This cigar came to me as part of a sampler pack at a recent herf. I’ve had a few Gran Habano cigars before but never reviewed one. Overall I’ve had good experiences with them. Gran Habano is made by the very experienced hands of Guillermo Rico, a third-generation premium cigar maker who’s leafs have touched the lines of Oliva and many premium leaf brokers in Tampa’s Ybor City. Guillermo operates out of Honduras and runs a successful business under the name of GR Tabaqueras Unida. The Gran Habano line long-filler and hand-made Honduran cigars began in 2003 with 5 cigars, the Corojo #5 being one of them. If you would like to read more about the Gran Habano line, Guillermo Rico, or GR Tabaqueras Unida, head over to www.ghcigars.com

Gran Habano Corojo #5

The Corojo #5 line is Gran Habano’s strongest blend with its rich and complex wrapper. This line is available in a variety of sizes ranging from Churchill down to Lunch Break (Petite Corona) with 8 other sizes in between. All offer a strong cigar full of flavor and spice. I found the Lunch Break to be a good intro to this line since the smaller vitola allowed the flavors of the wrapper to really shine through. It is also a great price point for an everyday full strength cigar.

Cigar: Gran Habano Corojo #5
Drink: King Brewery Dark Lager
Vitola: Lunch Break (Petite Corona) (4 x 40)
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano
Binder: Nicaragua Habano
Filler: Nicaragua, Mexico, and Costa Rica
Price: $2.40
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• Nice and even diameter throughout
• Wrapper is dark brown with a slightly oily sheen to it
• Clean triple cap with a small pigtail
• Foot looks moderately packed
• Slightly soft but even firmness throughout with a quick spring back
• Some medium veins but none that look problematic
• Clean and easy cut
• Draw is perfect right off the start

Gran Habano Corojo #5

Burn:
• Toasting was a little uneven at first but straightened itself out
• Burn started off nice and even but started to canoe within a half-inch
• Began to fix itself soon after, I let it try before attempting to correct it
• Cigar made an awesome recovery and is back on track
• Burn was a little wavy throughout but usually corrected itself with a couple minor touch-ups here and there
• Felt like the cigar was rushing me a bit, had to give it a little extra attention
• Cigar went out once near the end but re-lit easily with no harshness

Gran Habano Corojo #5

Smoke & Ash:
• Tons of smoke off this little cigar
• Not too much resting smoke
• Ash is light gray but fairly weak
• Lots of flaking happening
• Although flaky and weak looking, ash held on past 1.5inches

Gran Habano Corojo #5

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper smells slightly woodsy with a definite peppery spice
• Foot has the same woodsy aroma but much less spice to it
• Lots of pepper on the lips is evident right away
• Pre-light draw is mostly woodsy flavors with a bit of pepper
• Initial draws are earthy, woodsy and a bit of peppery spice
• Leaving a bit of dryness on the back of my throat
• Retrohale is surprisingly mild so far and smooth, just woodsy/cedar like flavors
• About two inches in, flavor hasn’t changed much but it has balanced out. The cedar came through and the spice took a backseat, although still there.
• Around the halfway mark I started tasting a toasted bread type of flavor
• Body has been mostly medium through the cigar
• Past the halfway mark, the retrohale started to get some bite to it, but still smooth
• As I burn through the last two inches, the peppery flavor has come back strong and is paired mainly with leathery type of flavor
• Body has ramped up to full at this point as well

Gran Habano Corojo #5

Final Thoughts:
Minus the few burn problems this was a great little cigar, especially considering the amazing price point. It offered a full bodied smoke with lots of flavor and spice to it. The variety of vitolas available will also satisfy any cigar enthusiast allowing them to choose their favorite. It surprised me that such a full bodied and inexpensive smoke had no harshness right down to the nub, even after re-lighting. The length of the burn time was also quite good for this vitola, coming in at 1.5 hours. The name might be a little misleading, I don’t get 1.5 hour lunch breaks! haha! I wouldn’t recommend this to novice cigar smokers as the body may be a little strong but would work very well as a mid-day or late day smoke for the veteran smoker. Definitely give this cigar a try, the peppery notes are not my favorite flavor profile but I did enjoy this particular blend as it wasn’t over powering and will be picking up more very soon. If you are also not a fan of peppery cigars, try a slightly larger ring guage which might bring the body down a bit.

Gran Habano Corojo #5

Pairings:
The beer I paired this with is a straight up Dark Lager, there’s nothing special to it and no flavors to it other than the normal malt/hop. It’s a decent no frills dark ale and fairly cheap. It’s also brewed very close to my house, about a 10min drive away and the only real local brewery to me. So although not my favorite dark beer, I like to support my local businesses and there’s something appealing to it’s straight forward flavoring at times. A dark beer paired fairly well with this cigar, some other choices for me would have been tawny port or scotch/cognac. They would have been even better matches to the body and flavor or this cigar. Some strong coffee or sweet tea could have also made a good match.

Gran Habano Corojo #5 and King Brewery Dark Lager

The post Gran Habano Corojo #5 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.