Monthly Recap – April

Number of Cigars Smoked: 38

Of those smoked:

• Purchased: 25 or 66%
• Samples Provided: 8 or 21%
• Gifted: 5 or 13%

Of those purchased:

• Brick & Mortar: 10 or 40%
• Online: 15 or 60%

Top Cigars Smoked by Quantity

#1. J. Fuego – Sangre De Toro (Original) – # Smoked = 4 : I am still in love these little sticks. Don’t worry they won’t remain number 1 on my list for much longer as I don’t have many left.

Three-way tie for the # 2 Spot

Room 101 – San Andres – # Smoked = 3: I have smoked through almost a full box of the San Andres 213 (Coronas) in the last five months. The cigar is a solid stick that delivers a mouthful of smoke and flavor with each puff. If you are San Andres tobacco fan, this is definitely a cigar worth a try.

Joya De Nicaragua Fuerte Serie B – # Smoked = 3: Looking for a cheap bundle cigar to burn when I am low on funds or pass out at parties, I grabbed a bundle of the Fuerte Serie B by Joya De Nicaragua from cigarsinternational.com. For $2 for the Corona Gorda, you get a good cigar that is consistent in flavor and performance. Nothing to write home to mom about, but nothing to complain about either.

Oliva – Serie V (Churchill Extra) – # Smoked = 3: These sticks are flying out of my humidor and this may be the last time they are on the list for a while. The Churchill Extra is an enormous size but the Serie V always seems to perform better in the larger formats. Always a solid stick to grab when I don’t know what else to smoke.

Most Memorable Cigars Smoked

#1. Drew Estate – Liga Privada UF-13 – Man, oh, man! I don’t even know where to begin with this cigar. Tony made a box purchase about a month ago and he hooked me up with a couple. I lit one up on a late  Saturday night and was taken on a crazy journey. While the flavors were bold and the strength was full, the smoothness and balance were unbelievable.  I may have to rob Tony of a few more of these puppies. Tony reviewed the UF-13 in 2013 here.

#2. Crux Cigars – Nimfamaniac – The Nimfamaniac is unique with its branding, format, and flavors. While the format of the cigar is rare, I have encountered a similar format on the La Caridad Del Cobre Javelin. All in all, this is one heck of a cigar for $5.99. Make sure to check out Tony’s review of Nimfamaniac here.

Cigars Reviewed

A.J. Fernandez – Mayimbe 

The Mayimbe is a slow smoking, full flavored, full strength cigar that takes you on a journey of deep, spicy flavors that are accompanied by notes of earth and cedar. While the cocoa sweetness played a minor role, it brought an amazing balance and roundness to the profile.

Partagas – 1845 Extra Oscuro

I was immediately turned off by the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro within the first few minutes of lighting it up. But, after adjusting my smoking pace, I found the cigar to be quite enjoyable….I am not sure if I will hunt down this cigar on the internet but I would not hesitate to smoke one again if I am provided the opportunity.

Partagas – 1845 Extra Fuerte

The Partagas 1845 Extra Fuerte provided a balanced, medium flavor and strength experience (I perceived much more strength in the other sample). While there were not too many change-ups in the flavors, the flavors remained pleasant throughout….Overall, the construction, performance, and flavors were all solid.

The post Monthly Recap – April 2014 – Jeremy Hensley Edition appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

At the start of 2014, I began tracking each and every cigar I have smoked. Well, I may have missed one or two. Based on discussions I’ve seen on Twitter and questions on this site and others, I decided to compile some information that I thought you might find interesting.

Since I decided to slack it last month on the my “Monthly Recap”, I bring to you a combined recap for February and March.

Monthly Recap – February and March

Number of Cigars Smoked: 57

Of those smoked:

• Purchased: 26 or 46%
• Samples Provided: 15 or 26%
• Gifted: 9 or 16%
• Traded for: 7 or 12%

Of those purchased:

• Brick & Mortar: 18 or 69%
• Online: 8 or 31%

Top Cigars Smoked by Quantity

#1. J. Fuego – Sangre De Toro (Original) – # Smoked = 7 :The J. Fuego Sangre De Toro Original has made both of my monthly recaps for highest quantity smoked for the month(s). Back in October, I picked up a brick (12 five-packs) of these sticks during Fox Cigar Bar’s Foxtoberfest. With the excellent price and flavors, I see this remaining on the list until I burn through them all.

#2. Oliva – Serie V (Churchill Extra) – # Smoked = 4: A local casino was offering some extreme discounts on their entire inventory of cigars and I was able to grab a box of 24 for $75. Now, that is one heck of a steal. While it is not in my go to size, the stick delivers in all other aspects. You will probably see this stick on a few more recaps as well.

Most Memorable Cigars Smoked

#1. Oliva – Master Blend 3: For Valentine’s Day, my wife and I decided to change things up a bit. Instead of joining the crowds for a romantic dinner, we headed down to Kipps Cheesesteak  in downtown El Paso. This had to be one of the most memorable Valentine dinners I have had with my wife of six years. After filling up on a delicious Green Chile Philly and nacho bacon fries, we took a scroll over to our local cigar lounge a few blocks away where I lit up a Master Blend 3. The cigar was the perfect close to a wonderful evening.

#2. Oliva – Serie V Melanio: On February 26th, the non-profit I have worked with for seven years held its inaugural fundraising event that was a great success. After the event, the CEO (a BOTL) and I made our way over to La Casa Del Puro and lit up a Serie V Melanio to celebrate the evening. Even in the smaller robusto size, the Melanio delivered a ton of flavors and just the right amount of strength to put me in a nice relaxed state.

Cigars Reviewed

Nestor Miranda – Casa Miranda Chapter Two 

If you enjoy deep, dark flavors and a good amount of spice, I recommend that you give the Chapter Two a try. And for the price, you won’t be breaking the bank.

Epicurean Cigars – AG Azul Vintage 2008

The performance of the AG Azul 2008 was exceptional, allowing me to sit back and relax for almost 2 hours. The cedar and pepper made up the core of the profile but the shifts in the intensity of the spice, sweetness, and cocoa finish made this an engaging ride.

Ezra Zion Cigar Company – Honor Series FHK

This cigar was an absolute treat! The flavors were bold, balanced, and quite complex. The performance was spot on with an even burn and firm ash. What more could you want in a cigar?

La Flor Dominicana – Foxtoberfest

While I am no leaf expert, I was able to easily distinguish the different roles the leaves played in the flavor profile. The Cameroon binder showed off a wonderful sweetness, while the Connecticut Broadleaf  contrasted it with its common tartness and savory meatiness. The first and second third delivered complexity and a mostly balanced profile.

VegaFina – Sumum Edicion Especial 2010 

The first and second third just did not do it for me, but at least the final third delivered some good, balanced flavors. It just wasn’t enough to redeem the cigar…. I would like to smoke through the other vitolas to see if I get a different experience before I recommend this cigar to others.

Veritas Cigar Company – Torch Habano

To my surprise, this was a cigar I found myself enjoying. The Torch offered a spicy profile on a backdrop of cedar with a wonderful long coffee and cocoa finish.

The post Monthly Recap – February and March 2014 – Jeremy Hensley Edition appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: Much like last year’s release, Oliva’s Melanio Maduro made it’s debut at the IPCPR show in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. The blend is based on the Melanio with only one tweak, they replaced the Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper with a Mexican San Andreas Maduro, much like the one used on the past year’s Serie V Maduro (you can read Jeremy’s review here).

Like the Serie V Maduro the Melanio Maduro is a limited to only 10,000 boxes and are already starting to hit shelves. The blend still carries the same Nicaraguan filler and Binder from the standard Melanio blend. The Melanio Maduro will come in boxes of 10 and will run $130 a box of $13 a cigar. The 6.5 x 52 Boxed pressed torepdo is the only format offered in the Maduro line. I got these from the beautiful people over at Bonita Smoke Shop who already have them in stock, and ready to ship! go. now.

Size: 6.5 x 52 Box-Pressed Torpedo
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium/Full
Body: Full
Price: $13
Pairing: Terrapin Dos Cocoas (Chocolate Porter 5.6% ABV)

Prelight: The Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro stats out with this beautifully dark wrapper. The standard Melanio wrapper already carried a pretty dark wrapper and you can see a considerable difference between the two. The wrapper is a dark chocolate brown with a few darker webs throughout the leaf. There are a few very low, almost seamless veins running through the body. Like the Melanio, the Melanio Maduro is box pressed and comes to a very sharp point in it’s torpedo style cap. The wrapper has some slight oils to it and interesting enough the wrapper showcases more and more tooth the closer that you get to the cap. The wrapper is also very, very tough. It feels as hard as a rock and the entire cigar is firm giving almost nothing as I squeeze it between my fingers. The Melanio Maduro carries the same band as the standard Melanio but the secondary  band is primarily gold instead of brown and states “Melanio Maduro” on it.

The wrapper on the Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro has a very strong spice aroma while the foot smells like sweet chocolate and tobacco. The cap was a bit tough but after a bit it cup very clean using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw produces lots and lots of chocolate, sweetness, and spice.

First Smoke: Oliva’s Serie V Melanio Maduro starts out with a nice pepper greeting followed up by lots of spice, cinnamon, chocolate, sweet tobacco, and soft cedar. The sweetness is considerably strong right off the bat. The pepper faded quickly, which I wasn’t expecting. I remember the standard Melanio carrying much more pepper than the Maduro so I am pretty sure the wrapper had a lot to do with that. This is such a sweet, creamy, and bold smoke right from the start. The draw is perfect producing lots and lots of thick white smoke with every puff. I need to mention again how much I love this format. The draw is always perfect and the cigar fits so comfortably in your hand. The burnline is razor sharp and dead even right from the start leaving behind a beautiful white, and light gray tightly compacted ash which held on for a bit over an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: The flavors in this Oliva V Serie V Melanio have become much more creamy. The chocolate and sweetness are still the main factors along with a milky cream, cinnamon and spice, with a bit of nut. The retrohale is very sharp, and very spicy with lots of pepper and cedar. I found it a bit rough and didn’t retrohale this cigar very often. The burnline is stick perfectly even and razor sharp while I am feeling only a very slight nicotine kick as I close out the second third of this cigar.

Finish: The strength in the cigar began to ramp up in the final third. I really didn’t feel much until now which is strange considering the strength of the Serie V lines. With that, the cedar began to fade out while the chocolate and sweetness remained powerful with some spice, and nut in the background. This cigar is a lot more creamy than the standard Serie V, but not as bold in terms of flavor. I didn’t experience any harshness into the final inch, but there was a big drop off in flavors as the sweetness finally fizzled out. The Melanio Maduro left me with a nice little nicotine buzz. Keep in mind, I did smoke this in between a big breakfast and lunch so that may be a factor as well. The cigar took me almost 2 hours to take down to the nub and I never had to touch it up or relight it the entire time.

Overview: Yeah, it’s obvious that I was a big fan of this cigar. I was a big fan of the standard Melanio. I even coined that as my cigar of the year last year (you can see the list here) and I think the Maduro version has a very good chance of sneaking into this year’s list as well. From the construction to the flavors this cigar is top-notch. It’s a full bodied, full strength experience that won’t leave you lying on the floor. The Melanio Maduro is bold, with a complex profile that ends in creamy sweetness. You can’t ask for more than that. While some people may shy away from the price I think it is more than justified for the experience you receive. I really can’t pick a favorite over the two. The standard Melanio seemed to have a bit more punch and stronger flavors while the Maduro is a bit more balanced and carries much more sweetness than the standard. I guess it all depends on what you are in the mood for, but neither will disappoint.

To Sum it Up: Buy it. By the box. Now. Really, it’s a bit pricey but if you are willing to shell out the coin you will enjoy it. It’s complex enough for the seasoned cigar smoker and balanced enough not to overpower the novice. My only suggestion is to make sure that you can handle a bit of power. If you don’t smoke full-strength cigars then you may want to pass on this one.

Pairing: I don’t see many, if any Terrapin brews in my area. I was lucky enough to score this one in a trade with the almighty Timmy D who hooked it up nicely. Terrapin’s Dos Cocoas is a 5.6% ABV Chocolate Porter that sadly, is no longer in production. I know what some of you may be thinking, “A porter, in the summer, really?”. Well I haven’t ever tasted it before, and when I was looking in my pantry I saw it, thinking that the chocolate would pair very nicely with the Melanio Maduro. A quick text message to Tim confirmed this and we were off. The mission was a success too. The Dos Cocoas tastes like straight up chocolate milk. It’s incredibly sweet and smooth with a bit of malt mixed in making it a perfect pairing for the Melanio Maduro’s sweet, chocoately, and creamy profile. Too bad this beer isn’t available, at least at the moment cause I can think of a ton of cigars it would go nicely with.

The post Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

So today’s is review is brought to us by Komodata, one of our many awesome readers, who was kind enough to send me a 2008 Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial. Thanks so much Komodata! Really appreciate the chance to get to enjoy a nice cigar like this.

So this blend was launched by Oliva on October 15, 2008 to follow up on the success of their 2007 limited edition release. There were a couple differences in the release though. Firstly, the name was slightly changed from the original “Oliva Serie V Liga Especial” and the ring gauge was knocked down a bit to 54 but the length was extended to 6.5.

Now the original plan on this 2008 Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial was actually to make it to make it a 54 ring gauge. As the story goes, this vitola it was too strong and overpowering so they actually took out some filler and ligero to make it a 52 ring gauge. All-in-all, 50,000 sticks were made and distributed to approximately 250 retailers, most of those were US but some were sent across the ocean to a few select European retailers. They are pretty hard to come by now a days but there are still a few aging in some lucky people’s humidors. So without further adieu, let’s see how this cigar stacks up!

Cigar: 2008 Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial
Drink: Mill Street Brewery 2011 Barley Wine
Vitola: Torpedo (6.5 x 52)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan Jalapa Valley Ligero and long filler
Price: Original MSRP $6.75 (Gifted by Komodata)
Burn Time: 2 hours

Construction:
• This is a tough looking cigar with a deep dark chocolate brown wrapper, with just some subtle hints of gold here and there
• The is finished nicely with just a few visible lines and the foot looks to be very tightly packed, tons of leaves inside this stick
• Despite looking to be over packed, the cigar has a nice spring when squeezed and is consistent from cap to foot
• The smooth and toothy wrapper has almost no visible veins, very nice looking leaf
• The cut was strong and tough to cut but it came off cleanly with my double bladed guillotine cutter
• I kept the cut short for now and the draw seems to be a bit tight, if it stays that way I may need to clip off a bit more
• I decided to clip off a bit more after the draw didn’t improve through the first third

Burn:
• The toasting on this cigar was super easy, it lit up evenly with very little effort
• The burn has started out nice and sharp and is moving very slowly, let’s hope it stays this way
• Burn continues to be razor sharp and even through the first third
• The burn has been awesome all the way through to the last third now, not even a tiny touch up required here at all
• It’s also burning nice and slow and is giving me time to enjoy it slowly
• The last 3rd of this cigar seemed to slow down on the burn even most, staying completely even but allowing me to prolong the smoking experience
• There was one small touch up required near the very end, most people might have put the cigar down at that point but I wanted to keep going! haha

Smoke & Ash:
• As I mentioned before, the draw is a bit tight right now so there isn’t a ton of smoke but there is still a fair amount to not warrant chopping off more leaf for the moment
• Resting smoke is practically non-existent, just a little bit right after I take a draw then it’s like it practically turns off
• The ash has a ton of striping and is alternating colors between light and dark grey
• So far, the ash is holding strong past an inch and it has no flaking or signs of weakness
• I had to tap the ash off shortly passed the inch mark since it’s pretty windy and it was gonna end up in my lap soon… lol
• After the little bit of extra clipping the smoke volume increased a tad, but not much
• Ash continued to be strong, even and clean throughout the whole experience
• Smoke volume increased a bit more at the halfway mark, making for a nice full billow from each draw

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper of the Oliva V Maduro 2008 has mostly an aroma of barnyard scents and a bit of earthiness
• The foot carries the same aroma but tosses in a fresh cedar and grassiness to the mix
• The pre-light draw brings in more of that cedar flavor and maybe just a touch of sweetness
• Initial flavors are interesting, very deep and dark roasted wood and espresso with some hints of clove or nutmeg
• The espresso/coffee flavor is developing nicely already in this first third, very tasty
• Body so far is in the medium range and the retrohale has no bite, but it does have a smooth coffee finish that is darn tasty
• I am getting a bit of dryness on the back of my throat but the creamy finish seems to be balancing that out
• All the flavors are playing nicely together so far with the roasted coffee and cedar notes being the most dominant
• There’s also an interesting aftertaste that I can only describe as something like fresh cut hay (Not to say I eat hay, but it tastes like what fresh cut hay smells like, lol)
• There is some interesting complexity to this cigar if you sit and pay attention to the flavors, some subtle notes I’m picking up in the background include a bit of meaty flavors, a bit of vegetal notes, and even some roasted nuts of some kind.
• The roasted nut flavor is really starting to shine through as I get into the last third and all the flavors are intensifying nicely, also picking up a bit of licorice flavors here and there
• The body continues to stay in the medium range and the huge burst of flavors from each draw is just delicious
• The body did pick up a bit in the last third, maybe to the low end of full, but not overpowering
• The flavors continued to intensify and surprise me to the very end with hardly any bitterness at all, I enjoyed this cigar down to the very nub and even busted out the toothpick to get maximum enjoyment!

Final Thoughts:
I think the sheer number of flavors I mentioned in my tasting notes is a good indication of how complex and enjoyable this 2008 Oliva V Maduro cigar was. It kept me on my toes the whole way through and teased me to pay extra attention so all the subtle notes as well as the ones that were obvious and super tasty. Everything kept in great balance and the smooth creamy finish was a perfect touch to end each draw. Some people had warned me this would be a full bodied smoke but I think it stayed in the medium range for the most part and I didn’t even have a big dinner before smoking this. The age of this particular stick may have contributed to a little loss in body but the flavors were still in full swing. These are obviously super rare to come by these days but if you manage to track one down I’d highly suggest fighting to give it a try, it’s a great experience to add to your cigar journal.

Pairings:
So this was one of my first forays into Barley Wine and I decided to chose a local brewery, Mill Street, based out of Toronto. This happens to be from their 2011 batch. It comes in an awesome bottle which I think is some kind of ceramic or something, along with a nice swing top cap. I wasn’t really sure what to expect but I knew it had some high alcohol content(11.5%) so I saved it for a time when I could enjoy it at night. Well to my surprise I was met with what I can best describe as a stout on steroids! It’s so thick and creamy with dark notes of roasted malts and roasted coffee. The creamy finish really sells this brew and I enjoyed the heck out of it(as Tony would say )! I can definitely say it was an awesome pairing to go with the Oliva V Maduro, the roasted coffee and malt notes matched with the cigar perfectly. Other great pairings would include a stout, port, scotch or a strong coffee.

The post 2008 Oliva Serve V Maduro Especial 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.