The Good Stuff:

Powstanie will be showcasing a new addition to their Connecticut line with the upcoming release of the “Justice” at this year’s PCA trade show in April. This 5 1/2 x 46 corona gorda format is created to celebrate the middle child of Powstanie’s owner Mike Szczepankiewicz. While the original blend was created 10 years ago, Powstanie recreated the Connecticut line 9 years later, releasing it at the 2023 PCA trade show.

Created at the Fabrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño in Nicaragua the blend features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over a Pennsylvanian Broadleaf binder and fillers from Nicaragua. The 5 1/2 x 46 “Justice” corona gorda vitola joins 4 other sizes in the line: Robusto (5 x 50), Short Perfecto (5 x 50), Bellicoso (5 1/2 x 52) and the Toro (6 x 52). The Justice will come packaged in boxes of 21 running $13.50 per cigar. Big thanks to the Powstanie folks for sending these our way for review.

• Size: 5 1/2 x 46
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Binder: Pennsylvanian Broadleaf
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Mild/Medium
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $13.50

Prelight:

The Powstanie Connecticut Justice starts off with an extremely consistent light brown wrapper which gives off a slight orange sheen when the sun hits it. The wrapper’s texture is very silk and smooth with a decent amount of oils coating it. The wrapper feels a bit thin and delicate as is the case with most Connecticut shade leaves. There are almost no veins as the wrapper is laid seamlessly over itself leading up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with the same black and gold band with the Postanie logo embossed on the front as we see on the rest of the Connecticut line, however the secondary band on this one states “Justice” instead of “Connecticut”.

The wrapper on the Justice gives off some sweet honey aromas over natural tobacco while the foot of the cigar is much more earthy with notes of tobacco, spice, and cashew. The cap cut clean and easily allowing the cold draw to produce notes of pecan, tobacco, and earthiness.

First Third:

The Powstanie Connecticut Justice kicks off with a very light black pepper punch which completely fades out after the first few draws allowing the cigar to release notes of cashew, honey, deep woodsy flavors and a dash of spice with a very interesting, faint spearmint aftertaste. I wasn’t expecting the cigar to start off with as much flavor as it did. The draw is absolutely perfect kicking out massive clouds of thick, white smoke with every puff which really stick around for a while before dissipating while the cigar releases only a small amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is super thin and dead even leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white and light gray ash which held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Powstanie Connecticut Justice and the flavors are still bangin’. The cashew and woodsy flavors are leading the charge. Under the more dominant flavors are more fine notes of vanilla, honey, and some light floral flavors. That spearmint is now gone. The retrohale REALLY pumps up the spice that I don’t necessarily pick up during the standard smoking experience. I close out the second third with nothing in terms of nicotine.

Finish:

In the final third of the Powstanie Connecticut Justice the cigar is still pumping out the flavors. While the flavors haven’t changed up much, they haven’t needed to as I really enjoyed the profile which leads with some great cashew and wood backed backed by honey and vanilla. The floral flavor kind of just comes in and goes. It took me an hour and forty five minutes to take this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, nor any extended heat. I never once had to reach for my torch to touchup or relight the cigar as it burned perfectly all the way through. I close out with only a very, very light nicotine kick.

Overview:

I will be the first to admit that I am not the biggest fan of Connecticut shade wrappers, but when they hit, they HIT! The Powstanie Connecticut Justice is the perfect example of how to do Connecticut right. The balance of nuanced flavors with an extra wave of body and more pronounced flavors created such a rounded flavor profile and excellent experience. The construction was flawless and burn went on without a hitch. This is absolutely a box-worthy release when it drops and one that I will keep on hand for those times when I am craving something that is more nuanced without the want for a cigar that will knock me on my ass.

The post Powstanie Connecticut Justice appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

Created at Black Label Trading Co.’s Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Nicaragua, the Memento Mori is created using a Pennsylvanian Broadleaf wrapper over A Ecuadorian Habano binder and all Nicaraguan fillers. The Memento Mori is offered in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Corona (5 1/2 x 42), and Lonsdale (6 1/2 x 46). Each comes packaged in boxes of 20 running between $10.50 and $12 a stick and is limited to only 850 boxes being released in the U.S.

• Size: 5 x 50
• Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $11
• Pairing: Foam Brewers Spelled in Bones (Imperial Stout 10% ABV)

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co. Memento Mori starts out with a crazy dark, almost black consistent wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is slightly toothy with a whole ton of oils coating it. The wrapper is laid perfectly over itself while sporting a few larger veins. The wrapper’s foot is inclosed as it lays over the filler tobacco. The Memento Mori sports a sharp, pointed cap and a black and white band with a skull and the Memento Mori logo across the front. The cigar feels very hard and tightly packed with absolutely no soft-spots to be found.

The wrapper on the Memento Mori gives off mostly sweet honey, cocoa, and musk. The foot of the cigar is much of the same since the filler is enclosed by the wrapper leaf. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a ton of spice and pepper over sweet chocolate and natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Black Label Trading Co. starts out with a black of cayenne pepper which left my lips tingling. This faded very quickly allowing the cigar to release bold honey sweetness, milk chocolate, vanilla, black pepper, musk, and black cherry. While the cigar is packed tightly, the draw was effortless. Each little puff kicked out a great amount of thick, white smoke which hung out for a very long time before dissipating while the cigar releases only a small amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is ultra thin and dead even leaving behind a trail of white, compacted ash which held on for an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Memento Mori and the milk chocolate mixed with black cherry flavors are leading the charge backed by soft vanilla, sweet honey, musk, and an awesome black licorice that keeps popping in and out. The retrohale brings some of the pepper back into the mix. The cigar is still burning perfectly and I close out the second third with only a tiny little nicotine kick.

Finish:

The final third is much of the same. Lots of milk chocolate and black cherry with notes of black licorice, sweet honey, and musk. In the final inch and a half a really badass colonge/floral flavor started to take over the profile. I just with this happened sooner in the experience. The cigar took about an hour and half to smoke down to the nub. There was no harshness, no extended heat, and I finish out with only a small nicotine kick. I didn’t want this one to end.

Overview:

The Memento Mori is a great example of the rich flavors, complexity, and great profile that I have grown to love with Black Label Trading Co. The cigar kept me on my toes from start to finish and delivered in every aspect. These may be sold in out most cases, but I will be chasing a few more down to keep in my rotation when I am craving a more complex cigar that won’t knock me on my ass.

Pairing:

Spelled in Bones is a 10% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with vanilla bean, ancho chili peppers, cinnamon and lactose by Foam Brewers in Vermont. The beer starts with a blast of vanilla sweetness, roasted malt, mild cinnamon, and a great mile burst piloncillo with a lighter mouthfeel before finishing with more chocolate, bolder cinnamon and just a touch of pepper on the aftertaste. The alcohol is crazy-well hidden as this beer is super crushable for a 10% ABV stout. The pepper from the chili, the sweet chocolate and vanilla paired so well with the flavors in the Black Label Trading Co. Memento Mori making for a sweet pairing.

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The Good Stuff:

Bishop’s Blend has been a limited edition release from Black Label Trading Co. over the past six years and serves as one of the more sought after releases each year. Manufactured at the Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Nicaragua, the 2021 Bishop’s Blend starts with an Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder and filler tobacco from Nicaragua, Connecticut and a broadleaf from Pennsylvania. The 2021 Bishop’s Blend comes in three sizes: Corona Largo (6 1/4 x 46), Robusto (5 x 48), Lancero (7 x 42). Both the Corona Largo and Robusto come packaged in boxes of 20 with only 600 boxes of each being released, while the Lancero comes packaged in boxes of 12 with only 400 being released. The cigars range between $11 and $12 per stick and another should out to my boy Jason for the hookup here.

• Size: 6 1/4 x 46
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Maduro
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan, Connecticut, Pennsylvanian Broadleaf
• Body: Full
• Strength: Full
• Price: $11.50
• Pairing: Unsweetened black tea

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021 starts out with an extremely dark brown wrapper that’s pretty consistent in color with the exception of some lighter areas around the cigar’s cap. The wrapper itself is very dense and very hard while the cigar as a whole is extremely heavy and well packed. The wrapper’s texture is extremely smooth with a whole mess of oils coating it. The wrapper is slightly extended which is carefully folded over the foot canceling the filler tobacco. The cigar showcases some milder veining as it’s long, slender body leads up to it’s etremely pointed, tapered cap. The cigar is then polished off with the red and black Bishop’s Blend band we find on each of these releases as well as a secondary foot band with the cigar’s nameplate across the front.

The cigar’s wrapper gives off lots of raisin and pepper scents while the foot of the cigar carries much of the same raisin as well as lots of spice and musk. The cap on the Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021 cut with ease. The cold draw produces lots of musk and raisin which a little pepper bite.

First Third:

The Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021 starts out with a much more mild black pepper punch than I anticipated which quickly transitioned into a sweet, cinnamon-led spice over bold musk, raisin, and dark chocolate with lighter notes of black cherry and pecan. I can’t place it but there is a certain tobacco that gives off this amazing piloncillo flavor that just flat out rocks and its VERY present in this blend. It’s very noticeable on the nose as well. The draw is perfect as each puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke which hang around for a while before dissipating while the cigar releases a whole mess of 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 only held on for about a half an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021 and this thing is still piling on the flavors. The cinnamon/spice mixture along with the musk still lead the charge over loads of raisin and dark chocolate and lighter notes of pecan and black cherry. That piloncillo note is still hanging in there too and its very evident on the retrohale. I close out the second third with only a light little nicotine kick.

Finish:

I’m kind of sad that I’m already closing out the Black Label Trading Co.’s Bishop’s Blend 2021. The flavors are so good. The musk and spice are still the dominant flavors over dark chocolate and pecan, black cherry, vanilla, piloncillo and some nice floral undertones here towards the end. It took me an hour and forty five minutes to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I didn’t want to put it down. I experienced no harshness nor extended heat, and a decent little nicotine kick. I never once had to touchup or relight the cigar as it burned perfect from start to finish.

Overview:

The team over at Oveja Negra is making it really hard for me not to include every one of their releases in my top 10 cigars for 2021. I always thought the bishop’s blend releases were special cigars, but this year there was something extra special with the blend or tobacco. The flavor profile is absolutely incredible from start to finish. The cigar burned perfectly, and the price is actually lower than I’d expect for a cigar like this. The limited production is a bit daunting, but they have released a new run each year which evens it out. The only complaint here is the amount of sap this cigar produces. There is quite a bit and while slowing down my smoking pace greatly reduces it, I was unable to make it through any of the cigars I smoked without some slipping out. I’m sure some more rest would easily clean that up.

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We are very excited to launch the new Camacho Box-Pressed (BXP) extensions. Broadleaf tobacco delivers a great intensity to these blends and we feel very lucky to get our hands on some high quality primings to build into this venture.

The Camacho Connecticut Box-Pressed or BXP features a Connecticut Shade Honduran wrapper over a Honduran Corojo binder and Dominican and Pennsylvanian Broadleaf filler tobaccos. Three sizes are available in the BXP version including Robusto (5 by 50), Toro (6 by 50), and Gordo (6 by 60). Packaged in 20 count boxes, the cigars will run you between $8,00 and $9.25.

THE FACTS

Price: $8.25
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 50
Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut Shade
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Filler: Dominican & Pennsylvanian Broadleaf
Smoke: 1 Hour and 45 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Connecticut Shade wrapper is consistent in its golden tan color, but the color seems to collide with the orange trim and lettering on the band. There are several medium-sized veins that are stitch like in appearance. The wrapper is very soft and smooth to the touch. The cigar feels hefty in the hand and it is evenly and firmly rolled.

I am greeted with a wonderful aroma of baking spices that are common in the fall. The foot shows off a doughy note with pepper spice trailing close behind. With the messy triple cap cut, the draw is a hair firm, and those baking spices are front and center on the cold draw leaving a medium spice heat in the mouth and on the lips. 

FIRST THIRD

The Camacho Connecticut BXP opens with a traditional Connecticut shade flavor that is somewhat bitter and vegetal. A pepper spice and a more savory quality of the smoke immediately follows the shade flavor. The cigar is on the mild side during the first third of the cigar and the finish is nearly undiscernable. The burn line is thick with a small wave to it as the ash holds easily past an inch.

MIDDLE THIRD

A sweet tobacco flavor moves into the profile in the second third of the Camacho Connecticut BXP and the pepper picks up in both flavor and spice. As the profile shifts up from mild to medium, the bitter shade flavor remains at the front and there is an underlying woodsy flavor to the profile. The burn is edgier than earlier but of no issue and the ash is flakier in appearance. 

FINAL THIRD

The black pepper has pushed its way to the front of the profile that is now a steady medium.  While the flavors showoff a decent amount of spice, it is really the retro-hale that highlights it. This 6 by 50 cigar is burning the best it has with its near even burn line.  

WRAP-UP

The Camacho Connecticut BXP was recommended to me at my local shop. I nearly dismissed the recommendation since Connecticut shade cigars usually fall outside my wheelhouse. But I decided to give it a shot and I am glad I did. The Camacho Connecticut BXP falls in the mild to medium range, delivers a spicy backbone, and maintains its shade quality. Other than a minor wavy, edgy burn, I encountered no performance issues. It is a cigar I will be reaching for to pair with coffee earlier in the day or an iced tea during the summer months.

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It centers on the fusing of our master [blenders] with those in other categories, in this case, Bourbon makers. Working collaboratively to build experiences that break the chains of convention. This series will also be the top of the pyramid for Camacho.

A second line was added to the series in 2017 named Nicaraguan Barrel Aged that features tobacco aged in Nicaraguan run barrels.

The Camacho American Barrel Aged is manufactured at Occidental Cigar Corp. in the Dominican Republic. The blend features US grown wrapper, binder and filler tobaccos, along with a Honduran Corojo filler tobacco. The Corojo tobacco is aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels for five months. Available vitolas include Robusto (5 by 50), Torpedo Corto (4 1/2 by 52), Perfecto Gordo (5 15/16 by 54), Toro (6 by 50), Torpedo Largo (6 by 36 by 54), and Gordo (6 by 60).

You can purchase the Camacho American Barrel Aged from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $10.00
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 by 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Connecticut Broadleaf, Pennsylvania Maduro, Honduran Corojo
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Camacho American Barrel Aged is dressed in a rustic, dark brown wrapper loaded with veins, bumps, and tooth. Stitch-like veins can be seen running from head to foot and light oils can be felt along the rough leaf. The cigar is rock solid from head to foot with no soft spots to be found.

I am picking up notes of cardboard, chicken coop, and a faint vinegar from the wrapper.  A hefty spice is on the foot, accompanied by cedar and clove. The cigar requires two cuts to open up a workable draw. The cold draw flavors are rich with cedar, dark red fruit, some sweetness and some baking spices on the finish.

FIRST THIRD

The cigar kicks off with medium to full flavors that are rich with notes of leather, pencil shavings, and pepper, followed by a mild grassiness and sweetness. Heat lingers in the mouth for some time on this Camacho American Barrel Aged. A beautiful white ash is forming as the cigar burns evenly.

MIDDLE THIRD

The flavors have intensified on the American Barrel Aged Robusto as I move into the second third with the leather being the most dominant flavor. The pepper is on the brighter side and the spice heat is impressive. The slightly sweet grassiness is still hanging around on the finish with a sour edge to it. The cigar has a minor wave and the ash is quite flaky. 

FINAL THIRD

The flavors develop in richness and there is a gritty earth alongside the leather as I transition into the final third. Surprisingly, the grassiness has held its ground throughout the cigar. The cigar continues to burn well as little flakes of ash drop with every small move.

WRAP-UP

Camacho has never been a brand that I jump on with every new release. And I am sure you can tell since it took me nearly three years to smoke this cigar since the original release in 2015. But I am glad I finally made my way around to it. The Camacho American Barrel Aged Robusto provided a full flavored profile with rich notes of leather, some woodiness, and a gritty earth. The pepper spice is highlighted throughout the experience in both the flavor and heat departments. There was also an underlying grassy flavor that remained from start to finish that worked well with the blend and it wasn’t a flavor I expected to find. The cigar performed well with some minor burn hiccups and flaky ash in the second and final third. This is certainly a fun cigar to smoke and it worth the try. And I will now be on the lookout for the Nicaraguan Barrel Aged to see how it compares.

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The Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder features a three-country blend and is produced at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua. Available vitolas include Robusto (5 1/2 by 54), Toro (6 by 52), and Gordo (6 by 60). The cigars range in price from $9.50 to $10.99.

You can purchase the Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder from our good friends over at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $9.50
Vitola: Robusto
Size:5 1/2 by 54
Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuadorian Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 10 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

Jacobs Ladder by Southern Draw wears a nearly black Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. Sugar-like crystals glisten all over the leaf that has only minor bumps and small veins for the most part. It is a very nice looking cigar.

The wrapper aroma is very pungent with vinegar, barnyard, and dirt. I am picking up the same aromas on the closed foot with the addition of chocolate. A quick cut opens up an easy draw allowing notes of chocolate, cinnamon, and rich cedar to pass through. A spice is felt on the lips and in the mouth.

FIRST THIRD

Full-flavored smoke pours of Southern Draw’s Jacobs ladder immediately after lighting. There are flavors of dark red fruit, earth, cocoa, rich cedar and a pepper spice. The pepper is medium/full in the mouth and right at the full mark as I expel the smoke through my nose. The pepper is accompanied by a yeast on the retro-hale. The burn-line is thick and even as a solid grayish black ash forms.

MIDDLE THIRD

The first third flavors continue to hold strong and are very enjoyable as I burn into the second third of the Jacobs Ladder Robusto. There is no harshness and the flavors are well balanced. As I reach the middle of the cigar, earth sits heavy on the finish and a sweetness is appearing every few puffs. The rich cedar has evolved to more of pencil shavings and a salty quality has joined in. The burn-line has a minor wave going on, but I don’t see a touch-up being required anytime soon.

FINAL THIRD

With the last leg of the journey underway, the earlier sweetness is more distinguishable and seems to be tied to the yeast flavor that now plays a more dominant role in the profile. The ever-evolving wood flavor is now charred wood. Overall, the flavors have lost much of their intensity and the smoke production is lacking. The burn is back in-line and just about perfect as I close out the cigar.

WRAP-UP

Between Southern Draw landing the #4 spot with their QuickDraw Pennsylvania on my top cigars of 2017 list and the number accolades Jacobs Ladder received last year, I had high expectations going into this cigar. And the cigar did not disappoint. From the start, Jacobs Ladder showed off dark, spicy and rich flavors with noticeable changes in each third. The strength paired with the full flavors but never got out of control. Even though the cigar seemed to die out a bit in the last third, the overall experience was very good and I look forward to burning through many more of these cigars this year.

The post Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Southern Draw’s portfolio has grown over its few short years in business with Jacobs Ladder, Kudzu, Firethorn, Rose of Sharon, and QuickDraw. QuickDraw, as with the rest of Southern Draw’s lines, are produced at Tabacalera Fernandez De Nicaragua S.A. in Esteli, Nicaragua. Three wrapper options are currently available including Ecuadorian Connecticut, Ecuadorian Dark Habano, and Pennsylvania Broadleaf. Keeping with the theme of the brand, the two available sizes are on the smaller end of the spectrum with a Petite Corona (4 1/2 by 44) and Short Panatela (5 1/2 by 40). The QuickDraw Petite Corona comes packaged in 50-count boxes that will run you about $225 or $5.00 per stick.

You can purchase the Southern Draw QuickDraw from our site sponsor Famous Smoke Shop. Make sure to use coupon code “CASASAVINGS” for $15 off orders over $100.

THE FACTS

Price: $5.00
Vitola: Petite Corona
Size: 4 ½ by 44
Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Start Time: 1 Hour

PRE-LIGHT

Southern Draw’s QuickDraw Pennsylvania is dressed an extremely dark, nearly black Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. There is a ton of texture on this rustic looking leaf that is loaded with tooth, veins and bumps. Sugar-like crystals glisten down the leaf as I work through my pre-light inspection.

The cigar is firmly rolled from head to foot and I am met with a pungent aroma of barnyard and wet earth as I bring the wrapper of the cigar to my nose. With the shaggy foot, the aroma is mostly the same with a hint of richness and sweetness. A shallow cut through the small pig-tail cap reveals a firm draw, which I expected to be due to the shaggy foot. Rich cedar and light baking spices are on the cold draw.

FIRST LIGHT

As soon as the foot of the Southern Draw QuickDraw is lit, the draw opens up and heavy and dark flavors pour out with notes of leather and a rich coffee. The richness really comes out as I retro-hale the smoke, along with a faint spice. The spice is building in both the flavor department and heat, warming my palate, as the cigar progresses. The QuickDraw Petite Corona is burning with a minor wave as a white ash forms. The ash held just short of an inch, which is pretty impressive for such a small ring gauge cigar.

MIDDLE THIRD

The QuickDraw Pennsylvania gains in richness as the flavors remain consistent with the prior third. The flavors are medium/full and I am beginning to feel the strength this small cigar has to offer. At the back end of the flavors there is a tartness and sweetness that is beginning to peak through. The tartness is something I find in most Broadleaf cigars.

FINAL THIRD

As I begin the last leg of my journey of the QuickDraw Pennsylvania, I find the tartness to be moving forward, trying to keep up with the darker flavors of charred wood, leather and coffee and a caramelized sugar sweetness. The flavors have made it to the full realm and the strength is on par. And the spice is showing no signs of slowing down as I near the end of the smoke. 

WRAP-UP

I don’t know why I waited so long to light up a cigar from Southern Draw. The QuickDraw Pennsylvania is exactly what I look for in a cigar. Big flavors, full strength, spice that keeps the palate alert, and a whole lot of richness. I love the Petite Corona format, but, at the same time, I didn’t want the cigar to end. The cigar developed a wave in the burn here and there, but it didn’t distract me from everything else going on. I highly recommend the QuickDraw Pennsylvania and I consider it a box worthy cigar even in a 50-count box!

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-Tony

In 2015, Quesada released the limited run Keg in time for St. Patrick’s Day, packed in beer barrel shaped boxes and meant to be enjoyed with an Irish stout.  This year, the company again came out with the same blend with some cosmetic packaging and band changes.  Made at Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Nicaragua, the Keg comes in three sizes:  Lonsdale 6 x 44 (30/keg), Toro 6 x 50 (21/keg), and Toro Gordo 6 x 60 (16/keg), with prices ranging from $5.95 to $8.95.  I picked up a couple of the Toros at a Quesada event at Stogies N Hops in Lynnwood, WA last month.

The Basics:

Wrapper:  Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Binder:  Nicaragua
Filler:  Nicaragua
Size:  Toro 6 x 50
Price:  $7.95
Smoking time:  One hour, forty minutes
Pairing:  Sound Brewery Ursus americanus Stout (ABV 6.5%)

Pre-light:

The Quesada Keg is beautifully presented in a damned near black Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper that is interspersed with lighter areas around the fine veining and a sandpapery toothiness.  The nearly seamless roll is very firm, although not rock hard, with one small softer spot above the band.  The band, in manila yellow with black and gold/bronze, looks suspiciously like a classic beer label and matches well with the darkness of the wrapper.  The wrapper gives off a tart barnyard aroma, while the foot shows rich, spice laden tobacco and some woodiness.  Clipping the cap reveals an ideal draw carrying sweet musky spice, light wood, and a tingle on the lips.

First third:

The Quesada Keg immediately deals out a copious amount of smoke that showcases oak, earth, coffee, and spices with pepper trailing behind.  The oak soon becomes toasty and the coffee becomes stronger, deepening the flavors.  The sharp burn line, which had started out a little wavy, quickly self-corrected, but the ash has fallen into my lap short of an inch.  Retrohaling shows some smooth black pepper and hints of leather and musk.  The initial third of the Keg winds up at medium in body.

Middle third: 

Moving into the center section of the Quesada Keg, the toasty wood, earth, and light coffee continue to lead the way, while the leather and faint musk bring up the rear.  Pepper shows itself at the back of the throat and lingers on the retrohale.  The mouthfeel has actually become a bit lighter and smoother, although I am beginning to feel just a bit of strength creep in.  Light sweet spice notes peek in and out, and the coffee is becoming more noticeable on the back end, as both body and strength begin to climb, heading toward medium-full in body and medium strength.

Final third:

Entering the final leg of its run, the Quesada Keg continues to show the same flavor profile, but also continues to up the ante in the way of intensity.  The burn has been wavering, requiring a couple of minor touch-ups, but I can’t consider that to be much of a problem.  Sweetness has become a factor and the pepper has also ramped up.  Taking the nearly full-bodied and medium-plus strength Keg down to the final inch, it finishes cool and without harshness, although it is a little squishy at this point.

Overview: 

Whether you pair the Quesada Keg or not, it is very much a cigar worth grabbing if you see it.  While it was not the most complex cigar around, there was certainly enough there to enjoy and the flavors mingled well and became more intense as the cigar progressed.  Despite needing a few touch-ups along the way, the cigar’s construction was very good and I think the price is right where it should be.  I would caution, though, that this may be a cigar best smoked outside, as it pumped out a pretty prodigious amount of stationary smoke as it sat in my ashtray.

Pairing: 

No Irish stout on hand?  No problem, as there are a ton of American stouts out there, and excellent ones at that.  Sound Brewery’s Ursus americanus (yes the brewery does spell it with a lower case “a” in deference to the scientific name) gets its moniker from the American black bear, but it is not really a fierce predator in a bottle.  Rather, it hangs out on the lighter side of the American stout spectrum with a surprisingly light feel upon entry, with flavors of prune, citrus, coffee, a wisp of smoke and a tangy finish.  As with most dark beers, the flavors deepen as the beer warms in the glass, and it provided a very nice foil for the Quesada Keg, even bringing out more sweetness in the cigar, despite not being a particularly sweet stout itself.  I can see how an Irish or English stout might be a better match for this cigar, though, as they tend to be less hoppy and bitter than the American versions.  A good strong cup of coffee or a big tawny port would also be a great way to go with the Keg.

-Jeff Oda

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The Good Stuff:

I was a huge fan of Fratello Cigars’ first release, the Fratello. So much, that it made my top 10 list last year. You can view the list here and my review here. That being said, I was ecstatic to hear Omar Frias, owner of Fratello was releasing his second blend, and Maduro called the Fratello Bianco which launched at this year’s IPCPR trade show. The Fratello Bianco features a Mexican San Andres Negro wrapper, Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan, Peruvian, and Pennsylvania Broadleaf fillers. The Fratello Bianco comes in 3 core formats: I (6 1/4 x 44), II (6 x 50), and III (5 x 56) as well as one event exclusive vitola which is a 5 x 44. All formats come packaged in boxes of 20 and will range from $8.75 to $9.25 a stick. While shops are starting to get these trickled in I got mine over from our friends at 2 Guys Smoke Shop who still have plenty is stock.

Size: 6 1/4 x 44
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Negro
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Nicaraguan, Peruvian, Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $8.75
Pairing: Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break (Imperial Stout 11.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The Fratello Bianco features a very consistent dark brown wrapper. The wrapper carries some lighter areas around the foot of the cigar and natural webbing in the tobacco leaf surrounding the body of the cigar. There are a few decent sized veins running through the cigar, but nothing too concerning. The wrapper’s texture is very rough and toothy with only some smoother areas around those veins. The wrapper feels very dense, and very hard while the cigar is a big spongy in random areas throughout. The Fratello Bianco is topped off with a round double cap and polished off with the exact same red, black, and white band featured on the standard Fratello only in reversed colors.

The wrapper on the Fratello Bianco gives off some great spice and sweetness while the foot of the cigar carries some strong pepper and natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut like butter under my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw reveals lots of musk, spice, sweetness, and cocoa.

First Third:

The Fratello Bianco starts off with a quick little black pepper burst which quickly fades away showcasing some great cocoa, brown sugar, cinnamon, musk, and tobacco flavors. The flavors aren’t very bold, but they mix in to create a very rich and creamy character. The draw started out a bit tight but loosed up after I got about a half inch in and is now kicking out a good amount of thick smoke while producing none as it rests in my astray. The burn line is razor thin and dead even leaving behind a tightly compacted trail of white and medium gray ash which held on for just under an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

As I venture into the second third of the Fratello Bianco a great vanilla flavor has began to take dominance in the flavor department. Backed by cocoa, coffee, brown sugar, cinnamon and natural tobacco this makes for a great, creamy flavor profile. The retrohale is really smooth coating my nasal passage with some soft spice, and lots of coffee notes. The burn line has one large wave now, but hasn’t needed any attention from my lighter yet. I close out the second third with absolutely no signs of nicotine.

Finish:

The strength in the Fratello Bianco has started to ramp up into the medium/full range in the final third while the flavors remained consistent. The vanilla, cocoa, and coffee lead the charged backed by sweetness and spice all mixed in for a creamy profile. It took me an hour and a half to take the Fratello Bianco down to the nub and I enjoyed every minute of it. The cigar never required any extra attention from my lighter, and finished clean with no harshness, and no nicotine kick at all.

Overview:

Fratello has added a second great cigar to their portfolio. The Fratello Bianco is a solid maduro, with a great flavor profile all wrapped up in a smooth, creamy, affordable package.  While I think it’s a great cigar, I do think I like the standard Fratello a bit more. The Bianco is box worthy for sure. It’s a perfect cigar for a novice cigar smoker that is looking for a smooth, not overly complex maduro at a great price while seasoned cigar smokers will enjoy the great flavor profile and consistency the Bianco has to offer.

Pairing:

Get used to seeing Evil Twin on Casas Fumando a lot more now that I can finally get my hands on them. This week, I knew exactly what pairing I wanted to go down with the Fratello Bianco, and it didn’t disappoint. Evil Twin’s Imperial Biscotti Break is a 11.5% ABV Imperial stout brewed with coffee beans by Charleston Coffee Roasters. The Imperial Biscotti break leads with roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, and lots of sweetness and a very heavy mouthfeel before finishing even sweeter with lots of coffee, chocolate, more malt, and more vanilla. The thought of this beer being 11.5% baffles me as it’s so smooth it’s dangerous, with absolutely no taste of booze. The beer and cigar were made for each other, but if stouts aren’t your thing pairing the Fratello Bianco with a malty porter, tawny port, or creamed coffee would work just as well.

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The Riot is produced in the Dominican Republic under the watchful eyes of Jose Dominguez, owner and master blender at Victor Sinclair. If you have spent anytime on the major online cigar retail sites, you are probably familiar with the products produced at the factory. The Riot is value-priced and is available in three vitolas: ‘45’ Robusto (4 ½ by 54), ‘55’ Toro (5 ½ by 54) and ‘65’ Grande Toro (6 ½ by 52).

According to StogieBoys.com:

Riot is a 5 country blend, sporting top quality long filler tobaccos from 5 different countries…Impeccably blended and handmade in the Dominican Republic, Riot delivers smooth, warm flavor without the bite of typical medium-full bodied cigars.  The No-Cut Cap on the Riot cigars is a crowd pleaser too.  The only premium cigar like it, this one requires no cutter. Simply pinch the end and the cap pops open for a perfect opening every time!

The Facts

Samples provided by StogieBoys.com
Price: $4.50
Vitola: ‘55’ Toro
Size: 5 ½ by 54
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Indonesian Sumatra
Filler: Brazilian Matafina, Pennsylvanian Broadleaf, and Dominican Piloto
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes
Drink: Water

Pre-light

The StogieBoys Riot is dressed in a Mexican San Andres leaf that is very dark brown with an oily sheen. Small veins are all over the place and a fair share of bumps can be found, but the cigar lacks the amount of tooth I usually find on San Andres wrappers. Bringing the cigar to my nose, I am greeted with a wonderful aroma of thick honey and faint barnyard. And it gets only better as I check the foot of the cigar.

The honey is accompanied by big notes of chocolate and rich cedar. This has to be one of the most pleasing prelight aromas of I ever come across. The cigar comes to an end in a very unique style cap referred to as a “No-Cut Cap”. The cap is very similar to the cap on the Chisel by La Flor Dominicana. Pinching with a bit of force, the cap splits perfectly clean across allowing a decent to draw. The richness is really showing off on the cold draw with a potpourri-like spice and woodsy notes. Removing the ribbon foot band with ease, this cigar is ready to be lit.

 First Third

As I toasted the foot, a small half inch cracked formed at the head of the cigar. It does not look like it will be problematic at this point. The Riot is opening up much more full than expected. A mild honey sweetness hits the front of my palate, followed by deeper flavors of coffee and black pepper spice. The spice comes across sharp on the retrohale but not harsh. Coffee and pepper linger on the palate for a decent amount of time between draws. At the one inch mark, the sweetness has really gained ground. Smoke is pumping out of the Riot at rest and a decent amount of smoke is produced with each draw. The burn has been a bit concerning from the start and it is finally time to bust out the lighter. 

Middle Third

Pulling into the middle third, things are going real well with the Riot. The pepper has toned down, a common maduro sweetness and coffee are holding strong, and leather notes have entered the mix. After the touch-up early on, the Riot has been burning evenly with an edgy line. The pepper has been shifting in intensity throughout the smoke, and a toasted quality has arrived. Placing the head of the cigar vertically in the mouth and lightly biting down on the cap opens up the draw immensely. I am finding that repeating this every 10 to 15 minutes really helps.

Final Third

Relaxation is washing over me as the strength has picked up to the low side of full. The coffee and leather are at the forefront of the profile pushing the sweetness to the back. But the profile remains well-balanced. The finish of the smoke is of toasted notes and dry cocoa. The burn is off mark with one side burning considerably faster than the other. One more quick touch-up.  

Wrap-up

In the last couple of months I have burned through 5 or 6 Riots. Each one presented a decent draw, a somewhat wacky burn-line, and solid, enjoyable flavors. The flavors have been consistent in each of the  samples and sizes. The medium/full flavors and strength fit me just right. For a price under $5, the Riot is a cigar that is under-priced and well worth the coin. Make your way over to StogieBoys.com and order up a fiver. The StogieBoys Riot won’t break the bank and you won’t be disappointed.

Contest

We are giving away a 20 count box of 6 1/2 by 52 Riot Cigars by StogieBoys. This contest starts Friday, September  26th and will run through the end of day, Thursday, October 9th. To enter, use the widget below. One winner will be chosen at random using Rafflecopter. We will notify and post the winner October 10th. You must live in the US and be at least 18 years of age.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Good Stuff: La Herencia is an exclusive brand brought to you by cigar.com/cigarsinternational blended by the one and only A.J. Fernandez. A.J. is a master, and has been on a roll kicking out some of the last few years best cigars. The Dos Capas is a limited edition run and sports the same mold as the standard La Herencia Cubana which is composed from an all Nicaraguan mashup of tobacco grown in the Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa regions. The Cigar is then wrapped in a beautiful Ecuadorian Sumatra (same as the Cubana), only with a twist (pun intended). A.J. decided to have a little bit of fun and barber pole the wrapper with the Ecuadorian Sumatra and a deep, dark, Pennsylvania Broadleaf. These cigars run for $6.50 a cigar.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra/Pennsylvania Broadleaf  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  –   Body: Medium

Prelight: The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is a thick, rustic looking barber-pole style cigar. The wrapper is composed of two wrappers, a dark, brown oily maduro, and a medium brown, and orange oily wrapper twisted parallel around the body of thick cigar. There is only one larger vein running in both the maduro and lighter shade wrapper at around the same area. Despite being a barber pole cigar, its really durable and you can handle it pretty heavily without risking the delicate construction. The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is finished off with a huge, rounded, maduro double cap. The band is similar to most of the other bands in the La Herencia line. Red, brown, gold and white with a huge crest carrying the name “La Herencia Cubana” on the front, and a smoke red lion in the back.

The wrapper of the Dos Capas gives off a great, strong sweet tobacco scent while the foot gives off more of a timid chocolate and earthy aroma. The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas cut clean and easy using my double bladed Colibri Cutter. The cold draw kicked out some nice chocolate and tobacco flavors along with a really neat earthy grain that I wasn’t really expecting.

First Smoke: The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas starts out with just a ton of bittersweet chocolate, and sweet tobacco flavor. There is a bit underlying spice and pepper, but not a whole lot. This cigar tastes like it was dipped in melted Hershey bar. The Aroma from the stationary smoke compliments the chocolate, and tobaccos tastes perfectly. The draw is perfect, again filling my mouth with just enough thick, white smoke after only two puffs. The burnline is razor sharp and dead even leaving behind a trail of solid white and light grey ash. It will be interesting to see how well the burnline does as I get further into the cigar due to the crazy wrapper this cigar has. The ash held on for about an inch and a half before toppling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: The chocolate is still by far the dominant flavor. There is a bit more spice starting to creep its way in as well as a little cedar, and even honey. This is a sweet cigar through and through. The retrohale even produces an excellent chocolate priming with a ton of cedar mixed in there. The burnline is still perfect despite me thinking that the burn would start to go haywire at some point. The cigar is so smooth, and mild that I am feeling absolutely no nicotine even after the second third.

Finish: Even though this La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is giving out some neat favors, it’s starting to lose my attention into the final third. It’s got some awesome flavors, chocolate, cedar, and spice, but nothing that really stands out nor are there any considerable changeups from the second third into the last. It’s a smooth, mild cigar. There is no nicotine kick, and absolutely no harshness into the final inch. The cigar took about an hour and a half to take down, and burned flawlessly with no touch ups or relights required.

Overview: This La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas is a great cigar. Well balanced, smooth, and sweet. It was just a little too smooth for my liking. This would be an excellent cigar for someone who is just starting out, or even a perfect morning smoke. I’d just stay away from it if you want a more robust, and complex experience. It’s definitely worth having around, but I wouldn’t run out and buy a box or anything.

Pairing: Since we are due for some snow in out chilly El Paso desert, I decided to pair this La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas with a New Belgium Snow Day. Snow day is an experimental Winter Warmer style ale brewed at the New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. A year or so ago, the brew masters at New Belgium became snowed into the brewery. They did exactly what any good brew master would do, brew some beer! They created an experiment. Basically they hopped the hell out of a winter warmer ale and created an interesting Pale Ale style winter brew. That’s right. Interesting enough the beer comes in at 6.2% ABV and carries a very hoppy taste similar to most pale ales, but threw in some awesome spice, cinnamon, malt, and orange to give it this special winter twang. It made for a great pairing, but the entire time I smoked the cigar I kept telling myself “Man, this thing would go perfect with some black coffee”. Try it for yourself.

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Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

 Diesel’s Uncholy Cocktail has made quite a buzz all over cigartown as of late. Not only does the fact that AJ Fernandez (creator of the Man O’ War series) concocted this elegant stick demand mass attention, but seeing these advertised as low as $2.50 a stick online could capture anyones attention.

I didn’t want to jump all over these sticks for fear of being let down, so I took a backseat and just listened to what a few of my colleagues had to say about it first.  After hearing nothing but great things from both Stogie Review, and Nice Tight Ash I decided to jump on the bandwagon and experience this one for myself.

The Good Stuff: I wasn’t able to pull out a whole lot of interesting information on this cigar outside of the straight backs. As stated before the Diesel was produced by the master mind Abdel “AJ” Fernandez, creator of the most intense of blends including the Man O’ War, Rocky Patel’s Fusion, Padilla Habano, Indian Tabac 10th Anniversary, and Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet. The Diesel is only produced in one vitola, the Torpedo and consists of filler tobaccos from Jalapa, Condega and EsteliNicaragua wrapped with a dark Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper.

Size: 5 x 56  –  Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf  –  Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan  –  Body: Medium – Full

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Prelight: The Diesel’s wrapper is incredibly silky and oily, even to the touch. The wrapper is very toothy and sports a very dark chocolate-like consistency. There was one partial wrap in mine cigar that was about 4 shades lighter than the rest of the cigar, but outside of that the colors were strictly uniform. The Diesel carries a long torpedo shaped cap that tapers off into a thick body. The portion where the head meets the cap of the cigar seemed to be just a tad thicker than the rest of the cigar so I actually had to pull out the ring gauge to find that this was just an optical illusion. Many small veins can be found scattered across the Diesel’s wrapper along with one larger, thick vein running almost the entire length of the cigar. The Diesel is very firm to the touch and only had one minor soft spot towards the cap, but it shouldn’t be anything to worry about. The Diesel smells very barnyard, and not the least bit enticing. But we all know that doesn’t mean it won’t be a remarkable experience. Most cigars don’t smell good. That’s why we don’t use them as air fresheners. Outside of the barnyard almost manure smell one could pull hay, and soft leather from the foot of this cigar. The foot of the Diesel is garnished with an almost midevil leather looking band with the words “diesel” embossed in it twice around. The band had little glue, and I was able to slide it right off withalmost no effort. The cold draw produced similar hay and leather tastes, with a hint of spice.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

First Smoke: The Diesel lit up extremely easy under my triple flame butane torch. The flavors were extremely abundant and intensely bold. I was able to decipher quite a bit of a cedar taste, with hints of black cherry, leather, coffee and just enough pepper to tickle my lips and the tip of my tongue. The draw itself was a bit tight and surprised me by how much flavor and smoke it produced. The smoke was a thick grey, and smelled off cedar and barnyard. This isn’t something you’d want to light up around a lot of people who aren’t into cigar smoking. The Diesel didn’t produce a lot of stationary smoke at all. The burnline on the diesel was razor thin and started slightly wavy but did a good job correcting itself early in producing a nice, thick, well packed white and light grey ash. I was pretty surprised when my first ash only lasted about 3/4 of an inch before it decided to give way.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Halfway There: So far so good. The Diesel’s flavors are holding pretty consistently. The pepper has just about dissipated as well as the raw coffee I was pulling from the diesel early on and they have been replaced by a smooth, milky aftertaste. This cigar is producing quite a bit of moisture in my mouthwhich is helping me cope withnot having a drink to pair it with. The nicotine is starting to take its toll on me as well. It’s not flooring me by any means, but after about 30 minutes of smoking once can feel the blood rush to his head once he stands up. I’m impressed with how slow this cigar is burning. I would be at two thirds in on similar vitolas. The burn line is getting a bit off track again as I pass the halfway point, but it seems to be just one problem area about an eighth of an inch wide. I don’t think I will have to touch it up, it’s isolated enough that it should begin to catch up with the rest of the burn.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Finish: Toward the end of the cigar I began to taste much more of the coffee flavor that I was sure had vanquished earlier into the cigar. The cedar and sweetness of the black cherry are still center stage as well as the smooth aftertaste that developed. Another surprise if the fact that there is no harshness built up what so ever. The cigar is still just as smooth as it was when I first lit it up. I am feeling a bit more of a nicotine kick that expected, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The burn line at this point is razor thin, and dead on without any need to touch it up. In total it took me almost 2 hours to finish this cigar.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

Overview:Diesel? I’ll take it.. for $3 a stick? I’d buy a box, or two, hell even three. This cigar was just as much of a shocker as everyone is saying it is. From its bold flavors and perfect construction to its great body and extreme consistency. This is the perfect cigar for a medium bodied cigar smoker who wants to try something with a bit more punch, but not enough to knock them off their feet. Not only that but I would strongly recommend the Diesel to the most seasoned cigar smoker as and everyday/anyday offering. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised and the diesel has its home in my regular rotation.

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail

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