-Tony

I have previously reviewed the Viva Republica Propaganda Disinformation, and have been anxious to get around to this review of the Guerrilla Warfare for a while now.  The Guerrilla Warfare was the second line to be released by Viva Republica, following the Rapture.  This line comes in two vitolas, a 5.25×43 corona and a 4×41 petit corona, and is made at La Aurora’s E. León Jimenes factory in the Dominican Republic.  Although small in stature, this cigar packs an impressive five country blend into its makeup, including a double binder.

Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder:  Double binder – Dominican Republic, Mexican
Filler:  Brazilian, Dominican Republic, Nicaraguan
Size:  Petit Corona 4×41
Price:  $4.00 ($200/box of 50), slightly more for singles
Smoking time:  50 minutes
Pairing:  Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) Rise Up Red India Red Ale (6.1% ABV)

The Viva Republic Guerrilla Warfare carries a mottled brown wrapper with a bit of tooth and a fair amount of oils.  It is well packed and pretty solid down to the foot where it shows a little give when squeezed.  There are a couple of minor veins leading up to the double cap, which is not the prettiest of things.  I guess this is somewhat fitting for a cigar that bears this name.  The band features a two-toned black background with a green clenched fist and lettering – nothing fancy, but defiant as a guerrilla should be.  Because the stick comes un-cellophaned, the time spent in my humidor has probably robbed it of much of whatever wrapper aroma might have been there to begin with.  As it is, it shows a very slight bit of earthy and musky tobacco, while the foot displays a peaty tobacco scent with a slight hit of pepper.   Just a slight snip of the cap reveals an open draw and sweet spice.

First Half

The small size of the Guerrilla Warfare makes for a quick toasting of the foot and I am greeted by a good dose of pepper along with the sweet spice, earth and some leather.  The pepper imparts a strong sting on the retrohale, and some oakiness and powdery sweetness show themselves as well.  A ½” long crack opened up on the wrapper, but it appears that it will burn through it without a problem, and the ash so far is pretty solid with just a bit of flaking.  About ½” in, the Guerrilla Warfare has abruptly gone out on me, and I had to knock off the ash for a re-light before I could get a photo, but after the re-light and a couple of puffs, things are back on track.  The pepper has become smoother on the palate (but not so much on the retrohale – beware!), and light bread and deep musky tobacco have emerged to mingle with the other flavors in a medium-full package with little, if any, nicotine kick.

Second Half

By the beginning of the second half of the Viva Republica Guerrilla Warfare, the pepper has backed off a bit more on the entry, but continues its strong presence on the retrohale.  The light sweet spice, oak, and earthy tobacco continue to drive the flavors, and a bit of savory char has joined in.  Although the burn line has wavered a bit throughout, I have not had to make any corrections and the ash taps off at ¾” intervals.  The Guerrilla Warfare smokes nearly full-bodied and cool all the way down to a small nub, with just the slightest bit of harshness at the very end.

Final Thoughts

After smoking through three of these Guerrilla Warfares, I have to say that I am really impressed with this little guy.  Great flavors, with a pretty good amount of complexity (albeit without a lot of obvious transitions), solid construction, and a surprisingly long smoke time for such a small cigar add up to a great value.  I plan to keep at least a few of these around at all times, and will also check out the corona size for those times I want the same experience in a longer time frame.

Pairing

This my first time with this beer, but what better drink to pair with the Guerrilla Warfare than a brew named Rise Up Red?  The Rise Up Red India Red Ale is a seasonal red IPA from Portland, Oregon brewer Hopworks Urban Brewery aka HUB.  Clocking in at 6.1% ABV, it displays a smooth medium bodied malty base with some grapefruit and nuttiness against a nice bitter finish.  A good match, but the Viva Republica Guerrilla Warfare has the fullness of body and flavor to stand up to much stronger brews as well, such as a barley wine or a sweeter stout.  Other suitable matches would include a sweet rum, tawny port, or a cup of strong coffee.

The post Viva Republica Guerrilla Warfare Petit Corona appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

• Jamais Vu
• Honor Series (Check out Daniel’s review of the Honor Series Reagan here)
• Tantrum
• Eminence

Ezra Zion Cigar Company is owned by the same guys (Chris Kelly, Kyle Hoover, and Alan Fonseca “the Don”) who are behind cigarfederation.com, a social media site with the mission to “be the world’s greatest social website for cigar Connections, Information, & Entertainment”. The site also hosts two excellent podcasts/webcasts (Half Ashed and Cigar Chat) that I watch on a regular basis.

This week, I will be reviewing the Tantrum Edicion Limitada, which is produced at the Aganorsa factory in Nicaragua and is distributed by the House of Emilio. Kyle Hoover, co-owner of Ezra Zion, provided the following information on the Tantrum:

Ezra Zion Tantrum is 44 x 4.4 inch boxed pressed “Prensado Pequeno” and is presented in boxes of 28. It is a limited edition production of 1500 boxes annually and is made in one vitola. The retail price is $266.00 and retail individual price is $9.50. Tantrum pre-released in select retail locations beginning April 2013 and was released nationwide at the 2013 Annual IPCPR Convention.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Ezra Zion Cigar Company
Price: $9.50/single $266/box of 28
Vitola: Boxed Pressed Petit Corona – “Prensado Pequeño”
Size: 4.4 by 44
Wrapper: Vintage Nicaraguan 99 Corojo Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan 99 Criollo
Filler: 5-7 Year Aged Nicaraguan Ligero
Pairing: Water
Smoke: Just under an hour (I smoke slow)

Pre-light

The design on the primary band can be found on all of Ezra Zion cigar lines with a couple variations in color. There is an amazing story behind the band design and the company name “Ezra Zion”. You can hear the story here at the 16:47 mark. Also, as with the other lines, the foot band distinguishes the line. This one being the Tantrum. The Tantrum wears one rustic wrapper. Instantly, I think of a Padron 1964 Anniversary Series Natural Principe due to the size and the rugged wrapper leaf. And trust me, that is not a bad thing. Veins and bumps can be found across the entire stick.

The Corojo Rosado wrapper is medium brown with a slight reddish hue. The wrapper has velvety feel and the cigar is evenly packed with a slight bit of give. The wrapper aroma is unbelievable. Notes of sweet honey contrast a musty cedar in the background. The foot is nutty, followed by the honey and cedar aromas that I pulled off the wrapper.  A shallow clip has opened up a great draw that showcases rich tobacco, cedar, cinnamon, and a spice sting in the mouth and on the lips.

First Third

After sliding off the foot band with ease, I am ready to light this Tantrum Edicion Limitada up. I absolutely adore the size of this cigar and the box pressed format is just one more plus. From the first few puffs, I can tell this is going to be one powerhouse of a smoke. The Tantrum is delivering an incredible amount of spice that is stinging the back of my throat. The flavors are full with the pepper in the forefront followed by cedar and a slight sweetness, along with a heavy amount of spice, lingers on the finish of the smoke. Three quarters of an inch into the cigar, the spice has calmed but by no means is it gone. The richness of the cigar is more noticeable as sweet cedar arrives on my palate that is complementing the spicy profile. The burn line is thick leaving behind a light grey, layered ash.

Middle Third

As I burn into the second third, one side of the wrapper is having trouble burning. I am going to wait it out to see if it will correct itself. The retrohale, which was extremely sharp in the first third, has leveled out. The mixture of earth, cedar, and pepper makes the retrohale very enjoyable, but not recommended for a novice. A toastiness has joined the sweet cedar, as well as a mild cocoa and coffee. Each draw produces a copious amount of smoke. Sure enough, the burn has completely corrected itself. No touch-up was necessary. The strength is definitely full but not pushing me over the edge. Ash is flaky but still holding to ¾ inch.

Final Third

The band has been applied tightly around the cigar, so there is no way I can slide it off. However, the band comes unglued with ease. Another band for the collection! The spice is back in action. Almost a complete return to the start of the cigar.  Once again my lips and mouth have a tingling sensation from the spice. On top of the peppery spice, there is an added layer of cayenne pepper. The cigar remains toasty with earth and leather notes and, as I put the cigar to the close, a tad bit of cocoa is still noticeable on the finish.

Wrap-up

As I mentioned, this cigar packs a punch and is worthy of its slogan “a little baby powerhouse”. I could care less about strength if a cigar doesn’t deliver in the area of flavors and performance, so it is a good thing that this cigar delivered in both. No construction issues were experienced and the burn line was solid, except for the minor burn issue in the middle third that quickly corrected itself. The full, spicy flavors grabbed my attention from the beginning and took me on a wonderful journey. When I first saw the price tag of $9.50 for a petit corona, I was immediately turned off. However, upon smoking the Tantrum, I was extremely impressed and would dish out $9.50 anytime for this stick. I want to give a big “THANK YOU” to Ezra Zion Cigar Company for providing the samples. If you have smoked the Tantrum, let us know your thoughts.

The post Ezra Zion Cigar Company – Tantrum Edicion Limitada appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

When I received the cigars, I was instantly impressed by the presentation of the Carajos. I absolutely love the packaging in the cedar box/sleeve and the size of these puppies. Browsing laflordominicana.com, I did not come across any information on these sticks. After messaging Anthony Cantelmo for some information on the cigar, I was forwarded an e-mail from Antonio “Tony” Gomez, Litto Gomez’s son, about the Carajo. This is what Tony has to say:

The Carajos are basically an experiment to see how big a % of Ligero we could fit into a cigar relative to its ring gauge. Carajo is one of those words that can be used in a lot of different ways and doesn’t necessarily have an exact definition, but it is typically used as an exclamation or for emphasis. I’d say that “Los Carajos” loosely translates to “The Shit”. Anyone that lights up a Carajo will experience an immediate blast of power and flavor and it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for them to proclaim “Carajo!” or “Shit!” haha.

The Facts

Vitola: Petit Corona
Size: 4 by 34
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Maduro
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Pairing: N/A
Smoke Time: 50 Minutes

Pre-light

This petite corona sports a dark reddish brown wrapper that has a very fine tooth.  The cigar is firmly packed from head to foot, and I encounter no soft spots during my pre-light inspection.  The wrapper aroma is of cedar, which is expected due to the packaging of the cigar. I do not pull much else off the foot other than a mild spice sting in the nose.

The cap has been applied neatly. A nice change from the last couple of cigars I have reviewed. The double cap clips clean, revealing a great draw . The cold draw delivers cedar and rich tobacco, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

First Third

This LFD  is comfortable in several respects. The small ring gauge makes it comfortable in the hand and mouth, and the draw has just the right amount of resistance. The Carajo Maduro is producing a satisfying amount of smoke that is delivering heavy flavors of black coffee and earth, and a black pepper spice that warms my palate. I will not be retrohaling this cigar often due to the sharp,black pepper blast. A salt and pepper, layered ash is holding strong. The fine tooth on the wrapper leaf can be seen in the ash as it burns down. The thick eyeliner burn is even and the ash holds to three-fourths of an inch before dropping.

Middle Third

The spice has picked up leaving a tingle at the back of my throat. A rich cedar has arrived in the flavor mix bringing a nice balance to the coffee and earth. Already making my way down to the disproportionately large band, I remove it with ease. There seems to be an unidentifiable sweetness attempting to make its way into the flavors. With this being a Maduro, I did expect some sweetness in the smoke.  No change in the burn or ash. It is nice to see such a small ring gauge producing a firm ash that isn’t constantly dropping in my lap.

Final Third

The flavors have been full throughout but it is just as I enter the final third that I begin feeling a relaxing amount of nicotine. If this cigar was any larger, I would probably need a fuller stomach to smoke it without getting sick. All the flavors from the previous thirds have balanced making this one heck of a pleasant smoke. Now I am wishing I had a few more inches! The richness continues to pick up pace, as well as the sweetness that seems to be more of raw sugar sweetness than anything else. Some heat is forming  in the smoke and on the tips of my fingers, letting me know it is time to put this cigar to a close.

Wrap-up

The La Flor Dominicana Carajo Maduro delivered bold flavors, with a nice amount of spice that will wake you up and keep you interested in the cigar. The burn line and ash were exceptional for a petit corona and I can’t forget the perfect draw. I have smoked through half of the 6 pack, and all have performed at the same level. A 6 pack of the LFD Carajo Maduros can be found online around $18, which is an easy buy in my book. According to a halfwheel.com news piece, there has been a change in packaging to boxes of 5 that will be offered at $15.60. However, as of now, the 6 count boxes can still be found online. I am always on the lookout for great, small cigars that can be enjoyed commuting to and from work or maybe even during a lunch hour. While this may not be a cigar I would smoke on my way to work, I will definitely keep a handful around for the drive home or a quick lunch break.

The post La Flor Dominicana – Carajo Maduro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.