The Good Stuff:

Anytime Antonio from Reinado reaches out to me to take a look at their newest offering I get excited. Reinado is a small, boutique company who has consistently kicked out bangers since their inception. The Capablanca is named after a famous Cuban chess player who donned the same last name. As a tribute to Antonio’s father he named this cigar after the chess player as his father would often replay his chess matches with Antonio and his brother. Proceeds from each of the Capablanca blends sold will go to the Dementia Society of America as his father is suffering from dementia. The only known detail on the blend is its Cameroon wrapper while the rest of the blend is kept secret. The Capablanca will come in a single 6 x 54 format which will run $14 per stick. Big thanks for Antonio for sending this my way for review.

• Size: 6 x 54
• Wrapper: Cameroon
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $14

Prelight:

The Reinado Capablanca starts out with a medium brown wrapper that showcases some darker and orange-tinted areas scattered throughout. The medium-density wrapper’s texture is gritty and toothy with a good amount of oils coating it. The Capablanca features an unfinished foot where the wrapper extends past the filler and then is folder around it. There are a few smaller veins running from the unique foot up to the cigar’s round, point, pig-tail style cap. The cigar is then polished off with a simple, yet elegant, white and black band with the Reinado crest and the “Capablanca” moniker printed on the front.

The wrapper of the Reinado Capablanca gives off an absolutely incredible cologne/sweet woody aroma while the foot of the cigar is more natural with loads of earthiness and spice. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces some rather unique flavors of black liccorice over sweet herbal flavors and a dash of wood.

First Third:

The Reinado Capablanca starts out with a very minor blast of black pepper which fades almost instantly allowing the cigar to release notes of graham cracker, musky wood, and earthiness with lighter notes of citrus and an awesome black licorice. The more I venture into the first third, the more pronounced the licorice is. The draw is perfection. Each puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke, which stick around for a very long time before dissipating while the cigar releases only a minor amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burning is dead even and razor thin leaving behind a trail of tightly compacted white ash which held on for about an inch before into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Reinado Capablanca and the flavor profile is very similar to the first. The black licorice is still hanging in there under great notes of musky wood and graham cracker with a touch of honey and vanilla. The retrohale brings out a little bit of spice that I dont really pick up during the regular smoking experience. I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine.

Finish:

The flavor profile really ramps up in the final third of the Reinado Capablanca. The woodsy flavors mixed with the graham cracker ramp up and completely dominate the profile. Under are some light notes of honey and vanilla. I really enjoy the profile here at the end. It took me an hour and a half to take this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness and no extended heat. The cigar burned flawlessly from start to finish and I never once had to touchup or relight the cigar. I close out with no signs of nicotine at all.

Note: In some photos there are signs of wrapper crackage. Super minor and didn’t affect the the experience at all. I chalk this one up to the insane heat and dryness in my area. In retrospect I should have let this cigar sit in my humidor and acclimate a bit more, but I was excited to fire it up.

Overview:

When Cameroon is done well, it rocks. In the case of the Capablanca, it is done VERY well. Every time I smoke a Cameroon-wrapped cigar I often wonder why I don’t smoke them more. The tobacco treats a bold and complex flavor profile that usually more unique than most other tobaccos. The Capablanca is such a great example of this. The flavor profile is not only unique, but very enjoyable. It’s not overly complex so you don’t have to really reach in and dig for flavors, yet it does carry enough complexity to keep my both entertained, and craving for more.

The post Reinado Capablanca appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff:

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Antonio Lam over at Reinado Cigars. Given his track record, we’re pretty excited to be taking a look at his newest creation, the C29. The cigar got its name from the 29 different iterations it took Antonio before he landed on a blend that he was happy about. While the blend is mostly kept under wraps, we do know the cigar features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and a lot of high-priming tobaccos. The C29 is a full production line that has just started to hit shelves. It’s offered in a single 5 x 52 format running $10 per cigar however you can purchase these now directly from Reinado here at $39.85 per 5-pack.

• Size: 5 x 52
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Body: Medium
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $10

Prelight:

The Reinado C29 starts out with a gorgeous light-brown/orangish wrapper which is stunningly consistent in color. The wrapper feels as an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper should, thin and brittle while the cigar as a whole is nicely packed with a good weight and not soft spots. There is some slight tooth and a good amount of oils coating the wrapper. There are some smaller veins and a good amount of natural webbing in the wrapper as it’s laid seamlessly over itself leading up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is polished off with a simple, yet elegant black and white band with the Reinado crest on the front.

The wrapper on the Reinado C29 gives off a a good amount of honey and cedar aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more grainy with loads of earthiness and natural tobacco. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of black tea, honey, cashew and cedar.

First Third:

The Reinado C29 starts out with a quick blast of black pepper which fades after the first few puffs allowing the cigar to release notes of black tea, pine, cashew, honey, cedar and earthiness. This cigar starts out with much more flavor than I expected. The draw is flawless and every little puff kicks out massive clouds of thick, white smoke while the cigar releases very little stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and razor sharp leaving behind a tightly compacted trail of white and light gray ash which held on for an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Reinado C29 and the flavors have been mostly consistent. Loads of black tea, pine and honey backed by cashew, cedar, earthiness and a nice dry vanilla. The retrohale is really smooth and really helps bring that vanilla out of the woodworks. The cigar is burning flawlessly and I close out the second third with nothing in terms of nicotine.

Finish:

Now into the final third of the Reinado C29 and the cigar is still rocking. The flavor hasn’t changed up much, but there are no complaints about that as I really enjoy the profile Lots of black tea pine and honey over the cashew, vanilla, and cedar with a earthy finish. The cigar took me an hour and a half to smoke. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and no sap. I close out with really no nicotine kick either.

Overview:

I believe I have smoked through the entire Reinado portfolio now and I have yet to encounter a cigar I didn’t enjoy. While most of Antonio’s blend fall in a more full-body arena the C29 fills the gap with a nice, subtle cigar with a medium body that still delivers on flavor. I find it hard to find a Connecticut-wrapped cigar that still keeps me entertained, and can count the amount of these blends on one hand, but may need the second hand to include the C29. This is a perfect addition to any cigar smoker’s regular rotation for those early days when you are looking for a cigar that will delivery, yet not knock you on your ass.

The post Reinado C29 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: Heard of Reinado Cigars? If you are active on social media (check out Reinado on Facebook and Twitter) they are everywhere. I hadn’t heard of the brand until a year or so ago and every since then they have blown up the review sites with high-rated reviews and a ton of buzz. This isn’t brand I could find locally, but lucky for me our good friend Jay over at Cigarphoto.net made the connection between me and Antonio over at Reinado and he was kind enough to hook us up with a few samples of their newest release, the Grand Empire Reserve (GER).

The Grand Empire Reserve was released at last year’s IPCPR show and created a lot of buzz ever since. The Nicaraguan Puro is created in the Condega region, and only comes in one size, the Elegios which is a 5 x 55 box-press format. The cigar will come in boxes of 20 and run $9.95 a stick.

Here is what Reinado had to say about the blend:

Oradell, NJ, July 03, 2012 –(PR.com)– Following the success of the 92 rated Petite Corona known as the Habanito and the 91 rated Torpedo, REINADO will unveil the Grand Empire Reserve at the 80th Annual IPCPR Convention and International Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, in August, 2012.

The Grand Empire Reserve is a box pressed Robusto that incorporates a select Habano maduro wrapper and an additional aged Nicaraguan filler which leverages REINADO’s signature fermentation process to provide even greater depth, richer undertones, and enhanced overall complexity for both the casual and the distinguished cigar smoker.

“The flavor profile of the Grand Empire Reserve was developed after extensive sampling to deliver a truly exceptional blend,” said Antonio Lam, owner of Cubanero Enterprises. “We believe the flavors and balanced strength developed through extending REINADO’s unique fermentation process along with the inclusion of the aged Nicaraguan filler will distinguish the Grand Empire Reserve from all other cigars on the market,” said Lam.

A single size called Elegios meaning “chosen” is scheduled for release in August, 2012 followed by additional sizes.

“As demonstrated through the REINADO core product line and the introduction of the Grand Empire Reserve, we are dedicated to innovation and offering smokers quality choices of highly rated cigars,” said Lam.

The Grand Empire Reserve will be available through select retailers and, on a limited basis, directly through REINADO.

You can find out more about Reinado, their cigars, and retailer locations on their official website.

Size: 5 x 55 box-press
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Select Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Price: $9.95
Pairing: Sixpoint 3Beans (10% ABV – Baltic Porter)

Prelight: The Grand Empire Reserve starts out with a beautiful, I mean beautiful, oily, toothy, dark brown wrapper. There are a few smaller veins throughout the box-pressed body, but the vast amount of oils and tooth on the wrapper are by far the stand-out Characteristics. The wrapper feels really firm, and thick, while the cigar doesn’t showcase any soft spots at all. The cigar is really firm all the way through. Again, again, again, I LOVE these soft-box pressed cigars. Reinado’s construction on each of the samples have been flawless, capped off with a beautiful, round, triple cap. The cigar is polished off with the simple, elegant Reinado crest and a secondary gold band stating “Grand Empire Reserve”.

The wrapper gives off lots, and lots, of sweet tobacco and spice aromas while the foot of the cigar screams of spice and pepper. The cap on this cigar clipped very easily and very cleanly using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw produced a ton of black pepper, spice, and so much sweetness.

First Smoke: Reinado’s Grand Empire Reserve starts out with a massive black pepper explosion right off the bat. I was expecting it since the cold-draw. As the pepper faded out slightly I was able to get a real grip of the crazy sweetness this cigar carries with sweet tobacco, raisin, deep oak, and an almost maple syrup flavor. This cigar starts out amazingly bold in both the flavor and the strength department. The Grand Empire Reserve kicks out a perfect amount of thick, white smoke with every puff. As you can tell by the change in the background scenery I had to retreat to my patio due to the high winds out today and even then, the smoke was so thick it stuck around for a while before dissipating.  The burnline is razor sharp, and despite a few early waves I didn’t have to tough it up at all during the first third. The ash is a medium and dark grey and held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: Despite the trend in most smokes, the black pepper is still a dominant flavor in the Grand Empire Reserve’s flavor mix. There has been some nice chocolate notes moving in and colliding with the raisin, deep oak, spice, sweet tobacco, and that syrupy taste I picked up. The retrohale is crazy sharp, and so strong on the black pepper that I couldn’t find it in myself to do it too often. I am feeling a nice bit of nicotine at this point. This cigar isn’t “too” strong, in fact it’s strong but well balanced, just the way I like it. So many times I have been at a herf with a handful of friends and one person lights up a cigar that just smells so rich, so good, that it makes me jealous no matter how good the cigar I am smoking is. This is exactly what Reinado’s Grand Empire Reserve does. My entire porch was filled with strong, sweet, deep oak. It smelled liked a mixture of light incense and firewood.

Finish: Reinado’s Grand Empire Reserve took me a little over an hour to smoke and it was a flavor powerhouse from start to finish. The strength has began to pick up a bit more in the final third of the cigar while the flavors have just been relentless. The black pepper has now completely faded away just in the time create a smooth ending for this cigar while the syrup, sweetness, chocolate and spice are still going strong. The cigar finished slightly wavy but I never had to touch up, or relight the cigar the entire experience. The cigar left me with a nice little nicotine kick. Nothing that knocked me off my ass, but this cigar is very full in strength and body.

Overview: Can you tell how much I liked this cigar? If not, read again. In fact, as I was finishing it up I even messaged the Casas Fumando crew to tell them how much ass this cigar kicked (and it’s quite a bit). I was slightly skeptical about the Grand Empire Reserve for 3 reasons. 1) I was fearful that it was all the reviews had just over hyped it in my eyes. 2) This cigar is limited and Reinado’s cigars aren’t found in too many shops. And 3) the price is a bit steep for such a young cigar company. Now how did it do? 1) I can say that in my opinion the Grand Empire Reserve deserves 100% all the praise it has been getting. 2) despite the availably, if you are willing to purchase outside of your state or city these cigars can easily be found for shipping and 3) the prices is spot on for such a well manufactured, wonderful experience. This is a complex, strong cigar that won’t kick your ass. It’s perfect for the novice smoker looking to try a premium cigar as it serves as a perfect example of how great complex cigars can be. And ideal for any seasoned smoker looking for a cigar that will keep them on their toes the entire experience. This is a box worthy cigar for sure, and I know for a fact that I will be seeking more out.

Pairing: As I stated before, I have been on a huge Sixpoint kick lately. I really enjoy every single brew that I have found by them and I am glad that each week I find it in more and more shops locally. One of their most recent short run releases, the 3Beans has been making its way through said shops as of late. The beer is a Baltic (strong) porter brewed at the Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn, clocking in at 10% ABV. The name of the beer comes from 3 different beans that are used in the brewing process of the beer. First, Coffee beans from Stumptown Coffee, Cocoa beans from Mast Brothers chocolate, and Sprouted Roman Beans which are similar to kidney beans. The Sprouted Roman Beans have actually been a documented supplement for barely by ancient brewers during times when barely was running low. Anyways, the beer is great. It gives off a nice chocolate, and coffee aroma with just a tip of alcohol. The aroma describes the flavors almost to a tee. Lots of coffee, chocolate, and malt. The coffee that I speak of is a really natural coffee, not just light notes. As you can tell these flavors pair wonderfully with the Grand Empire Reserve and that coffee just adds this amazing dimension to an already complex cigar. I can totally see why I read so many posts of smokers pairing this cigar with coffee.

The post Reinado – Grand Empire Reserve – Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.