But despite my silly oversight, I managed to get one to review for everyone’s enjoyment! The cigar I’m referring to happens to be an Illusione ‘888’ Slam. This particular cigar is not entirely full production at the time I write this. Dion Giolitto, of Illusione Cigars, released this as a prototype blend and it seems it was well received all around!

Although the name is mostly the same, the Illusione ‘888’ Slam is not the exact same blend as the Illusione ‘888’. The main difference is a single type of filler leaf that was removed to help make the “bench” press process possible. The bench press style of this cigar is where the “Slam” in the title comes from. The Illusione ‘888’ Slam is a Nicaraguan Puro, meaning all the leaf in the blend is sourced from Nicaraguan tobacco. The one thing that doesn’t come from Nicaragua in this cigar is the production, it’s actually rolled in the Honduras factory.

As with each of the Illusione blends, they have a little catchphrase associated with each blend. In this case, the catch phrase is “Neccesary and Sufficient”. The name and numbers have roots in Dion’s faith and I would recommend reading about the meaning on his website. The addition of the meaning behind each name is a very interesting addition in the cigar world.

Cigar: Illusione ‘888’ Slam
Drink: Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin
Vitola: (6.75 x 48)
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: About $11.00
Burn Time: A little over 1.5 hours

Construction:
• This is a long bench-pressed cigar with an appealing cinnamon brown wrapper
• The wrapper appears to have a couple of small water spots but there are no substantial veins to be seen anywhere, it’s very smooth
• The cigar has a soft feel to it when squeezed but it’s nicely consistent from end to end
• The top is finished with a clean triple cap while the foot appears very well packed
• The cut was pretty easy although it made a bit of a mess in the ashtray

Burn:
• The toasting on this cigar was super easy, the smaller ring gauge and bench pressed shape helped it to glow evenly with little effort
• Through the first bit the cigar is burning razor sharp as well as nice and slow
• May have spoke too soon once again, started getting some very slanted burn now
• I let it go for a bit hoping for a self correction but it needed a little intimidation from my lighter
• Had another lopsided burn situation that needed correction just past the halfway mark
• In the last third the wrapper actually stopped burning and I needed to touch it up a couple times, this might have been due to the 94% humidity outside?

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke coming off each draw, very full and enjoyable
• The ash is a very light grey and has some dark black zebra striping
• It only lasted about an inch, started to go all lopsided so I decided to tap it off
• Despite it’s weakness, the ash stays nice and clean with no flaking
• Ashes continue to be about an inch but the few touchups made it weaker and I had a few miss the ashtray and go for a dive to the floor
• I had pure butter fingers with this cigar tonight and kept losing my ash! Oops!

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a light and sweet aroma to it, maybe a touch of cocoa in there
• Pre-light draw brings a heavy flavor of cedar and earthiness
• Right from the initial draw I’m getting a big burst of spice on each draw with an earthy undertone
• The retrohale right off the bat here is fantastic! It’s got a nice helping of cedar, a mall bite of spice and the finish is super unique. The closest I can compare it to is the type of grapes used to make wine with. A very unique tarty sweetness that I’ve never found in a cigar before
• Body is starting off in the low end of medium so far
• The spice settles down after a couple inches and left me with mostly earthiness and some cedar, the retrohale remains super tasty!
• As I get to the halfway mark I’m getting a nice roasted coffee flavor that’s balancing very nicely with the cedar and spice
• The finish throughout this cigar has been extremely smooth and not drying at all, you could probably smoke this whole cigar without a drink, it’s that smooth
• Getting into the last third that tarty sweetness I’m getting on the retrohale is making an appearance in the normal draw, very nice touch
• As I get into the last couple of inches the spice is making a big comeback, each draw gives a very interesting texture on my tongue, it’s thick and chewy and almost feels like I just sprinkled black pepper right on my tongue. Very cool!
• The cigar did not get harsh at all near the end, just some huge bursts of spice and still a smooth finish

Final Thoughts:
The Illusione ‘888’ Slam was awesome! That just about sums it up! Do I need to continue? ok fine… The most enjoyable part of this cigar that I can’t emphasize enough is the retrohale. If you don’t run the smoke through your nasal passages I think you would be missing out on a huge part of this cigar. You would probably think that I’m crazy and the cigar was just ok. Without the retrohale, it’s an ok cigar. But with it, it’s fantastic. The burn was nice and even for the most part and draw was spot on. The price is a tad high but this is a long vitola and makes for a fully enjoyable experience. the price may make it hard for a lot of people to opt for a full box, but definitely reach for a 5-pack if you can, they are worth it in my opinion.

Pairings:
Tonight’s pairing choice is from Wychwood Brewery in Oxfordshire England and is called Hobgoblin. Seems I’m picking up a lot of English brews lately, not on purpose though, it just seems to be what I find at the store. I actually posted up a full review of this beer awhile ago during the colder months, you can read it here. The beer has some seriously tasty hoppy bitterness and lots of malt. On top of that you can pick up some light berry flavors. It’s definitely enjoyable on it’s own and I’ve found it to be an excellent pairing with quite a few cigars as well. It paired nicely with the Illusione ‘888’ Slam and I think the main reason for this is because of it’s straightforward profile. It doesn’t have too much in the way of other sweet flavors and prides itself as a traditional Ruby Beer. This makes it a good palate cleanser and doesn’t mess with the cigars flavors very much, allowing you to enjoy the cigar for what it is. Other great pairings here would be a full stout, my favorite tawny port or a nice cup of coffee.

The post Illusione ‘888’ Slam appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Pedro Cigars is a running legacy. The cigar company is ran by Maria Martin, daughter of Pedro Martin. Pedro was the founder of Tabacalera Tropical, and one of the most well known cigar blenders around. Sadly, he passed away last year leaving Maria to carry on the family cigar legacy. Does her name sound familiar? Maria actually used to be the national sales manger for Camacho cigars. Since her father’s passing she has left Camacho and is now dedicating herself to the family business.

Pedro martin cigars will start with 3 released blends; The Ruby is crowned as Pedro Martin’s masterpiece. The cigar is composed of a Maroon Corojo wrapper and an all Nicaraguan blend. The Gold is composed of a Ecuadorian-Connecticut wrapper and all Nicaraguan binder and filler. And finally, the Corojo which is a full Corojo blend, from the binder, to the filler to the wrapper.

The Pedro Martin Ruby starts out with a very nice, consistent, medium brown, oily wrapper. The light was just reflecting off of all the oil on this cigar. The wrapper is very smooth with only 1 larger vein running the body of the cigar up to the seamless, round double cap. The cigar is really firm, with no soft spots, but the wrapper seems to be very delicate. The wrapper gives off a very slight hay scent, and lots of spice coming from the foot. The cigar cut clean and easy letting out a nice earthy, grassy cold draw. The draw is a little tight, but it pumps out a ton of smoke. The retrohale was a bit harsh with tons of spice. Effortless. The Ruby starts off with a ton of pepper up from with some nice spice, tons of woodsy flavors and even some orange tart in there. The flavors are interesting, and the pepper actually lasted the entire length of the cigar, but was never too overbearing. The Ruby finished off overall very smooth with absolutely no harshness built up. The burnline was dead even the entire time leaving behind a nice, white compacted trail of ash. The Rudy smoked at an average speed taking about an hour to take down from start to finish.

The Ruby is a good, solid stick. The flavors are great, and not too complex, however my only gripe is they really didn’t change up much, if at all. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just something I look forward to. This cigar is something I’d smoke again, but I’d probably only buy it in handfuls.

The Pedro Martin Gold is  a beautiful Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapped cigar. The wrapper just looks awesome. Its this really rustic, dark brown and light brown, beaten looking cigar. I really don’t like when Connecticut cigars look all machine-made and this cigar really sets that idea aside. The cigar is really smooth, only showing a few small, smooth veins leading up to round, double cap. There wasn’t a lot of oil, on the wrapper, but the cigar feels like silk. The cigar is very firm, and heavy giving a tough bounce-back when it’s compressed between  my fingers. The wrapper gives off a nice woodsy smell with only a very light tobacco scent from the foot. The Gold was very easy to cut, letting loose these really interesting sweet brown sugar, and grassy cold draw. The Pedro Martin Gold starts off with a mouthful of pepper with quickly fades into a nice soft wood, deep rich spice, and this neat little sugar cookie flavor from some sweet tobacco. This cigar gives off a ton of stationary smoke, and carried a perfect burnline the entire time leaving behind a medium grey, semi-compacted trail of ash. The cigar is very mild and creamy.

Overall, The Pedro Martin Gold just didn’t do it for me, but don’t take that to heart. I’m not a Connecticut guy. If you do like Connecticut then I think the Pedro Martin Gold is a great place to start. The construction was perfect, the flavors were smooth, and plentiful, and the burn was perfect the entire time.

The Pedro Martin Corojo bares the same stellar construction as the other 2 in the line. The wrapper is an extremely consistent milky brown. The cigar is firm for the most part with only a few soft sports around the foot. One thing Pedro Martin is doing right is the construction for their cigars. They are just spot on. I had to look real hard to find any sign of veins in the Corojo. It’s almost perfectly smooth all the way up to its round double cap. The rapper gives off a nice woodsy and cinnamon scent with some really bold spice from the foot. As with the other two blends the Corojo cut easy and clean with my double bladed cutter. The cold draw gives off a ton of wood and spice. Once lit, the Corojo starts off with a ton of pepper tingly my tongue and lips. After the pepper fades the cigar comes alive with a ton of the deep, oaky flavor I have come to expect from Corojo cigars. Outside of the oak the Corojo kicks out some other smooth woodsy tastes with lots of spice and even some black cherry. The burnline again, was spot on, and the ash was a really nice compacted medium grey with some darker spots. The retrohale was great, priming with a really nice woodsy coat. The Corojo finished with only a very light nicotine kick. This cigar took about an hour to smoke.

I think it’s safe to say that out of the entire blend, the Corojo was the  one that really got me excited. The flavors are deep, full, and there is a ton of them. Construction was perfect, and the entire smoking experience was smooth. This is a cigar I’d keep around, buy and handfuls, and probably even by the box.

AND NOW!!! To announce the winner of out Macanudo 1968 box contest! Steve Garrr!! Please email me at casasfumand0(at)gmail(dot)com

The post Pedro Martin Cigars Full Line Review + Contest Winner appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It seems that Perdomo is a name that many cigars smokers know about and often enjoy yet it’s also I brand that seems to do minimal advertising. I don’t seem to see them launch large campaigns or expensive sponsorship but rather it seems word of mouth and consistent quality help spread their name. I’ve also had the chance to review the Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro and Perdomo Patriarch Maduro in the past. Today we are going to take a look at the Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro.

The Perdomo Grand Cru is a cigar grown and rolled with the intention of giving a Cuban-like flavor in each blend. All of the seeds used to grow the Tobacco in Nicaragua are from Cuba. The tobacco itself has also been well aged before being rolled into the cigars. Each box and cigar is clearly marked with a “Crop of 2004” label. I really like this idea and it lets you know just how old the tobacco is. If they decide to keep the same blend moving forward but change crops, I’m curious to see if they will just change the year or change the name. From what I can tell, all the cigars and boxes still say 2004. The website also says this blend is made from that crop as well so it may not change at all.

I would actually love to see that type of labelling adopted by more companies. I think it’s an excellent idea. There are other cigars that do this currently, such as the Tatuaje L’Esperit de Verite that Tony reviewed or the Camacho Liberty series (we’ve reviewed the 2009 and 2010) but those are more limited editions. Having this label on regular production cigars would be and interesting piece of information. The above linked reviews already show how much a blend can change from year-to-year. But enough about me complaining, without further adieu let’s jump into the review of the Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro.

Cigar: Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro
Drink: Delaforce 2005 Late Bottled Vintage Porto
Vitola: Toro (6 x 50)
Wrapper: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan
Price: $4.50 – $5.50
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A rough and bumpy wrapper with a few medium sized veins, but nothing concerning
• The wrapper has a sand-paper like texture and is a consistent medium chocolate brown color
• The cap is cleanly applied with a double-cap design, almost impossible to see the second piece of tobacco
• The foot appears well packed and the length of the cigar is pretty firm with very little spring to it
• The cut was very easy and quite clean, falling in a neat little package into the ashtray
• Draw is a little tighter then I’d like

Burn:
• The burn line is not neat and pretty on this cigar but it’s not out of control either
• Felt like the cigar was starting to go out after only an inch and started needing a few more draws
• The funny burn finally hit a rut and needed a small touch up just past the half-way mark
• For the most part, the cigar burned without much effort or extra draws

Smoke & Ash:
• Despite the tightness I’m still getting a giant mouthful of smoke from every draw
• There is a small bit of resting smoke visible while the cigar sits in the ashtray, it gives off a mostly woodsy aroma
• The ash is a little flaky on this cigar but not too weak
• A very nice white color to the ash as it burns
• Each ash tumbled into the ashtray shortly after an inch

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper gives off a strong hay and barnyard aroma
• The foot stays consistent with the barnyard aroma and mixes a touch of spice into the nose
• The pre-light draw brings an interesting bakers chocolate flavor mixed with some woodsy notes
• The initial draws give off a strong woodsy flavor with some hints of coffee here and there
• As the cigar progresses I’m picking up a lot of roasted notes, a mix of roasted almonds and roasted coffee beans, very nice
• I noticed a bit extra dryness on my throat with this cigar
• As I approach the halfway mark, the body has been mild-medium and retrohale has no bite with a woodsy finish
• The flavors still seem to hover around with roasted coffee, woodsy and roasted almonds all taking a turn
• In the last third the flavors got much more intense and I started picking up some more bakers chocolate type of flavors
• The body picked up only slightly near the end, making it a comfortable medium

Final Thoughts:
The Grand Cru Maduro from Tabacalera Perdomo proved to be a nice smooth cigar that can easily be enjoyed by many experienced or new smokers. It offers a nice variety of flavors that are neither too complex or too boring making for a perfect cigar to relax with. It’s something you can pick up and smoke without paying too much attention to and still enjoy and easily pick up on the various flavors. The price is also very attractive, make sure to search around a bit as my research showed a HUGE variance in pricing on these. I’d definitely suggest picking up a few of these to try out, especially at the good prices you can find them for.

Pairings:
Yes I’m still riding the Port train and today I bring something new. This bottle is something I haven’t seen around before so I grabbed it to try something new. Damn am I ever happy I did. The Delaforce 2005 Late Bottled Vintage offers some excellent flavors backed by a robust and bold red wine flavor. A lot of Ports overdo the fruity notes but this one seems nicely balanced between a full bodied red wine and a flavorful fruity port. It paired well with this cigar but was maybe not the perfect pairing. I think this cigar was made for coffee, the roasted coffee and almond notes would have made a great compliment. You could also enjoy this with a nice dark porter with some coffee flavors.

The post Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Today we also have a special appearance from a great BOTL known as JerseyJay (Jay L.). Jay has recently launched a very unique and interesting cigar blog centering on Cigar Photography. Please check it out over at CigarPhoto.net. He takes some amazing and unique shots of cigars like none other on the web! We also have two photo’s from him included in today’s review. Everyone make sure to check out Jay’s blog and leave him a comment about how great his photos are!

Courtesy of Cigarphoto.net

This cigar was created and released to mark the special 100 year anniversary of the La Aurora factory in Dominican Republic. And in proper form, La Aurora decided to make this a Dominican Puro, meaning all the tobacco contained in this cigar comes only from the Dominican Republic. The 100 year anniversary was celebrated in 2003 and that’s when this cigar was first released. The limited production ran for 3 years and ended with the production of the Lancero vitola. Other vitolas that were available included a No. 4, Robusto, Belicoso and Churchill. Although no longer produced, some resourceful searchers can still find stock of these cigars in some B&Ms and online sites.

One thing I’d like to point out is that although this was a limited release it was also widely available and large number of sticks were produced. This is a unique quality for a special edition cigar as you can see some brands producing limited cigars that are extremely hard to track down and produced in very small quantities. The wrapper was aged a minimum of 4 years, and amazingly the Piloto Cubano and Domican Corojo filler has been aged since 1996!

La Aurora has produced a lot of top quality stick in it’s long history. I’ve said this before but that track record can be both a curse or a blessing. When I pick up a La Aurora stick I’m expecting an excellent smoking experience every time because of their history and my expectations are likely even higher because of the limited and special edition tags attached to this cigar. I’ve had the chance to enjoy these cigars in the past and am choosing to sit down with the Robusto vitola tonight to give you my opinion.

Cigar: La Aurora 100 Anos
Drink: Quinta do Todo Fine Tawny Port
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 50)
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican Corojo, Piloto Cubano
Price: About $12
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A gorgeously shiny cinnamon brown wrapper surrounds this cigar
• From head to foot, the cigar is evenly round and is fairly firm but still offers a bit of spring
• There are no pronounced veins on the wrapper, only some smaller ones
• The foot appears to be very well packed with evenly colored tobacco
• The triple cap is finished cleanly and evenly
• The band adorns itself with the signature Lion of La Aurora and also has a second band beneath it which individually numbers each cigar produced (See second image from the top)
• The cut was firm but very clean with my double-bladed guillotine
• Draw is spot-on with just enough resistance to make it interesting

Burn:
• Torching proved to be a long affair, have some patience with this cigar to get it toasted evenly
• The burn started off very wavy and one side burned incredibly fast
• The cigar seems to be burning out a bit so I’m having to give it a few extra draws now and then
• Despite a scary start the cigar actually corrected itself amazingly and I’m not needing to draw as many times to keep it lit
• A couple minor touch-ups were needed past the halfway mark but they didn’t affect the flavor as much as I would have expected

Smoke & Ash:
• A big mouthful of smoke right from the first draw
• Resting smoke is apparent but not over-powering and is giving off just a slight burning cedar aroma
• The is ash is fairly clean and compact, so far holding steady into the first inch
• The color is fairly odd with some parts being a bright white and others an almost dark black, likely due to the odd burn at the start
• First ash lasted about 1.5 inches before I tapped it off, despite looking a little weak at that point it still took some effort to tap it off so it’s a nice strong ash

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper aroma gives off an interesting tart-like spice along with a nice cedar
• The aroma on the foot brings nutmeg and cloves to the mix along with a touch of espresso and cedar
• Pre-light draw is dominated by cedar with some nice hints of clove and nutmeg spice
• Initial draws are full of cedar flavors and accented by more spices including nutmeg, cloves and a touch of pepper
• The retrohale is fairly mild so far with no bite and a creamy cedar finish
• Body has been just below medium for the first third but it has been very well balanced with a smooth and creamy finish on each draw
• Getting a touch of leather into the mix at the end of the first 3rd
• I need to stress how well everything is balancing and taking turns being the prominent flavor here
• Despite this cigar being wrapped and filled with Corojo leaves, it’s so smooth and balanced that it’s barely feeling like a medium bodied cigar
• Some earthy and coffee notes are sneaking in near the halfway mark
• As the cigar progresses the body is building a bit more and the coffee and spice notes are developing very nicely
• The spice and body of the Corojo is becoming more apparent in the last third but it’s still well balanced and super smooth
• The espresso and clove flavors developed the most near the nub of the cigar and are balancing nicely with a smooth cedar finish
• Body definitely ramped up near the end, but the smoothness and balance kept it from being overpowering.

Final Thoughts:
This is a cigar that is definitely worthy of celebrating 100 great years of making great cigars. Despite some burn issues here and there the flavors never disappointed and kept changing. From the initial draws straight to the nub the flavors kept changing and keeping each draw interesting. The key that made this cigar so enjoyable with the smooth and balanced profile it provided from start to finish. It clearly had some body but it never came through as over-powering. The price is a little high but when you factor in tobacco that has been aged since 1996 it’s easy to see that it’s more than justifiable and the flavors only proved to make the price worthwhile. I would highly recommend picking up a few of these cigars, if not a whole box to enjoy!

Here’s another great shot by Jay from CigarPhoto.net

Courtesy of Cigarphoto.net

Pairings:
Yes I know, you’ve seen this pairing quite a few times lately. I promise both bottles are now finished and you won’t see it again! lol. As I’ve mentioned in my other reviews including this Port (Monte Pascoal, Miraculous Templar or G.A.R.), it is a fairly fruity and easy drinking pairing that can be enjoyed by anyone, even those new to Port wines. I found the fruity notes to pair very well here although I think a bolder Port would have paired even nicer. I think the higher sugar content in the Port helped fend off any nicotine kick I might have gotten from this cigar. Other pairings here that would serve well include a nice Scotch, strong coffee or a dark porter/stout.

The post La Aurora 100 Anos appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The G.A.R. line of cigars is currently only offered in the Original or White Label. There were two other blends in the G.A.R. lineup called the Lux and the Vanguard but both have been recently discontinued. I heard a little “rumour” that there may be a new addition to the G.A.R. lineup very soon so be sure to keep your eyes peeled on the Gran Habano website! G.A.R. stands for it’s creator’s initials, George A. Rico, who is the mastermind behind Gran Habano Cigars. Be sure to check out some of our other Gran Habano reviews, including the new Azteca, Gran Reserva #3, Corojo #5 or the Connecticut #1 which was part of this Blind Review post. There is also a ton more information about the company in each of those reviews if you were curious to learn more about Gran Habano and it’s history.

The G.A.R. line was blending by Mr. Rico to be a full-bodied and full-flavored cigar that promises to be complex throughout. It is currently offered in 4 vitolas and today I will be lighting up the Robusto Grande size. One interesting thing about this blend is the use of a mild Connecticut leaf as the binder underneath the more powerful Corojo wrapper. Sounds like it could be a nice creamy compliment to the spicy and full offering, we’ll see how it plays out as I burn through the cigar.

Cigar: G.A.R. by George A. Rico. White Label / Original
Drink: Quinta do Tedo Fine Tawny Port
Vitola: Robusto Grande (5.5 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: About $6
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A very even and round looking cigar wrapped with a wonderfully oily and dark cinnamon brown wrapper
• A triple cap tops off this cigar with a mostly clean finish
• The wrapper is mostly vein-less and smooth except for two large veins running the length of the cigar
• The cigar has a perfect soft spring when squeezed that is consistent from cap to foot
• The band holds it together at the foot which appears to be well packed
• The cut cut off as clean as could be and with minimal effort

Burn:
• Took quite a bit of time to get the foot glowing and even then it wasn’t even, but after a quick draw everything was back in order
• The burn started off promising but then needed a correction within the first inch
• The cigar kept burning a little uneven and eventually it needs a slight re-light every so often
• It is burning quite slow and letting me enjoy it without extra attention
• Cigar began to tunnel and burn a bit hot near the end

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw is offering up a full mouth of smoke
• Resting smoke is very minimal and gives off a woodsy aroma
• Ash is a very light grey color, almost white, and appears to be holding strong
• Tapped off the first ash just past an inch, it could have held on longer but my re-lighting seemed to affect it’s structural integrity
• All the other ashes were still around the one inch mark or less

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a light sweet tobacco aroma
• The foot has a similar sweet tobacco aroma but paired with a faint fruity-coffee mixture
• The pre-light draw offers up a kick of spice and cedar that you could never guess from the aromas
• Initial draws smack you in the face with a ton of tasty woody flavors
• The retrohale at this point is also full of woodsy flavors and lacks any bite
• A nice mellow bready flavor kicked in, nice
• After about an inch I’m getting some nice mild coffee flavors
• As I approach the middle I’m getting some clove flavors and a slight tartness to the mix
• The retrohale still has no bite and the same woodsy finish
• The body has held steady around the mild/medium and is continually giving me a nice creamy finish
• The coffee, bready and clove flavors are all still present as I reach the last third, they are each developing slowly on their own and taking turns as the dominant flavor
• I find that the clove flavor is developing the most and also mixing in a white pepper like flavor, I believe this is the Corojo wrapper starting to shine near the end
• The body started to pick up a bit more as I passed the past third
• The G.A.R. ended with more coffee and clove notes and subtle hints of pepper, very little harshness

Final Thoughts:
This was a tasty smoke with a good variety of flavors to keep you on your toes as you smoke through it. None of the flavors were overpowering or off-putting. My only complaint on this cigar would be the number of touch-ups it required. The touch-ups usually tend to change the flavor for at least a few draws and I try to avoid it as much as possible. Some of these burn issues could also be attributed to the cold temperature out here today, I find that below freezing temps can easily affect a delicate wrapper. But aside from that issue this is a cigar worthy of trying. It promised to be more full bodied then I found it to be, but that might have been because of the Port that I paired it with. It also promised to be complex and full-flavored and I fully believe it lived up to that. It’s offered at a fair price which can make it a good option to be included in your regular rotation.

Pairings:
Sorry for the lack in uniqueness in my pairings lately, I haven’t gone shopping for beer in awhile and I picked up two bottles of this port because they were on sale. If you’re one our wonderful faithful readers you’ll recognize this Quinta do Tedo Tawny Port from a couple of my recent reviews including the Monte Pascoal and the Miraculous Templar Maduro. Please check out those reviews for more details on this Port. The fruity flavors here are pairing well with the cloves and coffee. The higher sugar content of the Port is also helping to any nicotine effects that this cigar may have offered. I think a nice Scotch would have been a great choice here or a tasty bold coffee.

The post G.A.R. By George A. Rico – Robusto Grande appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The first thing that struck me about this cigar was it’s odd name. After reading some marketing material you can discover that the name is inspired by a diamond found by the companies president, David Rafaeli, which contained a unique symbol. In the middle of the diamond you can see a replica of the cross logo used by the Templar Knights during the First Crusade in 1099. A pretty interesting story for the name of this company.

The cigars themselves are aimed to be value priced but quality smokes. At this time only 3 vitolas are offered, a Robusto, Toro and Churchill ranging in price from $1.90 to $2.30 MSRP. These are pretty aggressive prices for cigars in this struggling economy. If they hold up as good smokes the price could definitely attract customers. They are available in boxes of 50 and wrapped in either Indonesian Sumatra Natural or Broadleaf Maduro. Today’s review will focus on the Churchill sized Broadleaf Maduro cigar.

At the time of writing this it seems the cigars are currently only available from 2 indirect sources, the Four Season’s hotel and Palm’s Casino in Las Vegas. They have a website available reserved but so far it only has some contact information, it is located at here. The weather here has warmed up again and I’m hovering at a balmy 32F tonight so I get to enjoy my cigar without even needing a pair of gloves! Let’s see how this stick stacks up!

Cigar: Miraculous Templar Cigars Maduro
Drink: Quinta Do Todo Fine Tawny Port
Vitola: Churchill (6.75 x 50)
Wrapper: Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Dominican?
Filler: Domican Cuban-seed long filler
Price: MSRP $2.30 ($115 for a box of $50)
Burn Time: Just short of 2 hours

Construction:
• A rough and uneven wrapper surrounds this cigar with spots of brown and some darker chocolate colors
• There are quite a few medium sized veins to be seen, I’m hoping none cause burn issues
• The not so evenly finished double cap tops off the cigar
• I’m not sure if this was just in our samples or all the cigars, but the cap comes with a punch cut already made, I found this rather odd??
• There is a soft springiness throughout the cigar with some lumpy hard spots here and there
• The filler at the foot extends slightly passed the wrapper and looks to be fairly loosely packed
• The draw started out just perfect but as I hit the 1/3rd mark it tightened up quite a bit
• The cigar began to tar up quite a bit at this point as it often does to me with punch cuts, I went ahead and used my double bladed guillotine to make a straight cut
• The draw improved now and I’m back on track
• The band slid off fairly easily but it’s very apparent that the printing is blurry and undefined

Burn:
• Toasting was very quick but evenly glowed without effort
• The first bit of burnline was fairly wavy but it didn’t stray too far off course and kept burning along well
• Coming up to the halfway mark the burn is still wavy but stays on course fairly well, no touch-ups needed thus far
• Still no burn issues as I pass through the last third, quite impressive for a budget cigar
• No issues right to the end, well done!

Smoke & Ash:
• Right from the start the pre-cut punch gave me a big mouthful of smoke
• The ash has a consistent light grey color, it has quite a few holes in it but is holding strong
• The strong ash held on for about 1.5 inches before gently falling into the ashtray
• The second ash fell off at about one inch as I re-cut the cap of the cigar
• There’s only a bit of resting smoke after taking a draw but then it’s almost non existent, mostly woodsy aromas here

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a sort of musty barnyard and tobacco aroma
• The foot brings more of the barnyard aroma and some earthy notes, a tiny bit of tartness is there too
• The pre-light draw brings almost no flavors at all on this pre-cut cigar
• Initial draws were fairly earthy but the barnyard flavor has thankfully disappeared
• There is a slight tingling on the back of my throat from each draw, not a dryness but a sort of spicy tingle
• Body is starting in the lower medium range with a decent bite on the retrohale and a woodsy finish
• As I get past the first third I’m picking up some light coffee and woodsy notes but it’s still mostly earthy and tobacco flavored
• Near the halfway mark I’m beginning to pick up some slight pepper spice, the coffee and woodsy notes haven’t developed much as of yet
• The bite and woodsy finish on the retrohale remains about the same at this point
• Body ramped up a bit as I got into the last 1.5inches to the low end of full
• The coffee and woodsy notes kept making minor appearances but the peppery spice really developed into the last bit of the cigar
• Cigar got a tad bitter with about an inch left so I put it down, but the flavors in the last bit were definitely more interesting then the rest of the cigar

Final Thoughts:
Before lighting this cigar up, I had quite a few doubts. It’s rough construction, oddly pre-cut cap (and a punch cut to boot!) and some dis-interesting aromas. I was happy to see that this cigar burned exceptionally well and produced thick clouds of smoke. I would definitely advise cutting these more though as the punch got really tarred up and tightened the draw. Although the flavors were nothing spectacular they were fairly decent when you bring the incredibly low price into account and produced a comfortable medium body. A shorter vitola may be the sweet spot here to avoid getting bored of the flavors which are mostly one dimensional but never off putting. These are worth trying, especially if you are on a budget or want some inexpensive everyday smokes that don’t require constant relights or produce other issues. I can see these being a smart purchase if I was at the Casino or hotel and wanted a quick cigar that doesn’t break the bank. (Gotta save the money for the Craps table afterall!!)

Pairings:
I recently paired this Port with my last review of the Monte Pascoal Corona, check out that review to see my full thoughts on this tawny port. Since this cigar was more in the medium range I found that the fruity notes of the port complimented the cigar well. It brought some more flavors to the straightforward profile of the cigar and made the whole experience much more enjoyable. I think a good pairing will be an exception key to whether you enjoy this cigar or not. Other good pairings for this cigar would include a strong coffee, scotch, or a dark stout/porter.

The post Miraculous Templar Cigars Maduro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Monte Pascoal is made by the Tabacos Mata Fina Ltda company and is part of the Orsi Family Group. The tobacco portion of the Orsi’s company was established very recently in 2007 but they also have business in Wine, Steel, and Real Estate. The Monte Pascoal name comes from a part of Brazil where the first Portugeuse explorer landed in Brazil. As with the Dona Flor, the Monte Pascoal is a Brazilian Puro Cigar.

The Monte Pascoal line is available in 6 Vitolas and are all made with the same blend of Mata Fina and Mata Norte leaves. The blend of tobacco sounds very interesting and I’m hoping to get a lot of the expected cocoa and coffee notes that I typically get from Brazilian wrappers. Let’s light this cigar up and see how it stands. As always, I’m going into this review completely unbiased and will be giving my wholly honest opinion as I burn away.

Cigar: Monte Pascoal
Drink: Quinta do Tedo Fine Tawny
Vitola: Corona (5.623 x 42)
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina and Mata Norte
Price: About $6
Burn Time: Just over 1 hour

Construction:
• A slender rough looking cigar with a medium brown wrapper and some dark brown accents
• There is a fair bit of bumpiness on the wrapper and a few prominent veins but none look problematic to the burn
• The entire cigar is consistenly soft and springy
• The triple cap is finished tightly and clean
• The foot looks moderately packed, a couple open spots can be seen
• Cutting the cigar was effortless and fairly clean and didn’t cause any wrapper damage
• Draw it spot on, lots of air but just enough resistence

Burn:
• The small corona sized cigar toasted easily to a nicely glowing foot
• The burn line glows brightly with each draw, staying nice and straight but it seems to be moving quickly
• The burnline is still razor sharp through half the cigar and has started to burn a bit slower
• This burn is perfect, absolutely no waves or retouches from start to finish!

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw is offering up a hefty mouthful of smoke
• Very little resting smoke but it gives off a mild and pleasent woddsy aroma
• Ash is fairly strong and clean, colouring is light gray with lots of black accents
• Ash held on just past an inch before I gently tapped it off
• Subsequent ashes all held on around an inch and stayed clean and tight

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a sweet cocoa and tobacco aroma to it, very inviting
• The foor brings different aromas of woodsiness and a bit of mild spice, possibly nutmeg
• Pre-light draw brings a bit more cocoa and woodsiness, this time I get a bit of nuttiness too
• Initial draws are mostly woodsiness and some tobacco flavors
• Retrohale is faily mild with just the smallest bite a woodsy finish
• As I approach the halfway mark I haven’t gotten many new flavors, maybe just a bit of nuttiness, sorta like raw almonds
• The existing flavors are well balanced but I’d like to have a bit more variety/dimensions soon…
• I’m getting slightly more body and bite as the cigar progresses near the last third
• Some slight bitter coffee notes started near the end of the cigar. At first it was enjoyable but then the bitterness took over

Final Thoughts:
Similar to the Dona Flor (also from CigarsFromBrazil.com) this cigar ranked in the mild-medium range. It would be a good early day cigar with your morning coffee or something light after lunch. Unfortunately the flavors never “wowed” me on this stick. The were tasteful and well balanced but didn’t offer enough variation or complexity to keep it interesting. With a shorter vitola like a corona I wouldn’t expect tons of dimensionality but I usually like to see at least one noticable change in flavor direction as it smokes. The cigar itself burned very well and is worth trying if the woodsy and tobacco flavors are in your favorite profile. The initial aromas on the wrapper and foot promised some more interesting flavors that never came to fruition.

Pairings:
I haven’t paired a port for a review in quite some time. Not sure why, I’ve been enjoying some Port with cigars but it never fell in line with one of my reviews. Today I’m pairing with a bottle that’s new to me. I saw it at the store and decided to give it a try. It’s a 2004 Late Bottled Vintage from Quinta Do Tedo in Portugal. It ranks in at 19% alc./vol. but it tastes no where near that. This particular Tawny Port is a bit sweeter then I’d usually like. It has lots of bright and fruity flavors such as blackberries and a tartness akin to cranberries. It also has a presence of a Merlot like wine to it. It’s very tasty and great for anyone looking to just start into tasting Tawny Port. In this particular pairing I think the port was too sweet for this mild cigar and would have been more enjoyable with a stronger cigar pairing. This cigar would have paired much better with a cup of coffee, dark cola or an amber beer.

The post Monte Pascoal Corona appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The La Aurora factory has recently released this new line called Guillermo Leon. The Leon family business, Grupo Leon Jimenes, has been around for over 100 years and La Aurora is one of the many companies under its umbrella. Guillermo had his hand in creating this blend and was out to create something that is complex and a bit stronger then some of their other offerings but still brings lots of flavor to the table. The Guillermo Leon line is also the first cigar by La Aurora which is made with two binders.

The two binders in this cigar both have a specific purpose. The Cameroon binder offers a smooth sweet creaminess to the blend while the Dominican Corojo offers some spice and strength. The concept is interesting and I’m excited to see how they blend together as I smoke it. The Guillermo Leon line is currently available in Corona, Gran Corona, Belicoso and Gran Toro. They were recently released in mid-October 2010 and should be in your local shop already or arriving very soon. Today’s review will look at Belicoso vitola as I sit outside on a chilly afternoon.

Cigar: Guillermo Leon
Drink: Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port (2005)
Vitola: Belicoso (6.25 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Vuetta Arriba
Binder: Cameroon & Dominican Corojo
Filler: Peru, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Nicaragua
Price: MSRP of about $8.50
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A soft cinnamon brown colored wrapper holds this cigar together
• The wrapper has some bumpiness to as well as some medium sized veins, none appear to be a potential problem though
• The cigar is firm but springy and consistent the whole way through
• The foot appears fairly well packed but not overly filled
• The cap is amazingly clean, almost impossible to see unless you really examine it
• Cutting was easy and effortless, I started with a small cut and got plenty of draw, so make sure not to over-cut on this vitola
• Got a bit of tar build-up that I commonly see with tapered heads, I cut off a bit more and problem was solved. I think my initial cut was too small

Burn:
• Toasting was a bit slow but still produced a nice evenly glowing foot
• The burn started out by creating a bit of a peninsula but it quickly corrected itself without my help
• Past the half-way mark and I’ve had no issues with the burn
• The cigar stayed lit with very little effort and allowed me to enjoy slowly
• A couple minor corrections were needed near the end

Smoke & Ash:
• First few draws are producing a ton of smoke
• The cigar gives off a moderate amount of resting smoke which gives off a nice cedar aroma
• Ash is a bit wavy and rigid but appears fairly strong
• The color of the ash is a bit on the darker side, leaving alternating lines of light and dark grey
• Ash held on just past an inch before being gently tapped off into the ashtray
• This cigar was a smoke machine the whole way through, never letting down and always producing a nice aroma

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a soft cedar aroma on it, very light and pleasant
• The foot has more cedar aroma but is complimented but a fruity sweetness and a touch of spice
• The pre-light draw brings a mixture of interesting spices, I’m getting some pepper, nutmeg and a bit of cloves paired with a smooth cedar
• Initial draws bring more cedar, the same interesting spice mix and now I’m getting a flavor of freshly baked bread, starting out great so far
• The spices are slowly settling down and balancing nicely with the cedar and toasted bread flavors
• The body started in the low end of the medium range and is holding steady so far
• Retrohale is very smooth, there is no bite but has a great creamy finish
• As the cigar progresses near to the half way mark the creaminess from the Cameroon binder starts to become more apparent giving the cigar a very tasty finish
• Past the halfway mark and the spices are coming back a bit, mixing nicely with the new creaminess
• As the cigar progresses I can feel the body ramping up a bit but it’s so smooth you can almost barely tell
• The retrohale has developed a small bite now but still has that great smooth finish
• The flavors balanced excellent right up to the end giving a nice variety but blended into a smooth experience

Final Thoughts:
This cigar was right up my alley, it had a fantastic blend of flavors, body, construction, smoothness and balance. Even before you light it, the Guillermo Leon had a great aroma on it that just drew you right in. The cigar started off with a burst of various spices and the balanced out nicely with the cedar and toasted bread. The finish on this cigar never disappointed. It also never left my palate dry. The sweetness and creaminess from the Cameroon binder and the strength from the Corojo binder really showed through and I think they achieved their goal with this dual binder creation. I enjoyed every bit of this cigar and the flavors changed just enough to keep me interested the whole way through. The MSRP prices fall just below the $10 mark. Some people may see this as a bit high, especially when taxes are mixed in, but I think they are worth their cost. The body may be a bit much for a new smoker but are definitely worth a try. I will be looking for more of these, I’m especially interested in trying the corona vitola. Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Pairings:
I’ve paired Tawny port with a variety of cigars and I always find it pairs best with something that has a bit of body and spice to it. This pairing didn’t disappoint at all. The berry, oaky and tart flavors of the Grahams Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port from 2005 was just right. The price of the bottle is also very accessible and offers lots of flavors. This is a good starting point if you’re interested in trying out some Tawny Port. Some other good pairings would include scotch, coffee or a dark soda.

The post Guillermo Leon Belicoso appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

In 2009, Ernesto leased a large factory and started his own namesake company, EPC Cigar Co. The company began production on a very limited line known as the E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009. You can read Tony’s review of this cigar here. Soon after, Ernesto began producing a more readily available line called the E.P. Carrillo Short Run. Tony also reviewed that cigar here. You can also read more about the cigar company by visiting their website at www.epcarrillo.com

EPC Cigar Co.’s third entry into their growing line is their full production cigar named the E.P. Carrillo Core Line. This cigar is currently available in a variety of 6 sizes ranging from a short robusto up to a churchill. Today’s cigar is the toro size which is called the “Club 52” which refers to it’s ring gauge.

Cigar: EP Carrillo Core Line
Drink: Great Lakes Brewery Pumpkin Ale
Vitola: Club 52 (Toro 5.875 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican Republic
Price: Paid $6.00
Burn Time: 1.75 Hours

Construction:
• A nicely wrapped cigar with a light cinnamon brown colored wrapper
• The triple cap is extremely clean and blends in seamlessly
• The foot is well packed with one slightly darker spot
• There are a lot of veins on the wrapper but they are not prominent, just lightly visible. They make for a lightning strike pattern on the wrapper
• The cigar has a bit of squeeze to it but bounces back nicely, the middle of the cigar appears to be a bit softer then the foot or the head
• Cut was very clean and easy

Burn:
• Toasting was very nice and even
• Burn line started off a bit wavy but s straightening out
• After it corrected it’s wave it’s been burning razor sharp through the first couple of inches
• Past the half-way mark the burn is still going razor sharp
• The cigar went out near the end but it was likely because I was smoking it very slowly, if you draw at a normal pace I doubt this will go out on you

Smoke & Ash:
• Nice mouthful of smoke from every draw sits lightly on your tongue
• Resting smoke is lightly moderate making a nice image from a crisp line flowing into the sky, very nice
• Ash is rigid and bumpy but holding tightly together
• The almost white color of the ash looks very clean and appealing
• The resting smoke is very woodsy, not quite cedar, more just generic burning wood

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has an earthy aroma mixed with a light nutmeg spice
• The foot has a mild sweetness complimented by some woodsy and spicy notes
• Pre-light draw is very woodsy, almost like taking a big inhale after chopping some wood
• Initial draws are very woodsy with a smooth spicy undertone, maybe some paprika and nutmeg mixture
• Considering the spicy flavor, the retrohale is actually fairly mild with no bite and a smooth woodsy finish
• Some creaminess is joining the mix after about 2 inches
• As I approach the half-way mark the retrohale is developing a mild bite, the smooth cedar finish is still there
• The flavor has pretty much stayed the same for most of the cigar, I was surprised not to get more dimensionality
• As I approached the nub of the cigar I started getting a slight secretion that made the cigar bitter, this is likely some over-humidification on my part
• Body of the cigar was a solid mild from start to finish and smooth the whole way through
• I believe this cigar may have been over-humidified a bit which caused the build-up at the foot

Final Thoughts:
Although my tasting notes don’t seem all that spectacular this was actually a pretty good cigar. I think it’s biggest downfall was the lack of changing flavors. It wasn’t incredibly dimensional or vastly complex but it was a good smoke. The construction was excellent leaving a perfect burn line from start to finish, the price is accessible and the flavors, although straightforward, were still quite tasty. It reminded me of some Cubans where the majority of the flavor was woodsy with some hints of spice and creaminess here and there. I would recommend this cigar to pretty much any level of smoker. I think it has something to satisfy an experienced smoker and something for a new smoker to enjoy easily. I’d definitely recommend picking up a few of these and trying for yourself. I think Ernesto Perez Carrillo has another solid smoke on his hands here although his first two releases may have this one beat. I also believe some age on these sticks might allow a little more complexity to build into the cigar, I’ll definitely revisit these in a couple months to see how they’ve changed.

Pairings:
Great Lakes Brewery is one of the few craft breweries that seem to be getting their seasonal ales into the Ontario beer market. Our restrictions here are quite high and that makes a lot of other seasonals rare to see. The Pumpkin Ale was a good amber brew with a bit of spice but I was expecting a little more spices or some sort of pumpkin flavors but they seemed very light and hard to pickup on. I also enjoyed an EP Carrillo Core Line Robusto with some Tawny port and found it to be a better match. Some coffee, Scotch, dark soda or a hefty stout would also make an excellent pairing here.

The post EP Carrillo Core Line Club 52 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Now back to the cigar. The Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf a Nicaraguan Puro cigar. It’s leafs are grown in a few different valleys or Nicaragua which as Esteli, Jalapa and Condega. The are box pressed and packed in boxes of 15. They are currently offered in 3 vitolas which are Robusto, Toro and Torpedo. The band on the cigar is the same as their normal line but the Aganorsa Leaf has an additional band with it’s name on it just below.

The Aganorsa has received a lot of positive press in the cigar blogging community, Cigar Aficionado Magazine listed the original Casa Fernandez as one of the top 25 cigars of 2009. The original Casa Fernandez line was met with a lot of positive press so they had a lot to live up to. I’m lighting this cigar up on a sunny but cold afternoon and hoping to have a nice enjoyable and relaxing experience. Let see how it fares.

Cigar: Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf
Drink: Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port (2005)
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 52)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Aganorsa
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $8.00
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• This cigar has a slightly box pressed look to it
• The wrapper is a medium dark, almost chocolate brown tone with some spots being lighter than others
• There are quite a few visible veins but they are all small and will not affect the burn
• Fairly clean triple cap
• The foot appears to be well packed and clean
• Cut was even and clean although it required a little more effort than usual
• The draw was just about perfect from start to finish

Burn:
• Toasting was fairly quick and even, very little effort to even out the toast
• The burn started going wavy soon after lighting leaving a small peninsula, gonna leave it alone for a bit and see if it corrects itself
• The crooked burn fixed itself fairly quickly and now we’re burning nice and even
• As the cigar progressed there were a few minor corrections I had to make but nothing major
• The cigar also stayed lit easily without much attention needed from me

Smoke & Ash:
• The smoke produced a strong aroma of burning wood, almost like a bonfire
• Comfortable amount of smoke from each draw
• Lots of resting smoke that is consistently pouring out
• Ash is fairly strong with no flaking and wrapped tightly
• The color of the ash varies from a light brownish near the foot and getting progressively whiter
• Ash held on for about an inch before tumbling into the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper aroma is mostly just tobacco with a slight barnyard type scent
• The foot still has some barnyard aroma but mixes in some cedar and spice
• The pre-light draw brings more spice and some cedar
• Initial draws are full of pepper and some cedar, a little dry on the finish
• I usually don’t enjoy peppery starts but this one is very smooth and mixing well with the cedar
• The retrohale has a nice little bite to it with a smooth cedar finish, the body has started in a mild-medium range
• Just a short ways in the peppery notes have tapered off a bit with the cedar taking control, picking up earthy and nutty notes now
• Some light coffee notes are popping up now and again but not consistent
• I’m approaching the half-way mark and I’m already noticing the body of the cigar building up
• At the half-way point now and the cigar has turned mostly a mild peppery spice and leather
• The bite on the retrohale has dialed down now and the finish is leathery but the body is holding on the stronger side of medium
• Coming up on the last third, the peppery notes are starting to gain traction again, this time mixing with the leather, the cedar has mostly disappeared for now
• The body lingered at full as I approached the nub with the flavors staying consistent to the end
• Didn’t get much harshness or bitterness and was able to smoke this happily until my fingers burned

Final Thoughts:
The was an interesting cigar that had a fair bit of complexity to it and some dimension on the flavors. The start was very in-your-face but smooth and balanced at the same time. The flavors mellowed out a bit as the cigar progressed but the body kept building at a slow and steady pace. The burn was fairly good with only a couple minor corrections and the draw was always good. The price on this cigar is a tad high but nothing crazy and still within reach to be included in a normal rotation. These are definitely worth giving a try even if you aren’t normally a fan of peppery/spicy cigars. On the other hand, if you are a fan of peppery and spicy notes I think you will really enjoy this cigar. The body is a fairly full but not a knock you on your ass type of full. I’ll be looking to pick up a few more of these to keep on hand as they were definitely enjoyable.

Pairings:
In my eyes, Tawny Port and cedar/spicy cigars go hand in hand! I did a bit of research before lighting this up to find out the prominent notes and I knew Port was going to be my match here. I decided on a Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port which was bottled in 2005. This is a fairly inexpensive bottle that boasts a lot of flavors. You’ll find oak, blackberries, cherries and a tarty sweetness that mixes perfectly with this type of cigar. Other good pairings would include scotch, dark soda, a full Porter or Stout, or a full bodied red wine. A nice cup of strong coffee would also be a good match here.

The post Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Miami Cigar & Company is a distributor of some fantastic cigars and has given us such names as Leon Jimenes, La Aurora, Nestor Miranda and Don Lino. Make sure to visit their website and read more about their products and the company at: www.MiamiCigarandCompany.com. Not long ago they ventured into creating their own house blend cigar which turned into the Calibre 58 creations.

These new cigars were graciously sent to us from our friends over at Miami Cigar & Company. The Calibre 58 is offered in two sizes and two different wrappers. The sizes they created were non-standard but offer something different to the cigar enthusiast in us. The two shapes are what resembles a Short Churchill and a Short Torpedo, both measuring in with a 58 ring gauge. The wrappers offered for the Calibre 58 are a Nicaraguan Rosado and Oscuro.

Up for review today is the Short Churchill version of the Calibre 58 wrapped in the Nicaraguan Rosado wrapper. There’s a couple things to note about this cigar. Firstly, this is a Nicaraguan Puro, which means all the tobacco leaves used come from the country of Nicaragua. Secondly, this is a pre-release version which means that future releases could see some differences such as the addition of bands or slight changes in the blend.

Cigar: Miami Cigar & Company Calibre 58
Drink: Quinta de Infantado Tawny Port (2004)
Vitola: Short Churchill (4 x 58)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: Around $5-6
Burn Time: 1 Hour

Construction:
• Very even diameter throughout the length of the cigar
• A couple prominent veins but none seem big enough to cause any burn problems
• Fairly firm from end to end with just a tiny bit of spring
• Very cleanly applied triple cap
• The foot appears to be very well packed
• The large ring gauge just fit barely into by double blade cutter but it did cut nice and clean, you might need scissors or a punch cutter if your guillotine style doesn’t fit large ring gauges
• A small crack formed near the head but it never caused any problems

Burn:
• Toasting took a fairly long amount of time but it did toast up nice and evenly with no dark spots
• Burning very slowly, needs a few extra draws to stay lit but nothing overwhelming
• Burn has been fairly even through the first inch although it did require one minor touch up
• Almost went out near the halfway point, needing a little more attention now
• Some more touch-ups as the cigar burns, I seem to have this problem a lot with large ring gauge cigar, possibly because I smoke them very slowly when reviewing

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke right off the first draw
• Moderate amount of resting smoke giving off a nice woodsy aroma
• Ash appears extremely strong in the first inch of the cigar with no flaking
• First ash fell off at about 1.5 inches, it probably could have held on longer if it wasn’t for some touch-ups

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper aroma is mostly cedar with some hints of earthiness
• The foot brings more cedar and a sweet nutmeg type spice
• Pre-light draw has more cedar and some pepper mixed in with the nutmeg spice
• Initial draws bring flavors or toasted wood and some peppery spice
• Retrohale starting off with lots of cedar and a smooth spicy finish, just a small bit of kick
• About 1 inch in some of the nutmeg spice is making a more prominent appearance and the pepper has settled down, just getting minor hints of it here and there
• Some added earthiness is joining the flavor mix, they all seem to be well balanced so far
• Passing the halfway mark there is some creaminess being added to the mix and despite the touchups there has been little to no harshness
• Body started off a bit mild and has slowly made it’s way up to medium
• The creaminess also added itself to the finish of the retrohale, nice and smooth and the bite has gotten a little more aggressive
• Body definitely picking up as I approach the last inch, also feeling a bit of nicotine kick, surprising for this short vitola cigar
• Used a toothpick near the end to maximize nubbing since there was very little harshness

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed this cigar and I think most people would. It had some peppery spice at the start and end but not a very in-your-face type of pepper that usually turns me away. It was fairly balanced throughout and had a fair bit of dimensionality considering it’s shorter length. It does kick into full gear near the end so novice smokers may need to be careful here. A good drink is key here, something with some sugar in it will help reduce to nicotine kick you get. The burn required some touchups but it was never major, just make sure to keep some constant draws and it should burn no problem. For the price it’s worth picking up a few of these and trying them out. I’m curious to see if they change the blend at all on the official release but I’ll try another one when they come out regardless.

Pairings:
I finished off my last bottle of Quinta de Infantado Tawny Port with this cigar. You can read more about this port from this review of the Tatuaje Verocu Red Tubo. This paired very well with this cigar. I find that the sugar in port helps reduce any nicotine kick in stronger cigars. The oaky flavors also matched nicely with the cedar/woodsy notes and the spicy notes in this cigar. A good porter/stout, sweet tea or a dark soda would also pair nicely here.

The post Miami Cigar & Company – Calibre 58 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Verocu Tubos are a limited release but still seem to be easily available at the time that I write this. The Verocu line comes in a Red Tubo and various other sizes that are not limited release. The line was created as an extension to his Havana VI line with some added ligero for a little extra punch. The nice tube this cigar comes in is also cedar lined for a little added flavor.

I’ve had this cigar in my humidor for quite a while. I smoked a couple a while back but decided not to review it since a lot of chatter suggested to have these age. I think this particular stick is coming up on almost a year of age since I purchased it and I have some notes from one of first few I smoked to compare to.

Don’t forget that we are currently running our contest with CheapHumidors.com for a 10-Cigar Caddy. Read the rules and add a comment below to get an extra entry!

Cigar: Tatuaje Verocu Red Tubo
Drink: Quinta de Infantado Tawny Port (Bottled in 2004)
Vitola: Torpedo (6.125 x 52)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: About $11
Burn Time: 2 Hours

Construction:
• Very smooth and appealing dark chocolate brown wrapper
• A couple medium veins but nothing that looks too worrisome
• Very clean and even diameter
• Fairly firm with a slight spring, same feel throughout
• Excellently applied double cap
• Foot looks fully packed but very clean
• This cigar has two bands, one being the standard Tatuaje band finely written in script and accompanied by their logo. The second band is says “Verocu Tubos”
• Cut was extremely clean and easy
• Draw is perfect, just enough resistance but not too tight
• Bands came off easily with no wrapper damage at all

Burn:
• Toasting was amazingly even and slow
• Cigar is burning nice and slowly but still producing lots of tasty smoke
• The first couple of inches have been razor sharp with just a slight wave
• The wrapper needed a couple touch ups past the half-way mark but nothing major
• The burn was consistently nice and slow with no need for extra draws to stay lit

Smoke & Ash:
• Big mouthful of smoke right from the first draw
• Lots of resting smoke giving off a very nice sweet aroma
• The ash is showing a bright white face with minimal highlights
• The ash is also very tight with almost no flaking and appears very strong
• Awesome ash held on for almost 2 inches, you could actually see it slowly falling off, no mess with this cigar
• The next 2 ashes were a bit shorter but still clean and falling right into the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper has a very nice cocoa and spice aroma
• The foot is bursting with cinnamon and nutmeg and nicely complimented by a faint cocoa aroma
• Pre-light draw has some hay-like flavors and and more spice, maybe a little pepper thrown in there
• Starting off very mild with jut some sweet tobacco flavors, the spice on the aroma seems to be missing so far
• Retrohale has a mild cocoa finish, very tasty
• Starting to pick up some nice creamy coffee notes, almost like a Latte, very interesting
• The nutmeg flavors starting to kick in now and I’m just approaching the first inch, I like how this cigar started off fairly inconspicuous and is slowly adding flavor dimensions
• About 2 inches in I’m starting to get a nice little nutmeg bite on the retrohale
• As I approach the half-way mark the body is definitely starting to ramp up a bit and the cinnamon spice is starting to make an introduction
• The cigar has generally been fairly dry but nothing overpowering, just need a nice pairing to compliment it
• The spices are balancing nicely with the coffee and cocoa, each taking turns being the prominent one, great stuff
• As I approach the last 1.5 inches a little bitterness is starting to creep in and a nice spicy/creamy coffee flavor has taken over
• The bite on the retrohale has consistently developed nice and strong towards the end with a smooth cocoa and nutmeg finish
• The bitterness did not develop any further and I nubbed this cigar with a nice creamy coffee finish

Final Thoughts:
I think the notes above pretty much speak for themselves. This cigar started off fairly slowly but then each flavor made a nice slow introduction. The flavors were always nicely balanced and I never really felt overpowered by this cigar at any point. The Tatuaje Verocu red Tubos is definitely recommended in my books. The price tallies in a bit higher than some other cigars but the quality, flavors, construction, burn and overall enjoyment are worth having a few on hand. The age did this cigar fairly well and the bitterness that used to start earlier in the cigar was only evident near the very end. The flavors were also a lot more prominent that what I can remember. The body did not change much however as this cigar ended at just around full. Try to grab these fairly soon before they disappear!

Pairings:
I recently paired this port with another cigar, so I won’t re-invent the wheel. Here’s my thoughts on it from before:

The bottle I had today was bottled in 2004 by Quinta de Infantado. It has a fairly light red color to it and produces some nice oaky flavors complemented by dark berries, such as black berries and black cherries. It’s not too strong and comes in at an excellent value for the price. It’s definitely a good port to start with if you’re just considering trying it out for the first time or to have on hand to serve without feeling a wallet pinch.

This pairing was excellent. I find that a good Tawny Port can play well with both mild and full cigars and this cigar seemed to span that entire range. A drink too strong may drown out the initial flavors but pair well near the end. Vice-versa, a light drink will go well at the start but lack the palate cleansing qualities as the cigar builds body. Some other pairings here could be coffee, dark soda, a dark porter or stout or even a nice red full-bodied red wine.

The post Tatuaje Verocu Red Tubos appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The cigars themselves don’t seem to be too widely available as I write this with only a handful of online shops that seem to have them. I have found them in 3 sizes, Perfection No, 1 (Robusto), Churchill, and Perfection No. 2 (a slightly longer Churchill). They are also available with an Ecuadorian Sumatra and a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Usually those are two of my favorite wrappers, but a wrapper is only a small portion of what makes a good cigar. Let’s see how this one stood up in the review.

Cigar: Exile by Cuban Imports Inc.
Drink: Quinta de Infantado Tawny Port (Bottled in 2004)
Vitola: Churchill (6.75 x 50)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: About $5
Burn Time: Guessing around 3 hours…

Construction:
• A very dark chocolate brown wrapper with some spots being almost black
• Has a very bumpy texture to it and some major veins
• The double cap above is quite clean
• The band is interesting, sort of similar to a the style of a government seal on a box of cigars with some postal stamp-type markings on it
• There is also a secondary band at the bottom that is very much like newspaper topped with a gold ribbon and wrapped in a pig tail near the foot
• Most of the cigar is very firm with just a slight spring near the head
• Foot appears to be very well packed
• Draw is a little too tight at the start of this cigar

Burn:
• Toasting was fairly even with only one small black spot that wouldn’t glow
• A wavy burn right off the start required a correction in the first inch
• Cigar went out right around the first inch, needing a lot of effort to keep this one lit
• Despite some extra draws the cigar is still going out, had to cut further down the head to get a better draw
• Still need a ton of extra draws to keep this cigar lit and I’ve still had to relight it at least 3 times before the half-way mark
• Needed a major touchup at the half-way mark
• Yet another re-light past the half-way mark… I will not re-light if it goes out again
• Went out again, and I’m going to set this cigar down with about 2.5 inches left…

Smoke & Ash:
• Not much smoke on the draw at all
• When the cigar went out I was getting almost no smoke due to the tight draw
• Ash appears very tight with no flaking
• Only after cutting the head further, poking it with toothpick(many times) and giving it a firm roll between my fingers was I able to generate a somewhat workable draw, still like drinking a milkshake through a tiny straw…

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper aroma is very mild with just a hint of cocoa and sweet tobacco
• Foot has a very earthy aroma to it with some hints of spice
• Pre-light draw is very earthy with some pepper on the lips
• Initial draws are mostly earthy with a dry finish
• Retrohale holds the same flavors with no bite, the whole experience is quite mild so far
• I still haven’t found more than earthiness and hay-like flavors through the first couple inches, I’m sure the draw issues are hampering any flavors in the cigar as well
• Still getting only a boring hay and earthy flavors at the halfway mark
• I must say I’m kind of impressed that with all the touch-ups and re-lights that I’m not getting any major harshness
• After the halfway point I finally started getting a little bit of coffee and nutty flavors, still very mild though, I hope they develop a bit more
• Still not much harshness near the end but the flavors disappeared again and the burn was just getting way too difficult to manage

Final Thoughts:
There’s not much I can say here, the notes pretty much speak for themselves. I spent most of my time fighting this cigar to stay lit, burn properly, and produce at least a decent amount of smoke on the draw. This was my third Exile of the same wrapper and vitola and all three have given me similar problems. As mentioned, the cigar never really got too harsh despite all the re-lights and touch ups but the flavors also never had a good chance to develop. Based on the three I’ve smoked I will be avoiding these in the future. If you’ve had a different experience with this cigar or perhaps a different vitola or wrapper please let me know, I’m curious to see if this is the general consensus or I just had a string of bad luck? Maybe if I’m wrong I’ll give them another try.

Pairings:
It’s been awhile since I’ve had a nice tawny port pairing in my reviews so I’m glad it’s back! The bottle I had today was bottled in 2004 by Quinta de Infantado. It has a fairly light red color to it and produces some nice oaky flavors complemented by dark berries, such as black berries and black cherries. It’s not too strong and comes in at an excellent value for the price. It’s definitely a good port to start with if you’re just considering trying it out for the first time or to have on hand to serve without feeling a wallet pinch. I didn’t enjoy this cigar but I did enjoy the port and I won’t bother recommending other pairings since I don’t really recommend this cigar.

The post Exile Churchill appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.