Now I’ll be honest that I hadn’t heard too much about Ezra Zion cigars or any of their particular lines before I came across this particular stick. But after doing some research I realized there was quite a bit of buzz around them. Now the company is fairly young looking to have really started pushing itself only last year but the big buzz came when our good friends over at Emilio Cigars partnered up with Ezra Zion to handle their distribution.

We all know Emilio Cigars has a knack for turning around quality sticks and they wouldn’t just accept any cigars, they must be good, right? Well the Reagan edition is one of 2 lines offered by Ezra Zion, the other line is called “Jamais Vu” which was renamed from the original “Inception”. The Reagan series only has two vitolas available at this time, the “President” (6.75 x 54) and today’s vitola dubbed the “40th”.

All the tobaccos in the Reagan are Cuban seeds grown in Nicaragua, as well as being aged a 5 to 6 years before rolling. It also should be obvious that these cigars are a tribute to President Reagan, the names should have given that away too ;). I also want to point out that I love the box press style toro, it’s just awesome and more people should do it. So let’s dive on in and see how this cigar stacks up!

Cigar: Ezra Zion Reagan Honor Series
Drink: Mill Street Breweries Cobblestone Stout
Vitola: “40th Boxpress” Toro (6 x 52)
Wrapper: 2006 Cuban Seed Nicaraguan – Sun Grown Habano
Binder: 2006 Cuban Seed Nicaraguan
Filler: 2007 Cuban Seed Nicaraguan Seco, Viso, and Ligero
Price: $12.50
Burn Time: Almost 2 hours

Construction:
• The wrapper on this Ezra Zion Reagan has a very smooth texture and a color of soft cinnamon brown
• There are hardly any veins to be seen, super smooth and velvety to the touch
• I really like the box-pressed shape on this cigar, definitely need more companies to start doing this
• All my samples were pretty soft to the touch, all the way from head to foot
• Packing looks to be pretty full at the foot even though they are soft, interesting…
• The cap has some imperfections but overall it’s finished well
• A very thin cut leaves me with a perfect draw

Burn:
• The Ezra Zio Reagan toasted up with ease and quickly, leaving a nice glowing foot to see
• Through the first inch, the burn has been somewhat wavy but no cause for concern yet, we’ll have to keep a close eye on this
• A little past an inch in and i got a pretty big peninsula growing that I needed to correct with a small touch up
• Just before the halfway mark I had another peninsula rear it’s head so I needed another touch up here
• Some more small touch ups needed towards the end but nothing too major

Smoke & Ash:
• This cigar has got a ton of smoke from each easy draw
• It actually doesn’t produce much resting smoke though
• So far just under an inch in and the ash is looking pretty messy, some pieces are already falling off and it appears pretty weak
• Despite the flimsy look, the ash lasted past an inch and started to look more clean and stable as the burn continues
• The ash lasted just about an inch before I tapped it off
• Second ash was a mix of looking strong and weak again due to the touchup, still lasted about an inch though
• The third ash is coming along much nicer with no touch ups, it’s clean and string with a light and dark grey striping

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a very hay-like aroma to it, with just a bit of woodiness
• I’m getting more hay and woodsy aromas on the foot with a touch of spice thrown in
• The pre-light draw had some nice sweet cocoa flavors and a touch of spice
• On the initial draws, I’m getting mostly light coffee flavors so far, a touch of dry spice on the back of my throat as well
• Through the first third of the cigar, coffee and light spices are still playing the biggest parts
• The whole experience has been in the mild-medium range so far
• From the retrohale, I’m getting a nice little bite and a smooth sweet and creamy finish that I’m enjoying
• As I get into the final third, the spice is ramping up a tad and the sweet coffee has switched over to more of an espresso note
• The deep rich flavors continue through to the end with a bit of leather being mixed in there as well
• No real harshness towards the nub so I got to finish this nicely

Final Thoughts:
There were some really nice flavors in the Ezra Zion Reagan Honor Series and I enjoyed the experience for the most part. There were two key parts that brought down my experience today. The main one was the touch ups and wavy burn throughout most of the cigar. The price is also a bit steep, so when I go into a cigar knowing I spent well over $10 for it, I am expecting a good cigar. On the upside, I really enjoyed the flavors here. They were deep, rich and right up my alley so that kept me interested the whole way though. Also, I’m happy that the touch ups did not ruin that flavors here either. All in all, I will be looking for more of these. I’m hoping the burn issues were restricted to the bunch I had because if you take that away, this would be a very tasty cigar!

Pairings:
Today we have another pick from Mill Street Brewery that I’ve also paired with before. I love supporting the local people and when it’s a darn good stout, I will keep supporting them! lol. The Cobblestone Stout is still fairly new to the stores but it seems to be selling quite well. It is a classic stout with lots of deep malty and smoky flavors and even a touch of coffee, but not too much. It’s got a ton of head when you pour it and a bit of a dry finish. I really liked how the rich flavors of the Ezra Zion Reagan. This would pair really well with anything deep and rich, such as a porter or even just a nice strong coffee.

The post Ezra Zion Reagan Honor Series appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Now the label on the Onyx Reserve has no information on it other than its name and the word “handmade”. I actually did no research on this cigar prior to smoking it and I’d never really read much about it before so that allowed me to give a more unbiased review. A little research after smoking it and making notes revealed to me that this cigar is made by Altadis. Historically I haven’t really hit alignment with the flavor profiles of most Altadis sticks, so will smoking it without knowing that ahead of time affect my opinion???

A little more research showed me that this cigar has an interesting mix of three different fillers and if you check out me pre-light inspection notes below you’ll see I actually picked out three distinct coloured filler in the foot. I thought that was interesting that they are so easily discernible. It’s also wrapped with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper which Tony and I are both big fans of.

There isn’t too much other info on the cigar out there but I can tell you that it is made in the Dominican Republic. It also seems to have some pretty good ratings from a variety of sources, mostly outside of the blogging world though. I especially liked the vitola here today, it’s a box-pressed Mini Belicoso and you don’t see many of those around. Reminded me of the Oliva Serie G Belicoso. So let’s jump right in and see what I though of the Onyx Reserve by Altadis Cigars.

Cigar: Onyx Reserve
Drink: Chimay Yellow Trappist Ale
Vitola: Mini Belisoco (5 x 52)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican, Peruvian and Nicaraguan
Price: A little over $4 (Gifted by Lou B!)
Burn Time: A little over an hour

Construction:
• A nice darkly colored cigar with fairly consistent dark chocolate tone
• There is a nice bit of oiliness on the wrapper as well as very few veins to be worried about
• The tapered cap is finished cleanly with a single leaf that blends in almost seamlessly
• The foot is well packed and I find it interesting because I can pick out 3 distinctly different colors of filler, possibly the different types of leaves from the blend or just a coincidence?
• The cigar is quite firm from cap to foot with almost no spring to it, hoping that doesn’t cause a tight draw
• The cut was pretty easy and even, also kept itself in a neat and clean pile
• Draw ended up being a little tight, maybe it’s cause I didn’t cut much but a couple pokes with my toothpick opened it up nicely

Burn:
• Toasting was almost too easy, the whole foot lit up evenly without much effort or time
• The first bit of the cigar was smoking dead even with a single wave to be seen
• Through the whole first half this cigar burned razor sharp without a hint of problems at all
• It also stayed lit without the need for extra attention, this is how all cigars should burn! Let’s hope it keeps up
• I spoke a little too soon… right after ashing in the middle area the burn started going a little lopsided so I gave it a little correction
• No more corrections required right to the end, great overall burn on this Onyx Reserve cigar

Smoke & Ash:
• The smoke from each draw is a little light on this Onyx Reserve, even with a few extra draws it just doesn’t seem to produce a very thick smoke
• The resting smoke is very very light, after just a couple seconds you actually can’t even see smoke anymore
• The ash is looking awesome, very white with only a few darker accents
• The cleanliness of the ash is also looking great with no flaking or signs of weakness
• Ash is holding on nicely just past an inch, gonna tap it off now to prevent any messes tonight
• Subsequent ashes kept holding on past the 1 inch mark with ease, very nice construction here

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has very little aroma on this Onyx Reserve, maybe just a touch of sweet tobacco and thats about it
• The foot is pretty light on aroma too but there is a bit more sweet floral scent there
• The pre-light draw is pretty light on flavors as well, just a bit of the sweet tobacco again
• Initial draws are pretty flat, no interesting flavors here to start but nothing harsh either, just a sort of mild sweet tobacco taste
• For the most part, the cigar is in the mild range and the retrohale has a bit of woodiness to it and a smooth tasteless finish
• There is a bit of woodsy flavors making an appearance with the sweet tobacco notes, maybe a little leather in there too
• It seems the body creeped into the medium area somewhere in the middle but the flavors are still very washed out
• There isn’t much to report here, the profile hasn’t really changed as I approach the final third
• I’m still getting some light wood and leather flavors backed by the stronger tobacco notes

Final Thoughts:
The Onyx Reserve didn’t quite do it for me tonight. It had some good elements to it and definitely had some quality construction but the flavors were just a little too weak for my liking. For the price, it could be a decent cigar to hand out but I think there are better options out there for the so-called “yard-gar” ideal. I’m hard-pressed to see why this got such high ratings in other places. Perhaps there is a market for the more bland tobacco flavored cigars? Maybe they appeal to past cigarette smokers a little more? I’m not quite sure but for me it just wasn’t the profile I enjoy. It might be worth trying if you are looking for something different to add to a regular rotation but I’d suggest opting for a sampler before you venture into a whole box here. One thing I can take away from this cigar is that it is another stick that confirms Altadis and me just don’t agree on flavor profile. I’m sure there are people that disagree with me but this is just one little fishes opinion in the big pond.

Pairings:
Another Belgian Trappist ale on Casas Fumando? Yup, you got it! But this time it’s not from Tony! Chimay is one of the few Belgian brands I can actually find regularly here in Ontario. Mostly it’s the Yellow label or the Red label and today we have the Yellow. Now I should note this particular brew is also sometimes known as the “White’ and it is actually a Tripel although it doesn’t really say that anywhere on the front label. This bottle clocks in at a full 8% alc./vol. and is definitely a lot less fruity than a lot of other Tripel’s. It’s super carbonated and has a bit of citrus backed by a heavy malt and slight bitter flavor. I think I missed the pairing here though, a darker more robust beer would have gone better. Perhaps a dark ale or stout, even a coffee, would have matched up better.

The post Onyx Reserve Mini Belicoso appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The company who makes the cigar is called Honduras Caribbean Tobacco. The Carmelo is their first cigar released a few years ago and they have recently also released a cigar carrying the companies name on the label. The Carmelo is available with a blue or red label. The blue label is wrapped with a Nicaraguan tobacco leaf while the red label has an Ecuadorian shade-grown wrapper. Both of the Carmelo cigars have Nicaraguan fillers and binders and are available in a variety of sizes ranging from a Carmelito (4 x 40) up to a Churchill (7×48).

I’ve had the chance to enjoy a few Carmelo’s before as they are a popular mild cigar at the herf I frequent and are offered up at a fair price. The Carmelo has been around for a few years now and the company itself is still fairly young opening only in 2005. Honduras Caribbean Tobacco is headquartered in Miami and have a large tobacco field on the border of Honduras and Nicaragua. After smoking a few offerings from Honduras Caribbean Tobacco at the herf I purchased a few more to take home with me so I could write up a review. So here it is!

Cigar: Carmelo Red Label
Drink: RocketfuelCoffee.com KonaKaze
Vitola: Toro (6 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Shade-Grown
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $6.40 MSRP
Burn Time: Just under 2 hours

Construction:
• The Carmelo cigar is wrapped with a very light shade of brown, it also appears fairly fragile
• There are almost no veins to be seen on the cigar, they are very light and small and the cigar is very smooth
• The top of the Carmelo is finished with a clean triple cap and is slightly darker in color, likely due to the glue
• The foot of the cigar is well packed and is also darker in color with some leaves appearing nearly black
• The shape of the cigar is slightly box pressed and has a soft springiness to it
• The cut was easy and clean
• Draw is just about perfect, offering up just the right amount of resistance

Burn:
• Took some time to get the cigar toasted evenly but it ended up being perfectly toasted without causing any initial burn problems
• The burn is progressing nicely through the first third with only a minor wave in it
• The wave is always present but it never burned out of control and no corrections as I pass the half-way mark
• As I approach the end of the cigar it still hasn’t required any touch ups but is starting to burn a bit hot

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke is apparent right from the first draw, easily fills the mouth
• Resting smoke is light but noticeable and fills the room with more woodsy aromas
• The ash is very close to being completely white, it’s smooth and tightly packed
• First ash last about an inch before I tapped it off into the ashtray
• Other ashes were all about an inch before being tapped off into the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper aroma is mostly a light mild tobacco aroma with some hints of woodsiness
• The foot has a lot more woodsiness to the aroma, I’m picking up a pine-like or freshly cut cedar scent
• Pre-light draw brings more freshly cut woody flavors and a touch of spice that lingers on the lips and tongue
• Initial draws bring more woodsy notes and a burst of pine flavor specifically
• As we keep moving, the pine is settling in and balancing out with some cedar and a smooth creamy finish
• The cigar itself is fairly mild and the retrohale has no bite to it but has a nice creamy and woodsy finish
• As I approach the middle of the cigar I’m getting an interesting leafy flavor that’s pairing well with the woodsy flavors
• I’m also picking up some sweet bready flavors, similar to something like a brioche
• The creamy and pine flavors have stuck through the entire cigar, I find these to be a very unique pairing
• Some slight pepper spice sneaking in as I burn through the last third

Final Thoughts:
This was a tasty mild cigar and definitely worth trying. It’s not something overly complex or in your face but I don’t think that was the goal of this cigar. It’s something you can pick up anytime of the day, including the morning, and just sit back, relax and enjoy. The pine flavors in this cigar always stood out to me every time I’ve had one and is something unique that I don’t find in many cigars. I did find that they have a tendency to have burn issues if they are overly humidified but smoke perfectly when kept just under 65% or dry boxed a bit before smoking. I think this is mostly due to the delicate wrapper on these cigars but as you can see in this review, I had no issues with the burn at all even in colder temperatures. If you are looking for something different to add to your mild or morning range of cigars, pick up a few of these. They are a nice change from the typical mild Connecticut cigars.

Pairings:
Today I’m pairing with a non-alcoholic beverage for two reasons. Firstly, I’m still taking some medication to fight this infection and I hear it’s generally a bad idea to mix alcohol with that, lol! Secondly, I’ve made the jump to enjoying some premium coffee lately and it pairs very well with cigars, especially ones in the milder range. RocketFuelCoffee.com is an online coffee retailer specializing in premium gourmet coffees. they have at least 8 varieties on their website that cater to a varying audience. Don’t expect any flavored coffee here though, it’s only the all natural and tasty stuff. They even carry the infamous Kopi Luwak coffee! Check out their website and if you’re a coffee lover you won’t be disappointed.
I was going to purchase this coffee online but after speaking to the owner, Lisa, on Twitter (@RcketFuelCoffee) we decided to get together and share a cigar over coffee instead since she also lives in the Great White North near Toronto. We had a great time chatting over some good coffee and cigars. One of the blends I picked up was this Konakaze blend. I love a strong bold coffee and I love espresso so she suggested this one which is a blend of Hawaiin Kona and Espresso. The coffee definitely does not disappoint, you can easily detect the bold flavor of the espresso. To compliment it perfectly, the bright and balanced flavor of the Kona brings a whole different layer to the cup. It fills your mouth with an interesting mixture that fit my coffee tastes perfectly. The coffee paired excellently with this mild cigar and the espresso notes tell me it could pair well even with some stronger offerings. Other good pairings for this cigar would include a light beer, soda or even water. You don’t want anything too strong to overpower the cigar, get something that will let you enjoy it’s flavors.

The post Carmelo Red Label appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.