Romeo Y Julieta:Exhibición No 4:Cuba

Ahh Cuba, a land of many mysteries and misconceptions. A land famous for its Dictators and Cigars. Everyone has heard of the such famed and glorified cigars. Many non cigar smokers know the prestige that a Cuban Cigar carries especially due to their legality issues in the U.S.This is my first ever Cuban that was gifted to me from a very good friend of mine.(Thank You man, I'd put your name out here but I didn't know how comfortable you are with the Cuban thing.) So today on a very random Saturday on a pretty average day I decided to smoke something less than average. Just trying to write my first Habano review is exciting, its hard not to write about Cuban over glorification or the Cuban's semi-rarity. But are Cubans really that good? Let's find out.

SPECS-
Size- Robusto 5x48
Wrapper-Cuba
Binder-Cuba
Filler-Cuba
Price-~$13
Cut-Punch/Guillotine
Smoke Time-45 mins
Drink-Cuba;(Rum and Coke)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This is a very neat and well constructed cigar, the wrapper was a very smooth cardboard brown that was nicely wrapped a compost fragrant wrapper. The wrapper featured a nice Cuban Triple cap and was very toothy with minimal smooth veins. The foot smelt of raisins,thyme, and basil almost like a Kuba Kuba but without the sweetness. The circle cut was very crisp and clean and produced the perfect draw. The cold taste had a good bit of anise and gave off an salty impression aon the lips,if this is what Cuba has to offer so far I'm impressed

FIRST THIRD-I choose to light this cigar with a few long cigar matches for I felt a torch lighter was just too unruly on such a beauty of the cigar. Once the cigar started toasting it produced a most wonderful room note and bellowed out tons of thick white smoke. This ton of smoke was very creamy and smooth on the palate. (For those that never had a Cuban this flavor profile is very similiar to "My Father".) First tastes are of a smooth and rich cedar with nuts with a lovely deep earth flavor behind it. (The well roundness of the smoke and good flavorful mildness reminded me of a Davidoff). The nut flavor almost isolates it self sometimes and produces lovely tones of rich earth with a undertone of anise. The pepper on the cigar is almost nonexistent for me and can only be found on rather harsh retro-hales. The burn though is slightly uneven and the cigar is burning too quick. But again this was a great intro into the world of Habano cigars.

SECOND THIRD-Finally a cigar review into regular thirds! The ash did not hold up very long. Every inch or so it would stray off and need a touch up or it'd fall on my lap. The same flavor profile still remains, except here the earth flavor picks up and a occasionally tastes of chocolate that are sublime add to the true mystery of smoke. The creamy smoothness of the cigar is without a doubt the best aspect of the smoke. The earthiness of the cigar is very present and in this third it never got vulgar. Just a well crafted stick with well crafted flavors.

LAST THIRD-The cigar gets more palate-clinging and puts out very good flavors of smooth and rich leather that I've never experienced before. Along with the new found leather a sweet herbness is introduced and has a good licorice herb flavor to it. The finish is still silky smooth with no harshness and with sips of my Cuba the drink leaves a nice Ale like flavor on the palate the most peculiar taste I've had. As the cigar reaches to the end it becomes very hard to put down. As the cigar got to its last quarter inch, the cigar was cool to the touch and burned but yet still flavor full. Quite an experience.

LAST IMPRESSIONS- I really liked this Cuban, I can see why this is most cigar smokers bread and butter but I feel that a Cuban is more reserved for a special occasions. If I had more of this cigar I'd probably smoke it in the morning with some Cuban Coffee and enjoy my morning. I smoked this cigar after I came home from work and it completely unwound me. I just wish this cigar picked up some extra "bang: towards the end and I also hoped for a stronger wrapper that didn't smoke so quick. Cubans get a lot of hype and if they taste like these I can see why. The smoking experience of a Cuban is a one of a kind expirience that you wish you've had all the time. Again I just want to thank my friend for this great experience that he was able to share with me and without him this review wouldn't be possible. A side note though while smoking this cigar I felt like the biggest oxymoron. I was smoking a Cuban Cigar in a American Made car,and with a Cuban drink served with lots of Americana playing. This oddball of a coincidence also made the cigar great and without a doubt made a good impression that Cubans are very very good.

RATING-96
Buy It Again? If I Could Buy Cuban Cigars in America yea without a doubt.
Recommend It? Yes, whether its a give or you got to "Cuba" to buy one I'm sure this R&J will be magical.

Camacho Triple Maduro:11/18:Maduro

I'm a big fan of Maduro. I'm always looking for the next and best Maduros out there and usually for me the more the Maduro the better. So when I eventually found out that Camacho had a triple Maduro cigar I was more than excited, being slightly disappointed with the MX2 I soon found out that too much of a good thing can be rather bad. But I'm an optimistic and I have high hopes for this stick. So my question of today is rather simple, is too much of a good thing bad?

SPECS-
Size-6x56
Wrapper-Honduras
Binder-Honduras
Filer-Honduras
Cut-Punch and Guillotine
Price-$13.00
Smoke Time-55 mins

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This is a very impressive stick from the dual silver bands to this particular size, it just screams out strenght. The wrapper was very figured and dark black. It felt very much like a solid piece of leather and the visible pores of the leaf add to that impression. The foot had a very pleasant smell of dark earth and hay while the wrapper leaf had a compost smell to it. The leaf was very spicy and salty on the lips and tasted like soy sauce,the cold taste was very Norri. This cigar just presents itself as a very black object and I'm so far impressed.

FIRST HALF-Right off the bat you can tell this is going to be a heavy smoke. The cigar opens up with very thick white smoke with a deep and earthy chocolate behind it. Its very rich in red pepper spice. The cigar so far had a deep and simple deep chocolate taste that in indescribable in words. Overall in this half the burn was respectable, this is a Maduro cigar and it must be really hard to blend a all Maduro cigar and get no imperfections. The burn did stray off here and there but I was impressed it never went out on me. The ash is also super strong and I could probably stood the cigar in its ash but I'm a fan of long ashes so I didn't want to risk it. Construction is superb.As the cigar reaches into its second half the smoke seems to bloom out with more flavors and smoke its very enjoyable experience.

LAST HALF-This is a impressive cigar, the smoke truly opens up on this middle third or the last half for me. The simple chocolate is no longer simple, on the finish the chocolate picks up a earthy nut flavor to chug it along. The nut flavor is very smooth and has a cedar undertone to it, while the chocolate picks up a nice overtone anise. This cigar is packed rich in flavors and they deserve a lot more than just one try. Ash is also superb it gets slightly wavy but it just clings on to the cigar. The downfall of this cigar though is its strenght. As soon as the longest ash fell I was introduced to a super strong and dark tobacco taste infused with earth, the profile was tolerable for maybe 5 minutes but after that it just became too much. The nicotine of this cigar really got to me. It was a delayed effect so it was good, it was only really felt after I put the cigar down and layed in my bed. The room was spinning and my stomach hurt, it took me at least 2 soda cans to get over the nicotine lump. For those that don't know, if you ever feel like nicotine has gotten the best of you the best thing to do is combat it with sugar. This was a good cigar and I can't complain I didn't get to finish the last third it was good while it lasted.

LAST IMPRESSIONS-Overall this is a good cigar but the price range is a little steep. The price though is understandable, it's an all Maduro cigar with excellent construction and it was really big vitola so its a moot point really. Maybe with a smaller cigar the nicotine and darkness of it wouldn't be as present. But this cigar did answer my question, I guess too much of a good thing can turn out to be a bad thing. The thing though this cigar wasn't bad, just too much. Giving this cigar to a person new to cigars would be a very mean and cruel but yet very funny joke.

RATING-86
Buy It Again? Sure,
Recommended it? Yes, as a prank or for your own enjoyment if you like Maduro, others though I say be careful and take a seat this thing will knock you down.

CAO Italia:Positano:Natural

This is going to a 3 part review. The next few posts are all CAO related, I'm comparing what I call "CAO's International Cigars"; The America,Brazilia,and Italia. CAO have had these smoke all planned out for a while and once released have gotten some acclaim to em all. At my young smoking adventure I started smoking alot of CAO's and was wanting to one day smoke all the International Lines and see how they compared. So after so many Italia's America's and Brazilia's which one do I think is best? Let's start with the Italia.

Specs-
Size-6x50
Wrapper-Honduras
Binder-Honduras
Filler-Italy,Nicaragua,Peru
Price-$7.10
Smoke Time-30 Mins
Cut-Punch

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-CAO makes very good looking sticks and very pretty bands, this Italia is no exception. The smooth brown wrapper displayed no major veins or defects. The wrapper had no particular smell or taste. The same was for the foot, just a slight earthiness. The stick was solid, probably too solid because the draw was a little tight and produced no particular flavor.

FIRST HALF-I'm reviewing the Italia And The America in halves rather than thirds and this will be obvious why once I get to the later half. This cigar opened up nicely, a nice and subtle spice up front and a good strong finish. This is a very slow burning stick so it took a while for the main flavors to start progressing. A espresso flavor opens up the as the main flavor on the stick and its very well rounded. It kinda makes you feel like you are at cafe in Italy enjoying a nice cup of coffee and watching the happy go lucky Italians, this is a very good flavor. Along with the espresso there's touches of earth and cedar that make it a very good visual and flavorful experience, the best Half.

SECOND HALF-Things go down hill here, bad. When the longest ash fell, things soon followed. The earthiness that was so enjoyable on the first half gets darker. The cedar turns stale and the coffee is gone. The cigar got so icky,nicotine,tarry and pectin full that I had to put the stick down. It was horrible. There was no finish and no spice, smoke was wispy and smelly. This turned out to be a terrible finish to what was shaping up to be a great experience. I tried out 3 others sticks to see if I got a fluke, nope. All of the cigars I tried in this size had the same problem. First half great, last half miserable. The Italia is the worst of the 3 in CAO's"International Series".

LAST IMPRESSIONS-I really wanted to like this cigar. With such an nice opening of flavors you kinda feel bad for the stick. It makes you think what happened? Maybe a Torcedor was just not feeling it the day he was making this cigar, maybe the leaf just gave up and started rotting, I can't tell you why this happened. But can only say it's a shame that it did.

RATING-70
Buy It Again? I'll revisit it eventually, some people really like this cigar, I want to see what I'm missing.
Recommend It? Maybe another Vitola, but not the Positano.

Gurkha Black Dragon-Robusto-Maduro

I must really be liking Gurhka Cigars these days, 2 Gurkhas back to back. As said before Gurkha is in a class of its one. Their cigar presentation is one of the best. When I got the stick it was wrapped in cedar with the typical silk sleeve towards the foot, the box that this guy came from was also elaborate. So does this cigar present itself as a mid grade BMW as the Warlord did, or is this cigar in a class of its own?

SPECS-
Size- Robusto 4.5x52
Wrapper-Connecticut Maduro Wrapper
Binder-Cameroon
Filler-Dominican
Price-$8.00
Smoke time-1 hour and 20 mins
Cut-Punch/Guillotine
Drink-Iced Tea,Cherry Coke

FIST IMPRESSIONS-After unsleeving the dress-up of this cigar it presented itself with a dark oily brown and with a rarely veiny wrapper, it looked gorgeous. The wrapper had a good aroma of cedar and the same is true for the foot. Punching the cigar was slightly tricky, but I was able to get a good constructed draw that tasted like a woody barn, which rewarded my efforts.

FIRST THIRD-There's not much going on in this third. The spice is decent, it hits you just like a chili pepper and it gives you a nice mental image of that pepper. Along with the spice a good bit of cedar is thrown at you. The finish is sweet and earthy and it brings along a mocha to that's not quite yet there. The cigar took the flame well and ash held strong up to the band, great construction.

SECOND THIRD-The mocha that wasn't quite there on the first third is here and its worth the anticipation. The cedar gets a little lighter and crispy working its way up towards more of a nutty taste, this was a good transition into thirds. As the smoke makes its way to the last third it gets creamier, the smoke is very thick and coats your palate with a slight leather taste. By far this is the best third of the smoke.

FINAL THIRD-This stick works backwards, as you smoke it the lighter and lighter it becomes. Yet it's still a strong and dark complex smoke. The leather gets more present here and its easily welcomed. The second third warmed this leather up well for your palate. This cigar is very well blended, the thirds that you experience also showcase the next third you're going to experience. The mocha fades away to a roasted coffee bean flavor that is slightly sweet, it compliments the leather. I sipped this cigar slowly this morning and I was rewarded well for my patience.

LAST IMPRESSIONS-This cigar is good for what it is. It uses its blends very creatively, I wish all cigars introduced their next third the way this one. Its also the only thing that saves this cigar. The flavors are good but are not easily recognizable it takes some digging, but once you find them they are good. For $8 dollars though there is better smokes, but I don't regret the price point of this smoke.This cigar is in a class of its own. It's not like the Warlord, it differentiates itself a little bit better, it'd say this is still a 5-series like the Warlord, but just the better trim model.

RATING-87
Buy it again-Why not?
Recommended? It's a pretty solid smoke so yes.

Gurhka Warlord Special:Warlord:Maduro

This was my first adventure into the Gurkha world. Gurkha always markets itself as a high-quality smoke. The Cigar only the virtuoso's smoke, the Rolls-Royce's of cigars if you will. So, does this cigar feel more like a Kia than a Rolls-Royce? Let's start this test-drive.


SPECS-
Size- Warrior 7x55
Wrapper-Nicaragua
Binder-Dominican
Filler-Nicaraguan
Price-$12.00
Smoke Time-1 hour
Cut-Punch/Guillotine




FIRST IMPRESSIONS-When you pick up this cigar the first thing you think is,"wow that's huge". That's the best way to sum it all up. The Cigar is very ornate, a nice cedar strip with some silk at the foot presented by a gorgeous Gurkha band, what a good way to start. The wrapper is a nice shade of brown with small veins branching throughout the cigar. The wrapper was slightly salty with a good aroma of cedar,the foot had hints of earth that gave the draw no particular taste. This stick has a great construction, so it's no Ford, it's a Honda.



FIRST THIRD-This Warrior introduces you into some very simple but yet, non-archaic flavor tones. It's simplicity introduces you to a roasted nut flavor that leaves a good bit of mocha behind on the palate for you to savor. For being such a Warrior this cigar isn't very up in your face like you think it'd be, the spice is very subtle and leaves a nice backdrop for the mocha. So far it feels like a Toyota, simple but good.

SECOND THIRD-The spice mellows out quite sublimely in this third, its very short,smooth,and creamy, its a great backround for the main flavor of nuts to settle in. The spice is more likely to remind you of clove and with the roasted nut feeling you may think its Christmas. Its developing really well for such full-flavored smoke, its starting to feel like a Cadillac.




FINAL THIRD- The best of the thirds, the spice is almost subdued here by the Coffee that takes the place as the main flavor. As the coffee fades to the back an introduction of sweet and subtle leather is added to the blend that stays that way trough the rest of the smoke. The leather and coffee flavor was rather enjoyable but it wasn't anything over the top. The ash held respectfully trough the length, flaking here and there, almost like a Chevy.



FINAL IMPRESSIONS-This was a good intro to what Gurkha has to offer, but the admission was just a tad too high. If this stick was cheaper it would rate higher, albeit it was a good relaxing smoke for $13 dollars there are better varieties you can be looking into.But overall with decent flavors, the best use of spice I've ever tasted and construction that was remarkable this stick is good, but not Rolls Royce good, more like BMW's 5-series good.

RATING-85
Buy It Again? Yes, its worth to keep in rotation once in a blue moon.
Recommended? It's worth the test drive.

Don Pepin My Father:Robusto:Natural

Don Pepin is the man behind most blends in the cigar world, and without a doubt he makes the best blends too. This cigar features tobacco that is from his own private reserve in Miami. This rare stogie is limited to 50,000 sticks, which makes quality control superb. So does this cigar sneak through quality as a fluke? Or did it come out as a winner? Let's find out.


SPECS-
Size- 5x50

Wrapper-Ecuadorian Habano
Binder-Nicaragua
Filler-Nicaragua
Smoke Time-50 min.
Price-$10.80
Cut-Punch/Guillotine

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This cigar is gorgeous. Very oily with no veins at all, just a small main vein on the bottom that branches just a little. Its brown wrapper was fragrantly sweet. The foot was also matched with that sweetness with a hint of earth. The draw was easy and smooth with that familiar sweetness. The construction is flawless, the triple cap is perfect, and the band is pink for a cigar named "My Father", beautiful.



FIRST THIRD-The wrapper being so sweet I was surprised to taste spice and a slight saltiness. The cigar burnt very slow and easy. The initial taste was spicy but good reveling a good bit of flavorful smoke. You get introduced to a nice cocoa that remains on the palate, it coats your mouth with a sweet mollaces that is splendid.

SECOND THIRD- The spiciness remains pretty much thought the length of the cigar which is a good compliment to the flavors you get. Undertones of nuts and coffee, its a pleasure. After the main flavors decay a nice finish of yeast, similar to bread sticks around that makes you feel like you've just eaten bread. For a full-flavored smoke this cigar is very smooth. The ash is very stable, it presents great craftsmanship.








LAST THIRD-A great finish to such a splendid smoke. The cocoa and coffee disappear in this last bit,but you get better flavors here. The coffee is replaced with toffee, and the cocoa gets more herbal. A good taste of tea floats around in your palate, very unexpected but easily welcomed. I smoked this cigar to the numb.








LAST IMPRESSIONS-This was definitely not a fluke. This cigar was a masterpiece. For the $10 dollars it may seem a little steep, but its worth every dollar. I can't think of a better stick for this price range. Don Pepin outdid himself with this one, and I'm glad he did. This cigar was one of the best I've had in a while, sticks that are completely unexpected makes this hobby so great.


RATING-95
Buy It Again? Yes, I'll try to get one every month.
Recommended? Without a doubt, get one if you can.

Arturo Fuente 8-5-8:Lonsdale:Candela

This is an unique cigar, this oddball is sure to stand out in any humidor. What makes this Fuente so unique is it's candela wrapper. You may have seen these wrappers on cheaper smokes like Dutch Masters and Garcia y Vegas. These wrappers used to be really popular with the American public in the 50's but fell outta favor when the Connecticut hit the wrapping tables. So was this change good? I believe yes, after smoking this cigar I know why this wrapper is a dying breed, as it should be. That's mean huh?

SPECS-
Size: Lonsdale 6 x 47
Wrapper: Dominican
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Smoke Time: 30 mins

Price:$6.00
Cut:Punch
Touch-Ups: 7



FIRST IMPRESSIONS- This leafy green cigar stands out in any cigar shop. In a world of escuros,claros, and naturals, the green is a fresh sight. The roll itself is really good as one can expect from the Fuentes. The wrapper though is very veiny and figured. With the cigar being spongy it gives you a airy draw. Not surprisingly though the wrapper leaf smells and tastes like well, a leaf, grass if you will, its slightly sweet. The foot also reminds you of lawn clippings which isn't too bad.



FIRST THIRD- The cigar lit up well, you'd think since its such a fresh looking stick it'd take a while to catch a flame. While toasting a inviting smell of sharp vanilla is unexpected but welcomed.The airy draw produces lots of smoke, its a very dry smoke that hits you on the throat, its unpleasant. The main flavor that hits you is woodsy which doesn't the dryness of the smoke. Along with the wilderness, hints of nuts are always on the background, get used to this because this flavor, because it's this cigar's cup of tea. The ash isn't too strong its completely light and porous.

Second and Last Third-The flavors on the first and second third remain about the same. In between thirds there isn't any attempt into a subtle transition, its just harsh all the time, its also the same with the second and the last third. The airiness of the smoke also produces a lot of spice. Sadly, the spice is probably the best part of the cigar. It's spicy but its a good spice. It's like eating hot wings, they may be hot but for some reason its enjoyable. Another semi-enjoyable aspect of the smoke is its slight hints of vanilla and hints of mocha, but nothing to write home about. The cigar does have a great vanilla aroma which makes the atmosphere pleasurable. The ash never really does hold on, it kept falling over in every attempt to get a long ash, it made a mess at my B&M.

FINAL IMPRESSIONS-I did not like this smoke. Point blank. As one of the tobacconist at the store said: "I enjoyed it, with a sore throat and stuffy nose this cigar is good". And I'm sure this is the only way to enjoy this cigar, with all your senses muted. I now see why major blenders have switched wrapper leaves. The Connecticut's offer so much more; buttermilk, underestimated creaminess and nuttiness, which I would take over any nasty Candela grassness. I wanted to like this cigar. Some people really enjoy them, they light up when they talk about candelas. Maybe it'll grow on me eventually, but until then, pass me that Maduro mocha heaven is calling me.

Rating-68
Buy it again? No
Recommended? No not at all.

Xikar HC:Robusto:Habano

The Xikar HC, this is my third experience with the stogie with that last 2 being very disappointing because of 2 plugged stogies. Hopefully after 2 tries and much anticipation this stick won't disappoint.

SPECS-
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Wrapper: Habano Colorado
Binder: Esteli
Filler: Costa Rida Jalapa Honduras
Smoke Time: 45 mins
Price: $8.30
Drink: Coke
Cut:Guillotine and punch
Touch-Ups: 2

FIRST IMPRESSIONS- The wrapper is the first thing you notice on this stick. Its dark brown and veiny wrapper is well in lack of words its impressive. The wrapper is very sweet and fragrant, foot had a nice rich earth and hay aroma that was a polar opposite of the wrapper. The dark wrapper also was spicy on the lips, and the cold taste was sweet overall with of hint of dry straw. The Xikar is very nicely rolled, very firm with no soft spots or lumps and a good heft overall.

FIRST THIRD- While toasting the cigar it took the flame very well for this humid weather today. Plenty of white smoke compliments the cigar. The flavor takes a while to finally build up and hit your palate, during this warm-up your introduce to a strong spice that is really nice and makes you pay attention to the flavor that follow. The first flavor that hits you its a nice and rich mocha that coats your mouth that leaves a thick film in your mouth, almost like syrup. The mocha is joined by hints of cedar and a slight nuttiness. The ash is is strong but wavy, doesn't look like it'll hold up for very long though.



SECOND THIRD- My favorite third, this cigar gets very dark and rich at this point. Along with the mocha a second layer of chocolate is introduced, a earthiness chocolate, one that is lovely the earthiness of the chocolate can be identified as a cocoa powder, or a fine chocolate truffle. The ash is flaking at this point and its not quite holding on, but it docent effect the cool burn overall of this stick. As it approaches the last third these flavor become more muted and darker that leads to a rich tobacco flavor.






FINAL THIRD-My least favorite third, That rich tobacco flavor really develops here. Along with the rich tobacco flavor is a really good bit of leather. The flavor is good, gives you a taste of how well refined these leaves were made, but the flavor doesn't interest me. Albeit its a good flavor its not a flavor I want to cling to. Finish this stogie ended up being more of a task or accomplishment rather a pleasure during the last final minutes. I really thought the flavor was good though, it was just a miss for me.






FINAL IMPRESSIONS-I'm glad after the 3rd try this stick was a success. At $8 bucks its a good cigar, also great after a great dinner or one to cap off a splendid night. Though I don't think I'll keep this stick as a celebratory cigar I can see myself keeping these in my rotation. If it wasn't for the last third I'd enjoy this cigar a lot more. Overall it has great construction, a decent price, and good flavors, the Xikar HC is a great smoke.

Rating-89
Buy It again? Ill keep it in my rotation
Recommended? Yes if you like a nice complex smoke

My Humidor

Well I couldn't give you guys a full fledged review today since I'm a bit low on stogies, but I can give you some content. I'd be tricking to you guys if I told you I had a humidor, what I really have is more like a glorified, 4x cedar lined cigar box. I started with a standard Ashton VSG Belicoso box. With hopes of short term storing and aging my Opus Exes till I can afford a actuall box. So far it fits my needs, all stogies Ive put in there have been coming out fresh and properly humidified.
The success I think I've had so far with box is because of its overall construction. It has a pretty decent latch and hinge. But the thing I'm most proud of is it's cedar lip lining. It has the cedar strips of over 5 different cigar boxes. With all strips being seasoned and the box seasoned for 2 days the micro atmosphere of this box is excellent, the seal is almost air tight, the only draw back of such a heavily lined box is that it limits the cigar number count which is fine.
I never have enough in there to really matter.

So I guess moral of the story or the post here I suppose is, you don't need a real fancy $350 humidor to keep your stogies fresh. Just a good solid box with a humi-stick and a couple of stogies should do you well. Do I trust this box? Somewhat, and that's only because I can't afford a proper one right now. Do I recommend it? Sure as a short-term no problem, but this is just a small fix to a bigger problem, a clogged hole in a multi-holed colander. But if you're short on cash man go to your local B&M buy you a box for $3 bucks and a humi-stick for $10, worth every cent.

Tradicao:Torpedo:Maduro

Boy another review for today? Ha don't you wish you got that at other Cigar Reviewers? So for my third review I thought I'd go for something more exotic. A Brazilian Puro Cigar, unlike the CAO Brazilia which only has a Brazilian Wrapper. This Cigar can be only be found at East End Cigar Co. here in sunny Myrtle Beach. I'm very impressed by this "in-house" cigar I think a big name company should deff invest in these. If Interested I'll put ordering info at the bottom for you curious onlookers.


SPECS-
Size: Torpedo 52 x 6.5
Wrapper: Brazil (Matafina)
Binder: Brazil (Matafina)
Filler: Brazil ( Matafina and Matanorte combo)
Smoke Time: 50 mins
Price: $7.00
Drink: Coke Can
Cut: Guillotine at a angle
Touch-Ups: None

FIRST IMPRESSIONS- This is a very rugged looking stick, but don't let that steer you away, it has medium size veins at a minimum with slight tobacco bumps. It is a very well constructed stick very finely packed and a triple cap to wrap it all up. The wrapper is just a touch dry with a strong barnyard aroma that can be smelt thru the cellophane.Foot smelt completely different than the wrapper, with earth and cedar being more prevalent. The draw was a bit too tight for me but with the wrapper with a slight floral taste and a very crisp cap cut this cigar was begging to be smoked.

First Third-A faint coconut smell and sharp smoke was a great intro while I toasted the cigar. The first puff welcomed me in with a good bit of flavorful smoke. First tastes were of a nice and rich mocha, intertwined with hints of earth and Brazil nuts. Very lovely. This cigar wasn't spicy at all for such a medium range cigar, the spice was easy on the nose and trying to isolate just the spice itself reminded me of Tabasco sauce, but I had to really dig for that spiciness. The smoke leaves a really nice smoothness on the palate, one that makes you think you've just eaten some really good and moist chocolate cake. The ash is slightly peachy and wavy. Very slow burn, with razor straight burn line . This cigar is shaping up quite perfectly.

Second Third-The Second third is my favorite in this cigar. The mocha is joined with a rich coffee taste with just a very light touch of earth and leather. This Brazilian Maduro is really nice, in fact one of the finest Maduro leaf I've tasted. The Brazil nuts takes a back drop in the second third and a roasted chestnut flavor takes its place, with a warm and smooth finish is still being there. The ash is peach in color and holding up quite nicely. My only gripe so far is that while the flavors on this cigar are good they never linger, they are just rather quick flavors that you notice, and once noticed they are gone until your next puff. The draw is still a little tight and hinders somewhat of the overall experience.


Last Third-As the last third comes along I'm sad to let this cigar go. The Mocha that was prevalent on the last 2 thirds changes in to a darker and richer flavor of dark chocolate. Along with the dark flavors the coffee is replaced with more of a smooth espresso taste. Hints of coconut and earth are a great addition to the overall flavor, but the blend doesn't allow any of those flavors to stick around. Shame, but the cigar it self is very hard to put down, it leaves you guessing how its going to surprise you next even though it never disappoints.

Final Impressions- At $7 dollars a stick this is a very good value for such a complex smoke, and the price of $100 for a box of 25 I have yet to see a better value. The smoke had excellent construction without the need of a single touch up. This cigar would of gotten a perfect rating of 100 if it wasn't for the shortlengthof flavors and slightly tight draw, I'm sure that just a slight variation in the blend and the rolling construction would turn this stick from an excellent smoke to a suburb smoke. This stick would be great after a nice and hearthy meal, for example steak, such a robust smoke would be lovely compliment to a full-belly.

RATING-94
Buy it again? Yes, by the box
Recommended? If you don't mind ordering online or thru phone, it won't disappoint.

For ordering info you can call: Phone: 843.839.4499
or visit their website at http://www.eastendcigars.com/tradicao-brazilian-cigars.asp

Avo XO:Preludio:Connecticut

This is my first AVO cigar. With Davidoff's master blender behind this one I expected a much richer or fulfilling smoke.

SPECS-
Size: Preludio 6 x 40
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Smoke Time: 30 mins
Price: $7.60
Drink: None
Cut: Punch/Guillotine
Touch-Ups: 1

FIRST IMPRESSION- This is a very crisp and clean looking stick. Sporting a somewhat dry
Connecticut wrapper with just one big vein branching vein on the back, this cigar is pretty. Its construction is excellent, light yet modestly packed this cigar shows AVO's high class rollmenship. The dry wrapper smelt of dry hay, or barnyard. The foot had the same dry smell with a slight earth hint. The cigar was punched cleanly and easily. The draw was very good, with the wrapper being slightly salty and with the cold taste similar to nori, or that green leaf outside sushi rolls. Interesting.

First-Second-Third Thirds-Since this is a very one dimensional cigar it'd be redundant to give this cigar proper third reviews. The tastes are all very similar beginning to end and with separate thirds review I'd be almost repeating myself. The First Third, was probably the best third. With hints of cedar,nuts, and a smooth butter cream that leaves a long taste on the palate. The Second Third looses the cedar hints and welcomes you with more of a roasted nut flavor. The nuts are complimented with a very sweet leather and hints of coffee if you dig for them hard enough. The creaminess of cigar is still there but not as profound. The Cigar is very mild for me and with the Last Third it just picks up a little into a very light medium range of flavor. A dark and more richer taste of leather takes up as the main flavor. This crescendo was good, but the flavor is not all there it peaks, then its gone, leaving you a faint taste of leather. The ash on this cigar was slightly above average with the longest ash holding up a least a inch close to the band and the rest just slight flaky and never truly holding on after that.

FINAL IMPRESSIONS-Overall the cigar was alright. For its price point I just expected a lot more outta of it, you can get better same flavor profiles from cheaper sticks. I think the name of the cigar fits it perfectly "The Preludio" which I'm pretty sure means prelude in Italian. This Cigar is great for the middle of the day, or if you're going to smoking a lot of other cigars its perfect. The emptiness and not much of a punch makes you desire something else and gets your mind set for a stronger, more complementing,fuller smoke, this truly is a prelude. I just wish this intro was much cheaper.

Rating-81
Buy It Again-Maybe, not in any rush to get one though.
Recommended? Only If you never tried a AVO or Davidoff, or you're heading to a Hurf.

Padron 1964: Anniversary: Natural

So here's my first entry into Cigar Reviewing. So big question here. How do you start your first review? Or better yet which cigar will you start off with? Do you go all out and review a superb and rare stogie? Or do you start small with a common day smoke. I choose neither. I choose one of my favs. A Padron 1964. So come on in, into cigar reviewing amateurism.

SPECS:
Size: Exclusivo 5.5 x 50
Wrapper:Nicaragua
Binder:Nicaragua
Filler:Nicaragua
Smoke Time: 40 mins.

Drink:Starbucks Mocha Iced Coffee.
Cost-$11.50

Cut: Punch/Guillotine
Touch-Up: Minimal 2-3 Times.

FIRST IMPRESSION-This stogie is gorgeous up close. Very minimal veins, oily wrapper with a impressive cap, Padron never disappoints. This isn't a very heavy stick at all for its size, yet its firm to the touch with no soft spots or lumps. The double band looks very classy and its interesting to see how all of the stick are individually numbered. The wrapper and foot smelt of a light barnyard smell, with hints of cereal grains, with wheat being the most prevalent one. The cap was punched evenly and flawlessly with no cracks on such a small punching space. The pre-light draw tasted like cereal, with such a nice and airy draw it reminded me of corn flakes. Enjoyable non-the-less.

First Third-The Stick took to the flame very well, Lots of thick and creamy smoke. The cigar is shaping up to be an incredible and joyous smoke. Hints of a floral accent and sweet nuts keep you interested in the cigar, the smoke isn't overwhelming at all. The ash is very tight and semi wavy, This is deff going to be a long ash cigar.

Second Third-The flavor profile is picking up some. The floral tastes, are accompanied now by sweet leather, hints of mocha, and grain. Smoke still bellows from the stick,very slight pepper when retro haled, not much of a punch with this one and I like that. Flavors are smooth and well blended with no flavor being more prevalent than the other one. Ash is still strong except now its getting a bit spotted. Construction once again is Flawless.

Final Third-It's a shame to see this cigar getting into its last stretch. It's been such an enjoyable experience. Especially now in its final third. All the hints of flowers have now fallen letting the Creaminess of Buttermilk and mocha that laces the tongue in velvet. The sweetness and strenght of the cigar have amped up a bit, which makes the cigar so hard to put down. The ash fell about half inch before reaching the band when I was reaching for my phone to take a picture. But the ash that remains is still strong and not one bit cloudy, just a few cracks.
Putting it down was difficult but I was impressed on how little of the cigar was left and yet it burnt strong, no harsh flavors, or any ash defect. This Cigar is a winner every time, with less than a inch left I had to say my goodbyes.


Final Impressions-This one was my third sampling into the Padron 1964 series and the best. Even though its price keeps it from being an everyday smoke, its magnificent. I'm glad this cigar isn't cheaper. Such a smooth and high-grade product should truly be enjoyed in a special occasion to make the evening truly memorable. I smoked this in an ordinary day, and the cigar it self highlighted the whole day. Strong ash, great flavor, and a reasonable price point for such an incredible smoke. Some people prefer the Padron 1926, but so far, no 26' has knocked my socks off more than this particular stogie. Deff pay a visit to your local B&M and give these a try in case you haven't so already.

Rating-95
Buy It Again? Deff!
Recommended? Highly