Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Oliva
Belicoso, Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Ligero, Nicaragua, Oliva Matt
1:25 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Jalapa Valley Ligero
Size: Belicoso 5.0′ x 50 Ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
Two years ago when I tried my first couple samples of the then new Oliva Serie V, I was impressed by what I thought was a very tasty cigar but a little frustrated by construction issues I experienced with each one of them including the stick I smoked for my review of the Double Robusto. I didn’t let those construction issues turn me away though. Over time I kept revisiting the Oliva V in various different vitolas and ultimately the Belicoso really won me over to the point that the Oliva Serie V Belicoso was second only to the Tatuaje Havana Cazadores as my most often smoked cigar this past year. I guess that is a bit of a spoiler in terms of what is to come in this review but there you have it.
The Serie V Belicoso is a stout looking fellow. Its tapered head creates the illusion of it being shorter that it really is. At first glance you might suspect it is a relatively short smoke, but the truth is you’ll need more than an hour to work your way through this thick, slow burning stogie. It burns slow, cool, and and even with a firm, dark gray ash. I have found these to have a consistently nice draw offering up the perfect amount of resistance. They are impeccably constructed and consistent from stick to stick and box to box. The wrapper is a deep rich brown color and it is smooth and oily looking with only a few small veins. The wrapper on the Series V seems a little darker to me now than it was when they were first released in 2007.
The V Belicoso starts off with a blast of pepper and earth. It is a surprisingly smooth and creamy considering how robust it is. A Medium to full bodied smoke, it has an earthy twang complimented by leather, black coffee and oak. Mid way through it developed flashes of vanilla and nuts on the finish. The last third actually mellows a bit and is dominated by creamy notes of wood and leather. The V is a great complex smoke that never disappoints.
Rating – A
You can get Oliva Serie V’s @ CigarsDirect.com
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A.Fuente and Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com
A. Fuente, Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Connecticut, Dominican Republic, Hemingway Maduro, Maduro, Perfecto Matt
10:20 pm
Country: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Barber Pole – Broadleaf Maduro/Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: Perfecto 41/4 x 54 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
The Hemingway line of Fuente cigars are hugely popular and like a lot of other Fuente cigars, very limited. The Maduros are especially limited and are only released twice a year, one of those times being right around now, near the Holidays. One of the more rare of the rare is the double wrapped, barber pole Hemingway “Between the Lines”. Now plenty has been written about the background of the Hemingway cigars and I have written about them here before as well. So if you are interested to learn a little more about them, check out my review of the Hemingway Best Seller and the Hemingway Signature Maduro.
The Hemingway BTL is an eye catcher. The sharp contrast created by the light tan, shade grown wrapper and the dark, toothy broadleaf maduro wrapper intertwined like the stripes on a barber’s pole is a cool visual with a cigar. They stand out among the cigars that surround them and I think the perfecto shape only enhances the beauty of this cigar. Construction and burn characteristics are almost always a given with a Fuente cigar. The quality of their products are superb but I wondered how this stick would fare in the burn department. The shade grown and maduro wrappers are two very different beasts and have different burn characteristics. I was curious to see how they would play together with this smoke. Except for the normal oddities I experience with the burn at the beginning of a perfecto like this, the burn was even and without trouble for the duration of the smoke. The draw was excellent and it produced thick clouds of white smoke.
Flavor is where the BTL falls a bit short of its straight maduro brothers. I have always found the Hemingway Maduros to be delicious cigars, each one a treat to smoke. The introduction of the shade grown wrapper on the Between the Lines has a less than desirable effect for me. Some of the flavors I love about the Hemingway Maduros was still there. The slightly sweet maduro flavor complimented by a damp earthiness and a subtle spice were all there but often times they were over powered by a dry grassiness and an acrid finish that I am certain was coming from the Connecticut Shade wrapper. It really detracted from my enjoyment of the cigar. Given that this is one of the most expensive of the “Holiday Hemingways” it is disappointing that it just isn’t as good a smoke as the others are. It is a neat novelty, and the dual wrapper look makes it a visually appealing cigar, but flavor wise I just don’t think it lives up to the standard set by the rest of the Hemingway line.
Rating – C
Get your Hemingway & Hemingway Maduro cigars @ CigarsDirect.com
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A.Fuente and Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com
A. Fuente, Belicoso, Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Dominican Republic, Opus X Matt
11:12 pm
a.k.a. The Power Ranger
Country: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Chateau de la Fuente Rosado
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: Short Belicoso 45/8” x 49 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
Probably one of the most famous and sought after cigars not made on the island of Cuba, the Opus X is the first Dominican Puro to garner such high acclaim. The various sizes consistently produce high ratings from cigar reviewers everywhere. And as is often the case when someone or something achieves such a high level of success, it has fostered a kind of love-hate relationship with avid cigar smokers. Like the New York Yankees are the baseball team so many love to hate, the Opus is a cigar that in addition to high praise, it also elicits some vehement dislike from some in the cigar world who believe the cigar is over hyped and over priced. I have never heard anyone say it was a bad cigar though. Like or dislike the line for whatever reasons, everyone seems to agree if you set aside the hype, the price, and all the other outside “stuff” and take the cigars just by themselves, the OpusX line of cigars are pretty good smokes. (more…)
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Camacho and Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com
Camacho, Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Connecticut Shade, Dominican Republic, Honduras Matt
11:29 am
Country: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuadorian grown Connecticut
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran and Dominican
Size: 11/18 Toro 6.0″ x 54ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
When I first heard that Davidoff was purchasing Camacho Cigars, this cigar was the first thing that popped into my head. Davidoff and Camacho cigars had always occupied opposite ends of the spectrum. Everything Camacho put out under the brand name Camacho was a powerhouse cigar. All of their lines were robust, full-bodied smokes that tried to kick you in the gut. I know that they have milder offerings under different banners like Baccarat and La Fontana, but anything labeled Camacho was going to be a monster. SO when the announcement of the purchase became public, I immediately though to myself, “What would happen if Davidoff and Camacho got together and had a baby?” I said to myself a Camacho with a Connecticut wrapper and Dominican tobacco in the filler. Can you imagine! A Camacho with that makeup? And then a short while later we here about the Camacho Connecticut which is exactly the cigar I predicted. Now I don’t pretend that I had any great insight or any special talent in predicting what’s next in the cigar industry. Truth is a lot of people I have talked with had the exact same thoughts I did. It was easy to see this coming. SO I want to know, what exactly does a Camacho that uses a Connecticut Shade wrapper and Dominican tobacco taste like.
At the start, this cigar is a lot like its other Camacho brothers and sisters. The first few draws are full and spicy with black pepper and a slightly acrid dry wood flavor. It doesn’t take long to settle down. The Ecuadorian wrapper brings what you’d expect to the party. Creamy notes complimented by some coffee. It is nicely balanced by a bit of Honduran spiciness from the binder and filler. I think the Dominican tobacco kind of gets lost in the blend. Perhaps its function is just to help tone down some of the power of the Honduran tobacco. The result is a nicely balanced cigar with a medium bodied profile and just a touch of spice to keep it interesting. I was pleasantly surprised by this cigar and put it up there with Oliva’s Nicaraguan Connecticut Reserve as a good slightly more robust Connecticut offering.
Rating – B+
Get your favorite Camachos @ CigarsDirect.com
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Misc
Alec Bradley, Churchill, Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Honduras, Nicaragua Matt
10:00 pm
Country: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduran Criollo ’98
Binder: Honduran Criollo ’98
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan
Size: Churchill 7.0′ x 49 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
The Alec Bradley Tempus is made in the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras. This is the same factory the the Illusione and Cruzado cigars are made for Dion Giolito. I mention this because of a story I heard. It is second or third hand so I have no way of knowing how true it is but it is interesting. The story goes that Dion was testing several prototype blends to use in one of his lines. Apparently Dion wants his cigars to change up on him 4 plus times through the course of the smoke so there were several blends that while good, complex smokes, they were passed on by Dion. The rumor is, that one such blend was offered to and subsequently bought by Alec Bradley to become the Tempus. Like I said, I have no idea if it is true or not, but it is an interesting story and maybe it provides some insight into what happens to some of better blends that go unclaimed during the development phase for a new cigar.
The large ornate band and the second gold band at the foot of the cigar gives it a kind of regal look from a distance, but up close the cigar looks rather rustic. The wrapper drak brown and a little rumpled looking with a sparse scattering of small black spots on it. It is very veiny and has a slight tooth to it. The triple cap is sloppily applied. It kind of looks like a Padron, only slightly better put together. Despite its rustic appearance, it is obviusly a well made cigar as the draw was near perfect and the burn remained straight and even the entire smoke with no relights or touch-ups.
This was a nice robust smoke. It burned slow and cool and took me close to two hours to finish. It starts off with a peppery blast and rich notes of earth and black coffee and a subtle sweetness on the finish. It is a full bodied start with a bit of a heady punch. It does begin to mellow out though and the majority of the smoke is nice and smooth with creamy flavors of nuts and oak interrupted by the occasional flash of salty leather. As I neared the end, it changed back to the robust earthy smoke that it began as with plenty of pepper on the finish.
This was a good complex smoke that was able to hold my attention for the full 90 plus minutes it took to smoke. I don’t smoke a lot of Churchills because they do take a while to work through so they need to be complex and engaging when I do partake of one. The Alec Bradley Tempus Centuria fits the bill. I will certainly smoke this one again. The Tempus is easily my favorite Alec Bradley cigar.
Rating – B+
You can get Alec Bradley Tempus cigars @ CigarsDirect.com
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and La Riqueza
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Connecticut, La Riqueza, Lonsdale, Nicaragua, Pete Johnson Matt
8:59 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Sun Grown USA Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Lonsdale 6.5″ x 42 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
La Riqueza; The Riches, or The Wealth. Interesting choice of names for what might be one of the ugliest cigars I’ve seen since a Padron. I kid a little, but it really isn’t a pretty cigar and that has solely to do with the wrapper. It is a sun grown USA Connecticut broadleaf wrapper that is rough, bumpy, toothy and rumpled looking. Not what you’d think would be a first choice for a cigar wrapper leaf. Another interesting thing about this cigar is that it represents the first time Pete Johnson stepped away from making a Nicaraguan Puro with a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper. The Tatuaje Brown Label, Havana VI, and P series all used Nicaraguan tobacco and all use Corojo wrappers. Of course since Pete released the La Riqueza he has gone on to use this naturally dark sun grown wrapper on a number of cigars like some additions to the Reserva line (Regio and Noella), The Frank from the Monster Series, and the Cabiaguan Maduro (which is a misnomer since the wrapper isn’t really a maduro in the traditional sense).
So the wrapper was a new thing, but the binder and filler are still composed of robust Nicaraguan tobacco. The cigar has a rather rough box press adding to its ugly duckling appearance and they come in traditional Cuban style dress boxes. At least originally they were in dress boxes. They still are, but now you can also get a slightly prettier version that isn’t box pressed referred to as the Cabinet Series which comes in, you guessed it, a slide top cabinet. They come 50 to a box and the band is slightly different. It has some white space to the left and right of the main center logo. The band on the box pressed version is red with white stripes as it wraps around the back. Pete uses the Flor de Lis on the band tying it in to his now famous Tatuaje brand. They come in five sizes and they are:
- No. 1 — 6 1/2 x 42 (Lonsdale)
- No. 2 — 5 1/2 x 52 (Torpedo)
- No. 3 — 5 5/8 x 46 (Corona)
- No. 4 — 5 x 48 (Robusto)
- No. 5 — 4 3/8 x 42 (Petite Corona)
The Vitola names in parentheses are not official, but just what I have chosen to identify the sizes as. Some times those names give people a better idea of what the cigar is than just a number or measurement so that is why I added them. The La Riqueza is made in Pepin’s Nicaragua factory. I am smoking the no.1 this time, so onto the review…
I say it all the time, but I love Lonsdales. For me it is the perfect size. I really like how the wrapper comes into play with the flavors of the blend. The sun grown wrapper on this cigar imparts a nice robust sun grown twang with a slightly sweet undertone. This compliments the chocolate and earthy notes that are rich and smooth. these flavors alternate with blasts of leather and wood and an occasional spiciness That makes for an interesting and complex smoke. I have smoked a few Torpedos in this line that I wasn’t impressed with. I found them to be more full bodied than the no.1 but not as complex. The no.1 is a smooth, flavorful, and complex medium bodied smoke. In the last third some black pepper joins the party giving the cigar a bit more bite and it develops a slightly nutty finish.
I have smoked three different sizes of this cigar, and guess it is not much of a surprise that the Lonsdale is by far my favorite in the line. The construction is perfect with a nice draw and a sharp even burn. The ash is a little loose and flaky but I can live with that given how good this cigar is.
Rating – A
You can get your La Riquezas @ CigarsDirect.com
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Misc
Casa Magna, Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Nicaragua, Robusto Matt
3:38 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Short Robusto 4.75″ x 60 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
Cigar Aficionado named the Casa Magna Colorado #1 on their Top 25 Cigars of 2008 (specifically the robusto). They did so with a very controversial explanation, stating that the price point of the cigar played a large role in its selection due to the state of the economy. That sparked off a ton of impassioned debate across the cigar smoker world about what should or should not factor into proclaiming a cigar as the #1 cigar of the year. Where ever you come down on that debate, the general consensus seems to be that the Casa Magna is a decent to very good cigar that carries a reasonable price tag. Somehow I have managed to fail to get around to trying the Casa Magna up til this point, but today I fired up the beefy Torito to see what I think of this much debated #1 cigar of 2008.
There has been a ton of stuff written on this line of cigars given the hype and controversy that surrounded it earlier this year. There are lots of places that detail the specifics of the cigar and its makers so I am going to save myself the trouble of rehashing it all here. You’ve probably already have read all about it, and if not you’ll find the information is easy to locate with a quick google search. So no more fluff, on to the review…
This short fat robusto is a handsome specimen. Girthy yet elegant looking in its ornate band and oily rosado colored wrapper. It’s like a football player in formal wear. The cap is a little sloppy but that isn’t uncommon in my experience when dealing with these huge ring gauges so we can forgive it. The filler looks like it is littered with several thick rib veins, another pitfall of a 58+ ring gauge. it takes a lot of tobacco to create a cigar this thick and I guess you can’t be too picky when trying to get that much tobacco in it. Hopefully it will not adversely effect the cigar.
The draw is very good and the burn surprisingly even for such a thick cigar. It burns slow and cool which is certainly a plus. The flavors seem a bit muted and hard to pick out. I got notes of white pepper and some musty earthiness and a slight oakiness at times. It was a fairly smooth smoke, creamy at times but not very dynamic. I think perhaps that this blend does a lot better in a smaller vitola, but that is just a guess on my part. It seems to me that some of its complexity and at the very least the core of its flavors get diluted and lost in the abundance of tobacco crammed into this monster. This cigar intrigued me enough to want to try a more traditional size like the corona. The Torito however leaves a little to be desired. Besides, a 60 ring gauge is just so awkward to smoke and that doesn’t help any either. It is a decent smoke though and those that enjoy big beefy cigar will probably enjoy the Torito.
Rating – B
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Ashton and Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com
A. Fuente, Ashton, Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Connecticut Shade, Corona, Dominican Republic Matt
9:00 am
Country: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: Corona 5.5″ x 44 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
Ashton and the Ashton Classic came on the scene back in 1994 I believe. It is the brain child of Philly native Robert Levin. He partnered with the Fuentes who manufacture many of the cigars that bear the Ashton name. Known for superb quality and construction on all their lines the Classic seems to be no exception.
The Ashton Classic is dressed in a silky, creamy looking Connecticut Shade wrapper adorned by a very classic looking black and white band. The Ashton name is emblazoned in gold across its face. The filler looks expertly bunched, almost as if each leaf was placed in position purposefully. It predictably had a perfect draw. The flavors delivered by this smoke are a little mild but perfectly balanced making it a very approachable smoke for a beginner but delicious and engaging enough to satisfy even an old pro. The first puff or two is a little harsh and grassy but it immediately settles into smooth flavors of cafe au lait and a subtle hint of vanilla. As I made my way through the smoke I picked up notes cedar and almond as well as the occasional flash of grassiness, but the creamy cafe au lait flavors remained dominate throughout.
The Ashton Classic is a very good, very well made cigar. I enjoy these most in the AM with a cup of coffee. Any time someone asks me what cigar they should try when they are starting out, or if someone asks me what cigar should they offer to people who aren’t “cigar smokers” the Ashton Classic is one of the two cigars I always recommend.
Rating- B+
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Rocky Patel
Brazil, Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Rocky Patel, Sumatra, Sun Grown, Toro Matt
3:32 pm
Country: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Brazilian, Dominican, and Nicaraguan
Size: Toro 6.5″ x52 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
Rocky Patel’s Sun Grown has been around for a while now. It is unique in my opinion because it seems to be universally respected among cigar smokers as a good, tasty, quality cigar. Yet it doesn’t have any of the hype or pomp and circumstance around it that other widely respected cigars have, like the VSG or even the Oliva Serie V just as an example. It seems to fly just below the radar, but ask someone about it and you will almost always here “That’s a great smoke, one of my favorite Rockys!” Don’t ask about it, and you’ll probably never hear it mentioned. That just strikes me as odd an unique.
This specimen sports a handsome looking, rustic, rosado colored wrapper. It has a toothy, dry look to it. Now, the RP Sun Grown Petite Corona is my hands down favorite vitola in this line. I think is is an excellent smoke. A robust, powerful little spice bomb. I have enjoyed them so much over the years that it wasn’t until now that I have ever bothered to try another vitola, but this time I am smoking a toro. It starts off with a bit of black pepper and a spiciness that is reminiscent of the Petite Corona only not quite as sharp or robust. The flavors seem to be muted or muddled in the translation to the large ring gauge. I get hints of the coffee, earth, and spice that I love in the Petite Corona, only they are faint and muddy and not as pronounced. I was a bit disappointed with this one. It seems to me the blend does much better in a smaller format. Still it was an enjoyable cigar even though it didn’t live up to the standard set by its little brother.
Rating – B
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Rocky Patel
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Corojo, Honduras, Nicaragua, Rocky Patel, Toro Matt
11:44 am
Country: Honduras
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Toro 6.5″ x 52 ring
My first try with Rocky’s Olde World Reserve Corojo was not the best of experiences. An insanely loose draw and a hot burn ruined it for me. Because of that I decided to hold off assigning a rating to the cigar. I know a lot of people like to make a point of smoking two or three of a particular cigar before writing a review on it. They do this to try and normalize the experience so that they aren’t underrating it because of a fluke with a bad stick, or even overrating it because they happened to get an above average sample. It is a valid and thorough approach, but one that I don’t use myself. I take a different tact. For me first impressions are king. There are so many cigars out there to choose from and to try. I give most cigars one shot to sell themselves to me. Some might think that’s not particularly fair. After all, cigars are hand made products and there is bound to be an occasional bad stick. This is true and I try and account for that in a less systematic way than sampling multiple cigars for a review. The Olde World Reserve Corojo is an example of this. Normally, I’d have a bad experience, write off the cigar and move on. But in the case here, I felt I obviously had an unusually bad specimen for my first review. There were obvious construction issues and I also felt that the cigar showed some promise hidden behind the problems I was having with it. So for that reason I felt I should give this cigar one more shot. Another bad sample and I’d write it off as a poorly made line of cigars. However, that isn’t what happened here.
My second try with Rocky’s Corojo version of the OWR was much better than the first. The draw was 100% better this time around with just the right amount of resistance and the cigar had a very good even burn. It burned a lot cooler this time as a result and I could now actually taste the flavors of the tobacco instead of just tasting the harsh heat of an overly hot burn. The OWR Corojo started off smooth and mild with notes of nuts and coffee. About a third of the way into it, the cigar developed more body and a slight edge. The flavors were a bit muddled, mostly leather and earth and a peppery finish. It never really changed again after that. I found it to be a decent smoke but not really all that engaging. It is a lot like the OWR Maduro in that respect. I feel comfortable giving the Corojo a “B” now that I have smoked one sans construction issues.
Rating – B
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Rocky Patel
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Honduras, Maduro, Nicaragua, Rocky Patel, Toro Matt
11:02 am
Country: Honduras
Wrapper: Costa Rican Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Toro 6.5′ x 52 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
The Olde World Reserve Maduro is a very dark cigar. Unnaturally so in my opinion. I won’t speculate on how it is that the wrapper leaf is this dark because I just don’t know, but it is oddly dark to me. It’s a bumpy wrapper almost pitch black in color. The foot is wrapped in a dark brown paper adorned with the Rocky Patel “RP” logo and the head is decorated with an off white band trimmed in gold. The sport a pretty severe box press, and you can get them in a box of 20 or a cedar chest of 50 cigars. They are also available with a handsome, milk chocolate Corojo wrapper which I reviewed last week and they come in three basic sizes. Unfortunately (to me anyway) they are sizes that have become cliche in the US:
- Robusto 5.5″ x 54 ring
- Toro 6.5″ x 52 ring
- Torpedo 5.0″ x 54 ring
The draw on this OWR is a little loose for my tastes, but thankfully not as bad as the OWR Corojo I reviewed last week. That draw was so loose I think it ruined that cigar. The maduro at least had some light resistance on the draw and it burned a good bit cooler. After a spicy, peppery start on the first few puffs, I started to get some very nice espresso notes mixed with some leather. The flavors quickly became muddled though. Occasionally I picked up hints of sweetness typical of most maduros. Otherwise the cigar didn’t do much and stayed consistent throughout. A little one dimensional the cigar was pleasant but not very interesting. Medium bodied with a good burn, the construction is very good like most Rocky cigars.
Rating – B
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Rocky Patel
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Corojo, Honduras, Nicaragua, Rocky Patel, Toro Matt
11:30 am
Country: Honduras
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Toro 6.5″ x 52 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
The Olde World Reserve Corojo is a handsome looking cigar. It’s smooth wrapper is milk chocolate in color. The foot is wrapped in a dark brown paper adorned with the Rocky Patel “RP” logo and the head is decorated with a dark brown band trimmed in gold. The sport a pretty severe box press, and you can get them in a box of 20 or a cedar chest of 50 cigars. They are also available with a very dark Maduro wrapper which I will review next week and they come in three basic sizes. Unfortunately (to me anyway) they are sizes that have become cliche in the US:
- Robusto 5.5″ x 54 ring
- Toro 6.5″ x 52 ring
- Torpedo 5.0″ x 54 ring
This corojo has a nice rich tobacco aroma which got my hopes up. Then after clipping the head, my test draw revealed an extremely loose draw that tempered those hopes quite a bit. I lit the cigar and drawing on it was like sucking air through a giant straw. It provided no resistance at all which made me worry it would burn way to hot so I made a point to go slow and sip at this cigar. Despite my diligence the draw was a little problematic. I occasionaly got very bitter and harsh blasts to my palatte that I attributed to the cigar heating up too much. In between there were some very pleasant notes of nuts and coffee but they were sometimes occompanied by a sour finish. If there was any complexity to this cigar at all it was lost with problems I had in keeping it from overheating. I have one more of these in my humidor so I’ll give it one more shot even though I didn’t see much promise in this cigar even when I was able to taste anything other than the bitter harshness. If my next go with this cigar proves to be better I’ll post a Redux Review. If I were to rate it now I’d give it a D and first impressions are hard to overcome, but I’ll refrain from officially rating for now to try and be fair. With a better draw I think the cigar could score a little better than that.
Rating Deferred
Update: I revisited the OWR Corojo. Read about it here.
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Padron
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Maduro, Nicaragua, Padron Matt
10:18 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Double Corona 7.0″ x 50 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
The Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series line was introduced in 1994 to commemorate the Padrón Cigar Company’s 30th anniversary. The line consists of ten sizes that are all available in sun-grown natural and maduro wrappers and all the sizes are box pressed. All tobacco used in these cigars is reportedly aged for four years. Due to the immense popularity of this line of cigars, it has become one of the most counterfeited non-Cuban cigars in the world. To help protect their brand and their customers Padrón introduced a few security measures to make counterfeiting more difficult. They added a specially designed double band featuring an individually numbered guarantee label. The back side of the labels are also printed.
These are amazingly popular and highly sought after cigars. Time and time again they receive stellar ratings in just about every cigar publication out there. So as you can expect with high ratings , glowing reviews, and immense popularity comes a pretty hefty price tag as well. The Diplomatico sells for around $15 a stick making this one of those smokes you reserve for a special occasion unless you last name is Gates, or Jobs, or something equally impressive. Then maybe this is you everyday, after lunch cigar. For the rest of us the Padrón ’64, or the PAM or PAN as the are commonly referred to, is a special treat. Another side effect of the kind of popularity that this line of cigars enjoys is all the conjecture and rumor and debate that seems to swirl around it. There are all kinds of wild theories out there regarding the makeup of this cigar, and they are all generally unsubstantiated. One of the most popular is the rumor that this really isn’t a Nicaraguan Puro, but that Mexican tobacco is used in the cigar. I have heard it said the the wrapper is Mexican, or that the filler contains Mexican tobacco. It seems there are no shortage of rumors about it, but no one ever has any proof or even a nameable source for the claims. Anyway, I try to just ignore the wild speculation and I let my taste-buds to all the judging for me. I am mostly concerned about one thing. Do I like it, or do I not like it? There is an easy way to find out. Now where’s my lighter…
The PAM has a dark brown oily wrapper with a trademark sloppy Padrón cap. i don’t know why but Padron torcedors seem to be incapable of apply a neat, good looking cap on a cigar. Otherwise the construction on these cigars is impeccable. It has a perfect draw with a perfect burn. Smoking a PAM is like smoking a chocolate bar. A chocolate core is complimented by smooth notes of earth and coffee. it starts off a little mellow and picks up in robustness and strength as you make your way through the smoke. In the last third it developed an amazing creamy and nutty finish. It is a fantastic cigar from start to finish. The Padrón 1964 Anniversary never disappoints.
Rating – A
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Misc
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Robusto Matt
11:01 am
Country: Honduras
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Shade Grown
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Costa Rican, and Colombian
Size: Robusto 5.0″ x 52 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
The Gran Habano line of cigars is made in Honduras by GR Tabacaleras Unidas which is a father and son operation of Guillermo Rico and his son George. The 3 (Tres) Siglos line was first introduced in 2006 and is reputed to be a complex, full-bodied, spicy addition to the Gran Habano family of cigars. The key aspect of this blend is the use of three different types of ligero tobacco in the filler. This cigar features ligero from Nicaraguan, Costa Rican, and Colombian tobacco. I am making the assumption that this is why the number “3″ is used int he name of the cigar so it got me curios about the word “Siglos”. I never had given any thought to that word until now and I discovered that siglo is the Spanish word for century. So that makes the name of this cigar (translated by me) “three centuries”. I’m not sure if there is any significance there. The company was founded in 1995 so it certainly isn’t three hundred years old. It may not have any significance at all, or it refers to something I was not able to ascertain. Really, I guess it is all irrelevant since what is important here is this question – “Is the cigar any good?” Well, lets find out…
The shade grown wrapper on this cigar is a very nice rosado in color. It is a little veiny with an oily sheen to it and has a neatly applied cap. The 3 Siglos seems to be well filled and very well put together. It sports two elegant white bands trimmed in gold leaf making for a very a handsome and elegant presentation. The smoke starts out very smooth and creamy with a hint of vanilla and very little spice on the finish. The first third of this cigar had me wondering if this really was all ligero in the filler. As I moved into the second third I was still asking myself that same question. The flavors were excellent with notes of creamy toasted nuts and a little bit of a musty earthiness, but still very little spice and none of the pepper I’d expect from a cigar with a lot of ligero. At this point I’d describe the cigar as a mildly complex and very enjoyable medium bodied smoke. It burned slow and cool. The ash was a bit flaky, dark grey and black with swirls of brown in it.Things finally began to pickup a little bit in the last third with addition of more black pepper notes and a little more robust profile.
Overall this was a really enjoyable smoke with excellent flavors. Based on it’s makeup I was expecting it to be a fuller smoke than it turned out to be. I think maybe the shade grown wrapper contributed to toning it down a bit. Even though it wasn’t what I was expecting, it was still a very good cigar and I recommend giving it a try.
Rating – B+
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and La Gloria Cubana
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Dominican Republic, Maduro, Nicaragua, Robusto Matt
10:30 am
Country: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Size: Robusto 5.50″ x 54 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
Introduced in 1999, the LGC Serie R is Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s full-bodied offering for fans of the Dominican La Gloria Cubana cigars. They are made in the El Credito factory for General Cigar. The Serie R is available in 5 sizes and each is available with a natural Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper or a Connecticut Broad Leaf Maduro wrapper. All that is except for the Belicoso which is available in the natural wrapper only. The sizes are…
- No. 4 – 4.875″ x 52 ring
- No. 5 – 5.5″ x 54 ring
- No. 6 – 5.875″ x 60 ring
- No.7 – 7.0″ x 58 ring
- Belicoso – 5.75″ x 56 ring (natural only)
These cigars carry some serious size with not a single one coming in with less than a 52 ring guage. Today I am smoking the No. 5 maduro. I guess you could call it a toro, or a double robusto, or a robusto extra, or just a regular ole robusto. Take your pick.
The wrapper is a very dark, mottled brown. It’s bumpy, veiny, leathery, and rustic. This is a well filled firm cigar with a good draw and a straight burn and it produces plenty of thick white smoke. Flavor wise there really is much to talk about. It has a very generic sweet maduro flavor that never really changes. It is not a bad cigar but it is a little boring. This cigar could be a good intro to maduros for a new cigar smoker, but it doesn’t have much to offer more experienced smokers. It is not a full bodied smoke by my standards either. When I think full bodied, I think Tatuaje, Cruzado, VSG, or La Flor Dominicana. This cigar is medium bodied at best. I had hoped to get more from this cigar. At the beginning I thought maybe there was some potential in this cigar but it just fell flat as I smoked through it. I could see reaching for one of these for a day on the golf course or mowing the lawn if I happened to have a few laying around. When it comes down to it, this cigar is just not my cup of tea…
Rating – C
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