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Jun 11

We Are On The New Server!

Posted on Saturday, June 11, 2011 in World of CO

We Are On The New Server! I still have quite a bit of work to do here and on my other sites, but CigarObsession is now fully on the new server, which should really speed things up! Please let me know if you encounter anything weird. BTW having to log back in is normal.

Jun 1

Fuente Fuente Opus X XXX Belicoso Cigar Review

Posted on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 in Cigar Reviews

 

Fuente Fuente Opus X XXX Belicoso Cigar Review

 

This 5 5/8×49 cigar otherwise known as the Power Ranger, or Triple X, or X3, features a dark brown firm and smooth wrapper with a mottled splotchy appearance, minimal veins, tight seams, even construction and a soft perfume like aroma.  First light reveals a perfect draw, tons of full bodied smoke with very dry black pepper and tobacco flavors with an extremely long dry finish.  You need a drink with this smoke.15 minutes in, the body is way down for an Opus X, to a solid medium while the strength is full on.  It’s had a bad burn to this point, with  almost an inch difference side to side and at this point needs a relight.  Definitely strange for any Opus X.  40 minutes in at the 1/2 way point the flavors finally pick up a bit, adding a smooth coffee to the mix, although still very mild for an Opus X at a medium level.  Burn since the relight has been just ok, needing more puffs than the usual cigar to burn properly.  The ash is equally unimpressive flaking quite a bit and dropping off every 1/2 inch.  50 minutes in starting the last third, it needs another full relight.  It simply does not like to stay burning and goes out on it’s own.  It’s not tunnelling or burning lopsided, it just simply goes out.  There has been no flavor transition since the last update point.  Ending at 1:20 where it went out completely again with 1 1/2″ or so remaining there were no further changes.  Thank you very much to viewer HappyTaro for generously sending this for review!  Photography by

May 3

601 Green Oscuro La Punta Perfecto Cigar Review

Posted on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 in Cigar Reviews

601 Green Oscuro La Punta Perfecto Cigar Review

This 5.5×48-52 perfecto stick offers a very dark brown, almost black wrapper with a slight red hue, a velvet texture and a rock hard pack. It shows minimal veins, tight seams, very even firm construction and offers a barnyard and tobacco aroma. First light reveals an insanely tight draw but big medium-full flavors of deep oily tobacco and white pepper with a long earthy finish. 10 minutes in the draw opens up to a very nice light resistance and smoke output is excellent. Flavors are very deep and substantial with a long full finish. The draw flavors are very woody and peppery with an oily slick on the lips but dry parched mouthfeel. 25 minutes in I had to give it a small touchup, there was a strip on one side that wasn’t burning. 35 minutes in hitting the 1/2 way point flavors shift just lightly, adding a dark chocolate in to the mix. Ending at 1:15 the 2nd half proved to be very similar, only changing the draw back to snug, but not a big problem. I did have to give it another touchup, and the ash on this last half was not as firm as the first, flowering and flaking quite a bit. Thank you very much to our fan Jeremie Plouffe for providing this sample for review, I appreciate it very much brother!

Mar 1

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Toro Cigar Review

Posted on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 in Cigar Reviews

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Toro Cigar Review

This 6×52 stick offers a dark chocolate oily wrapper with small veins, invisible seams, a very even crushed velvet texture with a slight spongy give and a rich oily chocolaty tobacco aroma. First light revels full bodied flavors of a sily smooth chewy thick smoke, though not a lot of it. Flavors are a deep earth, chocolate and mild pepper zing through the long finish. Draw is perfect with just a bit of resistance. The first third gives solid medium body flavors of a super thick and rich dry aged tobacco with a touch of a sweet chocolate and pepper. 20 minutes in I encountered a strange burn problem, with a tiny shaft burning through the center of the cigar, and 1/2 of the stick getting very hot and mushy. It stopped putting out smoke yet continued to burn. After spending 10 minutes correcting the burn, manually lighting 1/2″ of wrapper and getting through a section that seemed to be rolled with a tube down the center, it is back to burning correctly. 40 min in at the 1/2 way point, flavors returned to a medium-full body treat of rich creamy milk chocolate, a slightly sweet eart and smooth tobacco with a touch of pepper and long smooth finish. 1:15 in at the band point the burn has slowed significantly flavors have changed to a creamy textured, smooth slightly sweet earth with a long earth and pepper finish. I have given it a couple minor touchups, but overall performance is good. Ending at 1:40 min where it got hot probably due to the touch-ups near the end, I ended it as flavors got a bit warm and washed out. If this hadn’t of had the burn issues it would be pushing the two hour mark easily, as I burned off more than an inch correcting the burn. Thank you very much to viewer Jonathan Novatt for generously sending this in for review, I greatly appreciate it!

Jan 12

Promise Natural Flame Lighter Review

Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 in Accessory Reviews

Promise Natural Flame Lighter Review

This is an all-metal lighter from Promise featuring a natural flame that exits the side, also useful for pipes. It is by no means a high quality unit but is extremely inexpensive. The body is on the small side, and those with large hands such as myself will find it a bit uncomfortable to use for more than 10 seconds at a time. I consider units such as this great alternatives to disposables or ultra cheap plastic units found at little stores. As tested, the flame in this unit lasted 3:15 of usable flame. Thank you very much to buylighters.com for sending this sample for review, I greatly appreciate it! Photography by bgpictures.com

Jan 8

Scum Sites

Posted on Saturday, January 8, 2011 in World of CO

You know, some people/companies in the cigar industry simply do not need/deserve to be here. A prime example are those that try to make a quick buck off other’s work. At the risk of giving them more exposure I would like to introduce you to a Scum Site, http://best-cigar-online-store.com/

Why you ask? Well simply take a quick look and it will be quite obvious. Yes folks, they have completely ripped off my look and feel to try and make a quick buck off unsuspecting consumers. They steal content, put up lots of ads, rip off my look and are probably quite happy with themselves.

While I’m a *bit* flattered, mostly just disappointed that someone would do that. What do you all think?

Jul 5

Helix X748 Maduro Cigar Review

Posted on Monday, July 5, 2010 in Cigar Reviews

Helix X748 Maduro Cigar Review

This 7×48 maduro stick offers a dark to medium brown wrapper with a spongy, toothy but soft feel, visible seams, small veins and a mild soapy aroma. First light reveals a very thin wrapper with a tendency to peel and leak at points, giving a light airy mild tobacco smoke. The first third develops to a mild, oily, slightly sweet tobacco with a short clean finish. Overall a simple straight forward smoke. By the start of the 2nd third flavors had changed to a dry but still oily tobacco and leather with a good sweet caramel finish. The remainder of the stick is much the same, overall a consistent stick. Ending at 1:25 it started getting a bit warm and soggy for me but still performing perfectly.

May 22

Cain Maduro Double Toro Cigar Review

Posted on Saturday, May 22, 2010 in Cigar Reviews

Cain Maduro Double Toro Cigar Review

This 6×60 dark chocolate stick offers a chunky, firm wrapper with minimal veins and seams. It gives a peppery and sweet tobacco aroma. First light reveals a light medium body smoke with peppery and sweet tobacco flavor. The first third is a bit light on smoke needing double-puffs and tunneling a bit, prompting touchups. Flavors are consistent with the addition of a slight leather. The 2nd third evens out the burn a bit but doesn’t change the flavor profile noticeably, only bringing a slight harshness to the back of my throat. The last third brings a touch of cinnamon but overall the whole thing is very consistent. Strength wise it is just about topping the charts near the end here although with only 1/2 as much flavor. I’m ending the stick a good 20 min early at this point simply because this combo isn’t something I enjoy at all and don’t like the after effects of too much power. Smoking the whole thing would easily bring a 1:45 smoke time. Thank you very much to Jeremie Plouffe for generously sending this for review, I did enjoy trying it!

May 12

Diesel Unholy Cocktail Cigar Review

Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 in Cigar Reviews

Diesel Unholy Cocktail Cigar Review

This 5×56 torpedo sports a dark chocolate, soft but toothy firm wrapper with minimal veins, and a rich potpourri like spicy scent. First light reveals a slightly firm draw with adaquate smoke production. Flavors are medium bodied with a rich oily slightly sweet tobacco, and a good bit of pepper and spice especially on the long deep finish. The first third brings quite a complex blend of toast, coffee, then a spicy leather with a bit of pepper. The finish grows the pepper and adds spice, holding on well to the next draw. Body is a good medium-full. By the 1/2 way point the ash had just dropped off, burn was perfect and the flavors had mellowed a bit pushing more of the coffee. The last third continued the trend changing to a smooth creamy coffee with a pepper zing at the end of the draw. Total burn time to the nub was 1:15. Thank you very much to Chaz from Long Island for generously sending this in for review!

Apr 16

AVO Lounge Cigar Toro Cigar Review

Posted on Friday, April 16, 2010 in Cigar Reviews

AVO Lounge Cigar Toro Cigar Review

This 6×50 stick offers a medium brown lumpy and firm wrapper with minimal veins, invisible seams a triple cap and a rich oily tobacco aroma. First light reveals a firm draw, minimal smoke output but big medium-full body. Flavors are rich, oily earth with a bit of pepper and hot spice on a long earthy finish. The first third develops beautifully in to a slightly musty creamy smooth aged tobacco, with a good bit of cinnamon kick, lasting through the finish. Smoke output increased to a good normal amount and the body stayed near full. 40 min in at the 2nd third transition, flavors dropped most of the cinnamon on the draw and body is a solid medium. Overall it gives a rich, oily, deep flavor experience. Just before the 1/2 point it tunneled a bit and went out prompting a relight. Unfortunately the band was applied with a big glob of glue, taking a chunk of wrapper with it as it was removed. Luckily it did not breach to the binder. 1:45 in the stick started to smoke very hot so I ended it with about 1 1/2″ remaining, just my personal taste. Flavors in the last third pushed more of the licorice and added a touch of warm nuts. Strength wise this is a medium-full stick, giving me jitters and making me a bit light headed for 30 min after filming. Thank you very much to Corona Cigar Company for sending this sample for review!

Mar 29

Bucanero Salsa Cigar Review

Posted on Monday, March 29, 2010 in Cigar Reviews

Bucanero Salsa Cigar Review

This 6×54 stick comes wrapped in a toothy, firm dark brown leaf showing a slight red hue, minimal veins and clean seams with a soft box press. The aroma is an oily, slightly sweet tobacco, a perfect humidor smell. First light reveals a medium-full body, very smooth oily smoke giving a rich aged tobacco taste with a good bit of black pepper and a long finish. 30 min in by the 1/2 way point the flavors had not really changed, which is just fine since they were very pleasant. The burn however did have problems, requiring a couple early touchups and a couple relights from the wrapper not keeping up. It was an even burn though, and the post light flavors were un effected. Ending the stick at 50 min, the flavors for the remainder of the stick were unchanged, which was just fine! Thank you very much to Bucanero Cigars for sending this sample for review.

Mar 12

Corona Nicaraguan Selection 10th Anniversary Robusto Cigar Review

Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 in Cigar Reviews

Corona Nicaraguan Selection 10th Anniversary Robusto Cigar Review

This 5×50 stick offers a dark tan, firmly packed wrapper showing minimal veins and tight seams with a large double cap. The aroma is a mellow tobacco smell, reminiscent of the ‘perfect humidor’. Starting off it gives out huge volumes of smoke with a very easy, free draw. Flavors are extremely sweet, tasting much like a flavored tip. The core is an aged tobacco, very smooth with a good bit of pepper kick that comes on the end of the draw holding and building through the long finish. 40 min in at the 1/2 way point flavors remained very consistant, still medium-full bodied but without a strength kick. The last third mellowed the whole stick out – the body came down a touch to medium, the aged tobacco changed to a slight earth, the pepper zing came down and the big sweetness changed to a suble licorice. Burn was excellent all the way down, holding the ash in thirds for a total burn time of 1 hour. Thank you very much to Corona Cigar Company for seding this for review!

Mar 11

Padron Delicias Maduro Cigar Review

Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2010 in Cigar Reviews

Padron Delicias Maduro Cigar Review

This petite stick coming in at 4 7/8×46 offers a dark brown, very toothy and rugged wrapper with firm, crunch construction, some medium veins and an uneven handmade appearance. The aroma is a faint peppery tobacco with a hint of sweetness. First light reveals a very free, open draw and huge smoke output. Flavors are a typical Padron tobacco – slightly sweet, slightly peppery and a medium body. Overall very soft satiny smoke. The first third brought the core of the Padron experience. You get this in just about every stick they make. A smooth earthiness, good pepper kick and zing, rich smoke output that leaves a bit of oil on your lips and a bit of sweetness. The finish is long and peppery, the body moved up to a medium-full along with a nice strength to match. A slight buzz came on just 10 min in. 40 min in at the 1/2 way point the stick is exactly the same, burning perfectly, remaining extremely consistent. Ending at 1 hour to the nub, the flavors proved to be the same from start to finish which is just fine for me – they were great! Thank you very much to Mark T. for sending this in for review!

Feb 24

Ashton ESG 23 Year Salute Cigar Review

Posted on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 in Cigar Reviews

Ashton ESG 23 Year Salute Cigar Review

This 6.25×52 stick offers a dark milk chocolate wrapper with a slight tooth, tight seams and firm pack with just a bit of give. A triple cap and minimal veins combine with a slightly irregular lumpy appearance showing it as a hand made creation. The first third brought a medium-full body of flavors including a smooth creamy cocoa with an undertone of tobacco and pepper, the finish being short and more peppery than the draw adding a slight spice kick. By the 2nd third flavors had transitioned to a smooth creamy cocoa with a bit of coffee, touch of leather and on the end of the draw into the lengthening finish, a black pepper taste and slight zing over the tongue. The last third brought the coffee flavor more forward and amped up the pepper especially on the finish. Smoke output was very good, coating the mouth with rich, smooth tastes. Draw and burn were both excellent all the way down with no issues and not needing any thought. Burn time to the last inch was 1:35. Thank you very much to Ashton for sending this in for review!

Feb 22

Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta No. 7 Cigar Review

Posted on Monday, February 22, 2010 in Cigar Reviews

Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta No. 7 Cigar Review

This 6×50 stick offers a two-tone wrapper consisting of a natural light tan shade covering the first 75%, and the last 25% wrapped in a dark chocolate maduro leaf. With a very loose, effortless draw, it puts out a terrific amount of smoke. Starting with a slightly bitter wood flavor it finished long with a hint of coffee and touch of pepper. The 2nd third brought the coffee up just a bit and added a little creaminess, dropping much of the pepper. By the start of the last third it had turned to a slightly sweet, creamy coffee as the predominant flavor and just gave a hint of the typical connecticut woodiness. The stick was finished 1:20 in with about 1″ of the maduro remaining. Only about 15 min of the maduro section is smokeable before getting very warm and soft. Surprisingly the body went down a bit and flavors mellowed out once the transition was made. Flavors changed to just a mild, oily coffee with the ash holding on tight for about 1 1/2″ at a time showing white and light grey bands. Burn was flawless all the way down. Thank you very much to Drew Estate for sending this in for review, I greatly appreciate it!