Loading ...
Mar 9
4
Xikar HC Series Habano Colorado Toro Cigar Review
Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Xikar HC Series Habano Colorado Toro Cigar Review
This 6.5×52 stick offers a dark chocolate wrapper with a firm pack and satin feel. Minimal veins, invisible seams and a peppery cocoa aroma present with a fairly dense heft. The first third starts off on the smooth side, with a touch of aged tobacco taste and richness. The smoke is rich and plentiful with a medium body and soft flavors of slightly sweet earthy tobacco with a big pepper kick. The finish is very long with the black pepper flavors building adding a zing over the tongue. Half way in at the 60 min mark, flavors had mellowed out a bit with the pepper coming and going at points. The sweetness had begun to change to a caramel, and the core flavor turned to a soft leather. By the last third, the pepper came back but not quite as strong, and the caramel died down a touch. Total burn time to the nub was 1:50. Thank you very much to Xikar for sending this sample for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Mar 1
Ashton VSG Eclipse Tubos Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, March 1, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Ashton VSG Eclipse Tubos Cigar Review
This 6×52 dark chocolate stick comes wrapped in a cedar sleeve, inside a black aluminum tube for easy transport and storage. Offering a robust, slightly veiny irregular roll it presents slight tooth, a firm pack and beautiful chocolate tobacco aroma. Starting on the mild-medium body side of things, it opens with a oily, smooth tobacco and black pepper flavor without any of the spice and heat, adding a hint of a bitter chocolate in to the long pepper finish. Strength wise it’s definitely got a punch, medium-full by the first inch in. By the half way point flavors had changed to a creamy sweet chocolate and coffee, with a smooth pepper finish, getting richer as it burns down. By the end of the 2nd third flavors had dropped the pepper in exchange for more cream and butter, especially on the finish, leaving an oily creamy slick on the palate. The last third brought the coffee flavor to the forefront and the pepper back but at a milder point, with just a hint of the chocolate. Overall still rich, creamy, oily and slightly sweet, it finished long and smooth. Burn and draw were both excellent all the way down without issue. Total burn time to the last inch was 1:15 where it started getting hot. Thank you very much to Ashton for generously supplying this sample for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
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! Photography by BG Pictures.
Feb 21
El Primer Mundo Rosado Oscuro Cigar Review
Posted on Sunday, February 21, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
El Primer Mundo Rosado Oscuro Cigar Review
This 5×50 box pressed stick presents a dark chocolate, slightly toothy wrapper showing minimal veins with tight seams and construction. The aroma is a sweet and peppery tobacco. Medium-full body, the flavors in the first third were smooth and rich giving a complex blend of a mild pepper, chocolate, light leather and cream with a touch of aged tobacco. Smoke output was excellent producing a huge, almost chewy volume with an absolutely effortless draw. Flavor remained consistent to the last couple inches where they transitioned to a creamy dry roasted coffee and touch of pepper with a long finish. Body and strength by the last third were a solid medium-full giving a slight rush. Total burn time was 1:10 to the nub. Thank you very much to Primer Mundo Cigar Co. for donating this sample for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Feb 8
Padilla Signature 1932 Limitada Oscuro Salomon Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, February 8, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Padilla Signature 1932 Limitada Oscuro Salomon Cigar Review
This 7.2×59 figurado features a dark chocolate, oily, slightly toothy wrapper with minimal veins and invisible seams. Draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance for effortless control. Body was medium-full giving rich, smooth smoke. Strength was also medium-full, giving a buzz by the 1:30 point. After the video I felt kind of sick for 30 min. Actual smoke output was light, but flavors were prominent until the short clean finish. First third flavors were dominated by an oily creamy tobacco and big black pepper notes with minimal spice and zing, contrasted by hints of chocolate. An inch down flavors changed to quick hits of coffee, chocolate and leather, settling down to a peppery, oily earth on the finish. Near the 1/2 way point, flavors changed to a predominant coffee with a creamy tobacco finish, and the coffee continued to increase to the end, at the 2:10 mark. Thank you very much to Ken Glass for sending this in for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Feb 3
Macanudo Maduro Diplomat Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Macanudo Maduro Diplomat Cigar Review
This 4.5×60 perfecto offers a very oily dark chocolate wrapper with very firm construction, minimal veins and a very small cap & shoulder that gave me a bit of trouble cutting as far as unraveling. Draw was very firm, almost plugged, offering little smoke output and somewhat muted flavors. What did come out of it were very nice notes of cream, light tobacco, sweetness and a hint of pepper with a very short clean finish on the first third. The center section required two touch-ups and changed to a very light sweet leather. Getting to the last third the draw suddenly opened up, producing tons of rich creamy smoke, a creamy earthy leather and a good pepper zing. The center section was obviously not constructed properly. Thank you very much to Jeremie Plouffe for sending this sample in for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Feb 1
Gurkha Centurion Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, February 1, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Gurkha Centurion Cigar Review
This 6×60 dark chocolate wrapped perfecto offers a draw on the firm side, and 5 inches of normal burn after getting past and clipping the tapered ends. Showing several transitions, flavors included a creamy buttery leather, chocolate, big pepper blasts without the spice, deep earth and a long finish for most of the smoke. At the last third, flavors changed to a huge deep roasted coffee that was increasingly creamy to the nub. Smoke output was very light at the start, taking 20 minutes to open up to just normal. It was on the light side but always smooth, delivering a medium-full bodied experience overall. The ash held on for 2″ at a time with no burn issues. Thank you very much to Ken Glass for sending this in for review, I greatly appreciate it! Photography by BG Pictures.
Jan 18
Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro Torpedo Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro Torpedo Cigar Review
This 6×54 dark chocolate stick offered a satin wrapper with minimal veins and nice tight construction. Draw was perfect producing lots of thick and rich smoke with minimal effort. Body was medium-full giving smooth dry flavors of deep tobacco, sweet earthy leather and a mild pepper zing on the short finish. Ash held on cleanly to the 1/2 point and a slightly oily, creamy nutty flavor joined in. This stick did approach full strength by the end, building uo to a slight buzz at the nub. This proved to be a very consistent stick in all regards, like most of the Perdomo line. Total burn time to the nub was 1:10. Thank you very much to Brother of the Leaf Chaz, from Long Island, for sending this in for me to try! Photography by BG Pictures.
Jan 4
El Titan De Bronze Redemption Maduro Robusto Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, January 4, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
El Titan De Bronze Redemption Maduro Robusto Cigar Review
This 5×50 stick offered a dark chocolate, satin wrapper with a slight oil sheen and tooth. Very small veins and clean seams ran the length to a triple cap all packed perfectly. Draw was slightly firm with perfect resistance for an almost razor sharp burn all the way down, even after sitting for 5 minutes unattended. The smoke was extremely rich and thick with tremendous volume from the first 1/2″ down. Flavors were very rich and smooth giving the impression of nicely aged mature tobacco. The first third brought smooth tobacco with a slight sweetness and pepper, quickly transitioning to a light leather core and getting very creamy and smooth. Other flavors joined in later including a dry cocoa and a smooth creamy milk chocolate. Total burn time to the nub was 1 hour. Everyone NEEDS to try this stick, even if you think you don’t care for maduros! Thank you very much to El Titan de Bronze for generously donating this sample for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Jan 1
San Cristobal Monumento Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, January 1, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
San Cristobal Monumento Cigar Review
This 7.25 x 49 stick offers a oily dark chocolate wrapper with slight tooth and fairly firm construction. The aroma has a slight sweet cocoa note along with a rich tobacco. This was a monster of a smoke pushing the 2 hour mark and building to full strength by the last bit – not an early morning smoke! It had some minor burn issues needing several corrections but nothing show stopping. Several transitions were present and flavors were fairly diverse including cream, cocoa, espresso, mocha, wood, pepper and a bit of spice. The draw was a bit firm at the start but quickly opened up to just on the loose side. Thank you very much to Ashton for donating this for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Dec 23
Padron 1964 Anniversary Torpedo Maduro Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Padron 1964 Anniversary Torpedo Maduro Cigar Review
This 6×52 stick offers a firm box pressed dark chocolate wrapper with terrific sweet tobacco and spicy aromas. Burn was almost razor sharp all the way down with a perfect draw giving just the right amount of resistance for an easy cool draw. Flavors were plentiful to say the least with many transition points throughout from beginning to end. They were all exceptionally well blended together and smooth, including coffee, cream, earth, pepper, sweet tobacco, touches of spice and hints of cocoa at points. Total burn time to the nub was 1:15. Photography by BG Pictures.
Dec 9
J.L. Salazar Y Hermanos Reserva Especial Seires V Maduro Churchill Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
J.L. Salazar Y Hermanos Reserva Especial Seires V Maduro Churchill Cigar Review
This 7 1/4×52 box press stick offered a dark chocolate wrapper with fairly soft construction, a toothy wrapper and just some small veins and a wonderfully spicy aroma. Total burn time was 1:10 with only one spot near the 2nd third transition that required a touch-up. Draw was slightly loose and produced huge mounts of rich smoke from the start. Overall body was medium, although the first third during the draw was pushing full for a little while. Flavors were mildly complex, including a smooth creamy leather, slight sweetness with a touch of coffee and cocoa at some points of the last half. The finish was very short and clean, leaving just a hint of a pepper and spice. Thank you to Cuban Crafters for sending this for review, I greatly appreciate it! Photography by BG Pictures.
Dec 7
Padilla Signature 1932 Robusto Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Padilla Signature 1932 Robusto Cigar Review
This 5×50 dark chocolate stick offered a smooth almost seamless wrapper with some tiny veins, a triple cap and a great tobacco aroma. Draw was on the loose side and burn was very good all the way down, holding the ash in thirds. Flavors were very consistent from first light to the nub, giving a wonderful dusty creamy smooth leather, with a touch of tobacco flavor. They held all the way through the finish to the next draw where a slight pepper and spice joined in with a hint of cinnamon at points. Overall body was medium-full never overpowering. The smoke was rich and full even with the loose draw, giving saturated flavors all the way down. Total burn time to the nub was 50 min. Photography by BG Pictures.
Dec 2
Sir Vin Cigars Premium Royale Silver Lance Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Sir Vin Cigars Premium Royale Silver Lance Cigar Review
This 6×50 box press double maduro stick offers a butter smooth dark chocolate wrapper with a very firm press and double cap. Total burn time to the nub was 1:20 with a perfect draw and almost razor sharp line. Flavors were fairly consistent, holding a core of creamy prominent leather and a long earthy, peppery finish to the last third where a nutty flavor joined in. Smoke was exceptionally rich and smooth, with plenty of maduro oils coating the mouth. Body and strength were medium-full and the leather was especially bright just after the draw. Thank you very much to Sir Vin Cigars for generously donating this stick for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Nov 13
Old Henry Maduro Robusto Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, November 13, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Old Henry Maduro Robusto Cigar Review
This 5×50 stick offered a dark chocolate, VERY thick and toothy wrapper with excellent construction. Burn was almost razor sharp all the way down, with the ash holding to the 1/2 way point and a perfect draw. Flavors in the first half were of a medium bodied light leather and smooth earth, with a bit of sweetness and a pepper & spice kick. The 2nd half transitioned to a deep earth and bit of licorice, losing the sweetness and pepper zing. The finish grew longer and the body went down to a mild-medium. Thank you to Shuckins for trading me for this stick! Photography by BG Pictures.
Nov 9
Santiago Cabana Maduro Toro Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, November 9, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Santiago Cabana Maduro Toro Cigar Review
This 6×50 dark chocolate stick offered a slightly toothy, satin wrapper with a nice firm construction. Burn time to the band was just over an hour with a draw that started slightly firm and ended slightly loose with a good burn. Flavors present were medium bodied overall with a few distinct transitions. The first third was the typical maduro cigar – slightly sweet, good pepper and spice kick and a light leather. Later flavors included a creamyness, a deeper earth and a bigger peppercorn zing. Thank you CSMoFo (Joe) for sending this to me! Photography by BG Pictures.
Nov 6
Gurkha Micro Batch Liga VH-7 Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, November 6, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Gurkha Micro Batch Liga VH-7 Cigar Review
This 6×50 box pressed stick offered a very soft silky dark chocolate wrapper, with a near perfect burn and great draw, on the loose side. Burn time to just past the band was 1:15 with the ash holding on right to the 1/2 way point, about 3″. The first half offered a good bit of earthy complexity, showing creamy smooth leather, bread, deep earth and a touch of pepper on the short clean finish. The 2nd half switched to a slightly sweet cocoa, with the creamy leather coming back at points. The draw loosened up a bit and it produced a good amount of smoke all the way down, although not as rich as you would expect from the volume. Thank you to Shuckins for the trade! Photography by BG Pictures.
Oct 28
Man ‘O War Toro Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Man ‘O War Toro Cigar Review
This 6.5 x52 dark chocolate stick offered a toothy, thick firm wrapper giving tons of rich creamy smoke. Burn was very good, draw was on the loose side with good resistance. Flavors were widely varied with several transition points including cocoa, coffee, leather, wood, cream, pepper and spice in various combinations. The finish was mostly short and clean with some points offering pepper and spice. Thank you to Shuckins for the stick in trade! Photography by BG Pictures.
Oct 16
Marco V Brazilian Grand Reserve Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Marco V Brazilian Grand Reserve Cigar Review
This 5×60 dark chocolate stick sports a soft, satin slightly toothy wrapper, with a very good burn all the way down, holding the ash past the 1/2 way point. Draw was excellent with the perfect amount of resistance for a smooth easy draw giving lots of rich cool, medium-full bodied smoke. Flavors were very consistent from the start to the band point, giving a slightly sweet, oily coffee flavor, and a mild pepper & spice kick on the clean finish. At the band point the smoke temp went up a bit and the pepper mostly gave way to a creaminess. Smoke time to the last inch was 1:20. Thank you very much to Marco V Cigars for generously donating this stick for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Oct 2
Gran Habano 3 Siglos Torpedo Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, October 2, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Gran Habano 3 Siglos Torpedo Cigar Review
This 6.1×56 dark chocolate stick offered a medium body experience with somewhat muted flavors. The wrapper and binder both had very pronounced veins giving one minor burn problem that required an early touch up. The remainder of the burn was not perfect but was self-correcting. Draw was on the loose side and worked well. Flavors of the first third were just a heavy tobacco with pepper on the finish. The 2nd third showed a bit more development with hints of coffee wood and leather but they very quickly dissipated to a mild pepper finish, leaving a heavy aftertaste. The last third got very warm and a little mushy, prompting me to end it just before the band point at 1:45. The one negative thing was the aroma of the smoke off the foot – it was pretty stinky at points and left my fingertips smelling of wet ashtray by the time I finished. Thanks to Shuckins for trading with me for this stick! Photography by BG Pictures.