Arturo Fuente Sungrown Chateau Fuente Cigar Review
Arturo Fuente Sungrown Chateau Fuente Cigar Review
This 4.5×50 stick offers a medium brown wrapper with a soft velvet feel. It has invisible seams, minimal veins and a faint peppery tobacco aroma. First light reveals a very easy draw, tons of rich thick smoke production with smooth flavors of a slightly sweet and peppery tobacco. The first third develops in to a very soft, rich creamy body of sweet aged tobacco with voluminous amounts of rich thick smoke. 20 min in at the 1/2 way point there are no changes, and the ash held on for the whole 1/2 of the burn. Ending at 40 min with exactly the same profile, the smoke got very hot so I ended it with 1″ remaining. Thank you very much to Brad Perkins for sending this fine sample in for review!
Xikar HC Connecticut Grande Cigar Review
Xikar HC Connecticut Grande Cigar Review
This 6×60 stick offers firm construction with minimal veins, tight seams, a double cap and a soft hay and tobacco aroma. First light reveals a very dry smoke with medium-full bodied flavors of earth, pepper and tobacco with a spicy finish. The first third develops along the same lines building the pepper on the finish. Smoke is rich and plentiful with a perfect easy draw. The experience stays the same through to the band point where it picks up a more smooth deep profile and kicking the spice way down. The ash held on for 1/2 the stick, and it ended at 1:45, very impressive! Thank you very much to Xikar for generously sending this for review!
CAO La Traviata Radiante Cigar Review
CAO La Traviata Radiante Cigar Review
This 6×52 sick offers an extremely oily, toothy rich dark chocolate wrapper with tight seams, minimal veins and a sweet chocolate and earth aroma. First light reveals a very oily medium bodied earthy flavor with a ton of rich smoke and a perfect draw. The first third develops to a mild-medium body of slightly sweet and nutty earth with a deep finish. 50 min in at the 1/2 way point flavors were very consistent, however the stick liked to tunnel and went out prompting a relight without further incident. The stick ended at 1:35 with slightly different but overall consistent flavors at the last third, moving to a slight caramel and nut combo, with the same great smoke draw and finish.
Maribel Maduro Churchill Cigar Review
Maribel Maduro Churchill Cigar Review
This stick appears to be a 7×48 with a dark brown slightly toothy rugged wrapper. Seams are good, veins are minimal and it puts off a smooth sweet aroma. First light reveals a very good draw on the loose side, plenty of medium bodied smooth smoke and a creamy smooth sweet tobacco taste with a long finish. Those flavors lasted all through the first third, changing to include a rich creamy textured coffee by the half way point 45 min in. The smoke absolutely pours out delivering oily creamy flavor through the long finish. The burn is excellent, almost razor sharp, but the ash only holds on for 1/2 inch at a time so you have to watch it. Ending the stick with 1 1/2 inches left because it got very hot, flavors continued unchanged to the end. Thank you very much to Joe a.k.a. CSMoFo for sending this for review! These are sold at a few stores around Miami and are available direct from the manufacturer: (305) 642-8219
Bucanero Salsa Cigar Review
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.
Tambo Perfecto Cigar Review
Tambo Perfecto Cigar Review
This 6×48 perfecto stick comes wrapped in a very firm, mottled light brown wrapper with slight tooth, smooth seams and a mild tobacco aroma. Without cutting the foot which is a very small tapered point, the draw is firm for the first few draws but quickly develops to a perfect balance of resistance. Flavors are a light leather and aged tobacco. A creamy, smooth oily core, medium-full bodied with adequate smoke output and a very short, clean finish. By the 2nd third flavors had grown more deep and power rose to meet the near full body. Showing a deep heavy leather, it was increasingly oily and smooth with a better smoke output. The finish had grown long and full as well carrying the same draw flavors. Taking the band off did reveal a glob of glue that took a chunk of wrapper, but luckily the binder held. The rest of the stick was consistent – very smooth, rich and enjoyable to the 1:20 mark where I ended it with about 1″ left but it was hot to me. Thank you very much to Tambo Cigars for sending this for review!
Gispert Churchill Cigar Review
Gispert Churchill Cigar Review
This 7×54 stick offered a medium tan smooth oily wrapper with a slightly spongy feel. Mild in aroma, body and strength, it presents a fairly consistent experience, transitioning once between flavors over the long 2+ hour smoke. Although this particular sample had a wrapper flaw that cut it short at the 1:45 mark, it would easily push past 2 hours under normal circumstances. First half flavors were sweet and smooth with mild flavors of grass, moving to a mild sweet leather at the mid point. Smoke output was minimal, and the finish was unremarkable short of a mild pepper zing for most of the stick. The draw and burn were both very good, up to the band point where tears and holes opened up. Removing the band exposed a patch and large crack, ending the smoke. Thank you very much to Jeremie Plouffe for sending this in for review!
Ashton VSG Eclipse Tubos Cigar Review
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!
La Aurora Belicoso Maduro Cigar Review
La Aurora Belicoso Maduro Cigar Review
This 6.25×52 stick offers a dark brown wrapper showing minimal veins, clean seams and a very firm pack. 3/4″ had to be clipped off the tip for a decent draw, producing just an average amount of smoke on the draw. First third flavors were of caramel and licorice sweetness, a mild earth, slight woodiness and small pepper and spice kick on the long finish. At the half way point flavors changed to a smooth oily, creamy leather with a mild pepper that kicks up on the finish. In the final third flavors remained the same while the draw improved along with smoke production, reaching a very good volume pushing chewy. Thank you very much to viewer Jeremie Plouffe for generously sending this in for review!
Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Connecticut Robusto Cigar Review
Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Connecticut Robusto Cigar Review
This 5.5×50 medium tan stick offers a firm, dense pack under smooth wrapper with minimal veins and a triple cap. Starting off very bitter, the first third was a dry, slightly bitter almond, fading quickly to a finish of an oily oak with hints of pepper zing. By the 2nd third flavors transitioned to a mild-medium roasted nut and oily toast with a longer finish. At the half way point it became a typical connecticut with dry toasty, nutty, woody flavors and a long dry finish. Body was medium, smoke output was fantastic, as was the burn and draw all the way down, typical of a Rocky Patel. Thank you very much to Michael Yamashita for sending this sample in for review!
Padilla Signature 1932 Limitada Oscuro Salomon Cigar Review
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!
Thank You Donors!
I have had the good fortune of receiving several generous donations as of late from fans of the site for me to review! Thank you to Shuckins, David Morgan and Chaz! And thank you to Ken Glass who just sent in this fine stash! Thank you all for viewing and being fans of the site, without you there’s no point!
Your Thoughts on Price and Awards
Tell me your thoughts on how you think price, if at all, should effect the Cigar of the Year award? Do you feel that value is part of what makes a cigar great? Should the award go to simply the best performing stick? If a mediocre stick is given an award simply because it’s cheap, is that fair to a stick that clearly out performs it at a higher price point? Does quality simply cost more?
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