Loading ...
Jun 11
7
El Mejor Espresso Churchill Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, June 11, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
El Mejor Espresso Churchill
This 7×50 box pressed maduro stick offers an almost black wrapper with a tight press and seams, minimal veins, a firm but slightly spongy feel, very oily and smooth wrapper with a rich chocolate and tobacco aroma. First light reveals a firm draw, earthy, peppery flavors with a long finish and medium body. The firt third has burn problems, burning unevenly and tunneling. Flavors remain consistent with the first impression. By the 1/2 way point after several touchups, the flavors revealed a touch of coffee. At 1:15 I ended the stick because it had no good flavors after constant relights, tunneling and touchups. It had gone very warm and mushy, giving mostly charcoal flavors and a frustrating experience. I will try one again sometime, this could have just been a dud, it was my only sample. Thank you very much regardless, to Michael Yamashita for sending this in for review, I do greatly appreciate it! Photography by BG Pictures.
May 29
Arturo Fuente 858 Maduro Cigar Review
Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Arturo Fuente 858 Maduro Cigar Review
This 6×47 stick offers a dark chocolate almost black, lumpy toothy wrapper with small veins all over, a couple large ones, thick seams and a very nice slightly sweet chocolate aroma. First light reveals a firm draw, adaquate smoke production and flavors of a sweet tobacco with a rich and oily long finish. The first third develops in to a slightly musty aged tobacco taste with a oily and rich finish with a touch of caramel like sweetness. Smoke production is very good giving a thick and chewy medium-full body. The 2nd third proves very close to the first, bringing a hint of leather in at points. Ending at 1:15 the last third is pretty much the same, only adding a touch of dusty chocolate and a longer tobacco finish. Thank you very much to Jeremie Plouffe for sending me this sample for review, I really appreciate it! Photography by BG Pictures.
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! Photography by BG Pictures.
May 5
Nub Connecticut 464 Torpedo Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Nub Connecticut 464 Torpedo Cigar Review
This 4×64 stick offers a medium tan, firm, thin stretched wrapper with minor visible veins and seams. The aroma is a very faint tobacco and it has a smooth velvet texture. First light revelas an easy draw, plenty of smoke production giving flavors of grass and nuts, with an oily smooth, long finish. By 10 minutes in the flavors settled to a mild-medium bodied creamy nut flavor with a touch of pepper but no spice. Those exact same flavors carried through the entire stick ending with about 1″ left at 45 minutes. The only shift was in the heat of the smoke, getting too hot for my taste just past the band. Thank you very much to Michael Yamashita for sending this in for review! Photography by BG Pictures. (Video correction: Ring gauge is measured in 1/64th”, this NUB is 1″)
Apr 19
Don Tomas Clasico Presidente Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, April 19, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Don Tomas Clasico Presidente Cigar Review
This 7.5×50 stick offers a medium brown, very soft and satiny wrapper with almost no veins and clean seams topped by a double cap. The aroma is a potent but soft tobacco with a touch of pepper. First light reveals a tight draw, medium-full body, good smoke production and a slightly sweet, peppery wood and tobacco flavor. The first third holds the same profile, with a great even burn and good smoke production despite the firm draw. The ash holds on for 1 1/2″ and at the 30 min mark the draw opened up slightly, increasing smoke production and body to a medium-full. Flavors transitioned to a soft leahter, heavy earth, slight sweetness and black pepper with a bit of zing on the long finish. 40 min in at the end of the first third, flavors had gone to a rich, oly creamy butter with hints of cocoa and a dry licorice, the finish a dry tobacco. Smoke output kept increasing also getting richer with a slightly looser draw. 1:10 in at the 1/2 way point flavors were a rich creamy leather with a short smooth tobacco finish. Draw continued to ease and smoke output still increased to a great level of amount and richness. Ending at 1:45 with about 1″ remaining, the flavors took on an additional component of a slight cocoa in the last third adding to an already rich pleasant collection. Thank you very much to Jeremie Plouffe for generously sending me this sample for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Apr 9
Padron 1926 Anniversary No. 6 Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, April 9, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Padron 1926 Anniversary No. 6 Cigar Review
This 4.7×50 stick offers a mottled medium chocolate glove soft wrapper, with seams you can see but not feel and almost no veins even visible. It has a uniform firm but not hard feel, a tight box press, double cap and has a slight oil sheen, giving a mild tobacco and pepper aroma. First light reveals a smooth pepper and tobacco with a hint of coffee on the long finish. The draw is perfect producing copious amounts of oily, rich smoke. The burn is actually pretty fast for a Padron, getting through the 1st third in 20 minutes. It’s a full body and near full strength, giving me the jitters slightly. Flavors are typically Padron complex, with leather, pepper and spice, nuts, coffee, cocoa, tobacco and earth all blended smoothly and richly together with a long finish and tons of smoke. The 2nd third toned the body and complexity down somewhat, turning to a medium-full creamy cocoa and touch of leather with much less pepper and spice. The finish is still long and oily with great smoke production. Ending the stick with an inch remaining at the 50 min mark the draw was getting very hot. Flavors had remained consistent from the 1/2 way point with rich creamy coffee and cocoa and a slightly peppery finish. Photography by BG Pictures.
Apr 2
Maribel Maduro Churchill Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, April 2, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
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 Photography by BG Pictures.
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. Photography by BG Pictures.
Mar 26
Tambo Perfecto Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, March 26, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
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! Photography by BG Pictures.
Mar 17
Primer Mundo Habano Criollo Maduro Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Primer Mundo Habano Criollo Maduro Cigar Review
This 5×50 box press stick offers a mottled, oily satin wrapper with a dark chocolate hue, minimal viens, smooth seams and a tight press. The aroma is of a mild sweet tobacco. First light reveals a draw on the firm side, a very smooth silky smoke, although light on production. Flavors are a medium bodied slightly peppery tobacco. There is a heavy slight bitterness to it, not unpleasant, much like a bitter chocolate experience. The stick proved to be extremely consistent, holding the exact same flavors from start to finish at the 1 hour mark. Thank you very much to Primer Mundo Cigars for sending this for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Mar 15
262 Paradigm Torpedo Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, March 15, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
262 Paradigm Torpedo Cigar Review
This 6.25×54 stick offers a thick, dark toothy maduro wrapper with minimal veins and tight even seams and construction. The aroma is a mild peppery tobacco. On first light the draw is very firm, and I had to cut it down to the edge of the shoulder. It remained tight, putting off a minimal amount of smoke. The flavors were a mild-medium slightly sweet leather, with a finish of slightly peppery tobacco. The second third only showed the leather flavor to disappear, replaced by a plain tobacco. 55 min in at the 1/2 way point the draw opened up to normal, the smoke production went up and flavors transitioned to a mild-medium body of earth, a touch of caramel and a bit of black pepper. The finish was still short with just a mild peppery tobacco. The last third showed some really nice flavors, morphing to a medium bodied coffee with an undertone of licorice and pepper, with a longer finish of a peppery earth. Burn was excellent all the way down, holding a 1″ tight bright white ash. Total burn time was 1:30 to the nub. Thank you very much to 262 for sending this sample for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Feb 26
The Griffin’s Perfecto Cigar Review
Posted on Friday, February 26, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
The Griffin’s Perfecto Cigar Review
This 4 5/8×52 perfecto stick offered a medium tan smooth wrapper with good seams and a rock hard pack. Presenting draw problems until 1/4″ was clipped off the head and a further 1/2″ was burned off the foot, it finally settled to a just slightly firm draw. Burn was very good all the way down giving a rich voluminous smoke output. Flavors were very consistent showing a creamy cedar wood and slight pepper kick, with a short clean finish just leaving a touch of the pepper. Total burn time was 55min. Thank you very much to Michael Yamashita for sending this in for review, I greatly appreciate it! Photography by BG Pictures.
Feb 17
La Aurora Belicoso Maduro Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
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! Photography by BG Pictures.
Feb 10
Victor Sinclair Triple Corojo Toro Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Victor Sinclair Triple Corojo Toro Cigar Review
This 6×50 medium tan stick offers a soft satin wrapper with minimal veins and very smooth seams with a triple cap. Body started medium-full pulling down to a medium by the 2nd third. Strength slowly built up to full by the end of the stick at the 1:10 hour mark. Burn and draw were both excellent from start to finish, holding a very straight burn with just the right amount of resistance. Flavors were fairly consistent to the last third, giving a smooth, slightly chewy smoke with a creamy leather and slight pepper kick. The finish was long, growing heavy and slightly bitter as it burned down. The final third brought a creamy chewy earthiness with a hint of licorice, and a cleaner finish of oil, cream and the same chewiness on the palate. The only problem with this stick was a terrible band glue job, with a huge glob on the wrapper taking a chunk with the band. Luckily it did not breach and still smoked perfectly. Thank you very much to Ken Glass for sending this in for review! Photography by BG Pictures.
Jan 20
Camacho Pre-Embargo Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 in Cigar Reviews
Camacho Pre-Embargo Cigar Review
This 6×48 stick is derived from actual decades old pre-embargo tobacco from Cuba. Offering a medium chocolate wrapper with a spongy feel, closed foot and pigtail cap it shows minimal veins and good clean seams. With a burn time of only 1 hour, it imparts a medium-full body and full strength, giving a rush and buzz just an inch in to the smoke. Smoke output was voluminous after burning off the closed foot, giving rich smooth flavors. The first half showed a typical aged tobacco smoothness with a bit of mustiness and a good pepper zing on the long finish. At the half way point it transitioned to a creamy flavor and light leather, keeping the cream through the finish where the pepper joined in. Burn was wavy but it performed well all the way down with a draw just on the loose side. If you want these you must buy now while they exist. 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.
Dec 30
Cienfuegos Engine #5 Cigar Review
Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Cienfuegos Engine #5 Cigar Review
This 5×50 robusto size maduro stick offers a mottled wrapper with good smooth seams and small veins. Draw was loose but controllable with no construction issues. The ash was fairly toothy and held on for 1″ at a time before falling in chunks. Smoke output was very good, always thick and coating if not huge in volume. Flavors had a couple nice transitions, certainly appropriate for such a small stick. They included a nice spice kick on the draw and finish (not surprisingly), a creamy leather that transitioned to a predominance of buttery cream on the second half. The last third also brought a dry roasted nut and floral flavor that kept it interesting to the nub. Body was medium-full and strength followed in suit most of the time, with a good bump at the 1/2 way point going full strength for several minutes. The finish was always very long, holding thick rich flavors to the next draw. Total burn time was 50 min where it became very warm. This brand is produced by Reyes Family Cigars. Photography by BG Pictures.
Dec 21
Bucanero Red Torpedo Cigar Review
Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009 in Cigar Reviews
Bucanero Red Torpedo Cigar Review
This 6×52 stick had a fairly ragged wrapper, showing stretches, holes and tears, with seams lifting up. It had a soapy tobacco aroma and a tan, satin leaf. The burn and draw however were not effected, both were very good all the way down with zero problems. Draw was just on the loose side and burn was pretty straight with just slight waves. Flavors were very plain, offering a very mild slightly musty earth from first light to the band, where a slight licorice came in on the finish. If you need a cheap simple mild stick, this is a good option, especially for the price. Total burn time was 45 min. This blend is sold only through cigar.com and cigarsinternational.com and has nothing to do with Bucanero Cigars other than them using the name on the band. It is a short filler hand made blend. Photography by BG Pictures.