Nub Connecticut 464 Torpedo Cigar Review
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 (more…)
Xikar HC Series Connecticut Shade Toro Cigar Review
Xikar HC Series Connecticut Shade Toro Cigar Review
This 6.5×52 stick offers a thin medium tan wrapper with a few medium and small veins, a double cap and even firm slightly spongy construction. The aroma is deep pungent tobacco. First light brings a slightly firm draw, mild-medium flavors of a slightly peppery, mildly sweet tobacco. The first third is a very smooth, mild leather with a woody aftertaste on a long finish. It’s very simple, smoke output is minimal and very consistent with a perfect draw and burn. The 2nd third progresses much the same, only adding a caramel to the end of the draw flavors and the finish. The last third holds the same flavors however body and smoke production rose significantly. Providing a rich flavorful medium body experience, the smoke was thicker and doubled in volume. Ending at 1:15 with about 1″ remaining it proved to be a very well constructed typical connecticut. Thank you very much to Xikar for generously sending this sample for review!
Gurkha Micro-Batch Liga C-10 Churchill Cigar Review
Gurkha Micro-Batch Liga C-10 Churchill Cigar Review
This 7×48 stick offers a medium tan wrapper with a slight tooth, firm feel, double cap, minimal veins, tight seams and a rich oily deep tobacco aroma. First light reveals a slightly sweet note of caramel, touch of pepper, tobacco and overall an oily smooth smoke with a great draw. The first third developed in to a mild-medium body giving flavors of a slightly musty tobacco, creamy oily wood, with a hint of pepper on the long finish. Draw is excellent and burn is great, but fairly fast. The 2nd third came and went uneventfully. The last third developed in to a light creamy coffee, but still with a along slightly peppery finish. Ending at 1:25 the stick took on an almost bitter flavor going with the slight coffee and dry pepper. Thank you very much to Michael Yamashita for sending these samples in for review!
Ashton Cabinet Selection Pyramid Cigar Review
Ashton Cabinet Selection Pyramid Cigar Review
Sorry, I goofed on the pics from this one and formatted the wrong card 
This 6×52 belicoso shaped stick offers a silky soft light tan wrapper with minimal veins, a slight spongy feel and light barnyard aroma. First light gives a small amount of smoke but it’s extremely thick and chewy, leaving a heavy oily feeling. Flavors are a slight grass, cedar, and touch of tobacco. Taking a third clip off the head really freed the draw to a normal level and increased smoke and body to a much better medium. From the 1/2 way point at 45 min in through to the end at 1:15 flavors took on a creamy slightly sweet light coffee flavor, still with a rich thick smoke. The finish slowly increased carrying the creamy coffee with it. Than you very much to Ashton for sending this for review!
Xikar HC Series Criollo Lonsdale Cigar Review
Xikar HC Series Criollo Cigar Review
This 6×46 stick offers a dark tan very slightly toothy wrapper with minimal veins, invisible seams, a double cap and small pigstail twist, with a slight barnyard aroma. First light reveals a very good draw and smoke production, a slight sweetness, lots of smooth oily peppery tobacco. Body is a nice medium-full giving very flavorful draws every time. Reaching the 1/2 way point 30 min in, flavors transitioned to a smooth, dry tobacco with a slightly sweet licorice quickly fading to a black pepper flavor without any of the spice. The last third ended at just over 1 hour, transitioning to a creamy and smooth mocha – soft coffee and a hint of chocolate, very silky. Thank you very much to Xikar for sending this sample for review!
Rocky Patel Signature Series Toro Cigar Review
Rocky Patel Signature Series Toro Cigar Review
This 6×52 light tan stick is wrapped with a soft slightly toothy satin wrapper showing minimal veins, a couple small blemishes with a soft barnyard aroma. First light reveals a soft rich smoke, perfect draw with a deep dry earthiness and slight pepper on the finish. The first third starts off with a rich oily earth core and a huge spicy heat and zing that carried through the long finish. 20 minutes in the earth and spice died down, replaced by a buttery smoothness and toast. By the half way point the core flavors had changed again, this time to a dry toasiness – yet still oily, creamy and smooth. Body was down to a solid medium, and the finish lost much of the peper and spice. 45 minutes in the draw got very tight and the stick developed a very hard crispy spot about 1/2″ down from the head. After blowing back through the cigar a few times the blockage loosened up, possibly some tar buildup. The last third seemed to bring out all the flavors at once, very well blended together – toast, cream, cocoa, pepper, oil, a slight sweetness and long smooth finish. Total burn time was 1:20. Overall a medium bodied stick, it had strength in the medium-full range that only caught up to me after filming the video, making me a bit jittery for 30 min or so. Thank you very much to Michael Yamashita for sending in this excellent sample!
Flor de Cielo Churchill Corojo Cigar Review
Flor de Cielo Churchill Corojo Cigar Review
This 7×50 stick offers a dark tan wrapper with a slightly toothy, oily finish showing a good amount of small and medium veins. The aroma is a faint soapiness. First light is on the mild side showing just a slight sweetness, hint of pepper and a grass flavor with a long, mild finish of the grass. Smoke output is minimal, draw is perfect, just the right resistance. The burn is following some of the veins, putting burn lines straight down the stick in spots. By the start of the 2nd third the burn had evened itself out, draw was still perfect and smoke production increased to very good levels, giving a rich smooth output. Flavors had transitioned to a deep musty leather, with a good sweetness and black pepper flavor with just a hint of the zing. The finish was growing longer holding the sweetness and pepper flavors with a mild-medium body. At the 1/2 way point flavors had changed to a milk chocolate although slight, and the sweetness had caramel and licorice components. The finish was still mostly the pepper although the zing had increased, washing over the tongue. The stick proved to be consistent for the remainder of the 1 hour total smoke time. Thank you to Corona Cigar Company for sending this for review!
Corona Cigar Company Gold Series Connecticut Churchill Cigar Review
Corona Cigar Company Gold Series Connecticut Churchill Cigar Review
This 7×50 light tan stick offers a buttery soft, oily connecticut wrapper with tiny veins and invisible seams, with a faint aroma of sweet hay. First light reveals a very tight draw, minimal smoke production with a light, mild tobacco and nutty flavor and a short clean finish. The first third transitions to a light leather, slight grass and hint of caramel all very smoothly blended and mild with thick smoke, but not much of it, keeping the tight draw. At the half way point 55 min in, flavors had changed to a primary core of caramel, though still mild and slight – with a black pepper flavor and tiny bit of zing that carried on to the finish, which had grown in length. 60 min in the draw suddenly opened up a notch, greatly improving smoke production, pushing the body to a solid medium with richer flavors. The last third showed completely different flavors with the core going to a cream and nuts, with a touch of licorice and a finish of nuts and pepper, still medium bodied. Burn was very good all the way down holding 1″ of ash at a time. Total burn time was 1:50. Thank you very much to Corona Cigar Company for sendig this sample for review!
Corona Nicaraguan Selection 10th Anniversary Robusto Cigar Review
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!
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!
The Griffin’s Perfecto Cigar Review
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!
Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta No. 7 Cigar Review
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!
CAO Escaparate Ecuador Robusto Cigar Review
CAO Escaparate Ecuador Robusto Cigar Review
This 5×50 stick offers a light tan, paper thin wrapper that has some minor problems. The shoulder peeled off after cutting, a couple small cracks appeared above the band and there is a large patch below. The burn however was not compromised and it went just fine all the way down with a great draw slightly on the tight side. Smoke output was very good, producing ample volume with slow short puffs. Flavors in the first third were of a medium body creamy leather and an undertone of aged tobacco. The 2nd third shifted to a buttery toast and leather, with a bit of pepper flavor and zing that held on through the long finish. The last third transitioned to a medium-full smooth smoky leather with a bit of oil, that finished long and dry with a deep earthy aftertaste. Burn time to the nub was 55 minutes. Thank you very much to Corona Cigar Company for sending this 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!
Victor Sinclair Triple Corojo Toro Cigar Review
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!
