Rob's Cigar Reviews

STILL KICKIN`...

2011-04-22T08:37:00.005+02:00

It`s been a while... More than two years to be exact. Life`s obligations took their toll, additional member of the family, work, health... I have continued smoking all this time, albeit much less...

Anyways, I decided to start reviewing again, from time to time... but to share only superb experiences...

Times have continued to change since my last post. Anti-smoking laws are stripping our rights as cigar smokers profoundly, every day more so. You can`t go out anymore and light a good cigar without some form of hassle, unless you smoke outside. Thank God, summer is just around the corner, otherwise we have to freeze our butts out on subzero weather for half- to an hour or more to enjoy our passion for cigars. Even casinos with their relaxed stance towards smokers, had to tighten up due to legislation. No more exemptions. I used to frequent casinos. Never played for some serious dough, just a couple hundred bucks maybe and played till I won something "of importance" or, in most cases, blew what I had =). I liked the beat of casinos with dingling lights, sounds, music, good spirit and general atmosphere. Oh, and the ladies there... Niceeeeee...

I remember, several years ago, when I last visited the casino, I lit up a cuban Bolivar, right there on the floor while playing Roulette. The people around me didn`t mind one bit, some even asked me what cigar was I smoking as they enjoyed the aroma so much. Ahhh... I miss those years.

Nowadays, if I want a little action while enjoying my smoke, I visit some of the top casinos online from the privacy of my home. Sure, I miss all the eye candy (read: beautiful female employees), but to be able to smoke while playing my favourite games definitely goes a loooong way towards creating the "right atmosphere".

So, until times change and hopefully they will, I will eat my candy instead of eyeing it, light a smoke, pour my scotch and roll the electronic dice.

Until next time

Rob

I AM STILL HERE...

2009-04-05T23:20:00.001+02:00

New reviews coming soon...

Sent from my phone using trutap

HOYO DE MONTERREY EPICURE No. 2

2008-10-26T13:47:00.024+01:00

HOYO DE MONTERREY
EPICURE No. 2
ROBUSTO

Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 4 7/8x50

APPEARANCE: very good, moderately veiny, evenly colored colorado maduro wrapper, a bit wrinkly, but appears well constructed, the only flaw is a stain on the wrapper just above the band... looks like some sort of resin residue

CONSTRUCTION: very good to excellent: firmly applied wrapper and cap, firm, nicely filled bunch with fine give, good cap, tight seams all the way

DRAW: perfect

BURN: very good, tipical cuban

AROMA: excellent

FLAVOR: excellent

DOMINANT FLAVORS: chocolate, salt, leather, earth, caramel

AFTERTASTE: chocolate, salt, leather, earth

STRENGHT: moderate

SMOKING TIME: ~ 100 minutes

GENERAL IMPRESSION: excellent

CUT: Double guillotine

PRELIGHT: salt, leather, strong molasses

LIGHT: torch flame lighter, easily

BEVERAGE: coffee black

1/3:

Upon lighting, cigar immediately releases generous amount of thick chocolate with woody background in the thick waft of smoke. Initial puff reveals salty background. Light pepper on nose blow but very, very smooth. Tipical cuban burn, thick mascara with jagged burn line. Body in the mild to medium range. Medium gray ash flakes a bit. This cigar is pure delight. Divine aroma of honey and chocolate linger in the air. Nearing second third, body slowly picks up momentum, while smoke remains very cool and smooth.

2/3:

Flavors remain constant, chocolate still dominates while wood acts as a backdrop. Smooth pepper with salt on the nose persists. Medium salty finish. Ashing reveals no cone. Since I bought single, I am not aware of box code, so I dont know the age on this stick. The key word describing this smoke is smooth. The cigar performs admirably in all departments. Body still in the lower medium, but with rich, full flavor coating the palate on every puff. One could almost eat the thick chocolaty aroma of this stick. Bordering on the final third, hints of vanilla mingle with wood in the background. Finish at this point turns to heavy wood, while salt lessens a notch of two.

3/3:

This majestic symphony of flavors continues. Heavier pepper is evident on the nose blow.

NUB:

The body of the cigar is turning soft, while flavors start heading toward bitter territory, but with chocolate coating still present. Finish is longer with heavy charred wood notes, while ash is turning darker and flakes more. Ash is not compact, much like thru the most of the smoke. No cones were revealed upon ashings. Body settles in solid medium. No tar build-up. Once I finished this smoke, I noticed that my fingers smelled fantastic... like warm, rich mixture of freshly ground coffee and sweet cocoa.
I love this cigar. It really shines in all possible directions and I will definitely smoke more in the future.

ROMEO & JULIETA ROMEO No. 1 TUBO

2008-10-23T15:08:00.016+02:00

ROMEO & JULIETA
ROMEO No. 1 TUBO

CREMAS

These used to be machine made. My three pack (new packaging, red and white tubes) states Totalmente a mano

Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba

Place of purchase: Gift from my dear sister

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5.5x40
APPEARANCE: very good, oily, even colored colorado wrapper on a bit veiny side, slight discoloration in the wrapper, but it provides character
CONSTRUCTION: appears very good, but IMO lousy bunching of the filler was the culprit for physical performance of cigar: firmly applied wrapper and cap, firm, nicely filled bunch with fine give, good cap
DRAW: perfect
BURN: whatever this was, it was NOT burn
AROMA: very good
FLAVOR: poor to average, what was gathered
DOMINANT FLAVORS: leather, earth, pepper, caramel
AFTERTASTE: salt, leather, earth
STRENGHT: moderate

SMOKING TIME: ~ 80 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: waste of time and money

CUT: Double guillotine

PRELIGHT: salt, leather, strong molasses

LIGHT: torch flame lighter, very stubborn
BEVERAGE: coffee black

1/3:The cigar opens with strong leather and earth, backed by ample amount of pepper. After only a few puffs, problems appear with either a bad light or construction problems. Two relights in the first quarter inch. Burn is ridiculous and it shows on the flavor, as bitter notes are already present. Ash at this point is flaky and sick looking. At this stage pepper is tamed somewhat while earth and leather dominate. Nose blow reveals salty notes on peppery side, but relatively smooth. Towards second third, nonsweet caramel joins the show, with leather retreating to the background. Pepper is out of the picture. Burn continues in erratic fashion, while the aroma of the stick is that of nice hay and leather.

2/3:Brings nothing new to the table, the stick goes out constantly. Touch-up is applied. Aroma is continually very good, with prominent earth, salt, hay and caramel. Towards final third, deep tunnel is formed and it show on the flavor. Bitterness is on the rise, while body is in the mild-medium range.

3/3:Stick finally went out completely. The ash shows signs of smouldering and relight brings back familiar flavors of earth, with leather and slight pepper, wrapped in solid bitterness, body in the medium. The only thing going for this smoke is nice shade of wrapper, nice band and heavenly aroma. Otherwise, I would have left this stick to die a miserable death in the second third at the latest.

NUB: Another touch-up, and I am tired of relighting this stick. The flavors are subpar with bitter, salt, earth and a pronounced chemical finish. Slight tar build-up is visible indicating that tobacco was rushed to cigar production.

As you have seen from the review, I loved the original flavor and aroma of this cigar, and would gladly smoke more of these, BUT ONLY if I was certain they would PERFORM. Sure, handmade products like cigars carry no certainty unless you light one up, but this is clearly production problem. Tobacco was fine.
No use having beautiful stick on your hands if you can`t make it burn, unless you dip it in gasoline. Hope others are light years better than this specimen...

EL RICO HABANO - HABANO CLUB

2008-10-14T07:34:00.012+02:00

EL RICO HABANO
HABANO CLUB

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5x48 (equivalent to cuban robusto-like vitola Hermosos No.4)
APPEARANCE: good, veiny but nice uniform colorado maduro wrapper, oily sheen, nice, simple, but nice band skillfully applied
CONSTRUCTION: very good: firmly applied wrapper and cap, firm, nicely filled bunch with fine give, one slightly loose seam on one spot
DRAW: perfect
BURN: very good
AROMA: excellent, divine raisin, cinnamon, pepper, leather
FLAVOR: excellent
DOMINANT FLAVORS: pepper, leather, earth, wood
AFTERTASTE: salt, leather, wood
STRENGHT: very strong

SMOKING TIME: ~ 95 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: excellent

CUT OF CHOICE: Xikar
PRELIGHT: salt, pepper, leather, strong molasses
LIGHT OF CHOICE: torch flame lighter, easily
BEVERAGE: coffee black

1/3:
First few puffs cut through the palate with pure pepper. This stick shows its strenght immediately, while the aroma fills the air with divine raisin, cinnamon, pepper and leather. Burn is cuban-like, with thick mascara, but ash is uniform white and very compact. Nose blow extremely peppery with salty, raisiny background. After half inch pepper tames from extreme to full and readily gives way to earth, leather and wood with hefty grain of salt. Aroma persists of fantastic burnt raisin-cinnamon. This smoke delivers a punch to the gut and head immediately. Finish is medium and carries salty, earthy notes. Resting smoke is substantial. Towards second third, pepper is tamed further leaving earth and leather to dominate. Raisin and cinnamon persist on the nose with addition of warm, sweet caramel.

2/3:
Flavors and aroma persist, with salt notes increasing. The cigar leaves palate dry, so drink is advisable - sugar variety, to combat nicotine punch. Ashing reveals slight cone, the smoke behaves admirably. Nose blow at this stage is almost pleasant. Body in the solid full range "in your face" style. At this point woody notes dominate with earth, leather in the background. Pepper still detected but only as a backdrop to other flavors. Finish lenghtens with salty wood trailed by slight bitterness, not unpleasant in any way. Crossing to final third, everything plays together really nice, with bitter citrus notes appearing, much like grapefruit.

3/3:
Flavors are static, only addition are slight nuances of roasted, salted peanuts. Aroma continues in fantastic fashion. I suspect the smoke would not be pleasant for bystander as it is real intense, albeit very aromatic.

NUB:
Nothing new is revealed. Wood dominates with salt, earth and pepper in close second. No tar build-up indicates good fermentation and smoke withstands abuse with no problem whatsoever. Body in the upper full

This is one fantastic smoke I recommend to serious, seasoned smokers only. It has enough power to easily floor someone who does not have the cigar mileage yet. I personally would decline alcoholic drink while smoking this firecracker as it would put me out easily and I smoke predominantly heavy stuff. Don`t say I didn`t warn you...

BABY GIRL

2008-10-14T07:22:00.004+02:00

On October 3rd, I have become a father for a second time. My two year old boy now has a beautiful little sister.
It really is a blessing, watching these two pumpkins wake-up in the morning.
So, posting has taken a backseat for a little while, but I still smoke and review, just do not post.
A little peak of what is in store for those reading this blog... El Rico Habano Club is coming up shortly, then we have cuban batch... Romeo No. 1 Tubos, Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2, later on my first ever Montecristo Edmundo, then Partagas Serie D, then 601 Red Robusto and the list goes on... So stay tuned and thanks for reading..

PARTAGAS PETIT CORONAS ESPECIALES

2008-09-26T13:01:00.014+02:00

PARTAGAS PETIT CORONAS ESPECIALES
PETIT CORONA

Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba

This vitola used to be machine made with hand applied wrapper. My box, coded SMG JUL 07 states Totalmente a mano.

Place of purchase: La Casa Del Habano Hamburg online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5x42 (used to be 5x44, but I guess when Habanos switched production method, they also changed the size on these)
APPEARANCE: average, slight box press, moderately veiny, evenly colored colorado claro wrapper, wrinkles, chipped wrapper on several spots, green dots on the wrapper
CONSTRUCTION: very good: firmly applied wrapper and cap, firm, nicely filled bunch with fine give, good cap
DRAW: perfect
BURN: good, tipical cuban
AROMA: very good to excellent
FLAVOR: very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: salt, leather, earth, caramel
AFTERTASTE: salt, leather, earth
STRENGHT: moderate

SMOKING TIME: ~ 80 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: good to very good

CUT: Double guillotine

PRELIGHT: salt, leather, strong molasses
LIGHT: torch flame lighter, easily
BEVERAGE: coffee black

1/3:
Opens with strong leather, salty earth and cedar, while pepper acts as a backdrop. Divine aroma of cedar, caramel and sweet baking spice. Burn tipical cuban, ash flaky. Nose blow peppery but on the smooth side with strong salt, leather and earth notes. Slight runner appears on one side, but corrects itself. Salt fades with sweet caramel appearing. Ash drops just as I want to tip it off. Body in the lower medium.

2/3:
Flavors at this stage are pretty much static, but very smooth with sweet caramel dominating and leather and earth firmly planted in the back. Aroma is excellent, sweet spice with a hint of vanilla. Burn thinned out and is quite even for cuban. Ash is dark grey and very chippy. Ashing reveals no cone, body in the solid medium. Pepper is picking up on the nose blow. Towards final third vanilla gains ground with prominent light roasted coffee notes while sweet caramel fades to backgroung, accompanied by ever present leather.

3/3:
Body slowly moves to medium-full. Smoke remains very smooth with light coffee roast, vanilla and caramel presence unchanged. Sweetness has lessened somewhat but still heavily present in the aroma. Finish at this point is long with heavy leather mixed with pepper.

NUB:
Flavors persist with addition of pepper and slightly bitter woody notes, but still very pleasant.

Partagas Petit Coronas Especiales are great mareva sized smoke, especially considering the price. When I first purchased a box in the early 2008, they had about 8 months of box age on them and were clearly showing youth. While they were good, they were way too perfumy and grassy for my liking, so I smoked only a couple of them to check consistency and put the rest to sleep. I have to report that as of September 2008, these are starting to come around and show great potential to be really fantastic with some more age. As a side note, these have a reputation of having the "old" Partagas blend...

GRAN HABANO COROJO No. 5 CHURCHILL

2008-09-23T07:39:00.021+02:00

GRAN HABANO COROJO No. 5
CHURCHILL

Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaragua and Costa Rica

Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 7x48
APPEARANCE: very good to excellent: great looking stick, uniform wrapper on the veiny side, nicely applied, A LOT of oils visible, very elaborate band, well applied, two bands "suggest a pedigree" to this smoke, very nice flattened triple head, evenly colored colorado maduro wrapper
CONSTRUCTION: excellent: the stick is well filled with only a slight give, nice roll with tight seams and a flat triple head in a cuban tradition
DRAW: perfect
BURN: average to good, as usual, with problems
AROMA: good to very good
FLAVOR: good to very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: compost, worn leather, pepper
AFTERTASTE: worn leather
STRENGHT: moderate to somewhat strong

SMOKING TIME: ~ 2 hours
GENERAL IMPRESSION: average to good (marked down for consistent burn problems)

CUT: table scissors

PRELIGHT: barnyard, dark earth, salty tobacco
LIGHT: torch flame lighter, easily
BEVERAGE: coffee with milk

1/3:
Opening delivers ample amounts of bitter pepper notes, but on third puff bitterness is lost with only pepper and dark earth remaining. Nose blow paints the picture in non-sweet caramel and wood nuances on a hefty peppery side, but still very smooth. Quarter inch into the smoke pepper eases to the back, leaving dark earth dominating. Aroma is fantastic, sweet wood mixed with caramel and new leather. The burn is among the ugliest I have seen, thick with dark gray and black ash. Finish at this point is short, spotlighting salty, earthy notes. Body in the upper medium range.

2/3:
Brings nonsweetened caramel with cocoa into the twist. Earth backs down a bit, but still is firmly planted in the show. Burn problems appear, bringing taste to its knees. Only charred wood with hints of caramel remain and ashing reveals a very tiny cone. At this point, a touch up is applied and the burn returns to acceptable. Nearing the final third, the flavor jumps back in the gear with dark, bitter chocolate and molasses taking centerstage, while heavenly caramel fills the aroma. Body in the lower full at this point.

3/3:
Surprise, surprise... Burn is acting up again and affects the flavor - charr returns. Another touch up is in order. Things get back on track yet again, but pepper reappears this time around, complementing pronounced dark earth and worn leather. Body settles in lower full, burning qualities leave a lot to be desired.

NUB:
Stick turns soft with bitter notes becoming more and more pronounced. Aroma is still nice spicy caramel. No tar build-up, nice fermentation. Finish long and spicy with charred wood on a salty side.

Gran Habano Corojos are a love-hate smokes for me. I love the appearance, taste and aroma of the cigar, but hate its physical performance and packaging (although I can live with packaging). These are very different from other Corojos and I LOVE Corojo tobacco. They have darker flavor profile, a bit less sweetness and caramel and a bit more black pepper and molasses. IMO the blend in these overpowers the beautiful, oily, silky Corojo wrappers. Not that this is a bad thing, just different. Now for the shady part: these cigars simply refuse to burn, so I constantly have to fight the burn. They are never plugged, but always seem to have some issues with the filler which constantly mess with the burn and form tunnels. Also, I suspect oil in the wrappers also adds to this problem. As my box is from January 2008, I hope this issue will be somewhat alleviated with more age. Until I resolve this, another box is out of the question for me, only fivers.

QUINTERO BREVAS

2008-09-18T15:02:00.006+02:00

QUINTERO BREVAS
NACIONALES

Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba

This smoke is machine made short/mixed filler with hand applied wrapper. It consists of scrapings of tobacco of more prestigious brands.

Place of purchase: Brnik International Airport, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Duty free shop

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5.5x40
APPEARANCE: poor, even though it`s a cheapie: looks like it walked all the way from Cuba, veiny with large veins, evenly colored colorado maduro wrapper, slight oily sheen, loose seams, sloppy cap, sloppy, tainted band
CONSTRUCTION: average: firmly applied wrapper and cap, even though it does not seem so, firm, nicely filled bunch - machine made, with fine give, seams visible and not very tight on several spots, cap lousy, but holds well
DRAW: perfect
BURN: good, tipical cuban
AROMA: good to very good
FLAVOR: good to very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: cocoa, leather, earth
AFTERTASTE: salt, sweet cocoa, leather
STRENGHT: somewhat mild

SMOKING TIME: ~ 70 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: good to very good

CUT: Double guillotine

PRELIGHT: wood, worn leather, touch of molasses
LIGHT: torch flame lighter, took some time
BEVERAGE: coffee black

1/3:
At the outset, soft, sweet cocoa greets me with just hints of earth and leather. Very chocolaty aroma. Nice and smooth nose blow defines salty background. Tipical cuban burn, thick, jagged mascara. Finish is short with salty and sweet cocoa notes. Slowly, sweetness seem to be reatreating in favor of salt. Cocoa dominates with touch of earth in the back. Ash is fragile and drops easily, but it is afterall a short filler smoke. Body in mild to medium range.

2/3:
Reveals nothing new, but it does remain enjoyable with no physical problems. The stick does not tolerate overpuffing well, so relatively slow smoking recommended.

3/3:
Burn problems arise and transcend to flavor, as it starts turning to bitter, almost chemical notes. May be my fault as I almost let it go out. Touch-up necessary, although I don`t favor regulating burn this way. Soon, the stick behaves again, but the addition of pepper is noted.

NUB:
Pepper dominates at this point, with bitter, charry wood nuances in the background. Body settles in lower medium.

Quintero Brevas are another cheap cuban brand. They cost somewhat more that Jose L. Piedra, but IMO deliver a bit more also. Flavor profile is darker, sweeter with rich, strong cocoa, even coffee notes, while JLP tend to be in the lighter profile range with flavors more in the earth, cedar and leather fashion. Quinteros are usually milder than JLP, but not necessarily. Both age well, as I have a few Quinteros left from 2004 purchase that are really stellar at this point. Just remember not to stare at them and judge them heavily on their appearance and you will have a great everyday companion.

PADRON 4000 NATURAL

2008-09-15T14:29:00.014+02:00

PADRON 4000 NATURAL
TORO

Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun grown
Binder: Nicaraguan Sun grown
Filler: Nicaraguan Sun grown

Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 6.5x54
APPEARANCE: poor to average: this one is no looker, veiny with some larger veins, evenly colored colorado maduro wrapper, slight oily sheen, slapped on cap
CONSTRUCTION: poor to average: soft bunch indicating underfill, soft, excessive give, tried to counteract with a punch cut, hastily applied cap
DRAW: loose
BURN: very good to excellent
AROMA: very good
FLAVOR: good to very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: nut, cocoa, leather, pepper
AFTERTASTE: worn leather
STRENGHT: moderate

SMOKING TIME: ~ 2 hours
GENERAL IMPRESSION: good

CUT: punch

PRELIGHT: earth, salty tobacco
LIGHT: torch flame lighter, easily
BEVERAGE: espresso

1/3:
First puffs deliver nutty flavor, underlined by leather and pepper. It tingles back of the throat immediately. Nose blow nutty with generous pepper - not recommended for new smokers. Draw loose, even with punch cut. Thin burn line with somewhat loose ash. It continues in nutty fashion strongly backed by pepper and a touch of worn leather. Abundant smoke. Nearing second third salty notes join nut and pepper in the foreground, while cocoa is detected in the back. Ashing reveals cone. Body in the medium.

2/3:
Slowly, unsweetened cocoa appears from the background and starts dominating. Pepper eased out of the picture and nuts retreat to the back, but still show presence. Light charry, salty finish. I really have to pace myself to preserve flavors, as the smoke overheats very easily due to excessively loose draw. Body in the solid medium. Wonderful aroma: chocolate and roasted nuts.

3/3:
Flavors at this point are static. Finish remains salty, with charry notes increasing. Pepper slowly returns and takes centerstage.

NUB:
Bitterness dominates with pepper trailing. Body stayed in the medium. No tar build-up, nice fermentation. Finish long, spicy bitter wood with just a touch of leather.

What to say about Padrons? They are really consistent cigars, good quality, value oriented cigars with great flavors and aroma. I just love them.... when they are good. My consistent ("PADRON" THE PUN :-) problem is loose draw. I don`t mind haphazard appearance, as I "judge" a smoke on its flavor and performance, not cosmetics, but loose draw really spoils the enjoyment I get out of these, as I have to pay really close attention not to overheat the smoke. I guess Padrons really loathe plugged smokes, so they over-insure it does not happen with their smokes. Otherwise, these are fantastic and every cigar smoker should at least try these.

JOSE L. PIEDRA CONSERVAS

2008-09-12T11:21:00.023+02:00

JOSE L. PIEDRA

CONSERVAS

Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba

This smoke is machine made short/mixed filler with hand applied wrapper. It consists of scrapings of tobacco of more prestigious brands.

Place of purchase: Local B & M

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5.5x44
APPEARANCE: very good, especially for a cheapie: veiny with some larger veins, evenly colored colorado claro wrapper, slight oily sheen, as far as short filler smokes go, this one is quite nice
CONSTRUCTION: very good: well applied wrapper and double cap, firm, nicely filled bunch - machine made, with fine give, nice tight seams
DRAW: perfect
BURN: good to very good, tipical cuban
AROMA: good
FLAVOR: good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: earth, cedar, salt
AFTERTASTE: earth, cedar, some leather, salt
STRENGHT: somewhat mild

SMOKING TIME: ~ 90 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: good

CUT: Double guillotine
PRELIGHT: earth, salty tobacco
LIGHT: torch flame lighter, easily
BEVERAGE: 7 years old Havana Club Anejo Rum

1/3:
Upon light intense earth and salt hit the palate, with wood and leather in the background. Smooth with no bite whatsoever. Nose blow effortless and defines salty notes on top of leather. Smoke leaves palate dry, so have a drink on hand. I sure did. Tipical cuban burn.
Rum brings out floral notes with wonderful non-sweetened caramel aroma and toasty finish. Ash is fragile and easily drops. Body in the mild to medium range.

2/3:
No surprises here, complex is not a word to describe this smoke. Flavors are static, but not unpleasant or boring. Body barely medium. Ash drops yet again and cannot even grow to an inch. A thing really going for this cheapie on value but not on performance is constant flavor. It does not budge and delivers what its got tall and proud. No bitterness, no tar, good aroma, thick, rich smoke and good, albeit thick burn.

3/3:
This is definitely a single tone tune, but it rocks anyway. A faint citrus note is finally picked up on the nose blow and also on the finish.

NUB:
More of the same `ol. It`s interesting to note that neither body nor flavor increased in the final third. Not even a hair. A textbook constant.

Jose L. Piedra are some of the cheapest cuban cigars you can buy. But they are definitely not "cheap". Sure, there is no complexity, no divine aromas, no silky wrappers... but there is honest cuban flavor and experience. For a short-mixed filler cigar or a cuban daily smoke you can hardly do better. At the prices they go for, you can stock up on them, let them rest for a couple of years and you truly have a small gem on your hands, plus your wallet will thank you.

I ought to mention that rum complimented smoke well, but failed to bring out more delicate nuances. It did, however, "lend" a substantial "body" to the smoke :-)

AVO XO INTERMEZZO

2008-09-09T14:17:00.012+02:00

AVO XO INTERMEZZO
ROBUSTO

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: US Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic

Place of purchase: Local B & M

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5.5x50
APPEARANCE: very good: a couple of larger veins, wrinkled, evenly colored claro wrapper, dry with just a slight oily sheen, but definitely not an ugly stick
CONSTRUCTION: very good: nicely applied wrapper and tipical dominican cap, firm, nicely filled bunch, with the perfect amount of give, a bit loose seams on several spots
DRAW: perfect
BURN: average to good, problems upon light in the first inch
AROMA: very good
FLAVOR: good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: earth, hay, salty floral notes
AFTERTASTE: earthy, charred wood
STRENGHT: somewhat mild

SMOKING TIME: ~ 90 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: good

CUT: Scissors
PRELIGHT: cedar, hay, barnyard, licorice??
LIGHT: torch flame lighter, took some time
BEVERAGE: Courvoisier V.S. Cognac

1/3:
This cigar starts with generous earth, hay and distinct floral notes. Salt in the background. Not a lot of smoke, even with perfect draw, indicates bunching issue. Thick burn line and wavy burn. All this usually means a hole in the filler and I hate this even more than a plugged smoke.

After an inch of working through the problem, the burn normalizes and finally flavors start to shine. Nice smooth, clean tobacco taste with fruity notes and easy nose blow on the apple-cinnamon side. Unusual and probably result of great pairing with young cognac. Very enjoyable. The ash looks kinda funny, compact, but definitely not "healthy" all around.

2/3:
Brings about distinct citrus along salty tobacco. Body in mild to medium range. Wife compliments on the aroma. Finish is very light. Burn finally evens out and ash regains "healthy" look. Apple persistently trails on the nose with only a hint of cinnamon. Short salty finish.

3/3:
Body climbed to medium. Flavors from the second third static. Physical performance admirable with no problems whatsoever.

NUB:
Salty tobacco with bitter woody notes. No tar build-up. Long salty, charred wood finish.

This is my "keep a few in the humidor for a change of pace" stick. It is well priced, quality, flavorful dominican smoke made by Hendrik Kelner. On its own, I label it ideal for someone who enjoys milder, but not mild smokes or a morning smoke. Courvoisier was great company to this smoke with its youthful, fruity profile. It "lended" a solid body to this smoke, making it also perfect for someone who enjoys a "hammer" of a smoke.

SANCHO PANZA BELICOSO

2008-09-09T10:57:00.017+02:00

SANCHO PANZA
CAMPANA

Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba

Place of purchase: Local B & M

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5.5x52
APPEARANCE: average to good: veins all over the place - varicose variety, evenly colored wrapper, nice oily sheen
CONSTRUCTION: very good to excellent: nicely applied wrapper and cap, firm, nicely filled bunch with fine give, slight box press
DRAW: perfect to firm
BURN: very good to perfect
AROMA: very good
FLAVOR: very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: earth, cedar, leather, some pepper
AFTERTASTE: earthy, some wood
STRENGHT: somewhat mild

SMOKING TIME: ~ 2 hours
GENERAL IMPRESSION: excellent

CUT: Scissors
PRELIGHT: earth, cedar
LIGHT: easily with a torch flame lighter
BEVERAGE: coffee with milk

1/3:
Earth, cedar and thin pepper greet me at the outset of this smoke. Nose blow floral, smooth. Vanilla reveales itself on the nose. I really enjoy this fantastic aroma. Tipical cuban burn, mild to medium body. After half an inch, leather and wood join earth, while cedar fades to background. Pepper is no longer detected. The smoke is smooth with woody finish on a slightly bitter side, but not unpleasant. I noticed substantial rest burn. Nose blow picking up citrus notes.

2/3:
Citrus becomes prominent with wood accent, leather and earth retreat to back, but don`t go unnoticed. Body climbes to medium and holds. Vanilla persists on the nose. Nearing the final third, cocoa is gaining momentum with ever-so-slightly anise, just barely enough to notice.
I have never picked this note before and it took a while to pinpoint. Sort of reminiscent of greek spirit Ouzo.

3/3:
Even though very compact, the ash suddenly drops. Small cones formed throughout the smoke, indicating aged, rested cigar, but no way to confirm this as I purchased singles and haven`t checked the box when buying. Flavorwise, wood dominates with bitterness slowly rearing its ugly head. Luckily, it didn`t last but a few puffs. Finish fruity - citrus and anise. Body settled in solid medium. Tunnel starts forming at this point.

NUB:
Enjoying this one so much, I burned the band. Nothing new transitioning to the nub, everything just complementing everything. Delivers until I burned my fingers.

This cigar is usually too mild for me, but today I was really beat from rearranging our bedroom for my soon-to-be-born baby girl and it was just what the doctor ordered. At 9 EUR per stick it`s a little steep for me for a box buy, but I will always have a couple on hand.

PUNCH PUNCH

2008-09-08T14:57:00.017+02:00

PUNCH PUNCH
CORONA GORDA

Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba

Place of purchase: Local B & M

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5 5/8x46
APPEARANCE: very good: a bit veiny, evenly colored colorado wrapper with dark splotches, dryish with slight oily sheen
CONSTRUCTION: very good to excellent: firm, nicely filled bunch, well applied wrapper and triple cap, slight box press
DRAW: perfect to firm
BURN: very good, but tipical cuban
AROMA: excellent
FLAVOR: very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: leather, pepper, earth
AFTERTASTE: leather, citrus, tobacco
STRENGHT: somewhat strong to strong

SMOKING TIME: ~ 2 hours
GENERAL IMPRESSION: excellent

CUT: XIKAR
PRELIGHT: leather, wood, molasses, sweet tobacco
LIGHT: torch flame lighter, easily
BEVERAGE: coffee with milk

1/3
Opens with a dose of black pepper riding on the notes of earth and cedar. Nose blow pure pepper - not recommended. This is one strong puppy. After only a few puffs, I can feel it`s effect. At quarter inch pepper is easing up a bit and earth with cedar dominate. There is faint vanilla on the nose already and my wife compliments the aroma. Tipical cuban burn: wavy with thick mascara.

2/3
The ash is fragile and suddenly drops. Leather is gaining on earth and cedar with spice firmly in the back. Vanilla persists on the nose and compliments smoke nicely. Body in the lower full. The ash flowers a bit, but no biggie. I have picked up a nuance in this smoke, but can`t put a finger on it. I just remember sensation from the past. No burning cones for this smoke - this usually signs a well aged smoke. Have no idea how old this stick is as I picked up just a fiver, but had it in my humidor for about 6-8 months.

3/3
At this point, the smoke gets steady, no sudden turns anymore, a nice flavor symphony just continues with pronounced vanilla on the nose. No tar build-up anywhere in sight, the burn continuing in cuban fashion. The cigar can withstand a bout of overpuffing easily without spoiling the flavor, which is very deep and rich.

NUB:
Body settles in full. The aforementioned flavors continue with citrus finish that is not very heavy and lingers nicely on the palate. My fingers smell fantastic.

Great smoke, lots of complexity. Subtle notes come and go until final, when everything just plays really well together. If not for 9 EUR a pop, (approx. 13 USD local rate) I would smoke this constantly.

UPDATE II.

2008-09-05T07:26:00.004+02:00

I have added a section containing links to web sites I check regularly if not daily. These are IMO the most informative, in-depth, concise, readable, fun and enjoyable cigar spots on the Web.

I will also be adding another section on great places to shop for cigars, with emphasis FROM all-over the world - TO all over the world.
Being from Europe, trying to buy online from US-based shops, I more often than not get the "we only ship domestically". Too bad, as there are a lot of great non cuban smokes people don`t know about overseas. Hope that will change sometime soon.

ROMEO & JULIETA MILLE FLEURS

2008-09-03T07:57:00.019+02:00

ROMEO & JULIETA MILLE FLEURS

PETIT CORONA

Origin: Cuba

Wrapper: Cuba

Binder: Cuba

Filler: Cuba

In the past, these were machine bunched with hand applied wrapper. My box from 2007 states "TOTALMENTE A MANO"

Place of purchase: Local B & M

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5x42

APPEARANCE: very good: uniform brown color with a few minor dark and green specks, veiny wrapper, with nice seams and triple cap, slight box-press with oily sheen

CONSTRUCTION: very good: firm bunch, tight seams, but with a patched head

DRAW: firm

BURN: average to good, tipical thick »cuban« mascara, wavy with problems halfway into the smoke, a couple of touch-ups needed

AROMA: excellent, buttery cocoa and leather

FLAVOR: very good

DOMINANT FLAVORS: leather, earth, caramel, coffee

AFTERTASTE: earth, leather, a touch of cocoa

STRENGHT: moderate

SMOKING TIME: ~ 100 minutes

GENERAL IMPRESSION: average

CUT: Xikar

PRELIGHT: leather earth, floral notes

LIGHT: torch flame lighter, took some time

BEVERAGE: coffee black

1/3:

Upon light, leather opens the show immediately with earth and slightly floral and bitter notes. Nose blow salty leather with a hint of caramel. The smoke is smooth. Nearing second third toasty caramel joins the mix, complementing leather. By now, all bitterness subsided. Very compact ash.

2/3:

Leather still dominates with woody finish and coffee undertones, while hints of vanilla start popping in and out. Burn issues appear.

3/3:

Leather keeps the centerstage. At this point burn issues really start to annoy and it shows on the smoke as bitterness returns with wood charr. Ashing reveals a hole in the filler, causing problems. Two touch-ups were applied but the smoke just kept going south.

NUB:

Bitter wood. No tar build-up.

This one is from my second box of these. I have half a box left. Based on their performance, I will not purchase a third box. They are not very expensive, but not greatest value for money based on what they deliver. They are okay, but nothing to write home about.

ROCKY PATEL CUBAN BLEND TORO

2008-09-02T14:06:00.023+02:00

ROCKY PATEL CUBAN BLEND

TORO COROJO NATURAL

Origin: Honduras

Wrapper: Nicaraguan? Corojo Natural (stated in FSS catalogue)

Binder: Honduran Ligero

Filler: Honduran Ligero

Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Exclusive (bought online)

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 6x52

APPEARANCE: very good: uniform color, veiny wrapper, with nice seams and cap, visible dark ligero in the bunch, filler is full of visible stems, found a torn spot on the wrapper near the head, but well salvaged by the roller with no repercussions on the smoke

CONSTRUCTION: good to very good: nicely applied and cap with a firm bunch

DRAW: a tad on the light side of perfect on opening, later perfect

BURN: very good to excellent

AROMA: average, cold smell on the wrapper very faint, foot is giving me nice sweetness

FLAVOR: very good, nice mix

DOMINANT FLAVORS: leather, cedar, caramel and a touch of pepper

AFTERTASTE: earth, wood

STRENGHT: moderate to strong

Smoking time: ~ 110 minutes

GENERAL IMPRESSION: very good

CUT: Xikar

PRELIGHT: leather, cedar, spice, salty tobacco

LIGHT: torch flame lighter, easily

BEVERAGE: coffee with cream

1/3:

The stick opens with pepper, cedar and salty tobacco. Abundance of smoke. At half inch, caramel with floral notes emerges and joins pepper, which by now, is lessening a few degrees. The smoke has a tipical »honduran« finish – flat salty tobacco, not something I particularly like. Burn is excellent at this point, thin burn line with nice, compact grey ash. Opening does remind of a cuban cigar to a degree, but completely without depth. Nose blow peppery.

2/3:

The smoke is a bit onedimensional, with flavors unchanged. Body in the upper medium. Dry, tangy finish with underlying charred wood. Leather notes appear with caramel retreating to background. At this point, the finish turns earthy and I am getting some light vanilla on the nose. The smoke can take a real beating with overpuffing, but simply refuses to overheat. Flavors keep delivering, with burn and draw excellent. No sign of tar build-up, as expected from RP. Ashing consistently forms nice cone.

3/3:

Body climbing to full, flavors remain: earth, leather, cedar dominate with pepper trailing behind and definite vanilla on the nose. Physical performance of the stick can match the best of them.

NUB:

Just keeps delivering. Body settled in lower full. Minimal ash flowering at this point. Finish is turning somewhat metallic with charred wood. Even with all the moisture built up in the nub, still excellent burn line with no bitterness.

This is one tricky cigar. It tries really hard to immitate a cuban cigar, and in more ways than one, succeeds. Its name says it all: CUBAN BLEND. It really is reminiscent, but simply lacks depth of a cuban. There is no cuban twang. Things that reveal it`s pedigree are IMO:

- very thin burn line with excellent burn. Only well aged and stored cubans achieve that, at least from the ones I`ve sampled.

- »honduran« finish – I can only describe it by »flat« as opposed to rich, full and deep

- no coffee notes whatsoever, no wet, damp earth, and »different« leather (like new against old, worn)

Dare I suggest (and I am no blender, obviously) a tweak on the blend: a higher percentage of nicaraguan tobacco, no cello packaging and longer aging. If pressed, I would say it reminds me of a really young Ramon Allones SS.

Rocky truly is a great talent.

UPDATE

2008-09-01T12:56:00.005+02:00

After adoring and checking my modest handy work - reviews, I have found them to be missing some vital information. Since I am using a Habanos Tasting sheet for reviewing the cigars, there is no section mentioning which tobacco has been used for filler, binder and wrapper. Pretty important stuff. Cubans roll only with their tobacco (at least they claim so), so I guess there is no need to expressly put "wrapper: Cuba, binder: Cuba, filler: Cuba" on the tasting sheet. But non-cuban cigars are usually not puros, so it makes sense to mention which countries "provided" the leaves for blending and creating our enjoyment.

Another missing piece of the info that should be considered is place of purchase. Cuban sticks I purchase locally at my B&M, but they carry only the biggest names. For greatest selection, I shop online at La Casa del Habano Hamburg. They have great selection of cuban cigars and also cuban coffee, rum and accesories with very good prices, IMO.
Non-cubans I buy online from Famous Smoke Shop, since they were willing to tackle international order, while, surprisingly most other giants were not. Their prices are also fair and their customer service is very good.

I will update posted materials with the above section, and include it from now onwards.

JOYA DE NICARAGUA ANTANO 1970 BELICOSO

2008-08-29T13:55:00.013+02:00

JOYA DE NICARAGUA ANTANO 1970
BELICOSO

Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo Sungrown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 6x54
APPEARANCE: very good: very few thin veins with very toothy, dry, coarse wrapper, evenly colored with tight seams
CONSTRUCTION: good to very good: nicely applied wrapper (which is quite thick, by the way) and cap, but very tight bunch, looks a bit overfilled
DRAW: firm to tight
BURN: average to good – for thick Antanos IMO excellent
AROMA: very good to excellent
FLAVOR: good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: pepper, wood, molasses
AFTERTASTE: heavy wood, molasses
STRENGHT: strong to very strong
GENERAL IMPRESSION: very good

CUT: Compact scissors
PRELIGHT: pepper, molasses, oak
LIGHT: 3 cigar matches, took some time
BEVERAGE: milk coffee

1/3:
Strong, sharp opening with pepper bomb on the palate. Soon wood and molasses tame the pepper but never really subdue it. Sharp nose blow – not recommended.

2/3:
Little complexity, all the flavors remain. This is touted as very strong and it delivers. Puff after puff, without lessening intensity. Unusually good burn and acceptable draw. for Antano. I ought to mention I have had construction issues before, mentioned in the Joya de Nicaragua Celebracion. review. Firm, solid barrel, very good construction. The cigar takes a beating but does not overheat easily.

3/3:
Very peppery and strong. Molasses persist. Very heavy on the palate with long, long, peppery, woody finish.

NUB:
The strenght went beyond scale, but still not what I would consider harsh. Tolerable for those of us, who enjoy a generous kick. Palate at this point coated with molasses, pepper and wood – almost like tasting a young rum. Finish is very long, so eating something or brushing is advisable soon, otherwise you are left with aftertaste even the next day.

This is one of my go-to smokes, if I can`t decide what to smoke. It is strong, bold, tasty smoke that delivers. My beef with Antanos and Celebraciones is crooked burn and tight draws, so I try not to go above 48RG, plus keep tabs on RH. This belicoso performed well, due to lower humidity I have been experimenting with. In Europe, we tend to go lower than 70/70 widely recommended for storing our smokes. English even practice about 60-60%RH for better long term aging their Habanos, which is what I tried, at around 62%. It works, at least short-term. Now, Cubans are not Nicaraguans, tobacco is different, though both can be really excellent, so I will see what this RH does to these smokes down the road in a few years.

LA GLORIA CUBANA SERIE R No. 5

2008-08-28T13:50:00.011+02:00

LA GLORIA CUBANA SERIE R
No. 5
ROBUSTO

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan

Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5.5x54
APPEARANCE: good: wrapper rather veiny, wrapper color not uniform – between the band and the head it gets visibly pale, it also has a tiny hole on the wrapper, exposing binder, only cosmetic
CONSTRUCTION: very good, tight bunch, nicely filled, well aplied cap
DRAW: perfect to firm
BURN: excellent
AROMA: good to very good
FLAVOR: good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: cedar, leather, spice
AFTERTASTE: cedar, citrus, a bit metallic
STRENGHT: moderate
SMOKING TIME: ~ 100 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: good

CUT: Xikar
PRELIGHT: cedar, earth
LIGHT: classic flame lighter, took some time
BEVERAGE: milk coffee

1/3:
Upon light greeted by cedar, with earth and spice in the background. Not particularly strong. After a few puffs leather becomes dominant. Nose blow spicy but not harsh. Funky metallic finish on palate – sort of citrusy with some wood. Definitely on the sour side.

2/3:
Great burn with very compact ash. Leather, cedar dominate as vanilla notes emerge in the background. Leaves palate dry. Metallic finish persists along with citrus. Medium body. Nearing final third, vanilla is all but gone only hints are left.

3/3:
Wood becomes the center stage, finish remains. Body firmly planted in medium.

NUB:
The smoke became somewhat bitter with black pepper notes and tobacco. No tar build-up visible, nicely fermented tobacco. The body moved to medium-full.

Right now, I am on a box of these, having smoked 2. They are good smokes, tasty and consistent. Buuut, my decision on the box came about from a couple of samples from different sizes that were infinitely better than these two. Those were strong, really strong, with even greater complexity and pronounced coffee present along with cedar, black pepper, vanilla and baking spice. Maybe these are still a bit young. I will sample the rest of the box at about one a month to see if they improve.

DON KIKI BROWN LABEL TORPEDO

2008-08-27T17:00:00.005+02:00

DON KIKI BROWN LABEL
TORPEDO

Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sungrown Criollo
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

Place of purchase: Indulge Cigars Online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 6x54
APPEARANCE: excellent: great looking pyramide with nice point, firm bunch, good roll, even colored, toothy wrapper, tight seams
CONSTRUCTION: excellent
DRAW: perfect
BURN: very good: it ran a bit on one side, but evened out effortlessly
AROMA: good to very good
FLAVOR: good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: cocoa, earth, nut
AFTERTASTE: funky something woody, nutty??
STRENGHT: moderate
SMOKING TIME: ~ 120 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: average

CUT: Table scissors
PRELIGHT: cocoa, nut, dark earth
LIGHT: easily torch flame lighter
BEVERAGE: coffee with a touch of milk

1/3:
Unsweetened cocoa on opening with toasted nuts and aged tobacco from the get-go. Very little spice, if any. Easy nose blow, picked up nutty nuances. Only mild-medium body.

2/3:
At the start of this third dark earth begins to show, with nutty flavors taking a backseat. Easy smoke, but not remarkable. Barely medium body. Great draw with nice chocolaty aroma, abundance of smoke. Smooth on the palate.

3/3:
Not very complex smoke, the flavors are consistent. Body gained to solid medium, although touted full on Cuban Crafters website. Slight licorice is evident on the palate.

NUB:
Dark earth persists with some funky taste I can`t put a finger on – tangy, metallic, moisty... but definitely charred wood beneath. Long finish – eat something or go brush.

To me, this is an everyday, average but quality smoke. If I lived Stateside, I would probably have a box on hand for everyday or buddies, but since I hail from Europe, with all the shipping costs, plus killer taxes it is not feasible for me to buy a box. I can get similar taste profile at my tobacconist for much less dough and save the cash for something more special.

LA FLOR DOMINICANA DOUBLE LIGERO DL-600

2008-08-27T11:44:00.009+02:00

LA FLOR DOMINICANA DOUBLE LIGERO DL-600
ROBUSTO

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra Sungrown
Binder: Dominican Ligero
Filler: Dominican Ligero

Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5.25x52
APPEARANCE: excellent: single prominent vein, firmly packed bunch, great roll, even colored somewhat toothy colorado wrapper with oily patina
CONSTRUCTION: very good to excellent
DRAW: perfect
BURN: good to very good: tried to go out on me twice – my fault, but with a little work, it evened out on its own, otherwise straight and not so narrow mascara
AROMA: excellent
FLAVOR: very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: pepper, leather, earth
AFTERTASTE: salt, cayenne pepper, earth
STRENGHT: very strong
SMOKING TIME: ~ 100 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: very good to excellent

CUT: Xikar
PRELIGHT: divine: raisins, honey, pepper tingle on the throat. Very strong prelight
LIGHT: torch flame lighter took some time
BEVERAGE: light Cuba Libre

1/3:
Opens with pepper, the cayenne variety, hot, but at the same without any harshness whatsoever. After a quarter inch, earth and leather introduce themselves, with citrus and fruit notes underneath, plus a hint of salt and some sweet spice is detected on the palate. Nose blow peppery, but not unpleasant at all. Smooth all around.

2/3:
Smooth is the operating word here. S-M-O-O-T-H. Very strong cigar, but it sneaks up on you, it`s not in your face power. Great pepper, spice, earth and leather just dance on palate with the awesome raisiny aroma complimenting the whole experience. Nearing the final third, bittersweet wood takes the center stage with previous flavors retreating but still present.

3/3:
After purging the cigar, again I found fresh fruity and leather flavor, but with pronounced nutty finish – brazilian nuts to be exact. Very full bodied, but not harsh in any way. Towards nub some light bitterness creeps up, but not unpleasant – a natural evolution of a burning cigar – waste products and moisture are slowly building up physically near the palate and there is not enough rolled tobacco left to filter these flavors out.

NUB:
Bittersweet wood with bitter finish on top of pepper.

This is one helluva smoke. I imagine it`s not very pleasant for a bystander, as the smoke is really sharp, but extremelly aromatic at the same time. It is one of those smokes I would never pair with any sort of spirit – it would most definitely floor me. Cognac, calvados or even rum would be especially good company to this fantastic smoke, but even without, I took a blow to the gut and another one to the head. But it was a very tasty blow.
In my opinion, this is the only cigar (at least from the ones I have smoked) that comes close to resembling the ever ellusive Opus X for taste, aroma and strenght.

Litto sure knows his stuff.

ROCKY PATEL VINTAGE 1990 ROBUSTO

2008-08-27T08:28:00.014+02:00

ROCKY PATEL VINTAGE 1990
ROBUSTO

Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduran Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan

Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 5.5x50
APPEARANCE: very good to excellent: upper seam a bit loose, thin leveled veins, firmly packed bunch, nice box-press, even colored dark wrapper with a bit of redish hue
CONSTRUCTION: good to very good on initial inspection; but later on encountered problems: head cracked on clip, unravelled on nub
DRAW: perfect
BURN: very good to excellent
AROMA: very good to excellent
FLAVOR: good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: cocoa, salty tobacco
AFTERTASTE: faint salt
STRENGHT: somewhat mild to moderate
SMOKING TIME: ~ 90 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: average

CUT: Xikar
PRELIGHT: faint cocoa, tobacco
LIGHT: easily with a classic flame lighter
BEVERAGE: coke

1/3:
At the outset met with light, natural, non-sweetened cocoa and nicely treated and aged tobacco. No power, pepper or spice, just hints of earth and salt present. Effortless nose blow – just salt detected. Mild to medium body. Very smooth.

2/3:
Strangely, considering all the praise this smoke recieves, very little complexity, if any. The smoke is abundant, flavors remain unchanged, barely medium body. The burn is even, very thin mascara, with perfect draw. Great aroma of chocolate. Compact but fragile ash.

3/3:
At this point, I am scratching my head. Am I smoking a dud? I had very high expectations for this smoke. Decided to change beverage to Port. Good idea, as it introduced a whole new set of flavors: dark earth with hint of leather. Salt still in the background on the palate. As expected, no tar build-up.

NUB:
Completely lost head of the cigar and it started unravelling badly, flavors remained from the last third. Finish not particularly heavy.

Aside from bad head, which cracked on clip, I cannot help but feel that my palate has been off in this case. I have repeatedly found that milk kills my palate. Have had some milk and cereals for breakfast at about 10 A.M. Vacation time allows me two cigars per day and this one was sampled between noon and 2 P.M. I am certain milk prevented me from tasting all the great nuances reported on this fine smoke. Switch to Port was too little, too late. As this was the only smoke I had, the jury is still out for me regarding this Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto. By the way, does anybody know what is with this 1990 Vintage claim? I suspect only the blend remained the same, plus tobacco used has the same age on it as the original, but all the cigars with original 1990 plant/harvest tobacco are long gone.

JOYA DE NICARAGUA CELEBRACION CHURCHILL

2008-08-26T10:13:00.024+02:00

JOYA DE NICARAGUA CELEBRACION
CHURCHILL

Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online

TASTING SHEET RESULTS

SIZE: 6-7/8x48
APPEARANCE: very good to excellent: thin veins with a single prominent vein, very toothy, dry wrapper, evenly colored
CONSTRUCTION: very good to excellent: nicely applied wrapper and cap, firm, nicely filled bunch
DRAW: perfect
BURN: very good to perfect
AROMA: very good
FLAVOR: very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: leather, pepper, some coffee
AFTERTASTE: leather, tobacco
STRENGHT: somewhat strong to strong

SMOKING TIME: ~ 2 hours
GENERAL IMPRESSION: excellent

CUT: Xikar
PRELIGHT: leather, pepper
LIGHT: easily with a classic flame lighter
BEVERAGE: coffee black

1/3:
Very peppery on initial puff. Raw power. After a few puffs, pepper tames and gives way to leather. Very powerfull on nose blow, not recommended. Great burn and draw. Compact ash, but fell just short of an inch. Abundance of cool smoke. Subtle coffee notes present. Very nice flavor mix. Medium-full body.

2/3:
Leather persists with coffee, pepper faint in the background. Some cinnamon pops in and out. Body slowly picking up. Notes of citrus linger on the palate, not unlike grapefruit. Nearing towards final third, the flavor becomes sweeter with wood and molasses taking on ground accompanied with some distant charr. Leaves palate somewhat dry, so have something to drink on hand.

3/3:
Sweet wood dominates on top of slight nutty notes but with real clean and crisp flavors. Finish very short and a bit tangy. Body in the lower range of full. Cigar does not withstand abuse and smokes hot really quickly. No tar build-up visible, nicely fermented tobacco.

NUB:
Pepper returns with charred wood. It irritates the back of the throat. Short finish.

I really love this smoke. It is a regular in my rotation. The only bug I very often get from Joya de Nicaraguas, especially Antanos, are the burn issues, especially on larger ring gauges. But I have figured it out, as you can see in the photos. This brand is loaded with ligero, and that means lower RH is desired to keep the cigars in good smoking condition, low 60`s IMO. I started to keep all my cigars in this range and it really shows. No more plugged smokes.

WELL, HERE IT IS...

2008-08-12T10:28:00.024+02:00

... my personal cigar blog. Oh, I can see you scratching your forehead - not another cigar blog!? There are a lot of cigar review sites on the Net, some I speed-read daily and really enjoy them. Does the cigar community need another one? I have been thinking about that for some time now. Well, I decided to start one, if for no other reason, my personal enjoyment, as a personal log if you will, of cigars I have smoked and to try and evaluate each experience. I am far from being an expert, as I have only been smoking cigars regularly for the past 5 years, but have learned a great deal since cutting and lighting my first stogie, and will gladly share my experience with anyone interested.

As you will gather from the posts, I am biased towards strong smokes, although I smoke milder cigars as well. This is primarily due to my smoking in the evening or at night when my little boy is asleep, thus I want something to help me unwind, relax and kick me to bed.

Since cigar smoking is very subjective, I hate rating or grading cigars. Instead, in my postings, I will only observe, note and recommend cigars, based on my experience and the overall performance of the smoke. Sure, I could rate appearance and construction, but more often than not, some flaws do distract in cosmetic sense, but have zero impact on actual experience. Usually, perfectly looking sticks let me down in performance department.

How I evaluate cigars: I have stumbled upon a website of Mr. Rafael Bernardo, a great spanish aficionado, who has attended several Habanos festivals and has even written a book on the subject, THE ART OF UNDERSTANDING AND ENJOYING HAVANA CIGARS. On his website you can find a draft of official Habanos Tasting sheet, presented at the 6th International Festival of Habano, February 2004. Now, I don`t know if it`s outdated, but IMO it pretty much covers every aspect of cigar evaluation. I also comment on cigar performance in thirds plus a nub, as I smoke all cigars to the nub, even if unpleasant, just to see, in which direction the smoke will take me and where it will eventually leave me.

As pictures speak a thousand words, I will include images of actual performance. As a side note, all images will only be scaled down from original resolution, for faster viewing, snapped exclusively with my mobile. Since being an amateur, excuse occasional poor photos (note to a great photographer and reviewer, Kevin at http://www.theboxpress.com/ :-))

So, enough rant, here goes my first attempt... If you´re gonna comment, be gentle...