This diminutive smoke is new from Manuel Quesada of Fonseca fame and I was excited to see something in this size as I am tired of 54+ ring gauge cigars. This cigar has all the makings of a little firecracker. The wrapper is leathery and full of lustrous oils, there are few veins and it is applied well. An inspection of the cigar leaves me little concern about how it will perform. The pre light aroma is floral with slight cinnamon notes. The pre light draw is spicy, but shows some bitterness.
The cigar opens with a blast of rich leather, tobacco and spice flavors. This initial impression quickly dissipates and a more robust flavor of black pepper takes over. There is some bitterness in the opening half inch and a metallic undertone that is upsetting the profile. At the back of the palate the metallic undertone is more prominent. The draw is a bit tight, but I am accustomed to this trait in small cigars. The burn is slow and almost smoldering, I am concerned about this attribute so early as it usually leads to a fight later in the smoke.
In the first half of the cigar there is little development. Black pepper dominates the core profile, but there are still some bitter tones that hurt the overall performance. At the back of the palate the metallic notes persist and thus draw enjoyment away from the experience. As predicted I have begun the relight battle with this cigar and have to fire it back up five or six times throughout the smoke. The draw remains tight, but acceptable.
The final half of the cigar picks up steam in the strength category and erupts into an ultra full bodied presentation. The core profile maintains a black pepper center, but there are some spicy chocolate notes present as well. At the back of the palate there are still some metallic notes, but some cinnamon flavors have come forward as well. The burn continues to be poor, but the draw performs throughout.
The finish was short and showed some charred flavors with a peppery undertone.
Appearance- 92 a very enticing looking smoke
Taste- 82 unfortunate bitter and metallic notes overshadow the profile
Construction- 75 the burn issues kill this smoke
Strength- 88 a very nice full profile
Overall- 82.25 a very sub par smoke, very disappointing
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
La Aurora 1495 Series Brazil Robusto (5x50)
I reviewed this cigar nearly a year ago after I bought the rest of the inventory from my local B&M during a huge closeout. The results of the previous review were disastrous as the cigar performed so poorly that I could not finish the smoke. I am hoping for some different experiences after these cigars have rested peacefully in my humidor since I smoked the last one.
I immediately notice that the oils have diminished and the wrapper, while still holding a nice sheen, has taken on a hue that has less gleam than before. There is now a toothy quality to the wrapper that is interesting. I inspect the cigar closely and I can't find any reason to believe that there will be any issues. The pre light draw is a bit thin, but shows strong notes of earth. The pre light aroma is sweet and has some essence of coffee bean.
The cigar lights nicely and opens with a profile that is replete with earthy textures and flavors. The palate is coated with a dusty, thick coat of smoke that lingers in an attempt to convince the brain that there is a savory experience taking place. At the back of the palate there are some sour notes, but there are some essences of dark wood that are nice and smooth. The draw is a bit tight for me, but it imparts acceptable amounts of smoke up to this point. The burn is slightly off, but I am not seeing any issues that will cause a relight.
The first half of the cigar settles in to show some interesting flavor impressions. There are notes of earth and rich tobacco flavors that are straightforward and missing some depth and complexity. At the back of the palate there are some tones of dark wood and coffee, but there is a sour undertone that takes away from the impression. The draw opens slightly, but still remains just a bit too tight for me. The burn is still slightly off, but it is holding on and will not require a relight.
The final half of the cigar continues to disappoint from the standpoint of depth and complexity, but there are still some redeeming qualities. The core profile continues to be of earth and tobacco, but those flavors are not refined in a way that makes them notable. At the back of the palate there is a developing cocoa flavor that adds to the experience, but does not do enough to make the cigar anything more than average. The draw and burn stay the same as noted throughout the smoke.
The finish is long and sweet with notes of cocoa and rich tobacco.
Appearance- 86 a ruddy presentation
Taste- 86 slightly above average, but lacking in depth and complexity
Construction- 87 again above average, but the tightness in the draw was a drawback
Strength- 85 a very average medium
Overall- 86.25 a pedestrian offering that was better this time around
I immediately notice that the oils have diminished and the wrapper, while still holding a nice sheen, has taken on a hue that has less gleam than before. There is now a toothy quality to the wrapper that is interesting. I inspect the cigar closely and I can't find any reason to believe that there will be any issues. The pre light draw is a bit thin, but shows strong notes of earth. The pre light aroma is sweet and has some essence of coffee bean.
The cigar lights nicely and opens with a profile that is replete with earthy textures and flavors. The palate is coated with a dusty, thick coat of smoke that lingers in an attempt to convince the brain that there is a savory experience taking place. At the back of the palate there are some sour notes, but there are some essences of dark wood that are nice and smooth. The draw is a bit tight for me, but it imparts acceptable amounts of smoke up to this point. The burn is slightly off, but I am not seeing any issues that will cause a relight.
The first half of the cigar settles in to show some interesting flavor impressions. There are notes of earth and rich tobacco flavors that are straightforward and missing some depth and complexity. At the back of the palate there are some tones of dark wood and coffee, but there is a sour undertone that takes away from the impression. The draw opens slightly, but still remains just a bit too tight for me. The burn is still slightly off, but it is holding on and will not require a relight.
The final half of the cigar continues to disappoint from the standpoint of depth and complexity, but there are still some redeeming qualities. The core profile continues to be of earth and tobacco, but those flavors are not refined in a way that makes them notable. At the back of the palate there is a developing cocoa flavor that adds to the experience, but does not do enough to make the cigar anything more than average. The draw and burn stay the same as noted throughout the smoke.
The finish is long and sweet with notes of cocoa and rich tobacco.
Appearance- 86 a ruddy presentation
Taste- 86 slightly above average, but lacking in depth and complexity
Construction- 87 again above average, but the tightness in the draw was a drawback
Strength- 85 a very average medium
Overall- 86.25 a pedestrian offering that was better this time around
Friday, June 25, 2010
El Tiante Maduro Robusto (5x50)
This is a cigar that I have been aging for some time and I was looking for a time and place to again review this smoke. I came home weary from a long day of meetings and the pool, scotch and this cigar were calling my name. After calling up some Pandora on my netbook and settling in with some tunes I began the next in the line of cigar journeys that I frequently embark upon. The cigar has lost some of it's sheen that I recall from an earlier test, but it is still interesting with a nice medium brown maduro wrapper that shows some veining, but no issues. I inspect the smoke and fear that it may be rolled too loosely, but I am not overly concerned. The pre light aroma is of cinnamon and dark chocolate, there is a grassy undertone that is permeating the main body of the pre light nose. The pre light draw is also grassy, but is free and easy while imparting plenty of early elements.
The cigar begins with a profile that has some light dustings of spice and some interesting tones of light wood, unfortunately there are some vegetal notes in the smoke at this point that hurt the initial impression of the smoke. At the back of the palate there is a slight bitterness that is off putting, but there are some impressions of grass and light wood here as well. The draw is very free and imparts scads of smoke with each puff, if the profile were more involved this would be a cigar with which to luxuriate in voluminous clouds of smoke. The burn is sharp and produces a nice white ash.
After the initial impression, which was less than stellar, the first half of the cigar begins to surprise me nicely. There is the development of some notes of coffee and cedar in the core profile, while wisps of chocolate and cinnamon come into the picture as well. At the back of the palate there are still some hints of grass and vegetation, but they are being overshadowed by some nice impressions of spice and light wood. The complexity and balance of this cigar has improved dramatically with nearly a year of humidor aging. The draw and burn remain solid.
The final half of the cigar reverts back into some of the earlier impressions, and that is a disappointing turn of events. The core profile loses some of it's mojo and shows only flavors of light wood and some grassy tones in the background. At the back of the palate there are still some lingering flavors of light wood, but they are fleeting and the vegetal notes take over. The draw and burn stay solid throughout.
The finish is middling and dry showing some grassy character.
Appearance- 87 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 84 I wanted this to be higher because the middle portion of the cigar was excellent, but two thirds of it were sub par
Construction- 93 not a single issue here
Strength- 86 a very average medium
Overall- 87.75 saved almost wholly by construction, but I would still say this was above average
The cigar begins with a profile that has some light dustings of spice and some interesting tones of light wood, unfortunately there are some vegetal notes in the smoke at this point that hurt the initial impression of the smoke. At the back of the palate there is a slight bitterness that is off putting, but there are some impressions of grass and light wood here as well. The draw is very free and imparts scads of smoke with each puff, if the profile were more involved this would be a cigar with which to luxuriate in voluminous clouds of smoke. The burn is sharp and produces a nice white ash.
After the initial impression, which was less than stellar, the first half of the cigar begins to surprise me nicely. There is the development of some notes of coffee and cedar in the core profile, while wisps of chocolate and cinnamon come into the picture as well. At the back of the palate there are still some hints of grass and vegetation, but they are being overshadowed by some nice impressions of spice and light wood. The complexity and balance of this cigar has improved dramatically with nearly a year of humidor aging. The draw and burn remain solid.
The final half of the cigar reverts back into some of the earlier impressions, and that is a disappointing turn of events. The core profile loses some of it's mojo and shows only flavors of light wood and some grassy tones in the background. At the back of the palate there are still some lingering flavors of light wood, but they are fleeting and the vegetal notes take over. The draw and burn stay solid throughout.
The finish is middling and dry showing some grassy character.
Appearance- 87 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 84 I wanted this to be higher because the middle portion of the cigar was excellent, but two thirds of it were sub par
Construction- 93 not a single issue here
Strength- 86 a very average medium
Overall- 87.75 saved almost wholly by construction, but I would still say this was above average
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Ernesto Perez Carrillo Short Run Populares (4 7/8x50)
Ever since I smoked the prototype of the Inaugural 2009 after last year's trade show, and made it my number three cigar of the year, I have been anxiously awaiting the next installment from Ernesto. It is now here and I was pleasantly surprised to see an excellent, and unexpected, six to seven dollar price point. The cigar itself is banded very similarly to the Inaugural and it could be mistaken for one if you do not pay attention to the second band that indicates it is a Short Run. The wrapper is leathery and shows very few veins, it is very impressive to look at and the cigar appears to be very well made. An inspection shows me nary an issue and I can feel my taste buds warming up for this experience. The pre light aroma is heady, with notes of spice and nutmeg. The pre light draw shows some interesting dusty qualities and coats the palate with some early intonations of light wood and cinnamon.
The cigar opens with a profile that is deep, but somewhat lacking in complexity, not the same experience as the Inaugural. However, there are nice flavors of spice and the smoke is full, not in body but in character, leaving the palate coated with a satiny feel. At the back of the palate there are some influences of cinnamon and light wood and the cigar shows some more depth. The draw is pure and shows no signs of any issues. The burn is razor sharp and produces a gray ash.
The first half of the cigar shows some nice transitions. The core profile picks up an earthy texture, but maintains some sweet nutty flavors that are interesting. At the back of the palate the cinnamon notes subdue and the flavors of light wood and some spice take center stage. The complexity is somewhat better at this point and I am warming up to this cigar. The draw continues to be excellent and the burn is following along nicely.
The final half of the cigar continues to show improvement. The core profile shows notes of sweet leather and some earthy notes that are a nice offset. At the back of the palate there are still notes of spice and light wood, but there are some flat notes that smack of cardboard in certain spots. I am disappointed by the flat flavors in an otherwise excellent profile. The draw and burn continue to be impressive.
The finish is long and shows cinnamon and floral notes.
Appearance- 92 an excellent looking smoke
Taste- 89 some point reduced for flat notes late in the smoke and lack of complexity early
Construction- 97 an exceptional smoking experience that required no maintenance
Strength- 90 a nice medium/full that could use more kick
Overall- 92.25 a very good smoke and at the price point an early contender for budget cigar of the year
The cigar opens with a profile that is deep, but somewhat lacking in complexity, not the same experience as the Inaugural. However, there are nice flavors of spice and the smoke is full, not in body but in character, leaving the palate coated with a satiny feel. At the back of the palate there are some influences of cinnamon and light wood and the cigar shows some more depth. The draw is pure and shows no signs of any issues. The burn is razor sharp and produces a gray ash.
The first half of the cigar shows some nice transitions. The core profile picks up an earthy texture, but maintains some sweet nutty flavors that are interesting. At the back of the palate the cinnamon notes subdue and the flavors of light wood and some spice take center stage. The complexity is somewhat better at this point and I am warming up to this cigar. The draw continues to be excellent and the burn is following along nicely.
The final half of the cigar continues to show improvement. The core profile shows notes of sweet leather and some earthy notes that are a nice offset. At the back of the palate there are still notes of spice and light wood, but there are some flat notes that smack of cardboard in certain spots. I am disappointed by the flat flavors in an otherwise excellent profile. The draw and burn continue to be impressive.
The finish is long and shows cinnamon and floral notes.
Appearance- 92 an excellent looking smoke
Taste- 89 some point reduced for flat notes late in the smoke and lack of complexity early
Construction- 97 an exceptional smoking experience that required no maintenance
Strength- 90 a nice medium/full that could use more kick
Overall- 92.25 a very good smoke and at the price point an early contender for budget cigar of the year
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros 750 (7x50)
I will start off by saying that gimmicky cigars drive me nutty. Two wrappers, double wrapped, gigantic ring gauges etc....are all usually eye catchers to distract we the smoker from the fact that some company has wrapped up some dog turd and tried to pass it off as a premium cigar, I thought this crap stopped when the boom ended. I was apparently wrong because we have seen an unprecedented number of dos capas and other silly ideas floating around in the last year and a half or so.
The reason for the above diatribe is this cigar that I am reviewing, it is a dos capa vitola from La Gloria. The two inch section nearest the foot is covered in what appears to be a Connecticut shade varietal, while the rest of the smoke is draped in a dry and toothy wrapper that appears to be some sort of dark habano leaf (I am not one to research what leaves are used and such, I just smoke and report back to you). The visual impression is intersting, and they top off the presentation by putting the band on two thirds of the way down the cigar, so as to draw the eye to the gimmick. The construction concerns me as the cigar feels spongy, and I am concerned about how it will smoke. The pre light aroma is floral. The pre light draw is a touch sharp and almost bitter, but has some notes of spice.
The cigar opens with some bitter flavors of dry vegetation, but they dissipate rather quickly as the cigar progresses. There are some sweet floral impressions and a light peppery quality to smoke as it settles in over the first inch. At the back of the palate there are some impressions of dark wood, but there is an ashy flavor that hurts the performance early on. The draw is a bit tense for me, but I am not sensing any issues to this point. The burn is fading fast and I can tell already I will be in for some fight with this smoke.
The Connecticut part of the smoke proceeds for the two inches, or so, as I described above. Then the darker part of the cigar kicks in. I note a profile shift almost immediately and I am pleasantly surprised when the cigar takes a turn for the better. The core flavors are of cocoa and slightly scalded coffee, they couple with some peppery tones that are unbalanced when weighed against the other flavor components. At the back of the palate there are some loamy flavors showing through. The burn is a fight and I have to relight several times during this smoke, I believe that the cigar is too wet. The draw is also still too tight, but is loosening perceptibly.
The final half of this cigar settles in nicely. The core profile shifts yet again and shows some interesting mixes of peppery and a sweetness that I believe reminds me of honey. At the back of the palate there are gentle floral impressions and crisp notes of light wood. This cigar really has too much going on and the balance, complexity and depth are all hurt by that. The burn is a lost cause and saps much of the enjoyment that could have been had from this smoke. The draw remained a touch tight throughout.
The finish was nice and smooth with notes of crisp, light wood.
Appearance- 80 this dos capas thing does nothing for me, some like it and some don't, I don't
Taste- 86 a slightly above average experience, but the back half was very pleasant
Construction- 73 the burn was so terrible that I could have scored it worse
Strength- 88 a nice medium smoke
Overall- 81 a very sub par effort, I may buy some and age them and see how they perform
The reason for the above diatribe is this cigar that I am reviewing, it is a dos capa vitola from La Gloria. The two inch section nearest the foot is covered in what appears to be a Connecticut shade varietal, while the rest of the smoke is draped in a dry and toothy wrapper that appears to be some sort of dark habano leaf (I am not one to research what leaves are used and such, I just smoke and report back to you). The visual impression is intersting, and they top off the presentation by putting the band on two thirds of the way down the cigar, so as to draw the eye to the gimmick. The construction concerns me as the cigar feels spongy, and I am concerned about how it will smoke. The pre light aroma is floral. The pre light draw is a touch sharp and almost bitter, but has some notes of spice.
The cigar opens with some bitter flavors of dry vegetation, but they dissipate rather quickly as the cigar progresses. There are some sweet floral impressions and a light peppery quality to smoke as it settles in over the first inch. At the back of the palate there are some impressions of dark wood, but there is an ashy flavor that hurts the performance early on. The draw is a bit tense for me, but I am not sensing any issues to this point. The burn is fading fast and I can tell already I will be in for some fight with this smoke.
The Connecticut part of the smoke proceeds for the two inches, or so, as I described above. Then the darker part of the cigar kicks in. I note a profile shift almost immediately and I am pleasantly surprised when the cigar takes a turn for the better. The core flavors are of cocoa and slightly scalded coffee, they couple with some peppery tones that are unbalanced when weighed against the other flavor components. At the back of the palate there are some loamy flavors showing through. The burn is a fight and I have to relight several times during this smoke, I believe that the cigar is too wet. The draw is also still too tight, but is loosening perceptibly.
The final half of this cigar settles in nicely. The core profile shifts yet again and shows some interesting mixes of peppery and a sweetness that I believe reminds me of honey. At the back of the palate there are gentle floral impressions and crisp notes of light wood. This cigar really has too much going on and the balance, complexity and depth are all hurt by that. The burn is a lost cause and saps much of the enjoyment that could have been had from this smoke. The draw remained a touch tight throughout.
The finish was nice and smooth with notes of crisp, light wood.
Appearance- 80 this dos capas thing does nothing for me, some like it and some don't, I don't
Taste- 86 a slightly above average experience, but the back half was very pleasant
Construction- 73 the burn was so terrible that I could have scored it worse
Strength- 88 a nice medium smoke
Overall- 81 a very sub par effort, I may buy some and age them and see how they perform
Monday, June 7, 2010
CAO Brazilia Pirahna (4.5x46)
This is a diminutive smoke from CAO that I used to smoke frequently. It had fallen out of my rotation about four years ago as my taste and profile preferences changed, but I was recently in one of the B & M's that I frequent and I noticed that they had some and I decided to take a walk down memory lane. The cigar is as I remember, dark and oily with solid construction. All in all a very attractive visual experience. The wrapper is well applied and shows some veins, but not many. The pre light aroma is of earth and tobacco. The pre light draw shows more earth and a touch of light spice.
The cigar opens with a nice profile that contains earth and heavy notes of dark wood. At the back of the palate there are some hickory flavors that are unexpected and pleasant. The flavor profile is more than I remember at this point and I am wondering why I took this out of my rotation. The draw is fluid and produces ample smoke. The burn is even and a sharp white ash is forming.
The first half of the cigar continues to show a core profile of earth and dark wood, there are some dashes of pepper in the main body of the smoke as well. At the back of the palate there are still some hickory notes, but there is a vegetal flavor that has snuck in as well and it threatens to derail the smoke. The draw and burn continue to be superior.
The final half of the smoke deteriorates, but is still acceptable. The core profile moves into a more dirty, earthy presentation that is heavy and nearly acrid. At the back of the palate there are still some signs of hickory, but there are more vegetal notes that continue to disappoint. The complexity and depth just aren't there and I am remembering why I stopped smoking these regularly. The draw and burn perform well throughout.
The finish is middling, but shows some nice earthy tones with impressions of pepper and wood.
Appearance- 89 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 82 the final half was disappointing
Construction- 91 the cigar performed well
Strength- 86 a very non-descript medium
Overall- 86.75 this was slightly above average, but saved by construction
The cigar opens with a nice profile that contains earth and heavy notes of dark wood. At the back of the palate there are some hickory flavors that are unexpected and pleasant. The flavor profile is more than I remember at this point and I am wondering why I took this out of my rotation. The draw is fluid and produces ample smoke. The burn is even and a sharp white ash is forming.
The first half of the cigar continues to show a core profile of earth and dark wood, there are some dashes of pepper in the main body of the smoke as well. At the back of the palate there are still some hickory notes, but there is a vegetal flavor that has snuck in as well and it threatens to derail the smoke. The draw and burn continue to be superior.
The final half of the smoke deteriorates, but is still acceptable. The core profile moves into a more dirty, earthy presentation that is heavy and nearly acrid. At the back of the palate there are still some signs of hickory, but there are more vegetal notes that continue to disappoint. The complexity and depth just aren't there and I am remembering why I stopped smoking these regularly. The draw and burn perform well throughout.
The finish is middling, but shows some nice earthy tones with impressions of pepper and wood.
Appearance- 89 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 82 the final half was disappointing
Construction- 91 the cigar performed well
Strength- 86 a very non-descript medium
Overall- 86.75 this was slightly above average, but saved by construction
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