It is no secret that I am a huge fan of the cigars presented by this manufacturer. One needn't look any further than my Top 10 list from last year which featured two offerings from this company. EPC has really hit the ground running with his new endeavor and the quality of the cigars since the EPC Inaugural in 2009 has been very, very good. Couple this with the fact that he has included his children in the business and it becomes a real feel good story of success. I know what you are all thinking! When did the Czar become so sappy? Well, I do have a heart folks, I know it's hard to believe. I have been to the Emerald City and the Wizard reluctantly gave me one, as long as I promised not to use it too often.
This cigar comes forth with a ton of fanfare amongst the cognoscenti that I associate with, but I have a healthy amount of skepticism based on my dislike of the New Wave Connecticut. This cigar is cut from the New Wave cloth and that makes me a little nervous. Alas, I make the promise to smoke all new cigars and write contrite errr...concise reviews...
The cigar presents a little roughly. It has a rustic appearance to it as there are some prominent lumps and bumps beneath a wrapper that looks a little sloppy to me. The wrapper has some nice tooth to it, but it seems a little bit dry to me as I feel my around it. The construction seems to be very good, I can't detect any areas that may be any cause for concern and that is right in line with EPC offerings from the past. The pre light aroma is bready and has some citrus zest to it. The pre light draw is peppery, but also has some nice sweet bread and wheat notes.
The cigar opens with a profile that is intense for a Connecticut offering. There is a robust blast of white pepper up front that has unexpected power from the start. There are some nice wheat flavors here, but the pepper is the star of the show in the early moments. The flavors have nice depth, but some extra complexity would be nice. At the back of the palate there are some light wood notes showing through, but there is a dry spice note that is sapping moisture from the palate, an unwelcome development. The draw is exceptional, free and easy is the order of the day and plenty of smoke is produced with little effort. The burn is very solid and a nice ash is forming.
The first half of the cigar is a laundry list of flavors that border on being erratic, making an identity for this cigar difficult to pin down. The core profile still shows white pepper notes: but light wood, sugar cane, cinnamon and some clove notes are showing through here as well. This eclectic mix of flavors gives the cigar a schizophrenic disposition and instead of complexity lends to muddled flavors that don't really deliver. The back of the palate is a more subdued presentation of crisp tobacco and some light caramel flavors that are interesting. The draw continues to be excellent. The burn is sharp and no issues are showing at all.
The final half of the cigar settles in beautifully. The core profile finds an identity as bread and wheat combine with a nice pepper tone to provide a robust and complex flavor experience. This array of flavors gives the cigar a late presence as something that could be very special if not for the haphazard first half of the smoke. The back of the palate continues to be a solid backdrop of crisp tobacco flavors with some nice caramel sweetness to provide balance. The draw stays solid right through to the end. The burn is more than acceptable all the way through.
The finish was crisp and showed nice tobacco and bread flavors.
This was not one of my favorite offerings, but the cigar was saved in the last half.
Appearance- 86 not much to look at, but there were no huge deficiencies
Taste- 87 some nice flavors late, but the erratic early half takes away points
Construction- 94 the real hero here, the cigar performs beautifully
Strength- 88 a surprising medium/full that complements the profile wonderfully
Overall- 89.25 well above average particularly in terms of construction
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Esteban Carreras 10 Anos Maduro Robusto (5x50)
It has been two weeks since I last chimed in with a review, I've just been being kept down by the man. You gotta put together some sheckles in this life and lately I've had my earnin shoes on. Don't get me wrong, I have been smoking, I just haven't had time to smoke much new stuff recently as I like to devote real time to that pursuit. For this review I have chosen a cigar that has been around for a while, but one that I never really paid any attention to. I have reviewed some Esteban Carreras offerings before and they have all come out very average for me, but I had been told by many people that this blend was the flagship. My radio co-host also seems to really did this cigar, and I like to see if he has any taste at all.
The cigar is box pressed, this is a down check in my view. I have never understood this attribute and I'm pretty sure it serves no purpose. Things that serve no purpose have very little use in my mind, in fact I think box pressing can sometimes be detrimental to the smoke as it compacts any flaws in the construction of the smoke. The wrapper is nice looking, with some nice tooth and a rugged look, there are some prominent veins, but I don't pay them any mind. An inspection of the cigar leads me to believe that it is well made and I can't find any areas of concern. The pre light draw is a little bit tight, but it shows nice earth and rich tobacco flavors. The pre light aroma is spicy and seems dusty to me.
The cigar opens with a profile that is very heavy in the earth department and the first moments are almost muddy on the palate. There is some nice spice here though and I can see that there might be room for this to be really interesting. The back of the palate shows some middling coffee flavor that could use a little boost and some cedar flavors that are bordering on being sharp. The draw is a touch too tight, but I am getting enough smoke to not have any real concerns. The burn is solid and a nice white ash is forming nicely.
The first half of the cigar really disappoints me. I would love some balance and depth, but the main profile is still earthy with some spice. The flavors are not bad, but they show no development and certainly lack nuance and depth. At the back of the palate cedar flavors remain and they have softened some, which is a blessing in disguise. There are still some hints of coffee here, but the flavor is not giving me much more that a light tap on the palate at this point. I want much, much more out of a cigar at this point. The draw is opening up nicely at this point. The burn continues to be very solid.
The final half of the cigar improves, but it is not dramatic. The core profile shows some very nice spice and cinnamon flavors while the earthy tone softens and provides a platform for the other flavors to rest upon. The back of the palate becomes a nice mix of coffee flavors coupled with a spicy cedar tone that is very interesting. The draw becomes very fluid in the end and the resulting heat is a little bit troublesome. The burn is solid all the way through to the end.
The finish was average with earth and tobacco flavors that linger.
Appearance- 86 box pressing kills my visual
Taste- 87 a very average presentation
Construction- 86 some tightness early, then looseness late hurts the score
Strength- 85 an average medium
Overall- 86.25 slightly above average
The cigar is box pressed, this is a down check in my view. I have never understood this attribute and I'm pretty sure it serves no purpose. Things that serve no purpose have very little use in my mind, in fact I think box pressing can sometimes be detrimental to the smoke as it compacts any flaws in the construction of the smoke. The wrapper is nice looking, with some nice tooth and a rugged look, there are some prominent veins, but I don't pay them any mind. An inspection of the cigar leads me to believe that it is well made and I can't find any areas of concern. The pre light draw is a little bit tight, but it shows nice earth and rich tobacco flavors. The pre light aroma is spicy and seems dusty to me.
The cigar opens with a profile that is very heavy in the earth department and the first moments are almost muddy on the palate. There is some nice spice here though and I can see that there might be room for this to be really interesting. The back of the palate shows some middling coffee flavor that could use a little boost and some cedar flavors that are bordering on being sharp. The draw is a touch too tight, but I am getting enough smoke to not have any real concerns. The burn is solid and a nice white ash is forming nicely.
The first half of the cigar really disappoints me. I would love some balance and depth, but the main profile is still earthy with some spice. The flavors are not bad, but they show no development and certainly lack nuance and depth. At the back of the palate cedar flavors remain and they have softened some, which is a blessing in disguise. There are still some hints of coffee here, but the flavor is not giving me much more that a light tap on the palate at this point. I want much, much more out of a cigar at this point. The draw is opening up nicely at this point. The burn continues to be very solid.
The final half of the cigar improves, but it is not dramatic. The core profile shows some very nice spice and cinnamon flavors while the earthy tone softens and provides a platform for the other flavors to rest upon. The back of the palate becomes a nice mix of coffee flavors coupled with a spicy cedar tone that is very interesting. The draw becomes very fluid in the end and the resulting heat is a little bit troublesome. The burn is solid all the way through to the end.
The finish was average with earth and tobacco flavors that linger.
Appearance- 86 box pressing kills my visual
Taste- 87 a very average presentation
Construction- 86 some tightness early, then looseness late hurts the score
Strength- 85 an average medium
Overall- 86.25 slightly above average
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Romeo by Romeo y Julieta Robusto (5x54)
It has been some time since I last reviewed, my humble apologies to my friends and readers, I know you can't live without these nuggets of cigar wisdom. I won't bore you with the details of the last few weeks in my life, but you can all rest easy, as I smoked plenty of cigars during this time. A preponderance of these recent cigars were smoked on my trip to the DR to tour the La Aurora factory (15 in one day at one point). Enough details though, I may blog my experience at one point or another depending on time.
The cigar in question here is new from the folks at Altadis. As most of my loyal readers know Altadis does little that I like, however in this instance, they are billing this new Romeo as a departure from the norm in terms of strength and flavor. I like strength and flavor so this is my kind of marketing language. The first thing I notice is how modern the boxes and bands are, this is a serious degree of removal from the old fashioned and often staid presentations of the old blends, the message is that this is not your grandfather's Romeo. The cigar itself is very bulky feeling and a 54 ring is about as far out on the ring gauge scale as I like to go. The construction appears to be nice and the wrapper has a nice dark brown color that usual Romeo's don't have. The pre light aroma is full of cedar notes and there are some instances of spice in the nose as well. The pre light draw is fluid and shows crisp and somewhat dry notes of cedar.
The cigar opens with a profile that is severely one dimensional for me. The core profile is cedar, cedar and more cedar. The good news is that the flavor is not sharp, as is so often the case when cedar is the only profile flavor. There is just not enough depth or complexity here to make me think much more about this Altadis product in comparison to others, I am just feeling like it will be average at the very best. The back of the palate shows some light pepper flavors, but there is a disjointed carbon note here as well that just does not work. The draw is very fluid and plenty of smoke is delivered with little effort. The burn is solid and a nice thick ash is forming.
The first half of the smoke continues to wallow in a shallow pool of it's own mediocrity. The profile shows no real development as the core flavor remains full of cedar impressions. At one point I do catch some cream notes and some fleeting spice, but they are not enough to take away the one dimensional approach. The back of the palate has gathered a profile that has some nice spice, but there is not real depth here either. The draw continues to be very fine. The burn is still solid, though there is a runner beginning to show so I am concerned about the last half of the smoke.
The final half of the cigar finally begins to show some development, but it is far too late to help all that much. The core transitions into a sweeter coffee presentation. While there is still some cedar here, the overall profile is benefited by the addition of a complementary flavor. The back of the palate is really full of wondrous, tasty additions. The profile here shows a nice earthy flavor and some great caramel notes when taken through the nose. The draw continues to be excellent. The burn does run some, but I do not have to do anything with it so late in a cigar.
The finish was middling with some tart and overwrought cedar flavors.
Appearance- 88 a nice modern look
Taste- 83 below average, not enough depth in the first two thirds of the smoke
Construction- 90 the burn issue takes some points away
Strength- 86 a nice medium, I expected more based on the adds
Overall- 86.75 slightly above average based on nice construction
The cigar in question here is new from the folks at Altadis. As most of my loyal readers know Altadis does little that I like, however in this instance, they are billing this new Romeo as a departure from the norm in terms of strength and flavor. I like strength and flavor so this is my kind of marketing language. The first thing I notice is how modern the boxes and bands are, this is a serious degree of removal from the old fashioned and often staid presentations of the old blends, the message is that this is not your grandfather's Romeo. The cigar itself is very bulky feeling and a 54 ring is about as far out on the ring gauge scale as I like to go. The construction appears to be nice and the wrapper has a nice dark brown color that usual Romeo's don't have. The pre light aroma is full of cedar notes and there are some instances of spice in the nose as well. The pre light draw is fluid and shows crisp and somewhat dry notes of cedar.
The cigar opens with a profile that is severely one dimensional for me. The core profile is cedar, cedar and more cedar. The good news is that the flavor is not sharp, as is so often the case when cedar is the only profile flavor. There is just not enough depth or complexity here to make me think much more about this Altadis product in comparison to others, I am just feeling like it will be average at the very best. The back of the palate shows some light pepper flavors, but there is a disjointed carbon note here as well that just does not work. The draw is very fluid and plenty of smoke is delivered with little effort. The burn is solid and a nice thick ash is forming.
The first half of the smoke continues to wallow in a shallow pool of it's own mediocrity. The profile shows no real development as the core flavor remains full of cedar impressions. At one point I do catch some cream notes and some fleeting spice, but they are not enough to take away the one dimensional approach. The back of the palate has gathered a profile that has some nice spice, but there is not real depth here either. The draw continues to be very fine. The burn is still solid, though there is a runner beginning to show so I am concerned about the last half of the smoke.
The final half of the cigar finally begins to show some development, but it is far too late to help all that much. The core transitions into a sweeter coffee presentation. While there is still some cedar here, the overall profile is benefited by the addition of a complementary flavor. The back of the palate is really full of wondrous, tasty additions. The profile here shows a nice earthy flavor and some great caramel notes when taken through the nose. The draw continues to be excellent. The burn does run some, but I do not have to do anything with it so late in a cigar.
The finish was middling with some tart and overwrought cedar flavors.
Appearance- 88 a nice modern look
Taste- 83 below average, not enough depth in the first two thirds of the smoke
Construction- 90 the burn issue takes some points away
Strength- 86 a nice medium, I expected more based on the adds
Overall- 86.75 slightly above average based on nice construction
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