Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve (Sin Nombre) 2012 (5.75x48)

Some weeks ago some very good friends of mine suffered through something that I had to survive several years back, an event so life altering that no matter what age you are it shocks you breathless and leaves you in stunned reverie for several days.  They lost their mother, much like I lost mine to cancer about five years ago.  Granted the circumstances were different, their mother 92 years young and mine 54, but the sense of loss is the same no matter what age you and no matter what age she is.  See, you only get one Mother, most of us probably take it for granted as the speed of life takes us in myriad directions.  What you realize after she is gone is that in many ways no matter what direction I traveled my mother was my compass.  Always listening, never judging.  Providing advice, wanted or unwanted.  Always proud, never ashamed, even when she had reason to be.  There were days when I was not the greatest son, and I'm sure my friends would admit to the same, but there she was, like a shining lodestone in a deep dark place allowing me to find my way back.  Even after they are gone that shine still guides us, I miss her dearly and I'm sure they miss theirs as well.

As I sat at the funeral service for their mother I realized something else.  I never met their mother, but I felt like I knew all I needed to know about her because I know her sons.  You see, sometimes lineage is just as important as anything else and my two friends are two of the greatest guys you could know.  They are men's men.  They are kind and caring.  They are wise and funny.  You can't help but speculate that they inherited a large measure of that from their mother and the upbringing that she provided.  Knowing the two men is to know their mother and their very stout and resolute way of life speaks volumes about her.  It is my pleasure to know them and call them friends.

What does this have to do with cigars?  Probably everything if you really think about it from the standpoint of lineage, particularly when considering this cigar.  The Fuente's have a proud tradition of cigar making that spans decades and their lineage is second to none.  To know their cigars is to know them.  Always consistent, pleasurable and understated.  I have met many of the Fuente's and I can tell you they all fit this bill, there is no flamboyance, no putting on of airs, just a resolute and steadfast dedication to making great cigars.

This cigar presents very well in the traditional Fuente way, elegance and class without being flashy or in your face.  The band work is standard Fuente fare and I have always loved this simple homage to their well made cigars.  The wrapper is from their sungrown stock and it is nearly flawless and expertly applied.  The construction seems to be excellent as I can't find any voids or tight spots in it at all.  The pre light aroma is full of spice and tobacco notes.  The pre light draw shows some light brushes of pepper and earth.

The cigar opens with profile that is slow developing, but flavorful.  The core profile shows light pepper flavors and there are some very nice earth tones in the mix here as well.  While not particularly full of depth or complexity it is still enjoyable in the early moments as it warms up the palate.  Through the nose and at the back of the palate there are some warm notes of soft wood and some brushes of spice that I equate with anise.  The draw is excellent here, just the right amount of resistance and the smoke that comes forth is satisfying and full with each draw.  The burn is a touch wonky early, but as with most cigars of prime lineage, it evens out easily and neatly.

The first half of the cigar develops into a more complex array of flavors and I am excited about the developments here.  The core profile still has some light pepper flavors, but there is a distinct hazelnut flavor that comes through with flying colors and becomes the star of the show.  The back of the palate shows a more robust oaky flavor now and there are still some brushes of spice that are more like clove at this point.  All in all this has developed into a wonderful flavor experience.  The draw loosens a touch too much for me as the cigar burns, but it is still acceptable.  The burn is very solid to this point.

The final half of the cigar actually slides back a bit.  The core profile loses the hazelnut essence and picks up a more leathery tone that is ok, but not as nice as the hazelnut was.  There are still some brushes of pepper here as well.  The back of the palate continues to show some wood notes and there are some earthy tones coming in as well at this point.  The spice remains but becomes slightly sour without the hazelnut to mingle with it.  The draw continued to be too loose for me, but it did not cause any issues.  The burn was excellent to the end.

The finish was long and smooth and showed leather and earth notes that lingered pleasantly.

Appearance- 91 always elegant and classic
Taste- 91 some points off for the back half of the smoke, but still very good
Construction- 90 some loss for draw deterioration, but still very nice
Strength- 97 a wonderful medium that complemented the profile wonderfully
Overall- 91.75 a very good smoke that deserves consideration from any smoker worth his/her salt

Top 10 Cigars of 2012

Every January I sit and reflect on all of the cigars I smoked during the prior year and I compose my list of the 10 best.  It is important to remember that I only review new cigars to the market and sometimes an aged Cuban or rare limited edition.  I smoke go to cigars that I think are great everyday I don't blog them anymore, if you want to see some of those go back a couple of years and see them for yourself I have already blogged them and my go to's don't change very often.

This year yielded the fewest 90+ cigars in the history of this blog which speaks to quality and my picky tastes.  It also allowed for some of the highest scores I have ever given, including the highest score I have given on this blog, this speaks to the fact that some manufacturers just get it right.

This year I will do something a little bit different and give you my honorable mention list in no particular order, these were cigars I rated very highly but that did not make the cut.  They are;

San Lotano Oval Petit Robusto
Viaje Holiday Blend Petit Robusto
Rolando Reyes Limited Edition Grand Reserva Toro
Ernesto Perez Carrillo Inch #60

Without any further poppycock here are The Czar's Top 10 from 2012

10. Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sungrown Epicure (5x56) 93.25 points
9. EloGio Serie LSV Corona Extra (6x42) 93.5 points
8. Oliva Master Blends 3 Robusto (5x50) 94 points
7. Cult Classic Robusto (5x50) 94.25 points
6. L'Atelier Lat54 (5.675x54) 94.5 points
5. Paul Garmirian Symphony 20 Connoisseur (6x52) 94.75 points
4. St. Luis Rey Churchill (6.875x47) (2005 Box Date) 95.75 points
3. My Father Limited Edition Toro 2010 (6.625x52) 96.25 points
2. Partagas Lusitania (7.625x49) (Box Date 2001) 96.75 points
1. The Old Man and the C Culebra (7.5x38) 98.25 points

Viaje Late Harvest 2012 Robusto (5x50)

Certain members of the cigar community to which I belong have been raving about this cigar for some time now.  They have been pressuring me to smoke one and do a review, because they believe that I will think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  I cautioned them, as I always do, that me reviewing their favorite cigars often leads to hurt feelings, anger and the potential for me to be ambushed in the dark recesses of some cigar lounge, thrown in the trunk of some car and transported to a warehouse in El Salvador to be tortured by people that like that particular cigar until I relent and agree that I too liked the cigar.  A bit too dramatic you think? I always say that one can never be too careful, I smoke with some distasteful looking characters (you know who you are)!

Anyway, this cigar is from the long and seemingly endless supply of cigars from Viaje.  I have reviewed many of their other cigars before and I have not been as highly impressed as some.  This cigar presents well.  The wrapper is excellent looking, it is supple and deep brown in color.  There are very few veins in the wrapper and I am sure that it will smoke nicely.  The band work is intricate, but too busy for my taste and some of the script is hard to decipher.  The flair on the cigar was saved for the whimsical pigtail cap that adorns the head of this vitola.  I am not usually one for unnecessary affectations, but this one seems to make the cigar seem more appealing.  The pre light aroma shows some muted spice notes and some nice tobacco notes.  The pre light draw was sweet and left some dusty residues on the lips and tongue.

The cigar opens with a profile that could best be described as weird.  The flavor here is something in the spice family, but it is tart and has an odd sweetness as well.  I am immediately put off with this flavor and I am starting to plot exit strategies from my El Salvadorian warehouse.  The back of the palate has some woody flavors, but the odd flavors from the front of the palate are giving me fits in this area as I try to divine something redeeming about the smoke.  The draw is, sadly, right on the money.  Someone over there really knows how to make a cigar as I can't recall having a Viaje that ever performed poorly.  The burn is right in the swim lane as well and I can't see that I will have any issues with performance with this smoke.

The first half of the cigar stays way to one dimensional, and the dimension that we are in is very poor.  The core profile continues to have some strange spice characteristics and I still can't put my finger on what this reminds me of.  The back of the palate continues to show some wood notes, but there is a mineral like quality starting to show here as well.  The lack of development here is really disappointing and it has me wondering about some of the people I smoke with, but to each his or her own goes that old saying.  The draw is still spot on and I am saddened that such a solid performance is being wasted on a cigar that is not delivering the goods.  The burn is still very solid.

The final half of the cigar stays in the same dimension as the rest.  The profile shows no development, complexity or depth.  The singular presentation of strange spice is doing nothing for me to this point at all.  The back of the palate continues to show wood flavors, but the mineral impressions are coming on strong for me at this point and it really detracts from the experience.  The draw stays very solid and I have been very impressed with the construction of this smoke from the word go.  The burn catches a slight run in the last third, but I let it correct on it's own.

The finish was short and lingering sweet flavors that had some tartness lingered.

To say that I was disappointed here would be an understatement.

Appearance- 88 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 80 just too one dimensional and that dimension was poor
Construction- 91 a very solid performance here
Strength- 85 a medium that was hard to judge against a poor profile
Overall- 85.75 construction really saves this smoke, I would not buy it again

Puros Indios 2012 Toro (6x52)

Some ten years ago I came across an oddly banded cigar in a B&M outside Chicago, I say oddly banded because it was green and cigar makers largely avoided green bands, that cigar was a Puros Indios.  I bought several, more out of idol curiosity than anything else, and a several year love affair began.  I smoke Puros Indios for several years after that and I always enjoyed the flavorful smoke at an affordable price.  Then the dark days began, Puros Indios changed, my prized everyday favorite became a target of my loathing.  I was not the only one, something went horribly wrong for followers of this cigar and several years passed before I picked one up again.

Just the other day I walked into my favorite B&M in New Orleans and my good friend Armando, the owner, suggested the new Puros Indios.  After several minutes of questions and making him view some Rorschach Inkblots I determined that he was not insane, he even offered to give me my money back if I didn't like it, ok so maybe he was a touch off his rocker.  I didn't even know that Puros was doing anything new at all, and I am pretty strong follower of the industry.  To say I had low expectations would be a drastic understatement, I was prepping for the worst cigar of the year.

The cigar is crisply box pressed, strike one for me, I have never been a fan of this effect.  The wrapper is silky smooth and there are very few light veins dancing across the field of view.  I have often found box pressing vexing because it will make flaws in the bunch more pronounced in my opinion, but this does not appear to have any areas that seem out of sorts to me.  The pre light aroma is an intoxicating mix of coffee and light earth.  The pre light draw is full of earthy goodness.

The cigar opens with a profile that is unique and full of flavor and miles of depth.  There are notes of toasted marshmallow and coconut right off the bat.  This sweetness marries with an undertone of pepper and light earth that is a tantalizing combination of excellent flavors.  At the back of the palate there is a very complementary flavor of dark wood and some light spice that is providing a phenomenal base for the front part of the profile.  I am seldom, if ever, taken with a cigar in these early stages but this one has me yearning for more.  The draw is a touch on the tight side, but I expect that early on in a box pressed smoke.  The burn is a touch off as well, but I can see it will even out without issues.

The first half of the cigar loses some pizazz, but it is still a very high quality experience.  The sweetness has morphed into a more cocoa like presentation with a hint of coffee flavors in the mix.  There are also some fleeting notes of pepper in the front part of the palate, but they are teasing rather than substantial.  At the back of the palate, the solid backdrop of wood and spice continues.  The draw has opened up nicely here and is delivering the flavorful smoke without much effort.  The burn is now sharp and showing signs of staying strong.

The final half of the cigar is not what I would have expected.  The profile becomes less intense and the subtlety presented is actually a little disappointing.  The core flavors are pepper and coffee notes, but they are not showing the depth that earlier flavors were showing.  At the back of the palate, which I now believe has been the star of the show, the solid dark wood presentation continues to chug along and it provides a substantial amount of the entire experience.  The draw is still flowing smoothly and the burn holds solid until the end.

The finish is long and sweet with lingering coffee and cocoa impressions.

Appearance- 87 nice, but I don't care for box pressing
Taste- 93 an excellent profile that could have been classic with more oomph in the final half
Construction- 90 some early tightness in the draw hurt the experience
Strength- 94 a beautiful medium that complements the palate in an exceptional way
Overall- 91.25 this is a must smoke in my book, and I am excited that Puros Indios is back