Casa Fernandez Miami Toro (6.5x52)

My hockey team has been sucking it lately, I mean nine losses in a row, really? Really? REALLY? WTF? They were playing last night when I settled in with this smoke and prepared for a good cigar and a poor game.  In analyzing the possibilities for the evening I took stock of certain factors. I have always liked Casa Fernandez cigars, even the ones I didn't like were not terrible, so the most likely outcome for the cigar was that it would be good, but at worst average.  The Blackhawks have been playing like a bad juniors team, poor defense, horrendous goaltending and oh, by the way, they were playing the first place team in the Eastern Conference.  It was looking like a hockey house of horrors and the only salvation potential was in this cigar.

The cigar presents well with a reddish hued wrapper that had some nice tooth and very few veins.  I detected one area of concern in the final third of the bunch and I was worried that it could derail the experience (my first bit of foretelling for the evening).  The cigar was oddly shaped, not purposely, in that it had a slight curve in it giving it a parabolic appearance.  It would have been impossible for this to happen anywhere but the factory as there was no damage to the wrapper, binder or bunch indicating that is was just rolled crooked.  The pre light aroma was of cedar.  The pre light draw was peppery with some floral flavors.

The game opens with a Blackhawks goal at 65 seconds, on a penalty shot of all things!  I am stoked, this could be just what the doctor ordered for the Hawks and I am getting involved and excited at this point.  The cigar opens with a profile that is peppery, while there are also some slight mineral qualities, the main impression is pepper at this point.  The back of the palate is all cedar, it is so strong that it nearly overpowers other aspects of the smoke.  The draw is too tight for me and there is a little bit of effort required to get the right amount of smoke.  The burn is slow, probably a function of a slightly obstructed draw.

The first period is all Hawks!  Four goals in the first five minutes and they are off to the races.  It was total domination in the first period for my boys.  Likewise the cigar has really hit the right chords in the first third.  The profile is a nice mix of pepper, earth and wood and there is plenty of depth and complexity showing through here.  At the back of the palate the cedar notes continue, but they are not as sharp as earlier in the smoke.  The draw has loosened considerably and the smoke is drawing very freely now.  The burn stays right on the money.

The second period shows some regression for the Hawks, they allow a goal and play a weak defensive style that could have been exploited for much, much more.  The cigar on the other hand has really hit it's stride.  The profile is showing a very complex and deep mix of flavors including; coffee, cocoa, pepper, cinnamon and some nice earthy flavors.  At the back of the palate the cedary core is holding on, but there are also some bready notes coming through here as well.  This is really a fantastic experience at this point.  The draw is very solid and the burn continues to be excellent.

The third period is solid for the Hawks and they perform well en route to a 4-2 victory.  The cigar however really hits the skids in the last third.  As I approach the area that I was concerned about from the beginning the draw becomes nearly non existant.  The burn has gone off the rails and it requires some touch ups for me to keep the cigar going.  The profound profile from just moments ago has circled the bowl and it becomes bitter and nasty as the heat from the poor draw and the plug ruins the rest of the smoke.  This really hurts me because I was enjoying the evening to this point.  I will eventually smoke another one and hope for better results.

Appearance- 89 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 86 some excellent flavors until the final third when the experience goes haywire
Construction- 78 the final third was a disaster and there was tightness in the draw in the opening moments
Strength- 87 a nice medium/full
Overall- 84 what a shame, this was shaping up to be something special

Padilla Miami Churchill

This cigar has big shoes to fill as it has replaced the Miami 8 & 11, which remains the cigar with the highest score on this blog to date. Padilla and Pepin Garcia had a much talked about falling out and Padilla now has the brand, but not the blends. Thus, this cigar has been retooled.

The cigar presents well, with a dark, rich looking wrapper. There are some prominent veins, but I do not detect where they may cause an issue, the body of the cigar also appears to be issue free. The pre light aroma is earthy, but has touch of a sour note. The pre light draw is also earthy, but there are hints of pepper as well.

The cigar begins with sweet notes of earth and light blasts of pepper. There is a slightly sour note at the back of the palate that is detracting from the opening stanza. The burn is excellent, but the draw is a bit tight. In the first third of the cigar the profile keeps a core of sweet earthy notes with hints of pepper, but the sour note persists.

At the half way point I am discouraged by a continued sour note in the profile. The profile itself has taken on a flavor of leather with undertones of earth and pepper. Overall it is a nice experience that would be excellent without the sour underpinnings. The burn has stayed sharp, and I maintain an ash well past the two inch mark on two occasions. The draw has stayed a bit tight, but manages to produce acceptable amounts of smoke.

The final quarter of the cigar finishes strong. The profile maintains leathery flavors, but the peppery notes kick it up a notch. There are some signs of light spice and roasted nuts as well. The sour notes have left the profile and I am wishing the whole cigar was this good.

The finish is long and smooth with notes of leather, pepper and nuts.

Appearance- 90 an attractive cigar, some veining hurt the score
Taste- 84 came on strong in the end, but sour notes for the first three quarters of the cigar hurt the score
Construction- 89 well made and burned well, I detract points for the draw
Strength- 88 a nice medium to full presentation, could use some more oomph
Overall- 87.75 a nice solid smoke that would have been better without sour notes.