Cigar Review: Caliber 58 Rosado by Miami Cigar & Co.

4" x 58 ring gauge / MSRP $5

When Nestor Miranda visited Burns earlier this year to promote the Dominicano, he brought the Caliber 58 with him as well and I got to try it. "Not bad," I thought. Over the next couple months Burns Manager, Matt, gave me a couple more, each time asking, "Have you tried this one yet?" I finally decided he wanted me to review this cigar, so I saved the last one for that purpose. According to Jason Wood from Miami Cigar & Company, this stick began its life as a private blend that they were going to use only at events. "After several months of constant calls from our customers requesting to buy the promo cigar we decided to go ahead and release it." It is available in 2 vitolas--a torpedo and parejo--both measuring the same 4 inches by 58 ring gauge; it is also available in either rosado or oscuro wrapper and the MSRP for any of these is $5. This cigar is a Nicaraguan puro and I smoked about 3 of them before this review sample.

Simply put, this is another cigar with a "Nub-like" appearance. It was given to me with the cello removed and that is how it rested in my humi for the month or so before I smoked it. Despite that it had an oily appearance and feel. There are some medium-sized veins and some discoloration and mottling, but expecting perfection for $5 is one way to be perpetually disappointed. From the wrapper I got an aroma of hay, but also something sweet--almost a whiff of maple syrup. On the foot I got some dark chocolate notes and a little barnyard. The prelight draw was very good; I got a chocolate flavor mostly, with a little spice. It will be officially autumn as you read this, but it absolutely seemed like it already as I took this stogie outside--a beautiful, sunny and warm day with a dry breeze rattling the leaves of the tall trees across the street and that strange autumn light bathing my mostly-brown lawn.

The initial flavors I got from this large bullet of a cigar were natural tobacco on the tongue and intense pepper spice through the nose. As the first third burned slowly through I experienced mostly the flavor of tobacco with a bit of nuttiness and plenty of spice on the palate and retrohale. The burn line was wavy but did not need to be corrected so far.

After tapping off, the burn was worse than wavy and in danger of flame-out, so I did make a major correction. Really not anything to report as far as flavor changes go in the second third. Mostly just a continuation of the previously established flavors.

And the last third was more of the same really, aside from the increase in heat as the 58 ring burning portion got closer to my face. Overall, I found the Caliber 58 Rosado to not be a bad cigar. It was an enjoyable, medium-to-full bodied stick that was a perfectly adequate way to begin the day for the experienced smoker. The problem I see with this one is its entry into a field of cigars that offer much more flavor and complexity for a similar price (La Traviata, Brick House) or slightly more (PDR 1878, Nub). I would like to smoke the Oscuro again to see if it fares better, but for me, the Rosado is maybe just a couple years too late. If it had arrived at this price 2 or 3 years ago, it may have been somewhat of a revelation, but the price point at which it competes is now very competitive and it is in danger of being lost. Although the price is good as it is, it may have to drop another buck or more to really stand out in today's marketplace.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 6/10

Complexity: 4/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 1.5/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 3.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 7.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel

Chisel 6.5" x 50 ring gauge / Price unknown

First off I'd like to again thank Tony Gomez for this sample that he sent back from IPCPR for me. Since this is technically a pre-release I was only able to smoke 1 cigar for this review. This is the latest size of the Air Bender with a slightly different blend. The cigar has the same Dominican filler and binders with Habano wrapper that is of the same type as the rest of the Air Benders but comes from a higher priming.

The wrapper was a dark Colorado brown with very thin veins. The wrapper also exuded a good amount of oils. When I put this cigar next to a regular Air Bender I couldn't tell any difference in the wrappers so we'll see how the taste test compares. When I squeezed the cigar there was a slight amount of give but without any soft spots. After giving the wrapper a good smell I was able to detect scents of barnyard, with the scents of hay and leather off of the foot. I did something with this cigar that I don't normally do, I used my Xikar bullet punch on it. I punched the top of the flat part of the end of the cigar, which was the original way I was shown to smoke these. When I took a draw on it I got the flavors of chocolate with a good draw.

The first thing I noticed after lighting the cigar up is the flavor of chocolate. Which is different in my experience from the regular line, with a definite spice being the first thing I get from the regular ones. The spice did start to come through on the tongue and retrohale after a few puffs on the cigar. Progressing through this third the flavors of coffee, leather, sweet tobacco and molasses were present. The spice was there but it wasn't as strong as I expected it to be. The draw was great with lots of smoke. The ash was greyish white and fell off at about .75". The burn was uneven though, which is something I've experienced with other chisels.

On into the second third the strength built a bit to the bottom end of full. However it didn't seem as strong as the other Air Benders I've smoked. The flavor continued to be molasses, coffee, chocolate, leather and earth. The burn continued to be crooked and I needed to touch it up.

Into the final third of the cigar there wasn't much change in the flavor department. The strength did build and I would definitely call it a full bodied cigar. I didn't have any draw problems using the 1 punch hole either.

While it was a good cigar and I enjoyed it, I didn't enjoy it as much as the Matatan size, which is my favorite. I do think it would be a cigar I'd purchase again, but not as often as the Matatan.

Body: 8/10

Strength: 8/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Pre-light: 2/2

Construction: 1/2

Flavor: 4/5

Value: 1/1
Total: 8/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: Padilla Dominus

Perla, 4" x 44 ring gauge / approx. $8

This review will be a bit shorter than usual as the cigar reviewed is shorter than usual, too. I first have to confess that I have yet to find a Padilla cigar that I found memorable enough to purchase a second time. When that happens I like to keep trying, so here we are with Padilla's 2009 release: Dominus. I chose the Petite Corona (Perla) size as much for the fact that I could get a quick take on how the cigar taste without spending much, as for the fact that this size should showcase the wrapper well. This is a Nicaraguan puro featuring a Corojo 2006 wrapper. This will be my first time smoking this blend. Because of its diminutive size, I will just be talking about first and second halves instead of breaking it down into thirds.

The Dominus has an ornate band with a silver foil lion's head as well as embossing and metallic gold ink--this band is a well-done piece of art that borders on gaudy. As a graphic designer, I feel they pushed the line on taste without actually crossing it, so I applaud them for that. The wrapper itself was slightly reddish-brown with some mottling but not visible blemishes or large veins. The feel was evenly packed. I got an aroma reminiscent of nutmeg and cinnamon from the wrapper--it was so strong I even sense it while it laid on my desk. From the foot I got barnyard and compost notes. Prelight draw was slightly tight, but probably not a problem. I noticed cocoa powder and chili pepper along with those autumn spices from before.

After getting it lit, the Dominus started up with a burst of pepper spice, especially on the nose, and lots of cedar flavor. There was some cocoa in there as well as a little cinnamon and after just 3 or 4 puffs I already thought this the most interesting Padilla I had ever smoked. As I experienced in prelight, the draw continued to be a bit tight--not enough to toss it, but just enough to be a little annoying. Through the first half, I got a nice balance of cedar and earth along with plenty of pepper spice, all mixed in with what I call a "Corojo" taste. The body was medium-to-full.

The second half of this cigar was also very nice--earthy with a little bit of the sweet and spicy mixture of the first half still. For a small cigar this Dominus Perla packs a pretty decent nicotine punch as well as finishing up in the low part of the full-bodied range. I am definitely impressed by the flavor and would buy these again, and even give some larger vitolas a try. The only drawback is the price tag. At $8 and change for this small vitola, I know the others are likely to push and exceed $10, a least at B&Ms. For something I was crazy about that would not be an obstacle, but I have to admit to being on the fence regarding the value of these sticks. But...that's a better place than when I started out, so I think I will try this one again sometime soon.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 7/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/5

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: .5/1

Total: 8.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Music Recommendation: Clapton

Clapton by Eric Clapton (2010)
Confession time first: I have not bought an album from Eric Clapton since his collaboration with B.B. King, Riding With The King, in 2000 (little-known fact: that album's title song was written and recorded almost two decades earlier by one of my musical heroes, John Hiatt). Do I not love Clapton's work? Sure, I do. Other things constantly seemed to get in the way during the past 10 years or so, though. Middling reviews for Reptile and my overall lack of interest in cover albums (Me and Mr. Johnson) being the two biggest issues; Clapton just kind of fell of my radar. How does this album do? 13 of its 14 tracks are covers songs, but Clapton has done such a great job of choosing songs that he can truly make his own--and that are mostly fairly obscure enough not to be firmly associated with some other major artist--that I was not even sure they were covers until I started researching.

The album starts off with a Cream-style blues jam in "Travelin' Alone." Along the way to the old standard, "Autumn Leaves," Eric takes us on a teaching journey of blues styles: the minimalism of J.J. Cale's "River Runs Deep," the Dixieland of "My Very Good Friend the Milkman" and "When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful," the swampiness of "Crazy About You Baby," and the utter laid-back feel of "Rocking Chair." The sole new track Clapton wrote for this album is the blues-infused rock of "Run Back to Your Side," and it fits in almost perfectly with this collection of old and very old songs.

Clapton's back, but I guess he never really went away. He's an older and (hopefully) wiser man with less need to show off than he had 30 or more years ago. He seems these days to enjoy just singing and playing a great song and letting it stand on its own merits. He is not afraid to let his sidemen take center stage, either, on occasion. I compare the cover of this album with that of Journeyman, the first Clapton album I ever bought: similar concepts of Clapton's head against a dark background. He is now grayer, more wrinkled and wears glasses, but his talent is still nearly peerless. If you like blues or blue-rock, you need to put this album on your "Buy" list.

Cigar Review: J. Fuego Origen

Robusto, 4.875" x 50 ring gauge / $6.70, UPtown's Smoke Shop

The day that I smoked this cigar I had trouble getting info on any cigars. I had initially chosen 2 other cigars to review and had to pass because no information was immediately available. I sent off e-mails to the manufacturers or their reps so I could hopefully have something useful to fill this time with when I write up those reviews. Then I turned my attention to the next cigar in line, the Origen by Jesus Fuego, a cigar that has been available for some time in select shops around the country, but which was recently released nationwide. Guess what? No information about this one on any "official" sites, either! I can't even figure out if Jesus Fuego Cigars has a website! So...I was forced to look for information about the cigar on other blogs. Not to dis any of my fellow bloggers, but I would rather not rely on other blogs for information on a regular basis. I would just rather get the info from "the horse's mouth"--the manufacturer or a long-time reliable source like Perelman's--whenever possible. Failing that here, though, I am borrowing information from Chris at Nice Tight Ash: the filler is said to be "a secret blend of Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Costa Rican tobacco," while the wrapper is "Corojo No. 1." This is the first time I have heard of Corojo No. 1 and the only other thing I can figure out is actually from the Stogie Guys review...it's Brazilian. Honestly, Mr. Fuego...time to put up a good informational website! Just sayin'. [If you read as far as the Comments section below, you will see that Mr. Fuego himself left a comment letting me know where his website can be found. Googling "Jesus Fuego Cigars" got me no-where, but I feel slightly embarrassed at not even trying to type in: www.jfuego.com]

The Origen was a very good-looking stick: classy but understated band and oily wrapper with a bit of mottling. It felt even packed and looked well-constructed. I got a bit of barnyard and leather from the wrapper and some cocoa and more barnyard from the foot. Prelight draw was excellent; I got a strong cocoa powder flavor and a little pepper spice.

Initial puffs revealed an unexpected and rather unique burst of anise that disappeared a few moments later. Then I got more bittersweet chocolate along with coffee, cedar and a little pepper spice. Really unique flavor from this blend and this corojo wrapper varietal. It was the second day in a row that I smoked an odd varietal of Corojo and found it to be a strange twist on the typical Corojo flavor. As the first third progressed I noticed the incredibly white ash along with the wavy but even burn line; I also noticed the bitterness getting stronger--I got some cedar and dark roast coffee notes on the palate and some cocoa powder and nuttiness on the retrohale.

A little bit of sweetness balanced the bitter notes as the second third started. The ash held on for over an inch before I tapped off and the burn line continued to be quite even, if a little wavy. I did notice a chunk of wrapper leaf missing as I progressed, but the only reason is that as the cigar warmed under that specific area it separated a little bit; construction had been done so well that I did not even notice it in prelight.

Despite that flaw and another similar one hidden by the band, there were no significant burn problems. I continued to get great flavors from the Origen into the last third--earth, cocoa, coffee and just enough natural tobacco sweetness to balance it. I have to say Jesus Fuego has a definite hit on his hands here. Not only is this a great-tasting cigar, it has a great price point, as well. It is medium-to-full in body with no noticeable nicotine punch. It should be on the list of every experienced smoker to try at least once and really should be accessible to any but the most inexperienced cigar fans. I also am very happy to see that these will be more widely available in very short order.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 5/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Uptown's Fall Cigar Extravaganza

Only 13 days to go until the biggest cigar event to hit Nashville since...well, this may just be the biggest cigar event to ever hit Nashville!

UPtown's Smoke Shop is hosting the first-ever Fall Cigar Extravaganza on October 9, 2010, from Noon to 5:00 p.m.

The image above tells the whole story: $40 tickets if you buy them by October 8; $60 if there are any left the day of the event. For that admission price, you will get a BBQ lunch and drinks, in addition to cigars from CAO, La Flor Dominicana, Zino, Altadis, General Cigar, Kristoff, Torano, Oliva, Perdomo and Ashton. The CAO Flavourettes will be there and Nedski and Mojo will be providing live music.

Call 615.292.6866 to buy your tickets today and let them know the Tiki Bar blog sent you. Also, to repeat my offer from my previous post about this event, the first five people who see me at the event and mention this to me will get a cigar from my own personal collection (and, no, not the dog-rockets from my Moochidor!).

Hope to see you there!

Weekly Wisdom from John Hiatt

Well I do my best thinking sitting on my ass

Sittin' here waiting for things to pass

You got places to go and people to see

Well honey that's you, it ain't me

CHORUS:

Shit flying in my head

From every direction

I'm thinking about

An uncommon connection

from "An Uncommon Connection" on the album Beneath This Gruff Exterior  (2003)

Cigar Extra/CRA Saturday: Fuente Forbidden X

A few days ago, I talked to a cigar store manager as he was purchasing this CRA Sampler at a store not his own (for obvious reasons, I won't be revealing his identity). "This is the cigar that sells this sampler," he said. I agreed. At a normal retail price of $50 to $70 a stick (if you can find them), this Forbidden X almost justifies the $100 Sampler price tag all by itself. I saved this stick for last from my Sampler and I will say expectations run high for a storied stick like this--the Dominican puro brainchild of Carlito Fuente. Bands, ribbon and cedar sheath cover almost the entire stick before it is time to smoke it--good thing, too, as the wrapper was cracked at the foot and it had some ugly mottling and discoloration in several places. I got a sweet hay and molasses aroma from the wrapper and some barnyard on the foot.

The cold draw was sweet with natural tobacco, hay and molasses notes, as well as a chili pepper feel lingering on the lips. Light up brought a luxuriously creamy smoke with a highly complex mix of cedar, molasses, hay and natural tobacco (am I repeating myself? No, this one actually tasted mostly the same before and after lighting!). My first reaction was to be disappointed because it was not a spice bomb or powerhouse, but then I stopped to consider that this could quite possibly be one of the best-tasting cigars I had ever had, regardless of body and strength--and that is what's really important.

Through the first third the body and spice picked up a bit and by the end of it I had a nice mouth burn going on, but mostly this cigar was just an exquisitely creamy mild-to-medium cigar with an almost intensely rich flavor. By the end of the second third, the body was fully into the medium range and the pepper spice had continued unabated. I also got nice flavors of anise and maple as this cigar continually surprised me with its complexity.

Having come so far with this stick, it is a little hard to say, but it did tend to "cream out" during the last third. While still very good, the flavors there just could not hold up the promises made in the first two-thirds. Maybe it's just this particular vitola--hard to say because I do not have the deep pockets to fund continual experimentation--but overall, this was a fine twist on the Opus X line that was simply amazing for much of the smoking time. I am glad I got the chance to experience it.

If you are not already a member of the Cigar Rights of America, please go to their website and consider joining. For only $35 a year, the CRA is the only organized effort out there lobbying the government against restrictive regulations and punitive, job-killing taxation. There has been some criticism of the CRA around some blogs lately, but you have to remember that the organization is still young and is fighting an uphill battle. If you are already a member, please urge your friends to join as well.

And, as always, if you have an opinion about the cigar I have presented above (or about the CRA), please feel free to speak your mind! Leave a comment and be heard!

Cigar Review: Avo Heritage

Churchill 6.75" x 48 ring gauge / $9.00 (estimated)

First off I'd like to again thank Amar, the owner of my regular shop (Maxamar's Ultimate Cigars, Orange, CA), as he gave me this sample from what he brought back from IPCPR. Since this is technically a pre-release I was only able to smoke 1 cigar for this review. This is Avo's latest offering that was released just last month at the IPCPR show. This cigar is comprised of a blend of Dominican and Peruvian fillers, a Dominican binder and an Ecuadorian wrapper. From what I understand this is sort of a mix of the LE09 and LE10. Time to light it up and see how it goes.

The first thing I noticed about this cigar was the gorgeous wrapper. It is auburn in color with a lot of oils. The band contrasts nicely with the dark wrapper. There some oils and a slight amount of lumpiness. When I gave it a squeeze there was a slight amount of give with 3 very small soft spots. When I put my nose to the wrapper I got aromas of nuts with coffee and leather off the foot. After clipping it and taking a draw I was able to detect the taste of nuts with a good draw.

After lighting it up the first tastes I got were of nuts and sweet tobacco. The retrohale had a bit of spiciness to it. Progressing through the first third I also got some coffee, chocolate, and leather tastes. The spice did ramp up a bit but it wasn't overpowering. The burn line was slightly wavy. The greyish white ash fell off at about .5".

The flavors didn't change much in the second third. I still got lots of coffee, chocolate, leather, nuts and a little bit of earthiness. The burn continued to be wavy but didn't require any touch ups.

As I went into the final third of the cigar the burn line did even itself out. The band came off easily, but I did notice a large amount of glue on the underside of it. This has been a problem recently with the LE10's that I've smoked where there is too much glue and the band rips the wrapper. The flavors continued to be the same chocolate, coffee, leather, earth and nuts. There was a slight creaminess that came through. The body of the cigar and the spice built in the final third, so I would put it in the upper end of medium.

Overall this was a very enjoyable cigar. Something I would definitely smoke again. Although I don't think a box purchase is in my future. I do think that this cigar would age very well. Thanks Avo for putting out a flavorful reasonably priced cigar!

Body: 7/10

Strength: 6/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Pre-light: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4/5

Value: .5/1

Total: 8/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Movie Recommendation: The Wolfman

The Wolfman (2010)

Snap editorial decision: henceforth, I shall only issue "Movie Recommendations" of movies I actually enjoyed, at least to some degree. Actually it wasn't exactly a "snap" decision, but one I have been thinking about for a while. I want to talk about what I liked and what I didn't like in any particular movie that may play its way across my big screen, but the problem is whenever I schedule a "recommendation"  of a film I did not care for, I end up putting it off to the point where I can't remember what it was all about well enough to write about it...then I just let it drop off the schedule. Case in point: The Men Who Stare At Goats. I watched it, I thought it had tremendous potential but squandered it in the final half hour and I was left with an overall bad taste in my mouth about the movie. I had it on the Tiki Bar schedule since August, but never got around to it writing about it and kept kicking it down the road to the next week...and the next. So the point is, if that ends up happening, why bother writing at all about that film? Why bother making a "recommendation" one way or the other about a film you did not like?

No such problem with The Wolfman, though. This movie was a winner on many counts. Acting? Benecio Del Toro (you can actually understand what he is saying!), Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, and Emily Blunt all do a fantastic job. Script and storytelling? Believable...well, as believable as any tale of werewolves. This film does not play for laughs or nostalgia. It is visceral, bloody, and at times shocking. The special effects and CGI are for the most part understated and fluid; the sets, interior and exterior, are breathtaking and highly detailed, making the suspension of disbelief very easy: this really is late 19th century England.

When the classic Universal monsters started to be resurrected for modern audiences, the first result was Van Helsing, a movie that was all camp and all action without any real scare factor. I enjoyed watching that movie once or twice, but on repeated viewings it starts to break down and become more laughable than anything else. This is the true heir to the Universal monster-movie throne: gut-wrenching drama, gut-spilling action and brilliant acting. Is it the best werewolf movie ever? Probably not, but it is a great start. I would love to see some of the other Universal monsters get this same treatment.

What do you think? Did you see this film or decide to avoid it? If you have an opinion on it, speak up! The Comments section is open!

 

Cigar Review: Don Gonzalez Signature Series, Corojo

Pudge, 4.5" x 56 ring gauge / MSRP $7.20

Fat Boy, 6.5" x 60 ring gauge / MSRP $8.70

Pedro Gonzalez founded Don Gonzlaez cigars in 2007 and while the distribution of his cigars is not extremely wide, he does have a faithful following. I looked at 3 varieties of his "Special Edition" back in March (Connecticut, Corojo, and Maduro) and enjoyed them, so I was very interested when I saw the "Signature Series" on the shelf at Burns a few weeks ago. I bought a Corojo in the Pudge vitola, and a few days later received a Fat Boy Corojo from Mike at Leaf & Ale (Knoxville). I decided to compare the two vitolas for this review. I was able to find no information about these cigars online as the company's website has not been updated to reflect their existence yet, but I e-mailed Pedro Gonzalez and he let me know that these two sizes would be available in 3 wrapper varieties (Connecticut and Maduro along with the Corojo I got) and that all 3 cigars are Nicaraguan puros. I smoked one of each vitola for this review.

The Pudge was rather rather "Nub-like" in appearance, but anymore it is hard to avoid that comparison when you make a relatively fat, relatively short cigar. The band was nicely done and the wrapper had a nice oily sheen and a decent amount of oil to the touch. The color was consistent top-to-bottom, although the Pudge was lighter overall in color than the Fat Boy. I got barnyard scents from the wrapper and a sweeter chocolate with some earthniess on the foot. The wrapper of the Fat Boy was not only slightly dark but rather toothy. Aroma notes were very similar between the two. After cutting the Pudge, I got nice prelight flavors of natural tobacco and a bit of pepper spice. The Fat Boy had much the same prelight flavor with maybe a touch more sweetness.

On the first puffs of the Pudge, I got some rather bitter, dark-roast coffee flavor. The next thing I noticed was a nuttiness on the retrohale and a healthy dose of pepper. The draw was excellent, but already it was threatening to canoe--I would give it some time to self-correct. It seemed to do better within about 5 minutes. I noticed that the bitter notes started being better balanced with some sweetness around the same time--mostly just a natural tobacco sweetness with a bit of cedar mixed in. 

The Fat Boy started off very bitter on the first few puffs, too, but it mellowed rapidly into a nice earthiness with plenty of chili pepper spice and an undertone of black coffee.

By the time the second third of the Pudge rolled around, I was thoroughly enjoying this fine medium-bodied smoke. I was starting to get a little more pepper on the palate and at the back of the throat, but mostly I tasted very pleasing tobacco flavor along with dark coffee and roasted nuts. By the end of this third I was also getting that nice distinctive Corojo flavor--cedar, hints of cinnamon, and more pepper spice. 

The Fat Boy started a little tight and got tighter as I went despite a couple remedies attempted. It was still smokeable, but not nearly as easy as I wanted. The second third was peppery--like the Pudge, but with more cedar flavor rather than the coffee.

The last third of the Pudge was very nice as well, continuing the "corojo" flavor profile that ended the second third. The Fat Boy saw the draw finally open up quite nicely during the last third, making it much easier to enjoy. I still got a nice amount of spice, although I was getting more coffee and earthiness.

I liked both of these cigars, but I have to give a definite edge to the Pudge. It not only had better draw and construction for me, but allowed the Corojo wrapper to show off a bit better as well. I will smoke the Pudge again and am going to make it a point to pick up the other two wrapper varieties when I see them and schedule them for review as well.

Pudge:

Body: 6/10

Strength: 5/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9/10

Fat Boy:

Body: 6/10

Strength: 6/10

Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 3.5/5

Value: .5/1

Total: 7.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: Illusione -hl- Candela

Lancero 7.5" x 40 ring gauge / $11 (approximate)

First off I'd like to again thank Amar, the owner of my regular shop (Maxamar's Ultimate Cigars, Orange, CA), as he gave me this sample from what he brought back from IPCPR. Since this is technically a pre-release I was only able to smoke 1 cigar for this review. This is one of the latest creations of Dion Giolito. He took the regular -hl- cigar and wrapped it with a candela wrapper. This cigar is comprised of Nicaraguan fillers and binders, and thanks to Dion for answering my question, the wrapper comes from Nicaragua too. I know it looks a little weird, and you might get some stares if you smoked it around others. The first time I lit up a candela it felt strange because green is not normally a color you want in a cigar wrapper. One minor change about my normal reviewing technique I smoked this in the morning with my morning cup of coffee.

As you might guess the first thing that catches your eye is the wrapper. It is green, very green. It is almost a mint green and has a golden hue to it. Contrasting the wrapper with the gold and white band makes a quite attractive cigar in my opinion. There were some veins but they didn't detract from the overall look of the cigar. There was a small patch near the foot of the cigar. When looked at from the bottom you see a stark contrast from the brown tobacco inside the cigar with the green wrapper. The cigar was topped off with a pigtail cap. When squeezed the cigar had a slight amount of give with no soft spots. When I put my nose to the wrapper I was able to get scents of hay with the same thing on the foot. After I clipped it and took a draw on it all I was able to get was a slight sweetness with a slightly tight draw.

The first taste I got after lighting it up was a sugary sweetness with a hint of spice on the tongue. After a few puffs the spice really built on the retrohale. That kind of surprised me as the other candelas I've smoked haven't had much spice or power to them. Progressing through the first third the flavors of cream, hay, and leather were present including the spice. The ash didn't hold much longer than .5", which is fairly common with a lancero. The draw did open up a bit and it produced a large volume of smoke.

The second third continued the pleasurable smoking experience. The spice was still present with the tastes of leather, earth and a sugary sweetness. Towards the end of this third I detected hints of cinnamon. The burn was slightly wavy, but didn't require any touch ups. One thing I noticed is I didn't get any of the bitterness that I usually associate with candelas. I would say that the cigar is on the upper end of the medium strength scale.

The final third didn't see any of the flavors change. The spice toned down a bit and the ramped up at the end. I didn't want to put the cigar down and had to when it got just too hot to hold.

Overall an excellent cigar! Probably the best candela I've ever had. In my opinion it is much more flavorful than the Graycliff, the best I'd had until now, at about half the price. This is something I plan on picking a few up of when the get in the shop to save and then light up when I have some time in the morning to enjoy with my cup of coffee.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 6/10

Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale

Pre-light: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Tiki Bar Reunion Herf: Day 3, the Post-Herf Herf

My last full day in California started off with an early rise and off to take care of business. I met with some business associates then took care of the task that I was called to do (stuff I won't bore you with here), then headed back to the hotel to for a little rest before the evening herf began.

We met at Taps Fishhouse and Brewery in Brea for the Monday Night Football Happy Hour, but the main event for us was the herfing and camaraderie. We talked football. A few of us talked politics. Then that discussion segued into an examination of the Kennedy assassination, the military industrial complex and the Roswell alien coverup...before heading into discussions about Vietnam, Burma, Manuel Noriega, and God knows what else. I eventually had to move down the table for a while to talk to my old friend, John, the only non-smoker in the group.

Paul offered some very nice words of what the friendship among us Brothers of the Leaf has meant to him over the last three years or so, and I felt moved to respond in kind, but I feel like I did not do an adequate job--having to compete with the commercials blasting from the speakers right over our table. So I'll try to say this better (and for the benefit of those who could not be there tonight):

When the Tiki Bar group first started over 7 years ago, I never imagined that it would become this bond of friendship that we share over cigars. We have had new folks join, but I cannot remember any real member of the group that has left. Even I have been blessed to be included and remembered in the group gatherings from a couple thousand miles away. To all of you: your friendship means the world to me. Separated by miles and far too many months apart, it's always like coming home when I am with you guys, whether it's in SoCal, some cigar event, or my own home in Tennessee. And to think we owe it all to a silly little bundle of leaves! Okay, a carefully cultivated, properly fermented and aged, skillfully rolled bunch of leaves!

As long as we are all brothers in arms, the Tiki Bar will always be open! Now let's all sing a chorus of, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." :-)

Cigar Review: Macanudo Cru Royale

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / approx. $6.50

Dave Said:

Has the time come to question everything you know about the name Macanudo? Is the brand destined to garner a whole new flock of fans from the newer cigar enthusiast crowd? Will Macanudo appeal to more than newbies and occasional smokers? Didn't we ask all these questions a couple years ago with the 1968? This year's IPCPR was the site of two new introductions with the Macanudo label, including this Cru Royale. This cigar was blended by Benji Menendez and was supposed to become part of the Partagas family of cigars, but General decided to slap the Macanudo label on it instead. It has Nicaraguan and Dominican filler, a Dominican binder and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper leaf; it is said to be medium-bodied. Thanks go out to Mike Nelson from Leaf and Ale in Knoxville for sending me a sample that he picked up at the IPCPR show.

If you were handed this cigar without a band, you would probably never think, "This is a Macanudo." The wrapper was dark and oily, well-constructed but with some medium-sized veins. The band does not even look like a Macanudo with its silver, black and blue motif. The stick felt pretty firm under the fingers-hopefully that would not translate to a bad draw. I got faint whiffs of manure on the wrapper and a stronger barnyard and anise mix on the foot. After cutting, the prelight draw was a bit snug, but it did not seem like a huge hindrance. The cold draw had a sweet cocoa flavor and left a little spicy tingle on the lips.

After lighting I got initial flavors of cedar and bittersweet cocoa along with maple and roasted nuts on the retrohale. We could just about leave it right there and it would be my favorite Macanudo ever, but duty calls...and there are well over 4 inches left to smoke. The rest of the first third, though, was very enjoyable-notes of cocoa powder and dark roast coffee along with a rising chili pepper spice made this a pleasure to smoke.

Despite their status among enthusiasts, Macanudo are known for quality construction and consistency. As I wrote this, I was looking at an ash about 1.5" long on the Cru Royale-something you rarely see on a 50 ring gauge cigar. The thing this cigar does not have, though, is a great deal of flavor change on the journey. Deep into the second third, I still tasted mostly dark roast coffee, cocoa powder and the occasional touch of maple or anise. It was a very good flavor, though, so the lack of change-up was not all that troubling.

The flavor did get more earthy during the final third, although it did not really lose any of the coffee or cocoa goodness when it did. The pepper spice did fade away to nil by this point, however. Overall, this Cru Royale does a great job of providing a pleasant hour-plus escape from normal life. While not the most complex cigar in the world, it is uniformly very good in flavor and exhibits phenomenal construction quality. It is medium-bodied and accessible to any but the most light-weight of cigar smokers. In my opinion, it does well what the 1968 failed to do-present a Macanudo line that today's cigar enthusiast will actually want to return to time and again. At the great price point they set, I know I will be smoking this one again.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10


Keith Said:

I had a very similar experience as Dave did with my sample of the Cru Royale.  Mine was another one of the samples that Amar, the owner of Maxamar's Ultimate Cigars in Orange, CA, gave me after IPCPR.  The one minor difference is I had a corona size and it measured 4 7/8 x 48.

I would have never guessed this cigar was a Macanudo either if you handed it to me without the band.  The wrapper was the color of dark roasted coffee, a deep rich brown.  There were some medium veins and the wrapper had a fair amount of tooth.  I really liked the look of the band with its design in blue, black and silver.  The band really looked good against the dark wrapper.  There were also a fair amount of oils present on the wrapper.  When I gave the cigar a squeeze I also noticed that it was fairly firm and had not soft spots.  Putting my nose to the wrapper I was able to detect scents of barnyard and leather, with leather and wood coming from the foot.  After I clipped it and took a cold draw all I was able to get was a slight amount of sweetness, with a slightly tight draw.

Once I lit it up the first thing I was hit with was a taste of chocolate and some spice.  Coffee, cedar, leather, and cream came through as I smoked the first third.  The draw actually wasn't too bad and it produced a large volume of smoke.  The spice did tone down a bit as I progressed through the cigar.  I would rate this cigar in the medium range at this point.

The second third didn't see much change in the flavors.  The ash did hold on and it needed to be tapped off at about 1.25".  The ash color was grayish white.  I was enjoying the cigar very much at this point.  The draw also opened up a bit and the cigar now had a perfect draw.

As I progressed into the final third there was a slight change in the cigar.  The flavors got darker with earth coming through.  There were still notes of coffee, chocolate, leather wood and spice.  I did notice a hint of bitterness though, luckily it went away quickly.  I did have one construction issue though.  A hole developed at the beginning of the final third.  Luckily it didn't cause any major issues as the cigar burned through it without needing a touchup. 

Overall a very enjoyable, medium bodied cigar.  I know what I've said before, "I don't like any Macanudo" but I would actually buy this cigar again.  Like Dave said, it isn't the most complex cigar, but the flavors that are there are very enjoyable.  If they keep the price where they've announced it to be, it will allow it to be very approachable for almost any smoker and would give someone who likes Macanudos and wants to step it up a bit in strength a very good option.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Tiki Bar Reunion Herf: Day 2, Herf Day

...is open!

Got a good, solid night's sleep Saturday night and woke up Sunday morning ready to face another busy day. Made hotel-room coffee while I took a shower and drank it quickly as I got myself readied, then headed out to my old church group to hopefully surprise a few people. Person #1 to surprise was Gary Richmond, the group's pastor. He was indeed surprised and delighted to see me and I was very happy to see him doing well still. After the Sunday School service I had time to talk with people at some length and we went to Farmer Boys for brunch. It's amazing how fast you lose track of what people are up to when they aren't on Twitter or Facebook and you live a couple thousand miles away. People getting married, surgeries, etc. I started feeling tired toward the end of lunch so I decided to catch a nap before the evening festivities began.

The nap lasted all of 20 minutes before room service came a-knockin', but I felt pretty good by that time anyway, so I decided to head on out and meet up with Vern up at Islands Cigar Lounge in Brea. This was the first smoke shop I ever was a regular customer of back when I started smoking in 2001, only back then it was called S&H. In the intervening years it fell on some harder times and lesser management, but the new owner, Chad, seems determined to make it a respectable smoke shop again. I had a house blend maduro which was a very nice cigar and costs only $6, which is a relative bargain here in California. After that I smoked a La Traviata Maduro (always great) and then Vern and I headed out to get to Keith's house.

Original Tiki Bar Group

At Keith's we met Jim, Ray, Clint, Thomas and Paul...and even Keith's wife, Kim, came out to hang with us for a little while. We had Big Italian pizza from Pizza Hut (surprisingly good) and many very nice libations to choose from including moonshine by Junior Johnson (tasted like candy it was so sweet), George Dickel Tennessee Whisky (yes, there were many "Dickel" jokes thrown around the table), and Paddle-Something Creek (Paddleford, Paddlebottom? I can't remember. I've never seen it. It bills itself as a Bourbon although they claim it's charcoal filtered for smoothness which would automatically disqualify it from being able to be called Bourbon as far as I know.).

I smoked an Origen Originals (interesting, good, but the draw was a little off), La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami (very good, but still not worth the price even after they lowered it), and a Room 101 (spicy, but after 4 other sticks, that's all I could taste).

Remains of the herf

It's always great to hang out with my friends that formed the Original Tiki Bar Group. We talked about serious personal issues, cut up about a certain Meat Loaf song, discussed solutions to the political problems the country faces, and ragged on each other every chance we got...just like old times.

One more day here in California for me. I have some actual work to do this morning and afternoon, then I will meet up with the Tiki Bar guys for a "post-herf" herf at Taps. There might be a few guests showing up as well.

What I Watched This Summer, part 2

Last Monday I talked about some of the summer TV season shows I got hooked on this past summer for the first time. Today I'll be looking at a couple of old friends and one that should probably have left the airwaves after the second season...

ICE ROAD TRUCKERS

Image via Wikipedia

I had heard about the legends of the ice road truckers before the show ever started: these veterans and daredevils that delivered goods to the frozen North during the winter when the lakes and rivers were frozen over...the only time there was even a road to some locations because the road was created on the frozen waters. The first two years, Ice Road Truckers (IRT, as it has become known) focused on the Canadian ice roads on lakes and rivers and even out into the Arctic Ocean. My understanding is that there was some conflict with the Canadian trucking companies who decided not to continue the show, so last year the show was moved to Alaska and the definition of "ice road" was stretched.

As it stands now, the show details the journey of a select group of drivers working for Carlile Trucking out of Fairbanks as they make their way up and down the Dalton Highway (the "Haul Road"). The road is usually covered with ice to some degree, but it is actually a gravel and partially paved road that is somewhat passable all year. These drivers occasionally have to drive out from Prudhoe Bay onto the icy Artic ice to deliver to a rig or cross a frozen to deliver to towns that have no other access, but that's about as far as the ice roads go these days. The job is dangerous (we are constantly reminded that for every mile of the Dalton, a driver has died) and exhausting (truckers almost falling asleep while driving have been shown several times) but pays well (they don't call it "The Dash for the Cash" for nothing).

There is rivalry between two old Canadian truckers from seasons 1 and 2 (Hugh and Alex), the baby-faced veteran "King of the Dalton" (Jack), the newbies (Greg and Ray), and the girl trying to make a living in a man's world (Lisa). All interesting stories...and I wonder how much these people get paid extra to have cameras stuck in their faces all winter long while they drive. The show began to be referred to as "IRT" this season, which I suppose is in anticipation of taking all these people out of their element when the History channel takes a group of the ice road haulers to drive on other dangerous roads. IRT: Himalayas premiers this fall.

MAN VS. FOOD

Image via Wikipedia

What is more fun than watching a person stuff themselves full of 120 ounces of milkshake? Watching that same person follow it up a week later with some kind of suicidal hot wings challenge, of course. The Travel Channel's Man vs. Food is now in its third season and host, Adam Richman, is continuing his "hunger quest": traveling around this great country of ours, finding the greatest pig-out spots and taking on the craziest eating challenges.

For me, the fun of this show is seeing the cities and areas Adam visits, and getting a taste of their culture and cuisine. I feel like taking notes on where to travel to and what restaurants to stop and eat in every time he hits a new city. The challenges are interesting as well, although sometimes a bit nauseating to watch. I found it particularly humorous when Zantac started sponsoring the show this season. During the "end of fight press conference" you'll often see their logo displayed on the wall behind him. For some of the items he has had to eat...it is completely understandable.

What really makes this show, though, is that Adam seems at heart to be a very nice guy and very likable. You want him to win every week, even though you can see the transformation of this show in his face from one season to the next...how many more years can he do this job? I think his cardiologist would probably say one or two more tops. Enjoy it while you can!

MAN VS. WILD

And now to this show, which I used to love. Every week a former British SEAL-type, with the unlikely but unforgettable name of Bear Grylls, is dropped into a survival situation somewhere in the world. The first season made it more of an illusion..."he's out here on his own and has to survive." Then they started letting the audience in on the secrets: "Bear is presented with challenges by the crew so he can demonstrate survival skills." That was not the worst thing that could happen, though...I think the worst thing that could happen was when Bear was "lost" in Montana and climbed up a 100-foot high (or taller) train trestle bridge to get to the tracks. Several times he almost fell for no better reason than that it showed him being "manly." A real man and survival expert would have seen that the train trestle bridge was connected to solid land at either end, would have examined both to see which was easiest to ascend, and then would have done so, conserving a lot of energy in the process and not putting themselves as risk for serious injury or death.

Since that episode, I have watched a few more times, but I am simply unable to take it very seriously anymore. Season 5 has just begun and they have made a few more changes to the production of the show. In the first episode he did not actually jump the shark, but he had to avoid some! I will give this show one more chance to get interesting again.

How about you? Do you watch any of these shows? If so, what do you think? If not, what shows fill up your DVR? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.

Weekly Wisdom from John Hiatt

I was out on a leave of absence
From any resemblance to reality
I felt like a rocket launched to the great blue yonder
From the boys down at Kennedy

I was driving by his majesty's court hotel
Where the sign said praise his name
I was tired and alone i couldn't see too well
But I don't think that he was to blame

Thank God the Tiki Bar is open
Thank God the Tiki Torch still shines
Thank God the Tiki Bar is open
Come on in and open up your mind

"The Tiki Bar is Open" from The Tiki Bar is Open (2001)

Tiki Bar Reunion Herf: Day 1, the Pre-Herf Herf

After spending half the day Friday working and the rest of the day and night traveling from East Tennessee to Southern California, I got a short night's rest and woke at my regular 7 a.m. time...7 a.m. Eastern, which equals 4 a.m. here in SoCal. I tried sleeping some more, but had limited success with it. I finally gave up that effort at 7 a.m. local time and got up, ready for breakfast...more like brunch for my system at that hour. 

Dude stole my parking spot!

I headed up the freeway to La Mirada and met Keith at Mike's Burgers where we both had the "Country Breakfast" with sausage, eggs, and biscuits and gravy. Really good gravy for SoCal, too! Plenty of bits of sausage in there. Keith went home to wash his truck and I left to cruise around a bit in my old haunts. I fired up a CAO La Traviata Ninfa, rolled down the windows and opened the sun roof...making that "cloud roof." It was a chilly, overcast morning and the steady breeze through the windows almost required me to turn on the rental car's heater.

I ended up at Denny's in Brea where Vern and Jim were having their normal Saturday morning breakfast with the men's group from my old church group. That church group was where I met Jim and Vern and where I became a cigar smoker. Good memories. Funny, though...I was in the group for 8 or 9 years and hung out with many of these guys at other functions, but this was the first time I had ever attended a men's breakfast!

SoCal culinary institution

After that I came back to my hotel for a few minutes, only to find the parking lot jammed. Wedding going on I guess...and judging by the cars in the parking lot a well-to-do family. Lambourghini. Lotus. Home Depot NASCAR Chevy Monte Carlo...complete with all the stickers. And the Lambo took my parking place! The nerve of some people! Doesn't he know who I am? LOL

A brief break later I was on the road to one of the many reasons to visit Southern California: In-N-Out Burgers. If you haven't tried these tasty little gems, make it a point to next time you are within a 50 mile radius of one of their stores. Unfortunately, they only do business currently in California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas. At the rate they're expanding, they may make it to Tennessee before I die...or maybe not!

The remnants of my pre-herf herfing

From there it was on to Maxamar Ultimate Cigars in Orange. The group in its entirety for this pre-herf herf was Keith, Vern, Ray, Clint, Jim, and myself. We each smoked two or three stogies before having to head out for various obligations. I smoked my first Macanudo Maduro Vintage 1997 (rather one note, not bad, but not all that memorable, either; too expensive for what it delivered), my first Quesado Tributo (decent stick, but did not deliver as much flavor as I expected; I have another waiting for my undivided attention for a review which will give me a better chance to fully evaluate it), and a E.P. Carrillo Short Run (great stick as always, even as the fourth stick of the day). We watched the Tennessee/Florida game on the big screen and although I was disappointed by UT's loss, I was impressed that they actually were able to give Florida a fight. Conversation was abundant and some of the same stories were passed around the room, but that's okay...the Tiki Bar was open!

I had been invited to my in-laws house for dinner and to celebrate my father-in-law's and brother-in-law's birthdays. I actually like all my in-laws so it was worth shuffling the schedule around to go. And they surprised me by celebrating my birthday early in the mix. Great surprise, great dinner and a great way to end a very full day.

Cigar Extra: Illusione Nosotros

Churchill, 7" x 48 ring gauge / approx. $10

We took a look at the Nosotros when it debuted back in May and both of this blog's reviewers found it lacking in flavor and substance for a cigar that was so highly anticipated and has a premium pricetag. What was especially strange was that both of us had heard from shop owners that this collaboration between Dion Giolito (Illusione) and Jonathan Drew (Drew Estate) was a hit at the previous year's IPCPR show. But those same shop owners agreed with us that the initial release was just not what we expected.

Fast-forward a few months and I have had several people tell me that I need to try the Nosotros again because a few extra months have completely changed it. I picked up a small size at Burns a few weeks ago and enjoyed it very much. Allen of the Nashville Cigar Club and CigarBlog.net kindly provided me with this Churchill that I smoked for this Cigar Extra.

The look of this stick was very much in line with many of the sticks you will see from Illusione--reddish-brown wrapper that is oily and velvety to the touch. There was some barnyard and cinnamon on the body and anise and leather on the foot. Prelight draw ahd a nice cinnamon note with some sweet, natural tobacco. After lighting I got some initial flavors of cedar and anise. That continued, along with some mild pepper spice and cinnamon, on through the first third. It was actually a very good example of what I am coming to recognize as "Corojo flavor."

The second third was very nice as well--more sweet, natural tobacco flavor with just a bit of the Corojo-ness hanging around. This continued on into the final third as well. I have to say, this longer-aged Nosotros definitely hit the spot better than the sticks we got back in May. It is just speculation on my part, but I do wonder if these were released a couple months too early in the first place. Sometimes, it seems, a couple months more age is all it takes to make a more favorable first impression...and in this business where people have to lay down an awful lot of their hard-earned money, those first impressions can be very important.

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

When the Rubber Meets the Road...

If you're reading this, it must be Friday and I must already be on the road again. Once a year, I have a need to be in Southern California for one day--actually only about 6 to 8 hours!--so I make the trip to Nashville airport, fly across the country, and spend the weekend with the OTB! That would be the "Original Tiki Bar!" This being my second year of doing this, I thought it appropriate to actually name the event, so this Saturday, September 18, will be the

2nd ANNUAL TIKI BAR REUNION HERF

I'll be spending Saturday late morning to early afternoon at Maxamar Ultimate Cigars in Orange along with Keith, Vern, Ray and maybe a couple others, then we will be heading back to Keith's house where the rest of the OTB will join us for many more hours of smoking enjoyment. The following evening we will be continuing the festivities at Taps in Brea...smoking more and doing our best to annoy the heck out of the other people in the outdoor seating area with the sheer volume of our smoke.

It will be fun and I hope to have a full report--including pictures!--posted here on Monday.

While I am gone, the Tiki Bar will continue to feature plenty of new material. Keith and I have been working overtime to ensure no interruption of great quality reading material happens while either of us is on vacation, sick, or unable to review for some other reason. Thank God, the Tiki Bar is open!

Cigar Review: Graycliff Heritage Royale Windsor

Mini Salomone 4.75" x 52 ring gauge / Price Unknown

First off I'd like to again thank Amar, the owner of my regular shop (Maxamar's Ultimate Cigars, Orange, CA), as he gave me this sample from what he brought back from IPCPR. Since this is technically a pre-release I was only able to smoke 1 cigar for this review. Here is what Graycliff's site says about the cigar: "Introduced in 2010, the new Heritage Royale cigars are full bodied well balanced with a hint of chocolate and coffee – for those who know the Graycliff Chateau Grand Cru line, it’s similar but a bit stronger. The blend is made from tobacco from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras and Nicaragua and aged in the Graycliff Cigar Company factory. The new Heritage Royale cigars come in three sizes." They are Pirate 6" x 52, Windsor (mini salomone) 4.75" x 52, Duke (short double robusto) 4.5" x 54.

The wrapper of this cigar is a medium dark brown with some medium veins. There was a slight box press to the cigar as well. The wrapper was fairly oily to the touch. When I gave this cigar a squeeze I noticed that it was fairly firm, which is a definite departure from previous Graycliff's I've had. Putting my nose to the wrapper I was able to get the scent of barnyard, with the same off the foot. After I clipped it and took a draw on it I wasn't able to get much other than a slight sweetness on the tongue and a bitterness on the lips. The draw was fairly tight.

Once I lit it up I tastes the flavors of graham, leather and earth with a bit of spice on the tongue and retrohale. About a half inch into it it changed for the better and worse at the same time. For the better in that the draw opened up, for the worse in that a bitterness developed. The burn was slightly wavy and the had was a darkish grey and held on for a bit more than an inch.

The flavors in the second third were very similar to the first, chocolate, leather, cinnamon and spice. However the bitterness was still there with a slight harshness developing on the back of the throat. The burn did even out without the need for a touch up.

The final third was more of the same. The bitterness made it very difficult for me to enjoy it.

This cigar was only ok. The description says it is similar to the Chateau Gran Cru, my favorite blend of theirs, but stronger, however I didn't taste anything like it in this cigar. If the bitterness wasn't there I could have enjoyed it much more. Even if it wasn't there it wouldn't be something that I'd go out and buy at an estimated price of $15-$20. I would expect that some aging would do this cigar some good and get rid of the bitterness, but at that price no thanks.

Body: 5/10

Strength: 5/10

Complexity: 5/10

AFP Scale

Pre-light: 2/2

Construction: 1.5/2

Flavor: 3/5

Value: 0/1

Total: 6.5/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!

Cigar Review: El Primer Mundo Criollo Maduro

Torpedo, 6.5" x 52 ring gauge / $7.70, Burns

The Criollo Maduro (Red Label) is one of the two original El Primer Mundo lines released when Sean Williams founded the company in 2006. According to Perelman's it has Honduran, Nicaraguan and Peruvian filler (like the Connecticut Shade/Blue Label), but I could not determine if it is essentially the exact same filler blend with a different wrapper leaf or if it is a tweaked blend to better match this wrapper, which is a maduro Nicaraguan leaf.

The leaf of this cigar was exceptionally dark; the gold and red of the band were well set off against it. The darkness concealed a few medium-to-large veins and minor flaws that were visible on close inspection. The box-press was nice and the cigar felt evenly packed along its length. I got mostly barnyard aromas from the wrapper leaf and some chocolate on the foot. The torpedo tip lopped off, the cold draw was very good, featuring sweet chocolate and some black coffee. As I took to my porch, I was feeling mixed emotions about the changing of the seasons. More than 2 weeks of summer were officially on the books still, but autumn seemed determined to burst through. The air was cooler and drier, the breeze was up and the leaves were showing the first sign of change. My lawn which had been so lush and green a month before was starting to turn brown with the decaying of the summer, and that is what caused my mixed emotions: it did not look nearly as nice, but at least I wouldn't have to mow it so often!

Initial flavors on this Criollo Maduro were the bitterness of strong, black coffee, followed by the chocolatey sweetness so often found in maduros. I was soon getting a nice nutty retrohale, too, with a healthy dash of black pepper. The first third continued in a similar way--a nice balance between coffee and chocolate...bitter and sweet--with enough nuttiness and spice on the retrohale to keep it interesting. So far, this seemed just over the med-line in body--still in the medium range.

In the second third, I got the most unexpected flavor of grilled meat, complete with barbecue sauce. My best guess is an interplay of woody, even hickory, flavors combined with a change in the sweetness away from a cocoa bean triggered this taste association.

As the last third got underway, I got another big change in flavor as the flavor of coffee became by far the dominant note--a dark-roast, strong coffee, too, with just a bit of underlying sweetness. The body had ramped up a bit to be a truly medium-to-full bodied cigar and the overall complexity of this stick was really satisfying. Now that I have completed introducing myself to the collected works of Mr. Sean Williams up through this year, I am looking forward to meeting the man behind the brand when he drops in at Burns' annual membership renewal party in November. I am also anxious to see what he has come up with in his newest smoke: the Liga Miami, introduced at this year's IPCPR show.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 7/10

Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 1.5/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9/10

Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!