Cigar Extra: The Griffins, Maduro (and the Friday Funnies)

Toro, 6.25" x 52 ring gauge / $11.45, Burns
The Davidoff company started The Griffins line as a special "house" blend for The Griffin's Club in Switzerland. Exact information was difficult to find, but I believe them to be Dominican in filler and binder and this Maduro version features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Typical of Davidoff products, the appearance was understated and classy and construction appeared to be impeccable. The wrapper had an aroma that was a mix of earth and dark chocolate; the foot had a foresty earthiness that immediately reminded me that this is a Davidoff product, blended by Hendrick Kelner. Hard to believe, perhaps, but this cigar...which I received as part of my membership renewal multi-pack at CBC/Burns in November...is the first Griffins I have ever had. I decided to give this reportedly mild to medium stick a try on a Sunday morning with some strong, black Dominican coffee.

In case I momentarily forgot who made The Griffins, a cold draw full of foresty, woodsy, musty earthiness brought it right back into focus; to be fair, there was a nice sweetness, too, due to the Maduro wrapper used on this version. When lit, that sweet wrapper leaf gives the traditional Davidoff flavor profile a seriously different twist; the musty woodsiness was there, but it was overlaid by a delicate sweet aspect that was almost chocolatey, but not quite. There was also a definite cedar note and a hint of a floral aspect to the profile.

The interesting interplay of flavors worked its way through the first half...now more sweet and chocolatey...now more earthy...always with that Kelner forest trait just underneath. Medium in body, The Griffins Maduro went very well with my morning coffee and proved to be a great way to start the day while avoiding the typical Connecticut Shade mild cigar paradigm.

Friday Funnies:
Just like Crowned Heads came out with Four Kicks in November and won my "Cigar of the Year" award, Toby Keith came out with "Red Solo Cup" in October and I think he might just have written the "Song of the Year." A sillier song might be hard to find, but there is so much truth and wisdom conveyed herein that I just can't argue with:

Cigar of the Year, part 2: Runners-Up & COTY

So now we're down to the final 3...my favorite 3 cigars of 2011. There is nothing scientific about this process and your choices may very well differ from mine. As I've looked through some of the other blogger year-end lists, though, I've been amazed at how many of the same cigars showed up on all the lists...

RUNNERS UP

Tatuaje Black, Petite Lancero
I missed out on the Tat Black when it made its first appearance some years ago; my first one was actually the Black Tubo a couple years back. I liked it, but hardly loved it. I had some others in smaller sizes and began to see the potential. When this Petite Lancero size came out, after two puffs, I just said, "Wow!" And that has continued...every time I light one up, the same word in on my lips..."Wow." This stick epitomizes to me the classic Tatuaje experience...full and powerful with tons of earth and pepper spice, along with underlying sweetness, coffee and leather. It begins fantastic every time, but I've found myself not loving the last third as much. That, along with a couple samples that have had slight draw problems, is the reason this did not become Cigar of the Year for me. I do love them, though, and still intend to invest in a box soon.

Emilio Cigars, Grimalkin
My first reaction to these was to grimace at the Cheshire grin on the band. That was followed by immensely enjoying the cigar, even though I thought the packaging was silly. In the intervening time, I've had discussions with brand owner, Gary Griffith, about the concept, but I still wonder if it holds the cigar back. Packaging will not necessarily make or break a cigar any more than some blogger's opinion of it, but it can help or hurt initial sales. At this time, Emilio Cigars are extremely popular...among those who have tried them...but there seems to be some resistance to them outside the world of online cigar geeks. And that is very unfortunate. The Grimalkin starts off with a nice mix of earth and cedar with touches of molasses (did someone say syrupy) sweetness and a peppery retrohale. This is truly a great cigar and one of the best out of the factory that makes it (can we say who yet?). Seek it out.

 

CIGAR OF THE YEAR

Crowned Heads, Four Kicks
The story of this cigar's creation is practically legendary already...from the way the Crowned Heads principals were left by a company they helped build, to the partnering with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo for the creation of this first cigar, and everything in between. Of course, the fact that Huber, Conder and company put it all online for us all to see didn't hurt. The fact that their first cigar as a new company is a no-questions home run makes it all the better. This medium-bodied, full-flavored cigar has notes of earth, pepper spice and a wonderful molasses sweetness running through it. I bought a box of Robustos on the first day they were available and I practically can't stop smoking them. Good enough to be Cigar of the Year? Absolutely! Sometimes a scale of 1 to 10 doesn’t seem like enough...this cigar practically goes to 11.

My Cigars of the Year

Seeing as this year is coming to a close and it is the normal time for cigar bloggers to do this I thought I'd give you all a list of my favorite cigars over the past year. For the most part these cigars have all been released this year, but a few of them may have been released last year. I didn't really get the time to smoke them all again like Dave did. Also as you'll see our lists are a bit different.

Honorable mentions in no particular order:

- Savinelli Dos Campeones Coraje Trabajador
- Davidoff White Edition
- Alec Bradley Black Market
- Hammer & Sickle Berlin Wall
- La Flor Dominicana Diadema Duo Maduro
- E.P. Carillo New Wave Connectiut
- Artisan's Passion by Paul Garmirian
- Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial
- Emilio Grimalkin
- Room 101 Namakubi


Top 13 Cigars of 2011:

13: Chaveta Toro
12: Zino Z-Class 550R
11: E.P. Carillo Elencos
10: My Father Le Bijoux 1922 Box Press
9: My Father El Hijo
8: La Flor Dominicana Diadema Duo Natural
7: Quesada España
6: Emilio AF1
5. The Crowned Heads Four Kicks
4: CroMagnon EMH
3: Drew Estate Undercrown
2: Tatuaje Fausto

and my number one cigar of the year is:

The San Lotano Oval Robusto.

There was a lot of difficult competition this year in my opinion. If I could I probably would have put a few more cigars as tied for my number one cigar of the year. It was a great year for cigar smokers since there were a lot of great cigars released this year that really catered to the different palates of cigar smokers everywhere. I chose the Oval as my number one cigar of the year because it has been the cigar I've gotten the most enjoyment out of this year. Pretty much every time I reach in my humidor I want to reach for one of those and sometimes I have to keep myself from not grabbing it so I don't run out too quickly.

I hope that my ranking doesn't anger any of the cigar makers out there because I am just one smoker out of many and this is just my opinion. If you have comments or just think I'm nuts let me know in the comments!

Cigar of the Year, part 1: Honorable Mentions

I decided to do something a little different this year...smoke every serious Cigar of the Year contender again and take some notes on it from a fresh perspective. Sometimes it may have been a few weeks since the last time I had one; other times it may have been several months. Whatever the case, I decided that this would be the best way to tell how they stack up against each other: smoke them all in a relatively short time frame. I haven't followed the "first cigar of the day" rule that I use when writing full reviews...because these are not full reviews. I did try to smoke no more than two on a given day just to give them all a fair shake with a fairly fresh palate.

The other “rule” I instituted for this year’s Cigar of the Year decision was that no limited editions would be eligible. It just didn’t seem right to give a cigar that high of a recommendation when it might be pretty much impossible to find.

Today I'm presenting the "Honorable Mentions"; these were cigars that scored high through the year and several were actually a "lock" for Cigar of the Year at some point during the year.

Honorable Mentions:

Berger and Argenti Entubar Quad Maduro
How to follow up the innovative Entubar, with its discreet channel of Ligero running right through the exact center of the cigar? Do a Maduro version! And maybe it's just me, but I think this box-pressed Maduro is far superior to the original. Cold draw reveals flavors of dark roast coffee and tons of chocolate. The draw is so perfect, that while toasting the foot, smokes comes out of the clipped head on its own. After lighting, the Quad Maduro gives up more coffee flavor, along with baker's cocoa and a bit of chocolate sweetness. It really is a "chocolate bar of a cigar," as I heard one rep call it. My only problem with these is the price; at $10.50 or more for a Robusto, they are just hard to justify on a regular basis...I love them, but my bank account doesn't.

El Primer Mundo, Epifania
I discovered Primer Mundo Cigars hiding in plain sight in my local B&M a little over a year ago and soon considered the Criollo Maduro to be one of the hidden gems of the cigar world. Sean Williams runs the company out of Atlanta, and it has been a fairly small company, but it is expanding beyond the Southeast. For last year's release, Sean teamed with Willy Herrera and Titan de Bronze for the Liga Miami; at this year's Chattanooga Tweetup, Sean said the Epifania was similar, but tweaked. Whatever the tweak was...it worked. While I'm not a huge fan of the Liga Miami, this stick was magic from the moment I lit it. Sweet tobacco, molasses and earth stand out at first, wrapped up in a creamy smooth smoke.

Kristoff Brittania Reserva
This was the first cigar from Kristoff that I liked so much, I made it a point to seek it out and buy more. Although mild to medium, it contains a ton of flavor, even on the cold draw. After lighting, there was a blast of black pepper mixed into a creamy, sweet smoke. These are hard to find, but pretty easy on the wallet, especially for a boutique brand. Mild to medium sticks in the “new breed Connecticut” category seem to be a dime a dozen in the last couple years, but this is one of my favorites. Try it if you get a chance.

Pedro Martin Cigars, Ruby Lancero
One of the newcomers to the cigar industry this year, Pedro Martin Cigars was started by Maria Martin in honor of the memory of her father. Unlike many new companies, they started off with three distinct and excellent blends featuring heavy use of Corojo tobacco, and promised to have three more blends out before year's end (I haven't seen them on the shelf yet). My favorite of the initial three was Ruby, which features a reddish Corojo wrapper leaf and a brilliant, sweet flavor. My favorite of the Ruby is this Lancero. Sweet tobacco, earth, cedar and a little spice all play their parts in this fantastic blend.

Tatauje La Casita Criolla
Who would have thought that a cigar composed solely of Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco could be this good? Well...Pete Johnson thought so, actually, and that is why we ended up with the La Casita Criolla. I loved this one from the first time I sparked one up. They are available in three sizes, none of which has a ring gauge larger than 48, and the price is right. The only caveat on these is this: Broadleaf tends to be thick and moist...I've found the smallest size to have draw issues when kept at normal humidification levels. Simply dry boxing them for a few hours before smoking should alleviate any problems...or just go for the slightly larger sizes. The La Casita Criolla is earthy and leathery and mildly spicy at times, but more than anything else, it is sweet, as you would expect from an all Broadleaf cigar. Its medium body and affordable price tag make it all the more desirable for me.

Coming up on Thursday, the final 3...the Runners-Up and the Cigar of the Year...

Merry Christmas...and Happy Boxing Day!

Yes, it's the day after Christmas when you are reading this (or even later if you aren't the type to read every day...shame on you!), but since we don't publish on Sundays, we're celebrating today. Keith and I would both like to wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you enjoyed some time with family and loved ones.

What today actually is is Boxing Day (in the U.K., Canada, and Australia...at least according to my calendar). I had heard of Boxing Day for decades but never bothered to look into it. This year I decided to reach out to a Canadian friend, Perdomo's National Director of Sales, Chris Harper. This is what he had to say about Boxing Day:

In Canada, Boxing Day is...our Black Friday. I know it doesn't make sense but that is when everyone goes hunting for deals. They say that the day came from England. The rich boxed up the leftovers from the big Christmas dinner and gave it to the servants. Hence, Boxing Day! 

You heard the man...go box up some leftovers for your servants! :)

Cigar Extra: La Aurora Puro Vintage 2003

Salomon, 7.25" x 52 ring gauge / Approx. $20
Another tip of the hat to Keith for sending me this rare cigar for my birthday. The La Aurora Puro Vintage was released in 2008 and only 12,000 total cigars were rolled, using filler and binder from the Dominican Republic and wrapper from Ecuador...all from the 2003 harvest. The leaf was aged with cedar for five years prior to rolling. The look was stunning and impressive, with an oily wrapper and bold, oversized band. The aroma from the wrapper was a mixture of leather, straight tobacco and molasses sweetness, while the foot was faintly earthy. The cold draw was easy, but didn't have as much flavor as I would have expected...a little natural tobacco, a little sweetness.

I was surprised again when the initial light up did not feature a burst of flavor, but the Puro Vintage 2003 started out subtle and almost unassuming. The flavor of natural tobacco was nice, but nothing that was overly special. It took about 10 minutes of smoking before I started to pick up on nicer notes of hay, earth and molasses. By the time the first third was pretty well reduced to ash, the flavor had turned almost chewy, with a thick, oily smoke and flavors of earth, wood, and molasses standing out. Such a drastic evolution from the first few puffs!

By the final third, the Puro Vintage 2003 was a symphony of flavor from leather and earth, to caramel and hay, all wrapped up in a creamy, abundant smoke. I expected big things from this cigar and while it started off slow, it kept ramping up the intensity throughout, proving that if you just review the first inch of a cigar, you will never be able to tell the full story. Sadly, this cigar is very hard to find these days, but there is a newer Puro Vintage slated to be released soon (perhaps by the time you read this). Will it be as delicious as this one? There is no way to know until you smoke one...and I plan to.

Perfect "10"s for 2011

Some cigar reviewers don't believe in numerical ratings. Others are rather stingy with theirs and would never give something a perfect score. We're a little more liberal with our scale most of the time...if we really, really like a cigar and can't find anything wrong with it, why shouldn't it be a 10? In the end some 10s are more worthy than others, but I believe that all the cigars that get that kind of rating are truly great sticks. 

In compiling this list, I found that I had given 10 "perfect 10s" and Keith had given 1. A few other facts were interesting, too...only 1 of the 10s came from what I would call a "major manufacturer" (Avo, made by Davidoff), but 4 of them came out of the My Father Cigar Factory (or a precursor to it in one case). Some may argue that My Father and/or Tatuaje should be considered a major manufacturer, but I find it hard to put them in the same league as General, Altadis or Davidoff. All in all, I think the boutique cigar business is in great shape.

Without further ado, here's the list...and links to the original reviews...

Kristoff Brittania Reserva, 1/13

Berger & Argenti Entubar Quad Maduro, 3/22

Avo 85th (LE 2011), 4/6

My Father LE 2011, 5/20

Tatuaje Maravillas, 6/23

Tatuaje Black Label Petite Lancero, 8/9

Tatuaje La Casita Criolla (HCBC), 8/30

Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva, 9/14

Pedro Martin Ruby Lancero, 9/15

El Primer Mundo Epifania, 10/13

Crowned Heads Four Kicks, 12/19

Next week I'll be talking about my Top Cigars of 2011, including my personal "Cigar of the Year."

Cigar Review: Savinelli Dos Campeones Sixto Trabajador

Short Robusto, 4" x 56 ring gauge / $6.99, Maxamar's

With 2011 being the 20th anniversary of Savinelli being in the cigar business they have come up with a couple innovative ideas for cigar blends. Today I'll be reviewing the second half of the Dos Camepones line. These cigars were the brainchild of Steven Ysidron. Each box consists of 2 different blends. Today's Sixto blend is comprised of Nicaraguan filler and binder with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. This was the first one I smoked.

The wrapper on this sample was a very nice ruddy brown in color with quite a bit more oils to the wrapper than the Coraje blend. There were some medium and fine veins to it as well. Giving the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and it was fairly firm to the touch. The wrapper gave off a fairly intense aroma of barnyard while the foot gave off chocolate and leather. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I was able to tastes notes of cocoa powder and leather with an ok draw.

As soon as I lit up the cigar I got a very intense amount of red pepper spice on the tongue and the back of the throat. When I retrohaled it I was greeted to a wasabi like burning in my nose. After taking a few more puffs on the cigar I was able to start tasting leather, molasses, and a slight amount of chocolate. Towards the end of the first third I started to get notes of cedar and earth mixed in as well. The spice did tone itself down a bit but it was sill very present. The draw was actually perfect in spite of it being a bit tight on the pre-light draw. The burn was uneven but I decided to let it go and see if it fixed itself. They grey ash held on for about an inch before needing to be tapped off. I would put this cigar at the upper end of medium in regards to strength and body at this point.

Moving on into the second third saw the spice continue to get less intense, especially on the retrohale. The flavors were of earth, leather, and wood and the sweetness was completely gone. The burn was still uneven but not needing a correction at this point. By the end of the second third the spice was pretty much completely gone.

The final third was very similar to the second third in regards to the flavors I noted. The only change was that I started to get a slightly creamy finish. The burn did even itself out without needing an application of a lighter.

Overall I didn't enjoy this blend as much as I did the Coraje. The Sixto blend is supposed to be the stronger of the two, but I felt the Coraje was the stronger. I do think I'd give this another try, but I would probably be more drawn to the Coraje. However since there was nothing I could find wrong with this cigar I would suggest that if you can find them, pick one up and give it a try for yourself.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Event: Room 101 Cigarmageddon

Last Friday, December 16, 2011, was the last date on Matt Booth's Cigarmageddon Tour, ending where it began: Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga, TN. The start was at the Chattanooga Tweet Up in August when Booth introduced this year's limited edition cigar in the Room 101 collection, the Namakubi. Hopes were high that we would be able to be the first shop to get our hands on the official release of the OSOK (One Shot One Kill) for this event, but delays happen when you are dealing with shipments to foreign countries. The OSOK is now expected to debut in January.

We did have the namesake for OSOK, Mr. Edgar Hoill, in the house for this event, though. Edgar has been working with Matt Booth from the start as his official photographer. The West Coast half of the Tiki Bar, Keith Hollar, has also been in talks with Edgar for a story that will focus on his photography; there might be a contest and a print given away in conjunction with that story, so that's something to look forward to in the New Year.

I had the opportunity to sit down and chat a bit with both Matt Booth and Edgar Hoill on Friday night. Here's that conversation...

I also took a few pictures at the event; you can see those on my Facebook page HERE.

If you need some gift ideas, check out Room 101 Silver or OSOKill. 

Cigar Review: Crowned Heads Four Kicks

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / approx. $7.75

Sometimes things work out for the best. A little over a year ago, my friend, Al, and I were among the last visitors to the old CAO headquarters in Nashville. We spent time talking to Susie Clark and Jon Huber about where they had been and what was happening. Jon told this hilarious story about Hank Williams Jr.’s visit to the office. Commiseration seemed to be the order of the day, though, as a job that had been a way of life for many people was coming to an end. I had already been given hints that something else was being worked on, but I was not privy to details until later and who besides God could have known how it would all work out?

In February, we heard about the new company, Crowned Heads, founded with four CAO ex-pats: Jon Huber, Mike Conder, Michael Trebing and Nancy Heathman. A new cigar company for Nashville and the public would get to see the building of it from the ground up. The barebones office in the vintage building near downtown, the trips to Nicaragua and other far-flung locales, the unveiling of new artwork and swag that this time seems not to be destined to fill a “Merch” page on the company’s website.

Later on the team sent out some samples of blends they were considering for their first cigar to about a dozen bloggers and friends, including me. Of the four I smoked, one stood out...and it stood out to almost everyone else, too. And with a little tweaking by one of the acknowledged "Masters of the Leaf," Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jr., it became Four Kicks. And is it good? Yes...it is very good.

So good, in fact, that I'm willing to throw tradition out the window this time and tell you exactly what I think of it right here: the Four Kicks by Crowned Heads is not only “very good,” it is a masterpiece of dried, fermented and aged leaves. This team put out some very good and some excellent cigars during their tenure with CAO, but this beats them all. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jr., has been behind many great blends, from the El Rico Habano, La Gloria Cubana Serie R, EP Carrillo Core Maduro, Elencos, and New Wave Connecticut...but I believe this is the finest blend he has ever produced. Now let’s talk full review and the details of why I believe all this...

After having a chance to early-sample all four sizes, I decided on a box of Robustos, 3 of which I smoked before I got around to this review. When I opened the box to pull out a sacrificial cigar, I stuck my face down in the box to fully inhale the amazing cedar and tobacco aromas...I don’t buy that many boxes, so it’s hard to compare this with others, but what an intoxicating smell. The Four Kicks had a medium brown color, with a touch of red in certain lighting and a little darker mottling as well. The wrapper leaf was exceedingly oily to the eye and the touch and there were nothing larger than medium-sized veins in evidence. The banding and packaging is traditional, yet unique, and cool all the way around. My wife remarked that the look of the logo on the box was “American” with the vaguely old-west type style and use of guns. The guns and stars and other elements are use in embossing in the gold side sections of the band, too, creating subtle echoes of the design from the box. Putting the cigar to my nose I got a nice rich cedar aroma, which shouldn’t be too surprising since that’s the biggest smell element I got from the open box, too. The foot had a note of earth and a bit of sweetness. After clipping with a Xikar Xi cutter, I got a great draw with mostly natural tobacco flavor along with a little earth and a little molasses sweetness.

Lighting was easy with a single flame torch, even in a slight fall breeze. While not exactly Pepin-esque, the Four Kicks opens with a spiciness that is indicative of its Nicaraguan filler and binder. Soon after an earthiness kicks in, and adjust a few minutes later I got a sweet molassesy note in a creamy smoke. The finish had a nutty aspect to it. I know Jon Huber is not a huge fan of all these descriptors, but I'm just telling what I tasted...your experience may be different. Regarding the things we taste when we smoke cigars, it is not unusual or unexpected to taste things that a out of nature, many times from the same geographical areas that produce our favorite smokes...coffee, cocoa, molasses, spice...these are all items you would find in my regions that also grow tobacco. As promised, this is a medium bodied cigar with full flavor. The first third rounded out with earth and sweetness up front with a spicy burn building at the back of the palate and throat.

Earthiness and sweetness were joined in the second third by a distinct woodiness of cedar. The Four Kicks continued to burn evenly with a great draw and solid ash, even during the aforementioned autumn breeze. By the end of the third the spice was toning down a bit on the palate, but I started to get a spicy tingle on the lips instead.

The final segment of the Four Kicks turned out to be just as pleasant as the first two. I continued to get notes of cedar and earth in a creamy smoke with touches of molasses here and there. Every now and then you come across a cigar that is truly remarkable. I almost never smoke the same cigar twice in one day, but in the forty eight hours following my purchase of a box of Robustos, I smoked three of those and one of the Corona Gordas I picked up as individual sticks. I would get done with one and want to light another up almost immediately, even if I didn't have time. This was all facilitated by the fact that the Four Kicks is easy on the palate with its medium body and easy on the wallet with its very reasonable price tag. If you can get your hands on these (I say "if" because I expect the first shipment to be sold out by the time this posts) then definitely do so. Try all the sizes if you can and find out which one hits you just right. For me it's the Robusto, followed by the Sublime (Toro). I have to finish by saying "Congratulations" to Messrs. Huber, Conder, Trebing, Heathman, and Carrillo for hitting this first ball out of the park.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 8/10

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

Cigar Extra: Tatuaje T110

Short Robusto, 4.375" x 52 ring gauge / Priceless
A big thanks first of all to my friend and fellow blogger, Keith, who sent me this somewhat rare stogie for my birthday. The T110 was a 2009 limited release for Tatuaje that later became the basis for the regular line Fausto. From what I've read elsewhere (notably smokingstogie.com and acigarsmoker.com) this was made for a store in Hawaii, only 200 boxes were produced, and the T stands for Thermonuclear. It is all Nicaraguan Ligero in filler and binder with a Habano Ecuador Maduro wrapper. This wrapper leaf was dark and quite oily despite shipping sans cello. There was a sweet molasses note to the wrapper and earth on the foot. I paired the T110 with some Maker's Mark Bourbon on a chilly fall evening.

The cold draw was very sweet, almost syrupy, which was something I totally did not expect from having smoked a few Faustos. The initial burst of flavor after lighting, though, was definitely in the same family as the later stick...but much more somehow. While it had a strong earth and coffee flavor, there is also loads of sweetness and cocoa powder, notes that just don't stand out that strongly to me on the Fausto.

Through the first third and into the second I quickly came to an agreement with those who have smoked the T110 then the Fausto...yes, they are very similar, but the T110 is better. While both are strong, very full-bodied smokes, this one has more sweetness and more pop to the flavors overall. Whether this is due to a couple years of age on the stick, different harvests of tobacco, or just a tweak in the Fausto blend, I could not say, but the T110 is definitely one to seek out if you are a fan of strong Tats.

Cigar Review: Kristoff Kristania

Robusto, 5" x 50 ring gauge / $5.25, Burns
Kristoff Cigars was established in 2005 and has prided itself on being one of the fastest-growing boutique brands in America. I have smoked several of their blends and was particularly impressed with the Brittania, but one of the sticking points has always been their price tags, which were never outrageous, but we're nevertheless a little too high for everyday comfort. To help alleviate that feeling, recently they released Kristania, offering "all the flavor and smoothness of the Kristoff line, at a budget conscious price." It features Dominican Habano filler and binder along with a Nicaraguan Criollo Habano wrapper. I recently picked up a couple samples from Burns, saving this second one for my review.

The wrapper is kind of what I have come to expect from Kristoff: smooth and oily, with strange mottling patterns. This is becoming almost a "signature" look. The band is also typical of the company: rich printing techniques including foil and embossing on a heavy, expensive-feeling paper. I think it all works together to bring a certain classy look and feel on a cigar that retails for barely above $5...very cool. Sniffing the wrapper, I got a strong barnyard/manure aroma; the foot was more of the same, but not quite as strong. After clipping the head from the cigar, I got a flavor that was a mix of sweet hay and pungent earth.

The Kristania lit easily with a soft-flame Djeep lighter and I immediately got a mild earthiness along with a creamy hay note and a nice peppery retrohale. It did not take long for the creamier, milder notes to be consumed in an overwhelming earthy profile, though; at the same time, the spice became evident at the back of the palate and throat, too. By the end of the first third, I was struck by how little this seemed like a mostly Dominican cigar; the smoke had a fairly harsh edge to it and the body was already in the medium to full category.

The Kristoff Kristania was not showing a lot of complexity as I burned into the second third, but it did continue to show good taste. Despite the harsh edge, I was thoroughly enjoying the earthiness of this smoke; it made me think of the regular Padron series, not so much in exact flavor, but in the fact that it delivered very good flavor for a very good price. Construction so far was fantastic, with a great draw, even burn line requiring no touch ups and a strong ash that never flaked.



In the final third, the harshness mellowed out, leaving more of that creaminess I got at the very start, and increasing the enjoyability of the cigar. It was still mostly earthy but some notes of wood and some grassy sweetness crept in on the edges, too. All in all, I liked the Kristoff Kristania quite a bit. For a "budget conscious" cigar, it had a very good, consistent flavor with just enough change-up to make it interesting. The body and strength may be a bit too much for brand new smokers, but everyone else should give this a try. It definitely will be making its way into my rotation as I liked both the experience and the price.

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

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

Cigar Review: Savinelli Dos Campeones Coraje Trabajador

Short Robusto, 4" x 56 ring gauge / $6.99, Maxamar's

With 2011 being the 20th anniversary of Savinelli being in the cigar business they have come up with a couple innovative ideas for cigar blends. Today I'll be reviewing one half of the Dos Camepones line. These cigars were the brainchild of Steven Ysidron. Each box consists of 2 different blends. Today's Coraje blend is comprised of what they term vintage Nicaraguan filler, a Nicaraguan binder with Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. This blend is supposed to be the less intense of the two. This was my first one of these cigars.

The wrapper on this sample was a dark chocolate brown and had a good amount of oils to it. The veins on it were very fine. Giving the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and it was fairly firm. Putting my nose to the wrapper I got a the aroma of barnyard with the same thing coming from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I was able to get the taste of cocoa powder with a good draw. One thing I'll note about the appearance is if you don't know where to look the word 'Coraje' gets a little lost on the band so it might be confusing to some which one they are smoking.

Lighting up the cigar brought the intense flavors of leather, chocolate and red pepper spice to the tongue. The draw was great and it produced a large volume of smoke. After taking a few more puffs on the cigar I started getting notes of wood and earth coming through. The burn started get slightly uneven but nothing that needed correcting at this point. To me this cigar was at the upper end of medium in strength and body. The light grey ash held on for about a inch before needing to be tapped off.

As I moved into the second third of the cigar the spice toned down quite a bit. It was still there on the tongue but pretty much gone from the retrohale. The flavors changed slightly to earth, wood, cocoa powder, and a herbal spice with a slightly creamy finish.

The final third saw the cigar finish off strong. The draw continued to be perfect and the burn pretty much evened itself out without any help. I continued to get flavors of leather, earth and chocolate, however a slightly sweet finish, almost a maple flavor, started to come through. The spice did start to come back and the strength of the cigar moved into the bottom end of full.

Overall this was a very enjoyable cigar and I see myself buying this one again. With the flavors I liked and great construction and a reasonable price I don't see why not. I do think it would be good for most smokers out there since it wasn't too strong and I didn't get a nicotine hit from it. I'm looking forward to trying the other blend in the box which I will be posting the review of next week.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 7/10

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

What I Did Last Weekend...(Atlanta Tweet Up)

It is utterly amazing to me how much smoking a cigar can seem to make travel time shrink. This shouldn’t be a surprise, since I do so nearly every time I drive down to Burns in Chattanooga (about 45 minutes each way and nearly perfect for a robusto), but it does continue to take me be surprise when I have a 2.5 to 3 hour drive ahead of me, I fire up a stogie, and the time and miles seem to fly by. Finding new and different places to check in on FourSquare helps, too...I’ll get to that in a few moments.

The La Aurora 107 "Big Mike"...yes, he smoked one...

Saturday, December 10, 2012, was the central date of the second annual Atlanta Tweet-Up, held at Buckhead Cigar Lounge. Since last year’s event was the impetus for my pushing for a Chattanooga Tweet-Up and since Big Mike was kind enough to honor us with his presence at it, I figured I should do whatever I could to return the favor. I left my Tennessee Valley home at 7:00 a.m., ate some breakfast while heading out of town, then pulled over to light up my first cigar of the day (an Oliva Connecticut) in the first town in the next county. That took me at least past Dalton, Georgia...I honestly can’t remember when that cigar expired. I did smoke a Zino Platinum XS (mini cigar) before hitting Marrieta and Tobacco World, where I visited with @GreekGodofFire and @firewiz25 and picked up some review-candidates for next year’s calendar, before heading on to Buckhead City.

Whynatte...like Coffee & Red Bull combined

The crowd at Buckhead Cigar (@buckheadcigar) was a fun one, including manufacturer reps Jason Wood (@MiamiCigar) and Matthew Shugart (@CigarDorsey), both from Miami Cigar, Chris Harper (@HarperNdos) from Perdomo, and Clay Roberts (@AJFcigars) from AJ Fernandez Cigars. Also in attendance were brand owners Guillermo Leon (@GuillermoLeon_) of La Aurora and Jeff and Nada Jumper (@jeffjumper and @CigarGirlFL) of Nadi Cigars (@NadiCigars). And then there were the bloggers...@NTA_Ben and @NTA_Shawn from Nice Tight Ash, @brianhewitt from Stogie Review, and your truly (@dmjones1009). So besides those “titled” attendees, who else did we see? Atlanta resident, @nickwiegand was there early and brought the doughnuts. @CigarsThomas traveled all the way from California to annoy people. @Mango2kw, known as Jimmy Buffett to some, took some time away from his hammock on the Georgia coast. Local radio talk show host @TalkToRusty hung out for a while. Always well-dressed, but rarely working, @Big_Belicoso showed up late in the afternoon. And some of my Chattanooga friends made the trip, arriving a little more than fashionably late...@burnstobacco99, @cigarwes, @boxprezprincess and @SmokinButterfly were all there. I am giving these folks a hard time with some of the comments, but I do love them all as brothers and sisters of the leaf...if you’re not following the above names on Twitter, please consider doing so.

The Bacony Star of the Show...

The star of the show was the special guest, “Thick Cut Bacon.” Brought in from Rathbuns, but cooked by the adjoining Dantanna’s (because Rathbuns wasn’t open at that time of day), this is basically fried pork belly tossed in a molasses glaze...so almost like boneless pork ribs in a heavy, sweet BBQ sauce...utterly delectable and worthy of Tweeting many pictures to @jcruz who couldn’t make the trip this year. Bacony and fatty with a little too much salt on some pieces...if you haven’t tried these, you are missing out.

Over the course of the day, I smoked the following cigars: Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro “Little Robusto,” AJ Fernandez San Lotano Oval, Perdomo Exhibicion Sungrown, Perdomo ESV 2002 Maduro, Guillermo Leon Signature, Zino Platinum Crown Series Double Grande, LFD Cameroon Cabinet Lancero, and a Four Kicks Sublime.

Bars of smoke

Oh, and the FourSquare thing...after my DR trip in October and garnering 400 points in a week’s time, I decided to give up on FourSquare. I thought it would be fun to relent for one day and see how many points I could gather in one day’s time. That total turned out to be 93 and I ended up at #3 on the Leaderboard at the time I quit again early Sunday morning when I got home. I still fail to see any real value in FourSquare, but the point-earning game part can be fun at times. Also, it was fun to see how many legitimate places I could check into while flying down the highway...another thing to keep you awake on a long trip.

Cigar Review: Drew Estate Undercrown

Robusto, 5" x 54 ring gauge / $7.45, Buckhead Cigar
The story goes that Drew Estate's rollers were smoking a little too much of their product, notably the Liga Privadas. This probably does not come as a great surprise to many Liga fans who are unable to find their favorite size and blend for months at a time. Instead of just being mad, the rollers worked on blending their own cigar...a stogie using many of the same types of tobacco, but in different primings and harvests, making it somewhat similar to the Liga Privada, but distinctly different at the same time. There are a couple of "really good things" about the Undercrown: first, the price is excellent, about 30 to 40 percent less than most LPs; second, they will actually be available. They will not require a Liga Privada-authorized store and the quantities are expected to be enough to keep them in stock consistently. What has been called "an inverse Liga Privada" has a somewhat mysterious blend...looking through several (hopefully) trustworthy sources online, I found the filler to be Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed, the dual binders to be a stalk-cut Connecticut Broadleaf along with a Habano, and the wrapper to be a Mexican San Andres Negro...or Otapan Negro Ultimo Corte...or San Andres Marron...or San Andres Maduro...depending on which site you want to believe. The Drew Estate site does not mention the Undercrown at all, although their iPhone app does talk about it...but gives no details whatsoever about the blend. I had smoked about four of these before getting to this review sample. Keith did review this stogie a couple months ago, you can find out what he thought HERE. If anyone from Drew Estate sees this and wants to clarify the tobacco questions above, the comments section is open. :)

Picking up the Undercrown, I noticed the wrapper was oily to the touch with a little rough toothiness as well. The color was dark chocolate with little mottling and practically no veins above what I would call medium in size. The band is a cool take on the Liga Privada lion logo, but in some ways this band looks classier than that on the LP lines...primarily because those are meant to look "unfinished" or "experimental." Putting the wrapper to my nose, I got mostly earth with a hint of cocoa powder; the foot gave up a stronger scent of earth. I used my trusty Xikar Xi to clip the head, leaving a very good draw and flavors of natural tobacco, coffee, pepper spice, and the vaguest hint of Mexican earthiness.

Not being sure of the Undercrown's make-up, I still think it is a safe bet that it contains less Ligero than regular LPs. I say this because of the ease with which I have lit these with nothing more than a soft flame lighter on several occasions. After lighting, the Undercrown starts off with a strong earthiness on the palate, accompanied by a balancing dried fruit sweetness and an intense pepper burn on the nose. Some people have called this a medium bodied cigar, but I think they might be fooled by the fact that it is not intensely strong with nicotine...even on the first few puffs, the smoke is oily and full in the mouth.

One of the seemingly signature characteristics of Liga Privada and related products is their ability to generate an unbelievable quantity of smoke. The Undercrown solders away while sitting on the edge of an ashtray chugging out blue-gray smoke at a rate many cigars do only when they have just been puffed on. I smoked one while driving in my car and just about choked myself on smoke.

The second third of the Undercrown was earthy and leathery, still displaying a full bodied, oily smoke with an understated sweetness. The construction of the cigar was just about perfect, with a fantastic draw and a burn line that needed no touching up. The ash held on for an inch or more before I tapped off.

Earthy and leathery were the order of the day as the final third of the Undercrown burned through as well. This cigar does not show the complexity or intensity of flavor you might be used to with a Liga Privada, but it does deliver a very good flavor in a full bodied smoke without a great deal of nicotine kick. The fact that it is readily available and priced nicely only makes it better. If you are a fan of full bodied smokes in general or Liga Privadas specifically, I think you will enjoy the Undercrown. Very new smokers should stay away until they get more experience and are able to handle fuller sticks. I enjoyed this one, though, and I can see it ending up in my humidor on a regular basis.

Body: 8/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 5/10

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

Cigar Extra: CAO Maduro (Costa Rica)

8.5" x 48 ring gauge / Priceless
This is what I like to call a "Holy Grail" cigar. A stogie of legend that is practically unobtainable because it was made in small quantities or because it went out of production long ago. But, Dave, you're saying...I can go into just about any cigar store in the country and pick up a CAO L'Anniversaire Maduro! True...but you will be getting the version made since 1999 or 2000 in a Nicaraguan factory...not the original version made in 1998 in Costa Rica. The two cigars were supposed to be the same...when production moved to Nicaragua they were supposed to be using the same blend (Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, Ecuadorian binder, and Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, I believe)...but for some reason the cigar was just never as good. It has been said that the Costa Rican-made Maduro is "the best cigar CAO ever made...or ever will make." A friend of mine has a friend with a stash of these...he made a phone call...I made a phone call...several months later I got a call back and a week or so after that I was gifted four of these in the mail. I can't find a record of this size, but I guess this would be a Presidente.

The wrapper of this CAO Maduro was rough and toothy, but still plenty oily for a 13 year old cigar with no cellophane. The color was lighter than what you might expect from a Maduro, although coloration is never the definition of Maduro, aging is. The aroma from the wrapper was mildly earthy, with a sweet molasses note. On the foot I got more earth and some black pepper. I've been told (and experienced it myself in the first sample of these that I smoked) that much of the strength and body has disappeared from these cigars over the last decade, but there is still so much aroma...and flavor!

 

The cold draw has a sweet, milk chocolate core flavor to it, along with hints of earth and natural tobacco. This was not an easy cigar to get lit, but once it was fired, I got a rich, sweet tobacco flavor with plentiful cocoa powder and coffee notes mixed in. Speaking of coffee, I elected to take this cigar with my morning coffee on a cool autumn morning. The smoke was cool due to the length of the cigar, and it smoked smoothly due to the amount of age it had. The draw on this Costa Rica CAO Maduro was even and easy.

The second third brought some black pepper to the retrohale while chocolatey sweetness continued along with earth and coffee on the palate. The mild to medium body made this almost perfect for a late morning smoke with coffee. The peppery nose hit continued until the end, as did the rest of the perfectly delightful flavors. Is this the best cigar CAO ever made? That is a distinct possibility, although I do love me some La Traviata Animado. It definitely would make my top 3 CAO cigars ever and if you get the chance, you should try this one. Sadly, as time goes on these will be harder and harder to find as the remaining supplies get reduced to ash. I have one more left and it will wait a few more month, maybe even a year or more, in my humidor before being fired up.

Cigar Review: Nadi Classic Habano

Caligula (Toro), 6" x 52 ring gauge / $
Two of the many people I got to meet at the Chattanooga Tweet Up in August were Jeff and Nada Jumper, who made it a point to drive up from Florida for our little party. That in itself made an impression on me, so when I found out they were working on their own cigar line, I made myself available to give it an early try. They sent me two samples from their soon to be leased line called Classic Habano by Nadi Cigars; this blend features Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, a Dominican binder and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper (which seems to be a very popular choice of late). Nadi Cigars are hand rolled by a former Davidoff master roller and the Jumpers expect to "informally" launch them at the Atlanta Tweet Up on the weekend of December 9-11 (at Buckhead Cigar); they will be available for sale exclusively at SunKissedSmokes.com.

The samples I got were cellophaned, but not banded. I appreciate the cello as it helps protect the sticks, but they did seem a little ordinary without some kind of banding. As expressed in my article from a few weeks ago...the proper banding can help establish where the makers are trying to position this cigar...just from looking at his one, I really cannot tell. With that being said, the Nadi Classic Habano did feature a very oily, somewhat toothy wrapper leaf, in a color just a shade or two lighter than medium brown. There was a little darker mottling, but overall it looked great. It was a little softer to the squeeze as you got closer to the foot, and not just right at the foot as is common, but an inch or more up from it. The aroma of the wrapper leaf was a little earthy, but it also had a touch of molasses to it. The foot had a more classic natural tobacco and cedar mix. The cold draw was excellent and had a musty, foresty flavor not unlike some Davidoff products...not quite as pronounced in this case, but definitely there.

The Kelner-esque notes were there on initial light up, too...more of that musty, fungusy flavor...but it was different because the Habano wrapper lent notes of molasses and there were some other earthy notes that seemed more in line with Nicaraguan smokes. The retrohale was nutty with just an edge of pepper spice. That woodsy note lasted about halfway through the first third before it was subsumed in a mix of cedar, leather, and molasses sweetness; there was an underlying earthiness, but it was not the same as what I experienced at first.

The Nadi Classic Habano built up a nice light gray ash of up to an inch in length before needing to be tapped off. In the second third the flavors became more woody...both cedar and oak at times, but still with that earth and molasses mix underneath. The draw was excellent at all times and the burn line had needed only one minor touch up to this point.

As the final third burned through, I picked up more earthiness and a more distinct cedar note. The Classic Habano turned out to be a very nicely balanced, fairly full flavored cigar with a body that was just slightly over medium and a very moderate amount of nicotine strength. After years of companies pursuing ever fuller body and ever fuller strength, it is nice to see some manufacturers decide that flavor is the most important element and that challenging your palate to a wrestling match is not. This cigar should be enjoyable by just about any level of smoker, from the novice to the seasoned enthusiast and my recommendation is to put it on your list of cigars to try.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

Cigar Review: Curivari El Gran Rey

Belicosos, 5.375" x 52 ring gauge / $8.99, Maxamar's

Before I start the review I just want to pause and remember those who gave their life 70 years ago today at Pearl Harbor. Of those that survived this day there aren't many of them left. Treasure the time you have with them if you know one of those brave men or women.

This past weekend I was looking around my regular shop to see what was new. Right as I walked in I saw a bunch of Curivari cigars. I think I had heard of them before but I know I hadn't smoked one. As I was talking to Amar he said that the one with the band that looks like a Hoyo do Monterrey was good so I decided to pick one up to try and review. From what I was able to see almost all of the Curivari cigars have bands that mimic some of the classic Cuban brands. According to their website this cigar is: "full-bodied cigar is rich and spicy, exquisitely balanced, with a core of sweet spices, caramel, honey and a long, complex finish." This cigar, and it looks like all of their cigars at this time, is a Nicaraguan puro. This cigar comes in two other sizes, a 5" x 50 robusto called the Emperadores, and a 6.5" x 50 toro called the Prominentes. All of the cigars are packed in 10 count wood and paper boxes. This was the first cigar of this blend I smoked.

Giving the cigar a once over visually I noticed that the wrapper was a nice medium brown with some darker mottling to it. There we a good amount of oils and a slight amount of tooth to the wrapper as well. There were some medium and fine veins to it as well. When I gave the cigar a squeeze it was fairly firm and there were no soft spots. The wrapper gave off the slightest hint of curry while I got a light aroma of barnyard from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got a slight taste of sweet tobacco with a firm draw.

After lighting the cigar up I started getting the taste of leather and a molasses sweetness. I did get some red pepper spice on the retrohale as well. Taking a few more puffs on the cigar I did get some earth and a creaminess on the finish. However the draw was still really tight and I didn't get much smoke out of the cigar. I used bleeder tool on my MTX to try and open up the draw. It did work a bit and I was able to get some more smoke out of it. However it wasn't to where I would have liked it. The cigar was pretty much medium in body and strength at this point. The grey and black ash held on for about three quarters of an inch before needing to be tapped off.

Progressing into the second third I still wasn't getting as much flavor or smoke out of the cigar as I'd have liked so I decided to cut it again. This made the draw much better. The flavors during this third were of leather, earth, wood with a bit of red pepper spice. I would still rate this cigar as medium bodied. The burn did start to canoe pretty bad but I decided to not straighten it out and to see how it handled it. By the end of this third the flavors felt like they had finally balanced out. It seemed to me that the overly tight draw caused some issues with the flavors.

As I moved on into the final third the cigar continued on strong. The flavors were pretty much the same as the previous third, leather, earth, herbal spice and a sweet finish, but they continued to be pleasant rather than strained like the first half of the cigar. The red pepper spice did start to build again and I would say that the cigar reached the bottom end of full by the end.

If the cigar was like the last half all the way through it would have been a great cigar instead of a mediocre one. I do think I'd like to give another one a try to see what would happen in there weren't the construction issues holding the first half of the cigar back.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 7.5/10

Cigar Review: Gurkha Triad

Churchill, 7" x 52 ring gauge / MSRP ~$50
I was handed this cigar almost exactly a year ago by Kaizad Hansotia when he was making an event appearance at Burns Tobacconist. "This is a very special cigar," he said. And for a suggested retail price of about $50, it really should be. I had smoked a sample (a gift from another source) of the Triad Platinum (Maduro) a week or so before, though; they retail for about $100 a stick and to be honest...I was completely and utterly underwhelmed by it. After sitting on what I wrote about that stick for a year, I still don't want to publish it other than to say...it did nothing to justify such a lofty price tag in my eyes. So, back to the "natural" Triad...this cigar features a 10 year old Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, a 7 year old Dominican binder, and 7 year old filler from Nicaragua and Honduras. Only 300 boxes were made and the box is pretty spectacular...we will now delve into whether the cigar can measure up to the box it comes in.

The cigar band is ornate and beautiful and a bit over the top, but that's traditional Gurkha so there is not much more to say about that. The website shows uncello'd cigars in a box and they do not have any other adornment, either. In reality the cigar I had in my hands featured a cedar sheath that covered over half the body and a black ribbon footband. This kind of inconsistency between website and real life is also something I've come to expect from the company. Here is where things got interesting...the color of the cigars shown on the website is that of a true Connecticut Shade wrapper...light tan to gold, while the Maduro version is very dark brown (and was that way in real life as I recall). This cigar was a medium brown with a slightly grayish tinge and darker mottling showing up after the cedar was removed. If I was asked to guess the origin of this leaf based solely on appearance, I would say Cameroon. It was oily with a delicate vein structure and a powerful cedar aroma (surprise!); I got a lot more cedar on the foot. I actually couldn't smell anything but cedar on this cigar...maybe a good thing, maybe a bad thing, but definitely unexpected. My Xikar Xi provided a clean, even cut and a good draw that tasted of cedar, hay and natural tobacco.

The aging of the tobacco components was immediately apparent on lighting up the Gurkha Triad. I had not really expected much, but I was greeted with a refined, flavorful smoke that had a grassy creaminess up front, a solid earthiness on the finish and a touch of black pepper on the retrohale. As the first third got really good and established in its burn, the flavor became much more cedary, but with hints of the grass and earth I noted before. The pepper on the nose did not last all that long. As befits a cigar with this price tag, construction was very good so far, with an ash that lasted over an inch before falling off and a very even burn line.

The flavor in the second third had a strong wood, mostly cedar, but other notes in there as well. There was still an underlying earthiness and a very pleasant undertone of natural tobacco. What was missing was the grassy sweetness so often associated with Connecticut Shade wrappers...I have to be honest in saying that this really has had none of that kind of flavor since the very beginning. If this was a Conny, either the extra aging changed the flavor profile or the filler blend was totally overwhelming the wrapper.

Dare I say that there was something "Cubaneque" that came through in this cigar, especially as the final third burned? Yes...I will say that. The flavor was unlike any Nicaraguan or Honduran leaf that I can remember. This cigar really shone in the final third. Like I stated before, I was completely unimpressed with the Maduro version (which retails for double the price of this cigar), but this Triad really was something special in the end. I do wish that it had been more than just the first inch and final third that made me feel this way, though. The end of the first third and most of the second was just "very good" by comparison, leaving me with mixed feelings about this cigar. Is it the best thing in the Gurkha catalog? Probably...I've not tried everything so I will just let it go at "it's the best Gurkha I have had." Is it "special" as Kaizad remarked? Absolutely. Could it be better? Without a doubt. Is it worth $50? No...but I would probably pay $30 for it. For those willing to give it a try, it was medium in body and about the same in nicotine strength. Price alone puts it out of question for most of the smokers I know, but it is a great and surprising experience.

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

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

Guest Opinion: Why I Don't Buy Cuban Cigars

A few months ago, I started thinking about an article I wanted to write. I had made a personal stand a few years back, refusing to give money to a Communist regime that had imprisoned and murdered many of its own people. According to The Black Book of Communism the Castro regime executed around 14,000 Cubans from the time they took power through the end of the 1960s. People have idolized Che Guevara, turning him into some kind of folk hero, but his own grandson has said, "In Cuba freedom is nonexistant. The regime demands submission and obedience...the regime persecutes hippies, homosexuals, free-thinkers, and poets...They employ constant surveillance, control and repression." Canek Guevara says these words from Mexico, where he fled, believing that Castro had perverted the "pure revolution" of the early '60s. But the fact remains that Castro and Che imprisoned many times the number of people incarcerated by the Batista regime they rebelled against, and by some estimates they imprisoned more in their first half decade than the Nazis did during their first 5 years in power.

For all this there has been no mea culpa. No apology to the thousands of innocents who were killed, whose families were ripped apart. No end to the stream of humanity leaving the Island South of Miami, two-thirds of whom reportedly did not survive the journey...but still they flee from a nation that once was had one of largest immigrant populations in the Caribbean.

So when I began to consider this article, I wanted to say all these things and more, but wasn't sure exactly how. So I enlisted some help. I reached out to Frank Herrera, who many of you will know from his Cigar Law blog or his cigar company, El Caridad del Cobre. I wanted some input on my article, but what I got was a fully realized piece that I am proud to print in its entirety. Frank has said pretty much everything I wanted to say; let there be no mistake, I agree with this opinion 100 percent. You don't have to agree...you don't have to take the same stance...but I do hope you at least think about it.

I get offers to write articles on a regular basis about my views on the cigar industry, trademark disputes, and other matters wherein the law intersects with cigars.  However, after 10 years in the cigar industry (behind and now in front of the scene), Dave Jones asked me to write an article that really challenges me to explain “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars.” 

When I write, I usually throw a few ideas at the page much like a painter would take a pencil and start a sketch.  I’ve found that after many years of writing that simply putting words on the page helps me get the process started and narrow my focus.  During that process, I do what many other writers do and search the Internet for topics that might be similar to my chosen topic.  When I conducted a Google search of the phrase “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars”  I found an article with the same title written by the famed Gary Korb of Cigaradvisor.com.  Since Mr. Korb nailed the topic over two years ago, I now find myself looking beyond the basic political reasons of “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars.”  I adopt his reasoning in its entirety, and thank him for his insight and conscientious (non-Cuban) perspective. Great article...check it out.

First, as a brand owner I rarely buy cigars. Obviously, I have my own to smoke, but I am constantly provided with other non-Cuban cigars by friends, clients, customers, other brand owners, and even my long lost uncle Machito.  Because of this constant stream of free cigars Cuban cigars simply do not come within my consideration set. 

Second, Cuban cigars, if they are accurately defined as genuine Cuban cigars and not counterfeit or some other fugazi derivative, simply are not as good as they used to be. Insert the many, many reasons for this here.  For that reason, I prefer to smoke the better non-Cuban cigars on the market.

Third, websites that sell “Cuban” cigars to United States consumers are almost always located in Canada or Europe. Why should I give money to a foreign website owner that is probably selling counterfeit “Cuban” cigars?  There are many United States bricks and mortar (and legitimate website) stores that are owned and operated by hard working good people. They sell legal non-Cuban cigars. They get up every morning and operate a legitimate United States business. They have employees. They have utilities to pay. They are invested in their communities. They are invested in the United States cigar industry. They add value to our lives and to our right to smoke (support Cigar Rights of America) to continue to smoke cigars in the United States.  The foreign website owners have nothing invested in the United States.  They simply take cash from unsuspecting United States citizens (drunk on the romantic idea of Cuba, old cars, mulata woman, Hemingway, and mojitos).  They prey on ignorance and, in some cases, the pretentious ill-informed that still believe that Cuba makes the best cigars.  

Fourth, over the past 10 years I have personally represented (most of the time alone) the legal interests of many Cuban exile cigar brand owners in trademark disputes against Cuba’s tobacco industry operated by Corporacion Habanos, S.A. and Cubatabaco.  Nearly all of my fees have either been on a pro bono basis, or severely discounted.   These clients could have simply defaulted when Cuba attacked their trademark rights, but they chose to fight. Since they were unable to engage in a fair fight while they were in Cuba, they can now fight against Cuba in the United States legal arena.  The idea of purchasing a cigar made in Cuba would be a slap in the face to these clients, my family, and my ideals.  In a world that seems to be bereft of ideals, I chose to take a stand against Cuba for those that could not do so.  Call me stupidly idealistic.  Okay. I'm quixotically tilting at windmills.  I can't help it.

Finally, I can also not help but return to the political reasons of “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars.”  Apart from the fact, that my family’s country has been held hostage by a psychopathic mass murderer (and his brother), that my uncle Machito was imprisoned in Cuba because he took part in the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion (thanks again Kennedy...idiot), I can’t buy Cuban cigars because they are made, distributed, and sold by a government that has arrested and imprisoned thousands of people because of their religious, and political views.  In Cuba, there is no Freedom of Speech. There is no Freedom of Assembly.  There is no Freedom of the Press. There is no Second Amendment.  You get the picture? Do you?  While the reader has no doubt heard this before, I repeat this because it is, in large part, the reason “Why I Don’t Buy Cuban Cigars.”

Note from David Jones: In the interest of full disclosure...I have smoked Cuban cigars before, even recently. I have bought Cuban cigars before, although it has been many years. More recently I have received a stick here and there from friends. At first, my reaction was "What do I do with this?" A friend suggested, "Don't offend the giver...just smoke it, but don't make a big deal out of it." So that's what I have done. This has afforded me the opportunity to judge a few recent Cubans based on quality; while it's true there are some great Cuban smokes out there, many are quite mediocre overall and probably wouldn't sell very well if they were not "forbidden fruit." Do yourself a favor and head on over to Charmed Leaf and check out some of Frank's Caridad del Cobre line...I especially recommend the Javelin and La Cucaracha.

Cigar Extra: Macanudo Crü Royale, Gigante

Gigante, 6" x 60 ring gauge / approx. $7
It's no secret that I've called the Cru Royale "a Macanudo I would actually spend my own money on." While Macanudo is one of the most successful brand names in the premium cigar industry, it is widely seen by more experienced smokers as lacking in complexity, body, and strength. The Cru Royale changed that with its Benji Menendez blend of Dominican, Brazilian and Nicaraguan fillers, Dominican La Vega Especial binder, and Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The question before us today is how this blend stands up to the 6 x 60 Gigante size. I've been outspoken in my criticism of large ring gauge cigars and believe that there just are not that many that truly justify this kind of size by delivering a rich, flavorful experience. General Cigar provided the cigar I smoked for this experiment.

The cigar looked good still, even in this oversized version. I heard some criticism of the band on this one, but I think it looks fine...it's a departure from the regular Macanudo bands and that helps it stand apart from their other lines. The wrapper felt oily and had an aroma of fresh earth with a hint of cocoa powder; the foot had a more astringent earthiness...almost more of a manure note. The cold draw was excellent and had a nice natural tobacco and leather note. Lighting up was easy, even with a single flame torch. At first it seemed like the flavor was deadened like I experience with most of these large ring gauge cigar, but after a couple minutes it started coming to life, exhibiting earth and cocoa powder notes on the palate, along with roasted nuts and a touch of spice through the nose.

Being a Cigar Extra, I'm not going to go into blow by blow detail of the cigar, but suffice to say the Macanudo Cru Royale surprised me again...even in this Gigante size, it delivered smooth, good flavor from beginning to end. Mostly it was a very nice natural tobacco note, but there was also earth, leather, and cocoa powder in good portion and it never seemed "dead" as so many of these bigger sticks do. Very nice overall and for a very nice price.

New Releases from La Flor Dominicana

 

I received an e-mail from one of my favorite cigar manufacturers today detailing a couple new items that should be hitting your local B&M's shelves sometime this month. The following is transcribed from their official Press Releases:

FACTORY PRESS IV

 

The fourth in the series of highly acclaimed Factory Press cigars by La Flor Dominicana. The tobaccos used to construct these wonderful cigars are from special small crops that have been retained and aging for use in this very limited production.

Total Production: 250 Boxes

Size: 60 x 6.5 inches

Packaging: Chest of 10 trays of 12 cigars

Blend:

Wrapper: Mexican Maduro

Binder: Ecuadorian

Filler: 100% Dominican, grown at Estancia La Flor de Plam in La Canela, Dominican Republic

Body: Full

CAMEROON CABINET CHISEL

After much demand we present the Cameroon Cabinet Chisel; originally released in the popular Chisel Sampler. The unmatched sweetness of Ligero Cameroon wrappers, blended with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler and Dominican binder, makes these cigars very complex and well balanced. These cigars are rich, with a full flavored body.

Production: December 2011 limited release

Size: 54 x 6 inches

Packaging: 20 count boxes

Blend:

Wrapper: Cameroon Ligero

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan

Body: Medium to Full

Cigar Review: Zino Platinum Crown Series, Chubby Especial

Perfecto, 5.875" x 61 ring gauge / approx. $105 for a 3-pack
This is a review that I wasn't sure how to begin. To start, I would almost certainly never have tried this cigar at all if not for the Zino Platinum Black Carpet event that was held at Burns in late September. I felt the desire to support my B&M so I paid $225 for an event bag that I considered to have too many cigars that are waaaay over-priced. These Chubby Especials, for instance, sell for upwards of $40 apiece in the tubes...and you only get a slight price break by buying the 3-pack in the metal box. Then I smoked the first one...and realized that the second one had to be for a review (I'm not smoking the third one for this review...are you crazy? It's being saved for some future special occasion.). The Crown Series, which this cigar is part of, is made of three different fillers from the Dominican Republic, one Piloto and two variations of San Vicente, as well as some Peruvian Habano. All are aged four to five years. The binder is a four year aged Connecticut Seed, grown in Connecticut. The wrapper is a sun-grown Connecticut Seed grown in Ecuador.

The look of the Chubby Especial is striking and imposing. The dual bands are the epitome of class, using foil and embossing, but preferring to have a dull foil instead of the typical shiny stuff. The wrapper was a light brown with a distinctive reddish hue to it from the time under the sun and it was flawless...smooth, with small to medium veins and expert craftsmanship in evidence. And this is where my pragmatic side steps in and says, "For this kind of money, it better be flawless!" Putting my nose to the leaf, I got a rich hay aroma...really nothing you haven't experienced on other Davidoff products...very nice and clean, but not something that makes you say "I must smoke it now!" At least, I don't have that reaction to it. With the foot tapering to a small area, there was no different aroma there. The prelight draw was great, even with the tapered ends, and the flavor was simply amazing. In one way it's what you might expect from a heavily-Dominican cigar...hay and natural tobacco, mostly...but it's so rich and clean tasting, with just the right amount of sweetness and that hint of wet forest fungus that seems to be part of everything made by Davidoff.

The initial puffs were amazing. Sweet, natural tobacco with a hint of hay on the palate; a whiff of maple on the nose. Underlying it all that mushroominess of Kelner blends. The Zino Platinum Crown Series Chubby Especial is not strong or full-bodied at this point, but it did have the most amazing flavor. Enough to make me want to pay between $30 and $40 a stick? I'll visit that question at the end. By the end of the first third, along with the rich tobacco flavor, I got a nice earthiness and a cedar note.

A pet peeve of many cigar smokers is the application of too much glue on a band and that turned out to be a problem here. The band of this very expensive cigar took a large chunk of wrapper with it when it was removed, and I just don't find that acceptable on something that costs this much. Other than that, construction was just about perfect; the burn line was very even and the draw never showed any problems. The flavor in the second third continued to build on the rich tobacco and wood notes that came out in the first, along with the earthiness that cropped up late in that third; all of those notes came through even stronger and clearer, if possible, and I got a bit of a growing pepper burn on the retrohale. Nothing like a Nicaraguan pepper, mind you...more of a low-level white pepper.

The final third started out with me making a large correction to the burn line. While this might be normal on most cigar, again, with the price charged for these, it's unexpected that it would start to canoe. The body of the Zino Platinum Chubby Especial ramped up a bit during this segment, from a solid medium to a medium-to-full. I started getting a mild cayenne pepper burn at the back of my tongue and the earthier aspects of the profile took the driver's seat, while cedar and maple notes were still trying to be back seat drivers. I liked this cigar...a lot! It had a richness of flavor that is uncommon and was extraordinarily smooth, never harsh. Back to the question of would I pay regular price for this? Yes...but only for very special occasions. It is good to know that something this expensive does justify the price tag.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10